More swimming pictures...

...at least I hope they will upload this way :-(

Lion jumping of the diving board.

Tiffany, Jason, Me & Rick, Lion

The Cousins!!!

Here are Ronny, halfway, Tiffany, Jason and Daniel on their last night together. They went for ice cream and came back to eat it infront of the television! I didn't get any, and I had the hard job of packing our suitcases. Tiffany did her own earlier in the day. Smart cookie!!!!

Here are pictures of the 5 cousins, Jason, Daniel, Ronny, Lion and Rick! Listed by age!


Tina and Rick

My uncle and his sisters!
From left front...
Gerlinde (Maine)
Marion (his wife, no sister)
Reinhard (my uncle)
My Mom
Brigitte (Arizona)
Ursula (Missouri)
My aunt Erni is missing...don't know what happened to her.

Home again!

So, we are back! It only took us all day Friday to get back to beautiful Abilene!

We got up at 5 a. m. German time. Went to the airport in Frankfurt and left on a plane at 7:25 to London, England. There we had an English breakfast before we boarded the next plane at 12 something for Chicago. From there we had to change our flight to an earlier one as our plane was going to be delayed. Jason, Tiffany and I got on a plane for Dallas, Dan stayed behind and tried to get the next one. As we were sitting at Dallas waiting for the plane to Abilene it didn't look to good for Dan to catch up with us. Even asking the gate agent didn't bring us any closer of knowing where Dan was. The only thing he could figure out was that Dan was on the original plane and was listed for the flight on Saturday morning out of Dallas!

Well, we finally boarded and got all settled in the plane only to find out that we were missing one important ingredient in leaving Dallas, the pilot!!! He was sheduled to arrive at 8:47 p.m and our plane was sheduled to leave at 8:30 pm! We thought that if Dan hustled he might make it yet to our flight, but when the pilot showed up and we were told we were going to leave soon, all hope disipated! I started to read my magazine, and when I looked up I had to laugh, Dan was walking down the aisle!!! He didn't even see us, and he didn't know we were going to be on that flight. He also didn't realize that this one was the last flight out of Dallas for the evening towards Abilene. I had told him so before, though. Anyway, we all made it back to Abilene, our suitcases though stayed in Dallas. Tiffany and Jason picked them up on Saturday at around noon.

Tiffany and I were busy Saturday evening and Sunday until she left working on her scrapbook! Yeah, I don't have to work on Jason's anymore, I now can just let her do that! We only got halfway finished and she will have to finish it at her house. That will give her something to do in the evening after work :)

Anyway, we are back and I have plenty of video and pictures to show, if anyone is interested...just let me know!!

That will be the end of this part of the blog. Maybe I'll write more if I have something neat to say...just keep checking!

Rhein

Okay, Wednesday finally got us to the Rhein River http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhine - yes, we crossed him before! And, yes, he is a guy...Old Father Rhein!

This time we went to the city of Rüdesheim http://www.ruedesheim.de/en/index.html and walked the little streets. Drove to the Niederwald Denkmal (which is overlooking the Rhein) http://www.ruedesheim.de/en/index.html Went shopping for souvenirs, and ate a Bratwurst. Luckily we have plenty of water with us as this is the hottest July on record for Germany! And no AC!!!!!!!!!!!!

We then crossed the Rhine on the ferry, as there are no bridges on that stretch, and drove to the Palatinate where we were going to have coffee and cake at a qaint little coffee shop which belongs to my mom's cousins daughter! Go figure that one out. But, with our luck, this was the day she closed her shop for a rest day (usually it is closed on a Monday, but they had some celebration over the weekend which didn't stop until Tuesday). We knew of a different place though and went to the top of the Donnersberg http://www.donnersberg-touristik.de/englisch/index_eng.htm (and no, we did not get to see any of the roman village). After which we went to my mom's cousins house for some homemade liquor...no, we only had two shots.

As my aunts were along for this trip we also went to the old castle which they all remembered as a ruin and their "playground"!!! Now, who can say they had a castle as a playground? Well, my parents homes both had a castle and the

swimming

So, today we went to the pool with Lion, Rick & Tina. Ronny joint in after he came back from work. Daniel must have decided to stay out of the heat - Smart cookie!

Jason and Lion enjoyed diving off the diving board, Tiffany did a few jumps too, but I think she mostly watched so the boys wouldn't get into trouble. Always have to have one sane person there! I watched for a while, but took care of Rick mostly so Tina could be with Lion for once. He needed to show her all his new dives. Rick is a water rat, and he doesn't care that he was shivering. He would have stayed in there for ever. But I did get him out for a while to heat up again.

Ronny didn't get to join until 12:30, but then the "big" kids, Lion included, got to stay longer and enjoy another hour. They were all pooped out by the time they came back.

