Shad Point Scotts: Our Germany Adventure

Well, since Mindy is very busy with her boys, and doesn't have time to post, I thought I would share what's been happening over here in Baumholder for the last few days. I shared on the previous post that Luke was sick and she took him to the doctor on Monday. Monday and Tuesday were a little hairy but we all made it through and by Tuesday evening, Luke was feeling much better...so we decided to take a little adventure. We googled some of the train stops between Idar Oberstein and Mainz and decided to visit Bad Kreuznach on Wednesday. It was pretty funny how we decided on a destination. It was pretty much based on the fact that the train ride wasn't too long and what type of attractions were available. Google is a wonderful tool to research places. We downloaded a map, circled a few places of interest, and checked the train schedules.

So Wednesday morning, we set off to Idar Oberstein. This was only Mindy's second attempt to travel off the post and she did a fantastic job. We had a little problem with parking at first but finally found our way into a parking garage, unpacked the stroller and kids and backpacks and began our adventure. We bought a round trip train ticket at the train station and since we had a little time to kill we decided to check out the Idar Oberstein shopping area across the street. It was a beautiful day (as all of the days have been since I arrived). We stopped at a bakery and had a pastry and walked back to the train station. Since the "lifts/elevators" were not working we had to take both boys and the double stroller up several flight of stairs to the train platforms. So many people all day were very helpful to assist us when we were trying to get to the trains and platforms. No escalators or elevators in sight. Actually, on our way back from Bad Kreuznach, the train conductor at the station stopped a train and opened the gate so we could cross to our track for the train we needed. That was a very unexpected blessing!

So, anyway, we got on the train and Luke was so excited. He was in his "Luke Daze" at first but finally warmed up to the idea. He enjoyed watching the many sights as the train flew by. We arrived in Bad Kreuznach around 12:45Pm and after a slight turn in the wrong direction we ended up on the very street we were searching for. It was Mannheimer Str. and there were all kinds of shops and eating places along the way. It was pretty busy- I don't think Mindy nor I expected it to be such a big city. We saw some quaint houses and businesses. We ate pizza at an Italian restaurant outside- I don't think we realized at first it was Italian and we were disappointed when we couldn't find schnitzel on the menu but since we were already seated we decided to stay. It was very pleasant and the the waiter was very helpful.

After lunch, we walked up to the "bridge houses" and looked around some more and then walked back to the train station to catch the 4:02 train back to Idar Oberstein. We arrived home around 6pm and were exhausted! We both went to bed at 10:00pm and have tried to catch up on our rest today.

Unfortunately, that's not easy for Mindy. I tried to let her sleep in this morning but Luke would not allow me to take care of him- he insisted on his Mommy so she had to get up early. Then the maintenance men arrived at 7am and were working outside Luke's window. The other day when he was trying to nap, they were drilling in the hallway by his room. It is getting very frustrating to deal with these worker's schedules. They either work very early in the morning, then they leave and come back at 1pm when it's nap time. I'm not sure where they are in between but it is ridiculous and very inconvenient for families with young children. They've been working on this building since Chris and Mindy moved in. You'd think they could just work until they finish one building and not have to take 8 months to finish a job!

Oh well, the other news of the day is now Will has a fever. He's been lethargic and sleepy all day. I don't know how I'm going to leave Mindy in another week and half. I'm very concerned about how she can handle this much longer-especially when the kids are sick every other week. Please pray that Will's passport comes in soon so they can make a trip to the states! She needs some major support!

We talked to Chris the other night. It was great to hear his voice. I really miss him- there's a definite void in this place without him here. I know Mindy and the boys are missing him terribly and trying to do the best they can.

Here's some pictures of our adventure: