Day 7...Venturing to Trier, Germany

Yesterday, we travelled a little further away from our friends' home & went to Trier, Germany. To be honest, I didn't know much about Trier before we went to this city & knew probably the same amount when we left (due to the fact that I STILL can't read or speak German)! It is a beautiful city, and I've learned more by looking on the internet. However, since I've been there, I at least have certain landmarks that I recognize & can relate to. So, first things first (if anyone else is as geographically-challenged as I am), where are we? From my understanding, Trier is only 6 miles from the Luxembourg border & sits on the Moselle River...although I don't remember seeing a river!

So, now that we've been to Trier & I've looked on the internet, I've found out that Trier is the oldest city in Germany, was founded in 16 B.C. by Emperor Augustus, & became the favored residences of several Roman emperors. The city still has some ancient Roman ruins in the middle of the city...sometimes right next to a "modern" building or a new one under-construction. That's something that I found kind of ironic, seeing a "vintage" building right next to some "modern" ones. But then, this little observation made me think about what this country has been through over the centuries, in particularly this past century. I wonder what this country looked like prior to the 2 World Wars? What would this country look like if it wasn't at the center of World War II? Kind of makes me sad to realize the devastation & destruction this country has been through. And I'm also just now realizing that we have not seen any mention of war related history (or at least maybe we just can't read it). So, far though, looking back through the internet, I haven't read much mention of war either. Hmmm!

Back to our adventure which, again, begins with a parking hunt! (Makes me wonder how difficult this adventure is during Germany's "busy" season!) We ended up kind of circling around to get our bearings, even with our friends' GPS! Greg finally found a parking garage, but it ended up being a good hike away from anything interesting. We weren't sure of where we were going, but we saw a beautiful church on the horizon & just started walking to it.

The church turned out to be the Trier Cathedral (Trier Dom).

History lesson time! "The present cathedral in Trier stands on the site of a former palace of Emperor Constantine the Great (the 1st Christian Roman Emperor) and still contains part of the Roman original structures. Its art and architecture covers a time span of more than 1,650 years. It is the oldest church in Germany. The Cathedral of Trier houses great works of art and a holy relic that draws many pilgrims: the Holy Robe, the garment said to be worn by Jesus when he was crucified. Directly adjacent stands the earliest Gothic church in Germany, the Church of Our Lady, built in the 13th century." We didn't get to go in the Church of Our Lady (Liebfrauenkirche) because it was closed for some restoration & renovations. However, from the internet pictures, it looks like a beautiful church with some great architecture! The Trier Cathedral is quite impressive, and I can't imagine that the architecture of Liebfrauenkirche is more beautiful than the Trier Cathedral, but that's all the websites mention is the other church! Personally, I think that the Trier Cathedral is one of the more beautiful churches that we saw.

Next, we had to shamefully ask in English where to go for a tour "train" of the city...since we couldn't find it on our own! (I really wish that I had tried to learn some German words before going there!) Our friends recommended taking this train for the kids & to figure out if there was any place that we wanted to see. Good thing the tour was in both German & English...we at least understood what we were seeing!

View of the former Roman Bath Houses...from our tour train!

After our city tour, we went into the Porta Nigra, the last standing Roman "gate" to the city.

When I first saw this structure, I really thought that maybe there had once been a fire. However, it's called the Porta NIGRA (Black Gate) because the stone has weathered & turned black over time. Of course, can't go any further without a history lesson! "The oldest defensive structure in Germany, the Porta Nigra was erected in about 180 AD when the Roman city was surrounded by walls. Trier was a Roman colony from the 1st century AD and then a great trading centre beginning in the second century. It became one of the imperial capitals under the Tetrarchy at the end of the 3rd century, and became known as the "second Rome."

The Porta Nigra is the only one of four Roman gates that still stands in Trier; the others were gradually pillaged for their stone and iron. The Porta Nigra survived because it was used as the humble residence of a hermit monk named Simeon for seven years (1028-35). After his death he was buried in the gate and the structure was transformed into the two-story Church of St. Simeon (lay church on the bottom, monastery church on top). Napoleon destroyed the church in 1803, but the 12th-century Romanesque apse survived and the entire structure has been restored to its medieval appearance.

1,700 years after its construction, the Porta Nigra is still impressive at 118 feet long, 70.5 feet wide and 90 feet high. The entire structure is made without mortar - the sandstone blocks are connected only by iron rods. The stone blocks weigh as much as six metric tons each.

Two gateways lead into a small inner courtyard, where unfortunate intruders would be trapped and covered in tar. Above are two tiers of defense galleries with large open windows. It is flanked by two towers, a four-story western tower and the three-story unfinished eastern tower. Inside, an empty apse at the east end and carvings of church fathers like Irenaeus, Ambrose and Jerome recall the Porta Nigra's use as a church."

Sorry! That was long winded, but I found it so intriguing that I couldn't trim it down! I really thought the part about intruders being trapped & tarred & can imagine the very spot where this took place. But I had nothing to fear because we had our own Roman guards to protect us:

After the Porta Nigra, we ventured to a local bakery (bäckerei) for a local snack. These bäckereis are everywhere in Germany & bread & pastries seem to be a staple in the German diet & at every meal! It was fun to try something that we weren't sure what it was, but we couldn't figure out how to ask either. We knew that apfel is apple, so Colin & I each got something with apfel in it, but not the same thing! Sheridan had to get a baguette, but it was soft, fresh & very tasty. I can't remember what Greg had.

Then, we had to walk around & try to find a church we heard about on our tour, Kirche St. Gangolf. Apparently, the only way to access this church is to take a private alleyway, which is why I think Greg wanted to see it! If you didn't know it was back there, you would probably keep walking past it! We walked up just as the noon mass was letting out, but there were still people praying & such.This church isn't as old as the other churches we've visited, but it was still beautiful inside.

Here's the slideshow of our visit to Trier.

By the time we had visited the Kirche St. Gangolf, we were SPENT! While I wanted to go see the Roman Bath houses (Kaiserthermen) since I saw the ones in Bath, England, I didn't want to drag our children or myself across town. When we drove by the bath houses on our tour, there wasn't much of an interior structure to see & the springs to the bath houses are all dried up.

So, it was time to move on to the next stop in our adventure...Luxembourg!

