Recalling Some Summer Time Fun...

Despite what it may seem, we don't travel all the time. Sad, but true, Matt has to hold down a job. Now the kids are in school so we are confined to weekend trips and breaks...but during the summer while Matt was working, the kids and I did find some really fun parks and pools. Germany has AWESOME parks. There was one we went too that built the slides to flow with the land and hills. It was so cool, and meant that one of the slides was HUGE and STEEP, kind of like an alpine slide. We have really enjoyed the parks here.

Three of the kiddos on a slide we found at a park about an hour away.

(far for a park I know...but I don't like to sit at home with the kids, I like to go out and see and do if I can)

There is a really cool pool/park in the town of Grafenwohr, which is about 5 minutes away. There is a lap pool and a real fun kiddie pool area...but the kids favorite is the zip line they have there!

The Hunt-man going down the water slide in the kiddie pool.

Hunter trying to wear goggles like his sisters...

About 10 minutes the other way from Grafenwohr, outside the town of Eschenbach, there is a really fun lake. We went there a couple times and the kids loved it. There is a beach area with a little sand, you can rent paddle boats with slides on them, It was loads of fun. The kids didn't want to come home.

These were taken at Matt's Organization Day for work. We discovered how much the boys love to play catch.

Matt and Jack

Jack

I love this picture. Here is watching the "guys" play softball. You can just tell how he is studying how to play, and how much he wants to join in the game. This boy of mine will not be a sideline watcher for sure. He loves to get in on the action!

One day back in August, we went with a bunch of friends to a park in Amberg. It was about 30 minutes away or so. And totally worth it! We call it the "Pirate Ship" park. It is the coolest park I have ever seen. There is this lake area, with a water works play system. Then across the bridge there is a ship made out of wood, a tunnel/catacomb system for kids to crawl in and ferries to ferry across the lake on...so much fun!

Hannah and her creatures.

I have told you before, how much she likes to find things. Here she is with a tadpole she found. It took a lot of convincing to get her to put it back. She wanted to bring it home and see how it grows into a Frog. Granted it would be cool...if we could keep it alive, I thought it's chances were better in the wild!

Just look how much energy Jack is putting into that yell.

Anya, the conquering hero!

It was a fun park, and we had a great time this summer looking for new parks where we live!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JACK AND HUNTER

The BOYS are 2!!!

Their birthday was pretty lowkey. It was on a Friday, Matt ended up having to work a little bit longer. That was ok, because we weren't going anywhere anyway. Just a small party at home. Matt brought home a bucket of chicken which was so yummy and the boys LOVED!

I like to make the kid's birthday cakes on their special day. The girls usually come up with some crazy creation, and I am left wondering how in the world am I going to pull this one off? So, while the boys are still little, and don't really care, I decided to go easy. They both love balls...so there you go, a baseball and soccer ball.

Birthday's are done in birth order, of course, so that means Mr. Jack Jack is first.

doesn't he look like he is about to devour his cake?

Next comes the baby of the family, Hunt, he got to watch his brother go first. So by this time he was VERY excited to have his turn. Hannah kept freaking out because Hunter wanted to touch the flame. She was terrified that he was going to get burned. He didn't though, was just enjoying the ambiance.

Present time...

Where are the boys?

Cora looks so tired in this one!

I love this one, Hannah looks more excited then the boys. We have tons of video's and pictures of Hannah caught "helping" the reciever open their gifts. Often she has to be reminded to "not touch" or she will be excused, what can I say...the girl loves presents and surprises.

If your going to slow...she feels compelled to help you.

We got the boys scooter for their birthday. They love their sister's, so we new they would love their own. and we were right! However, the did not come assembled :(

Luckily Matt has two great helpers!

Hunter is getting it all figured out!

Without intending too, their birthday ended up with a "Cars" type theme. They got outfits with "cars" on them from their Aunt and Uncle, "Cars" cards from Grandma and Grandpa J., and "Cars" scooters. It must be the "in" thing this year :)

I had to post these because I thought they were so cute!

