Trips 2013: The Sauerland in Germany

It is amazing to me what truly living in a place will do. We have a ski week vacation every year in February here. Last year it was Bruges, Belgium and WWI touring. I think I recognized that this year the kids just wanted a nice ski weekend like we had in the West Virginia mountains - not another cathedral visit or trip to a Roman ruin. (On another note, those Romans got around - ruins EVERYWHERE. Even here in Kaiserswerth!!)

I searched high and low, but since I was booking so late, there was nowhere slopeside to stay. So we ended up staying about 30 minutes away at a quaint little B & B called Hotel die Welt. The owners were Jolanda (pronounced Yolanda) and Denis and they were so kind! We were only the second weekend of guests to stay - they were an incredibly nice Dutch couple that bought the house we stayed in and fixed it up. We loved the commons room, the help yourself drinks, the pool table, the large TV room, as well as the big room with 3 bedrooms where we slept and ate our take-out meals. Last year, we had a LOT of snow (Sauerland skiing would not be that good this year), so we had great snow. Great snow in this tiny area also means great crowds, however. In addition, it was well below freezing the whole time. YUCK. So Luke, Zee and I only skied one day. Silas and Stuart braved the cold for the 2 full days. We mostly enjoyed exploring the little town, eating ice cream in the cold, and spending relaxing time by the fire in the evenings, either reading or playing family games. The scenery was also really nice to enjoy. 

The house where we stayed.

It was too cold!

Ready for the day!

Stuart and Zee ski in. (Yellow coat guy is between Stuart and Zee)

Sunset from our B & B

Snow!

Never too cold for ice cream!

More snow!

Videos of some of the fun we had - Luke and Zee had the best time sliding down this hill in the parking lot of the Winterberg ski rental.

Zee finally learned to ski - after being on and off skis since he was 3!

It was such a great little trip - I wish I had taken pics of the interior of where we stayed. We just loved it and the proprietors. A nice family weekend!

Trips 2013: Luxembourg

Quite frankly, it is more than a touch disturbing that I haven't documented a SINGLE TRIP we did in 2013. We had more visitors (someone nearly every month), more travel (so much so, I'm afraid the boys - except Silas - are DONE), and more FUN in 2013 than any year of our lifetimes. Yes - a collective our lifetimes. That means the boys are really livin' it up at a very young age, while Stuart and I are moving at a more sedate life time pace. :-)

I did a very nerdy thing and looked back in my Google calendar to remember what our first trip was. We returned from Christmas in the States and literally left that very Friday for Luxembourg for a NECIS trip! NECIS stands for the Northwest European Council of International Schools. Basically, our boys participate in the German Sportsverein for soccer and basketball (they play other teams in the Düsseldorf area - all German - we are the only one affiliated with a school) and Luke also plays NECIS basketball. For this, we play other International Schools in Northwest Europe. It is actually a wonderful program, and a great way to get to know other schools, cultures, etc. 

So off we headed to Luxembourg City. This city in this tiny country is just beautiful. Although we only got a short night here, we truly enjoyed the beauty that is Luxembourg - and it is only a 3.5 hour drive for us!!  

The drive there - through the snow and slush - he almost fell asleep on us!

The school at Luxembourg - made up of more than 30% Amazon executive kids. 

In action

Rolos for a post-game treat

Watching the game!

The Duchal Palace

Yummy chocolate shop across from the palace

Downtown park

A little court action!

Luxembourg was a beautiful country/city. I hope we can return and explore more one day. 

Living here in Germany - an American's take on some of our differences (and similarities)

Let me start this post by telling you about a recent incident on the tram.  Me and 5 American gal pals were off to American Nails to have a pedicure. (I promise this is not all we do and I have not had a real pedicure in a year and a half, so no judgement, please.) We were celebrating back-to-school as all mothers do! Well, on our tram ride home, we were talking in our normal American voices. If you have not been here before, I will let you know something. Our normal American voices are considered VERY LOUD. And I wrote that in all caps for a reason. At restaurants, we have been told we are too loud. On the tram and bus, we get "the look." But I think this is the first time I have experienced personally the very demonstrative gesture. I wish I had a video, but this older gentleman, after a friend turned around to talk to me, made an expansive exasperated gesture with his arms, a disgusted noise, and then got up and moved to another part of the tram! All because we were talking. And really, I promise, it is not that loud. (Although, the silence on the rest of the tram makes you feel like it is. I think it is an unwritten rule that you speak in a very low voice on the tram - like facing forward in an elevator.) Well, it was soooo funny, we all laughed - and that WAS loud! 

Also, I had to readjust to people being a bit rude again with the beginning of school and the drop off and pick up. The horn honking that occurs at drop-off and pick-up drives me crazy!!!  These people KNOW there is going to be a back up in traffic and that there is NOTHING we can do to make the car line go faster. They still honk and still look at you like you are a CRIMINAL for driving your child to school as they finally inch past you after scaling the sidewalk. Now, normally I don't drive the boys to school, but Zee is a slow mover and I have been giving him this first week to adjust. But it is still allowed - I mean, I can drive him to school when I want, this street will ALWAYS be backed up during school drop-off and pick-up. I want to yell out TAKE ANOTHER STREET!!!  But instead I smile and wave and turn on my Southern charm in an attempt to lower my own blood pressure and annoyance level. I tell everyone the story of sitting at that red light in Clemson through 3 red lights before I finally put the van in park, got out and walked up to the sweet little old lady with the line of 10 cars backed up behind her. I literally walked to the point she needed to pull forward to in order to activate the light. Not one person honked. No one yelled. No one used expansive finger or arm gestures. And we were finally able to go on our merry way.

