Saturday is a special day!

You might know how the primary song goes:
Saturday is a special day,
It's the day we get ready for Sunday...
We wash our clothes and we clean our rooms,
SO we can be ready for SUNDAY!

I am not exactly sure on the words, but you get the idea. We get our chores done on Saturday and Sunday is different because we don't have to worry about the cleaning and the washing, we have time to study, pray, go to church, and be together as a family.

But I also have to say that sometimes Saturdays can be a little bit harder when your husband is not around. So I just wanted our Saturdays lately to have a little more fun sprinkled in there and I wanted to make sure I wrote them down before I forgot. I didn't bring my camera, so this is going to just be our stories.

11/27/11 Today after the boys ate a hearty bowl of oatmeal, a family favorite on a non-school day lately, I loaded them all up and told them we were going on a "treasure hunt". Of course this meant I was dragging them to an outdoor flea market, but they were excited I think for a little bit. It was freezing, but we managed to walk up and down all the tables that were set out. No treasures were found, but I did score a bunch of little toys for the boys good behavior treasure box at a very good price. All the boys cooperated in the freezing cold, so it was agreed that we could walk through the toy store that was nearby so I could un-thaw my fingers and toes. Of course they each found something they "just had to have"... but Mom didn't have any Euro so we couldn't pay for it and take it home (sneaky laugh inserted here) We walked out and headed for home. But thinking about food, it was lunchtime afterall, I knew BURGER KING would be a special treat for them and decided to just go there on the whim. They did love it, but they also loved being able to play around in the tube slides, chasing one another and screaming with excitment. Well wouldn't you know, the bowling alley is right next door. So I decided that was what we were going to do next! It was great! I basically held onto Connor, he held onto his 6 lb. ball, and I would literally throw him forward to propel the ball at a decent speed down the lane. You can't tell me that wasn't entertaining to watch a pregnant mamma do that? Brecon played well the entire game and Cael enjoyed it was well. Our scored ended up with Connor at 64, Brecon with 78, Cael with 82 or something in that range AND I got a 135! Not too shabby if I do say so myself. I do have to say it was fun to do this with the boys, but I wouldn't have thought that doing something like that logisically would be enjoyable by myself. It really was a great day with my boys AND I know it would have been even more fun had Ben been there, but we are trying to make the best out of our time apart, especially when it involves doing something fun to pass the time :)

11/26/11 Another FUN DAY Saturday started with the boys enjoying their cartoons, eating our yummy breakfast with dark brown sugar and milk on top and taking it easy. Today it was icy cold and I really wasn't in the treasure hunting mood. So we all did a clean up around the house, which took a bit longer that usual, and then I decided we were going to the indoor swimming pool in Amberg. We invited our neighbors, but their children had not finished their chores by the time we were ready to go. SO we were goin' SOLO (sort of). I know everyone would have had more fun with friends, but we really did have a great time together. First thing I have to say is right when we walked into the pool area, Cael jumped into the water and swam toward the edge. He looked over and spotted something brown floating nearby. He jumped out of the water and starting yelling "UH GROSS - POO! POO HERE!" We grabbed a worker, pointed to the water, and quickly made a move for a different pool. What a great way to start the day! SOOO... in the other pool that was safe from any gross surprises... Brecon and Cael got one of our little diving torpedos and each were taking turns grabbing it and throwing it in the water. Brecon was trying his best to swim to the bottom and retrieve a torpedo, but his little body just doesn't go down! I laugh about how he would just try so hard, but would never quite make it unless I gave him a firm shove downward. Don't worry, he floats right back up to the top. (smiley face). Cael was up and down through the water like a dolphin, he just has such an easy time getting around in the water. There was a really long line for the one tube slide and we all went down together just once. I really like how it is completely dark with different neon lights all the way down, pretty fun and entertaining at the same time. Cael and Brecon were squealing, Connor would make some sort of noise every once and a while, and I was just hoping that our timing was close enough that I would be able to grab Brecon, hold onto Connor, and make our way safely out of the pool. Which we did. Over at the kiddie section of the pool, Connor really enjoyed going up and down the red slide and having Cael as a catcher at the bottom made the whole event really enjoyable for me :) BUT our fun came to an end more quickly than I had realized it would, and after changing in record time into our street clothes, we made our way home. I thought it was a good outing for such a cold day and the boys were all troopers the whole time.