Sarah's Lenten Fast, update #7

I'm in my friends house in Germany, waiting on some of our laundry to finish. The house is quiet because everyone is in bed! I'm struggling to staying awake until the laundry finishes because we need to take with us to Luxembourg a couple of items in there. All I can think about is getting on Facebook to stay awake. It's only about 5:30-6:00 p.m. in Texas, and I'm missing some of my friends. It would be so easy to see what they are doing by signing on FB!

Oh, why did I choose this year as my first year to participate in Lent?!?!

Wait! I know why...the Lord knew what I needed this year. I was crazy busy with work & preparing for this trip. If I had the distractions of FB during this time, I don't think that I would've accomplished or finished what I needed to do.

It's amazing to see how He works. I've been amazed so far during this trip to see all of what He has created. I imagine seeing the Lord sitting in a chair with a paintbrush. To see His beautiful landscapes is an amazing blessing. Or imagine the Lord sitting at a toolshop work bench with a screwdriver in His hand. Another blessing to see how He has pieced everything together!

The Lord knew what I need & what I don't need. He tugged at my heart & directed me, and I'm glad that I listened. I'm just wondering if there are other things the Lord has tried to direct me toward & did I listen? Or will I listen again & follow His tugging? I would like to think & hope that I would. However, this leading has not been easy or enjoyable to follow. But, we were never promised an easy life now...just a great, eternal life later!

Day 6...Technik Museum Speyer

It is Day 6 in our adventure, and we decided to try to do something fun just for the kids...there's only so much "history" their little minds can take (plus we were hoping to get a reprieve from the incessant requests to go back to their friends' house, even if their friends weren't home)! Greg found online this great, fun, kid-friendly museum in Speyer, Germany. Here's where Speyer is located:

This museum is filled with airplanes, trains, numerous cars, tractors, fire engines, helicopters, boats...basically a collection of anything mechanical & shows how technology has changed over time! It even has a huge carousel, model trains, old fashioned jukeboxes & mechanical pipe organs! Sheridan heard the organs playing & started dancing around...then, of course, Colin had to join her!

And of course, since there were model trains, Colin had to see them in action!

This museum had SEVERAL different airplanes in it, from different eras! I've edited the slide show at the bottom of this posting so that you don't have to look at multiple pics of planes! However, we have SEVERAL pictures of airplanes & I have no idea what I'm looking at!

This seemed to be a really great museum for this history-buff, however, about 95% of all the signs that explained what we were looking at or what it was used for or any type of history were all in GERMAN!!! We saw a few things in English, but that was few & far between. In fact, I remember seeing some contraption & still have no idea what it is & what was it's purpose!

Any clues as to what this is? or what it was used for?

We also saw what we think was a "primitive" tractor & hay bailer...but it's just a guess since we couldn't read the signs! I managed to get a video of it in motion, but it was loud & looked interesting & dangerous with pitch forks attached to the back of it!

I think the highlight of the day was the 747 that we got to climb in & see different things up close. Well, climbing in the 747, the Antonov 22, & other aircraft were the highlights of Greg's day. For the kids, they enjoyed the most the "alternative" exit from the 747...a spiral, tube slide!

At first the kids didn't want to go down the slide, so Greg went down first by himself. The kids & I took the "old-fashioned" exit & went down about 91 stairs!
Like I said, there were 91 steps to get up to the entrance of the 747, so therefore, 91 steps to get to the slide too! Wouldn't you know it?!?! Colin had absolutely NO PROBLEM climbing these stairs & proceeded to continue to do so about 6-7 more times, with the last 4-5 times carrying the mat that he had to sit on to slide down! Remember the video from yesterday & the screaming "My legs are tired!" Lesson learned...

Sheridan took a little longer to warm up to the idea of going down the slide...she's my timid & cautious one! However, either Greg talked her into it or she saw Colin do it, she went down at first with Greg, then me, then probably could've kept going & going & going! She too loved the ride!

Here's a video of our sliding fun!

After lunch, we let the kids slide a couple more times, but then moved on to the Space Shuttle Buran. It's the Russia's version of our shuttle, but I think someone said that it only had test flights & never actually went up! What a waste of time & money!

Here's a slideshow of all our pics:

Pretty much after this we're beat & still have to drive back to our friends' house! However, if the kids had their way, we'd STILL be at the slide! And I just remembered, I don't think that we heard all day "when are we going back to Aaron & Isabelle's?!?!" It was a nice relief from that type of questioning!

Tomorrow's adventure takes us on an overnight stay in Luxembourg! Our adventure will be continued!

Heidelberg, Germany...Day 5

We spent Day 5 in Heidelberg, Germany to go see a castle up close! I'm "geographically challenged" and have no idea where in Germany I am. So, I thought that I would include a map for your enjoyment!Since our friends' kids were still in school during the day, we decided to make some daytrips to explore Germany & hope to make it back to their house by the time the kids return from school...maximize all 4 kids playtime while we can! We drove a little over an hour from our friends home to Heidelberg. I tried to enjoy the ride & scenery as much as possible, but I was still jetlagged & snoozed in the car!

So, before we begin, I will confess that I love history & the stories behind stuff. So, of course, I had to include a history of the Schloss Heidelberg, the Heidelberg Castle: "Nestled in the hill 300 feet above the city of Heidelberg stands the breath-taking Heidelberg Schloss (castle). The castle is a combination of several buildings surrounding an inner courtyard, put together with a haphazard look. Each building highlights a different period of German architecture. The castle has a history almost as old as the city itself. The first parts of the castle were constructed around 1300, but it wasn’t before Prince Elector Ruprecht III (1398 – 1410) that the castle was used as a regal residence. Until it was destroyed by lightning in 1764 leaving it permanently uninhabitable, the castle was the residence for most of the Prince Electors. In 1800, Count Charles de Graimberg began the difficult task of conserving the castle ruins. Up until this time, the citizens of Heidelberg had used the castle stones to build new houses."

When we arrived at Heidelberg Castle, our next adventure began...finding a place to park! The castle is located on a gorgeous hillside...STEEP hillside! So, we drove up past the castle to look for parking, & kept going & going & going, up & up & up! We saw the end of Heidelberg city limit sign, but still kept going. It's Winter time & this tourist attraction is not crowded, so why can't we find a parking place?!?! Can't imagine how difficult it would be during the "busy" season! So, we finally decided to turn around & go back & ended up driving past the castle again, but going downhill! We finally found a parking garage, WAY downhill from the castle...but we still have working legs & decided to just "hoof" it!

