Where has the summer gone?

I can't believe our summer vacation is just about half over. It has flown by so fast...but for good reasons. The last 5 weeks have been filled with travel, trips to the schwimbad, and good times with family and friends. Oh and I should mention a 2.5 week heat wave!

After our trips to Berlin and Belgium we stayed close to the house for a week while we visited a local pool, went into Mannheim to watch Germany destroy England in the World Cup, and the boys and I went to Velberg to visit my friend Katie and her family for 2 days while Matt headed off to Kosovo for a week. Matt's trip took him through Croatia with a 2 day pit-stop in Dubrovnik. Apparently, it is the most beautiful place on earth. If I ever make it down there, I'll do my best to confirm or deny that allegation.

By July 4th Matt was back home and I was on my way to the airport to pick up my cousins. We celebrated Independence Day with a Mexican fiesta? Yes we did. After all, we were celebrating American independence while in Germany, why not throw in Mexican food for the feast?

We spend the 5th of July at the schwimbad with our friends the Mlacks, the Lusks, and my cousins. We couldn't have asked for a better day. We were surrounded by good friends, family, and a relaxing day at the pool.

Matt headed back to work while the boys and I took my cousins down to Rothenberg and Nurnberg for the day, then I sent them off to Heidelberg, we went into Mannheim again to watch Germany lose to Spain in the semi-finals of the World Cup, headed up to Berg Eltz on the Mosul river, and finished off the week with another visit to the schwimbad. Whew! Matt was back in Kosovo again so, the boys and I, my friend Katrina, and the Enright clan took on Paris without him. We took the high-speed train from Mannheim to Paris. Last November we drove to Paris with my sister and family and it took us about 6 hours. This trip on the ICE train took us 3! The first 1.5 hours are not so fast as we travel through cities and have a few stops, however once we cleared Saarbruken the train was going 189 miles per hour. It was awesome! I of coarse got sick, because I do that on trains and boats, but being sick for an hour was totally worth getting to Paris in 3. On the way back I hopped up on Dramamine, Maloxx and took a nap and all was well.

We returned from Paris tired and ready to do nothing for a day...so naturally we went to the schwimbad again. It was truly a wonderful day. We brought blankets and a picnic and alternated spending time in the pool with playing games in the shade and taking naps. It was a very relaxing day and I think a great way to end the Enright's vacation.

Wednesday I took the Enrights to the airport, headed to the schwimbad with friends and then enjoyed a fabulous thunder storm that night. The heat wave finally broke. After 2+ weeks of near 100 degree temperatures with no air-conditioning as a reprieve - this was a welcome thunder storm.

Thursday morning my girlfriends and I plotted our attack on Portugal for our 1st girls only trip, and Matt and I had the pleasure of having lunch with some friends who were passing through Germany on their way to Italy for vacation.

The weekend was cool and quiet. A great time to be refreshed for another week. This week will be dedicated to our summer school program here at home, and doing my best to let boredom set in so that everyone is ready for whatever excitement next week will bring.