~McLean Family Adventures In Germany~

~Beach Living 2010~

2010-04-01T23:56:00.040+02:00

~The boys kept begging and begging for us to take them to the Tillamook Air Museum. They loved seeing all of the old planes that were inside. I don't know what it is about boys and planes.. but they are very fascinated~

~We were missing Steve and thinking of him and all of those who serve for us in the military~

~One of my most favorite things about living at the beach are the incredible sunrises that we get to enjoy!~

~We love spending time on the beach. Grandma has us all addicted to finding agates and black beach rocks~

~Cole absolutely loves Yoda the dog... but Yoda hated when the water would splash on him~

~Hangin' on the beach with his candy necklace and basketball.. I love this little guy!~

~One of our new favorite hobbies when the weather is nice... building sand castles~

~Cole enjoying his "Book-It" pizza at Pizza Hut. I have been incredibly impressed by Cole and his huge improvements in reading after moving here~

~We drove into Portland to visit the OMSI science center - and of course to visit Samson the T. Rex :)~

~One of the last few "working" lighthouses on the Oregon coast was recently vandalized at Cape Meares and that explains all of the clouded glass. It is so unfortunate that things like this happen. We love taking our friends here to see it~

~The boys were quite surprised to find this dead seal washed up on the beach. They were completely fascinated with it~

~We love picking Cole up at the bus stop and then heading to the beach to play~

~I have found a wonderful way to get Cole to do his spelling homework... he loves to write them out in the sand~

~We had a fabulous Spring Break 2010. One of our stops was for 3 days at the Great Wolf Lodge... the boys were in paradise!~

~This place is amazing. The boys went on most of the slides and loved the wave pool... they were exhausted after spending most of the day at the water park~

~We enjoyed nightly storytime, tons of swimming, scavenger hunts, and playing in the arcade... we will definitely be coming back here~

~Notice the paraglider behind the boys. Right before I ran to get the camera.. the glider was just a few feet from the deck. There are tons of them flying by our windows.. the boys love it!~

~Grandpa surprised the boys today with some fishing poles and a trip to the lake to go fishing~

~Grandpa Larry was so patient and spent the entire time trying to rescue the hooks stuck on rocks & re-rigging the lines. He did an incredible job teaching the boys the magic of fishing~

~We left the lake with no fish, but we really had a great time. The boys were being so patient and loved fishing. I was knee deep in water a few times trying to rescue lures and lines. I even learned how to cast on this trip~

~We are having the best time here at the beach~

~Together... Is A Wonderful Place To Be~

2009-12-27T21:48:00.025+01:00

~I made sure that Steve was still around to do the pumpkin carving with the boys. This is not my favorite thing to do.. Steve & the boys had a fabulous time digging out all of the guts & seeds..they carved two giant pumpkins~

~Cole & Kade were so proud of their finished pumpkins! They wanted to put the candles in and we made sure to light them every night..even though Halloween was still a few days away~

~Cole's multi-age class decided that instead of having the kids wear Halloween costumes to school, they would make it an educational experience. We came up with him being #64. "I ate an eight.. got sick on the floor..8 X 8 = 64"~

~Steve had to fly out the week before Halloween, so these boys have been my superheroes in more ways than one. They were very excited for trick-or-treating on the base this year. We went and watched a movie at the theater first, it was fun to walk out of the movie and have it be dark..let the candy gathering fun begin~

~I wanted Cole to have some strong, male influence in his life while Steve is away. We decided to enroll him in a taekwondo class. He absolutely loved it, and I love the respect that it demanded. He loved doing it with his best friend Carson~

~Cole is always excited when he gets to be the goalie on his soccer team. I cannot believe how much he has improved from last year.. it was very impressive. I felt like a proud soccer mom at all of his games and practices~

~This is Cole's soccer team.. the Green Dragons :) It was easy to spot their teammates when they were trying to pass the ball. Who doesn't look good in a bright, neon green?~

~We were out of our heads with excitement to come to Oregon. It took a lot of planning, packing, and getting ready for our move. The first weekend we were here, Uncle Dave came with his kids to the beach house and Cole was able to go out crabbing for the first time. We only caught about 5 crabs in two days..but they did catch this huge, red starfish. I was able to go out to round up the traps with Cole and we had the best time..I love being out on the water in a boat & I love eating crab~

~We waited for Cole to get out of school and then we headed up the mountain to a U-cut Christmas tree farm. The owner thought we were crazy to come out when the weather was only about 18 degrees because of the wind. We were having a great time until Cole got mad because we didn't go with the tree he wanted. I love this picture because it just shows that no matter how much fun we try to make for our children, sometimes it doesn't turn out the way we hoped it would~

~Cole's yellow school bus drops him off at 4 p.m., on nice days we hurry down to the beach as fast as we can so that we can get 30-45 minutes of play time before homework and dinner. It has been so cold here that the beach had frozen over, but the sky is clear and the sunsets are spectacular~

~Cole & Grandma had a great time slip-sliding around on the ice. Kade & Cole had a great time playing ice hockey on the beach with sticks and a rock~

~We were very lucky to run into Santa. Kade ran away as fast as he could.. wanting absolutely nothing to do with him! Cole wanted to sit on his lap.. but when Santa asked him what he wanted.. he froze, panicked and then said he wanted a Snuggie.. which is what the kid had just said that was standing in line with him.. it was classic! I told him Santa will know in his heart what he really wants~

~I took Kade two times to the barber shop in Germany begging him to behave and get a haircut.. he left kicking and screaming each time.. no matter what I bribed him with. So we came to Oregon with long, shaggy hair. We made a trip to Nana & Papa's house in Roseburg the weekend before Christmas, and all Nana had to say was that she used to cut his dad's hair when he was a little boy.. he hopped right up and was ready for the cape & the clippers~

~We had the best time at Nana & Papa's house. Papa had the great idea to make S'mores so he took the boys and hopped in the car and went and got all of the fixins'. The boys had 4 S'mores each.. the marshmallow all over their faces says it all! The boys love the fact that Papa has a serious sweet tooth & loves a good treat~

~There is always such good energy when we are around Nana & Papa. The boys love to be with them, and I am so glad we are just a couple of hours drive away from them right now. They always make us laugh and take such good care of us~

~We had to take advantage of being together.. even if it was a couple of days before Christmas. Nana & Papa got Kade a Transformer (no, I have not been able to turn it into the truck..not only me, but also 5 other adults.. yeah right, age 5 & older) But Kade loves it~

~They gave Cole this fancy Bakugan set. Cole {LOVES} Bakugan.. I must say they are also my new favorite toy.. they are super cool. They open up when they hit anything metal because they have a magnet in them..clever~

~Nana Mary suffered a stroke a little over a year ago. She is such an amazing woman and has been through a lot this past year. My boys loved to take care of her and help her around the house. They especially loved to go in her room and bring her lemon drops all day long. We love Nana Mary~

~The beach must make the boy's imagination run wild. The skies the limit literally here.. Grandpa Larry made them some paper kites and they took them outside and flew them off the back deck.. so cute~

~We had to get ready for Christmas.. and that means baking cookies. They love having their Grandma around because she is the world's best cook. I loved seeing the smiles on the faces of my two boys.. I could tell that they felt loved & completely happy~

~It is a tradition for our family on Christmas Eve after we read the story of Jesus from the Bible, to search under the tree for the star present. I don't think that my boys were expecting PJ's when I told them that they got to open a special gift that night. Kade was highly disappointed..and buried his head in my lap. I had to think quick, and was able to send them on a treasure hunt around the house to find another gift..this time a toy.. but don't they look so sweet in their new Christmas PJ's? Grandma & Grandpa worked all year to make the ornaments and sailboats for the tree.. this is their new tradition.. a beach tree. It turned out awesome~

~Another tradition in my family is sitting and waiting on the stairs on Christmas morning. I had to hurry upstairs to make sure that Santa had come. I called down to let the boys know that the reindeer had eaten the treats on the deck and that Santa had eaten the cookies and drank the milk. They were out of their heads with excitement- even Yoda the dog was anxious to see what Santa brought him this year. I love the sweet happiness that kids get at Christmas when they believe~

~Well, let's just say another tradition on my side of the family is to give a ton of gifts!! The boys were thrilled, and just tore into the gifts as fast as they could. It was so funny to hear what they loved about each and every gift~

~Grandpa won the best gift-giver award for the boys this year. He gave them a box full of paper and instructions for hundreds of paper airplanes, and he gave them remote controlled helicoptors that they get to fly in the house! We will never forget this Christmas for a couple of reasons.. Kade opened up this car that is in his hands and yelled out.."a cherry red Ferrari." It was priceless!~

~Another favorite moment of the morning. Kade had just opened up a ton of toys.. then came to Aunt Sara's gift. It was very well thought out and I agreed that the boys would love it. Kade opened it and jumped up and down.. so happy. Uncle Dave asked Kade what it was, and he paused.. then said "you put these on your feet." Well, they are actually bird feeders.. close, right?~

~Nothing is more sweet then getting handmade gifts from your children. Cole made two ornaments for me and a very sweet card. It said inside the card.."If I could give you anything for Christmas it would be a clean house." That boy knows me so well - I love my sweet Coley Smoleys~

~This was how we spent most of Christmas day. After the boys waited very impatiently for the helicoptors to charge.. they finally were ready for their first flight. Grandpa did a great job teaching them how they work~

~The helicoptors only can go for 5-6 minutes on a 30 minute charge, and that is basically what we have been doing ever since we got them.. life is all about the 30 minute charge. They are getting very good with them. Kade prefers to use his as a fan.. I am praying that nothing will break in the house..or eyes won't be propellered out~

~I love the fact that my boys get to experience some of the joys that I got to experience when I was a little girl. I {LOVE} my dad's famous ice box cake. I must admit, I was a little jealous that I was not the one that got to lick the beaters this time. I guess I have to pass down these little delights to the next generation~

~This will be a Christmas that we will never forget. We had to be away from Steve while he is deployed to Afghanistan. It was very hard to be away from my best friend during the holidays. I am so thankful that I was surrounded by my amazing family to help me get through this tough time. We gave out these Blue Star Banners to all of our immediate family to represent a family member serving in a war. I love to look at it hanging in the window and it fills me with pride for the sacrifices that my husband is making for our freedoms. I learned this year that together..is a wonderful place to be~

~Goodbye To Garmisch~

2009-11-30T16:48:00.018+01:00

~This was our third dental conference in Garmisch at the US Edelweiss Resort. We always have a great time here because it is American accomodations, service, and food! The boys and I had a great time playing while Steve was at his conference~

~The weather could not have been more different than it was for us at last year's conference. We had lots of rain, and freezing cold weather this time. The fall colors were still beautiful.. but...~

~This was our first day of snow. We actually were out catching snowflakes on our tongues. The trees looked very pretty because they looked like they had just been sprinkled with powdered sugar~

~We wanted to take a walk around this entire lake.. but I was not dressed warm enough for our adventure. I was freezing! The boys thought I was just being a wimp. Cole & Kade were having a blast and being good sports~

~A family picture in the snow by the lake and snowy mountains. We will always remember our trips to Garmisch. We have experienced every season in this little ski resort town~

~That night the snow began to fall much harder. We woke up to a couple inches of snow. The boys had a great idea to go and get their scooters out and see if they would cruise through the snow. They actually were like sleds with handle bars.. it was great fun~

~This was our first snow experience for the year.. so we had to make a pit stop for a snowball fight. They were entertained with eachother for a while.. and then they both tagged up and attacked me. Cole & Kade = 1, Mom = 0~

~After we all had been hit by enough snowballs, we decided it was time to build some snowmen. This was Cole's end result.. he was very proud of it~

~Kade also built a snowman..his design had a slight contemporary feel~

~The next day Steve was able to get a half a day off from the dental conference. We decided to visit the neighboring village of Oberammergau. It is very famous for the Oberammergau Passion Of The Christ Play. This play has been performed since 1634 as a tradition by the residents of the village. About half the inhabitants of Oberammergau are expected to take part in the once-a-decade Passion Play in the year 2010. This means that over 2,000 villagers will bring the story of Jesus of Nazareth to life for the audiences that flock in from around the world~

~In this picture Cole is not acting out a part in the play, he actually just got tagged from a snowball that Steve just threw at him from across the parking lot. He fell down and immediately started crying and screaming.. you can only imagine the looks we got from the Germans.. and Steve pulled out the camera to capture the moment~

~We had a full day of playing in the snow, and sightseeing local villages so the boys were super tired that night.. doesn't this look comfortable?~

~The Zugspitze mountain will always hold a special place in Steve's heart.. because unfortunately it is the only mountain he skied while in Europe. That was definitely not part of the master plan when we moved to Germany~

~There are so many beautiful things to see in Garmisch. We have been here six times, but we always find new adventures everytime we come~

~This trip was a little bitter-sweet for us because Steve was set to leave for his deployment to Afghanistan a week after it was over. He is doing an incredible job over there, and helping out in amazing ways. It was not part of our master plan.. but I think it will probably be one of the most important adventures he will experience in his life.. and that is why we are making this huge sacrifice~

~Porsche Birthday 2009~

2009-11-30T11:13:00.019+01:00

~Anyone who knows my big boy and my two little boys.. knows that they are in {LOVE} with Porsches! That made it easy to choose a theme for our boys' birthdays this year. We started off the excitement with a trip to the new Porsche Museum in Stuttgart~

~The successful record of Stuttgart’s sports-car manufacturer, Porsche is due to it being both the smallest independent German automaker and the world’s most profitable automaker. It is based on decades of experience in automotive manufacturing and in motorsports. The history of Porsche sports cars began in 1948~

~About 80 vehicles and many small exhibits are on display at the new Porsche Museum. Even as early as the 20th century, the name of Porsche stood for the commitment to never be satisfied with a technical solution that fails to fully meet or exceed all of its requirements, including opportunities for further improvement. My boys sure do know how to pick a dream car~

~On October 5, 2005.. my beautiful son Kade was born. He is now 4 years old. He could not be more handsome or sassy. This is a boy who knows exactly what he wants in life and has an awesome imagination. He has a very kind heart and loves to put chapstick on and whistle..mostly because his older brother Cole cannot. He just also realized the fun reactions that come from him crossing his eyes. He loves to help me out in the kitchen, and with my chores around the house. He chose this yellow cake and the chocolate frosting for his birthday cake and cupcakes this year. He was able to take the cupcakes and share them with his preschool class~

~My boys are not able to watch commercials on our military T.V. so they do not know all of the toys that they are missing out on. That is a little hard when they do not know what they want for their birthday. I decided to take him out to lunch, and then to the store to pick out one special gift. He chose this huge jet that makes take-off noises and shoots missiles..great choice~

~I came into the kitchen after we got back from the store.. my little Kade had found his way to his cake and was eating the frosting off.. it is his cake.. how do you get mad at a boy with such a sweet face and sweet tooth?~

~After dinner we sang to Kade and had him make a wish and blow out his candles.. I think that he had a very special day.. he was full of smiles~

~It is a tradition in our home to make a special breakfast on October 6th. Kade's birthday is October 5th, and Cole's birthday is October 7th. I am sure that sooner than later, the boys will start demanding that they each get a special breakfast, instead of meeting in the middle & sharing the day.. but for now it is working :) We made heart-shaped pancakes with syrup, fresh berries & whipped cream~

~We decided to surprise Cole by showing up at his lunch in the school cafeteria. He was very happy to see us. We brought cupcakes for him to give out to his class~

~Cole is always very cute with Kade when he is around his friends. He is the perfect big brother to him. We finished up with Cole's lunch and had to hurry to the car rental shop for our next big birthday surprise!~

~We had the keys in our hands and we high-fived eachother when we saw this beautiful, black porsche sitting in the garage at the car rental company. Kade started to jump up and down when he found out we actually were able to get in it and drive it.. not just look at it~

