Christmas in Germany 2012

Another amazing year in Germany is now behind us. We are about to enter into our last year overseas. It's likely we'll be back in The States sometime between February and July of 2014 so we are trying to check off the remaining sites still on our list. We know that the likelihood of getting back here is slim to none and we don't want to return home with any regrets....like oh man, I wish we would have gotten to see...! So, our vacation calendar is starting to fill up for the upcoming year. It must seem like we have a bottomless pit of money allowing us to travel all the time but the truth is we are bargain shoppers. I belong to a Facebook page called 411 Travel Through Germany! Yesterday someone posted that Ryanair was having flights to London in February for just €30/person round trip. You can't beat paying just $158 for your entire family to fly to London so we booked it. I also started a Bloggers in Germany Facebook page where I get ideas from other Bloggers on where to stay and what to see. We are constantly on the lookout for good deals. Sometimes it feels like a part time job :)

Anyway, enough about travel. Onto to Christmas. I'm not gonna lie...I'm a little bummed that there's no snow AGAIN this year. As much as I love the heat, summer and all places warm, if I'm going to live where it's cold I want snow. 2 Reasons. 1. It feels more like Christmas when there's snow. It's what I grew up with in Wisconsin. I don't remember a Christmas without snow. 2. Kids can't play in the rain when it's 48°F. This makes for a LONG 2 week winter break. I can't kick them outside to play when there's no snow! We are not an "indoor family"...we like fresh air and playing outside. Talk about cabin fever!

But on a positive note: We have been able to get out and enjoy a couple of Christmas Markets. Having Grammy with us in Rothenburg was definitely a highlight of the season. We tried our best to keep her here for Christmas but we're unsuccessful...we get it...we have to share :(

Another obstacle when living here in Germany is the postal service. There is a longer wait time for sending and receiving packages. That's understandable...we are 6000 miles away. Last year I didn't get my Christmas cards until mid-December so everyone got them late. This year I made sure to order them by the first week of November. Well, then Hurricane Sandy rolled through and somehow my cards got lost. I finally got them December 22nd. I sent them out anyway....HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Milo (our Elf on the Shelf) was a little less ambitious this year. Pretty much just moved from one room to another or from the tree to the stocking. He did do a zipline again this year and "pooped a peppermint" in our bathroom (don't ask), made a sugar angel and had one last party with popcorn before he went back to the North Pole but other than that...nothing too exciting.

Under our tree on Christmas morning the boys received news that we are going on a Disney Cruise this year. A Mediterranean cruise with stops in Spain, France and Italy. I may be more fired up than they are...lol!

For Christmas I got these...I desperately needed a new pair. If you run in Vibrams then you know why! Only so many washes actually take.

Gabe decided for the first time in 41 years to try to grow a beard. He managed to keep it for about 2 weeks but then couldn't take it anymore. He surprised us all by shaving it on Christmas. Merry Christmas to me! Although I really do think he looks handsome either way :D

Well, I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and wish you all a Happy and wonderful New Year! I know we'll be busy :D

Christmas Time in Rothenburg, Germany

My mother-in-law, Ginny was coming for the 3rd time to Germany. This was the first time she'd be visiting in the winter so I wanted to make sure she got to experience one of Germany's many famous Christmas markets. After almost 2 years here we still had not made it to Rothenburg ob der Tauber (Red fortress above the Tauber). I've heard from more than a few people that this is their favorite German city no matter what time of year.  I was able to book a room at the Pension Becker for about €135 (includes a modest breakfast). It was a nice room that sleeps 6, just a few blocks from the market square and we could bring Mia (our dog).

After settling in we walked to the market. This is a very charming little city, rich with history, beautiful buildings and friendly people.

The market was very similar to other markets we've been to but this time we had glüwein made with white wine instead of red and the boys got to meet St. Nikolaus. 

Ginny and I enjoying our glüwein

So many decisions

The boys with St. Nikolaus

Ginny and the boys got cold so we went back to the hotel and dropped them off. Gabe and I went back out for a little while...it was great...we never get to do that!

Here we are...out! (without our kids)

The weather wasn't looking good the next morning so we decided to head home but first we took a short walk along the famous wall that surrounds the city...

