June 11th, 2017

This past Spring, we celebrated two birthdays within our immediate family. Mine coincided with our annual Birthday visit with Dear and Pop and S’s was on the tail-end of our Spring Break trip to Italy. In both cases, we were so grateful for the community around us that came to celebrate life! Here’s a glance back at these milestone moments in our family…

March

Dear and Pop flew in a few days before my actual birthday and spent a week loving on our family. It was their third visit in our first sixteen months of living here in Germany. It was fun to see their familiarity with our village and so many aspects of German life.

On the morning of my birthday, I wished my Mami a “Happy Birthing Day.” Its her day too. 😉

We all headed downtown where there was a big celebration going on. We joked that the whole city came out to celebrate my birthday. Kuddos to Mein Mann for such a fabulous birthday party!!

 

 

 

Turns out Mein Mann actually had a more personal birthday celebration up his sleeve that took me COMPLETELY by surprise! Later that evening, my dear friends Amy and Clara and their families all showed up on our doorstep to celebrate life…my life!

 

Mein Mann spoiled me in the best ways! I loved how my parents got to meet such an important part of our community. The faces around our table that evening were my gift!!

April

We flew to Italy for the boys’ Spring Break and spent a week exploring and enjoying Cinque Terre, Florence, Cortona, Perugia, Lake Trasimeno and Assisi. It was incredible!

Our sweet S woke up to his 6th birthday in Italy and to the gift of his own gum packages! We held off gum chewing until our boys were both six to help differentiate chewing food and swallowing it with the joys of gum chewing without swallowing it…hopefully. S was delighted to reach this little milestone in his young life! We then caught our flight back to Germany to celebrate his birthday and open more presents. He loved his new bike! Two countries in one day for our globetrotting six year old!

We went to the bakery the following day and picked out different pieces of cake to celebrate!

On Sunday afternoon, we held a birthday party at the Dino park aka the Gartenschau. We gathered together a couple of S’s school and village friends and enjoyed the beautiful weather on our last day of Spring Break. As an added bonus, he met up with some other friends who were also at the park. We love how the outdoors is a magnet for families here in Germany. S had been waiting to go down the big slide at the park that was restricted for kids six and up. Our little adventurer was elated to take his first slide down…and then the next and the next!

Having a birthday fall over Spring Break can be tricky to coordinate with the travel plans of other families so we were super grateful S could be surrounded with his favorite playmates for such a fun and adventurous party, German style. How we love him! Our lil guy lives out a saying on one of his many orange shirts…”Life is meant for good friends and great adventure.” We couldn’t agree more! Happy 6th Birthday!!!

August 6th, 2017

On August 5th, I drove our last, scheduled guest to the airport. Her departure wrapped up six months of visits from far-away family and friends. Eleven visitors came through our front door in the Spring followed by another seven this past summer. Some lingered for a few days while others spent a week. One even came through two times! We felt extremely loved by all those who made the trek to our little, German village to reconnect with us. There were many, surreal moments when we just couldn’t believe who we were hanging out with…in GERMANY!

Though we are far from venturing into the hospitality business, our all-inclusive program (lodging, meals, transportation and private tour guide) seemed to be a hit! At some point, we began to ask our guests if they would consider taking the train. This added to their adventure and eased things on our end, especially with back-to-back visits. We still stayed incredibly busy as we traveled with our guests within Germany and to two other countries, explored various castles and castle ruins, ate our fair share of ice cream from our favorite Eis cafe, introduced our guests to our friends, shared the good and the hard of everyday life and enjoyed deep conversations around our table with so many faces we deeply love. In the calendar spaces between visitors, we squeezed in five trips of our own, E’s tonsil surgery, crutches for me after spraining my ankle, school, work, and our every day commitments. Consequently, the past six months flew by!

We know a lot of AMAZING people and were so grateful for the opportunities we had to reconnect with them. Here’s a pictorial glance at the faces who signed our Guest Book and a look at how we spent the past six months…

Aunt Grace-March

I actually wrote an entire entry about her visit because she was the first one. You can find it by scrolling back a bit here on the blog. I have barely written since then so it should be easy to locate.

