Home and Jet Legged

YES!!! HOME SWEET HOME!! 

We left Ladenburg at 10:30 am - boarded plane at 2:00pm and enjoyed as smooth and peaceful of a trip as possible.  The girls could not have been any better!  Between their Filly Ponies, the I-pad and the food they were good!  We arrived in Denver at 4:15 and worked quickly through customs and were thrilled to see ALL 12 BAGS ARRIVE!!! (Speaking of bags...that was our ONLY snaffoo of the day...upon check in our two jumbo bags were overweight (we read the website wrong) but we just paid the extra charge since SAP will reimburse. THEN...here's where it gets worse thanks to ME...we accidentally checked a bag that should have been a carry on, which means we tried to carry on a bag that had lots of liquid in it!! AHHH..THANK GOD we were in a Premier Club line which was not busy and so the agents were just wonderful! They probably saw the look on my face (and the few tears in my eyes) and very nicely helped me get everything else packed up and escorted  Tim back to the Ticket counter where they let him check the bag FOR FREE! I had a short little meltdown, Tim just smiled and hugged me, and we were off...with a lighter carry-on load which ended up being a blessing! )

We arrived at our home at 6:15pm where we found our house perfectly lit up and stocked with food! WOW...WE HAVE THE BEST FRIENDS EVER!!!!!  I found myself wandering around the house with the biggest smile on my face... I LOVE this house!!!  Everything looked so nice, clean and decorated! And the yard looked pretty good -- except the man we hired apparently forgot to pull all the weeds in the rocks-- but so many things have grown so much!! Let's just say we have some work to do this weekend in the yard...where's my Dad when we need him???  At this point, Rylee woke up and went a little crazy - in a good way - off she went through the house to rediscover all her toys...and I mean ALL - which ended up all around the house. We didn't stop her because it was cute and probably necessary for her transition. This also kept us all awake until 8:30pm - when we then all collapsed into bed. 

Then, Jet Leg set in!!!
3:00am (11:00am in Germany) - Chloe wakes up for her usual check-in  - she goes back to bed and Tim and I lay awake for awhile
4:30am - Rylee comes and crawls into bed with us and promptly begins to TALK...on and on and on...she's awake for sure and begins to tell us about:
   -Christmas and the things she got last year
   -all the stuffed animals she's missed
   -stories about princesses and fairies or something
4:45 am - Chloe comes walking in and asks "Is it night time still?"  She joins us in bed where we all lay and chatter until 5:15
5:15 - we all get out of bed and girls run upstairs to play
5:30 - Mochas are made and italian biscotti unpacked
6:15 - we're all enjoying french toast, eggs and bacon
7:00 - Tim gets on his first call

So, this will be an interesting day for sure!  We are SUPER excited for our playdate today with our best buds!  And thanks again to our friends, we'll have a delicious dinner of Cranberry Chicken, Rice and Salad that's sitting in our fridge right now waiting to be cooked up!!

MOST INTERESTING THING: This one is fascinating to me a little - just sort of surprising...Chloe seems to have very little to no memory of this house!  She's needed help to find her bedroom, her bathroom, the basement, the theatre, Dad's office - pretty much everything! AND she's also adjusting to the bigger home, often yelling out to find out where I am!!  I guess one thinks that kids are so attached to their homes and that they miss it terribly when they're gone. But apparently, when they're this young they are at home wherever Mom and Dad are!!



I make a donation of clothes and shoes before coming home -- more may be burned this weekend!!!




On the plane to America!




Just the beginning of the toyroom destruction last night!



The Girls' Point of View

On our last day in Ladenburg, the girls and I were walking aorund town taking some last pictures and enjoying a final visit to the bakery. During this walk, I was casually asking the girls questions about what they will miss about Germany as well as what they are looking forward to. Here's some of their comments...

What we will miss about Germany:
Chloe:
-the pink flowers
-my friends upstairs (Sofie, Lea and Anica)
-the dogs that bark
-Hannah and Jason and their toys
-trees that blow
(yes, some of her answers were based on things she was seeing at the time!!)

Rylee:
-nut trees and fruit everywhere
-all my German friends
-the bouncy swing
-the swans on the river

NOTE: not ONCE did either girl mention Eis (ice cream)!! I was shocked since they want it EVERY day - and ate it most days!!

