Mosel valley and Cochem castle

The Mosel valley is one of Germany's famous winelands. It's a little over an hour drive from our home. Time seems to slow down in this beautiful area full of quaint villages, medieval castles, and steep vineyards. We ate lunch in Beilstein on a balcony overlooking the Mosel river and enjoyed walking around the peaceful town admiring the scenery.

We then headed for Burg Eltz, a very well preserved medieval castle from the 11th century. It is still owned by a branch of the family that once lived there in the 12th century. The castle is set deep in a forested valley on a smaller hill. A very impressive castle, there were 80 rooms, 40 fireplaces, and even 20 toilets that automatically flushed with a rain drain. It's furnished throughout, as it was 500 years ago. It was amazing to see the huge wall tapestries, beautiful furniture, and the amazing kitchen. The castle was under renovation, so our pictures are ruined with a huge crane. Here's a photo I found online though-


Finally, we went to Cochem and had dinner. We viewed Cochem castle from a distance, and walked along the riverfront and small cobbled streets until it was time to leave.


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Belgium and England

We went to Belgium and England only a few days after returning from our trip to the States. We drove to Brussels and stayed the night, then went to beautiful Bruges, Belgium. Then we took the ferry from Calais, France to Dover, England. It was a little nerve racking driving on the wrong side of the road (more so as a passenger), but then it became kind of fun in a rebellious sort of way. Ok, it was the most fun we could have driving with 3 tired kids and not on the autobahn.

We fell in love with the beautiful English countryside. We went to Bury St Edmunds, Ely, Cambridge, and Great Yarmouth.

A large majority of my ancestry comes from Great Britain. While in England I looked up my genealogy I've saved online to see if we were staying anywhere close to where my ancestors once lived. I found Green ancestors of Greens Norton who died in the 1400's. The village of Greens Norton, Northamptonshire was not too far away, so I got excited I might find gravestones or some sort of interesting history if I could go there. I did more research and found the oldest church in the town, St. Bartholomew's and I contacted the church warden. I wanted to at the very least see the church in Greens Norton. So the following evening, we left for Northamptonshire. I was so excited to see this wonderful church and quite surprised to discover tombs of my ancestors within its walls.

St Bartholomew's Church. The original church has been expanded, and a few of the new chapels were funded by the Greene's. The original Saxon church was built sometime between 650-900 AD.

When we arrived, we were greeted by beautiful church bells and the church warden. He was a most friendly and informative older man. He was excited to give an American descendant information about the church and the Green's.

The long and short work of the stone on this inner wall of the original church is proof of its Saxon origin.

Looking back toward the entrance of the bell tower. We got to watch the six volunteers ring the bells and look up into the bell tower. The bells are so heavy they lift you into the air. It would be quite a workout to ring the bells for an hour.

Here you can see part of the original Saxon nave window above the closest arch.

A really neat trunk which held important church items.

Greene family tree. The whole village, now named Green's Norton was sold to Sir Henry Greene in the 14th century. Sir Henry Greene was an English lawyer, Justice of the Court of Common Pleas, Chief Justice of the King's Bench, and was knighted by King Edward III.

Sir Thomas Greene (1421-1462) and his wife Matilda Throgmorton (1425-1496)

Coat of Arms

I had to stand on a chair to get at an angle downward to try to capture the whole slab.

This translates the latin inscription that borders the marble slab

Sir Thomas Greene (1399-1461) and Lady Phillipa de Ferrers (1397-1415)

The effigies were painted and beautifully gilded, but were defaced during Cromwell's era. Some of the color remained in small crevices.

I also learned that we're related to Catherine Parr, the sixth wife of King Henry VIII

I apologize if that was boring, but I'm sure my family members will enjoy it ;) We also went to Windsor Castle and London. We definitely want to make a trip back to the UK.

Amsterdam

It poured our first day in Amsterdam. We waited in line for the Anne Frank museum in ponchos, clinging to our umbrellas. It was definitely worth the wait! Words cannot describe what it was like to tour the house that Anne Frank hid in for two years with her family. We weren't allowed to take photos inside, but if you're interested you can view the annex in 3-D here. After following the tour through the former Opekta offices, we walked through the secret entrance behind the bookcase. As I wandered through the annex, memories from The Diary of Anne Frank, slowly became more of a reality. The experience was emotional, chilling, and humbling. I was touched the first time I read her diary when I was 13, about the same age Anne was when she wrote it. After the tour, I purchased numerous books and re-read the famous diary. After reading it again as an adult, I am in awe of her writing style, wisdom, strength, but most of all her legacy to humankind. What an inspiration!

It was Anne's father's express wish that the secret annexe should be more than a museum or memorial.

“I think it is not only important that people go to the Anne Frank House to see the secret annexe, but also that they are helped to realize that people are also persecuted today because of their race, religion or political convictions.”

Otto Frank, 3 August 1970


"I hope Anne's book will have an effect on the rest of your life so that insofar as it is possible in your own circumstances, you will work for unity and peace." -Otto Frank

Later, we took a canal boat tour. I was impressed with all the canals, what a way to get around town! I have never seen so many bicycles in all my life, and the Dutch are worse riding their bikes than the Turks or Italians are behind the wheel! We saw a few "coffeehouses" with lots of smoking going on and a glimpse of the Red Light District ;) . The Van Gogh museum was sensational! Lastly, we went to Zaanse Schans to see windmills, a wooden shoe factory, and a dutch cheese farm.

