Rothenburg

We took a lovely 4 day trip down the Romantic Road in Germany right before New Year's. We met up with our friends, Ben and Katie Crombe, who now live in Amman, Jordan and were in Garmisch during Christmas. Unfortunately, we couldn't find any place to stay in Garmisch but we were able to meet them in Fussen (post to follow). We started the Romantic Road journey in Rothenburg which is a midieval walled city filled with charm. It was our first time and we look forward to taking future guests to this neat little gem! They have the famous original Kathe Wohlfahrt Christmas store and museum that is open year round. The kids loved going inside and taking in all the Christmas beauty! We had a delicious lunch and even tried a real German Schneeball, basically a crispy ball of dough with different flavors.

City Square

Outside of Kathe Wohlfahrt:

Loved this little Christmas village! I think it would be a nice treat in the summer:

Merry Christmas!

We had a great Christmas this year! It just seems to get better and better every year. We started off the night before at our local neighborhood church for Christmas Eve Service. We enjoyed it last year singing all the Christmas songs in German. This year it was extra special because Addy had a part in the Nativity Play. She was an angel and had to say (in German) Glory to God in the highest, Peace and good will toward men. Her German and line was perfect and we were so proud of her! After the service we went home to enjoy a nice dinner with our friends Hillary and Stephen. The kids were able to open a few presents from each other and from mom & dad. While they were asleep we enjoyed some adult time and Christmas prep. On Christmas morning we spent the entire day in our pajamas enjoying our gifts! The kids had a blast and loved everything they received. Addy's favorite was her American Girl doll (Molly) and Luke has loved his new Train set and his Pirate Ship.

Luke couldn't resist the opportunity to join his sister on stage during the play:

Christmas Eve before Mr. & Mrs. Claus retired to bed:

Opening stockings:

Tea Party with her doll:

Playing with his trains (please ignore the mess in the back, we eventually got it all cleaned up): 

Mainz Christmas Market

Another local market that is just about 15 minutes away is the Mainz Christmas Market. We went last year and I remember how pretty it was, but it was soooo crowded because we went on a Saturday night. This year we went during the week and it was great! I love the pretty lights and the beautiful Nativity Scene. The stands are similar to the ones in Wiesbaden, but I still enjoy looking at some of the unique Mainz ornaments. Christmas Markets are the highlight of December for us! We just love taking in the yummy scents, drinking warm drinks, and enjoying all the pretty Christmas things!

Mainz Cathedral:

Nutcracker Ballet

One of my favorite parts of Christmas is taking Addy to see the Nutcracker. We've been doing this since she was 2 years old, and she loves it more every year! I actually don't remember seeing the Nutcracker as a little girl, but I do love watching it now. We went to Koblenz (about an hour away) and spent some time at the Christmas Market before headed to the show. A perfect outing with my sweet girl! We had really good seats this year right in the center of the third row. 

Rudesheim Christmas Market

Rudesheim is an adorable little town along the Rhein River about a 40 minute drive from our house. It is very charming with small streets, great shops & restaurants, great wineries, and a fantastic Christmas Market! It is probably my favorite one out of every market we have been too. The venders have great stuff and small town atmosphere is perfect. I took the kids with a friend of mine during the week in the morning, which is the best time to visit any market to avoid crowds! The kids had a great time and even mom got to do a little shopping.

St. Nikolaus Day

St. Nikolaus is a great tradition here in Germany. On the evening of December 5th, children leave their shoes outside to be filled with candy, chocolate, fruit and nuts to all the good boys a girls (a twig or branch for those who weren't so good). St. Nikolaus is celebrated as a 4th Century Bishop who helped out poor families by leaving them small gifts and coins. He actually rode on a donkey to the houses with children. Our US version of Santa Claus actually comes from the story of St. Nikolaus, but St. Nikolaus and Santa Claus are celebrated as 2 different people in Germany. That is what Addy and Luke have learned and this has become a new tradition that we will bring back with us to the states! Addy's school had a great celebration again that included a special surprise for the parents. The kids learned an adorable dance to Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas"-- it was adorable!! St. Nikolaus came in to the room to pass out socks full of goodies for the kids.

Here he is:

The kids danced for the parents:

St. Nikolaus handing Addy her stocking:

Here are the goodies from St. Nikolaus in their boots:

Santa Visit

A successful visit to see Santa! We were very thankful to find a good looking Santa this year and even more thankful that Luke actually enjoyed him! Luke actually had a lot to say to Santa. He told him all about what he wanted for Christmas (trains, baseball, soccer ball, cars) and even what St. Nikolaus left in his shoes the night before. Addy was her normal chipper self when visiting Santa, she has always thought he was great! And just for fun, I'm adding the link to last year's Santa Visit-- it will probably be my all time favorite!

Wiesbaden Christmas Market

Our favorite time of year in Europe-- Christmas Markets!! There is nothing better than pretty Christmas decorations, a chilly afternoon, yummy smells of baked goods, and a hot cup of Ghluwein! Most every town has one. The Wiesbaden one is fantastic and we spent Sunday afternoon/evening strolling through the market. Lots of crafts and goods to buy, so many treats that the kids go crazy, and even children's rides to keep them happy when it's cold. Another favorite part of Christmas markets? The Nativity Scene that is on display without fear of lawsuits or people being offended. What a concept!

New Christmas Tradition

We started a new Christmas tradition this year that has been a huge hit! We put up our tree on December 1st, and I placed 24 wrapped Christmas books under the tree each with numbers 1-24. Every night before bedtime, the kids pick the book that corresponds with the day of the month. Each day, a new Christmas story! I know you must be thinking, who has 24 Christmas books? Well we don't, so I checked out about half of them from the library. I'll probably buy 1 or 2 each year to add to the collection. The kids have loved it! Just one more way to count down to Christmas.

Check out our snow! This came the morning after we put up our tree! Quite a treat :)

Bruges Christmas Market

This is how we spent Thanksgiving weekend: in Bruges with yummy food and drinks. Bruges kicked off their Christmas Market and was one of the first in Europe. As you may have figured out by now, We LOVE Bruges!!! Just being in the city makes me happy. There is not one bad part of town, every corner is charming and cute. It even smells good. This was our first time being there when it was cold and the city smelled like a campfire along with the yummy scents of Christmas. The Market was lit up with a pretty ice skating rink and glowing Christmas Trees. We went with another family and just enjoyed walking around, shopping, & eating/drinking. The men loved their Belgium beer and us ladies (kids too) enjoyed our hot chocolate and other yummy treats. Bruges also had an indoor ice sculpture show that was themed after Harry Potter. It was pretty incredible to see the amazing ice sculptures, they even had a huge slide for the kids! We spent Sunday morning there before heading back to Germany (with beer, chocolate, tea, speculoos liquor).