What we are most looking forward to in America:
-our friends - esp. Akeeva, Zaylah, Katie, Cash and Livy--- "yea, mom, and they speak English"
-our home
-my new bedroom  (Rylee)
-Qdoba (with a little prompting from me!)
-the new dogs we get to meet
- the flowers (Chloe)

It was a most precious conversation and a nice little peek into their minds!

What we are most looking forward to in America!

Our excitement to return to America can barely be contained.  Yes, we've had an amazing time over here and have created friendships and memories that will last a lifetime...BUT there's NOTHING LIKE HOME!  This past week has been such a strange mix of emotions and time has been either dragging or racing - depending on the events...so hard to find that balance when ones emotions are so crazy!  But, only one more day in Ladenburg! Tomorrow our shuttle will pick us up at 10:30 am and we will head North to Frankfurt. Our plane departs at 2:00pm (Lufthansa) and flies direct to Denver where we arrive at 4:00 pm!  So....what are we most looking forward to???

1. Garbage Disposal - kinda sick of the compost box, the recycling and the trash...and the ocassional smell!
2. The Rio -- need I say more??
3. Qdoba -- can you tell there's no good Mexican food here??
4. Faster service at restaurants..including take out...we can be in/out in just a few minutes if need be!!!!
5. Steaks -have only had one good one - in Italy!
6. Church and School - basically, ROUTINE!
7. Our home - with modern decorations and comfort!! (like carpet)
8. ENGLISH...we can talk to and understand everyone!!!!
9. Different Clothes - some are being left behind and some will be burned upon replacement!!!
10. FRIENDS AND FAMILY....we just cannot wait to hug everyone and begin fun times again!

SEE YOU SOON!!!!

What we will MISS about GERMANY

As the hours tick away towards our departure back to America, we thought we'd relfect on those things we have most come to love about Germany - and will miss greatly! (listed in no particular order:)!)

1. The lush beauty - so GREEN with things blooming constantly (flowers, berries, nuts...)
2. Festivals and Events...REALLY every weekend is filled with options around the area
3. Magnum ice ceream bars..white chocolate for Linda, Dark for Tim and Milk or Almond for the girls!
4. Playgrounds with the most inventive equipment ever...and they're tucked in everywhere
5. The Cave Pizza (Ladenburg)...better then any I had in Italy for sure! And their salads are pretty tasty too!
6. Endless amounts of Trails...we're still discovering new ones...and they take you from town to town easily - and the cruiser bicycles are AWESOME and everywhere - with many senior citizens on them, too!!
7. History...Historical landmarks everywhere...and the age of things still surprises me. And the narrow, quaint roads adorned with flowers - along with the historical buidlings..WOW!!
8. Road speed, driving etiquete and cool, very nice cars all around you - we will miss our Mercedez!!
9. Forests - esp. being able to run the trails through the forest...beautiful!
10. All our new Friends and their endless amounts of kindness, generosity and support...they'll be forever in our lives one way or the other!!

A Festival Just for US!?!

That's right folks...our family has made such an impression on this little ancient Roman town that it's officials threw one gigantic party for us this past weekend. Now, some folks will tell you that it's called the Alstadt Festival and it happens every year, but WE know the truth....all about us and our up-coming departure!! So, it was with great excitement that we ventured down to our festival!

After working our car throught the crowded streets we finally found a place to park which was about 1/2 the distance back to our apartment. Where's that VIP parking???  Then, we began working our way through the thousands of people ...yes, we are loved...and we had never seen our little town so stuffed with tents, flea market stands, numerous food stands, drink stations and of course the ZuckerHaus (Sugar House)!  We finally managed to elbow our way to the main Marktplatz (where are those securit guards for us??) where we met up with a handful of our closest friends. And here the party began...there was music, food, drinks and area for the kids to play.  Luckily, there were also tents where we quickly napped a table...because Mother Nature ALSO had to make another appearance for your celebration and later opened up the heavens with rain, wind and lightning....lovely!

So, we spent the afternoon/evening with a handful of friends celebrating our new friendships and saying Good-bye without really saying good-bye...just "See ya Later" because you NEVER KNOW where life takes you and when/where/how life paths cross! As I watched the kids play, listened to the conversation, and enjoyed drinks and foods with these great people. I REALLY realized just how blessed our family is to have been able to spend time here in Germany and meet these great people.  What an amazing adventure!

