Monschau, Germany

We have been getting a little itchy to travel lately...but have been trying to refrain to get the savings account back up to where it should be. So we decided to take a day trip yesterday to a wonderful town about an hour and a half away from us called Monschau. This is one of the few towns that remained untouched by war and has some really cool, REALLY old homes, buildings, and castles. Their castle has acutally had half of it turned into a youth hostel. Way cool. So before we went to explore the city, we drove up the mountain that it's nestled in and took bobsleds down the mountain a couple of times. The kids LOVED it. Hallie and I learned the hard the way on our first run that you need to use the break before you hit the end of the track. Otherwise you get tossed a couple feet in the air and land on top of your 4 year old in a tangeled mess. That was a mistake we didn't make again. So here is a major picture overload. I have such a hard time narrowing it down to a few pics when I love them all so so much. Know what I mean?


Getting pulled back up the mountain after our first run.

My cute little family.

Ready for round TWO.

awwwwwww.

Then we were off to explore the city.

And climb gates.

I'm pretty sure these steps lead up to the secret garden, or heaven or something. I never did find out where...

Exploring the old town. There were signs on a lot of these house saying how long the house had been in the family with the family name under it. We are talking hundreds and hundreds of years. Super cool.

The center of town with Hallie and Matt.

We got tired of walking...so we took a train ride up to the castle. Matt was relieved. :)

Watching the city go by.

Love this naughty little face.

cool statue/window.

Chillin at the castle. You know, it's what we do. Find castles, then go hang out there.

Checking out the city below.

Walking around the castle grounds.

The men in my life.

Looking directly into the sun, I'm pretty sure.

After all of our adventuring around, we were ready for some hot apfel strudel. It was delicious beyond description.

Aaaaaand a little hot chocolate to go along with that.

CHEERS!

Matt needed some new running shoes...

because his gym bag got stolen out of his car. His Under Armor gym bag (might I add) that he spent weeks online shopping for to find the PERFECT gym bag, and ended up costing 50 dollars. Along with his running shoes that he has had for about 8 years and broken in to the perfect level of comfort. Aaaaand all of his military PT (physical training) clothes that added up to about 100 bucks worth of clothing. And they took his trust in humanity along with all of those things. Oh yeah, and he has his PT test (to make sure our military is staying healthy) in 8 days. And we all know how much it sucks to break in new running shoes. Poor poor Matt. The one ray of light in this crap pile of a situation? We got to go SHOPPING. Anyone who knows me knows I loooooove shopping. So we went to find Matt some running shoes, and came home with these beauties:


Due to my job at Church of working with kids I have found all of my heels to be somewhat impracitcal/painful at church on sunday. Plus all of my nice shoes are open toed (between California, Hawaii, and Florida I never saw a need for close toed shoes) and can't be worn with tights in the winter. It's a tragedy really.

So I was in a Euphoric state when I found these little lovelies yesterday. Then I saw the price... and nearly wet myself with excitement. Wait for it.....wait for it.....14 DOLLARS a pair! That was it for me. I gathered my boxes and headed to the cash register. All the while Matt walking along beside me informing me that I have hundreds (i would call that a slight exaggeration) of shoes at home that I NEVER wear and he KNOWS these will be added to the piles and I'll continue to wear my Old Navy flip flops everywhere I go. I just can't handle the head shakes of disaproval at my wearing rubber flip flops to church anymore. Time to move up in the world! To the land of shiny flats that make me feel fancy AND comfortable at the same time.
Obviously Matt would have a hard time doing his PT test in these shoes. So we kept shopping and found him a pretty good deal on some Adidas running shoes. But they're not pretty and shiney, so they don't make it on to the blog. :)

