Addy's last day of German Kindergarten

Addy finally had her last day of German Kindergarten. It was bittersweet. She will still see her good friends often because they live within 30 feet of our house. We also plan on signing her up for gymnastics in the neighborhood. Her 2 years at the neighborhood school were invaluable and we are so thankful for her unique opportunity to learn another language, but I must admit it will be nice to have her home everyday. I am so looking forward to having the freedom to teach her on our own schedule, exploring more cool things in our area during the weekday, and traveling without being tied to any school schedule. 

Addy and her friends Dana, Clara, and Anna-Marie

One of her teachers Nina:

Anna the cook. I just love this lady. She is so sweet to the kids and always so kind to me. Even though she doesn't speak a lick of english:

Hanau

Our last day trip with Abbie was to Hanau, about a 45 minute drive. This town is the birthplace of Brothers Grimm, and also has a really cute Doll Museum that Addy has been wanting to see. The Doll Museum was fun for both kids and the grounds were beautiful! We loved the charming "Doll House", which was a gorgeous building that looked straight out of Anne of Green Gables. We also visited a beautiful palace and went downtown to check out the Brothers Grimm Statue. 

The Doll House

Addy posing with her doll, Molly

With Cousin Abbie:

Dress up:

Idstein

How cute is this little town? It's one of my favorites around here. We go often to the pool, and occasionally wander around the town. It's so adorable with plenty of good restaurants and shops. They have a great Christmas market too!

Abbie and the kids:

Rhine River Cruise

Another fun day trip we did with Abbie was taking a 2 hour Boat cruise along the Rhine River to see the castles. The stretch of the Rhine River that is close to our house is the most beautiful and interesting. We've driven along the Rhine many times for quick day trips to castles or to visit the cute little towns. Both sides each have such great views. The best part about being on a boat is that you can see both sides of the river! On a beautiful day, it's pretty awesome!

Burg Eltz

Burg Eltz is known as Rick Steves' favorite castle in Europe. That was enough to make us want to visit! Plus, it's only an hour drive away. Burg Eltz is nestled in the hills above the Moselle River between Koblenz and Trier. It actually seemed to be in the middle of no where. We learned that it is still owned by the same family that lived there in the 12th century, 33 generations ago. It was never damaged or destroyed during any war (probably because of it's hidden location) and is open for people to go inside and tour. I took Abbie and the kids there, and we were able to catch an English speaking tour of the Castle. Unfortunately, they didn't let us take pictures inside the castle, but I was able to sneak in 1.

The picture I wasn't supposed to take:

St. Wolfgang, Austria

We just spent 4th of July weekend in Austria and have officially confirmed it's the most beautiful country in Europe (it is, after all, our 3rd time just this year visiting!) Everything is so picturesque. We visited the Lake district and stayed in St. Wolfgang. We would have loved to have nicer weather, but it all turned out okay and we still had enough sunshine to keep us happy :) The Lake is beautiful and the surrounding towns are adorable. St. Wolfgang is the cutest town ever, and this is saying a lot considering we are surrounded by adorable towns in Germany. Even Abbie claimed it's the most beautiful place she's ever visited. We enjoyed a boat ride on the lake and exploring the towns, the kids loved their toboggan rides (we like them too), and we bought Luke some Lederhosen-- It's adorable.

On the boat:

St. Wolfgang from the boat:

Jeff, Abbie, and the kids:

This town is so cute I couldn't stop snapping pictures:

The church in St. Wolfgang that looks out onto the lake:

Being pulled to the top of the hill for her toboggan ride, views were incredible at the top:

And down they go:

Is there anything cuter than a 3 year old and his lederhosen?

Lake Hallstat, Austria

On our first full day in Austria, it was pouring rain. Not exactly the lovely-warm-escape-cold-Germany type of weather we were hoping for. It all turned out fine as we traveled to the neighboring town of Hallstat and went to the Salt Mines. Lake Hallstat has been mining salt for thousands of years. They have these great caves you can visit and tour. Within the caves you get a detailed tour (in English) complete with sound effects, and a few slides that were really fun for all of us. To get to the salt caves we actually took a funicular train to high up in the mountain. The views from the top were incredible! Of course it was cloudy and rainy, but in between breaks, we had these gorgeous views:

In the salt cave:

Wooden slides:

Train ride to get out of the cave was also fun:

Munich and Dachau

On our way to Austria over 4th of July Weekend, we spent a few hours in Munich. Abbie really wanted to see the city, and we haven't explored too much of Munich other than one palace and museum.  We went straight to the middle of town toward the Marketplatz and Rauthaus. Abbie still claims it to be the most impressive building she saw the entire trip! We are glad we went and showed her. We had a nice lunch and snack inside the Rauthaus courtyard. A funny side note, we've been catching up on the Bachelorette this week (yes I introduced it to Abbie), and they actually toured the city and specifically had a date inside the Rauthaus. It was fun watching it! Abbie also made a few Bayern Soccer jersey purchases that she was super excited about!

On our way home, we gave her the option of seeing Rothenburg (our personal favorite) or going to visit Dachau (a place we have never been). Since she is studying that part of World History right now, she wanted to see Dachau. It was our first and will be our last time visiting a Concentration Camp. A very somber experience and a little too much for the kids. We couldn't really explain to them what it was all about, so instead had to field many questions that we didn't know how to answer. One day we'll be able to tell them all about WWII, the Nazi's, and that they've actually visited a Concentration Camp. 

Rauthaus:

Inside the Rauthaus Square:

Dachau:

Rudesheim with Mimi and Papa

Jeff's parents and their friends, Sigi and Bill, took a week long Rhine River Cruise that started in Amsterdam and ended in Basel, Switzerland. It was so fun that one of their stops was in our neighboring town of Rudesheim! Rudesheim is definitely one of our favorite spots. It is an adorable little city. The kids had a blast seeing Mimi and Papa, and we had such a nice dinner and visit. The weather was perfect too! The kids brought along their bikes to keep them entertained during the evening.

The whole clan (minus me and Jeff):

Jeff, me, Papa, Mimi on the famous Drosselgasse:

Kids walking along the Drosselgasse:

Something silly: