Weekend in Pliezhausen

It's Sunday evening and again we sit at home tired but happy! We have completed a busy weekend with friends in Pliezhausen, German.  The Maag family (Peter works with Tim) invited us down and showed us a neat time around their area of the country.

On Saturday we were adventurous: drove up the hills some to the nature area and built our own campfire and roasted 3 kinds of sausages over the fire. Heike also prepared some potato salad, cucumbers, tomatoes, and pretzels/rolls.  It was great fun to gather some sticks, light the fire and roast.  It felt like our version of "Up North" --the Hoogeven Vaca in Minnesota!!  While eating, we also found time to play Bocca Ball and Soccer and the kids went off and built their own little "campfire" area in the woods.  Later on, we decided it was time to burn off all of those sausages, so a hike was in order! We all survived a VERY STEEP (luckily short) hike up a hill to a cool tower.  We climbed the tower and enjoyed great views. Then it was time for the tricky decent, but we did it!

We then returned to the Maag's home for some water play time and drinks, coffe and kuchen!  The Motters then checked into their jr. suite at Hotel Schonbuch and cleaned up for dinner.

That evening we ventured off to Tubingen for dinner. We found a little Italian restaurant and enjoyed food on the upper balcony. We then worked off our calories walking around the main Market Area where we had some ice cream (no surprise!).  While enjoying this ice we also discovered some of the great architecture...and watching the colleg kids gather on the historic steps for thier night of fun!  It was a late night, but a great night!

When we awoke on Sunday the rain had moved in...bummer!  We enjoyed a slow morning at the hotel that included coffee delivered to our room, breakfast buffet and swimming!  Then, it was back to the Maag's home where we played the Wii, had some lunch, and just had fun.  With the rainy weather we were limited in our options, but we did find a chocolate factory/museum to explore! Luckily they had one display that served chocolate samples because the Store was closed...Bummer!! But...Ritter Chocolate is delicious!! By now, it was time to head home. 

We took some "back roads" home since the Autobahns all had very bad Stou's and we arrived home around 6:30.  Now you understand why we're tired but happy!!! OH...and now we're watching the USA Women's Soccer Team playing in the World Cup just 1 hr. north or here in Frankfurt! We can't understand a word being said, but we are still enjoying the game!  GO USA!!!!






Time to Roast the Sausages...fresh from the butcher that morning



Building our Campfire...the pit has been there for over 40 years!



Philip, Anika, Rylee and Chloe at the Top of the Tower





Hiking down the Steep Hill







The Rathaus (Govt. Building) in Tubingen



A View from our Suite at the Hotel





Hanging our and Playing Wii at the Maag's Home



Rylee gets her choclate sample delivered at the Ritter Chocolate Museum

Rainy Day in Germany

We experienced a FULL DAY of rain yesterday in Germany, and unfortunately Tim had the car so the girls and I were stuck inside all day - ugh! Fortunately, we are playing frequently with the girls upstairs, so once they got home from school the kids helped to entertain each other....including some time out splashing in puddles!!! This took place around 5:30pm when we were all a bit stir crazy!! Just had to upload a few pics!



Sofie, Lea, Anica, Chloe and Rylee




They are trying our our new "splash ball"




Action Shot of Puddle Splashing and Wall Climbing



Fresh Flowers Anyone???

My 1st Attempt at Picking my own Blomen!

New Discovery Today!!! I FINALLY figured out what the "Blomen" Field is just down the street from us. It's a "cut your own flowers" kinda flower shop/field!!! Yep, you just wonder over, use the clippers they provide, cut whatever flowers you'd like from the currently growing flowers, pay (on your honor) at the cash station (kasse) and walk home with your fresh flowers!! The girls and I had fun deciding the best Gladiolas to take home...and now have a beautiful bouquet on our table for a mere $3.60 for 6 large stalks!! Prices are: .60Euro for 1 stalk of Gladiola or Sunflower  and .30Euro for Daffodils..many variety and colors. I think I have a new weekly task!!!!

A Blunder at the Market

Ok...so this was a good one!  I THOUGHT I was buying what looked to be a package of diced of ham....to add to the frozen pizza I was lovingly preparing for lunch (on my defense...there's some good frozen pizzas over here ..anywhooo)...when I arrived home and opened up it was not quite as I expected! It was diced up ham BUT it was actually molded into something called "Aspik" which is like a clear jelly-like substance.  It also apparently had pieces of potato in it...WHAT?? People actually eat this on their sandwiches or something?????  So...you read the warming here first....do NOT buy something called "Schinken...gewurfelt in Aspik"!!!!!!

More info on the coolest place...

So, now I have the name and web adddress for that super cool restaurant area we went to last Friday. If interested, check out their website...although in German, just click around and see the photos. apparently they also have special kids days, hikes, etc... May need to go back!

Name: Heuchelberger Warte
Web: Www.Heuchelberg.com

Temps.got a little warmer today..upper 70's...just awesome! The girls and I rode our bikes to the store for groceries...so European! Then...get this...Ryleewas invited to go to some little dance class with our upstairs neighbors/landlords and the school just up the street!! She had a blast and I was touched by their offer.

