Prague Trip

Ben was on his baby leave this past week, so we went to Prague last week for two nights. We took Emalina and left Bella and Ethan with a brave auntie Liz. Our good friend Klara is from the Czech Rep. and gave us some fabulous tips on places to go and things to see. Prague is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to. I LOVE the architecture, old buildings and History. I had no idea that Prague had so much significant history.   Did you know that some of the most famous composers lived in Prague? Or that the name with whom the Nobel Prize is named after lived there? Or that Einstein once lived in a building off the main square? We had a private tour guide for an afternoon. Petr was his name and crazily, he defected and moved to Calgary for 20 years before returning to Prague to be a tour guide. He was great to have and super knowledgeable about the city and all of its history. One of the most interesting parts of our tour was when Petr took us through the old Jewish Quarters. Prague played a very significant role in the 2nd Wold War, when Hitler was in power. The Jews in Prague were severely persecuted by Hitler. In the slideshow you will see pictures of the Jewish cemetery. They only allowed the Jewish people to burry their dead people in this small cemetery, so after one layer of the cemetery was filled up with graves, the Jewish people would put 2ft of dirt down and use the next level to continue burying the dead. Then they would bring the tombstones up to the next level, so they knew who was buried there. There are said to be over 100,00 Jewish people buried in that cemetery.      It was COLD while we were there... So this little munchkin had to be bundled up well. Here is the progression of her outfits... Ben and I had a wonderful time just the two (well 3) of us. Emalina is seriously the best baby. I don't know how many times I said it over the three days. She literally slept the whole time... SHe sure does like to be cozy. We ate some of the best food I have ever eaten... Walked all over Prague... Had great chocolate... and enjoyed spending time together. Thanks Auntie Liz for watching the kids so we could escape to this beautiful city for a few days.

Adventure with Papa & Gramma

Our time while both my parents were here, was jam packed with lots of adventures, trips and great food. 

We ventured up to the Castle Kusel again. We toured the castle ruins... and this time we all went up to the top of the castle. The weather wasn't supposed to be the greatest, but it ended up being mild and the sun even came out a few times. 

                 

And had lunch in the super quaint and cozy castle bistro... The best pumpkin cream soup ever! I told Ben that this is going to be a destination for a future date night! Hopefully we make it back while they still have that delicious pumpkin cream soup!

 We also went to Heidelberg, Germany. It is one of the only cities in Germany that didn't get bombed in the war. So the old original buildings and churches are in pristine condition and so beautiful. The main street has the most wonderful shops, fashion, restaurants and vendors. 

We can't wait to have more adventures with you, Papa Don & Gramma Susie. 

Hurry back! We love you!

A Surprise Visit from Papa Don!

On Thursday Morning, I was sitting with Ethan and saw what I thought was the mail truck outside our window... Since Ethan loves seeing trucks outside, I said "Look Ethy, the mailman is here... Let's go see." And took him over to the window. Then I noticed that the 'mail truck' was actually Rita's Airport Shuttle (the transportation shuttle to and from the Frankfurt Airport). My first thought was, I didn't know that our next door neighbors were having visitors come in. And then I saw a man getting out of the back and thought to myself... that looks like my Dad's hair... Wait a second... that is my Dad... And I yelled to my mom, "Did you know that Dad was coming?" 

The kids were so excited to see their Papa and so was I. I am so glad that my Dad was able to make it while Emalina was a baby. 

It was so sweet to see my Dad with his 4th grandchild! He truly does love our kids like no other! 

It was a great surprise and so nice to have you in our home again. 

Thanks for coming Dad. We love you!

Meeting Emalina for the first time...

 Papa playing with Ethan..

Papa and Bella going to play soccer! One of her favorite things to do with Papa!

Gramma Susie Come to Visit!

Gramma Susie came to visit us in Germany. Liz, Bella, Emalina and I drove to Frankfurt to pick up my mom from the airport and take a little tour of downtown Frankfurt. I just love the old European architecture... And downtown Frankfurt didn't disappoint! 

We had a fabulous visit with Gramma Susie! My mom was here for 10 days to meet Emalina and see the rest of us. She was a big help while she was here. She got up every morning with Ethan and fed him breakfast, helped cook, clean and do laundry. And even allowed Liz and I to sneak out alone and do a little shopping and project planning (more to come on that later). Gramma Susie was in heaven having LOTS of cuddle time, holding our sweet Emalina, as she is a very easy baby to hold because she sleeps so much. 

 

Going for a walk with ulterior motives!

Ending up at the Italian Bistro for Cappuccinos and gelato!

Thanks so much for coming over mom and all of your help. We look forward to our next visit. We love you!