July 17th, 2016

Back in our twenties, Hubby and I volunteered with our High School Youth Group. We came alongside a group of students for four years; starting their Freshmen year through their Senior year. We stayed connected with several of them through college and beyond. I was thinking about those years and faces as I read from Savor this morning, the devotional book I’m going through. The author, Shauna Niequist, was reflecting on John 21:16 where Jesus says, “Take care of my sheep.” She then shares about a small group of teenage girls she led when she was involved in student ministry. “…I began to love them, not because they were the finest, most upstanding kinds in our student ministry, because they weren’t. They had their moments of upstanding-ness, and they had moments of absolute insanity. I loved them because they were mine, because we were us, because of the funny, sweet, and strange things they did and said. They became a central part of my world, my thoughts, my prayers.” I understand that love because I too had a group of teenage girls that were “mine.” A few weeks ago, one of them got married and I was THERE to my incredible delight!

At the age of fourteen, Claire let me into her life as both a mentor and a friend. I walked alongside her through some tumultuous years. She taught me so much. She may have also bestowed on me a few of my first grey hairs! She was a BIG reason why the boys and I extended our trip and went to the mountains. I wanted to be there for this milestone moment in her life. A few days before the wedding, we sat in a coffee shop catching up. I savored our conversation and found myself in tears at the end of it as I thought of all that Claire has been through, who she has become and the overarching beauty in her life. I was crying tears of joy and gratitude.

Two days later, the boys and I went to her Rehearsal dinner. Claire’s mother (Peggy) is E’s godmother. Being at the dinner felt like we were amongst family. I loved hearing all the thoughts and sentiments shared about Claire and her husband-to-be, Nathan.

On Saturday evening, we gathered in an apple orchard for Claire’s Wedding. I read some thoughts on love that Claire and Nathan chose from the book, The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran. I looked Claire in the eyes, standing there as beautiful as ever, and spoke these words, “When love beckons to you follow him, Though his ways are hard and steep. And when his wings enfold you yield to him, Though the sword hidden among his pinions may wound you. And when he speaks to you believe in him, Though his voice may shatter your dreams as the north wind lays waste the garden…” There was more to the poem; this was just my part. Others read the rest. What an honor it was to be chosen to be one of the voices, once again, to speak into her life. These words felt significant, knowing Claire’s precious story. Love is transformational.

At the end of the ceremony, the parents of the couple spoke words of wisdom, love and blessings over their children. Nathan’s Mom shared the law of Science that states that all systems, if left to themselves, move from a state of order to disorder. In knowing this, we need to care for our relationships. What

Photos with the new Bride! The second photo is Claire’s family…she has two older sisters and two younger brothers.

 

The reception

 

This is Daniel, Nathan’s school friend from the Philippines.

He officiated the wedding. We actually have two friends in common, Claire and another one of “my girls.” I had heard about him over the years so it was fun to finally meet in person. Its crazy when worlds collide! I admired his passion as he led the ceremony.

I’m so grateful Claire and Nathan found each other! Their story is already profound and amazing and I feel fortunate to have been amongst the witnesses to stand for them in their marriage. Though distance no longer allows Claire and I to be so central in each other’s lives as we once were, the indelible mark she has left on me still brings her easily to my thoughts and prayers. For a few days, we rubbed shoulders again and spoke to each other of the gift our relationship has been over the years. I never imagined when we first hung out at a Fall Retreat her Freshman year that I would fly across the ocean to participate in her wedding. Life is ALL about relationships and Claire’s is definitely a sweet one!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

July 11th, 2016

I desired to be near.

At first, the thought came and went. Then, it stayed. It was followed by a gentle, yet consistent, nudging to go. On May 24th, the daily reading in my devotional was titled, “Get There.” I read several aligning thoughts and then came across this one…

“There is no substitute for time spent together, face-to-face, in the same place.”

We began to look at plane tickets.

