The Dzmura Family

March--PARIS!

2012-01-04T18:40:00.000-05:00

Hannah and I were able to take a quick weekend trip to Paris, France.

We hopped on a train and made it there in 4 hours. Love those ICE trains!

We came upon the Seine River and Hannah was sitting on these steps on the otherside.

Can you find her?

She's in the PINK!

Just to her left was Notre Dame.

We had every intention of climbing the stairs to the bell tower until we saw the line wrapped around the back of the building and down the street quite a ways. They said it would have taken 2 hours!! Our time was limited to so we quickly walked inside, looked around and headed on our way.

We decided to take a cruise on the Seine River to see all the sites and map out or routes for the following days. I got a really good picture of the backside of Notre Dame.

We then headed straight for the Eifel Tower and on to the Arc de Triumph.

We took a stroll down the Champs Elysee and then headed on down to the Louvre.

I know....predictable, huh?

We had an amazing sunset that evening.

While inside we caught a glimpse of the Mona Lisa.

They've moved it to a much bigger display area since my last visit

I swear it was much smaller than that, but I guess my memory doesn't serve me to well. They did have it enclosed in this small little podium instead of placed on an oversized wall last time.....maybe that has something to do with it!?!

Walking like an Egyptian??

We loved this area of the Louvre!

Then we headed over to the Love-Locks Bridge.

All along the bridge are these locks with names and dates of lovebirds!!

It was amazing to see how many locks were on this bridge.

We sat for awhile and enjoyed the sunset and the many musicians lined up along the bridge.

On our last day we headed over to the Eiffel Tower one last time and cruised on over to the other side of town to the Sacre Couer....one of my favorite buildings in Paris. I love how beautifully white this building is.

We sat on the steps and listened to more musicians and watched some guys doing Capoeira.

We got to overlook the city and take it all in before we headed back home.

It was so wonderful to spend a weekend alone with my "baby" girl!! Definitely a trip to be remembered.

VOLLEYBALL!!

2012-01-04T18:13:00.000-05:00

Hannah made the FIS 6-8 grade Volleyball team last school year!!

They had limited games, but it was quite the experience for her. The team got to travel to Vienna, Austria and Basel, Switzerland for their games. They only took 10 girls and Hannah was chosen to go each time!!

If I do say so myself....she is quite good! She has really taken to the position of setter, just like her mom and Aunt Laurel.

IN ACTION!!

Her serves made it over the net 99.99999% of the time. They were only allowed to serve underhand.

It also helps to have your own cheering section!

Hannah thrived in the team environment and loved playing the game. She had a great coach to teach her the basics and get her excited to play this awesome sport!

Tryouts for the middle school team are in 2 weeks (Jan 18-20), so say a little prayer!

February--Koln/Bonn

2012-01-04T18:05:00.000-05:00

We had to make one last trip to Koln/Bonn before we headed out of dodge.

Here we are in front of the Koln Dom.

We then headed over to the Fruh for a quick lunch.

We had Goulasch Suppe!!

And of course, what trip out on town would be complete without a stop at the local bakery.

Berliners!

We headed off to Bonn to stop by the Haribo factory store.

The kids were in heaven!! You could even get gummi bears by the bag fulls in each separate color.

We then headed down to the river.

It was pretty cold that day so it was a quick stop.

No pictures, but we headed over the Trattoria!! Oh the memories. It's a little Italian joint our family used to eat at when we lived over there in the early 90s. Still there with the same staff!

Centerparcs--The Netherlands

2011-12-29T09:56:00.000-05:00

Our friends, the Bauders, told us about these cool little resorts called Centerparcs. We went to one in Belgium last year and decided to go back but try a different one in a different country. We took this trip in February during the kids Ski Week off from school. What we LOVE about these places is that we are cut off from the world. We had a bungalow with a functioning kitchen so we could cook for ourselves and they have a small grocery store on site.

So, we are out in nature! You park your car on the outskirts and there are no cars within the living areas. The main focus of the resorts are these indoor waterparks that are very tropical looking. Waterslides, pools, you name it.

The kids outside our bungalow.

We were right on the lake.

Ella.

They have a playscape area and these motorized carts. One of the kids favorites.

Mason.

An since we are out in the boonies....there has to be a petting farm right?

They had goats roosters, peacocks and all sorts of animals....not all for petting, but fun to look at.

Hannah got to do 2 activities. I didn't book things very far in advance so she got "stuck" with rock climbing and zip lining. What you won't see in pictures is that it was FREEZING COLD!!

She was such a trooper and did really well.

She ended up getting to the top!

Inside the tropical walking area.

One of the slides....Ella didn't shove off as fast as the other two.

And YES, they are outside!! There was a lazy river OUTSIDE!! You start off inside and then flow outside for the whole river!! Insane, but so totally cool. I think it snowed at one point too.

And another outdoor attraction! This is just a pool, but off over in the distance is an ice pool. It's not heated so took on the outdoor temperature. So, we hadn't seen anyone get brave enough to try it out but wouldn't you know....MASON jumped in but jumped right back out into the cold pool. It was hysterical!

Just to give you an idea of what the indoor pool areas looks like.

Here's Hannah ready for the zip line.

Why is she wearing a life vest?

Check out below!

And she's off!!

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Yep, the zip line went over a lake!

They are picked up by this little pontoon boat.

She LOVED it!!

Such a fun vacation. Last year we went for 3 days, this time we stayed the whole week. It was nice to get away from reality and be in our own little bubble. I love spending good quality time with the kiddos.

Istanbul, Turkey

2011-12-28T11:58:00.000-05:00

I must say that this was probably, next to Prague, my favorite trip I took while in Europe!

It may have had something to do with the fact that I got to go with a bunch of friends w/out kids, but you'll see from the pictures below that Istanbul is an absolutely beautiful city!!

Turkey's flag

Our Hotel

The view of the Med from the back of the hotel. That windowed room off to the right was our breakfast room....I can't believe I didn't get any pictures from there cause the view was absolutely amazing!

The Blue Mosque

(as seen from the entrance of our hotel)

PROOF! I was there.

I'm usually the one behind the camera and rarely have pictures of me in all the wonderful places we've been so I made sure to have someone snap a couple of me with my camera.

The Blue Mosque at night.

Being that we were literally right across the street from the Mosque we were woken every morning with the call to prayer. Pretty amazing, an experience you couldn't completely appreciate unless you've been there and heard it. They have LOUD speakers throughout the city so that you can hear the call no matter where you are.

Hagia Sophia

Absolutely amazing!

This is an old church that was turned into a Mosque.

You can see depictions of Christ from the Bible and yet here on large discs are words from the Koran.

And the Grand Bazaar!

Again, amazing! Shop after shop.....let's just say I did some damage!

The toilets!

Yes, it's a glorified hole in the ground. We had to pay to use it too!

Our tour guide walking down the main drag of the bazaar. The little alleys (literally) that branched off this were so jam packed and narrow. It's truly amazing how many vendors they squeeze into this place.

It is absolutely HUGE!!

58 covered streets and over 4,000 shops!!

My carpet!

The colors in the picture are a bit off, but it is sooooo pretty!!

It is hand embroidered and hand woven.

The Spice Market

It is the other popular market in Istanbul. It pales in comparison to the Grand Bazaar but it is mainly, well spices that are sold here.

I don't know how sanitary this is. They are just out in the open. No glass enclosure....nothing!

BEAUTIFUL colors though.

BAKLAVA!! YUM!!!

I bought some on our way out of town and wouldn't you know....I left it at the airport!

Bummer!!

Did I mention the colors?

So vibrant and beautiful!

These lanterns were everywhere! Each one unique and beautiful.

Of course, I bought one to bring home!

This is just the tip of the iceberg! We took a boat tour down the Bosphorus. We drove over to the Asia side of Istanbul so I can now say that I have been on the continent of Asia!!

We walked and walked and walked so we decided to treat ourselves to a true Turkish Bath experience. A little out of my comfort zone, but soooooo worth it!!

This is definitely a trip that I will remember for a LONG time!

Where to start?

2011-12-26T11:21:00.002-05:00

Well, I have been gone long enough. Life sometimes can get a little hectic and as most of you know....that is definitely the case here in our family. I've been at a crossroads as to what to put on here and what I actually wanted to share. I have come to the realization that I need to get over a lot of things that have happened over this past year and focus on the positive. I'm hoping I can get these positive moments up here to share with you. So to start...I figured I would do a post about each kid and show you what they've been up to. I've only posted Jan-June. I will get the vacations, events and what not posted in separate posts here over this coming week and hopefully get this neglected blog updated! Blogger has changed since I was last on here and it is sooooooo much faster and easier that I'm inspired to GET THIS DONE!! Thank you to all who have stuck by us and supported us this past year....it means more than you could ever imagine. I love you all!!! ENJOY!!

Hannah

2011-12-26T11:17:00.001-05:00

Oh Goodness! Where to begin with this one.

It's all about FRIENDS!!

At school.

PROOF...It does snow in Germany!!

BUT, where is all the snow I promised the kids here in VA?

Hannah D. and Hannah C.

hamming it up!

Yeah, those would be my formals.

Lexi and Hannah did a fashion show of probably 1/2 my wardrobe.....blackmail pictures for later years, but this one was good.

The ward youth ice skating trip!

Hannah and Lexi on their way from ice skating.

Dance #2!

Lets see if I can name them all:

Back row: ?, Hannah, Cambria, Jenny, Camille, ?, Sidney, Paige

Front Row: Hannah C., Roberta, Giulia, Lexi

I got most of them!?!?

Camille, Hannah and Grace

I'm told they were making concoctions for each other and then they had to drink it.

Oh to be a pre-teen girl again. NOT!!

On their way to the Taylor Swift concert.

This girl is DIPPED in it.

So random, they recognized Taylor Swifts mom walking around in the audience and she was one backstage pass shy of getting all of them to be able to go so she took them down to the VIP section for them to enjoy the concert. They got close.....

....I mean REAL close to the stage!

Hannah even brought home a guitar pick that was thrown out into the audience.

On the banks of the Rhine River in Bonn.

PARIS!!

(separate blog to follow)

Rock climbing wall in the Netherlands.

Oh, she is going to HATE me for this one.

Ella's teacher needed help with her 3 year old class out on the stage and I volunteered Hannah to help. She went to the practices, begrudgingly, but doesn't she look cute in a tutu!?! She did really well.

VOLLEYBALL!!!!

Hannah has found her new love!

She is pretty darn good too!!

(I'm not saying that just cause she's my daughter either.)

She is getting ready to try out for the team at her middle school here in VA next month.

The Birthday Girls!!

Hannah and Camille

Wherever you found Camille is where Hannah was. These two were inseparable.

They decided to do a joint birthday/going away party at the end of the school year.

Starnberg on the Konigsee

Mason

2011-12-26T10:57:00.000-05:00

Oh, he loved every minute of it!