~We pulled up to the front of Cole's elementary school waiting very impatiently for him to get out so that he could see his birthday surprise. I was pacing back and forth.. it was so cute because when I met up with him and was bringing him back to the Porsche.. he could not see Kade and Steve inside it..and he said, "Look mom, a Porsche." which is what happens every single time they see any form of a Porsche in Germany~

~I have never seen Cole so surprised and so happy in my entire life. His grin was ear to ear and his eyes were glowing with excitement. He started screaming as soon as he realized that dad was actually driving that Porsche he just saw. He did five circles around then got inside and put his head up through the sunroof~

~Cole knows that the CarreraS is Steve's most favorite Porsche.. so he wanted to make sure it was a Carrera because that is VERY important.. the picture was proof that this is very much one of the very coolest cars ever!!!!~

~Do you think he will ever forget his 7th birthday? This boy was having the absolute time of his life.. and we were proud parents that we were able to share this with our boys~

~Don't worry..the boys were not the only ones with smiles on their faces. My big boy was having the time of his life also. This was a dream come true for him. He had the Porsche going upwards of 150mph on the Autobahn..it would have been faster without the traffic (I believe it). I was screaming the entire time..scared to death.. the boys were in the back and were encouraging Steve to go faster. He took an exit and we cornered at 75mph.. I thought we were going to die~

~But we survived, and really had the best time out cruising through our favorite country roads.. that we knew we could go fast on. We ate dinner and Cole & Kade got up from the table 15 times so that they could go make sure the Porsche was OK~

~It became dark outside, and our miles were all used up on the Porsche.. It was so much fun thinking about Cole all day this day and to think that 7 years before he was born. He is such a kind-hearted boy who is very social and loves adventures just like his dad. We ended our night with cake and ice cream for Cole.. to be honest I do not think he had to make a wish when he blew out the candles.. I think that wish had just come true~

~USA vs. Germany World Cup Baseball~

2009-11-30T08:17:00.018+01:00

~We were very excited to go to the USA vs. Germany World Cup baseball game in Regensburg, Germany. We have definitely been missing going to baseball games since we have been here. Regensburg was also a great place to visit. It is a Bavarian city located right on the Danube river~

~The Stone Bridge, built 1135–1146, is a highlight of medieval bridge building. The knights of the 2nd and 3rd crusade used it to cross the Danube on their way to the Holy Land. It is awesome to be able to walk through the city wall arched entrance, the tower and the gate because after all these years, they are still standing~

~We loved all of the colorful buidings in the center of town. That is the fun part about being in the Bavaria region... they love to put bright colors on their homes and buildings~

~The Dom (Cathedral) is a very interesting example of pure German Gothic and counts as the main work of Gothic architecture in Bavaria. It was founded in 1275 and completed in 1634, with the exception of the towers, which were finished in 1869~

~The boys were done touring the village, so we headed a little out of town to the baseball stadium. We were thinking it was going to be much bigger, so it was very fun to see how intimate of an experience this was going to be for us. Cole is holding a ball that Team USA threw up to him during warm-ups~

~The game was just about to get started. Both teams lined up and they played the anthems for both countries. It was a proud to be an American moment for us all~

~Even in Germany you cannot come to a baseball game and not have some Cracker Jacks~

~Cole and his friend Carson loved cheering Team USA on with their American flags. There were probably only about 50 Americans in the entire stadium~

~Kade with his friend Logan waving their flags. I don't think there was any question which team we were rooting for. The Germans around us were probably getting a little annoyed by our American pride~

~We even had the opportunity to stand at the 7th inning stretch and sing "Take Me Out To The Ballgame".. the 50 Americans sang it as loud as we possibly could.. the Germans had no clue what we were doing.. it was awesome!~

~It was so incredible to get this little taste of America while being surrounded by the old, beautiful charm of Germany. It really was the best of both worlds~

~As the beer kept coming, the USA section got a little more obnoxious.. we were dancing, yelling, and doing all of the cheers.. God Bless the USA - baseball is such an American pastime~

~We stayed until the very end.. sad for it to be all over! We kicked Team Germany's butt.. the score was 9-1. We are so glad that we had this once in a lifetime opportunity to watch Team USA vs. Team Germany.. in Germany.. very good times~

~Tripsdrill Park~

2009-11-29T16:41:00.030+01:00

~Tripsdrill Park is an amusement park that is only 25 minutes from our home. I would honestly say that it was situated in the most beautiful setting that I have ever seen for an amusement park. The park sits right in the middle of these gorgeous vineyards. These were our views from the top of the rides.. I am so glad that we did not miss this while living over here in Germany~

~The boys were so excited as we walked through the gates and went under all of the laundry hanging on the clothes lines above us (the theme in the entire park is the life on a vineyard).. we did not get 50 feet before they immediately wanted to hop on the first ride. It was a very cute May pole ride that did lots of spinning in circles high in the air (Steve's favorite)~

~The boys did not take long before they started running off to the next ride. This was an old fishing pond with these fishing boats that ran through it. It was a lot of fun because you could shoot water at the boats around you~

~Not a bad view for standing in line, right? The beautiful windmill behind with the little bridge in front and the ducks swimming in the pond~

~This was a free fall ride with a different look. This is a tree house.. you climb in the log and then it takes you all the way to the very top. Next it dips you forward, and then when you least expect it... you come free-falling quickly all the way down. The great thing now is that the boys are both tall enough to ride all of the rides in the park~

~Cole riding in an old-school pinewood derby car.. they had to actually steer, and push the gas and brakes themselves~

~Kade had no problem in his derby car.. he is a pro in his hummer at home.. so this was a piece of cake for him. He would even be able to reverse full speed, and parallel park if they asked him to.. he has some rad driving skills for a four year old~

~Next we slowed it down a notch with this old-fashioned car on the tracks.. can you tell that the boys were having the time of their lives?~

~Kade was a little too frightened of the responsibility of driving the horses that pulled this old buggy. He refused to get on without me. I have never been so bucked around on a ride in my entire life.. but we made it~

~I am not quite sure what the fascination is in Germany with these hedgehogs.. but they love them and even decorate their homes with them during the fall season. You are going to have a hard time catching this little rodent~

~I was bound and determined to convince Cole that he would have fun going on this big castle bath tub ride with me. He was very scared, but I gave him lots of pep talks. We got on the ride and it took us inside the castle. Guess what we were welcomed to?.... Tons of naked manequins that were taking baths.. how do you explain that to a 6 year old? These people are so strange some times~

~Then right when you think there are no more surprises.. you fly down this hill and get soaking wet.. OK, next time we will pass~

~The whole park was filled with beautiful flowers and farming decorations ~ It was so well done~

~The grand finale was on this huge, wooden roller coaster. Steve taught Cole the importance of keeping your hands above your head for the entire ride. They came off and Cole looked back at what he just rode on and had the hugest grin on his face. This was a great day at Tripsdrill Park~

~Is That A Teepee I See?~

2009-11-20T12:24:00.014+01:00

~We wanted to head back to the Jungfrau region of Switzerland.. and this time we wanted to find a place to camp. We love this area.. one of our favorites in Europe because it is so incredibly peaceful and all of your stresses seem to disappear. I think that this must be like Heaven on earth. We were doing research on the computer for the best places to camp.. and then Steve found these teepees that we could rent.. and then the vacation took on a whole new meaning for us! The boys were about to have a brand new adventure~

~We got our teepee all set up.. and the most exciting part was that we could actually have a fire in our teepee. You are not allowed to have fires while camping in Europe.. so this was very important to us. We did have some huge smoke outs a few times.. but we had a great time. The boys loved cooking s'mores in our teepee, and waking up to hot chocolate. We slept dry and warm~

~There was a huge restaurant teepee at the front of the campground that had a large fire pit that you could make your dinner on. We took full advantage of this, and threw on the biggest, American-sized steaks these Europeans had ever seen.. we are the pro's on bbq'ing, right?.. and we had the most delicious dinner~

~The campground sat right on Interlaken lake. We woke up on this beautiful morning and went out for a morning adventure. It was picture perfect. The water looked like blue-green glass, and the cotton candy clouds created shade in the deep green grass surrounding the local villages across the water~

~Cole & Kade loved feeding the large, white swans and brown ducks that followed us around the entire lake, just hoping we had more treats to share. We were also able to have a rock skipping competition.. it will be a while before these boys will beat out dad's record of 9 skips.. but they keep trying~

~We walked back along this beautiful creek that lined our campground. We have the best time together out on our family adventures~

~We got in the car and headed up to Lauterbrunnen.. but we did not make it too far up the windy roads. We did not know that there was a marathon going on that day. The roads were all blocked off. We parked the car, and got out and stood in awe watching these people accomplish this huge task. I think it would rank up there as one of the most beautiful places you could ever run a marathon~

~Do you think you wouldn't mind the 8 miles of an uphill run through the Swiss alps if you came around the corner and saw this masterpiece village?~

~We cheered on the runners for a couple of hours. I love the feeling that comes over you when you watch this great triumph for all of these runners. We enjoyed this village the best we could with the thousands of people running.. and then headed back to the car for a small picnic~

~Our next stop was the town of Grindelwald, we had not visited here before, so we were so surprised by all of the family-friendly activities up in this spectacular area of the mountains. We first rode a ski lift up the mountain to the Rodelbahn (Alpine Slide). I was getting a little nervous as we kept going higher and higher up the mountain..I was worried how scary the slide would be. My partner was Kade.. and we have a rule between Steve & I that we are not allowed to use the brakes on the entire ride..and we did it.. so scary, almost fell off.. but we did it~

~It was situated right along the side of the moutain. There were cows sitting right next to the slide. You wanted to go slow to take in all of the beauty that surrounded you, but the thrill is in the speed~

~Steve's partner was Cole.. they were smiling from ear to ear as they came to the end. We each got 6 trips down the Rodelbahn.. but it was still very sad when it came to an end~

~Since we were already half way up the mountain, we decided it was such a perfect, sunny day that we would go on a small hike. As we started, we walked right past this adorable cow & pig.. we walked right up and got a picture.. the cutest animals ever~

~The hike started out flat, past a couple of beautiful waterfalls.. but then we started to do some climbing. The boys were being very good sports, and were really enjoying themselves. I see many hiking adventures in our future~

~We have found in Europe that our favorite hikes are always marked with these painted white-red-white lines. The best part is that it becomes a competition for Cole & Kade to find the next marker.. so they practically run along the trails~

~We were not dressed appropriately for this hike, but we did not give up. Steve & I had on Crocs, and the boys had on flip-flops.. definitely not good hiking shoes.. but it was the most beautiful day and the most beautiful hike.. we had to make it to the top. We were proud of ourselves when we got here~

~I sat there with my two handsome boys and looked out all around in every direction. We could see this gorgeous waterfall in the distance~

~We did not know how high we really were until we looked back down at the deep green, grass surrounded village below. This place is amazing. We enjoyed every minute together as a family. We were all starving for dinner, so we all agreed that pizza & chocolate fondue was the best way to solve this problem. Mountain Hostel restaurant at the mountaintop town of Gimmelwald came to our rescue once again.. we ate their 3 nights in a row on our trip back in April~

~On our last day here we decided to go explore the popular tourist town of Interlaken. This gorgeous green water runs along the canals throughout the town~

~I can see why it is popular here, there are fun things to explore around every corner. It was Sunday, so things were quiet around town.. just the way we wanted it~

~We stopped off and got food for a picnic lunch and we set up on this large area of grass right in the middle of the village. We put out a blanket, the boys played, and Steve & I laid in the sun and enjoyed the people watching and the smells from all the fresh flowers around us~

~The Jungfrau region is VERY popular for paragliding. It was very entertaining the entire weekend because right above our teepees the entire day there were paragliders falling from the mountaintops. I am not kidding when I say that we probably saw over 300 paragliders that weekend~

~It is always hard for us to leave this area.. we were definitely dragging our feet. Steve started to drive towards home and I said wait, I am not ready to leave.. just a few more adventures together in these beautiful mountains.. we can arrive home late that night.. we cannot leave yet.. it was such a perfect day~

~We headed back up to Lauterbrunnen, much easier without the marathon going on.. and we looked up and saw this view. These are the Staubbach Falls, they look like they drain right into the town~

~We had heard about these Trummelbach Falls on our previous trip here, but we did not get around to seeing them. This time, we decided we needed to see what all the hype was about. It is a ten glacier-waterfall that is inside the mountain, and it is made accessible by a tunnel-lift(which the boys loved)and since it is like walking through a cave.. they shine lights on the waterfalls~

~The Trummelbach alone drains the huge glaciers of Eiger (3970 m), Mönch (4099 m) and Jungfrau (4158 m), and carries 20,200 tons of melt per year. It drops up to 20,000 liters of water per second. These are the only glacier-waterfalls in Europe inside the mountain and still accessible. It was fantastic!~

~We left the waterfalls and we were still not ready to go home. We headed back up the other side of the mountain to the town of Grindelwald once again. We played a fun game of mini golf, how could you not be enjoying yourself with these views that surrounded you? I guarantee we will never play mini golf in a more beautiful location. We ended the day with some ice cream and then finally decided we better head for home. We all had an incredible time, and the boys slept the entire way home~

~Camping Lago Maggiore...Goldeneye 007 Style~

2009-11-16T14:01:00.038+01:00

~We were very excited for our camping adventure to Lake Maggiore in Switzerland. Unfortunately, from the very beginning of our trip.. we got stuck in some very heavy traffic. I said to Steve.. "I bet I could walk faster than this.." He said to get out and try it.. so for the next 15 minutes.. Cole & I walked along the Autobahn pushing our car with us. You should have seen the looks we were getting.. crazy Americans! This is one thing we will definitely not miss about Germany.. they live in their cars. I don't know how, because they are very frugal & the gas is very expensive.. but there is always traffic no matter what time of day~

~We were in the car for 3 hours and we only made it 75 miles.. so we decided that enough was enough. We plugged in camping into our GPS, and lo and behold.. we took the exit and came upon a beautiful campground. We got set up and went on a little bike ride around a lake, and then Kade entertained himself with this bike wheel for over an hour~

~We made delicious taco soup for dinner.. this is a perfect meal to make for camping.. just dump a bunch of cans of beans and tomatoes..then add some taco seasoning. It turned out great and we were fully satisfied~

~But never too full to eat some s'mores. You are not allowed to have a camp fire while camping in Europe.. so we had to get creative. We decided that we would roast marshmallows over the camp stove flame... and the result = delicious~

~We started early the next morning.. and a couple of hours later along some of the most gorgeous areas of Switzerland we have seen.. we arrived at Lago Maggiore. We were meeting up with our friends, the Woods.. we decided an easy place to find them would be the top of the Verzasca dam there~

~Steve & Garrett had mentioned the desire to bungee jump off of this dam.. I thought I would also join them. And then we drove up the very windy road.. and around the corner I came face to face with the dam....~

~I am not going to lie.. it took my breath away. My palms began to sweat and my heart began to beat very fast. Then we walked along the top of the dam.. I looked down, and I said "absolutely not".. Garrett came walking up with his family and said to Steve.. "are you ready?" Steve knew there was no going back.. this was the ultimate in peer pressure~

~They stood in line for the Goldeneye 007 bungee jump. James Bond first jumped from this dam in his movie, after that it became a very popular bungee jump. They paid their money, so there was no going back.. then it was time for Steve to get his gear on. It was so quick, it was hard to not seriously wonder about the safety.. but it had been done thousands of times before.. we had to have faith it would hold~

~The boys were a little scared for their dad.. because they had watched many jumpers go before him. But they just kept encouraging him, and giving him the thumbs up.. it was me that was freaking out!~

~Garrett agreed to go first.. and they were all set in their gear. Garrett's wife Heather was in charge of the video.. and I was in charge of the camera. My hands were shaking so bad, but I did the best I could~

~Then I thought I was going to pass out. Right before Garrett jumped the workers pulled out these huge rolls of duct tape.. yes, they were putting duct tape on the ropes that were seconds from being the only thing that kept you living~