Tim started his Boot Camp training today and has already called to say he's going for appies with a couple guys....could be a long two weeks...hee hee...but nice and rare opportunity for him! So, we are having "German style"tonight :bread, cheeses, sausage, fruit...YUM!

Fun Weekend

We sit here exhausted on a Sunday night after enjoying one busy weekend!  Highlights are:
Thursday - attended a birthday party for a newly found German friend, Jacobus at JumpInn in town. We played there for 4 1/2 hrs!!!) DAD - this is the little boy you met at the park with the girls (Connie's son)! Fun time playing as well as chatting with a few "locals"

Friday - had dinner with friends/colleagues at the COOLEST place yet! The restaurant sat at the top of a hill - you drive up through vineyards to ge there- so your views are amazing!  Although there is an indoor restaurnt, NO ONE sits in there because the outside seating is amazing. They have casual couches, private tented areas, and then many tables.  The area is also terraced so everyone had a great view! The food was great -- flannkuchen/pizza and some "greek-style" gyro meat platter thing?  The neatest part, though, was the great children's play areas right next to the table! The German's GET THIS RIGHT....they know how to incorporate great eating places for families with play areas for kids...makes for a relaxing and fun time for all!! There were 2 different areas on both sides of the restaurant that included swings, slides, low trampolines, large sand box, "tree house", play kitchen, low balance beams, and just places to climb and play. We keep trying to figure out how to take this model back to the US because we need places like this!! 

Saturday - We spent another fun day on the Heidelberg Hauptstrasse with a new colleague of Tim's who was in town for the first time! As always, we had a great time seeing the street entertainers, doing  a little shopping ( I actually bought some clothes!!!!!), and enjoying great food!
 
        That night we had our FIRST DATE NIGHT in 3 Months!! We went to a really neat Jazz Festival in a nieighboring town with many of the women/families from the English Coffee Group!  One of the couples lives on the street where it takes place, so they invited us all over and had a babysitter for our kids! It was great b/c we were withing 10 mins. from the house at all times!  This Jazz Fest  basically takes place in various courtyards of people's homes on this street - as well as on some main spots on the Hauptstrasse and church courtyards. You just meander up and down, listen to various groups and eat and drink your way through the night. The group we were with was so fun - and it was great for Tim to meet more of the husbands! And they all speak English!!!!  The girls had a great time as well which was a bonus.  Well, Rylee actually started off the evening quite badly when she tripped walking up their stairs and split her lip open!!  But, after 30 mins. of crying and ice and Children's Tylenol, and MAC-n-CHEESE she as on the road to recovery! (our hosts contract with the Army so have access to American food at the Commissary)  What a fun night!!!! The events they have constantly like this around here just amazes us. Quality of life is high!

Sunday - After two late nights, we had a late start! But, once we got going we went down to check out the Dragon Boat Races and Beach Party!  A very fun event with many teams dressed in costunes etc.. Seemed like some teams were serious and others were just for fun.  We watched some races  and then had some lunch. We ran into our friends Ellie and Jenz  -- as we always seem to do at our local events! -- so we got to hang out a little. The weather wasn't the best today, so after some time, we all decided to head home and allow the kids to nap. OH...and Momma too! Unfortunately, when we woke up the rain had rolled in so our day our was finished!  That's ok, we had a nice Sunday night of American Movie and ice cream!

So, tomorrow starts another week.  Tim has his long and hard-worked-for Boot Camp training the next two weeks.  Should be a fun time now that most of his work is done - and there are some fun colleagues in town that we will hopefully connect with!  Which means...I better get to bed and rest!!

Girls' Birthday Party

After celebrating birthdays for about 2 weeks straight, we finally wrapped up the celebrating with the "official" German Friends Party this week!  Details:
Where:  Pinocchio Park (indoor playland in Mannheim - about 10 mins. from our Apt.)
When:   Wed., July 6th 16:00 until closing at 19:00
Who:     10 Germany Friends
                 Hannah (with Mom Ellie and baby bro Jason)
                 Greta and Gavin (with Mom Emily)
                 Clara and Per (with Mom Urte)
                 Valentin (with Mom Katrin)
                  Anica, Lea and Sofie (with Mom Birgit and Dad Freddie)- our landlords
What:      Played for hours on all play things - Dad, Freddie, Birgit, Lea and Sofie also tried the climbing ring
                high above us all! All kids also had a dinner (chicken nuggets, pasta, or pizza) and then cupcakes
                and presents as well!
Highlights: Having our guests sing "Happy Birthday" to us in both English and German!
                Watching Tim swing from barrels high above us all
                Having Chloe and Rylee both able to climb to the top of the Volcano and slide down
                Getting a chance to talk to our landlords more through our interpreting friends

Lowlight:  Linda apparently didn't charge the camera battery enough so our pictures and video are limited! 
                I'm still trying not to cry over that one! Thanks to friends, we will soon have more pictures and                      we did get one video of the singing - too large to upload :(

The silly birthday girls enjoying thier pasta, chicken nuggets and fries

Our little table/booth and our friend - eating dinner



The Birthday Gils in their very own "Cabana" Seat at the Head of the Table!



