Goodnight

Ariel was being so cute tonight at the end of our bedtime ritual. When all the drawings, games, books, songs and prayers are done, she likes to recap on the day's events. Well, tonight she decided to discuss the idea of hamsters with me. Yup, pet hamsters. Dustan vaguely mentioned it the other day, and apparently she liked the idea. I, on the other hand, do not. My best friend growing up had a hamster, and that was close enough to owning one for me.

But the seriousness on her face when approaching the subject was adorable. She told me, using her auntie's antics, "Um, mommy, we can just get a hamster, and call it Sweetie." Lips pressed together, forefinger flicked up and immediately back down for forcefulness on the decision she just made. (Can anyone say, "Aunt Becca!"?) Of course, I smirk and casually say, "Oh really. What a great idea" while in my head, I say "ewww". So, then I come up with a temporary solution to the idea. We have, of late, been randomly creating a nonexistant list in the form of a spoken ideal timeline to achieve different goals for Ariel's life. For example, she would like to be as old as I currently am today. So, I tell her all the things she has to learn to do before she can be as old as me, and then she's happy to just be almost 5.

Other things to achieve on this nonexistant list:

1. When to ride a bike with no training wheels: age 6.

2. When we can go to Pennsylvania: age 6.

3. When she can learn to play her first instrument: age 7.

4. When we can get a cat and a dog: at least age 7 & live in the States.

5. When to play on a soccer team: age 7.

6. When to go to summer camp: age 9.

^ HAMSTER^ age 10

7. When to get ears pierced: age 12.

8. When to drive a car: age 16.
9. When to go out with a boy: age 17.
10. When to get married: age 21.

See how that hamster stands out at me???? Yikes. And we are counting down the days. For several reasons. Hopefully the excitement for it will wear off before the magic number 10 arrives. To all the worries, begging, excuses, anticipations and hasty suggestions, I say, "Goodnight!"

Summertime Fun

Although the official summer season is yet a month away, the kiddos have enjoyed their first of the season sprinkler session, and boy, did they love it! It was nigh 90 degrees this fine day, and it was gorgeous! It was a bit steamy in the back with no shade, but with the water from the sprinkler turning the yard into a temporary moat, we were cooled down in no time.

We are looking forward to enjoying the summer here again. With the cement walls of the houses, and the rolladens on the windows to keep the hot sun out, there is no real need for air conditioning, excepting in the office with the computers putting out all that heat. Germany is a beautiful country to summer in- or to live in at any time of year, actually. We love living here!

Bad Wimpfen

So, we spent this morning at Bad Wimpfen, which is about a half hour away. It is a very old town, existing for more than one thousand years. It has a bit of Roman remains, and housing from the 1500s. The city is made of cobblestone streets and half-timbered houses, neat little alleyways and the tall blue watchtower. There are old gateways that lead to the palace, walls that mark new and old territory, potted gardens galore, and a pig museum.

It was a lovely day outside and we enjoyed investingating a new town and getting some great photos. We went to the top of the Blue Tower, and the views were nice. From the one side, you could see the river, and there was a boat going by. From another wall you could see the beautiful Evangelical Municipal Church. From another side you could see the Jewish house with the Hebrew inscription from the 1500s.

As we walked back towards the car, we stopped to get the kids some ice cream and let them play on a playground a little bit. Then we took another path that took us to a little dog park , with pathways down to the river. This is where we found a war memorial that had names engraved on it from both world wars.

On our way back out, we saw the musicmen & women, come down the path pushing their musicboxes. They were all dressed in costume for the Hurdy- Gurdy festival. Yes, again with the German festivals, but this one looked cute- what in the world is a Hurdy-Gurdy festival? They had been setting up in the square while we were looking around, but nothing had started, as the Germans are known for being night-owls that like to drink and then sleep in. So, we missed the fest, but we had a good time visiting yet another German masterpiece.

Tierpark

Tierparks seem to be rather popular here in Germany. They are miniature zoos, with a variating collection of animalls, mostly, small birds and poultry, a descent variety of fury, four legged animals from across the continent, some ponies to ride and a playground to boot. Generally, these places are a little smelly, but a free, fun filled afternoon for the family. We have visited the one closest to us several times and the kids absolutely love it.

They have some interesting birds there. I think they may be a breed of curly- feathered pigeons. It was strange to see, but they were pretty. As a whole, the place is nice to visit as it is located in the woods, with bike/ walking trails all over, and directly across from a campground.

