24 July 2010

Its quite difficult to write this journal as we just said goodbye to the kids as they left for Oslo for transfer back to Dallas.  Eddie and I are staying behind an extra week as Eddie is training with a professional team here in Gothenburg.  

We had another great day as well, par for this tour, great weather once again, cool and sunny.  Light jackets and sunglasses, gotta love it.  Day started off with 9 am breakfast, clean our rooms, start packing, and then a sightseeing trip to a fortress, one of the most distinguished  landmarks in Sweden.  About a 30 minute boat ride and another 2 hours on the island walking around the fortress, taking pictures, and watching some actors play out some old Swedish portrayals.  It was a great experience.  

On the way back, we walked through the mall and the kids eyes lit up when I asked them if they wanted to hang in the mall for a spell.  Guess what their answer was.  Stay in groups, no junk food, and no American fast food restaurants, be back by 3:15, easy to do and just as easily followed.  

Upon return, we pack our bags, put them in 2 rooms, and clean our rooms, well at least we tried.  Let me elaborate, the Boys C tried to clean their rooms, not sure if that smell will ever come out.  Poor cleaning ladies.  Our kids were told they had to clean their kitchens and fridges, did they listen, no way, so we had to wait for them to clean them properly.

Now off the the stadium to watch a final, an okay game, but at least we saw where we wanted to play, there is always next year, as most of the kids keep talking about.  

Back to hotel to dinner and then we head off to Liseberg, an amusement park.  What a way to end our last day on tour, great time, kids win all kinds of prizes, oversized chocolate bars, etc.  We stay until closing, 11 pm, and then the kids walk back to the hotel.  And to top it off, these kids sing and chant the entire way home.  Never before have I had a group so together and so willing to express themselves.  I will try and put some of the chants on the web site as you have to see this.  

Time to pack the bus and do one final passport check.  All in order and then our goodbyes start, tough to say goodbye to these kids as we have grown so close together.  I will send one final update upon the return for all and try and recap the tour awards, highs and lows, etc.  

Thanks for supporting us these past 3 weeks, and hope these journals have given you all some sense of our experiences. The video, 4 hours long, will detail more so watch for that.

Ciao, Ed