~Garrett made a successful jump and came up with a huge smile, and now Steve was next.. he was out on the tower, I think he saw the panic on my face.. so he gave me and the boys a thumbs up.. I was about to have a heart attack~

~He put his toes to the edge, waited for his 3 second countdown.. and then did a huge jump into the air. This is the highest bungee jump in the world from a structure. The height of the dam is 220m (750 feet), and it is an amazing 8 seconds of freefall. He came down at a speed of 120 kmph (75 mph)~

~I was taking tons of pictures.. but I was holding my breath the entire time, until I saw that the rope held him.. finally I could breathe.. he let out a loud scream.. I knew then that he just had the time of his life~

~I truly do not think (or hope) he will ever do anything again that is more scary than that in his life.. and my husband loves an adventure. After seeing him get pulled up, I felt a total feeling of regret. I should have been up there on that tower next.. what was I thinking? The line was too long now, so I missed my chance. I hope to go back and do it myself one day~

~He was all smiles.. you could tell that he was replaying it over and over in his head. I was so proud of him.. he overcame his fear and just went for it~

~It was a gorgeous day, and the views were amazing. We were very proud of Steve and had a great time watching him and all of the other jumpers. We had been here for a few hours... so we decided a good way to end our dam experience would be to go and get ice cream.. smiles all around~

~We were very spoiled on this camping trip because Steve made us the most incredible Italian dinners every night over the camp stove. This felt like living the high life.. this is not the camping I was accustomed to. When we woke up the next morning, the boys got out of the tent and hurried over to the lake. One of the campground employees had just dropped off a huge bag of day-old bread from the campground bakery.. the boys loved it! They were entertained for an hour~

~What you see them wearing is what they were in for 4 days straight. The weather was perfect and warm, and we went from the lake to the pool the entire day. This was a perfect vacation.. good food, good friends, fantastic views from our tent, and tons of adventure. On our second night, we put the kids to bed after making s'mores.. and then the adults sat out on the beach and talked. We all said.. the only thing that would make this better is if we could see some fireworks.. and no joke, not five minutes later the most beautiful fireworks lit up the sky above the lake..we must be living right to get that kind of luck~

~The next day we drove back up the windy road through the gorge with the plans to swim next to a quaint village that is situated right next to a beautiful part of the lake. We had to stop and get a picture of Garrett & Steve in front of the dam that they just conquered~

~The Swiss village was beautiful and simple.. and there were many people out walking along the roads. There was a lot of hiking and swimming on this perfect, sunny day~

~The water was freezing cold, but it did not slow our little fish Cole down.. he had a hard time catching his breath once he got in.. but Steve was able to pull him out very quickly. I love the fact that he was brave enough to jump from the rock. Behind him you can see a tall bridge...Steve & I jumped off that bridge. It was by far the highest jump I have made. Steve said he was almost as scared as he was to do the bungy jump.. there is a greater chance of getting hurt if you land in the water wrong from that high up~

~There were lots of people out. The water was this gorgeous, deep, blue-green color. It felt like there was an audience.. because anytime you jumped or dived off the rocks where Steve is.. or from the tall bridge.. everyone would whistle and clap. It was a memorable experience~

~After a full day playing at the water, we decided to head home. On our drive back we stopped and explored around this wonderful village that was completely made of stone~

~It was very hard to pack up camp and leave this gorgeous location.. but the weekend was over. We had the best time. On our drive back, we opted out of German food (if you lived here, you would understand).. and decided to set the camp stove up and make some delicious Top Ramen at the gas station.. it was brilliant~

~We have been to many countries here in Europe since we moved here. We decided to add another country to our list on the way home. Liechtenstein is the smallest German-speaking country in the world, and the only alpine country to lie entirely within the Alps. Much of Liechtenstein's terrain is mountainous, making it a winter sports destination~

~On the way through this tiny country.. we stopped and enjoyed some of the things that make this country popular~

~Schloss (castle) Vaduz, overlooking the capital, is still home to the Prince of Liechtenstein. It was a great final stop to a fantastic weekend~

~Fish, Feet & Forests~

2009-11-08T15:46:00.026+01:00

~Watch out.. the catfish are going to eat you up. Steve's annual dental picnic was help up in Manheim this year. We were walking around the park and saw these boats. It was a hot day, so we decided that a boat ride would be perfect. Then all of a sudden we are sailing along, enjoying the experience... when all of a sudden there are thousands.. seriously.. thousands of catfish coming up to our boat. I have never seen anything like this before in my life.. it was creepy and hysterical.. open wide!~

~During the last two decades, about 60 barefoot parks have been founded in Germany and Austria. They are open to the public and offer the opportunity to walk for some distance (up to three miles) on natural ground and to feel a variety of materials with their bare feet~

~Visitors can enjoy balancing or climbing exercises and walk through brooks or even rivers. Some barefoot parks include playground sections designed for barefoot use. This healthy combination of barefoot hiking and playing has become a real tourist attraction~

~I don't think a place like this would be very popular in the states. First of all, we walk around without shoes all the time outside.. which is a huge no-no here. Every time my boys or myself goes outside without shoes.. the neighbors start wagging there finger and telling me that it is not safe to be outside without shoes~

~It is funny to watch the Germans walk around without their shoes on.. they think that it is the craziest thing they have ever done. It is meant to be good for your feet and stimulate healthy veins~

~All I could think about was foot fungus, disease and lawsuits.. I guess that is the American in me~

~We just had a huge day of rain the day before.. so the mud was everywhere, which definitely added to the enjoyment of the day~

~Inside this mud pit were sharp rocks that we had to walk very carefully across. We had just finished walking on broken glass right before this.. can I say ouch!~

~You can only imagine how slippery it was to walk around the park the remainder of the time.. we were sliding around everywhere.. we did have a lot of fun~

~We ended with a playground.. then it was time to scrub our feet and get all of the mud and other diseases we had picked up along the way off of us.. so glad that we were able to enjoy this cultural experience while here in Germany~

~Our fabulous neighbors, the Nagels asked us last year if we would be interested in riding on the historical steam engine train through the black forest.. we thought the boys would love it.. so when the time came... we got on board! The scenery was gorgeous, and we chugged along past beautiful, small towns in the black forest region. The boys were all smiles.. and I am glad that we were able to see some beautiful countryside~

~We'll Meet You In Munich~

2009-11-04T15:32:00.027+01:00

~We were looking forward to having my brother David & his wife Cathy come to Germany for almost two years. When it finally arrived we were out of our heads with excitement. We dropped off Steve's parents at the Munich airport and then headed straight over to the large Munich train station.. more family adventures were in store for us~

~You might think that seeing men standing around at the train station in Lederhosen is unusual, or that there must be a festival going on? No, men in Germany wear these things anytime and everywhere.. this is nothing unusual~

~The train arrived and we gave them some big German welcome hugs and asked them what they wanted to do with their two days in Germany. Number one on the list was seeing the famous Neuschwanstein castle (Sleeping Beauty's Castle). We headed out of town driving down the autobahn (another of David's requests)through some gorgeous German countryside until we caught sight of the castle in the distance~

~It was hard to believe that we were standing in Germany with David & Cathy.. it is always a dream come true for us to be having these experiences so far away from home with our family and friends. It was a beautiful day, and the castle was glowing under the sunlight~

~Anytime David is around.. life is always about good times and lots of laughs! My boys love spending time with their Uncle Dave.. I am so glad that we had this time to make memories together~

~While taking the tour of the castle inside, you got the chance to catch some amazing views out the windows. Can you imagine having this view? Spectacular~

~We took a horse carriage ride to the top. I think we were more consumed with the fact that they wanted to pile 15 people in a 10 person carriage.. that it kept us a little distracted from the magic of this ride to the top. The boys will never forget that the horses farted on us.. oh, you have to love little boys~

~The reclusive King Ludwig did not allow visitors to his castles, which he intended as personal refuges, but after his death in 1886 the castle was opened to the public. And now it is one of the biggest tourist destinations in Germany. It was a brilliant pick from David & Cathy.. I could not agree more.. you cannot come to Germany and not see the Neuschwanstein Castle and all of its glory~

~It is also not uncommon to see German women and girls walking around everywhere in their Dirndl German dresses. Just like the men, there does not need to be any reason to wear it, but mostly they prefer to wear them during festivals or formal events~

~The tour of the inside is amazing, but unfinished. King Ludwig died before the castle was completed inside.. I can only imagine what the finished product would have been like, because the way it is now is exquisite. I can definitely understand what King Ludwig loved about this castle and the views~

~We still do not get tired of seeing castles. There is something fun and magical about castles and the boys love the feeling of conquering each castle. We climbed our way to the top and we were able to enjoy this piece of German history together~

~We were all smiles having them here.. I am glad that we were able to accomplish this first adventure on their list.. and this was just the beginning~

~We said our final goodbyes to this beautiful and majestic castle. It truly is set among the most gorgeous locations in the world~

~We drove back into Munich that evening and did not want to miss out on a chance to eat at Munich's world famous Hofbräuhaus brewery. It is owned by the state government, in the past it served as a royal brewery in the Kingdom of Bavaria~

~The Hofbräuhaus in Munich was one of the beer halls used by the Nazi Party to declare policies and hold functions. Adolf Hitler proclaimed the theses of the Nazi Party program here. Some of the first violent attacks on Jews took place at the Hofbräuhaus. It is extremely popular today, and is filled with thousands of people during all hours of the day. Loud music, loud people, and lots of huge beers and huge plates of delicious German food. A very fun place to experience while visiting Munich~

~This is the famous Munich City Hall built gothic style in the 1860's. It is very famous for the Glockenspiel clock that performs 4 times a day. If you look closely you will see the rainbow flags in front of it. After dinner we wanted to go on a walk and see the City Hall. It just so happened to be the weekend for Munich's Gay Pride festival. Wow, did we get an eye full! We covered the boy's eyes and hurried on our way~

~We were able to cram so many things into our first day together.. but it was time for bed. We were all exhausted. David & Cathy decided that it also would not be a trip to Germany without taking a tour around the Dachau Concentration camp. It was such an emotional experience for us all. I am so glad that we came, because I will never forget the things I felt, saw, and experienced here. This is the main gate at Dachau where prisoners walked through. It is marked with the sentence "Arbeit Macht Frei" which is a German phrase meaning "work brings freedom" or "work shall set you free". The Nazi's came here thinking that this was going to be true for them~

~Dachau was the first Nazi concentration camp opened in Germany. Dachau served as a prototype and model for the other Nazi concentration camps that followed~

~The camp was divided into two sections: the camp area and the crematorium. The camp area consisted of 32 barracks, including one for clergy imprisoned for opposing the Nazi regime and one reserved for medical experiments. The courtyard between the prison and the central kitchen was used for the execution of prisoners. The camp was surrounded by an electrified barbed-wire gate, a ditch, and a wall with seven guard towers~

~In total, over 200,000 prisoners from more than 30 countries were housed in Dachau of whom two-thirds were political prisoners and nearly one-third were Jews~

~25,613 prisoners are believed to have died in the camp and almost another 10,000 in its subcamps, primarily from disease, malnutrition and suicide~

~Owing to continual new transportations from the front, the camp was constantly overcrowded and the hygiene conditions were beneath human dignity. Starting from the end of 1944 up to the day of liberation, 15,000 people died because of these horrific conditions, about half of all victims in Dachau~

~Dachau holds a significant place in public memory because it was the second camp to be liberated by British or American forces. Therefore, it was one of the first places where the Western world was exposed to the reality of Nazi brutality through firsthand journalist accounts and through newsreels. This sign says "Never Again" in five different languages. It was so hard to see that this actually was a part of these undeserving people's lives. I am so thankful for my freedoms.. this took place here in Germany not that long ago. It was a sad way to send David & Cathy off.. but we were incredibly grateful that they came and visited us and that we were able to give them a true German adventure.. some came with smiles and some came with tears~

~I'm So Glad When Daddy Comes Home~

2009-10-24T15:47:00.016+02:00

~We were trying very hard to stay as busy as possible on the last few days right before Steve was due to return from his four months in Missouri. Time seemed to stand still if we didn't plan at least one adventure each weekend. We decided to go to the Wilhelma zoo in Stuttgart for the day with the Williams~

~This is an incredible zoo, and it has this beautiful botanical garden and pond in the center of the zoo. The kids had a great time looking at the flowers and fish that were in the pond. Cole was teaching Kade about why the lily pads were floating, and why they are not able to jump on them and run across the pond.. Kade listened very carefully~

~I thought that this was a cute picture of the boys.. but what I really want you to notice in this picture is how long Cole & Kade's hair is. I thought it would be fun to not cut their hair the entire time that Steve was gone. He is in charge of giving the boys their haircuts.. and I wanted to give them one chance to have hair longer than a buzz cut. I was very anxious to see what Steve thought when he arrived back home~

~Steve was absolutely shocked when he saw the boys at the airport... he said that he did not even recognize them. Needless to say... he was home for aproximately 4 hours before he went and got his clippers and gave them their summer buzz cuts. I think they look so much cuter with their hair short~

~Kade started to rub his head and smiled, he was glad to have his soft head back again. He is so cute with his hair short. I am so glad that Steve was around to give me my boys back~

~Steve immediately went to work on the day he arrived home from Missouri. He cut the boys hair, and then got the mower out and cut the grass. Oh my... it was so nice to have a man back in my life again. Of course the best part is that he LOVES to play and have fun with his boys. They always tell me how much more fun dad is than me. I could not agree more~

~As if the huge smiles on their faces don't give it away! The boys love their dad very much and they were howling with laughter the entire time he raced around the yard with them in the wheelbarrow...the days of summer were upon us and we were having so much fun~

~Steve decided that he had missed four very important months with his boys.. so he did not want to waste any time doing fun projects with his boys. He had the brilliant idea that it would be great to build a big birdhouse with his boys~

~Cole picked out the paint color (green is his favorite), and Kade was there to help put the bark on for the roof and to build the perch.. next step was to fill it up with the seed to feed the birds~

~I love looking out my window and seeing this beautiful birdhouse. The birds are on it all day long. It brings a smile to my face remembering the time that the boys had with their dad on this father/son project. He is an amazing dad~

~School was out in June and we took full advantage of the summer months with the boys. While Steve was at work, we went with the Williams to the pool once a week.. rain or shine! Yes folks... we finally gave in and joined the Germans with their spandex/speedo swim trunks. Aren't these fantastic? The boys love them and say that they are so much easier to swim in. I keep trying to talk Steve into wearing the matching pair that I got for him... maybe next year~

~This pool was amazing. It has tons of pools inside, a wave river, slides, a kiddie area and that is just inside. Then you go outside and have more pools, more adventure areas for the kids.. and this equals a ton of fun for everyone~

~Insert rap song music.. Cole loves to dance and I found him in the pool busting a move.. so I had to capture it on film. He has some serious moves, and I love how much he enjoys getting his groove on. We had such a great time at Aquatoll every week. I cannot wait for summer to come around so that we can go back~

~For It's 1...2...3 Strikes Your Out!~

2009-10-24T11:13:00.021+02:00

~Cole loves baseball. He is busy trying out every sport right now, but he really enjoys playing baseball. He is a unique little guy because he bats right, but throws left... it keeps everyone on their toes. He graduated from T-ball this year, so now it is coaches pitch.. he actually was really good - he made some great hits~

~He had some terrific coaches and made a lot of new friends on his Seattle Mariner's team. They do not keep score at this level, so it is great to focus on learning the game and having a good time~

~We lucked out with some great weather for baseball watching. I love springtime and sitting out and watching my boy play ball~

~Watch out! He has his game face on!~

~Cole wanted to be #7.. because he was turning 7 years old.. duh! He is #8 now for soccer, because he is turning 8.. it looks like we have a tradition going~

~I wish that time could just stand still.. he is getting so big, so smart, and so talented in all areas of his life... I am such a proud mom - I sure do love this boy~