Dear & Pop Pop-March

My parents came to celebrate my birthday, a tradition I absolutely LOVE and cherish! Together, we enjoyed a local festival, the children’s Science museum in Pirmasens and a day trip to the city of Trier alongside a bunch of sweet time together. Mein Mann threw me a surprise birthday party this year with our village friends and I loved having my parents there in the mix! Pop Pop also made it to one of S’s soccer games while Dear so lovingly sewed on all of E’s patches to his Cub Scouts uniform.

 

 

Madrina Peggy (dear friend and E’s godmother)-April

Before we moved here, Peggy said she would come to visit us in Germany. What a treat it was to see those words come to fruition and get to live life with her again for a few days! She had lunch dates with the boys at school, came to E’s soccer practice, hung out with my village friends (answers to Peggy’s prayers for me), joined us one afternoon at the International Tea in our village, and explored the village of Rüdesheim with me.

 

 

Audra-April

After an insane travel experience trying to get to us, we were all relieved when we were able to hug this dear friend from home!! Audra and I navigated the trains to Amsterdam and showed up on their Kings Day. We stayed at a lovely Bed & Breakfast, wore our orange in honor of the royal family, took a tour to see all things tulip, visited the famed Keukenhof, and toured the Van Gogh Museum, the Anne Frank Huis and the Hidden Church. What a full, fun and memorable adventure.

 

May-Daniela & Thomas

A few days after we bid farewell to Audra, our niece, Daniela and Thomas arrived at the beginning of May. It was so good to have family with us and provide them a sense of “home” in the midst of their own European adventures. We explored the nearby Frankenstein castle ruins (a short drive away), walked amongst the flowering canola fields in our village, spent some “sweet” time with the boys and cheered on our family fussball players together. !

Middle of May-Andy

It was so good to have Andy with us for a few days. I think his visit was extra special for our youngest who adores his godfather. Andy speaks Swiss-German, is incredibly adept at all things travel and fits himself into other cultures with grace and ease. We were so grateful he fit us into his own travels!

June-Nate, Kendra and Eliana

What a delight it was to pick up our nephew and his precious family at our local train station at the start of the second week of June. They were on a discerning trip regarding their own move to Germany in the future. Nate and Kendra are not just family but also dear friends. We had a sweet time together catching up, exploring the wine town of Bad Dürkheim that hosts the world’s biggest wine festival and playing 10 Days in Europe.

July-Sari

After closing our B & B for about a month so we could wrap-up the boys’ school year and travel back to the US to see our family and friends in San Diego, Kansas and Colorado, we opened our doors again to Danny’s college friend, Sary. He stayed with us on the front end of his own German train-adventure and then popped back in before moving on to see more of Europe. It was great to reconnect with this dear friend who stood up in our wedding and has continued to value his friendship with Danny all of these years. The boys loved having him too!

July-Aunt Sarah

The same day we took Sary to our village train station in the morning, we picked up Aunt Sarah in the afternoon! She flew out to attend a U2 Concert in Paris with Danny. Before going, she got a taste of a rainy day in Germany while we explored Burg Rheinstein along the Rhein River. We have learned to not let the weather hold us back from getting out. Sarah jumped right in with an umbrella and her adventurous spirit!

End of July-The Werner Family

Kevin, Alisa, Ani and Kaia Werner, beloved friends from Colorado Springs, spent three days with us before venturing on to Paris and Uganda. My village friend, Dora, graciously let them stay at her house while they were on vacation since Ani is allergic to cats. We were so grateful for this backup option! We filled their visit playing at our village Naturerlebnispfad (nature trail), eating ice cream from the Eis Café, hiking the Fußweg Burg Eltz (the footpath to the Eltz Castle, exploring Burg Eltz and the castle grounds, riding the train to the Dino und Gartenschau (one of our favorite parks in Kaiserslautern) and playing a game of Settlers of Catan around our kitchen table. It was so good to reconnect in this new season of life we are all in!

