First Stop

Today is July 5th- we are just a few days into our European adventure. It's been a lovely trip so far, however it's felt very close to home. We started the trip by flying into Frankfurt, Germany to visit my old neighbors and close family friends the Scoggins. It's been 5 years now since they left their home on Sherwood Road, and spending a couple of days with them after all this time was great. The three kids, Hannah, Mason and Dustan are all quite a bit older and much more mature than I remember them being (time is a funny thing, huh?). When I last saw them, Hannah and Mason (who then went by Andrew) were still kids- always full of energy (sometimes too much!) and very goofy. Now they've grown into adorable young adults.

Hannah turned 14 years old yesterday, and is officially taller than me AND her mom! It's incredible how much she has changed. I knew her as the crazy little girl I used to babysit, and now all the sudden I consider her a friend! She was the family member that we spent the most time with. She showed us the town, we went out to ice cream together, painted nails, etc. She was super sweet and seemed genuinely very happy to host us. I'm so happy to have created a stronger bond with her!

Mason (also known as "Andrew--- I MEAN MASON!!!") has also grown up quite a bit. It feels like just yesterday that I was going into my sophomore year of high school and now all the sudden, I feel like he's catching up to me!!! 15 years old?! How did those years go so fast? Mason is an extraordinary kid. He has a very artistic eye- always looking to snap cool pictures or videos. Katrina tells me he's quite the little movie maker, and I trust that his movies are excellent... He's a natural. He's also into music. Every once in a while he'll just pull out a guitar and play something, and anything he plays is beautiful. He's a very sweet and polite kid with a great sense of humor.

And wow, where to begin with the little one? The last time I saw Dustan he was a mere two years old. I remember the day little Dusty was born! I watched him learn to crawl, I saw him grow his first baby teeth, I used to crawl around and play with toy cars on the carpet with him. Of course, he was too young to remember me, but I remember young Dusty clear as day! I loved my little ginger baby neighbor. I remember holding him the day the Scoggins moved from Bexley, kissing his head, not knowing if I would ever see that little boy again. And now, here we are, 5 years later, and baby Dusty isn't such a baby anymore. He's a little 7 year old boy now- he jumps on trampolines and plays board games! He's begun to lose those baby teeth that I remember watching him grow, because what need does he have for them now?! He's not a baby anymore- he needs his big boy teeth! I thought that Hannah and Mason had more personality than they used to, but WOW Dustan is practically a different person (not to mention he's fluent in German now too)! I missed those years where he gained more of a personality and skipped right ahead to age 7, where his personality is in full form! He is a very sweet and polite, loving, goofy boy. Unfortunately, only two days before we arrived, Dustan slipped when climbing down from the trampoline and split his elbow, in the same spot as he had a couple of years ago, and he had to go into emergency surgery. He was discharged from the hospital the day that we arrived, but the poor kid was in a lot of pain. His whole arm was in a cast and it had to be elevated at all times. Anytime he would walk around, he would have to hold his broken arm with his other hand, and very simple activities such as standing up off the couch, or buckling into his booster seat became difficult for him. Even though he was in a lot of pain and was devastated about all of the fun things he was missing out on because of his injury, he was a little trooper. He barely complained, and he still made an effort to play with us and enjoy our company. When we went out to dinner last night, I helped him climb into his booster seat, gently holding his cast while he climbed in, then buckling his seat belt best we could. He called out to Katrina in the front seat, "Mom look, Caroline is starting to get the hang of it!" and all the sudden, all I could think about were the days I used to sit and play with him as a baby, saying "Dusty, say 'Caroline!'" and now here we are, chatting like buds! All I wanted was just to hold him in my arms the way I used to, but he's too big now.. It's funny how time works like that.

These three lovely kids were such good company, as were the parents that raised them. Chris and Katrina are such a wonderful couple. The last time that I saw them, I was too young to have real, sophisticated conversations with them, but this time was different. We had such great conversations- from college, to travels, to language, to music, and everything in between! I remember loving them as a kid, but now being with them as a young adult, I have an even greater appreciation for them. I understand so much better now why my parents chose them as best friends. They are sophisticated but yet still fun, they have so many incredible experiences under their belt, there is always something to learn from them. They have such young spirits, and they know how to laugh. They were great hosts- cooking an cleaning for us, going above and beyond to make us comfortable. But what really made them such awesome hosts was that I could see in their eyes how genuinely happy they were to have us there. We sat around the dinner table, reminiscing on old memories from Sherwood Road for hours! We brought them back to Bexley, Ohio, even if just for a couple days, and I could tell that they were as happy to remember Bexley as we were to explore Frankfurt.

The highlight of our stay in Frankfurt was last night. Germany played against France in the quarterfinals of the World Cup. We all went out to dinner at an Irish pub in the center of their town to watch the game. The whole square was filled with excited fans wearing the German colors, holding flags, etc. It was so fun, and when Germany won it was crazy!!! The walk back to their house was so fun. Almost every car that drove down the street was covered in German flags and they would hold down their horns when they saw us. We would wave our flag and scream!! Everyone walking around seemed so proud to be German- it was awesome to see! When we got back to the house, Chris pulled out a bunch of little firecrackers and sparklers and we had some great family time. I held Dustan's broken arm as he threw firecrackers, Hannah, Liz and I twirled around sparklers and Mason took some great pictures. It was definitely the most German- and one of the very best- 4th of Julys that I've ever had!

Our visit with the Scoggins was a great way to start our trip, and I feel so grateful to have such an incredible family that I know is always waiting for me with open arms on the other side of the world.