Today we are moving from the hotel into our new home. Yesterday the movers came and unloaded all of our household goods including our 4Runner! It was so good to see our car and house items. Driving the 4Runner felt like home. I actually drove on an autobahn yesterday for the first time and wasn't that scary! Totally manageable as long as you are very careful.
The move yesterday went a lot smoother than I had expected. I got the kitchen cleaned and mostly set up. The movers put everything where we requested and assembled our bed and Savannah's crib. Today we are moving everything from our hotel and tonight will be our first night there! We won't be online for a few days because we have to get the internet set up so you won't see any new updates for a bit. I'll be back with lots of photos and stories in about a week, fingers crossed for sooner!
We love and miss everyone very very much!
XO
Elizabeth
Friday, March 25, 2011
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Bonjour! (Grab a snack, this is a long one!)
To celebrate my 30th birthday we decided to take a weekend holiday to Paris! This trip was really last minute because the day before we left (Thursday) Savannah had a scary allergic reaction to scrambled eggs. She broke out in hives and we had to rush to the pediatrician where they gave her hydrocortisone to calm the rash. The medicine made her all better and she was back to normal by Thursday night. The next morning at 9am we decided the trip was a go as long as Savannah was on a strict booby only diet! :) The solid food adventure was on hold until yesterday when we started back with Cheerios and yogurt.
We left for Paris via car around 12pm on Friday. Our dear friend Tiffany and her family watched Lilly for the weekend, so thankful for them! :) About one hour into the ride, Savannah had a meltdown and we almost turned around. We pulled off the autobahn and got some fresh air and let her crawl around the car, after 20 minutes she was okay. The trip was back on...again! It took us about 6.5 hours to get there because we had to stop a lot. Savannah just didn't want to be confined to a car seat that day. Helga (our GPS) led us directly to the front door of our hotel with no detours. We LOVE Helga!!! :) Without her we would be up the creek without a paddle all the time.
We stayed at 7 Eiffel, a tucked away gem located in between two nice shopping/restaurant streets and a seven minute walk to the Eiffel Tower. Hmmm maybe that's why the hotel is called 7 Eiffel, not sure but interesting thought. Anywho the concierge knew exactly who we were when we arrived and she had our room perfectly waiting for us with a baby crib all set up! Savannah was thrilled to move her little legs and crawl around. It was really sweet to see how happy she was to finally move around after the long car ride. While checking in a nice lady recommended a restaurant up the street for dinner. We changed and Rocky parked the car right outside the front of the hotel (only 4 Euro's all weekend to park, totally amazing). We got lucky on the parking spot and never had to move the car until we left Sunday morning. We carried Savannah in the Ergo baby carrier all weekend. With Savannah on my back, we left the hotel in search of the restaurant. It was kinda rainy that night so we were really booking it to the restaurant. Apparently we walked a little to fast and blew right past the recommended restaurant and we ended up at this small Italian place at the end of the street, what we thought was the right restaurant. We didn't realize it was the wrong place until our walk home! hehe However it turned out this wrong restaurant was the right restaurant for that night because it was late and Savannah was tired so we didn't have much time. The little Italian man was really nice, our food came quick, it was delish and the wine was the best yet! We took a pizza pie home and ate it after I put Savannah down. We had to put her crib in the shower room so it was quiet and dark for her to sleep soundly.
Saturday morning we had a 9:30 appointment with the Eiffel Tower. We packed up, loaded Savannah on my back and headed out for a day of sightseeing. The Eiffel Tower was more magnificent that I ever imagined. It was breathtaking, in fact everything we saw in Paris was breathtaking so you might hear that word again! :) Our tour at the Tower was the first of the day so I was amazed how crowded it already was. Good thing we had purchased our tickets in advance because the line for tickets was very long.
Now for the funniest part of our trip. We get on the elevator to go alllllllllll the way up to the top of the tower. It is precisely 324 meters tall, or about three and a half American football fields tall! I did not know these facts before booking this tour. Once on the elevator, we were shuffled to the back corner surrounded by a young British soccer team of about 15 teenage boy. Needless to say they were all very excited to go to the top! We make it to the second floor of the Eiffel Tower and I started to freak out. The elevator was getting very small, the air started to get stuffy and I began to think, "How will they administer medical assistance to me at the top of this tower if I faint!" Rocky was as always remaining calm telling me to take a deep breaths. With Savannah on my back the Ergo suddenly felt like it was strangling me. The elevator came to a stop at the 2nd floor, I looked over at the British soccer coach and he said, "Do you need to get out?" He was so sweet. I said "Yes!" and he kindly told his team to move to the left and that a lady with a baby needs to get out! He was so nice and kind, I thanked him and off the elevator we went. I felt much much much better when we got off. The view was beautiful but I only took a tiny glance because it was just to scary!