August- Our “Favorite”

A couple of days after the Werners left, the boys and I drove to the Frankfurt airport to pick up Favorite (aka Terri). It was so good to have our beloved friend back in Germany again for a few days on her way to Uganda. Favorite, as she is affectionately called by the boys, jumped right into village life with us. We took her hiking to one of our favorite spots in a nearby village where the boys played in the cool, stream water under the forest canopy, enjoyed bakery treats from the Barbarossa Bäckerei in our village, and explored Burg Lichtenberg a couple of hours away. Terri also gave Danny and I the gift of a date night out while she spent the evening at home with the boys. This was Favorite’s second visit to our German home and was a definite treat and gift for all of us!

Terri’s visit wrapped up our B&B Spring and Summer Season for 2017. Our visitors were all gracious to share in the mundane moments as much as they were in their guided tours. Thankfully, living in a little German village is a cross-cultural experience in and of itself. Alongside the lingering goodness that came with seeing so many loved ones came a couple of speeding tickets later in the mail with my name on them. Turns out there is a hidden speed camera on the way to the airport that cashed out on this busy season at the Cowell B&B. Since I did seven airport runs within a three week spread, I felt pretty fortunate that I only got a couple of tickets. Not a horrible trade-off!

In March of 2017, we started off the boys’ Spring Break 2017 get-away to Italy but our experiences continue to linger in my memories. On this trip, I was struck with the thought of how “old” is beautiful and valued in Italy. We seem to come across abundant reminders of this. I also love finding the sacred tucked away in unexpected places, how time seems to slow down, and the landscapes take my breath away.

 

 

As an added bonus, we find cats almost everywhere we go. =)

 

We spent a week traveling through Tuscany and Umbria. We flew into Pisa on March 31st, rented a car with full insurance (peace of mind) and took off for Cinque Terre. This beautiful coastline on the Italian Riviera is home to five villages and the Cinque Terre National Park. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We visited three of the villages over the weekend…Manarola (where we stayed), Vernazza and Monterosso. Lovely!

 

 

 

 

On Saturday morning, we took the train to the village of Vernazza. After fueling up at a local cafe, we headed out on a two hour hike in the Cinque Terre National Park. Since it was opening day, we got an unexpected discount into the park. Score!

 

 

We passed vineyards and olive groves, crossed over streams and stone bridges, walked under canopies of trees and even by a cat sanctuary. We came upon a man selling freshly squeezed orange juice on the trail and stopped for a sample. We taught the boys phrases to encourage hikers coming in the opposite direction and smiled when they cheered others on. It was a fun hike and we were so proud of how well the boys did! I had picked this hike out (from Vernazza to Monterosso) during my research and it turned out to be a great fit for our family. We would definitely recommend it!

 

 

 

We incentivized the boys with the reward of playing in the ocean once we made it to the village of Monterosso. Shortly after we arrived, they were wading into the cold water and playing to their hearts content!

 

 

Mein Mann climbed up a nearby rock to take in the view. Can you see him up there?

We took the last ferry back to Manarola and found a great kids’ playground. Somehow the boys STILL had energy!!! They devoured their seafood dinner that night.

 

We had a steep walk out of Manarola and back to our parked car the following morning.

(This was a draft entry that I found and published to include it in our blog book even though its incomplete…)

Two of Mein Mann’s sisters have come to visit us here in Germany. We met one of them in Paris for a weekend two years ago and also hosted her in our home twice. The other sister came to Germany last summer for a short visit before taking the train to Paris to attend a U2 concert with her big brother. Its been a HUGE treat to spend time with these wonderful women on European soil!

