We Leave...

....today for HERE to pick up this fabulous couple:

We are SO excited for Nick and Elli's visit!

True Life: Being a Puppy

First, I wake up after a deep night's sleep.

Then I open my eyes and look around.

Next, I play with my siblings and chew on my sister's pesky tail (Please don't tell my mom!).

Then it's time to take my new head shots.



All of that posing made me tired. Nap time!!



After nap time I can always go for a snack. I think I'll belly up to the bar for some milk.



Time for bed!

Inaugural Bike Ride

Last night after work the warm weather and bright sun beckoned us out for an evening bike ride. Eager to try my new wheels, I was very excited! Just minutes from our hotel we have lovely forested trails that are peppered with small groves and picnic areas.

Side note: You can see in the photo above that the streamers were in full force. I got many smiles/giggles from people we rode past clearly appreciating my festive handlebar accessories.

Along the trails we also found some cool trail maps:



After exploring the paths for about an hour we made our way back home, sweaty and sun-kissed. We had an awesome time and can't wait to go on more fun evening rides!

Game Night II

On Saturday we headed over to Jeff and Marissa's for Game Night II. We decided to do Mexican-inspired tapas. The beverage of the night was sangria (Thanks for the awesome recipe, Dad!).

Sangria taste testers:



Success! Once drinks were in hand it was time to chow down. Take a peek at the spread:



The sangria (and munching) flowed late into the evening as we hashed things out on the Taboo battlefield. Cheers to another fun Game Night at Jeff and Marissa's!

Summer Sunday in Stuttgart

Although it's technically not summer, it sure felt like it today! The rain finally stopped and out came the sun. It was in the 70's today so we decided we must be outside. Brian's friend, Jeff, was going to play some intramural soccer so Brian joined it and I lounged in the sun and read. The boys played...

...while I gazed up at the masterpiece that was the brilliantly blue sky.

Once soccer was done we hung out with Jeff and Marissa eating sandwiches and soaking up as much Vitamin D as possible. After we had our fill we headed over to the PX to pick up a few essentials and came across this beauty...



...my new bike! Now Brian and I will be able to go on bike rides all over town. Oh, and what's a fun summer bike without some streamers blowing in the wind?!



This summer weather has me all excited to get this pretty lady out on the road for some fun rides. Now we're off to get Indian food for dinner. What a great Sunday!
Hope you're having a wonderful day too!

Winners and a Birthday!

Congratulations to Hallie and Emily!

You two ladies have won yourself some yummy German treats from the 100th Post Giveaway.

I'd also like to give a shout-out to our youngest commenter, our niece, Alexa - your roof beach sounds fabulous Baby A! Next time we're in town we'll check it out...I'll bring the sand toys, you bring the SPF.

Speaking of adorable two-year-old munchkins...
We want to send a big Happy Birthday to our nephew, Simon!!

The Professor turns 2 today, May 21st!

We hope you have a extra special day with your mom and all of your mates. We can't believe how quickly you're growing up and love hearing about all of your latest tricks.
Miss you. Love you!
Uncle B & Auntie C

This & That

Today I'm guest-posting HERE. Check it out!

(My post should be up around 2 PM (PST))

Also, today is your last chance to enter the 100th Post Giveaway.
All comments must be entered by noon (PST) today, May 20th.

Oh, what's that? You want to see another picture of the puppies? Of course! Here you go:

Neighborhood Flock Party

Two nights ago after dinner Brian asked if I wanted to go on a walk and see the birds. Not totally sure which birds he was referring to, we headed out. A few blocks away from the hotel we reached the little park. It's a cute park with lots of trees and narrow pathways that are bordered with, of all things, full-size bird cages.

Never realizing these birds were here I was a little surprised. (Brian stumbled upon the birds on one of his many runs in the neighborhood.) We couldn't find much signage so we're still not totally sure why the birds are there, but we figured it must be some sort of sanctuary. Regardless, we had a great time meeting all of our feathered neighbors!

Here are the first friends we found:

The chicken (?) on the right was GINORMOUS! The picture doesn't do him justice, but he was the biggest chicken we've ever seen. He had some massive talons and a very superior-looking strut. Next, we happened upon this handsome devil:



We don't know what kind of bird he is, but goodness he was gorgeous! Moving on down the line of cages we came across these two colorful (and loud) pals:



The parrot was super talkative, in an incoherent bird kind of way, and the little periwinkle guy on the right sang us some lovely tunes.

Some light rain (and chilly wind) brought a quick ending to our lovely evening visit with our newfound feathered friends.