Rocky was going to go all the way up alone but didn't want to go up without us. Very sweet of him, but I felt like such a chicken and really bad that he didn't get to go! There were little shops on the second floor where we bought some pretty pictures of the Eiffel Tower to frame and tea set for Savannah and I to play with.
It was very cold and windy that morning so after this we went back to the hotel for a quick Savannah nap and then headed back out for lunch and more sight seeing on a Batobus on the famous Seine River. The Batobus is like a huge water taxi that takes you to eight historical landmarks in Paris. The great thing about this boat versus other sightseeing boats is that you can get on and off the boat at the eight locations. It is great and I would highly recommend it!
Paris was beautiful by boat, there were so many georgous bridges and staues. My favorite out of the eight sights besides the Eiffel Tower was the Notre-Dame Cathedral of Paris. This Gothic Catholic Cathedral took over 180 years to built and was completed in 1345!!! It was breathtaking. The detail of the achticture was mind boggeling. I just couldn't believe how enourmous and peaceful it was. We said a prayer along our tour of the cathedral and took a few pictures.
During the boat ride we took tons pictures all over the city and really absorbed all the sights. On our walk home we stopped in a few shops and bought Savannah the most beautiful white dress for her 1 year birthday pictures we will have taken in a few months. There is even a little hat that goes with the dress, it is so innocent and sweet!
We came home late in the afternoon to catch a quick Savannah nap while we refreshed for dinner at a restaurant called Le Petit Nicois across the street from our hotel. We got a little dressed up, I even put on make up! This is the first time I really got dolled up for a night out on the town since we were at home and celebrated my Dad's birthday in Georgetown at the end of January! It felt really good! :) Now we get to dinner, realizing that even though Savannah had a mini nap she was not in the mood to sit still. The restaurant didn't have a high chair, very odd! This was the third encountering this in Paris. We had a delish filet mignon and salad. It was really good but hard to really savor because Savannah just want to crawl around.
After dinner we took a brisk walk up the street to the Eiffel Tower for some night pictures. The Eiffel Tower is even more spectacular at night all lit up! We had asked a nice couple to take a few pictures of us to capture the moment. By the time we got home that night, we were all exhausted! When I put Savannah down Rocky went out to get us ice cream for desert. About 20 minutes later he literally came dashing through the door with two cones of gelato in his hands, frozen yogurt for me and vanilla for him. Best ice cream I ever had, it was the perfect night cap to our day! Rocky said the lady at the shop told him to run home with the ice cream because it was going to melt, so that he did! :)
Sunday morning we took our time getting up and mozied around the sourronding streets of our hotel. There were dozens of fresh food shops, each with their own specialty. It was heaven for a foodie! We stopped at shops here and there and purchased a few goodies. There was one shop were we bought the most amazing sweetest strawberries in the world. I took pictures, they were so yummy!
We ended the weekend with breakfast at a cafe and again no high chair! If you go to Paris with babies, make sure to scope out family friendly restaurants first! For booking our trip last minute we were really prepared for everything but researching restaurants. Trip Advisor "advised" perfectly on the hotel and tours but we didn't have time to research restaurants. Next time we will check it out for restaurants too because that website is very accurate and a great reference! Huge Trip Advisor Fan!
The way home was much easier, Savannah slept like a puppy for about half the trip and it only took us five hours to get home as opposed to 6.5! Lilly did great at our friends house and we came home and crashed for the weekend!
Rocky did a wonderful job in making my 30th birthday very special and unforgettable! I love you babe! Now that we have one trip under our belts we are more confident in traveling.
We also learned that way less people speak English in France than in Germany. Rocky knew a little French to get us by but next time we'll learn phrases in the country's language. Also, we were almost taken advantage of a few times money-wise but Rocky insisted they were wrong and they backed down and told us the accurate price. I was very proud of Rocky because I would have just said, "okay, whatever you want!" One more thing, everyone smokes in Paris and I mean everyone so you have to accept that walk very fast! hehe Sidewalk cafes are very common and the tables are very close (like touching) and they face the street. Makes for great people watching!
When we return to Paris we will take the Eurorail, enjoy this Chocolate Tour a co-worker of Rocky's recommended, see a show, and shop! Enjoy the pictures!
