Scenes from Germany - Day One

On Friday morning, I boarded a plane to a very far away place - Germany!  

After *only* seven weeks of being apart, I came to visit Joe!  We had originally planned for me to visit him around the half way point in December, but those who have been to Europe before recommended that I go before the bad weather hits.  I am SO glad that people told me about that as it is COLD here right now - at least for a Southern California living girl!  I would really be cold if I was trudging through the snow!

I cannot put into words how great it was to see Joe!  We have spent every minute catching up and just enjoying being together....as I am sure we will continue to do this entire week.  I am SO thankful to my in-laws for coming to watch the girls.  I am missing them like crazy but am really enjoying the uninterrupted conversations and dinners.  So far, Grandma and Papa are surviving...we'll see what the end of week brings!

I arrived on Saturday morning after two very long plane flights.  International flights are not fun...but SO worth the reason I was taking one! :-)

We started sightseeing right away!  

Our first stop - Dachau Concentration Camp.  Not the most exciting and alluring part of Germany at all...but something we thought we must see while we are here.  Disgusting and horrid.  No words to describe the gruesomeness.

Main square where the prisoners were lined up and counted each day...

Bunk houses...This was the last picture we took in the concentration camp.  It just became too much and almost felt too intrusive to the memories of those who were imprisoned there to take any more photos.

We then drove to a quaint little German town called Garmish.  It had the beautiful Bavarian Alps as our landscape.

We ended our evening by checking into a military R & R hotel/lodge called Edelweiss.  It was one of the nicest places I have ever stayed.  You have to be in the military - on orders - to stay there and was designed as a place for the military personnel to come to relax and unwind.  They had SO many fun activities for the kids.  We talked about how much the girls would have enjoyed the arcade, swimming pool, play areas and arts and crafts.  Almost made me wish I would have brought them...except for that 13+ hour flight! :-)