MONDAY MORNING!

On Monday morning I took our guest the town of Triberg (sp). We planned on leaving at 9:00. So everyone loaded into the van with ME as the driver! (Sam was working) I put the van in reverse to go down the hill and noticed I wasn't going to be able to make the turn. So I put the van in 1st and tried to go back up the hill...and Staled... Well I somehow LOST control of the van and we started rolling backwards down the hill. The people in the back of my VAN were yelling "put the brake down" ..."stop" and "I kept telling them ...we are ok"... "I know what I am doing". But what I didn't tell them is that I had the BRAKE already pushed down to the van floor. The brake was not working!!!!! ... so after running over 3 different curbs we stopped at the bottom of the hill. At this point they were trying to decide if they should get OUT and stay at the hotel... or risk the drive with me.
**I know what you are thinking..."why didn't I pull the emergency break... I don't know"
** Sam even tried it out when he got home from work. He wasn't sure WHY the brake wouldn't work if I staled the van... and the same thing happened to him.
** I guess once the van got rolling... there was no STOPPING!
So how do you think I am doing with showing our Guest the GERMAN way?

(Sorry no PICTURES with this event) ... I don't think my visitors want to remember this ONE! We are all still trying to figure out how we made it down the hill without hitting anything major...

Kora Lily's new friend!

On Sunday Daniel & Kasey Messner from Switzerland came to visit. They are also from the States (if I have this right - Chicago) and Daniel is in Switzerland for work. Ricki Glessner gave us there contact information. They have a beautiful daughter Alea - who was born 7 days before Kora Lily. When the rest of the world is sleeping (well the USA) - I have been able to talk to Kasey a few times. Also as we are both learning to be parents in a foreign land... we can compare notes...on our little girls. Here are just a few pictures of Kora and Alea. (I was so busy wanting to play with the girls... I almost forgot to prepare lunch.) Sorry DAD's you got cropped out of the pictures!

Kora was to busy checking out her new friend ... to look at mommy!

I am hoping that Kora Lily was taking notes from Alea on how to grow some hair. Even if I have Kora in pink... people still thing she is a boy. Alea had beautiful hair... so maybe the two of them were have a good girl talk!

** We look forward in meeting them again SOON!! :o)

BLOG VACATION!!!

Due to the Special visitors that we have here with us in GERMANY... the Gardner blog will be on minimal updates... We have lots of fun things to share with you... but our VIP guest sure keep us hopping... I hope to post lots of pictures SOON!!!!

Kora is getting VERY SPOILED and LOVES the attention!

1/2 way point!

Last night Mr. Sam informed me that it was half way point of our stay in Germany! I am not sure if I should word it as 1/2 way until we get to go home or 1/2 way until we have to leave Germany. We have mixed emotions! We have really enjoyed our experience here... but we really miss our family and friends..and our LITTLE HOUSE!!! ;o) (who would have ever thought)

Jim & Ricki - stopped in for a visit!

Last Friday night Jim and Ricki stopped in for a visit. They have been touring Switzerland and then they came north to France and Germany. We were SOOO excited to see friends from home! On Saturday we went with them to Neuschwanstein Castle, traffic was horrible... we somehow turned a 3 1/2 hour drive into almost 6 hours. We were hoping the RAIN would let up once we got to Neuschwanstein Castle ... but it DOWN POURED the whole time! Once you get to the bottom of the Castle you have several options to get you to the top.

Options:

1-40 min Walk

2 -Bus ride and then a 15 min walk

3- Horse Carriage Ride and then a 5 min walk.

Well since it was raining so hard we picked option "3". It was a nice little ride to the top. (**But I was beginning to wonder if we were going to make it up the hill!) It was an interesting ride and the Horse had quite a load! We really enjoyed our time at Neuschwanstein Castle. Even with the Crazy drive, bad weather and interesting horse ride! We were really happy to get into dry clothes at the end of the day!

Sam, Jim and Ricki - over one of the look at points to the castle.

On Sunday we went to Dachau Concentration Camp with them. Sam and I really enjoy this museum and still find interesting things to read every time we go. Sam and Jim think it would take about 3 days if you would read and listened to every document of information that they had.

Sam, Kora Lily, Ricki and Jim in front of the barracks.

Jim in front of the gate "Work to be Free"

Jim and Ricki in Neusatz-Buhl (where we live)

We had a GREAT time with Jim & Ricki.

Thanks for stopping by to VISIT us in GERMANY!

Kora Lily - 20 wks

Kora Lily is getting so BIG! She loves to play on her belly. Kora Lily loves to read books. (Thanks Scarlett for the book!) It's the perfect size for her to hold.

On the way back from the airport I stopped in Frankfurt at ToysRus to buy her some toys. Kora Lily playing in her new toy. She was not to sure at first... but now she loves it! Thank you daddy for the new toy!!!

Doug and Joanna in Germany

We had a great time with Doug and Joanna. We were very sad to see them leave!

Doug and Joanna - with our home land in the back ground - Neusatz-Buhl, Germany

ok.. I have to brag about this... Doug and Joanna were in 7 countries in 10 days and out of all those beautiful places.... DOUG LOVED our German food the best in our own little town! I hear he is still talking about it back home :o)
Of course we couldn't end this trip with out a stop by the John Deere store. Kora Lily on the John Deere pig.

This is the famous pa-pa shot. Pa-Pa usually gets all the kids on his John Deere tractor. So we had to make sure we got Kora Lily on one before we left.

Paris, France - Post 3

OK.. so I am a little behind on posting... We had stopped at many beautiful places in Paris. I wish I could post all of the pictures... but I think this Paris Post should sum up our trip to Paris.

Doug trying out the bicycles in Paris

Doug and Joanna inside one of the glass things at the Louvre

Sam, Kora Lily and I in front of the Louvre

Doug and Joanna waiting in line to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower

Doug & Joanna in front of the Eiffel Tower

Sam and I in front of the Eiffel Tower.

Since we didn't have enough of Paris... we were told to take a night drive of Paris - because everything was so beautiful at night. So we all piled in the car at 10:00pm and were off for another adventure. Sam remembered this beautiful place to take us to... it was a surprise... he plugged it into the GPS and off we went. Well one thing our GPS has not been very good at is taking us down roads that are only PEOPLE roads. So there we were on the way to this beautiful place.... we turned down a people only road and could not get thru because there were so many people... the best part was that 5 other tourist cars also followed us up this road. It was CRAZY! I can not even remember the names of this building. But it was worth the crazy drive.

When we were driving on our night tour... Sam happened to turn down the road that came out right in front of the Eiffel Tower. We hit a Red Stop Light and just then... the Sparkling lights came on at the tower. It was PERFECT timing. I guess they come on every hour for about 10 minutes or so at night. Sam made the comment "you better get your pictures of the sparkly tower... because we wouldn't be around when they sparkle again"... well little did he know... we would still be out taking pictures and we would get to see it again... oops!

Eiffel Tower with the sparkly lights.

What did Kora think of all this driving around at night.... she missed it all! Even when we would slam the car doors from jumping in and out of the car... she was OUT!

Sam was a great night driver.... he stopped when any of us said stop!! We just had to get the perfect photos... even if it meant standing between two roads with on-coming cars!

The Perfect Photo to end our trip in Paris...

This beautiful sky... just fits this fun couple!~

Notre Dame - Paris, France - Post 2

We also toured the Notre Dame Cathedral. It was very impressive on the outside and FULL of people in the inside. They actually had services going on while we were touring. Which we all thought was very odd. We felt very uncomfortable touring a cathedral while church service was taking place. All of the other Cathedrals that we have ever been to are closed if services are taking place. So we didn't stick around to long at this Cathedral.

Doug and Joanna at Notre Dame Cathedral

Sam, Kora Lily and I on the back side of Notre Dame

Sam and Kora Lily at Notre Dame

Fun Pictures that I loved taking!!!

They were such good sports when it came time for them to pose for the camera.
Saturated Photo of Notre Dame Cathedral

You would have never of thought that just hours before it was misting rain and very dark and dreary outside. We were thankful to come up out of the subway to SUNSHINE!