Since we were WAY downhill, we knew we had an uphill climb...but then we saw some stairs & decided to take those instead. Little did we know, we would hoof it up about 300 stairs! So, we go up the stairs & probably get about 1/3 of the way & now I'm regretting NOT getting into shape BEFORE our trip! My hips were burning, my feet were hurting, my calves were shaking, & my lungs were trying to work as hard as possible to take in as much oxygen as possible...I AM OUT OF SHAPE!!!

We finally arrived at the castle, huffing & puffing, but got to see a great view of the city below & the kids got to see the remnants of a real castle! The castle still had a portcullis that the kids got to touch & feel & stand next to. We tried to move it, but it was secured open. It didn't seem that heavy but you know it is. In the portcullis, there is a smaller doorway. So, it was fun for them to imagine what it was like to stand guard at the gate, hear a knock, & ask "Who goes there?"

We continued to walk through the interior courtyard & went down into the cellars of the castle. In the cellars, we found a BIG wine barrel. We had heard that this castle housed the Heidelberg Tun, or the “World’s Largest Wine Barrel”. And we thought that we had found it, but were unimpressed by what we saw.After we saw this wine barrel, we kept on walking & found more downward ramps & steep stairs! Oh, we were wrong...the above was NOT the Heidelberg Tun...but this one is:
History Lesson time again: "The Heidelberg Tun, or the “World’s Largest Wine Barrel”, was built in 1751 by Prince Elector Karl Theodor to house the wine paid as taxes by the wine growers of the Palatine. It stands seven meters high, is eight and a half meters wide, holds 220,000 liters (58,124 gallons) of wine, and has a dance floor built on top of it. The court jester who guarded the cask during the reign of Prince Elector Carl Philip, a Tyrolean dwarf nick-named Perkeo, was supposedly known for his ability to drink large quantities of wine. Legend has it that he died when he mistakenly drank a glass of water."

The rest of the time, we just looked around what we had access to...it's still "winter" time in Germany. There are lots of things that are closed during the "slow" season. So, unfortunately, we couldn't go inside the more "important" parts of the castle. But the kids found the most important part of the castle, as you will see in this video:

After we finished at the castle we walked back DOWN the same stairs that we shamefully climbed to get to the castle. Thought that you'd like this video:

After we finished our treck down the stairs, we decided to visit the Heiliggeistkirche, The Church of the Holy Ghost. Of course, here's a history too: "One of the few buildings in Heidelberg to survive the many wars during the past centuries, the Church of the Holy Ghost stands reverently in the Marktplatz. And even though the foundation was laid in 1398, it took until 1544 to finish the tower. The church has been home to Catholics and Protestants alike throughout the centuries. In 1706 a divider separating the two denominations was put in when both wanted to have services there, and it remained until the 1930’s. The church also has remains of the tombs and epitaphs of the Palatinate electors as well as a collection of manuscripts." Of course, we have a video for you too, an interior shot of the church!

After visiting the church, we decided to stop for lunch. We weren't sure what was good or where to go. This was our first German dining experience without our friends to help translate. We ended up in a quiet cafe & just stuck with what we knew...PIZZA! I know, I know...risk-takers we are NOT! We did manage to order water for everyone with NO GAS (apparently sparkling water is a staple in Europe, but not a favorite of the Kempers!) and a ham & pepperoni pizza. Or at least, we thought that we ordered pepperoni. We quickly learned that pepperoni in the U.S. are NOT the same as pepperoni in Germany. I'm not sure what German pepperoni's are technically called, but they are essentially small, slightly mild peppers. They remind me of the banana peppers we get on the side when we order pizza from our favorite place, but I don't think the banana peppers have any spice.

Oh, well! We laughed about this as a fun "German" experience & memory! Even the waitress got a kick out of our "ignorance." She asked if there was something wrong with the pepperoni since we picked them off the pizza and still didn't understand what we meant by pepperoni when we tried to describe it to her!

In the 1st video, I showed you a bridge. After lunch, we walked to the Old Bridge. Here's the history of it: "Prince Elector Carl Theodor built the Old Bridge in 1786. Although the fifth bridge built over the Neckar in this location, it was the first stone bridge to be constructed. The twin towers on the city side of the river were once part of the city wall, and contain dungeons used for housing criminals. In the center of the towers, hanging above the portcullis, is a plaque giving acknowledgment to Austrian troops who helped defend the bridge against a French attack in 1799."

Throughout Heidelberg, the streets are made with cobblestones. For whatever reason, the cobblestones are a favorite to Sheridan. She always noticed if we were walking or driving on them! She always pointed out the cobblestones everytime she saw them.

And with that, we have another fun adventure in the books.

Luzern, Switzerland...Day 4

We spent Day 4 of our adventure touring around Luzern (Lucerne), Switzerland. Apparently, if you're a Swiss or if you're German-speaking, the city is spelled Luzern. However, all English speaking or non-Swiss will spell it Lucerne. Even the city logo has both spellings in it:

We started out the day with a driving "tour" of the city. Actually, this was an inadvertent tour because we were trying to find the Gletschergarten (Glacier Gardens). Luzern has many winding as well as one-way streets. We even found some streets that went up & down very steep hills! We finally decided to just get out & ask...it was a good thing too! Apparently, this is a very hidden location & only accessible by foot...but for the kids very well worth it!

The first thing to "welcome" us to the Gletshergarten was the "Dying Lion Monument." This monument was carved out of natural rock in memory of the heroic deaths of the Swiss mercenaries at the Tuileries in 1792. WHAT?!?! 1792! This amazes me! All of the detail & the curves of the lion's mane...carved in the early 1800s...no machinery! WOW! All of the kids were really excited to see this too!

After looking at some interesting glacier remnants, we went into the Spiegellabyrinth (Hall of Mirrors). It was so much fun for all kids & all four parents! I think the funniest parts were seeing 6 or 8 Colins or Sheridans, watching the kids walk squarely into a mirror thinking it was an open hallway, & watching everyone walk with their hands out in front of them as if we were blind or in a very dark room!

