Musée d'Orsay

The first Sunday of every month is Free Museum Day in Paris.  Dustin and I took advantage of the first Sunday in March and headed to Museé d'Orsay, not too far from our apartment.  The museum is in an old train station that was built at the end of the 1800s.  Eventually, modern trains became longer, and the station could no longer be used.  It was turned into a museum in 1986 and it is home to French art from 1848-1915. 

Some of my favorite artists have pieces in the Orsay - Monet, Manet, and Degas to name a few.  I especially love Renoir's Bal du Moulin de la Galette.  Unfortunately, you can't take pictures inside of the museum (except for overarching shots from specific lookout points).

If you ever find yourself in Paris, I definitely recommend spending some time in this fabulous museum.  Just getting to see the inside of the train station (without the art it contains!) is worth the price of a ticket.  And since the museum is much smaller than the Louvre, you can truly feel like you've done it justice without becoming extremely exhausted in the process. 

Our attempt at a self portrait outside of the museum...

I love the clock!

The view through the clocks at the top of the station is stunning!

It's Been Entirely Too Long...

Wow. I can't believe nearly 3 months have passed since my last blog update. Starting NOW I am going to attempt to do a better job! I guess the first thing I need to do is catch everyone up on what has been going on with the Smiths.

• On November 1, 2011, Dustin and I found out we are expecting our first child! The baby is due July 8th.  We were (and continue to be!!) very excited, but also a little nervous about navigating French healthcare. Fortunately, I have found an American doctor who is fantastic!
• November and December were rough months. I was pretty sick and didn't feel like doing much of anything (hence the lack of blog postings!). But we were thankful that although I wasn't feeling well, the little one inside me was growing and progressing normally!
• In December, we got to spend two weeks with our families in the states. We spent one week in Kentucky with Dustin's family, and one week with my family in Indiana. That's when we spilled the beans to our family about our exciting news!
• In January, I started feeling a lot better, but I was still exhausted. We got our first really good picture of our little one.

So, that brings us to February. I was fortunate enough to get to spend two weeks with my family in Florida! It was so nice to be out of Paris, in the sun, and with people I love. Dustin even got to come for a few days!

Dustin hitting up the driving range (he was THRILLED that I took this picture!).

Me by the Caloosahatchee River at the Edison and Ford Estates in Ft. Myers.

Edison Estate



Wouldn't you love a view like this from your front porch?

The largest banyan tree in continental US - given to Edison by Firestone in 1925.

After we visited the Edison and Ford Estates, we drove to Sanibel Island and stayed on the beach for one night.  The view from our hotel balcony was incredible!

A nature preserve on Sanibel.

Alligator sighting!

After our little "babymoon", Dustin went back to Paris and I stayed in Florida for a few more days.  We passed our time shopping, eating, reading, etc.  It was super relaxing and just what the doctor ordered.



My awesome family.  Thanks for a great two weeks!!