Baden-Baden

Saturday afternoon we hit the road to Baden-Baden with our friends, Jeff and Marissa. Baden-Baden is only about an hour from Stuttgart in the Black Forest. Baden-Baden is well known for its spas, 200 year old casino, and being a great weekend get-away town. We planned to take advantage of everything that Baden-Baden had to offer!

We checked-in to our hotel, unloaded our bags and hit the pavement. We were ready for some exploring and lunch. Our hotel was right in the heart of Baden-Baden so we easily walked all over town. About 1/2 block from our hotel we were greeted with these lovely sights:

Once we made our way into the town square we found a cute little restaurant that had outdoor seating. Since it wasn't raining (finally!) we braved the cool spring temperatures and sat outside. Luckily we had our beer and blankets (provided by the restaurant) to keep us warm!

Lunch was delicious! With bellies full of food and libation, we explored. Since it has been raining so much lately, all of the bushes, flowers, and trees are in full bloom. As we walked around we took in Mother Nature's handiwork:

We made our way over to the Trinkhalle which doubles as restaurant/lounge and antique market.

As we browsed the goods, Brian managed to find an adorable Gordon Setter that was napping behind her owner's table of antiques. Seeing the Gordon Setter got us even more excited about our little Rocket Man!

After Trinkhalle we wandered up and down the streets of Baden-Baden until we had worked up a healthy thirst. We stopped in a cute little bar for a quick drink and then made our way back to the hotel. En route to the hotel we paused for a photo op in front of this cool fountain (please ignore the McDonald's in the background...):

Once back at the hotel we lounged around and slowly got ready for our big night out in Baden-Baden. The plan was to do dinner out in town and then try our hand at the casino. Here we are all spiffed up and ready for some fun:

Oh, those horrible fuchsia curtains? Yeah those are in our hotel room. Yikes!

Dinner was at Leo's Restaurant and turned out to be a delightful dining experience. Low lighting, candles flickering, and intimate tables made for a cozy dinner. Ambiance aside, the food stole the show. My saffron risotto with seared scallops was to die for. Brian's spinach and ricotta ravioli topped with healthy shavings of Parmigiano Reggiano was the creamiest, most delicious ravioli we've ever had. I wish we had photos to share, but alas, you'll have to take my word for it: If you ever find yourself in Baden-Baden, do yourself a favor and eat dinner at Leo's.

With a warm and happy buzz from our fantastic dinner we headed over to the casino with high hopes. This was not your average casino, this was a jacket-and-tie-required type of casino. We checked-in to the casino (everyone had to check-in with their passport and receive a personalized swipe card to enter), ordered a drink, and made our way through the rooms. Since photography was not allowed in the casino we have no pictures to share, but you can get an idea of what it looks like from here: Casino Photos. It felt like we were gambling in a gorgeous mansion. The ceilings were iced with intricate crystal chandeliers, the walls dotted with larger than life paintings, and the doorways swathed in decadent tapestries. There were only two blackjack tables in operation and a handful of roulette tables going (roulette clearly the more popular game at this casino). The casino was fun, but it was oddly quiet in the gambling rooms and we would have appreciated a few more blackjack tables. In the end we didn't win big, but we also didn't lose big and that was good enough for us!

We walked home in the wee hours of the morning ready for some rest after a full (fun) day in Baden-Baden.

Sunday morning we woke-up, ate a nice breakfast at the hotel, and then made our way to the Caracalla Spa. Baden-Baden is known for their mineral water baths, specifically old Roman-style baths. Caracalla is a more modern version of the Roman bathhouse. First and foremost, bathing suits are worn (yay!) and it's more of a very relaxing water park (minus the wild slides, screaming kids, and bad concession stand). The mineral water in the pools is suppose to have healing/rejuvenating properties. Caracalla was awesome. It was ridiculously relaxing and fun. We started out in the main indoor pool which has different jets and water spouts that are great for massaging sore or tired muscles. There were also ledges everywhere so you could easily just sit in the pool and relax. Next we worked our way over to the hot water pool (think hot tub) and soaked for the recommended 10 minutes. After that we went directly in to the cold plunge pool, which is just that, really cold water that you plunge yourself in and then get out. It felt amazingly refreshing! From there we checked out the outdoor pools which included a lazy river-style pool; this pool's current was so strong it pushed you around the pool along a circular path. For the better part of two hours we wandered from pool to pool until we were completely relaxed and a bit on the prune-y side from all of the water.

Once we had our fill, we dried off, ate a quick lunch, and then made our way back home. Our 24-hour trip to Baden-Baden was everything we hoped it would be and more. We will definitely be going back at soon!


If you'd like to view the rest of our photos from Baden-Baden, please click on this link:
Baden-Baden Photos

*Don't forget to enter the 100th Post Giveaway!!*