August 29th is the one year mark of our family arriving in Germany. It seems time has flown since then and we have certainly enjoyed ourselves this past year with trips to Scotland, Paris, Amsterdam, Salzburg and countless places throughout Germany itself. This is one of the greatest assignments a person could ask for and we are so lucky that Jim has earned it through his hard work in Florida, giving our family opportunities to travel and experience new cultures that most people only dream about in their lifetimes. I know the next 3 years will probably pass in a blink but I am so looking forward to the memories we will make here. Here are some pictures literally of our backyard in our village of Langbroich.
The Spiders are Getting Active Again
The Big Daddy Bull
Squadron 2 Family Day
Last week our friends from home arrived for a visit. So far we've taken them around town to meet some of our friends here, to Jim's squadron family day with a tour of the AWACS, and we took a big trip to Paris. I have to say, it was way more enjoyable in the summer!
On the NATO Railways!
Jim and Travis with Work Friends
In the Cockpit of the AWACS
It was cool that the family day fell during Travis and Emily's visit. I myself had not even seen the inside of the AWACS yet. The kids really enjoyed seeing where Daddy works, pushed a lot of buttons on the plane and even got to go out on the wing. What a sweet deal.
Paris
Next on the agenda, we spent a few days in Paris. This time we saw Versailles, stayed in an apartment with a view of the Eiffel Tower, and fully enjoyed being outside in the summer heat. It is such a beautiful city, one that I could see myself living in...if only it weren't so expensive. We lucked out big time "saving" money with a free parking spot (turns out parking is free for August) in front of the apartment we stayed in, and we brought most of our food with us, only splurging on two meals. We are definitely learning a lot about budgeting and making the most of our time and money the more we travel.
Versailles
Us in the Hall of Mirrors
Versailles was amazing. The gardens are enormous and beautiful. I can't imagine how much work goes into maintaining them and one could easily get lost among the shrubs on one of the many paths. There were people soaking their feet in the fountains and row boating on the little lake as well as sunbathing and having picnics on the sprawling lawns. It was a gorgeous day. Next time we go to Versailles, we'll skip the interior tour and just spend the day in the gardens.
Travis and Emily
Too Tired to Take Another StepWe also did the usual sights of Paris, Notre Dame, Pere Lachais, Eiffel Tower, etc. It never gets old. We got so many new pictures, I had to post them here.
Rhi climbed to the first floor of the Eiffel Tower with Jim.What a trooper.
Back of Notre Dame
Pere Lachais
Chopin
The Crematorium
Sarah Bernhardt
On our way home, we dropped Travis and Emily off in Brussels for a few days of alone time. I took just a few pictures of the city center and we had a late lunch. Back in Germany now until the wind blows us in another direction...
Balcony Shots