The Palace of Versailles, France

We woke up early Sunday morning and headed to Paris, France. After stopping by our hotel we headed to The Palace of Versailles. This was where Marie-Antoinette lived (small history lesson). I forgot my little map at home so we only viewed the Palace. When we got home I found my map only to discover that Marie-Antoinette Summer Estate was right behind her main Palace. Oops!

Doug and Joanna at The Palace of Versailles

Sam, Kora Lily and I at the Palace of Versailles
Random Picture - The Gate at the Palace
Doug, Sam and I in the Gardens of Versailles

On the way back to the substation Doug thought he would try out his preferred method to travel in Europe. 15 minutes of riding for only 5.00e. As I have mentions in an early post this is how my family would LOVE to travel. We thought we were going to have to take him out on a stretcher... after he broke every bone in his body. Every time the walking light would turn green the little driving zone would fill up with hundreds of people that he would have to dodge. He got real good when he didn't have to use his hands anymore! I hope this wasn't his favorite part on his trip to Europe. Ha Ha!

But I guess I don't have to much room to talk. I was right behind him on one. The only difference was he loved it... and I gladly called it quits early!

The Palace of Versailles in the back ground.

Lucerne, Switzerland

On Saturday we headed to Lucerne, Switzerland with Doug and Joanna.

Doug and Joanna in front of Dom Bridge

Doug and Joanna checking out the Swiss Cheese.

We couldn't get ourselves to try any... it smelled so BAD!

Our Boat ride view to the Train.
Some boat pictures.... (my face is supposed to look like the castle in the back ground....)
The Train Ride up to Pilatus - 2132m high

Sam, Kora Lily and I on the ride up.
Doug and Sam at the top of Pilatus Mountain.
Sam, Kora Lily and I at the top of Pilatus

Doug and Joanna in the Cable Car - Ride Down the MountainOn the way back down the mountain we took the cable cars. I tried not to panic as I was holding on to little Kora Lily for dear life. When we got to half way point on the way down Doug and Sam were going to go ride these sleds down the mountain. We were waiting and watching for them to go down the hill. Then we looked up only to find them walking back to us with NO SLED RIDE. They didn't have the right kind of money to feed into the machine. It looked like a fun sledding hill!

On the way home we stopped by a Fest in Achern, Germany to enjoy some of the Local German Food for dinner. We had a great day and enjoyed our short trip to Switzerland.

Doug & Joanna came to visit!!!

OUR VISITORS

We were so excited to pick up Doug and Joanna at the airport on Saturday, July 4th. They came to visit us and tour Europe. It was so nice to spend time with them... and it made us realize how much we miss our family!

Doug and Joanna at Dachau, Germany

Doug and Joanna at Nyphenburg Palace, Germany

This was who we got to go to Hungary with. On the way our oil light came on. Sam and Doug were trying to read the bottles in Vienna to make sure they were buying the right thing...because it cost 25.ooe a bottle. Sam almost had a heart attack when he saw the cost. (Oh... don't worry... we could always find our matching ORAGNE husbands in every crowd!!)

Doug and Joanna at Budapest Church

All of us on top of Gellert Hill looking over Budapest.

Joanna, Kora Lily and I in Vienna, Austria
Doug and Joanna at Hellbrunn Gardens, Salzburg, Austria

Doug, Joanna, Sam & Kora Lily on the tour

in Hellbrunn Trick Fountain Gardens.

Uncle Doug and Kora Lily

Doug and Joanna at Mirabell Gardens.

Uncle Doug missed his kids so much that he had to go down this big slide for them. (Well he just sat at the bottom...) When he was at the bottom a little boy told him he had to move because it was his sisters turn to come down.

On Friday, July 11th we picked Doug and Joanna back up at the airport. They had been traveling all week. We tried to cook them a Germany Dinner.

Kora Lily loved Aunt Joanna! She is going to miss her riding in the back seat of the car with her.

We then headed to Switzerland and Paris, France with Doug and Joanna.... I will post more pictures soon :o)