Heidelberg Christmas Market

Did you get into my makeup?

This is MY castle.

I think Addie may be developing unreal expectations. She really wanted to dress up like a princess and go up to the castle, so thats what we did. Its a pretty intense walk up with an umbrella stroller. My goal is to run up the hill to the castle before we leave.

Schloss Heidelberg

My Christmas/ Birthday Wishlist:

To whom it may concern (cough cough Ryan):

Here are the things I am currently in love with/want for my birthday/christmas.

• Toms shoes (size 8)

http://www.toms.com/womens/new-styles/gilded-herringbone-women-s-classics

or

http://www.toms.com/womens/ash-canvas-classics-shoes

or

http://www.toms.com/womens/black-canvas-classics-shoes

• Target ruffled ballet flats (size 8)
  
  http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/177-1088669-2885759?asin=B003DQT3XS&AFID=Froogle_df&LNM=|B003DQT3XS&CPNG=&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=B003DQT3XS&ref=tgt_adv_XSG10001
  and
  http://www.target.com/Mossimo-Supply-Co-Ruffle-Ballet/dp/B002RZTAVQ/ref=sc_pd_gwvub_2_title
  and
  http://www.target.com/Mossimo-Supply-Co-Ruffle-Ballet/dp/B002R9NZKO/ref=sc_pd_gwvub_1_title
  
  
• Airbrush tanning system

http://www.sunjunkie.com/spray-tanning-compressor-airbrush-pr-268.html?osCsid=d64f840098f928410197e226a4d83cf4
or
http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?skuId=2219955&productId=xlsImpprod2240065&navAction=push&navCount=1&categoryId=cat90022&CAWELAID=518637814#reviews

or
http://www.paascheairbrush.com/cgi-bin/store/detail.cgi?r=5

• Mp3 player
  http://www.overstock.com/Electronics/SanDisk-Sansa-Fuze-8GB-1.9-inch-MP3-Player-Refurbished/4342770/product.html
  
  
• Nike running shoes (the black ones you saw at the gym w/ the hot pink sole that you thought I would like)
  http://store.nike.com/us/en_us/?&l=shop,women&cp=EUNS_KW_NS09_DE_Google_B#l=shop,pdp,ctr-inline/cid-1/pid-339197/pgid-385710
  or
  http://store.nike.com/us/en_us/?&l=shop,women&cp=EUNS_KW_NS09_DE_Google_B#l=shop,pdp,ctr-inline/cid-1/pid-339086/pgid-385712
  
  

Koblenz

The day before we went to the Halloween extravaganza at Burg Frankenstein, we visited the small city of Mayen for their medieval fair. It was a lot of fun.

That night we drove to Koblenz and stayed the night there. Koblenz is situated at the confluence of the Rhein and the Mosel rivers, both of historical significance for Germany. In honor of Kaiser Friedrich Wilhelm I, a huge monument was constructed at the point where the two rivers come together.

We stopped by the local church to hear the choir sing, then walked over to a bakery for breakfast where Addie ordered a "Spookie". For the rest of the day and some time thereafter she continued to inform us that she had a ghost in her tummy . . . occasionally accompanied by spooky noises.

Here are some pictures from the monument "Deutsches Eck".

The day had only one downside. After our bathroom break before driving on to Darmstadt and the Burg Frankenstein, Ryan noticed his wallet was gone. We scoured the monument and asked every street vendor on the way if they had heard anything about missing wallets. At some point during the process Meg and Addie said a little prayer, and as a whole we all had the feeling we'd find the wallet one way or another. It had been about an hour, and we were giving up, so we decided to say another prayer and try one more time. We then passed by a vendor Ryan has spoken to before, but this time her husband was there with her. Ryan approached them, and the husband asked if we had checked the garbage cans. We had, but on that recommendation, we decided to check them one more time, a little more seriously. In the next garbage can we looked, beneath some wrappers was Ryan's wallet, untouched.

It was a great teaching moment for Addie, about the power of prayer and the importance of having faith and staying calm.