It was a wonderful place to visit. I'm glad we chose Rothenburg to show off winter in Germany. I hope we get to make another trip to see it in the spring.

Triberg Waterfalls - Black Forest

For Thanksgiving we planned a long weekend in the Black Forest. Last year was so much fun that this year we wanted to include our favorite people, The Severt's and The Townsend's (sans Jon who was scheduled to leave for a year long deployment to Afghanistan). The initial plan was made in August with all 3 families staying in a large house in Schonwasen. Two weeks before our stay we found out that Jon wasn't going to have to leave until the Saturday AFTER Thanksgiving. We did a quick change of plans...staying here for turkey dinner together at our house. It was bittersweet. We were happy that he could stay for the holiday but not happy knowing that this was the last time we'd all be together for a full year. We all shed some tears before the day was over :(

Friday morning we woke up, packed up the van and headed to Triberg, a city with some of the tallest waterfalls in all of Germany (second only to Rothbachfall). It was a great day for some hiking. The weather was great...on the warm side for fall and not a whole lot of tourists considering over a half million tourists visit the falls each year. 

My camera battery died before our trip and I had to order a new one though Amazon. Of course it didn't arrive in time so most of the photos in this post were taken by my friend Jamie. She's a great photographer who also has a blog: Delightfully Coconuts. (Thanks, Lady for letting me use your photos!)

photo courtesy of Delightfully Coconuts

The Severt Clan
Jamie & Drew
Brenna & Moe

photo courtesy of Delightfully Coconuts

photo courtesy of Delightfully Coconuts

photo courtesy of Delightfully Coconuts

photo courtesy of Delightfully Coconuts

Drew gets a shot of Gabe "surprising" Jamie...LOL!

photo courtesy of Delightfully Coconuts

 I love this photo...we look so European! 

After the falls we walked through town, checked out the tourist shops and then drove over The House of a 1000 Clocks...

This photo makes me very happy! As you may already know, I have a slight obsession will all things "Largest" and must have my photo taken next to it. Largest cuckoo clock...CHECK!

photo courtesy of Delightfully Coconuts

photo courtesy of Delightfully Coconuts

This is the "WT" version of a cuckoo clock. Looks like a motorcycle junk yard...

Taken with my iPhone :(

If you put 1€ in the coin slot the large cuckoo clock on the backside of the building plays "Edelweiss". I love how Moe and Brenna couldn't help it...they had to dance...or was it Gabe and Drew who were moved by the music??...LOL!

After all the excitement in Triberg it was time to check into the house we rented for the weekend. Thankfully The Severt's had their Garmin GPS because our Navigon GPS took us down a dirt road, nowhere near where the house is located. When we got there we were greeted by the lady who owns the property. She was very sweet, gave us a quick tour and the keys. The house sleeps 12 so there was more than enough room. The adults enjoyed unplugging (the internet was intermittent, to say the least). We played cards and watched Christmas movies and the kids enjoyed playing board games and checking out the animals on the property, geese, donkeys, sheep, dogs, etc...

http://www.ferienhaus-schoenwasen.de/

On Saturday we drove 25km to Europa Park. It was the first day of their Christmas Market and the park was totally decked out for the holidays. The market wasn't anything spectacular but the park itself was pretty amazing. I loved all of the decorations and they had little bonfires throughout the park (just another obvious sign we were't at an amusement park in the U.S.) This was the first amusement park that my boys had ever been to. I know, even Brenna couldn't help but gasp! We are terrible parents but this is the first year that I thought both boys would be able to appreciate it. They are tall enough to ride the rides and I didn't have to worry about a stroller! Besides, neither Gabe or I are huge fans of roller coasters....or so I thought. I actually went on one this trip...Blue Fire! What a blast! Roller coasters are much smoother than they were 10 years ago. Dylan loved it too. He went on it twice and probably would have gone 10 more times but the park closes at 7pm and we had to leave. I can't wait to go back...Memorial Day??

Jamie will probably hate me for posting this photo...she HATES flash but I wanted to post one of Gabe and I with all the fun Christmas decorations behind us.

What a fun weekend. Great food, great friends and very relaxing. Can't wait to plan another trip with the Severt's....Oh wait, we already have...Legoland and a Disney Cruise...LOL!