Post Edit: I rode my bike to pick Hallie up from school today and you'll never guess what happened!! I'm riding along, enjoying the fall-ish weather and noticing some of the trees are already starting to lose their leaves and change colors, and as I'm getting closer to the school I see a pack of teenage boys standing on the street. They move out of my way as I approach, but something is strangely familiar about one of these boys. What is it? hmmmm. As I pass, it hits me. It's his AirForce PT jacket that he's wearing. Strange for an 18 year old-ish german boy to be wearing a (50 dollar) PT jacket worn by our United Stated Airforce. I hit my breaks on my bike and turn around to do a ride-by again. Yep, it's Matt's jacket. The very one that was stolen out of his car a few days ago. Seeing as to how I'm a lone female and there are three of them (and the fact that I don't know any foul language in german. well not enough foul language) I keep riding again. They definently notice that I am eyeing them. I head to a friends house who lives close by and hope her husband is home to go and beat the life of crime right out them. No one is home. I think to myself, "I didn't even check to see if they were wearing his shoes...I'm going back. If they are I'm telling them what I think of them in English and taking them to the ground. I will rip those shoes right off their feet. Then go return the adidas we just bought (but I'm keeping my shoes). " So I go back...and they are gone. But this is NOT over. I WILL find them and I will destroy. No one steals from US!

It's good to have best friends. Here's why:

I have been very blessed in life to have not just one best friend...but lots. I was digging through all my old pictures tonight and came across these. They made me smile. And after scanning them all in to my computer, they made me grateful for digital. Love you girlies.

Lost in Translation.

Anyone who knows Hallie knows that she LOVES/ is borderline obsessed with horses. When she is reincarnated she will be a horse. So Matt and I went to talk to a woman in our town that we had be told does horse back riding lessons for kids. She said she had a class for kids Hallie's age where they do gymnastics. I thought that was a strange word to use and was picturing in my mind the kids learning to barrel jump and go through obstacle courses. Her first class was last night and once the lesson began Matt and I both sat there with our mouths hanging open. They are literally doing gymnastics. On the back of a horse. While it's walking and galloping. I was a nervous wreck the whole time (even though there was an instructor right next to the horse the whole time). She LOVED it. I guess we're going to keep it up. Maybe we'll strike it rich when we can put her in the circus.


"Look MOM! NO HANDS!"

"Check out this cool trick MOM!! I'm KNEELING on the horse and sticking out one leg straight behind me!"

"Look MOMMY! We're galloping!"

"Check this one out MOM! I can stand on the horse! And NO HANDS!" Right after this little trick the girl in front of her got into a kneeling position and Hallie mounted the girl. Then did the no hands thing again. I was seriously dying.

Lets see how many acrobats we can fit on one horse. Up next...the CLOWN car!!

More scary little tricks. BTW- Hallie does have more than just this one shirt. It's just a matter of getting her to wear any of the other ones.

After all that hard work it was time for a little R&R.

We're gonna party like it's 1999!

We had Hallie's birthday party on Saturday, and after countless hours making cupcakes, filling up water balloons, and preparing piniatas, the party turned out to be a hit! Fun was had by all. Poor Hallie had a terrible ear infection and was running a fever off and on all day. So we kept her well drugged and she seemed to still have good time.

This was going to be a water balloon toss....never quite worked out. The minute the buckets of (400) water balloons were opened, the water fight began.

Chase was even in on the action.

Up next....Piniata time. We bought the kind where you pull on the strings and the thing is supposed to pop open. Matt decided that didn't sound NEARLY as fun as beating the thing to death. So beat it we did.

The hit heard around the world.

Mad rush for the candy.

Now lets have some CUPCAKES!!

Hallie had a VERY hard time understanding that she needed to wait to open her presents. So she would just sit by them on and off all day. She was also in heaven because I allowed her to have soda for her birthday party. She had a sprite in her hands for the entire duration of the party.

Check out his contraption slash death trap. The kids LOVE it. It's a teeter totter on crack.

FINALLY!!!!

So turns out I'm 27 now.