So many conversations were enfolded between the above sentences. Ones about desires, possibilities, limitations and resources. I didn’t want to regret not going. Yet, we hadn’t intended to take a trip back so soon. That was saved for NEXT summer. But the nudging didn’t stop…

From the day E finished school, we had a month before our two-week visit from Hubby’s parents in mid-July that includes a mini-vacation to London. As we worked out the details, the dates were aligning with work, family, friends and a wedding of a young woman I’ve walked alongside since she was fourteen. We would stay at the beach the first half of the trip; a place and people the boys had been talking about for months.

We found INCREDIBLE deals on plane tickets and booked them the morning we left on our Bavaria trip. It wasn’t all perfect. We couldn’t see all the faces we longed for, our family would be separated mid-trip since Hubby needed to be back for work and many details were left up in the air to be worked out with time.

But, we still went…

to be near

to be present

to see the ocean again.

Here’s the highlights (in pictures) from our first week…

For the past ten years, my parents have rented the same beach house. The first two years we went, there were eight of us. Slowly, we grew into a family of eleven. The oldest grandchild is now seventeen and the youngest is five.

We brought both boys here since they were babies and have watched them crawl, walk and run along these shores.  Oh the memories!

Looking back…

 

Fast Forward…

With our typical early mornings (due to the combination of internal clocks and jet-lag), we enjoyed looking for sea shells and sand dollars…always getting more wet then I originally intended!

 

 

 

Time to Play!

 

  

Sweet cousin time…

 

 

We met up with “Favorite”, a fun surprise!

 

New memories…

 

 

 

 

One of my favorite moments was laying beside my parents, watching an old movie that made us laugh. I held my Mami’s hand while my head rested against my Dad. How I love them.

Before we knew it, we were saying goodbye and boarding separate airplanes. Hubby returned to Germany while the boys and I headed for the mountains. Being near can come with its own challenges, but such is life. The good far outweighs the hard. I’m so thankful we went!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

July 10th, 2016

The month of June feels like a blur to me! I can’t believe we have been in summer vacation mode for the past three weeks and are already a third of the way through July. I stepped away from writing for a few weeks and now have A LOT to catch up on! Looking back at pictures from June, I’m reminded of how we took advantage of the few sunny days; taking our first family bike ride, visiting the pool with S, walking around our village and simply being outside with friends.

 

 j

 

While we were in the final stretch of school for E, I was also wrapping up “Mama School” with S. I knew I couldn’t  replicate the incredible Pre-School we had S in before moving to Germany. However, I still tried to make it fun as we worked on the alphabet, cooked together, did soccer drills in the yard, learned words in other languages before traveling to different countries and took field trips. I think he had a major breakthrough when he realized that “l, m, n, o, ” were actually four different letters versus one big one like it sounds in the Alphabet Song. I’m going to miss this special time with our youngest. He was a fabulous student! Here are a few pictures I took during one of our cooking classes this past Spring and a shaving creme letter-practicing class.

 

 

During E’s last week of school, we got a taste of life with three boys. We took care of my friend’s (almost) three-year old son for a couple of days while she and her husband went to the hospital for the birth of their daughter. This is my friend, Amy, who I met back in January before moving into our village. Their little guy was an easy house guest! Our boys helped out and kept him distracted. It was both a privilege and a gift to care for Amy’s son, knowing she trusted us with her precious little boy.

 

 

E took the bus while our young house guest was with us. Over the past semester, our entire family became fans of his German bus driver. What a kind man! He greeted us with a smile, was always so careful to make sure I was at the bus stop before letting E off the bus and patiently talked to us in German and English so we could practice our German without intimidation. He graciously let me take this picture the last week of school.

E got out of school on Thursday, June 16th, finishing with a half day/field day. It was a little rainy but everyone seemed to have fun. E told me that his teacher was his favorite part of school. She was definitely a gift to all of us!

 

That afternoon, we hung out at our friends’ house where the boys played dress up with their friends. Knights seem so much more tangible when you live in the land of castles and fairy tales! That evening, Soccer Amy gave me the gift of a couple of hours at home to pack for an upcoming trip while she watched and fed the boys. How grateful I am to have friends that I trust with our boys! Oh the gift of community!!!!!

