An incredible opportunity popped up this year for Kaiden and me to accompany Ethan on his deployment to Germany for a bit. (I shared a little about God's kind providence in this situation over on Instagram.) Over the next few weeks, I will be sharing random bits of our journey as we explore the area.One day after work, Ethan told us to throw on some hiking clothes and get ready for an evening excursion. He packed some German meats and cheese for a picnic, told me to bring my camera, and drove us to the Swabian Alps but did not tell us much more than that. From our perspective, all we could see was a mountainside covered with trees. The trail to get to the top was probably the steepest trail I've ever hiked. There were several switchbacks which revealed how out of shape I really am, haha! But when we got to the top, I quickly realized how worth it the hike was. Built into the side of the mountain during the late 1200's and into the early 1300's, this castle served as a fortress to guard and watch over the pass it overlooks. It was such an incredible experience walking around the grounds and exploring all the different floors and rooms. Here are some pictures I took from that day…