tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84654189327648140032024-03-19T04:54:35.528-07:00The Switzerland ConnectionAndyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04135037476565113715noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8465418932764814003.post-1930259832941936542012-07-16T12:17:00.000-07:002013-12-05T09:14:05.018-08:00Goodbyes & More<br />
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Our month-long run of visitors ended with Uncle Russ! We were so happy that he came to Europe to see us for a 2nd time! Andy took a few days off to show him around Switzerland & France. Also in town were some more colleagues from Charlotte. It was quite amazing to see so many current or former PWC-Charlotte employees in Zurich together!<br />
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After a fun, but exhausting month of visitors, we took a little time for ourselves on Mother's Day weekend and went to a Animal and Fun Park near Constance, Germany. The weather was great and the kids (Andy included :) had a ton of fun on all of the rides.<br />
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Some great pics of our family in Germany:</div>
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Uncle Toby came back from his study-abroad time in NC. Uncle Michael & Judith dropped by too! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of laughs with Oma & Opa</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cheering on Bayern Munich!</td></tr>
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Much of May was spent finalizing the logistics of our move. Let's just say that it's a good thing that Andy speaks German, as our relo company wasn't performing well. He handled virtually everything, which made my job easy. The moving company packed everything and we had a cleaning company too. In Switzerland, when you leave an apartment it has to be just like it was when you moved in and very clean - we're talking 1200CHF-clean! I'm glad that PWC was footing that bill. </div>
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We spent as much time as possible with our friends and made many more great memories. Angie helped me with a hand-print project that will serve as a great daily reminder of all our little friends in Switzerland.<br />
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My closest friends joined me for a much-needed girls night out. We should have done that more often! Not having these ladies as part of my daily life will be the hardest thing about moving back to the US. I was blessed with such great friendships and the children of my best friends were truly my kids best friends as well. The only thing that makes the goodbyes slightly less painful is that I know I will see them in the future. Since we plan to visit Oma and Opa each summer, it won't be hard to pop down to Uster for a day or two :-)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Beauty!</td></tr>
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It's hard to believe that our time here has come to an end. It's taken me a while to write about it because it is still so emotional for me. Despite the things that we didn't like about Switzerland, we did find wonderful community here and it's hard to leave it behind. Here's what we're thankful for from this experience.<br />
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1) God provides. The uncertainty of moving is always stressful. God provided us with a wonderful townhouse and "neighborhood," a great preschool and incredible friends that will be with us for life.<br />2) Family relationships firmly established. This time in Europe gave our kids an opportunity to truly know Oma & Opa and to spend precious time with them. This will provide an excellent foundation for the future.<br />
3) Jonas is speaking German. Literally in the past 2 weeks, his confidence in German has improved incredibly. (He continues to take great pleasure in correcting my German).<br />
4) We were able to see so much more of Europe and to provide our kids with amazing experiences and a glimpse into different cultures.<br />
5) One great thing about moving is that it forces you to declutter and purge. <br />
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A few tidbits:<br />
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<span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}">My water baby is back! After 2 years of having no confidence in the pool, Jonas began swimming again. When I told him how proud I was and that he found his confidence, he smiled and said: "It must have been hiding in my heart somewhere :0)"</span></div>
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As we were running errands one weekend, Jonas piped up from the backseat: That's Italian music, isn't it? M: Wow, Jonas! How did you know? J: When people speak Italian they wiggle their tongues all around inside their mouth.</div>
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<br /></div>Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04135037476565113715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8465418932764814003.post-73314500310858151702012-06-15T14:00:00.002-07:002012-06-15T14:00:06.809-07:00A Month of Visitors<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
At the beginning of April, I wrapped up my year of service as the Vice President at the WAC. I have to say, being involved with these women for the year was definitely one of the best things that happened to me during our secondment in Switzerland. I'm so grateful that the preschool director asked me to consider it as the experience changed our life here and brought me a couple of my closest friends. It was fun working at the various WAC events, painting and redecorating the clubroom and doing what we could to keep the club running smoothly. </div>
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Thanks again ladies: Carol, Angie, Susan J., Susan K., Anna, Heike, Ida, Jen, Judy, Danna, Stacy and the wonderful teachers that made my job easy!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More good times at the Jucker Farm</td></tr>
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We spent the first half of April celebrating Easter! First, a wonderful Easter Brunch and egg hunt at Sienna's house. Then a long weekend at Oma & Opa's with more Easter festivities. Mind you, Easter in Switzerland/Germany is a little different than Easter in North Carolina (ex. The weather was such that one could wear the same outfit as you did at Christmas, as Jonas did :-) Sara wore her "new" dress, but the egg hunt was very short-lived as it was freezing!!!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oma's known for setting a beautiful table complete with scrumptious cakes!</td></tr>
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And then, we kicked off an entire month of visitors. Yes, a month! But, it was great! We are very thankful that my parents came to see us again. Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate much as April was indeed a month of showers. That didn't stop us from making it to Meersburg, Chur, Kirchheim, Esslingen, etc. We also enjoyed some quality time around Uster. The kids loved all of the extra attention and Andy and I loved having extra help!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hohenzollern Castle, Germany</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The best 4 grandparents ever!</td></tr>
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Aunt Bev and cousin Mandy joined us as my parents were wrapping up their visit. The kids and I made sure they saw as much of Europe as was feasibly possible. We hit Zurich, Appenzell, Luzern and Stein am Rhein in Switzerland and then wrapped up with a whirl-wind day trip to Colmar, France & Freiburg, Germany. A huge thanks to Andy for entertaining the kids while we had our girl's day! Traveling is a little faster without the kiddos :-)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Family Reunion in Uster</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Colmar</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Could you resist buying something here? I couldn't!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lenora joined us on our girl's trip. Thanks, Markus!</td></tr>
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Angie turned 30 in April and had an awesome party at a local bowling alley. Who knew there was American-style bowling so close? Angie quickly become one of my best friends after we both joined the WAC Board last year. She's an incredible friend and mom and I'm going to miss seeing her on a daily basis.<br /> <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carol & Me celebrating Angie, our favorite 30-year old! She's an amazing woman!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Best buds - Sara & Santiago</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sara's a little possessive :-)</td></tr>
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Quote from this month:<br />
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<span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}">While enjoying some of Oma's leftover birthday carrot cake: <br />Sara: Cake, Mommy! I <u>love</u> cake!<br />Jonas: I've never heard Sara say love before.<br /><br />(Actually, I think she had only said it once before, when she told Daddy that she loved him on his way out the door one morning).</span>Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04135037476565113715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8465418932764814003.post-29538041838211105372012-06-15T12:55:00.002-07:002012-06-15T12:55:38.015-07:00March 2012<div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
The weather was actually rather warm, relatively speaking of course, in March. We enjoyed great times outdoors with friends at the zoo & Jucker Farm. The kids thoroughly enjoyed themselves while we moms were often able to sit down for a few minutes and enjoy a coffee together.</div>
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March also kicked off birthday season for us. The kids made a mosaic mirror for Oma's birthday. (Thanks again to my creative friend Angie for the great idea :0). <br />
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We weren't able to be with Auntie Wendy on her birthday weekend, but we celebrated it in style in Cannobio, Italy.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's a requirement to have gelato at least 2x/day in Italy!</td></tr>
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I spent my birthday with my wonderful friends and their kids. First, a celebration at Playgroup. Then, lunch with one of my best buddies, followed by an incredibly chaotic but still very special cake & coffee time with friends (and all the kids - hence the chaos :-). Then, Andy & I enjoyed a peaceful dinner at the Argentinian Steakhouse. A good day!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Connie & Lenora - the best neighbors God could ever have given</td></tr>
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<span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Another good one from Jonas: </span><span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><br />M: Andy, we don't want our children playing video games and yet here you are...<br />A: This is different.<br />Jonas: This is Angry Birds!</span></h6>Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04135037476565113715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8465418932764814003.post-2240615427753104382012-06-15T12:18:00.001-07:002012-06-15T12:18:27.933-07:002012 Beginning<span style="font-family: inherit;">The year began with a miracle. I saw my first live birth! <span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}" style="font-size: small;">Sara and I happened to be walking by just as a cow at the barn nearby was about to give birth. Amazing experience, no matter which species. Cheers to you, kleine kuh!</span> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Sara began preschool for the first time. She was really excited! She loved her teachers, Miss Heather & Miss Sangeeta, and enjoyed making new friends. It was sweet to have her tell me about her day and her friends. She's definitely a talker, like her big brother! She learned a lot - including the days of the week, counting and recognizing colors. Her teacher said that she's really good at puzzles and at arranging things by size and that she follows instructions and participates :0). Proud mama!</span></div>
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We enjoyed hiking in the fresh air and many more snow days. I'm amazed at how many pairs of shoes and various jackets that we accumulated while living in Switzerland. But, you really do need them all for the various weather circumstances.<br />
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Jonas had his first skiing lessons in February. During the Sports Break, he and his friends hit the slopes together. It was amazing to see how brave and fearless they were. And they do live charmed lives, having their first ski lessons in the Swiss Alps!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Check out his form!</td></tr>
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The Wagernhof sponsored the local Fasching Parade. Oma and Opa came over to join us in the festivities and we met Sienna's family there too!</div>
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We wrapped up February with some more fun in the snow with Oma & Opa!</div>
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<span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">A few more tidbits:</span></h6>
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<span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Jonas: If I can't be the boss of someone here, I'm going to move out.</span></h6>
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<span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">J: Mommy, Sienna told me the other day that she wants to marry me when she grows up.<br />M: Really? And what did you say?<br />J: Nothing. I was too frightened.</span></h6>
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<span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Just enjoyed some coffee and hot chocolate at the Wagerenhof shop. As he was paying, the lady complimented </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Andy</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">: "Your German is really good!"</span></span></h6>
