Just when I thought I would be back in the routine of blogging (and catching up with pictures), I've fallen behind once again. A week and a half ago, my grandfather passed away. He had been struggling with Parkinson's disease and had suffered some strokes recently, so his health was poor. My grandmother died almost 3 years ago, and he has been ready to go since that time. We were fortunate to have this extra time with him and are grateful he's moved on to a better place.
Michael and I both made the trip back to Nashville for the funeral, and I'm spending a couple more weeks here with family. School is going well for Michael as he is finishing his first semester project. He has a break during the whole month of February, and we are going to travel! We are both very excited about this upcoming adventure...not only will we see more of Europe, but I also get his undivided attention!
At this point, it almost seems like the time to post pictures from the holidays has passed, but I will share them anyway...just not yet. :)
This is a glimpse of my time in Houston. These are the girls that I have grown to love, and I miss them dearly. I was fortunate enough to spend a few days with them before Christmas, and it was thoroughly enjoyable. We ate plenty of Mexican food and cherished the time we had together.
I have neglected to finish any picture collages yet, but I promise they are coming soon. Please keep checking--don't give up on me!
We thoroughly enjoy having David and Sara here these past week in Vienna. We crammed quite a few adventures into our time together, and it was well worth the lack of sleep. (Sara might feel differently b/c it usually took her a couple of hours to fall asleep). Regardless, we had our fair share of traveling and sight-seeing.
Here's a brief run-down:
We spent last weekend in Prague, and it was really, really cold. We piled on the layers and saw some of the major sights. I can understand how people say Prague is beautiful, but I agree with others that emphasize getting out of the "touristy" areas. All of the streets lined with cheesy souvenir shops are similar to Gatlinburg, TN...if you've never been to Gatlinburg, then let your imagination be your guide for that description.
Michael had class on Monday, so we came back to Vienna. The next day was full of museums and time in the city. Until then, I hadn't participated in many tourist attractions b/c I knew my visitors would want to venture out. I'm glad to have an idea of what people would really enjoy and also that which can be avoided.
Tuesday afternoon, David, Sara, and I went to Salzburg. Unfortunately, we had to leave Michael behind b/c of his project. This minor excursion was mine and David's opportunity to go skiing. As I type, my thumbs are still jammed from a tragic fall...let's just say I thought skiing would be more like riding a bike than it was. Lucky for me, I only fell twice. It should have happened several other times, but I'm sure God was watching out for me. If you would like more details, let me know. I won't impose them upon everyone though.
Last night we waited in line at the Opera House for standing room only tickets. For 2 Euro, we had stood in the highest section and were able to enjoy the Opera performance. Note to self, make sure to wear comfortable shoes, and be prepared to sit at some point. The interior decor was beautiful and orante, and I kept thinking about how incredible it is that Mozart performed in that very place!
We all feel more cultured after this past week. Now, I have time to gather my pictures and get them ready for you to see! [That is, assuming that people are actually still checking the blog :)]
While I've really enjoyed being home these past few weeks, I don't have the necessary wires to upload my pictures. This makes me sad because I've been fortunate to see so many good friends, as well as family, and I'll have to wait until we go back to Vienna before I can show how much fun we had!
We fly to Vienna on Jan. 2 with my brother and sister-in-law who will stay with us for 9 days. Leaving home is easier when family goes with us! We plan to see Prague and Budapest with them, and it will be quite nice to be together. And, for anyone who is curious, Taylor will not be joining us on this adventure.
Happy New Year to all!
I made it back to the US safely and was surprisingly not as tired as I imagined I would be. I spent two days in Nashville before heading to Houston, which is where I am now. It's so good to be back with friends. I am reminded of how sweet it is to "be" with friends. Talking on the phone is sufficient, but it's completely different and refreshing to be in each others' presence.
Michael has another review this week and will be home on Friday! We are both so excited about having time with family over the holidays. Speaking of family, I saw my niece, Taylor some before coming to Houston. I will share my favorite story of Taylor, and I promise it will be worth reading even though I don't have pictures on this post. :)
Characters in the story: Mom, Dad, David, Sara, Taylor, and me.
Setting: lunch at Jersey Mike's.
It was Saturday afternoon, and we met for an early lunch so "little miss Taylor" would be home in time for her nap. Taylor is smart. She knows how to push the limits so lovingly set by her parents (David and Sara)...especically when grandparents are around. Taylor had settled on sitting in Bubby's (my dad) lap and continued to eat her sandwich.
For some reason, Taylor thought it would be a good idea to slowly stuff her mouth full of bread. In the process, she dropped crumbs on Bubby's arm. She was cleaning the bread crumbs off his sleeve, when she quickly realized her mouth full of bread was not a pleasant situation. David and Sara, seated at the opposite end of the table anticipated her next move, knowing her solution to this problem.
Sweet little Taylor proceeded to turn Bubby's hand over in the shape of a cup, and before anyone else knew what she was doing...out of her mouth came the soggy bread. That's right, she spit it right into Bubby's open hand, so conveniently ready and waiting for her.
The uncontrollable laughter drew attention to our family in the restaurant, but we didn't care. The situation was surreal enough that we were trying to grasp the reality that it had even happened! Oh the joys of having niece who has no problem being the center of attention!
In celebration of completing my German class and Michael having his mid-review, we decided to take a weekend trip to Germany. Honestly, I wasn't sure what to expect. I knew we would have a good time, but I must say that our experience far exceeded my expectations. I'm not a museum goo-roo by any means. The thought of spending hours in an art gallery is not appealing to me.
However, my attitude towards museums in general has drastically changed after this trip. We were fortunate to visit 3 museums, all of them unique and educational. We also were able to squeeze in some shopping--always a good addition to a trip!
I'm trying to be creative with my photo-collages, and I must give credit to Michael for this idea. His projects necessitate an understanding of the location, so he spends quite a bit of time manipulating maps. Therefore, this suggestion was naturally his first. Either way, I think it turned out well. I realized we didn't take any pictures of "us." Oh well. We'll do better on future trips!
My countdown continues...since today is almost over, I can say I only have 6 more days until I fly home! And, as you can see from my last post, I'm going to incorporate a little German into my blog. I'm sure you can figure out what the title of this blog means in English. If not, ask a friend.
For several weeks, we have seen Christmas lights being hung in the streets, but they had not been turned on. A good friend of mine was studying abroad here this fall, and she was anxiously awaiting the beautiful lights. Unfortunately, the lights came on the night they left! I wanted to post these for her, but I also knew others would enjoy them as well.
We've been listening to Christmas music, which is making us even more excited to be coming home soon! My count-down has begun...9 days. We had a wonderful time in Germany last weekend, and I will have those pictures ready soon. Weihnachten kommt!