New Years

Christmas lights on the street in Montmarte
Basilica of the Sacre Coeur
Inside Le Cancan

Outside the restaurant

Looking up to the Arch de Triumph on the Champs-Elysees In front on the Eiffel tower at midnight

Self portrait in front of the Eiffel

We were so excited to ring in the new year in Paris! Considering we spend most New Years in bed....sleeping. Most of the people from our tour group went to dinner. We had a blast. Everyone was there to have fun and we did. We ate at Le Cancan in the Montmartre district. It is a cool artsy district on the North end of Paris. A lot of artsy people hung out there in the early 1900's and still do. Salvador Dali, Monet, Picasso, and van Gogh all had studios there. We filled the whole place. Which isn't hard to do since all the restaurants are very small. We had a yummy 4 course meal. We also had all the red and white wine we could drink. There started Joey's happy New Year! Then a cabaret singer came in to sing a few songs. It was a blast. Then some brave souls from our group got up on stage to sing to fill in the rest of the time before we left.
Then it was a race to the bus to make it to Palace de la Concorde by midnight. The bus driver dropped us off right in the mix. There were thousands of people. They were lined upon the Champs-Elysees from the Palace de la Concorde to the Arch de Triumph. It was amazing. They unloaded the champagne and we all got ready to toast in the new year. At midnight everyone went crazy and the Eiffel tower sparkled. People started shooting off fireworks everywhere. It was a little crazy but awesome! Defiantly a once in a lifetime experience. Joey and I are so thankful to Ingrid and Andrew for watching Hayden so we could go on the little getaway together! It was the best!

Paris Day 2

Joey in front of the Louvre
Louvre
The famous Louvre pyramid


Joey and I decided to ditch the tour group and explore Paris on our own. Joey had a LOVE of public transportation, so he was quick to figure out how the subway system in Paris worked. We hopped on right by our hotel and went to the Lourve. It was amazing. You need about a day or so to see even half of it. We went in and saw the main attractions right away. Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo. They were amazing to see in person. Even the Lourve was amazing to see. You see so much about all of these things, so we had to pinch ourselves to think that we were actually there.
After getting the main attractions out of the way we wondered around for a bit. We rushed a bit because we really wanted to see the Museum d Orsay. That is where a lot of Monets and Renoir's pieces are. Van Gogh's Starry Night is there. We got there and much to our dismay it was closed!!!!!
We were bummed, because that is the museum we really wanted to go to. So we settled for lunch and relaxing at a small sidewalk cafe.
Then we went back to the hotel to get ready to meet up with our group for the New Year's festivities.

Viva la Paris!

Notre Dame
Notre Dame
Statues on the Notre Dame
View down the Seine


Arc de TriumphPalace of Versailles

Our first stop in Paris was Notre Dame de Paris. It was absolutely gargantuan and gorgeous! We lucked out because there were no lines to get in and they were having a church service. We got to listen to part of it. It sounded so majestic in French and echoing off all of the huge stone walls.
Then we drove around town to see the major sights. We saw Palace de la Concorde (concorde square), Arc de Triumph, Lourve, and many other sights.
We got off the bus to tour the Palace of Versailles. The lines were very long (that's what you get when you are in Paris on a major holiday), but went fairly quickly. We took a quick look around. It was soooo huge and beautiful. It is hard to imagine that people actually lived in these palaces. They are so massive. It was very neat to see the Hall of Mirrors, where the first world war officially ended. You need a full day to wander through this palace and all of the gardens. We didn't have that much time so we made sure to see the main attractions. That actually was the theme of our trip!
Then is was off to the hotel to get some R&R and get ready for dinner. After our R&R I started feeling queasy and knew I wouldn't make it through dinner. Yup got the lovely stomach flu. How romantic! Actually if I had to pick a time to get the flu this was the best time. We just missed dinner and a boat ride.

True Love is.....

an Aunt and Uncle that insist that your parents go to Paris even though 3 hours before they were scheduled to leave you just threw up all over your mommy and their couch!
That's right! What is a fun family trip overseas without contracting some type of European super flu (we came up with the name ourselves!)
Hayden got the flu first. It was nasty! Ingrid and Andrew insisted that we go on to Paris. It was hard to leave Hayden when he was sick, but we knew he was in capable hands!
Then the first night in Paris I got the flu, then the day after that Ingrid got it, then Andrew, and Joey finally decided to join in the fun the night before we flew back to the US. I felt bad for him. Luckily he never threw up, but he had a fever and the "other" part of the flu.
All I have to say is our next couch will be a microfiber couch! Hayden threw up on their couch 5 times (that's right I said 5 times) while we were gone and it cleaned right up. I couldn't even smell a hint of vomit. Hoorayyyy for microfiber couches!

