Ciao Bella! 8.19-24.12

Hello Friends,

We have safely come back to Germany after our month long vacation filled with traveling, and what an experience it all was! Rome was our next stop after coming back from Poland. Our trip to Rome was filled with a sweet reunion, ancient sights, and plenty of gelato!

 











 We arrived to the Rome airport mid-afternoon greeted by our mom. It was definitely the highlight of Rome for both Paige and I. The day we arrived happened to also be our 18th birthday. What a way to spend our 18th! We were so privileged to spend our birthday in Rome with our mother who for the past 18 years has input Godly wisdom into our lives while also setting an example for us.
She was kind enough to bring us cards, and gifts from our wonderful friends! We thank ALL of you  who wished us the best, and those who were kind enough to send along cards.

The Spanish Steps 

Inside the Pantheon

After research of what we wanted to specifically see in Rome we set out a small list of things to see. The week started with Piazza Navona, where mom reminded us of the times we swam in Italian fountains the summer we lived there. It goes without saying that along with Navona, shopping and walking were necessary everyday. Later, we moved to visit the Pantheon which was relatively close to the old convent we stayed at [a great find by mom!] The hostel was close walking distance to Vatican City which we did on Tuesday and took a detailed tour of. Not only did we go into the Vatican Museum, but we also saw the Sistine Chapel and St. Peters Basilica. It was a very enlightening tour. The spectacular detail and talent displayed on the walls, ceiling even floor was breath taking, there was so much to take in that sitting and staring for hours wouldn't have been enough! We found out a lot about Vatican City and how it is actually its own country! Containing its own currency, post office, and about 900 workers.

Over the next few days we had the immense blessing of being able to see in person the ancient ruins, monuments, and history of Rome. Including Roman Forum, the Spanish steps, the Colosseum, and one of our personal favorites the catacombs. The colosseum is a great reminder of how persecution is real and alive not only today but also throughout history. As we slowly strolled through the Roman Forum there was a palpable energy from the original happenings within those buildings. The idea of meetings, shops, and venders haggling with customers is so exciting to think about how that influences their current culture. At the very back of the marketplace behind one of the big meeting rooms is one of the more personally touching buildings. We had the chance to see the prison where Paul and Peter were taken after proclaiming the name of our Lord! What a surreal moment to see just how true Gods word is when you see the place where the bible has lived.

Our week was jammed with as much touring as possible, in between we made sure to leave time for refreshing stops of gelato :] By the end of the week we all had some sore feet, but even more present was the reality of leaving each other yet again. However this time it was a lot easier on both ends we agreed. Our stay in Germany is still being used in our lives, and both Paige and I felt like are not done making and impact in Germany yet. There is more to come yet!

Off to find adventure -xoxo

Clearly its hot, and we've been waiting for the Colosseum a while:]

Greater Th>n: Poland

We wanted to give a special shout out to those who supported us through finance and prayer in our mission trip to Poland these past couple of weeks. Thank you very much by supporting us you provided the opportunity of God's everlasting love to be shown to teenagers who have never been told of the true personal relationship that we all can have with our Heavenly Father.

     Being a part of Josiah Venture and the "Greater Than" english camp in Bielsko-Biała truly blessed us, as we were able to connect with our Polish peers (even if we don't speak ANY Polish...) and renew our relationships with the amazing missionary families that we are lucky enough to call "Aunt" and "Uncle" as we are as close as family. We praise God as there were 10 decisions made this past week in response to testimonies of personal change, and the gospel being presented. 

[Alaina and some of the Polish girls on Olympic night]




[Prancy Nancy, and White-boy Mike leading warm-ups]


Each day consisted of a different theme a few days include: Military day, Circus night, Olympic Night, Medieval Night, and a day long scavenger hunt. There was always something for everyone to look forward to and dress up for! We even had some made up characters come to Olympic Night as guest judges, Prancy Nancy, and White-boy Mike did an amazing job of being enthusiastic and staying in character. They were a great way for all the campers to get silly, and comfortable with the crazy American games planned for that night. 

This year was a bit different than last year as there was added responsibilities for our camp involvement, Alaina taught her own english class this year (oh my!), Paige was a wonderful assistant to a teammate from Colorado. Before camp we had plenty of time to prepare for each day of class with fun english games, candy, vocabulary and LOTS of idioms. There were 10 students in Alaina's class, and she had a great time speaking with them about what Americans like to do. Also specific pop culture things such as "The Peanuts", large American public school system, and questions like "Does Hannah Montana live in Texas?" and "Because you live in Texas do you have a horse that you ride to school?".

