Sembach Germany where it all started

Once again I am THANKFUL to the Army for the Amazing blessings and Opportunities it has given our  family. I recently was able to travel to the town, to the street, to the house where my parents lived when they got married and where I should of been born lol how cool it would of been to have been born here in Germany 

 Here I am standing in front of the house...pulling in and walking up the slight hill with Pachenko I couldn't help but think my parents walked up this same road, together, it makes me wonder what my parents were like back then..

Sembach will always be a special place to me and I hope to visit there again to walk the roads my parents already traveled...

Vacation Bible School....take 2

All year long I have been dreading vacation bible school? why? how can three simple words make a grown woman shake in her flip flops easily it's the memory of last years VBS I think Sophia, Helen, Olivia, Charlie and Maddie went only one or two days...and then Sophia came home and said that the girls weren't allowed to come back because they wouldn't stop crying UGH...now granted there is a HUGE difference between now and then first off VBS started right after we moved here so the girls didn't know anyone now they know everyone ok maybe not EVERYONE but we definitely know alot of people...

So this year we are all going Katie, Julie, Sophia and I are volunteers :D while Helen, Olivia, Charlie and Maddie are celebrating PandaMania ...It got off to a crazy start but once things got started it was exciting and fun not sure what the exact number of kids attending but I'd say over 100 and we have a lot of volunteers..I was really impressed with the number of teenagers who showed up to help out with the younger kids...it's one of the many things I first commented on when we arrived here at Storck Barracks was the number of teenagers who Charlie and Maddie were always playing with ...lol
Well if you have the opportunity I highly suggest bringing your kids over to VBS my girls just love it I am sure your kids will too....I am already looking forward to 2012 VBS no more dreading it here...

My husband, My girls daddy...he does't know..

He doesn't know how little moments like these warm my heart or mean so much to our girls. To him he is just hanging out with the girls, doing the dad thing, making fun of Charlie's all the time face & pose for photos..To him it is just another day..but to me it's my husband taking the time to be there with his daughters, showing them he loves them, cares about them and that they are worth spending time with. To my daughters it is fun times with daddy, it's laughs and giggles, funny faces, bouncy castles, it's smiles and joking around, it's slides & motor carts, it's hot dogs and an hour plus standing in line for slushies, it's late night french fries, it's holding daddies hand and watching fire works on the 4th of July each and every day is a memory that we store away of another awesome time with my husband and another memory for the girls to carry with them for when there daddy can't be here with them. An Army family stores up the love to pull out like a warm cozy blanket to comfort us while our hero is gone, To him the things he does aren't special to us everything he does is special 

The hills are alive...with photo ops Switzerland

Living in  Germany gives us the opportunity to border jump into some pretty amazing countries..On our way back from Italy we decided to come back through Switzerland...It is a beautiful drive through Switzerland lots of great places to stop and take photos....so take a slow drive through Switzerland see all the scenery stop and take some photos of the many waterfalls up in the hillsides...don't forget to take some Francs with you though they are not euro currency there...

Italy on Fast Forward

A dream trip to Italy it was a dream come true..Italy was amazing and we will definitely make another trip there ...this pretty much was a jammed packed trip do and see as much as possible since my in laws only had two weeks off to visit...so we did Italy in four days yes I said 4 days even more crazy was we did ROME in ONE DAY!! which I wouldn't suggest for the weak or slow paced lol 

I wanna stress that we did ROME in one day not by choice but because we really were on a short time schedule also we did not go inside on any tours we really were perfectly content wandering around and taking photos of everything and anything. My thoughts on Rome is it is very busy, crowded and not little kid friendly I would never attempt a stroller walk or kids under 10 years old trip there ..I don't think kids under 10 would appreciate the historical value of the places...and it is very spread out and A LOT of walking...

 Of course we were in search of a real authentic cannolli  it was yummy and well worth the search..

Italy is of course famous for it's vine covered scenery  

leaning tower of Pisa...I think we all agreed we liked Pisa alot it is quieter and definitely a place you can take children of all ages...the tower was cool and the buildings just amazing..

we stopped in Verona and had a panini at a little cafe..it was delicious 

Winery tour was one of the neatest things I have ever done Torre a Cenaia Estate winery

The wine was delicious so glad we took the time to do a tasting it was leisurely done and the staff was amazing and very accommodating we will definitely stop by to see them again .

Dinners at Il Grand Bar Tirreno Itlay just minutes away from Camp Darby and Pisa the food was moth watering we ate dinner there 3 nights I highly recommend this place as the must go to eat place..the staff was fabulous and friendly ..order the house wine it is beyond this world delicious 

mediterranean sea OMG I loved the sea I belong living on water it was so blue and beautiful I can not wait until we can go back again luckily my husband loved the area as much as me...

A Snails Life.....

