Beer Pong

We went to the German American friendship fest and had fun going around and checking out all the cool booths and rides and wearing out the children, and on our way out we decided to try out this booth that had beer cups and beer steins.

You buy balls and whatever cups you get balls in you get to keep.

We wanted to get steins, so we tried it out and only got glass beer cups.

But we had another free evening, so we went back to try again and met the Sister Missionaries playing beer pong too, so we all played and prayed for eachother as we took turns.

This round we were very successful! Sarah won two glass cups and a big stein, and I won a regular blue stein.

Afterwards we realized that we had just been praying with the missionaries to win beer cups while gamboling... oh.

After that we didn't go back. :P

Reichenstein Castle

On Monday I went with the Sister Missionaries and some sisters in the ward to Rudesheim for a day trip touring old buildings and the Reichenstein castle.

We set off in the morning and looked around Rudesheim at their cool shops until lunch.

After lunch we walked to the gondola rides and rode up to a walking trail that led past some cool old buildings.

We came to a statue that was built right after Germany was formed

She represents Germany

  The shields represent the countries that joined together to make Germany.

Next we came across this guard tower

This structure is called "Die Zauberhole" (The magic hole)

It was under construction, but there was a sign that we read and the tunnel behind it is the entrance and going through the tunnel you withstand trials and the light room at the end of the tunnel represents the light of wisdom. 

Although, the only trial we could imagine could fit in the tunnel, from what we could see, was overcoming claustrophobia. 

At the end of the trail we came to a ski lift that took us to Assmanshausen where we caught a ferry across the Rhine river to Reichenstein castle.

This is a view from the boat

To get the to castle there is a steep trail

We just about passed out when we got to the top winded, and the garden through the gate took the rest of our breath away.

 The picture gives the view little justice. 

No, they're not real

These ones might be though

These steps are about 12" wide

The Prince's and Princess's floors were up the same staircase

The princess's floor was all colorfull

The prince's floor was a bummer after that

Although he had a cool writing tower

 We took a ferry back to Rudesheim and got ice cream on our way home. 

July 4th

 For the fourth of July we went to a ward BBQ and water party

 

Afterwards there was a fireworks show. 

Talmage was scared of the fireworks, and Addie was a little at first, but warmed up to them.

My camera died in time for the finale, but they shot fireworks all above us and it was like a roof of fireworks. 

It was really fun!

The Chamber of Secrets

The other day we went with some of the moms in the ward and their kids to play at a splash park. We were later than the others and Sarah had never been there before, but we found it just fine.

 

There was this big snake that the kids could play on and reminded Sarah and me of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.