It's Official: I'm a Fan

I think I can officially say that I like Germany now.  

Like, REALLY LIKE it.  

 The more I go out and discover, the more comfortable I feel here.  And the more I think, "Wow, this is a really awesome place to live."  

My change of heart can be attributed to these recent developments:

1.  Caroline starting preschool.  Don't get me wrong, I love my little girl, but putting her in preschool twice a week has been life changing.  It means that I can go places.  Without her.  Granted I still have James, but the great thing about James is he doesn't talk back.  And he doesn't have meltdowns in public. And he doesn't wander off.  He just eats, sleeps, and smiles. I hope that doesn't sound too harsh, but I need balance, and having freedom twice a week to pursue my own interests, even for just a few hours, is bringing a much needed balance to my life.  

C's first day of preschool, with friend and neighbor, Danner

2.  Appreciating the German culture.  On Thursday, with my newfound freedom, I took the U-Bahn downtown with James to the wine fest!  Of course, I didn't drink any wine, I just soaked in the atmosphere.  Believe it or not, Germans are quite festive... they love to celebrate.  We've only been here 8 months, but it seems like there's been a million festivals.  I loved meandering through the stalls selling yummy treats (chocolate covered strawberry kebabs, need I say more?) and the outdoor eating joints with their red and white checkered tablecloths and dirndl sporting waitresses. 

Wine Fest 2013, Stuttgart

I even had an elderly lady, sporting said dirndl, stop and gush over James.  Which is not an uncommon occurrence. The Germans are really sweet about babies. 

German fraus go berserk when they see James

It didn't take long before I spotted a group of American women from RB (where I live) discussing where they were going to have lunch.  I asked if I could tag along and have lunch with them.  They were warm and welcoming and didn't mind at all!  I love this about the military community... no cliques.  Everyone is friendly because everyone is new and looking to make friends.  Which leads me to my next point:

3.  Great neighbors.  I love Joey, my upstairs neighbor.  Don't worry, Joey's a woman.  Her two boys are Em and Caroline's ages and are in their kindergarten and preschool classes.  Perfect.  And recently an LDS family moved into our building... an answer to prayers!   They also have kids my girls ages.  I've got great neighbors all around. 

Emily teeter-tottering with her friend and upstairs neighbor, Bridger 

4.  Beautiful Weather.  Have you noticed a common thread in my recent photos?  Blue skies.  Yep, we've had ideal weather the past month or so.  A welcome reprieve from our first six months of horrid weather.  

5.  Awesome Day Trips.  Saturday we loaded up in the car and drove an hour to this beautiful castle:

Lichtenstein Castle, or according to the girls, "The Beast's Castle"

The girls thought this room looked like the room where the Beast and Belle danced, hence the Beast's Castle

6.  Being married to this guy:

Head lamp?  Check.  Princess book?  Check.  Stinky Sunday socks?  Check.  He is a bonafide long-suffering husband/dad

Life can never be too bad as long as you have this guy by your side, right?