My family is here!!! Part 6: Mai Rallye--when 3rd place is like last place...except more work!

How could 3rd place be like last place, you might ask? If there are only 3 places..yes, but in this case there were 5 places. And how could it be more work? Well, that takes a bit longer to explain... :)

First I need to explain a bit about a tradition in the Kiel congregation and these photos. Every May 1st there is a May Ralley--kind of like a scavenger hunt. This year's scavenger hunt was in a little animal park (including a petting zoo) with mostly local animals.

 (Where's Ninja? Oh! There he is!)

 One of the assignments was for us to take a group photo--with all group members and as many animals in it as possible--2 points for each animal. (Can you see the sheep hiding behind the tree?) And here, F didn't want to block the goats in the background--there's at least one more in the little shed!

 And then there's an emo bull...

Some sort of deer and an aerobie halo :)

 Turkey! (interestingly enough his tail feather layers look similar to that of the peacock's..multiple layers and the extra support for the vertical ones)

 And cute little wild pigs!!!! Aren't they just adorable? (at this age, in this size..and they don't yet smell quite so much as their adult counterparts..who have also lost their stripes and grown whiskers..not so adorable)

Cool stuff going on in playground land--like our un-photo-documented takeover of the playground in Bremen...This was during the changing of the guard (picking up my one brother and before we dropped off my parents; F had to go to class) We decided to try out all the cool things too. For example, we were on just such a swing. My dad and my brother stood on the edges of the swing (holding onto the top beam)--pumping it back and forth, with Ninja, my littler sister and me in the swing. We were laughing our heads off--and trying not to fall out! And then F called my cell--needless to say I couldn't really hear him at first...:P

My brother also decided to climb a tree. Then my sister followed him up. I decided I was not to be outdone..or at least that I hadn't climbed a tree in a while, and should remedy that. My dad "scolded" us first, for our example to the little preschoolers--and then jumped up into the tree as well! The preschoolers had, by this point, gathered around the tree in awe. It was great :) Love my family!

Oh yes, and 3rd place being more work? We got 3rd place in the scavenger hunt--which means that we are planning the scavenger hunt for next year! Last year it took us through downtown Kiel. We'll have to figure out where we want to let people traipse around :) (And I think we'll have to import our team again from the U.S.!)

I absolutely loved having my family here! (Next time we'll just have to get my other sister there too..) They are so great :) and I am so grateful for them.