Another week has passed us by! Everyone had a full week of work and school, and the kids stayed busy every evening. It snowed twice this week, and we all had a delayed arrival time on Friday due to snow and ice overnight. Winter is definitely here.
Brooklyn manages the wrestling team, and Ryan was trying out for the team, so they were both gone every day after school. Thursday, Ryan found out he made the team, and we are so excited to see how he does!
Wednesday was also a big day for Ryan! He was promoted to private first class in JROTC. We were so surprised and so proud when we walked in to see Ryan carrying his company’s flag.
It’s also so surprising how large their battalion is; there are over 200 students in JROTC at their high school, and it’s a slight shock to the system to see them all in their fatigues.
This time, it was Matts’s turn to pin his new rank on.
I feel like I’ve been talking about Ryan getting promoted on repeat lately, but he really is working hard, and we are so proud of him.
Friday was my day off, and I had coffee with a friend at Kevin Kugal Chocolatier in Sindelfingen. The coffee turned into champagne before it was time for me to head home for a nap.
The newly formed wrestling team had a lock-in at the school on Friday night. They stayed all night, working out and practicing skills, then having a team dinner. After dinner, there were games, a movie, and breakfast the following day. Brooklyn and Ryan stayed over, so Matt and I ate dinner at Moe’s Steakhouse in Holzgerlingen. It was so good, and we ate way too much.
After the kids were home on Saturday, we had a lazy day at home and then Thai food for dinner.
The sun came out Sunday morning, and it warmed up a little, so we (ok, I) dragged ourselves out of the house to try and take a family picture. We went to downtown Böblingen and posed in front of the few half-timbered houses next to the City Church. When we arrived, they were setting up the Christmas market in the background, and we had significant technical issues, including finding out Matt’s memory card only had room for four pictures on it. We persevered, and he set up the tripod, and we took our four shots via remote control. I can’t believe it, but one of the four photos turned out great, and it will end up on our Christmas card.
We cooked our Thanksgiving Dinner on Sunday since we will be gone next Thursday. While we cooked, we put up Christmas decorations and our tree while we watched Home Alone, the first Christmas movie we watch every year. Ryan even got in the spirit and put on his Lidl Christmas sweater. ☺️ We miss family on the big holidays, but having a cozy dinner on our own is also nice.
Next week is a short week for us. There are only two days of school, and then we leave directly after work on Wednesday for our Thanksgiving trip!
Gilcrests Abroad 