weekend update

Chris and I had a fantastic weekend starting with the BYU football game.  We picked up some $5 tickets outside and ended up sitting with our friends in the East stands.  I just LOVE being in that stadium.  It was so fun to go to another game and one where we won, too!  It was a really fun game.  On Saturday, we golfed Hobble Creek with our friends Matt and Emily.  That course is so beautiful, but the dense foliage makes it pretty easy to lose balls.  Fortunately, if you wander a little into the bushes, you're bound to find other lost balls and in the end, I think we came out in the positive.

The RS broadcast was wonderful, of course, and afterward we celebrated Lauren's birthday with some Bang at her house.  Good weekend.

 These little guys were all over the place.

catchin' bugs

Last Saturday, Chris and I headed up to Scott and Elisha's house to watch the BYU/Utah football game.  We should have known better.  Chris and I have been up there for four important sports games this year and lost everyone.  I mean it THIS time when I say, we're never watching a game there again. (I probably don't mean that, Scott).

Anyway, we went up early so Chris could help a little with Scott's roofing project.

 Meanwhile, Molly and I went on a bug catching safari.  I was in charge of spotting and photographing bugs and Molly was in charge of catching them... which was just fine with me.  I don't actually like bugs.  This was all Molly's idea.   Armed with our plastic bag and a bug cage, we caught a fly, a moth, a worm, two ladybugs, an ant, and a spider.  However, Molly explained very carefully that a spider was not an insect and therefore would not be admitted to the bug cage... also she was afraid the tiny spider would kill her two huge grasshoppers.  We spotted tons of dragonflies, but were never able to get a ziplock bag on one.  We're going to need a net next time.

 Fos joined us when he woke up from his nap.

Then Elisha found another huge grasshopper in the garden and Scott trapped it for Molly.   That is one happy insect-loving girl.

The other great part about seeing Scott and Elisha in the summer is walking away with TONS of fresh produce from their garden.  Thank you so much.  The cantaloupe was amazing!

Ludwigsburg and Stuttgart

On Saturday we ran some quick errands in the morning and then headed down to the Lugwigsburg castle (more of a palace, I’d say).  It was spectacular with a dramatic sweeping lawn and fountain in front.  We had very little time there, so we just picnicked on the lawn and walked around quickly before Chris, Chris, Ryan, Katie and I were off to a soccer game in Stuttgart.  

Stuttgart vs Hannover
Chris was so excited to watch the Bundesliga (German Soccer League) play and I’m so glad it worked out because it was a blast.  The fans get so into it with constant chanting, drumming, and flag waving.  In fact, some fans are so dedicated to keeping the chanting going that they don’t even watch the game. 

It was a hot one, that day and we didn’t even try to smuggle some water in because in America, they care.  Unfortunately, when we went to buy food and drinks from the concession stand, we found out they don’t take cash, only fan cards that can be purchased for 20 or 30 euro.  Yeah right!  We found a small ice cream stand that took cash and tried to quench our thirst with a couple of orange popsicles.

Well, Stuttgart won and both Chris’ were impressed with the German play.  I was mostly impressed by the chanting and dancing.  After a goal was scored, the announcer would say something and the whole stadium would chant in response.  It would go on for a while and I wish I knew what they were saying.  Based on some of the international gestures at the other team, it's probably good that I didn't know what they were saying.  

You can tell the Germans get really passionate about their soccer teams (if you didn't already know that about Europeans) because they have the opposing team fans all fenced off.  Even during half-time, the opposing team fans concession area is fenced off from the rest of the stadium.  Funny.

Just look at us with our matching RVCA shirts.  We didn't even plan that.
We spent the rest of the evening exchanging photos, settling debts and tying up loose ends.  At 1am, we watched the BYU football game.  I was in and out for a lot of the second half, but that was the disappointing part anyway.

Rothenburg

Chris and I went running in the morning through the gorgeous paths beside the Johnson’s house.  The area they live in is so beautiful.  It would be fun to have such great running paths near us.  At noon, we picked up Katie and Megan from School and dropped off Luke and Matthew at a sitter’s house.  Then the five of us headed down to Rothenburg.  Despite our forecast for rain all week, we had done really well with the weather.  This day was only supposed to be a 20% chance of rain, but we got %100.  When we first got there it was raining pretty hard so we headed straight for the covered city wall and walked a good length of it.  Rothenburg is incredible.  Chris laughs at how often I used the word “charming” in Europe, but it was so CHARMING.  I can’t think of a better word.  Perfect?  Picturesque?  Quaint?  Yeah.  All those things.  It was so fun and the rain didn’t really bother us too much.  It eventually let up and we wandered the charming streets.  

 Lisa warned us that the famed Schneeballen was little more than piecrust balls, but we ended up getting one anyway… because that’s what you do in Rothenburg.  I kept wanting it to be filled with rhubarb or peach filling.  Turns out I just wanted a pie.  They should really consider pieballen, though.  I think it would sell very well.  

Chris went to the Medival Torture museum by himself.  The rest of us opted for photography.  Katie is becoming quite the budding photographer.  She really is a miniature Lisa. 

 We had a delicious German dinner at a restaurant near the main square and got out just in time to join the night watchman’s tour.  The night watchman was funny.  It’s amazing that he’s been doing it for 20 years… two times a night for twenty years.  He had the whole shpeel down, great stories, fun facts, and dry jokes.   It was a great day.