It was a great way to wrap up our time here....othere then the rediculous thunderstorm that ended the festivities for some a little early.  But then, we should have KNOWN that would happen because Urte and her family were in Ladenburg for a Festival...and that means rain!!!! :)  But, Steve, Julia and the boys made it home safe on their bikes, Urte, Juergen and kids ran quickly to their car, Petra and her family left just before the cious, and the rest of us hunkered down to let it pass.  Eventually it was time to venture home...so we did with happiness in our hearts!  THANKS EVERYBODY!!!

I wonder what Ladenburg will do next year when it's time to supposedly have this Festival again...we won't be here???

Yea, one picture of Tim and I looking so "German"

Urte unveils a cool picutre collage she made for us




Ellie and Petra




Good friends Mac and Rylee share a laugh



Julia with James



Part of the Gang at our Table



Friend and Colleague, Til - who also lives in Ladenburg




Rylee enjoys her sausage and Clara enjoys that crepe with nutella...both very traditional festival foods!




AAHHH....




The Motters and the Theolke's (Urte, Juergen, Clara and Per)



New Friends...aahh I mean Foods!

Yes, my love of food continues and lately I've discovered some new delights...

1. Nashi - a tremendous little fruit that is a combination of apple and pear - sweet, crunchy, golden in color and wonderful!

2. Goldparmane apples - a new discovery at the apple orchard today - my previous favorite was Celeste, but the "Golden Girl" may beat her out!

3. Grease....I mean Greisse Pudding...a wonderful sweet treat that's somewhat similar to rice pudding but much better. You can buy it in various flavors - although plain with a little bit of our friend, Urte's,homemade Zwelschgen-gelee (jam - flavor doesn't translate?) mixed in is truly wonderful

4. Have I told you about the best ice cream bars on Earth?? Magnum Baby!!! Serioiusly devine ince cream with a chocolate coating that's thick and cruncy - while the ice cream stays hard - and you can get white chocolate, too!!!

5. LoganBrezel -think pretzel dough baked in more of a long roll then in the figure 8 shape...and add a little baked cheese on top and it's something to write home about....oh, I just did:)

Ok...so you can see what I've been doing lately, and why I'll be hitting P90X again in about 1 week!!!

YUM-O:)

Foreigner Fatique

Have you ever heard of this??? No?? Well, maybe because I just made the term up...at least I think so!  I've decided this is what we are all suffering from. It's symptoms are basically being tired of not understanding what people are saying, not knowing what is going on, and feeling ackward and out of place most of the time!  All those things have been sort of fun to this point, but after hitting 4 countries in 10 days we are just plain tired:)  We began to discover the onset of symptoms in Italy when some of the scenery and events just didn't have the exciting effect it should have had! Luckily this is a cureable disease and one that should be healed in approximately 8 days with our arrival back in the USA!!!

Austria

We wrapped up our big family vacation in Austria! We arrived in Oberinntal (90 Km West of Innsbruck) on Sept. 4th at the Truyenhof Resort.  I had discovered this location online but had not made a reservation. We decided to be adventurous and just show up and see what happened.  It worked! A great suite available and facilities focused around families and kids. It was somewhat all-inclusive with breakfast and dinner served--some buffet style so the kids could eat and move on - and some more formal for hte parents.  Once the kids were done, you could escort them to the playroom where they could hang out with all the other kids and a teacher and have fun....and we finished dinner alone!!! What a great set-up!  Oh- and there's a spa on location as well!  We were ready to settle in for a few days!!! Unfortunately, Mother Nature did not cooperate. It was now rainy and cold. This closed down the outdoor pool, playground, mini-golf etc.. for the kids -- and hiking etc...for Tim and I.  AND the spa didn't open until 3pm the following day.  SO...we greatly enjoyed our evening -- with internet by the way----and a relaxing morning of some swiming in the smaller indoor pool - and then decided we would just venture on home.  Again, we drove through just beautiful countryside.  For lunch, we found a great little place in some small town that was actually on a detour we took to avoid a road closure and had some great food. We've decided that Austrai may just be our country....amazing scenery, many outdoor things to do, and the price is right!!! 

The girls found little chocolate "ladybugs" on their bed in their room!



We had some fun splashing around the pool for awhile!



After a few more hours on the road, we arrived back in Ladenburg to screams and hugs from the girls upstairs! We are exhausted but happy...and ready to begin the process of wrapping up life in Germany and returning to HOME in the USA!!

