LEAVING IN ONE WEEK - LAST BIKE RIDES

The apartment is getting really empty.  The boxes left last Monday.  The bed will go tonight to a friend and we will sleep on the twin beds that came with the apartment.  It seems strange that almost everything I do now I say to myself, this is the last time I'll do this or that in Germany.  Go to the store, the vet, ride the bike here, visit this person or that person etc.  We had the Sister missionaries over for dinner last Thursday.  Our oven is broken now so we had to do dinner in the microwave and I have very little to work with in the kitchen for cooking or serving and no spices.  On Saturday Steve and I took our last bike ride together to Heidelberg.  It rained on us going there and back but not too much and it wasn't too cold.  Yesterday I had my very last bike ride in Germany.  I took the missionaries on a ride to Waid See.  We had a nice time.  The weather was a little cool and we had some sprinkles but we didn't get too wet.  We stopped at the zip line in the park, went through the Vogel Park, took the roads throught the fields, went to Waid See, the dairy, the circus was in town so we saw some camels and some zebras.  The bikes are now washed (as best we can do with a bucket of water) and will be packed tonight or tomorrow for air freight to L.A.

Sister Lahra Dawn Sherwood and Sister Chloe Lehman.
Before dinner we walked to the lake to see the swans.

The baby swans are almost full grown.  The grey ones are just starting to get a white feather or two now.

Steve and I rode to Heidelberg on Saturday.  The weather was cool and a little rainy but not bad.  The park on the opposite side of the river from the main part of town is very nice.

Last bike ride in Germany.  The 4 missionaries and Christian Siebert who will be leaving on his mission to the U.S. very soon.  We are so blessed to have this "P" day for a ride.

Sister Sherwood, Sister Lehman, me, Elder Stout, Elder Fitzgerald.

with Christian

 They all take turns on the zip line.  The zip lines are pretty popular and common in playgrounds in Germany.

 At Vogel Park.

Missionaries in the cage?

In the frog lookout.  I like how the heavens shine the light down on the missionaries.

These two donkeys where having a fight, maybe sibling rivalry. 

Our stop at Waid See

Inside the dairy barn with the cows

With camels

All 3 of them have the same expression!

Of course Zebras!

Milk and Cookies at Waid See

Milk Staches

WATSON'S GOING AWAY LUNCH AFTER CHURCH
August 3rd was the last Sunday for the Watson's here in Germany.  The church had a pot luck after service.  It was a happy but also sad day.  We will all miss this family so so much.  We are happy for them that everything has worked out so well for them and they will be able to see their family and start their next adventure in life together in California.

Imke always does a great job at decorating for the church activities.
German and American colors and flags.

Ivy (age 1 year, 3 months),  and Robyn.

Eilene and Ivy

Eilene and Rebeka

Rebeka, Eilene, Macy

THE WATSON'S

Robyn and Ivy

Ivy and Carly

Ivy can be quick

DINNER WITH THE MISSIONARIES
On July 26th we had the missionaries come over for dinner.  Sister Shipton and Elder Brown will be going home from their mission the following week.  This is probably the last dinner we will have guests over because I am starting to pack up everything including most of the kitchen stuff.  I made beef bourguignon, gravy, jello salad, green salad, rolls, and cheese cake for desert. I picked wild black berries for the cheesecake and made a sauce out of them also.  I saw a really large bunny on the farm road on the way back from the dairy.  I also like the 6 toddler stroller that a local pre-school uses to bring the kids down to Vogelstang See for a picnic.

Road my bike to Ladenburg and found all these berries in one location.
It was SO HOT I had to buy a little ice cream from the EIS truck.

Smart bunny, he has lived to grow up very big.

The preschool has two of these neat strollers that carry 6 little ones and some backpacks.

 The sister's arrive early so they took some pictures of themselves below our apartment.  I took some from above.

Vi, Sister Lehman, Sister Shipton

Someone had some fun decorating the paving stones next to the sand box below our window.

The apartment before starting to pack everything up.
We put the table in the living room when we have more than 4 people.