Our Joyful Wanderings

About a month ago I had the amazing opportunity to photograph my dear friend Ashley’s baby bump.  Ashley is such a source of joy and inspiration to me- and when she asked me to photograph her growing belly I couldn’t help but jump at the opportunity.  This is one of the reasons why I love photography so much- it is such a blessing being able to record the most precious moments in people’s lives.  Ashley is a beautiful pregnant lady and is going to be an amazing momma!

My tagline for this one: “the fabric of our lives” 

Now that I’m up to date on our European travels, I thought that it was about time that I update you on another major life change that occurred while we were living overseas.  

You see, Glenn and I loved our time in the UK so much, that we decided we needed to bring home the ultimate souvenir to remember it by.  

I think we succeeded.  

Here’s the little bean- expected arrival: early April.

After a few days visiting my side of the family, G and I headed over to see G’s grandma, who lives right next to Ramstein AFB in Germany (An hour from Frankfurt).

LUXEMBOURG CITY

We were driving through Luxembourg City, so thought we’d get out a take a little tour. 

Here are a few fun facts about Luxembourg:

- It is the only country in the world to that is ruled by a grand duke.  (no kings here) However, his children are called princes and princesses.  

- If you are ever planning on moving to the area and want to speak in one of the official languages, then you have a choice between which language to brush up on.  Luxembourg actually has three official languages: German, French, and Luxembourgish (I did not make that last one up).  For those of you who have never heard of Luxembourgish (I hadn’t), its a mix between french and german and is actually considered to be the “language of the heart” for that country.  

- Luxembourg sells more alcohol, per capital, than any other European nation.  This is because the taxes are so low here that people drive from neighboring countries to stock up.  (No joke- we went into into the equivalent of a liquor outlet store that is less than a mile across the Belgian border) 

- Luxembourg is a famous tax haven, and has the highest GDP per capital in the world- it’s almost 3 times larger than the EU average 

- General Patton is buried in an American cemetery right outside of Luxembourg City.  There are over 5,000 WWII American soldiers buried there with him.

Where the Grand Duke and his family live.

For those of you who are curious- this is the royal family. (and no, I was not lucky enough to snap this shot.  I just stole it shamelessly off the internet)

DRAGONS TEETH - THE SIEGFRIED LINE

During WWII, Hitler had a line of concrete tank traps built that stretched along the German border from the Netherlands to Switzerland.  It was called the Siegfried Line, though, because of its appearance, it was later nicknamed the Dragon’s Teeth.  These tank traps consisted of large concrete triangles interspersed so that tanks could not drive through them.  The Nazis also placed land mines and barbed wire around them to slow down the enemy.  In the end, the Dragon’s Teeth failed, but many of them survive today, unintentional memorials of a devastating war.  Unlike the monuments or cemeteries that you would normally see, these Teeth have been mostly forgotten.  We came across these while driving through the Weinstrasse.  Farmers have cultivated fields around them, or planted trees to hide them, but regardless, they remain.  

WEINSTRASSE  

Glenn’s grandma took us down to the wine region in Germany.  It is a really beautiful part of the country and we had a great time touring around wine tasting.  

Soooo- check out these beauties-

Throughout their married life, G’s grandparents have collected various antique cars.  Grandma still has two with her in Germany.  These 1960s Mercedes is the same version that Grace Kelly used to drive. 

And THIS- is the gem.  This Rolls Royce is so beautiful!  They used to drive it in parades and for weddings a lot.  I think my dad and brother would drooled like crazy over her!

No matter how cute…

or comical…

or quizzical they may seem,

in the end, they are just about the most ridiculous creatures I’ve ever come across.

As I mentioned earlier, Glenn and I joined two of our friends, Kate and Ollie,  (they were our neighbors that I’ve mentioned several times in the past) on a trip up to the Lake District of England.  

The Lake District is located in northern England- just east of the Isle of Man.  The last time G and I went up to the area was in October 2010.  It was one of our all time favorite trips, and I’m so glad that we got to go again.

If you are interested in learning more about the Lakes, here’s an excerpt from my blog from the last time we went (slightly edited):

I’ll leave you with a few interesting facts about the area:

- This is where Beatrix Potter lived once she started selling her books. She bought a large piece of land with the proceeds of her books. You can see why she was so inspired!

- William Wordworth was born, raised and buried here. He believed it was the most beautiful place on earth (according to a plaque next to his grave)

- This is where Elizabeth Bennett was supposed to go with her aunt and uncle in Pride and Prejudice. Fortunately her plans changed or else the book would have been a bit anticlimactic.

- In addition to it’s amazing scenery, you can find some pretty cool remains left by the Romans and the Vikings. There are also several mysterious stone circles (similar but smaller than Stonehenge)

- Most importantly, this place has the best gingerbread I’ve ever tasted. Seriously- it’s amazing.