Though school ended for E, soccer practice continues through the middle of July. The Germans are amazingly hardcore when it comes to playing through rainy weather. Their kids seem to play rain or shine and they watch from the sidelines unphased at the dripping water rolling off of their faces. I am one of the few parents that dresses my kids in rain coats when rain looks eminent or is actually falling from the sky. E is in the first picture wearing his green jacket and S is in the second in the yellow one. Yep, I’m THAT parent! Are you proud of me Mom?! =)

 

Perhaps with time, I will learn to toughen up as well. Until then, I probably need to purchase a wide umbrella to sit under during practices. Thankfully, Amy (the one I met at soccer) brought hers for us to huddle under!

Two days later we boarded a plane in response to the nudging I had been feeling in my heart (more about this later). June turned into July while we traveled. The day we returned, the sun shone bright in the blue sky! It felt good to be back. We are still experiencing the high of travels and great connections.

My cup runneth over!

June 16th, 2016

You know how a song brings you back to a specific memory or becomes a theme song for a season of life? I’ve had an old song running through my head for days now. It was released back in 1995 by the group, Jars of Clay. The song is taking on new meaning for me. Its called “Flood.” Here are the opening lyrics…

Rain, rain on my face

Hasn’t stopped raining for days

My world is a flood

Slowly I become one with the mud

And THAT, ladies and gentlemen, captures the current weather pattern in our neck of the German woods. Flood is an exaggeration since we do get breaks where the sun fights its way through for a bit here and there. Then I sing…

Here comes the sun (doo doo doo doo)

here comes the sun, and I say

It’s all right

After a rainy afternoon on Sunday, I checked the weather report on my phone. The forecast for the next nine days: clouds, thunderclouds, and rain clouds. I never knew it rained so much in Germany! I guess that explains all the green. Sigh…

I’m trying to look for the bright side of all this rain. Here are a few of my attempts and observations…

On Monday, S and I watched a rainstorm from our front porch. At one point, he moved our watering pail to catch the rainfall. Its a new game of ours…harnessing this abundant, natural resource.

E brought home an itty bitty seedling a few weeks ago that he planted in school. We left it out on our picnic table and its taken off in this weather!

The farm fields are growing, wild flowers line the trails and ivy is taking over sides of buildings and walls.

 

 

Though there are times that we choose to stay inside, that gets old pretty fast. The boys begin to bounce off the walls after a while. I’m convinced that having good clothing is essential. We continue to get excellent wear out of our rain jackets we bought before coming here. They have been the BEST articles of clothing we own. We have also learned rain boots and/or water proof shoes are a must. The Germans dress their kids in water proof pants. I haven’t bought any for the boys yet but I can see their practicality. It reminds me of the saying, “There is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing.” Here are the boys waiting for E’s bus in the morning and then S and I waiting for E’s bus in the afternoon…still raining.

Following the old adage of making lemonade out of lemons, we do try to make the best of our damp days. When one of our soccer practices got rained out a couple of weeks ago, we decided to go out for ice cream with some dear friends (and fellow soccer players). The clouds eventually parted and we had a bonfire, ate pizza together outside and roasted marshmallows for S’mores. It turned out to be a sweet evening in more ways than one!

 

So, I checked the weather forecast again and saw a picture of a little sun next Monday. Yay!!!!!!!!!! Tuesday shows a picture of a rain cloud. No!!!!!!!!!! You know what comes to mind? “Here Comes the Rain Again” by Eurythmics (British pop duo, released 1984).  =)

 

June 11th, 2016

This move has given us a lot of time to think. We often have conversations about…

what we value

what we are learning about ourselves

how we are challenged living cross culturally

who we want to be

what we are learning about our boys

what we hope to get out of this experience

how we relax and what stresses us out

and sooo much more!

I don’t think you need to leave your home country to ponder these topics. However, I also don’t think you can move to a different country and culture without spurring some serious introspection. It seems to come with the territory. Some of our perspectives are changing while others are solidifying.