As much as they may bicker and fight, these two (Hannah and Mason) really are two peas in a pod.

Here they are with Lexi, one of Hannah's friends.

In February they celebrate Fasching in Germany. It's another excuse for the kids to get dressed up.

Mason wanted to dress as Shaggy from Scooby Doo.

Tooth #3 is gone.

Our saga continues....we have to go have ANOTHER tooth pulled (#3).

Ella actually lost her 5th tooth before Mason did just a couple weeks ago.

He has had to have 2 of 4 pulled so this will make 3 of 5.

On our last trip to Koeln/Bonn at the Fruh!!

On the banks of the Rhine River in Bonn.

For Mason's birthday he got a Crystal making kit. It came with these oh so trendy glasses!!

At Hannah's birthday/going away party. Loving every bit of attention, especially from the 20+ pre-teen girls that were in attendance.

This blog wouldn't be complete without a picture of Mason with his bestie Sasha.

It was a love/hate relationship....kinda like brother and sister.

Here the are at their 2nd grade performance of It's A Jungle Out There.

Starnberg.

I mean, you can't complain of the view, huh?

Ella

2011-12-26T10:45:00.002-05:00

I'm getting used to this new blogger set up so you are getting these in reverse order starting with

JUNE

Ella in downtown Oberursel where they did their last ballet performance...

...and here she is taking her final bow!

She thrived in Ballet and we are looking for the right place here in VA to put her in to. There are a couple of studios; one focuses solely on ballet and the other dabbles in all areas of dance. For now, we are doing cheerleading with the Parks and Rec and when this is over we'll look into the dance options again.

On our last trip to Starnberg to see John and his family.

Sports Day! A day the kids always looked forward to. Ella was able to race in the girls running race as she was the 2nd fastest in her class.

Oh the bond these two have.

At Hannah's birthday party/going away party.

One of the many pictures on my computer where the kids got a hold of the camera and started snapping away....sometimes they come up with some good ones.

Backstage.

One of her last ballet performances and she got SICK! She got dressed in hopes that she would be able to go out, but to no avail she was burning up and feverish so she wanted to sit backstage and watch.

On the banks of the Rhine River on our last trip to Bonn.

Aaaaaaaawwwwwweeeeeeeee.

Dress rehearsal for said SICK performance.

Ella has grown so much this year. I'm amazed at how big she has gotten both physically and maturity wise. She is such a beautiful blessing in my life. I can't imagine our little family without her.

Family Picture

2011-10-26T21:20:00.001-04:00

So, for dad's wedding they are doing a video and they asked us to send in a family picture....well, haven't taken one since Ella was 3!! So, called my friend Shanan and headed out to the back yard and this is what we came up with. Not bad, huh?!?

Love my kiddos, they're pretty cute.

MOVED IN!!!

2011-09-09T11:17:00.000-04:00

August 13th--

Now that we are moved in I'm hoping I can dig out!! Seriously, I have found things that came from storage that I am wondering why in the world I even kept it....maybe it's cause I thought we would only be gone for 2-3 years and not 5 years!!!! We only have about 6 more boxes to go but am finding that I need to get creative on where to put everything. The kids are older and have more stuff now!! Their feet are bigger so their shoes, clothes, jackets....EVERYTHING takes up more space. I will have to post before and after pictures of the paint selection. We've painted almost every room in the house!! All that is left is my bedroom and some high walls in the 2 story foyer.

I have been extremely blessed to have the most amazing best friend in the world!! Shanan has been an absolute life saver!! She let us crash at her house for 2 weeks while we were in limbo prepping the house and waiting for our stuff to arrive. She has helped with ALL the prep too, all while she had a scout camp she was fully in charge of. AMAZING!! I'm so happy to be back in the US and just a 2 min. drive from her!! Also, Misty and Brice were able to come out and help out with our "painting party". The kids all did great and even though they only had an empty house to entertain themselves....they somehow did it and didn't complain! I think they were all just happy to spend time together after not seeing each other for so long.

So, now I need to get pictures posted. That would be the "dig out" part I mentioned earlier. I need to find the cords to hook up the camera to the computer and will then get some posted.

It's been quite a tiring week diggin out of boxes but we are definitely making progress. The kids start school on the 24th so maybe after that I'll be able to finally breathe!!!

September 9th--

For some reason I wasn't able to post the above due to errors with the site and I guess I forgot about it.

So, we're settled! No more boxes in the house. I'm happy to say they aren't even in the garage! They are GONE! Ahhhhhh. My room still isn't painted, but really not a priority right now. Maybe when the kids are gone next weekend I can do it. My days right now are filled with lots of studying! I signed up for some an online program to get a certificate in Medical Coding/Billing. The market is saturated with Health Care jobs right now and figured I might as well jump on the bandwagon. I'm really excited about trying something new and accept this new challenge with open arms!

I'm gonna try to find some time to update this thing and get the last 8 months on here (my oh my how my poor blog has been neglected). I need to get those last memories from Germany up so I can make way for our new life here in VA! And boy how "new" it is!! With the love and support from friends and family we are making it through and pushing forward!!

We love you all so much. Here's to New Adventures!

**I found some older posts that never got published (look below)...only pictures for now, but will add some lingo soon!

Busy lately?

2011-07-12T15:48:00.002-04:00

So, yes it's been awhile since I posted and why am I posting pictures of my dad's kitchen? Well, it's been my project since Saturday and I promised my bro's and sis's I would post pictures so here you go:

BEFORE

(with wallpaper)

AFTER

(no wallpaper and a fresh coat of paint)

sorry it's not more "picked up"

You've gotta see it in person to really appreciate the difference. It looks sooo much bigger, as if it wasn't big enough already...and I tell you that darker crown molding...2 coats to cover it up! My neck is killing me!! It was fun though. I love what a little bit of time and work can do to transform a room. My next project is the 1/2 bath and then the molding in the den, dining room and butler pantry areas. Whoooo doggy! Am I nuts? YES!! I have to turn around and do this all in my own house in about 3 weeks....I guess practice makes perfect!

2011

2011-05-16T10:59:00.002-04:00

Okay! I now have my posts for 2010 up and loaded, with the exception of posting pictures on my Prague post....which when I have an hour to spare may get done one of these days as the pictures are so numerous but well worth the time to put up as it is by far my FAVORITE city I've visited so far.
So, now it's on to 2011. We have some day to day activities: ballet, girl scouts, volleyball, etc. and a couple trips: Netherlands, Istanbul, Paris and Lanzarote to get up. I know, rough life, huh? I think I'll sit down get the posts organized and start later this week or next. I'd LOVE to get it all up before we leave here so that I can get as many details down as possible. You know that forgetful memory thing that comes with age? Well....let's just say I've got it mastered! I have to write things down quickly before I forget them these days. I'm not that old am I?

Kansas City!!

2011-05-12T10:59:00.001-04:00

The big red barn! Oh the memories.

I was able to take a short-long weekend and go to Kansas City for my cousin Alexis's wedding!

I say short-long cause in terms of flying from Germany to the states....Wed-Sun is SHORT, however, in general terms it was a long weekend!

Proof I was there.

I always seem to be the one taking the pictures and are very rarely in them.
My 3 beautiful cousins!
Clea, Alexis and Lili
I was able to make it back for both Clea and Alexis's weddings and now Lili is getting married next Spring. I will be stateside once again and hope to be able to make it to hers as well. These ladies are incredible women and am so happy to call them family.

Alexis with her man, Josh.

Oh grandma!

YES, that is my 89 year old grandma who made the trip up from Florida, another good reason to make the trip from Germany. She is one of those women in your life that you just don't have enough time or words to describe what she means to you. Love her to death.

We were able to get together a few times for some meals, laughs and story telling.

We made it to Jack Stacks BBQ (my mouth is watering just thinking about it)

My sis Kelly's kids: Lindsay, Christian and Drew

Dad with Christian, Drew and Blake

Oh, Henry!

This is Laurel's littlest boy. I finally got to meet him during this visit. He is the most happy, content little guy and it was such a pleasure to get to know his little personality.

My big sis Kelly! Her birthday was the following week and they brought out this whopper of a dessert. We passed it all around the table and still had problems finishing it between the 10 of us. DELISH!

YUMMMMY!

Wouldn't you know it...I left my camera at the hotel during the wedding. I'll have to go steal some pics of FB and get them out here. It was such a beautiful wedding and we had so much fun eating, dancing and chatting the night away.

The next day before we all left at our various times we met up at Alexis's house for breakfast and good-byes. Grandma enjoying googly eyes from her newest great grandbaby.

Us girls hanging out and catching up.

As always, FAMILY, that's what it's all about.

I love my family, each and every one of them and am so blessed that I had another opportunity to get most of us together to catch up and just be together, especially to celebrate such a beautiful moment in Alexis's life.

Congrats Alexis and Josh.

Bratislava, Slovakia

2011-05-12T10:51:00.001-04:00

The Mother Land!

I only say that because that is where the "Dzmura's" came from back in the late 1800's.

We had had enough of Vienna and decided at the last minute to make the hour or so drive to Bratislava. SOOOOO glad we did. I only wish we would have had more time to spend then and explore. We didn't decide to go there until pretty late in the afternoon but am so glad we got to see this beautiful city.

Crossing the border!

Taken whilst driving into town, not the best picture, but this schloss sits up top a hill right on the river. Spectacular!

The giant tree in the town square.

**note: The American Embassy is about 3 buildings to the left behind where we were standing....right on the main square.**

So, the girls had to go to the bathroom and there was a McDonalds right on the corner, however, you had to buy something in order to use their bathroom. So, one cheeseburger later the girls ended up going and when we came out Mason showed us his GIANT snowball he made in the 5 minutes we were inside!

The Christmas Market down on the square.

This was cool. This is a bronze statue (i guess) of a man crawling out of a manhole!

Attempting some night pictures of the castle.

Again, wish we would have been able to spend a bit more time there as it did not disappoint in the couple hours we were able to spend in Slovakia.

Vienna, Austria

2011-05-12T10:34:00.001-04:00

We decided to take a trip to Vienna back in December to go to their Christmas Market(s). I must say that I wasn't as impressed as I thought I would be. It probably didn't help it that it was FREEZING cold the whole time we were there.

The Opera Toilet

Down in the subway system was this awesome restroom.

You could listen to some Mozart while doing your business!

The Kinder Market

One positive about the market was the indoor (warm) activities they had for the children to do.

The kids got to make candles and cookies!

Getting ready for candle making.

And on to COOKIES!!

They had the kids put on aprons and chefs hats.

The dough was already made so they just had to roll it and cut it!

Inside the Rathaus where the Kinder Market was.

Schoenbrunn Castle

This was by far my most favorite site in Vienna.

The market there was phenomenal.

Mason in front of the snowglobe stahl where he got his snowglobe!

