Runnin' around in circles...

Sometimes that's what it feels like these days! T-minus 12 days to the big day, we're making lots of last minute preparations for the wedding ceremony in Heidelberg. (Sneak preview alert: the building in the photo is the Rathaus where we'll be married!) Dark suit? Check. Dress? Check. Interpreter? Uh, not yet! We've been through the whole hiring-o'-the-interpreter thing before, so it's familiar territory, but it's just one more of those pre-wedding things that we'll be getting squared away this week. M. was actually talking to one of his soldiers, Spc. H., last week about just this aspect of getting married in Germany. Spc. H. and his wife were married here a couple of years ago, so he's familiar with all of the obstacles that have to be negotiated to make that possible, having an interpreter present at the ceremony being just one of the more entertaining aspects. ANYWAY, they're talking about marriages and Germany and H. says that at his ceremony, the standesbeamt (the equivalent of a justice of the peace) is going on and on and on, in German, of course, wildly gesticulating with everything he says and then, suddenly, stops talking. At which point the translator leans over to H. and whispers, "Say, 'I do'." So H. says, "Uh...I do." And then the hand gestures and the exaggerated speech starts again, with the standesbeamt really getting into it...and then stops. Again, the translator leans over, this time to H.'s wife and says, "Say...'I do'." Spc. H. told M. that not only did they have absolutely no idea what they were promising to do because everything was completely in German (but hoping that it was just your traditional marriage vows!) they were having the worst time keeping the giggles down, thanks to their, uh, translator. So, we'll see how it goes! My German isn't great, but hopefully if I'm asked to love, honor, cherish and do the dishes, I will be able to pick up on it and bail myself outta that one! Wish us luck!