Going Away Party #2

Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013

Today Grammy and Grampy went to a super old and cool city, Ulm.  It's about an hour away.  It is the birthplace of Einstein and home to the worlds' tallest church spire!  We have been there during other visits to Germany.  We had some shopping to do so we stayed back.

We went to IKEA which is, of course, a wonderful place.  We shopped and had lunch there.  Brad even had a beer!  We don't see that back home!

We went to the Erath's house for our 2nd party.  (Where else?)  Tonight's attendees were The Millers (Anne's family...Ursula, Anton and Jakob and Anne's boyfriend (!) Chris) and the Papsdorfs (Anja, Soeren and Antonia) and the Danz family (Maria, Thomas and Max).  Maria used to work for KUKA USA and they moved back to Germany 3 or 4 years ago, they couldn't agree :)  They since had a baby!

It was great to see Anne and family again.

Max was flirting with Anne, right in front of Chris!  ;)

Since tomorrow is my birthday, I got a couple of gifts :)  Anne, how is that bread?  LOL!!

Grammy and Ursula

Aw, Max is all bundled up!

I guess Lea missed Thomas!!

Private concert

Anne with Chris and her Dad, Anton

Ursula and Karen, friends for years!

Wii Sing

Aw <3  Lea kept hugging Anne

We miss our Anne!!

Now the concert has pianists!

Me-n-Anja.  Aren't we cute?  Yes, we are!

LOL!  Karen put hats on Soeren and Brad!  Brad saw Soeren's and thought he was wearing a cowboy hat, too.  He didn't get our YMCA jokes until he took the hat off!

Ha!!!

Antonia is multi-talented.  Now she is playing the tambourine!

Rock stars.

Christoph, Jakob, Anne and Lainie playing Just Dance

Hiawatha.  LOL!!!!

Anne's family (hopefully) enjoying the music!

Anne with her parents and Chris.  He didn't smile in the pics, but he was very funny and happy!  (Who wouldn't be happy with Anne?)  We will miss this entire family SO MUCH!!!

So it was time to go.  "I am not going to cry.  I am NOT going to cry."  This is what I said.  I managed to just get a little teary when saying goodbye to Ursula.  But then Anne and Lainie were clinging to each other, crying.  It reminded me of their goodbye back in Michigan, and reminded me that they won't see each other for awhile.  So then I cried.  Udo was kind enough to hand out scratchy paper towels to dry our eyes.  Then Karen was kind enough to replace them with Kleenex!

Good news came on Monday: Anne is taking the day off on Wednesday to spend the day with her "little sister," Lainie.  So they will have to say goodbye again, but they get to be together for a whole day!!

Man, these goodbyes are so hard.  It's so bittersweet...saying goodbye to all these amazing people over here!  But then we get to go home to some different amazing people.  It's an emotional roller coaster, and it makes me tired.

Do NOT get me started on saying goodbye to the Eraths.  I am trying to formulate a plan where I get really dehydrated so I can't cry when it happens.