So Adam and Alexa decided to get married in Germany on Friday 8th January and after alot of decision making we decided we would go. After all you can't miss you brother's wedding can you? We set off from our house at 8am on Thursday 7th after having had a terrible nights sleep, literally 3 or 4 hours for various reasons. Made it to Heathrow easily - due to the snow the roads were super clear - I don't think I've ever seen the M25 with less car on it! We were parking 10 minutes from the airport and getting a mini-bus in which was all fine until about 1/2 mile from the terminal a lady driving a landrover was reading the signs and not looking at the road and crashed into the back of us. So we had to wait for the police to come which luckily wasn't too long and then we were on our way again.
When we got to the airport our flight had been cancelled and we had just missed an earlier flight by about 15 minutes so instead we had to wait for the next one which left 3 1/2 hours after our original flight at 5.05pm. It was a long and boring wait but the girls were really good. The flight was quick and the girls seemed to really enjoy it - Eliza sat on my knee the entire time and was fine!
Then the adventure of driving on the wrong side of the road started! Firstly we took the wrong way out of the airport , luckily the sat nav recalculated the route quickly, then driving down the Autobahn Eliza managed to open her door! So I was holding the sat nav up for Ben with one hand and stretching through to the back holding Eliza's door shut with the other! Comfy.... It wasn't a long drive to where we were staying though. Adam had arranged for us to stay with a friend, Miriam, she has 2 girls but they were both away that week so my girls had their beds and a whole new set of toys to play with - they were in heaven! We got their pretty late at night and tried to get to bed pretty quickly. Both girls woke up disoriented in the night so I spent time lying with each of them (picture me 6 months pregnant lying down with Eliza in a toddler bed....) needless to say I was even more tired on the say of the wedding!
Adam and Alexa chose to get married at Castle Franenkenstein (mostly a runied castle but actually the place the story is based on...) The little building the the left of the tower is the little chapel. Doesn't it look picturesque? Well, in the snow at -4.5 celcius the chapel is very cold!!! Everyone had coats, boots, hats, scarves!!! There is a restaurant right were the picture is taken from though so as soon as the ceremony was over it was off the the restaurant for hot drinks and defrosting! They had a picture of everyone taken outside the chapel and some of themselves but it was too cold for any others.
The reception was in the restaurant next door so that was handy. The reception was pretty relaxed and after a 5 course meal it was off to the Frankfurt temple about 45 mintues away. By the time we got to the temple I was feeling not very well, I think I was just exhausted. Thankfully Alexa asked one of her friends if she would look after the girls so both Ben and I could go in to see them being married for time and all eternity. I literally saw the sealing and went to bed 1/2 hour later. The next day I felt much better since I'd had a decent nights sleep.
Our flight back was also cancelled - Germany was experiencing a severe weather warning weekend for heavy snow etc and there wasn't enough grit for the roads. Luckily with it being a Saturday I think most people stayed at home so the roads were pretty empty. We were rebooked onto a later flight, sat for about an hour on the tarmac while the plane was de-iced etc. Again the girls were fabulous the entire time. A man sitting just behind us started feeling ill not too long after take off so me and the girls moved the sit in the 2 spare seats next to Bex before he started throwing up! Yuck. Poor guy. Poor Ben - he was right in front of him!
On the way back from Heathrow to our car park the mini-bus driver didn't close the door of the luggage trailer and someone pulled him over to tell him - nothing had fallen out thank goodness!
We got home pretty late but not as late as my cousin who travelled with us - the head gasket blew on his car on the way home!!
Lots of 'memories' made on this trip! It sure will be an experience we won't forget in a hurry! I'm glad we were there with Adam and Alexa and see them happy and start their new lives together. Just remind me not to do it again when 6 months pregnant! I don't have any photographic evidence of being at the wedding but I'll try to get a picture from someone of the happy couple because they really looked great together! Anyway, Yay Adam is married and I have a new sister-in-law!!!
