Global Giving...

I recently came across this website, and it has quickly become one of my favorites! It's called GlobalGiving.org. Basically, the site connects you to a wide variety of grassroots charity projects that are working to make a change around the world. The site gives you a brief explanation of each project and the work that needs to be done... You simply decide which project matches your interests and make a tax-deductible donation to the organization of your choice. Global Giving ensures that at least 85% of your donation is on the ground within 60 days, and it has an immediate impact. After you donate, you then get regular updates about the project that you donated to.

The thing that I really like about this website, is that it has a world wide focus, as compared to being country specific. It gives you the opportunity to donate to organizations in the U.S., Europe, Africa, the Middle East, etc. I typically try to donate to the organizations in the U.S., but oftentimes I find projects in other countries that pull on my heartstrings and I can't help but to donate to.

Most recently, I found a project located in the Ukraine for the victims of Chernobyl. Because of the high amounts of radiation still in that part of the country, many children are diagnosed with different types of cancer at young ages. I recently found a program that designs weekly art-therapy lessons for the children suffering from cancer in an effort to bring positive emotions, and most importantly hope, to them while they're in the hospital. The project is called "Healing Smiles for Children with Cancer". That donation was actually my dad's birthday present... I donated to the organization in his honor... :)

That's also a benefit of the site. You can make donations in honor of others... It's a great idea for birthdays and holidays. I mean, instead of buying things for people that they might not use or that they probably don't need, why not donate money to help those around the world that are truly in need? Not only are you helping others, but it makes you feel pretty darn good as well... It's like the gift that keeps on giving! :)

I'll get off my soapbox now, and let you decide for yourself! :) If you're interested in learning more about this organization, click here for more information... I highly suggest checking it out! It's a great cause and it's something that you can feel good about doing! :)

Oh, and for those of you that would prefer to donate to more education related organizations, check this site out... It's called DonorsChoose.org. You can donate to classrooms in need, all over the U.S., to help students receive a better education! :)

It's Carnevale Time!!

Ok, so I digress... It's not actually Carnevale (Carnival in English) time like the title of my post suggests. But, it certainly does feel a little Carneval-y (is that even a word?! :)) around here now that I'm the proud owner of this beauty! :)

That's my brand new Carnevale mask from Venice! Isn't she gorgeous?! :)

For all of you that may be feeling slightly unsure as to what I'm rambling on about, let me try to explain. Venice, Italy is the home to the Carnevale di Venezia, which is an annual festival that is held during the two weeks before Ash Wednesday and ends on Fat Tuesday... Basically, it's their version of Mardi Gras. (But, I have to admit, it appears to be a much more classier event than ours is. :)). Carnevale originally began as a means of celebration and expression throughout the social classes of Italy. Wearing masks during this time enabled the citizens to celebrate with all classes of people, without being discriminated against based on their class. Because of this, it is a time-honored tradition to wear masks at Carnevale. And, the more elaborate the mask, the better! :)

While wandering through Venice this summer, we came across many little shops that sold Carnevale masks. My favorites were the tiny shops in which you could watch the masks being made. After strolling through numerous stores and witnessing the masks being made, Brian and I decided that a Venetian Carnevale mask would be the perfect souvenir from Venice. (Just an FYI... Whenever Brian and I travel, we always try to find something that is specific to that particular place to bring back with us. Instead of buying cheap trinkets at all of these places, we try to find things that have meaning to us.... Hence, our desire to buy a Venetian mask! :)) Throughout the rest of our stay in Venice, we searched for the perfect mask... However, as the end of the day drew nearer and the shops were all closing, we realized that our favorite masks were at one of the first stores we stopped in... And, shall I remind you of how lost we were in Venice?! :) Well, by that time, we had no idea where the shop was, so alas, we left Venice with no mask. :(

Well, as luck might have it, our friend, John, requested to go to Venice during his trip here... And, during that trip, Brian went on a mission to find the perfect mask to bring home for me!! (I literally have the sweetest husband ever! :))... Needless to say, he did an awesome job of picking it out!! He found a little shop where he was able to watch the owner making the masks, and the one he picked had just been given its final touches. I think it's absolutely gorgeous! :)

For me, the best part is that years from now, we'll be able to look at the mask hanging on the wall in our house, and remember all of the fabulous experiences we had over here! :)

For those of you that are curious and eager to learn more about Carnevale, click here for additional photos and information... Enjoy! :)

Happy Birthday, Dad!!

Happy Birthday to my wonderful dad!! :)

When I was a little girl, you were always my hero. You always had a way of making me laugh when I was sad, helping to make everything better when it wasn't going so well, saying exactly what I needed to hear when I needed to hear it, and no matter what, you always made me feel as if I was the queen of the world and that I could accomplish anything I set my mind to. I want you to know how grateful I am to you for being such a wonderful dad! You have always been there for me, teaching and guiding along the way, and I truly appreciate that! And, I can honestly say, that no matter how old I get, you'll always be my hero! :)

I hope you have a wonderful birthday!! I wish I was there to celebrate with you!! I'm sending lots of love and birthday wishes across the ocean to you!! I love you, Dad!!

Dee's Visit...

As you know, I've mentioned that we had quite a few visitors during the months of September and October... Our third visitor was our friend, John... He was quite excited about his trip to Europe, so, again, we tried to cram as much into his two week vacation as possible!! :)

We showed him around the lake that we live on...

He saw Neuschwanstein Castle...

(That was also a very ambitious day for us... John's goal was to get to both Neuschwanstein Castle and Dachau Concentration Camp in the same day... We managed to do it, but it was definitely quite an undertaking... Whew! :))

John with Neuschwanstein behind him...

The view from the castle...

Had to get a pic with him to commemorate my second trip to the castle in two weeks! :)

John actually was quite fortunate in that his trip fell at exactly the same time as Oktoberfest in Munich... Coincidence?! :) So, he was able to fully experience Oktoberfest while he was here... Not such a bad deal for him, huh?! :) (No worries... There will be more to come regarding our Oktoberfest celebration in Munich! :))

After our Oktoberfest weekend in Munich, Brian headed south of the border with John, where they were able to explore Venice for a couple of days. Meanwhile, I had to stay home to work (as well as to have a little break from being a tour guide for a couple of days! :))... According to them, they had a great time in Venice! Here's a quick recap of their trip...

Venice at night...

Nightly music in Piazza San Marco...

Piazza San Marco at night...

Gorgeous!

A view of the top of the Basilica San Marco...

John with Basilica San Marco in the distance...

Venice streets (especially those located close to the canals) are known to flood during the winter... Here you can see where the water has already started to rise... Yikes!!

Inside the Basilica San Marco...

John with the Chiesa di San Giorgio Maggiore in the distance...

Typical Venice... Love it! :)

Italian wine... YUM!! :)

On the way back to Germany, the boys opted to take the pass over the mountains, as opposed to the tunnel through the mountains... What a view!!

Snowball fight!! :)

Back in Germany for the last few days of his trip, John got to experience Lindau... Such a charming little city! :)

The view of Lindau from the top of the lighthouse...

Thanks for visiting, John!! We hope you had a fabulous vacation!! :)

Please Follow the Orange Umbrella... :)

While Brian's parents were visiting, we tried to show them as much of our area as we possibly could... Not only do we live in one of the prettiest places in Germany, but the area also has so much to offer. So, we did our very best to cram as much as possible into their 2 week stay with us! :)

We showed them around the cute little town that we live in... :)

They were able to experience the beautiful church of Birnau...

We strolled through the city of Munich...

And, of course, a trip to Munich wouldn't be complete without a stop at the Hofbrauhaus...

... to sample a masse (or 2) of tasty German beer! :) Prost!!

We also had an overlap of visitors during Brian's parents' visit... My aunt and uncle stopped in for a visit, before heading off on their Rhein River Cruise. So, they were able to join in on all of the sightseeing as well! :)

(On a sidenote: The following pictures are actually from our picture archive. Being that I was more focused on being the best tour guide I could be during everyone's visit, I completely forgot about taking pictures. Add to that, the fact that everyone else had a camera and was busy snapping away during all of our "tour stops", I figured that I'd be able to simply "borrow" some of theirs! :) Hint, hint!! So, if you guys are reading this, feel free to send some pictures of the trip our way as we don't have too many of our own! :))

One of our "tour stops" was in the city of Meersburg... This is by far one of my favorite towns around the lake we live on! It's so colorful and it has such a German feel to it! :) And, to be quite honest, it's considered one of the "favorite" stops amongst all of our visitors! :)

Downtown Meersburg...

Meersburg Castle is considered one of the oldest castles in Germany, having been built in the 7th century!

The following day we took a trip to the Neuschwanstein Castle in Fussen... This is the castle that Walt Disney modeled Cinderella's Castle after! :)

The rear view of the castle...

The view from inside the castle... Gorgeous!

On our way home from Neuschwanstein, we drove past this gorgeous little lake... So, of course, we had to stop for a photo op and to soak up the amazing view!! :)

Could you imagine waking up to that view every morning?! Wow!!

The following day we split into two groups... I took my aunt and uncle to the city of Lindau... From this city, it's possible to see three different countries... Germany, Austria, and Switzerland! :) What a beautiful day it was, and we had such a wonderful time wandering through the city! :)

Sherri and Mike enjoying the view of Lindau! :)

Meanwhile, Brian took his parents to the charming town of Stein am Rhein, located in Switzerland...

Julie and Richard enjoying their stroll through the town...

The entrance to the town...

Looks like autumn is quickly approaching! :)

After their stroll through the town, Brian took them for a hike in Switzerland...

Taking a break... :)

One of the many waterfalls to be seen on the hike! :)

What a view! :)

This picture makes me smile! :)

A father and son moment... :)

So pretty! :)

Overall, we had such a great time showing everyone around!! We love having visitors and we truly enjoy being able to show people where we're currently living and what our life is like in Germany!! It's such an amazing experience to be over here, and it makes us so happy to be able to share it with our family and friends!! :)

So, thank you to Julie and Richard for a wonderful visit!! And, thank you to Aunt Sheri and Uncle Mike too! Here's hoping that you all had a wonderful German experience! :) We hope you had as much fun as we did! :)

(Oh, and for those of you that are unsure about the title of this post... I sometimes felt like a tour guide during those couple of weeks. :) So, as all tour guides do, I began carrying an orange umbrella with me... And, when I wanted everyone to follow me, I would simply hold it up in the air and start walking! :) As a joke, of course! :))