After returning from Lauterbrunnen on Monday afternoon, we jumped right into a busy week.
Tuesday was my day off, but there wasn’t much time for relaxing. Our house was bursting at the seams with so many visitors; which we absolutely loved; but with eight people under one roof, there was plenty of laundry and a mountain of dishes to tackle. I spent most of the day getting the house back in order before heading out to run errands related to selling our old car.
That evening, we attended Brooklyn’s softball end-of-season banquet, a wonderful way to celebrate both the team and all they accomplished this year. We enjoyed a huge taco bar and laughed along as the coaches shared behind-the-scenes stories and memories about each of the players. It was a fun and meaningful way to wrap up the season.
Wednesday marked the last day of school for the seniors. What a big day for Brooklyn; the first day of kindergarten feels like it was just yesterday!
The school held a clap-out, and we joined the crowd of family and friends gathered outside the school to cheer them on as they reached this milestone.
That evening, it was Ryan’s turn to celebrate at his baseball end-of-year banquet. The banquet was at the Panzer Firehouse, which used to be ar the historic Officers’ Club and we had a potluck of every family’s favorite dishes.
Thursday brought Ryan’s Boy Scouts Court of Honor. I was in on the surprise, but the rest of the family had no idea that Ryan would be serving as the master of ceremonies for the event. He did a fantastic job, confidently leading the evening and making us all proud, and earning another advancement requirement in the meantime. He is really close to promoting to the next level of Scouting, Life Scout.
Friday was filled with more errands connected to buying and selling cars. Somehow, I have sold my old car and they already have it out on the lot for sale, but haven’t paid me yet. And somehow I’ve also paid for the new car but still don’t have that either. Everything takes so long in Germany!
By evening, we were ready for a break and headed to Corners in Sindelfingen for burgers. We grabbed a table on the square and enjoyed dinner while a live musician serenaded the crowd, making for a relaxing summer evening.
On Saturday, we took the family on a day trip to the Black Forest. Our first stop was the Gutach Open Air Museum, where we learned about what life was like in the region generations ago. From there, we visited Dorotheenhütte Glassworks, watching artisans practice the traditional craft of glassmaking. We wrapped up the day by attending Carter’s graduation party and celebrating another important milestone.
Sunday was a much-needed slower day. We slept in, spent the morning relaxing around the house, and later welcomed Uncle Gary and Aunt Carla, who arrived from Italy. We picked up takeout for dinner and enjoyed a quiet evening together before heading to bed early, completely exhausted from the busy week behind us.
Gilcrests Abroad 