Here’s what G and I love about the area:

- It’s stunning.  It has mountains, lakes, stone walls, lazy sheep, and winding roads.

- It has a little something for everyone.  If you want to spend time being outdoorsie, then there are a plethora of options to choose from.  But you can also laze about on a boat, visit historic sites, spend your days shopping, eat your way around some amazing restaurants, or just sit and read a book.  Or, you can do all of those things, which we did :) 

- The area is quintessentially “English.” 

This is one of the bed and breakfasts we stayed at.  

Isn’t is cozy?  If you are ever visiting the UK (or South Ireland) I will always, always, always, recommend staying at a local B&B.  It’s affordable and the best way to get a feel for the area.

Hey Kate!

I told you the Lakes were beautiful!

On our first day we toured one of the local breweries.  

The boys obviously enjoyed themselves!

Can you tell I had a mild love affair with the heather (the purple stuff)?

And what would a trip to the Lakes be if you didn’t actually making it out onto the Lakes?

Another day we came across a beautiful bird sanctuary.

One of the best things about the trip was spending some quality time with these two:

We loved “neighboring” with these guys and will definitely miss living near them!  Aren’t good friendships priceless?

The next morning we went to the Disney buffet breakfast where Disney characters come around, giving out hugs and autographs.  

Allie loved it.  Jake?

Not so much.  

But Daddy’s no softie.  He told Jake that they had to kiss and make up.

Jake obeyed Dad- but I’m pretty sure he was happy to say goodbye!

This is the face that my husband makes when he discovers that he’s gonna get stuck going on all the spinny rides.  

haha- Jake still isn’t too sure about these creatures.  

This was one of the highlights of of our Disney trip.  Allie was so excited to meet all the Princesses- but I really dont think she expected any princes to be there.  When Flynn Rider showed up (from the movie Tangled) she was totally in awe and got SO nervous and embarrassed.  I guess she isn’t quite ready to meet Prince Charming yet!

Look at her all cuddled up! :)

Before heading home that evening, we watched the big parade with all the characters.  Even for an adult it was really fun to see all the different characters on their floats.  

The Army Soldiers were some of my favorites.  

Halfway through the parade Mary Poppins (seriously- how perfect does she look?!) and Bert got off their float, grabbed a few kids from the sidelines, and danced around with them.

And check out who got chosen as one of the lucky few!

I’m pretty sure she’s having a great time.

I just love this little girl.

And finally, to round off the day:

Allie’s FIRST EVER driving lesson.

She was pretty stoked.

After spending a few days hanging out with the family in Belgium, we loaded ourselves up into the car for a two day trip to Disney Paris.  

(Big thanks to the parentals and Granny for making the trip possible.  And to Rob and Linds for hosting us.  And to the kids who gave us a good excuse to go in the first place.  Basically- everyone played a part except Glenn and I- who just hung out and enjoyed the experience.  I’m not really sure what that says about us…)

Dum-dum-de DUUUMMM!  And here it is!!  Like I mentioned in an earlier blog, this was my first Disney Park experience, and I loved it.  I didn’t really care about the rides or seeing Mickey, I just loved how detailed everything was.  They’ve really done a great job with making everything look so realistic and magical.  I also loved watching Jake and Allie running around the place.  To them- it WAS real, and that was really special to see.  

“Whoso Pulleth Out This Sword of this Stone and Anvil, is Rightwise King Born of England.”

— Unfortunately, none of us fit the bill.  Bummer.  

Funny story- so we’re all going through the Snow White ride when Allie starts getting a little scared.  We cover her eyes as we enter into the castle dungeons and then on into the woods, and I know she’s ok, but definitely scared and hoping to get out of there as soon as possible.  Normally the “scary section” would only last for about 45 seconds.  But then the ride broke down.

RIGHT HERE.  The ride HAD to break down in front of the creepy trees loaded with bats.  Thankfully after about a minute the employees had enough sense to turn the scary music off and turn on the lights.  

That made Allie feel a lot better.  And inspired Jake to make a few scary photos too.  

One of Allie’s favorite rides was the It’s a Small World ride.

Seriously.  This is a grown man.  With a Disney umbrella, jacket, and (you can’t tell in this shot) Disney jeans.  Now THAT is dedicated.

Stinky Pete!!

One of our favorite rides: the Buzz Lightyear one. 

Not only is it a ride, but your car spins around in whatever direction you choose, AND you shoot at targets (they keep track of your points).

Before moving back to the States G and I took one last trip over to Belgium.  One of my absolute favorites things about living in the UK was our proximity to my family- it’s been so fun spending as much time as we have with them.

So here’s the little bruiser.  (PS-sometimes, it’s just fun to stay in your pjs all day long)

And here’s the little artist.

