A Swimming Summer

This summer we have enjoyed the lakes of Minnesota much more than any other summer. A big reason for this is Oliver's obsession with water. We have had so much fun bringing him to the lake with friends and enjoying a swim to cool off from the hot weather. This last weekend, he discovered that the neighbors have their own source of "water" for him to play in. Thankfully, they think it is really funny....



Leave it to my Dog to swim in the neighbors decorative pond.

PS. really one of these days I will post a blog that does not revolve around my dog!

A New Chew Toy

Remember the puppy we got almost a year ago? Well, he is still a puppy.

I am seriously ready for a puppy with less chewing needs!!


Happy Friday!!

** Please excuse me terrible picture from my phone! My husband has taken my nice camera hostage!! :)

And she is Back….

I am realizing that maybe over the summer I should just take a formal break from blogging since this is the second summer in a row I have disappeared. This summer has been exceptionally busy and the farther I got behind the harder it has been to get back to it!

We truly have had a great summer despite being so busy and are thankful for so many things. I have been enjoying not being in school and having time to read again! Since January I have read 25 books, more than I think I have read in years! I have really enjoyed the time to relax and enjoy this time. Having Phil gone more than normal has also added in my book reading addiction.

Since this blog could quickly become pages and pages of rambling, I thought I would do a picture tour of the summer and possibly some blogs in the future!!

Camping with our Friends... Don't we look tough?

 The start of the "Trim Project" We took down all the trim in our entire house and sanded and then painted white!

 4th of July in Stillwater with our amazing friends!

 The big project this summer, re-finishing all our hardwood floors! This is the before picture.

 Phil getting ready to start sanding....

 The floors all sanded and ready for stain and poly.

 Me starting to stain the floors. I was freaking out a little bit hoping that we picked the right color. In the end we think it is perfect.

 The "almost" finished product... I realized I still have not taken final pictures...

 After many great years of service, Phil and I sold our high school car and purchased a new (aka car that starts every time) car! We had so many memories in that car but it was past time!

 Oliver learned a new trick, and we learned that he is smarter than we think. He can not speak, the problem is, he thinks he can speak whenever he wants something now... oh no, we gave the dog a voice... literally :)

 Oh, speaking of dog, he thinks DQ is a great summer treat as well....

 Phil and I celebrated our 4 year anniversary by going out for a fancy dinner and spending the night at a hotel. It was so nice to get away and spend some quality time together.

 The Hotel knew it was our anniversary, and send up this complementary plate of desserts... yum!

We got a shed... see look, its in the back of the truck... no really, it is!

The shed, in pieces...

The almost completed shed, once again, I have not taken pictures of the completed project!

Oliver still thinks he is a puppy and likes to snuggle in my lap

Emily ran her 2nd half-marathon this summer! We are so proud of her! Phil, Emily and I are all signed up for another half-marathon later in October as well!

Finishers!

Stillwater with Mom, Emily and Phil!

I made it… Four days ago :)

I arrived in Frankfurt early Saturday morning, around 5:45am. It was a very long and fairly uncomfortable flight, so I was more than ready to get off the plane. However though I tried very hard, I was not able to sleep more than an hour on the plane, so I was totally exhausted! It was so great to see Phil again. Though it had only been two weeks, it almost seemed longer than the first three weeks we were apart. One of his co-workers was with because we were dropping her off with a friend who lived close to Frankfurt later that morning. We then headed to downtown to find some breakfast and also explore a while since Lori (his co-worker) was not supposed to meet her friend until later in the morning. 

It was really fun to walk around, however I was so tired it was a little comical. After we got some coffee, I did a little better, but still felt like I was half in a coma! Once we dropped Lori off, we had close to a two hour drive back to Bad Mergentheim. It was beautiful country we were driving through. Since we were on the auto ban, we were going around 100-110 MPH and with no sleep and a manual car, it was totally freaking me out! I am sure most of it was that I was so tired, but seriously that it fast.