Overall we each personally grew in different ways including relationships being built with the Polish nationals and our hope is to return for a visit before we leave Europe. Thank you for your prayers and continue to pray for the Polish youth group as they follow up with campers that may have questions or want to know more about our Lord. 

Off to find adventure!-xoxo

Heidelberg, Fireworks ,Oh MY!

Hello friends!
Thank you for taking the time to read about our life right now as we are learning new things and excited to share them with you, please feel free to ask questions, leave comments and the always needed prayer that we can see how we can honor God in what we are doing!

Having time throughout the day while the boys are in school has given us much needed time to prepare for our mission trip coming up very soon to Poland! We will be teaching (ah!!) a group of students from ages 14-19 English for a week. Working with a team from Colorado to spend time making relationships with these students and looking to share, serve and act out the love of Christ in everything we do. We are praying for opportunities to start conversations that stir up questions within these students hearts, that we will be able to teach english in a comprehensive and fun way so that they will learn english finally, that our team would be cohesive and have the same goals in mind in order to do what is best that glorifies our Lord.

So, a couple of weeks ago at church we had heard a rumor about a outstanding firework display in Heidelberg within the next few weeks. Intrigued we decided to do some further detective work and found out that indeed there was a firework show to remember the 3 times the Heidelberg castle burned down a long time ago (kind of ironic since they used fireworks to remember a fire it but never the less sounded awesome!).

This past weekend we took a train out to the beautiful city to visit the ancient castle and witness this amazing fire display along with our group of friends from church we were set for a great day. Starting out we climbed up the steep and seemingly never ending staircase toward the huge Schloss (castle), after walking around and perusing the ancient but beautiful grounds of the monument we walked back down the stairs (way easier than going up!) and to the cities main street.While having fellowship over lunch and ice cream we took our seats next to the river and across from the castle. Having an excellent view of both the city and castle with the lovely river as our reflecting spot to see the fireworks we watched in amazement at the stunning light and colors presented before us. The show was definitely worth the wait, effort and build up that had been given to us. We enjoyed all of the time spent in Heidelberg and getting to know our new friends even better while there.


Off to find adventure today!-xoxo

Paige and I at the top of the Heidelberg Castle

Heidelberg castle from the side bank of the river where we watched the fireworks.

Paige and friend Meleia on the train towards Heidelberg

City Dwellers-Cologne, Germany.

Hello from many cities!

These past four weeks have been some of immense change for us. Today marks the one month we have been with our host family in Stuttgart, Germany. These past four weeks are ones that have brought many tears of homesickness, laughs with new friends, and the excitement of new places. We are so grateful for the family God has placed us in while we're here in Germany. After speaking with a few past Au Pairs and their experiences of work, we have come to learn how God has His angels truly watching out for us so we can have the most fun here in Europe. We are still excited to see how He will use us to bring Him glory in the family, at the new church, and in Stuttgart.

Last weekend we drove with the host family to Cologne, Germany (they have extended family there, and we got to go site seeing )! Our two favorite parts about Cologne were The Dom and the Lindt chocolate factory.

Paige enjoying watching the chocolates being made.



One of the workers who made 'special ordered' chocolate bars for museum goers.





In the chocolate factory there were many stages displayed of the beloved chocolate bar. First we got to see in what regions cocoa beans are grown, what regions produce the most cocoa, and how they are harvested. Then we moved onto the advertising history of Lindt chocolate, their old molds for chocolates, and antique chocolate boxes. We also got a taste of the chocolate fountain they had running that day! And in the end caved into buying some compelling sounding truffles (raspberry mango, cappuccino, and champagne). After a delicious pizza from a local restaurant and waiting out the downpour of unexpected rain underneath an umbrella we headed towards The Dom in Cologne.

paige hiding from the rain

A very eventful day in Cologne with so much that we saw, we were very tired that night. The atmosphere in Colognes downtown area is vibrant, and jammed with lots of people enjoying the environment. We loved being able to just walk around and take all of that in all while enjoying some ice cream :]
Much more to write about to come and more adventure to seek out as well.

Off to find adventure!-xoxo

Summer Festivals

Say hello to Summer!

