Happy Easter everyone! As you can see from the previous posts, we stayed with our very good friends Mike & Anna Connelly in Southwestern Germany. Anna and I made a very good Easter dinner (if we do say so ourselves) complete with ham, funeral potatoes (or resurrection potatoes as my friend Elisa's husband pointed out), deviled eggs, caesar salad, and homemade rolls. I wanted to take a picture (well, many pictures) of Kelsey in her Easter dress but seeing as it's been snowing, raining and/or freezing the whole weekend, the best we got was holding her on M&A's balcony. She looked so cute in the dress my mom got her. It's a 12mos. size so it was a little big, but it worked. Some of the little girls at church came up to her and complimented her. It was darling. I love seeing all the kids dressed up for Easter Sunday.
Here's a picture of the kids on Easter morning. The Easter bunny must not have known we were in Germany because he didn't come visit us this year. I guess Santa warned him about us. Good thing Kelsey & Jay aren't old enough to notice.
Tal and I were amazed at how many people spoke English in this part of Germany around the Ramstein base. It really is little America. Some restaurants even accept USD! I use my German more in Switzerland than I did there - and I don't use it often.
On Saturday, we went to Luxembourg, Luxembourg. Our first stop: The American WWII Cemetery. It is technically on American soil as it was given to America after WWII. It was cool to be "in America" for a bit. It was snowing, but sunny at times while we were there. It created a peaceful mood in which time seemed to stand still. It also reminded us of the climate the soldiers faced in times of war. About 5,000 soldiers are buried there many of which died in the Battle of the Bulge (not to be confused with the battle my dad claims he's fighting right now). On a more serious note, it was really interesting and humbling to see all the names on the crosses & stars and to think of the sacrifice they made for our freedom.
Several of the graves had Jewish stars instead of crosses and every now and again, you'd come across a grave that didn't have a name, but instead, it read: "Here rests in honored glory a comrade in arms known but to God."
This is General Patton's grave, which stands at the front of the cemetery, as though still leading his men.
This is a map of the troops during WWII, the red is the U.S. It was amazing to see how much the U.S. really did save Europe and possibly the world from the rule of Hitler and the Nazis.
The next stop on our tour was the city of Luxembourg. It is very clean and has some similarities to Zurich. We ate some much needed Chinese food for lunch and then had some amazing pastries and chocolate that rivaled Switzerland's.
Here's the one guard keeping watch of their equivalent to the White House in Washington, D.C. They were having a "New Orleans meets Luxembourg" jazz festival that day so there were American flags hanging and jazz music playing in the main square. Let's just say we saw the American flag more times this trip than we have in the past year.
After visiting Luxembourg we drove on to Trier. Trier is known as the oldest city in Germany, founded in 16 B.C. Some Trierians actually claim the city was founded in 2000 B.C. by Neanderthals. While there is some evidence of ancient peoples in the area there is nothing that suggests it was a true settlement until 16 B.C. When we got there it was raining so we wrapped the babes up in warm clothing, stuck them in waterproof strollers and headed out. They were asleep within minutes and stayed that way the whole time. Here's how Tally managed the umbrella & the stroller - by sticking it inbetween the backpack and his back.
Many things about this city appeared pink, which I noticed while we were there, but really showed in the pictures.
We saw "La Porta Nigra" which is a large Roman gate so named in the Middle Ages by the darkened color of the stone.
We also ventured into a large Catholic Cathedral which we later learned dates back to Roman times. Claims by the Catholic church suggest this Cathedral houses the Holy Tunic of Christ, a seamless robe possibly worn by Christ during the Crucifixion. In John 19:23 - 24 we read of how soldiers cast lots to determine who would have this robe after Jesus' death and in so doing fulfilled the prophesy in Psalms 22:18. Of course it is impossible to know if the tunic inside this Cathedral truly is the Tunic of Christ scince no Scientific study has been done to determine even the age of the garment. It is quite sacred to the Catholic Church though as the robe is only exhibited every 10 - 20 years. The last viewing took place in 1996 when over 1,000,000 pilgrims came to glimpse it.