Something has Changed...

...not sure what it is exactly, but suddently Ladenburg feels like home and we all seem to feel more settled in and comfortable.  Why is that???

1. Tim has been working hard to not work so hard -- so more family time?
2. It just takes this long to feel comfortable in a new place?
3. I've developed a love for not having to really pay attention to anyone talking around me?
4. I can drive to a handful of plaes WITHOUT using the navigation device?
5. The girls were invited to TWO birthday parties this month?
6. The girls are hosting a party tomorrow and actually had TEN friends to invite?
7. It's summertime and there's more events happening in this town then anyone could attend on any given weekend?
8. I've adjusted to the flavor of a milch cafe? AND am becoming used to their version of an Iced Coffee (basically a coffee float!)?
9. The weather is so awesome with highs in 70's and lows in 50's...and the scenery is lush and gorgeous?
OR...maybe the most likely answer...
10. We can see the light at the end of the tunnel!!! 3 months down and 2 + 1 week left:)

Spirits are high, moods are happy, and friendships are developing! God is Good:)

Fish Fest (BackFischFest)

That's Right Folks...Ladenburg celebrated the local fishing "industry"? along the River this past weekend!  There was a gigantic tent set up with a stage inside for the various German bands, and numerous tables and benches set up inside and out - as well as a merry-go-round and snack shack outside.  What a kick...traditional German Band (like High School Band style) while we were there the first night ...yep, we went TWO NIGHTS! WHY?? The Fish was Amazing....sort of like "up North" in a fried style (called baked in Germany  - but really coated and fried) only HUGE filets. We ate the Zander Filets each night and were amazed by the flavor and size -and the girls devoured it! We met up with our friends Ellie and Jenz there each night with their 2 kids and the 3 oldest ones played and played outside while we ate, drank wine schorles, and listened to the music. The craziest part was when we ran into other people there as well that we knew...we almost felt like locals  - hee hee hee!!! 

Deevouring 2 Zander Filets at the Fish Festival

Next Weekend...Dragon Boat Races and Beach Party --- watch for future posts!

Chloe Turns 3!

It's now official...Chloe is 3!!!! We celebrated in very similar fashion to Rylee's big day -- except that it was a weekend day so we had Daddy home all day and were off and busy as well!  BUT.... we
1. decorated the house per German tradition - lots of balloons and streamers
2. lit the birthday ring candles when she woke up and sang to her
3. had a breakfast of Pannekuchen (pancakes) and fruit and sausage (Chloe basically requested the exact same things that Rylee did!!!)
4. Opened her presents --she guessed almost all of them b/c most were the same as Rylee:)
5. Spent the next 4 hours at Miramar - and very awesome indoor swimming pool -since Chloe's favorite thing to do these days is swim!!
6. Ate a "delicious" meal of Schnitzel, chicken nuggets and pasta at the swimming pool
7. Went to the Fish Festival in town for dinner - chloe actually LOVED the fish (see next post on this event)

It was a great day and we can't even believe she's 3! Which, apparently, she can't either because she's acting very 2 these days (hee hee)!!  BUT...overall, she's just a cute, delightful little thing who likes to both irrate and love on her big sister! She still checks in with me most nighst (at either 1:30 or 3:00) and then likes to crawl in with us around 6;30 - really kinda adorable!  She still loves doggies - but also unicorns these days.  She can play UNO with us, do puzzles, count to 10 in German, write her name, and make the best sand/rock "pies" in the universe!!

The Big 3 Year Old - check out the great morning hair!

The best I could do...Hello Kitty Cupcake Mix - check out the "frosting" - glaze really and sticky and runny!



Breakfast Fun - see the Candle ring and German Cartoons in the background:)



YUM - I get shaved chocolate on my Pannekuchen today!

Sorry there's not many pics...we did a lot of video and we couldn't take pics at Miramar b/c they have a policy against it due to the fact that 2 nights a week the entire place goes naked!!!! YEP...Germany's pretty open about that!!

Independence Day the German Way

Last Friday we had the opportunity to see just how the Germans would honor/celebrate America's Independance Day thanks to SAP!!!  They hosted a BBQ(brats with brot...still no buns, potato salad, etc...), kid's activities (face painting, coloring, make your own juggling balls), stage shows with some good 'ol fashioned USA music (Bugle Boy etc...), and then fireworks at dark -- which is 11 pm!  It was actually a really fun night with MANY people there. I was able to meet a few more friends from SAP and the kids had the most fun playing in the sand.  The only problem was when the firewords started...Chloe freaked out!!! So, she and Tim were inside during that time:)  Here's just a few pics I took while attempting the new "fireworks" setting! 





Rylee LOVES the Fireworks!







The Stage - neat setting near water features on SAP Campus

A Fireworks shot with the America Flag in the forefront