Where does the time go? It seems like life has quickly become routine here in Germany. Henry is in school everyday, John is working, and I am staying busy with various activities as well as providing a taxi for Henry. It is amazing how within a few short months we have managed to fill our calendars with activities and commitments that we never thought we would have in a foreign country. Our church has given us an opportunity to meet many amazing people. Most are military families and are used to moving and meeting new people and getting involved in new situations. I have joined the MOPS (mothers of preschoolers) group at our church and the Heidelberg Spouses Club. We meet a couple of times a month for lunch or we take small day trips to various places. Next month we are having a "diamonds and denim" dinner with our accompaniment of our spouses. John and I are both looking forward to it.
This past Saturday we enjoyed a day trip to Strasbourg, France. Strasbourg had been described to us as the "best of Germany and the best of France" in one town. It is located just across the French boarder, about 16 miles west of the Black Forest, which is only about and hour and a half from our home. Fortunately, the weather has been mild here, so outdoor activities are not out of the question, you just need a jacket and a great pair of walking shoes.
Strasbourg is best known for its several midevil churches, but the most famous is the Notre-Dame Cathedral of Strasbourg which houses a famous astronomical clock. The highest sphere of the church is 142 meters high, which is 466 feet. It was hard to get a picture of the church because of its height, but I did manage to get a couple of shots. There are stairs that go to the top of the steeple that consist of 329 steps. We did not tackle the stairs yesterday, being 8 months pregnant and having a three year old is not a great combination for extensive stair climbing. We plan to return this spring when my parents are here, so we may try it then. Surrounding the church are many quaint shops and restaurants. There are several chocolatiers and bakeries as well as many clothing boutiques and shoe stores.
Strasbourg is located on a river that flows into the Rhine River which hosts many boat tours and cruises. We did not take a boat tour yesterday, but it is definitely on our list next time. Strasbourg is also home to the European Parliament, the Council of Europe, the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicine and many other European institutions. John actually got to visit the European Parliament a couple of months ago which he said was amazing.
Below are a couple of pictures of the church, the clock and the city. As I mentioned earlier, we left the house without a plan, so our next visit will be more thought out and organized.
First, let me say STAY WARM to everyone at home!! My Dad told me about the wicked temperatures sweeping across northern Illinois and Iowa. It is funny to see people here walking around in parkas, boots, scarves and mittens when the temps are in the 30s. If they only knew. We did, however, get about two inches of snow yesterday. It was really pretty and Henry enjoyed it. At his school, they play outside for about 45 minutes daily. Today when I picked him up, his teacher commented on how much he loved the snow - eating the snow!! Like my mother says, he is all boy!
John is out of town this week for the first time since we arrived in Germany. He traveled to South Africa earlier this week and will return home Saturday. We are used to him traveling, but not so far away. I think he was much more nervous about leaving us than we were about being here alone, although I hardly feel alone. Between Henry, JD friends, and talking with family, we manage to stay very busy.
Last Saturday night Henry had a "party". Some friends celebrated their anniversary with a quiet dinner out, so we had the opportunity to watch their girls, Abigail and Samantha. Henry was thrilled to have them over. He introduced them to a whole new world of toys. The girls enjoyed playing with his tractors, farm animals, trains, pirate ship and dinosaurs. Henry was exhausted by the end of the night and ended up requesting to go to be before they left.
We would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Happy New Year. Our New Year started out with a bang. We should have been warned when a couple of days before New Year's Eve, the store adds advertised pages and pages of fireworks, and not just sparklers, these fireworks looked big, too big for unlicensed use (that was John's past product liability work talking). Anyway, when the time came (midnight) the sky lit up with fireworks as far as we could see. It was really spectacular - and loud. In addition to the loud bangs and booms, church bells were ringing and people took to the streets partying. When I went to check on Henry, he was sleeping soundly with a blanket pulled over his head. It all lasted about 45 minutes and then we went back to bed. We did watch the ball drop in New York the next morning and celebrated New Year's U.S. central time with friends via phone. Later that afternoon we celebrated the New Year with two other JD families who had stayed in Germany over the holidays. It was a lot of fun and we got to watch the Iowa game, which was a nice reminder of home.
