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Berlin, Germany

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Carter & Ammon at the Brandenburg Gate

Berlin Wall

The Infamous, Check-Point Charlie, Berlin

If there is one thing I can say about Berlin, Germany, it’s that I need to get to know it better. Our two days there was nice, but I did not see and experience enough of the city. I really enjoyed our location at the Novotel Hotel. It was right beside a train station that went to major, Berlin locations, and it was ½ block from one of the stops of the Berlin Hop-On/Hop-Off Sight Seeing Bus Tours.

We did not get to experience a lot of the history, but the people seemed friendly enough, and getting around was very easy. One thing that we really appreciated was the airline Air Berlin. If you ever need a European Airline either in or out of Germany, this airline is relatively inexpensive, gives good, respectful service, and it serves both beverages and food!! We used Air Berlin from Berlin to Copenhagen.

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Prague, Czech Republic

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Astronomical Clock (Installed in 1410!): Prague

Wenceslas Square: Prague, Czech Republic

The Whole Crew and Prague : Thursday June 21, 2012

From June 20 until June 23, we were in Prague, Czech Republic. It was just 3 days, but it was just enough to have that “we want to return here” feeling. It was a great experience.

The Old Town Square where our hotel was located was PERFECT. We highly recommend the Old Town Hotel and Residence. The suite we had a combination of traditional (two Bohemian crystal chandeliers hanging from the 15 feet ceilings) and contemporary (the bathroom furnishings were so cool) furnishings.

Our hotel was one block from a Starbuck’s, 200 yards from the Hard Rock Prague, one block from excellent shopping, and a 5 minute walk to St. Wenceslas Square. Yes, it bears the name of the King of Bohemia who is in the beautiful Christmas carol “Good King Wenceslas”. This square had EVERYTHING: hotels, restaurants, souvenir shops, and so much more.

The architecture of the city seemed to have 1,000 years of styles blending together to make such a picturesque character.

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Bavaria, Germany/Don’t Eat at Woerner’s Cafe in Munich

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Ammon, Carter, & Nana at Neuschwanstein: June 19, 2012

Ammon & Carter at the Munich Glockenspiel: June 20, 2012

Munich, Neuschwanstein, and the horrific Woerner’s Café.

Welcome to Beautiful Bavaria, readers! The Caylor-Brown European Vacation of 2012 began with Bavaria, Germany. It was my 3rd time (1984, 2006, and 2012) to Bavaria but Carter and Ammon’s 1st.

Unlike the snow covered, charming, laid-back feeling from February of 2006, we found a busy, bustling, rainy, and humid Munich this time. The sites were beautiful as always, but the people seemed edgy and not as friendly this time.

None the less, Ammon and Carter had a great time. The Comfort Inn where we stayed was decent and with a good breakfast. Downtown was pleasant to walk through. We had a traditional German dinner at the aesthetically pleasing (excellent provincial interior decorating) Ratskeller Restaurant, and we enjoyed strolling through the Munich streets.

For a month we had been building Ammon and Carter’s schema for Neuschwanstein castle, and we told Ammon that it looked like Cinderella’s Castle. They really enjoyed the exterior of the castle but not too much of the inside. However, their favorite interior section was King Ludwig II’s Faux Grotto.

I rarely write a NEGATIVE comment in our blogs, but if you are in Munich on Marienplatz in the same square as the Ratskeller and the glockenspiel, we recommend that you do not eat or drink at the Woerner’s café. Allow me to explain why….
Sean and I needed about 15 minutes to buy a few souvenirs, so we bought Ammon, Carter, and Nana an $8 cup of strawberry ice cream from Woerner’s Café, and sat them under a Woerner umbrella in the square. It was 2:00 in the afternoon, and the lunch crowd was thinning out. Sean and I left to buy souvenirs, and we returned 30 minutes later.

As we approched, we could see that the outside tables were practically empty, and Nana was flustered. A Woerner waiter had asked Nana (seated with the Woerner ice cream cup in plain sight) to leave, and when Nana did not leave, the waiter brought the manager out. The male, bully manager publically humiliated our 73 year old Nana with two 3 year olds, and told her to leave. She did not. I went to the manager and said, “You should be ashamed making a grandmother and two children leave your café while they are eating your ice cream.”, and I turned away. He said, “The ice cream is a carry out, and I’m not ashamed!” As we left, the nark waiter, said in a loud voice, “Go home!”. We exited with pleasure.

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I found Daddy! LOL

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dual-memorial-day-2012-4Daddy's Birthday

MaryLou Caylor, Oliver Haven Caylor, & William Haven Caylor (Daddy H)
March 1982

We were in this 30 year old picture that was in a 30 year old wallet of mine! Woo hoo! Well, there he is. He was 42 years old in this picture. He was quite heavy, and 6 feet 4 inches tall (I know God played a “short joke” on me). We were so blessed to have this picture. We had never before had a family picture.God is great!
This was taken about 10 weeks before he died on May 28, 1982.

The links at the VERY TOP of the blog are more about Daddy.

The majority of you all never met my father, but I wanted you all to see him. He was AWESOME! Happy Tuesday, everyone.

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Head Shaving for Pediatric Cancer

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Chattanoggins: June 10, 2012

If any of my family ever has cancer (Mamaw is a 13 year survivor of Breast Cancer), goes through chemotherapy, and loses hair, I want Carter and Ammon to look back and see that it’s okay to be bald and “different” especially when you are battling a disease.

