We definitely had some fun adventures this summer. Here's what stands out:
Our trip to Germany.
The same weekend school let out (May 30th) we were off to Europe. We flew for a really long time and I thought I'd be sick from the turbulence over the Atlantic, but then it was okay. After another flight and a train ride, we reached our destination. We were very excited to get to get to our charming apartment-hotel. It was rainy the first few days we were there.
We stayed in Frauenkirche Plaza (that's the Frauenkirche behind me), up one of these little roads, looking out over a busy, touristy street. We stayed there in Dresden the whole time and just took the train to some surrounding areas. We went to nearby churches, museums, shops, and the Dresden fortress --and to the market lots of times to get more and more yummy groceries -especially their breads, juices, and hazelnut chocolate candies.
We walked along the Elba, biked around Dresden, went to Konigstein fortress, walked around Bautzen (where Dave spent a good bit of time on his mission), went to an outdoor opera, saw lots of street performers, climbed to the top of the Frauenkirche, went to Meissen castle, and took a boat ride up the Elba to Pillnitz castle. We also went to church in Bischofsverde, and spent the rest of the day with a really cool family from Bautzen.
And then, it was the long trip back home -but this time, we lucked out and had lots of leg room. Even before left, I was wanting to go back to Germany. But first, I need to learn some basic German -and, I won't forget to pack the Zyrtec.
Visiting Family.
The weekend after we got home from Germany, we were in St. George visiting with Kelly's family and everybody else. Brian was also able to be there, which was cool. While I was down, I also got to go to a "cousins' lunch" with my mom and sisters and other family. Thanks mom.
We spent the 4th in Boise with Dave's parents. We had really nice steaks and fresh-squeezed lemonade for our "picnic." We also had fun hanging out and shopping together.
For the weekend of the 28th (Dave's birthday), my parents were here for the family reunion and the unveiling of my uncle Richard's statue. They got to see our condo, we ate lion pups together, and the reunion was fun with lots of good food. Here's Dave's first birthday cake that we shared with mom and dad.
Mount Rushmore Road Trip.
A couple weeks later, my parents were back again for our South Dakota road trip. We went to Devil's Gate, where the church has a historic site for the handcart companies. I think we stayed in Casper, WY the first night. The next night we were in Keystone, SD to see Mount Rushmore. It was a fun, touristy town and we stayed at a lodge in the mountains where we saw lots of wild turkey and deer. I liked the Black Hills -we got to see them pretty well going out on a crazy windy road toward Custard State Park and the Wind Caves. We ate Buffalo Burgers at a stop on the way. The Caves were neat. Then we stayed a night at Hot Springs. Dave and I played mini golf with dad, went swimming, and walked all around the town. Driving, we saw lots of buffalo, antelope, and some prairie dogs along the way. Heading back across Wyoming we took a scenic byway across a mountain pass with some really pretty lakes and summits. We stayed in Laramie the last night, which was also a pretty cool place. We saw a historic prison where some famous Wild West criminals had been locked up, and went out for Chinese food. The next morning, Dave and I walked all around historic downtown Laramie. It was already getting pretty cold and windy there in August. Pretty sure I wouldn't want to live in Wyoming, but it made for a really nice road trip, and we all got along with each other really well. Thanks mom and dad!
Angie's family visiting.
The first week or so of August, Angie's family came to visit, after visiting with Rob and Stef. That was lots of fun for us. We went on a picnic, cooked yummy food -including another birthday cake for Dave, took the kids to Willow park zoo, ate at the Bluebird restaurant, and hung out. When they left, I went with them to Lagoon and we had a fun day there. Thanks Angie and Dan!
Jackson Hole Family Vacation.
Dave's parents reserved a condo for the whole family in Jackson Hole in mid-August. It was nice with plenty of rooms for everyone. We cooked meals together and played card games. Dave and I liked roaming around town, window shopping. We hiked with Dave's dad and brother, Steven, around a lake a the base of the Tetons, which was beautiful. Dave caught a frog, and we skipped rocks. We went to Yellowstone all day on Saturday, saw lots of sights there, and ate a really nice meal at the Old Faithful lodge. The morning we left town, we also had a really nice dinner at the Bunnery. It was a great trip for us. Thank you Don and Dawn Marie!
Working.
I worked the 6 week summer term at the preschool. It wasn't too bad because I'd usually finish seeing kids by 1:00 or 2:00, and my caseload seemed smaller due to poor summer attendance. We also got to do a couple fun field trips and a water party with the kids.
Getting moved in.
During all of this, we were in the process of buying and getting moved into our condo. There were some delays and we ended up having to briefly move into another apartment (we basically just left all our boxed-up stuff there while we went to Germany) while we waited for everything to go through with the deal. All summer, I was busy putting stuff away and decorating. It seems like almost every day after work I was out shopping for stuff for the house -pillows, cleaning supplies, frames, houseplants, you name it. Dave and I also bought a really fancy queen bed, so we could put our other bed in the guest room. I'll post some pictures of our condo another time.
