March 31st, 2016

We had a couple of days to recuperate from our Paris trip, change the sheets on our guest bed, clean the bathrooms and get back into the swing of school and work before our next guest arrived. On Monday evening, March 14th, we were standing in the kitchen when we heard a knock on the window above the kitchen sink. Outside, I could see our friend, Andy! He reminded us that our doorbell doesn’t work…whoops! We also learned that our house number is not the only one in our neighborhood. Andy met some of our neighbors trying to find our house. Thankfully, they pointed him in the right direction!

Andy and his wife Kam have been dear friends of ours for years. We met them through our church back home and over time our friendship grew as our lives continued to cross paths in multiple ways. We were in a book group with them for several years that deepened our friendship in ways we could have never expected. When lil’ S joined our family, we asked Kam and Andy if they would be his godparents (one set). They have loved on our little guy generously and he adores them so! Up until now, we haven’t celebrated S’s Birthday without them. Here are a few pictures I found of S with Kam and Andy over the years…

 

 

Flash Forward again to the present…

As Andy walked through our front door, the boys attacked his legs with hugs. They were SO excited to see him! He was barely inside when he commented how surreal it was to be in our home in Germany. Thank you Andy! I couldn’t agree more. Surreal may be my word for the year! The boys were in their PJ’s already but we knew they wouldn’t get to sleep before getting to see Andy. It took them a long time to finally fall asleep with all their excitement pulsing through their veins!

Andy’s visit was short but we were so grateful he was able to make us a stop along his teaching route through Europe. He arrived Monday evening and left Tuesday after lunch. It was wonderful to sit around a table again and play catch up!

On Tuesday morning, we walked to a nearby bakery where Andy introduced us to Berliners. YUM! His German language skills came in incredibly handy allowing us to order our breakfast in a Snap! Afterwards, we took a walk around our village. S also got some great snuggle and playtime that filled his cup.

 

 

 

 

 

Lil S wanted to be near to Andy right until the final minute. He stood by the gate as he watched Andy drive away, waving goodbye. I don’t doubt he knows that he is cared for by this gift of a friend and another father figure in his life…a piece of our village from back home.

 

How grateful l am for friendships that span the decades, seasons of life and the globe! Looking back now on Andy’s visit, I am reminded of the time it took for our friendship with him and Kam to grow and deepen. I think it can be easy to loose perspective on the reality of time and relationships in seasons of transition. We can’t expect the same width and depth of community that we left after eighteen years to suddenly be replicated here in Germany after a few months. I’ve been thinking about this the past couple of weeks. How easy it is for our microwave mentalities to expect instant community when in reality, good friendships take time.

Thanks Andy for taking time for us! You brought love, joy, laughter, conversation, perspective and delicious chocolate. You are welcome back ANY time…bring Kam with you too!!

 

 

March 29th, 2016

There is SO much to catch up on as I look back on the past few weeks. Paris feels like a distant memory in light of all we have done since then. Yet, I still want to capture our last day.

It was nice to start and end our days in the two bedroom flat (with a pullout couch) we rented in the Montmartre district. It gave us room to relax, eat, and rest with enough beds to sleep the six of us.

On Saturday morning, we picked up a few pastries from the bakery near our flat before walking the streets in Montmartre.

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We didn’t get very far before we were drawn to a quaint café. The boys enjoyed playing foosball while we sipped on our drinks. I laughed when I looked at my sugar packet and saw the words “sucre daddy”. Sugar Daddy?! I later learned “Daddy” is a brand of sugar in France.

 

 

Topped off, we continued our stroll through the streets of Montmartre and eventually ascended a long set of stairs up to the Sacré-Coeur. My leg muscles had barely recovered from all of our walking the day before. Now I know how the French stay in shape!

