Progressive Pilgrims.....

Well we are hardly the lone Christian with his burden like in Bunyan's Classic "Pilgrim's Progress" but I could not help but enjoy the Pun! Here is Uncle Christian, with the rest of us... We are a grand total of 10 persons... Spanning in age from 3 (nearly 4!) to 40something... and a variety of ages in between... We are preparing to climb a mountain... yes Uncle Christian is an EXTREME sportsman, and indeed does wonderfully EXCITING things for a living even... as Caspian will aptly retell me... He is also a wonderful and wise father, who has with greatest caution chosen a "mountain" that even our littlest Buddy could climb.. As Sweetie Pie may receive quite the ride upon her Papa's backpack! :)


Plans discussed check

sunscreen on check

hats on check

shoes tied check

THAT mountain check



one of the first exciting things on the trail was a print of some sort. It really set the excitement level HIGH for the boys....
We weren't sure if they would find a BEAR, or a FOX, or an ORG, perhaps a Troll
just keep an eye out!!!

Like the title says... This is NOT the Pilgrim Progressing, with the heavy burden on his back... This is UNCLE Christian, with a Blessing on his back! Just LOOK at Sweetie Pie, who could deny that children are a gift of the Lord? Not I! too too too sweet!

There it is... ANOTHER foot print.. perhaps a match... could it be a FOX??? The hand is there for measurement purposes... These cousins were thinking!

Deep in investigations, the parents of SAID blessings would really prefer to GET the hike UNDERWAY, as the hike is long, the hill is a ways up and stopping every 5 to 8 feet will get old very quickly :) Ah.... an adventure, with in an adventure.... lets run with it!

Rob trying to run with it

and really

really

really digging the whole experience....

this place is JUST what the man needed after that horrible week at work!

Sunshine and buttercups....

Please don't tell me that these are NOT buttercups

I really don't know that i want to know...

i really don't know that I care...

they just are

they are buttery

they are the color of golden sunshine,

they are growing on the mountain side

and it makes me happy just to THINK they are buttercups....

I am comfortable with being wrong about something

so silly...

are YOU ok with it?

MAMA!!!!!

"i found a stick. Take a picture of me with my stick. It is a good hiking stick."

such a boy...

such a darling lovable messy, sweaty, kissable little boy!

ooo I love him!

He is LOVE love LOVING the woods!

My o My What are they doing?

Seems Sweetie pie wants to have a stretch of her legs...

Yet Uncle Christian wants a work out...

He asked for any volunteers

and the only one who wanted a ride

Rajah Bond

What do you think?

It takes a Bavarian Mountain Man to do that...

he must have a secret chiropractor we just do not know about...

amazing!

Buddy just had to have Tante Sandy's hand,

and Sweetie Pie wanted it WELL understood that this "Tante" was really

HER Mommy,

:)

Just in case there was confusion about that,

so, Tante Sandy was blessed with LoVe on both sides!!!

And a delightful walking companion in Princess KI

Racer and I walked ahead and then

took a break to wait for the gang...

We sat on a nice bench

and he told me all about many things...

and I listened... i do that pretty well.

He told me my German was good..

I thanked him,

as I have always spoken good 2nd grade Deutsch...

It's the adult kind I stink at.

"Here they come.....

Walking down the street..."

they have the funniest ways to walk

everyone OOO yea!!!!!!!

remember that song from the Monkeys?

I loved that song as a girl...

When ever I am walking in a group,

anywhere,

I have this URGE to just start singing it,

or some Homespun variation of it like I was on Broadway or something..

You will be so proud to know..

I refrained from ruining the peace of the beautiful surroundings...

a wee discovery!

LOOK! more prints in the mud!

Buddy is talking his sweet face off,

His poor Tante...

she has NEVER really had

THIS sort of quality time with Buddy

and he really wants to make sure

that he serves up triple portions...

She has missed out on a whole lot of HIS life,

on his thoughts

dreams

aspirations

imaginations

so much to tell

so little time...

aren't walks wonderful...

so much for peace and quiet...

ok, I am tired... that is it... I am done..

Buddy says he can not go any further...

He has a boo boo... on top of all that...

but guess what..

only 200 m to go!

what a view

The kids exploring outside the restaurant...

We brought a picnic :)

Princess is happy, there are cows here..

we thought there would be goats

but she says cows are better

who knew?

maybe because their pupils aren't rectangular..

that always creeps me out

those weird goat eyes...

Uncle Christian has led us here safely..

He has survived...

He has done well...

