Wednesday, May 28, 2014

The Hague..ISST's


I just love this picture of 
Griffin splashing in the puddles.
It was taken with my iphone!
He had so much fun that day..
complete strangers were stopping to 
watch him and take pictures of him!


Stephen's baseball team
won the gold!
What an amazing few 
days we had up in The Hague.
Of course there was plenty
of baseball to watch..


(Griff and Will watching
their big brother at bat)...


....but we were also able
to do a bit of sight seeing.
One of the nights 
a group of the parents went
out to dinner in this 
sweet town,
Leiden.
It's like a mini-Amsterdam.



And I swear..
it seems like
every town,
country,
place we visit
Steve and I say..
"I could live here"

I think I could
totally live here!


I love the canals..
and the architecture..
and the fact that 
EVERYONE
rides bikes..
EVERYWHERE!
 I could get used to that.





ok..
back to baseball!


The American School of Paris
bringing home the gold!
It was so much fun watching
these boys play baseball.
And bittersweet for us as this 
is the last time Stephen will play
for a school team.



Not only did his team win 
but Stephen was one of two
other kids that received the 
All-Tournament award!

It has been a joy for your 
dad and I to watch you 
play baseball since you were
just a little kid.
We could not be more proud.
Stephen..


And in other news!


The French Open has come
to town!


And I just received my 
necklace I ordered 
through Kimberly.
I love that the women in 
Uganda handmade these
and that all the proceeds 
go to 




I'm headed here tomorrow!
Aix-en-Provence!
All by myself.
We have a 4 day weekend
ahead of us so I'm 
hopping the train in the morning.
Really looking forward to 
finishing 
The Goldfinch.

Bon weekend!!

P.S!
My friend 
Sarah has featured me
on her blog today!
I'm so excited to be a part
of her Coming Home  series.
Merci Sarah!!
















Tuesday, May 20, 2014

I'le St-Louis and More!


So very busy lately.
Lots of traveling
for work
school sports
and of course
for fun!
I'm not complaining.
I love the busy-ness.
But, I'm happy that school
is winding down and we're 
looking forward to a
whirlwind summer!


The skies here in Paris
lately have been incredible.
Vibrant sunrises
and colorful sunsets.
And many rainbows during
the day after a shower.

This past weekend seems like a blur
already.
And it's only Tuesday.
This is precisely the reason 
I keep this blog.

Sunday was gorgeous!
Stephen and Hannah 
were home studying
so Steve and I took the little
boys to 
I'le St-Louis..
the island located in the middle
of the Seine. 


Before I go on..
Someone gave me these cards 
(pictured above
and below)
when we first moved here.
The City Walks with kids
is awesome! 
So many great ideas for getting
out in the city 
with kids.
I've done many of them.
I also own this one..



Both have been informative
and helpful on days 
when we're wondering what to do.
If you're traveling to Paris with kids..
I highly recommend the first one!

So..back to Sunday.
I pulled out a card..
and off we went to visit
I'le St-Lous.

We started at  Notre Dame..
(the cards have a starting and ending
point and a map to guide you along
your route with fun things 
to do and look for!)





The picture above is taken
behind Notre Dame.

We walked across the quaint
Pont Saint Louis
where there are always
street performers out
doing all kinds of fun things.





We walked up and down the 
charming Rue St-Louis -en-L'Ile.
Lots of great shops..
for kids too!
But the main attraction is
Berthillon ice cream.
The best ice cream in Paris!

It was a great way to spend the afternoon!



Sunday morning
(I'm going backwards here)
I headed out to my local 
open air market.
I'm lucky it's open on Sundays..
because there isn't much open!


Peonies are here!


Like candy!



One of my favorite things 
about living here are 
the open air markets.


On Friday..
both Stephen and Hannah
went to London overnight 
with their teams.
Hannah just joined the softball team..
they were in need of players 
and she was asked to play.
She's never played softball 
in her life!