XO
Elizabeth
We left for Paris via car around 12pm on Friday. Our dear friend Tiffany and her family watched Lilly for the weekend, so thankful for them! :) About one hour into the ride, Savannah had a meltdown and we almost turned around. We pulled off the autobahn and got some fresh air and let her crawl around the car, after 20 minutes she was okay. The trip was back on...again! It took us about 6.5 hours to get there because we had to stop a lot. Savannah just didn't want to be confined to a car seat that day. Helga (our GPS) led us directly to the front door of our hotel with no detours. We LOVE Helga!!! :) Without her we would be up the creek without a paddle all the time.
We stayed at 7 Eiffel, a tucked away gem located in between two nice shopping/restaurant streets and a seven minute walk to the Eiffel Tower. Hmmm maybe that's why the hotel is called 7 Eiffel, not sure but interesting thought. Anywho the concierge knew exactly who we were when we arrived and she had our room perfectly waiting for us with a baby crib all set up! Savannah was thrilled to move her little legs and crawl around. It was really sweet to see how happy she was to finally move around after the long car ride. While checking in a nice lady recommended a restaurant up the street for dinner. We changed and Rocky parked the car right outside the front of the hotel (only 4 Euro's all weekend to park, totally amazing). We got lucky on the parking spot and never had to move the car until we left Sunday morning. We carried Savannah in the Ergo baby carrier all weekend. With Savannah on my back, we left the hotel in search of the restaurant. It was kinda rainy that night so we were really booking it to the restaurant. Apparently we walked a little to fast and blew right past the recommended restaurant and we ended up at this small Italian place at the end of the street, what we thought was the right restaurant. We didn't realize it was the wrong place until our walk home! hehe However it turned out this wrong restaurant was the right restaurant for that night because it was late and Savannah was tired so we didn't have much time. The little Italian man was really nice, our food came quick, it was delish and the wine was the best yet! We took a pizza pie home and ate it after I put Savannah down. We had to put her crib in the shower room so it was quiet and dark for her to sleep soundly.
Saturday morning we had a 9:30 appointment with the Eiffel Tower. We packed up, loaded Savannah on my back and headed out for a day of sightseeing. The Eiffel Tower was more magnificent that I ever imagined. It was breathtaking, in fact everything we saw in Paris was breathtaking so you might hear that word again! :) Our tour at the Tower was the first of the day so I was amazed how crowded it already was. Good thing we had purchased our tickets in advance because the line for tickets was very long.
Now for the funniest part of our trip. We get on the elevator to go alllllllllll the way up to the top of the tower. It is precisely 324 meters tall, or about three and a half American football fields tall! I did not know these facts before booking this tour. Once on the elevator, we were shuffled to the back corner surrounded by a young British soccer team of about 15 teenage boy. Needless to say they were all very excited to go to the top! We make it to the second floor of the Eiffel Tower and I started to freak out. The elevator was getting very small, the air started to get stuffy and I began to think, "How will they administer medical assistance to me at the top of this tower if I faint!" Rocky was as always remaining calm telling me to take a deep breaths. With Savannah on my back the Ergo suddenly felt like it was strangling me. The elevator came to a stop at the 2nd floor, I looked over at the British soccer coach and he said, "Do you need to get out?" He was so sweet. I said "Yes!" and he kindly told his team to move to the left and that a lady with a baby needs to get out! He was so nice and kind, I thanked him and off the elevator we went. I felt much much much better when we got off. The view was beautiful but I only took a tiny glance because it was just to scary!
Rocky was going to go all the way up alone but didn't want to go up without us. Very sweet of him, but I felt like such a chicken and really bad that he didn't get to go! There were little shops on the second floor where we bought some pretty pictures of the Eiffel Tower to frame and tea set for Savannah and I to play with.
It was very cold and windy that morning so after this we went back to the hotel for a quick Savannah nap and then headed back out for lunch and more sight seeing on a Batobus on the famous Seine River. The Batobus is like a huge water taxi that takes you to eight historical landmarks in Paris. The great thing about this boat versus other sightseeing boats is that you can get on and off the boat at the eight locations. It is great and I would highly recommend it!
Paris was beautiful by boat, there were so many georgous bridges and staues. My favorite out of the eight sights besides the Eiffel Tower was the Notre-Dame Cathedral of Paris. This Gothic Catholic Cathedral took over 180 years to built and was completed in 1345!!! It was breathtaking. The detail of the achticture was mind boggeling. I just couldn't believe how enourmous and peaceful it was. We said a prayer along our tour of the cathedral and took a few pictures.
During the boat ride we took tons pictures all over the city and really absorbed all the sights. On our walk home we stopped in a few shops and bought Savannah the most beautiful white dress for her 1 year birthday pictures we will have taken in a few months. There is even a little hat that goes with the dress, it is so innocent and sweet!
