Palmengarten, Frankfurt

A few weekends ago, Josh dragged me to had the wonderful suggestion that we go to the Palmengarten in Frankfurt. I am, by no stretch of the imagination, an outdoorsy person. I like climate control and I dislike bugs. To say that I was less than thrilled at the idea of spending the afternoon strolling gardens   and becoming one with nature, would be an understatement. That being said, it was fantastic. The weather was perfect. I'm not sure I've ever experienced weather that nice in Virginia. I would actually recommend a trip to these gardens to any nature enthusiast or just someone looking for a nice spot to read a book or tan. We even saw a wedding about to start amongst the expansive rose garden.

Things to do in within the gardens include:

• Take a paddle boat around the lake and feed the water fowl-they aren't shy

• Relax and enjoy a good book on one of the provided chairs in the large greenspace 

• Let the kids hang out on one of the multiple playgrounds, or splash at the splash park

• Take a train ride around the park

• Enjoy lunch amongst the flora at the park's restaurant 

• Walk through a tropical "jungle" 

• Stroll the rose garden

We came out of the park to find that a very skilled smart car had executed this fine parking job. Oh Europe, you're so silly.

The Winds Of Change Are Blowing....

Image via Pinterest

Big change, because big things are happening. As our summer comes to an end, we are getting prepared for a host of new things to start.  The kids will be heading back to school the last week of August, which is normal. What is new is that I will be heading back to school myself in a few weeks. It has been quite a few years since I've been a student, so I'm a little apprehensive going into things. But, I have no doubt that my family will help me get through. And bonus--because I have transfer credits, I'm already 1/3 of the way to my degree!

In addition to tackling school, I've signed on to be the head coach of Little J's cheer squad. Never mind the fact that I have only one season of assistant coaching experience. Youtube and Google are my friends. So, if you're a parent of my future team, please have patience with me. If it looks like I have no idea what I'm doing, it's because I don't. But I really care, and I'm trying!

I'm also heading up a committee for Little J's school PTO. It's a position that allows me to exercise a little creativity, but it is kind of important for me to present to a lot of school functions. To say that I have a lot going on this fall would be an understatement. I'm really excited to tackle these things head on, and I couldn't ask for a better support system!

As much as I love being a cheerleader for all my favorite people (and I love it a LOT!), I want to give everyone a reason to cheer me on for a while!