I was speaking today with a German friend here who has just moved back after being in the US for several years. She mentioned to me it is embarrassing to her to hear stories of how rude Germans are, to hear of the bullying in the schools, and to hear of the racism (a variety exists, but the Turkish people are a large target, as are the Polish). At that point, I felt called to reassure her that sadly, people like that are EVERYWHERE. I did not think it reflected upon her, and one of my first dear friends here was German. Our neighbors are all WONDERFUL German people. I confessed I was from the Southern part of the US - and sadly she immediately understood. I explained that I understood what it was like to have a reputation just by the very fact that you are from a certain part of the country. My friend from the Czech Republic said that she used to think all Americans were overweight and sitting in front of the TV all the time. All these stereotypes we build in our head - there are certainly elements of truth in them. That is how the ideas gain traction. But for the most part, they are exaggerations of how people are - and there are so many of us fighting those stereotypes, attempting to temper the ignorance with a little knowledge.

BIG BREAK

I wrote the above last September, but realized I never published it. Woops! So I'm publishing today while I am playing blog catch-up with another sick kid at home. I don't really have much to add, except I keep thinking about these things having just been back to the USA. And I am so grateful for the opportunity to meet and make friends from all these different cultures - what a privilege to have my heart and mind opened to new ideas and thoughts and people. I am blessed and thankful.

I threw in some pictures from last fall - because what is a post without photos? :-)

Us at an Oktoberfest party

Does the bag give it away? Brussels, Belgium for a day trip with Carin. (We are totally being American tourists here, sports shoes and cargo shorts!)

Where we spend a lot of our time - on the pitch! (Silas is near the front in orange shoes and black leggings with the white jersey.)

Celebrating Silas's 13th birthday at our favorite local Italian restaurant, La Bruschetta!

Cannot wait! Christmas in the States

So yes, I am reliving last year in order now...approximately 11 months later. What have I been doing this last year, you ask? Hopefully you will see some of the results in future blogs! (We had a LOT of visitors and a lot of travel in there. So fun!)

We haven't been back to the US since last Christmas. I cannot tell you the anticipation we are all feeling to be back with our family and friends that are like family. A picture montage of what we are excited about.

Awesome time with our families.

Grandpa bought a ping pong table for us!

Discussing who will beat whom in ping pong, I'm sure.

My Granny!  She celebrated her 90th last week - doesn't she look great?

A bunch of the great-grands!

More - these cousins are crazy.

Cute new little great-grands, too!

I'm sure this was a gag gift...always love the laughs our family provides. My dad is often the brunt of these!

Nice photo-bomb, Mac.

Love this quirky guy!

Woot - cash!

Massager - everyone was jealous.

Kid-version of Headbands - they beat us, didn't they Lane?

Family game time on Christmas

I have no idea.

Presents and Christmas at Papa & Nana's.

Yes!  More weapons!

Christmas at Uncle Brett and Aunt Julie's involves a "take no prisoners" football game!

Grandpa drags Luke and Aunt Julie with him - but we were playing 2 hand touch!!!

All looking and semi-smiling. This is the best we can do.

Yes, Zee looks a little bug-eyed - but once again looking and semi-smiling.

 Simply the best time ever with the Fowlers and friends - fantastic break highlighted with New Year's Eve and a Clemson win!

Hayes greater than Santa - Best sign EVER, Fowlers!!!!  

One of my absolute favorites. Stacy, you are the best.

New Year's Eve - Clemson game fun!

Love this kitchen. Home to us.

Love this girl and the woman she is becoming. So incredibly proud.

Getting weepy looking at these pictures - love these boys together.

Best Friends. Howler family.

Reuniting with the Hucks - special people.

Adam - I have no words. Always fun to reunite with the Smiths!

The Scotts came to see us too. We do not see enough of any of these people.

We saw Ezra - so sweet!!!  Love seeing this special family. (Love is the theme here, isn't it?)

Unbelievably, I could not locate a single picture of Zee and Luke with their best friends nor me with their mothers (who just also happen to be 2 of my best friends). We must remedy that this year, Heather and Elizabeth! Those boys and their mommas welcome us with open arms and enthusiastic plans each Christmas - Folks, you have no idea what it means that your sweet fellas still think of my boys. We miss you all daily.

There were so many others of you we spend time with each break - thank you for making the time, and taking it away from your own families to see us, to remind us we are still loved. (I cannot believe I didn't take more pictures - Suzanne and Monica, maybe the picture of our trip to the Mexican restaurant was from the summer??  Oh well.)

Well now I believe we are all getting in the spirit! It is amazing what a bond can form between people who live life with you, who pray for you, who pursue you, who care for you over the miles, who love you with all your faults, and who fill your heart with indescribable joy. Thankful for all of you dear ones, family and friends, and cannot wait to see you soon!

PS - If YOU have a picture from last Christmas, I would LOVE to have it - send it to me!  :-)