She takes her work quite seriously. 

And, lastly, here’s Granny and GG trying to soak up as much grandkid time as possible.  Look at GG’s face- now there’s a lady who’s enjoying her arts and crafts time!

So… here’s a little something you should know about my side of the family.  We have strange family traditions.  And we kinda like most of them.  I’m not really sure why we don’t stick to the basic, regular ones that every other family has, but those ones never seem to stick.  

Here are a few examples:

- We never had Santa Clause, because my mother didn’t believe in lying to her children.  We do, however, have the Christmas Mouse (who is real and pops up about a week before the 25th and gives daily candies and gifts every glorious day).  I don’t really care one way or another if G wants to tell our kids about Santa, but the Christmas Mouse?  Non negotiable.  That furry little one will be alive and kicking for generations to come.

- We have strange nicknames.  We never actually call each other by them, or rarely use them in general- but we are all very aware of them.  And the brother and I have had them since birth.  They usually come out when someone is hand writing a note or giving a gift- and instead of writing the name, they draw a picture of the nickname.  I won’t tell you what they are, but I will give you a hint: they are all either flora or fauna that is found in Australia.  (And I would be surprised if my husband or my sister in law knew about them. We keep it pretty low key)

- Thanksgiving doesn’t necessarily occur on the third Thursday in November.  It happens whenever we manage to be together in one place- and it doesn’t really matter what we eat so long as there is a specific type of sweet potato pie, cranberry dessert, and corn casserole.  If these three things are not on the table large amounts of griping happen, and we remember those years as being the “worst Thanksgivings EVER” (not a quote from the dramatic women in our family, that’s from the calm and collected older brother).  I swear, we could be stuck in a tent in a blizzard, but Thanksgiving would be deemed a success as long as those items were present.

- Saturday mornings, Dad takes the brother out for breakfast.  Sunday mornings, Dad takes me.  Mom? Oh, she gets to stay home and eat cereal. (I never said they were fair traditions)

- And the newest family tradition? Somehow my mother has decided that my husband cannot celebrate his birthday without the presence of cake cut into the form of a ship.  Or boat.  Whichever.  

This year she opted for a chocolate rice krispie boat cake.  

Can’t you tell? (we took the sails off before the candles- floating in frosted waters- were set ablaze.  Nothing more dangerous than a boat on fire)

I’ve mentioned this earlier, but my brother is a pilot for the Air Force, and currently he has the sweet job of flying around in a Gulfstream 5- which is “airplane” for really sweet wheels.  

Check her out!

I think she’s awfully pretty.  

The last time I was in the plane, we weren’t “allowed to touch anything.” (Rob may have just been talking to his daughter when he said that, but I figured I should probably obey as well.  Ok- so I may have touched a couple things.)  But this time we were allowed to “walk freely about the cabin.”

Do you know that they have a phone on there that is a direct line to the White House? Now that’s just cool.

My beautiful momma.  

It has been a long time since I’ve last blogged.  An embarrassingly long time.  And a lot has changed in the past month and a half. I could write novel explaining what we’ve been doing, but I’ll start with just a few quick points, and get into some of the details later.  

THE LAKE DISTRICT GOT ONE FINAL GOOD BYE

Our first “big trip” in the UK was to the Lake District, so we thought that it would be fitting to return for our last English hurrah.  This time we went with our friends Kate and Ollie.  

We had a great time (despite the fact that I was feeling pretty sick the whole time). 

WE WENT TO BELGIUM

My Mom and Granny were in town, which gave us one more excuse to head over to the land of beer, waffles, and chocolate for our last visit.  

I will truly miss all the family time that we got to have over this past year.  It was such a blessing having Rob and Linds so close and being able to watch the kiddos grow up.  At least we have Skype!   

I GOT MY FIRST EVER DISNEY EXPERIENCE

Now, my mother would contest this statement.  She thinks that our family going to Disney while I was still in the womb counts as me going, but I’m fairly confident that it doesn’t.  

Naturally, we managed to forget to take a photo with the whole group.  This was as close as we got. (Seriously, what is wrong with us?  In the past year, with all the family travels, we have one- no joke, ONE- of everyone together.)

WE LANDED OUR FIRST EVER EUROPEAN PARKING TICKET

In Luxembourg of all places.  Word of advice- just because everyone else on the street is parked there, doesn’t mean it is legal.  We were one of about 7 cars to get a pink slip on our window. Whoopsie daisies.

GRANDMA GARTNER GOT A VISIT

She lives in Germany, which officially makes her cool.  Also, she gave us a tour of the Weinstrasse (translation: wine road, or, more accurately, the wine region).  If you are ever in the area you should check it out, it’s beautiful.

