Bastogne, the Battle of the Bulge, and a bit of Hee-Haw

I know this is going to sound cliche, but I am going to say it anyway.  Being here really makes the pages in our history books come to life.  I had a very good teacher in high school who really got me interested in history, and more importantly, helped me to see that it was part of my history.  Being here in Germany and the surrounding countries where some of this took place is both surreal and sobering. 

This past weekend we drove to Bastogne, Belgium.  This is where The Battle of the Bulge took place, the largest and bloodiest battle fought in World War II.  We put this on our list of must-sees after hearing about foxholes left from the war.  Upon further research, the foxholes are most likely from re-enactments, but nonetheless, it was still awesome to stand on the grounds where there once were the foxholes used to protect our troops both from the enemies and also from the harsh weather. 

We had lunch at the Mardasson Monument, shaped like a 5-pointed star.  We then stopped at a donkey farm.  Here a company uses donkey milk to make lotions and soaps, which are good for certain skin conditions, such as eczema.  I didn't try any, but they did smell really good.  Next, we quickly walked through a small museum which has articles from both WWI and WWII for purchase. We spent the rest of the day strolling through the streets eating Belgium chocolates, pastries, and fries.  Did you know that "french fries" actually originated in Belgium?

God Bless,

Staci

Mountians, Monkeys...and a Glass of Milk, Please

You may have noticed we have been traveling a little more.  With Avree finally a little easier to travel with, we are trying to make the most of our time here.  There is still so much to see...
This was my first time in France.  Our destination: Monkey Mountain.  La Montagne des Singes, or "Monkey Mountain," is home to 300 Barbary Macaques from all around the world.  You can see the monkeys in their natural environment doing monkey things: grooming each other, playing around, swinging in the trees, and eating.  I especially enjoyed watching the mommas taking care of their babies.  At the time of our visit there were 16 baby Barbary Macaques.  They were so tiny and cute!  Upon entrance you are given a handful of popcorn to offer to the monkeys as a snack.  As you wander down the path, the monkeys will come and sit on the railing, waiting for a little treat.  Natalie got tickled at them eating out of her palm, and Avree enjoyed watching the movement. 







 



With still a little time to kill, we stumbled upon a gingerbread museum.  We weren't actually sure what there was too see, but it looked like a sweet shop and we wanted to check it out!  The company, Fortwenger, has been making gingerbread since 1768.  The Gingerbread Man took us through an interactive trail where we discovered his history, recipes, traditions, as well as a possibility too see the production in action.  We got there shortly before closing, but if in the area again, we will indeed check it out!  And of course, we got a little snack for the road. 

Suagr & Spice & Everything Nice,
God Bless,
Staci

It's Good to See a Familiar Face

I am a little late on this blog, but I still want to share about our trip with the grandparents.  I want to start off by saying how nice it is to be around family, or just to see any familiar face for that matter.  The hardest part of being in the military, for me, is being away from family.  I grew up in a close-knit family, and it hurts me when I think about my children growing up without their cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents.  I know they are experiencing many other great things, but this is the sacrifice.  Skype is wonderful, but it just doesn't cut it.

Anxiously awaiting the arrival

We greeted Ben's parents at the airport in Frankfurt.  The girls and I made a sign to welcome them, which turned out really cute!  We took short trips the first few days so they had a chance to get over the jetlag.  Our first outing was to the Heidelberg castle, which we have been to many times before.  This time though, we paid to take the tour.  It was worth it because the tour guide took us to parts of the castle only accessible via the tour.  We then went to Triberg, a city in the Black Forest region.  We visited a cuckoo clock museum, hiked to the waterfall, and wandered in a few shops.

Triberg, Germany

Our first overnight trip was to Berlin.  Berlin is a city rich in history.  We caught a glimpse of all the frequently visited sites, and then toured an underground bunker left from the war.  Avree was not very cooperative for this part, but I was fascinated by the part that I heard.  Do you know they are still finding and disarming bombs today?

We detoured from our original plans to go to Normandy, and instead explored a little of Austria.  We stayed in Garmisch, Germany a few nights and took Byron & Patti to see Neuschwanstein Castle and Dachau Concentration Camp.  On from there, we drove to Berchtesgaden to check out the Eagle's Nest.  Unless you take the guided tour, there isn't much to see other than a cafe and a magnificent view.

