Long Overdue

WOW, it's been quite a while since I've posted anything on here. What have we been up to? Let's see...

July was a wonderful month. We celebrated Deacon's 1st birthday, Josh's 27th birthday, and took a two week trip to Germany, Austria, and Switzerland with my dad. We were so happy to have my dad here for a visit and especially happy for him to be here to celebrate Deacon's first birthday. It was a wonderful day and Deacon enjoyed everything!

Our trip was wonderful, beautiful, what we needed, etc. First, we stayed in Garmisch, Germany and visited the surrounding towns and sites. We did some hiking to an awesome gorge, saw the famous Neuschwanstein Castle along with King Ludwig's Hohenschwangau and Linderhof Castles. They were beautiful!

(In the town of Eibsee. Beautiful little town near Garmisch)

(Neuschwanstein)

(Linderhof Castle- modeled after the Palace of Versailles in France)

(Hohenschwangau Castle)

After Germany we headed to Austria and stayed in both Vienna and Salzburg. Both were beautiful cities, but I think I enjoyed Vienna better. We took in all the local sites, visiting palaces and walking around the old cobblestone streets. In Vienna my dad and I were able to go to an opera at the Imperial Palace. We also drove to see Hitler's Eagles Nest while staying in Salzburg. Such a beautiful area!

(The Mirabell Palace and Gardens where the "Sound of Music" was filmed)

(Enjoying the views from Hitler's Eagles Nest)

Next we drove to Switzerland and stayed in Luzern and Lauterbrunnen. Luzern is a beautiful little town known for it's old, wooden bridges and Lauterbrunnen is known for its location in the mountains and all the outdoor adventures you can have. Josh and I love Lauterbrunnen and have been a few times. Definitely could own a summer home there! HA Wishful thinking!

In August, Josh was able to take part in the annual Tanks in Town. Josh and our friends Geoff, Gage, and Axle spent the day recreating the liberation of Mons during WWII. He had a good time and it was neat seeing all the old tanks!

(Gage, Josh, Axle, and Geoff)

While Josh was busy with Tanks in Town, Deacon and I celebrated another Belgian tradition: The Festival of the Giants. This happens annually in the town of Ath, where Deacon was born. It was pretty cool to experience and see all the giants.

In August, we also took a trip to the coast of Holland to do some camping. Our first day was perfect. Wonderful weather, enjoyed the beach and the pool, and loved seeing all the sites along the coast. However, the weather turned sour that night and we all braved our first thunderstorm in a tent. Josh and I were up all night and Deacon slept through the whole thing. Go figure! On the way back to Belgium we stopped and saw the famous Dutch windmills.

In September, myself along with 6 friends ran the Paris-Versailles 16K (10 mile) Run. Although we did have to run 10 miles, it was a fabulous weekend. We drove down Saturday and spent the day in our wonderful rental house (I could retire there) as well as visiting the Palace of Versailles. That place is enormous! Sunday morning was spent running, followed by FOOD, SHOWERS, and RELAXING! We enjoyed a wonderful Moroccan dinner that night and left the next day. On the way home we made a stop in Chantilly, France to see the Chateau. Beautiful place!

(Brandi, myself, and Michelle after finishing the run and receiving our medals. Made it in 2 hr 3 mins)

(We made it!)