We did lots of walking around, can you tell?

It was all in all a good trip. The highlight was definitely the castle and our little afternoon side trip to Bratislava, Slovakia.

Nurnberg

2011-05-12T07:37:00.001-04:00

Oh Nurnberg...how we got totally jipped. We left at 4:00pm for our 2 hour drive thinking we would have a couple hours at the Christmas Market and see the city....WRONG!! Our 2 hour drive turned into a 4 hour drive and we didn't get to see the Christmas Market. We were on our way to Vienna and used Nurnberg as a resting point only so we could see the market one last time. Oh well. We walked around the city a little bit and then went and had some dinner at Vapiano's then headed to our hotel.

We woke up the next day to this:

Luckily the autobahn was clear so we had no problems heading out to Vienna that morning. What beautiful scenery though we had to enjoy!

Hello again!

2011-05-04T10:15:00.002-04:00

Well, hello there! I found a few moments today to get more updates done. I tell you what....moving is for the birds!! I cannot wait til this transition process is complete. What a pain to get out of a foreign country and out of government housing!! Blah! The paperwork and appts for this and that are mind boggling. We're getting there though. Only a mere 7 weeks until we are out of here!! SOOOOO hard to believe. Life back in the US is going to be soooo different!! We welcome the adventure though. We have mixed feelings about returning. The kids don't know, remember life in the US and are comfortable with their European way of life....as am I. It's much more relaxed and easy going over here. I'm not looking forward to the crazy "go, go, go" that seems to come with living in the US. It helps being as far out of DC as we are and things seem a bit more relaxed there, but it just isn't the same.
Don't get me wrong. We are THRILLED to get back to our own home (no more apartment living!!! yeah!!!) and VERY EXCITED to see old friends and to rekindle those friendships. This seems like "home". We've been here for 5 years. That is the most we've been in one place at any given time!!

Anywho. I got "Christmas Time" blogged. DONE! Check that off my list. I have Vienna, Bratislava, Prague and my trip to KC to finish up from last year and then I'll focus on 2011. That's only 4 more posts to get caught up on 2010.....put that way it doesn't seem daunting, however each post has a bazillion pictures as they are CITIES and not just a mere event. So much beautiful architecture, scenery and memories. I will get it done though. It may not be this week, hopefully next week. LOTS going on between now and Saturday!!

So, I hope this finds you well. Enjoy the few posts I did manage to get up and know that we love you all and are really looking forward to our return to the good ole' US of A!!!!

Deep Thoughts...

2011-05-04T10:14:00.000-04:00

....by Hannah Dzmura.

Looks comfy, huh? NOT!!

SnowFlakes!

2011-05-04T10:09:00.003-04:00

Just in case you were wondering.....

Our windows were COVERED with paper snowflakes all winter long.

This was definitely a favorite for the kids this winter. One of Hannah's friends taught me how to do more intricate ones but didn't get any pictures of them.

I'm sure this is something we'll be doing every winter especially after moving back to VA and having quite a bit more snow in one winter than all 5 of them combined here.

Ward Christmas Party

2011-05-04T10:03:00.005-04:00

Hannah is going to KILL me!! But, you can't have a Christmas without your ward Christmas party Santa, no? Here the kiddos are on Santa's lap!

She was a bit shy at first and turned the color of her shirt, but she did it!

I told her this could be her last time since she'd be in YW next Christmas.

What a sport!

Christmas

2011-05-04T09:44:00.005-04:00

FINALLY getting around to getting this up here. We had a good Christmas this year. It was a bit smaller than past ones...it may not look like it, but I went overboard with the wrapping.....a shirt in a box, pants in a box....you catch my drift. I wanted it to look bigger than it was. The kids got their usual jammies and clothes and then 3 gifts each.

OH MY GOODNESS!!

What's that?

A camera for Hannah and......

....I-pods for Mason and Ella. {refurbished that is}

We decided to get them one "big" thing and two smaller gifts and keep it simple.

New Years Eve

2011-05-04T09:36:00.004-04:00

New Years Eve in Starnberg! Who would've thunk it!! The town went NUTS!! Yes, all the kids stayed up til midnight because we had been told that the fireworks down at the lake were unbelievable. Well....they were. They were not organized by the city....these are the people of Starnberg lighting up their own fireworks that they had purchased!! You'd be amazed at what is legal here. I mean big ones in the sky....it was crazy. It went on for what seemed forever. The kids loved it though. Hard to catch night shots with lighting and then the fireworks and smoke....well, it was tricky but I caught a few.

Mason and Sarah covering their ears!

Poor Ella, she stayed awake til midnight and walked down to the lake....but boy was she T-I-R-E-D!!

Mason in Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!

The girls enjoying the show!

So glad we stayed up and made the trek. Truly amazing.

Neuschwanstein

2011-05-04T09:28:00.005-04:00

Well, our 2nd try at Neuschwanstein was a success. Our first try didn't go so well. We tried back in 2006 when we first arrived and Ella was barely 2 and Mason 3.....well, I'm sure you can just imagine.

Anyway, it always helps when you're travelling with someone and you don't have to do it alone.

A view from below....before we HIKED up to the castle!

The line for the horse carriage was sooooo long we decided to walk it. The kids did great and didn't complain too much.

Hohenschwangau

A view from about 3/4 of the way up to the castle from an outlook point.
Truly right from a fairy tale.

At the entrance getting ready to go in.

That horse and carriage ride I was talking about....well, the line wasn't so long for going down so we indulged and the kids got to sit up front with the driver.

(Mason, Ella, Lauren and Sarah)

Funny thing....John wanted to save some money so he paid Hannah, Emily and Cailyn 1 Euro each to walk down as it was 3 Euro per person to ride.

Starnberg

2011-05-04T09:10:00.008-04:00

As previously posted, quite some time ago....SORRY....we went down to John's house for the week following Christmas to hang out with their family. We had such a good time going skiing, playing in the snow, seeing castles and lakes and just spending good quality time with family.

The girls having way too much fun in the snow!

John is very lucky to live in the little town of Starnberg.

Look at the views down on the lake!

Joe, Hannah and Ella

The swans got up close and personal.

Lauren was more than thrilled to be so close to one....I dare say she almost got too close. It made me quite nervous.

John and Becki down on the lake.

Truly breathtaking.

Garmisch with the Bosworths!

2011-02-15T11:40:00.006-05:00

We went to the Frauendorfer in Garmisch for dinner. What a true German eating experience from the food right down to the slap dancing boys!

Ready to eat!

This was Becki's dish...yummo! May not look so good but oh my!!

The girls opted for gulasch and potatoe soups.

Oh Dampfnudeln....how I dream and salivate for your taste....John made us order this scrumptious dessert and I am soooooo glad I got the guts up to try it. YUMMMMMM!!!!

Here is our entertainment for the evening.

Before dinner we went to go get our skis for our 2 days of skiing.

What an adventure!

You can imagine the looks on the workers faces as they realized they had to size up 7 kids and 4 adults! They were so incredibly fun and patient with us.

Then we were off for the evening back to Johns house for a good nights rest before all the bumps and bruises, oh I mean before all the fun of skiing!

Ella is a DAISY!!

2011-02-02T13:28:00.003-05:00

Look at me! I'm a DAISY!!

Ella decided she wanted to follow in her big sisters steps an be a Girl Scout. So, the first step is being a Daisy Scout. She is very excited and so far LOVES it!! I'm thrilled that she made this decision as I have very fond memories of being a Girl Scout myself growing up in Louisburg, KS!

Ella getting pinned....

...and getting her certificate!

Showing off her goods!

Ella is loving every minute of her weekly meetings. I think cookie sales are next on their "to do" list!! We're selling them late because the container with the cookies are stuck up North in Bremerhaven due to flooding rivers in the area. Gotta love Europe!

Hannah's International Food Day

2011-02-02T13:22:00.002-05:00

The 6th graders had an International Food Day at school. I was able to go and see all the interesting foods from all around the world. Being that the kids go to an International school I got to make something "American" and not have to come up with some concoction from some random country.

Hannah, Hannah and Lexi

The spread was quite interesting:

Chick peas, Sliders, Brownies, Shortbread cookies, pigs in a blanket, chili, cornbread, dim sum, sushi, zucchini bread, cold potato salad and a german cake.

YUM!!

The girls enjoying their food.

Halloween BBQ

2011-02-02T13:15:00.002-05:00

A few of us got together for a little BBQ just before Trick or Treating. The kids had fun playing with their friends and I had fun getting some candid photos of them! Can you believe I forgot to get pictures of the kids in their full on costumes? Mason has his on, sans makeup, so that counts right?

Ella and Kaycee

Mason playing in the leaves oblivious to my photo taking....love those moments.

Peek-a-boo!!

We had a lot of fun with good friends.

Carving a Pumpkin!

2011-02-02T13:07:00.002-05:00

We usually only carve one pumpkin since there really isn't anywhere to put them here so the kids all chose a different feature to put on the pumpkin's face. Hannah did the eyes, Ella the nose and Mason the mouth.

Here they are with the finished product.

However, getting there is the fun part, right? Well, not if you're Hannah.

This was the one and only scoop she took out of the pumpkin.

Ella on the other hand LOVED it!
She actually did 90% of the gut scooping.

Mason decided to observe and play with the guts with one of the spoons. I don't think he actually ever touched the stuff with his hands.

Another fun activity that has taken me FOREVER to blog about....good thing is I'm getting it done.

Malaga, Spain 2010

2011-01-30T03:44:00.008-05:00

We decided to go back to Malaga for our Fall Break again. Same resort, different section, warmer pools. We had a blast. We decided to make this a true "vacation". There was no sight seeing, no schedules to keep to just pure relaxation.

What a way to start it off than with this:

The sunset on our first night there. Really, the picture does it no justice.

And....our first trip of many to the beach.

These kids are happy with sand and "The Med".....spoiled, I know.

For the 2nd year in a row this little one has had her birthday in Spain!

We celebrated with a chocolate muffin and presents.

About mid-way through the week we went to Fuengirola to eat at the most delicious Italian restaurant we found on our last trip and to get souvenirs.

Mason ended up with an airplane and Ella and Hannah got their "Costa del Sol" bags to add to their collection of bags from all over Europe.

And....more beach time.

This year we found these awesome shells. MINI shells in perfect condition.

Here they are shell hunting.

Taking a break and climbing on the rocks.

And them back again for more shell hunting.

The end result.....3 buckets filled with little shells.

I'm sure we have thousands of them.....literally.

Ella showing off her moves!

Hannah chilling, getting some sun.

And then we were off into the sunset.

Again, Malaga did not disappoint. We had a fun filled, relaxing, family vacation that will be in our memories for a very long time. I'm just afraid that the kids expectations when the word "vacation" comes up is going to be so twisted when we get back to the states. I just hope we can be creative and not disappoint!

What have I been up to lately?

