Die Kirche

We have been averaging about 4 churches a day in the cities that we have been visiting and today we went to one of our favorite ones. We went to a church service of our church. We were a little bit late because we ran across town to the Olympic stadium of the 1972 Summer Olympics.

The only seat was the second row. We sat next to a nice lady who knew a bit of English and helped entertain Caroline with very cool German coloring books. We didn't understand one word, but sure could feel the message of their talks.

I had hoped that I would have served my mission for my church in Germany or Austria and spent the first 6 months of my mission in North Dakota thinking I was in the wrong place (only later in the last month of my mission to meet the missionary who had taught my father 15 years earlier) so being here was just pretty awesome for me. We didn't stay the last two hours even though we had to drag out Annie Kate who wanted to stay. this was the first chruch we had to drag her out of all week.

It was fun taking Annie Kate to the Olympic Pool after her swimming extravaganza this summer. The 1972 Olympics were memorable for many reasons. It was the year of the Munich Massacre, which I learned more about today. It was also the year Mark Spitz set a world record and won 7 Gold medals, so to see this pool was pretty awesome to see.

We have had a hard time finding milk outside of the commissary. I guess it is ultra pasteurized here and so it does not need to be refrigerated, so it is warm. It looks like white water and my girls won't drink it. McDonalds has saved the day with their milk. Today we got the coolest straw with it. It is a plastic straw that has chocolate bead like things trapped in the top and the bottom. The milk filters through and then becomes chocolate milk. This way they carry white milk and then you only use the straw if you want chocolate milk. It is awesome. My girls loved it. I really need to stop by one before we leave and see if I can buy a bunch. They had a out door McCafe that had beautiful flower boxes and wrought iron tables and chairs. Europe can even make McDonald's look chic.

Here I am in the Markplatz in Munich today. I am realizing I have about 6 photos documenting that I have made this trip and need to work on that for the next week. And all the photos are an arms length away (thanks Lelly for making Self Portraits cool)

Jeff planning our next move thanks to Rick Steve's

It was a tiring day and I appreciated Michelle's comments about the fact my kids are doing a ton and that might explain the "quick to cry" behavior. Jeff and I even got pretty tired today and looked forward to relaxing back at the home front. All the stores were closed today, which squashed my dream of buying the $30 Birkenstocks in the store window.

Off to Switzerland tomorrow to an amazing part of the world that has no cars. We have to leave our car behind at the base of the mountains and take the train to the hotel. I think Jeff will find his heaven on earth there, as this will week will mark our 13th wedding anniversary, it will be a great place to be... even with the little ones along.

Munich photos, at least as many as I could upload