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<span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Jonas was just playing doctor. I hopefully asked him, "Do you want to be a doctor someday?" His response: "A monster truck driver." Oh brother!!</span></h6>
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<span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Andy</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> was on a call with a client today and they tell him, "We've been talking. The schedules you're requesting and the questions you're asking actually make sense. You actually know what you're doing, unlike the last person that was on this engagement." I'm proud!</span></span></h6>
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</div>Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04135037476565113715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8465418932764814003.post-12157528302990999912012-01-21T13:51:00.000-08:002012-01-21T13:51:26.271-08:00Wrapping Up 20112011 ended on some high notes for us:<br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">We spent a month in Charlotte, visiting friends and family. Andy missed Thanksgiving as he had to fly back to Switzerland to lead some training sessions, but he was back in time to celebrate Sara's 2nd birthday (see prior post). We found a new tenant for our house while there and are happy to have the place rented for the rest of our time here. A huge burden lifted! </div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">We also started visiting furniture stores and met with friends to go over ideas and start planning renovations on our house for when we move home. We can't wait to return to our house as we have so many memories connected to it. Home is home after all. </div>Andy spent the last week in Atlanta in training which was a great opportunity to network, meet up with old colleagues and friends and gather some much-needed CPE credits that he otherwise may not have been able to collect before year end. Thanks PwC for his extra trip to the US (and those frequent flyer miles)!<br />
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After returning to Switzerland, we had a lot of holiday events on our schedule. The day we arrived back, we attended the Christmas party at the WAC (Jonas' preschool). The next weekend, we were off to Rothenburg to visit Andy's extended family and the Christmas markets. We even got lucky and had 2 snow days!!<br />
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We had a wonderful Christmas at Oma & Opa's, and gained a couple of kilos while we were there! <br />
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Then, Andy and I were off on a 4-day trip to Barcelona, Spain with Raph & Arin. Child-free!! Thank you again Oma & Opa! It was especially cool to see artful this city with Raph & Arin as he's an architect and she's a designer/seamstress. And they both love good food as much as we do, which is always a plus! We had a great time witnessing amazing works by Gaudí and Dalí and popping in different cafes and restaurants.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roman ruins below Barcelona</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Olympic Park</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2DbGO05mmH4/TxsR9sF3cVI/AAAAAAABBYQ/BS-7ZKf2Bf0/s1600/DSCN6563.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" nfa="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2DbGO05mmH4/TxsR9sF3cVI/AAAAAAABBYQ/BS-7ZKf2Bf0/s320/DSCN6563.JPG" width="240" /></a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gaudi's Amazing Work</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">by Dalí</span></div></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yT2cxg5qLoo/TxsR3xULd4I/AAAAAAABBXU/9h_6SUS96ys/s1600/DSCN6519.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" nfa="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yT2cxg5qLoo/TxsR3xULd4I/AAAAAAABBXU/9h_6SUS96ys/s320/DSCN6519.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">Gaudí again</span></div></td></tr>
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A few quotes from Jonas:<br />
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J: If I can't be the boss of someone here, I'm going to move out.<br />
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J: Mommy, the other day Sienna told me that she wants to marry me when she grows up.<br />
M: Really? What did you say?<br />
J: Nothing. I was too frightened!<br />
Note: Sienna is the most adorable little girl and his best girl friend. She's the daughter of his first preschool teacher, and you'll remember her if you've followed the blog. I'd be perfectly happy with this match :-).<br />
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And one from Sara:<br />
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I was singing to her one morning and she yells: No! Stop!<br />
M: Why? Don't you like my singing?<br />
S: No! Noise!!<br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04135037476565113715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8465418932764814003.post-69740271259835144002011-12-03T17:07:00.000-08:002011-12-03T17:07:55.827-08:00Celebrating Sara Karolina Koller<div>Today we celebrate Sara. She graced our lives 2 years ago and is the sweetest little angel ever! We love her cheerfulness - still always smiling - and her courage. Here's a look back:<br />
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<div align="center">First Special Moments</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Had daddy wrapped around her finger from the start :-)</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-omKliMRFKkA/TUs7AARVQDI/AAAAAAAAhKk/5d23fy51t9Y/s1600/100_9487.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-omKliMRFKkA/TUs7AARVQDI/AAAAAAAAhKk/5d23fy51t9Y/s320/100_9487.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GS9vZG_bxdg/TUs7YBMAhbI/AAAAAAAAhZw/ab5HSnM1zPM/s1600/100_9561.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GS9vZG_bxdg/TUs7YBMAhbI/AAAAAAAAhZw/ab5HSnM1zPM/s320/100_9561.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">Merry Christmas!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FS8GJgFhBm4/TUs7jfBPu-I/AAAAAAAAhiQ/GaQLit6hUXw/s1600/100_9612.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FS8GJgFhBm4/TUs7jfBPu-I/AAAAAAAAhiQ/GaQLit6hUXw/s320/100_9612.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RQPwTJ58apA/TUs78E3XJdI/AAAAAAAAh0o/LSWUHbvGA4U/s1600/100_9707.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RQPwTJ58apA/TUs78E3XJdI/AAAAAAAAh0o/LSWUHbvGA4U/s320/100_9707.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We looked back at some pictures that we took in the summer of 2010 recently, which was right around the time when we moved to Switzerland. Sara was still a baby at the time, barely 10 months old, still partially on formula and in many other ways still like a baby. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LwSsnW6Sbgk/TUs1q8Ou_cI/AAAAAAAAqZA/HwOC5nGGNr8/s1600/100_0978.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LwSsnW6Sbgk/TUs1q8Ou_cI/AAAAAAAAqZA/HwOC5nGGNr8/s320/100_0978.JPG" width="240" /></a></div></div><div> </div><div align="center" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">First Birthday!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WSHi2KNgOVs/TUtEhLax7fI/AAAAAAAAs20/0kkXNpAeBRs/s1600/101_0210b.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WSHi2KNgOVs/TUtEhLax7fI/AAAAAAAAs20/0kkXNpAeBRs/s320/101_0210b.JPG" width="271" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NaqndFO2JCg/TUtEh9ECJvI/AAAAAAAAs3M/J5hpIburLuI/s1600/101_0213.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NaqndFO2JCg/TUtEh9ECJvI/AAAAAAAAs3M/J5hpIburLuI/s320/101_0213.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VLTGpyW2x_8/TUtGMEZA1dI/AAAAAAAAtV4/phFwChPtmmU/s1600/101_0417.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VLTGpyW2x_8/TUtGMEZA1dI/AAAAAAAAtV4/phFwChPtmmU/s320/101_0417.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Looking at her now, 15 or so months later, she has grown and developed so much. In the past year and a half, she has developed her own personality - as sweet as can be. She is definitely an outgoing and friendly being, a fearless climber and acrobat, a fun child filled with laughter and joy and the greatest blessing a daughter and sister could be to us. Today, December 3rd, 2011, we are celebrating her 2nd birthday in Charlotte with family and some of our closest friends. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRBr0yBk0JhQJUnfGhbF7i1QAl1si69BkU76waudTahPi4RyhKrbA1Vkz9gZw7R6xsEGohwu-cwVK102zIJjAsc_2uit2sXGM1u-cLRCFUHRZJTneayo6P263wc0Flz0ZKGsOaRwIufJnA/s1600/DSCN5943.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRBr0yBk0JhQJUnfGhbF7i1QAl1si69BkU76waudTahPi4RyhKrbA1Vkz9gZw7R6xsEGohwu-cwVK102zIJjAsc_2uit2sXGM1u-cLRCFUHRZJTneayo6P263wc0Flz0ZKGsOaRwIufJnA/s400/DSCN5943.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjfOjmSLqPH97BT4Dm3I_l7jPt_rou8BesQx4OvhJ6Ze3ylw1wVSWFDznqNlt9eFBv-amJSlANQ7yiEBnkUqzWNjGbmLmpahAST4WqdJeG4B6a0PBw_wUjO44r3MOzI2lvbiO7oTQpmdsV/s1600/DSCN5955.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjfOjmSLqPH97BT4Dm3I_l7jPt_rou8BesQx4OvhJ6Ze3ylw1wVSWFDznqNlt9eFBv-amJSlANQ7yiEBnkUqzWNjGbmLmpahAST4WqdJeG4B6a0PBw_wUjO44r3MOzI2lvbiO7oTQpmdsV/s400/DSCN5955.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting for cake is so hard!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnED55x1KVIz984-qrt7kSjzTNEXc5Apd5516JfeOXpRQUj-5ZvpevcJFVi-czyLJbMTwVnXXCmzFNdIfzN_mKC_M1Gssk_5fT_eRtdsak0z3LGI9kzduL0iIrmlzQWMMw69EQOHVAsSi2/s1600/DSCN5993.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnED55x1KVIz984-qrt7kSjzTNEXc5Apd5516JfeOXpRQUj-5ZvpevcJFVi-czyLJbMTwVnXXCmzFNdIfzN_mKC_M1Gssk_5fT_eRtdsak0z3LGI9kzduL0iIrmlzQWMMw69EQOHVAsSi2/s400/DSCN5993.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She's such a little princess!</td></tr>
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</div>April Kollerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11463639088844927584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8465418932764814003.post-3646075799626095232011-12-02T18:37:00.000-08:002011-12-02T18:37:17.142-08:00England - Awesome Vacation Destination<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 130%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">September was great. Grandma came to visit from Charlotte, and as you know from our last blog, both April and the kids had a blast while she was here. Thank you so much, Grandma. We loved having you here! After Andy came back from Chicago, it was time to say goodbye to Grandma and get ready for our next big adventure: Vacation time! </span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 130%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">After dropping off Grandma at the airport, we packed up the car and headed north. First leg: 560 km / 350 miles; First stop: Ur-oma's house (Great-Grandma's house). Since it is a rather long ride all the way to England, we decided to break the trip up into several legs, to make it easier on the kids (and ourselves of course). Plus, since it wasn't too far out of the way, it definitely made sense to take the opportunity to stop by Ur-oma's house and spend some time there as well. The kids absolutely loved it there. Jonas can be picky with food, but for some reason he loves Ur-oma's cooking and eats like a champ at her house. He even mentioned one time to Ur-oma that "we don't have such good food at our house"... (which of course isn't true, April's cooking is really excellent. She's become quite the chef since we moved to Europe!!) but Jonas made Ur-oma's day when he told her that!</span></div></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; line-height: 130%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 130%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">We said goodbye very early Saturday morning, as we had to head out to make the ferry in Calais. The next leg from Plein, Germany to Calais, France, led us through Belgium and then along the North Sea shore from Oostende/Belgium to Calais France, which was probably around another 500km (300 miles). We were booked for the Ferry at 3pm, but made it there early. I guess nobody is really travelling early Saturday mornings so the roads even round Brussels were clear. Luckily the ferries at that time of the year are not at full capacity, so they let us go on the next ferry after we arrived at the port, which carved over 2 hours out of our estimated travel time.</span></div></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 130%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">The ferry ride was awesome. We started off in style, that is in the food court with some fish and chips! And before we knew it we could see the famous white cliffs of Dover! </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 130%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Time to get downstairs to the car and head on out... let's see how this driving on left side works! Various friends from the UK and elsewhere had equipped us with plenty of tips, and to be prepared that during the first two days there would be a scare here and there. And boy, were they right! It took about two days and a few very close encounters, but then we had it figured out and from there on out it was easy, actually fun! Andy thoroughly enjoyed driving on English roads, especially the small, narrow country roads. </span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 130%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">After we landed in Dover, it was only a short drive to Ashford, Kent. We stayed in Ashford for 2 days to explore Kent before heading on to the "West Country" that following Monday. They had a restaurant next to the hotel in Ashford called "Beefeater", and it was such a delicious dining experience! It was almost like back home in the US: the menu was in English, the wait staff was friendly and the food was awesome! Perfect end of the day.</span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 130%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">The next day we drove to Leeds castle. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2bMFn6PTQj4/TqxdR-IiqYI/AAAAAAABAMI/ua4zY4As6sI/s1600/DSCN5056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2bMFn6PTQj4/TqxdR-IiqYI/AAAAAAABAMI/ua4zY4As6sI/s320/DSCN5056.JPG" width="240" /></a></div> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RFK-jAHdRXg/TqxdXcmFeMI/AAAAAAABAMw/OrYn5E1xf-0/s1600/DSCN5112.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RFK-jAHdRXg/TqxdXcmFeMI/AAAAAAABAMw/OrYn5E1xf-0/s320/DSCN5112.JPG" width="239" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lWWE7l_YffA/TqxdTiTGTKI/AAAAAAABAMY/Vp_il6j-tPY/s1600/DSCN5060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lWWE7l_YffA/TqxdTiTGTKI/AAAAAAABAMY/Vp_il6j-tPY/s320/DSCN5060.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