Here is more mirror fun:

Then, of course, we're in Switzerland. What's one thing you HAVE to eat for lunch or dinner??? Perhaps some great, delicious Swiss delicacy?!?! Well, we don't know what that would be because for the kids, we went to McDonald's!!! I know...FANCY!!! Honestly, it was an easy choice so that we didn't have to fight our kids to eat something! And we saw one when we "toured" the city earlier in the day.

We continued walking around this picturesque city...seeing Chapel Bridge & the Water Tower over Lake Lucerne, to seeing a portion of the former city wall that was used to fortify the city in the former days! We, also, stopped in at the Jesuitenkirche (the Jesuit Church). This church was right off the water & is beautiful on the outside & inside!

After the church visit, we were all tired & still needed to drive back to Germany. So, it was time to go...oh, but wait! We can NOT come to Switzerland without tasting & getting some Swiss CHOCOLAT!!! Oh YUMMY!

Strangely enough though, we actual had a hard time finding a place that sold it. More than likely, this "shortage" was probably due to the fact that we were shopping on a Sunday (everything seems to shut down after 4 pm on Saturday until Monday morning). We stepped into the Bachmann's Confiseur shop & I, all of a sudden, felt this great sense of euphoria! I died & went to Chocolat Heaven!!!! I had to look at everything & it was so hard to control myself & not buy 1, 2, or more of EVERYTHING! But I also wanted to find some chocolat that I couldn't find in the States....didn't know that the Lindt Chocolate Company is actually Swiss chocolat! However, I can buy this in the states...so I actually had to search for another company because Lindt chocolats were everywhere in this store! I finally found a company that I didn't recognize...Camille Bloch...but then I still had to make a choice! Darn! I couldn't just buy it all! I finally decided on a "Torino Noir"...Swiss Dark Chocolat with Truffle filling! Mmmmmm! The kids had to be restrained from their desired indulgences, but they finally settled for some lapins en chocolat (chocolate bunnies)! Simple, but still mmmmmm! delicious! Unfortunately, hindsight...wish I took a picture of all the chocolat everywhere in this store!

Our pics of Day 4!

And so ends Day 4! The adventure continues tomorrow!

Our Snow Fun Adventure...Day 3

Our adventure continues on Day 3...what did we have planned for today? Snow tubing & tobogganing in the Swiss Alps, of course!

We travelled about 30 minutes or so from Lucerne, Switzerland to Engelberg, Switzerland...another BEAUTIFUL drive. We saw not just snow capped mountains, but Colin saw what he thought was frozen waterfalls. Whether this was just frozen run-off or actual frozen waterfalls, we don't know & that small detail really isn't important...the site was still spectacular! It was a great, beautiful, sunny day! Since our kids had never been skiing before, we opted to not put them in ski school. However, it would've been really cool to say that we've been skiing in the Swiss Alps. Maybe next time! And there is more to do in the Swiss Alps than just ski!

First, we started the day with a fun gondola ride up the Mt. Titlis resort! The kids had a great ride, and we enjoyed a breathtaking view! Of course, both the girls & the boys were practically attached at the hips! So, the girls all rode together, and all the boys rode together! All of the kids had such a fun time & probably could've stayed on the gondolas all day long!

Girls Gondola Ride

Boys Gondola Ride

So, our next stop was the "Snow Toys Park." Here, the resort has snow tubes, as well as 2 other contraptions, to ride if you aren't skiing. Greg rode both of the contraptions, but I don't know what they are called or even know where to begin to describe them! All in all, it was a fun adventure. Warning: this video may not be for the light of stomach viewers, but we thought you'd like a taste of our adventure!

After lunch, we rode the gondola about half way down the mountain. At this point, we found our way to the Tobogganing equipment. Well, actually, I call it sledding, but Greg says the official name is Tobogganing. Sheridan rode with me, and Colin rode with Greg. Sheridan & I crashed once, and Colin & Greg crashed twice. Although, when we were done, Sheridan would've rather have rode with Greg. She kept telling me to go faster & not slow down! If I had listened to her, I have no doubt that we would've crashed more!

This was an incredibly fun day! Here are the pics too:

We saw another opportunity for adventure in the Swiss Alps...something I'm sure Greg would've literally jumped to do. Check it out!

Just to recap our day...a little interview of the kids:

And so, there is Day 3! Our adventure continues tomorrow with a tour of the city of Lucerne...a must for the day...Swiss CHOCOLAT!!!

Reuniting Friends...Day 2

Our European adventure continues...

We arrived in Germany today, March 12th about 7:20 am. WHEW! That was a LONG flight! But the kids did well & the only issue was Colin trying to find a comfortable position to sleep in when he was SO TIRED!

I anticipated & dreaded going through the passport & customs part of this trip. But actually, it was really easy! I guess Germany isn't as concerned about their visitors?!?! They didn't ask us any questions, we didn't have to fill out any forms, & we didn't have any customs checks with our bags! Crazy, but I was relieved!

The next part of our adventure starts with getting our rental car & trying to navigate the German Autobahn!!! Note to self & others: when trying to navigate, it's probably best to orient yourself with the direction your facing! I guess we were too excited to get going, we just took off, not sure where we were or what direction we were going! HA! We got so confused & turned around, and it's NOT easy to exit & do a quick U-turn! We ended up on another section of the Autobahn, had to exit that & find another road to turn around on & make our way back. Then, once we found the correct Autobahn highway number, we discovered that we were heading in the wrong direction! WHEW! There went 25-30 minutes, but we got a quick tour of some parts of Germany that we probably wouldn't see...or will probably ever see again! HA!

We finally made it to our friends house (of course after getting lost in their small village because the street signs are kind of hard to read). And the kids anxiously waited for their friends return home from school...oh, but it was a very sweet reunion!

Our adventure continued right after this reunion! We loaded the cars & both families drove to Switzerland (via Germany & Eastern France). Here are some pics of the view on our way:

So, here's the next mini-adventure we had on our way to Switzerland! I made the mistake of letting Colin drink some apple juice & orange juice on the plane...a rare treat for him! Well, the juices were "catching up" with Colin & we found ourselves making an emergency pit stop on the side of the road in France. He got to do to France what many Americans wish they could do, he got to literally dump (for a kinder way to put it) on France!! It was great but not expected, so we weren't prepared! Gas stations & rest stops were very few & far between, so this was the best we could do!