~He made us proud by playing aggressive and keeping his head in the game! Yes, he was able to tag this kid out! You go Cole!~

~Unfortunately, it is not too uncommon to have some tears during the game. He is a gentle giant.. and he seems to always find a way to get a little hurt, and a lot sensitive during the games.. we always hope each year that this will not be a part of his game.. but so far, we get tears on a regular basis~

~He is a great team player, and he loves to encourage his friends. The game just ended, and he is all smiles~

~Cheering on his teammates... I look forward to many more years of this...this is the life I dreamed of~

~To The Train... To The Train... To The Top Of The Train!~

2009-09-30T07:36:00.016+02:00

~After spending a couple of days in Denmark.. Steve & I headed out to fill up with gas and while out we saw the most unusual sight. I started yelling to Steve, "I think there are people in those cars on the top of the train - where are they going?" We followed the train to the loading station where we found the most friendly employee who was absolutely shocked that we were in this part of the country and had no clue about this place. This train takes you to the German island of Sylt - ranked among the most beautiful beaches in the world! We hurried home and told Nana & Papa & the boys.. and decided that we would drive up on the train the next day!~

~We all loved it! I could not believe that we were sitting in our car, on a train. I don't know that we will ever do anything like this ever again. The views were spectacular and the boys were like dogs with their heads hanging out the windows the entire time. I think this should be an option for traveling the world.. you don't miss a thing!~

~When we arrived, we drove around the small island, ate some delicious crepes, and then made it to the far end of the island and started getting anxious to see these famous beaches. We came across lighthouses and thatched roof homes while we walked along the sandy path~

~The boys were getting very excited, they love going to the beach.. it was a race to see how fast we could get over the sand dunes to the ocean~

~We came over the dunes and saw some of the most gorgeous beaches I have ever seen. Clean, white sand as far as your eyes could see. The boys could not believe they were in Germany and on this beautiful beach. Who would have thunk?~

~I took Kade and started searching the beach for white agate rocks, and Cole could not wait any longer. He jumped right in the water and started to jump the waves. The weather was perfect, and it did not take too much convincing before we were all in the water having a great time together~

~Nana & Papa enjoyed their time on the beach.. a perfect time in life! Time seemed to just stand still.. all of your worries were washed away~

~I am so glad that we saw the train with the cars on top.. this would have been a horrible destination to miss.. it really was gorgeous here~

~These are the grassy dunes that are all along the island.. the wind was blowing the grass around and it was picture perfect~

~I worry that Kade will not remember all of these adventures that he has had while we have been in Germany.. but that is what photos are for!~

~After a full day on the beach, we decided it was time to head back to our Denmark house. We got one last family photo and then drove our car to the opposite side of the island...enjoying the incredible views as we drove along with the windows down~

~You take a train from the northern most part of Germany, and then you take a ferry boat back into Denmark.. does it get any better than this? The boys don't think so!~

~We drove on and then headed up to the top to sit in the sun. I am so glad that we bought this car.. the 7 seats were priceless.. we sold it one week later. I don't think we will ever have the opportunity to own a car for only 3 weeks ever again! We put 8,000 miles on it in 3 weeks and made $500! Beats a $2,000 car rental~

~It was amazing how different Germany is from Denmark. They border eachother, but have a completely different feel. I am glad we had the chance to see Denmark while we are living here.. it is a beautiful country (the little amount we saw)~

~On our drive home we decided to stop in Hamburg, Germany and eat some delicious "Hamburgers" - we are so silly :) What an absolutely amazing weekend!~

~My Baby Blue~

2009-08-17T10:50:00.044+02:00

~We had originally planned on going to Switzerland.. but while we were in France we asked Mom & Dad if they could go anywhere in Europe... where would it be? We quickly changed our plans and decided to go in the opposite direction and head north to Denmark. We stopped at this German village along the way to have lunch and stretch our legs~

~There is a lot of hype about driving on the Autobahn in Germany... although it can be very exciting at times.. we have definitely become quite fond of how fast you can get from point A to point B.. This is not the sight you normally want to see when you are going 100 mph (and being passed like you are standing still)... The driver's side cup holder has a huge German beer in it.. anyone thirsty?~

~We had to document it.. just to prove that we really were going 100 mph while we took the beer picture. This is the standard speed on the Autobahn.. honestly though.. if you drive an Audi wagon..you usually would be going 140 mph.. ahh.. we are going to miss this so much when we come back to the states and have to drive snail slow~

~We arrived into Denmark and it just had such a wonderful feeling here. Very laid back, clean, and welcoming. I am so glad that we were able to come to Denmark and learn a little more about Dad's Danish heritage~

~We drove up to our vacation home and were so excited that it was a huge, old (1595) farmhouse. It was surrounded by acres and acres of wheat and pastures. We were welcomed by the owner and we immediately made ourselves at home~

~Steve made us incredible Italian dinners every night, and we ate outside on the picnic table in front of our house. It was so quiet here, and serenely beautiful~

~The look on Dad's face says it all! We drove the 10 hours up to this area of Denmark so that Dad could see where his relatives once lived. Once we were surrounded by all of Dad's "Peeps"... so many things started to make sense. It was priceless to see how happy he was to be here~

~After our dinner we walked around and looked at the horses and enjoyed being together as a family. The kids played on the swings and we took in the scenery. The boys absolutely loved having Papa around to play with~

~It was going on 10 p.m., but the sun was still giving off so much light. We played many rounds of Bocce ball and then ate some ice cream~

~We really did luck out with weather while Steve's parents were here. We enjoyed this, and many other sunsets while in Denmark~

~It is now after 10 p.m. and we are enjoying some family pictures in the wheat fields around the home~

~Does this look like a happy couple, or what? Mom's lovin' on her Danish man~

~While Steve was eating some of his delicious Italian dinner... he all of a sudden bit down on something really hard :( It was his crown that fell out of his tooth. I told him he needed to make an emergency dental call? Oh wait.. he is the dentist.. he just kept it out, and decided that the exposed tooth could wait a couple of days for him to enjoy the rest of his vacation..hint, hint.. future patients.. he doesn't like to be bothered on his weekends/vacations.. if he can wait.. so can you :)~

~We did some research on a family history website to find out exactly where Papa Mark's ancestors are from in Denmark. We came across a tiny Denmark island called Sonderho... This was where the Anderson family was born and raised - Niels P. Andersen (they changed to Anderson when they arrived in the U.S.) He was Mark's maternal great grandfather. His Grandma Lana's father (who he was very close to)~

~You could see the excitement on Mark's face when we were on this ferry going over to where his family came from. It was a special time for all of us to get this once in a lifetime chance to experience this family history treasure~

~It was so fun to listen to all of the stories that Papa could remember from his Grandma Lana and the Denmark traditions that she passed along. The island doesn't seem like it has changed very much.. so it was very easy to visualize the people of the past~

~We were so happy when we came upon this old antique store. Papa was so excited when he found this old ebleskiver skillet. He remembers when he was a little boy how great it was when his Grandma Lana & his Mother would make these delicious, round Danish pancakes. I cannot wait to get this recipe and try them.. yummy!~

~We also came upon another treasure in this store. We found an antique Danish Clipper Sailboat. Papa's eyes lit up when he saw this. He told us the story about his great grandfather Anderson who had made a boat similar to the one we saw. He said that it sat on the chest of drawers in the bedroom that he slept in as a little boy at his grandmother's house. When we saw how special this was to him... we had to get it for him. I hope my boys remember this boat now when they go and visit their Nana & Papa - and appreciate their family heritage more~

~We all loved the thatched roof cottages in Denmark. The tradition of thatching has been passed down from generation to generation for thousands of years. It was very fun to see these unique roofs made from wheat straw. They say that there are actually advantages to these roofs such as low maintenance(need replaced every 15 years); It is weather resistant.. and can withstand lots of rain; It is also a natural insulator because of all of the thousands of pockets of air that exist between and within the stems on the roof. The air pockets give the roof the ability to insulate in both warm and cold weather. I just think they look awesome..I wonder if I can find someone to do one for me in Oregon?~

~It looked like a painting to me everywhere we looked. I loved the long grass that blew in the breeze, the boats and the water.. it was peaceful & picturesque~

~This cute little boy came flying down through town on his bike and came running out to the water with his little net. He could not speak English.. but he showed the boys exactly what was in the water.. they loved it~

~This boy is a great example of what you look like when you are born in Denmark. There was so much blonde hair around with these bright blue eyes. This is what Papa looked like when he was a boy. I was wondering where those beautiful, blue eyes of his came from.. and now we all know.. there is a country full of them~

~We had a good time walking through this small cemetery in the center of Sonderho. We wanted to see if we could find anymore of our ancestors names that we could recognize. We were looking for Anderson, Sorenson, & Nielson.. which we found many with this last name. We loved going back in time...remembering our ancestors~

~All the boys standing together in this beautiful, old cemetery. This was a very special experience for us & we really gained a much greater appreciation of our past. There are so many people in our family from hundreds of years ago..who have made such huge sacrifices for us and who lived so much differently than we do today~

~This cart was actually used to pull a little boy around town. It seriously was like time had stood still on this little Denmark island. It was so refreshing and simple~

~In the center of the island was this beautiful windmill..

~Denmark was a fabulous experience for us. I am so glad that we got to do this trip of a lifetime with Nana & Papa. It meant so much more going with Papa and getting to hear the stories and experience the sentimental moments together~

~Now we understand Papa & his "peeps" just a little bit better. We now understand so much of why he is so wonderful and what traits he picked up from his amazing Denmark relatives~

~Incredibly enjoyed this time together as a family.. but all good things have to come to an end..this place will always hold a very special place in our hearts~

~French Riviera & Provence~

2009-07-30T11:58:00.056+02:00

~We drove into Genova, Italy down some very narrow, cobblestone streets in search of our bed & breakfast... these are the stairs that went up to it ~ The views were amazing out our windows~

~Our room was up in the attic of the house.. the boys immediately got on their bellies and enjoyed the views from the windows~

~Genova is world-famous for their pesto.. so we made sure to order meals filled with this incredible, green sauce. After a delicious Italian dinner right on the water, we decided to walk along and enjoy the sunset and the Mediterranean views - we were so excited to be able to have this adventure with Nana & Papa~

~We slept good, ate a "great" European breakfast, and we were ready for a short drive to Cannes, France along the French Riviera. It was a beautiful drive~

~Steve & I got us all checked into our fabulous apartment in Cannes (location = perfection), and Nana & Papa headed straight to the beaches.. the boys loved being with their Papa~

~We took the train to a small town outside of Nice, and then did a hike back to Monaco and Monte Carlo.. it had us walking along the coast the whole time. Steve conveniently only remembers avoiding dog poop on the path and the smell of dog pee.. but we thought it was beautiful.. damn those travel guide books~

~Just enjoying France with my boyfriend~

~Cole & Kade loved throwing rocks into the water. We stopped here on our hike and had a picnic lunch. Steve (Papa Bear) loved exloring on the rock with Cole (Bear Cub)~

~It was very fun to take the train around and visit different towns along the Riviera~

~We sat in the seats.. and the boys decided to ride up on the luggage racks.. we were being pretty obnoxious.. but it really was tons of fun~

~The next day we decided to spend a full day on the beach.. the boys loved playing in the sand with their dad.. and Cole loved swimming in the ocean - he is a little fish~

~We spent a full day on this gorgeous beach.. so we were beat. Ice cream always makes for a great treat on a hot day~

~This fancy, black Mercedes did not want anyone to park next to it, so it took up two spaces in the parking garage. This green car did not appreciate that.. so it squeezed in and parked less than an inch away from it... ya gotta love the French! This is something that Steve would definitely have done... shimmying his way in there.. nobody tells Steve "Not Possible".. he would have loved the challenge & thrill of it~

~The cemeteries are so gorgeous in Europe.. I think I might know where I want to be buried. Do you think they would be willing to serve "Freedom Fries" at my funeral?~

~We visited a beautiful, medieval town just 30 minutes outside of Cannes.. called Saint Paul de Vence. Everywhere you turned.. it seemed like another perfect picture~

~The cutest couple ever.. enjoying the fountain in this beautiful village~

~Another gorgeous, medieval village to explore.. it was so much fun~

~We were having the best time together and enjoyed exploring this new region~

~It was so fun to be on vacation together. I have never seen dad so relaxed.. it was so peaceful here~

~The picturesque town of Saint Paul de Vence, France~

~We loved the cobblestone streets and the colorful flowers that vined up the side of the old, rock buildings~

~Another McLean family adventure.. I love making these memories together~

~The 3 boys were being very patient as we were going in all of the fun shops~

~This is what Provence is all about... perfection :)~

~The best part about having my mom there was all of the shopping.. much more fun without the boys.. I went home with some beautiful, turquoise French pottery & a gorgeous clock~

~The views outside the medieval walls were amazing. Acres upon acres of vineyards, crops, & flowers~

~Here we are all together.. loving life~

~We did one last scenic walk along the coast and enjoyed this incredible sunset~

~You know you are in a very wealthy area when you walk along the marina and come upon hundreds of incredible yachts!!! These were very impressive.. I cannot comprehend this kind of wealth..~

~Kade loved riding up on Papa's shoulders..the views were better from up there~

~This was our first stop on our drive home.. in the Provence region.. this beautiful medieval village that was definitely a little off the beaten path.. Oppede le vieux, France - tons of lavendar filled the air~

~A great welcome to this spectacular town~

~Getting ready to walk into the old town.. we walked through a beautiful garden full of great smells and tall Cyprus trees~

~High on the hilltop this beautiful, medieval village sits~

~Abandoned building on the side of the hill on the way up to the church at the very top - what would it have been like when this town was full of people back in the day?~

~We loved all of the vineyards.. I would love to have this view from my big, back porch one day.. ahh... to dream big~

~Views of the old church in the background. It was a very warm day, but it was definitely worth it to hike to the top and see this old church and look out to all of the vineyards that surrounded the town. Of course we rewarded ourselves with some $3 cans of coke..it is just "funny money" anyways.. right?~

~We really did have the best time together - this is a gorgeous area of France~

~It is a tradition to drive our car through the stone wall entrances..here ye.. here ye.. we have arrived in the big American family car~

~You walk through the old town wall.. and then come upon this quiet, gorgeous town~

~Our second stop along the way was in another breathtaking medieval town - Perouges, France ~

~I loved touring through France - something new around every corner.. I did not want this trip to end - Life is good... real, real good~

~One church in town.. where they all go to celebrate God~

~Why can't we just move in? I would love a life tucked away in a small town like this... do you think they have to worry about the economy? I hope not~

~They love these adventures together - they are great friends - lucky for us! We have a picture like this of the two of them from the first month that we moved to Germany.. so fun to see how much they have changed.. they have both grown up a lot since we moved to Europe~

~Beauty beyond my comprehension~

~I loved watching the boys walk along the cobblestone streets.. I was wishing that I could go inside their thoughts as they took in all of these beautiful creations that God has provided us all~

~Papa & Cole enjoying France together.. the boys will remember this trip with Nana & Papa for the rest of their lives~

~I love how old all of the building are... it allows you take a step back in history~

~We enjoyed some regional pastries.. (warm cinnamon & sugar pizza).. then took one last picture.. walked one last stroll through this beautiful town and headed home~

~We were driving along and saw acres and acres of sunflowers.. we had to get a picture.. this was a perfect ending to a perfect trip.. the smiles say it all :)

~The {LOVE} Boat... days 1, 2, 3, & 4~

2009-07-20T17:43:00.022+02:00

~We arrived in Rome, Italy for our 10 year anniversary - 10 Day Eastern Mediterranean cruise. I was feeling pretty sassy with my suitcase.. and it made it so easy to find everywhere we went. It was our first cruise and we had the time of our lives! It will definitely be the first of many, many cruises that we go on~

~We did these "feet" pictures on every stop along the way! Not a bad view out our window... the fun was just beginning~

~Rules, Safety, Rules, Safety.. why do I have such a hard time taking this stuff seriously? We could not start the cruise without an emergency evacuation drill. I had my vest on all wrong.. we made it obvious we didn't watch the safety video on our tv :( Busted!~

~And we are off! The sun was shining.. the breeze was blowing.. let the relaxation begin! I am telling you... cruising is the life!~

~It was so fun to sit out on our balcony and see these beautiful islands as we cruised along to our next stop~

~First Stop...Dubrovnic, Croatia~

~It was a beautiful town with a fortress wall completely surrounding the old town~

~Enjoying our first stop.. so many new things to see~

~We did our best to get off the beaten path and enjoy some sights that we could enjoy all on our own~

~Our second port stop was in Corfu, Greece. We decided to do the "Kickin Corfu" excursion where we got to take some jeeps and get off the beaten path and see parts of this island that you would never get to see any other way. We loved the adventure!

