December 2016

What a month! December is always hectic, but memorable (especially with kids).  Here is a recap of our adventures.

We attended our last military ball here in Germany.

Endured the freezing weather. 

Baked billions of sugar cookies for our playgroup Christmas party, neighbors, kindergarten Christmas party, and health clinic Christmas party. 

Kate made a salt dough ornament at the playgroup Christmas party. 

Sat on Santa's lap.  Kate asked for anything "Elsa and Anna" and Jane just cried. 

Enjoyed a picnic in the woods at Kate's kindergarten Christmas party. 

Spent way too much money at all the Christmas Markets.  This season we visited the Christmas markets in Budapest, Vienna, Straubing, Regensburg, Guteneck, Strasbourg, Stuttgart, Nuremberg, Innsbruck, and Munich.   

Climbed a rock wall in our friends basement. 

Bryan became a member of the 1000 pound club in Hohenfels. 1155! 

 Celebrated our 11th anniversary.

Had a great Christmas.  Kate loves her princess dresses, Elsa umbrella, markers, coloring books, and puzzles.  Jane loves her slide, water coloring books, plastic balls, and cleaning toys (broom, mop, duster).  Rebekah got a new hiking backpack and ski jacket.  Bryan's gifts haven't made it here yet... 

We also had a great New Years Eve.  We let the kids stay up late, eat lots of junk food, watch too much television, run around like crazy with friends, and set off fireworks.  Happy New Year!

Budapest and Christmas Markets

Day 1: We drove into Budapest late into the night.  Great idea.  Kids slept great. No traffic.  

 Day 2: Walked to St. Stephen's Basilica.  Largest church in Hungary.  The Christmas market was being set up, including an ice skating rink.

 We climbed up to the top of the Basilica.  Beautiful views.  Beautiful day.

 Sweet Jane loved walking around the top and pointing at the people or birds.

Then we walked over the the Parliment building.  But first, a stop throwing rocks into the Danube river.  

 

Parliament Building.  Gorgeous.  My pictures just suck.  

A view near the Parliament building.  Statues of shoes in memory of the Hungarian holocaust victims. And chain bridge in the background.  

Day 3: Szechenyi Baths and Pool.  It was fun to imagine this being what the Romans did way back in the day.  Lots of different pools with varying temperatures.  It would have been more fun without the girls, just because of the extreme heat temperatures and some pools containing lots of minerals.

Here is my little fish! Can't believe how much Kate has improved in her swimming.

 Afterwards, we took the funicular up to Buda castle for the views and beautiful tiled roof churches.  Bryan with Fisherman's Bastion in the background.  Then we hit up the Christmas markets!

Day 4: We met up with our friends, the Walker's, and spent the day with them.  We checked out the Central Market Square.  Lots of food and souvenirs!  

Some of the crew.  Kate, Rebekah, Jane, Sophie, Makenna, Chloe, Penny, and Merrick.

Quick stop to the second oldest Synogogue in the world- Dohany Street Synogogue- where there is also a statue of a weeping willow tree in memory of the Hungarian holocaust victims.  Each victims name is written on a leaf.  There were lots of holocaust memorials in this city.

Lastly, we went to the St. Stephen's Basilica Christmas market and consumed one of the best ice creams ever.  It was shaped into a flower.  It easily could be one of our favorites, and we have had a lot of ice cream over here!

Day 5: Driving home and hitting up the Vienna Christmas markets and Straubing Christmas market.  

 Rathaus.

 The ice skating rink was a trail.  It would have been fun, minus the ice was really wet because it was 40 degrees!

Loving the kinderpunch!

Thanksgiving, Christmas Markets, and Garmisch-Partenkirchen

We are on the hunt for awesome Christmas Markets and collecting gluhwein cups.  And since Jane does not have her passport yet, we have been doing just that.  8 Christmas Markets thus far- 4 in Dresden, Guteneck, Parsberg, Lupberg, and Kuhstallcafe.  You can spend a lot of money on trinkets, food, and entertainment.  So worth it though.

While we were in Dresden, we drove an hour and a half north to the Rackotzbrucke or devil's bridge.  The reflection of the bridge on the water makes a complete circle.  We still are not sure if it was worth the extra 3 hour drive, but we checked it off our list of things to do and see.  Kate threw an awesome first tantrum there.  It was a culmination of tired and hungry and first time watching a movie in the car.

After Dresden, we drove down to an inactive volcano in Parkstein.  It was snowing and the view from on top was beautiful.  Poor Jane mostly gets pictures in the carrier while we are traveling, so this might be a first.  

 Saw camels in the parade at the Guteneck Christmas Market.

Bryan had an optometry conference at the military lodging Edelweiss in Garmisch-Partenkirchen the first week of December.  The girls and I tagged along and I am so glad we did!  The weather was fabulous and I was finally able to see the Zugspitz (tallest mountain in Germany that we hiked up last fall).  We visited the cute little town of Oberammergue and all the beautiful wood carving shops.  

We checked out the monastery in Ettal and the cheese factory.  I love cheese!!

We hugged Jane too tight in Santa's chair.

 We hiked the Partenkirchen Gorge and ate icicles. 

  

And we swam in the indoor and outdoor pool.  Jane was a trooper through it all.