Bad Bentheim Castle

The first explore of our spring break was the castle in Bad Bentheim. (Well, after the whole Esso adventure, see previous post..)

Despite this being a smaller town the castle is rather large, and I am sure if there was a bit more sun it would be a stunning site as you approached the town. The area surrounding the this town on the Dutch border is very flat, but the castle sits atop a large rocky hill. There is documentation mentioning the fortress as early as 1020. A chapel, an unbelievable tower and exhibits are also on the castle grounds.

Inside the St. Katharin Church, there were some really amazing artifacts inside. But, it was dark so the photos do not do them justice. And, I am not sure how many people outside of my family geek out over things that are this old...

August ran a bit farther ahead on the fortress wall and found this cannon. He was having a blast, issuing commands, firing the cannon and defeating an imaginary army. (until he realized we had caught up to him)

Owen and some armor. He found these really interesting. He was also captivated by the display about wax seals. I have no idea why those in particular caught his attention, but he still wanted to talk about them when we were at lunch.

This tower was impressive. The walls are five and a half meters thick. My guess is that they could survive any attack. The stairs up to the very top were super, super steep. Enough to make Katie want to turn back, but she stuck it out and made it to the second level. The boys went all the way up. The camera didn't. Which is a bummer, because I am sure the view would be amazing (on a clear day, which obviously this wasn't)

This is the portion of the castle where the family lived, but now is a museum. There is another section of the castle where members of the family still live today.

The mosaic tile floors in the entrance were breathtaking. This is just after you walk through the door, and now most of it is covered in carpet but this is a section they put a protective covering over so you could still see the beautiful details.

One of the most interesting things about this castle is how all the details are so different. There was never just one theme repeated throughout. Each door and window was different, but not in a crazy mismatched way. I took pictures of many.. but this post is getting a bit long.

Our last stop at the Bad Bentheim Castle was the carriage house, which still smelled like horses. There were several different styles of carriages, fancy and plain, some with sled tracks and even some with lamps.

Overall, it was a very impressive castle. We always enjoy exploring the castles in Germany, but it seems lately we have been enjoying those who still have people living in them. The castles, which many would call ruins now, are fun. But, those who still have families residing in them, keeping a legacy alive are really special.

Bad Bentheim

Bad Bentheim

Our "Spring Break" plans went through about eighteen different versions, for about as many reasons.. So, we did the modern version of tossing a dart at a map and used our favorite online hotel search engine and found ourselves headed about 3 and half hours North to the town of Bad Bentheim.

Bad Bentheim is a quiet town, and I can assure you, you won't find it in any guidebooks. But, if you are like us and prefer your vacations a little slower, less crowded and with fewer tour groups, it could be the place for you. One of the first things that surprised us as got farther north was the how different it is. The land really flattens out, there are different trees, more deer. We jokingly commented that it reminded us of the midwest. (Though, I haven't seen too many windmills or canals in Ohio and the autobahn was far better..) The homes are generally all brick, with large windows and have larger front yards. They were really beautiful.

We stayed at here:

http://www.roompotparcs.com/holidayparks/552231/ferienresort-bad-bentheim/?referer=ggle&gclid=CP2Wu4udsq8CFYUw3wod3E-vGA

We had a sweet little bungalow all to ourselves. It is so wonderful to have a house, with room for the kids to be kids and a kitchen to make breakfast and dinner in. It also had a fenced backyard and a sauna ('cause we are fancy like that..) They have lots of other locations and we would try them again.

Here is a picture of our little bungalow. (love that word, so fun to say!)

And those across from ours.

More tomorrow on our adventures in the town...

Entschuldigung Sie Bitte, Wo ist der Esso?

One of the perks of being stationed in Germany is we get a discount on our gas at Esso stations. Which is incredibly important, when you are a family of five driving a large Volvo.

Typically, there is an Esso on every corner. Apparently, not so in Bad Bentheim. So, we turned to our trusty Navigator, "Karen". Karen directed us to this , nearest station.

My sense of adventure was not so rich as the Volvo creeped closer to E.

We were laughing, but increasing concerned as the Volvo became covered in mud...

We had a fun time reminiscing about similar off road adventures in Sweden.. Well, at least we were on the road this time, and my German is much better than my Swedish.

Praise the Lord!!!! After much recalculating we could see the red glow of the Esso station and our beloved Volvo was full again. At a price: 83 Euro=$108.85 or for those who are able to use the military discount, $56.

Now, we are off to enjoy the rest of our vacation.

Just Like Mama Used to Make

What's for dinner? Stuffed Peppers, Just Like Mama Used to Make

This cookbook was a fixture in my kitchen as a child. My Mom is a great cook, but I seem to remember a lot of Campbell's Soup in things growing up. I found this cookbook at the Ashville Library during their annual book sale a few years back. I was so tickled to find this, but WHY would anyone let this book go when it is so full of quality recipes?? I have looked on their official website for this recipe, and it is just not the same. The updated recipe uses a microwave.

So, here is the much loved recipe. I got a kick out of a few things in this recipe. "Add shortening if necessary", because there just isn't enough fat in ground beef to begin with... AND applying processed cheese to the tops of the peppers. I can assure you, my Mom used REAL cheese! I had to increase the recipe by a few, we need more than four peppers for our family, and Aaron likes left-overs for his lunches.

Family Size- That's us!

These looked so pretty before they went into the oven.

And so good when they came out! They were a huge hit! The kids loved this new dish, and Aaron and I had a great time nibbling our way down memory lane.

I wonder if my children will ever get a hankering for these.. and will they say, "Just like Mama used to make."?

Felt I had to share this with y'all..

I was in the midst of having a pity party..

cleaning closets + frustration= not good!

So, I heard the ping of an email, and prayed, "Dear God, Please, let this be something to take away these thoughts." It was about time for a devotion I had signed up for to arrive, but it wasn't... It was junk. Well, I kept on flinging things, being ugly and moved onto my dresser drawer where I found a message my grandmother had taped in the dresser when she gave it to my husband and I sixteen years ago.

I said a prayer for you today

And know God must have heard-

I felt the answer in my heart

Although He spoke no word!

I didn't ask for wealth or fame

(I knew you wouldn't mind)-

I asked Him to send treasures

Of a far more lasting kind!

I asked that He'd be near you

At the start of each new day

To grant you health and blessings

And friends to share your way!

I asked for happiness for you

In all things great and small-

But it was for His loving care

I prayed the most of all!

Thanks, Gram! She has been gone a few years now, but still is keeping me on the right path. I don't know where she found this, but the thought that she had surprised us and taped it there still makes me smile. I forget it is there, and seeing it always makes me remember her. This time it brought great big tears to my eyes and lifted a dark ugly cloud and gave me perspective on things that really matter.

This reminded me of the "God Sightings" we did at VBS this summer, and the little rubber bracelets that read, "Look out for God" or something... Just another little reminder, that He is everywhere, and hears my prayers, regardless of how ugly I may be acting or feeling at the time!

THANK YOU GOD!

I'm really good at thanking God for the beauty, still working on thanking Him for the chaos...