Earlier this year we traveled to Chicago while there we visited The Science and Industry Museum (so interactive!). During our exploring of this loved museum we saw a small display of a bigger collection called The Body Worlds exhibit. We later found out that this full exhibition would be on display just a short train ride from us in Germany! This past Saturday we saw in much detail how God put us together through Gunther von Hagnes  plastination of the human body. (a strange concept, but the outcome is like no other)

Paige and I were both so excited to have the rare chance to go and see this exhibit!








After our lovely homemade picnic we had enough energy to trek up to the palace in Ludwigsburg. What we didn't know however was that they were having the annual Ludwigsburg festival in the main street! What a great surprise for Paige and I, we stopped listened to some new bands, and looked at what Ludwigsburg has to offer. :]

We saw the church and its greatly detailed bell tower, and we then finally made it to the palace. This is an amazing palace, and is beautiful. At this point in the day the tours had stopped, but we were free to look around. While we were there we saw FOUR weddings going on. There was also an artist who had a project that has been traveling around Europe in different cities to display the piece. We came (unknowingly) on the ONLY day he was in Stuttgart area, what an amazing time to be in Ludwigsburg! There was much to do in Ludwigsburg this Saturday, and we hope to have many more things to discover while in Germany.

This week has even more in store for us as we have plans to visit Cologne, Germany. Hopefully as previously mentioned to also visit the Haribo outlet store or factory! :]
Please leave any comments or questions.

Well, Off to find adventure! -xoxo

(Palace in Ludwigsbug, Germany)

A little over a week in Germany :]

Hello or Guten Tag,

It has now been a little bit over a week in Germany and whew its been whirlwind! There are many things that differ from our lives in America as we expected.

For instance the first time we went to the grocery store we found that the candy brand 'Haribo' is priced at .84 cents per bag! Paige got very excited because Haribo is one of our favorite types of sweets. Because this brand is made and manufacture in Germany it is so much cheaper to buy. This got us both very excited that one of our favorite things actually came to an advantage for us! :] Not only is it cheaper, but we plan to visit the Haribo factory in two weeks in a town called Cologne. This (conveniently) is where the families grandparents live as well!

 Alaina eating a mini gummy bear on the train. Clearly she has had a few too many of these yummy Haribo's ;)

Not only did we further discover the love of Haribo sweets in Germany, we also found that the Germans also must have their fresh bread, rolls, and pastries every morning. Which in the end has turned out wonderful for us because now we fringe off the benefits of this. Every morning one of the boys take a bike to the end of the road where the bakery is to buy fresh rolls and buns for our breakfast that day. These bread shops are more frequent than gas stations in Stuttgart!

 We also unexpectedly found a bread market downtown which happens to only come once a year! We got to try many samples of different types of their breads from all over Europe. A few from Italy, France, and Germany. Paige and I decided to splurge and buy a very worthwhile brushchetta made with Italian bread, yum!

 

This past Saturday after all of our new eating habits and bread discoveries, Paige and I had to find a way to exert some energy. There are many hikes, bike paths, and walks all over Stuttgart that we want to do (and some even have castles along the paths!).So we got up early Saturday morning, packed a lunch, and hit the trails! After finding this forest with many different paths to take we spent over two hours walking and seeing great views of Stuttgart. This picture is mostly to show the view behind us, a vineyard that is growing up the mountain beside us. The hike was fun to see what we can view from just down the road, and to see more of Germany's beautiful nature.

Well today is another day in Germany, and we're off to find adventure!- xoxo

Start the six months off!

Halo!
Thankfully we made it to our host family's home safe and sound with all of our things! Praise God!

On our first day we set up the boy's trampoline which we thought was going to be quite easy and could be done fast. We were sadly mistaken. Setting up the frame and attaching the springs to the actual tarp took effort but we were successful. After those steps we started to become resentful to the fact that there was still a safety net...however after our persistent hard work and some bending of metal we finished! Thankfully we did not have the Texas heat to slow us down to a snails pace. The boys have been using it everyday as much as they can which boosts our self esteem to see that our construction skills were not in vain.

After researching "Churches in Stuttgart"on Google and asking around to trusted friends we visited the "International Baptist Church in Stuttgart" (IBC). The Lord is so good, He provided exactly what we need to grow in Him and hopefully in relationships that we establish there. We are praying that He will provide a way to become further involved in the High School group or young adult group so that we can put good use to our time and energy by serving Him.

We fully unpacked and are no longer living out of our suitcases which really brings to reality the fact that we will be in this house and in Germany for 6 months!! We were just saying to each other last night around dinner that never in a million years would we have thought God would put us in Germany for 6 months looking after 3 hooligan boys(;

Please continue to pray for our learning so many new things at once. Also for us to learn the boys personalities and to be patient with them at all times. Thanks so much for thinking of us! Stay tuned for more news of adventures soon to come :]


Off to find adventure-xoxo

Hello from Poland! 