We arrived in Switzerland just in time for dinner. We were all tired, so we ate dinner, got settled & went to bed!

And so, there is Day 2!

Our European Adventure Begins...Day 1

Well, first, I must say that we were nervous about the beginning of this adventure. On Friday, March 5th, 6 days before our trip begins, Colin came home from school with either a stomach bug or possibly food poisoning. We immediately started getting concerned about who would be next & how this would effect our trip. We kept Sheridan away from Colin for about 24 hours, which surprisingly turned out to be a difficult task (I guess that's a good sign!). Then, anytime, I had to touch Colin or anything he touched, I immediately went to the hand sanitizer to wash my hands! Thankfully, I will report that we were all fine & the rest of us stayed well!

So, our adventure began at 5:30 a.m. today. Greg decided to wake the kids up early in the hopes that they would be tired enough to sleep well on the plane & also maybe adjust better to the time difference. Not shocking at all, it wasn't hard to get them out of bed...they both were SUPER EXCITED that the day had finally come for us to go to Germany! Even though Greg set Sheridan's alarm for the earlier time, she practically jumped out of bed with excitement.

We still took the kids to school for a few hours today while we finished packing. For Sheridan, this allowed her to finish taking some tests & finish up some schoolwork. So, thankfully, she won't return to school with any make-up work to do!

The Parking Shuttle Ride to the Airport

So, we picked up the kids at school at 11:45 am, picked up lunch on the way, headed to an airport parking spot, loaded & road the parking shuttle, and arrived at the airport to check in about 12:30 pm. Not too bad! Now, getting through security is another story! Thanks to American Airlines baggage policies & fees (even for foreign travel), we were only allowed to check 4 bags without being charged any additional fees. So, we took through security for carry-on: 4 "personal items" (a.k.a. 3 STUFFED backpacks & 1 oversized shoulder bag), 2 rolling carry-on suitcases, 4 coats, & 2 booster seats, plus we had to take off our shoes for them to be scanned too! Since we brought our laptop & Colin's nebulizer & some liquid medications with us, we had to take those items out of our bags & had to have them either scanned or inspected. So, it probably took us about 20 minutes to get through security, but I have to keep telling myself, "They are keeping us safe, they are keeping us safe, they are trying to keep us safe!"

Our plane was already at the gate..."waiting" for us!

So, we finally get to our gate around 1:00 pm, for our 2:00 boarding & 2:35 pm departure. The kids want to get on the plane NOW! So, what else to do when you are too excited & can't sit still??? Why not dance around! Here are some pics of our travel buddies:

Listening to the airplane engines

Well, that's about all for Day 1. Really, the most exciting event of the day was getting through security & getting on the plane! Day 1 was spent just travelling to Germany! Our flight was about 9 1/2 hours long. Greg was kind of right about the kids sleeping on the plane. Sheridan fell asleep within the first 15 minutes of the flight, but Colin did not. We gave both kids some benadryl later in the flight, which helped them both to sleep for part of the trip.

Our adventure is to be continued....

One House Project Down

Just had to take a minute to brag on my husband & be thankful for his hard work! When we bought this house, we knew that we had to do some exterior improvements...or else face foundation problems down the road!

We had a structural engineer come to our new house during our "option" period, and he strongly recommended that we have the french drain line removed & replaced with a better yard drainage system. The bids came in at about $2700-$3000 for materials & labor. WHOA!

So, thanks to Greg's willingness to do some manual labor & no fear of hard work, Greg decided to tackle this project himself!

Materials ran us a little more than $500, so Greg's work saved us anywhere from $2,200 to $2,500! WOO HOO!!!

Greg had some help too from my stepdad, Mark, and he had to work around the weather & Greg's work schedule. So, Greg finished up by covering up the last of the new drain pipes about a week ago, and we can cross off one house project off our list!!!

Colin is playing SPORTS!

A little bit of a catch up post!

Colin started playing sports last year. He started with soccer in the spring & played baseball this fall. The only problem with his activities, compared to Sheridan's activities, is that they are outdoor! For both the spring & fall sports last year, we had A LOT of rainouts & what seems to be endless rescheduling! In the end though, Colin is very patient & understanding about the rain & hides his disappointment very well!

Colin's soccer season was played in the Spring through Upward Sports, and his team was called the Lions. We've really enjoyed the Upward program that Sheridan has participated with her cheerleading. The program is very laid back & emphasizes encouraging & including all children, no matter their skill level. The program prays before every game & has a devotional at the end of every practice. They also encourage the players to memorize scripture.

I guess at this age, it's probably more accurate to really call this sport Bunch Ball instead of soccer. However, Colin played hard and didn't feel discouraged, even though he was one of the smallest boys out there. He didn't score a goal this season, but came very, very close to it and kept trying! There were a few times that he would get run into by other players, and he would just shake it off, play the tough guy, and keep on going! I was very surprised by his "toughness" especially when other "bigger" boys would come off the field crying!

Colin's baseball season was organized through the local youth baseball league. His team was called the Scrappers! His original schedule had his last game scheduled for October 15th. However, due to A LOT of rain and many, many, many rescheduled games, his season was extended into the 1st weekend in November! Again, he was very patient with the weather and very attentive to the game.

Colin played every position, including catcher, and was even awarded the game ball for his efforts in that game. In his last game, Colin played 1st base & managed to get 3 or 4 players out at 1st! It was really exciting to watch. We really enjoyed this team too. His coach was very laid back and very encouraging to all the boys! Some of this team actually played tee-ball together last Spring. We were hoping that Colin would be able to continue with the same coach this next season, but he's been placed on the Braves team. So far, his coach seems a little more "hard core" than his previous coach. However, all the coaches seem to be focusing on the boys learning more technique & skill. So, this will hopefully be a good experience for him.

He has really enjoyed playing both sports. However, both sports coincide this Spring, so Colin has chosen to play baseball instead! So far, 3 practices have been either rained out or fields too muddy to practice! The season starts in a couple of weeks, so we'll have to wait & see what the weather will bring! Thankfully, there is an INDOOR Upward Soccer league that we'll let BOTH kids participate in this summer!

