Updates (lots of them!!!)

Oh my goodness - where do I begin??? It has been a crazy summer and after I look back on it, I am not really sure how it all even came together... It seems like a life time since I last wrote. SOO many changes!!! I guess, I will try to start where I left off... The summer in Amberg was a good one. Camden spent his days hanging out with his friends at the pool, Mia had a good start to summer vacation with friends (they threw her a surprise party), and Bailey finished her work with lots of good experience and new friends (and had lots of goodbyes over the course of the summer too). We had several "goodbye" celebrations also. I must say, that the people that came into our lives over the last 9 years are genuine, thoughtful, and definitely lasting friends! We joke about people coming to visit, but we know the Germans really will!! Here are some photos of our last crazy days in Amberg...

It was hard to decide what last minute items that we wanted to buy before we moved back...Camden was a trroper and drove with me to buy this (because who does not need a wine barrel table in their life???) - JUST KIDDING!!. My friend from Pakistan helped me paint it and my landlord helped me secure it...definitely lots of  care put into this... :-)  

No need for a European spec car OR snow tires where we are going... Bryan's car sold...and one thing off the never ending checklist!

2 of my favorite people in the world!!!

And the entire street was closed to parking thanks to our enormous moving truck (15 crates - shipped across the Atlantic). After the craziness of all of it, I was actually wondering if it might be a good thing if somehow they fell overboard!!!

Xuey!!!

We went with some friends to an "American" type Western Bar. This was the game we played. Everyone took turns hitting the nail once with a hammer...whoever cleared the nail first wins  -- and oh my... did we have some competitveness among the group!!! :-)

A delicious dinner at my sweet friends' house...

And some sad face on Bailey's last day of work!!!

A few crazy skies and storms...

...and I came across this picture. Oh - how it makes me smile :-)  (look at Camden's hair - long and a streak of color- so funny!!!!)

Mia's friend rang our door bell to bring her treats from their vacation at the Greek Island of  Rhodes...A Beach Blanket and bag - so thoughtful!

One last family selfie in our completely empty house...

And we went back and forth as to keep our van or not. A sale kind of  just fell into our lap and so it was logical, but still very sad parting with this car (I'll spare you with the ninja pictures that Bryan took - so funny!!!). This car has crossed the English channel, circled the Arch de Triumph, climbed the Italian Alps, driven the streets of Prague etc... It had every stain known to man in it too!! It has been a great car and very sad to say goodbye!!! Tschuss Gunter!!!! (Gunter is Mia's name that she gave it :-))

And after all of the goodbyes, we rented a van, stayed with our friends in Bamberg for a few days, picked up Camden's best friend, and then headed on our long journey to Maine and Canada....

So much checked off the checklist, yet still so much ahead...