Fathers Day 4 day weekend!

Well it has been over a week since the 4 day came and went. But I am finally getting around to writing this blog. School and a little girl who has been ever so cranky and more and more of a handful as she gets older gives me less and less time to myself to write. But I thought the two really fun experiences we had over the June 4 day weekend were worthy of being told about. If for nothing but a great organization of the pictures and documenting our memories for us to look back on!

The first of the 3 fun days we had was a Renaissance fair in Oppenheimer let me tell you. It was quite the adventure no doubt. This was the first of the sort that either Dustin or I had ever been to and didn't really know what to expect. First thing we noticed: These people take this very seriously. Hahaha I would have to say about 80 percent of the people at the festival were fully decked out in costume. It really made me jealous as it would have been so fun to dress up.

Next being culturally aware of how lazy AMERICANS can be when we parked near a shuttle stop we immediately thought: Na, we can walk it can't be that far. Not thinking about the fact that Europeans are generally more active, so when they suggest a shuttle TAKE IT. So after getting to where we had assumed it would be and finding well it wasn't there we chose to follow people in costume because surely they were headed in the right direction! Along our (I would say 2 mile hike uphill) way we passed by 2 other stops for the shuttle but still ignorantly pushed on insisting in our minds that it couldn't be that much further. Needless to say we got our exercise in including a nice little off-roading adventure through a section of forest area!

Finally we reached the top and the really cool old castle ruins that they had the festival set up in. At which point I was totally glad I was in Jeans and a t-shirt instead of the long hot robes everyone else was in. It was about 6 euro for adults and free for children under the height of a great sword.... This was the only thing cheap here. We got a soda to share, 2 brats, and a little bowl of Mac and Cheese for Kyra. And barely had enough to buy the cute flower head dress thing I had wanted to get for Kyra. So sadly we weren't able to buy anything else but I think any day trip outing like that shouldn't cost over 40 euro so I was alright with that.

Castle Ruins and part of the show.

More of the castle

Just a door way

A band that was performing!! I felt like I was in GOT

I totally wanted to buy some stuff from this stand!

My Mid Evil Princess!!

This Ladies Costume was so cool, Kyra liked her was just being shy

Men on stilts!

Handmade leather bracelets

The love of my life and I!!

My neighbor was totally enjoying her time!

So was her beautiful daughter!!

Kyra and I had a blast

Old Guard Tower

Few from halfway up forgot to take one at the top top!

Short cut...NOT Stroller friendly

Large church in Oppenheimer

Don't you just love the Rustic feeling of small towns?

Baby girl was worn out from all the fun

Another guard tower this is where we thought it was going to be near...boy were we wrong.

The second fun adventure we went on was also a close to home adventure. Mainz the town just down the road from us was having a Rodeo American. Haha any reason to pull out and dust off the cowboy boots is a good one to me. And since neither Kyra nor our neighbors had been to a rodeo yet we were extremely excited to cowboy up! We went on Sunday when they had all the family stuff out with great booths selling cowboy hats, and "American ice-cream" pretty much anything you would see at a regular rodeo. And they had pony rides for only 1.50 euro!!  So we got Kyra on her first horse!! Starting her our young, and she LOVED it! After running around and getting good and dirty it was time for the show.

For those of you used to the big rodeo's with scores, and competition you would have been a bit disappointed as Dustin and I were. But if it was your first rodeo it was a pretty fun show. It was more for the Germans who don't really know any different and had some very fun bareback riding, bull riding, and pole bending. We only made it to the intermission because it was hot out with no shade cover. And past Kyra's nap time and she was making sure we knew it. But I am glad we left when we did cuz my shoulder and Dustin's newly bald head were both really burned.

Cristina and Lillia Cowboy'd up!!

It may not look like it but she was smiling the whole time!

My loves hanging out in the sunshine

We were having a great time :D

The last fun thing we did was since it was also Fathers day weekend. I thought it was fitting to go to a pretty park on the other side of town, and take some Father + Daughter pictures!! Here are a couple of my favorites along with my favorite from last year!!