Once we got back to the hotel, I could not fight it anymore and took about a 45 minute nap. Even just that short amount of sleep helped so much. For dinner we walked down into the town and ate at one of his favorite restaurants. I was so thankful that Phil knew some German, because I understood almost nothing! I hate not being able to communicate well, but there is not much I can do about it. It was great food and the surroundings were amazing. Once we got back to the hotel, I could not stay awake any longer and crashed at 9pm. 

We both woke up at 10:30 the next morning. I don’t think I have slept that many hours in a row since I was in college pulling all-nighters! Since we missed breakfast at the hotel, we ventured back into town to find a place to eat. We found this cute little bakery in the town that we both loved. All the menus were in German and no one there spoke English, so we totally guessed at what we were ordering. It ended up being platters of cheese, meat, tomatoes, cucumbers and a few other little things. 

For the rest of the day we did a little exploring in the town, but mostly just relaxed and enjoyed being together! 

I was fairly happy because I thought I had made the time change well and was completely adjusted. However, about 10pm Sunday night it was like all the sudden my body was convinced it was 4 in the afternoon and sleeping was not going to happen. After a few hours of laying awake trying to sleep I finally gave in and took some sleeping medication. I really hate doing things like that, but I was not able to sleep at all, and knew that if I didn’t it would just take that much longer to adjust. I am really thankful that we have so much time here as well, it makes it less frustrating adjusting to the time zone. 

Monday Phil had to work all day, so I was on my own! I started the day with a great run through a park that is close by. Running on sidewalks in Roseville will never be the same. It was beyond beautiful where I was running. All the flowers are in full bloom and there are fountains and statues everywhere. The lane I was running on had huge trees on either side. There is also a castle that I ran through as well! So awesome!

After my run and shower I went to a outside patio that overlooks most of the valley and town to read and journaled. Everything is so beautiful and new here I feel so spoiled! I spent the rest of the day reading and exploring the area some more. It feels so good to just relax and enjoy my time here without feeling like there is not enough time to do everything. 

For dinner we went back to the same restaurant we went to the first night, this time with one of Phil’s co-workers, Tony, and his fiancée who had just flown in as well, Natasha. After dinner we went and got ice cream from a little place in the village. There are ice cream shops everywhere, I think I am in heaven :)

 

Yesterday, after sleeping in and breakfast in bed and reading in the sunshine on our balcony (seriously, I don’t think I’m coming back!!), I headed into town to meet Natasha. We walked around for a while, went into some fun little shops and then had lunch. There was this one store that had little doll furniture that looked exactly like the American Girl doll collection for Kirsten. I got really excited, and wished Emily were here because I know she would have loved it as well!

Last night a man who works for Wurth here in Germany wanted to take us to his families’ vineyard. We really did not know what he meant, but went anyway. We followed him in our car through these crazy windy roads through beautiful countryside and ended up at the top of this huge hill where all the fields filled with grape vines were. The fields are on these crazy hills that would be extremely hard to walk up and down, much less farm. It was so breathtaking at the top though. You could see the little down below and then acres and acres of the vineyard. 

Hans told us all about how they grow, when they harvest, and so many other really cool things. Then he took as down to the place where they actually make the wine. When we walked in, he had this beautiful table set up for us and a huge plate of meats, cheese and bread for us. Then he served us ten different kinds of wine! It was some of the best I have ever had. In the middle of our wine tasting, he took us through the building and showed us exactly how the wine is made and then took us into the cellar. It was such a treat to see and learn so much!

We were both so grateful for such a cool opportunity to experience this! I love that almost everything we have done is not what a typical tourist would do, but off the beaten path. This private tour was such a special experience. I kept on turning to Phil and saying that this is the coolest thing ever! If we don’t come back, I guess everyone will just have to come visit!! After so much wine, I slept like a baby! Hans kept on saying that if you drink it slow enough and with food (like we were) you would not feel the effects of the alcohol. Well, maybe that was true for the others…. :)

 

Phil left for work early again this morning, and I slept in. Normally he puts the “do not disturb” sign on the door when he leaves in the morning and then when I am up and about I take it down. Well, this morning he must have forgotten because I work up to the maid literally leaning over the bed looking at me. It was so surprising I jumped! She then started speaking to me in German, and I said “English” and she laughed… so we tried to communicate. Eventually she understood that I was saying I would leave in about two hours and she could come in then. After she left I just sat and laughed. 