Our time in Bavaria confirmed for us what refuels our batteries…NATURE! We have always enjoyed nature but the combination of travel and the outdoors seems to be the sweet spot for us. We enjoy going on hikes, seeing natural wonders, taking family bike rides or lingering at a park with the boys. In Garmisch-Partenkirchen, we unexpectedly came across the Michael-Ende-Kurpark (spa-gardens.) It was behind the restaurant we were eating dinner at after going to the Zugspitze. Walking into this oasis in the middle of the downtown area was like slipping through the rabbit hole into another world. Though a flower clock kept the time, we lost sight of it as we wandered around the gardens. S loved the giant, earthen turtle that rose out of the ground for children to climb on.

 

The boys and I walked the bare-foot path and then soaked our feet in the nearby wading pool to improve our circulation the German way! I had seen some grandparents encouraging their grandson to walk the path. The grandfather had bare feet himself giving me the impression that he had already completed the course.

 

 

 

A gentlemen rode up on his bike as we were approaching the water. He took off his shoes and walked right in. We followed suit, trying not to squeal too loud at the shocking temperature of the Alpine water. Oh baby!

Our second full day, we took a hike through the Parnachklamm Gorge and up into the mountains. The scenery was breath-taking! Mein Mann (Hubby) said he felt like we had just walked into the movie Heidi. Along the way, the boys picked alpine flowers for their Mama (LOVE). We stopped after the Gorge for them to throw rocks in the river while dipping their feet in the shallow end. Then, S kicked a rock down a trail like a soccer ball for the longest time once we had ascended into the mountains. I am learning how these little things help them enjoy the experience too and gives them the opportunity to simply be themselves.

 

 

Cue the mountain goats with their bells ringing! Can you see them in the tall grass alongside the river in the photo below? When E saw them, he said, “I drink your milk!”

The Gorge was AMAZING!!!!  We paid a minimal fee to walk through this designated, natural monument that is 702 meters (2,303 ft) long and, in places, over 80 meters (260 ft) deep. Foot traffic can move both ways on the narrow path but we were fortunate to go through when the crowds were very manageable.

 

 

 

The trail on the backside of the Gorge forked and we chose to ascend into the mountains with another family in front of us. S slipped at one point and bumped his shin on one of the wooden steps. A kind foreigner who was descending on the trail, knelt down beside him and spoke words of encouragement to him. She told him of the ice cream and lemonade that was awaiting him at the top and he quickly bounced back. Oh, the kindness of strangers!

Before we knew it, we had reached the top of the trail and found ourselves walking through a little village. We stopped for drinks and ice cream and did a little more exploring. Now I know what Maria meant when she sang out, “The hills are alive…” in the Sound of Music!

 

 

 

When we were ready to leave, we rode a cable car back down to the entrance area of the Gorge.

 

On our way back to our car, we walked through the Olympic Stadium that hosted the Winter Olympic Games back in 1936.

 

That evening, we walked around Garmisch-Partenkirchen in search of a traditional Bavarian restaurant I had read about. We arrived too early for the music but still enjoyed the food. The meat portions could have filled us for a WEEK!

 

While we waited for our food, I took the boys into a nearby church. It was the second one we walked through in the town. I enjoy taking the boys into churches; these lovely reminders of the sacred in our midst. As most churches we visit are Catholic, the boys are learning to sign themselves with holy water, genuflect in front of the altar, light candles, and look for the pipe organs they know their PoPo enjoys! Here are pictures from both of the churches we visited over the weekend.

 

 

On our way back home Monday morning, we visited King Ludwig’s Neuschwanstein Castle. The Disney castle is a replica of this castle dating back to 1869. We booked our tickets online which allowed us to bypass the long line and go directly to the Reserve Window to pick them up. I TOTALLY recommend this!! Our oldest did an amazing job listening to the guide, looking at everything and using his “quiet” voice during the 30 minute tour. I was proud of him. We walked up to the castle and took the horse drawn carriage ride back down…complete with the all necessary pooping session.