   

The climb was worth it for the incredible view afforded to us when we got to the top! Here’s a short clip of the view…

 

The Sacré-Coeur is France’s second most visited church after Notre Dame. It was built between 1875 and 1914. The name means “Sacred Heart” in reference to the heart of Jesus. It holds the largest bell in France within the campanile. Since August 1, 1885, men and women have taken turns praying inside the Sacré-Coeur both night and day. They pray for the church, the world and peace. Not an hour goes by without prayer being spoken…beautiful.

When we walked through the church, a service was being held in the middle. Our youngest and I got separated from the others after stopping to light candles. Knowing that we would meet back up since traffic moved in one direction, I took advantage of the moment to receive communion and allow our little guy to get a blessing from the priest.

Afterwards, we boarded the Le Petit Train de Montmartre. This little tourist “train” was parked near the Sacré-Coeur. For a small fee, we enjoyed a thirty minute tour through the surrounding neighborhoods…those of us who stayed awake that is! It was a great way to see a few more local sites without the mileage on our feet.

 

 

Time for lunch! We ate at a café where Grace recognized the waiter from two of her previous visits. Though our open seating by the door was chilly, it was a great place to people watch. Artists constantly stopped people in the street, drew their portraits and sold their impressions.

 

After lunch, we walked right out to the square full of artists and their work. What a lovely place! I bought a small watercolor from an artist that allowed me to take his picture afterwards. He invited E to join him. Grace’s daughter sat to have her portrait drawn and was quite pleased with the result! The air was full of inspiration and beauty.

 

 

To help balance out the artsy with the fun (a necessity we are learning with our boys), we walked down to a carousel we saw on our train tour. It was near the base of the Sacré-Coeur. What a beautiful day!

 

 

 

Before we knew it, it was time to be heading back to our flat, packing up our things and catching our train back home to Germany. Sadly, we had a rushed goodbye in the confusion and chaos of the metro station. Thankfully, we took this group picture in our flat before leaving to remember our time together.

While we waited in the train station, a woman came up to me and started talking to us. She introduced herself and reminded me of how we met a few months back when I was house hunting with the boys, looking for permanent housing in one of the many villages we checked out. She lived in the house next door to one of the available homes on our list. I had rang her doorbell to ask her a few questions and we chatted for quite awhile. She has since cut her hair and doesn’t live in the village we settled in so I haven’t seen her since. I honestly didn’t recognize her but she remembered me and the boys and was so sweet. It was pretty wild to meet back up with her in Paris! Shortly after, we boarded our train for home.

Here is the train station in Paris and the boys with hubby pushing my luggage after we arrived back in Germany. The boys are good travelers, a plus since they have been traveling since birth! Now they can carry their own clothes in their backpacks for shorter trips!

 

When we got home, E & S grabbed the train set and built their own version of the ICE train we had just taken. They even built their own version of Paris at the end.

 

I think Paris left a good impression on all of us. Merci Paris!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 16th, 2016

This evening, as I was thinking back on our time in Paris and reading what others have to say about this famous city, I came across these two quotes…

1) Paris is always a good idea. -Audrey Hepburn

2) A walk about Paris will provide lessons in history, beauty, and in the point of Life. -Thomas Jefferson

I couldn’t agree more! Though our visit was short, we managed to take in several sites. The traffic is crazy, the people are passionate and beauty is everywhere. One of my favorite moments in Paris was sitting on the sidewalk with the boys. We were in a square in Montmartre where artists congregate, set up their easels, and create and sell their art. I was immersed in conversation with E and S and found such simple contentment in their company and our surroundings. I love getting to share these experiences. Later, Hubby showed me this picture he took from a distance…

We were deeply grateful to have Hubby’s sister, Grace with us. It was her fourth time in Paris and she navigated the trains and sites with ease and confidence. This greatly reduced the strain on us of figuring out how to get around. Thank you Grace!