</div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 130%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><shapetype coordsize="21600,21600" filled="f" id="_x0000_t75" o:preferrelative="t" o:spt="75" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" stroked="f"><stroke joinstyle="miter"></stroke><formulas><f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"></f><f eqn="sum @0 1 0"></f><f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"></f><f eqn="prod @2 1 2"></f><f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"></f><f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"></f><f eqn="sum @0 0 1"></f><f eqn="prod @6 1 2"></f><f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"></f><f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"></f><f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"></f><f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"></f></formulas><path gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect" o:extrusionok="f"></path><lock aspectratio="t" v:ext="edit"></lock></shapetype><shape id="_x0000_i1025" o:allowoverlap="f" style="height: 313.5pt; width: 418.5pt;" type="#_x0000_t75"><imagedata o:title="" src="file:///C:\Users\kng\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image001.jpg"></imagedata></shape></span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KdYw2cKK2xM/Tqxe0WHRiYI/AAAAAAABATY/GeOZFDhRMBs/s1600/IMG00607-20111002-1130.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KdYw2cKK2xM/Tqxe0WHRiYI/AAAAAAABATY/GeOZFDhRMBs/s320/IMG00607-20111002-1130.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 130%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">As you can see in the pictures, it is a beautiful castle with huge surrounding grounds that include a large maze (yes, we needed help getting out of it), a grotto and, best of all for our little brave knight, a huge castle playground, the "Knight's Realm"! Combined with the warm and sunny weather it made for a perfect day!</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 130%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">The next day we ventured to the place Jonas had been looking forward to for quite a bit: Ashdown Forest, or in other words, Pooh`s Hundred Acre Woods. We hiked past Roo's sand-pit, and on to a viewpoint, where we met a very nice local couple who knew all about Winnie the Pooh and where the places are that inspired the story. We hiked on from there too the heffalump trap and then on to Eeyore's dark and gloomy place. After that it was a short drive and a little hike until we got to Poohsticks Bridge.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2STIJdVSvwY/Tqxe40A1qiI/AAAAAAABAT4/L5lYhYLJWe0/s1600/IMG00615-20111003-1242.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2STIJdVSvwY/Tqxe40A1qiI/AAAAAAABAT4/L5lYhYLJWe0/s320/IMG00615-20111003-1242.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yujuSzmrdf4/TqxdYiJONJI/AAAAAAABAM4/BPFl_CPIHZI/s1600/DSCN5130.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yujuSzmrdf4/TqxdYiJONJI/AAAAAAABAM4/BPFl_CPIHZI/s400/DSCN5130.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2Wad6exmAPs/Tqxe8CuNIVI/AAAAAAABAUQ/y2CQEQI8qk0/s1600/IMG00623-20111003-1323.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2Wad6exmAPs/Tqxe8CuNIVI/AAAAAAABAUQ/y2CQEQI8qk0/s320/IMG00623-20111003-1323.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
</div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; line-height: 130%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 130%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><shape id="_x0000_i1027" o:allowoverlap="f" style="height: 198pt; width: 264pt;" type="#_x0000_t75"><imagedata o:title="" src="file:///C:\Users\kng\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image005.jpg"></imagedata></shape></span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oaXIesrzIL0/Tqxe7turu0I/AAAAAAABAUM/0sWnSSOSy1A/s1600/IMG00622-20111003-1321.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oaXIesrzIL0/Tqxe7turu0I/AAAAAAABAUM/0sWnSSOSy1A/s320/IMG00622-20111003-1321.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 130%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">We ended our excursion in Piglet's Tea Room in Pooh's Corner with our first Cream Tea of the trip (which was to become our favorite breakfast, morning and afternoon snack from then on out...). Cream tea is basically tea served with a scone (plain scone or fruit scone) and clotted cream (which is sweet and with a consistency somewhere between whipped cream and butter.) Needless to say, Jonas developed into a tea-drinking English gentleman. We absolutely loved it! </span></div><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 130%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">The next day (Monday) we packed up the car again and headed West. Our route took us south of London and through Somerset to the county of Dorset. In Somerset our route took us past Stonehenge, which we visited right then. The perfect sunny weather and the approaching evening hour created an atmosphere perfectly fitting this mystical site. And it made for some good pictures as well.</span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5HKt4MVdB_0/TqxdbhncAcI/AAAAAAABANY/d25cZAUjTKg/s1600/DSCN5156.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5HKt4MVdB_0/TqxdbhncAcI/AAAAAAABANY/d25cZAUjTKg/s400/DSCN5156.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jOL-6uFOqLc/TqxdcCFoa1I/AAAAAAABANc/-CEZnUn0mEs/s1600/DSCN5167.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jOL-6uFOqLc/TqxdcCFoa1I/AAAAAAABANc/-CEZnUn0mEs/s400/DSCN5167.JPG" width="300" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7xezk4oNlQY/Tqxe9BbD8iI/AAAAAAABAUY/LzcXOEB652M/s1600/IMG00625-20111003-1656.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7xezk4oNlQY/Tqxe9BbD8iI/AAAAAAABAUY/LzcXOEB652M/s320/IMG00625-20111003-1656.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 130%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">We arrived in Shaftesbury, the closest "market town" to the village where our first cottage was located. We grabbed dinner at KFC and proceeded to the cottage. It was out in the country and not easy to find at first, especially since it was night time by the time we got there. The cottage itself was lovely (after conducting an initial shock-and-awe campaign in every room terminating various spiders and mosquitoes that had intruded - our host had left the windows open during the day). It was spacious, had a fireplace and fully-equipped kitchen, each of our kids had their own room, and we felt right at home. </span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-flZpZfN6ROE/TqxfMw-9QbI/AAAAAAABAWU/sOxteRhNSp0/s1600/IMG00656-20111004-1904.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-flZpZfN6ROE/TqxfMw-9QbI/AAAAAAABAWU/sOxteRhNSp0/s320/IMG00656-20111004-1904.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ks2UdFmZpys/TqxdtrrhNkI/AAAAAAABAP4/I33tKD01How/s1600/DSCN5444.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ks2UdFmZpys/TqxdtrrhNkI/AAAAAAABAP4/I33tKD01How/s320/DSCN5444.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 130%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">The cottage was just outside of the village of Marnhull, which is a quaint small village with an inviting old fashioned pub, "The Crown Inn," that serves local Ales and excellent food. (Andy became quite a fan of English Ale on this trip).</span><br />
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<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 130%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><shape id="_x0000_i1032" o:allowoverlap="f" style="height: 143.25pt; width: 190.5pt;" type="#_x0000_t75"><imagedata o:title="" src="file:///C:\Users\kng\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image015.jpg"></imagedata></shape>During our time in Dorset we visited several castles, which we won't detail but will let the pictures speak for themselves.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eUITt-jW68s/Tqxdq8jkGeI/AAAAAAABAPc/HNHMrS7eOYY/s1600/DSCN5354.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eUITt-jW68s/Tqxdq8jkGeI/AAAAAAABAPc/HNHMrS7eOYY/s320/DSCN5354.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p3DxhZqJz8s/TqxdqmVAK0I/AAAAAAABAPY/zqBA4wxStWA/s1600/DSCN5353.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p3DxhZqJz8s/TqxdqmVAK0I/AAAAAAABAPY/zqBA4wxStWA/s320/DSCN5353.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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</div><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 130%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 130%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">We also discovered one of our now most favorite places, the small town of Shaftesbury in Dorset. It is a beautiful medieval town, located on a hill with stunning views, nice pubs, our now favorite cafe "Turnbulls" and April's all time favorite bakery in England, "Indulge". </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cDaGTk786k8/Tqxdn8oSzqI/AAAAAAABAO8/5xUykH_5Zcc/s1600/DSCN5330.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cDaGTk786k8/Tqxdn8oSzqI/AAAAAAABAO8/5xUykH_5Zcc/s320/DSCN5330.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">We visited the Jurassic coast one day and looked for fossils on the beach. Jonas was a little disappointed that he didn't find a fossil, but then again, we think that he was looking for a whole dinosaur, and the fossils there are more of the kinds of Trilobite and other small critters and plants. But even those eluded us at the beach, so Jonas and Andy went looking for a store and simply purchased a small fossil for a pound or two. That seemed to be the more pragmatic approach at that point, and locating an appropriate store should almost count as much as finding a fossil, right?</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PPY9dCtE8_U/Tqxdl7Bw5vI/AAAAAAABAOs/ZIashztNH4A/s1600/DSCN5324.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PPY9dCtE8_U/Tqxdl7Bw5vI/AAAAAAABAOs/ZIashztNH4A/s400/DSCN5324.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e2dUfzBwAhw/TqxdnP4aNZI/AAAAAAABAO4/zcGAMiVGqE0/s1600/DSCN5328.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e2dUfzBwAhw/TqxdnP4aNZI/AAAAAAABAO4/zcGAMiVGqE0/s400/DSCN5328.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div></span> </div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 130%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">On another day-trip we went to Portsmouth and Winchester. Portsmouth has a huge Royal Navy Base, and among the active ships you can visit the most prized ship of them all and the pride of the English Royal Navy and the English people in general: the HMS Victory. While we weren't able to take the tour and while it is being renovated and didn't shine in its usual magnificence and glory, it was nevertheless most impressive to just walk around close to the ship. We had read up on the history of the ship a bit, about Admiral Nelson and the battle of Trafalgar, and it was amazing to stand before the ship that had launched England into being the most dominant naval power in the world for a long time. We will definitely be back one day and tour the ship itself.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fW7Tt2OpSTM/TqxfcSQumrI/AAAAAAABAYM/kyJ9oJcXulM/s1600/IMG00687-20111007-1115.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fW7Tt2OpSTM/TqxfcSQumrI/AAAAAAABAYM/kyJ9oJcXulM/s320/IMG00687-20111007-1115.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 130%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><shape id="_x0000_i1039" o:allowoverlap="f" style="height: 325.5pt; width: 433.5pt;" type="#_x0000_t75"><imagedata o:title="" src="file:///C:\Users\kng\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image029.jpg"></imagedata></shape></span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 130%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">We stopped in Winchester to see King Arthur`s legendary Round Table, which is displayed at the far wall of the last remaining building of the castle that once was the center of Winchester, the great hall. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 130%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Other sites we visited include the Giant of Cerne, the city of Salisbury with its beautiful cathedral (and where Jonas and Sara finally got to chose the dinner venue: Pizza Hut!). The cathedral in Salisbury, a sight in its own right, houses one of the remaining original documents known as the Magna Carta, which we found very impressive. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 130%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">And of course we visited our fair share of castles, the most impressive of which were Corfe Castle and Old Wardour Castle, the latter of which was built by Sir Walter Raleigh! Since April grew up in the NC city that was named after him, the visit to this castle was particularly interesting.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dNqz6Pkhk20/TqxdtFjiomI/AAAAAAABAP0/Qghac3V5gpc/s1600/DSCN5440.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dNqz6Pkhk20/TqxdtFjiomI/AAAAAAABAP0/Qghac3V5gpc/s320/DSCN5440.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tKnA3APRDbs/TqxdsGi3s7I/AAAAAAABAPo/6QiVCYUAfLI/s1600/DSCN5406.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tKnA3APRDbs/TqxdsGi3s7I/AAAAAAABAPo/6QiVCYUAfLI/s320/DSCN5406.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CQ0yFTEeB5Q/TqxdrtpdLDI/AAAAAAABAPk/HMHggEhcbFU/s1600/DSCN5402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CQ0yFTEeB5Q/TqxdrtpdLDI/AAAAAAABAPk/HMHggEhcbFU/s320/DSCN5402.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ya3EIUkHaaw/TqxdkNLUznI/AAAAAAABAOc/JpUzmgjbu4A/s1600/DSCN5272.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ya3EIUkHaaw/TqxdkNLUznI/AAAAAAABAOc/JpUzmgjbu4A/s320/DSCN5272.JPG" width="239" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XmLTqNQp38Q/TqxdkzfT11I/AAAAAAABAOk/d1-SREMjvLY/s1600/DSCN5300.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XmLTqNQp38Q/TqxdkzfT11I/AAAAAAABAOk/d1-SREMjvLY/s320/DSCN5300.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ouc6DTHWhhw/TqxdlU72VEI/AAAAAAABAOo/SI72Bm6gYq4/s1600/DSCN5302.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ouc6DTHWhhw/TqxdlU72VEI/AAAAAAABAOo/SI72Bm6gYq4/s320/DSCN5302.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 130%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">After spending almost a week in Dorset, we packed up the car and headed further west to Cornwall. When we arrived in the picturesque fishing town of Mevagissey we were taken by surprise how beautiful this place was. Our cottage was a little above the village, in a neighbourhood atop a cliff, with a stunning view of the sea and the bay from our living room and bedroom windows. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 130%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">We could see the fishing boats go out to sea at night and come back in the morning, and ventured into the center of the town quite often just to find another pub or restaurant or to go shopping. They even had a pirate store, which was a winner with Jonas.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EbvjR60e3vw/Tqxd-zeL72I/AAAAAAABASM/hDkGZl0GWPg/s1600/IMG00827-20111014-1728.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EbvjR60e3vw/Tqxd-zeL72I/AAAAAAABASM/hDkGZl0GWPg/s320/IMG00827-20111014-1728.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qwdYclHcVxI/Tqxd-kkgxRI/AAAAAAABASI/Oem37NGRMbI/s1600/IMG00826-20111014-1619.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qwdYclHcVxI/Tqxd-kkgxRI/AAAAAAABASI/Oem37NGRMbI/s320/IMG00826-20111014-1619.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
