Few more trip pictures

Looking out from one of the upper decks on the cruise ship

One of the two pools on the ship

The main theatre where the nightly entertainment was held. Nightly shows featured an excellent magician, world champion juggler, and Vegas style dance/music shows

One of the pirates on board

Near the Town Square in Tallinn, Estonia

One of the many churches in Tallinn

One of the sidestreets off the Town Square

View of Tallinn Old Town from St. Olaus Church

The Baltic Coast of Tallinn

The beautiful medieval landscape of coastal Estonia

This climb makes the one to Conwy Castle in Wales seem easy

Kodie climbing one of the 258 steps on the way to the top of the St. Olaus Church

Time to begin the descent

Ready to head to the muster station

Ready to board the Royal Caribbean Vision of the Seas

Narrow alleyway in old town of Stockholm

Picture of a picture-- one of the Volvo around the world racing teams broadcasting from the sea

View across one of the many harbors of Stockholm

Kodie taking part in one of the sponsor activities. These were part of the festivities for the Volvo around the World Boat Races, which had a stopover in Stockholm, Sweden.

Brother and sister getting ready to sail

Nice day for sailing

This event sponsored some great activities for kids.

Not a sign you will encounter in America

Coffee break in Stockholm

Getting ready to explore on our return trip to Sweden

The heat has arrived in Seinajoki. The last few days have been in the 80's and it feels great. It might be time to get the Speedo, uuhhhmmm, I mean the swimming shorts out again. Life has settled into a rhythm here and the days seem to go by quickly. I am nearing the half way point of my stay here in Finland. Quite honestly, the season hasn't gone very well thus far. There have been key injuries, some off the field player conduct issues, and an overall lack of depth. Some of our import players have been sent home, so we are competing with about 23-25 players now. The bottom line is that we are 0-3 and in desparate need of a win. We travel to Porvoo to play the defending Finnish champions tomorrow, so things don't get any easier. We will overcome this adversity.
At the end of the day, life is still good. I am thankful to have a great family here with me in Finland and for my improved health. It is amazing how fragile life really is. Just hearing about the passing of Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson in the last few days made me do some reflecting. It made me think a bit more about what is really important to me. It made me consider my own vulnerabilities and insecurities. The other reaction or perspective that I gain from such events is this burning desire to really go after the things that I value and the dreams that I carry inside of me. The randomness of events or tragedies that might occur such as the D.C. metro accident or Air France crash remind me that life can change in a split second. Nothing is guaranteed and tomorrow is never a sure thing. I will close with my advice for the day. Live each day like it is your last and always eat dessert first. Happy pictures