Culligan Bowling

Six Empty Culligan bottles, 5 children, Mom on the phone, and a BIG IMAGINATION!!!!!

The kids sunday night adventures while Mom was on the phone. We like to call it Culligan bowling. I heard noises and came out to see what was going on and I see the kids stacking the empty culligan bottles in the hall, and rolling a basketball down the hall at them. It put me in mind of stacking enclyopedias all over the living room and rolling marbles down them. The things kids think of. Imagination is a wonderful thing. A direct result of Daddy taking the gamecube back to Iraq, and Mom blowing up the TV by plugging it into a german plug without a transformer. (Not recommended)LOL.

FAMILY PICTURES

As a final send off for 2007, we gathered together for some family photos. We usually have our pictures done earlier in the year, but with Daddy gone, I wanted to wait until he could be part of our picture. I also did some of the kids. This will count as their school pictures that I didn't buy this year. T is 13, L is 12, D is10, C is 8, and our baby R is 4.

CHRISTMAS TIME IS HERE AT LAST

Christmas time is my favorite time of the year. The lights, and decorations, the music. Setting up the tree and spending time together as a family. It is a wonderful time of the year.

Candles and bright smiling faces.

A brand new gravy boat.
Family
A wonderful visitor.
A beautifully set table.
So many things to be thankful for. We are truly blessed.

"Camping" part 2

..............After the rain out in the tents, we decided to get a room at the Edelweiss Resort. They have a pool ,a game room, and a couple of restaurants. After all the rain and muck with the camping it was refreshing to be able to get clean and stay that way.

We told the kids we found another camping area that was covered. Then we secretly took all of our bags to our room. They thought we were getting directions to the "campsite". Then we took them to the room and told them that we were just going to see the room so we would know what it was like when we went back. When they got into the room and saw all the bags, they finally realized that we were staying there, and the bed jumping began. They always have to test the bed.

Then we went to the pool, went to dinner, and then enjoyed the view from our balcony.

All much better than getting rained on in a tent.

Camping in the Bavarian Alps

WOW, I never thought I would be able to say that I went camping in the Alps. It is beautiful there. We did have quite the adventure.

After getting to our camp site, and setting up I started dinner. I was just finished assembling our hobo dinners and had put them on the grill when it began to rain. I threw a tarp over the table and ran for the tent. I was sure that the pouring rain would put out the charcoal that was supposed to be cooking our dinner. About 10 minutes later the rain stopped, and I went to check on the food. The tinfoil packages of our hobo dinners had protected the charcoal, and our food was still cooking.

We ate our dinner, and sat around the charcoal grill(no open fires allowed) and roasted marshmallows and ate smores. After cleaning up and covering everything with a tarp we went to bed. It rained most of the night, and there was lightening and thunder. About 2AM my youngest climbed into bed with me. she didn't like the thunder.

The next morning we realized that the tent had leaked and our girls bedding was soaked. We didn't have the air mattresses with us so there was nothing protecting the bags from getting wet.

My wonderful husband stood in the rain over the grill cooking us breakfast. The rain continued. We ate our wonderful breakfast, and then began to empty our tent and takes things into the pavilion that was nearby. By this time we were all soaked. The kids did have fun adventuring in the rain. So, bedding was soaked, and some of the extra clothes from the leaky tent. This was supposed to be a 2 night camping trip............................but, at the last minute we changed our plans. We took our tent and other wet belongings into the pavilion in a feeble attempt to dry them out a little before packing them up. We still had one more day of our vacation, and didn't really want to go home just yet. So we made alternate plans for the second day...............................to be continued.

Midsummer Nights Dream

Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Nights Dream' in a castle courtyard in Europe. I am still amazed that I am here to have these wonderful experiences. This play was put on by an English speaking theater company that tours Europe and does plays in castle courtyards all over Europe. There were 6 players, that played all the parts. they did a wonderful job, and the transitions went very smoothly. It was a wonderful opportunity, and I am glad that we didn't let it pass us by.