Memorial Day and The ErdbeerFest

Things are coming along nicely in the Bingham household and our place is starting to feel more like a home. It's amazing what a few pictures and some curtains will do to a place. The last big project to tackle is organizing the obscene amount of clothing and shoes between the two of us. Oh, by the way, we don't technically have closets. They put some wardrobe units in our second "bedroom" and it's taking some serious organizational skills to make it work. But if anyone knows how to organize a closet, it's me.

On to things more exciting - we had a big barbecue with all of the neighbors for Memorial Day. Sure, we're one of three families out of about twenty that doesn't have kids, it was still a lot of fun. And as far as I'm concerned, Stella is our kid. We kicked the rugrats off of the ping pong table and had a tournament that Brad, of course, won. HOWEVER, let the record show that he was almost beat...by me! That's right, I came the closest I ever have in over 4 years to beating Brad, the Ping Pong Champ. Unfortunately, I lost 26 - 24.

Tired puppy...if Dad goes anywhere, she's going to know about it.

In addition to Memorial Day, it was also the Erdbeer Festival in Mainz. Erdbeer, is that a tasty beverage, you might ask. Not quite, erdbeer means strawberry and with strawberry fields all over this city, it's kind of a big deal. Carnival rides, games, and a lot of specialty vendors. Great cheeses, sausages, wines, and of course strawberries. We took home some fancy olives, capers, and couple different types of sausages. Delicious! And last but not least, a crepe filled with Nutella and topped off with Grand Marnier. One word - sinful.

In other exciting news, Brad bought himself a car. Who would have thought he'd already own a BMW? Don't get too excited. It's what people around here call a beater beamer. It's sole purpose is to get Brad to and from work and that's what it does. No frills, no bells and whistles but it's just what he needed.

Haha! Just kidding! This is Steve's car...the one the movers dropped the dolly on.

Here she is with her proud new owner

As for me, I've started cooking more and trying different things. I enjoy it a lot and I haven't had any complaints from Brad either. I've become a FoodNetwork.com junkie and unpacking all of my old cookbooks was like Christmas all over again. So if you have a good recipe you think we'd like, send it my way.

Panko Crusted Salmon with an Alfredo Risotto and Sauteed Brussel Sprouts...tasty!

Last but not least, my beautiful mother is getting married in 5 short weeks! I am so excited to see her and my family, I can hardly stand it! In the meantime, Brad and I have some serious work to do before we're beach ready. (It's about time we cut back on the schnitzel anyway and Stella is old enough to take running now so we have no excuses.) It's going to be an amazing week and I'm counting down the days. I miss you, Mom.