Sunday, June 14

Hello All!!

Hope all is well out there. I can't believe that this is my 200th post - how our time has flown by!!! I've been trying to come up with something special for this post - so hopefully you will enjoy it :-) I had planned to do some remodeling of the post pictures at the top, but I'm having a hard time parting with them - can you believe those pictures were taken almost a year ago??? I have added a few new blogs to the websites I follow and I also added a button for anyone who wants to add themselves as a follower (can you hear me begging for followers to add themselves - sometimes I feel alone out here in the blog world!).

Yesterday, we drove to Bodensee, a large lake that lies between Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. The lake was beautiful and Brenna loved the ferry rides that we took. The top picture is the 2nd ferry that we rode - it was 3 stories and really, really nice. The water was very clear and really smooth - our weather was perfect as well - maybe low 80s or upper 70s. The lake was about a 2 1/2 hour drive - much of it through the very curvy roads in the Black Forest. I don't love riding in the back through all the curves - some were just like U-turns on any road in the US!! The towns we drove through were very picturesque, and we picked one out early to have supper at on the drive home. When we arrived at our destination, we hopped on a ferry very quickly and went to Constance (one of the towns on the lake). From there, we strolled over to Insel Mainau and then walked around there. We liked the island, but felt the price for entry (can you believe they can charge for the whole island??) was pretty steep. The island was extremely crowded - not something I loved, but what can you expect at the pretty tourist spot? Brenna slept through most of our tour of the Mainau, and woke up long enough for a tour of the Butterfly house and an ice cream treat and then we caught a 2nd ferry back to Meersburg where we had parked. Amazing how much more expensive our 2nd ferry ride was (double the cost of the 1st ferry), but it was a much nicer boat and we weren't willing to walk the minimum 40 minutes back around the island to the cheaper ferries. (Although after riding the second ferry, I was ready to stay on for the rest of the day - I think I could just spend the day on that boat, lol). It was really relaxing to just stroll and the sailboats looked beautiful on the water.

Today, we rode our bikes into town. Amazing that it is all downhill for the ride in, so I knew that it was going to be more challenging to come home. It wasn't too bad, other than the bug that I ate - yuck (there went the yummy flavor of the frozen yogurt from town...bummer). Brenna did well in her chariot that is pulled behind the bikes (lucky for me, Dustin pulled her). We worked on some cleaning - lots more to do - I am really far behind on that one!

Happy birthday goes out to my brother Ryan and my niece Sydney. We have been thinking about you and hope you have a great birthday weekend!!

My other thought is for our 200th post, I would put down things I am thankful for. I think about things I am thankful for very frequently over here and thought I would share some (maybe some will even make you laugh!!) (and I'm sure I'm going to miss some)

I'm thankful for the opportunity to travel and see a new part of the world. I'm thankful that my husband was given this opportunity for his job, and I'm thankful that he has a good job. I'm thankful that I am able to stay home with our daughter at this time in her life. I'm thankful to have our daughter in our lives. I'm thankful to have the husband that I have in my life - thankful that he lets me take him for granted (I don't mean too, really I don't), thankful that he lets me steal his pillow at night (he is way better at sharing than I am) and lets me hog the bed. I'm thankful that he is considerate of my feelings and is a great partner (hopefully that doesn't mean that I walk all over him...). I'm thankful for our families who have always supported us in the decisions we have made and struggles we have had. I'm thankful to have our wonderful families. I'm thankful that even though we miss each other, we are only as far as a phone call away (even though that makes hugging much harder). I'm thankful for the phone system and skype which makes keeping in touch with our families much easier. I'm thankful for the computer which helps make "seeing" the outside world and family possible. I'm thankful to have a dog to get me out walking most days - otherwise who knows how often I would go outside. I'm thankful to live in a beautiful town where the locals are friendly and stores are within walking distance. I'm thankful to be able to do lots of my hobbies here and that my husband supports me with them :-) (even though he hates all the stuff I collect to do them, lol). I'm thankful for the new friends we have made while living over here and thankful for the friends we still are able to stay in touch with in the US. I'm thankful that I am able to share my life via this blog - thankful that people are interested in reading about our lives and our travels. I'm thankful that our landlord is friendly and loves to share food and wine with us. I'm thankful that I don't have to hammer my furniture back together in the US (and I'm thankful when the couch I am sitting on doesn't crash to the floor like it did today). I am thankful my husband doesn't mind if I don't get all the housework done and is willing to help (even though I still grumble...). I am thankful he loves me. I am thankful that my daughter is here with me. I'm thankful for the candy aisles in Germany - thankful for the wonderful chocolate here...(even though my scale and jeans are not thankful). I am thankful that Brenna will behave for the promise of ice cream at the end of the tour. I am thankful that the Italian ice here is wonderful. I am thankful that Brenna loves coconut and cashews - at least I have someone to share it with. I am thankful for the new discoveries I get to make daily with Brenna. I am thankful for the opportunity to learn a new language (even though I am lousy at it - or I'm a lousy student...). I'm thankful that our german teacher loves Brenna and is very friendly. I'm thankful to have seen places that I only ever thought I would see in pictures. I am thankful that Brenna hugs me and gives me kisses. I am thankful that I must clean out the tub of toys before I can get in - I am thankful that Brenna has shown me how to play again. I am thankful for Brenna's imagination - I wish I could go back to that age. I am thankful for our families (that one is worth repeating). I am thankful for Dustin and Brenna. I feel so blessed for the things and people I have in my life.

Take Care!