We came home late in the afternoon to catch a quick Savannah nap while we refreshed for dinner at a restaurant called Le Petit Nicois across the street from our hotel. We got a little dressed up, I even put on make up! This is the first time I really got dolled up for a night out on the town since we were at home and celebrated my Dad's birthday in Georgetown at the end of January! It felt really good! :) Now we get to dinner, realizing that even though Savannah had a mini nap she was not in the mood to sit still. The restaurant didn't have a high chair, very odd! This was the third encountering this in Paris. We had a delish filet mignon and salad. It was really good but hard to really savor because Savannah just want to crawl around.
After dinner we took a brisk walk up the street to the Eiffel Tower for some night pictures. The Eiffel Tower is even more spectacular at night all lit up! We had asked a nice couple to take a few pictures of us to capture the moment. By the time we got home that night, we were all exhausted! When I put Savannah down Rocky went out to get us ice cream for desert. About 20 minutes later he literally came dashing through the door with two cones of gelato in his hands, frozen yogurt for me and vanilla for him. Best ice cream I ever had, it was the perfect night cap to our day! Rocky said the lady at the shop told him to run home with the ice cream because it was going to melt, so that he did! :)
Sunday morning we took our time getting up and mozied around the sourronding streets of our hotel. There were dozens of fresh food shops, each with their own specialty. It was heaven for a foodie! We stopped at shops here and there and purchased a few goodies. There was one shop were we bought the most amazing sweetest strawberries in the world. I took pictures, they were so yummy!
We ended the weekend with breakfast at a cafe and again no high chair! If you go to Paris with babies, make sure to scope out family friendly restaurants first! For booking our trip last minute we were really prepared for everything but researching restaurants. Trip Advisor "advised" perfectly on the hotel and tours but we didn't have time to research restaurants. Next time we will check it out for restaurants too because that website is very accurate and a great reference! Huge Trip Advisor Fan!
The way home was much easier, Savannah slept like a puppy for about half the trip and it only took us five hours to get home as opposed to 6.5! Lilly did great at our friends house and we came home and crashed for the weekend!
Rocky did a wonderful job in making my 30th birthday very special and unforgettable! I love you babe! Now that we have one trip under our belts we are more confident in traveling.
We also learned that way less people speak English in France than in Germany. Rocky knew a little French to get us by but next time we'll learn phrases in the country's language. Also, we were almost taken advantage of a few times money-wise but Rocky insisted they were wrong and they backed down and told us the accurate price. I was very proud of Rocky because I would have just said, "okay, whatever you want!" One more thing, everyone smokes in Paris and I mean everyone so you have to accept that walk very fast! hehe Sidewalk cafes are very common and the tables are very close (like touching) and they face the street. Makes for great people watching!
When we return to Paris we will take the Eurorail, enjoy this Chocolate Tour a co-worker of Rocky's recommended, see a show, and shop! Enjoy the pictures!
XO
Elizabeth
Monday, March 14, 2011
Successful Weekend
Hi Everyone! We had a great weekend filled with beautiful spring weather, new discoveries and newfound friends.
Saturday
We started the morning at an all-organic market called Alnatura in downtown, Wiesbaden. Rocky found this market last week when he was looking for a Thai restaurant so Saturday we decided to spend a few hours there exploring and translating. It's liked a mini Whole Foods. You can imagine my excitement when I finally stepped foot into this store. I was in heaven and very happy that I finally found this place. It was about the size of a Trader Joes so it wasn't huge and overwhelming. Everything was organic, including the wine and beer...amazing! They had lots of produce, baby things and just about anything organic you could ever want...even Dr. Hauschka skincare and make up. It is definitely a mini German Whole Foods. I'm looking forward to spending more time there so I can translate the foods with my awesome Google Translator app! :)
We then went home for Savannah's afternoon nap. When she woke up we went to Biebrich Palace Park located about 7 minutes away on the Rhine River. We tried to go to this park last weekend but ended up at Neroberg because we had the wrong address and Helga (our GPS) got a little confused. Neroberg was really neat; we later learned that it's a winery that sits at the top of hill with a train that runs in the summer and an incredible view of Wiesbaden. We had lunch at a cafe at the top where there was an historic outdoor theater. There is also a Russian Orthodox Church there that was beautiful! Pictures from this are in the photos from this weekend.
Back to this weekend, Biebrich Palace is stunning. I'm glad we went on Saturday because the weather was a lot warmer than last weekend. The Palace sits right on the Rhine River and behind it is a beautiful park where you can walk, play with your dog and just relax. It was really nice to put down a blanket and enjoy the beautiful spring day. Savannah was occupied with exploring the grass and Lilly's toy soccer ball. Lilly met lots of friends and got much needed exercise. We walked around the whole park, it was lovely! There was an old castle in the middle of the park next to a pond. It was so cool to imagine that many years ago people used to live in this castle. We got to get really up close to the castle too.