 

Castles and museums can be fun. However, we would rather coax our boys to explore the outdoors than hush them to be constantly quiet or wait in lines. There is value in the balance but the scales definitely lean further towards the outdoors for us. We still enjoy seeing the “sites” but have been surprised how much nature simultaneously thrills and calms our senses. The boys’ are impressing us with their stamina to put miles on their feet and rise to new heights in the most literal sense.

 

 

June 8th, 2016

More memories from our Bavaria trip…

At an elevation of 2,962 meters (9,718 ft) above sea level, the Zugspitze is Germany’s highest mountain. It is home to three glaciers. On a clear day, you can see over 400 peaks in Germany, Austria, Italy and Switzerland. Amazing, right?!

Friends told us that a trip to the top of the Zugspitze was only worth it if the weather was clear. Though it’s a bit of a gamble with changing weather patterns, you can check the weather cams on the Zugspitze website to try to make the best prediction possible. When we awoke to blue skies on Saturday morning and saw that thunderstorms weren’t expected until later in the afternoon, we decided to go for it. We ate breakfast at the hotel, grabbed our winter gear and piled in the car. With our windows down, we drove to the base of the Zugspitze. The mountain air was crisp and fresh. I loved the sights and sounds of the cows wearing their large bells around their necks. Morgen!

 

We parked near Lake Eibsee and bought our tickets. You can choose how to ascend and descend the mountain…either by foot, cable car or train. With the weather so nice, we quickly got in line for the cable car. We only waited a short time before we boarded and found ourselves suspended thousands of feet in the sky. It was unnerving and breath-taking all at the same time!

 

 

The views from the top surpassed all the hype! We could see for MILES! E wore a pair of Mama’s glasses to protect those beautiful, baby blue’s of his.

 

A gold cross marks the mountain summit. The original cross was carried up there in 1851. Though you can hike to the summit, we didn’t even attempt it. Was that a collective sigh of relief I just heard from the boys’ Grandmas? =)

The border between Germany and Austria goes right over the mountain. Since both countries are a part of the Schengen Area, 26 European countries that have abolished passports and any other type of border control at their mutual borders, there is no longer a manned border crossing. You simply walk across the borders at the top! Though border formalities are gone, you still see these signs of regional pride. “Freistaat Bayern” is the free state of Bavaria and “Land Tirol” is the third largest state in Austria.

 

We crossed into Austria by walking through a short tunnel. The boys enjoyed climbing a massive snow mound there and throwing snow balls at their Mama down below! Hubby joined them in their winter wonderland.

 

The blue flag you see with the twelve gold stars is the Flag of Europe. Interestingly, the stars represent the people of Europe as a collective whole, not the actual number of member states which is currently twenty-eight. Here’s our lil’ guy at the top of the snow mound with the flag waving in the background.

We took in the sites from the Austrian side as well…soooo Beautiful! You can also ascend the Zugspitze by cable car from Austria.

 

After taking a long snack break back in Germany, we rode another cable car down to the Zugspitze Glacier at 2,600 meters (8,530 ft).

 

We ALL went sledding on the complimentary sleds. They were fast and super fun! Sadly, I didn’t get a good picture of Hubby. Trust me, he went down too!

 

 

 

The boys went down and up so many times, we lost count. It was quite the workout and they LOVED it (well, at least the going down part)! While they played, Hubby and I took turns hiking up to a lookout spot and also to the Chapel of Maria Heimsuchung. It was consecrated in 1981 by the emeritus Pope Benedict XVI. It’s also the highest chapel in Germany…makes sense!

 

The rain clouds moved in and gave us warnings of sprinkles that we heeded to the boys’ dismay. They probably could have sledded for another hour! Thankfully, we managed to catch the next train a few minutes before it departed the glacier. The first section of the ride was through mountain tunnels and not too exciting. When we finally came out of the rock, the sun was out again and the scenery was beautiful. Yippee!!

