Monday, October 13, 2014

Rothenburg ob der Tauber

Rothenburg ob der Tauber is only a 3 hour drive from our home and oh so beautiful! It is a typical German village full of character. In March 1945 during WWII, German soldiers were stationed here to defend it. On March 31, bombs were dropped by 16 planes, killing 37 people and destroying 306 houses, 6 buildings, 9 watchtowers and over 2,00 feet of wall that surrounds the city center. Donations came in from all over the world to rebuild this medieval town.

Rothenburg is known for their "schneeballen." They are basically shortbread strips made into a ball and deepfried in a special contraption called a schneeballeneisen. Jackson got a cinnamon and sugar and Grace chose the powdered sugar one. They were the perfect amount of sweetness!
Here is one of many of the schneeballen shops in the town.
Nothing like a cup of coffee on the steps in the main square to get you in the city mood.

We went on the outer wall and walked all along the path around the city. It was a beautiful day which made it perfect to take our time and let the kids play.



Our hotel where we stayed. Perfect location and amazing food!
Check out all that sausage!
At night the whole town clears out of tourists and it gets very quiet. After dinner we enjoyed the night watchman tour.
Our guide was very entertaining and told us all sorts of neat fact about the city. 
This star was hanging above our hotel and I just assumed it was a Jewish Star until I read a sign on the wall. The sixpoint brewers star shows how brewers bring all elements into the brewing process...fire, air, water, earth,  and then it makes great work. Below you can see how it comes together. It is more involved in just that,  but interesting to learn more about the history of it.

This is the door that was shut every evening after the bells would ring for a warning. Once the doors were closed you were able to enter through the little door (by Grace) but it cost a lot of money and hardly anyone had that kind of money. So if they missed the door being shut into the city they had to spend the night in the forest.
Another entry point before the main gate.
After this trip I have fallen in love with this city and can't wait to take friends and family there!


Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Chicken Wings: Love it or hate it?

We had chicken wings for dinner last night. Jackson LOVED them, but Grace not so much. She said she felt sorry for the poor little chicken. Hoping we don't have a vegetarian on our hands!

Sunday, September 28, 2014

Annual Hitscherhof Pumpkin Festival

Our annual trip to the pumpkin fest this year was with our friends, The Gehmans. 
We enjoyed the amazing pumpkin soup, the kids played in the hay, pet the horses, and bought some different items from the vendors.
It never disappoints!







Saturday, September 27, 2014

Back at Soccer!

Jackson started back at his German soccer team last month, but I have yet to post any photos of his games. 
Now that he is in a higher age group he plays two 45 minutes games with a 15 minute break in between. The games they play are fun to watch now that they are getting more competitive!
He had some great blocks and passes to the goal during the game. Looking forward to more to come!






Friday, September 26, 2014

Fun Friday with Friends

Jason was out of town this past weekend for a football game in England, so I offered to have some of the kids friends over so Becca and Jeremy could have a day to spend together.
I picked the kids up from school and they were so full of excitement they could hardly stand it!
We went to the zip line park by our house so the kids could play and get some energy out.

I never get tired of this beautiful view from the zip line field. 

 Grace and Jenna have such a sweet friendship.
 Everett and Jackson are best buds.




 What would a group picture be without a funny face shot?
 Five peas in a pod, these guys.





Saturday, September 20, 2014

Spelling Star!

Grace got 100% on her pre-test so she didn't have to take the test on Friday. Way to go Grace!!