January 25th, 2016
Frohes Neues Jahr (Happy New Year)…twenty-five days late! =)
Holidays, traveling, and school-breaks did not afford me much time for blogging. I had planned to catch up once the boys went back to school. However, my computer screen did something that only a techie, computer person could fix which landed my laptop at the German repair shop for almost two and half weeks. We just picked it up on Monday. It’s so fun to finally be back here in this virtual space. Hey-dee-Ho friends and family!!
After a month-long break, this picture happy girl/family has a huge backlog of pictures and memories that I would LOVE to share every detail about…that won’t be happening. Instead, I’m going to attempt to catch up in a handful of posts as I try to clump events together and share the highlights. As always, thanks for checking in and following our lives here in this foreign, yet now more familiar, land of Germany.
So here are glimpses into the Christmas Season and how we celebrated throughout the month of December…
Decorating our Christmas Tree
A family from our church moved to the Netherlands in the Fall. Before leaving, they passed on their Christmas tree to us. It had a slight tilt but we made it work and enjoyed how festive it made our living room.
A Visit from St. Nick
The boys polished their boots and put them outside on December 5th. I was out that evening and loved coming home to the site of boots by the front door. The following morning, the boys were SO EXCITED to find their boots full of treats!
S’s Fussball Gift
All the children on S’s village soccer team received an engraved jacket and workout pants as a Christmas gift from the organization. Their coach handed them out at one of the December practices. S loves wearing his!
Christmas Traditions
We counted down the days to Christmas with our advent “wreath” (a wooden spiral with holes for a candle and a carving of Mary on a donkey), daily readings from the Advent Storybook, opening windows on the Advent calendar my Mom sent the boys that tells the Christmas story without giving them more candy (trust me, they get a ton over the holidays!) and also reading different Christmas stories every night from our own collection and books we get from the library. I love each of these traditions and the familiarity they bring over the years.
Adi’s Holiday Antics
Adi enjoyed laying on and clawing up wrapping paper, attacking ribbons, pulling out the tree skirt each time I fixed it, pulling ornaments off the tree and chewing on branches. Good thing we love her and can tolerate her kitty-craziness. She’ll turn two at the end of January!
Christmas Markets
We were more strategic this time around in selecting specific Christmas markets we wanted to experience. We picked a couple in Germany and also drove to Colmar, France (more on that trip in another post). One Saturday, we went to Johanniskreuz in the Palatinate Forest to attend an eco-friendly Christmas market that focused on sustainability. We unexpectedly bumped into our pastor, his wife and son while we were walking around. A treat!
Another Saturday, we relied on trains, ferries and our feet to experience the Market of Nations in Rüdesheim where more than twenty nations from five continents are represented. We walked from our house to the train station where we took a train to Bingen. We then walked from the Bingen train station to the ferry landing where we took the ferry across the Rhine to Rüdesheim and walked some more. We repeated our journey in backwards order that night. We walked almost six miles alongside our fun modes of transportation!
The market was worth it! We tasted some international flavors, picked up a couple of gifts and enjoyed an awesome rendition of Feliz Navidad. (We did not purchase the ear mufflers the boys tried on though they definitely got a kick out of them!)
Seeing Santa at Polar Express Night
The boys’ school hosted this fun evening event that included crafts, dinner, popcorn, hot cocoa and the movie “Polar Express.” E was very excited to talk to Santa about his Christmas list while S was more hesitant at first. He eventually came around and had his own conversation as well.
Trips to the Package Window!
We all got excited when a yellow slip showed up in our mailbox telling us to come to the package window! We were loved on immensely by family and friends who sent Christmas gifts, cookies, and Birthday gifts for our oldest who was born four days before Christmas. I also got excited to receive Christmas cards! Thank you to all who remembered us in so many special ways!!!
Christmas Eve
We attended our church’s Christmas Eve Candlelight Service. It was simple, beautiful and moving. As we sang Silent Night in German, I was filled with gratitude once again for this opportunity to live here in this season of our lives. When we came home, we took a family picture by the tree before opening one gift.
Christmas Morning
Our oldest could not WAIT to open presents and thus ended our sweet slumber early that morning. I was amazed how quickly our living room was taken over with wrapping paper, boxes and presents! We received several thoughtful and fun gifts.
Brightening Up a Rainy Day!
The boys both got umbrellas for Christmas this year. We put them to good use the day after Christmas as we took a family walk around our village. Colorful umbrellas add an extra dose of happiness on rainy days!
With a year of living here in Germany under our belts, we now say, “Remember last year…” as we walk through the seasons. Isn’t it amazing how much can change in a year? How much WE change and grow in a year? The boys physical growth is right before our eyes. Personal growth is not always so obvious or measurable. December held reminders of our growth as we remembered the previous year. Through it all, I see the faithfulness of our God to walk alongside us. Thankful!
