Vilseck Volksfest (Aug 2014)

Erick works as the Adjutant (everyone calls him Adj) for the Regimental Commander (RCO) of the 2nd Cavalry Regiment (2CR). In this position, he sometimes gets to attend fun events with his boss. And this particular time, he brought me along too.

In August, the city of Vilseck held a Volksfest, and they invited COL Meyer and Command Sergeant Major (CSM) Celestine to the opening event. The Mayor of Vilseck was going to tap a keg as part of German tradition. The colonel borrowed Erick's lederhosen since he didn't own any himself yet. They were a little big, but I don't think anyone noticed.

It started raining, well pouring really. I thought they may cancel the whole thing. But the rain passed, and people came and dumped or squeegeed the water off of the tables and benches.

We ate yummy local food. We listened to fun music from local musicians. We met the mayor and some dignitaries. It was a fun evening.

The last picture below is not mine. I took it from the 2CR facebook page. It was the only proof that I was there. And in my dirndl, no less. Apparently, my husband is hilarious. You'll see what I mean...

German-American Volksfest (Aug 2014)

The rides

Friends

Military vehicles

Joey studied art in Florence (Aug 2014)

We were walking across Ponte Vecchio (the famous bridge in Florence) and watching the artists paint and sell their paintings. One painter asked my kids which of them was the artist in the family. Diena turned and pointed to Joey. The artist had Joey sit down, and taught her a new art technique with ink and water. He had Joey finish a little picture he had started on scratch paper.

He was super nice, and it was a fun memory of our trip. I tried to give him 5 Euro as a thank you, but he wouldn't accept, so I felt obliged to purchase one of his paintings. The tiniest one was 20 Euro. I was relieved that he had tiny options. 

Joey was mentored by an artist in Florence. That should get her noticed when she applies for college, right? Ha ha ha.

Walking around Florence (Aug 2014)

A few years ago, I traveled to Florence (Firenze, in Italian) with my sister Tracy and her family. Since my husband was not able to join us, I decided I should take him and the kids to see the beautiful Italian city.

We walked a lot and enjoyed the art, architecture, and shops. We saw Ponte Vecchio, Palazzo Vecchio, the Duomo, the Basilica di Santa Croce, and much more. I took way too many photos. On this trip, I tried to pay attention to the details.

It was a different experience taking the kids to Florence. My pre-teen girls were embarrassed by the naked male statues all around, even the famous David statue. It was a good opportunity to discuss art, modesty, history, and culture.