</div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 130%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><shape id="_x0000_i1044" o:allowoverlap="f" style="height: 153.75pt; width: 204.75pt;" type="#_x0000_t75"><imagedata o:title="" src="file:///C:\Users\kng\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image039.jpg"></imagedata></shape><shape id="_x0000_i1045" o:allowoverlap="f" style="height: 156.75pt; width: 209.25pt;" type="#_x0000_t75"><imagedata o:title="" src="file:///C:\Users\kng\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image041.jpg"></imagedata></shape></span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 130%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><shape id="_x0000_i1046" o:allowoverlap="f" style="height: 154.5pt; width: 206.25pt;" type="#_x0000_t75"><imagedata o:title="" src="file:///C:\Users\kng\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image043.jpg"></imagedata></shape><shape id="_x0000_i1047" o:allowoverlap="f" style="height: 156.75pt; width: 208.5pt;" type="#_x0000_t75"><imagedata o:title="" src="file:///C:\Users\kng\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image045.jpg"></imagedata></shape></span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 130%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><shape id="_x0000_i1048" o:allowoverlap="f" style="height: 153.75pt; width: 205.5pt;" type="#_x0000_t75"><imagedata o:title="" src="file:///C:\Users\kng\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image047.jpg"></imagedata></shape><shape id="_x0000_i1049" o:allowoverlap="f" style="height: 156.75pt; width: 209.25pt;" type="#_x0000_t75"><imagedata o:title="" src="file:///C:\Users\kng\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image049.jpg"></imagedata></shape></span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 130%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><shape id="_x0000_i1050" o:allowoverlap="f" style="height: 153.75pt; width: 205.5pt;" type="#_x0000_t75"><imagedata o:title="" src="file:///C:\Users\kng\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image051.jpg"></imagedata></shape><shape id="_x0000_i1051" o:allowoverlap="f" style="height: 160.5pt; width: 214.5pt;" type="#_x0000_t75"><imagedata o:title="" src="file:///C:\Users\kng\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image053.jpg"></imagedata></shape></span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K2cXwe-RyD8/Tqxf6pDPdoI/AAAAAAABAbA/lP7_hoD5nDs/s1600/IMG00750-20111011-1838.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K2cXwe-RyD8/Tqxf6pDPdoI/AAAAAAABAbA/lP7_hoD5nDs/s320/IMG00750-20111011-1838.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-INtWXnL5n3k/Tqxgc5P1-hI/AAAAAAABAfA/862Cjr6_-2Y/s1600/IMG00828-20111014-1738.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-INtWXnL5n3k/Tqxgc5P1-hI/AAAAAAABAfA/862Cjr6_-2Y/s320/IMG00828-20111014-1738.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 130%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">We went on several excursions in Cornwall. One of the first trips was to Tintagel castle. If you are familiar with the tales of the knights of the round table and King Arthur, you will remember that legend has it that Arthur was conceived and born here. Climbing up on top of the cliff and exploring the archaeological site there was a lot of fun. Combined with the rough and windy fall weather, the breathtaking view along the rocky coastline with its majestic cliffs seemingly unphased by the continuous onslaught of waves crashing around them and the undeniable taste of ancient history in the air made this an exciting and memorable experience. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 130%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">On the way back down from Tintagel Castle, Andy and Jonas climbed all the way down to the rocky beach and explored Merlin's cave!</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3nYN_1W08zc/Tqxfowl1S0I/AAAAAAABAZg/62H9he1rg2Q/s1600/IMG00709-20111009-1226.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3nYN_1W08zc/Tqxfowl1S0I/AAAAAAABAZg/62H9he1rg2Q/s320/IMG00709-20111009-1226.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-J5uIP3uR2ZQ/TqxdwJj6QcI/AAAAAAABAQM/CMSZSy0vwDA/s1600/DSCN5459.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-J5uIP3uR2ZQ/TqxdwJj6QcI/AAAAAAABAQM/CMSZSy0vwDA/s400/DSCN5459.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MpeYZW3k9ls/TqxdwhRt0GI/AAAAAAABAQQ/NZjP_3UpcJ4/s1600/DSCN5460.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MpeYZW3k9ls/TqxdwhRt0GI/AAAAAAABAQQ/NZjP_3UpcJ4/s400/DSCN5460.JPG" width="400" /></a></div> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iS4JLjvccZ0/TqxdxL7cz7I/AAAAAAABAQY/H_0-e27dyYY/s1600/DSCN5464.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iS4JLjvccZ0/TqxdxL7cz7I/AAAAAAABAQY/H_0-e27dyYY/s400/DSCN5464.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
</div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 130%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><shape id="_x0000_i1054" o:allowoverlap="f" style="height: 159.75pt; width: 213pt;" type="#_x0000_t75"><imagedata o:title="" src="file:///C:\Users\kng\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image059.jpg"></imagedata></shape><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><shape id="_x0000_i1055" o:allowoverlap="f" style="height: 155.25pt; width: 207.75pt;" type="#_x0000_t75"> <imagedata o:title="" src="file:///C:\Users\kng\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image061.jpg"></imagedata></shape></span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 130%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Another day we travelled to the town of Plymouth where we visited the Aquarium. Unfortunately, and to Jonas' disappointment, they did not have the advertised diver show. But, the aquarium itself was quite nice. This was in contrast to the city itself. There's not really very much else to see there. Plymouth was in fact quite important in the history of our country, as it was here where the pilgrim fathers set sail to journey west to eventually start their colony in what is now the United States.</span><br />
</div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 130%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">We also visited a small town called Charlestown, which was about 15 minutes away from Mevagissey. Chalestown still looks like a 17th or 18th century harbor, with 3 fairly sizable sailing ships tied to the quay. We learned that the place is quite popular with movie makers, as it provides the perfect backdrop for certain genres of films. Apparently parts of Pirates of the Caribbean was filmed here. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FodWxL6n7q0/Tqxd0uAd_GI/AAAAAAABAQ4/95tf27qS-xU/s1600/DSCN5534.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FodWxL6n7q0/Tqxd0uAd_GI/AAAAAAABAQ4/95tf27qS-xU/s320/DSCN5534.JPG" width="240" /></a></div></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 130%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><shape id="_x0000_i1056" o:allowoverlap="f" style="height: 3in; width: 4in;" type="#_x0000_t75"><imagedata o:title="" src="file:///C:\Users\kng\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image063.jpg"></imagedata></shape></span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 130%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Another quaint little town we visited was Fowey (pronounced "Foy") which provided for nice shopping and good food. We took a little harbor tour there which took us down the river to the china clay docks. One of the main export products of Cornwall is China Clay, and Fowey is one of the harbors where it is loaded onto ships to be sent to china factories around the world.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XNdK80jxwkE/Tqxd4MTgGpI/AAAAAAABARQ/7vIdmVmF5b8/s1600/DSCN5560.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XNdK80jxwkE/Tqxd4MTgGpI/AAAAAAABARQ/7vIdmVmF5b8/s400/DSCN5560.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HKt_rNt8GFo/Tqxd45jqMkI/AAAAAAABARU/v0jrf6W3NDA/s1600/DSCN5561.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HKt_rNt8GFo/Tqxd45jqMkI/AAAAAAABARU/v0jrf6W3NDA/s400/DSCN5561.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-G7mzJBZEI4c/Tqxd6F0TQ_I/AAAAAAABARg/zK9xDhyBETI/s1600/DSCN5568.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-G7mzJBZEI4c/Tqxd6F0TQ_I/AAAAAAABARg/zK9xDhyBETI/s400/DSCN5568.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 130%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><shape id="_x0000_i1057" o:allowoverlap="f" style="height: 158.25pt; width: 210.75pt;" type="#_x0000_t75"><imagedata o:title="" src="file:///C:\Users\kng\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image065.jpg"></imagedata></shape><shape id="_x0000_i1058" o:allowoverlap="f" style="height: 156.75pt; width: 209.25pt;" type="#_x0000_t75"><imagedata o:title="" src="file:///C:\Users\kng\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image067.jpg"></imagedata></shape></span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 130%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Towards the end of our stay in Cornwall we visited an apple farm. Apple cider is very popular in the "West Country", and since it was harvest time when we visited the farm, we could see the squeezing and bottling process, as well as taste the different types of cider and finish it all off with some afternoon cream tea :).</span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 130%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><shape id="_x0000_i1059" o:allowoverlap="f" style="height: 159pt; width: 210.75pt;" type="#_x0000_t75"><imagedata o:title="" src="file:///C:\Users\kng\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image069.jpg"></imagedata></shape><shape id="_x0000_i1060" o:allowoverlap="f" style="height: 158.25pt; width: 210.75pt;" type="#_x0000_t75"><imagedata o:title="" src="file:///C:\Users\kng\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image071.jpg"></imagedata></shape></span></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 130%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">All too soon it was unfortunately time to head back, and we decided to do it all in one leg, with a couple breaks on the way in Shaftesbury and somewhere in France for dinner. It was this 18 hour trip that was proof that our kids are now travel hardened. We couldn't be more proud of both Jonas and Sara. They did great on the entire trip which covered over 2,500 km / 1,600 miles, had lots of fun, entertained themselves (and us as well!) and they seemed to truly enjoy it, despite having to be in the car for very long periods at times. And all that without any electronic gadgets or TV's! They have already embraced the travel culture of the Koller family :)</span><br />
