Garmisch Retreat

In a word - wonderful !!!

The Edelweiss Resort is cozy and has amazing views near the base of the Bavarian Alps. Not as impressive as the Rocky Mtn's ( THESE Alps are smaller), but beautiful, nevertheless. My favorite thing was all the people in the bright colored parachutes paragliding from the top all the way down to the trees. Paragliding is basically where you just strap on a 'chute turn into the wind and let it carry you off the mountain. You have to go to a school first, but I SO want to do that before we leave here!!!

Anyway...back to the story....

I followed April down on Friday morning and we arrived early enough to hit the town area before we had to be checked in. There was a great little Markt going on , but I decided to save the shopping for Saturday. 5 kids + road trip = bad timing...

Once we arrived and got checked in - The kids went off to swim a bit while the Moms unpacked and got settled. Friday night we got a bit of a break from the kids and a brief get -together with the Group . Unfortunately, April's baby became ill and ended up in the local German ER. Twinz and Mom were tired, so we stayed in our room and watched movies.

Morning came all too soon, and it was off to breakfast to get everyone fed before sending the big kids off to Kids Club, and Owen to childcare. Then it was off to an interesting 2 hr Group session. Didn't learn anything new - of all the women there, Steven has apparently been gone the most....Wish that meant that he could just stay home now, but unfortunately talk has already turned to the next *potential* vacation... Just ONCE - I'd like to have him home from one vacation before getting notice of another. Just... once....

Anyway, Our plan for a Mom's only afternoon hit the bricks when April decided to go back home - Baby Jack was sick and she was stressing ,instead of relaxing. Soooo....I had all that time to myself and conditions were PERFECT for an afternoon nap (cool, drizzly,quiet) - but I HAD to sleep that night if I was going to make the drive back on Sunday, so started my favorite iTunes list on my laptop, grabbed my magazines and sat on the patio enjoying the incredible view...And if you know me at all, you know that cool and rainy + cloud covered mountains is just about heaven for me. I started missing Kailey and Colby, though...

The kids had a good time at the theme park ( Grimm's Fairytaleland) - 1st time to go somewhere like that without Mommy and Daddy, and - Oh yeah - the Club chaperons put them in groups and let them be by themselves....Did NOT know that ahead of time, but all's well that ends well, I guess. April and her crew hit the road, which was sad for us, but I think she was glad to be going. Something was definitely wrong with Jack...

That evening the three of us had an early, quiet dinner and then went back to our room to rest a bit. Then we went downstairs so the kids could swim. EVERYONE was down there, so the Twinz had a great time! I even had a good time - some of the other wives introduced themselves and talked me into the hot pool outside and we had a blast - even when it started pouring down rain! Nearing 11PM, Colby actually dozed off as I was gliding around the pool with him so we stopped off at the snack bar for a late snack and then it was off to bed.

AND.....I.....SLEPT!!!! aaahhhhh...wow.... I can't ,honestly, remember the last time I slept thru the night.

Sunday morning was warm, if overcast, so the kids and I checked out and decided to go for it - A trip to the Zugspitze. The highest Alpine point in Germany... It was just a short trip from our hotel to the bahnhof that would take us up to the Zugspitzeplatte ( the base camp, of sorts)...

But that story is for the next blog. :D

*Blog Update* Since I mentioned he was sick... April's baby, Jack? Poor angel - he ended up being that 1% of kids that actually GOT the measles from his MMR shot. Also , it turns out April's nephew had died in an accident on Thursday night ,as well....It was just meant to be that April went home early.