~We got high up on the hill and this is what we were able to see. Greece is a gorgeous place. The water was so blue/green~

~You cannot come to Greece and not enjoy some of the delicious baklava - it was very good~

~More views from our jeep excursion!~

~This was our jeep team! Luckily for Steve.. our friends did not know how to drive a manual. He was thrilled that he got to be in control. Lots of honking, close encounters with other cars, and plenty of laughs~

~This is the old town of Corfu, Greece. I loved the rooftops, and all of the history~

~Old Town - Corfu, Greece~

~We definitely picked the most perfect time to go to Greece. The flowers were all bright and in bloom and the weather was perfect. Not too hot, and blue skies daily~

~The {LOVE} Boat.... Days 5 & 6~

2009-07-20T16:39:00.025+02:00

~Our third port stop was in Katakolon, Greece. This place is most famous for the archeological site of Olympia, where the ancient Olympic Games were held. We decided to team up with our friends and rent a car to get us out to the sites~

~We could not visit the ancient Olympic site without a little race of our own. We were so lucky to meet some fantastic friends on our cruise.. this is John & Leah - but of course I won!~

~On your mark, get set.... go!!!!! It was amazing to be able to see these things that you hear so much about. It really brought a new light to ancient times~

~Katakolon, Greece (Olympia)~

~Katakolon had some beautiful beaches to enjoy. After our Olympic tour.. we headed for a swim in the beautiful Mediterranean~

~Our fourth port stop was by far the best of all the places we went. Santorini, Greece. I could not have dreamed it up any better. I insisted that we take the donkey up the long, curvey walkway. The worker insisted that Steve get on this donkey because he was naughty. A one-eyed, old man walked that donkey the entire (long, steep) way up~

~Can my smile get any bigger? I LOVED it!!!! So much fun! What an experience! My donkey was naughty also. He would sneak up behind those that were walking and push them with his nose.. I could not stop him, and made a thousand apologies to people the whole way up~

~Santorini, Greece... the most gorgeous of all places I have ever seen. You need to see it for yourselves!~

~White buildings along the cliff overlooking the most beautiful, blue water you have ever seen. Picture perfect~

~The smiles say it all. When I dreamed of my 10 year anniversary in Greece.. this is exactly what I had in mind. We will definitely be back~

~Marvelous Santorini, Greece~

~Ahhh.... the colors!~

~We decided that the best way to get around this magnificent Greek island was by scooter. Of course we had to get the one with the most power. We zoomed all along and went from one tip of the island to the next. So much fun. I decided to let Steve take charge, so I rode "bitch" (on the back)~

~This will be a day that will never be forgotten. I was so filled with happiness and peace. I was loving every single day & adventure of this cruise and the joy of waking up at a new, spectacular place every single day~

~Santorini, Greece... better then my dreams...~

~Just loving spending time with my honey on this gorgeous island :)~

~Santorini, Greece... I have already started planning my next trip to come back~

~The highlight to the entire cruise...I felt like I was starring in "Mamma Mia" or "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" - they were both filmed here~

~Looking pretty sassy with our fancy helmets on... I learned earlier on in the cruise... Safety First!~

~The {LOVE} Boat...Days 7, 8, 9 & 10 ~

2009-07-20T08:18:00.014+02:00

~Our fifth port stop was in Kusadasi, Turkey - so much different than our stop in Santorini, Greece... and we really did not have a lot of expecations.. but it ended up being one of the most fun days of the whole trip~

~You could tell you were in Turkey right when you got off the cruise ship. Lots of people begging for your business and wanting you to go in their shops. The most famous thing to do in this town is to see Ephesus. We were not sure if we wanted to.. but a little afraid we would regret it if we didn't. We got "taunted" the entire 5 blocks up off the ship about taxi rides. We continued to say no until we got asked by just the right person... He offered us a ride in his Impala taxi to see the ancient Turkish city of Ephesus... you would have thought the impala had a halo around it.... how can you pass that up?! Priceless :)~

~We know that you are all thinking... what the heck are they doing on these ancient ruin pedestals from 6 BC? But isn't it an excellent photo? Yes, we did get yelled at for our poor decision. No regrets!~

~Ephesus - ancient Greek city in modern day Turkey. Home to the Temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of that ancient world. And probably more relevant, home to the Ephesians, whom Paul wrote to in the New Testament while imprisoned in Rome~

~In front of the Library of Celcus in Ephesus~

~Library of Celcus~

~The Theater (Ephesus)
This magnificent classical theater is considered an important biblical site: the probable place where Paul preached to the pagans in Acts. It is still in use and can seat thousands~

~The Theater with other surrounding ruins~

~You cannot come to Turkey and not experience a real Turkish Bath. The boys came out with huge smiles on their faces and we still laugh from the events that took place inside :)~

~We had agreat time at Ephesus, in the fabulous Impala with Deniz our personal tour guide, lets not forget he famous Turkish Bath, and lots of good shopping... we loved Turkey~

~We loved the sunsets from the boat. Most of the time we would watch it from the hot tub, or from our balcony in our room... can I just go back tomorrow? Anyone want to join us on our next cruise?~

~Our sixth stop was in Athens, Greece. This is a huge and very busy city.. but you have to see the ancient sites. It was an easy metro ride to get us there~

~We made it to the Parthenon on the Acropolis... it was an amazing site~

~I am so glad that we got to see the Parthenon... an extraordinary creation. Dating back to 6th century BC.. the history of these sites is something else~

~Parthenon, Acropolis - Athens, Greece~

~One more country we grew to love.... we will definitely be going back to Greece~

~Do we look fat & happy or what? We cruised on Holland America and we really could not have been happier. The service was out of this world, the food was incredible, the entertainment and services..... I have never been treated like royalty until I stepped foot on this ship. We went here every night to listen to our favorite guitar player & singer~

~Our 7th port stop was in Sicily. I wish that we had more photos... between the donkey ride up and down, the scooter ride for 7 hours, and the game of volleyball at the very top of the boat for 3 hours.... I put out my back :( When we stopped here.. I could barely walk. This is all we got. Luckily we only had a few hours here so I didn't feel that bad~

~The towel creations were always a fun surprise to find when we would come in our room after they tucked it down each night for us. I miss not having to lift a finger~

~The workers on this ship were the hardest working people I have ever seen. The rooms were always perfect (cleaned a couple of times a day), the food was outstanding - so much fun to eat these fancy meals all day long, this was definitely the best way to celebrate our 10 year anniversary. So much fun!~

~Yodelay-hee-hoo~

2009-06-16T14:50:00.040+02:00

~Hotel Pension Gimmelwald in the Jungfrau region near Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland! This is a place that everyone should visit at least once in their lives! I will definitely be back. I think we will spend the 4th of July here. Loved it!~

~I love this little muscle man / boy!~

~I wish he would walk more on his own... he does sometimes.. but not always! But we were not going to let this slow us down~

~We had the best time with the William's family! The boys had so much fun having friends to play with - and we loved sharing this experience with them. We have been so blessed having such wonderful friends in Germany~

~Family photo in front of the view that we enjoyed for 4 days! I honestly don't think it gets better! I say this.. and then I go to another location and continue to be amazed!~

~The sunsets with the pink on the mountains... priceless!~

~This is the cable car we took up to our hotel... it also continues on to the very top of the mountain~

~We ate a picnic lunch at this beautiful location on two days - I don't think it gets any better than this~

~We made it to the top! Don't look down!~

~Magnificent mountain views along one of our hikes~

~This was right next to the cable car that you ride up to our hotel. This entertained the kids for many, many hours. Nothing like a playground on top of the world!~

~We rode the cable car up to the very top of the Schilthorn Mountains. You could see all the way to Italy, France, Austria & Germany~

~We have not spent much time in Switzerland... but now we know why so many people love it! We will definitely return soon!~

~We really loved this vacation... we have never been so close to such amazing mountains... views were spectacular~

~One of my favorite things about being in the mountains is how incredibly quiet & still it is. And then then you would be able to hear the sounds of cow bells all around you. This was quite the collection~

~Steve just got done holding them up by their feet and "dipping" them in head first under the water. That will cool you down for sure!~

~Two best friends just enjoying the view!~

~We had our hiking poles, good attitudes, & we made lots of fabulous memories.. I love my boys! They loved the adventure, and also finding the red & white signs along the trail to help us know we were headed in the right direction~

~Just taking a short break to cool off in the river - brrrrrr!~

~On this hike we saw about 15 waterfalls as we hiked down the mountain~

~We had so much fun going on hikes each day. With so many beautiful sights around each corner~

~You cannot be on the top of the Alps in Switzerland and not have some chocolate Fondu - yummy! We ate dinner at these tables with this view every single night. Perfection~

~It really does not get any better than this.. bury me here when I die... please~

~It was freezing, but it felt so good to cool down~

The weather was so beautiful we could not pass up a stop at this beautiful lake on the way home from our Switzerland adventure! Another fabulous time together with our friends & family~

Have I ever told you I {LOVE} you?

2009-05-21T07:44:00.026+02:00

~Today is our 10 Year Anniversary. My heart is full thinking of all of the amazing things I want to say about Steve.. I won't do that to you all.. but I just want to let all of you know that I truly feel like the luckiest women in the entire world. My husband is the perfect match for me.. and I am definitely living my ultimate dream life. I feel blessed every single day that I get to spend my life with my best friend - who just completely "gets" me. All I can say is wow! I love you more and more every day. You are the best "Bears".. I am glad I have a million more years with you!

~" A happy marriage has in it all the pleasures of friendships, all the enjoyment of sense and reason - and indeed all the sweets of life."~

~" Grow old along with me, the best is yet to be."~

~" I've noticed that being with you, I smile more often, I anger a little less quickly, the sun shines a little brighter, and life is so much sweeter. For being with you takes me to a different place: a place called love."~

~" I love you with all of my heart, body, and soul. You make my life worth living. To have known you and to have loved you has been the most beautiful dream. I can only hope that I never wake up."~

~" You learn to like someone when you find out what makes them laugh, but you can never truly love someone until you find out what makes them cry."~

~" I believe that two people are connected at the heart, and it doesn't matter what you do, or who you are, or where you live; there are no boundaries or barriers if two people are destined to be together."~

~" I love you for everything that you say and do. I love you for the happiness I feel when you are beside me. I love you because when you are near, the whole world is meaningful."~

~Family Picture Adventure~

2009-05-18T19:49:00.027+02:00

~We have been very long overdue to go and have some family pictures taken. My very talented, and very kind friend, Lisa told me that she would take some pictures for us. She thought that her town of Wildberg would be a great location. We were very happy with the way these turned out, and had a very good time doing it! Thank you so much Lisa for giving us a gift that will last a lifetime~

~Take Me Out To The Ballgame~

2009-05-10T16:57:00.006+02:00

~There is absolutely nothing better than sitting in my chair on a warm, spring day watching my Smoles play baseball! He is loving his team and the coach is terrific. I was a little nervous about going from T-ball to coach pitch this year.. and it has gone really well. I am a proud momma... I see years and years of watching sports in my future... sign me up! You gotta love having athletic boys~

~Frohe Ostern~

2009-04-21T09:03:00.015+02:00

~Frohe Ostern from the McLeans. We had a beautiful, sunny day and the boys had a lot of fun getting surprises all day long. On Easter-eve when I was putting Kade to bed.. he started crying hysterically and began begging me to please say a prayer asking the Easter Bunny to please leave the chocolate on the doorstep instead of coming inside the house. It felt a little silly giving this request during the prayer.. but it worked and put him at peace. When the boys woke up they ran to the door and saw that not only had the Easter Bunny brought them some wonderful chocolate surprises.. they each received two other baskets from our amazing neighbors who dropped off some delicious treats and toys for the boys. We had a wonderful day at church and were reminded of the beautiful reasons we celebrate this Easter Sunday... our Savior, Jesus Christ. After church, the boys put a request in for a picnic lunch on a blanket in our backyard. When we got outside, we realized that our sweet, old neighbors next door had hid Easter eggs all over the backyard for our boys. These were the eggs that come from the chickens in our backyard.. and the boys had such a great time searching and finding. What would we have done without these amazing neighbors? We are so incredibly blessed with these generous people around us~

~After a delicious picnic lunch, egg hunt, and jumping on the trampoline... the boys got out their bikes and we went on a bike ride. Cole is so proud that he no longer needs training wheels because he taught himself how to ride a couple of months ago. It is hysterical watching him ride down the street... as fast as he can.. and doing tricks.. legs out, no hands on the handlebars.. it brings back fun memories from my childhood. Kade is loving his European bike. They do things differently here and start their young kids on these bikes that have no pedals. They focus on learning balance before the pressures of having to learn how to pedal. You can really get going fast on these little bikes~

~It was time for bed and I had the boys in their pjs when we got a ring at our door. The boys ran downstairs and were greeted by another set of neighbors who told the boys to come outside and find a basket that they hid for them - more treats to enjoy. Another fun surprise to end a perfectly, wonderful day~

{Lasterday}

2009-04-12T17:07:00.033+02:00

~"Lasterday" is one of my most favorite words that Kade says all the time. It is a combination of "last year" & "yesterday". It actually is a great use of words.. because wouldn't you agree that sometimes life goes by so fast that you cannot believe that it was really "last year"... or when life seems to stand still and go by really slow.. and yet it was just "yesterday"? This pretty much sums up the six wonderful years that I have had the incredible opportunity to be a mother. I feel it has been the most spectacular blessing in my life. I have had so much time to just enjoy my boys this past week.. and it makes my heart go pitter-patter just thinking about how much joy these two amazing, little boys bring into my life. Before bed each night they hug eachother and say..."thank you for being my best friend".. and this is exactly what they are.

I love to watch them playing, exploring, laughing & enjoying eachother's company. I could not have dreamed this up any better. They get so excited when they are reunited.. their eyes light up and they get the biggest smiles on their faces. They are so different, and yet so much the same. I spend many, many hours wondering what they will be like in 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 years... will they still choose eachother first? Will they still stick up for one another? Will they still say "thanks for being my best friend" before bed each night? All I know is that they said it "Lasterday"... and that is all that matters... I wish that life would just stand still... they are growing up way too quickly.

