Sunday, July 30, 2017

Weekend Fun: Amstetten & Lunz

We had a great weekend!

On Saturday, we went with our neighbors to an indoor/outdoor pool/lake about 45 minutes from us in Amstetten.









Changing area (not that everyone chooses to use it!)



"Badewart" - adult lifeguards that don't really watch the pool

















Brian takes the plunge off the high dive into the pool with freshwater



These pools with freshwater are like mini-lakes you can swim/jump in

Sunday, we rode the Otscherland Express from Lunz to Gaming.  Last year we rode the diesel train but this time we got to ride the steam train - lots of big black smoke puffing its way through the foothills back to Gaming!














Home sweet home!

Friday, July 28, 2017

Summer in the USA

Somehow I let 2 months go by without a blog update...I blame our 2 month old and having too much fun, and too little time, in the USA!

Our flights to America went well!  Ellie is a pro-traveler and Isaac slept and ate the entire time...Francis was a little wilder and harder to control.  Here's Isaac on his first flight - Vienna to Paris.  (On all European flights, lap infants are required to wear a seat belt that attaches to the adult holding them).

4.5 weeks old
The kids slept on the layover in Paris...which meant they were awake for the 8 hour flight from Paris to Pittsburgh!


Highlights in Steubenville with Brian's side of the family included...

Children's Museum of Pittsburgh

Ellie & cousin Megan


Brian's Dad's 80th Birthday Celebration at Austin Lake

Francis & cousin Peter
Isaac's Baptism at Holy Family Church in Steubenville (same church where we were married)

Brian's sister Tara and brother-in-law Toby are Isaac's godparents
Oglebay Park Good Zoo

Dad, Francis & cousin Jake's back
Lots of time with Grandma and Grandpa and seeing most of their 31 cousins on the Kissinger side

Grandma and Grandpa Kissinger with grandchild #34
Highlights in Iowa with Courtney's side of the family included...

Shannon and Andy's Catholic Church Wedding


Courtney's sister Shannon, brother-in-law Andy, and 2 of their 8 kids

Family picture before the ceremony

All 12 cousins on the Ridge side
Fourth of July



LOTS of swimming





Isaac's first time swimming!
AirFX Trampoline Park


Princess Ballet Camp


cousin Phoebe and Ellie
Ellie's FIRST ever haircut 


4 years and 5 months old
Lots of time with NeNe and Poppy and all of their cousins

NeNe and Isaac
Poppy and Isaac
Isaac and cousin Ridge (who LOVED his fellow "orange"-haired buddy)

The flights home went very well!  We flew from Cedar Rapids to Atlanta, Atlanta to Amsterdam (we were able to get the bulkhead seats with the baby bassinet), and Amsterdam to Vienna.  Followed up by a 2 hour drive back to Gaming.  

9.5 weeks old
After 7 nights of Francis waking up and demanding things like Goldfish, Mac & Cheese, sausages, playing downstairs, turning on lights, and screaming...he finally slept through!  Given it was a 7 hour time change from Iowa, it seems pretty accurate that it takes the same number of days to overcome jet lag.

All in all, it was an amazing trip home - getting to see so many loved family members and dear friends!  We miss you all!  So come and visit :)