Merriest Christmas Ever

I think we had the best present ever this year for Christmas--our family was all together again! It was such a wonderful reunion to have Max and Tal join us in Germany. They flew in with Bruce's dad. We were disappointed that his mom couldn't come too, as planned, but we are so grateful that she is ok after her heart attack. It is soooo fun to have our two oldest boys back with us again. They are such a joy to have around and they have brought a wonderful spirit into our home with them. Thanks to Bruce and Mary for taking such good care of them.

Ava couldn't get enough of Max. She had an instant affinity for him, and wouldn't leave his side, even when he had crashed on the couch!

We have enjoyed showing Grandpa Gunther a few of our favorite sites in Munich. The Hunting and Fishing Museum was really cool. They transformed an old church into the museum. The architecture was really beautiful. It has been such a pleasure to have him here in Germany with us!

The Petting Hall

The Main Hall

Saying good bye to the warthog

 We were happy to have Boston with us...he had decided to hide in a secret tunnel he found in the museum and spend "A Night at the Museum". It took us a while to find him, and that was after we had all left the museum and realized he was not with us! He was so disappointed that he could't sleepover with all the cool creatures and weapons.

We enjoyed Boston's nativity play with him as Joseph. (Yes those are burning candles in his kindergarten--only in Germany! Every morning they would have all the lights off when the kids arrived and about 20 different candles burning to set the mood of the Advent Time.)

Here's Ashton in his play. He was "Snowflake #7" and did a fantastic job memorizing and reciting his lines-- in German of course. Here he is leading the snowflake dance.

We are so thankful for all our friends and family members near and far! We are thinking of you all with a longing for home at this special time of year. But we are so grateful for this unique experience we are having abroad. Thank you to all those who remembered us and sent us a Christmas card. It was especially appreciated and brought us much joy.

Frohe Weihnachten!

All together at last! (Ava is on Bruce's back)
Boston's sad because we just busted up his sleepover with the moose!

5-4-3-2-ONE!

Happy Birthday Ava Rose!

Can't believe you are already one year old! We love you so much and are so elated you joined our family. You brought so much peace and joy amidst some crazy times!

We will always remember how you love your feet--you express yourself very well with them, as we can read your excitement as well as your frustration through the vigorous kicking and circling of your tiny little feet. You even waved with your feet instead of your hands from early on!

Your beautiful eyes are always the first thing people notice about you.

You've learned lots of new tricks from Daddy, as well as a few of your own.

And you've been such a trooper in our new home / country (where tops are considered optional for girls)! The Germans LOVE you. 

And so do your brothers and sister!

Heading to the airport

So... as you face your next year of life remember, you have:

5 siblings that ADORE you,

4  sharp, little teeth with which to defend yourself (see 5),

3 scary, huge sets of stairs to learn to maneuver in your new house,

2 languages to master, and...

ONE exciting, wonderful year behind you where you have learned SO much. (And don't forget your ONE set of parents who love you and will always be there for you.) You'll do just great, you spunky little thing you!

We love you so much. Thanks for all the joys and laughs and strength you have brought to our family.

Alles Gute zum Geburtstag!

Here's a little Ava Rose "live"--to see how she's changed! 

btw: She started walking on her Birthday-yea

post script: OK for those of you that are so on top of things that you noticed this is 8 days late, here's my excuse: 2/3 of our family has been sick the last two weeks including me so I am just now getting to things. Sorry Ava. 

BFF, well almost

Making our way to the market--rain or shine
Landsberg 

Have you ever felt a little sheepish when you've been to the store so often, possibly the third time that day, and you try to go to a different cashier so you don't have to explain yourself? Well it's not like that here. People make multiple trips to the little markets because there's nothing like fresh bread and broetchen, and the refrigerators are so small, that you can't keep more than a few days worth of food. The children and I have made it a daily ritual to all walk to the market where they each buy themselves a Brezel (practicing their German) and I pick up a few groceries. Of course we always have to throw in a few bars of chocolate and packs of gummi bears for the road. (Can you tell we love German food??) And among a land of strangers... it's actually kind of nice to know I've made a friend at the check out!