After seeing the Cathedral we toured through the rest of the town. We saw what looked like Barbie's dream house, but it was the Kurfurstliches Plais (Electoral Palace), which might have been beautiful had a different color been chosen. We then saw the Roman imperial baths which are the largest baths outside of Rome itself. Once we had seen the baths we decided to head back to the car. Of course on the way we had to stop for hot chocolate. We didn't end up finding Karl Marx's house or the Roman amphitheater. We were lucky to see what we did considering the downpour!
On our way home, we were separated from Mike & Anna so we pulled over to grab my phone out of the trunk. I had to snap a few photos (to Tally's disappointment) while I was out. Although snowy at times, our drive through Germany was so pretty! These are solar panels and wind turbines. They looked gorgeous blanketed in snow.
Kelsey and Jay took a bath together and Jay actually enjoyed it...after a bit of coaxing. I think he saw Kelsey playing with his toys and wanted to reclaim them. He ended up having so much fun he didn't want to get out! Kelsey enjoyed having a friend at bath time - she's never had that before!
For Easter weekend, we went up to Mike & Anna's near Frankfurt, Germany. They live in a cute, old farming town where the buildings and houses have so much character. The night we pulled in, it was rainy so it wasn't until Friday night (after an American day on base at Taco Bell & Baskin Robbins/31 Flavors) that we took a walk through the neighborhood. There's a dairy farm on their street and a stand with homemade ice cream. We walked around and saw dairy cows, a few calves, bunnies, and cats that seemed to follow us. I left the house without my camera and am SO glad Anna had hers. The lighting was gorgeous as the sun was setting, lighting up this barn and reflecting off the puddles.
The ice cream stand was closed and we were looking for when they would be open so we could come back (since we had already had ice cream that day) when the owner came out. I tried my German out on her: "Wann ist die glaces geoffnet? She looked at me confused and then proceeded to speak in English. It was only later that I remembered that "glaces" is a Swiss German term for ice cream and it's just "Eis" in German. So much for trying. She opened it especially for us and we could not resist. Plus, at 80 Euro Cents a piece, it was a steal. We each got a different kind so we could try eachothers and I must say, Tally got the best one - German Chocolate. All of it was very tasty though and definitely not fat free. Jay enjoyed it too, but not as much as chasing around cats. He was sad to leave. That night, we ate at a Mexican food restaurant and ordered fried ice cream. Yep. Three times in one day. Does it get any better than that?
Happy Easter little bunny
Our little bunny rabbit...it's actually cat ears on the hood of the coat but it's Easter.
Notice the cat? I think he's playing it cool before he goes in for the chase! What a fun treasure they have right around the corner!
Today is the lovely day that we flew from London to Zurich, one year ago. It seems crazy to think we've been here that long and there's so much left to do! We have several trips planned, but we're figuring out there are just too many places to go in only a few short years. We are taking advantage of this year - with at least one trip every month. Tally will be taking the GMAT on April 10 (so wish him luck) and then we will be heading out to explore.
How's our German? Well, we're not nearly as far along as we'd like to be but then again I should be studying right now and I'm doing this instead. Does that paint a clear picture as to why I still can't speak it? I'm taking classes again once a week and Tal will start again after the GMAT.
Even though we've been here a year, I just tried the famous Swiss dish called Raclette. We had a Girls Night Out on Friday and we all brought ingredients to make a mouthwatering meal. It was fun to have a lot of the girls together to eat, talk and play games.
On Saturday, we took a break from studying for the GMAT and went to a nearby town called Halbinsel Au. It translates to "half island" because it juts out into the lake. It's really pretty with lots of greenery and great views of the Alps. We couldn't walk around much because of gimpy (me) but at least we got to get out and look around. Kelsey thought it was pretty view as well. Below is a house that looks like a house we almost moved into. Would have been cool, right?