It has been a few days since our last post only because of our busy time with fellowship with friends, and exciting times with new things around us. Here are a few pictures of what we've been up to the last few days.  

 Here is a picture of Alaina and her new Polish friend George playing an extremely large game of ninja in the park. (she didn't get very far in the game;] )

After the ninja game the group went to go and watch the Euro Cup soccer game of Poland vs. Russia. Which ended up being very exciting at the house when Poland unexpectedly tied 1-1 with Russia!

Here is Alaina and Dad looking forward to a yummy dinner of Polish sausage from the small village where our friends live and some great conversation. (also excited for the dessert of mouth watering strawberries and ice cream...so delicious!)

Paige and Drew having some uhhhh...quality time? :] Messing around and being silly after dinner with some friends. Drew is glad to spend some time with us before we leave for Germany so soon.










These are just a few snippets of the last three days in Poland. We have also visited Josiah Adventures recently built H2O to see the amazing progress that has been made, and the plans still yet to come. Check out what the building looks like and what the ministry is doing in Poland's youth! (http://www.josiahventure.com/about/training-centers/h20-poland)

We (Paige and Alaina) leave this coming Friday to finally go and meet our German Au Pair family for the first time. Until then we are having a great time growing deeper with our friends in Poland.

Keep watching out for more adventures of just Paige and I to come very soon! Please comment or 'share' our blog on Facebook :]


Off to find adventure-xoxo

Hello All!

We are still in England for the time being and have done a few more things since the last update, so here are a few pictures of what we've been doing. :]

 

 We met up with our friends in the evening for some dinner at our favorite place Nandos (famous for some delicious chicken, and olives). Drew also challenged Issy to a few rounds of cards (he was begging for his money back by the end of the night ;) ).

We speed up to Leicester Square to try and snag tickets to Wicked...and here's our picture of success after we bought them. A musical in London?! We think yes.

Right behind us is the theater where the musical was held. The show was fantastic, it lived up to all it was talked up to be.

Our day was jammed full with as much as we could bare. We had a fantastic time walking through London to just take in all the history that is so rich in this old country. Also stopped into the local Tesco (Jewel/Kroger) for some Haribo candy/sweets...yum! Tomorrow is our last day in the city of London, then we head off to Poland to visit with dear friends. Please pray for safe journey and that we could be a blessing to the friends we love.

Off to find adventure-xoxo

Cheers from London!

LONDON CALLING!

We safely arrived into rainy London yesterday. Union Jack flags are still flying high from the Queen's Jubilee. This is from the Pall Mall, in front of the Prince of Wales' home and the street ends at Buckingham Palace.

Also we had a chance to walk through St James' Park and Green Park...Tried to walk off the jet lag!!

Went to the West End for pizza and cake with the Hendersons - Lara & Ross are our friends from elementary school. Here are a few photos just from yesterday...

Today we have other plans around London - We will post more pictures and tales of adventures.

Off to find adventure xoxo

Good morning!

Today is the much anticipated day of departure! We will leave in just a few minutes to go to our first connection flight into Detroit, Michigan. We will then head directly to Heathrow airport in London, England where will will spend four days. After our short stop we will go to Poland for three days to visit with our missionary friends before we are off to Germany. Paige and I then leave for Germany to meet (for the first time off of Skype) our new Germany family. We will meet the boys and see our new living arrangement for the first time. Keep an eye out for our post about our new family which is soon to come. Well its time to leave for the airport now, have to leave!

Off to find adventure-xoxo

Pre-departure 6.3.12

Hello All!

We started this blog so anyone who wants to see what Paige and I are doing for the next six months or longer can be involved. We are so excited to start this next stage in life. We graduated from Mckinney Boyd High School on Friday, June 1st and leave for Germany Thursday, June 7th. While in Germany we will be nannying for a family of three boys (ages 5,6,&8). Immersing ourselves in culture, language, and new people. We are SO pumped for this opportunity to learn not only about ourselves, but grow in new relationships. God is so good to us, and blesses us continually. We will be posting about our travels, and everyday situations/stories. Please pray for us as we go overseas for our many adventures ahead, and keep looking for new posts full of pictures and exciting stories of many new things to experience. 

Off to find adventure~xoxo