I just had the BEST week! My cousins came to visit us – Missy, Ryan, Raea, Braden, Jakob, and Justin. I have not laughed as much as I did this week in a really long time. Missy is my dad’s sister’s daughter. I usually see this crew once a year at our annual Geisler Family Annual Camping Extravaganza (GFACE) every Labor Day weekend. I missed it last year and will miss it again this year. Thankfully they brought a little flavor of the festivities to Germany. So. Much. Fun.

They arrived Sunday morning. We had hoped to go watch Ty and Lily play ball after they got settled, but it was cold, rainy, and they were all pretty exhausted. So we had a chill day instead. We went for a couple walks around the town and castle, some snoozes were snuck in, and we ate dinner at Da Toto.

What kind of hospital is it, Jakob?
Love these ladies!!
Unfortunately the castle wasn’t open but they at least got to see it from outside the gate
The entertainment committee has arrived
Braden paid for his lodging by mowing the lawn

Unfortunately I had to work Monday-Wednesday (wah wah), so I sent them off on their own for some day trips. On Monday they took a tour of Frankfurt (Frankfurt on Foot Walking Tour with Jo). Tuesday they went to Köln to see the Lindt chocolate museum and the Kölner Dom. The cathedral blew their minds – it was definitely a highlight of their week. Wednesday morning Jay arranged a John Deere Mannheim factory tour, then they went down to Heidelberg to see the castle. I finally got to join the fun on Wednesday after work. I met up with them in Heidelberg and we drove down to the Black Forest.

Photobombed by a castle
The chilly weather continued but the boys were able to get a great fire roaring
I spy

Ryan’s ancestors are from Oberhöfen, Switzerland, so we took a day trip on Thursday to explore the area. Twist my arm, I suppose I can go to the Alps for a day….

We took a tour of the Oberhöfen castle (thanks Gabi!). It has been kept up pretty well and is beautiful. I mean, if I had to, I could probably live there.
Glamour shots with Missy

We were actually secretly trying to scope out the best place for THIS to happen:

She said YES!!!!
She might have been in shock.
I can’t handle the cuteness.
We had to tell Raea that no, she could not bring the kitty that witnessed the proposal home with her.
If you were wondering how excited Jakob is to have another brother…
Love
We got a tip from a waiter to go check out the suspension bridge at Sigriswil
The 3 Stooges
I am glad I went on it, but I will not do that again. I’m not afraid of heights, but the movement was nicht zu gut…. I felt like I was drunk and couldn’t walk straight.
Looks like a Bob Ross painting
So I might be the worst mom on the planet. I completely spaced off that Thursday was German Father’s Day. Ty was in the Netherlands with some friends, so Lily and Kaycee saved the day with a complaint-free hike and tacos for dinner.
Friday morning we “hiked” to the Todtnauer Wasserfall, the largest waterfall in Germany. Easy parking, hiking, and beautiful waterfall!
Black Forest Cake
So in love

We spent a few hours in Triberg supporting the local cuckoo clock economy before heading back to Königstein to pack for the return flight to the US.

Ugh. I LOVE having visitors, but I HATE saying goodbye. The week flew by, and I wasn’t ready for them to leave. I am so thankful that they decided to spend their vacation with us. I am thrilled for Raea and Justin and will cherish being able to be a part of their special moment. We packed a LOT into a week, and came away with a lifetime of memories.