We definitely recommend the Zugspitze! It’s a bit pricey for a family of four but we felt like it was worth every Euro since we scored with the weather. Another memory in the books…go to the highest mountain peak in Germany. Check!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

June 7th, 2016

At the end of May, we took a four-day holiday in Bavaria. I researched this area of Germany for a few weeks reading travel blogs and books I checked out from the library. “Germany Day by Day” became one of my go-to resources. I quickly became a fan of its travel itineraries, so much so that I bought myself my own copy. We reserved tickets for a castle tour, learned all the ins and outs of traveling up to Germany’s highest mountain top and found a couple of other sites to see depending on our mood and the weather. We were excited to travel in-country.

 

As our trip approached, the weather report started dampening our spirits. Thunderstorms were predicted for the entire weekend. Ugh… We had already experienced so many days of rain here that S asked me when Spring was coming back. Since our hotel reservation was locked in, we decided to still go and make the best of it. I’m SO GLAD WE DID!

We drove down on Friday, in and out of rainstorms, dipping into Austria on the way. When we spotted the Alps we couldn’t help but ohhhh and ahhh repeatedly as we all pointed out different snow-covered peaks. What BEAUTY! Oh my goodness…pictures can never capture how breathtaking the mountains are in Southern Bavaria but we still tried (of course). The scenery helped distract the boy, breaking up the monotony of…”Are we there yet?”

When we crossed in Austria, we immediately stopped at a gas station to purchase a 10-day Vignette sticker for 8.80 Euros. The sticker shows you have paid the road tax allowing you to drive on the Austrian motorways. If you are caught without this sticker affixed to your windshield, you may leave the country with a hefty fine! Our stop also gave us the chance to use the water closet (which we paid for as well).

Onward we went through Austria and back into Germany until we reached Garmisch-Partenkirchen. We immediately caught the outdoorsy vibe of this FABULOUS mountain town as we saw people riding bikes, walking around in shorts and carrying backpacks. We felt at home. =)

When we checked in at Hotel Alpengruß, an English-speaking housekeeper was recruited to translate for us since the regular manager wasn’t in. To my bewilderment, I was handed two room keys. When I asked why, I learned the family room I had reserved was overbooked and there was nothing else they could do. So, for the first two nights, we split up (one adult/one child). I never know what gets lost in translation here but I do know international travel is definitely teaching me about flexibility! Mein geliebter Mann (my beloved man) reminded me that our intention was not to stay in our room(s) but to be out and about. At least we had rooms! On Sunday we were given the large family room we booked and enjoyed our family slumber party. The hotel manager DID adjust our bill and I would still recommend the place. There is a great restaurant attached that makes the most delicious apple strudel we’ve ever eaten! Seriously, think DIVINE!

 

We ate dinner at the hotel restaurant our first evening while a rainstorm moved through the town. We struck up a lovely conversation with a young German lady, Evonne, who was dining alone at the table next to us. Afterwards, we went out on foot to explore the area and work out some of the boys’ never ending energy.

I know the above picture of my loves is blurry but it still makes me smile and reminds me of how fun our walk was that evening. Here’s a couple more…

 

I barely remember laying in bed that night after I turned out the lights. E was with me while S had some bonding time with his Daddy-O. Though our sleeping arrangement wasn’t ideal for us, it did have a benefit of calming down the boys quicker.  Exhaustion quickly took over and we were OUT!

More to come…

 

 

 

 

 

 

June 2nd, 2016

Our youngest is a fan of second breakfast. I have heard this term associated with hobbits which might explain some things about our little guy! However, I just read this evening that second breakfast is actually a traditional meal in Bavaria, Poland and Hungary. Oh the things I am learning here!

When I mentioned the idea of taking a walk to the bakery this morning after dropping E at school, S was IN! Our stroll through our streets and down a wonderful little pathway near our village grade school turned into a nature walk and a snail spotting expedition. If you were with us, here’s what you would have seen…

walking down the street

S spotted this little snail in a hole in a wall on our way to the bakery. On our way back, we passed it again and he told the snail, “Guten Morgen!”