Isn't this beautiful...

i think of the stories of the Princess and the Goblin...by George Macdonald...

or Heidi...

It rather makes me want to yodel.

or sing "climb every mountain...."

or

"doe a deer, a female deer, Ray a drop of golden sun"

this is SO Julie Andrews....

well, she is in my head singing anyways...

"He maketh me lie in green pastures"

it gives it such an image....

I could lie down here... hang out

rest, nap

hang out with the Lord....

this is a good place...

"this is the day the Lord hath made, Let us rejoice and be glad in it"

I am so glad to be here

THIS day!

This is the head cow I guess... If all or most of the cows come down the mountain in the fall healthy and alive, they put a wreath of flowers around her and celebrate really really big! If some do not make it, they don't have so many flowers, the people figure that she and they others are mourning the losses.

Either way, they celebrate the return of the cows..

Makes me think of Tolkiens

Return of the King..

someone could REALLY do a funny spoof on that...

RETURN OF THE COW!!

coming this autumn to a Village NEAR YOU!

If anyone has photo's of this I would LOVE to see them, please send!!

May the Lord of ALL, grant these creatures a healthy season!

May the people celebrate Him, and His goodness, with flowers upon the cows!

These sweet adventurers like the cows soo much

they want to hand feed them...

the sweet children will get stung by nettles..

and it will hurt..

no photos of the drama...

sorry, busy nurturing...

yes the cows DID eat from their hands.

after a LOT of patience on the childrens part

and I do mean a LOT

they really had to coax these big beasts with juicy grasses from they "other side"

because we all know

the grass is always greener

on the OTHER side!

Bond the photgrapher...

spy camera work in training?

no just snapping pictures of family and cows

I suspect

Buddy with his stick!

Watch out for the stinging nettles...

They are real

NOT just something from our nursery rhymes...

I love the view of the mountains beyond the cows...

On the road again..

Down hill

so nice..

I liked sitting on the mountain..
We were able to see the Army base we were at on Friday!

I like the waterfalls

I like the Alps!

Caspian is really enjoying his Uncle Christian,

I rather like this photo...

it is one for the keeps...

not so long from now,

Caspian will be a whole lot taller

a whole lot bigger

his boyhood it is speeding up now...

and this will be a lovely memory

beautiful...

I have several photos like this one...

I think that I will do something with them when I get home.

I love the lighting

I love the soft undertones of the grass beneath the towering trees...

doesn't make the stories of your childhood just come alive in your memory?

Are you not just waiting for a fairy archer to come bounding out from behind the trees,

or some Roman Soldiers to come marching?

Or a woodland nymph to sprit along?

And yet the shadows...

shadows are often referred to as overpowering, overbearing...

"yea though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death

I will fear no evil

for Thy rod and Thy Staff they comfort me...."

I never understood why they say this at a funeral for the person who is gone...

It is for the trial...

It is for the shadowy place between those sunny mountain top experiences with God...

Those times when all starts becoming shadow...

and the Shadow is the shadow of death

it is not death

it just wants to scare us with death

scare us to death

so the Psalmist writes

I Will fear NO evil

for Thy Rod and Thy Staff they comfort me

The word and the Spirit comfort me...

I fear no evil...

So shadowy spots make way to HOPE

and JOY

and what lies ahead

a glimpse

And sunshine will brighten our days :)

Buddy is still chatting...

it is a REAL bonding experience for him

He is LOVING his Tante

We have done it!!!!!! We have gone up a hill

and

came down a mountain...

well, it rather felt like we went up a mountain and came down a hill....

ACTUALLY

It was a blast!!!

Dinner time back at the House!

Real Bavarian Rolls

With MORE Real Bavarian Pretels

and what could be better for our last night than

real Big Bavarian Bratwurst?

They were Wunderbar!

Willy, stting next to me!

Finally a photo of Willy!

So camera shy :)

and so offended by Rob putting his big feet on his chair!

Really, can't a dog just have is own seat!

How Rude...

silly American

Well, Rob decided to PUT UP the German Flag!

as Christian's favored soccer team was defeated.

we hope to cheer him up!

Uncle Rob is playing popcorn with the children..

they must be corn, and all bunch up like a ball,

Uncle Rob

bounces, and bounces and bounces

while they bop all about and giggle like crazy

Roll reversal!

After this long long day,

and much much play,

after a fine good meal

the children are out to sleep

and the chocolates are on the table to EAT

and the men are making music !

What a lovely end to another terrific day with family!!!!!!!!

Too bad it is our last night together...

time to look at the calendar to see WHEN

we can come again!

:)