BUILDING BL(ayl)OCKS: Week 12 - Parks, Touring, and Salzburg 2.0

This week started rainy and cold, colder than it's been since we first got here! Monday morning I was determined to make the day great, and it turned out okay. I went out for a walk around 9 AM and lasted until about 11. I started with walking through Olympia Park which was beautiful. It was lightly misting and calm because no one wanted to be out on such a dark, dreary day. The rain got heavier as I walked, so Jay and I stopped at a little park for him to play and add another to our list. He played for a few minutes, but there was no slide which means it wasn't that exciting other than the teeter totter. We continued to walk and the rain got heavier and the wind stronger. My pants were starting to soak through, but we had to keep going, we couldn't go home! We finally made it to our destination, the tractor park. The boys were so excited! About 5 minutes into playing, Jay says he needs to go potty. I try to convince him to hold it, to go in the bushes, but he refused and said he wanted to go home. I was sooooooo sad! Hugh wasn't ready to go at all, the rain was letting up a little and we were finally playing. I loaded them up and we went home. Jay held it until we got home, which was a blessing. We were cooped up the rest of the day inside and we were very excited when Dad got home to give us all some new life and energy! Hugh also found ways to climb on the couch to pass off some energy.

Jay loves being bounced on a teetertotter!

He didn't want to let go of the support rope, but I was proud of him for trying.

Under the bridge we got a little break

Jay really wanted to run up the hill under the bridge and there weren't many bikers out, so I let him.

He pushed the stroller far!

Hugh, and the cutest rain outfit.

Hugh climbing and balancing, it was a little scary to witness

Tuesday we picked up Oma and Papa at the airport! We told Jay we were going to get them, and he was very excited! When we finally found Oma and Papa through the mazes of walking sidewalks, Jay was simply amazed. He couldn't stop looking at them and then noticed their suitcases. He grabbed a suitcase and was off! He pulled it all the way to the train station, with the rest of us chasing after trying to keep up. Hugh and Jay loved running between me and Oma and Papa on the train ride home. Oma and Papa joined the fun of naptime, trying to catch up on a little sleep. We went to ALDI after they checked into their hotel room. Jay had a rough trip to the store, but with Oma and Papa it made it easier. We couldn't get the escalator to work right, so we had to take the long way back to the station after our shopping. We just hopped off the elevator and our train left, so we had to wait for the next one. Luckily, we had pretzels and other bakery goods to snack on. Nothing gives you a German experience more than missing a train, having an escalator not work appropriately, and a cloudy day. Oma and Papa took it all in stride, even with being so tired! Jay was thrilled to go to their apartment with them so I got to cook dinner all on my own (with Hugh) which was so nice! It turned out to be extra good because we had a swarm of bees come in while I was cooking. Okay, maybe not a swarm, but there were between 5-10. I hurriedly grabbed a shoe, swatting and trying to keep them away from Hugh and dinner. When Matthew got home, he took over the duties and got them all out or killed them. We learned a couple weeks ago it's illegal to kill bees, but when they're invading your home, I think it's acceptable.

Oma and Papa, Hugh and Jay! They're here!!

Jay running off with the suitcase and all of us trying to catch up.

Jay just tickled to have Papa and Oma on the train.

Everyone napping to catch up on needed rest.

Jay and Hugh coloring with Papa

Story time with Oma was a highlight before every nap

Wednesday was Nymphenburg Schloss for my parents and a nearby park for me and the boys. We walked with Oma and Papa to the palace and helped them get the right tickets, then headed to the park. This park was number 69 and it was very fun! Jay and Hugh could climb up to the big slide on their own, and it makes my mama heart so happy to see how much both of them have grown and learned over the past three months! They rocked it! The little sand area was also fun with a slide and nothing too busy which made it great for us. On our way home, I found an ALDI that I knew would have my favorite treats. I quickly swung by the bakery wall and through the checkout. We pulled up to the train station 2 minutes early, and saw the train pull away! Nooo! I was so sad! It was a good thing we had yummy treats to get us through hunting for the right bus stop to take us home and getting home over an hour after we should have originally. The boys were pretty good troopers through it all.

Jay, ready to go down the tunnel slide!

Climbing up the ramp, Hugh did it all on his own.

Little hut in the sand area

Jay playing with Oma in a park right near our home

Thursday we went up to Dachau. Hugh made friends with a random stranger on our way. He walked up and climbed into the seat next to him. The gentleman was very kind and let Hugh just enjoy the seat. Jay also made friends with a guy who took out a pretzel. Jay watched him with curious eyes and the guy offered him half of it. Very kind and Jay was thrilled! We went to the Concentration Camp with Oma and Papa and walked through the grounds with them. We left them to do their own touring, then headed to a park. This park was awesome! It was worthy to be #70. It had a Jeep that was on springs that the boys loved riding on, easy to access big slide, sand, very few other kids, a baby swing, and shade on a hot day. We had the best time playing around! The boys did great and seemed to enjoy just having some time to play! We met up with Oma and Papa around noon and took the trains home. After naps, we went into downtown Munich, Marienplatz. The boys did remarkably well for an afternoon outing. We got to see the glockenspiel and enjoyed showing Oma and Papa the iconic parts of the city that are so old and beautiful. We also introduced them to gelato, which was a big hit for everyone! Matthew had another work event, so he didn't get home until late. I was extra grateful for Oma and Papa's helping hands and company for cleaning up dinner and bedtime!

