Kurt's parents came to visit for 1.5 weeks at the beginning of October. We were pretty laid back while they were here. They enjoyed meeting and playing with Emma and we enjoyed visiting and being spoiled by them.
We tried to introduce Emma to them right after she woke up. This was not a good idea. She looked at Kurt and I with the most pitiful little pout that said "Who ARE these people and WHY are you giving me away??" I guess this is the beginning of "stranger danger" as our pediatrician calls it. After she woke up a bit more, she took right to them and had a lot of fun playing and snuggling with them.
We took a day trip to the American post in Heidelberg where there was a winter bazaar going on. We had fun purusing wares from vendors from all over the world. Kurt and I both got a couple souvenier items that we've wanted for a while.
Since it was still Oktoberfest season, we went to the local Oktoberfest in Mainz for a German lunch and mass of beer. We enjoyed seeing many people dressed in traditional dirndl and lederhosen, listening to a live band, and watching traditional dances. Unfortunately, the music was a little loud for Emma and we couldn't stay as long as we would have liked.
We also spent time touring some of the churches in Mainz that Kurt and I hadn't been to yet (you never seem to do things in your own back yard!). We went into St. Stephan's which has beautiful stained glass windows done by Chagall; St. Ignatius' which has baroque style architecture; and St. Augustine's which is a rococco style church.
We were able to meet up with Melanie, Adam, Calvin, and Calvin's Grandma for dinner one evening at the Pfungstadt brewery. We had never been to the brewery before (primarily due to their odd hours), but wish we had. We all had one of the best meals that we've had in Germany!
The biggest trip during the week was a day trip to the Kreuzberg Monastery which is about 2 hours NorthEast of Mainz. Kurt's Dad had heard that this was the BEST beer in Germany; so of course we had to go! As we drove north, we watched the thermometer drop...and keep dropping. By the time we arrived at our destination, there were flurries in the air and it was 34 degrees! (When we left the house, it was 47!) Luckily, we had plenty of blankets for Emma so she didn't mind at all. We had lunch at the monastery and walked around the grounds before heading home. There was limited seating for lunch, and since it was so cold, we obviously didn't want to sit outside. Luckily, we were able to snag a table as one family got up to leave. Kurt's Dad got a growler filled with beer to take home.
We tried to introduce Emma to them right after she woke up. This was not a good idea. She looked at Kurt and I with the most pitiful little pout that said "Who ARE these people and WHY are you giving me away??" I guess this is the beginning of "stranger danger" as our pediatrician calls it. After she woke up a bit more, she took right to them and had a lot of fun playing and snuggling with them.
We took a day trip to the American post in Heidelberg where there was a winter bazaar going on. We had fun purusing wares from vendors from all over the world. Kurt and I both got a couple souvenier items that we've wanted for a while.
Since it was still Oktoberfest season, we went to the local Oktoberfest in Mainz for a German lunch and mass of beer. We enjoyed seeing many people dressed in traditional dirndl and lederhosen, listening to a live band, and watching traditional dances. Unfortunately, the music was a little loud for Emma and we couldn't stay as long as we would have liked.
We also spent time touring some of the churches in Mainz that Kurt and I hadn't been to yet (you never seem to do things in your own back yard!). We went into St. Stephan's which has beautiful stained glass windows done by Chagall; St. Ignatius' which has baroque style architecture; and St. Augustine's which is a rococco style church.
We were able to meet up with Melanie, Adam, Calvin, and Calvin's Grandma for dinner one evening at the Pfungstadt brewery. We had never been to the brewery before (primarily due to their odd hours), but wish we had. We all had one of the best meals that we've had in Germany!
The biggest trip during the week was a day trip to the Kreuzberg Monastery which is about 2 hours NorthEast of Mainz. Kurt's Dad had heard that this was the BEST beer in Germany; so of course we had to go! As we drove north, we watched the thermometer drop...and keep dropping. By the time we arrived at our destination, there were flurries in the air and it was 34 degrees! (When we left the house, it was 47!) Luckily, we had plenty of blankets for Emma so she didn't mind at all. We had lunch at the monastery and walked around the grounds before heading home. There was limited seating for lunch, and since it was so cold, we obviously didn't want to sit outside. Luckily, we were able to snag a table as one family got up to leave. Kurt's Dad got a growler filled with beer to take home.
During this time, Emma had some sleeping issues. Even though we were sticking to her routine, she woke up multiple times a night. One night, we saw every hour! Needless to say, it was nice having a few extra hands here so that we could rest a bit! Luckily, her sleeping patterns have returned to normal and she's only up once a night again!
I said earlier that we had some down time. In addition to just hanging out, Kurt's Mom baked cookies and cinnamon rolls (so delicious!) and Kurt's Dad went on bike rides around the area.
We had a great time with them here and were sad to see them go!
Here are some pictures from their trip:
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