2011-01-30T03:33:00.003-05:00

Yes, all of my kids are gone all day at school so I should have all this free time, right? Well, I decided to help out a friend. I have been watching this cute little thing during the day since Sept. This is Taylor Rae, or lovingly known as "Tay Tay". She keeps me on my toes. She goes to preschool from 9-12 so I do get a few hours to myself during the day but my afternoons are filled keeping this one busy.

Ella's 1st day of Kindergarten

2011-01-30T03:29:00.003-05:00

Yes, Mason and Hannah had a first day of school as well, BUT this is Ella's first day of Kindergarten, or as it is referred to here, Primary. She went to Pre-K last year but there is just something about your first official day of Kindergarten, right? My little fashionista had this outfit picked out since July. She has completely trashed the white skinny jeans in the past 6 months, but they are still wearable.....what was I thinking? She just looked so darn cute in them!!

Puddle Jumping

2011-01-26T14:29:00.002-05:00

The kids asked if they could get their swimsuits on and go play in the rain. When I told thm they could go in their clothes you should have seen the looks on their faces! They loved it. Dad has a couple sections of his sidewalk that dip down so a nice puddle forms. Therefore....puddle jumping!

There was LOTS of splashing.

Some bridge making and then...

.....wait for it.....

.....ummmm, lets just sit in it!

They had fun and stayed out there for at least an hour after it stopped raining.

These two can be the best of buds, especially in moments like these....I love it! They are quite the pair.

GO TIGERS!!

2011-01-26T13:54:00.007-05:00

***WARNING: LOTS OF PICTURES!!***

(too many cute ones to choose from)

Well, we made our first trip to a baseball game....and....it was a success! I thought for sure the kids would get bored but they kept asking, and keep asking, when they get to go back! They absolutely loved everything about going to a baseball game. I have to say that Comerica Park is pretty impressive. I LOVE the Tigers "guarding" the entrances, very impressive.

It started off with hot dogs, hats and of course a carousel ride.

Now, it's down to business. We were in the 2nd row of the upper deck on the 3rd base side. They ended up being pretty good seats.

I think it helped that Kevin and his family were there with us, but I must say they paid attention to the game more than to each other. (Steven, Mason, Kate and Ella)

Kevin in deep thought with Steven.

I told ya, Mason took this baseball thing seriously!

Kevin, Michelle, Kate and Steven

Me with Hannah and Ella. We had to get our Detroit hats!

Me and my girl.

What you looking at girl?

The coveted binoculars. Dad brought one pair and they got passed around all night, but the kids were really good with sharing.

"Take a picture of me with my hat on backwards mom!"

What game would be complete without cotton candy?

Grandpa feeling the love. He had one of the grandkids on his knee at all times during the game and loved every minute of it!

Just to show you where we were seated.

And then this is one of the reasons we had pretty good seats.......

FIREWORKS!
They set them up out in center field right in front of our seats.

In complete AWE!

WOW!!!

All in all the kids had a blast and fared well. We will definitely be making this a summer outing with the kids quite often. We'll be in Detroit again this summer so will most likely make it to Comerica Park and hopefully hit a Nationals game once we make it back to Virginia.

I have fond memories of going to watch the Kansas City Royals back in the day...remember George Brett? Love it!

Summer Catch-up! THE NAPIERS!!!

2011-01-21T04:15:00.003-05:00

Well, here are a few more posts from this past summer and NO I am not caught up yet. Seriously, I have another 20+ posts to get completely up to date. It's daunting, yet I know it must be done.

We went to Virginia this past summer and got to meet up with the Napiers for a day (wish it were longer)! The kids picked up as if they had just seen each other the previous day when in fact it had been a whole year. It just so happened to be Tchrieyah's birthday as well so am glad I got to spend some good time with her on her big day! We went to dinner and then came back to their place for some GIANT cupcakes.

I used to watch Carleigh and Birdie during the day while Ms. T worked. So it was a very special visit for me to see how much they have grown up!!

Little Miss Carleigh and Ella digging into a cupcake.

Carleigh.....love this little girl.

Birdie hamming it up with frosting on his nose.

Isiah!

This is what we did most of the day....dog shopped! They got a dog!!

They had to take him back due to Jayden's allergies but got another one shortly thereafter.

We sure do miss you Napiers! Can't wait til we're close by this summer.

Gardening with Grandpa

2011-01-21T03:54:00.004-05:00

Despite the look on Hannah's face she LOVES to garden with Grandpa. Dad saved a few projects for when we were visiting so the kiddos could help him pick out and plant some flowers in his gardens around his house. Here they are hard at work....well, at least grandpa and Hannah!

Watch out for those hands, she'll get ya!

Mason deciding to get in on the action.

Almost done. I didn't get a "finished project" picture so you'll have to take my word for it....it turned out GREAT!!

Playing at the Park with Grandpa

2011-01-21T03:22:00.004-05:00

The kids LOVE when we visit Grandpa!! There is a small park up the street in a nearby subdivision that we like to frequent. It gets us out of the house on a good walk with some playtime.

Unlike myself.....my kids really like things that spin them round and round.....the faster the better. Ella can only take it for a bit, I can't even watch, so that's where Grandpa comes in.

Ella atop the play structure.

Monkey in the middle?
I think so!

Hannah making a jump for it out of her swing.

I remember doing this as a child A LOT so why is it so nerve racking watching your kids do this now? It makes me so nervous to see them do this!

And of course, Mason. What balancing talents, eh?

Sidewalk Chalk

2011-01-21T03:00:00.000-05:00

Okay, so found this post while out here and guess I never published it! Easy post then, huh? One of the activities this summer was SIDEWALK CHALK!! Who doesn't love the stuff? I love that the mess is not IN the house and they can make their creations as big as they want. Here they are with their creations:

Ella and her creations.

Hannah striking a pose, as usual, with her creations.

And Mason with his creations.

I love that something so simple can entertain them for a VERY long time.

Sports Day - June 2010

2011-01-18T10:52:00.006-05:00

Sports Day!! What is it? Just that, a day of sports! They have the Pre-K, K and 1st grade classes participate and the parents volunteer to man the games. It was a blast. I got to help with the parachute (you know the big parachute you swing up and down and then sit under....I know you did it in elementary school) and also with an obstacle course as I got to volunteer for Mason and Ella's class, meaning I was there ALL DAY! Here are all the grades lined up at the beginning of the day as they danced to some music to loosen their muscles.

The classes all got assigned a color and the kids did tie dye t-shirts with their class for the event. Mason's class was orange.

(he's behind the kid w/ the white hoodie and NO he's not picking his nose but biting his nailbed...bad, bad habit of his)

Ella's class was a turquiosey-blue! She's 3rd in line with the pink hat.

Dancing a jig!

Who is this cute little thing?
KAYLA!!
One of our bestest friends in the world!!
(we sure do miss this girl)

Hamming it up for the camera.

Ella participating in the obstacle course.

Ella's class got all the balls in the bucket. Unbelievably, one of the first classes to do it! Not even some of the first grade classes got all of the balls in. They did a great job.

Mason at the balloon toss. If memory serves me correctly he caught this one from his teacher Ms. Karr. They happily bombarded her a few minutes after. Another fun event.

And Ella....doing the high jump. She was great.

After the fun filled day of events the Pre-K kids went inside to enjoy their lunch and finished their day with crafts.....

....while Mason's class enjoyd a picnic lunch outside and then.......

.....the real fun began......

SPRINKLER TIME!!

They turned on the sprinklers on the soccer field.

The fun part was they are set up to where a few are on the same control switch so they'd run 2 for a minute or so and then turn it off and turn on 2 different sprinklers....not knowing which ones would turn on next. It was hilarious to watch this massive swarm of kids run from one cluster to another as the next set of sprinklers turned on. Remember, this was on the soccer field....HUGE soccer field. They didn't mind though and kept running and running and running from sprinkler to sprinkler.

The end result:

Soaking wet kiddos!!

Needless to say, they LOVED it!!

Sledding!

2011-01-17T14:56:00.004-05:00

Yes, that's snow! You would never be able to tell these days that we had snow on the ground continuously for at least 3 weeks. It's been in the high 40s to low 50s over the past week and no snow forecasted that I can see. So.....I'm glad we got out and enjoyed it while it was here....we are optimistic that we'll get more though as we really did enjoy it!

Ella tromping up the hill.

Again......

Mason on his way down but went off to the unpacked snow so didn't make it very far.

Ella taking a turn and she figured it out!! We had these really small discs and they had to completely lift their legs and arms up high as not to drag them to slow them down. Ella figured it out pretty quickly.

Hannah came a short while after with her friends and bigger sleds. My camera decided to completely die!! It is stuck in a 1/2 way open/close position and with a fully charged battery it won't budge. Oh well, it was just my little Canon Powershot so not too broken hearted but wasn't able to get some classic shots of Hannah face planted in the snow......next time!

Good Bye Stella!

2011-01-17T14:47:00.002-05:00

Like I said.....I'm WAY behind. The VanHowe's had a little get together going away thing for their kiddos. Stella was Ella's best bud at school last year. She still talks about her regularly and is always keen to remind me that she lives in Michigan by grandpa!! We are slated to go to Michigan this summer during our home leave on our way back to Virginia so she is VERY eager to see her little bestie!! Here are some pics of the duo!

Cheers!

Enjoying some good ole German sausages and potatoes.....YUM!!

Could they get any cuter or sillier?

Ella definitely misses her Stella Bella but can't wait to see her again this summer.

The Clown that won't lie down!

2011-01-14T10:34:00.003-05:00

I'm so proud of Mason!! The second grade had a big science project they had to do and then had a science fair to show off their creations! Do you remember those blow up clowns that had sand in the bottom so that every time you hit it it popped right back up? (or is this just proving how old I really am?) Mason decided to recreate that after researching online and looking at different projects. He likes clowns so I think that had a lot to do with his decision which was fine with me cause it was a pretty easy project to do. He put a lot of work into his project. They had to create a poster explaining the materials they used, their hypothesis, observation and conclusions of their experiment. Mason decided he wanted to make one that would only lie down and the other that stood up even if you tried to knock it down, hence the title of his project, "The clown that won't lie down"

For the science fair they got to get dressed up like a scientist (dad's white shirt for a labcoat) and a name tag that read "Professor Mason Dzmura". He looked handsome!

As the day progressed he had to explain his experiment to all the parents that stopped by his desk and since all 4 second grade classrooms participated he had lots of practice!! I got video of him doing his presentation and will get that up here once I figure out how to do that. ;)

I love watching the kids do creative things like this and watch their little minds work things out. We had to try several different times to get it just right but it worked out in the end.

GOOD JOB MASON!!

Snow!