For those who have love of any kind

For those who have love of any kind, be sincere; know what you are truly saying before you say it. This poem is what my heart says for my true love, but it says it for my family and friends too, for you all are a part of me, what makes my world go 'round, what keeps me awake at night, praying for you, dreaming of you, thinking of you all day long. Be safe dear loved ones, make good choices, and most importantly, do what is right in the sight of Almighty God. Make known your love to others as He has shown His love to you.

i carry your heart with me
by e. e. cummings

i carry your heart with me (i carry it in my heart)

i am never without it (anywhere

i go you go, my dear; and whatever is done

by only me is your doing, my darling)

i fear

no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet) i want

no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)

and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant

and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows

(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud

and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows

higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)

and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart)

Happy Mother's Day

What a very Happy Mother's Day, indeed! Although sleeping in was not on the agenda, it was a very good day. Dustan made me sausage and eggs for breakfast, and then we got cleaned up and went down to Schwetzingen and went to the Schlosspark.

It was a beautiful day and there were quite a few people out and about. We headed over to see the mosque, as Dustan hadn't been to that side of the park before. The kids loved running thru the gardens there, and behind it we found that it overlooked another lake, and the faux ruins of a place was across the way, so we followed the trail around the lake. We saw goslings and all kinds of ducks, had some cookies and juice for a snack, and saw huge carp in the lake. We got a couple of photos and then headed toward the Roman temple, as that is our favorite part. It has some "caves" in it and it has a couple of terraces up top, with a statue in the middle of the pavillion over-looking the gardens to the front, and with stairs on either side headed down the hill straight on, and to both sides into maze paths. Within one minute of being there, both the kids took off, so I went after Ariel and Dustan went to find Nathaniel.

I found Ariel after about 15 minutes. She was on the outside of the wall from the menagerie, talking to the American family that had come into the ticketbooth behind us an hour before. So, then we spent the next hour looking for the boys. By this time, we both were getting tired and hungry, and I was getting worried that something happened to Nathaniel, as there were so many paths and people and open water. So, I finally decided to head up to the security at the lock, so after a rest on a bench, Ariel followed me and we found the boys just past the deer fountain. It was so nice to see them, after I was starting to think of the terrible possibilties. Dustan had Nathaniel on his shoulders and Nat was asleep up there. It was so adorable.

When we finally got home, Dustan started up the grill and made me steak and spargel. It was delicious. We then enjoyed being together as a family, and we made a few phone calls to the mothers in our lives. All was right in the world yesterday, in our little world anyway, and it was a fantastic day.

Nuremburg

Nuremburg is another great city in Germany. It is towards the east side of the country, and located in Bavaria, in the rolling hills and tall pines. Again, we prefer the altstadts to the modern city, and so we spent our time roaming the cobblestone streets, the old buildings, and the markets held here. We visited during the Christmas market and the Easter Market. The Christmas Market was great. It was all decked in holiday cheer, smells of smoke, sausages, spiced wine and pine, and sights of people bundled up, garland and bows every where, candy-striped tents holding goodies galore and even Kinder entertainment. It

was a alot of fun, and we hope to get back to Nuremburg to see it's historic castle and other sights.

Can you say Neckarsteinach 3x's fast?

This trip was made with our dear friends, Allen & Denise, who were visiting us in August 2006. The Neckar River flows through this part of the countryside, which is just down the street and over the next mountain from us, about 20 minutes. It is a beautiful drive, with castles and little towns nestled along the river. The Neckarsteinach is very pretty. They call it the Vierburgenstadt, which means the Four Castle Town.

The first place we actually stopped was at the Hirschhorn. You can drive all the way to the top, and they have a restaurant and hotel, and a small courtyard that you can have a wedding in. They were hosting one while we were visiting. It was very pretty and quaint.

We then found a parkplatz and found a path to the 4 castles. We found that we didn't want to attempt the stairway up the mountain for the first castle, and so we walked past the path for that one. The trail we did take took us past a castle that is a residence, and not open to the public. But, on the outer part of the wall was a place of worship that looked neat. Not sure if it was a meeting place, a shrine, or what, but neat nonetheless.

The one castle we did find that was open to the public was in ruins, and it was very cool. It still had it's lookout tower, and so we took a climb up to see the view over the river, town and farmland. It was very pretty and we even saw a tourist boat coming down the river. It would be a beautiful sight in the fall with the changing of leaves.

After our adventure in the ruins, thru the woods we went again. We followed the muddy trail down the mountain and into the town, where we passed by shops, modern sculptures and evidence of the altstadt. It was a lovely walk, and we found ourselves down by the river, and very hungry, so we stopped for lunch at one of the restaurants and were pleased with the cuisine.

All in all it was a good day with gorgeous weather, good company and beautiful views in romantic Germany.

Ludwigsburg

We investigated the Blooming Baroque in Ludwigsburg in the fall of 2006. We went during their harvest festival. They had decorated the grounds with all kinds of pumpkins and gourds, having a western theme. They built cowboys and Indians, totem poles, ponies and buffalos, and even a pioneer wagon out of gourds. The grounds themselves are a lovely garden, spacious with plenty of paths thru the woods, yard and flowers. The garden is a fairy tale garden, and so has various props, puppets and buildings throughout, dedicated to different stories. It also has a playground, a miniature train to ride and a adult size carousel.