On Friday, we put some serious mileage on our shoes! In hopes of avoiding the weekend crowd, we decided to focus on a few of the more popular sites in Paris. We walked up to the second floor of the Eiffel Tower (and down), saw the Arc de Triomphe, walked up to the top of Notre Dame (and down), walked across one of the bridges built over the Seine and visited the Louvre. The kids did an amazing job hanging in there for all of it. I think they all passed out that night. I know I did! It was the biggest work out I have had since we moved to Germany.

Here is a look at our first full day in pictures!

The Eiffel Tower

The lines were short when we arrived and even shorter if we were willing to walk versus take the elevator. With our two energetic boys (7yrs. and 4 yrs), the choice was easy. They led the way up the 674 stairs to the second level! My legs were burning as I watched them in amazement. The views were rewarding though the glass floors were pretty unnerving. Thankfully, those were only in small areas!

 

 

 

 

When we got back down, tummies were rumbling. We walked a few blocks to a local bakery and market where we purchased bread, meat, cheese, fruit, chips and drinks. We had our Parisian lunch in a little park, near the base of the Eiffel Tower…budget friendly and great views!

 

 

Arc de Triomphe

Napoleon had this monument built to pay tribute to his victories. Beneath it lies the tomb of the Unknown Soldier dating back to WWI. The names of all French victories and generals are inscribed on its inner and outer surfaces. As you can see in the last picture, our boys started loosing steam here.

 

 

We took an open-air “taxi” from the Arc de Triomphe to Notre Dame, allowing for a couple of naps and a bit of respite for our feet. Our driver, Alain, shared French history and interesting facts as he took us through the CRAZY roundabout, down the Champs-Elysées, alongside the Luxor Obelisk at the Place de la Concorde, pass the Louvre and finally to Notre Dame.

 

While we waited in line to walk up to the top of Notre Dame, we bought the boys Nutella Waffles to help them refuel. It was our only real line we waited in the entire day. Thankfully, it didn’t take too long before we were ascending the winding staircases to the bell tower and then to the top! Afterwards, we went inside to take in the beauty!

 

 

 

  

As we left Notre Dame, the sun began its slow descent in the sky. With Grace and Hubby navigating, we walked across one of the bridges over the Seine in search of a café for dinner. With all the energy we were asserting, we needed another pit stop to fill up again!

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After dinner, we took the train to the Louvre. I read somewhere that the Louvre is free on Friday evenings after 6pm. Though we were able to walk right into the Louvre (no line), the adults were stopped from entering the exhibit halls because of our age. A minor detail I had missed. Just so YOU know…the Louvre is free to those 26 years and younger on Friday nights after 6pm. Sadly, we can no longer pass for twenty-somethings! As we were brainstorming a new plan, a French gentleman approached us and offered to get one of us in for free. Hubby accompanied him as his guest allowing us to get our group of six in with two tickets. The kind man gave us a short tour.

 

Due to our time and energy restraints and the boys’ desires to see the Mona Lisa, we immediately made our way through the maze of hallways in search of her. When we found her room, we were surprised to be able to walk right up and gaze upon that famous smile. How fun it was to see DaVinci’s masterpiece in person! I was pleasantly surprised to find the Mona Lisa larger than I had expected.

 

We took in a few other pieces, like this sculpture that Grace named “The First Selfie” and the Winged Victory of Samothrace, before exhaustion took over and we bid the Louvre goodbye. Perhaps we will return another time.

 

 

When we left the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower was lit up in the distance. Beautiful!

Bonne nuit! (Goodnight in French)

 

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March 15th, 2016

We just finished week one of visits from family and friends. What a gift! Last week, Danny’s sister, Grace came with her daughter. Yesterday evening, we welcomed our dear friend, Andy from back home. Tomorrow, my parents arrive for ten days. These faces bring with them comforting familiarity, shared stories, news from home and lots of love. Its been a true gift to our spirits!

Grace and her daughter arrived by train last Tuesday afternoon. It was so surreal to see the train doors open and watch them walk onto the platform where I was standing with the boys.