It's interesting how our year mark in Switzerland and Kelsey's 6-month-old birthday coincide. It seems incredible that my newborn is now half a year old and sitting up on her own. She's getting so big! Like I mentioned, she can stay sitting up without tipping over and I love that she can do this now. She's happier and I have two free hands when she sits on my lap. Kelsey has such a happy disposition and I love that I get to stay home and play with her. I feel very blessed that our situation is such that I can do that. Although sometimes I think Tally gets jealous that Kelsey likes me more than him. :) It's not true. She LOVES her da-da! Here's her 6 month stats:
7.59 Kilos or 16.87 Pounds- according to their charts, about the 80th percentile. 63.9 Cm or 25.15 Inches - according to their charts, it's a bit below average. She had another vaccination and didn't cry about that. She cried when the doctor laid her down from her sitting position. They also pricked her finger and she didn't even flinch. She's pretty tough.
Her brown hair is falling out and blonde hair is coming in. So right now she has salt and pepper looking hair. And speaking of hair, she had her first hair cut a few weeks ago. Tally cut off her mullet.
She sucks her thumb occasionally, as is evidenced below. I love the one of her laughing, not because it's great technically but because she would laugh every time the wind would blow past her. It was cute.
Like most babies her age, she loves putting things in her mouth. These are my fun socks on her LEGS. I love the evil eye.
She's eating baby food once a day and nursing really well the rest of the time but when she sees us eating, she can't help but get in on the fun. I know she shouldn't have these things, but a little lick wont hurt, right? She loves ice cream and knows it when she sees the wrapper. Uh-oh. The other day she even ate a flower while I was trying to take a picture of her. I don't think she liked it too much.
I just like this outfit and did a photoshoot with her yesterday on our balcony.
It was stupid. I sprained it walking out the front door last night to go pick up Tally. Let's just say I took a step without looking on an uneven mat. Anyway, it will heal soon I'm sure thanks to Janelle taking care of us today, but in the meantime, here's some of our latest videos.
Tally has been gone since Saturday and guess what she started doing while he was gone? Tally is really going to get a kick out of this when he gets back! I know it's just babble but the timing is so perfect. She wants her dada!
I've been wanting to do a picture header for awhile now but haven't made the time for it. So here's my first shot. Took me awhile, but at last, it fits in that darned square. Oh, and the background is from this site called cutestblogontheblock.com. SO simple, just copy & paste. Now that it's past 1am, I'm off to bed. Can't wait to have my honey home tomorrow!
Oh, and I just found out Airborne is a bust! That bubbly, magical medicine always made me feel so safe. Check it out for yourself though. In 2006, Good Morning America uncovered that the "clinical trials" were performed without and doctors or scientists - just a two man operation. How does that happen in our day? They just settled on a 23.3 million dollar law suit claiming false advertising and the money goes to - get this - refund customers and pay companies where they had placed ads. I guess I fell victim to the placebo effect. Maybe I'll start throwing Sweet Tarts in my water before I fly now.
It snowed on and off all day so Kelsey and I went out in the front to watch the snow fall. There were beautiful, big flakes and Kelsey couldn't decide if she was annoyed by them or wanted to eat them. I don't think she likes me stuffing her into her snowsuit and being kept up during her nap time. I had fun taking pictures of her and laughing at her "marshmallow man-like movements." We did laundry today and I put her in Tally's sweatshirt. She seemed to like it until she realized she couldn't get her hands out. We can't wait for Tally to get back tomorrow!
Kelsey and I went down to a nearby town called Zug to see our friends Niina & Wilma. Of all the times I've been down there, I'd never seen the old town or "altstadt." It's beautiful, with rich history & architecture. There's also an aviary with vultures, white owls and cool orange birds. As always, we had fun hanging out with them and shopping of course!
I wanted to take a picture (well, many pictures) of Kelsey in her Easter dress but seeing as it's been snowing, raining and/or freezing the whole weekend, the best we got was holding her on M&A's balcony. She looked so cute in the dress my mom got her. It's a 12mos. size so it was a little big, but it worked. Some of the little girls at church came up to her and complimented her. It was darling. I love seeing all the kids dressed up for Easter Sunday.
.jpg)