When these two sisters were working out plans to return to Paris at the end of March, we began to brainstorm how we could take advantage of their close vicinity and create new memories together without disrupting school schedules. We settled on a weekend reunion in Belgium since Brussels is just under four hours by car for us and a train ride from Paris. On March 23rd, we picked up the boys from school and made it to our apartment in Brussels in time for dinner. We filled the next thirty-six hours with lots of conversation, mileage on our feet, taking in a few sites and enjoying the local cuisine. Here’s a glimpse into our brief, but beautiful, visit to Brussels…

We stayed in the European Quarter, the neighborhood of the European Union’s headquarters. Being a little east of central Brussels afforded us free, weekend parking in front of our apartment, a large grocery store down the street, a nearby children’s park and a lovely Farmers Market. La Grand-Place, the central square of Brussels, was about a thirty minute walk from our accomodations with a couple of parks along the way. Public transportation was also an option but we decided to get our exercise and enjoy the scenery.

Spring was in the air which made a local café with outdoor seating all the more inviting. It also had a photo booth inside allowing you to leave with a fun momento!

We continued on our journey, mixing with the locals along the way…

We eventually came to the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula and took a stroll through its beautiful interior. As is our custom now, the boys took a moment to light candles and say a prayer.

Being that Brussels is known for their waffles, we decided to have a taste test of our own…DELISH!

After weaving through some crowded streets, we came to La Grand Place. This iconic square has references dating back to the 12th century and is a UNESCO World Heritage site.  Brussels’ Town Hall is one of the many ornate buildings to be found here.

On a more modern bent, Brussels is also known for its comic strip walk that offers more than fifty mural paintings in various parts of the city. We passed a couple of them alongside some other creative art!

Another popular tourist site is Manneken Pis…a statue of a little boy peeing in a basin below. How this little guy became such a popular symbol of Brussels is beyond me! His original predecessor dates back to the early 16th century. He is often dressed but not always. I’ve read that his closet is stuffed with over a thousand outfits! With two young boys, we couldn’t resist stopping by to give our regards.

The boys did well taking in the sites and walking over six miles on Saturday! We typically have our challenging moments here and there but they are often forgotten when I’m looking back at pictures. =)

Before heading back home to Germany, we took one last stroll to see the Triumphal Arch in Jubelpark. What a lovely park for the citizens of Brussels!

I’m so grateful we got this weekend together! Belgium was a beautiful backdrop to continue to pass on the value of family to our boys…not just in word but in action. Thank you Aunties for all the love you showered upon your nephews and sharing life together again for a couple of days. We love you!

Hi there! Its good to be back here on the blog after taking an unexpected year-long hiatus. A strew of visitors last Spring and Summer combined with an increasingly busy schedule and an aging computer made it difficult to sit and capture glimpses into our lives here in Germany. However, this time of reflection is valuable to me. It gives me an avenue to freeze frame these days and the adventures we experience around our neighborhood and our borders. Growth is continuing in all directions and my desire to seize the day remains. Thus, I’m back at it. Thanks for coming along with us on the journey!

We are just coming off of back-to-back visits with some of our extended family. My parents flew in on March 16th for a whirlwind visit for my birthday. They have been dedicated to celebrate my entrance into this world together as much as possible over the years. I can count on one hand the birthdays I have celebrated from a distance…and I have quite a few now to my name. I know this is pretty rare in this day and age and speaks of their commitment to not even let a vast ocean and several time zones keep them away. Thanks Mom and Dad!

Though our time together was short, it was definitely sweet! I appreciate these times together even more as we all get older and I see our boys relishing the grandparent love and attention they are showered with. With age comes perspective. Here’s a glimpse at  some of the memories we added to the books…

My parents arrived in time for lunch on Friday. Mein Mann joined us at a restaurant we all like in the village to have a delicious meal and adult conversation before picking up the boys from school. As we were talking about the daily special, our waiter told us to “ask Angela what she thought of it.” Angela was sitting at a table nearby and shouted out her approval. The fun thing about it all was that we actually know Angela through the International Tea we attend on a weekly basis. She is British. Oh, the quaintness of village life!