After the park we took a seat at the cafe in Biebrich Palace. The Palace was stunning! Beautiful for a wedding or any special event. The cafe was in front and we sat outside at the tables and people watched and enjoyed tea and beer (tea for me, beer for the hubby).
Sunday
We started the day with a nice walk outside across from our hotel through fields. Later we went to Rocky's co-workers Sunday Dinner Club. Everyone was very nice and gave us lots of advice and tips. In fact I came home and immediately wrote everything down in fear I would forget! :) Savannah had a ball playing with the other children. I'm so excited we met new friends and I have other mommies to play with!!!
Now it's Monday and it's rainy but I'm remembering the sunny weekend and looking forward to this week. Hopefully our household goods arrive and we came move. If not, Paris awaits us for the weekend!
Until next time, enjoy the pictures and videos!
Elizabeth
XO
Photos from the last two weekends.
Photos from the last two weekends.
Daddy makes me laugh.
Exploring...
Friday, March 11, 2011
One Month
Well after one month of living here I'm ready to go home, JUST KIDDING!!! :) However, I am ready to move into our house. We (I should say Rocky) have the lease fully negotiated with our new landlord and now the paperwork is in the approval process at Rocky's company. Our new landlord has been fantastic. He has been very understanding with everything. Renting a home in Germany is very different than renting a home in the U.S. For example, when you move out of a home here, you are required to pay a renovation fee which can run over $10,000! And leases here are generally a lot longer than American leases. Most landlords will not rent to anyone for less than a 3 year lease. Sometimes not even 3 years, they want like 5-10 year leases. Also, there are no closets in any rooms. You have to purchase closets from Ikea. We've also heard German washers and dryers take an extremely long time to work. Rocky's co-works recommend we take our laundry to the base on the weekend because we can do six loads at once! But since I'm home all day I can monitor the laundry so it shouldn't be a problem...hopefully. On the up side, homes here are very well kept and maintained. They are just beautiful from the inside out!
Savannah is doing really well. She is super fast these days and is very curious about everything. She does this little thing, when she see something or someone interesting she tilts her head and pokes her head out as if she is saying, "Really, tell me more!" It's adorable. She is pulling herself up and making her way around the furniture, and she'll even stand without holding onto anything for about 15 seconds at a time!
We will hopefully be moving into our home in the next two weeks. We are waiting for our household goods which are supposed to be here Monday. Once they get here, they have to be cleared through customs so we might not move in until April 1st. Total bummer! If this is the case....we are thinking about spending my 30th birthday in Paris. Which would be incredible! The only thing holding us back is our little Lilly. We have to make sure she is in good hands and since I'm very protective of sweet Lilly, I want to be 100% sure I trust the person watching her. Rocky has a co-worker who loves dogs and has three so we are checking with him. If not we'll postpone Paris. In the future we are hoping our landlord will be kind and watch her. He has a 15 year old son that wants a dog very badly so we're hoping Lilly will turn up her charm and they will extend an offer when we get to know them better.
Our next trip will be to Prague to visit the Easter Markets. We've heard they are a lot of fun!
Rocky's job is starting to pick up and has been put on several projects. I'm so proud of him and everything he has accomplished to bring us here. He is enjoying everything so far and his company has been very understanding and supportive in getting us settled as soon as possible. We just got invited to join their Sunday dinner club. This Sunday is our first one, I'm excited to meet all the wives and children.
I have a few videos and pics from last weekend's excursions that I'll post this weekend!
XO
Elizabeth
Savannah is doing really well. She is super fast these days and is very curious about everything. She does this little thing, when she see something or someone interesting she tilts her head and pokes her head out as if she is saying, "Really, tell me more!" It's adorable. She is pulling herself up and making her way around the furniture, and she'll even stand without holding onto anything for about 15 seconds at a time!
We will hopefully be moving into our home in the next two weeks. We are waiting for our household goods which are supposed to be here Monday. Once they get here, they have to be cleared through customs so we might not move in until April 1st. Total bummer! If this is the case....we are thinking about spending my 30th birthday in Paris. Which would be incredible! The only thing holding us back is our little Lilly. We have to make sure she is in good hands and since I'm very protective of sweet Lilly, I want to be 100% sure I trust the person watching her. Rocky has a co-worker who loves dogs and has three so we are checking with him. If not we'll postpone Paris. In the future we are hoping our landlord will be kind and watch her. He has a 15 year old son that wants a dog very badly so we're hoping Lilly will turn up her charm and they will extend an offer when we get to know them better.