Ashton is a great German communicator.

Check out all the great options-- YUM!

Livi is the most adventurous in trying out new things.

And Happy Fall, wish it could last a little longer!

Starnberg Schloss from our balcony

From our balcony in the other direction--I always wished for
a little more foliage in our yard...wish granted!

Oh and happy belated Halloween! I was secretly kinda glad that we were leaving the stress and commercialism of costumes and candy-buying behind in America. However...the Germans have adopted the holiday over the last 4-5 years and think it's great. They are all about the scary, gory side of Halloween--ugh. So we joined in--pretty half-heartedly. But here are Boston and Ava at the party put on by the single adult ward: Boston as a bloodied-up BYU football player (he chose the face paint--described what he wanted to a sweet German girl who probably couldn't understand a word he was saying!), and Ava as a sweet little feline. The missionaries put on a spook alley that was actually really good. Fun times!

Time to Catch Up!

Every time I think I am getting closer to being in a routine and figuring out life...life happens and throws me off kilter again. Here's a quick rundown to get caught up! 

The children all started school and we finally found a Kindergarten that had a spot for Boston. Kindergarten is not a part of elementary school here and fills up entirely. Boston's school is very non-traditional, (and looks a little eerie here). It's called Waldorf Kindergarten (read Granola Kindergarten). They don't have any plastic toys, they make various organic porridges and homemade applesauce with the kids for breakfast every morning, and every Wednesday is "Wandertag" where they go into the forests to play with pinecones and chestnuts and build forts and shelters etc. They may bring a "Broetchen" and a drink of water or herbal tea--no sugared drinks or treats please. Boston  has grown to love it. It's been a great opportunity to try something new and very different.

We braved the Oktoberfest while Bruce was at work one day and were glad to have made it out of there without being thrown up on, or a child short. It was plain crazy, packed with drinking people from around the world and it was only 2 in the afternoon (they start at 9am)! I'm sure it is the biggest party on earth that lasts three weeks every year. The people here in Bayern call it the 5th season: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall and Oktoberfest! The funniest part was having Americans stop us to take pictures of the kids in their cute German attire, only to be disappointed when I spoke perfect English to them.

Neuschwanstein Castle

My parents came to visit us in Germany when I came back from my trip to America. Sadly, they had another funeral to attend for my dad's last sibling that lived in Germany. She lived a long, happy life and was ready to transition on to the other side. We had a wonderful time with them seeing some of the beautiful sites in our area. 

Rosie sitting on the castle wall

The three amigos and the grounds at Linderhoff Castle


It was a simply gorgeous day, even though it started out pretty chilly. Check out that blue sky!

Omi and Opa at Linderhoff Castle
. 

Lastly, we spent one somber morning at Dachau, one of Hitler's first concentration camps. The frigid air outside matched the cold, dark feeling inside the camp. It's something everyone should experience once so as never to forget the atrocities which took place here due to one crazed leader.

Entrance to the camp

All prisoners would enter through these gates which read: "Work will set you free." In reality, the people were often worked to their death here. 

One cell which may have housed up to four people

This cell was split into fourths and used as a torture chamber where one only had enough room to stand. They would be left here for up to 72 hours with little or nothing to eat, almost no light and very poor ventilation. I can't imagine how awful it would have been, and to think most if not all people sent to these camps were entirely innocent. It was certainly one of the darkest times in the history of the world.

On a happier note, we are enjoying the beautiful fall colors and trying to take it all in. Driving through the countryside is one of my favorite things to do right now. This is the view we have from the top of our driveway, except the trees are all golden now. This building is one of our city's two main churches. We are awakened by the bells every morning at 7 am sharp, yes that's on the weekends too! I used to think the ringing church bells here were so quaint and charming.......

