Weekend Trips

We try to take advantage of the weekends with Ty off work. Last weekend we went to Weisbaden and had a wonderful and relaxing day in a nice city, seeing a few sites and hanging out at the park. Then we went to church here, which was a lot bigger than I expected. Then we walked around Frankfurt since Tyler had not been able to see it yet. Here are a few pics from last weekend.

Downtown Frankfurt

Funny German!
Obviously Ty is taking all the pictures!

Then yesterday we went to Heidelberg. We loved this little town. We were able to see a lot more country and it is beautiful right now with the leaves changing color. Here are a few pics from that.

Ava looking cute all bundled.
We've discovered Christian is "All Boy", he loves to get dirty.
There was a fabulous market in the center of town...fruits and veggies, meats, cheeses, flowers, and the yummiest "steak" sandwich ever. (I say "steak" because it was not what you and I might consider steak.)
I was freezing, so when I felt Christian, sweating in his coat, hat and gloves I stole his blanket for a few minutes :)
This half destroyed castle was amazing and enormous, not to mention up an incredibly steep hill.

There are more great pics on our website: www.kearlfamily.smugmug.com

Europe, through the eyes of a 2 year old.

Germany is wonderful. We are having a great time exploring and learning how life might be to live in another country. It has been so nice to have simplified life a bit. Since we have the kiddos here this vacation isn't exactly that. Instead it is life in a different place. We still are trying to keep a schedule with the kids (aimlessly). However, we are without most of the things we would use everyday at home. Interesting how life still goes on without toys, tv (at least in English), work (for me, not ty) a lot of things that we would fill time with at home. So when Ty heads off to work we plan our day out (because the apartment is too small to stay for extended periods of time).
While we are out, it is me, the kids and a load of people that don't speak English. Needless to say Ava and I have had some wonderful conversations! It has been fun to focus all my attention, all the time to the kids. So instead of going to museum and cathedrals, this is the greater part of Germany that we have seen...

Ava 3 favorite things to do in Europe...

1. Play in the dirt, sand, or leaves, depending what is beneath her feet.
2. Run around by the river, usually chasing birds.
3. By her own invitation, pet every dog that she possibly sees.

At least she is having fun.

Bye-Bye Paci

Those of you that know Ava, know her best friend...her paci. Well, Ava and I were talking the other day and came to a consensus that she would rather throw her paci in the garbage than get in her jammies. I, of course said Okay, wear whatever you would like to bed, see ya paci! So that is how the discussion went.

A few hours later...I heard "I want my paci" at least 100 times before finally falling asleep. Some were in calm, pleading tones, others quite dramatic. When she finally fell asleep I thought we were home free...nope, she woke up a few times through the night saying "my paci, mommy, my paci". But she made it through and now we are on night 4. She still asks for it. I ask her where it is. She says, in the garbage. She then asks for Christian's paci. I figure her memory will last her awhile, but we are passing the initial withdrawals. She, afterall had an addiction like I had never seen!

Potty Training...

not so fun in Europe.

Reason for a crib

You know, it is one of those things that you never really think about...why babies are actually in cribs. Well I have actually learned quite well, and I will tell you. In our hotel there was a port-a-crib for Christian to use. In our apartment they didn't have a "baby bed". We just kind of thought we will make do (what were we thinking, how do you "make do"?) Well, they did bring us in 2 roll away beds for the kids that are about 2 feet off the ground, great for Ava, not so much for Christian. So we took the fluffy comforter off of one and made a little bed on the cold hardwood floor, wrapped Christian up and put him to bed.



It seemed just fine...until about 12am. Ty and I were talking in bed when we heard a consistant rattling against the hardwood. We open our door and looked into the kitchen to see Christian rolled all the way across the floor to our door looking up like he was ready to crawl toward us with a big smile! We were laughing so hard, eventually he got a little frustrated when he would try to lay his head down on the floor and it was cold and hard. So we moved him back and he fell back to sleep.



So now for the solution...I really should wait for a picture, but...



the suitcase :)

Home, for a short while

Well, we made it! We are in Frankfurt. We spent our first few days in a hotel while we were waiting for our apartment to open up. We spent most of that time adjusting to time change (well at least the kids and I did, Ty had to be to work a few hours after we got here). My kids were little gems on the flight...in flight bassinets are the greatest, hence Christian slept about 8 of the 11 hour flight. Ava only slept about 5, but I can't complain too much. We are now in our apartment which is in the diplomatic quarters and is quite nice...small (for 2 kids) but nice. I have eaten enough bread for every person reading this so hopefully I don't come home with a little extra "junk in the trunk", just in time to down some Thanksgiving pie!! Oh well, you've got to enjoy yourself, right.

So, I don't have pictures downloaded quite yet, but I have some funny stories, so until then, enjoy a few comical (in my opinion) posts.

Good day/Bad day

On a bad day...

your husband comes home from work and tells you that he is going to a far off country for one whole month, on Monday!!!



On a good day...

your husband tells you that his work wants to send me and my 2 children there to spend the month with him in a little apartment in Frankfurt, Germany!!



On a bad day...

you realize that even 7 month old babies need a passport (duh, I know) and you realize the headache that it is to get it by Monday.



On a good day...

you are still going to Germany for a flippin month, staying in a sweet apartment, visiting your sister in Prague and hopefully your other sister in England and spending all my October weekends in various parts of the world.



Life is sweet sometimes!! :)



P.S. This may cause for a long drought for my blog.