View from our balcony in Salzburg

 We ended the trip with a short stay in Salzburg, Austria, home to Mozart and also the setting for the film "The Sound of music."  It was a lovely city, with a castle overlooking the town on a river. 
A few other cities we visited during their stay were Worms, Mannheim (Lusienpark), and Frankfurt-Hans Airport (Patti lived around here as a child).

We spent many hours in the car, ate more pastries than we should have, took enough photos to fill a scrapbook, and made memories of a lifetime.  It was so great for Natalie and Avree to have this special time with their grandparents.  Although the time went by way too fast, we are so thankful for the opportunity to have traveled  Europe all together.

Picnic at Luisen Park, Mannheim

Moving Day & a Birthday-

As the band is getting ready to relocate, we have settled into a new house- off post. This is our first time living off post and it was quite an experience. Here are a few things we encountered:

• We were without Internet for about a month. This made things really difficult.
• The movers couldn't fit our queen sized bed up the stairs.  They got creative and ended up disassembling the banister. 
• Meters for utilities are read once a yr.  We are paying an average of whatever the people who used to live here.  We will either get a credit or a bill at the end of the year!
• The local Kindergartens are not accepting military families since they are full and we have the option to go on-post. 

I was surprised with how long it  took us to unpack and get settled in at work.  I guess moving with two children is more difficult than with one.  I couldn't hardly get anything done during the day.  And with the commute and some big projects going on at work, Ben couldn't be much help.   Finally, after a few long weekends and several trips to Ikea, we got it all sorted out.  We reside in the town of Enkenbach-Alsenborn (I think on the Alsenborn side) and are enjoying it a lot.  Out town has a great pizza and ice cream shop, 4 grocery stores, and a swimming pool.  Best of all, it is just 5 km from Sembach, the post where Ben will start working in September.

In between all the moving, unpacking, organizing, and cleaning we celebrated Natalie's 3rd bday party.  She has a thing for pigs so we threw a pig party- Olivia the pig that is!  Lots of her little friends met us at the bowling alley where we ate pizza, cake, bowled, and painted piggy banks.  It was a lot of fun!  We are so blessed with such good friends, and to those who live too far away, we did miss you!

On the Hunt

There has been lots of hunting going on around here.  Of course, Easter egg hunting, but we have also been house hunting.
We celebrated Easter with friends from church.  After a cookout, we had an egg hunt going up a hill into the woods, leading to a small church.  Despite the weather forecast of rain, we had a slightly chilly, but sunny day.  All the kids filled their baskets with more candy than they needed, then we had a confetti egg fight.  Everyone had a great time.

The girls ready to leave for church

Natalie had so much fun finding the eggs

Avree just wanted to play with them

House hunting has been consuming a lot of our time lately.  For those of you that do not already know, due to future plans to close down the post in Heidelberg, the band is relocating to Sembach.  Sembach is a little less than an hour away, and is located in the area of Ramstein Air Force Base.  This will be a big change for us because we will be living off-post.  We have to find a house on the German economy that fits our needs.  This is a bit of a challenge because they do things way different than us.  The bedrooms are smaller, no closets, little if any yard, and they usually take their kitchens with them when they move.  After a week of stress and searching, we found one that is going to work for us.  Our new home is located in Enkenbach-Alsenborn.  It is just over 2,000 sq ft, 4 bedrooms, small fenced yard, and best of all, just 5 minutes from Ben's work. There will be some challenges (small kitchen and lack of storage) but nothing that a little IKEA can't fix ;)  We will be moved by May 1st.

The new house

Please pray for our family as we get ready to move once again, and go through this process of transition.  Thank you. 

Take care & God Bless,
Staci

"Kölle Alaaf!"

       

You might have clicked on this link merely to figure out what the title of my blog says.  Kölle Alaaf, Cologne above all, is a popular phrase heard throughout the city during the season of Carnival.  Carnival is a week-long street festival which takes place between Fat Thursday and ends on Ash Wednesday. The highlight of the carnival is Rose Monday.

     We have been anticipating a trip to Cologne, one of the oldest and the fourth largest city in Germany, and thought what better time than during Carnival.  It was a two hour drive for us.  We took off on Saturday and landed a room at a hotel just outside of the city.