 

Taking the pathway

 

So…many…snails!

 

 

walking through the neighborhood

 

Around this time, our noses caught whiffs of sweet smells in the air. We didn’t know if they were coming from the bakery or not but we got excited that we were almost there!

the bakery

 

S with our bakery treats in hand!

Walking past our village Grundschule (grade school), along the walking path again and towards home

 

 

Stopping to count the snails on the garden wall

 

Home!

My FAVORITE bakery bread…the flavor is AMAZING! This is one roll, cut in half to show the top and bottom.

Time for second breakfast!

Guten Appetit~

 

 

 

 

June 1st, 2016

Happy June Everyone! The days are longer now with the sun rising around 5:30am and setting close to 21:30 (9:30 p.m.). I still think in the 12-hour-clock using a.m.’s and p.m.’s which causes me to do a little mental math at times to calculate time using the 24-hour-clock. It’s getting harder to keep an earlier bedtime when it is so bright outside. We are trying though since school is still in session through June 16th.

Here are some snapshots of faces I’m enjoying, places we have been recently and a new experience to add to the sum total we are accumulating…

My handsome guy when he got home from work the other day. He calls this his Bavarian outfit (minus the lederhosen)!

E had his first field trip a couple of Fridays ago to the Das Praehistorium, a museum that takes you through the history of life on Earth. The entire first grade joined together to ride the cool, double-decker bus which may have been E’s favorite part of the day.

 

S and I joined everyone at the museum. It was quite the EXPERIENCE! The place was surprisingly large with robotic, life-like animals that give you an authentic feeling for what it may have been like to encounter a dinosaur, a woolly mammoth or even a prehistoric alligator. Unfortunately, this got a bit intense at times for our oldest. S was more fascinated than anything.

 

 

The boys and I walked through the exhibits with another Mom and two girls. The Mom started pointing out the differences in the museum that we would not see or experience back home. For example, the water exhibits didn’t have any railings or structures to keep a child from taking a swim. If the thought crossed the boys’ minds, they thankfully did not act on it! There was also more real-to-life depictions of historical events. When we walked through the middle ages exhibit, one mannequin was slumped over a wall with a bloody arrow in their back while another was about to be hit by a hatchet. No sugar-coating here!

Another big difference we noticed was the openness with the human body. Germans do not hide what they feel is simply natural. Thus, the cavemen didn’t have the loincloths you might imagine them being covered with in a museum back home. Medieval women were openly breastfeeding and even the monkeys were well endowed. This aspect did not go unnoticed as the little girls started calling out the “private parts” in each exhibit. Though it’s different, I’m coming to appreciate a piece of this. The human body seems to be demystified and perceived more naturally. We have heard comments of how our culture back home seems to be overly worried about modesty yet accepts and exposes our youth to incredible amounts of violence in games, tv and movies. I’m still formulating my thoughts on this but I do see truth in it. Hmm…

E got quite excited when he saw a picture of a snail in another exhibit. He continues searching for snails in our yard with his brother and collecting empty shells. His first field trip was quite memorable!

 

A new coffee shop/bakery opened up downtown. It has a WONDERFUL children’s room and provides the most delicious scones! One of the ladies from our church invited me to join her there last week. We met up with two other women from our church that were also meeting that morning. I’m enjoying getting to know this diverse group of ladies…a German, a Malaysian and an American. I’m grateful we all speak English!

 

 

May 26th was the festival of Fronleichnam, also known as Corpus Christi. It’s a regional, Catholic holiday here in Germany celebrating the Holy Communion, Last Supper or Lord’s Supper. The night before, green branches were attached to poles around our village and a couple of altars built by congregants were set up. On Thursday morning, S and I walked over to our village square and participated in the outdoor service.

 

Afterwards, we walked in the procession when they invited the families with children (at least I think that’s what they said in German). As we walked, I noticed individual homes and driveways decorated with banners, greenery and flowers. Some villagers were dressed in beautiful garments from their home regions. The Polizei (German police) blockaded the streets, creating a parade route through the village.