Our next trip will be to Prague to visit the Easter Markets. We've heard they are a lot of fun!
Rocky's job is starting to pick up and has been put on several projects. I'm so proud of him and everything he has accomplished to bring us here. He is enjoying everything so far and his company has been very understanding and supportive in getting us settled as soon as possible. We just got invited to join their Sunday dinner club. This Sunday is our first one, I'm excited to meet all the wives and children.
I have a few videos and pics from last weekend's excursions that I'll post this weekend!
XO
Elizabeth
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Guten Morgen
This morning we are enjoying coffee and feeding Savannah little pieces of the grapes we are eating. She also had a little banana and a tiny bite of my oatmeal. Today we are going to Biebrich Palace Park located on the beautiful Rhine River (about 15 minutes away). You can read more about this Park on the Stars and Stripes website.
Thursday we decided to rent the house with a gorgeous view of the Taunus Mountains in Kelkheim!! The landlord is very nice, he is originally from Canada so he speaks perfect English. Our household goods are still on their way to Germany and are expected to arrive on March 11th. We will probably move in our home the weekend of March 18th also known as my 30th BIRTHDAY! :) We had planned on going to Paris this weekend but now that trip is postponed a few weekends until we are settled.
Now let me tell you about our house! It's a detached double house with about 2,000 square feet and three levels. There are 2.5 baths, one located on each level (one full bath upstairs and the other in the basement, perfect for when all of you visit)! There are three good sized bedrooms upstairs and each has an unbelievable view of the town. The air is so fresh and clean it's amazing! The house doesn't even have an AC unit because it doesn't get hot enough in the summer. Our landlord lives in the other half of the double house and he said he keeps the windows open all the time, incredible! There is an abundance of natural light that flows in all the windows from every direction. The kitchen is bigger than we had originally thought with lots of storage cabinets and a good sized fridge. Most refrigerators in Germany are very small so to find a home with a good sized fridge is like a diamond in the ruff. The living room and dinning room open to each other as you'll see in the pictures. The basement has three rooms. One room is very large with another small room attached. This will be the play area/man cave/guest room. The other two rooms down there are for storage. The stairs are enclosed which is great because every house we saw the back of the steps were open, total baby hazard! The house has a deck with an enclosed backyard. The deck is being replaced this month so that will be brand new.
When we move in we need to supply light fixtures, a washer/dryer and closets. This is very normal in Germany. You are actually supposed to bring your own kitchen but this house comes with a kitchen. Yesterday we went to Ikea (pronounced "eye-k-a" here in Germany) and looked at closets and light fixtures.
The town is the perfect size. Most of the streets are cobblestone like many of the streets and the buildings are very old with lots of character. There is a beautiful park with a play ground within walking distance with a soccer field and I think a big farm...still investigating. There is also a bakery at the bottom of the hill of our house. Frank (landlord) said they deliver and he always gets fresh buns delivered on Saturday morning! Not many bakeries still deliver, but lucky for us we live right next to one that does! hahaha I made a rule...this delivery bun service will be a once and a while special treat type of thing for us! Without this rule, we'd be in trouble. :) About 3 miles up the road from our town there is another small town with lots of really cute shops and restaurants.
Enjoy your Sunday, aka "day of rest" here. Nearly everything but gas stations shut down, so it is truly a day of rest!
Xo
Elizabeth
P.s. Friday I passed my drivers test! Officially legal to drive, very exciting!!!
Thursday we decided to rent the house with a gorgeous view of the Taunus Mountains in Kelkheim!! The landlord is very nice, he is originally from Canada so he speaks perfect English. Our household goods are still on their way to Germany and are expected to arrive on March 11th. We will probably move in our home the weekend of March 18th also known as my 30th BIRTHDAY! :) We had planned on going to Paris this weekend but now that trip is postponed a few weekends until we are settled.
Now let me tell you about our house! It's a detached double house with about 2,000 square feet and three levels. There are 2.5 baths, one located on each level (one full bath upstairs and the other in the basement, perfect for when all of you visit)! There are three good sized bedrooms upstairs and each has an unbelievable view of the town. The air is so fresh and clean it's amazing! The house doesn't even have an AC unit because it doesn't get hot enough in the summer. Our landlord lives in the other half of the double house and he said he keeps the windows open all the time, incredible! There is an abundance of natural light that flows in all the windows from every direction. The kitchen is bigger than we had originally thought with lots of storage cabinets and a good sized fridge. Most refrigerators in Germany are very small so to find a home with a good sized fridge is like a diamond in the ruff. The living room and dinning room open to each other as you'll see in the pictures. The basement has three rooms. One room is very large with another small room attached. This will be the play area/man cave/guest room. The other two rooms down there are for storage. The stairs are enclosed which is great because every house we saw the back of the steps were open, total baby hazard! The house has a deck with an enclosed backyard. The deck is being replaced this month so that will be brand new.