Sheridan joins The Power Team

After every Upward Season is over, there is an Awards Night & a time for the players, cheerleaders & coaches to have some fun. The Power Team came this year to Awards Night, and Sheridan got to join them...well, she joined them at least for this one night's performance! She's my performer, so I know it was a treat for her to be on stage!

Always the cheerleader!

Is this real? (warning...parts are shaky because I was laughing so hard!)

So, seriously, how many kids would know if it's real or not?!?!

Time to fly, Sheridan! Don't let go!

She was ecstatic about her "performance" & insisted on getting Nitro's autograph afterwards. It really was an exciting & fun show!

Go, Go, G-O, Go Sheridan Go

Sheridan just wrapped up her latest season of Upward Cheerleading where she cheered for basketball. She had a great time, learned a lot of cheers, & even a dance too! She is even turning her basketball cheers into cheers for Colin's upcoming baseball team.

I was the assistant coach this year for her squad, and her head coach taught her squad & another squad a dance. Here it is:

At the end of every game, each cheerleader is given a star to put on their megaphone, Best Effort, Best Cheers, Best Spirit, Best Leadership, and Most Christ-likeness. Sheridan said the prayer at the beginning of the game for both basketball teams & the cheerleaders, so she earned a Christ-likeness star!

This was Sheridan's 3rd season to cheer, so we now have 3 cheerleader uniforms, 3 sets of pom poms, & 3 megaphones! However, next season, Sheridan says she wants to try basketball...we'll see!

Are spelling bees in Colin's future?

Colin has learned so much in his pre-k class this year. He has learned all of his sounds for the letters & is working on his writing....he can write the letters but just working on the "neatness" factor.

So, what amazes me is that he is becoming a great speller! Sheridan learned to read by recognition, so sounding out unrecognized words was rather challenging to her. However, Colin is learning to read by sounding out the letters. So, he keeps asking how to spell something, sounds out the word, then VOILA! He has spelled it!

Here are some words: hot, gas, pass, duck, pack, mud. There are more, but I can't think of the words.

Just so proud of my 5 year old!

Sarah's Lenten Fast - Update #6

Isn't it amazing how we get tempted, even by something we think & know is good, when we've said "God, I'm doing this for you!"

I'm a fan of an organization called Legacy Moms (www.legacymoms.org), and they have challenged Moms to 31 days of prayer in March on behalf of our kids to bring about change & Godly character. Well, here's the kicker...they are sending out daily prayers & scripture through their FACEBOOK page! Uh-oh & bummers for me!!!

OK, Lord, I gave up Facebook for you. You've placed this on my heart, and I've seen the positive benefits of this fast. But, seriously! I really want to participate in this time of committed & focused prayer! So, what do I do?!?! This is a huge temptation because I can see the positive benefits of this time of prayer!

"Don't give up & don't give in" is all I can think of in my head! Oh, the temptation is great to just sign on for this one thing! When Lent is over, this challenge is long over! So, why not log on?!?! But then what happens if I sign on...I know that I'll get distracted by all the other things that are on there! So, NO! I'm not going to log on!

However, I have a friend who is willing to support me & make the extra steps to cut & paste the daily prayers & devotions & email them to me...thanks Jenn!!! WOO HOO! Thank you, Lord, for blessing me with friends that not just support us through prayer but also take the extra steps to help us stay committed to you!

I have a daily scripture flip "calendar" that I have on my desk at work. Here's today's scripture that I think is very fitting:

"My choice is you, God, first and only.
And now I find I'm YOUR choice!...
You made me your heir!" Psalm 16:5-6

The Olympics & Our National Anthem

As I've already admitted, I am an Olympics junky! Love watching just about every single sport, and think that I even understand Curling a little better after this year!

Like many other Americans, I really LOVE it when a U.S. Olympian wins GOLD & love to hear our National Anthem. I will sometimes even stand, place my hand over my heart, sing & be extremely proud of this Olympian, their hard work, & sometimes find myself crying with the Olympian for their accomplishments! Am I the only one that does this???

What interests me, though, is the different responses to the playing of the National Anthem, The Star Spangled Banner! Some athletes stand with their hand over their heart. Some will sing the words along with the music. Some just stand there & soak it all in. So, my question is, if you were a gold medal winning Olympian, what would you do when they play The Star Spangled Banner?

By the way, I'm realizing that my children do not know the words to Our National Anthem. So, if this is the case for anyone else, I thought that I'd share them with you!

Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

And congratulations to Canada & their amazing 14 Gold medals. Thanks to them I now know most of the words to their anthem too. Before, all I knew was "Oh! Canada!"

Our Olympians

I love the Olympics and am quite a t.v. junky when it comes time for them to come around, summer & winter! Our DVR is FULL of Olympic t.v. coverage that I still need to watch! And no, I probably won't delete them until I've watched it...even though the Olympics will be over after tonight!

As it turns out, we have 2 in our home that have a different kind of interest in the Olympics. Just thought that you'd like to see who our Olympians are & how they will participate in the Olympics in multiple, unrelated events! NBC is showing Olympic highlights...so here's the Kemper Network's Olympic highlights!

Our Ski Jumper

Our Figure Skaters

Anyone want to play hockey?!?!

The Next Apollo Anton Ohno???

I thought I lived in Texas!!!

Or at least that's a phrase I've heard a lot in the last 6 months! In October, we had what seemed like non-stop rain & gloomy days.  Many people thought we suddenly lived in Seattle!

Now, we have had 5 snowfalls so far this winter, which is unheard of in Texas.  The most recent snowfall was on Tuesday, although that one was very minimal & more like a dusting!  Also, Dallas had it's first "White Christmas" in over 80 years. Unfortunately, we missed that one because we were in Houston...bummer!

Just a couple weeks ago, we had the biggest, longest snowfall in one day that I can remember.  I think the snow started falling about 2 a.m. on February 11th, didn't stop until well after midnight on February 12th, & the "official" recorded amount was 12.5 inches. I think I heard that it was a new record for the DFW area too! The kids were out of school for President's Day on the 15th, so the snow days now gave us a 5 day weekend! The only down part was that their Jesus Loves Me parties had to be postponed, but it was worth it to them so that they could play in the snow!