2011-01-14T10:26:00.002-05:00

The day it all began I was driving home from base and had my camera with me....so yes, daringly I took a picture. It was coming down goooood!! Since Frankfurt doesn't normally get much snow there was not a snow plow in sight...NOT GOOD!! It kept coming and coming and coming. We had weeks and weeks of snow and more snow. Now, today January 14th it is 58 degrees!! Go figure. I guess we had our winter early?? I hope we get more snow cause we bought some cool sleds for the next snow. Here's to hoping.

This is days after the big snow and still, not a plow in sight!

This was the next snow, again, it stayed like this on the streets for days!!

It was a hot mess for several weeks!! Lot's of sliding around, no fun!!

Mrs. Clause....oops, I mean Ella!!

2011-01-12T14:16:00.002-05:00

Just before the break Ella's class had their Christmas Program. Ella got to play Mrs. Clause in her little play. I was able to go in to help with the childrens makeup. I got to do Ella's for her, the rabbits and the polar bears. They all looked sooo cute.

SMILE!!

Ella and Jort (Mr. Clause) dancing.

There were squirrels, polar bears, fox (front row)
rabbits, penguins, snowman (second row)
Mrs. Clause, reindeer and Mr. Clause (third row)

The kids all did a great job and since I got there early to help with make-up was able to have a seat in the front row! It was a great performance!!

Where to start?

2011-01-10T07:58:00.003-05:00

Man, I was on such a role!! What happened? LIFE!! I now have so much more to get uploaded. I'm gonna be busy doing so though. I have it all mapped out, picture numbers written down, blog titles.....it's just a matter of getting it all up here now. I am going to do it though!!!

We've got to get caught up with some summer stuff STILL, visit to KC for Alexis's wedding, a trip to Vienna, Christmas performances, a science fair, a trip to Munich/Garmisch-Partenkirchen to visit John, New Year's.....and so much more. We have a lot coming up over these last 6 months in Germany so before I get tooo far behind I need to get caught up!! I promise at least one a day. If I miss a day it is because something unexpected happened. I have NOTHING on my calendar for this month so have no excuses. Next month I'm hoping to make it to Istanbul, Turkey and also tag along with Joe to Cape Town, South Africa. DrEaM of mine!! Enjoy the picture of NeuSchwanstein until tomorrow. NEW POSTS will begin!! Love to all!

"Can I model my dresses?" - Ella

2010-11-09T09:35:00.002-05:00

Okay, so Ella is my girly, girl....well, that is an understatement. She and Hannah were taking pictures of each other and Ella asked if she could model some of her dresses. And the results:

I can't tell you how many times the girls get my camera out for such an event...oh yes, Hannah participates. I will definitely get some of those up here as well. She's gonna hate me!!

EXCITING NEWS!!

2010-11-08T14:39:00.005-05:00

Okay, so the cat is out of the bag. My brother posted it on his Facebook account, so I'm posting it here.

John, Becki and kids are moving to Munich, Germany!!! They should be in country by mid-December.
I cannot wait to have family within a 4 hours drive. Yes, we leave in 8 months, but at this point we'll take what we can get. The kids are already asking, "How many more sleeps?" They are soooo excited at the prospect of their cousins being so close...and frankly, so am I!!!

We cannot wait to see you guys!! We love you!! Have a safe trip and we'll see you SOON!!!

Special Day

2010-10-29T07:54:00.004-04:00

Today would have been momma's 62nd Birthday. For some reason I seem to be more emotional today than I have in the past when it comes to certain milestones. I seem to just miss her more and more lately.

I went looking through pictures of mom with my kiddos and this one is one of my favorites. My sweet little Ella with mom. A simple touch of the hand. I cherish the memory of their sweet, special connection they had and always will have.

I have so many fond memories of my mom and cherish each one and only hope my kids will understand just what a truly amazing woman she was, one I strive to be like every day.
We love and miss you each and every day mom!!

Fall Colors!!

2010-10-29T07:41:00.003-04:00

Oh my goodness!! What can I say....I was taken away this morning as I drove out to base this morning the sun is shining and the colors**above picture does not do justice to what I saw** were amazing. I actually had my camera in the car and tried to snap a picture while driving.....I know, I know. It was a very rushed trip and didn't have time to stop and take some good pictures. It's amazing how the colors have changed since my drive out Monday. I think I know what we are doing tomorrow. I think it's supposed to be sunny tomorrow too. I think a drive up the Rhein to Koblenz along the B9 may be in store for us. It was good to see Mason and Ella enjoying the colors just as much as I was. I quite often heard from the back seat, "Mom! Look at THAT tree!! It's so yellow!!" I'm hoping for good weather so we can get some gooood pictures of our last fall in Germany!

Pumpkin Carving with Ella

2010-10-28T07:12:00.002-04:00

I was able to go into Ella's class and carve pumpkins with her. They had 3 kids to each pumpkin. One got to do the eyes, the other the nose and then of course, the other did the mouth.

First, lets get those guts out!!

EWE!!!

Check out my gooey fingers!!

Ella was in a group with Freya and Jort. They did such a great job working together.

Ella did the eyes, Freya the nose and Jort the mouth.....not sooo easy.

They were very proud of their end result.

So, give me a scary face!!

Now, a silly face!

So, what is that crown with a six on her head? We celebrated her birthday in her classroom a little late. She picked out the Halloween cake mix and wanted to wait til Halloween time to take the cupcakes in, so she got her Birthday crown a few weeks late. Well worth it.

My beautiful princess!!

Halloween Class Parade

2010-10-27T13:14:00.003-04:00

Here is a video of Ella's class during their costume parade at school:

TODAY

2010-10-27T04:50:00.003-04:00

This is what I sent to school this morning.

Yes, it is that dark outside when we get on the bus in the mornings. Daylight Savings can't come quick enough for us, which for Europe is this coming Sunday I believe!

More pictures to come as today is Ella's Halloween Party at school.

Here come's Daphne!!

Ronneburg Castle

2010-10-22T08:02:00.003-04:00

Joe and I dared the cold and went for a ride this morning. Well, we definitely know what we need to invest in now. We need good gloves!! I'm still chilled to the bone. So, we wanted to go check out the changing colors and didn't find too many as of yet. It's just now starting to get cold so I think we'll have to wait another week or two before we get some gooooood colors. We still had a pretty good ride and wanted to go actually see something. I remembered a castle just outside Frankfurt that Mason had gone to for a birthday party so I took Joe out there. If only it had been a clear day......it would have been utterly amazing.....I guess we'll have to settle for amazing. (ha ha ha).

Here are some pictures of Schloss Ronneburg.

Who is that masked man? You should have seen the looks we were getting on our ride out here. It was quite humorous. I have a full head helmet so got to forgo the ski mask. Joe actually had 2 on with his goggles.

The entrance to Schloss Ronneburg.

Some of the scenery around the Schloss. The Schloss sits up on a hill and the scenery all around is breathtaking....again, if it had been a clear, sunny day.

The first courtyard upon entering the walls. If you go through the wooden gate there is another courtyard that is stunning. We'll have to go back with the kiddos before we head out.

It was a good, quick and easy ride to help break in the bike. I actually wore my snow pants!! Hey, I stayed warm and that's all that matters. Gloves.....gotta invest in some good warm gloves then we'll be set!!

School Pictures 2010

2010-10-21T05:33:00.003-04:00

Well, here they are. My 3 beautiful children.

Hannah

6th Grade

11 years old

Mason

2nd Grade
7 years old

Ella

Kindergarten

6 years old

Staples!!

2010-10-20T14:12:00.004-04:00

It finally happened!!

One of the grandkids fell prey to the dreaded protruding corner on the entertainment center at dads house. We're all extremely careful and "yelling" at the kids to be more careful cause someone could fall and get hurt. Ella, Hannah and Mason were all goofing around and then.....as I was standing in the kitchen cooking at the stove and as if watching a movie in slow motion.....I watched her fall backwards right onto the corner. I ran in, scooped her up and the amount of blood....OH MY GOODNESS!! I immediately called for dad and we rushed off to the ER.

Two staples later:

Not too horribly bad, but it was our first trip EVER to the ER with one of the kiddos. I must say I did pretty good. I didn't cry or freak out, I remained calm. I was so proud of Ella. She winced a little when they put the staples in and when we returned a week later she didn't even cry. She looked at me very puzzled....I think she was expecting it to hurt. She was a brave little girl. A story for the memory books.

Air and Space Museum--VA, July 2010

2010-10-19T17:40:00.003-04:00

The Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum, for me, was a highlight of the summer.

Check out this Stealth! The pictures do it no justice, truly an amazing piece of machinery.

Random picture of Mason, Ella and Wyatt by a helicopter.

The kids listening to information on how riding a bike is like flying a plane. Afterwards they were able to sit in the cockpit of the plane in the background for their "first flight".

BUT, before we headed over there they had this display of an astronaut's suit. I forget the details of weight, different markings on the suit, etc. However, the kids got to try on the gloves and stick their little feet in those big boots!

Ella

Hannah

And Mason's turn.

Next, they got to sit in the cockpit of that small airplane and the kiddos got

their first flying lesson!! HA HA HA!!!

They got to see how the different movements of the steering wheel affected the wings and rutter. Like I said, first flying lesson.

Mason and Wyatt

Hannah and Travis take a turn.

Of course, we got the "no fair, Hannah got to do it twice" since Ella didn't want to go with any of the boys Hannah got to go again.

At the end....a fun day had by all. What a great way to spend an afternoon with Shanan and the boys and our new found friends the Cleary's.

Are you an ANGRY BIRDS addict?

2010-10-19T08:17:00.005-04:00

I AM!!!

Oh, curse this game. I just spent the last hour on YouTube locating all the golden eggs and getting the stars!! Now, just trying to get 3 stars on all levels to get my last egg. Sad thing is I only have 3 to go. Best $0.99 spent....or is it?

Don't I have something better to do? Yes, I think I do. I'll be back later with more pictures.

What? School Dance?

2010-10-15T15:18:00.003-04:00

Okay, seriously.....I'm really not old enough to have a child that's old enough to go to school dances am I? Well, apparently so!! My baby is 11 years old and in 6th grade!! Where does the time go? Here she is all dolled up with somewhere to go!

Yeah, she's almost as tall as I am and we wear the same shoe size. I'm not feeling so tall these days...not that I ever have, but she's really making my shortness stick out like a sore thumb.

Hannah, Camille and Grace

These were taken after the dance as she went over to Camille's house to for the getting ready stage of the evening. They had a wonderful time and danced the night away.

Playing in the Rain

2010-10-15T09:42:00.004-04:00

Who says you can't play in the rain? I remember running around in the streets growing up in the rain storms in Kansas....ahhhhh, those were the days. So, when the kids asked if they could suit up and go out....I'm surprised I didn't suggest it! HECK YEAH!! Steven and Kate were over and joined in on the fun.

So, what do you do when you get a little chill?

Lay down on the nice warm cement!

Cousins.....does it get any better than that?