AND JUST for a laugh... here is what I see when I put gasoline in my van in Germany. Well, I guess maybe it was, thank you!

Castle Trip with Grandma

The last trip we took with Grandma Hoopes was down to South Germany/Austria so we could enjoy the amazing castles from King Ludwig, Neuenschwantein, Hohenswangua, and the Lindhof Palace. We stayed in cool Hostel in Garmisch and our room was on the top floor and there were plenty of beds situated in 4 different rooms, a little kitchentte, and one tiny bathroom. The boys favorite was the "avalanche" room where there were 4 twin beds on the floor. They spent about 20 minutes jumping around on the beds yelling "THIS IS AWESOME!! THIS IS AWESOME!!" Needless to say we enjoyed our little adventurous stay here and so did the boys.

Our first day we planned on seeing Neunschwantein and Hohenschwangua. It was foggy and bitterly cold, but making the climb up the hill ensured that we were not frozen by the time we got there. Also Connor was a little stinker during the tour, it was harder to hold onto the little boy when he was insisting on getting down to explore, and then he would protest with yelling quite loudly.... well, somehow we made it out of there without disturbing too many people or interrupting the tour guide too much :)

We then made our way up to Neunschwantein on the trolley bus. For being off season there were sure a lot of people crammed on the bus. Connor had fallen asleep in his stroller ( no wonder he was so cranky during the first tour) making it a little precarious loading onto a crowded bus, but we found a little spot where the stroller would fit and Cael and Brecon stayed by Grandma on the ride up to the top on the mountain. We were so sad that it was foggy, we really couldn't see the entire castle in all it's glory, only the walls that were right in front of us.

This is Grandma trying to control the boys after they were bouncing and hanging from a wire-like fence during some inbetween time. Cael is getting a little word of advice while Brecon watches from the side. I was entertained watching the people nearby observe the "crazy boys" on the fence, but Grandma didn't think it was appropriate behavior :) Good times :)

The very next day it was sunny and clear and beautiful which was such a contrast to the day before. We made plans to visit the Linderhof Palace which is only a short drive from where we were staying through some beautiful countryside. It was a fun little stop that I had never visited before and I was sad that it wasn't spring or summer time because all of the fountains and statues in the gardens were covered for the winter! I guess that means we will just have to go back again, right?

Our tour was very interesting. I couldn't believe all the fancy and gold for just one person who only stayed here maybe 10 days out of the year! It was beautiful and very extravagant. Connor was giving me a hard time again during the visit, but there really wasn't anywhere else I could go until our guide was finished with the tour. So we made it through and the boys were free to run anywhere they wanted through the gardens, up the stairs, and even inside the empty fountains. I was very happy they were NOT full of water.

Mother and Me at the end of the day. Such a fun trip and we will most likely be back when the gardens and fountains are uncovered and in all their glory.

On the way home we spotted a huge flea market in the Olympic parking lot in Munich. It was the biggest one I had ever seen. We made our way back to find a parking spot and spent a few hours looking for treasures, I just kept saying "One more row, I'm sure we will fnd something in the NEXT row"... but there really wasn't anything that jumped out at us. We shared a couple of banana and nutella crepes and then made our way back to the car. It was a fun little pit stop to break up the drive, but it was pretty cold while we were out there walking around.

... (are you sure?)....

Ultrasound today.

No "light house".

I really REALLY was expecting to see the "light house".

Oh dear.

This is going to be a new adventure.

So I really won't know what I am doing- will I?

Bows, leggings, flowers, PINK!!! Here we go!