John was off work last week and returns tomorrow. Today is a federal holiday here, so we are enjoying one last day with him home. We have taken the opportunity to catch up on many errands, spend some extra time at the gym, and test out our new VW minivan. Yes, our van finally came in. It is much smaller than vans in the States, but if you saw the streets and parking here, you would understand. It will be nice for traveling and to have extra room when the baby comes.
Lastly, but certainly not least, today is my sister's birthday!!!! Happy Birthday Aunt Sissy!!!! We miss you terribly and wish we were home celebrate with you. Henry says, "Surprise, Happy Birthday!".
We hope everyone had a Merry Christmas. Although ours was very nice, it could not beat being at home with family and friends. As you can tell by the title of this blog entry, we spent the week of Christmas in Rome. We left on the 22nd and returned on the 27th, so we had a busy week of sight seeing, shopping, and enjoying an occasional gelato (Italian ice cream).
Rome with a 3 year old (I know, I cannot believe he is 3 either) requires careful planning as well as a heavy duty stroller. Public transportation in Rome is not great, therefore, if you are not up for walking, you are often required to take a taxi, which is expensive, not to mention a risk since many times you will be taken advantage of. Thankfully, the weather was wonderful, sunny and 60 for the majority of our visit, so we walked what seemed to be several miles a day. Our poor stroller, which is considered an "all terrain" stroller has had it. Rome's cobblestone streets, curbs, and numerous steps took their toll on our once indestructible stroller, but it lasted the trip and kept Henry somewhat comfortable for 6-7 hours a day, including naps and a few meals.
Having a child still in diapers also requires some extra planning, although, finding a bathroom in a hurry for a child would have also presented a challenge. Since attractions such as the Colosseum and the Pantheon do not have "diaper changing stations", one must be creative. We were lucky enough to have packed plenty of diapers and not have them lost with our luggage like one unlucky couple we met outside of the Colosseum did. Because we had been warned by several people and travel publications that Rome was notorious for pick pockets and scam artists, we were really suspicious of everyone who approached us. While outside of the Colosseum, a couple with two young children approached us. They explained they had just arrived in Rome and their luggage was lost, along with all of their diapers. John and I were a bit confused, we had people ask us for spare change, to buy various trinkets, to take guided tours, to buy flowers, even to buy a tripod, but diapers was a new one. Thankfully, I am never without plenty of diapers and was able to give them a few.
During our time in Rome we saw the highlights, including the Pantheon, the Colosseum, the Vatican Museum, St. Peter's Basilica, the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, and numerous basilicas and sights too numerous to mention. Our favorite by far was the Vatican Museum and St. Peter's Basilica. These attractions are something you truly have to see to believe. Some of my pictures of these sights are a bit blurry and dark, flash photography was not permitted in some areas.
In addition to the various sites, John and I enjoyed observing the Italian lifestyle and culture. Since our hotel was on the outskirts of town, the hotel had a shuttle bus that took us back and forth daily to a plaza in the center of town. While waiting for the shuttle daily, we usually enjoyed a warm drink in a corner coffee shop and observed cultural practices of Italians. The coffee bar was a revolving door of people coming and going while doing a "shot" of espresso in between. Literally, people would come in off the street, order their shot, drink it while standing and leave immediately. Another thing I will never understand is who came up with the rules of parking and driving in Italy. Parking is random at best and people seem to make up the rules of driving as they go. I never thought I would say this, but driving in Germany is much more organized and orderly.
John is going to be off for another week, so we plan to relax and perhaps take a few day trips to neighboring towns and communities that we have not had a chance to visit yet. I am not sure if we will take any more big trips before the baby comes, I am now in my last trimester and can feel myself slowing down a bit. After six days of walking all over Rome, I was glad to get on the airplane home.
Thanks to all who sent us Christmas cards and well wishes, we will be home next year to share the holiday with you. Christmas was not the same without family, friends and snow!! Yes, I said snow. Everyday I talk to my Mom and sister, they tell me more snow is either falling or on the way, although it can be a nuisance, when you are away from it, you do miss it.
Enjoy the pictures, it was difficult to choose which ones to post as I took over 200 photos!