When we move in we need to supply light fixtures, a washer/dryer and closets. This is very normal in Germany. You are actually supposed to bring your own kitchen but this house comes with a kitchen. Yesterday we went to Ikea (pronounced "eye-k-a" here in Germany) and looked at closets and light fixtures.
The town is the perfect size. Most of the streets are cobblestone like many of the streets and the buildings are very old with lots of character. There is a beautiful park with a play ground within walking distance with a soccer field and I think a big farm...still investigating. There is also a bakery at the bottom of the hill of our house. Frank (landlord) said they deliver and he always gets fresh buns delivered on Saturday morning! Not many bakeries still deliver, but lucky for us we live right next to one that does! hahaha I made a rule...this delivery bun service will be a once and a while special treat type of thing for us! Without this rule, we'd be in trouble. :) About 3 miles up the road from our town there is another small town with lots of really cute shops and restaurants.
Enjoy your Sunday, aka "day of rest" here. Nearly everything but gas stations shut down, so it is truly a day of rest!
Xo
Elizabeth
P.s. Friday I passed my drivers test! Officially legal to drive, very exciting!!!
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Kissing Fish
Savannah can now make a kissing fish face! There is a book called 10 Little Ladybugs, and in the book different animals play with the ladybugs. One of them is a fish and every time I get to the fish, I make a kissing fish face. Well she has finally learned to make it herself and it's insanely cute!!!! Enjoy :)
Good news & bad news :)
Hi Everyone! Good news and bad news to start the day. Good news first. I got my J.Crew shipment within one week of placing the order, which is fantastic! More importantly is that I fit perfectly into their size 29 pants again!!!! This is very exciting. Still more work to be done but I'm happy I'm a 29 again!
Bad news is that failed my drivers test. The course before the test was four hours long and it started at 7:30am. German and international driving laws are VERY CONFUSING! The most confusing one I think is that in most cases you always yield right before left. So you could be driving along a road and car could pull out in front of you and it would be your fault because you did not stop and yield for the car on your right pulling out. Centered around this "right before left" rule there are so many different cases you must remember. There are about 300 signs you have to remember too. On the test I got all the sign questions right (then only ask 25 sign questions) but missed most of the situation questions. My job tonight is to study and then I'll take the test again tomorrow morning at 10:30am and will hopefully pass this time! On the bright side of being in this class I met one of Rocky's coworkers and his fiance who just got here from England on Friday. They are from our hometown in Annapolis and have been on this contract in England for the past two years. He is now joining the project on this location. They seem nice and they are staying in our same hotel as they look for a home. We plan on having dinner in the next few days.
Savannah is well! Last night before bed she savored every bit of her banana yobaby yogurt, we were so proud! Every morning we see her top right tooth emerge further, so we can now see both top teeth. It's amazing how overnight her top two teeth have come in. I almost feel like I have literally watched them come in because she has been up every two hours every night since these top teeth have started!!! For some reason I'm not as tired as I was when she was just a newborn waking up that often. I guess it's true that you just begin to learn how to survive on less sleep.
Update on House Hunting
We've found the general area we like, it's called Niedernhausen about 10 minutes from Wiesbaden and 20 minutes from Rocky's job. There are several other towns around Niesderhausen that we are looking at as well. Now that we have the area narrowed down we can narrow the houses down better.
Right now we have two houses we really like....but only one is possible and that is the one with the great landlord. The other large renovated stand alone house is beautiful but it's a tad to big and expensive.
Today our realtor Ingeborg is showing us two more houses at 3pm. Fingers crossed! :) Also at 3pm today is the Official Grand Opening event at our hotel. Wish we were going to be here for the festivities.
House #2 - Great Landlord Geräumige Doppelhaushälfte mit Blick in ruhiger Lage
Located in Kelkiem, about 25 minutes form Wiesbaden and 25 minutes from Rocky's job. This house is a good size but sits on a slope. The owner lives next door in the other half of the double house. He speaks perfect English and seems really nice and he said the neighbors are great too. There is small yard with a deck that is going to be rebuilt by the owner. The basement is completely finished with a full bath, perfect for when guests visit. It's ready to move in tomorrow. The stairs are closed and it seems to bet he perfect size for us right now. The town is tucked away a little further than Neiderhausen but there are shops within walking distance.