A NEW GARTNER RECORD WAS SET

We hit 5 countries in one day.  Not gonna lie, I was pretty impressed with us.  In a 12 hour period we managed to hit Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium, France, and England.  Praise God for autobahns and high speed trains- without which we never could have swung it.  

WE MOVED, AND I CRIED

We will forever treasure our memories from our time in the UK.  It was such a sweet year for Glenn and I and, though there were several bumps along the road, a ridiculously fun time. I am incredibly thankful for this past year, and excited to see what the Lord has in store for us next.  

Goodbye, Studio Apartment- thanks for being so good to us!

AND NOW: for lack of a better term, WE’RE BOPPING

We spent a few days in Alabama and are now living out of our suitcases in a hotel in south (and I mean SOUTH) Louisiana.  We may be spending some time in Brownsville, Texas.  Or we might be going to Pennsylvania.  I may be taking an extended trip to Nebraska.  But we might also be moving to Cajun Country, Louisiana for a couple years.  Honestly- I think the plan changes every fourth day.  But that’s ok, because we’re still having fun and trying to get to know the area here.  We went to the Tabasco factory last weekend.  You’ll get an update on that once I get completely caught up.

Home Sweet Hotel.  (photo courtesy of Wingate)

One day another Charming will come along, but until then, I think this one is going to cherish each and every song…

August and September have been very fun months for Glenn and I.  One of the main highlights was having my brother’s family and our good friend Tom Varno come out to England to visit us.  Apparently the last week in August was a good time for not only the Air Force, but also the airlines, for bringing people our way: we ended up having them all show up at the same time.  And I loved it.  

Here are a few highlights of the trip:

(I went a little light on the photos and place descriptions, but, if you want to hear more about the various locations, I’ve included links to our past trips there)

OXFORD

click here to see photos of our trip in November

My brother and I are big Lewis and Tolkien fans, so I thought it would be fun to spend our first day meandering around the streets of Oxford.

WARWICK CASTLE

click here to see photos of our trip in February

The next day we headed to to the nearby Warwick Castle.  I was really excited to take Allie and Jake here because there are so many hands on things at the place.  The kiddos weren’t too sure about the wax figurines, but other then that I think they had a fun time. 

Tom at the castle

Jousting tournament/battle reenactment 

It was important that Allie be dressed appropriately to meet the princess at the castle, so I made her a little tutu.  The Princess was very impressed, she said so herself.

LONDON

Click here for photos of our last trip

The last few days we spent meandering about London.  

Not to be confused with London Bridge, which is very modern and, dare I say it, kind of boring.

Trafalgar Square

Funny story: Like any 3 1/2 year old little girl, Allie is obsessed with all things princess. Unfortunately, she’s been spoiled by the magic that is Disney.  Upon hearing that Buckingham Palace is where “the Queen lives” she takes one look at the place, scrunches up her nose, arches a brow, and promptly declares “well, it’s not very pretty.” 

This pretty much sums up how Linds and I were feeling the whole trip :)

Riding on a Carousel, face towards the wind

Going ‘round in circles, coming back again.

Grabbing for the brass ring, just when it’s in sight

Lights are shining all around…maybe some too bright.

—writer unknown

Every Thursday evening Glenn and I get together for dinner with the Tresnickys, another American couple.  Luke works with G, and Austin plays around Leamington with me. (I do love it when I rhyme) 

A little while ago, we decided to indulge in a little homemade American comfort food.  

That’s right.  We made wings.  They were glorious, if you have to ask.  

The end result was kinda disgusting.  We ate, well, an embarrassing amount of wings.

And things got kinda messy.  But it was a glorious, all american evening.  

Fast forward to a Sunday afternoon when our good friends and neighbors, Kate and Ollie, invited us over for some traditional English food.  To be more exact, we had been invited over for Sunday dinner.   

And here’s what it looks like (don’t judge the iPhone camera).  A traditional Sunday Roast usually includes either a roasted chicken or beef (garnished with your choice of hot mustard, mint sauce, horseradish, or jam), roasted potatoes, stuffing, brussel sprouts, other veg, and yorkshire pudding.

This is yorkshire pudding.  It is mostly made out of eggs and flour, and served on top of the meal.  You then fill the bad boy up with gravy and go to town on it.  It’s light, it’s yummy, it’s an edible bowl of goodness.  

Cheers!  We’re about to devour a proper Sunday Roast, the queen will be ever so proud (I speak, of course, of my mother).

Once I spoke the language of the flowers,

Once I understood each word the caterpillar said,

Once I smiled in secret at the gossip of the starlings,

And shared a conversation with the housefly in my bed.

Once I heard and answered all the questions of the crickets,

And joined the crying of each falling dying flake of snow,

Once I spoke the language of the flowers…

How did it go?

How did it go?

—Poem by Shel Silverstein