My sister crotched dragons for each of the boys. In my head, I thought they would be little, beanie, sized dragons...nope! These guys are huge. If stood up on their tail, they are easily taller then the boys.

The fellas love them of course.

Jack likes to drag his around by it's head...calling it "oh...baby" as he goes.

Hunter just likes to plop on and tackle his.

My mom knitted the boys matching "Snoopy" sweaters that are so cute. I need to take a picture of the boys wearing them and post it later!

It was a fun day. We got to webcam with family, and enjoy an evening together as a family!

What birthday could be better?

Heidelberg

Lately Matt had been going to a bunch of different trainings and conferences. On a couple of them we decided to tag along and do some sight seeing. It has been really fun, and gotten us out of our little sphere. That is how we ended up here...in Heidelberg, for a weekend.

The main attraction for me was, yep, you guessed it, Schloss Heidelberg.

It is actually this huge fortress up on the side of the mountain. Unfortunately they are in the middle of reinforcing some of the towers, so there is scaffolding everywhere. This schloss was the last stand down between Germany and their mortal enemy...France. The French border is actually only about 80 Kilometers from Heidelberg. Anyway, this structure has seen many battles and was struck by lightening many times. Hannah thought it looked like it had been burned up by a dragon attack. Heidelberg decided not to rebuild it, but to reinforce it so it doesn't continue to crumble away.

This is how you get to the schloss and the top of the mountain, by cable car. You can drive up and park too...but this way is much more exciting.

Here we are, inside the cable car, riding it up the side of the mountain. I am not sure what is up with Hannah. Lately she has been very opposed to having her picture taken. So most that we have of her she is making a face, in some weird position or a blur. What a goof ball :)

The courtyard

They used this space for lots of different things, the girls favorite was a zoo.

Another view of the courtyard

Crossing the ramparts to the library and main area of the castle

It was fun to learn that Heidelberg at one time had the greatest library in Europe. Until the Roman Empire claimed most of the scrolls and books and took them back to Rome.

Another Warming Oven (see Bamberg's post)

They can be incredibly fancy!

Matt and Hunter in the King's Hall. This room was lovely, and the stained glass was glorious.

They rent out this room for events. I think the senior prom for the American high school in Heidelberg is usually held here...wouldn't that be cool. To go to a prom in a castle.

Apparently Heidelberg boast the biggest wine cast in the world. I am not sure if that is true, but it was very large! There were stairs and a walk way and you could walk above all around it. We are not drinkers, being members of the L.D.S. church, but we were still told it was worth seeing.

As you can probably already tell. I love finding out the stories and the histories of the places we visit. I like to talk to people who work there and find out things that maybe other's don't know. Well, while in Heidelberg castle, I started talking with a security guard, and he told me this tale. It is a sad tale, but unique. Apparently the architecht of Heidelberg castle has twin boys, like me. They were about 6 or 7, and their father would bring them to work with him when he came to the castle. The boys would play and have great adventures. Sadly, one time, there was an accident. From the guards broken english, all I could make out was, there was either a fall or something fell on the boys. They both parished inside the newly constructed halls of Heidelberg Schloss. Above one of the entrance ways is this stone medallion, two angels as a memorial to the twin boys that died.

After exploring the schloss and the market platz, we found a nice Kebab house and got some pizza. We decided to eat outside, and had a lovely view of the old town church that sits in the center of the Market Platz.

Oh how I love Europe!

Bamberg

When we found out that we were moving to Europe, we originally thought we would be moving to the city of Bamberg. However, about two months later (after we found out) our location was changed to where we are now. So we decided to take a weekend and check out Bamberg. Matt also had other motives, since we could stay on base at Bamberg, and there is also a golf course!

The first place we went to was The "Dom", which I think translates too Cathedral but I am not sure. This Dom was named twice, once as St. Peter and then again as St. James or John...I can't remember which. But during the years it just became the Dom. It was built oirginally in 1014, and then slowly added upon through the years by the Prince Bishop's of this region. The original parts of the building are still used today, it is cool to see.

