Heading to Berlin

This morning turned out to be an eventful one.  We were heading to Berlin today and our dog sitter had a change of plans and wasn't going to be able to puppy/house-sit after all.  So there we were scheduled to catch a train in 4 short hours and we don't have anyone to take care of the girls.  Jon was asking some of his classmates while I hopped online to see what I could dig up.  The marrieds made it over to our flat all packed up and ready to go.  I told them about our little predicament and the boys went into fix-it mode while the girls helped with the puppy arrangements, the kids, and tying up the loose ends around the flat.

Have I mentioned in the last few posts how much I love these people!!!!

If you haven't gotten it, let me tell you again - I LOVE MY FRIENDS!!!  They are amazing!

So the boys headed to the train station to take all the bags and to pick up some dog food.  They dropped the bags off in lockers so we would have one less thing to think about when we were trying to board the tram - all 5 adults, 4 kids, and 3 strollers worth.  After that they headed back to our flat just in time for us to pack everyone up and head back to the train station.

We were all go, go, go, until we got to the train station and found out we couldn't take the train we were planning on - so we grabbed a bite and hopped a squat.  Jon was finally able to catch up with us after he got the dogs taken care of with the kennel (they actually came to the flat and picked them up, they didn't speak any English but luckily Jon's German is better than he lets on.)

We caught the train and enjoyed our short ride to Berlin.  We managed to get off and out to the taxis with only a little sweat off our brows.  Jon, and the Reps were in the first taxi and I was with the Enfumes in the second.  Jon's taxi pulled away and that's when our taxi driver told us the babies couldn't go.  I guess this afternoon was pretty eventful too.

Jeremy - My protector
Photo by Kendra

I quickly called Jon and told him our predicament.  He told me to take Jeremy (not Heather because he wanted Jeremy to be there to protect me - isn't he sweet) and catch a tram to the flat we were renting in Berlin.

Okay switch on Amazing Race mode:
First objective - find where we are on the map.
Second objective - find where we want to be on the map.
Third objective - find the trams that run from point A to point B.
Fourth objective - find the place that sells tram tickets.
Fifth objective - figure out what tickets we need to buy.
Sixth objective - catch the tram.
Seventh objective - get a beverage!

Done and Done!!!

Watch out Berlin, here we come!!!

Catch Up

Today we did a little catch up.

Seeing and doing all the things we haven't had a chance to do yet.

We Played at the Park.

Alert!

Alert!

We interrupt this playful post to bring you this 

Breaking News:

Giraffe-girl escapes from the zoo!

Giraffe-girls are closely related to Droolopotamus'

She has been known to slobber 

on everything she can get her hands on...

...and if she can't get her hands on it 

she'll bring her tongue to it. 

If you find her, smother her with hugs and kisses until the proper authorities can be notified.  

But you have been warned!

We'll now return you to your regularly scheduled post.

 We ate at Kildare's Irish Pub.

We saw where a famous guy was buried.

We saw a couple cool organs in a couple of pretty churches.

We saw a Rathause.

We bowled!

So in a nutshell, we had a very full, very fun day.

Charmian

all photos in this post provided by Kendra - Thanks Ken!

Plans

Photo by Kendra

Photo by Kendra 

Photo by Kendra

Photo by Kendra

The funny thing about making plans is it NEVER goes the way you thought it would.  You would think that after this and this I would learn this valuable life lesson and give up on trying to control everything but, I'm human, and it's really hard.

Photo by Kendra

So here I am in Leipzig, Germany with some of my best friends in the world over for a visit.  I have three days to show them my city/home, while Jon is busy with school, and what do I do - I get all wrapped up in the details and forget my girl scout training.

Photo by Kendra

So today's big plan was to sleep in and then head to the park for some fun in the sun.  After a beautiful day of beer garden and playground hopping we would end up at Tamer's for some delicious Turkish food before calling it a night.

Photo by Kendra

When I woke up - it was raining.  But the tricky part was it stopped raining and looked like it was going to be a beautiful day.  Until we got to the beer garden that is, and then it rained, and rained, and rained.  

Photo by Kendra

UUUGGGHHH!!!!

Photo by Kendra

This was not on the agenda.

Well, because of that tiny little stint of beautiful weather I didn't bring warm enough clothes for me and Alessandra.  So she had to be all bundled up and in her carrier the whole time which made her a bit cranky and I was cold and wet which made me cranky and I was just sure everyone was having a miserable time.

Photo by Kendra

But that's the thing they weren't - yes they were cold but we were all huddled under the umbrella nibbling off of each other's plates, enjoying our beer and hot chocolate.  Talking and reminiscing and having a grand ol' time.  I just wish I would have been a good girl scout and come prepared with the proper number of layers.  But I didn't so I had to step inside a few times to get my little Sweet Pea defrosted.  It was too rainy to go to the park but we just hung out all day and then headed to Tamer's.

All in all it was a great day - but really how could it be bad when it's a day I get to spend with my Marrieds?

Charmian

The Marrieds hit Dresden

Oh, Dresden!

Your charm and beauty are unmatched in Eastern Germany!

Where else can you find as quaint a picture as this - I do believe, only in Dresden.  

Random side note:  I LOVE pictures like this.  Let me tell you why...

I instantly make up stories about the childhood sweethearts who are still madly in love, 

gently holding each others delicate, wrinkled hands, freckled with age spots.

  

Now in all actuality they are probably siblings talking about how much they are 

dreading the family reunion but I like my story better - don't you!!!

Here we all are - I call these pictures squishies.  That's because everyone has to squish in toward the person who is taking the picture so everyone makes it in the frame.  

From top left to bottom right.
Todd, Lilah, Charmian, Conner, Heather, Holden, Jeremy, Alessandra, Jon, and Kendra
not pictured but still present is the Reps baby bump!

There are two problems with squishies...

1. the photographer (in this case Jon) often has 

a double chin from trying to hold the camera just so

2. you often get people cut out a little bit (in this case Jeremy).  

But other than that they usually give you a great photo, this is because everyone has to get so close that it erases everyone's personal bubbles, putting real smiles on everyone's face - like in this photo!!!

(I just wish my big mug wasn't covering up Conner so much!!)

My beautiful Alessandra girl!

Where else would you see a man and his pony dog who go to the same hair dresser.

"I'd like a perm, cut, and color to match my beautiful beast!"

I'm telling you - Only in Dresden!

Jon got to play with Kendra's new Micro 

- or maybe it was a Macro, I'm not quite sure - lens.

This is why this posts pictures have such specific focal points.  

If you notice the first city scape picture (the one right above Alessandra's pic) is out of focus in the front and back of the image but the middle of the image, the bridge, is in focus - pretty cool, huh!  

It also allowed him to take some amazing shots 

like this one...

and this one.

The Enfumes trying out my BMW

The Reps

The Stroller Brigade.

Snug as a Conner in a carrier

Just a handful of proud parents with their photogenic little ones.

And that was it - our bright, overcast, picturesque, quaint, bustling day in Dresden.

The End

Charmian