They both had a game Friday
and two games Saturday.
Hannah played catcher for 
all 3 games!
Steve was conveniently on business
in London and was 
able to see both kids play!

So proud of you Hannah!


While they were all
in London..
Will and Griff and I 
headed out to the kids'
school for International day
with some friends.
So much fun!



Thursday night
I went with a friend to 
the American Church in Paris
to hear Jane Goodall
speak!
At 80 years old..
(we sang Happy Birthday to her!)..
she is such an inspiration.
What an amazing evening!

This coming weekend
will be just as busy.

Hannah's softball tournament 
is held in London again.
She leaves by train with her team
Wednesday and returns Saturday.

Stephen's baseball tournament is held
in The Hague this year.
And..with this being his last
time playing school baseball..
Steve and I and the two younger boys
are leaving Wednesday to attend his games.
It will be fun to visit Holland..
but also bittersweet.
Baseball  has been a big part
of Stephen's life.
Steve used to coach his team in 
elementary school..in 
PA and NH.
He played in Duxbury and 
has played here in Paris.


Looking forward to another 
great weekend!


























Friday, May 16, 2014

Rothenburg ob der Tauber


Rothenburg ob der Tauber
is a beautiful town located
on the Romantic Road in the 
Franconia region of Bavaria, Germany.


When friends and family
would come to visit us
in Germany..
we would always spend
a day here.


Charming
picturesque
and historical.


We stayed in Rothenburg
this past weekend.
It's a treat to go back to
a place you called home and 
be a tourist.








(bummer the big ugly crane
is in this one)




Beer and pretzels
of course.
And spezi for the kids..
Spezi is fanta and coke mixed.


It was a quick trip
to Germany.
So much we could't get to.
I do hope we can get back again
soon!

Tschuss!!















Monday, May 12, 2014

16 Years Later..


Of all the trips we've taken..
this quick trip to Germany
meant the most.

19 years ago
Steve and I and 
3 month old Stephen..
moved to Germany.
Steve was a pilot in the Army
and we were so very lucky to 
be stationed in Illesheim Germany..
our first assignment out of flight school.
Steve flew over first and secured 
a house for us.
We were determined to live 
not on the military base..
but in a house
with German landlords.

We lived for 3 years 
above Erich and Lieselotte
in a little farming town
called Bad Windsheim.
He built this house
and the two of them are 
probably the most hard working
people I know.

They didn't speak English..
thank goodness because boy
did we learn German!



Their daughter Silke
however, did speak English 
which was helpful at times!



Before Stephen goes off to college
this fall..
I wanted to take a family trip
back to his first home..
and to where Hannah was born.
Thursday we drove from Paris
to Rothenburg..where we stayed 
this past weekend.
Rothenburg is about 20 minutes
from Bad Windsheim and it's a 
beautiful old walled city.
(I will share more pictures of 
our weekend..
but I needed to have a post
dedicated just to them)

We arrived around 8:00 pm after 
an 8 hour trip and decided to 
drive to Bad Windsheim to have 
dinner at our old favorite Italian 
place, Franco's.

Before dinner I asked Steve to just
drive by the old house.
At 8:30 at night we certainly weren't 
planning on showing up unannounced.
But, I found myself ringing their doorbell.

I heard Lieselotte say..
"Erich, it's the Pam!!!"
I'll never forget the hugs they
both gave me.
They invited us in 
and it felt like yesterday,
not 16 years ago,
that we were sitting around their table.
Silke came too and told us
that her parents would say..
"Someday, Pam and Steve will
show up on our doorstep".

They showed us all of the 
Christmas cards I've sent
over the past 16 years.
And the pictures I've sent 
that are hanging on their wall.

They invited us back
for lunch on Sunday.
After a feast of shnitzel and 
potato salad and bratwurst
and lots of laughs and tears
we said goodbye..
again.
Silke said..
"don't wait another 16 years to come back"
We won't.

These people were not 
just our landlords.
Our even just friends.
They became our family.

Vielen dank fur alles!
Bis spater...
Wir lieben dich!!!