A 'Rona Hike to Rapunzel's Tower

Because of the Coronavirus, the current law restricts travel to 30 km from our place of residence.  We found a really neat hike in Kaiserslautern, just 23 km from our house.  We called it the Rapunzel Tower hike, because when the kids saw a picture of the tower, they said it must be her tower because it looks just like it.  Finding parking was super easy because there is an open parking lot right next to the trail head.  The hike was labeled ingeniously by painting a picture of the tower on trees to show the correct direction.  It was a beautiful day and perfect weather for hiking.  At the start of the hike in the shade of the trees, Monster was cold, so I gave him my running sweater, and he wore it like a dress, but was happy to be warm.

It only took us about 40 minutes to hike through the forest to get to the tower.  The trail was super beautiful was birds chirping everywhere.  The path was easy for all the kids.  It was an incline the entire hike, but since the kids knew it was only about 30 minutes, they didn't complain.  One crazy thing that we saw on the hike was a huge hole.  The older girls called it a crater, but it looked more like a sink hole.  It was huge and a tree was growing right in the middle of the hole.  Maybe it was an old bombed out section that grew back over all these years, who knows.

The tower just pops right out of the middle of the forest, literally in the middle of nowhere.  We were all surprised when it just suddenly came into view.  The kids all ran to the tower, excited to explore.  We had packed a picnic lunch, and it was almost 1:00 and the kids were pretty hungry.  We all decided it would be better to eat lunch, then walk up to the top of the tower.

After filling our tummies with sandwiches, veggies, fruit and pastries from our local bakery (which Kevin and the two older girls picked out right before we left), the kids and I went to explore the tower.  We found out that the tower is actually called Humbergturm and is 118 feet tall with 130 steps.  It was built in 1899 as an observation tower.  This same tower was used in the first World War as an air traffic observation tower and an air communication squad was stationed here.

We took the spiral staircase up the tower to the very top observation deck.  Originally the plan was that I would take Big Sis and Little A, then Kevin would take M&M and Monster.  Little A was a little scared of the stairs since they were super skinny on the inside and just went on forever.  There wasn't any light in the stairwell, the only light was from a few windows every few flights of stairs.

We made it to the top and were rewarded with a spectacular view of Kaiserslautern.  The top of the tower just wrapped around in a small circle all the way around the tower, giving us a full view of everything around us.  As Big Sis and I were enjoying the view, Little A walks around and had a super confused look on her face.  After asking her what's wrong, she expressed her concern that there isn't a room up here, and there isn't any place to stay warm.  She asked how Rapunzel was able to get things done and make food and sleep since there wasn't a bedroom.  I had to explain to her that it really wasn't Rapunzels Tower, we just called it that because it looked like it.  She nods her head and says, "I understand mom, but I think you are wrong.  I think this was her tower, maybe the room is in a secret place so people can't steal her hair." What a cutie.  We start walking down the staircase and start hearing the loud voices of M&M and Monster.  We meet up with them and M&M says that Kevin wants us all at the top so he can get a picture.  So, we walk back up to the top.  The kids and I look over the railing at Kevin, who is way way way down below and a super small dot, so he can take a picture.  You can barely see us in the picture looking out over the edge.  We then very carefully make our way down.  Big Sis holds Little A's hand, and I hold Monster's hand.

After we get back down the tower, we all spend about an hour playing in the open space in front of the tower.  The kids brought a frisbee and a bullet ball to throw around.  We enjoy the vitamin D from the sun rays and each other's company.  After the kids are tired, we sit back down on the blanket and read a little bit of Harry Potter.  It was an amazingly beautiful and relaxing afternoon.

We packed up our bags, and made the hike back to the car.  The hike down was faster, with all the girls jumping on rocks and talking excitedly as they walked down the path.  It was so green and alive in the forest, and Kevin and I just smiled and we walked hand in hand watching the kids as they joyfully walked together.

Beating COVID with Backyard Camping

While out on our Sunday walk this week, we noticed that the kids needed something to look forward to, since this week is Spring Break.  For the past few years, we have been on some amazing adventure during Spring Break, so all the kids were expressing their disappointment that we couldn't go anywhere for Spring Break.  It was right then when Kevin and I got the same thought, and we asked the kids if they wanted to go camping.  Every single one of them started jumping up and down and planning our camping adventure.  We told them we would treat it like we really were camping somewhere and we would make all the food outside and sleep in a tent in the backyard and even go on a hike, just like we would if we were camping at a camp site.  

