Week 2 highlights

Guten Tag!

I have wanted to update the blog for several days, but we've been having problems with our internet.  I find it really frustrating because it feels very isolating without it, it is my connection to home!  Jesse's co-worker has been extremely helpful in assisting us with our internet problems since everything is in German.

Wednesday this week (October 3rd) was a German holiday.  It was Reunification Day...to recognize the ending of East and West Germany. The reunification happened in 1990.  All the schools were closed and it was also a work holiday.  Jesse did work for a little while in the morning.  One of his co-workers invited us over to have lunch with his family.  They were very nice!  Their kids are older, but they got out all kinds of baby-friendly toys for Valerie.  They also had a pet rabbit which Valerie really liked seeing.  After lunch we went for a walk in a nearby area.  It was beautiful!  There were lots of rocks in the hillside and people were rock-climbing all over.  We didn't bring the camera so we didn't get anything but a few cellphone pictures.

Later in the afternoon we went to the Steiff factory and museum in Giengen an der Brenz (about 15 minutes away).  What a neat place!  Steiff makes handmade stuffed animals, they are world-famous.  Valerie had gotten one as a gift when she was born and Jesse brought her one when he was here earlier in the year.  The museum included some history and lots of awesome stuff for kids to do.

Here are some pictures from Steiff:

I got a balloon! 

Wow!  That's a big bear! 



 An even bigger bear!

 They had all sorts of HUGE stuffed animals that are handmade.  It was like a big petting zoo.  You could also sit on some of them.  



 This was an awesome snake slide that takes you from one level down to the next.  Unfortunately, you couldn't ride down with your kid, and Valerie was too little to go by herself.

Peekaboo!  Valerie and Daddy exploring some of the exhibits.


I'll leave you with this great photo....we only have a shower here in the bathroom so poor Valerie has to get baths in the tiny kitchen sink.  We call it our "German Bathtub!"  :-)


Have a great weekend!  

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