 

 

Suddenly, they were here…in Germany…to visit our family…because we live here…its our home! Weird!! Our old world collided with our new world, putting me in a strange, dream-like state. I wonder when this will feel common or if it ever will?

Grace took the train back to Paris Wednesday morning after a quick overnight at our home. She had meetings for work that evening and Thursday. We kept our niece busy showing her some of our favorite local sites; Nanstein Castle, our village, the Nature trail, “our” coffee shop, the labyrinth and a couple of stops on the Life Path. The sun came out both days which was a HUGE treat!

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

On Thursday evening, we all traveled by train to Paris to reunite with Grace. It was the first time our family has traveled out of Germany since we arrived last November. The train had two levels. Our seats were on the bottom level which disappointed the boys. However, we got a foldout table that helped make up for it! E enjoyed checking out the food car on the second level about half way through the trip. It was very cool and had yummy snacks!

 

 

Our train ride took about two and half hours. We arrived in Paris around 9pm, stood in the taxi line outside the train station and lucked out with an English speaking taxi driver. He took us to the flat we rented and stopped the traffic so we could all cross the street. We were exhausted and excited to be in La Ville Lumière…the City of Lights! I’ll write more on Paris in the next couple of posts.

Au revoir!

 

 

 

March 7th, 2016

Here are a few aspects of our lives that are becoming our new normal.

Dinner Out…we started frequenting the same restaurant once a week and our favorite coffee house on Sunday afternoons to get to know the owners and staff. I also get a night off of cooking. A win-win!

 

“Renting” our Shopping Carts…we put a coin in the slot in order to use the cart. When you return it, you get your money back.

 

Eggs Fresh from the Farm…so fresh that we occasionally find feathers in the carton!

 

Heated Window Sills…most of our windows have heaters directly below them which makes for a nice and warm seat for our kitty. I can’t help but think the builder liked cats.

 

E’s New School Community…Last week, we went to a Dr. Seuss Literacy Night with games and activities galore. Our Thing 1 and Thing 2 had a blast!

 

Building European Monuments…here is S’s replica of the Eiffel Tower using his building blocks. Can’t wait for our little guys to see the real thing in person.

 

Hubby’s sister arrives tomorrow with our niece. We are super excited to spend a few days with them! We also get to host our dear friend, Andy, next Monday as he travels across Germany. THEN, my parents arrive next Wednesday!!!!! There is some SERIOUS excitement around here. Yippee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I may be a bit absent for a little while. If so,   you know why. I’ll be sure to catch up at some point!

Tschüss! (bye in German)

 

 

March 6th, 2016

Heir Schmitt joined us for dinner this past Wednesday night. He is the owner/landlord of the house we were originally going to move into before we found our present home. We are grateful for the opportunity to still develop a friendship with this kind man, though we are not his tenants. Perhaps that’s even better.

As we chatted over dinner the other night, he began to share some of his family stories. He captivated us with the details of his father surviving WWII, how his family renovated and rented out the upstairs of their home to an American family back in the 1950’s and the strength of his mother as she solely provided for her injured husband, parents and children.

He also told us a very entertaining story about this local monument of a man plowing behind an elephant. The man is actually Heir Schmitt’s grandfather. I may get some of the details mixed up but here’s what I remember…

Heir Schmitt’s grandfather was a carpenter. He was hired by a wealthy circus family to build wooden horses for the carousel alongside other projects. The family paid Grandfather Schmitt on the front end for these jobs, which was a big deal and not very typical. Over time, a friendship developed.

The circus family lived in a beautiful villa with a large garden. At the start of WWI, the men of the family and most of the horses left the village to fight. This made it difficult to maintain the large garden. One day, Grandfather Schmitt was having tea with the daughter of the family. As she shared about the challenges of keeping up with the garden, Grandfather Schmitt remembered how elephants were used for manual labor in India. He suggested using one of the circus elephants to pull the plow to break up the ground in the garden. The daughter liked the idea so Grandfather Schmitt designed a harness using large, leather belts. He outfitted one of the elephants and successfully plowed the field. 