We picked Tuesday to Wednesday to camp, because Kevin didn't have to work those days and the weather was going to be pretty perfect. Around 10:00 Tuesday morning, all the kids helped to bring out all of our camping stuff.  Big Sis and M&M helped me set the tent up, while Monster and Little A got all the camping chairs set around our fire pit.  Kevin went out to get charcoal for our dutch ovens and some of the groceries we needed for our meals.  We had everything set up before lunch time and enjoyed lunch out in the camping chairs by our tent and fire pit. 

After lunch, we packed a backpack with water and candies and decided we were going to hike to the Landstuhl castle.  When we normally go on hikes when we camp, we always have a destination, so we knew the kids would enjoy actually going to a destination rather than just going around in the forest behind the house.  The GPS said that the hike should only take about 40 minutes, but I guess we made too many stops and Little Monster has little legs, so it took us an hour to get to the castle.

We didn't stay at the castle very long.  In fact, I completely forgot that Big Sis and M&M had cello and violin Skype lessons, so Kevin took the two older girls and they ran all the way home to make it back in time for Big Sis's lessons at 4:30. Luckily there is an alarm on my phone that goes off to remind me of all the Skype and Zoom lessons that the kids have right now, so they made it back just in time for lessons.  Monster, Little A and I took our time walking back and just enjoyed the forest as we walked slowly home. Luckily, I had the backpack with the candy, so I just had to keep bribing them with candy to keep going.  We had a really great two hour hike.

 When we got back home, while the girls were having their lessons, Kevin and I started the fire.  We knew it would take a while for the charcoal to get hot enough to use on the dutch ovens, and we didn't want to be eating dinner at 7pm. Big Sis got done and helped me make the peach cobbler in the dutch oven.  Kevin and I had hamburgers, so we double stacked the dutch ovens that we have and had the hamburgers right on top of the peach cobbler.  I seriously LOVE my dutch ovens.  I actually use the top one for my every day cooking on the stove.  It's great if I have a meal that needs to be on the stove first, then put in the oven, I just use the same pan to cook it then stick it right in the oven.

While Kevin and I waited for the hamburgers to cook, we helped the kids spear hot dogs and roast those over the fire.  They loved it and Monster got the biggest laugh from putting a hot dog on a stick, since he hasn't done that before. The hamburgers were done not long after we had all the hot dog warm and ready.  We enjoyed eating dinner around our amazing Korea table.

Camping would not be complete without S'mores, so right after dinner, we all roasted some marshmallows and enjoyed the glorious flavours of graham crackers, chocolate and roasted marshmallows.  Monster actually doesn't really like the taste of s'mores, but he loves roasting marshmallows, so before I knew it he had packed four s'mores on my plate.  Don't mind if I do!

As it was almost bed time, we spent about an hour doing our Come, Follow Me church devotional around the fireplace.  We are learning about the Holy Week of Jesus Christ and each of the kids read a parable that Jesus taught.  They each drew a picture of their parable, then we all shared the pictures and stories of Jesus Christ around the fire.  I absolutely love learning about the gospel of Jesus Christ from my kids.  It has been so wonderful to take the time to focus on Christ this week.  Since this is the week before Easter we had plenty of time to focus fully on our Savior.  I just know that without COVID and home isolation, we would have been travelling this week in Holland, and we wouldn't have given the Savior as much time as he deserves this week.  It's been such a special week spending about an hour of each day, talking, learning and focusing on the last week of Christ's life and get a more full understanding of His atonement.  I know that I felt the spirit of the Lord tonight, and I know that my kids did too.

