Independence Day

Now that I have our Germany trip complete, I can start on the rest of the summer! We were still feeling a little jet-lagged from our trip and feeling a bit overwhelmed with the fact that Kevin lost his job the day after we got back, but we still had a fabulous 4th of July.

My dad and brother Brandon flew out for the weekend and we all celebrated up at my Aunt Judy's house. We started the weekend with snow cones, Scarlett was a big fan.

The girls love their Uncle Brandon and love to play around with him.

As per tradition, we woke up early on the 4th and did the Layton Fun Run. You can see my recap of the race here. After the race we set up in our spot for the parade. It was so incredibly hot this year, the wait was kind of miserable. Fortunately Eleanor had her Uncle Brandon and cousins to entertain her.

The rest of the day was pretty chill with the traditional BBQ and amazing steaks. For the first time since we have had kids we actually stayed up and went to see fireworks. The girls' reactions were priceless. I'm so glad we decided to keep them up so they could experience them.

Germany 2015 - Days 6 & 7

Day 6

Monday I went for a quick run in the park and then we all drove out to a spot along the Penikt River for canoeing. The trip down the river was gorgeous and the weather was perfect. It was a nice change of pace from all the sightseeing. It was definitely one of my favorite parts of the trip. I pretty much took one picture because I didn't want to get my phone wet, but hopefully I will get some from those who did get pictures and eventually post them.

After canoeing we went grocery shopping in an actual grocery store. We mostly bought chocolate. Lots and lots of chocolate. We had dinner at a pub near the apartment that translated was The Golden Lion. I ordered the Kaese Spaetzle, which is basically macaroni and cheese. Yum! Kevin got some potato salad and it was literally the best potato salad I have ever eaten. I need to try to duplicate it at home, or make a trip back soon!

Day 7

Tuesday we drove several hours down to the Neuschwanstein Castle in Schwangau, Germany. It has always been a dream of mine to visit this castle and it was as magical as I thought it would be. Sorry not sorry for all the pictures!

We were not allowed to take pictures inside the main part of the castle, but we were allowed to take pictures of the kitchen and cook's living quarters.

A few people from the group ran up a trail to a bridge with this amazing view of the castle. I wish I had made the hike. Next time!

Funny thing that happened on the hike down from the castle, Kevin spotted a former co-worker of ours, Christen Thompson. We hadn't seen him in years since he moved to California, so it was quite the unexpected surprise to see him and his wife in Germany! I wish we had taken a picture together. 

Well, that really concludes our trip to Germany. The next day we woke early to get to the airport and flew home. It was the trip of a lifetime and I am so incredibly grateful that we were able to go. Lenette and Chris were the most amazing hosts and so generous to spend so much of their time touring us around. Their wedding was simply amazing and I am so grateful we could be apart of it.