Kate and Ella had so much fun together this summer. Ella thoroughly enjoyed having Kate around and Mason loved having Steven to play with.

Poor Hannah.

Thought I'd try to catch some personalities below.

Watch out, I'll get you wet, even though it is raining.

Not impressed.

Love this little mans smile....infectious!

Kate.

A fun day had with the cousins indeed.

We miss you Kate and Steve!!

Ella's FIRST TOOTH!!

2010-10-14T09:28:00.003-04:00

August 5, 2010, that is the day Ella lost her first tooth!! Mason had lost his 2nd tooth just a few days before so the tooth fairy was BUSY!! It was hanging by a thread so I had to get in there with some floss and snap it out. I soooooo wish my mom and dad had known that little trick with me. It was tie your tooth to the doorknob for us. Geesh. Criss crossing floss is soooo much easier!

**Pictures added to Insects and Hessentag ballet posts too!!

Stella and Ella - Michigan, June 2010

2010-10-13T07:38:00.003-04:00

Oh, Ella and Stella......what cute little friends they are. Stella was in Ella's Pre-K class this last school year. It just so happens that their family is from Michigan!! So, YES, we got to visit with thier family, not once but twice. These two little girls are like two peas in a pod. I just wish they had more than a year with each other, but it's a good thing we have excuses to go to Michigan so am sure they'll be friends for some time.

We went up to their grandparents home in Port Huron. BEAUTIFUL!!

The kids had fun swimming in the lake, riding jet skiis, swinging on the tire swing and just hanging out. We had so much fun with the VanHowe's.

They eventually got in some swinging after sucking on those lollipops.

But, aren't the photo ops just so much fun!

THANK YOU VanHowe's for some fun memories!!

Harley Davidson

2010-10-12T05:56:00.001-04:00

Here it is. The new Harley!! Joe and his buddy Rob went out for a ride the other day and stumbled on some back roads. Hope to get out on it with him this weekend for a nice ride up the B-9 to Bonn!!!

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Overload to WHAT?

2010-10-11T10:11:00.002-04:00

Okay, I have NO excuse anymore. My lil' sister who has 2 yr. old twins and an 8 mo. old is blogging better than I am. What's my problem? I could say I'm busy...but really, who am I kidding....it's pure laziness!! Don't get me wrong, I am busy these days, but I know for a fact my sister is WAY busier than anything I could ever imagine. I swear, I'm gonna make her make me sign a contract saying I will at least get 1 blog in a week!! I can do that, right? Well, again, it will be blog overload at first since there is so much to get posted. I mean, I did a bunch of posts but haven't added pictures yet, then there is this summer we spent in the states, first days of school and now ANOTHER great trip to blog about. Yes, we went to Spain. Not as many pictures this time since we'd already been there and didn't do any day trips, just swam and lay next to the pool for a week and did some shell hunting down at the beach. Hmmm......then Halloween is coming up, trip to KS for Alexis's wedding, Thanksgiving, Christmas Markets, Christmas.....okay, I better not psych myself out. LOTS to get caught up on and I will.

LAUREL, if you are reading....keep up the GREAT work. I love reading your blog and am amazed at what a wonderful job you are doing with those kiddos. I really have no excuse anymore. So, now....I'm off to cook dinner and go to ZUMBA **my other new found love** and promise I'll be back later tonight with some posts. Until then......

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BLOG OVERLOAD!!!

2010-06-12T14:31:00.002-04:00

Okay, so let me once again explain what's up. My internet connection SUCKS (to put it lightly)....I'm in the process of getting it resolved. So, I'm only able to download one, sometimes 2 pictures at a time. It's time consuming and therefore has really put me off of my blogging successes. Well, I figured I needed to jot down at least the words that go along with the MANY posts I needed to do, so that is what follows. I tried to put them in order of what they would be entered in as if I had been keeping up all along. The most recent is first and then goes all the way back to February!!! UGH!!! I can't believe I allowed myself to get that far behind. I was able to put the pictures up on one or 2 of the posts and am planning on taking my external hard drive to a friends house to finish up the posts with the pictures....I'm not promising a date on that as we are in the last 2 weeks of school and I have 2 Sports Day's, 2 Baby Showers, 3 end of year parties and countless going away parties (one I'm planning). Needless to say, I'm going to be BUSY! Also, Joe has been travelling a bit lately, so I fly solo a lot of the time too. Enjoy the posts!! Pictures to follow. LOVE TO ALL!!!

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Insects, Insects, Insects

2010-06-12T14:26:00.003-04:00

(Joe and Mason checking out the Stick Bugs)

Mason's Unit of Inquiry this quarter has been INSECTS!!! Oh what fun we've had exploring and discovering new insects, bugs and mini beasts. Last week we got to go in for his show-n-tell at the end of his unit. It was also combined with an Art Gallery show-n-tell. I tell you what, I had NO IDEA what he's been doing in art class.....Joe and I were amazed at some of the things they had done.

They've been studying Aboriginal (sp?) art :

They also studied German Architecture:

Van Gogh

Monet

Mason has a creative side to him and is always surprising us. I'm so glad we have these treasures! I think I may actually frame some of these to decorate their playroom.

Tae Kwon Do Graduation!!

2010-06-12T14:24:00.002-04:00

Mason did it! He graduated from his white belt to his white and yellow belt. He did such a good job. Most of the boys in his class have been taking Tae Kwon Do since September but Mason didn't start until March. He has been working hard and last week at the graduation ceremony he performed well. He even broke a board in half!! Impressive. I have video that I hope to get posted on here too.

We are so proud of him for sticking to it and succeeding! Hopefully he will continue with it in the fall.

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Hessentag Ballet

2010-06-12T14:18:00.005-04:00

Ella's ballet teacher was asked last minute to put together a small program to represent the city of Oberursel at the Hessentag Festival. Hessen is one of 13 states within Germany so you can just imagine what a big ordeal this was. She even made the local German newspaper.

Ella and Anna on the bus ride to Hessentag.

The girls with the Burgermeister of Oberursel.

Ella and Anna just before the performance.

The girls being introduced before their performance.....Ella is the one rubbing her eyes....she was a little hesitant and didn't go up for the first song but then went up for the rest of the performance.

Here she is in action:

She's very particular about her little bow at the end.

And, just cause she's soooo friggin adoreable in her tutu with her hair pulled back....

It was a festival so we took the girls on the big ferris wheel. They loved it!! I braved it, those who know me know I hate things that go round and round and round....ugh.

We were also treated to drinks and lunch by the city of Oberursel as well. That was an added bonus as we had no clue they were doing that for us. So it was currywurst with fries and gyro meat w/ onions and broetchen. Mmmmmmmm.

What a fun day I had with my little Ella Bells.

PRAGUE!!!

2010-06-12T14:14:00.002-04:00

Oh how I've been dying to get to Prague over the past 4 years.....yes, 4 years!!! Crazy, huh? Hard to believe we've lived in Germany that long. 1 more to go!
Anyway, Prague.....B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L and worth the 4 year wait. It was all I had imagined it to be. First, I made sure to pay the extra money for location and view!! We were right on the river at the base of the Charles Bridge with a view of said river and bridge!! Breathtaking. For me, the architecture and the knowledge that most of Prague was original and untouched.....amazing. Cobblestone streets (sore backs at night, but worth it), castles, cathedrals.....ahhhhhh!! OH, and did I mention we got to leave the kids behind!! Yes, this was a mom and dad ONLY trip!! Soooooo needed and sooooo glad we left them behind as it was A LOT of walking.

I'll add more as I get the pictures posted later.

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Happy Birthday Mason!!

2010-06-12T14:09:00.002-04:00

Again, slacker mother of the year. Mason's birthday was in April and we celebrated by having a few friends (3 to be exact) come with us to a local indoor play area. Mason is not my social butterfly like Hannah. Don't get me wrong, he has plenty of friends, they just mostly happen to be girls. He was determined to only have boys at his party and well, it was hard to come up with anymore than 3 that he can actually handle being around. He does well in his classroom with the boys, but he only felt impressed to ask 1 of them, another boy from his class last year (in a diff. class this year, and of course, Caden). The kids had soooo much fun!! We love going to these little indoor gyms. They are perfect for our rainy days here in Germany too.
We started off at Vizz and then headed home for cake, ice cream and gift opening. I have to say even though it was small, it was nice to have so few instead of the 12 screaming pre-teens at Hannah's!

Happy 7th Birthday Mason!!

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Mason "Lost" his 1st tooth!!

2010-06-12T14:00:00.003-04:00

"Lost" only because he had to have it pulled. Yes, it grew in behind is baby teeth. The baby tooth was a little wiggly for the longest time and then the tooth grew in behind the baby tooth. I waited awhile, til the new tooth had been cut through the gum for awhile and when the tooth became unwiggly.....well, it was off to the dentist. She pulled it right then and there. He was such a trooper! He did great which is good cause it looks like we're going to have the same problem with tooth number 2!! Not only has it come in behind his baby teeth, it is almost completely sideways, meaning the edges are front to back instead of side to side! I'll probably be calling the dentist on Monday to get him in again. His tooth is becoming less wiggly every day. Poor guy! We have another Mayah on our hands!!

Ella's Ballet

2010-06-12T13:49:00.004-04:00

What can I say other than ADOREABLE!! My baby girl is a ballerina! She absolutely LOVES ballet and has definitely found something that she can/could be passionate about. This is NOT something I have pushed on her by any means. She comes to me and asks if it is ballet day or not. She also loves being on stage performing. PLUS, I repeatedly get comments from the teacher on how focused she is and how good she is.....not to toot my baby's horn or anything, but I must say, she is pretty darn good and so dang CUTE in those little tutu's!!

Ella and Kayla moments before going on stage.

They did a big program for Mother's Day. Her teacher teaches about 6 different classes at different levels and put a big program together. I forgot my camera the day of the performance, but here are some pictures from the rehearsal the week before.....still cuter than anything!!

LOVE this girl!!

Happy Birthday Hannah!

2010-06-12T13:44:00.002-04:00

Yes, it's June and we all know that Hannah's birthday was in April. Bad mom award of the year, yes. I'm just trying to get caught up here ya'll!!
Well, what can I say....I survived Hannah's party and that's saying something since ONE: She had 12....YES TWELVE friends stay the night for a rock party / slumber party and TWO: I had to do it all on my own. Joe got stuck in Norway during the Icelandic Volcano fiasco and didn't make it home til 2 days later than he was scheduled to arrive.....that's a whole different post in itself. So anyway, the girls had a blast. We had Dance, Dance Revolution, Sing It, Karaoke Revolution and IPods galore to fill the upstairs with lots of loud music. I finally cut them off at midnight and told them they had to crash in the sleeping room (picture 4 single and 1 double mattress covering the floor of a room with 12 girls laying around) to watch movies. Some stayed up til 4am!! The girls had a lot of fun though and so did I. I made it until about 1am and then had to crash as I was on breakfast duty the next morning.