Connor's Vacation

In case you were wondering what our little Connor man was doing while we were away, go HERE and read all about his fun adventure. Those little boys was having the time of their lives. I couldn't tell you how grateful I was to know that Connor was being well taken care of by my dear friend. What really got me teary was an email I got the day we were going home with the little cupcakes on his "real" birthday. Then I couldn't even express my real gratitude that night without there being a flood all over the floor. I honestly didn't realize how much his older brothers would miss him ( I missed baby Connor too) but not even 20 minutes into the drive Brecon piped up "I want Connor" (which actually sounds like Tonnor) and each day mentioning his little buddy "I want Tonnor to be wiss us", "Where is Tonnor?" "I want to get Tonnor from Townsen' an Emsons' house" etc, etc... you get the idea. The cruise experience was a good one for the older boys. I did see babies on the ship, but it was easy for me to feed Cael and Brecon (when they didn't fall asleep during dinner) put them into the kids' club during the day, and tuck them into bed at night. I was thankful I didn't have to worry about a crying 2 year old, nap time, snacks, diapers, toys... and getting around at the various stops, sometimes racing through some of the streets trying not to be late for the ships departure time was easy without having to drag along my little one. Did I already say how it was so nice of my friend to watch my baby for 10 days? She really is an angel and a dear sweet friend of mine. I just don't really know what else to say but this:

I really have a lot of swapping to make up for... just call me anytime Rachelle!

VENICE, ITALY

When our cruise landed for the last time back in Venice we had a hard time deciding whether we would swing over and check out St. Mark's Square, or try to get home early. After a wrong turn took us directly toward the last stop where it is very easy to get onto the water taxi's for the Grand Canal, I knew we couldn't turn back. This really was a FAST trip in and out. Lots of pictures, no museums or lines, but I think our little sampling was good to show my mother and not too hard on the boys. Plus we found some really cute souveniors while we were at it. I am especially fond of my new charm bracelet with two Murano glass beads and a little gondola to remind me of the sights here in Venice. The sad news was the gelato stands nearby where all closed up for the winter, thankfully the boys were not too upset about it.

 I told Cael and Brecon to "roar" like a lion. They did not disappoint with their sounds!

AND... we left just as quick as we came. Thankfully the boys were tuckered out and slept the first part of the drive home, a quick dinner and gas for the car and we made it back to pick up baby Connor from his stay at a good friends house. He was already asleep, Cael and Brecon were so excited to see their baby brother again that they couldn't help hugging on him and kissing him right from the moment they saw him again. The following morning was filled with hugs and giggles from the boys, wrestling and laughing with one another. Such a sweet reunion for those boys to have together.

DUBROVNIK, CROATIA

The last stop on the cruise we finally took everyone off of the boat. Cael was excited for a change of scenery and with all of our friends along, plus the new family we met along the way, we made our way to the center of downtown to walk along the castle walls and enjoy the spectacular views of the ocean. I will always remember the city transport we got on to make it to our stop was completley crowded and we were stuck right next to the door that kept opening and shutting at the different stops. I would have to shift back when the doors were opening, and forward while they were closing EXCEPT there really wasn't any room to shift forward or backward. There were some moments of extreme closeness with complete strangers, but at least no one got their fingers/arms/legs/ any other body part pinched by those doors.
So we started here after purchasing our tickets to "wall walk".

The boys sure enjoyed running along the wall  and going inside little "jails"along the way and also sitting on large canons with our friends. They especially laughed really loud when the big boys Josh and Mark wrestled them around and played "rough" with them, flipping them around and trying to protect themselves from a flailing arm or leg in the process.

And of course at the end we celebrated with a little treat... you guessed it... GELATO! Although I am not sure exactly what they call it Croatia, GELATO is known anywhere you go!

Making our way back to the ship, tired and hungry and ready for our last dinner together. I think Grandma was pretty tired from watching these boys run all over the place and ready to take a rest when we got back as well!

ISTANBUL, TURKEY

One of my all time favorite stops of this trip, although it started out a bit worrisome. Just a small miscommunication where we had talked to our friends that were also on the cruise to let them know that we wanted to be with them at this port of call, walking to breakfast and seeing them down below already off the ship with no way to signal to them or stop them from leaving us behind. Needless to say my mother was a little bit concerned getting around the city, we are two hot lookin' ladies afterall, and we weren't exactly sure where we were going. So after sitting down to breakfast and trying to enjoy what could have been our last meal on this planet (that is how worried we were) I noticed a family that we had seen on our Olympia excursion eating breakfast as well. I decide to approach them and formally introduce myself and ask them what their plans are for the day... obviously they would appreciate two more friendly faces along for the adventure, right? It turns out that they were very easy going and said it would be no problem, we would just meet them off the ship after we dropped our boys and their girls off into the kids club.