After some rest and coffee, we finally went grocery shopping. So, now our suitcases are full of food and where will we put our clothing? Guess we'll have to find a spot. Too bad we can't take everything. Must buy some bread yet today, and some mustard, I actually forgot!!!

Still have to go shoe shopping with Dan, Jason & Tiffany yet also.

And, I almost forgot, we went out to a Greek restaurant!! Yummy, no, that is not the name, but it was good. What is the name though? As we were invited and went with many people I have no idea! I'll have to check that one out though!

Pictures will have to follow when we are in the states, as I downloaded them to the laptop already and the speed of the connection here is not to good.

Shopping time!

Well, we just need to start going shopping...so, today I went to buy shoes. Guess I'll need to take Jason and Tiffany and Dan there tomorrow also. Thez really had a good sale going on.
Then, after lunch, when all were finally awake, we went to the town of Neu Isenburg to go to the shopping center. We walked around for a bit and had a snack at the Nordsee restaurant. (Fish)
After coming home we had dinner, more fish, and then we walked to the Ice cream Parlor for ice cream.
This one is called Frikadellen Ice Cream

And all day long we kept sweating, sweating, sweating...
Tomorrow we are thinking of going to the pool for a few hours with my nephews, Rick (2 yrs.), Lion (7 yrs.), and Ronny (22 yrs.), I don't know about Daniel, he might have to work! And then we have to go to the grocery store as both, Tiffany and I, have to buy some food. Too bad we can't take everything back to the states! And we really can't buy chocolate this time as it is way to hot around here and probably in the States also.
Well, I will try to upload some more pictures, one camera is easier to do then the other, so that is the one I'm using, but the other has more pictures on it. So, I'll have to see when I have time to upload them.

It's time for bed again too...the time is going by way to fast...what a bummer. Not only the hours in the day, but also the day's themselves. We'll be leaving on Friday and have yet to drive along the Rhein! That will happen on Wednesday, as we do need to go shopping too...

Berlin

http://www.spsg.de/index.php?id=130

Schloss Babelsberg - Babelsberg Palace















Yes, today we flew to Berlin and back. We met with some friends of ours which we have known for ages. They drove us through Berlin to show us all the sights...Reichstag, Kanzleramt, Brandenburger Tor, Alexander Platz, Under den Linden, a.s.o.!! www.berlin.de
Then we went to their house in Potsdam and had lunch after which we went to see Potsdam.



Schloss Sanssouci

http://www.spsg.de/index.php?id=163


To bad we didn't have time to go inside this one! Just walked around it and down these steps to get the whole feeling of the terrace vineyard




With our friends, Elke & Hermann in Berlin:




Please check these sites to see some of what we enjoyed today. Don't forget, we are sweating everytime we are outside. It seems this is the hottest summer (July) in history here in Germany. They just said that on TV...
http://www.potsdam.de/cms/beitrag/10000085/26846/
http://www.potsdam.de/cms/beitrag/10000084/26846/
http://www.potsdam.de/cms/beitrag/10000084/26846/
http://www.kolumbus.fi/leif.snellman/t2.htm

Well, I better get to bed, I said that an hour ago...I'm way to tired.

Okay, here is some more :-)

No pictures at this time, just too busy! We were shopping and preparing food on Thursday for Friday's party. Then on Friday, Party time!!!!!!!!!!!1
At 10 a.m. the first people started coming to congratulate, so everything was beeing prepared to be out for them, but, of course, we were a little late and still put stuff out for the buffet, not a problem though. We also had Champagne for the toasting, and everyone who came in got a class. Then most people sat down to eat and drink.

We did all that in our yard, as you will see on the pictures. It is so hot though and humid, but we just kept serving mineral water and a bit of wine, champagne, beer, juice...whatever they wanted to have, and plenty of food.

Jason and his cousin Rick!

My parents, especially my mom, also had a great surprise, my two aunts, who had not yet been here and also hadn't said that they would or would not come, also arrived. So all three sisters of my mom came from the States!!! Here is the picture of my mom, her sisters and her brother, my father skipped in also...

By 10 p.m. it was only family and some of them left also. Then the man (all the uncles and cousins and brother's and father's and -in law-) went out to a couple of local pubs...they came back around 3 a.m. and we left them...then the just wanted to sleep till noon, well they did.
So, today we are taking it easy and will be on our way to Berlin tomorrow.
For now, believe me when I say we have had fun.

Sachsen and Thüringen

Well, today was hard going. We are so tired. Luckily my dad was driving today.
We went to Sachsen - Schönburg - where my father is from and my grandparents still live. We stopped at a roadside stand for a Thüringer Bratwurst - mmmh, so good, especially with a cold beer!
http://www.schoenburg.de/

Then we went to a butcher store and ordered the Thüringer which we were going to pick up on the way home! Then on to my grandparents house. With a stop at a roadside memorial to Herzog von Braunschweig (1806).
We then took a walk to the overlook, 5 min. from the grandparents house, and took some pictures. From here we have a good look to the castle and Naumburg, the next bigger city and the Saale river. Dan, Jason & Tiffany decided they< wanted to go down to the river. I pointed out the shortcut and told them how to get back, then they were on their own and I went back to the house and waited for their return. We said our good-bys and were on the way.