Italy

The Family Vacation Continues...into Italy we venture!

We arrive on Monday, August 29th at our "Italy Home".  Our friend, Marco, was AMAZING gracious and allowed us to stay at his Grandmother's home in Campi Bisenzio - just outside of Florence.  It may not have been some luxury resort, but it was sort of neat to be living among the locals...although we're not sure what they thought of us. Luckily, it's a neighborhood where everyone knows everyone and so once Marco and his Mom informed them about us I THINK we were ok:)  The only tough part...no air conditioning and it was HOT!  It made the evenings tough for sure! Our only saving grace was that we were so exhausted by that point that we all just collapsed.  Here's the highlights from Italy (much abbreviated for space and time considerations - and the site had problems uploaded more pictures!)...

1. First impressions....uh....where's the beauty??? Until we reached the hills of Florence, we were not too impressed. It's amazing how the "romantic hollywood" version corrupts our enjoyment of places at times! But...it got better

2. Day 1 - Kids Day - Pinnochio Park with great sculptures, mazes and playgrounds. Then, off to Lucca where we rented bikes and rode ON TOP of the old meideval wall that surrounds the city! Throw in some gelato (creamier then normal and more expensive) and you have a good day! Dinner that night with Marco and Antonella and a great local place along the river...introduction to Italy food and dining..



Pinocchio Park!





Art Time at Pinocchio Park!




Here's a part of the wall we rode on top of!




Lunch spot - first pizza in Italy





3. Food and Dining - yes, GREAT pasta and pizzas were pretty good.  The hardest thing was the timeline b/c dinner is not served until 8pm and lasts 2 hours or so.  It includes an antipasta, pasta course, meat course and dessert -and wine and espresso.  At least, this is my "dumb-downed version of it"  So, we had late nights and late mornings. The girls handled it very well - but we are all still a tad mixed up!!  Oh, and breakfasts are light and lunch is smaller and usually around 1 or so. AND...don't even try to find a place to shop or eat during "siesta" time---and do NOT think to have an early dinner---and Cappucino is only drunk in the am and then it's espresso time -  hee hee!!!



4. Day 2 - Florence - not our favorite day - cities and toddlers just do not go together - and Tim and I are not city fans either we have again confirmed!! So, we walked a lot, saw some neat things, took a bus tour (which ended up leaving us stranded so we had to walk MORE back to our car!)and then headed home. Dinner with Marco at another great local place with great fish...and yes, Linda tried it all and just didn't think about what she was eating.  Even had gnocchi with grouper that was actually quite good! Cool dinner that night at Marco's parents (Miriam and Roberto) home! What a cool time...they loved the kids and we all enjoyed an authentic Italian family and dinner.  Relaxing and enjoyable for sure!!!



Rylee lights another prayer candle in the Cathedral di Santa Maria del Fiore (Florence)



Finishing our ice cream and LONG day of walking



A cool sight on our bus tour

 

Marco's Family







The girls got their 1st purses and got money each day to spend how they wanted...reduced whining! But...not even Mom has an Italian handbag!!!!



5. Day 3&4 - Chianti Region/Countryside - now THIS is Italy!!!!  Just what we wanted..wandering through beautiful country, seeing many great little villages, stopping to meander around and ocassionally tasting a glass of wine.  Our favorite small spots: Greve in Chianti and Pienza (thanks Brian) and our favorite bigger place: Siena!!! I just loved this town! On our way home that night, we found a super cool restaurant (Walter Redaelli in Bettolle) and dined on an amazing dinner - while the kids ran freely in the green grass. We were early by Italian standards but they were more then willing to serve us and we had a tremendous time! Fancy names of food I can't even remember!



What Europe does to shoes...ruined and pitched along side the road!!!




Montalcino



Wine tasting at an Enoteca in Greve in Chianti






One of the communes we came across along the road





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one of many cool shots I have of the small streets characteristic of this area

6. Day 5 - Beach Day! We headed to the Masse area on the beach with Marco and Antonella. We enjoyed the day splashing in the water and resting.  The girls had a blast! Tim and I were a tad disappointed at the sandy water and lack of "service".  Not sure the spot we were at was all that keen of Americans??? We even got yelled at by the owner for eating in the wrong spot..this is when we decided we were ready to be in the USA again:)

At this point, the girls were fried and we were all tired of the heat. The things Tim and I would have enjoyed doing more of were not things the girls would tolerate any more....driving and seeing the countryside...so we decided to pack it up! After some shopping at the mall (1st one ever built in italy about 11 yrs ago - and very large), and receiving more presents for the girls then should be allowed from Maco and Antonella, we headed north!



