My parents came for a nice 3-week visit for the last half of March and into April and while that might seem like a good chunk of time, it was the best way to take advantage of a trans-Atlantic flight as well as adjusting to the six-hour difference. Their visit came at the perfect time because spring arrived a month early this year thanks to the mild winter and the view from our backyard went from this (taken in January but it looked just about as sparse in early March)...
to this!
Their first day in town was just spent trying to stay awake after an overnight flight. Unfortunately it was a rainy day, but we got out anyway and we took them to the local farmers market and bakery for lunch.
They made it until 8 that evening before crashing -- a success in my book!
We decided to keep Ellie in school for the majority of my parents' visit. The structure is good for her and besides, am I the only one whose child gets rambunctious and acts up when company (even grandparents) is in town? Her hours spent at in school gave us some much-needed adult time, which we took advantage of by taking my parents to Tübingen one morning. I just love the architecture there and my parents were so excited to be in a sunny, warm place as opposed to back at home where they'd had snow on the ground every day from December until their visit to see us in March (and they still had snow when they got home!).
Enjoying a sunny lunch on the Neckar River.
Of course being in Germany there was no question about a visit to see our cousins up in Montabaur, which we did during the first half of my parents' trip. It's the first time my parents had been up in almost 13 years! We had a lovely 5-day visit and it was great to see my parents spending time with family that they hadn't seen in well over a decade.
We were also able to share our baby news with Karl Heinz and Mechthilde. Meanwhile, Ellie lapped up all the attention (and I thought she couldn't get any more rambunctious at home with my parents!).
We took a little day trip to Sayn, the village where my grandmother was born and visited the church where she was baptized...
... had a picnic lunch outside...
... visited the family plot at the cemetery (not as macabre as it sounds)...
... and made a final stop at the ironworks museum which features an almost life-sized cutout of my great-great grandfather!
On a side note, one thing I absolutely love about being in Germany is that, no matter where you go, you can usually find a corner in any museum or restaurant with a small collection of children's toys or crayons and paper. We found one at the ironworks museum that kept Ellie happy for several minutes while we looked at the displays.
We also made it a point to visit my grandmother's cousin, Veronika, and her husband, Hans. Veronika was (as I remembered her from years ago) an excellent hostess and there was no shortage of delicious cake to go along with some afternoon coffee!
"Less talking and more eating, Mom."
As is common in a lot of German homes, my cousins have a "Kellarbar," a room usually in the basement used for family gatherings and parties. The one in my cousins' home had probably not been used since the last time my parents were in town (and was currently being used for storage) so, on a whim, it was decided to clean it out and use it that evening for a get together!
Things got a little silly while we were cleaning the Kellarbar. :)
It was a great evening that brought back many memories from my childhood!
Our time in Montabaur was truly wonderful and memorable but went by all too quickly! Next time we head up we will probably have a baby in tow!
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