~New Addition To Our Family~

~Howdy Partners! I am Adrienne the "Nanny", I am the new addition to the McLean family and I am ready to saddle up and enjoy my adventures in Europe!~

~We are so excited to have Adrienne here to help us out with the kids. We had to document her first train ride - we were heading to Munich ~ I am so glad that she is here and don't ever want her to leave~ We have her for a minimum of three months - we promised her that we would provide her with a European adventure - we were definitely off to a good start~

~The boys loved the Freuhlingsfest "Spring Festival" in Munich - The Germans know how to do the carny rides right here and the boys had such a good time~

~It was great to be able to see friends from OHSU where Steve graduated from Dental School - Jen and Justin are also spending the next three years in Germany just like us, we gathered in Garmisch (a ski resort town near the alps) for a Dental Conference~

~We loved Munich and definitely plan on going back to spend more time in this great city~

~We all could not pass up on a little tradition. There are four lions and every person that walks down this street in front of the lions touches each one of them when they pass. They felt it would bring them good luck~

~Lucky in Love - thanks to touching the four lion statues~

~We ventured off to a beautiful park that was lined with these incredible buildings and it felt like you were in the middle of a quiet retreat~

~We sat and relaxed around the fountain and ate our snacks and enjoyed catching up with our friends from Oregon~

~Just enjoying the moment~

~Justin, Steve, Emily, Adrienne, & Jen (crazy to be sitting together with everyone in Munich)~

~It was beautiful outside, so we couldn't pass on a Sunday drive to see some castles by our town ~ This is at the Lichtenstein Castle ~

~We got to go inside and enter the large castle doors and walk across the bridge over the moat high in the sky~

~I love the way this castle sits right on the edge overlooking the town - the scenery was amazing from inside the castle~

~The boys love exploring around the castle walls and letting their imaginations run wild~

~Hohenzollern Castle~

~These boys are ready to fight~

~Cole dangling off the side of the castle wall. In Europe there are no fences, walls, or anything of that matter to make you safe - they figure if you take the risks - you get the consequences~

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~Weekly Update~

Guten Tag Friends & Family:

Well.... we finally decided that it was time. It was a very hard decision for us, but felt like the time was right in our lives for a new addition to our family :-) I was worried that it may make traveling a little "different" in Europe - but decided it was still a great blessing for us. I want to introduce you to the newest member of our family.... our "Au Pair" (Nanny) and friend Adrienne! The best part is that I don't have to have sleepless nights and I don't have to potty train! She helps me with the kids, helps clean my house, helps cook meals, and I love having a friend around to talk to all hours of the day. I don't think I will ever let her move back home. I want her to stay with me forever. Life in Europe just got even sweeter. We want her to have a fantastic European experience, and even though she has only been here for 2 weeks - we have been VERY busy.

I shopped 'til I dropped (literally) in Poland for a girls getaway shopping weekend. You may be asking yourself... why Poland??? Well, my German friends really don't understand why Americans are fascinated with Poland either. Why do we go .. it is for the Polish Pottery! You cannot be an Army wife and not have a closet full of polish pottery to serve your friends on. The problem that I had was that it really isn't my "style". I really had such a fun time though. Steve thinks that I got a little caught up in the moment... but I disagree. We left at 2 a.m. on Saturday morning and drove the 6 hours and the fun just kept coming. We were so busy that we forgot to eat breakfast, and lunch because we wanted to keep shopping. By 5 p.m. the back of the van was full! Thousands of dollars were spent - and I had the most horrific migraine headache! I literally had to sit on the floor and take a rest. I just get so worked up about this kind of stuff - I want to not regret my purchases and of course was stressing about picking the perfect pieces for future use. We stayed in a fabulous renovated farmhouse and we were spoiled with great food and great company from the owners. They took us to an antique market the next day and did all of the wheeling and dealing for us :-) This was a great time and an exciting experience. We have already started planning our next Poland trip and Spa Trip. I love girl bonding time - mixed with shopping, good food and lots of laughs.

I arrived late Sunday night from Poland and we started packing the whole family up for a week long Dental Conference in Garmisch, Gemany - which is right on the border of Austria, with great views of the Alps. It was so much fun to catch up with some of our friends that graduated with Steve from OHSU. It was so nice to hear all of their stories and find out how much fun they were all having in Germany. One of my favorite things about the week was that I got my "boyfriend" back. Adrienne put the kids to bed and stayed with them at night so that Steve and I could go out at night - priceless! We were able to take the train to Munich and spend the entire afternoon at the Freuhlingsfest (Spring Festival). We rode rides and walked around the city center - we loved this city & it had a great vibe about it. We toured some castles, toured Innsbruck, Austria, Steve got lots of continuing education, a massage, and it was all FREE :-) (Oh my bad..... I guess you all paid for it - thanks Uncle Sam!)

We were so happy to finally get home and relax from all of our travels. The sun is shining in Stuttgart and spring has FINALLY sprung. The tulips are in bloom and we were able to get some yard work done after Cole's T-Ball game on Saturday. They are the Padres and Steve is the coach - there is nothing better then sitting around watching your boys play baseball on a sunny Saturday. We toured two more castles on Sunday and now we are taking a breather from our busy lives. BBQ's, sitting in the sun, and enjoying spring in Europe - that is our plan for the next couple of weeks.

Next up.... Steve and I are off to Paris (without the kids) for our 9 year wedding anniversary. I will post again after our trip.

Tscheus!
Kristine