Antonella, Marco and Mandila





Our "Italy home" - 2nd floor



Tim and I will return to Italy again....but maybe without kids?? :)







Switzerland!

Next to the Brienzersee

We began our long family vacation on Saturday, August 27th and our first stop was Wildserwill, Switzerland just outside of Interlaken.  Let's just saw WOW!!!  What a beautiful area.  We could have spent out entire time here, but our pocketbook would have been completely empty. Switzerland is NOT an inexpensive place to be.  However, I just kept Tim focused on the beauty while quietly paying the bills and we made it through our two days there ok:)  Our highlights of these days:

They love their cows...many statues like these around the area...and we saw and HEARD many of them with those great big cow bells!



Our Hotel



1. Tunnels!!! Switzerland is the country of tunnels apparently - the best way to get around the mountains is through them:)  We even drove through one that was over 5 Km long - super cool. And NO smell of exhaust or anything

2. Cleanliness - the Swiss know how to keep their environment beautiful

3. Glaciers - we stayed just below the Eiger and spent one day ON THE GLACIER! Yep, for a mere $400 we took the trains up the mountain and wandered around Jungfraujoch - the "top of Europe" - a great facility at the top of the mountain where one can wander through an ice palace, walk around on the glacier and climb to the top of the observation tower and view the sites - an amazing (and chilly) time! 

Inside the Ice Palace - sculptures and tunnels of fun!

Snowball Fight!



"On Top of Euope" - aahh!!!

4.Paragliders - EVERYWHERE!  We saw no less then 30 of them over the days - often in groups of 5-6 just catching the wind around the mountains. We also saw a handful of them land which was a highlight for the girls

5. Waterfalls - WOW WOW WOW....we saw too may to count! Our first night we drove up one of the valleys by our hotel and could not believe our eyes. HUGE waterfalls splashing down the mountains.  Then, all along our drive the next day we spotted one every few Km's - just too cool to see - especially when paired with not only mountains but bright green pastures as well!

DOWNER...now, I must tell that that our time there started with a bad bang...literally! It's almost too hard to write about, but it's part of "the story' I guess.  Upon our arrival into our super neat suite, which had a loft with a ladder, Chloe promptly fell off that ladder.  Now, we had just spent time going up and down for practice and reviewing safety rules, so Momma thought it was ok and went over to unpack.  I think her shoe got caught and I watched a fall that to this moment makes we shake. I seriously wasn't sure I'd pick up a conscious child.  I've never been so scared in my life. Tim sprung into action and got a hotel staffer with ice. Luckily - seriously PRAISE GOD - she seemed ok. The worse injuries seem to be her tongue with a couple of bites. So, we put lots of ice on tongue and head and watched her like a hawk - and no sleeping allowed.  I just keep praying that everything on the inside is ok and that God keeps her little body in His hands...this trip has been hard on her with many trips and falls. Is it the age? the stupid brown sandles? the rougher/bumpier cobblestones? WHAT??? But...I now have her wrapped in bubble wrap and hope to get home without further incidents!!! But...prayers are welcome and needed!!

Let's end on a positve note....our time in Switzerland ended neatly with not only a scenic route, but a neat little lunch at a roadside - very local- cafe just over the mtn pass - with some of the best soup (Goulosh soup basically) I've ever tasted!!! Yes, the highlights are always food-related - hee hee!!!  Overall, we would vacation here over and over....at least once we won the lottery!!!

Kaffee Group

Here it is...the famous Kaffee Group...the group of English speaking gals!!!  This group has been an integral part of my enjoyment here in Germany! So many neat ladies from all over the world who are all settled in to this area of Germany (for either a few months, years or forever)!  We met at the KaffeeHouse in Schriesheim every Friday morning. Every week was a differnet mix of women but we always had fun!  Thanks to this group I learned so much more about life in Germany and how to enjoy every minute!!  I wish these pictures could show everyone, but at least you get an idea of the set-up and the group.


The Location



Another view of the Kaffee House



Our Table - same place each week was reserved for us!





Rylee playing with some other kids- coloring of Filly Ponies!