Today it is raining so there is not quite as much for me to do. However they have not had near enough rain this spring (I guess Minnesota is stealing it all) so it is a good thing for them. We are leaving for Paris in the morning so I am sitting in the laundry room waiting for loads of laundry to be done and then will head into town and hopefully get some things we need for the trip. All the stores close at 5pm here, so I need to go before Phil gets off work. Hopefully it will stop raining before then, otherwise the half a mile into town will be quite wet :)

 

When life gets busy…

…The blog goes out the window… but I bet you know that by now? 

Ok, since it has been absolutely crazy these last few weeks and SO much has happened I will do the highlights version! 

Thursday night, Emily Phil and I all ran the Medtronic 1 mile race. I think it was one of my favorite races so far and I got my best mile time ever! After the race we watched the US 1 Mile Championships. Honestly I have never been more inspired to work on running more than after watching them! These guys are not just running, they are flying! 

Graduation was so special. Having my family from New Mexico and Phil’s come to support us was awesome along with such good friends was amazing. I can’t express how amazing it is to be surrounded by those we love the most celebrating along with us. Having Phil there was also just amazing. As we stood up to walk across the stage I was totally overcome with not only the accomplishment but also how sweet it was to be walking across with my best friend. After the ceremony we had a great gathering our family and friends. Again, I just can’t express how thankful I am for the people in our lives.

Sunday morning after Graduation, Phil left once again for Germany. Saying goodbye is never easy, and I hate it every time, but knowing we only had two more weeks before I came over there made it much easier. Also since my family was here for a week still, it was so nice to come back to a full loving house. As much as I probably would not have wanted to admit this as a kid, I love having a full, noisy house! Having my Mom, brother and sister hear for that long was truly a treat. We filled the week with many things including many long walks and good talks! (Hey that rhymes!)

When they left this last Friday I had a hard time adjusting back to such a quiet house without Phil or family. I think I have struggled more this last week missing family and Phil than ever. Having the house so full of love and life and going to just Emily and I felt like we were missing a big part.

This week I have been working really long hours and just trying to focus on getting to Friday when I leave for Germany! Yesterday I had a bit of an adventure when I had an accident that ended in the ER with a minor concussion. I guess doors and heads are not meant to be slammed together, go figure!  Leave it to me to be the total klutz AND do it when I am home alone. Way to go Katie. Thankfully I was talking to Phil over chat when it happened and he contacted Emily to come home and help me. Oh dear. Thankfully I am recovering and am just a little dizzy and foggy today. Now, can I please receive my award for hurting myself the most? Ok, thanks!

Now all that stands in my way from boarding a plane to see Phil is ten hours of work tomorrow, packing, and cleaning the house and I am off! I can hardly wait!!!

A Whirlwind

Oh Dear, I guess this was supposed to have been posted two weeks ago... Well here is it now!


I have been sitting here trying to start a post and all I can think is I don’t know where to start! Since Friday of last week so much has happened!

On Friday, Phil’s grandpa passed away after a four year battle with cancer. He was a great man that welcomed me into the family without a second thought and will be missed! Phil and I both were quite sad that he would not be able to make it home for the funeral since he is in Germany. However on Sunday morning, I got a text from Phil letting me know that he was literally boarding a plane and would be landing in Chicago that night. I was so excited to see him I literally ran through the house yelling with excitement. With only text messages to plan, we decided that I would drive to Chicago and pick him up so that we were already in the area for the funeral Monday morning.