Chasing More Years!

October 9th, another special day in our family--Max turns 12! I remember going for a drive over the AlpineLoop to have lunch with Bruce at Sundance the day before you were born. The colors were amazing and distracted me from the nauseating turns and switchbacks. But that night at 1 a.m. you decided it was time to join our family. Another emergency c-section, but you were absolutely worth it! I can't imagine life without you in it.

I love your sweet, gentle way. I can always count on you being sensitive and empathetic in tricky situations. Your brothers and sisters are drawn to you...you are so full of creativity and fun.

Maxwell, 3, and Olivia, 1,  in Omi's backyard

Maxwell, age 4, with his first pet: a gerbil

Maxwell, age 6, with his first cat, Duke

OK this one didn't go over too well...I've learned to deal with a lot...but I just can't do snakes!

Maxwell, age 9, with his first chick

So if a picture is worth a thousand words, then these tell quite a story--any animal is a friend of yours. I love how caring you are, and your great ability to be a quiet leader. Thanks for loving us, and teaching us so much. So happy you joined us 12 years ago! I love you with all my heart.

Maxwell going frog hunting in California with Ben, his cousin and Uncle Kevin

ALLES GUTE ZUM GEBURTSTAG!!

Keepers!

Reunion

Welcome back Fall!

Tal calls this "the Chad Lewis"
thanks for the picture Amy!

I love Fall for so many reasons: FOOTBALL, (which we are missing!) 

the crisp cool air, and the beautiful colors! No doubt-- the best season ever.

Lake Blanche

The Sundial near Lake Florence

Ok you should be saying to yourself, "That looks a lot like Utah, not Germany."

Well you are right. It's been wonderful to be back on American soil, to be reunited with my boys and family, and to be able to say goodbye to an incredible man and brother. We decided to hike up to Lake Blanche in Big Cottonwood canyon on Thursday to visit one of Kevin's all time favorite places to camp, fish and commune with God. It was beautiful; we sat and remembered Kevin as we watched two moose, what looked like a mom and her son, meandering in the meadow and drinking from the lake. Unforgettable...

Kevin's memorial service was also unforgettable. It was a wonderful way to honor and say farewell to one of the best of the best. At the gravesite Abby, Kev's wife, read a few entries from Kevin's journal from when he was a young boy. It was all about his pigeons and how much he loved them. Then ten white homing pigeons were released. They circled above us one time and then flew home. It was a touching metaphor for Kevin's heading "home".

Kevin is loved by so many. It has been inspiring to read the comments on his obituary. Here is one of my very favorites. This is Kevin!

"Almost 11 months to the day before the Good Dr passed away, we rode together in the Multiple Sclerosis Bay to Bay bicycle event. For most of the 108 miles we completed that day, Kevin would yell "We ride for Glory! We ride for Megan! (my wife who has MS)" His enthusiasm, charisma and compassion for my cause (riding for my wife), was so infectious that we had tons of people chanting along with us. I'll always remember how strong of a rider he was with what seemed to be unlimited energy. His personality was exactly the same. Over the last year of his life, I enjoyed our late night chats over Taco Bell at the fire pit in his back yard, philosophizing about life and trying to solve the World's problems. He told me that faith had always come easy for him. He just knew that there was a loving Heavenly Father and that there was a plan for him. I've never seen his faith waiver. I love you Kevin! Put in a good word for me up there until we can both ride for glory again."

I look forward to our reunion someday Kev. You have made this world a better place and I'm sure you are continuing it in new realms.

To all my family here in Utah, it was wonderful to be with you again. Let's have another reunion real soon, in Deutschland!



And to my sweet Bruce, Liv, Ash, Boss and Ava in Munich--I can't wait for our reunion on Thursday. I MISS YOU SO MUCH! Thanks for making this possible Bruce. I love you--more than you'll ever know.