~In {LOVE} with London~

2009-04-01T14:43:00.117+02:00

~I was definitely counting down the days until my next adventure to London. There were five friends together on this trip.. and we were all very excited to be without kids and without any stress for 4 whole days. We walked up pulling our suitcases and came upon this beautiful hotel. Always a great way to start your vacation when you love where you are staying. The best part about this adventure was that I had no expectations, and no shedules {the "C" is silent in England} to have to stick to..priceless~

~Of course the first thing that caught my eye were all of the red double-decker buses zooming around quickly down the busy streets. No matter how many I saw, they always put a smile on my face. Of course when we would get on.. I always wanted to head up the narrow stairs and sit on the top level.. much more to see from up there. Although it was life threatening making it down the stairs while the bus was coming to our stop... it was definitely worth the risk~

~I loved these British cars that filled the streets. I felt like I was in an old-fashioned movie watching them all whiz by while I walked down the sidewalks. We even got to ride in these cars a couple of times when we would take a taxi around the city. It took a lot of getting used to seeing the drivers sitting on the "wrong" side of the car, and watching them drive down the "wrong" side of the road. The best advice I received was how important it was to remember to look to the right when crossing the street.. wow, it is a good thing they painted "Look To The Right" on the road... because I forgot every single time.. habits are hard to break~

~Why don't all phone booths look like this? I love the bright red booths that just scream London! If I lived here, I would have a hard time carrying a cell phone because I would always want to go inside this sassy phone booth to make all of my most important phone calls. I really hope that they never have to do away with these due to underutilization, right now they are scattered all over the city - you definitely cannot miss them...thank heavens~

~London definitely loves their Lions. They have statues throughout the city. These also represent their local sport's team mascots. They have become a popular symbol for London, and in the background is a very popular tourist attraction, the London Eye. This Lion stands tall & strong at the entrance of the London Bridge, welcoming everyone to the beautiful sights they are about to behold~

~At the end of the day we definitely were exhausted. Lots of sightseeing, walking, & shopping. When we came into our rooms this is what we saw. They had come in and tucked down our beds and placed a chocolate on our blanket. I don't know what it was about this tiny little chocolate coin, but it was the perfect mix of milk chocolate, crunch and mint... ahh the little things we receive in life to put a perfect end to our perfect days in London...I guess I enjoy being pampered~

~Just taking a break to make one of those important phone calls... I tried to reach you all to tell you how much fun I was having.. but I could not get the call to go through - so I decided to go shopping instead ;-) ~

~I must say that the shopping is wonderful in London. Oxford Street is one of the most popular streets with fabulous stores lining both sides of the street. You could find anything... shoes, scarves, dresses, cosmetics, chocolate, accessories, & tea.. to name a few. One of the things you stop doing when you become a mom (especially a mom to boys - their hate for shopping starts at a very early age) is shopping. I loved walking into any store that I wanted.. no whining, no tugging, no tantrums.. just pure, uninterrupted shopping. We spent almost one full day walking amongst the locals down the Oxford Street sidewalks with lots of bags in our hands, and of course we were giggling about the deals we were finding and the delight this brought to us~

~After a full day of shopping, we decided that we could not come to London and not enjoy a delightful Afternoon Tea. The Orangery at Kensington Palace offers one of the finest tea experiences. We enjoyed cucumber and cream cheese sandwiches, fruit scones with Cornish clotted cream & strawberry jam, and finished it all off with delicious chocolate cake with fresh whipped cream... of course served with a fresh pot of chamomile tea. The view inside and outside was beautiful. Our visit was wonderful~

~We are standing in front of the Kensington Palace which is a royal residence set in the beautiful Kensington Gardens. It has been a residence of the British Royal Family since the 17th century. Today it is the official residence of The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester; the Duke and Duchess of Kent; and Prince and Princess Michael of Kent. Kensington Palace is also used on an unofficial basis by Prince Henry. Until 1997, it was the official residence of Diana, Princess of Wales.

~We enjoyed a beautiful walk and watched the sunset in the park after our tea~

~One of my most favorite parts of our trip was watching the Broadway musical, Wicked. It was amazing and very entertaining. The voices were incredible, the costumes were spectacular & it was definitely something not to be missed. I am a huge fan of the Wizard of Oz movie, so I really found this musical fantastic and it was very fun to get to experience the Apollo Victoria Theatre in London's West End~

~We had to see if it was possible to get us all in the phone booth.. a little tight, but mission accomplished~

~London has a terrific underground train system that zooms you along to any destination you need to get to. We used the London Tube many times on our trip. I must say it was very clean and there was not one time that I felt unsafe or uncomfortable.. OK, not true about being uncomfortable.. we were sometimes very, very close to one another with not even a little wiggle room.. nobody is a stranger on the London Tube~

~On Saturday we decided to spend a full day being hardcore tourists. We bought our tickets for the double decker tour bus that promised to give us lots of valuable information and drop us off at all of the most famous stops in London~

~London's Chinatown is in the Soho area. It contains a number of Chinese restaurants, bakeries, supermarkets, souvenir shops, and other Chinese-run businesses. I was not brave enough to try the pig intestines that were so beautifully displayed in the store windows. There's always next time...~

~Trafalgar Square is a famous square in central London. With its position in the heart of London, it is a tourist attraction; at its center is Nelson's Column which stands guarded by four lion statues at its base~

~Big Ben is the nickname for the great bell of the clock at the north-eastern end of the Palace of Westminster in London. The nickname is often also used to refer to the clock and the clock tower. This is the world's largest four-faced, chiming clock and the third largest free-standing clock tower in the world~

~The London Eye captures the public's imagination. It brings a rush of excitement because it is 443 feet tall. It is the biggest Ferris wheel in Europe, and has become the most popular paid tourist attraction in the United Kingdom, visited by over three million people in one year. Paris has the Eiffel Tower, New York the Empire State building, and now London has the London Eye - an extraordinary symbol for an extraordinary city~

~This is the famous London Bridge over the Thames River that we all know about from the "London Bridges Falling down" song~

~Tower Bridge is a suspension bridge over the River Thames. It is close to the Tower of London, which gives it its name. It has become an iconic symbol of London. Tower Bridge is sometimes mistakenly referred to as London Bridge, which is actually the next bridge upstream~

~Another requirement when you come to London is visiting a pub and eating fish-n-chips! We went into The Minories Pub which is tucked below the railway line. I unfortunately did not know this, and while we were eating I almost jumped under the table because I thought we were having an earthquake. This pub has the original arches & brick work above you and gorgeous flagstone floor below you. It had a great atmosphere and delicious food~

~Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London is a historic monument in central London on the north bank of the River Thames. The tower's primary function was a fortress, a royal palace, and a prison. It has also served as a place of execution and torture, an armoury, a treasury, a zoo, the Royal Mint, a public records office, an observatory, and since 1303, the home of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom~

~The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament is where the two Houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom meet. The palace lies on the north bank of the River Thames. The palace contains around 1,100 rooms, 100 staircases and 3 miles of corridors~

~ Westminster Abbey is a large & very beautiful, mainly Gothic church. It is famous throughout the world as one of the greatest churches, and draws visitors from all corners of the globe. The Abbey used to have a policy of asking for donations from visitors as a way of admittance, but they now charge for admission. I have a big problem with being asked to pay an admission fee to Westminster Abbey or any other church for that matter~

~Kara, Lisa, me, Kathleen, Cindy~
~I was finally able to find enjoyment from eating at restaurants once again! We ate some delicious meals while in London. Incredible Indian, Tastey Spanish Tapas, fantastic fish-n-chips, awesome Afternoon Tea... the list goes on and on. We had a fun time talking and reminicsing about our day. What I will definitely not miss is the traditional English breakfast. I hope to never see another runny, watery, scrambled egg with baked beans and sausage links ever again...yuckers~

~On our last night there I didn't want to pass up on doing a night walk along the River Thames. We stopped and had some delicious chocolate cake and then continued down along the river. It was very entertaining to see the nightlife in London.. lots of clubbers in costumes and people out having a good time. I loved seeing Big Ben and the London Eye all lit up. Definitely an amazing way to end this trip~

~If we look tired, it's because we were. We did our walk and lost track of time. We were down in the London Underground (the Tube).. and since it was 3 a.m. we missed the last train. We went back up to the street and took a double decker bus as close as we could to our hotel... it was definitely an adventure... and I was very glad that I got to sleep in the next morning~

~We had a beautiful, sunny day on our last day. I was very sad to leave, but had an incredible time on this trip. The only thing that I wanted to do that we hadn't yet was seeing the Changing of the Guards at Buckingham Palace. We were running a little late so we ended up taking a taxi.. it was like being on a very scary roller coaster ride. I think I encouraged the driver a little too much by giggling and putting my arms up in the back seat. There were so many people there.. more than I expected. We were able to get these pictures by asking some girls if we could swap places with them for a few good shots. I am glad that we saw it.. it felt like a requirement on a trip to London. This ladies Lodon trip was even better than I dreamt it would be.. I will definitely be going back... with Steve~

~My Cole-e-berto~

2009-03-17T07:34:00.006+01:00

~If you want your heart to go pitter-patter, than you just need to spend a few minutes with my Cole-e-berto! This is one of the sweetest boys you will ever meet. He has the kindest heart of any boy I have ever seen. Cole had a great time playing on the Stuttgart Blue Knights team this year~

~Steve unfortunately, was not able to be Cole's team coach this year, which was a little hard for Cole... but we were very impressed to see how much he has improved from last year. The biggest difference was that the kids were no longer able to just run with the ball and make shots. This time they were actually called for traveling... so they had to dribble the ball non-stop - which takes a lot of coordination for these little kids.. but they did awesome!~

~The coach was getting confused because he kept telling Cole that he needed to pick a dribbling hand.. which is going to keep confusing coaches for many more years... Cole actually does sports all with his left hand.. but everything else in life he does with his right hand.. I think that this will one day be a good thing..I think we definitely have a switch hitter on our hands!~

~I love to take Cole to the little center of our tiny village where he catches the big tour bus for school. Every day he sits in the seat where I can see him, and before they drive away.. he puts up his "I love you" with his fingers and gives me the secret code - 3 blinks with his eyes.. this is our little secret.. "I love you" for each blink... I love this little guy with all of my heart. He has been my life saver while Steve has been away.. and taken on a lot of his dad's responsibilities around the house. The one he has taken the most seriously is giving me some giant hugs before he goes to bed. He gives me two.. one from him and one from Steve.. my heart just melts every night~

~Kade.. My Little Kookie Monster~

2009-03-13T21:01:00.005+01:00

~I had the wonderful opportunity to get some time without my boys today. I went and had a very fun day shopping and going to lunch with my girlfriend. I have been so incredibly lucky since I have been in Germany to find some great friends. I am even more excited now because I have a good friend who is willing to do babysitting swaps with me.. and our kids play very well together. I was told that Kade was being a very big helper in the kitchen and was very excited about making cookies~

~They were FINALLY in the oven.. and he called his friend McKay over to watch the oven, they were trying to see if watching them could make them cook faster~

~The warm chocolate chip cookies were done and out of the oven.. and tell me these don't look like some VERY happy boys!~

~If I give you this really sweet look... can I please have another? Thanks so much Tracie for watching Kade and for making him such a happy little monster~

**Next Adventure** - A ladies trip to London at the end of this month! I am counting down the days.. we are ready to go and see a musical, shop, eat, ride the double decker bus... oh, I wish it would get here faster!

~Can We Really Scare Away The Winter?~

2009-02-16T20:24:00.020+01:00

~Fasching, Carneval or Mardi-Gras, no matter what you call it, many cultures throughout the world celebrate the pre-Lenten season with elaborate celebrations and revelry. Whether intended as one last fling before the fasting and austerity of lent or just to scare away the evil spirits of winter and bring in the warm spring - it is definitely not to be missed. We had a fun filled day of great food, spirits and entertainment. We had the chance to see the witches, goblins and fools come out to play. We had to watch out for the witches, they like to play jokes on the spectators by untying shoes and putting hay down your back. We were definitely up for trying anything at this point to scare away the winter.. it has been a very cold and snow filled couple of months in Germany~

~And since the parade didn't work to scare away the cold, we decided to enjoy the warmth from friends and loved ones and just enjoy it...

~Steve was kind and sent me some arm warmers for Valentine's Day.. I love them! Thank you bears.. I love you & Happy Valentine's Day. Sad we were not able to spend this one together, but glad that our friends were there to come to our rescue this year~

~I came downstairs in the morning and the boys wished me a Happy Valentine's Day with a love song and a sweet note.. I love my boys.. they definitely warmed my heart~

~Is there anything more precious than a homemade valentine from your son? I was so happy when he gave this to me. I also found this beautiful plant and some fresh pastries on my porch.. I was feeling the love.. we were off to a great start~

~Our neighbors rang the doorbell and asked if we wanted to build an igloo with them - we had a bunch of new snow fall over night. The boys had fun helping to fill the buckets and were very proud of their igloo~

~Kade was having the best time. He just got done hitting me in the face with a snowball.. can you tell he felt really bad?~

~We were finally done.. and then our neighbor said that he wanted to add a curtain to the door.. and this is what he came out with! Happy Valentine's Day & God Bless America - I love it!~

~We came inside and had hot chocolate with marshmellows and then the doorbell rang again.. we had more visitors! Our friends came by with a bag full of our favorite treats and gave us an invitation for a candlelight dinner at their house that night. We were so happy, and we were so touched that so many people were so kind to us today. I will take the winter.. if it can be filled with so much love and warmth~

~Going Back To Where The Magic Started~

2009-02-16T19:34:00.018+01:00

~We thought it would be fun taking Jesse to college and doing a road trip to Rexburg, Idaho where the magic all started for us! After a very fun 13 hours in the car we drove into town. Every single hotel was completely booked - after begging the front desk guy at the Days Inn at 1 a.m. to let us stay there, he finally gave us his last room - with one King bed..so much for a romantic getaway before our four months of separation, but I laughed so hard this night I would not have wanted it any other way~

~We both showed up in 1995 studying Landscape Horticulture and having almost every class together. I got butterflies in my stomach every time he would talk to me or sit next to me.. I went back to Rexburg in 1999 and was so happy we were able to reconnect.. we have so many wonderful memories of our times laughing and hanging out together at good ol' Ricks College USA~

~I felt like the ol' mom and ol' dad, who are so proud to send their son off to college. We took Jesse to the bookstore to try to get him set up with his books and we told him we would buy him his first college sweatshirt. He had many choices.. but our boy did us proud and chose the only Ricks College sweatshirt in the store.. who are we kidding, why mess with a good thing?~

~We spent a lot of time at our favorite restaurants.. a lot of things had changed about this town, but to me it was pretty much the same old place. And I was very happy that Gringo's salsa was still as delicious as I remembered it from 10 years ago~

~As soon as we saw the Maverick Convenient store, we had to stop. This is what got Steve through school. He was up so late every night and in order to study they would take their 64 oz. "Mav" mugs in to get their refills of Mt. Dew for a quarter! I had to come home with some souvenirs from our trip. They have now replaced the 64 oz. mug with the 100 oz. mug!!! Can you even imagine what this would do to you?~

~After spending two days in Rexburg, walking around campus, going to our favorite restaurants, walking through our classroom buildings and greenhouses.. we decided it was time to get going. On our way out of town, we looked down at the temperature gauge and we saw -11 degrees!! We love this town for the magic it created for us.. but we will never miss that kind of cold weather.. now that is bitter cold~

~And this is what was waiting for us when we got home.. I am so glad that we got to go and walk down memory lane, and so glad that one day we will have the chance to see magic happen like this for our boys~

~We sent Steve off to Missouri for 4 months, but the magic still continues.. we miss & love you Steve(Dad)~

~Christmas {Wishes}~

2009-01-29T08:06:00.043+01:00

~We all were {wishing} that we would have a white Christmas, enjoy the Christmas spirit, and have a wonderful time together as a family....