Getting closer and closer every day to the THREE ZERO. Craziness. As I was sitting in the movie theatre tonight with Matt I got a craving for some peanut M & Ms. Matt (being the wonderful, caring, sweet husband that he is) went to go and find me some. While he was gone and I was sitting there in the theatre, with the seats on either side of me empty, a very funny memory came to my mind.
Back when we had just gotten married (and going to the movies wasn't such an event) we were in a very similar situation to the one we were in tonight. I really wanted something snacky (a diet coke I'm sure...but I don't remember what it was my sweet husband had gone to find us) and I was sitting alone in a mostly empty movie theatre. There I was, minding my own business, when a young man (I would say my age..maybe a few years older) came walking up the stairs, then proceeded to walk down the aisle on which I was sitting. As he got closer I moved my legs to the side in order to allow this guy to pass me, all the while thinking to myself, "Geeze buddy! You've got the whole theatre here, couldn't you go down a different row?"
Then, just as he reached where I was sitting....he looked at me...then he sat down. Right next to me. I felt my face turn BRIGHT red and leaned VERY far away. Ummm, seriously guy? You think I go to movies by myself and hope another random man my age will attend alone also? Then have the nerve to come up and sit by me? I have never felt so uncomfortable. What was I supposed to do? He was just sitting there. Looking up at the movie screen. He didn't seem to be mentally impared in anyway. He was good looking. Was I on candid camera or something? Just then my knight in shinning armor came walking back in the door. As he came walking up the stairs in the dark he caught sight of me...then the guy next to me...then stopped dead in his tracks. His jaw dropped. The look of confusion on his face was by far the funniest thing I have ever seen in my life. He looked at me, then the stalker man, then me, then the stalker again. I could just read his thoughts as they entered his mind:
"What the heck?? Is that my wife? Who is that guy? She sends me to get her a diet coke so she can play the field? No no, she wouldn't do that. Is he related? Does she know him?"
He slowly proceeded towards us (me and my new date that is), the guy moves his legs aside so Matt can get past him. So did I. Things were starting to get a little crowded in this row of this mostly empty theatre. Matt sat down on the other side of me. I was surrounded by men. Only one of which I knew. I was trying so hard not to bust out laughing. The situation was like something out of an episode of Friends. When we looked eachother in the eye, Matt mouthed to me, "who is that??" with the most bewildered face. I shrugged my shoulders making it very clear that I had no idea who my little admirer was, but I grabbed Matt's hand quickly and pulled it into my lap.
The man continued to enjoy the movie with us for a few minutes, then got up and left. Just liek that. Most random thing ever. The minute the guy left Matt said to me, "I didn't realize you sent me to get snacks so you could pick up on other dudes." Must have been my charming demeanor.
So as I sat in the theatre tonight remembering my long lost movie theatre boyfriend it hit me, I need to BLOG this story! It was so funny! Then another thought hit me. I actually have A LOT of really funny/embarrassing stories that I would have no shame in sharing with the world. So get ready internet blog world...here they come!

Today Hallie turns 4...tomorrow I turn 27.

Crazy to think that 4 years ago today was probably the very longest day of my life. Our little miss Hallie did NOT wish to leave her cozy water bed and join the rest of world...even though all the water had been drained. Instead of making her exit in a timely manner and finding her own way into existance, our kind Doctor got ahold of her head with a contraption that looked a whole lot like my salad tongs I had at home, and yanked our subborn little fetus into the room. She was not happy about this. I was exhausted and not too happy with this person who had just made my life a living hell....but from the minute she was born her Daddy was wrapped around her little finger. I looked at him (as the doctor was trying to put me back together, one painful stitch at a time) and watched him take our beautiful little tightly wrapped burrito into his arms and the tears started running down his face. Matt's not a cryer, but I could tell this moment changed him instantly. This perfect, stubborn little baby took him from being a man to being a Father. And the change suited him well. Since then things have not changed much. She's still stubborn and wonderful...and he's still wrapped around her little finger. Happy happy birthday Hallie dear. We love you.
ps- the reason you will not see any pictures of me from Hallie being born or anytime soon after her birth is because I'm extremely obese and cringe when I see those pictures of myself. I have deleted them more than once and Matt always finds a way to recover them and put them back in the little computer file where they belong.

A day in the life...

