Explosive celebrations

I can't believe I have not yet posted my awesome New Year's celebration. How many months has it been? Six!? I guess it's time.

My parents were still here, and we celebrated with our neighbors and with Mary Anne and Dusty's clan. Someone had the amazingly brilliant idea to light up the fire pits to stay warm. It made a huge difference on this cold night:

Mom and Dad were trying to stay warm while they waited for the fun to start:

The girls found a good way to stay warm while preparing to watch the fireworks:

I tried to warn my parents that there is no way to prepare themselves for the awesomeness that is New Year's Eve in Germany. Dad got his camera out and ready nonetheless:

The men got ready for midnight to strike...

...and boy did it strike!

There were fireworks going off in every direction. There was nowhere to turn for safety. Mom finally figured out what I was talking about. I don't have pictures of the super close fireworks because Mom was more fun to photograph than the fireworks:

TJ even got a turn to light some fireworks:

David, on the other hand, had no desire to be a part of it. He stayed inside and watched a movie with his buddy Canon (although Canon found his way outside eventually):

Mary Anne with her boys:

The fireworks went on and on and on. They were so loud and so fun. And they were exploding from every yard in the city it seemed.

Oh, and I got my kiss at midnight. I missed it last year since Erick was in Afghanistan, so this kiss made my heart extra happy:

And another one for good measure...

The kids on the block. I love these kids:

This last photo I stole from Mary Anne's blog. It shows the whole neighborhood. I'm sure going to miss this gang when New Year's rolls around next year... I love you guys!

A year in photos 2012: The end!

 Friday 28 December

More Salzburg. I love this city!

Monday 31 December

I will miss New Year's Eve in Germany.

Salzburg: My top three

My previous post had all sorts of random fun photos of our two days in Salzburg. This post is going to focus on my top three favorite sites in this city: The Salzach River, Mirabell Gardens, and Hohensalzburg Castle.

The Salzach River

Here is my cute family standing in front of the river. In the background you can see Hohensalzburg Castle on the hill and the church spires and domes below. It was such a beautiful city that our spirits were not even dampened by the occasional rain showers:

Looking down the river in the opposite direction:

We didn't take a lot of photos in this area, but I really would have liked to walk along the river all day. Maybe next time. Hey look, here are some of my awesome kids:

I'm getting used to seeing the locks all over Europe. Anywhere there is a river, there are locks advertising the love that two people have for each other. I think it's sweet (and yes, I do know that they throw the key into the river... that part is not so sweet for the fish and the environment. But the love part, that's sweet...):

Mirabell Gardens

Mirabell gardens encompass many of the areas filmed during the "Do Re Mi" song in The Sound of Music. I was particularly excited to see the dwarf garden. Unfortunately, much of the area was blocked off for the winter including the dwarf garden. Bummer! But we still saw quite a bit and had a lot of fun. And now I have an excuse to come back in the Spring.

Here are the steps that Maria and the Von Trapp kids hopped up and down. Mom and the kids did their fair share of singing and hopping. Erick tried his best to refrain:

The Mirabell gardens were designed in 1690 then completely remodeled in 1730. The gardens were opened to the public in 1854. The Pegasus fountain in the photo below was added in 1913. Looking through the gate, you can see the fountain as well as the castle fortress up above: 

We had a lot of fun exploring what was opened to the public. This tree was gorgeous. Look closely, you can see a stone pillar holding up the large branch in the back:

My parents are so fun. Mom was posing so that she was interacting with the statues in the park - or at least it looked that way in her photos:

We copied them:

There was a small greenhouse section of the gardens. We jumped inside for a moment to escape the rain. The kids loved the fish and the turtles that were living in this warm haven:

Hohensalzburg Castle

Hohensalzburg Castle was first built in 1077. It was enlarged in the 1400's and again in the 1500's. It became one of the largest castles in all of Europe. Since that time the exterior has remained relatively unchanged. 

Here is my cute little family before heading up to see the castle:

We opted to take the steep tram up the mountain. The kids loved it:

This place was huge. We wandered around and explored all that we could:

Look! Proof I was in the castle. Erick took a picture of me poking my head out of the window. I'm looking out from the ladies bathroom. Hi everyone!

My favorite part was the view looking down:

Thanks handsome man for bringing me to such amazing places. Let's face it. I'd follow you just about anywhere:

This tree in a courtyard was amazing:

We missed the Christmas market, but we got to see some of the left over decorations. Anyone want to go on a unicorn-drawn sleigh ride?

I sure love this family of mine:

I have to admit that this picture was completely posed. But I love it anyway:

So much of what made this trip special was the addition of these two to our travel party. Mom and Dad are fantastic travelers. They make everything so fun and special. Thanks so much Mom and Dad for making this Christmas break so magical:

Last picture of the view:

Inside the castle we found a marionette display. Hey, those kids look familiar:

Each of the kids and even Mom took a turn making this marionette move. It was a treat for all of them: 

We also took a look around the tourist shop. TJ begged for one of these helmets. They were so heavy, but I must say the kids looked pretty awesome wearing them. I did not buy one. But I took pictures of a lot of them, so that counts for good-mom points, right?