On Tuesday Henry turned 3. He was still a bit under the weather, so we celebrated quietly at home. John and I were remembering the treacherous drive down 53rd street to on Eastern Avenue, which had not been plowed yet, to the hospital at 6AM on a cold, snowy, Iowa winter morning. We could not have imagined at that time what a blessing the day would bring. Our baby boy!!
Our "big guy"!!
We leave Sunday for Rome to celebrate Christmas. It is only a short plane ride from a small airport not far from here, so hopefully the trip will be uneventful. We will be thinking of friends and family over Christmas and sending thoughts of love.
Hello everyone!!! We hope friends and family are feeling well back home by the time they read this blog. It seems like every time I spoke with someone this week either they were ill or had family that was.
Unfortunately, we were not safe or immune from illness in Germany. Henry got a fever on Thursday, which was relieved with Tylenol, and had a slight cough, but had no other complaints. By Friday afternoon, his fever was worse and not as easily remedied with Tylenol or Motrin. His regular pediatrician was closed, so we headed out for the Heidelberg Kinderklink, an acute care center for children. Since I have already vented at great lengths about this experience to family and friends, I will spare everyone else, but let me tell you, socialized medicine is defiantly not the solution for our health care problems in the US. Anyway, after almost 3 hours of waiting, he was diagnosed with an ear infection and prescribed an antibiotic, which I had to take home and mix myself, thank goodness for my nursing background.
We had planned to venture out to neighboring communities for more Christmas markets and have a small birthday celebration for Henry this weekend, but his illness changed our plans. We had a quiet weekend at home, Henry and I did not leave the house once, which was kind of nice.
As I mentioned, Henry's 3rd birthday is Tuesday!!! John and I were discussing how the last three years have flown by and how much has happened since we have been married. Two moves, one international, a baby, a new degree for me, new positions at Deere for John, and another baby on the way. Life is anything but dull.
Since Henry was feeling under the weather this weekend, we let him open a birthday present early, below are a couple of photos with his new fire truck from Papa and Nana. What a hit. Thank you to all for all of the Birthday wishes.
As I write this, our family is getting ready for the Hanfeld Family Christmas party in Wiscosin. It is also our Uncle Bill's birthday today. Have a great time, travel safely, and we will be there next year!!!
The Christmas season (yes, we still can say "Christmas" is Germany) is in full swing here in Duetchland. City streets are lined with tents containing unique German gifts, food and of course, Gluhwein. Gluhwein is a warm wine served at the Christmas markets. Almost all adults make a stop at the Gluhwein tent while shopping, especially when the temperatures drops. The Christmas markets also have fun activities for children. In addition to Santa, there are several rides and ice skating rinks. Heidelberg's ice rink is very quaint. It is located at the base of the castle, making it look like a page out of Dickens. Although Henry is far too young to skate, he enjoyed watching the other children. He did, however, take advantage of every other ride the markets had to offer.
We had the pleasure of having our good friends and previous neighbors in town this week, Duane and Dorothy. They have been to Germany several times, so they ended up showing us around quite often. While Duane went to work during the day (he works at Deere), Dorothy and I enjoyed shopping, lunching, visiting and exploring the area. Dorothy also got to experience day to day life here in Germany. She accompanied me to the grocery stores, to Henry's school, to the doctor, parking in Mannheim, and getting trapped on the tram! In the evening, Duane and John joined us for dinner and more shopping. We thoroughly enjoyed their visit and miss them already. Henry is wondering where they went.
If you are wondering who the little paper boy is in some of the photos, his name is Flat Stanley. Our cousin Jason's third grade class is doing a Flat Stanley project and asked us to host Stanley for the week. We had fun doing it. Everyone was a good sport about participating, even if they had no idea what we were talking about. Dorothy has done a couple of Flat Stanley projects with her nieces and nephews, so she was really enthusiastic about doing it and very helpful. As you can see, we were not shy about asking people to pose with Stanley, he even visited John Deere for a day! It was fun and we hope Stanley enjoyed the week.
We also want to wish a Happy Birthday to all of the December birthdays this month, especially to my Uncle Bill, who turns 70 this week. We miss you!
Welcome to the Archer Family Blog!! This blog was created to stay in touch with family and friends when we moved to Germany last year, now that we are moving back home, it will enable us to stay in touch with new friends, as well as old ones!! Cheers!