There's more: as we were walking off the ship and doing the introductions back and forth, "where are you from?" "what do you do?"... Emily (the new friend) and Kevin (her husband) mention that they went to school in UTAH and Emily says "So you are going to be hanging out with Mormons today" WELL... GUESS WHAT? So are we!! Such a funny way to meet one another, but at the same time it was so easy to get along with them in the first place and now it just made the rest of the day that much more fun. There is that instant friendship, I don't really know how to describe it, but it just happens anywhere you go when you meet someone who shares the same beliefs as you.

So with Emily and Kevin's trusty Rick Steve's book in hand, we made our way down the street onto the public transportation, and down to the BLUE MOSQUE, HAGGAI SOPHIA, The UNDERGROUND CISTERNS, and the GRAND BAZAAR. And then fearing that we might miss the ship's departure we literally ran back from our last stop on the tram to where the ship was docked! WHAT A TRIP!

So here is the first stop. THE BLUE MOSQUE

I know the pictures do not fully capture the amazing beauty, the BLUE MOSQUE truly was magnificent! I just loved the way that it felt inside this hall that is still used as worship for the people in the area. When you walk into the many cathedrals here in Europe it is so dark and cold, beautiful, but there is that feeling that you are in this immense space and yet it feels small because of the light issue. I was simple amazed by the LIGHT inside this mosque. It was open and airy, I had a very special feeling the moment we walked into the hall. The patterns and colors were really quite amazing. It was wonderful!

and then right across the way stood the HAGGAI SOPHIA (Sacred Wisdom)

The most renowned Byzantine and the best known Christian church in Istanbul, the first church was built here in 325-360 A.D. After a terrible fire that destroyed the building, Justitine ordered a new church to be built of an unprecedented size and magnificence. This took 5 years and over 10,000 laborers working on the site. And in 537 A.D. it was completed. Over time and earthquakes there has been repeated restoration and additions. On the Turkish conquest in 1453 it was converted into a mosque and later the mosiacs were plastered over. With recent work, many of the mosiacs are uncovered so that you can see what this amazing structure must have looked like on the inside. SO much history and withstanding the tests of time over all of these years. This was very interesting to hear the tour that Rick Steven's has in his book, I actually knew what I was looking at, where to walk next, and what to pay attention to. This building was amazing, but it was different than the experience we had at the Blue Mosque. I tried to take a good shot of the mosiacs, but it was just a little tricky. Interesting to know that the doors in the picture above were used only by the Emperor, they were really huge! This picture below is a great view from above taken from the helicopter I piloted and learned how to fly while we were there.... ahh! you got me! GOOGLE images I heart you!

We walked across the street and visited the Underground Cisterns. This was interesting to walk around and see the ancient water source used back in Roman times. Rows after Rows of giant columns, water dripping and occasionally landing on our head, and seeing the two Medusa heads in the back corner was pretty neat as well. The pictures I took down here were not that great. SO here is a little more GOOGLE with some images of the location... Actually this really is my camera and my amazing photography skills at work (only kidding :) 

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We grabbed a quick lunch at a nearby vendor, wasn't the best but we were hungry and then we quickly tried to make the best of our short time left in the Grand Bazaar. That place really was crazy! There were so many little shops set up with people inside, some were nice (one guy was nasty) and one guy just called out "Please come and buy some things that you don't need here"... I liked his honesty. We found some treasures, but really didn't have the time we needed to set up a good barter with the vendors. BUT... that was just the way the day went. Then we missed the first tram after grabbing some Baklava (mmm....mmm) so delicious! and really started to feel the crunch of time when the second tram arrived. It was packed, but we felt like it was building up our adreneline for the run back to the boat. GREAT NEWS... we made it safely only after being chased by a few street vendors "great price for you my friend!"