Different Kind of Dates

For our Valentine's Date night this year, Greg made plans for us & tried to make it special...he bought tickets to the BALLET for us! This is big for Greg because he's not a fan of the ballet...no words or singing! While I'm not a huge fan of the ballet, I do LOVE the music & the beautiful display of artistry...& a great reason to get DRESSED UP!!!

I was actually really excited about our date & even went shopping for a new outfit! I bought a dress & even shopped for new accessories (a belt, necklace & earrings!).  I think that I surprised Greg with the dress!

We decided to go to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner. This is a rare treat to go to CF, and we haven't been there in a long while! But this is where the "comedy of errors" seemed to have started!

We were very naive in thinking that we could go to this restaurant on a Saturday evening of Valentine's weekend & not have a wait! We arrived about 5:30ish...parking lot was PACKED (clue #1)...walked into the restaurant to see people standing EVERYWHERE (clue #2), and walk to the hostess stand to find a wait time of 1 HOUR! OUCH! We were shocked...thought that we were doing well by getting there so early! Obviously, not early enough! We've gone to dinner before ON Valentine's Day at an early time, i.e. 5:30, & have had no problem getting in & seated right away! However, I guess it's different at the Cheesecake Factory.

So, plan B, ummmm, what plan B? We didn't have a plan B because we really didn't think this to be a problem! I felt like one of those "all dressed up & no place to go" type of scenarios! We decided to drive towards Ft. Worth & see if anything looked appealing! The problem was that we were dressed up...a little too dressed up for places like Chili's, On The Border, etc.  So, NOTHING looked appealing or acceptable for a Valentine's Date Night Dinner!

So, on to plan C...eat a light snack at McDonald's, then go to Cheesecake Factory for a VERY late dinner! Stop at McDonald's #1...accepting only CASH...their debit/credit card machines were down!  We're LAUGHING NOW...are you kidding me?!?! Why is it so hard to find FOOD?!?! We finally find a different McDonald's for a not so healthy "snack" to tie us over until we can finally eat the dinner that we looked forward to.

The ballet was just OK! We saw Romeo & Juliet...I don't recommend it! There are so many classic lines from the Shakespearean play that you obviously don't get to hear.  Then, there are a lot of characters in the play & it's hard to decipher who is who when they don't call each other by name! Also, because of the economy, the ballet organization made a decision to make some financial cuts...they cut the orchestra & went to recorded music! Remember, I mentioned that I LOVE the music. Well, the music just isn't the same when you're listening to a CD. Oh, well, it was a different kind of date for us!

We finally made it to Cheesecake Factory at 11:30 p.m.  I must say this is the LATEST that I've ever had dinner! But the dinner did NOT disappoint! It was very YUMMY, and even though I was full, I ordered a White Chocolate Raspberry Truffle cheesecake to go & to enjoy on the actual Valentine's Day!

So, we have a memorable & funny date night in the books! But at least we were both laughing about it!

Then, this date night was 2 weeks ago & it was fun, but I decided to go for a different date approach!  How about a BREAKFAST date instead!!! There's a breakfast place that I've wanted to try. So, yesterday, Greg & I dropped off the kids at school, then headed out for a breakfast date! The place was good, but the face to face, uninterrupted time is what I enjoyed the most! So, now, Greg wants to do Breakfast Dates more often, but maybe try different places! If anyone has any places they like, we'd appreciate the recommendations...there's only so many sit down restaurants that serve breakfast!

So, while fun & rare places are great for date nights...I think that what I enjoy & look forward to the most about dates are time alone with Greg & face-to-face, uninterrupted conversations! Hmmm, wonder how we can still pull off the breakfast dates when the kids are out of school?!?! I'm suddenly all for year round school...anyone else with me?!?! HA! ;-)

Sarah's Lenten Fast, Update #5

I'm kind of having a rough day today....feeling really tired & emotional, was too tired to read my book & dig in my Bible this morning, burdened about how to deal with a couple issues with Sheridan, grieving for a friend as she deals with the loss of her brother, LOTS & LOTS of work that all needs to be done NOW, & then compound all of this with some cramping that just started & all the icky stuff that goes along with that.  Today is also Tuesday...the one afternoon/evening of my week that is the absolute craziest that takes a lot of energy to get through!

So, this is something that I "love" about Facebook...normally, I'd just update my status with a quick message "Having a yucky day & could really use LOTS of prayers!"...then, voila! I know that I have friends out there that would be praying! Instead, I'm journaling through my blog, not sure anyone actually reads this, & feeling kind of lonely...just me & God!  But wait, shouldn't that be enough???  Why do I "need" to post on FB & "need" my friends to intervene on my behalf?!?!

OK, God, it's just you & me...Just like I wrote in my previous entry "pray that our God will make you fit for what he’s called you to be, pray that he’ll fill your good ideas and acts of faith with his own energy so that it all amounts to something." I give YOU the rest of my day...fill me with Your energy, Your peace, Your wisdom, Your comfort, Your grace, Your mercy & Your unconditional love!

Psalm 51:1-2, 7 "1 Generous in love—God, give grace! Huge in mercy—wipe out my bad record. 2 Scrub away my guilt, soak out my sins in your laundry; 7 Soak me in your laundry and I’ll come out clean, scrub me and I’ll have a snow-white life."

Sarah's Lenten Fast, Update #4

2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 says, "11 Because we know that this extraordinary day is just ahead, we pray for you all the time—pray that our God will make you fit for what he’s called you to be, pray that he’ll fill your good ideas and acts of faith with his own energy so that it all amounts to something. 12 If your life honors the name of Jesus, he will honor you. Grace is behind and through all of this, our God giving himself freely, the Master, Jesus Christ, giving himself freely."

I love the part that says "He'll fill your good ideas & acts of faith with his own energy so that it all amounts to something." There are times when I have a HUGE to-do list for my family & my mind is moving non-stop on all the things I'd love to do, but then reality sets in! The items on the to-do list take longer than expected, or something else comes up that needs my attention, or "life" happens & I'm too tired to move, or I've lost my motivation, or, or, or, or...I know I could go on & on!

So, I think that I need to hold on to these verses. There have already been occasions during this fast that I've not felt like doing anything. I have felt lost & disconnected & even discouraged, and all I've wanted to do is just sit & not do a thing. However, one of my goals & prayers during this time is for me to remove a major distraction & become more focused to take better care of what God has blessed me with...my family & my home. So, I usually start out by trying to work for about 20-30 minutes before I take a "break", and I am amazed at how much I can get done in that amount of time! Then, I feel energized & want to keep going! Before I know it, an hour or so has passed, and I have to force myself to stop so I can work on other chores for my family...what a concept...trying to balance & stay balanced!