There are 2 other castles in the town of Ludwigsburg, and they have plenty of festivals, markets, and concerts. There they also host the famous Venetian fairs every other year, which I am very interested in seeing. We are looking forward to visiting the other castles here too. All in all, it was a great day trip and lots of fun.

Heiligenberg in Heidelberg

So, today we discovered the little heard about Heiligenberg across the river from us in Heidelberg. It is above the Philosophenweg, high up on the mountain. There is the Stephankloster, which is visible from the castle balcony, the Thingstatte that the Nazi's forced labor constructed, the Celtic Ring, and the St. Michaelkloster ruins built originally by the Romans.

The Stephankloster is in ruins, but you can still climb the tower for a nice view over the Heidelberg area and the mountains beyond it. Go in the afternoon for photo opportunities, as the sun washes out everything in the morning.

A short walk through the woods will take you to the Thingstatte. When we arrived today, it was completely littered with trash and broken glass everywhere. We're guessing that would be from the May Day celebrations earlier this week. It was a little strange being there and thinking of the things that were promoted here. But, we didn't have time to dwell on it, as we were concerned with our children falling off of high walls, or cutting themselves on the broken glass everywhere.

We continued to follow the trail, but others walked up the seating area in the arena to get to the top, and we shortly arrived at a round marker of some sort, obvious that it had a purpose at one point, and maybe if we could translate German, we might have had a bit of a clue about it. But, a little further up the path was the Roman ruins, its' grounds fenced off, probably due to vandalism prevention. The ruins themselves were marked well with maps and labels.

On the trail up there were markers for the Celtic Ring, which was built 400 BC. We're not sure why it was built, as we have yet to translate the signs posted. But, we do know that this mountaintop has been important to the German peoples for centuries, at least from a religious standpoint.

There are loads of trails to hike and bike up here, and also a little biergarten. I'm happy we found this little piece of history hidden in the mountains.

Sweet Speyer

Speyer was the town that Dustan stayed in whilst working his 6 months temp here in Germany in 2005. His hotel was out in the country, but he made it a point to visit the city, and here is where he brought me; my first visit to a German town. It is such a wonderful city. It's Cathedral is on the UNESCO World Heritage list- I do believe in the number two spot for Germany.

The altstadt is in a park like setting, with bits of the old wall still intact, fountains here and there, street musicians entertaining the passersby, and a youthful vibrance throughout, despite the age of the city. There are many things to see here, churches with beautiful paintings and carvings, a watchtower, jewish baths, and the list goes on. They also host many festivals and have a major tourist influx in the summer.

All in all, Speyer is not to be missed. Roaming the streets will bring you to awe, especially on market days. The variety of produce and flowers, man-made products, the craftsmanship is great. The artwork and decorative etching on the houses and shops is just another mark of the German's pride in handiwork. It is a great place for the family to visit, which we have done several times, and still have yet to see all of it. Hopefully we will make it back this summer and see the rest of it.

Summertime Schwetzingen

Schwetzingen was the decided choice of the king of the times (1750) for summertime relief from the heat of the Heidelberg Castle. He had it built and the extensive grounds filled with flowers, mazes, faux temples, lakes, bird life and fountains. The stone paths will lead you around to many interesting and relaxing places, while getting a good workout at the same time. The castle has different wings, one of which was an orangerie and now serves as a restuarant and storage for the original garden statues.

My first visit to the Schwetzingen Palace Gardens was in September 2005, when I was visiting Dustan here in Germany, before his job turned permament. It was beautiful, especially with fall and spring flowers blooming together. Somehow the iris, bleeding hearts, poppies, roses, daises and mums were all blooming at the same time.

We visited on a day that the main gate was closed due to a car show, but nonetheless, we had more than we could see in one day anyway.

We have yet to visit the palace itself, but we have strolled through the town several times. It is beautiful town, filled with fountains, statues commemorating different things, quaint German homes and delicious restaurants.

We have been back to the gardens several times since then, sometimes bringing guests with us to enjoying, and they all agree it is a wonderful place to spend the day.

Pennsylvania

Our stay in Pennsylvania was a lot of fun. We love being with our family, and with Dustan's family, there is always something going on. We were able to see a few faces that we've missed and had a nice time exercising, sleeping, eating out, shopping, and partying. We spent time with the newest baby in the family, the one who finally made me aunt- baby Dominic. He is a very good baby, and surprisingly strong and awake for his age at the time. We got to celebrate his coming with a baby shower, and we got to welcome another in-law to the family with a bridal shower. Then with all the birthdays on top of it, we had quite the time in our 10 day stay.