Arctic air moved in over the weekend, dropping the temperatures into the 20’s…a good sixty degrees colder than what my parents are accustomed to during this time of year. They were quite the troopers! We decided to still go ahead with our plans to attend the Ostern (Easter) Market in St. Wendel. It was like attending a Christmas market in March! We bundled up, drank hot drinks and ducked inside a restaurant, cathedral and a bunny tent full of fun dioramas seeking warmth throughout the day.

My birthday was a sweet time with family and friends…chatting at a café with village girlfriends, meeting up with Mein Mann for lunch, strolling around downtown with my parents, soccer practice and dinner out. I was spoiled in the best ways!

The days slipped by with school, time spent together and Easter egg decorating…

Even Adi enjoyed having her grandparents here!

Before heading home, Dear and Pop Pop joined the boys at their school for lunch dates. Lots of love was shared before saying “see you this summer” which was easier than the unknowns of goodbyes. Even still, tears ran down my cheeks as I hugged my parents. I’m between two generations and they both pull on my heartstrings!

With another year under my belt, I’m deeply grateful that my parents were here to celebrate the gift of life, family and Germany. My Mom kissed my forehead before leaving. When I got home, I realized her lipstick kiss was still there. I left it for the rest of the day as a sweet reminder of their presence. You are never too old to be loved!

Bis Später!

 

May 30th, 2017

It’s a warm, Spring evening here. I’m sitting beside our oldest on a hospital bed in a German surgical center. This is our second stay here in the past two months due to our little man’s BIG tonsils (which are not so big after being shaved down this morning). Our first visit was for a sleep study and today was surgery day. Here’s a look back at how we got here…

Last August, the boys’ pediatric dentist noticed Ethan’s enlarged tonsils. She is Puerto Rican and often speaks to me in Spanglish. When she took a look into E’s mouth, she called me over. “Mama, mira! His tonsils are muy grande!” Shortly after, we followed up with our family doctor. Since his tonsils were not red or swollen, she thought he just had large tonsils. Her own daughter has large tonsils and they hadn’t caused any issues. She told us to keep a close eye on him if he got sick and complained about a sore throat. Otherwise, we were good to go.

In January, we were back at the dentist office for a six month check up. The boys’ dentist was still concerned about the size of E’s tonsils and told me I needed to see a specialist. She stepped out of the room for a moment. Shortly after, she came back and told me the Ears, Nose and Throat Office was on the phone waiting for me to make an appointment. Well, alrightly then. I know better than to argue with a Puerto Rican!

A few weeks later, we were meeting with the ENT specialist. I was impressed with him from the first moment he sat down and put E at ease. After an examination and talking through E’s medical history, he recommended a sleep test. Due to their size, we needed to rule out if the tonsils were causing breathing issues at night.

On April 11th, E and I came to this surgical center for our first slumber party. Thankfully, most of the staff here speak English to some degree which helps tremendously! E got several sensors attached to him and was hooked up to a wide variety of monitors that would take readings throughout the night while he slept…or at least that was the hope.

 

When it was time to go to sleep, E asked me, “How am I suppose to sleep like this Mom?” I had no idea!

To our surprise, he managed to fall asleep and I climbed into another bed nearby. In the middle of the night, I awoke to him crying out when the tech pulled off all his forehead sensors. They had stopped working because he got hot in the night and started to sweat. An entire new set was stuck back on. He was quite the trooper. He loved his hair style the next morning and scored a lunch with his Daddy alongside a day off of school.

 

At the beginning of May, we met back up with our ENT doctor. He told us E had Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome. His tonsils were blocking his airways causing his brain to stay constantly “on” in order to find better sleep positions for breathing. It was detected that E stayed in sleep stages 1 and 2. He did not dream, experience sleep stages 3 and 4 or REM sleep. Our little man was definitely NOT having a good nights rest. Hearing this helped us put some pieces together that have been puzzling us for a while. Since E’s tonsils were not “sick,” the doctor recommended shaving them down to a reasonable size versus completely removing them. He told us it’s what he would do if E was his child. Our doctor has an excellent reputation here so we trusted his experience and recommendation and set up a date for surgery.

