West Seattle Visitors

 If you think we get excited when we get physical mail from home, you should see us when friends from home come to visit.
One of Josie's friends had planned a family Spring Break vacation in Europe and ended their 10 day whirlwind European tour in Berlin!  Lucky us.

We met the Orwigs downtown and Marty gave his tour of the important parts near the Brandenburg Gate and the surroundings.  Todd and Kirsten have two kids nearly the same

ages as ours.  Ainsley and Josie became friends in 3rd grade and remained friends over the years and they live just a few blocks away from us in Seattle.  They also have a son one grade younger than Benjamin named Grady.  The kids kept each other busy with small talk (girls)  and throwing rocks

(boys)
After several hours of touring we were all hungry so decided to head to our favorite Indian restaurant.  Even if it was a bit out of the way.  And funny enough, Kirsten even lived in Steglitz (the area where the restaurant is) for a month back in College.

After lunch we headed to the Allied Museum to have a look around. What day of sightseeing would be complete without a trip to the ice cream shop!
Josie was acting kind of strange, super tired and kept saying it was hard for her to breath.  She is so much in the teenager phase where nothing is a big deal or it is the BIGGEST DEAL IN THE ENTIRE world.  So we kind of blew off her complaints.  She was tired from just finishing up

school right before break.  A good night sleep will make her feel better.
The next day she did not feel better.  We hosted breakfast out at our place and walked them around our boring, sleepy little part of town. Josie was in no position to go out even though our plan was to all go to Mauer Park

and the weekly Sunday Flea Market.  And then dinner at our favorite Greek restaurant right around the corner. 
Since the kids were very well entertained I suggested that Kirsten and Todd take advantage and go on their own.  We could bring their kids to them later in the evening.  Thankfully they took us up on it

because really, the kids were having a ball and I know what a treat it is to have a bit of alone time without the kids after a tiring albeit exciting 10 days of being together 24/7.    A win/win/win for all of us.  Marty and I both wanted to take their kids back to them downtown so we flipped a coin. Marty won and so the three of them trekked back downtown.  Josie went straight to bed with a fever. Surely another night of sleep and she would be back at it.