 

A band played music and people visited with each other while we all walked down the streets. We met a woman in the procession who spoke English. She explained to me that the government decorates the streets with the green branches as a sign of respect and recognition of the holiday. She also pointed out the open door of the Protestant church as we walked by, another sign of respect within the body of Christ. I find beauty in this simple display of unity versus pointing out all the differences or holding “rank” over each other.

The procession had its first stop near the intersection by our house. Prayers were spoken. At this point, my little walking buddy was done with this cultural experience. We quietly stepped out and waved to the others as they continued to walk.

We are grateful for all we are learning on this journey!

 

 

 

 

May 22nd, 2016

The process of things moving from “foreign” to “familiar” is fascinating to me. A tourist bus passed by me in our village last night. As people looked out their windows, I wondered how they saw me. Though I’m still a foreigner, I’m also a resident and this village is now my familiar…slowly becoming home. A few days ago, May 17th to be exact, we marked our sixth month of living here in Germany. Its hard to believe we have been here half a year already!

Here’s a glimpse into village life this past week…

Monday was a German holiday which affects public transportation. To help alleviate the hassle for Hubby, he drove the car to work and we took advantage of E’s bus pass to get him back and forth to school. Here’s S walking home from the school bus stop early in the morning.

The boys and I got a scoop of ice cream from our favorite coffee shop as an after school treat one warm afternoon. The ice cream is made in-house and is quite DELICIOUS! We also enjoy seeing the family that runs the place.

E had his first soccer practice with his team this past Wednesday. The soccer fields are on the outskirts of our village. We are really proud of our boy for stepping out of his comfort zone to be the “new kid” on a team with a German speaking coach and mostly German speaking kids. Thankfully, one or two of the kids speak English and help translate for E when the coach needs to explain something. Otherwise, he has to watch, experience and learn. This team has been playing together since last September and they are GOOD! I can see why the Germans won the last World Cup…its in their DNA. We saw one of the check out ladies at the grocery store on the sidelines. It looks like her son might play on the team as well. We are starting to connect faces in and out of context.

  

In keeping with our once-a-week tradition of eating out at the same restaurant in our village, we went after soccer on Wednesday evening. The owner now knows our names, what we typically order and gives the boys treats as we leave. We practice our limited German with him.

On Thursday, I invited the woman I met at soccer last week over for lunch. Her name is Amy. She brought her two younger boys (almost 5 and 2 yrs) with her. I also invited my other friend, Amy, and her son (almost 3 years old) so they could all meet. They both lived in Korea before moving to Germany. It was fun to connect people in our village and spend the afternoon together. I didn’t take pictures…too busy chatting!

We returned to the soccer fields on Friday evening. E’s team practices twice a week and S’s team practices on Fridays. Soccer Amy came with her boys and we enjoyed chatting with her as they played together. E is on the same team as her seven year old son and S and her middle son play on the same team. What a treat! Here is S with his new buddy in the background. He is VERY excited about his friendship! We are too. =)

Saturday was in the 70’s so we ventured over to our village pool to check it out. The water was shockingly cold but the boys and Hubby still got in. I watched from the warmth of my pool chair!

The train station is less than ten minutes from our house. There is a bridge that goes over the track allowing us to cross over to the other side. Last night, I walked to one of the local grocery stores. It was a beautiful evening to take a stroll. Here’s the view looking down from the bridge on both sides.

 

I also passed this phone booth as I was walking home. I wonder if anyone actually uses it?

Adi, our crazy cat, has found a new spot to hang out…our gutters! If she finds one of the upstairs windows open, she  walks out onto the lower roof of our kitchen and watches the birds from her high perch. She still likes to curl up in the sink too!

 

This evening, our new friends from soccer invited us over for a barbecue. All the boys played together while the adults connected. We are really excited about these new friendships! They are not sure how long they will be here but we hope to take full advantage of the time our paths cross. (No pictures…maybe next time.)

I like the quaintness of village life. Community is slowly forming and we are relishing it. Yay!!!