     It just so happened that the small town that we stayed in was having its parade that day.  As we unpacked the car and settled in, we watched masked people of all ages making their way down to the town's main drag.  After a brief rest, we bundled up and headed out to the festivities.  The parade lasted two and a half hours.  We collected an entire plastic sack full of candy bars, gummies, fruit chews, flowers, stuffed animals, and other goodies.

     The following morning, we headed downtown Cologne to see its famous cathedral.  It was magnificent.  I wish I could have taken you there, because pictures just do not do it justice!  Upon leaving the cathedral, crowds were gathering for yet another parade.  Knowing that most places would be closed on Sunday, we cut out to join in.  This parade also lasted two and a half hours.   It consisted of school groups, community groups, and bands.  This was the most fun one to me because each group had a theme and all members were dressed the same.  Some of the groups promoted energy conservation, local landmarks, or current events. With another bagful of candy and goodies in hand, we were ready to call it a day!

     We rose early the next morning, got dressed, ate breakfast, and headed downtown to find parking.  It was Rosenmontag, and that meant the biggest parade yet!  The carnival parade in Cologne is one of the largest street festivals in all of Germany.  The parade was 7 km long and lasted for 5 hours.  Lots more candy, costumes, and floats.  Many of the floats were from local businesses such as banks and universities.  The businesses or groups would have several floats guides by huge horses and the floats were very decorated, some featuring political satire, others covered in fresh flowers.  Often the floats were followed by a train which housed their candy, since the parade lasted for so long.  About halfway through we began to get ready to leave, but one quick look around reminded us we were there until the end.  There were so many people around, it was impossible to get through the crowd, especially with a double stroller!  About that time both girls fell asleep, so Ben and I munched on chocolate bars and gummy bears and watched the rest of the  parade.

We had a lot of fun- it was really neat to celebrate in the German traditions, and we were really excited about all the confectionery we accumulated (although we had no idea what to do with it all)!  More than anything, we were all ready to be home!!!

We will have to go back some time to see more of the beautiful city.

Take care & God Bless,
Staci

Our teeny, tiny hotel room

Heading to the first parade

 

Her loot from the 1st parade

One of my favorite costumed groups, pies

I loved all the fresh flowers

What we brought home

10 hours of parading will get you this much!

All Around the World, and Back Again

Finally, the holiday season is behind us.  What a busy time of the year.  We traveled back to Texas just a few days prior to Christmas, and boy what an adventure that was!  A little bit of snow caused us to miss our flight, rerouting us through Chicago for a night.  When we finally got off the plane in Lubbock, TX we didn't know what time it was!

The girls passed out at the hotel on our way to Texas

We spent two weeks with our families there in Texas.  Christmas morning was spent with my family rapidly opening gifts and then racing off to church.  This year was extra special as we woke up to a white Christmas!  We celebrated a few days later at the Hutto household when everyone was able to be together.  It is always a joy to watch the children open their presents.  One of my favorite traditions is Christmas stockings.  That was always the first thing we got to open, and it was so much fun to go through and see the treasure that laid before us! 

It wasn't long before it was time to drop Ben off at the airport to make his way back.  He left on January 4th, and the girls and I stayed a few extra weeks.  We enjoyed our extended stay with family and even caught up with a few old friends.  We made our rounds throughout town stopping by the Credit Union, grocery store, Highland, Administration Building, Reagar Dykes, and church showing the girls off proudly to many of my old acquaintances.  Of course everyone was impressed by their beautiful smiles :)

The Hutto Family

The Duncan Family

I cannot believe it, but we survived the dreaded 9 1/2 hr flight home. We encountered many helpful people along the way which made it possible.  As we turned the corned at the Frankfurt airport, I was ecstatic to see Ben and quickly handed over to him both kids, two suitcases, two diaper bags, the camera bag, my coat, and the stroller, all of which I had been lugging around for far too long!  I breathed a sigh of relief before making my way over to hug him.

And now we are coping with the most fun part of all (note the sarcasm)- jetlag!  I had been warned, but like so many other things in life, you don't fully understand unless you have experienced it.  I had received much advice on how to deal, but with an infant, all the rules go out the window!  Today is the begining of Day 3, 2:24 a.m.  One kid is sound asleep and one fully awake.  Please excuse me if none of this letter makes sense.

Good morning.  Good night.  Good day.

Take care and God Bless,
Staci