HAPPY 11th BIRTHDAY HANNAH!

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Ski Break? BELGIUM!!

2010-06-12T13:37:00.005-04:00

YES, the kids get a week off of school in February for "Ski Break".......didn't they just have 3 weeks off at Christmas? AND don't they get 2 weeks off at the beginning of April for Spring Break? I guess all those days off is the reason why they only have a 6 week summer......which I won't complain about.

So, we decided to go "tropical" .....well, as tropical as you can get that is! We went to an indoor water park in Belgium near Brussels. The kids had a BLAST!! We stayed in a 2 bdrm cottage with access to this indoor water park and an indoor playscape. There were waterslides, a lazy river (that wasn't so lazy) a big wave pool and little hidden pools within the palm trees. Lots of fun.

Here's the playscape area. Lots of slides, a HUGE ball pit area with guns to shoot at others, race cars and an area with giant legos.

BEFORE

and.......

AFTER!!

BRUSSELS!!

We were able to take a morning drive into Brussels. Amazingly after my parents living in Europe for 7 years and me being here for 4.....this was my FIRST time in the city!! Anyway, it was Easter Sunday, surprisingly however, most shops were open! The architecture was amazing. It was kind of a dreary day so a lot of the details got lost. It's hard to describe, but Brussels was sooo different than most of the other cities in Europe we've visited.....in a good way. Modern, yet old.

I don't remember it being that cold, but the kids were all bundled up.

Poor little Ella.

Hannah.....looking like she knows what she's talking about.

The infamous Mannequin Pis.

MUCH smaller than I thought and in a random part of town off the beaten track.

What trip to Belgium would be complete without a Belgian Waffle?

AND you have to top it with Strawberries, Bananas, TRUE Belgian chocolate sauce topped off with some whipped cream

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!

We also found a quaint little chocolate shop just off the main square where the kids were able to pick out some favorites and also dip a cookie (or 2, or 3) into the fresh chocolate fountain in the window. We spent a good 3 hours in Brussels, which is a good average for our kids and looking at buildings and walking around.

It was definitely a vacation to remember! Brussels and Belgium in general were beautiful!

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Diabetes Presentation

2010-06-12T07:18:00.003-04:00

The 5th grade's big project for the year is called "Exhibition". It's pretty intense as they take 5 weeks to put everything together. They come up with their idea and have different steps along the way and do some intensive research. At the end they have an "exhibition" to show the parents what they've learned. They have to do a presentation to show their knowledge of what they've researched and make poster boards, find videos and bring in something that relates to their subject.

Hannah chose to focus on Diabetes. She did a GREAT job!! She got even more involved once I told her that my mom had developed diabetes when she became sick. I am so proud of the job she did and the presentation of her project.

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Goofing around

2010-06-12T07:13:00.004-04:00

Here are some various moments of goofing around or being silly over the past couple months that we were able to catch on film:

MIDGETS!
I remember doing this for talent shows when I was younger.

DRESS UP!
The kids decided to get all dressed up in their clothes in a new FUNKY way.

Ella doing her "grandma" pose.

YES, the put their legs through the armholes of their shirts and put their pants on their heads. Needless to say I was laughing hysterically.

Gotta love these kids!!

ELLA!!!!! Where are you?

2010-06-12T07:00:00.004-04:00

One day it had gotten really quiet around here and so I went on the hunt for the kiddos. Mason was happily playing upstairs with his horses but I couldn't find Ella. I had quickly glanced in her room and didn't see her, she must have been quiet at the time but I then decided to go back. Once I found her I had to go get the camera. She wasn't sitting on the bed or the 2 chairs that are in her room, she was sitting in the corner, tucked away playing Hannah's DS. It was so cute. She was talking to herself and playing some dog game where you virtually take care of the pets.

Here she is after she realized I was lying on the floor, hidden by her bed, taking pictures of her. I love this little girl. She is always surprising me and keeping a smile on my face.

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Hannah - Compose Yourself!

2010-06-12T06:53:00.003-04:00

The 5th Grade put on a production of a play/musical called "Compose Yourself". It was very entertaining as the kids took us back in time to when the classical music was being composed. It was set up to where a group of kids (1/2 the 5th grade) went to the library to do some research for an assignment for music class on composers from the past. Beethoven comes to the kids in their dreams as they all fall asleep during their research. The composers from the past come and visit them also in their sleep. They sung songs that went along with the melodies of the great classics. Hannah was one of the composers, Stravinsky, during the composer rap. There was even a little dancing involved. It was a fanastic performance and a joy to watch!

FRUSTRATIONS!!!

2010-06-04T16:37:00.001-04:00

Okay, so you've noticed I've only posted ONE measly little post and then I notice after strolling down memory road...I've already covered the "snow" AND that picture is already up here.
To make matters worse....I have the most random internet connection right now (I think I need a new router). It cuts out on me every 2-3 minutes. There is no rhyme or reason to it. My phone line is fine but my internet light on my router keeps buggin' out on me. So, I need to get that fixed. So.....I can't get pictures uploaded fast enough in between connection times. GRRRRRR!!!!!!!
So, the least I can do is do posts with all the details so my ever aging brain doesn't forget the details and then add pictures later, or a few here and a few there until I get this fixed.
We love and miss you all. Will see some of you VERY SOON!!! :o) The kids and I are looking forward to our summer with grandpa in MI.

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!

2010-05-21T02:26:00.001-04:00

Yes, I know, Dad's birthday was yesterday. Don't worry we called, sang Happy Birthday and got something in the mail. Mason wasn't awake last night when grandpa called us back so he made him a picture and made me promise within an inch of my life to make sure grandpa got this today. Here you go.

We love and miss you so much and hope you had a WONDERFUL Birthday.

Love you daddy/grandpa.

Can we say UPDATE?

2010-05-21T02:18:00.003-04:00

I know, I know....my beloved blog, I have not forgotten about you. Things have been uneventful yet extremely busy....make sense? I do have 2 birthdays, a ballet recital, trip to Belgium, first lost tooth and H's music performance to get out here....okay, maybe not as uneventful as I thought.
Life is keeping me pretty busy these days. I swear I am out and about at the kids school or out at base doing Zumba which turns into a 4 hour trip cause once you're out there you might as well do your shopping and grab some lunch, right?
So, ANYWAY, my promise to you....I will UPDATE over the weekend. We are FINALLY supposed to have decent weather starting today and hopefully can get more pics of the kiddos to add to the chaos. Life is good and we're keeping busy. Hope everyone is doing well.

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Book of Mormon March Madness

2010-03-03T11:26:00.003-05:00

So a friend of mine blogged about this challenge from http://bommarchmadness.blogspot.com.

Read the Book of Mormon in a month? I've always thought it would be impossible to do this, but as I reflect upon my use of time lately (i.e. tv, computer)....well, I can see how easy this is going to be. I say that now, but hopefully I will be able to stay the course and accomplish this goal. Since it is already day 3 I'm gonna go til April 2nd. I WILL succeed. I think this is something that I really need in my life right now. The kind of discipline I need. I'm really looking forward to this challenge. I think I'll try it by myself and then try it again in the summer months and do it with Hannah.

If you're up to the challenge give it a try! Here's a chart to mark your progress to see what you've accomplished.

Henry Jason Anderton

2010-02-06T02:52:00.002-05:00

Congratulations Laurel and Mark!!!

Henry Jason Anderton arrived yesterday morning, February 5th on Mark's birthday!!

Mom and baby are resting and doing great.

We love you LA!! Congratulations!!

SNOW and more SNOW!!

2010-01-11T12:45:00.003-05:00

Luckily the kids DID have school today. There were several of us moms that didn't get much sleep last night over the anticipation that they might call off school after 3 weeks of having the munchkins home. Yes, that's only about 5 inches of snow, but for Frankfurt it may as well be over a foot! We don't get snow here. Seriously!! It's still snowing right now and is supposed to go into tomorrow as well. We've averaged 1-2 inches a day since Saturday. I will get better pictures tomorrow during the day and get them posted. I'm totally loving it! It makes me very homesick though.

SIDE NOTE: We only have 18 months, YES, 18 months til we come home. So, get your bags packed and get your butts over here!! I'm itching to get out and play tour guide!! Anyone is welcome!!

Sea Life

2010-01-11T12:26:00.003-05:00

Well, what can I say. We went with HIGH expectations and well....43 Euros (approx $60) later was left EXTREMELY disappointed. Let's just say it took us a whopping ONE HOUR to get through this hyped up Aquarium. The kids loved it though. I just think next time I'll keep my money in my pocket, thank you!

So here the kids are touching a Starfish! They were also allowed to touch some Sea Urchins. In the little pod next to it they had baby sharks and baby eels. Very interesting.

We walked through some more oversized fish bowls and got to this one with bigger fish and Stingrays.

Mason in awe of the Stingrays.

The tunnel aquarium was cool. Got a good picture of Ella and a fish.

The hightlight of the afternoon though was playing on the mini....and I mean MINI play structure and eating lunch all together!

I guess on a positive note, we did get out of the house, we did spend some good quality time with our favorite people so......can't complain too much.

We did find a COOL outdoor airplane, train museum that we'll have to try when the weather gets a bit warmer. So, after the sticker shock, it really was a fun day after all.

Let it snow.....AGAIN!

2010-01-03T16:23:00.002-05:00

It snowed again! We're lucking out this winter. Todays snow was pretty good! The snow last time was so light you couldn't get a good snowball out of it, but this time....the best packing snow ever! Upon return from church the kids were BEGGING to PLEASE go make a snowman. So, here they are making not one, not two, but.....

THREE little snowmen!

It was pretty cold but they lasted long enough to make 3 little ones.
Of course....they had a blast. They love their snow these two.

School Pictures 2009

2010-01-02T03:57:00.002-05:00

Yeah, these are a little late at getting posted, but at least they are posted. Here are the kiddos school pictures for this school year. They are so flippin' expensive ($40 for 2-5x7, 4-3x5 and 12 mini stickers) that I purchased ONE 5x7 for $12 (GULP) and scanned them in and printed them for the kids. That works, huh!?!

Hannah Ellen Dzmura

Mason David Dzmura

Ella Rachelle Dzmura

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

2009-12-28T08:53:00.003-05:00

Just a few pictures of the kids opening some of their presents. We started up at 6:30am!! Ugh....needless to say, mom got her Christmas Day nap in. I know I woke my parents up early, but 6:30?? Maybe.

Ella and her new boots!!

Mason and his much needed new shoes!

Ella's big present for this year (and a huge hit)
Barbie dream town house!!
I got one of these when I was little and boy have they ever been updated. The tv pops up out of the top fo the fireplace (which crackles and lights up), a doorbell, a toilet with flushing noises and a spa with hanging lights. These Barbie's are spoiled these days!!