Somewhere along the way, the success of using the elephant to plow a field was shared amongst the villagers. People did not believe this was possible and a bet was made. A crowd of folks came to a field to watch the elephant at work. Harnessed to the plow, the elephant pulled it down to the end of the field where he then rewarded himself by grazing ears of corn from a neighboring field. The elephant would then walk back down the field, turn around and repeat. When he reached the end of the field again, he rewarded himself with a second mouthful of corn. The owner of the corn field became enraged at the lost of his corn and began to yell at the elephant. Grandfather Schmitt offered to pay for the corn but the farmer would not have it. Meanwhile, the elephant started becoming agitated. The crowd of villagers added to the commotion, agitating the elephant even further. Grandfather Schmitt implored everyone to calm down but they would not listen.

In the midst of the commotion, Grandfather Schmitt watched the elephant suck up several rocks from the field into his trunk and then point his trunk at the crowds. He yelled at the villagers to hit the ground as the beast began to fire a round of stones out of its trunk. The rocks flew over the heads of the people, hitting the surrounding trees with great force. The elephant then trumpeted loudly and loaded it’s trunk for a second round. Chaos erupted! The elephant bolted, pulling a flying plow behind it. The plow swung wildly from side-to-side as the beast ran through the streets, leaving a trail of damaged doors, fences, gates and road. The elephant ran back to the security of it’s circus tent. Upon seeing the damage, Grandfather Schmitt refused to pay because the villagers did not heed his warning. This story became famous and a monument was built in remembrance. 

As Heir Schmitt shared about his famous Grandfather, his face lit up. The boys were enthralled as they listened. They especially liked the part where the elephant shot the rocks out of his trunk! E asked if this was a true story and Heir Schmitt said, “Yes!”

The next day, lil S and I drove over to see the monument again. I was completely surprised to find a sign nearby with a summary of Heir Schmitt’s story! Though it was a shorter version and retold a bit differently, several of the details were similar. The sign had it printed in German, English and a third language (I’m guessing French). Reading through it, I learned that the elephant’s name was Sam.

Gotta love family stories that become a part of local history!

 

March 5th, 2016

I look forward to the season of Lent; from Ash Wednesday’s reminder of the fragility of our lives to the discipline of fasting and the events of Holy Week. I appreciate this intentional time of reflection. My faith story started in the Catholic Church and there are still several aspects of Catholicism that in practicing, enrich my faith. Fasting is one of those disciplines.

Shortly before Ash Wednesday, I came across this article in Time magazine: http://time.com/3714056/pope-francis-lent-2015-fasting/. I was already thinking about fasting from sweets this year when this article broadened and challenged my thinking. The author writes, “Francis suggests that even more than candy or alcohol, we fast from indifference towards others…when we fast from this indifference, we can began to feast on love.”

Around the same time, I listened to this podcast from the Art of Simple: http://theartofsimple.net/21-2/. Its a conversation with the founder of Neighbor’s Table, Sarah Harmeyer. After realizing she didn’t know her neighbors, Sarah asked her Dad to build her a large, handcrafted table she could use to invite them over. She extended an invitation to ALL of her neighbors and ninety one showed up to her first dinner! Her experiences of getting to know her neighbors birthed the idea of Neighbor’s Table. Her Dad continues to be the master craftsman. She calls him the Chairman of the Boards! Now they deliver tables to several states in America for the purpose of sharing meals with others.

These two ideas spurred me to rethink my Lenten fast this year. After talking to Hubby, we decided as a family to open our table six times over the six weeks of Lent to others. We desire to simply invite others into our home to share food and conversation. Its a good time to try to turn our gaze outward again after all the naval gazing we have done the past couple of months. =)

We were slow to start as we fought off sickness in February and our own inhibitions. However, we jumped in with both feet this week! Heir Schmidt joined us for dinner on Wednesday, my friend Amy came over for tea and snacks on Thursday and then our current landlords joined us for dinner last night. We suddenly felt an urgency to get this idea going because we are moving into three weeks of visitors and house guests (to our DELIGHT), starting this upcoming Tuesday.