So, it's amazing how much I've accomplished in the last 5 days while still taking care of my work duties & my normal household responsibilities...just by removing a major distraction & staying committed to what the Lord has given me! I've even had days of NO NAP so that I can accomplish my daily goal...that's definitely the Lord filling me with His own energy!!! Now, if I can just remember all this when Lent is over!!!

Debate regarding Lenten Fasts

OK...if anyone is actually reading this, I'd really love some input!

I've been told that during Lent, we are "allowed" to "indulge" on Sundays in whatever we've given up for Lent. So, I've debated about this for a couple of reasons:

1. When Jesus spent his 40 days in the wilderness to fast & pray, he didn't "indulge" in the things that He fasted from...or at least I don't remember reading that He took a "break" once every 7 days! So, why should I allow myself an "indulgence" when he didn't?
2. If I do allow myself to "indulge" every Sunday, will it make it that much harder to get through the rest of the week without that "sacrifice"?

So, at first, I decided that I would try to NOT log onto Facebook at all...not even on Sundays. However, since I've been blogging a little since the start of Lent, I decided to log onto Facebook to just share my blog postings!

Greg saw that I was on FB & his shocked & surprised reaction (or more like outburst) stirred some very GUILTY feelings...kind of like I was committing the worst possible sin of ALL TIME! And to be totally honest, I do feel like I've given in to something that I've committed to not do...regardless of the legalization & technicalities of what's allowed & what's not!

Then, let's compound those feelings by Colin calling me on it to, "Ummm, Mom, I thought you said that you weren't going to get on Facebook during....um, um, um, Lent?!?!" So, regardless of what's legal & what's not, it's hard to explain those "gray" areas to a 5 year old!

So, just curious, if anyone's out there, what are your thoughts? If instead of sacrificing something for Lent you've committed to doing something, then do you take a break from that commitment on Sundays? I'd love to hear back!

And, now I'm also back to fighting the temptation to get back on Facebook again!

Goals during Lent

As part of my Lenten Fast, I wanted to commit to spending at least 30 minutes to an hour each day to work on my house (a small amount of my daily time that I'm usually on Facebook)! Since we moved in August, I still have several areas in my house that need to be "settled" & organized. So here are some before pics of what I'm working on...the moment of truth & time to be honest (maybe this will help keep me accountable):

Our Dining Room...a semi-before pic since I've been working on it since Lent started. Believe me, it was much worse!

Since our Home Team will be coming over in a little over a week, I really need to make our dining room house priority #1 since we'll need to use this room!
Poor Sheridan's room! She's been waiting patiently for me to "decorate" & organize her room! Thankfully, one of my sisters is coming over to help with this MAJOR project!

This is another semi-before pic! This floor space was completely covered with Barbies & old clothes about an hour ago! Sheridan has declared that she's done with her Barbies (sniff, sniff), so I packed them up today & put them in the attic (in case she changes her mind)!
This is an area in my garage that needs to be cleaned out! It's currently housing vacuum bags of the kids' old clothes. I need to purge some & pack away other's that I'm not ready to get rid of!While painting is not on my Lenten project list, it would be nice if I hung up some of Colin's wall decor! It would help "tone down" his walls until we have time to paint them!

Actually, this is an area that has been cleaned & organized multiple times! I guess I need to figure out a better system for the boy!

OK...there you have it! I just remembered another area of my house that I need to work on...but let's face it, I only have 40 days for Lent! I wanted to set "realistic" goals & not set myself up to fail! Also, hopefully, the discipline I'm learning from not being on FB will carry over even after Lent!

Monkey Boy Strikes Again

I don't know if all boys like to climb like mine...but if something looks like it can be scaled, my Monkey Boy will find a way to scale it! On a rare sunny day this winter, he figured out how to climb our 6 foot fence (which we're hoping to replace with a nice, non-painted 8 ft fence to match our next door neighbor's adjacent fence).

Up he goes...

All SMILES! He's so proud that he's a BIG BOY!

When I told him that he was going to give me a heart attack, his response was, "Well, then, go inside!" All Daddy had to say was, "At least he still has his helmet on!" All I can think...life on the edge with a boy!!!

Sarah's Facebook Fast, Update #3

"I look up to the mountains; does my strength come from mountains? No, my strength comes from God, who made heaven, and earth, and mountains. He won’t let you stumble, your Guardian God won’t fall asleep." Psalm 121: 1-3 (MSG)

I'm BORED! I want & need a mindless break & would normally log onto FB but can't! I will stay committed though! I should work on something in my house (like I committed to do), but I'm tired & can't fall asleep for a nap! So, I'm feeling a little discouraged, which reminds me of something that I read earlier today.

I'm currently reading a book called "Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World." The subtitle says "Finding Intimacy with God in the Busyness of Life." In the chapter I'm in, the author (Joanna Weaver) talks about the 3 Deadly D's that Satan uses in his attack of destruction: Distraction, Discouragement & Doubt. So, with that in mind, I do feel distracted & discouraged & need to get up, pray for strength from my Guardian God & do something productive!

I'm clinging to the verses above, but also to this verse: "The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." Deutoronomy 31:8

Fasting for a "God-life" - Sarah's FB Fast Update #2

I read this verse earlier today & wanted to share it, if anyone actually read this:
"Embrace this God-life. Really embrace it, and nothing will be too much for you....That's why I urge you to pray for absolutely everything, ranging from small to large. Include everything as you embrace this God-life, and you'll get God's everything." Mark 11-22, 23a,24 (MSG)

I was so tempted today to log on to FB...even just for a few moments! I kind of felt LOST & lonely today & very disconnected from the rest of the world. But then, I realized that I've become a little lost & disconnected from God. If I spent as much time with God as I do on FB, I would feel so completely "connected" to Him! So, my prayer today was for God to fill my heart, making me whole & in sync with Him!

I realize that the temptation of FB is pretty trivial to some! But just like the verse says, "Pray for absolutely EVERYTHING!" So I will keep pressing on & praying to remain focused on Him.