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Our Visit Back Home

We had the opportunity to visit 'home' for a whole month this last spring. We are so thankful for our family accommodating us and making wonderful memories together! First, we flew into Vegas, and stayed at my dad's in St. George. The desert weather was so beautiful; we spent lots of time outdoors. There was never a dull moment, grandpa always had something planned. I think he was worn out everyday, especially playing with Ethan. The kids really enjoyed swimming in the pool in March. We went on a hike at Zion National Park, the kids loved playing in the sand at Snow canyon and the water park downtown (their picture was even in the newspaper!), saw their cousins and Uncle Brad and Aunt Natalie. Kaye made the best cupcakes and we had a combined birthday for the kids. I'm so glad my sister was able to spend lots of time with us and we got to see her place too.

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Next, we drove up to the Salt Lake valley and stayed with my mom. We enjoyed late nights, conversation, too many laughs, and lots of play at grandma's. She let us take over her house, and was so good to us while she was very busy herself. Uncle Dave is quite the entertainer. I'm sure he was ready for the kids to stop waking him up and wanting his attention all the time. It was a crazy week because we had so many friends and family to see, and our kids were getting worn out with all the traveling and new people. Sheena organized a wonderful get together at her house for the Green family. I didn't get any pictures though :( Ethan and William don't quite know what to do at Uncle Cory's; it's all ponies, Barbies, and dress up with their cousins. They played the Wii, and my boys chased the girls around ;) Ava was in heaven playing with McKinley and Kennedy! We also went to my grandparents home in Bountiful, where the kids rode the horses, ate grandma's goodies, and played with toys I played with when young. I think my grandma and grandpa had as big of smiles as my children did. We also went up to Logan to my Aunt Nancy's pool house, and she went all out as a host! Her home-made Oreo cookies were yummy. It was so nice to catch up with my cousins and grandma. It was way too cold to swim, there was still a little snow outside. We were able to see Jason's sister, Stacy, and her family. The kids just LOVE their cousins, they got along so well. We also went to Orem to see Jason's aunts and cousins. It was so nice to see everyone again!

We flew to Bozeman, into the perfect little airport; no crowds of people and it was so easy to get your luggage and be on your way. Our kids joined up with the day care at grandma's. They were in heaven, and we got a very much needed break. Our kids would love to live out in the country, where they could run and play and explore right out the back door. The country really makes the best playground. Jason and I were able to get away alone often, and we really enjoyed our time together. I felt like I was re-living the time we spent together in Bozeman before we got married! Jason and his dad completed and tested the AR-15. LaNae went all out for Easter, as she always does when she makes dinner. Grandma and Grandpa spoiled our kids, but also helped with time-outs! They amaze me with their wisdom and all they accomplish together.

Back to America

We're back in the USA! We were supposed to catch an AF space available flight into Charleston, SC but the plane was canceled. So we decided to take the next available flight, which was to McGuire AFB, New Jersey. We were planning on driving to Florida, but were lucky enough to get another space-A flight from New Jersey to Fort Benning, Georgia. We were one of a few families who flew into Fort Benning along with an Army reserve unit returning from Iraq. It was interesting to fly with guys carrying handguns on their side and M-4's under their seats! Ethan saw one and said, "That's a gun to pow, pow, pow shoot the bad guys" while he gestured shooting with his hand. Oh man...

We saved alot of money, but certainly 'paid' a price in other ways. Jason and I went 24+ hours on no sleep. We stopped counting, or just didn't have the capability mentally to figure it out. Fort Benning rarely receives families or civilians, so we were stuck at the terminal on base all night long and half the day. There was no lodging, no transportation, so we had to wait until the shuttle started running. We couldn't get a rental car for a one way drop off, except for out of Atlanta. So after feeling homeless, dealing with cranky, tired kids, and more than 3 shuttle rides we were in Atlanta! We awoke from a desperately needed good night's sleep and enjoyed a southern breakfast to include grits and smothered biscuits.

Over the last 4 days we went to Stone Mountain, the Smoky mountains in Tennesee, and Savannah, Georgia.

"I don't want to go to America, I want to go to Italy!", Ethan whined as we began our descent for our landing in America. Funny, you'd only hear a phrase like that from a little boy who's lived overseas most of his life. I told Ethan all the soldiers sitting next to us have been waiting a long, long time to come back to America and be with their families. I enjoy living overseas, don't get me wrong, but I love the overwhelming feeling of gratitude, pride, and love for our country I experience every time we re-enter the United States. The feeling is especially strong as I watch the soldiers returning from war as the crew announce their welcome to the United States of America.

Ethan has been overly excited about going to Florida, especially because he knows his dad is deploying. The last deployment to Iraq was especially difficult for Ethan, and he is overjoyed he gets to 'deploy' with his daddy. Oh, and he's also pretty happy his mom and siblings get to come along too, and he can't stop talking about being able to swim daily and go to the beach.

When we were trying to get on a military flight for this deployment, there was a flight to Dover we were considering. The airman at the counter informed us the C17 was carrying HR or human remains; he let us know since we were traveling with kids. I imagined the flags draped over the coffins, and with tears in my eyes, thought how it would feel to fly back home with such heroes. I am so thankful for our troops and the amazing country we live in! We are so blessed!