Before I left for Chicago I was able to get the house cleaned and ready for a house full of family this week and then hit the road. The trip down went really well. It was pretty quick, however I was SO excited to see Phil I think that distracted me from six hours of driving. I made it to the airport half an hour before his flight landed and forced myself to wait in the car for a little bit. I was so excited I could barely sit! When he finally got through customs and out I had waited about an hour, but every moment was worth it :)

Monday morning the visitation for his Grandpa started at 9:30. It was so nice to see  family we have not seen in a very long time. I am so glad that Phil was able to say goodbye and have that closure. We are extremely grateful for such a awesome company that would send him home for this. The rest of the day was spent with family at his Grandma’s house.

Once we left, we stopped and had dinner with my brother who lives in Milwaukee WI. It was awesome to see where he lived this last year and spend some time with him, even if it was just for a bit. He is coming up for the week today, so it was nice to know we would have more time later in the week to spend together.

Once we hit the road again to head home, Phil was so jet lagged it was almost funny! Needless to say, I knew he just needed to sleep, so I had brought a pillow and blanket knowing he would be wiped out and he slept almost the whole way home. I was so tired as well, but really wanted to get home to our own bed and not pay for another night in a hotel. Almost every time we passed a sign saying there was a hotel at an exit I was so tempted to stop! I pushed through though and we made it home a little after 1am in the morning.

Tuesday we slept in and just enjoyed a great day together. It was beautiful weather so we spent a lot of time outside. We also went to Como Zoo and had a lot of fun enjoying the animals and each other! I think because it was such a last minute trip, all day I kept on pinching myself that he was actually with me!

Since graduation is on Saturday, his boss was amazing and said he could stay and walk for the ceremony! I have cried so many times because I am so happy! It was really hard for me to think about graduating without him. In the past two years we have both been working so hard together and helping each other out as we do school, it just didn’t seem right to not finish with him. I am amazed at how God arranged everything so that he will be there. Seriously, every little detail has fallen into place!

Yesterday Phil and I were talking about how blessed we feel. Honestly, just thinking about it now gets me choked up. God has been so faithful to us and continues to do things that are totally unexpected. Phil being able to come home for graduation is just a small part of a huge picture. What a great and mighty God we serve!!

Today the week just gets sweeter because my Mom and Sister from New Mexico and Brother from Milwaukee are all flying in tonight and staying for a week and a half. I have not seen them since Thanksgiving and have missed them all so much! I am so thankful for this time we are going to spend together and JUST CANT WAIT TO SEE THEM TONIGHT!!!

Dachau

This past Sunday, three of the four of us here in Germany took a trip about three hours from here to Dachau, Germany.  For those who don’t know, this was the location of one of the Nazi concentration camps during WWII.  It was a sobering experience. We all agreed that we didn’t really learn much of anything but it was a very good thing to see I think.  While a majority of the camp had been destroyed and rebuilt, the crematorium and gas chamber building was still original.  I would say the most moving or thought provoking memorial was the location behind the crematorium where the ashes were disposed of.  The thought of the ashes of unknown thousands of people being in the dirt at your feet really makes you realize the enormity of what happened during the holocaust.  It was also quite interesting to see the fence which bordered the camp and the trench and river on both sides of the fence making it harder to even approach the fence, much less ever escape.  Finally, the living conditions of the prisoners at the camp were represented in one of the rebuilt buildings helped bring to life how inhumane the living conditions were.  Each of the 30 housing buildings was constructed for 200 people, however by the time of the camps liberation it was estimated that 2000 people were housed in each building.

Completely by accident, we visited the camp on the anniversary of the camp’s liberation.  That is what the pictures of the tent and the large groups of people are about.  Each year on the anniversary of the liberation there is a memorial ceremony at the camp.  The large number people was amazing and sobering to think that each of these people most likely know someone who died at this camp.  Even more than that, there are surely hundreds or thousands of people who were not represented by this crowd.

Here’s the link to the pictures I took of the camp and a few of the castle on the hill in town we stopped by briefly on our way out of town.

Dachau Pictures