Where have we been?

Where have I been for the last 6 months or so?  Whatever I have been doing, I have obviously forgotten to blog.  But we have had so many memories I wanted to go over some of the highlights from Summer and Fall 2014.  Often I post pictures and short notes on Facebook but the blog gives a little more context. 

The Summer began with us returning to PA for 2 weeks.  In that time, we had two beautiful family weddings, and spent so much great time with friends.  It is much easier to adjust to the change in time zones when it is actually sunny and warm.  We returned back to Deutschland for the semi-finals and finals of the World Cup.  Mike was committed to watching the world cup final in the country of a team that was playing in it.  So we were pulling for France, Belgium(when they didn’t play the USA), and the Netherlands.  All approximately a 1 hour train ride from us.  Of course, Germany was the most convenient and they did not disappoint.  

A lot of people asked what it was like during the World Cup final.  We decided that we had to go out and watch the game in public or in a bar, that is just what you do.  So we decided to get a bunch of Americans together who we had been watching different games with.  We rented out a table in a bar along the Rhine River in the Altstadt in Düsseldorf.  It was great, and very much like watching big games in the USA at a bar.  There was a DJ playing pump up music before the game and even got chants going during the game.  All our pictures are kind of weird from the night because we were technically outside, with a Red tent over our head so we all have a red tint to us.  It was a great place to watch the game with our friends and so many crazy German fans.  There is a great video of Ryan and the kids dancing on the table after the win.

We have lived in Pittsburgh for two Super Bowls (have been on the southside after both wins) and a Pens Stanley cup.  I would say the feeling in Germany was very similar. 

The summer progressed as normal with the kid's birthdays and small trips here and there. There is a lot of wine in Germany not just all Beer.  So one weekend we rented out a hotel with a bunch of families down in the Mosel valley.  This is a really great part of Germany with some great sweet wine’s.  The kids had a blast and the parents just drank wine and were loud obnoxious Americans playing “Cards against humanity” all night.  Exactly what you would expect to do in the Mosel valley. 

Wine in Cochem

We experienced our first round of Expat friends leaving and new ones coming.  It is quite natural for people in our situation to experience it, but this was a first for us.  We said goodbye to some good friends and quickly met some new arriving future friends.  I guess this is just how Expat life goes, but its an emotional roller coaster nonetheless.  

In August, our friends Dan and Marlena came to visit.  The kids were in Basketball camp, so it was the perfect opportunity to do some sightseeing.  We spent a night in Brugge and a night in Amsterdam.   In Amsterdam we did a bike tour of the city with Mike’s Bikes.  I strongly recommend that to anyone that visits Amsterdam.  We all visited Westvleteren monk brewery, and picked up a few 6 packs of the world's #1 ranked beer.  Mike and Dan looked like a kid in the candy store buying and drinking these beers.  Mike is hoarding it away in the basement as we speak, so anyone visiting us if you are nice, he will share one with you.  

Amsterdam

We were in Brugge for a second time and although it is getting quite the reputation if you look at any rankings of top 10 places to go in Europe, it is worth all the fuss.  This time we did a boat tour and were able to snag a great table in the famous beer museum bar.  For dinner we went to a great restaurant and met up with 2 Brits and joined tables with them.  Dan ate Kangaroo and then of course hopped around the rest of the night.  Marlena ate 354 Belgium waffles during her trip.  There were having a very, very weird street festival when we left dinner with a band that came out on stage with Dry Ice and dressed up(insert picture) and played some good music.  Sometimes you had to pinch yourself if you were really seeing what you were seeing or if it was the Belgium 8% beer talking.   