Carter hasn’t been too happy with my hair cut and has told me so several times, but Ammon has been supportive with hugs and kisses and rubbing my head “for luck”. It was also a cool thing to give a donation to the Children’s Hospital of Chattanooga.

Hoping and praying that all is well in your worlds this Monday, and I am sending up prayers for those who are battling cancer or know someone who is battling cancer. Haven and the Crew

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Diving Board:

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Ammon: June 8, 2012 Friday

 

 

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Carter: June 8, 2012 Friday

Well, folks. We have a few differences from the summer of 2011 (https://havensideals.wordpress.com/2011/07/18/summer-fun-carter-ammon-swimming/)

1)No water wings

2)Jumping into 9ft of water instead of 3ft. of water

3)Doing some great dog-paddling with some “circle”/breast strokes and some “windmill” freestyle.

Our friend Marnie Rodgers said something to the effect of “It’s one less thing to worry about.”, meaning that Ammon and Carter have conquered a fear of the water, are learning to swim and dive responsibly, and we’ve given them a gift that cannot be taken away.

We will always be cautious and respectful of ANY body of water, but we will know we can float, try to have fun, and yet save ourselves if necessary.

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Sophie Catches Lightening Bugs

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Now, if you are familiar with the blog, you know I think Ammon and Carter are the cutest things on earth…LOL
However, you all also know how much I love dogs, and I think they are cute too!

On Sunday evening (June 3, 2012), Carter and Ammon were alternating playing Freeze Tag and Catch the Lightening Bugs. We were having a BLAST. I had noticed Sophie, our female dachshund, ambling around our legs, but I really wasn’t watching her closely. However, I stopped unfreezing children, and scooping lightening bugs long enough to watch Sophie. She, as well, had started chasing the lightening bugs! She would then stop, look up in the air, wait for a light to flash, then start again. I laughed and laughed. Sophie is almost 7 years old, and I had never seen her do that. I have also have MANY dogs in my lifetime (hmmmm, I’d say 43 years of catching lightening bugs with dogs around me), and I do not remember ANY dogs catching lightening bugs.
Cute stuff, I tell ya! Happy Monday everyone

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Central Park

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Watch out for the Monster Bubble, Carter & Ammon!

Central Park Carousel: May 7, 2012

If you have frequented Central Park in New York City, you know its uniqueness. We always find something/someone interesting. Several years ago, Ammon and Carter simply played with a little boy and his professional nanny. That doesn’t happen too often here in the Chattanooga parks. There have been all sorts of street performers, musicians, and, of course the playgrounds, ponds, and other attractions. We absolutely had to return to our favorite carousel. We also were entertained by a “professional” bubble blower. The bubbles were HUGE and awesome.

Weather permitting, we always love going to Central Park during our vacations in Manhattan.

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Carter & Ammon’s Summer Cookin’

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Ammon and Carter enjoying the “fruits of their labor”: May 29, 2012

Our first batch of summer cookies

Ammon’s “A”, and Carter’s “C”

For me, I have to plan Carter and Ammon’s educational activities just like I make lesson plans for school.
On Tuesday, we read preschool books on A’s (Ammon), and C’s (Carter). After reading the books, I had some flour and water (homemade dough) so we could practice making dough-letters. After making A’s and C’s with our practice dough, we switched to our cookie dough. Carter and Ammon made A’s and C’s (Carter threw in a circle, and I made an H).

While Carter and Ammon ate lunch, their cookies baked. We then played in the sprinklers while the cookies cooled. After sprinkler time, Ammon and Carter iced their letters then ate the “fruits of their labor”. Great way to start their summer break!

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Dual Memorial Day 2012

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Dual Purpose Memorial Day

To our Soldiers Past, Present, and Future:

Words cannot say “Thank you!” enough to our service men and women from the past, present, and future. There have been many of my family members who have fought for the colonies, fought for both the Union and the Confederacy, fought in World War I, and served in World War II, and we have several who have served in peace time as well. Both of these men are dead, but my Granddaddy (Troy Caylor) was drafted into the Army in the spring of 1945, did not do combat (praise the Lord), but helped in the United State’s Japanese occupation from 1945-1946. His brother-in-law, Charles Kirk, was drafted earlier in World War II, entered the Navy, and served on the now famous-floating museum, the Intrepid .

My May 28 Memorial Day

I had mixed emotions on Sunday evening. I could not decide what to write for Memorial Day 2012 because it was a unique day. I chose to write about Memorial Day 2012 the day after the holiday. 

This year’s Memorial Day was May 28. It’s a national holiday. My family and I have another “memorial day” on May 28: The anniversary death of my father. Yesterday, my father died 30 years ago. My goodness, it was 30 years ago! I can still hear him talk, hear him laugh, and call my name. For years, I dreamed about him, and he still appears in my dreams but not as frequently. One positive thing about a parent dying young (he was 42) and unexpectedly is that the parent is always “ageless” and frozen in time. I did not have to see my father become old, suffer from any disease, lose his memory, or lose his physical strength. Until the day I die or lose MY memory, he will be my 42 year old father. As I’ve said before, I don’t feel sad for myself, because I had a wonderful father, and we had a great relationship (NO REGRETS), but I do wish Ammon and Carter could experience his grandfatherly love, sense of humor, Christian love, and love of life. However, I’m glad our Papa Caylor Angel can see us in heaven.