Its June 4th now as I continue to write this post…such is life.

On surgery day, E was brave in the midst of his fears. He told us he didn’t want to be there but complied with all that was asked of him. My heart was aching for him yet I was proud too. As I sat on the surgery table, holding his legs on my lap before the anesthesiologist came in, I was reminded of all the times my own mother was with me when I had surgeries over the years. I blinked back tears. Within minutes, E had a gas mass over his little nose and mouth and I was holding his hand, telling him how much I loved him. When he was asleep, I was escorted out to the waiting room.

I was relieved when the nurse came and allowed me to sit by E as he awoke from anesthesia. There was more blood than I had expected and his poor nose was incredibly itchy (a strange side effect from the gas). However, I was so grateful to see his little eyes open and focus again on my face. Again, he was a trooper! We stayed two days and one night at the surgery center before coming home for the rest of E’s recovery. The German staff were very kind and took good care of us. E had an endless supply of popsicles at his finger tips!

 

 

When Daddy brought lil’ brother for a visit, the nurse brought two popsicles for them to enjoy together!

Recovery has been slow but E’s making progress. On Friday, he ate a cheese omelette. That was the biggest meal he had since the night before his surgery. It was a relief to see him eat something more substantial again. Yay!! He has scabs on his tonsils that will eventually fall off and allow swallowing to be much more comfortable again. He is still struggling at night with a comfortable sleep. God-willing, his continual healing will also usher in sweet dreams.

We are so thankful for all the love, prayers and encouragement we have received from our family and friends back home. We have also been cared for here, within our small community. My sweet friend, Amy, brought dinner over for our family, one of E’s schoolmates gave him a get well card and gift, our neighbor “sat in the wings” to care for our youngest if we needed her and the school principal (pictured below) stopped by our home and delivered ice cream for the boys. All reminders that wherever you go, you can find amazing people with big hearts!

Walking through all of this in another cultural context has pushed us further out of our comfort zones. The language piece could have been a huge barrier. Thankfully, the Germans are much more adept at languages than we are making communication much smoother for us. We have seen a different approach to healthcare through this process and appreciate the similarities and differences we experienced. Our little man was cared for professionally and personally and we are hopeful for a good outcome. Our gratitude runs deep!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 26th, 2017 (I started this post right before we left for our Spring Break trip last week to Italy but didn’t get a chance to wrap it up until now.)

We welcomed our first visitor for 2017 on March 10th. Grace, Mein Mann’s sister, had business in Paris. She flew in a few days early, took the train to Germany and spent the weekend with us. Grace was an INCREDIBLY, easy house guest, fitting right into our family rhythm. Shortly after arriving she joined us at S’s soccer practice, cheering him on and playing with his big brother and some of his friends!

 

On Saturday, we drove to Bingen. We walked along the Rhine for a while before catching the ferry across the river to Rüdesheim where we spent the afternoon.

 

 

Though it was still chilly, signs of Spring were all around and the sun was OUT! Yippee!!!!

 

 

We sat outside for lunch at a Weingarten. The food was delicious! Red blankets were draped over the chairs to provide some extra warmth. S wrapped himself up after he was done eating.

 

 

This little music machine was outside a music museum. It quickly drew a small crowd once we put a coin in!

As we walked off our lunch, we stumbled across a trail entrance into the vineyards atop the hillside. The network of trails is extensive and many folks were out enjoying different sections. The boys found walking sticks from pruning piles alongside the paths. The views were beautiful!

 

 

 

On our way back through the town, we stopped at a cafe that had captured our attention earlier with these displayed in their window…

They are called Baumstriezels or Chimney Cakes. They are hollow and flavored with powdered sugar, cinnamon, nuts and other toppings. You eat them by tearing off strips. Yum!

 

The place itself was rather eclectic with fun art and sculptures on display. It was our last stopping point before we headed back to catch the ferry across.

 

 

The ticket man on the ferry invited the boys and two other children up to the top-level of the ferry to see the captain sitting at the control panel. Very fun! Once we made it back to the Bingen side, we s…l…o…w…l…y walked back to the car with an extended detour at a great kid’s park!