The coolest bouncy jeep!

Hugh loved the swing at this park and couldn't get enough of it!

Brave little climber, kind of makes my heart skip a beat sometimes though!

I am going to miss these baked goods! So yummy!

Oma, Jay, Papa - Jay always wanting to be as close as possible.

Beautiful downtown Munich

Oma, Papa, Hugh, and Jay at the Glockenspiel

Friday morning we went to Salzburg! Oma and Papa were really looking forward to this part of the trip, and I think they liked it. We started by walking into the old town so they could visit the Fortress there. While they did that, we hit up park #71. This was also a very fun park, slides in the hillside and great views of the city and the river. We picnicked for lunch and enjoyed being outside letting the boys use up as much energy as possible. At 2, we started our Sound of Music bus tour. We got to see the city of Salzburg from the bus and many of the sites where the movie was filmed. My favorites were seeing the beautiful "Sees" or lakes, the back of the house they used for the film, and Maribelle gardens. The boys did remarkably well! Hugh took a nap snuggling with me and Jay enjoyed the window and changing scenery. We picked up some pizza for dinner and enjoyed a quick evening before the boys went to bed. Oma, Papa, and I went back into town to find some gelato while the boys went to sleep and came back once they were down. It was nice to venture out a little, and Papa gave our leftover pizza to a homeless woman. I loved that he thought to do that and did it! I need to be more like Papa, always looking out for the person in need, it's one of his many strengths.

Matthew and the boys in front of a fountain where his Grandpa took a picture 70 years ago.

Family picture, someone noticed me taking it and said I needed to be in it!

Hugh signing more, always more swing for this little guy

This lasted about long enough for the photo, Hugh was not a fan of Jay riding with him!

Beautiful view of Salzburg, you can see the castle in the background on the hill.

Water play!

The lake and back of house used in the Sound of Music film.

Beautiful scenery everywhere!

We got to take a pic with the goat!

Maribelle Gardens

Part of the Dwarf Garden

Another fountain Matthew's Grandpa found when serving in the Army

Day two in Salzburg was wonderful! We started by visiting the mountain Untersberg after grabbing breakfast at a bakery. I got some Hefezopf, a sweet bread, and I should have bought the whole thing. Everyone loved it. The morning was clear and much warmer than last time. The views were gorgeous and it was so peaceful! Jay wanted to climb to the peak this time, so I walked up with him and kept him within an arms reach at all times. He didn't love it, but he was safe and that's what matters most. It's always hard to leave somewhere so beautiful, but when we did, we went to Hellbrunn Palace Trick Fountains. On a warm day like it was, workers were turning on and off the fountains constantly. I got the biggest kick out of watching people squeal as they got caught in the fountain spray. Jay on the other hand, had the best time! He LOVED getting sprayed, the changing water, and getting soaked. Hugh slept for most of it, and Jay lived his best life. Matthew and I traded off going in and out of the fountains with him and it was so much fun! He even got a snack from one of the workers that was kind of like a turnip, a vegetable special to Austria/Germany. We went to the park and enjoyed another trip there. Oma and Papa enjoyed the trick fountains and the palace and met up with us when they were done. We took a boat tour in the afternoon that was VERY hot, and not very fun, but we all wanted to try it and now we know we wouldn't recommend it. Hugh loved looking out the window and he probably got the most fresh air of any of us. We walked through Salzburg Old Town one more time to pick up a few souvenirs and treats. The train ride back was long and a little delayed, which made the boys have an extra hard time. We made it back and got brats for dinner at a nearby restaurant.

The amazement of the views!

Papa, Jay, and Oma at the top!

Trying to smile through the sunlight!

It almost felt like you were on top of the world, so pretty.

Jay loved riding in the cable car!

He even found out how to open and close the vents to look outside.

The most joy! Airborne, jumping for joy of water and sunshine and fountains!

This deer was so cool! Shot water from all the antlers and his nose.

Hugh loved the park and was ready to play because he slept through the fountains

River cruise! It's the only picture I took because it really wasn't very cool

Sunday was our last Sabbath Day here in Munich! I've enjoyed Sundays here. They've felt simpler in a lot of ways, maybe it's because we didn't have callings or big responsibilities. It was a rainy Sunday, so we got the full experience on our way to and from. We rode two trains and walked our 20 minutes to get there and it was beautiful, with a small threat of rain but we stayed dry. On the way home, we weren't so lucky, and we took a bus and one train back to avoid so much outside walking. It was bittersweet to know we won't see anyone in the ward again, but we also haven't grown too close with anyone as we've only seen them once every week. During our combined lesson on the temple, Hugh climbed onto the bench with a couple different investigators. One of them, Hugh snuggled right in and sat with him for about 5 minutes, maybe more. It was so sweet, and I hope that man felt the love of that little boy! Hugh's been very clingy recently and I enjoyed seeing him branch out to others. Our family home evening lesson was about building a foundation on Christ. I tried to teach with our yogurt cups and building. Jay was full of pent up energy, so it was rough, but we did the best we could. After dinner, the clouds and rain finally let up and we went on a walk through Olympia Park. It was beautiful and quieter than normal. Jay insisted on pushing the stroller and he did for a large portion of the walk. Matthew ran to keep up with him most of the time and to gently redirect the stroller when Jay got off course. Jay was a good little pusher and I think the work was good for him! We had some delicious Magnum bars for dessert and enjoyed visiting in the evening.