</div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 130%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 130%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">All in all a perfect vacation. In fact, so perfect that we are contemplating going back to England or maybe Scotland next summer!</span></div></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04135037476565113715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8465418932764814003.post-46105174172506823952011-11-06T14:00:00.000-08:002011-11-06T14:00:31.964-08:00Fall has arrived!<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY1TY3N42_b5bInYMT25CVvM0t1otT6_Y7Fg6bDrkpN-3K9kAWyJVJeoyeLFBtBN8fiszrWN-oUJFtPMcw_nIoH9Try8F8wp-BuX84oUg0qsuuyhJ8Fhesxg8Sj9iC-W_2AMwCQ14bA1vh/s1600/DSCN4247.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY1TY3N42_b5bInYMT25CVvM0t1otT6_Y7Fg6bDrkpN-3K9kAWyJVJeoyeLFBtBN8fiszrWN-oUJFtPMcw_nIoH9Try8F8wp-BuX84oUg0qsuuyhJ8Fhesxg8Sj9iC-W_2AMwCQ14bA1vh/s320/DSCN4247.JPG" width="240" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF4OZiGpcf6PLQYmiOqdJDa-Asp5A7P1stn_4lOhWQ-rHd9QGg__iQjO2iR4pKVwoUKHC1bqBv6O3a6WbYCjHWzAnnUxCWKMpOGA7uHou7XX6XM43Lmh0bK5BSZFTdN5CtP1l5lDFXupp7/s1600/DSCN4253.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF4OZiGpcf6PLQYmiOqdJDa-Asp5A7P1stn_4lOhWQ-rHd9QGg__iQjO2iR4pKVwoUKHC1bqBv6O3a6WbYCjHWzAnnUxCWKMpOGA7uHou7XX6XM43Lmh0bK5BSZFTdN5CtP1l5lDFXupp7/s200/DSCN4253.JPG" width="150" /></a></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">September was a busy month for us! We celebrated Opa's 50th Birthday in style.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6bWm9AMU70RnL6DJmG0ZC79DPo37MLFV2UluS5_6aZYRgjstyyCK4AFeM5Rmi9WYtNjiJpL0iutPCWHarEWdTMC_s8IyKpwsJfLQMdhPHfGfNca0c-nBtxGyfneUyJITnyRoC62IaanHE/s1600/DSCN4391.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6bWm9AMU70RnL6DJmG0ZC79DPo37MLFV2UluS5_6aZYRgjstyyCK4AFeM5Rmi9WYtNjiJpL0iutPCWHarEWdTMC_s8IyKpwsJfLQMdhPHfGfNca0c-nBtxGyfneUyJITnyRoC62IaanHE/s200/DSCN4391.JPG" width="150" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj-848WlO3j52H8sTtBYAxHurxg1hbkxArFaXJSMeT1CXG8qWtzUUuRhp7XawgsJzJytSGfl_mPa2-QQgEQVI0UwQvspDG76FBgnnUpBC3w8vimX9KUwh1vAyBTXK4CoCgfQ0ChnCFTMvC/s1600/DSCN4433.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj-848WlO3j52H8sTtBYAxHurxg1hbkxArFaXJSMeT1CXG8qWtzUUuRhp7XawgsJzJytSGfl_mPa2-QQgEQVI0UwQvspDG76FBgnnUpBC3w8vimX9KUwh1vAyBTXK4CoCgfQ0ChnCFTMvC/s200/DSCN4433.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjg39LP98ynwLfFDKQIo6pqAqDec90CoRiJn09OWna8Ohbk5mh0x3O83XDvaKzztKXWcjWsKOJH5r0sdR9HZs7keXjAI2tG22aq8hm8D6EFibP6jQHCxdP29yTfOmdGChWDIj29zzm5b3t/s1600/DSCN4435.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjg39LP98ynwLfFDKQIo6pqAqDec90CoRiJn09OWna8Ohbk5mh0x3O83XDvaKzztKXWcjWsKOJH5r0sdR9HZs7keXjAI2tG22aq8hm8D6EFibP6jQHCxdP29yTfOmdGChWDIj29zzm5b3t/s200/DSCN4435.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Mom arrived just in time for Jonas' 4th birthday, and we literally put her to work on party decor the night she arrived :-) I'm blessed to have such a talented and creative mom!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6dKxlmD_684/TqxdNirpJuI/AAAAAAABALs/h6-qqRV2wAc/s1600/100_1255.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" ida="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6dKxlmD_684/TqxdNirpJuI/AAAAAAABALs/h6-qqRV2wAc/s320/100_1255.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiatjqJjIYlkObBb3rOP7V_FqPYgTQUMCnNYIuXgd0dYTuV-8O7wO0sy7kaNdj1mmAUlJlbhzVftt_DFvcZMvfTPwNiq7pKHS3XKzflHG5fPi_HeKAZ7dPHPWgtJn3o6Wf5g8rfBPCxmlAx/s1600/DSCN4575.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiatjqJjIYlkObBb3rOP7V_FqPYgTQUMCnNYIuXgd0dYTuV-8O7wO0sy7kaNdj1mmAUlJlbhzVftt_DFvcZMvfTPwNiq7pKHS3XKzflHG5fPi_HeKAZ7dPHPWgtJn3o6Wf5g8rfBPCxmlAx/s400/DSCN4575.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
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Fall here in Uster would not be complete without multiple trips to the Jucker Farm. We're lucky to have such a cool place so close to us!<br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEideH5HYWai8326SfYqLMMrY3GucJhoTnkMQw_H9oKv1xMndXWY1tSNatiGyEnNfdgLXGzx7DVxtUPYZJLPwzow1D7almUDstfHs62Nmiuy5z0U-o-VGnZSgkRz86PhUFX8M4qho5pq1iPB/s1600/DSCN4706.JPG" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEideH5HYWai8326SfYqLMMrY3GucJhoTnkMQw_H9oKv1xMndXWY1tSNatiGyEnNfdgLXGzx7DVxtUPYZJLPwzow1D7almUDstfHs62Nmiuy5z0U-o-VGnZSgkRz86PhUFX8M4qho5pq1iPB/s640/DSCN4706.JPG" width="480" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpxP74Pbu-wJ1aOU2mmTBY8v-lO-9ngw8k9BtnEwa-f6H7nFJptA8syV5zF7aGpadF2bMrk8N_nHaCRAFkY-4Jb9LiiPya4-0OBOLYyHsBmcFYZwv8TQeI-KRO-rfE7ihwZ_OjJecWoMtg/s1600/DSCN4702.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpxP74Pbu-wJ1aOU2mmTBY8v-lO-9ngw8k9BtnEwa-f6H7nFJptA8syV5zF7aGpadF2bMrk8N_nHaCRAFkY-4Jb9LiiPya4-0OBOLYyHsBmcFYZwv8TQeI-KRO-rfE7ihwZ_OjJecWoMtg/s400/DSCN4702.JPG" width="300" /></a> <br />
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Our little pumpkins!<br />
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The kids and I enjoyed showing mom around Switzerland. We hit many places: Bellinzona (never expected to go through a snow storm to reach the Swiss tropics), Stein am Rhein, Gruyeres, Bern and Ballenberg. And, of course we had to hit Konstanz, Germany too :-)</div><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bellinzona</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gruyeres</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDdZoO4pVdIi9CbuXJOX7PUGNccVinS8dhYoZi25NoBVMlldTHNEHXAx0-IETUNcvizjjUxW8jHUyzU2aH_lnWDmmSsmrShyUAt-MK7KFlK1oaDSy0vmqOBI797X0mrHNxTM7pEYMJ7KzQ/s1600/DSCN4940.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDdZoO4pVdIi9CbuXJOX7PUGNccVinS8dhYoZi25NoBVMlldTHNEHXAx0-IETUNcvizjjUxW8jHUyzU2aH_lnWDmmSsmrShyUAt-MK7KFlK1oaDSy0vmqOBI797X0mrHNxTM7pEYMJ7KzQ/s400/DSCN4940.JPG" width="298" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsab6jBGP3UISlFXhgnRCXTv9qDK1IYpsoQK8iZBXmldMLQICbTg-yLWGdLBoL_AkDAiVzuzIP3jyCmSYO_AEA31zLuNjuSOR28iNcW9AQDutWOcnAXuT4vYUzIIIh80Qzq3xzUASzod-C/s1600/DSCN4939.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsab6jBGP3UISlFXhgnRCXTv9qDK1IYpsoQK8iZBXmldMLQICbTg-yLWGdLBoL_AkDAiVzuzIP3jyCmSYO_AEA31zLuNjuSOR28iNcW9AQDutWOcnAXuT4vYUzIIIh80Qzq3xzUASzod-C/s400/DSCN4939.JPG" width="298" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tXoZ7WZYIIo/TqxdHsDew-I/AAAAAAABAK8/ktW09g9SyUs/s1600/DSCN4985.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" ida="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tXoZ7WZYIIo/TqxdHsDew-I/AAAAAAABAK8/ktW09g9SyUs/s400/DSCN4985.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Of course, some of the best times were just spent close to home with each other and good friends.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The gang's all here!</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2fZggpFR-Og/TqxdJ0MObrI/AAAAAAABALM/QI1okqAGJIY/s1600/DSCN4999.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" ida="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2fZggpFR-Og/TqxdJ0MObrI/AAAAAAABALM/QI1okqAGJIY/s400/DSCN4999.JPG" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdAKwufVHQpC-f6yidcakRIEiIsqUH1kvcb4PQQLewH7e3eUVZXDDRwiQbfiW4H40rMuLhjw2FvCTKbFjL2w3t-0Nk4tG1TF8myuse3eCLi4zMRP5jA-3CnvkNngxMsAD5NEia9ak55_-V/s1600/DSCN4977.JPG" style="cssfloat: left; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdAKwufVHQpC-f6yidcakRIEiIsqUH1kvcb4PQQLewH7e3eUVZXDDRwiQbfiW4H40rMuLhjw2FvCTKbFjL2w3t-0Nk4tG1TF8myuse3eCLi4zMRP5jA-3CnvkNngxMsAD5NEia9ak55_-V/s400/DSCN4977.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The only thing that kept me from spiraling into depression after mom left was that we immediately went on vacation! First stop: Ur-Oma and Ur-Opa's house! Not only did she have a ton of great meals and cake prepared for us, Ur-Oma even made us some Christmas cookies to take on the road, since we wouldn't see them again before Christmas. Isn't she awesome?!</div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZWtTc5xKbL8/TqxdKRAJhAI/AAAAAAABALQ/ZbqAoYAJlEg/s1600/DSCN5008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" ida="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZWtTc5xKbL8/TqxdKRAJhAI/AAAAAAABALQ/ZbqAoYAJlEg/s400/DSCN5008.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Future water-skier</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iay68nJb_1w/TqxdLJl4SNI/AAAAAAABALY/MC3N5-gV7wU/s1600/DSCN5012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="cssfloat: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ida="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iay68nJb_1w/TqxdLJl4SNI/AAAAAAABALY/MC3N5-gV7wU/s320/DSCN5012.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04135037476565113715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8465418932764814003.post-19010003678767765752011-09-15T07:18:00.000-07:002011-09-15T07:18:06.125-07:00Celebrating Jonas<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Today we celebrate the adorable little boy that captured our hearts even before he was born on September 15th, 2007. Jonas is 4 now! We are so proud of him and so thankful to God for blessing us with this precious gift. Here's a look back at some of our favorite pictures of him.</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2007 - First Precious Moments</span></strong></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--EHAxK4LZMY/TnESvFvMovI/AAAAAAAA7Ko/_pQoSUHmQt4/s1600/100_5954.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" rba="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--EHAxK4LZMY/TnESvFvMovI/AAAAAAAA7Ko/_pQoSUHmQt4/s640/100_5954.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-B8U_ACbgzoA/TnESvckHduI/AAAAAAAA7Ks/YtKrHmQwMzQ/s1600/100_6068.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" rba="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-B8U_ACbgzoA/TnESvckHduI/AAAAAAAA7Ks/YtKrHmQwMzQ/s400/100_6068.JPG" width="298" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2008 - First Birthday</span></strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-agvGWSfyhR4/TnEWOJ7Nw-I/AAAAAAAA7ME/pgulDKGk0Lw/s1600/100_7246.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" rba="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-agvGWSfyhR4/TnEWOJ7Nw-I/AAAAAAAA7ME/pgulDKGk0Lw/s640/100_7246.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2009 - Life is about to Change! </span></strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3LGL6j6E7hI/TnEWRlcY-_I/AAAAAAAA7Mg/yKtLnZD118M/s1600/100_8801.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" rba="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3LGL6j6E7hI/TnEWRlcY-_I/AAAAAAAA7Mg/yKtLnZD118M/s640/100_8801.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2010 - Three Years Old!</span></strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8Eq4J11B488/TnEVHhPr9hI/AAAAAAAA7Ls/tOQHFXkGhP8/s1600/100_0828.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" rba="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8Eq4J11B488/TnEVHhPr9hI/AAAAAAAA7Ls/tOQHFXkGhP8/s640/100_0828.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2011 - European Adventures</span></strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vluFbMWxAb4/TnEUtRBO3RI/AAAAAAAA7LM/jveeryiXLJU/s1600/DSCN2988.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" rba="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vluFbMWxAb4/TnEUtRBO3RI/AAAAAAAA7LM/jveeryiXLJU/s320/DSCN2988.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YOEtyus7aVs/TnEUsRzOwKI/AAAAAAAA7LE/wrnNn1JqrFU/s1600/DSCN2686.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" rba="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YOEtyus7aVs/TnEUsRzOwKI/AAAAAAAA7LE/wrnNn1JqrFU/s320/DSCN2686.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWCutOrz45CKf0_N5b1hvEuIsBUa7HPlem8vxc6IH0NuUovsWiIGNk1pvjpovF8VvX0dQd_RNJ6VeS3_VM5vypUoVLCkh8TKyVU_On4IPNAuh3Ty2v2d8Ni5DHbvsHOkdXnDzpN2OBbiw/s1600/DSCN4510.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWCutOrz45CKf0_N5b1hvEuIsBUa7HPlem8vxc6IH0NuUovsWiIGNk1pvjpovF8VvX0dQd_RNJ6VeS3_VM5vypUoVLCkh8TKyVU_On4IPNAuh3Ty2v2d8Ni5DHbvsHOkdXnDzpN2OBbiw/s640/DSCN4510.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Well, it was a Knight party, until the Superheroes crashed it :-)</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>April Kollerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11463639088844927584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8465418932764814003.post-77673383715381289572011-09-01T12:50:00.000-07:002011-09-01T15:05:01.290-07:00Swiss Summer<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">It’s hard to believe that summer is over. It was great! There were even 2 very hot weeks, by Swiss standards, considering that we have no air-conditioning.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Auntie Wendy and her friend Sarah came to visit us in July.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The kids enjoyed showing Auntie Wendy some of our favorite places: Seefeld, Zoo, Preschool, etc. Their visit would not have been complete with a trip to <country-region w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Germany</place></country-region>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We took them to <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Konstanz</place></city> and rode the ferry over to Meersburg.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jonas is really into knights lately, and Auntie Wendy treated us to a visit to <place w:st="on"><placename w:st="on">Meersburg</placename> <placetype w:st="on">Castle</placetype></place>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jonas stocked up on some knight attire <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span>. Oh, and here's documentation that Andy is my knight in shining armor :0).</div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghbJzbm8iWp5EPGt-CnLzNQeDO6if8ltqHayxwvk-DtP7zBhKWOIrzeEZin6aw7JB_FD3Kgmfu7XcUsR3zpBVbSVtgdL98q2mrcNS1J5A_Lowvy9PAj_das43eR-Ho9JWCfW0kZZuLHmE/s1600/IMG_3679.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghbJzbm8iWp5EPGt-CnLzNQeDO6if8ltqHayxwvk-DtP7zBhKWOIrzeEZin6aw7JB_FD3Kgmfu7XcUsR3zpBVbSVtgdL98q2mrcNS1J5A_Lowvy9PAj_das43eR-Ho9JWCfW0kZZuLHmE/s320/IMG_3679.JPG" width="320" xaa="true" /></a></div> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO68qXtr8P0dAtk9YyFk4GCzfYYi1kEVCrySP3XSKelp7Bm2E0zYDV_EsrSxdFiwes0fjwYIqvv68ZySLCItDJAGl38QPZZbZ-O_CkTUwsy3kthQfVIDaMwFIqcqd8k92swez7eqNvXuM/s1600/DSCN3559.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO68qXtr8P0dAtk9YyFk4GCzfYYi1kEVCrySP3XSKelp7Bm2E0zYDV_EsrSxdFiwes0fjwYIqvv68ZySLCItDJAGl38QPZZbZ-O_CkTUwsy3kthQfVIDaMwFIqcqd8k92swez7eqNvXuM/s320/DSCN3559.JPG" width="240" xaa="true" /></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJpYEU4c_AzctTmq8_m5HFGeaH27tR4b7g0F72ZMtX0G7-FK0JmUw95Jm5eBngXeqxcA4NhxOkuNCnIy6N2XqrsFZolk0GVkgYXP6sa4LQSo8MALWhe7oOGlvHebd4Y1BokAb0iIu7iLg/s1600/DSCN3476.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJpYEU4c_AzctTmq8_m5HFGeaH27tR4b7g0F72ZMtX0G7-FK0JmUw95Jm5eBngXeqxcA4NhxOkuNCnIy6N2XqrsFZolk0GVkgYXP6sa4LQSo8MALWhe7oOGlvHebd4Y1BokAb0iIu7iLg/s320/DSCN3476.JPG" width="240" xaa="true" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Knight</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYIAMmvKYJppnHsYsmz5Y9S9zah_lOvNkGdRn-iKgmKo14vncnvPv19SMG6Ar_4IUIKlIFQRM8U3BlhY7VwGheoVh-HYomcHmjeAlIPdZZpMVxZLt8e-NFR8cLmDwgLleTGs_fFpcHQd8/s1600/IMG_3758.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYIAMmvKYJppnHsYsmz5Y9S9zah_lOvNkGdRn-iKgmKo14vncnvPv19SMG6Ar_4IUIKlIFQRM8U3BlhY7VwGheoVh-HYomcHmjeAlIPdZZpMVxZLt8e-NFR8cLmDwgLleTGs_fFpcHQd8/s320/IMG_3758.JPG" width="240" xaa="true" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">One day, we all journeyed to <place w:st="on"><placetype w:st="on">Mt.</placetype> <placename w:st="on">Pilatus</placename></place>, outside of Luzern.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The weather cooperated beautifully.