 

 

We enjoyed village life with Grace for her last full day with us. For the ease of the morning, we opted for home church.  We all picked different musical instruments to “play” while we sang along to worship music. We looked at passages from both the Old and the New Testaments that shared about hearing God’s voice and how Jesus told his disciples to pray. It was a sweet way to start off our day together.

Afterwards, we headed out on foot from our house to enjoy a long walk and picnic lunch up at the labyrinth. It’s very typical to see German families out together on Sundays hiking, riding bikes, walking, etc.. Shops and grocery stores are all closed on Sundays encouraging folks to relax and spend time together. We love this!

 

 

Thankfully, our favorite Eis Cafe is open on Sundays. Ice cream and coffee drinks added to the enjoyment of our last day together with Grace. How grateful we were to have these few days to enjoy Grace’s company!!

 

Our B&B Calendar has an amazing number of guests signed up through Spring and Summer! Grace kicked things off. Five days later, my parents arrived for a week! Starting next week, we have two, beloved friends (Peggy and Audra) visiting back-to-back followed by a long anticipated visit from our niece and her hubby. We also hope to see S’s godfather in May. In June, we are expecting our nephew and his lovely wife and baby. July holds another visit with one of Mein Mann’s sisters and then a reunion with our friend Kevin, his girls and his new bride. Wow!!! It will be super busy but so good to see these faces we love and adore! Since the boys will be in school through mid-June, our guests will get glimpses into our regular lives here in Germany as we attempt to keep some sort of routine alongside the excitement of their visits. We already have some fun trips planned too. I often take travel books with me now to sneak in a few minutes of reading here and there. Carpe Diem, eh?!

Schönen Tag! (“Have a good day”)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 23rd, 2017

Here’s a big hodge-podge of memories from the end of January through the beginning of March to give you glimpses into what we’ve been up too!

Medals…both boys received medals this past winter!

S played in a soccer tournament at the end of January. His team got split into two teams that both competed. Every child received a medal for participation. He was so proud and excited to earn his first medal in fussball!

 

 

E placed second in his division at the Cub Scouts Pine Wood Derby at the beginning of February. He built a car with his Daddy, a first for the two of them! His is the silver blur on the tracks in the pictures below!

 

 

Our little glass cleaner!

Valentine’s Day…The boys got crafty this year as they wrote out their own valentines for their classmates and added stickers and candy. I was so proud of their hard work and how LONG they sat at the table to get the job done!

On the evening of Valentine’s Day, the boys brought me home flowers and then joined their Daddy in preparing me a wonderful dinner! E helped cook while S was in charge of decorating the table. They were so excited to call me into the kitchen when everything was ready! For dessert, we enjoyed the homemade cookies Momo sent. I loved every minute of it!

 

Stylin’…One of S’s new things is having his hair styled. He loves it when his Daddy makes it stand up!

25+25+25+25=100!…E had to do a 100’s project for the One Hundredth Day of School. He needed to have a theme, one hundred objects and show a mathematical pattern. He picked “100 Ways to Travel.” In a large box, he had 25 cars, 25 airplanes, 25 trains and 25 pairs of feet (Lego and Playmobil people). Our European travels provided some frame-work!

Weekend in Paris!

I am so grateful for my two dear friends in our village! I have mentioned Amy and Clara here on the blog before. They have become fast friends, kindred spirits and are at the core of our community. In February, with our husband’s blessings and incredible help, we took a Ladies’ Trip to Paris over a three-day weekend. Our group dynamic worked out even better than we could have hoped. We lingered in book stores, churches and cafés, walked the artist square in Montmartre, navigated public transportation, saw the sights and enjoyed some of the best chocolate eclairs. We never ran out of things to talk about and stayed up late into the night getting to know each other better and sharing our stories. Thankfully, Amy found us a fantastic breakfast place around the corner from our apartment that served good coffee and a delicious green-energy drink to wake us up in the morning!