My dad asked if we wanted to check out the castle, we did, and we did! The tower was open also and J&T took a walk up there also. Then we had a drink and went back to pick up the bratwurst and start the long way home! At the butcher store we had to buy some pastry and rolls and eat them also. At the old border we stopped and had a coffee. Just couldn't drive any more.

The next three days we get to kind of rest. Tomorrow I'll be busy helping my mom get ready for the celebration on Friday for their 50th Anniversary, and Saturday we will just be at home, or maybe we'll get to go some shopping and Sunday we are looking on flying to Berlin for the day.

France and Luxembourg

Well, today we went to France and Luxembourg. Dan didn't stop in Metz and we were out of it faster then we could really understand what was going on. We did take video though of the streets we drove through. We did get to stop at a reststop later on and had some surprises in the cooler from my mom. We also got to take pictures of the Nuclear power plant.
http://www.cityalbum.de/france/metz.htm


Then on to Luxembourg...we did find it and the parking lot also :-) We went to the Cathedral there and the Casemates...then we saw the Palast and found a place to eat. We had a long drive home on which Dan and Jason wanted to see the old house we used to live in. We were glad to be back home after a long day!

http://www.luxembourg.co.uk/



Tomorrow it's on to Thüringen and Sachsen.

What a trip!

Well, we left Saturday morning for our drive to Bavaria. We found a nice picknick area and had a picknick lunch my mom had packed for us.
We arrived at Schloss Neu Schwanstein http://www.neuschwanstein.de/
(one of grazy Ludwigs castle...you might know it as the 'Disney Castle') and bought our tickets. Beeing to lazy, we took a horse buggy up the hill...then we took a tour of the castle and afterwards we walked another hill up to the Marien Brücke.

As it was getting late we started to look for a B&B, which we didn't find, and finally stopped at a hotel in a city called Insy. We had dinner there on the patio, slept and had breakfast the next morning, also on the patio. Then on to Lake Constanz.

http://www.bodensee-info.com/html/lake__constance____bodensee__-.html
As we want to show Tiffany as much of Europe as we can we took the longer way through Austria (where we stopped and visited a Basilika), Lichtenstein (which was a very quick drive through) and Switzerland (where we saw Lake Constance for the first time, stopped at a small beach and had a yoghurt snack from our lunch basket) then back into Germany and Constanz. Here we walked out to 'Insel Mainau' http://www.mainau.de/ ,
which is a place where there are loads of different flowers and plants. Plus all the other fun stuff.
We ate some icecream, cake, had coffee and juice and lots of water. We decided we wouldn't go to France on this trip as we were getting tired and wanted to just drive to Rottweil eat something and drive 'home'. We arrived back at my parents house just before midnight.
Today we just hung around here. The kids slept till lunchtime, no breakfast waiting for them! After lunch we took a walk to the ice cream parlor, mmmmh! Then back home and to the 'Ranch' where we had our coffee and were just hanging around more. Tiffany got to meet my nephews and my other brother.
After supper, watching TV T&J fell asleep and just went off to bed. What Dan and I will be doing in a minute also. I just need to figure out how to unplug the printer and add my camera for a few minutes so I can add some pictures to this post.
Tomorrow we are off to Luxembourg...

Germany!!!!!!!!!!!!

We have arrived! It is hot and humid, and Í type wrong as these german keyboards are not like the american ones, so bear with me and my mistakes :-)
We had a long flight where we left Abilene on the 9 am flight and left DFW at 2:50pm arrived in Germany at 7:20 am.

• picked up
• taken home
• got good breakfast (darn - forgot pictures}
• some went for walks, some slept, some talked - Your guess!
• had lunch
• some slept
• some showered
• some where lost
• went to Tina's birthday party
• some came home and write a post
• some are lost...I think...and with the dog to boost

Anyway, tomorrow morning we are on our way to bavaria, mountains, castles, a.s.o. where we'll be for the next three days. We expect to come back on monday night. Then we post some more, maybe...

Wine Tasting with friends in Del Rio

Hey, the title says it all!

Dan, Judy, Me, Ernie, Kayla & Kristen! At the Val Verde Winery. This was on Monday...wow, time flies when you're having fun.

Only because of Kristy!

Here you go Kristy!
I did it, now I have to remember something else just so you can live through me :-)
Actually I guess this will be a fun thing to do for the next two weeks. We'll see if I will keep it up. Take care!