Some one said to me recently that I could blog about ANYTHING I laughed and said nah I am sure there was something out there that I couldn't blog about....
I pretty much have been in HIGH SPEED GO GO GO Mode since hitting this post...the truth is even when my body didn't have the OOMPH to GO GO GO my mind was making up for it...I truly believe a mind is a horrible thing to waste....
So after doing high speed now for 10 months I just got back from a 5 day conference it was for a phenomenal group called AWAG Americans Working Around the Globe we had jam packed 5 classes a day, networking lunches, there were speakers and themed dinners...so sometimes we didn't eat until close to 9PM by the time we made it through the buffet lines, then back to our rooms to fall into bed to catch a few hours a sleep before we had to be up, fed and back into the classroom by 8:30AM to do it all over again...I learned alot there from the speakers, I learned about resiliency, bereavement, children's education as well as mine, FRG, spouses clubs, Volunteerism, leadership roles within the Army and Military communities, savings & investments, deployments, about services offered to military members, BOG, board meetings, how to save on meat...but one of the best things that I learned is that to prevent burn out in volunteers they need to feel appreciated, only say yes to things they feel passionate about, only put in as much time as they can, not to over commit, to use your talents, skills but know your weaknesses, keep your priorities in mind...yourself and your family...
You need to take care of yourself so you can take care of others....so breath, relax, enjoy a hobby, read a book, take nap, go for a walk...hence we get to why this is titled A Snails Life...
The girls found a snail about a month ago I figured this snail would be a goner with in a day or two however a month later and the snail is still kicking lol ok maybe slithering...which got me to thinking about the fast pace I have been going...I don't rush around I just sort of bounce from place to place...high speed doing this and that for this person or that person along the way some thing always comes up which I just add to my to do list...
So Snaily comes out of his shell, he is tiny, moves slowly but still manages to make it all the way to where ever it is that it is trying to get to...

it might take the snail awhile at the slower pace but he still manages to get there...so maybe going a little slower in life won't kill me or anyone else...maybe the snails success can be learned from...slow and steady still gets it done...

Snaily traveled all the way around the bucket rim to get to the drop of water the girls had fun cheering snaily on...go Snaily, you can do it, good job Snaily as I listen to my girls seriously cheering a snail on while it slithers it's way around the lid I remember sitting in class hearing the instructor saying that cheering, praising and acknowledging our volunteers keeps them happy and motivated....preventing burnout.....
So if my girls can cheer a snail on and it makes it to it's goal line......imagine what some praise can do for a volunteer, a friend, a family member or a new spouse..lol I know I always end up saying something about new spouses...it's my mantra say HELLO to your new neighbor or the new wife at the commissary you could really be the one person to make living where ever you live more welcoming...be a spark of inspiration, of friendliness and of volunteerism.....

Sometimes A Palace is just as sweet ....

Oh how royalty lived ...to walk through a Kings Palace and touch the stone walls...the old saying is if walls could talk and it is so true if these walls could talk what stories we would hear....

One of King Ludwigs other homes is named Linderhof Palace and it is very beautiful...even before entering the Palace you are impressed with the architecture and intricate details on the front of the building. 

So this was our first "castle" trip it is less then an hour from Edelweiss Lodge & Resort it's not expensive, they do an English speaking tour and better yet it is not a long torturous walk from the parking area...We went prior to the out buildings and gardens being in bloom so our main focus was the actual walk thru tour of the Palace...which is a really quick tour so you could easily squeeze this in on a day you have other things to do if you are visiting the Garmisch area...

At spring and summer this area is all a bloom from the pics I have seen it is a beautiful sight...

Excitedly awaiting them to start the tour...like I have said it's such an opportunity to be able to do this things...

This is an awesome quick family trip I would say if you want to give someone a castle like experience but don't think that they are up to the UBER trek up to a huge castle like Neuschwanstein or the 300 steps in the castle...ok so one thing I HATE is NO PHOTOS that sucks but y'all know me when they say No PICS it means just work harder to snag one lol
So here is a photo of King Ludwig's royal bed it was magnificent now when I say the bed is floor to ceiling we aren't talking a little room with 8 foot ceilings I don't even know how tall the ceiling is maybe 30 feet or more....a canopy of royal blue fabric....and gold tassels, gold decals

This is a must see place.....take advantage of being able to walk in the foot prints of a King...

All a girl needs to be a Princess is a castle....

Once Upon a time in a land not so very far away on top of a beautiful mountain stood a magnificent castle fit for a Princess or for a passel of princesses....With sweeping views of mountains and towns below for miles and miles around you could not ask for a more beautiful spot for a princesses castle to be.

  Neuschwanstein Castle I took this photo from Saint Mary's bridge it is a breath taking ~ awe inspiring feeling to walk out on to this rickety old bridge and see this majestic sight....if you have little kids you might want to skip the bridge it is old and didn't seem very sturdy or safe in all honesty the girls were a little scared on the bridge...this is one of the many Castles you can visit in Germany and is an hour away from Edelweiss lodge & Resort...