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We took the world’s steepest cog wheel to the top, which offered a spectacular view along the way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We rode the cable car down so that everyone could take a ride on Switzerland's longest Sommerrodelbahn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They flew by so fast, I had a hard time getting pictures!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jonas was very brave and rode too (with Andy).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was so proud of him.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF040qKL3ZtvnuQfkMIUniMUcPzTV30Hh02POqx8zS9WF3irJF732RzgAa-vMLvMWUeRbyeOaM2W2KHAtp2eHLls9hQllw08Gy__84FEWWOd8tNlUyfYrJkRhbF8q0c-RRfz2POB7Dkgo/s1600/P7130629.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF040qKL3ZtvnuQfkMIUniMUcPzTV30Hh02POqx8zS9WF3irJF732RzgAa-vMLvMWUeRbyeOaM2W2KHAtp2eHLls9hQllw08Gy__84FEWWOd8tNlUyfYrJkRhbF8q0c-RRfz2POB7Dkgo/s320/P7130629.JPG" width="240" xaa="true" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coolest statue I've ever seen :-)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNEIXL5nq8GH8CXaEYD3yVGTAk-nSitt9uNugLyiWqaAL5zP6xiCWo73hHC5kxBzabXiB6wCChcNjw8QOu8qY1Dhr5qAG3it7aDiJAD9rXJ6CSjm7pkTO0PaRWDZBy1AdNZ8rE3VWBhkA/s1600/P7130582.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNEIXL5nq8GH8CXaEYD3yVGTAk-nSitt9uNugLyiWqaAL5zP6xiCWo73hHC5kxBzabXiB6wCChcNjw8QOu8qY1Dhr5qAG3it7aDiJAD9rXJ6CSjm7pkTO0PaRWDZBy1AdNZ8rE3VWBhkA/s400/P7130582.JPG" width="400" xaa="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA381rVdjKUZDQmgw3L6u-M77tGepD_LxgYjgyy8qudNTa4VJ1cev4qoX1vmEf9E-No3ohuWoEW1XRmnLwAXJAQ35DqDpfKnB6-eI-kh55WUb0bKed-mjmroyNvPfbPtxgKnt1wh-U_xE/s1600/DSCN3806.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA381rVdjKUZDQmgw3L6u-M77tGepD_LxgYjgyy8qudNTa4VJ1cev4qoX1vmEf9E-No3ohuWoEW1XRmnLwAXJAQ35DqDpfKnB6-eI-kh55WUb0bKed-mjmroyNvPfbPtxgKnt1wh-U_xE/s400/DSCN3806.JPG" width="400" xaa="true" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">In July we attended a Knight’s Tournament outside of <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Munich</place></city>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was so fabulous that we plan to attend it next year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We spent some time eating and shopping our way through the medieval market.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then we watched the 2 hour professional production of the Dark Knight’s battle with King Arthur - amazing costumes and action.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jonas loved it!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sara handled it much better than expected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Andy and I feel it was our best family day-excursion to date.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I now spend a lot of time playing jousting knights with Jonas, but I suppose that is better than having to be a dinosaur! </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Jonas had a 5 week summer break from Preschool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Connie and I took turns, each watching all of the kids one day/week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I biked around the 2 lakes nearby often, and enjoyed some time to myself. In addition to the beautiful mountains and lakes, I saw men practicing their Alp horns and people foraging for mushrooms in the woods. We also alternated weeks babysitting on Wednesday evenings so that we could each have some quality time with our spouses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Have I mentioned before that Connie and her family are a God-send for us?).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lenora and I also worked out a few alternating play-dates with Aari and Sam.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another friendship that has been such a blessing in so many ways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">We also enjoyed another precious visit to Ur-Oma & Ur-Opa's. The kids were really warm with them, from the beginning. Ur-Opa was able to fix the door on Jonas' space shuttle, which was recently broken. Ur-Oma kept us fat and happy with her delicious cooking!</div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_PhWyRsNgB5qaYB0gkhPhSgdOjXQZ5QjEHdXGJmUQSPjo2LM77IWnFL8Tm1S4uGCKdqHmk-Ke5ng91bGHEnObmqCBP9b6DeTk4tBD8UJ6NajrbKxCoxt29qKK9PvqQKaqoQxG4OBiFBw/s1600/DSCN4126.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_PhWyRsNgB5qaYB0gkhPhSgdOjXQZ5QjEHdXGJmUQSPjo2LM77IWnFL8Tm1S4uGCKdqHmk-Ke5ng91bGHEnObmqCBP9b6DeTk4tBD8UJ6NajrbKxCoxt29qKK9PvqQKaqoQxG4OBiFBw/s320/DSCN4126.JPG" width="320" xaa="true" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYbJbNX1x2TzwItl4pt34QfBsskKHGYyNxBVr1daOsk8xXemI2Jk8O4Ms1Da0GCl-rARY9aPyNNXbkoOVL1IXbiHeP0D6HzEP5SxBImF1EZaFPkMXipeYExpJYhDAlB4t9VX0jOGnco2I/s1600/DSCN4131.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYbJbNX1x2TzwItl4pt34QfBsskKHGYyNxBVr1daOsk8xXemI2Jk8O4Ms1Da0GCl-rARY9aPyNNXbkoOVL1IXbiHeP0D6HzEP5SxBImF1EZaFPkMXipeYExpJYhDAlB4t9VX0jOGnco2I/s320/DSCN4131.JPG" width="240" xaa="true" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I also attended a few ladies nights this summer with moms I met through Sara’s playgroup.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Angie was a very gracious hostess, and we all had a good time catching up and enjoying some wine and dessert.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have been so blessed to meet so many wonderful women through the school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQZfNXdiPx3XrzBWz_5cSchoRuvrJH63I-ZfdwrA5fT6tgBz2PwIreXOZhNmT7tdg28RPLLzMmgPv3KFwVcRaz_lq8ZGH12MlkO7UkJGqaX_EZ74M4uBDXg6R9bbN4tKpN2efGTsmovjc/s1600/DSCN4188.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQZfNXdiPx3XrzBWz_5cSchoRuvrJH63I-ZfdwrA5fT6tgBz2PwIreXOZhNmT7tdg28RPLLzMmgPv3KFwVcRaz_lq8ZGH12MlkO7UkJGqaX_EZ74M4uBDXg6R9bbN4tKpN2efGTsmovjc/s320/DSCN4188.JPG" width="240" xaa="true" /></a></div>A friend asked me recently if it has been hard to transition here since I know that my stay is so temporary, noting that I’ve done a good job of involving/integrating myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I expect that when the time comes, the goodbyes here will be just as hard as the ones I had in <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Charlotte</place></city>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These women have provided wonderful friendship and a great support system to me and the kids and my life would be incomplete without them.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">The highlight of the summer for me relates to speaking, for both kids.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jonas has started speaking German with Andy sometimes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Andy really buckled down this summer and consistently spoke German with him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, when Connie watched him, she spoke German.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was all reinforced by some <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Franklin</place></city> (the turtle) videos auf Deutsch that Judy loaned us, the knight’s tournament and time with Oma & Opa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A huge thanks to all of you!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He still has a long way to go, but Jonas will initiate German conversation with Andy and one of his little friends from Oma’s house, Joel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He even addressed me in German a few days ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Very exciting!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1y8NTCan7XZ0CS6a3pN9wj0LRseyyx58Z4-oAjSSGS88T1R6EhnMgdTM7iRd4VYzrEJed975xFdLi_94LRdMETcZ1iK-f6-HTJ-fguEOA8btqe32bUHXVUoJNsodrbIGawTZDpe0SV4I/s1600/DSCN3328.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1y8NTCan7XZ0CS6a3pN9wj0LRseyyx58Z4-oAjSSGS88T1R6EhnMgdTM7iRd4VYzrEJed975xFdLi_94LRdMETcZ1iK-f6-HTJ-fguEOA8btqe32bUHXVUoJNsodrbIGawTZDpe0SV4I/s320/DSCN3328.JPG" width="240" xaa="true" /></a></div>Sara has started speaking!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seems she says something new every day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She says the word, or <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>something recognizable (by me at least <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span>), for the following (more for my record than for your interest <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span>):<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mommy, Daddy, Jonas, hello, baby, bear, water, drink, juice, washcloth, bib, cookie, ice cream, dog, quack, moo, stroller, good night, bye, no, yeah, bee, shirt, again, monkey/affe, book, shoe, look, cereal, waffle, apple, bike, scooter, roar, peacock/pfau, fish, vogel (bird in German), nein, zebra, diaper, outside, dirty, potty, poop, snack, slide, oh, wow, uh-oh, run, mund, nase, auge, (Santi)ago, more, flower, Jack, coffee, row - and I'm sure I'm forgetting a few. Andy reads to her in German every night that he is here before she goes to bed, and she seems to understand him.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Sara loves to dance, climb, and look at her little princess book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> She regularly begs me for the foam from my morning lattes (I made the mistake of letting her try it) and loves her nightly reading sessions with Daddy. Auntie Wendy initiated Sara's first pedicure, and she loves having pretty toes - and wearing lipgloss :-). </span>She wishes she could go to school with Jonas, but is also happy with her weekly playgroup.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She has her first best friend, <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Santiago</place></city> (Angie’s son).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She loves him and mentions him often.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She’s the sweetest little girl - always happy and smiling and quite the little snuggle-bug.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love her sweet personality and affectionate nature.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sara & Santiago</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jonas & Joel</td></tr>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Jonas Comments:</div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Recently, I signed Jonas up for a pizza class with his friend Sienna.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He refused to participate and when I asked him when we got home how he was going to learn to cook so he could feed himself someday, he replied, “I don’t need to cook.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m going to be too busy flying around. (He’s going to be a pilot).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The co-pilot will cook.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Will you be my co-pilot?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I explained to him that the co-pilot wouldn’t be cooking, he said, “Well, those people that give the passengers their food can give me some too.”</div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">J: Mommy, Jack and I were born in <country-region w:st="on"><place w:st="on">America</place></country-region>, right?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>M: Yep. J: That’s why we’re English, huh?</div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">During a recent visit to Ikea, we asked Jonas if he wanted to stay in the children’s play area while we shopped.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>J: No, they only speak German, Swiss-German, there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>M: That’s a valid point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>J: What does that mean? M: I see where you’re coming from. J: <place w:st="on"><country-region w:st="on">America</country-region></place>!</div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">On a recent trip to Oma’s house, Jonas had to go to the bathroom shortly after leaving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We reluctantly stopped.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While using the bathroom, he said to me, “When I’m a dad, if my kid wants to stop and use the bathroom, I’m going to say no.” M: You will?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s not very nice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>J: Because, then we’ll get there faster!<br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">And one from Sara:</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Upon seeing my morning latte on the kitchen counter last week, she stands up on her tippy-toes, trying to grab it off the counter, and yells, "Coffee!! Coffee!!"</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>April Kollerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11463639088844927584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8465418932764814003.post-65148842827342279882011-07-04T04:56:00.000-07:002011-07-04T04:56:15.127-07:00through the middle ages to Bella ItaliaAfter we got back from the US, time was flying by and before we knew it, it was time to go on vacation! Despite what some of you might think ("These Koller's are always on vacation, living the high life..." ;)) we actually both have a pretty busy schedule. April is juggling all the responsibilities of the household: getting kids ready on time in the morning, getting Jonas to school, running errands in between picking Jonas up, going to the grocery store with not always cooperative kids, fixing lunch for everybody, then trying to get them to nap at the same time... only to get them up again after a much too short nap, feeding them some snacks in between them fighting over who gets to play with the toy motorcycles or airplanes and wanting to ride bikes outside. And when it is finally time for them to go to sleep and her having some well deserved quiet time, the hubby comes home and unloads a whole day's worth of frustration at work... Sometimes I wonder who's actually more work for April, the kids or the hubby ;) Either way, she is such a blessing to all of our lives!<br />