~Cole {wishes} that his Uncle Matt lived here in Germany so that they could go on great boy adventures every day and that they could work on big trucks together~

~Kade {wished} that he could stop putting all of this candy on this silly gingerbread house and just eat it instead.. what kind of dirty trick is this?~

~We {wish} that we lived closer to our family so that our kids could play every day together and make memories~

~Your Mom & Dad are {wishing} they could hit the fast forward button 10 years and see if you two are still the best of friends - what amazing brothers you are~

~The kids were {wishing} when they went to bed that night.. that Santa would love their cookies, and that the reindeers would be able to fly better after they ate their carrots. And of course they {wished} that they had been even better that year so that they could have received even more toys from Santa~

~Cole {wishes} very badly that he could have a cat and a dog. He is sick and tired of hearing the same old "the Landlord won't let us have pets" answer he keeps getting from his parents. My boys love animals - their Mom & Dad don't love the hair~

~Kade {wishes} that every morning of every day he could wake up to a giant hug and kiss from his Nana! I love you Nana~

~Kade is {wishing} that he could be a rock star when he grows up, and that he could eat chocolate candy bars for breakfast every day.. not just on Christmas morning! Believe me.. so does your Mom on both of these {wishes}~

~Cole & Kade were {wishing} that they could stay in their pjs all day and play with their new toys. Oh the joy when our {wishes} come true~

~Cole was {wishing} that he was as good at real bowling as he is at Wii bowling. He also {wishes} that he would have been more patient with his cousin Maryn..maybe they are just a little too competitive and know how to push eachother's buttons???~

~Kristine was {wishing} that she could have started with the 8 layer delicious German chocolate cake.. but don't worry--- she was able to stuff herself silly with it after her lunch - yum, yum, yum! This is our favorite restaurant right outside of Roseburg~

~The adults were {wishing} that they also had rain boots on so that they could splash through all of the water like Cole & Kade! The entire trail was covered in water.. but we didn't give up and made it to the beautiful waterfall~

~Cole was {wishing} that this great adventure would never end~

~Kade was {wishing} that his parents would have brought him a warmer coat when they were packing for Oregon.. who would have thought there would have been record rain, snow, and low temperatures! We did our best to get out at least a few times~