 

 

 

 

We walked into Tiffany & Co. on the Champs Elysees. On one of the walls, we found a letter from Audrey Hepburn to Tiffany. For those of you who have seen “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” you would enjoy what Ms. Hepburn had to say.

 

Riding the Trails…S and I took a bike ride one Sunday afternoon on one of the many trails around our village while Daddy and E were at Scouts. We appreciate the value German’s put on nature!

 

A Force to be Reckoned With…here’s S with his little buddy J. I love how they still enjoy dressing up in costumes!

Celebrating Fasching at the International Tea…on Tuesday afternoons we join other internationals in our village for a time to connect, learn about German culture and eat some delicious, home-made treats. The Mennonite Church sponsors the tea. The Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, many of the Germans were dressed up to celebrate the end of Fasching. This carnival season starts on the 11th day of November at exactly 11minutes after 11am and ends at the stroke of midnight on Shroud Tuesday – often referred to as Fat Tuesday. It was fun to learn more about this tradition!

Dr. Seuss’s Birthday…the boys’ school celebrated with an evening of fun, games, a story reenactment and even green eggs and ham! E’s teacher from last year dressed up as the Cat in the Hat. The boys LOVE her!! We are really hoping S will get her next year.

 

Below is S with his kindergarten teacher. He scored BIG time!!! How I wish E got her when he first started school. Thankfully, we like E’s teacher this year too (pictured below in the blue shirt as we acted out the book, Ten Apples on Top).

 

Trains and Automobiles…we took the train downtown the first Saturday in May to meet up with a new friend of ours. The boys found a German newspaper on the train that kept their interest for the ride. As we were walking to a park, we passed a green VW Bug. It reminded me of stories my parents told about my Mami driving a green VW Bug when they lived in Germany!

 

Our Wolf…E had an award ceremony/potluck dinner for his Cub Scout Troop on March 5th. He received his Bobcat badge after demonstrating his understanding of Scouting’s core values alongside other requirements. He also earned some other patches. E and his Daddy participated in a special “fireside” pinning of his Bobcat badge which enables E to move through the Cub Scout ranks. As a second grader, he is currently a Wolf.

 

 

Love Sent in a Package…the boys both received handmade hats from their Momo in their favorite colors! She made fourteen hats for the younger grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Her incredible labor of love arrived in a box full of treats for my Birthday. We were all loved on!  Thanks Momo!

 

Our lives are getting busier as we continue to get more connected and engaged! Now we are moving into a season of visitors. More on that in the next few posts!

Tschüss! (“bye” in German)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 21st, 2017

Happy Spring! We are kicking off this new season with a rainy day. This isn’t a huge surprise for us here in Germany. However, we have been spoiled with some lovely sunshine the past couple of weeks so we really can’t complain. Besides, a rainy day is perfect for some afternoon snuggles on the couch with grandparents! What a gift it is to have my parents visiting us this week. =)

 

So, are you a little curious about the title of this post? It comes from this candle that I found at the grocery store to celebrate Mein Mann’s birthday this year…back on January 22nd. (Yep, still catching up here on the blog!)

“44, Sexy wie nie!” I like how the Germans celebrate Birthdays! I couldn’t agree more…forty-four is looking good on my hubby!

 

We had a little gift opening in the morning before heading to church where the Birthday Boy got a hearty rendition of “Happy Birthday” sung to him by our church family. He spent his afternoon playing with the boys and then attending a Cub Scouts meeting with E.

 

While Daddy and E were at their Scout’s meeting, S and I had a date at our Eis cafe around the corner.

 

In the evening, we continued the celebration. Some of our dear friends who live in our village came over to join us.  We got three different kinds of pie for all to enjoy!

 

Reflecting back on the day, there were sweet glimpses into Mein Mann’s priorities…faith, family, and friends. How deeply grateful I am to have such an incredible man alongside the boys and I! He is truly OUR GIFT!!!

I wonder what next year’s candle will say?!

Cheers!