Mason with part of his big present for this year, a horse barn with horses and a truck with a trailer to pull the horses!

And then there's Hannah. I wish I would have had this on video. The yelps, screams and tears were priceless......all for the love of her new Ipod Nano (w/ video camera).

Needless to say, it was a successful Christmas for the Dzmura kids. We took time to remember the true reason we celebrate Christmas and for the the knowledge of a Savior who loves us and sacrificed so much for us. We are truly blessed.

We hope you enjoyed your Christmas and many wishes for a Joyous New Year.

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Pooped!

2009-12-28T08:49:00.003-05:00

My poor baby!! Here she is lying in front of the TV. The kids had a few minutes to rest before we headed out to our Christmas Eve party and after getting ready this is what I came out to. Ella passed out in front of the TV. Luckily she woke up in a good mood and we enjoyed our evening out. Whew!

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Christmas Eve

2009-12-28T08:38:00.003-05:00

We started off with sledding, went to a friends Christmas Eve party and then made it home for our traditional unwrapping 1 gift (PJs). So here the kiddos are with their presents that have been sitting under the tree for weeks. They kept asking why they had to wait til the night time and why couldn't they open it in the morning like they do on Christmas day? KIDS!!

The finished product. Here they are in their new PJs. Hannah has Peace frogs, Ella a cheerleader with polka dots and Mason a plaid Snowboarder. They were happy and with new warm PJs they were ready for bed!
NIGHTY NIGHT!!

The tree after Santa came for a visit.
I love sitting in the room when it's dark outside and only the tree lights are on. It's so peaceful and serene. Wish I could keep the tree lights up all year long.

Sledding!

2009-12-28T08:26:00.002-05:00

Hard to believe that this place we went to is only 25 min. from our house. We have these "hills" just outside of Frankfurt and they are high enough to get more than rain and actually get snow. So, Christmas Eve morning I piled the kids in the car and we headed up with some friends to the Feldberg. AMAZING!! They have trails and trails and trails for sledding and cross country skiing. The kids had a BLAST!! It was so much fun. We just need to find some decent sleds and make more trips up there. It's so close that you can spend an hour or two and then head out and not feel like you have to stay all day. PLUS, it's free! Can't complain about that.

On the way up, had to stop and take a picture of my Nanners with all that snow!

Here's most of our group.
(Kathy--7mo prego, she watched--Lexi, Brad, Marshall, Andrea, Adriano and Claudio)
Hannah, Mason, Kaycee and Caden were busy sledding.

Hannah and Mason off trailing it trying to sneak up on mom....
GOTCHA!!

Making their way back up after a long run.

Mason knee deep and lovin' it!

Ella stayed home with Misty to have a playdate with Kayla while Caden came with us. I think next time we'll have to bring Miss Ella along. It was so much fun. Now that we know where to go and what trails to go down it will be better.
Thanks Barlows for the invite and Andrea for showing us the way!!

Christmas Eve Eve Dinner with the Missionaries

2009-12-28T08:14:00.002-05:00

No, that is not a typo. We were going to have the missionaries over on Christmas Eve but they got swamped and asked if we could move it to the night before. It actually ended up working out better for us as well, so we were all happy. Being that the mission president lives in our ward we usually get to see some of the missionaries twice. Well, Elder Carlson (left) was able to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas with us last year AND again this year. He is an awesome kid. So, he knew what was coming. Here they are with their BIG BOX of American food. They love it and I love that they love it. Here they are digging in.

Amazing what PopTarts, Ramen, Mike and Ikes, Hot Tamales, Gushers, Pancake mix, cereal, chips, mexican goodies, and too many more things to list will do to their spirits. They were so excited!

Group shot.

Elder Carlson, Elder Hunsaker, Hannah, Ella, Mason, Joe and Kim

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!!!

FIRST SNOW!!

2009-12-28T08:02:00.003-05:00

We actually got some snow last week. It rained on Christmas Eve so we didn't have a white Christmas, but we were able to enjoy it for several days and the kids had a blast. Joe took Ella and Mason out and after taking a couple pictures from above I decided to bite the bullet and go join them. Here are some pics.

Ella LOVING the snow. It was coming down pretty good. She's never really been able to enjoy the snow so she gets REALLY excited when we do get it.

Same with Mason. We don't get that much snow, usually dustings, here in Frankfurt so they get sooooo excited. Their favorite vacationing place is Garmisch cause they love the snow. They'll be excited when we finally move home and they get this stuff for months at a time instead of a few days a year.

Dad and the kiddies.

Mason's Class Play - The Mitten by Jan Brett

2009-12-28T07:50:00.002-05:00

Mason's Unit of Inquiry right now is Beginning to End. They decided to plan a holiday party and see it from the beginning to end. They had to come up with ideas on what makes a good party and assigned a decoration committee, food committee and entertainment committee. Part of the entertainment for the party was a play put on by their class. They decided to portray The Mitten written by Jan Brett. Here is a short synopsis for you on the book:

A Ukrainian boy named Nicki wants his grandmother Baba to knit snow-white mittens for him. She warns her grandson that a white mitten will be hard to find if he loses it in the snow, but of course he promptly does just that! What happens next is the surprising part, as a mole takes refuge in the lost mitten, then a rabbit, then a hedgehog, an owl, a badger, and a fox. If you think the mitten might be a wee bit stretched out at this point, just wait: "Then a big bear sniffed at the mitten. The animals were packed in tight, but the bear didn't care. He crawled in anyway." When a tiny mouse squeezes in, her whiskers tickle the bear's nose. He sneezes, and "Aaaaa-aaaaa-ca-chew!" all the animals fly out of their crocheted cave. As the mitten sails through the air, Nicki spots it, reclaims it, and takes it home to show his smiling Baba.

Mason played the mole and was the first character to find the mitten. He did such a good job memorizing his lines and performing in front of all the parents. I was so proud of him because he normally wouldn't do this. He is my shyest of the 3 kiddos. He did it though. I had my doubts, but he proved me wrong. GO MASON!

Here he is with his class.
(4th from the right, in black)

My MOLE up close.

His class lined up for their bow at the end of their play. They did a really good job!

Hannah - Homework and Oral Report

2009-12-28T07:35:00.002-05:00

I had to document this. Here is Hannah one day after school attempting to do her homework. Yes, she is lying on the counter. I told her she had to sit at the table and when I went to find her, this is where she was. I guess if she's actually doing her homework then where isn't really an issue, huh?

Hannah had to give an oral report on the Fantasy books they had been assigned for the month of December. She really struggled with this genre, but nonetheless she finished it. They had to come dressed like one of the characters by making a mask. Her book was filled with ordinary people so she couldn't get too creative so we just made a "human face" mask by paper mache. She made a really good oral presentation.

The book reports were followed by their class party! They ordered pizza and parents brought in desserts. They had a really good time. Here's a group shot with everyone in their masks.

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Frankfurt Christmas Market 2009

2009-12-03T11:15:00.002-05:00

Oh, the family will be jealous. I haven't told any of the kids or Joe where I spent my morning. :o) YUMMY GOODNESS!! It wouldn't be Christmas in Germany without a visit to the Market. Joe and I plan on going to the Offenbach Market on Saturday while the kids are at a church activity, but a friend of mine who is new to Frankfurt has family in town and asked me to be their guide....twist my arm! I was up for the task. I had Currywurst (ha ha John), a Crepe mit Nutella and got my mug filled with Hot Cocoa. Mmmm.......the candies smelled wonderful but I resisted. I figure I would have plenty of opportunity to dive into those once we took the kids to the Market. Mmmmmm.......can't wait to go back.

Down on the Römer Platz.

It's lunchtime! Nothing like a yummy Currywurst w/ Brötchen.

Here's one of the many candy stands w/ gingerbread.

An ornament stand.

My friend's family dove into these treats.
Licorice in every flavor sweet or sour.

Thanksgiving 2009

2009-12-03T10:50:00.003-05:00

Again, another successful Turkey Dinner surrounded by wonderful friends and family. We had a turkey dinner with all the trimmings and were able to share it with the Barlows and Bunkers and our wonderful missionaries. I love this time of year. I remember growing up with LOTS of family around and I love the chaotic mess of the kitchen throughout the day and getting everything prepared. There's nothing like it. We had our traditional cider basted turkey that I grew up having every year. I missed having my siblings and extended family with us, but I LOVED being able to share this day with my most wonderful friends and their families. Enjoy the pics.

The "adults" table.

The Elders!

Dig in!!

The kids had their own space but had to eat off of paper plates....not quite ready to trust them with the Polish Pottery yet.

After dinner the kids decided to set up a spa. They all painted their nails and then it was onto hair. Even the dads got in on the action! They were such good sports.

Fingers and toes. So many little girls.

Joe being a good sport with all his pretty bows.
YES, his hair is long enough for pony tails. I think he had 3 total.

Brice was such a good sport. He has short hair but the girls insisted on bows and headbands.

Now, don't think the moms missed out on the action.
Misty and I got it pretty good too.

We had such a wonderful evening. The boys played Wii, the girls did nails and hair and we sat and talked and had a good time with friends. Can't wait to do it again.

JONAS BROTHERS!!!!!!

2009-11-22T15:05:00.009-05:00

After a long Underground ride and taking the LONG walk around the Wembley Complex we made it to the arena. Apparently there is Wembly Stadium and Wembley Arena right next to each other. So, we came upon Wembley Stadium first and saw not one person in sight. I got a little nervous, did they cancel the concert? I mean, you look inside this massive building and there are no lights on, empty seats and not a soul in sight. We kept walking and walking and walking until we finally saw a few men driving a security cart and stopped them when they explained the concert was at the Arena on the other side of the stadium. We just had to WALK some more. Whew! So, needless to say we got there and the excitement started and continued all night. We had such a great time and boy are these boys entertaining! They really know how to work the crowd. PLUS, their stage was SUPER!!! The band was strategically placed in stationary spots around the outer edge of the circular stage the spun around. We always had one of the boys in our face. Did I mention we were 5th row!!! They didn't stop us from walking up to the barriers in front of the stage either. Hannah and Signe spent the first 1/2 of the concert w/in a feet of the stage. We got LOTS of pictures WARNING: most of them are posted out here, so get ready!!
All in all, we had a BLAST!! We were also seated right next to the door that they entered and exited the arena from. We didn't "see" them enter as they were carted in undercover! Seriously, in boxes!! Hannah and Signe saw the boxes being escorted by BIG ROB (their security guy) who touched their hands!! That was HUGE for them. We did get to see them exit the arena, however I was so stupidly star struck that I didn't get my camera into position in time as I was trying to make sure Hannah saw them leaving. It was just a surreal experience and am so glad that Hannah enjoyed herself sooooo much! I got some pretty darn good video and as soon as I figure out how to post it I'll get it up here in the next few days. Meanwhile, enjoy the MEGA post of the Jonas Brothers concert!!