~Kade was {wishing} he could get off this rock. As you can tell.. Kade was just a little scared! His big brother was trying to help him feel safe.. but he was wanting nothing to do with this huge & scary waterfall!

~~~I must say, we had a wonderful Christmas... and it was great to see so many of the {wishes} come true - we'll just have to keep working on the rest of them~~~

~Home For The Holidays in Oregon Part II~

2009-01-20T15:59:00.010+01:00

~It was time to leave the beach for a couple of weeks and join up with the McLean side of the family. There were so many things to look forward to! All of the 5 siblings would finally be together after many years. Wedding, sledding, reunions, so many memories were made on this trip. We all gathered together at this rental house

which was big enough to fit the whole gang~

~The Youngs (Steve's sister Sarah, and her family) were the first ones to arrive! They got in from Atlanta very late.. so we had to welcome them in the morning. The cousins started out being very excited to see eachother and it was very cute to watch them play. This is Cole & Maryn enjoying some good bonding times on the sled~

~We all have been so excited to see Nana & Papa.. but Cole & Kade were out of their heads when they had their pals back! They were able to sneak away to sled before all the events would start to fill the week. They had fun sledding and enjoying all of the snow~

~The boys decided to separate from the women and go and take care of business! This was trip #3 in a week to the airport.. this time it was to welcome the arrival of Uncle Matt from Arizona! There was still a lot to do.. the boys hurried off to downtown Portland to enjoy some boy bonding time and get some of their chores done before the wedding rehearsal that was going on that night~

~Nothing warms the soul like some good old-fashioned Starbucks hot chocolates with creamy - yum,yum! This was a staple when we lived in Portland.. and it was definitely needed to warm the soul.. it was so cold and the boys were being champs with all of the hustle and bustle~

~Stop 4.. get fitted for the tuxedos.. check! And my boys are looking so incredibly handsome modeling their tuxedos! I think they enjoyed being a part of the big event. They were the ring bearers. Cole & Kade practiced it over and over again. During the wedding rehearsal, Cole walked down the aisle and then got down on one knee and presented the ring on the pillow to Dan just like he was a king.. it was awesome.. I don't know where he saw that.. but it was so cute. On the day of the wedding... they were doing so good walking together down the aisle.. but then Kade froze, and tried to pull Cole off the path with some serious peer pressure, and we decided that Cole could finish the rest of the way without his naughty sidekick~

~After the rehearsal, we rushed out for trip #4 to the airport! This time it was to welcome Uncle Jesse home from his 2 year mission for the church in McAllen, Texas - just in time for the big wedding. The kids were getting impatient.. but were so excited when he finally showed up! Welcome Home Uncle Jos~

~The whole gang was finally together for the first time! It was a great McLean Family Reunion. We had a good time catching up and Steve made a delicious Italian dinner for everyone to enjoy~

~The wedding day was finally here! We were so worried that the record snow from the "Arctic Blast 2008" would make it impossible for anyone to make it.. but it was so exciting to see the effort that everyone made to be there. Just a few of the guests were not able to make it. We had fun getting the boys in their tuxedos and they looked & felt so handsome!

I was definitely a proud momma & wife~

~The entire McLean family.. Jesse, Matt, Mark, Dan, Barb, Sarah, Steve - What a great looking bunch. You could feel the excitement in the air.. the siblings were having a good time being together again. Lots of laughs.. and things said that will never be forgotten~

~Have I mentioned that I love to see my man in a tuxedo! It was fun being able to sit back and watch and not have to feel the stress of being in the wedding party! Kade & Cole had a blast dancing to the music, and were so excited when they finally cut the cake and they were able to eat some. They had been staring at it the entire night~

~Leave it to Danny.. to take a break from his wedding reception to unbutton his shirt and have a little competition with his younger brother about who was the manliest with the most amount of chest hair.. I must say - it was close.. but I think Dan wins! Don't worry Jos.. you are still maturing and in a couple of years.. you will win the title~

~Congratulations Dan & Stephanie! We are so excited to have a new addition to the family. Stephanie was one of the most beautiful brides I have ever seen. The wedding was perfect and I could tell that everyone was having a very good time~

~We were getting a little nervous at the wedding.. we were really afraid that we would not make it home! This is what it looked like in downtown Portland after the wedding.. it was crazy how much snow had come down while we were in the wedding. The weather definitely made things exciting on this trip~

~After the wedding.. we decided that we wanted to take advantage of a down day and go and see my brother David and his family. This is Cole & Kade with their cousins Corry & Lizzy. The kids had fun playing games and opening presents.. we were definitely spoiled! Thanks David & Cathy for taking such good care of us. I wish we could have seen you more.. but the time we got was definitely enjoyable~

~This is just a "casual" reminder to Laura.. that she needs to find some of these arm warmers in the store for me!! I will not stop bugging you until they are in the mail - hint, hint, hint! I love you sista - it was good to be able to see you again~

~Sledding, sledding, & more sledding! Can you believe that this is one of the few activities that you can really do as a family.. when you cannot get around because of the snow? Good thing we were able to get the last two sleds at the store! There was only a little dramatic stuck car situation.. but nothing a lot of pushing, pellets of snow to the face, and some broken chains couldn't fix~

~Boys will be boys! I loved watching the boys make new paths and have competitions for who could go the furthest! We really didn't have the right clothes on.. and we didn't have boots, snow pants.. but it was hysterical and well worth it~

~This marked the end of our wedding week adventure! Everything went very smooth & the wedding turned out beautiful. We packed up the rental house and got everything (amazingly) into the cars.. next stop Roseburg for Christmas! The roads were insane and it should have taken only 3 1/2 hours to get there.. and instead it took close to 6 - ughhh! It felt good to be there! Next blog will be about our Christmas day events and other fun times in Roseburg~

~Home For The Holidays in Oregon Part I~

2009-01-15T16:30:00.026+01:00

~We were all very excited for our trip home to Oregon to be with family for the holidays. There was a lot of sacrifices made in the way of stopping our European traveling for a few months.. just to save up for this expensive adventure.. but we knew it would be worth it. There were a lot of exciting things that would take place when we got home...Dan & Stephanie's wedding, Jesse's return from his two year mission in Texas.. not to mention spending Christmas & New Years with those you love.

The boys were so excited to finally be on a plane again~

~We had a two hour layover in Amsterdam.. so we decided to use this time for the boys to get their wiggles out on the indoor playground, and then Steve & Cole both had some fun with their aqua massages! Cole was giggling the whole time.. which was creating quite the scene. Nothing like a little pampering and relaxation to make for a great start to the next 10 hour plane ride . The boys did fabulous , we ate lots of food, and we were all able to watch 4 movies..even ones that are still in the theaters! NW Airlines hooked us up (or maybe this is what you should get for $1,000 per ticket)~

~When we arrived to the Portland airport.. we were a little nervous to see if all of our luggage would make it. We had 8 suitcases.. and they did pretty good by only losing 1 - we thought that it would be no big deal.. but with the horrible storm that came in, it actually took us a few days before we finally got it. We stopped off at Red Robin on the way to Oceanside, we have been without good old American food for so long..that everything tasted so good. When we got to the coast.. this is what we saw from my Mom & Dad's deck.. it had snowed and snowed.. inches and inches. This was what came to be known as "The Arctic Blast 2008" - it really made things a little more stressful.. getting around was quite difficult, but we tried to make the most of it~

~We were just excited to be toasty and warm inside.. it was fun to have the Christmas tree up and all of the decorations around... it was definitely beginning to feel a lot like Christmas. We had fun playing cards and catching up~

~Watching the storms come in became one of our favorite activities while we were here. The weather can definitely get intense on the coast. The wind would howl and howl - it was blowing at around 60 mph and the windows would shake all night long~

~That storm brought us a few more inches overnight.. so we decided it was time to go out and enjoy it. The boys & Laura all bundled up and went outside to build a snowman. The boys were loving the adventure.. and we were so glad we had packed winter clothes for this trip~

~Didn't this snowman turn out awesome? We tried to make it as beachy as we could.. how many snowmen do you know that wear beach hats and have black beach rock for their buttons and nose? The boys were all freezing & wet, and were very excited to come back inside for some of Grandma's delicious hot chocolate and world famous chocolate chip cookies~

~This explains a lot of what we did while we were at my parents house on the beach.. eat, eat, eat & eat some more. Because of the weather we were not able to get out a lot.. so we decided to entertain ourselves with food.. ughhh! So we definitely packed on some holiday pounds~

~The weather finally gave us a break and Steve insisted that we go down to the beach. It was freezing at the house, so I had to really be talked into it. The amazing thing was that it was much warmer walking on the beach. We had a great time running around and chasing seagulls, and just taking in the most incredible sunset..

it was just what this freezing, cold soul needed~

~The tide was out, so we were able to climb through this cave to the other side. Cole loved throwing rocks in the ocean, and Steve was loving all of the beautiful photos that he was able to take.. it was crazy to think that everywhere else

in Oregon other than this beach was covered in snow~

~This was the end of our first week in Oregon.. our next week would be filled with many more family members flying in, a wedding, Jesse's arrival from Texas, and lots and lots of snow and ice. This was a great way to start our trip.. very relaxing and a great way to get adjusted to the time difference - my parents always take such good care of us. Thanks to you both~

~Frohe Weihnachten Freunde und Familie~

2008-12-10T10:39:00.017+01:00

~ Merry Christmas Friends & Family~

~Frohe Weihnachten Freunde und Familie~

~We thought that this could be a great way to get our Christmas card out this year to our friends & family - isn't technology so amazing? We have had a very fun filled and exciting year! We are continuing to love our amazing adventures here in Germany. We have made some great friends, seen many incredible sights, and lived each and every day with no regrets - which happens to be our family motto. Many people ask what our favorite place has been.. there is really no good answer to this because each place we see has a unique personality and something new and fun to offer. Our list of places we want to see goes on and on and on - there is no way that we will possibly be able to see all of them in the 1 1/2 years that remain. We are very proud to say that we have now been as a family to Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Belgium, Poland, & Luxembourg ... WOW! We are adventure seekers and this is like a dream come true to us.

Kristine's favorite hobby is traveling and she has turned it into a full time job planning our next destinations. If you ever come to Europe.. please ask your personal "Tour Guide Barbie".. a.k.a. Kristine.. she loves helping people plan their next dream vacation. As many of you know her hobbies also include blogging, facebook, and making sure we have an organized and beautiful home to live in. Kristine is a very social creature and has stayed very busy with weekly playgroups, "Ladies Night Out" at the movies, Bunco groups, "Ladies Night Out" at local restaurants, Ladies shopping & spa weekends.. not such a bad life, huh? She is having such a great time teaching the boys about new cultures and watching them blossom into fine, young "German" gentlemen!

Steve is staying very busy juggling "Father of the Year" & "Dentist of the Year" & Husband of the Year" - it is tough to be so needed and loved! He has gained incredible amounts of confidence and skills this past year in the dental clinic, and has started putting price tags on what this will mean to him when he has his own practice one day. He was selected to attend an ADA Dental Conference in Orlando, Fl this past July - where he was also able to connect with family - and bring back many American clothes and treats that his family has been missing like crazy. We are also very proud of him again.. because he has been selected to attend an Exodontia & Oral Surgery training for four months in Missouri! This will give him some amazing training & should be a huge asset for his future business. The boys keep him busy when he comes home and he turns into a jungle gym. He is also the "celebrity dad".. their friends talk about going to see Steve to get their teeth worked on.. ya gotta love small communities. Krisitine has grown used to taking on her new identity.. the "Dentist's Wife". We will miss him incredibly while he is gone to Missouri.. but it will be a huge test to Kristine's independence (which currently is non-existing).

Cole is currently in a multi-age class at Patch Elementary School in Ms. Suhr's class. He loves being around his friends that are in Kindergarten, 1st, & 2nd grade. Cole loves being mentored from his peers and he likes hanging out with the older kids at recess time - he feels like the "hot dog" on campus! He has grown in so many ways this last year. He has been telling us for 2 years now that life will change when he is 6 - well he proved us right! He can now read, ride his bike without training wheels, get dressed on his own.. and help out around the house. He is also VERY good on our new Wii, he is able to beat all of his friends and family in tennis & golf - very impressive. He loves living in Germany..loves to eat Spatzle (German noodles) & loves the surprises that the neighbors leave on the doorstep everyday that he finds when he comes home off the bus. Cole is also an amazing dancer and loves it when the music comes on at night before bed and he gets to show off all of his rad moves.. we are not kidding - he is good! He is a very loving son & a great brother a.k.a. "best friend". He has definitely missed his family tons since we moved over here so he is very anxious to be with them again.

Kade our little bossy boo! He is three now, and is having the best time hanging out and playing with his mom everyday, playing with his toys, and watching movies. This is a boy who knows what he wants... and nothing is going to get in his way. He is as smart as a whip and will repeat anything you say.. so be careful. His favorite word right now is "butt" - oh the joys of being parents to two hysterical boys. He loves it when his mom reads to him, when he gets to help her cook & clean, and when he gets to take & pick up his brother from the bus. Kade will be starting German Kindergarten soon and will hopefully be able to make friends with the neighborhood kids and teach his parents more German words. He is an amazing driver on the Hummer and the neighbors all come out and giggle as he flys past them on the road - of course he always gives them a wave! Kade also discovered recently that he can whistle.. which drives his brother crazy.. because he hasn't quite figured that out. If you are interested in hearing this.. you better bring your chapstick.. he is convinced that this is the secret ingredient to his wonderful whistles. Kade loves to drink more than eat.. so his favorite things right now are chocolate milk and egg juice (egg nog). Kade is great with legos & trains and has an amazing imagination. He melts our hearts with his huge dimples and little winks!

We have been incredibly blessed as a family - and we are absolutely loving the slow pace of things in Germany. We feel like we are living in a bubble.. and really don't want it to pop anytime soon! We have made some great friends who have become our family while living so far away. We are very blessed to be able to spend Christmas in Oregon for a whole month! The amount of vacation time we get is a definite blessing! We look forward to seeing many of you while we are in Oregon and we will miss many of you in Germany which is definitely "Home" to us now. We would love to have visitors.. it really is a dream come true here, and Kristine often says that she feels like she is on vacation everyday. As we look outside and see the snow coming down and covering the red tile top roofs.. our hearts are full of love & happiness for the incredible friends & family that we have in our lives in both America and Germany. We could not be more pleased with how things have worked out! The thought of leaving makes us sad.. but we try to not think about it very much, and just enjoy every minute of this spectacular "McLean Adventure"~

~We hope you have a Merry Christmas & An Amazing New Year~

~Birthday Fun With {ALL} My Honey Buns~

2008-11-19T14:00:00.036+01:00

~Nov. 3 was a fabulous day! I was able to spend it with my friends and my family. I was delighted to have my friends Heather & Kati come to take me out to lunch to my favorite.. Thai food. Thanks so much for all of the phone calls, emails & cards -

y'all know how to make a girl feel loved~

~They gave me this awesome fall decor for my dining room table. Of course I couldn't just say "thank you".... I asked if they would also do the decorating for me - it was the gift that kept on giving. It looks great, and I keep walking by and staring into my room~

~Steve was so good to take me for a night out on my birthday. We headed to downtown Stuttgart where we went shopping and even decided to brave the outdoor ice rink. Do I look nervous? Well, I was smiling from ear to ear.. but just seconds from falling on my butt~

~It kills me because Steve always makes everything look so easy. He was spinning circles around me, skating backwards, looking like a pro. I spent more time giggling and getting cheered on by the people around the edge of the rink... who were probably thinking.. oh that poor girl - but were definitely giving me that encouraging head knod. I am just glad that they had some fabulous 80's music playing and I got to be on a romantic date with my boyfriend~

~We had the best time on our {Ladies Shop 'Til You Drop 2008} weekend. From left to right - Angie, Me, Kati & Heather. The rules were that we had to pack VERY light for our sleepover, because I knew that there would be no room in my car for us to sit if we didn't. We headed to Heidelberg to a Holiday Bazaar. There were some amazing things and after we got over fighting for the same items... we were able to make some great deals. I was starting to get worried because the car was starting to get very full. That didn't slow us down at all... we just joked and said.. there is always room for one more treasure~

~After a long day of shopping and no lunch... we were starving! We headed over to the American Diner to stock up on some hamburgers and club sandwiches. It was fun to talk about all of our purchases and to be able to be silly with our girlfriends. Angie was also lucky enough to be my bed-mate~

~Do we look full? It was time to call it a day and drive the 1 1/2 hours to one of my favorite towns in Germany... Rothenburg ob ter Tauber - it is a magical "Christmas" town that is surrounded completely by a castle wall. Unfortunately, we got stuck in a "stau" - which is the German word for a really sucky traffic jam. So needless to say.. our 1 1/2 hour drive turned into a 3 hour drive. Luckily it went fast because we were with such good company. We even got the pleasure of watching man after man pull off the side of the autobahn to take care of business... this is also as "German" as the bad traffic is. With a little woohoo from the ladies - we were on our way to our dreamy town~

~When we got to our magical hotel, it was dark. When we woke up the next morning (we all naturally woke up at 7 a.m. - what is up with this? Our kids have ruined us all) we went out on our deck and looked out over the valley that was beyond the castle walls - it was breathtaking~

~The fog was nestled above the farms, and it felt like a crisp, fall morning. We had another full day of shopping.. so we took some pictures and then had to get ready for a delicious German breakfast and some more great finds~

~The view from our room was splendid.. and so were the memories that we were making on this trip. We definitely got to know eachother in a whole new light. Lucky for them.. I was even comfortable enough to burp and pass gas in front of them. I just told them that they were not worth a stomach ache :) It is actually my way to test my true friends - kind of like dating - who are you really able to relax around? Lucky for them we were outside most of the time~

~When we got into town that night, we walked around and window shopped so that we could attack the stores when they opened the next day. We had it all planned out - and once again... we had more and more treasures to fill the car... and less and less room to sit~

~This is a popular Christmas store in Germany. They have thousands of pyramids, smokers, and nativities to choose from. It just costs a lot of money. There are a lot of friends and family that we shopped for that are going to be very lucky receivers of our good finds. Merry Christmas to all ... from magical Germany~

~I was getting tired of shopping, so I decided to join my fall friends for some drinks & smokes. It felt good to be able to sit and relax :)~

~If you are wondering where all of our bags were.. we had to take trip after trip back to the car because it was just too much to carry. We very rarely have a picture without a shopping bag in one of our hands~

~How can you not love this town? Doesn't it look like it comes straight out of a calendar? We had so much fun and laughed so hard the whole time. I am so lucky to have met these lovely ladies while I am here in Germany. We are sad because Angie will be leaving next June to go to Westpoint with her family... but Kati and Heather will be here with me until we leave. We will have many more chances to make more memories together~

~We found this booth at the Bazaar on the first day. They were actually a vendor selling Christmas tree skirts and stockings... Kati discovered the furniture that they were using to display them. They were giving us amazing deals and we were creating such a scene.. that people were stopping to stare to see what it was all about. Kati got this corner piece for $10 and she gave it to me as an early Christmas gift - thank you Kati - I love it and it looks great~

~Three of us got these screen dividers.. but the catch was that we had to go back to Heidelberg the next day so that they could go to their store and bring us back more great furniture to choose from. I was able to get this for $40~

~Do we look like professional woman schmoozers here? Well... let's just say we worked our magic. We all picked up some trunks from $10-60, and three of us got the Bombay - this one here was $10 because it has a little damage. The best part is that as we were buying this furniture out back... I was starting to get anxiety on how I was going to get all of this home. The car was packed to full capacity. We were being "cute" enough that they offered to deliver it to my home for free!!! Can you believe it? I was able to get a beautiful Bombay, two large trunks with leather belt closures, a divider, and a corner stand for $200!!! The prices on the floor had all of this at over $800 - let's just say it was a great day for making deals~

~Do these look like happy faces? Notice that there is not even room to sit in my car. The back was full, the seats were full, and we had a full truck coming to be delivered the next day!~

~Thanks girls for a great birthday & shopping weekend! I could not have dreamed it up any better. Thanks for tolerating me and all of my nicknames and laughter. It was an amazing trip~

~Black {Bats} & Scary {Scoobs}, Boo It's Halloween~

2008-11-06T15:41:00.018+01:00

~The boys were begging us for two weeks to carve the pumpkins. We decided that since it has been an unusually warm October that we should wait until just a couple of days before Halloween. They had so much fun pulling out all of the guts of the pumpkin & I had fun baking the pumpkin seeds for all of us to enjoy~
~Yes, we had a little help from those brilliant pumpkin carving kits. We let the boys choose which design they wanted... they wanted the big & scary pirate ship - ayttee maytee~
~I stayed completely out of this project this year. The boys loved spending time with their dad and they were very proud of their finished product~

~My goblin guys on the front porch with their perfect pumpkin~

~Just when we thought that three years of Cole in the Superman costume was enough..... they decided in his multi-age class at school that they would have a word parade with 5 other classes. Cole was given the word {Powerful} - I brainstormed... and then took the easy way out with a costume we had in our Halloween box! C'mon - who is more powerful than Superman?~

~Our Black {Bat} & Scary {Scoobs}! It was hysterical... while we were trick or treating, Cole was flying around from door to door with his black cape. When Kade would walk up to the door for his candy.... instead of saying "Trick or Treat"... he would say "Scooby Dooby Doo...." It was priceless! The people at the door would laugh and laugh~

~I came to the realization in years past that when you go to a Halloween party, it is so much more fun if you dress up in a costume... I have now come to the realization after this "lame-o" party.... that you need to know your audience before you expect to have fun in a costume. We are here with Heather as Wonder Woman, Steve as a Star Wars "Clone Trooper" & me as a Hooker... OK, I looked like a Hooker, but was actually an 80's rocker girl! Yes, that is my hand over Steve's goods... he was about ready to kill me because I bought this outfit a size too small... I had to cover him up for the younger viewers. Sorry Steve - I'll be better next year - that's what I get for waiting until Halloween Day and scouring the 50% off rack :( ~

~Hooker & Scooby enjoying some Scooby snacks - is he not the cutest thing you have ever seen? He really loved Halloween this year~

~After a great night of Trick-or-Treating, we had to follow McLean tradition and come home and dump all of the candy out on the floor and count how much we got. It also gave Steve & I the opportunity to take dibs on our favorites! Happy Halloween Friends & Family, we hope you had as good of a time as we did with the ghosts & goblins this year~

~Summer Is Over & Life Is Busy in Germany~

2008-10-16T16:50:00.025+02:00

~Our little Coley Smoley on his first day of school. He insisted on wearing his "Bull Shirt" that we got for him in Barcelona. Does this look like a kid that is excited to be a Stallion at Patch Elementary School? He is loving school so far. I think if you will ask him.. his favorite subject is P.E. and his favorite school activity is trading Pokemon cards on the bus - that's my boy~
~Cole is in the "Multi-Age" program at his school. His teacher is Ms. Suhr and his class consists of Kindergarten, First & Second grade students. It is a new approach to learning that values the ability to work independently and to work at your appropriate level. They do most of their learning from teaching & helping their peers in their class - so far so good~
~What we love most about the multi-age program is that it is a lot of "hands - on" learning. The kids learned about many countries by preparing for an Olympics day. They divided 5 multi-age classes into different countries where they had to learn about this country and then make signs and name tags to represent what they learned~

~Cole was on Team Brazil! They came in 2nd place as a team and worked very well together- the most impressive thing for Steve & I was that we got to watch Cole run 2 miles during the Olympics - he even got 3rd place!

It looks like we have a little runner on our hands - he loves it!~

~For the Labor Day 4 day weekend - we made it to our local bowling alley. We love it here - it is a fun time for the whole family!~

~Cole is currently playing Fall soccer and he is on the Cheetah team! He is learning so much this year with 2 day a week practices and a game on Saturdays. If you ask him he will tell you that "I am the best goalie on the team." How is that for confidence?~

~September was very cold here - so we had to bundle up to try to stay warm. Kade can hardly wait for the chance to play sports also. He has been so patient... the joys of being the youngest! He is great about cheering Cole on and giving him high fives~

~Who's this tough guy? He has been chosen as the "Cheetah Team Goalie" - he loves it and really is good at it - let's just say I have to work hard to get all of the mud stains out of his uniform from diving & blocking the balls from the goal~

~Steve is very excited to have Garrett here. He is a new dentist at the clinic. We are having a great time with the Wood family, and we will have many more adventures with them in the next couple of years~

~We wanted to do something outside because it was a beautiful, fall day. We decided that German Putt - Putt golf would be fun. Once we got past all of the rules and the owners stopped wanting to chase us off the course.. we had a really good time.~

~In this little German village we found a water wheel right next to the mini golf course - we are loving it here. The boys are happy they have 4 new friends to play with~

~We are back to being just the two of us during the day. Kade is the best little guy to hang around with. We have fun going to playgroups, shopping, watching movies and playing together. I am loving this time we have together.~

~Cole was the "star" in his first play. This is a play about Greece & King Midas - Cole was a servant and had a couple of lines. This was definitely a fun way to learn about these subjects. He did very good.~

~This is Cole's first homework project and he had a really good time with it. His is the one with "2002" on it. I wanted to note that the freckly face drawing to the left is of Uncle Jesse. Jesse he thought you were important enough to put on his timeline (when you were born) I love the way he drew you. This was a way for the kids to learn about AD & BC. We had to do 20 years "BC" (Before Cole) & 20 years "AC" (After Cole)~

~i {LOVE} fall in Germany~

2008-10-16T12:21:00.038+02:00

~We were heading on vacation for 7 days... but I didn't want to start off without making Kade's favorite breakfast for his birthday. He turned 3 on Oct. 5 - he chose waffles and hot chocolate with marshmallows. As you can see from their moustaches they really enjoyed it~
~We were heading down to the Austrian border - and we could not help ourselves - we had to stop and stretch our legs and enjoy some views - beautiful day with my boys... priceless~
~This is a very important lesson for a father to teach his boys... how to skip rocks. Steve was doing a great job teaching them the importance of the pefect, flat rock and how to bend over just right and line your arm up with the water... they'll get it with a little more practice~

~Cole... one of the loves of my life - he is not a little boy anymore.. he says the funniest things lately - it is so fun to see him learn new things, and he is loving these new adventures in his life~

~Kaders... my little monkey boy - I just want to squeeze him he is so cute. He is no longer my little baby.. he is 3 now - and so he has his own opinions about what he wears, what books he reads, etc. He is the funniest little monkey~

~Like father like son... these two are exactly alike in so many ways. Cole is my mini-me and Kade is Steve's~

~I was driving around the corner on these narrow country roads and Steve said, "please slow down just long enough for me to get this photo out the car window"... and these are the spectacular views we were surrounded by~

~This trip to Garmisch, Germany was a little mix of business & pleasure.. I thought it would be a fabulous way to the see the beautiful fall colors around the alps, and Steve thought it would be an excellent way to attend an Army Dental Conference and get continuing education. The boys thought we were going to the huge hotel for Alpine Slide rides and swims in the pool. So we all win! Nothing like a free family vacation~

~Since Steve went to Orlando in July for a Dental Conference - he got some continuing education requirements completed at that time... that is the excuse I am using for making him play hookey with me on Monday afternoon. It was absolutely beautiful & warm the entire week we were here. We were secretly escaping the hotel when we saw this beautiful sight~

~We took a hike into the Gorge - there were waterfalls everywhere. I cannot believe how incredible this time of year is in Germany. By far the best time to vacation here - if you can time it right with the changing of the leaves~

~Kade was a good sport, he actually was pretty funny because during the steep parts of the hike.. he would be yelling at me to keep up and get going - nothing like a little friendly motivation from your 3 year old who is in a backpack - I wish I was in there~

~I love you Steve... my dream come true. I am so glad you snuck away and we got to experience this together~

~Beautiful~

~Breathtaking~

~Marvelous~

~Spectacular~

~Steve had to bend down the entire time we walked through the caves so that Kade would not hit his head... oops he did get hit one time - ouch~

~Masterpiece~

~This shows you my level of creativity (which means I have none). I wanted to make the boys a cake for their birthdays. I found some microwave cakes at the store, bought some birthday candles and a lighter and we were all set at the restaurant - it wasn't much.. but they loved it~

~The view from our room~

~On Wednesday night the conference had a Bavarian celebration. Standing on the top of each of our tables was one of these fun German guys and they were all dressed up and looking cute. They had different whips that would make different sounds. Kade wanted me to cover his ears.. and we had to duck our heads down a little - afraid we were about to lose our head with the whips above us~

~This was so much fun. This woman was able to do entire songs using a different size cow bell for each note. The picture is a little fuzzy because she was moving all of the time while she reached for the next bell to find her note - it was awesome~

~Another picture from our room window. I loved these cows that you see below. I could hear their little cow bells that were around their necks ringing from sun up to sun down. They must have been eating non-stop the entire day. It was music to my ears~

~This was our view of the sunrise from our deck on the last morning we were here. It could not have been a more beautiful week to be here~

~Everyday we had Cole in the "Just For Kids" program which he had such a fabulous time in. He rode boats on Mermaid Lake, went to museums, went to mini golf, candy castle, and they had an ice cream party for his birthday. It was from 8 - 5 everyday - which meant he had a great time, and I was able to do my own thing. Kade was so excited when Cole would get off the bus from his full day of fun. They are very cute together - he also knew that this meant it was finally time to be able to go swimming~

~We had a great time on vacation - we definitely made the most of our time together. We celebrated the boy's birthdays while we were here. Thanks so much to Nana & Papa & Aunt Sarah for all of the Star Wars & Transformer toys for their birthdays - they loved them.

My boys are getting so grown up - they even like big kid toys now!

These are great times in life fo' sure~

~When we got home from our vacation we decided to stop by the post office to see if the packages I ordered from Wal-Mart that took 8 weeks were finally there. Urhghhhh! You have to plan way ahead for birthdays and Christmas here - the mail system can be VERY frustrating. They were here & the boys were out of their heads with excitement for their new Star Wars Light Sabers~

~Darth Vader and Obi Wan doing some serious Light Saber wars~

~May the force be with you! This was so funny. Kade was so worked up and hot - that the snorkel goggles that he was using for his mask, were all steamed up~