Rothenburg ob der Tauber

Hayden enjoying a treat

Typical meat market window

Our fearless leader
I started taking pictures of people that just walked up and started taking pictures of Hayden.

On the 28th Ingrid, Hayden, Joey, and I took a day trip to Rothenburg. The town was spared in WWII. It was a fun day wondering around all of the old buildings and streets. We enjoyed some treats at the bakery and a yummy Chinese lunch. We toured an old church with amazing carvings! It was beautiful and gigantic!
Rothenburg is the town you see in the original Charlie and the Chocolate Factory when they are in the glass elevator.
Then it was off back home to get packed for Paris!

Stuttgart Christmas Market

MMMMM fish on a stick anyone?




On the 23rd we went to the Christmas Market in Stuttgart with Joey and Hayden this time. We bundled Hayden in his tights, warm fleece suit, and winter coat. He had a lot of layers on. I am so grateful that we had the cold weather boot for his stroller!
The Stuttgart market was huge! It was a chore to get the stroller through the crowds but we managed. The Germans and Europeans in general are verry children friendly! So actually it was probably easier to get through the crowds with the stroller. Europeans kind of lack the concept of personal space as well. Everywhere you go someone is right up next to you touching you and pushing their way through.
We had fun trying new food again. Joey was a huge fan of the Gluhwein. I could barely choke it down. It took him a while to get used to it but once he did he enjoyed it. I think the glass that you can keep if you get it was a bonus for him as well. We ate rote wurst instead of the brat. It was very good. And surprise surprise Hayden was a huge fan of it. He is not a big meat eater at home but was a huge fan of every meat he tried in Europe.
We got a few things at the market and the weather was a lot more bearable then it was in Dresden.

Christmas In Stuttgart

Hayden managed to clear the bottom half of the tree






We had a great Christmas Eve and Christmas in Stuttgart. It was nice to relax and hang around. Christmas Eve we relaxed and made appetizers. The weather was mild, so Hayden even got some play time in outside at the park behind Ingrid's place.
We walked to church on base. It was an awesome service! The church was packed. We heard music from an African group, a clasical solo, and we sang many familiar carols. We even lit our candles from a candle from Bethlehem. One cool thing about being in the military, you are exposed to so many different cultures. It was a truly memorable service. And to top it off Hayden was soooo good! He didn't even make a peep. He especially enjoyed the African group. He got his groove on. He was dancing like a pro!
After Church we opened a few gifts. Hayden got a tepee, tent, and tunnel. He loves it! He also got some clothes.
Christmas morning Hayden, Joey, and I slept in late! WE awoke to breakfast and full stockings! After breakfast we opened the rest of the presents. Joey and I got lots of chocolate, a cookoo clock, and lots of other fun things. Hayden got a army guy he loves, and other things.
For dinner we had ham and all the fixings!
It was a great Christmas!

Neuschwanstein

Hayden saying "Cheese" for the people taking his picture
Yes, we walked all the way up to this thing!

This castle was amazing. It was snowy and cold out, but worth the trip. Yes even the 45 minute walk up through the slush pushing the stroller was worth it! Hey it was good exercise! It was a short tour, but was amazing to see inside. Even the outside was amazing! The castle served as the inspiration for the Sleeping Beauty castle at Disneyland. It was very fairy tale like!
While waiting in line we had the first taste of random people taking Hayden's picture, which became a common occurrence the rest of the trip. I personally found it very strange and did not like it. Especially when thy would try to hold him and grab him out of our arms. I would not consider myself a total hovering parent or overprotective mother, but when you are in a different country and can not speak the language fluently and people just come up and take your child's picture and even try to take him out of your arms, that is just not happening! It actually happened the first time when Ingrid was alone with him, and it kind of took us all off guard!
Hayden is especially popular with Asians, and French. I always wondered if they thought he was a German baby or American. Which was a question we got asked frequently!
It still makes me uncomfortable writing this knowing that people have a picture of Hayden in different parts of the world.
Now Joey is a different story! He was a total "stage dad" as I would call him. He would take Hayden's binky out and make sure his hair looked good before posing him for the pictures!