When we were done learning about Teaching Tuesday (what we call the last Tuesday of Jesus Christ life when he taught all the parables), it was past Monster's bedtime.  We already had the tent and cots set up, so we read some books, and Monster went to sleep, happy and warm.  Now, I can't say the same for me.  Kevin and I ended up getting to bed about 11:00.  We stayed up talking around the fire pit and just enjoying the fire and the crisp air and the stars in the sky.  When we went to bed at 11:00, it was freezing.  I had a sleeping bag and a blanket and I couldn't stop shivering.  I was so cold that I just couldn't fall asleep.  Monster came to my rescue about an hour later when he woke up crying and saying that his legs hurt.  Poor guy, our 2 hour hike was just a little too much for him.  I willingly offered to take him inside and give him ibuprofen.  I insisted he would sleep better inside, so I would just have to stay with him and would make that sacrifice, hehehe.  Monster took a while to get to sleep, probably about the time it took for the medicine to take affect.  I rubbed out his legs and just tried to calm him down.  I went ahead and just slept on the floor in his room.  It was the floor, but it was warm!

Around 4:00, Big Sis and M&M also came walking in the house.  They were exhausted and said they had been up for the past hour just shivering and not able to sleep, so they had said, screw this and came inside to warm beds.  The one kid, who surprisingly wanted to stay out and begrudgingly came inside, was Little A.  Kevin was freezing and with everyone else in the house, he woke her up and said it was time to go inside.  She said no way, she was camping.  He finally explained he was cold, so she said fine, but she was coming back out in the morning.  I love my little adventure seeking Little A.  Everyone got to their warm beds by 4:30, and I went downstairs to my own bed with Kevin.  Everyone ended up sleeping in until past 8:00, even Monster.  We had a great day camping and hiking.  The kids absolutely loved it and already asked if we can camp again.  We will, but it needs to be warmer at night, or we need new sleeping bags.

Hiking for Happiness: Our New Sunday Normal

I love hiking!  I love exploring and being in nature.  I could spend all day in the forest, if the kids let me and if there weren't so many ticks and mosquitos. While in social isolation other than bike riding, another way that we get out of the house is by walking around our house and straight into the forest directly behind our house.  Just as much as biking chases the isolation blues away, so does going for a quick hike.  Hiking is for sure my happy place, not so much all the kids, but they always entertain me.  They are good for a short 30 minute walk in the forest, but the wanderlust in me wants to explore.  The mountains behind our house is filled with countless trails and hiking options.  

Just in the last month we have found about 8 trails directly from our house.  The most common trail we go on is, what we have named, The Fallen Tree Trail. A little less then a mile from our house is a beautiful trail that passes a lake and then we pass a huge fallen tree that the kids always walk over.  It's fun seeing their different personalities as they walk across the bridge.  Big Sis and M&M will go as far as they can.  Little A is always apprehensive and won't go unless someone else is on the tree.  And then we have Monster, who surprisingly isn't very daring and upright refuses to go out on the tree and I have to hold both his hands and almost make him try something a little scary and new.

Another trail that explores the left side of our mountain we have named, "The Spooky Tree Trail".  This trail has about what seems like half the forest trees all fallen down.  The first time we went on the trail, it was super windy so the small trees were rubbing against each other and they were making crazy creeping noises.  Some of the trees had fallen and created a teepee, or other cool formations.  This is actually my favorite trail. It ends up shooting you out onto this super long dirt trail that one day we will take our mountain bikes on.  

The largest trail is more of a back road.  This trail has the most options for exploring more and more trails.  We have explored a few of them.  One trail actually leads to these super old Pagan Rocks and a sacred river.  There are huge rocks along the way too, which we found out have the option to repel and rock climb with eyelet holes.  There are a few lakes that we have explored too.  It has been fun seeing the forest go from just trees in the winter, to growing buds and leaves in the spring.

Since the kids don't love hiking as much as I do, we have this silent agreement, that if I don't ask to hike too much during the week, they don't complain when we go on our Sunday weekly hikes, which we usually take after we do our current home-centered sacrament meeting.  I absolutely loving being out in nature on Sunday.  I love the sound of the wind and the birds.  I love being in God's country and appreciating the beautiful Earth he has blessed us with.  I love having picnics and reading books with the kids in the forest.  I also love just being out of the house.  We have been so blessed to live in such a beautiful place whiling having to be in social isolation.  It is a blessing to have fresh air and to have such beautiful weather and a beautiful forest so close.  I love Germany so much, and I love living here.