The Dom is HUGE, I tried to take a whole picture of the entire building, but I couldn't fit it all in. Here I am standing maybe 2 blocks away, and I still can't get it all to fit. It is a sight to behold, with four huge steeples to match the ones in that are shown in the picture. It boasts of being one of Germany's finest medieval chapels.

It was fun to see, and we also got to see the crypt of the Emperor Henry ll

While there we toured our first German Palace. It is called the Neue Residenz, or the Residence. This was not the home of Emperor Henry ll, but of later rulers. A succession of Dukes that were also Bishops in the Catholic Church. They, as the ruling parties in the area, called themselves the Prince Bishop's. This room is a personal sitting room. I loved the floors, and the big white statue looking thing is actually a warming oven. They were all so ornate, set in grooves in the wall that were embellished. There is a small door in the outer hall that leads to the inside of these ovens. That way servants can put the wood or fuel in the oven without being seen, and the Prince's can stay warm.

I love old European ceilings.

Miss Anya, Check out the floors, all hand laid and original. They were gorgeous, and got more ornate as you went closer to the throne room and personal apartments. If you look at the floors in the first photo with the warming stove, you will see what I mean. That picture was taken in the dressing or sitting room of the Prince's wife. The floor is very ornate, all done by hand by wood carvers, and original. They have you walk on carpet strips to protect the floors.

This palace boasted of beautiful and ornate Rose gardens

Here is Cora in the Rose Garden's.

Doesn't she look like a flower pixie.

It was a fun trip, but we discovered that Bamberg is Huge, and we are not used to living in a "big city". We decided that we were happy with the change of location. While we live in the "country", there are some robust town's 5 minutes away from us, and the big cities are maybe 15 to 20 minutes away. So, we can go to a city, but enjoy the quiet of country living.

Our German Home

This is the end of our tour of our sweet, little, German house. I think it will provide well for our family during the next few years that we are here. Here are some last shots of the front with our bench and my flower pots.

I loved these petunia's, the moment I saw them! I have never seen them before, but I was walking outside a shop when we first got here, and I saw them. I thought, those are unusual. They are dark purple, almost black, with yellow stripes. Well, soon after I went into the local flower shop, and I saw a pot of these same petunia's. I had to buy them, and the bonus is...they were only 1 euro!

This is my new tin wash tub. I have always wanted one, so I saw one while I was in an antique shop and picked it up.

I love having flowers again. I had them while I was at Fort Irwin, but it was a fight and struggle to keep them alive. I felt like I was battling nature to have flowers there. Here it is so effortless! I literally have planted my flowers and forgot about them...and they are still flourishing beautifully. It. is. awesome!

So that is our home. As I look back at our house, and the pictures and see all the STUFF we have, I laugh. We really haven't bought anything new since we have been here...mainly just Anya's bedroom set and a bench. Everything else we have had for awhile, and it was ALL tucked inside a tiny 1700 square foot, three bedroom home in California. So my questions are...where did it all fit and go? and how did I survive?!!!

Last, at last, The Master

Well, here we are at the end of the tour. I won't bore you with pictures of the attic, all that is up there is storage. So we are at the top floor of the house, the Master bedroom. I remember telling you that I love this bedroom. It is my favorite out of all the room's we have had. I think the only downside of this room at all, is you have to go up two flights of stairs to reach it! But it does have a great view.

some "before" shots

"after" shots

We don't have a bedroom set really, so we kept some army nightstands. We decided to keep the bed in the same spot. It offers the best "air"flow with windows opened in the summer.

Here is a sitting area, which we have really enjoyed so far.

The dressers are at the other end, after the closets (I couldn't get Matt's in the picture...but that is ok, not like it's a matching set or anything:)

This angle is from me standing over by the dressers. We have really nice, built in, wardrobes for Europe.

These are the "after" pictures of the master bath. Nothing much has changed, so I didn't post the before pictures. It's a nice size, even with the steeped roof.

Our shower, and across from it, is a window in the eaves of the roof.