I was so cozy in my bed when Matt got up this morning before the sun. He is off flying who knows where today. I had big plans for all the fun things I was going to do with my babies today, right after I got a few more hours of sleep. Just as he made his exit from our bedroom to the shower a beautiful little person with curly blonde hair made her entrance...at 5 in the morning.
"go back to bed Hallie, it is still night time." I rolled away from her hoping this would make it very clear that I did not wish to engage in conversation at the moment, but would prefer to sleep.
"But I'm hungry Mommy" she says as she snuggles in close, face in my face, bad morning breath filling up my nose.
"I guess you should have eaten your dinner last night. Go back to bed."
She grabs Matt's blanket and settles in to a more permanent spot.
"Get off my pillow Hallie...use Daddys". I hate when she tries to share my pillow, but she always does.
"Dinner last night made my tummy sick, but I'm so hungry now."
"No talking or you have to go back to your own bed, we will eat when the sun comes up." I'm trying to get across to this sweet little (almost) 4 year old that I'm a desperate woman trying to get in my last 2 hours of sleep....and it would not be in her best interest to continue disturbing me.
Matt comes in and kisses me goodbye, I wish him good luck on his flight today.
I drift back off to my happy place. I slip in and out of sleep as Hallie continues to:
-try to share my pillow
-spoon with me
-kick me in the back
-tell me she's hungry
-get up and leave the room
-come back again
-leave again
"Mommy! I threw up!"
I'm awake now.
Hallie busts through my door and continues to puke on my bed (the bedding that I just washed a few days ago by the way).
"Run to the toilet!!" I yell. She has both hand plastered across her mouth and vomit is exploding from all around them. She leaves a trail of throw up from my room to the bathroom....I slip in the nice, smelly, throw up. Lovely. Hallie is wretching over the toilet, bless her little heart. When she is finished I strip off her clothes and put her in the bath. I start the "lets clean up the puke out of 3 different rooms and the hallway" project. When I go back into the bathroom to wash her hair she looks up at me with the saddest little sickie face and says "I told you dinner made me sick".
I get her out of the bath and into cozy pajamas. I hate it when my kids are sick. I hate that there's nothing I can do to make it better. I carry her down stairs and make her a cozy spot on the couch. It's disney time!
"I'm hungry Mommy."
"Sorry babe, but you can't eat right now. Why don't we try some apple juice and see if you can keep it down".
She continues to beg and beg for food. She downs the apple juice and seems to be ok....so I make her some toast and bring her a bowl.
"If you think you're going to throw up...use the bowl."
She gives me a funny look. It's not two minutes before that horrible sound of gagging hits my ears again, I run to her just in time to catch the tail end of the nastiness in the bowl. The rest of it is all over my couch.
Back to the bath.
Back to cleaning up more throw up.
Spend 20 minutes scrubbing my couch.
I can hear Chase is awake in his bed.
He's going to have to wait.
I get Hallie all cleaned up again (wondering if I could save myself a lot of work by just leaving her in the bath all day), and bring her back downstairs. To the other couch. First I cover the couch with a blanket (see, I'm getting smarter).
I get Hallie another bowl and tell her try to use it if she is going to throw up again.
"Mommy, I'm SO hungry. Can I please have some toast?"
"Hallie, you threw up all over your toast. We need to wait a while. You can try the apple juice, just sip slowly."
I go and get Chase out of bed and take care of his diaper (which leaked pee all over HIS clean bed), get him all set up with breakfast, and turn on another movie because the first one has come to an end. I sit down at the computer with my diet coke (starting early today) and take a deep breath. I'm not sitting there for 5 minutes when Hallie comes around the corner with a triumphant look on her face and bowl full of puke in her hands.
"Look Mom! I threw up again, but I made it ALL in the bowl. I didn't even drip! So you don't have anything to clean up!"
Sweet, sweet baby. Thank you SO much for that, because if I had to clean up one more bodily fluid today I was going to die. Just about that time, a horrible aroma filled the room. Like death warmed over kind of aroma.
"Mommy! I pooped!" Chase yells. OH, is THAT what's running down your leg?
Time to go and switch the laundry.