House #3 - Large renovated stand alone Freistehendes 8 Zimmer-Haus in Niedernhausen
Located in Niedernhausen, this town seems more open and spacious. From this house there are several shops within walking distance. The house is very large with four levels...all completely renovated beautifully. The backyard is adorable, with a patio and cover. There is no deck which I like because then I don't have to constantly worried about Savannah. We'd have to buy furniture to fill the other rooms but the other rooms are smaller so we would have to purchase too much. When anyone comes to visit there would be PLENTY of room. The price is at the very top of our budget. The house isn't ready until April 1st. There is a balcony from our master bathroom and Savannah's bedroom. I quickly confirmed that this will be child proofed and the door would be locked in her room. Her room would have a large room with another small room attached. I was thinking the small part would be her sleeping area and the larger part is her play area. As I write this, I realize I'm in love with this house. I wonder if we could take this house back to the U.S. after two years?!
More to come with the house hunt....
Happy Wednesday everyone!
xo
Elizabeth
Bad news is that failed my drivers test. The course before the test was four hours long and it started at 7:30am. German and international driving laws are VERY CONFUSING! The most confusing one I think is that in most cases you always yield right before left. So you could be driving along a road and car could pull out in front of you and it would be your fault because you did not stop and yield for the car on your right pulling out. Centered around this "right before left" rule there are so many different cases you must remember. There are about 300 signs you have to remember too. On the test I got all the sign questions right (then only ask 25 sign questions) but missed most of the situation questions. My job tonight is to study and then I'll take the test again tomorrow morning at 10:30am and will hopefully pass this time! On the bright side of being in this class I met one of Rocky's coworkers and his fiance who just got here from England on Friday. They are from our hometown in Annapolis and have been on this contract in England for the past two years. He is now joining the project on this location. They seem nice and they are staying in our same hotel as they look for a home. We plan on having dinner in the next few days.
Savannah is well! Last night before bed she savored every bit of her banana yobaby yogurt, we were so proud! Every morning we see her top right tooth emerge further, so we can now see both top teeth. It's amazing how overnight her top two teeth have come in. I almost feel like I have literally watched them come in because she has been up every two hours every night since these top teeth have started!!! For some reason I'm not as tired as I was when she was just a newborn waking up that often. I guess it's true that you just begin to learn how to survive on less sleep.
Update on House Hunting
We've found the general area we like, it's called Niedernhausen about 10 minutes from Wiesbaden and 20 minutes from Rocky's job. There are several other towns around Niesderhausen that we are looking at as well. Now that we have the area narrowed down we can narrow the houses down better.
Right now we have two houses we really like....but only one is possible and that is the one with the great landlord. The other large renovated stand alone house is beautiful but it's a tad to big and expensive.
Today our realtor Ingeborg is showing us two more houses at 3pm. Fingers crossed! :) Also at 3pm today is the Official Grand Opening event at our hotel. Wish we were going to be here for the festivities.
House #2 - Great Landlord Geräumige Doppelhaushälfte mit Blick in ruhiger Lage
Located in Kelkiem, about 25 minutes form Wiesbaden and 25 minutes from Rocky's job. This house is a good size but sits on a slope. The owner lives next door in the other half of the double house. He speaks perfect English and seems really nice and he said the neighbors are great too. There is small yard with a deck that is going to be rebuilt by the owner. The basement is completely finished with a full bath, perfect for when guests visit. It's ready to move in tomorrow. The stairs are closed and it seems to bet he perfect size for us right now. The town is tucked away a little further than Neiderhausen but there are shops within walking distance.
House #3 - Large renovated stand alone Freistehendes 8 Zimmer-Haus in Niedernhausen
Located in Niedernhausen, this town seems more open and spacious. From this house there are several shops within walking distance. The house is very large with four levels...all completely renovated beautifully. The backyard is adorable, with a patio and cover. There is no deck which I like because then I don't have to constantly worried about Savannah. We'd have to buy furniture to fill the other rooms but the other rooms are smaller so we would have to purchase too much. When anyone comes to visit there would be PLENTY of room. The price is at the very top of our budget. The house isn't ready until April 1st. There is a balcony from our master bathroom and Savannah's bedroom. I quickly confirmed that this will be child proofed and the door would be locked in her room. Her room would have a large room with another small room attached. I was thinking the small part would be her sleeping area and the larger part is her play area. As I write this, I realize I'm in love with this house. I wonder if we could take this house back to the U.S. after two years?!
More to come with the house hunt....
Happy Wednesday everyone!
xo
Elizabeth
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