Where girls of all ages feel like a princess

This photo was taken on the way back from the castle ...my advice take pics on the way to the castle instead once you get closer to the castle it is impossible to get a photo with the castle in the back ground with people..lol also this is a huge castle tour with over 300 steps just inside the castle alone 3 or 4 floors up and down spiral staircases not including the trek to get to the castle ...it is not an easy jot so wear good walking shoes and allow yourself some meandering time to stroll up there before your castle tour..we rode the bus to the stop but it is still an excursion especially when you are bringing little ones with you...

The girls were amazed of the miniature replica of the castle in the glass case...it is absolutely beautiful and so detailed...

like I have said in other blogs it is so amazing this experience our children are getting to have...to be able to say they have toured real castles...castles of King Ludwig to know some history that there is so much more in the world then computers, cell phones, movies, malls, dating lol there is a big world out there full of interesting things to see and do....teenage princess....

How romantic it is to stroll like royalty through castles...to see how royalty lived...throne rooms, ballrooms, living areas and bedrooms that are fit for a king lol.....

sneaky pic of throne room...no comment lol

 A little princess who stopped to take one last look at her castle as we were walking away ....it's not just a fairytale .......

I might sound preachy at times when I say GET OUT & Explore but take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to learn, to see, to travel, to taste, to experience things that you might not of been able to do before getting Posted in Germany or any other country for that matter...

Edelweiss Lodge & Resort another Army perk for living in Germany

When we first got here I heard the words "marriage retreat" and thought pish posh we don't need to go on a marriage retreat there is nothing wrong with our marriage....however as always my opinions on some things change with time so we decided to take the girls and go on a marriage retreat...

Living in Germany is wonderful there are so many opportunities that are available to families being Posted here. 1 travel travel travel I don't think I could possibly say it enough ...being posted in Germany is amazing due to it's centralized location to every where...you are in driving distance to pretty much any country that you might be interested in visiting or a quick flight if you aren't into road trips. 

So being stationed here in Germany our marriage retreats are at Edelweiss Lodge & Resort in Germany..

 Now let me tell you a little about the location it is on the Germany/Austria border in the Alps it has majestic views and adventures galore....

YES you seriously can brag that you hiked the Alps or went to the Alps to all those family & friends who are vicariously living through your adventures over here but even more awesome is you yourself or if you are blessed with children are having a once in a lifetime experience years from now when we no longer live here my girls will be able to say I have lived in Europe, I have been to x,x & x countries and I have hiked the Alps :D to me the sacrifices we make are worth the amazing adventures that we are having over here...

    Now as for the marriage retreat part we had a huge group class it was more like a mixer with couples and group table projects it was a lot of fun...I will say it was lot more fun then I thought it would be..I was thinking it would be more like being preached to, or therapy like or having all our marital details picked over and scrutinized lol but it wasn't any of those things in fact we watched Mark Grungor 's laugh your way to a better marriage seminar it was funny ...The retreat was wonderful and I could ramble on for hours with every little detail about our stay there and I will toss some key highlights ups on the bottom about the lodge...a little plug for things we loved or could of passed on lol
We ended our marriage retreat part of our stay by joining together with some friends and renewing our vows at the resort with the Alps as a back ground....a wonderful way to end out the retreat...

This is a photo of some of the family when we first arrived looking a little rugged from the long drive to the lodge...listening to the kids say " Are we there yet?" lol

We however chose to stay an additional day since we had made plans to go on another adventure...which I will detail in another blog :D

REASONS TO SIGN UP FOR A RETREAT:
FREE ROOM
FREE VACATION ONLY MEALS YOU PAY FOR IS YOUR LUNCH
PLAN IT RIGHT YOU CAN HANG OUT WITH FRIENDS LOL
MAKE NEW FRIENDS
SPEND SOME QUIET QUALITY TIME WITH YOUR SPOUSE
FREE CHILD CARE
CHANCE TO SEE A NEW PLACE

LODGE & RESORT POSITIVES
ROOMS ARE NICE
VIEW IS AMAZING
THE JAZZ BRUNCH ON SUNDAY AT PULLMANS IS AMAZING AND WORTH THE MONEY
THE BUFFET RESTAURANT THERE MAKES KIDS HAPPY SINCE THEY HAVE A LITTLE OF EVERYTHING
INDOOR SWIMMING POOL ADULTS N CHILDREN
HUGE HOT TUB OUTSIDE IS AMAZING
STARBUCKS BY THE POOL LOL
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN BUYING A GARMISCH TSHIRT OR HOODIE BUY THEM ACROSS THE ROAS AT THE PX THEY ARE SOOO MUCH CHEAPER