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We do manage to get an occasional weekend trip in, like this one to a Medieval market in Zurich downtown at the end of May, with good food and drink, as well as many medieval attractions and contraptions. Oh, and the sword and weapon makers are a vital part of the festival.<br />
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All in all a fun family experience, leaving Jonas dreaming about when we can go to a real knights festival, with sword fights, jugglers, harlequins and all... We'll try to make that happen later this year. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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Once in a while we also still make it down to Zurich Seefeld, to our old stomping grounds when we first arrived in this strange alpine nation. On a beautiful day, the park in Seefeld right at Lake Zurich is always worth a trip. And not only because Jonas absolutely loves riding the train on the way there.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrMVSgxy61bW7TM-Fj0HryutwklO_Qyj1D0stEZ1JHLiahE7xCYCS_4WsvF2w1SwhjIsWGDEiwCess7oSmwF7p8T6BX55OGz7b4FfUAbluDsFP-oaI-6UPOTMKn6mGVWKeXMS5Ojjxmznm/s1600/DSCN2397.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrMVSgxy61bW7TM-Fj0HryutwklO_Qyj1D0stEZ1JHLiahE7xCYCS_4WsvF2w1SwhjIsWGDEiwCess7oSmwF7p8T6BX55OGz7b4FfUAbluDsFP-oaI-6UPOTMKn6mGVWKeXMS5Ojjxmznm/s640/DSCN2397.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-5DQltku3-INQdGWz8ddBkrqYUIyNAAUd8EMXxRMycHQ8eeXInF-x_wCTnal3EAe_XixxQoRtIU96KISOyeD8F3eYbFxPT9egXqkcPwYDQIw-Vv1oriNbElLBtA8BRYHvLz24ZOqB2P_f/s1600/DSCN2401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-5DQltku3-INQdGWz8ddBkrqYUIyNAAUd8EMXxRMycHQ8eeXInF-x_wCTnal3EAe_XixxQoRtIU96KISOyeD8F3eYbFxPT9egXqkcPwYDQIw-Vv1oriNbElLBtA8BRYHvLz24ZOqB2P_f/s400/DSCN2401.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Sara is growing up incredibly fast. I find it hard to believe that while she doesn't talk much, yet, she seems to have an opinion on everything she does already! And most of the time she knows exactly what she wants. Which is usually what Jonas is playing with at any given moment.<br />
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Isn't she adorable? She's got Daddy wrapped around her finger already...<br />
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Jonas is growing up almost too fast. The conversations we have with him make me almost forget that he is not even four, yet! I think his vocabulary is more extensive than Daddy's...and he uses it constantly. He is displaying a wide range of interests, one day it is Dinosaurs (and for a lot of them he still has the names memorized), the next day it is airplanes and airports and yet another day he wants to know everything about Motorcycles.<br />
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Talking about Motorcycles, I was watching "Red Bull Fighters" the other night. If you haven't seen it, it is a motorcycle competition with guys on dirt bikes doing loops and flips on their motorcycles. I DVR'd it, because (contrary to April's explicit wishes ;)) I had to show this to Jonas. Of course he is loving it, and he's been talking about buying a race motorcycle, <b>and</b> a dirt motorcycle, <b>and</b> a road motorcycle ever since...<br />
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One of the following weekends, Oma and Uncle Toby came to visit, and we took a fun trip to the Rheinfalls at Schaffhausen, Europe's largest waterfalls (I think), basically a European Mini version of Niagara Falls...<br />
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Then, finally, it was time for our long awaited vacation to Bella Italia.<br />
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After an overnight stop in Milano (which other than the Duomo is really not all that great, April and I agreed), we arrived at our quaint Fattoria Castiglionchio, a medieval farm in Tuscany, 10 miles outside of Florence. In the middle ages it was semi-fortified farm, which was owned by different weathy Florentine families. Tuscany has quite a few of these Fattorias, which were organized as self-sufficient communities, where many families lived and worked the surrounding vineyards, olive groves and other land. The place we stayed at had a Tower (which was part of a wider defense system in this part of the country), community kitchen and even a small church.<br />
The current owners bought the Castiglionchio and surrounding land in the mid-1970's and over time started to convert the quarters for the farmworkers and their families, as well as the owner's quarters into vacation apartments. Beautiful place, if you ever plan a vacation in Tuscany, we can highly recommend it!<br />
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From our Fattoria we took several day trips to Pisa, Lucca, Florence, Siena and a few small cities along the road. We'll just post pictures, that says it all about how beautiful Italy and in particular the Tuscany region is.<br />
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The kids enjoyed the trip a lot as well. Oma and Opa spent the week in Italy with us, which was a lot of fun, and the kids got a lot of quality time with them. The grounds around the Fattoria had quite a bit to offer for kids, and made for a perfect backdrop for some beautiful pictures as well. Take a look...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfDC_4ci-n0OaesagWAmvDLa4RS8A_k0A1CpH7QJNYfeBn3EYl35MzTMEbAlQ4HORhppRC5DZGlKHWtavDjcS5Yk4J2KdDPSWQxyobkN83G5YRCswY4L-b06FEMNIr67M7ZzErGElbcS8Z/s1600/DSCN3094.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfDC_4ci-n0OaesagWAmvDLa4RS8A_k0A1CpH7QJNYfeBn3EYl35MzTMEbAlQ4HORhppRC5DZGlKHWtavDjcS5Yk4J2KdDPSWQxyobkN83G5YRCswY4L-b06FEMNIr67M7ZzErGElbcS8Z/s320/DSCN3094.JPG" width="320" /></a>Then, after we got back from our Italian vacation, our dear friends Jessica and Tyson arrived! They spent a week here in the Zurich area, where April showed them around Zurich and Luzern. It is amazing that while they were here, we went to downtown Zurich for dinner one night, and we finally found a really good restaurant with French and Swiss cuisine. It was great!So good in fact that not even the check at the end of the meal could ruin the experience any more... It was worth it, and we will definitely go there again. Not too often though, because if we haven't mentioned it yet, eating out too often can break the bank real quick in these parts...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXyCd5sO-xycywga2p9dRaHBFSJf_P8sHffDKAp4R4R1isdSLEQz-kkS5_Xyo7G_3_Nby1HlvvlusCUIOJOcBVbg8skWHgM1-bayzCFWM2Fe-vgxv7kpBbhar7YopHtxU-T0aRZFYECOP6/s1600/DSCN3128.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXyCd5sO-xycywga2p9dRaHBFSJf_P8sHffDKAp4R4R1isdSLEQz-kkS5_Xyo7G_3_Nby1HlvvlusCUIOJOcBVbg8skWHgM1-bayzCFWM2Fe-vgxv7kpBbhar7YopHtxU-T0aRZFYECOP6/s320/DSCN3128.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>And then, to end a perfect week, we drove to Oma's house near Stuttgart to drop off the kids and headed to our favorite city in Germany. Or for April maybe in Europe outside of Italy :)<br />
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We had a great time showing Tyson and Jessica around our old stomping grounds, enjoying the streets of Munich, the English Garden, the Viktualienmarkt and other sights.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOATDtdvtLw3KZgAZwmaWG_dS3S9ER2PI4Vv85S04K2n7BPiPKoAsyzVKPTG6zSknKW-SLGMyK7X34edD0itxguxIS-6ltoGiaMMqrktW934JF_cQvBFtJz710gOqpObGv1thZUAdDsFzY/s1600/DSCN3143.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOATDtdvtLw3KZgAZwmaWG_dS3S9ER2PI4Vv85S04K2n7BPiPKoAsyzVKPTG6zSknKW-SLGMyK7X34edD0itxguxIS-6ltoGiaMMqrktW934JF_cQvBFtJz710gOqpObGv1thZUAdDsFzY/s320/DSCN3143.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> A mandatory stop was the famous Hofbraeuhaus, where we enjoyed some Bavarian food and drink. They always have live music and it is a unique atmosphere. The waiter was quite unfriendly, and even more so after saw his tip, but luckily that guy does not brew the beer, which as a matter of fact is excellent there.<br />
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The next day we went to one of our favorites, the Weisses Braeuhaus. We love it there, food and beer are wonderful, and the place itself is beautifully decorated. If you happen to be in Munich, definitely check it out.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWjlE1Tlej3EVu00s293n2kTkVcauKECr_2GgAIgPVDFMfxms0G29REsh3xP11RVYOxVbYUwaoXuUtR9vjhPyV_I57p655fR014TZ70bQrLlkiDNHlbUPszj9u-UmzNvCChHpR7PIiAuh7/s1600/DSCN3151.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWjlE1Tlej3EVu00s293n2kTkVcauKECr_2GgAIgPVDFMfxms0G29REsh3xP11RVYOxVbYUwaoXuUtR9vjhPyV_I57p655fR014TZ70bQrLlkiDNHlbUPszj9u-UmzNvCChHpR7PIiAuh7/s320/DSCN3151.JPG" width="240" /></a>Oh, and last but not least, April and I ventured into a "Trachten-Shop" in Munich, where we found a great deal on some Lederhosen outfits. April looked adorable in the "Dirndl", however in the end decided against purchasing it.<br />
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I on the other hand, after much deliberation and repeated encouragement from friends and spouse, am now the proud owner of an original and complete Lederhosen outfit. Expect to see me show up in style at the Charlotte Oktoberfest once we are back. And I guess I will have to go to the Munich Oktoberfest again this year :) Anybody want to join?<br />
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This was our eventful month of July. Many great memories and great time with family and friends.Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04135037476565113715noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8465418932764814003.post-2566247979441396092011-05-23T11:55:00.000-07:002011-05-23T13:14:50.252-07:00Carolina In My Mind<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkzdTBqC-CAQXTZ9TS1FFAzdyJTosCE83RDs3I0MWGdxBWAAE83iEWZNB6tyFjYJshopgUWsr7bB-gqAfrvxFrBoOdHp0F8iGD-JPraRfms0VlAhYbPYIDvte3Z1Cyd5FDyreefbqHVro/s1600/DSCN1728.JPG" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkzdTBqC-CAQXTZ9TS1FFAzdyJTosCE83RDs3I0MWGdxBWAAE83iEWZNB6tyFjYJshopgUWsr7bB-gqAfrvxFrBoOdHp0F8iGD-JPraRfms0VlAhYbPYIDvte3Z1Cyd5FDyreefbqHVro/s320/DSCN1728.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOXUbwvJsHeqHPcR2hO7R7KzAx9NH5cQoBV4xHUspVw8dDD48XLzhNZ0V_XPz_kVlZtGUjj9XJ1-3Fc9XMW3wUy2Msgg31sxEw1KiBZFskKHl5qBRWyEza__STCuOiXcCa7QQ-Kpdmv3w/s1600/DSCN1665.JPG" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOXUbwvJsHeqHPcR2hO7R7KzAx9NH5cQoBV4xHUspVw8dDD48XLzhNZ0V_XPz_kVlZtGUjj9XJ1-3Fc9XMW3wUy2Msgg31sxEw1KiBZFskKHl5qBRWyEza__STCuOiXcCa7QQ-Kpdmv3w/s400/DSCN1665.JPG" /></a> </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj36xQofb5ntuhJSp6NGdIY6Oo1P4_1mWPCvwqrDUq0KrrtxGFuDyG-Ii45lSACZDBXvB5hdhsc6YDZxqoRuqdZCSftq0uMY7uJfpp5aE5cxSf2YJBLpTrFbccknBwVjiaxvutO8I3Cd10/s1600/DSCN1666.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj36xQofb5ntuhJSp6NGdIY6Oo1P4_1mWPCvwqrDUq0KrrtxGFuDyG-Ii45lSACZDBXvB5hdhsc6YDZxqoRuqdZCSftq0uMY7uJfpp5aE5cxSf2YJBLpTrFbccknBwVjiaxvutO8I3Cd10/s400/DSCN1666.JPG" width="300" /></a> </div>We had a wonderful trip to Charlotte over Easter. It was so good to be home! (And to realize that Charlotte is home - a certain member of our family hadn't always been so sure ;-) Now, Andy's more American than most Americans!<br />
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The kids were thrilled with the Easter egg hunts and the Easter Bunny visit. It was so great to catch up with so many of you too! Really, we have the best friends. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK5jKJdskVwmM0xrWf8dGClYv90lwfrqr1kB7JqdnR_9wa4zP0icNUAuic-Jn3DdGMwm7SNzr5VjuJISuggUwcgemOUSbXwvOS8VEmwU5-sWhSKuiZWL9AHTSFT1_WSWloUinPsonAjCg/s1600/DSCN1722.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK5jKJdskVwmM0xrWf8dGClYv90lwfrqr1kB7JqdnR_9wa4zP0icNUAuic-Jn3DdGMwm7SNzr5VjuJISuggUwcgemOUSbXwvOS8VEmwU5-sWhSKuiZWL9AHTSFT1_WSWloUinPsonAjCg/s320/DSCN1722.JPG" width="320" /></a> <br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlcbPMLF5RdOkxft4NGdU4hNuYTZnW7GcNGKNKtGIuHVdrjmj3TZjRL9T6pD9HMKRevB8pYbqt45ISaRkDjjSOeyVKJ3fh3hoPSY4PYvacNdQkIYAfdT7k_4046Y2NjV38hIg4Zjk-iKA/s1600/DSCN1738.JPG" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlcbPMLF5RdOkxft4NGdU4hNuYTZnW7GcNGKNKtGIuHVdrjmj3TZjRL9T6pD9HMKRevB8pYbqt45ISaRkDjjSOeyVKJ3fh3hoPSY4PYvacNdQkIYAfdT7k_4046Y2NjV38hIg4Zjk-iKA/s640/DSCN1738.JPG" width="640" /></a> <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7tiR7B3WJSY_lMTV9afWpPbxKaLTKSs2sJlRdQEe1WZYeTr4OdNi58URNPVLuj-l3PgoW_nO86NX7nsdH_PN9xXJ4HoygpuJxtI_uGhi4WMJ0yeFd90NBH-hlou1rSDLCnECDIVTVpe8/s1600/DSCN1908.JPG" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7tiR7B3WJSY_lMTV9afWpPbxKaLTKSs2sJlRdQEe1WZYeTr4OdNi58URNPVLuj-l3PgoW_nO86NX7nsdH_PN9xXJ4HoygpuJxtI_uGhi4WMJ0yeFd90NBH-hlou1rSDLCnECDIVTVpe8/s320/DSCN1908.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbAjV7WC_lhNnCe0wLU4Z3GgSjLxOrnstRhjEoKuhCYt8nUOhke0XPrxs0n9IjRAtptUhMEIksTU8fh5ZGetmmfSHIjxF0wNXNCwHNN0_SB7QpJdklaLkFnNSu3O730OQnd7QhFXEin7I/s1600/DSCN1911.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbAjV7WC_lhNnCe0wLU4Z3GgSjLxOrnstRhjEoKuhCYt8nUOhke0XPrxs0n9IjRAtptUhMEIksTU8fh5ZGetmmfSHIjxF0wNXNCwHNN0_SB7QpJdklaLkFnNSu3O730OQnd7QhFXEin7I/s320/DSCN1911.JPG" width="239" /></a> <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJtTNTck1O-kD996L8r4CpikYKsGeV9edcZsRZhMjLEKN-DZDSn2YmKRoGuu2NfnXfKStwB0cldsq0fFjCT7ztEH6xAcBi7gp63JQ4_Zj2pKGt5e6LI_5IyHhvB263kJpT1BtOzv4rsGk/s1600/DSCN1952.JPG" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="481" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJtTNTck1O-kD996L8r4CpikYKsGeV9edcZsRZhMjLEKN-DZDSn2YmKRoGuu2NfnXfKStwB0cldsq0fFjCT7ztEH6xAcBi7gp63JQ4_Zj2pKGt5e6LI_5IyHhvB263kJpT1BtOzv4rsGk/s640/DSCN1952.JPG" width="640" /></a> Jonas refused to be in our family Easter photo. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcYVIx13qwQktmLZMvXlPGFP9qQuT8ap0zr6tdmgIM7PzOPEnNHYCxJYfM8ZHGOAIHwzY0ZjVzcsbmmOF5t7rcdJ3V20i4UZElupiF2VYyXUN6smzEXBaK3LRlgcSTRJPsK_PjPNjJX1w/s1600/DSCN1956.JPG" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcYVIx13qwQktmLZMvXlPGFP9qQuT8ap0zr6tdmgIM7PzOPEnNHYCxJYfM8ZHGOAIHwzY0ZjVzcsbmmOF5t7rcdJ3V20i4UZElupiF2VYyXUN6smzEXBaK3LRlgcSTRJPsK_PjPNjJX1w/s320/DSCN1956.JPG" width="320" /></a> Jonas and Sara both loved riding in the wagon. Grandpa spent a lot of time pulling them around. Felix enjoyed it too!<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEUAp3zvpi5ja0jEgMeSMZwb7nFLar5b9CrY9a5_673WVe7enY4TItRy0X9d4cZ8wJTl6g5ghkYM5VBhiUYX91Gblj3guhOhRJFe_M1-V7jn0aNwxB8V9431uG9lrKTL4FWE9XudldeX0/s1600/DSCN2003.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEUAp3zvpi5ja0jEgMeSMZwb7nFLar5b9CrY9a5_673WVe7enY4TItRy0X9d4cZ8wJTl6g5ghkYM5VBhiUYX91Gblj3guhOhRJFe_M1-V7jn0aNwxB8V9431uG9lrKTL4FWE9XudldeX0/s400/DSCN2003.JPG" /></a> </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRTZo1cC_ZCyAZCWybK4OLf-781SL5jbVoH2U3oqAzCUnDgehI_x0nDTGH0SJDw1Cn2D02oBvpIizHk49yRrhO3PJY9Yp17UBRvtq7Etq9WBc_SDAryXlUJjaVTcGMDm2iGwhEcv3XADc/s1600/DSCN2033.JPG" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRTZo1cC_ZCyAZCWybK4OLf-781SL5jbVoH2U3oqAzCUnDgehI_x0nDTGH0SJDw1Cn2D02oBvpIizHk49yRrhO3PJY9Yp17UBRvtq7Etq9WBc_SDAryXlUJjaVTcGMDm2iGwhEcv3XADc/s320/DSCN2033.JPG" width="240" /></a> We spent some time on the lake too. Jonas loved going fishing with Grandpa and caught 2 catfish! He's now the top fisherman in the family.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Sara loved the boat too. Although, she had just picked up walking and was more interested in walking back and forth all over the boat. Once the novelty of finally walking wears off, I'm sure she'll be even more thrilled to be on the water.</div><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTeOWroicPdnmD1hVoLr8XWe_h9F8tO32avMWq90_diEB4mt1b6FxlaCeaz0ScOwuRN5coe8_YgO8s89F4TR1f1ex7jOJD4aUxuglxuA23M16C0vPeMxvWyEOFt44Ooa_jbyzteIoCExA/s1600/DSCN2048.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTeOWroicPdnmD1hVoLr8XWe_h9F8tO32avMWq90_diEB4mt1b6FxlaCeaz0ScOwuRN5coe8_YgO8s89F4TR1f1ex7jOJD4aUxuglxuA23M16C0vPeMxvWyEOFt44Ooa_jbyzteIoCExA/s400/DSCN2048.JPG" /></a><br />