I understand again what Pope Francis means when he talks about “feasting on love.” Having our guests over this week gave us the opportunity to share life, stories, laughter, sympathy, kindness and friendship alongside food. We were as much on the receiving end as we hoped to be on the giving side. Each of our friends surprised us with gifts. We received food, wine, plants and even toys for the boys. More importantly, our guests came and shared themselves with us. We were blessed immensely.

Here are a couple of reminders of our guests and our first dinners together. We are keeping them inside for now but intend to plant them outside soon. May they continue to grow alongside our new friendships.

 

 

 

March 1st, 2016

We just wrapped up our last week of February. Here are some memories and pictures to capture the passing of time. We continue to transition and settle into life, experiencing so many foreign things slowly becoming familiar.

It snowed! Big, wispy flakes fell from the sky like pieces of cotton. It was beautiful! Lil S and I built a snow cat for Adi who watched us from our Living Room picture window.

 

 

Wednesday the sun came out again and most of the snow had melted. After school, the boys and I headed over to a new trail to show E the labyrinth. The boys rode their bikes while I walked behind them. We also found another stop on the Life Path. It was a long table with a view looking out to the field. On the table were several plates with the words “rest a little while” inscribed in different languages. As we headed back to the car, hubby rode up on his bike. It was a fun surprise seeing him.

 

 

 

On Thursday, S and I walked over to our village kindergarten to inquire about availability. Recently, we learned it is very difficult to get in if you are not German because they are full to capacity. My friend, Amy, put her son on the waiting list last September. I figured I would try to do the same. We met briefly with a woman who took our information and told me that someone would call us. I asked her if I should look into other kindergartens. She said yes and then pointed to the one across the street. I was unaware there was another so close. We immediately walked over and met with the Director. She couldn’t talk very long but invited us back the following morning.

Friday morning, S and I returned for our meeting. I tried to do my best to answer questions in German using my very limited language skills, Google translate and the Director’s broken English. Another new experience under my belt! The Director was patient and kind. She offered us a tour after our meeting. I liked the feel of the school. Its a Catholic kindergarten with beautiful classrooms, large windows that let in a lot of natural light and several staff that were playing with the children. The school can take about seventy-five students and is currently at capacity. I signed S up for the half day program. However, the Director doesn’t know if there will be availability come September. I hope so! She told me that they currently have one native English speaker right now. He picked up German within six months.

On the way home, S and I stopped by our favorite coffee shop to warm up with some hot drinks. I can’t believe our youngest will be going to kindergarten in the Fall! Though we don’t know where, I’ll continue to pray for the Lord’s leading to the right place. Will you join me?

On our way home, we stopped by our neighbors house and introduced ourselves. Now we know names and snippets of stories that we can pick up in the future. They also have cats so perhaps we can check in on each other’s pets when needed. We will see…

The boys received a sweet treat later that day when Daddy delivered a Valentines package from Grammy Julie that arrived in the mail.

This weekend we continued our painting and cleaning. Hubby put a fresh coat of white paint in the boys room while I scrubbed dirty windows and our back door. We also worked on setting up our Living Room. We are making progress on our home! One room has become a major catchall for all things, especially toys. Its a HUGE mess but the others are taking shape.

 

I finally unearthed the German book I ordered through Amazon when we were in our temporary quarters and then lost after we packed up and moved again. I’m working on the eight key question words. Wo, pronounced “voh” means “where” and is the most commonly used. “Wo ist eine toilette?” We are learning a little German via shopping as well. The boys were excited when we found Shaun das Schaf (Shaun the Sheep) animal crackers at our local grocery store.

 

And now…onto March and visits from loved ones! May this month and the start of Spring bring warmth to all of our bodies and souls. Much love from Germany!

hugs~