Brugge, Belgium

The last weekend in August, we flew, with the Mangins (our Scranton, Pittsburgh, York, Düsseldorf friends) up to Ireland for the Penn State victory over Central Florida.  A good time was had by all.  We visited Malhide Castle and took a beautiful tour of the east coast.  The whole time anywhere you went in Dublin we ran into Penn State fans.  But when we were visiting Malhide Castle the entire Cheerleading squad was there and Erin got her picture with them.  She could have floated home to Düsseldorf after that.  We of course made stops at Guiness and the Jameson Distillery.  It was educational for the kids!  In fact at the tour they asked what the 4 ingredients to Beer were and our kids got 3 of them right away. (OK maybe 3 brewery tours in 3 different countries is paying off).  There were a lot of Penn State fans and they completely took over the Temple Bar area of Dublin.   

Friday night there was a high school game between two PA high school teams Penn Manor and Cedar Cliff.  Our good friend from High School, Todd Mealy, is the Penn Manor Coach.  He said that not all the coaches could make it and asked Mike to help. So  Mike got to help on the sidelines and be Penn Manor's 'get back guy'.  The weather was miserable at the Penn Manor game, but it was so good to be able to see live football so far from home.  Mike said being the “get back guy” was hard work but I am not so sure.  

Neuschwanstein Castle

Eagle's Nest

The Nighwatchman's Tour of Rothenburg ob der Tauber

September brought my parents to town. Yes, we managed to get them here.  I never thought it would happen.  And we gave them the full tour, Amsterdam, Brussels, Cologne, a Rhine River Cruise, Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a night in an Austrian ski village, Neuschwanstein Castle, Eagles Nest, the Chiemsee, Salzburg, and a German amusement park.  We sent them home tired!  The highlight of the tour was probably going up to the Eagles Nest which was a house built for Hitler near his hometown.  It really had amazing views from up there.  We also had a blast in Rothenburg, which once again is a pretty popular tourist destination, but worth it.  We really lucked out with all the great weather we had.  For our Rhine River cruise there wasn’t a cloud in the sky.  I think you see something like 40 castles in the 5 hour ride.  Our kids are officially Castled, Churched and Breweried out.  In all honesty, the kids were wonderful on the trip and had a blast, especially at the waterpark we went to on the Cheimsee.    

Salzburg

Erin and Ryan continued to play baseball for the Ratingen Goosenecks.  The team went 22-2 (Erin and Ryan missed 2 games they lost, so technically they went 22-0).  Ryan played second base and made a couple of diving catches.  Erin went between Left Field and 3B.  They are not going to play winter baseball this year because both are playing Basketball but will pick it up in the Spring again. 

Erin is once again playing basketball for school on their U13 and U12 teams.  U13s play against other German teams, U12s play against other international schools.  Erin is continuing with choir and has taken up the piano.  She really enjoys piano, and I wish we could have gotten her started earlier.

 Ryan is playing basketball for school on the U10 mixed team in the German league.  He is also playing 8U soccer.  He has been playing usually one half of goalie each week.

We have all been working hard to strengthen our German.  And we are doing pretty well, if I do say so myself.  Ryan acts like he doesn't, but he can understand a lot.  And Erin is awesome.  Mike's colleagues constantly encourage him to speak German to them.  He is on the B2 level if that means anything to anyone.  Mike and I actually just finished watching our first German mini-series, Unsere Mütter, Unsere Väter, with German subtitles.  

We hosted Thanksgiving dinner with our friends the Quinn’s.  Stephanie did most of the cooking, but in actually all the families brought delicious sides.   We had 43 people at our house and put all the kids in our party room out back.  It was about 50% complete chaos and 50% a nice Thanksgiving dinner.  Similar to having Thanksgiving with the Jameson’s in America.  There are hundreds of Americans living in Düsseldorf that we are friends with and we couldn't invite everyone. 

This Spring Ryan will receive his First Holy Communion.  We have a great English speaking church that we go to.  Erin is now a proud Altar Server and doing a great job.  They go to Sunday school with our friend Colleen (yes another Colleen from America) and she is an excellent teacher.  The Mass starts at 5 PM local time which is 11 AM in the USA, about the same time we use to go.  So Mike can update his fantasy team towards the end of church, just like we are in America!  See some things don’t change!