Wendy, Grandma & Grandpa treated us to a fun day at MerleFest. I have to say, it greatly exceeded my expectations. And the Kruger Brothers are amazing. Thanks Joey for making sure we saw them! I definitely plan to go back - although will likely wait until we've passed the toddler phase to take the kids again ;-)<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVuuN2Sadx3nTazQRslBeTEOw1jiUCArDrXNHtb8BFRAxY7vUoqntMH6Vid8Zcq5pvCNo5L9H6es_sYbbMWgtI6LXreE9adrEadzwTDClqAD0WPUFSxGjtBw8t2IvvmYp9hIJXmpaW75E/s1600/DSCN2160.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVuuN2Sadx3nTazQRslBeTEOw1jiUCArDrXNHtb8BFRAxY7vUoqntMH6Vid8Zcq5pvCNo5L9H6es_sYbbMWgtI6LXreE9adrEadzwTDClqAD0WPUFSxGjtBw8t2IvvmYp9hIJXmpaW75E/s640/DSCN2160.JPG" width="640" /></a> Andy spent most of the time we were in Charlotte working. However, he did take a break for 2 days and we went to Charleston. So nice to have such a great city so close! A huge thanks to G&G for watching the kids! <br />
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We stayed at a B&B on the Battery. After we booked it at the visitor center, the lady mentioned that the house is haunted. Hmm. I wasn't too sure then! Andy reviewed the guest book that had the history of the house and I asked him if it said anything about the ghost. Just that there are 2! We never saw them :-)<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3zKBE32AOnGQAxrHdNDlACLiD3MIV-Vzy1hNrgi-7Brmbp9GrQ9z_2_2y1qaAz6OkJMJVyeELFWVph6GHpYbxEZ8WqAg9RZ2esgEKNH_yBp-h5VNK_dke3TPVbbr8dbxBjLSIRiLZZ0w/s1600/DSCN2276.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3zKBE32AOnGQAxrHdNDlACLiD3MIV-Vzy1hNrgi-7Brmbp9GrQ9z_2_2y1qaAz6OkJMJVyeELFWVph6GHpYbxEZ8WqAg9RZ2esgEKNH_yBp-h5VNK_dke3TPVbbr8dbxBjLSIRiLZZ0w/s320/DSCN2276.JPG" width="320" /></a> <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikKu7CCABZ22ZDw0FHyzS1oUUxKSHYjtUpyMwgYpWwu2vYXNBQs1qXt7dCeA8hqjbnx0ZNzV0An2niVdKkA2TH0mvhPYGaztYfeXjKAO7xxFoqM0cvx-RwzCr1gfogewXkILS5jB9eSOU/s1600/DSCN2314.JPG" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikKu7CCABZ22ZDw0FHyzS1oUUxKSHYjtUpyMwgYpWwu2vYXNBQs1qXt7dCeA8hqjbnx0ZNzV0An2niVdKkA2TH0mvhPYGaztYfeXjKAO7xxFoqM0cvx-RwzCr1gfogewXkILS5jB9eSOU/s400/DSCN2314.JPG" width="300" /></a> <br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR5hJcpoEiq0Az3wO3pkssnmPBanTFXDeSXYyR4QP9bDJUdHA_fn2eApSpOAVzP55jl4HcXMexxtm42v3v6i1vm4oU0UKvlLNzQUvcplP3nUq7prBTqjodtyml8tdk_6WkFV9EqDswyXw/s1600/DSCN2319.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR5hJcpoEiq0Az3wO3pkssnmPBanTFXDeSXYyR4QP9bDJUdHA_fn2eApSpOAVzP55jl4HcXMexxtm42v3v6i1vm4oU0UKvlLNzQUvcplP3nUq7prBTqjodtyml8tdk_6WkFV9EqDswyXw/s400/DSCN2319.JPG" /></a> Jonas had a absolute blast flying the kite Auntie Wendy got for him!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzg4w_t8GIG-hg4Zh_j1qPcag8LY6NkRmm1SQa3GeCDbaX_qPSaYLOudfyUGdwu1STPUEnEL4BbyymqNZwuiX876CZ20bEPosvdItJtyv2g1xOsXDDNTdnfE4gC7oAhA-v465UddNrEzM/s1600/DSCN2343.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzg4w_t8GIG-hg4Zh_j1qPcag8LY6NkRmm1SQa3GeCDbaX_qPSaYLOudfyUGdwu1STPUEnEL4BbyymqNZwuiX876CZ20bEPosvdItJtyv2g1xOsXDDNTdnfE4gC7oAhA-v465UddNrEzM/s640/DSCN2343.JPG" width="640" /></a> Molly was so glad to have us back. And a little heart-broken when we left again. We miss her! And all of you! </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT90zVOKc3nQB1tktz2r2JuHFsdTBJDVLJS9MRViLuReu3n5Ett0ioDIldRoSPdGpyszloBkBoubE8dVMQCMclrXUSQWcxl5aaHuhPkmg2Zk49G009_3k7LdViHm7PzEOydCaY0UXOYxY/s1600/DSCN2345.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT90zVOKc3nQB1tktz2r2JuHFsdTBJDVLJS9MRViLuReu3n5Ett0ioDIldRoSPdGpyszloBkBoubE8dVMQCMclrXUSQWcxl5aaHuhPkmg2Zk49G009_3k7LdViHm7PzEOydCaY0UXOYxY/s640/DSCN2345.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="clear: both;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img align="middle" alt="Posted by Picasa" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" style="-moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; background: 0% 50%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The flight back wasn't too terrible. Jonas slept much of it. Sara only slept 3 hours but was relatively quiet the rest of the time. She probably did win the screaming baby award, but honestly there wasn't much competiti<span style="background-color: white;">on. (Pretty sad when you're scanning the </span>gate area before the flight hoping to spot some other toddlers so yours has half a chance of not being the worst on board :-).</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">As my friend Lenora once said, one only adjusts to a time zone change as quickly (or not) as the kids do. Our first week back was long! The kids did take the standard night/hour change to adjust. I felt sorry that Andy had to fly out to Brussels the day we got back. However, he definitely got much more sleep than he would have if he had been home! So, maybe it wasn't so bad for him after all.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">And last but not least, a few tidbits from Jonas:</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">1) Recently, Andy gave Jonas some money to put into his piggy bank. J: Why do I have to save it? M: So you can use it some day, to buy a car ... D: or go to college... J: Or buy an airplane!!!! (And he means a real airplane. He wants to be a pilot!)</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">2) During a ride home from a playdate, Sara was especially cranky in the car. J: Mom, do you remember that song about patience? M: Yes! What a great idea! "Have patience, Have patience, don't be in such a hurry..." Worked like a charm. Sara stopped crying and I had proof that Jonas really does listen to me!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">3) One night we read a book about different bears, one of which was catching salmon in a river. A few nights later, we had salmon for dinner. The next day, Jonas randomly said: Mom, do bears eat salmon? M: Some do. J: Do they cook them like we do? M: No. J: Why not?!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div></div>April Kollerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11463639088844927584noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8465418932764814003.post-21295289285353410262011-04-14T11:52:00.000-07:002011-04-18T14:52:30.573-07:00Lago Maggiore<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7vsVef2BTgFhXjLvbiy5bRGLxJuD6WyNI7cG5gaRxn7-ppxjA8SXtNVpzO5bQNwRPGiAv5YX63arNgh7z5M0C9Yp8pH8kD9fHk5hDaQKb3-FiV90UbnUU5A0SN5IVM3XHV4ekNNjPYGc/s1600/DSCN1504.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7vsVef2BTgFhXjLvbiy5bRGLxJuD6WyNI7cG5gaRxn7-ppxjA8SXtNVpzO5bQNwRPGiAv5YX63arNgh7z5M0C9Yp8pH8kD9fHk5hDaQKb3-FiV90UbnUU5A0SN5IVM3XHV4ekNNjPYGc/s640/DSCN1504.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">We had a wonderful long weekend in Ticino, the Italian part of Switzerland. The weather was incredible. Over 80 degrees and sunny! It definitely lived up to the "Swiss Riviera" reputation the travel books proclaim. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYq6RMvGhqeosXbHChyphenhyphenAQYMzG0cG9pcCVNkN29-43sGVFu9Y1e47bu6aB7lR_iMCsB6dQQRGutjFETZnKRqmLDnSeI3CPks-vaNeC5iEjGiNwnyIls6pSG_il_ozUv-xE3KcVeD9WiAJE/s1600/DSCN1461.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYq6RMvGhqeosXbHChyphenhyphenAQYMzG0cG9pcCVNkN29-43sGVFu9Y1e47bu6aB7lR_iMCsB6dQQRGutjFETZnKRqmLDnSeI3CPks-vaNeC5iEjGiNwnyIls6pSG_il_ozUv-xE3KcVeD9WiAJE/s400/DSCN1461.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin6TzzswuAFplAt32Tl5Yan8TD8ydZH89x881kOo0TLwG7gkbaTJdt8VJncAeLbZcOYnlbTOyWsPrZMokpMlZVAdq1N4ylFUUu4PZ5I7McewcyARpRV-3PwzWQiqIhe3Vc3SconvM9UdE/s1600/DSCN1470.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin6TzzswuAFplAt32Tl5Yan8TD8ydZH89x881kOo0TLwG7gkbaTJdt8VJncAeLbZcOYnlbTOyWsPrZMokpMlZVAdq1N4ylFUUu4PZ5I7McewcyARpRV-3PwzWQiqIhe3Vc3SconvM9UdE/s320/DSCN1470.JPG" width="240" /></a>On the way, we took a little detour. Andy typed the town of Brione, instead of Via Brione, into the navigation system. You know me, I was more than a little annoyed that we clearly weren't going in the right direction. However, traveling off the beaten path has rewards. We found a quaint little restaurant, complete with view overlooking a waterfall and beautiful village, and had a nice Italian lunch.</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After turning around and heading back to Locarno, our destination, we also stopped at a dam. We were surprised to see that it is actually the dam from which James Bond jumps in the movie Goldeneye. The tallest bungee jump in the world. Thankfully, it wasn't open for jumpers that day or I might have had a hard time keeping Andy off the ledge :-)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi4WLXm7owHzuUnK7r5is0mV6vJqvDwsFS_a7088fs-2GApDcXmZYbiUf9BInB9fcTSqXoOm204zOmJoTp2w76XAD3heOT_6RzAMhg66HvyCbteDgz5cQs7aqnOiP1roo2I3vlHRems64/s1600/DSCN1489.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi4WLXm7owHzuUnK7r5is0mV6vJqvDwsFS_a7088fs-2GApDcXmZYbiUf9BInB9fcTSqXoOm204zOmJoTp2w76XAD3heOT_6RzAMhg66HvyCbteDgz5cQs7aqnOiP1roo2I3vlHRems64/s400/DSCN1489.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Our hotel overlooked Lago Maggiore. We enjoyed our breakfasts on the terrace and evenings spent reading books on the balcony and gazing at the stars. We savored every moment! The hotel also had a playroom. I'm not sure who enjoyed it more - us or the kids. They had a big Connect-4 game and Andy enjoyed beating me. Jonas loved the extra-large Legos and Sara found a baby doll stroller to push around.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdmYryUnNgjPmPswWByRZNTEts_QLHPW4te6rQW_RcIsNvsGcPwPH1w04FjdS4NR3nzcRnF4bMdwrHVQ4YaYMYqNIAtM4sFNHGhcbPpEPPcBJ1vT_NrYgtbyjAKLGBznDbkfGCapfZT5c/s1600/DSCN1476.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdmYryUnNgjPmPswWByRZNTEts_QLHPW4te6rQW_RcIsNvsGcPwPH1w04FjdS4NR3nzcRnF4bMdwrHVQ4YaYMYqNIAtM4sFNHGhcbPpEPPcBJ1vT_NrYgtbyjAKLGBznDbkfGCapfZT5c/s640/DSCN1476.JPG" width="640" /></a> On Saturday, we took a funicular and then cable car up a mountain. Jonas loved these new modes of transportation. Next, we hopped on the boat to Ascona. Another charming town on the lake. Europe is so full of charm and beauty. It really can't be matched. And neither can the gelato - we had our share of it on this vacation :-) </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMlrBmVfgdAuCHvPGcHr5UT1Bs2vZPG7TWKhdAEgx4lhzv8lDfpSGczeY89YHhiOWf9sXHcPTyofpMTCHrMrxBJEHU7WRseXnXhlgsUwa2TGpttTmH4PdVyqJnEhUIGj_gDDR8idbPK0M/s1600/DSCN1539.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMlrBmVfgdAuCHvPGcHr5UT1Bs2vZPG7TWKhdAEgx4lhzv8lDfpSGczeY89YHhiOWf9sXHcPTyofpMTCHrMrxBJEHU7WRseXnXhlgsUwa2TGpttTmH4PdVyqJnEhUIGj_gDDR8idbPK0M/s400/DSCN1539.JPG" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-g_rWraKbnKGCniXNfGbMXFbCoVvcxNx80nvouaOtFPoGl3Du9OWv546uE_y8F-x9Tkp2QJ0DOpk1AHL-emCgvF8V7PNdbe4H5HPp1yjyKsNX_SZkL4Nbjdrm3SPVzly7WDQwhB8cmsQ/s1600/DSCN1551.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-g_rWraKbnKGCniXNfGbMXFbCoVvcxNx80nvouaOtFPoGl3Du9OWv546uE_y8F-x9Tkp2QJ0DOpk1AHL-emCgvF8V7PNdbe4H5HPp1yjyKsNX_SZkL4Nbjdrm3SPVzly7WDQwhB8cmsQ/s640/DSCN1551.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>On Sunday, we stopped by Bellinzona. The castle there is just incredible. And, there was a market in the main square, complete with food and music. </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtKZRCSzldm10xtS56ETJjhaiw3qTO-85PpnVoFPgWJJJLMXZPF6ZX9MLKUcJAScgF-YDFPqxLKJgDeOrVFrcFbxydWojeMNPPBZ2O8j_7mlmMPXqM-LdagVrjJx9S-LBBAOqOca1MKkA/s1600/DSCN1575.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; height: 197px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; width: 198px;"><img border="0" height="259" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtKZRCSzldm10xtS56ETJjhaiw3qTO-85PpnVoFPgWJJJLMXZPF6ZX9MLKUcJAScgF-YDFPqxLKJgDeOrVFrcFbxydWojeMNPPBZ2O8j_7mlmMPXqM-LdagVrjJx9S-LBBAOqOca1MKkA/s320/DSCN1575.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirLrEe3gXGssOB2hDljzZREa2bFED5EBqTM9Tw2cr47VBffi2SHoflHuvZjAtFtYQtNXyaYqjl05Y3JqBPVf1_M1lDPXPAfddDmenHUHw4YZ5EtJfLtBR6S-VkWlVzfNBAkwZlwpJyS0o/s1600/DSCN1563.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirLrEe3gXGssOB2hDljzZREa2bFED5EBqTM9Tw2cr47VBffi2SHoflHuvZjAtFtYQtNXyaYqjl05Y3JqBPVf1_M1lDPXPAfddDmenHUHw4YZ5EtJfLtBR6S-VkWlVzfNBAkwZlwpJyS0o/s400/DSCN1563.JPG" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht7hmSKLhK89meDKgs6cLkb619_PCtddLH4JuVS3NdOc3gR7nhfVCCFDPLBXd4-ldHaXZMBn1wJARnYF1NmXoauFGhrekFrYINnrb-6HMlm_bSPcZ4-UhEHvSAMZ-7IwRvSy_g_FtpqZE/s1600/DSCN1578.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="cssfloat: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht7hmSKLhK89meDKgs6cLkb619_PCtddLH4JuVS3NdOc3gR7nhfVCCFDPLBXd4-ldHaXZMBn1wJARnYF1NmXoauFGhrekFrYINnrb-6HMlm_bSPcZ4-UhEHvSAMZ-7IwRvSy_g_FtpqZE/s640/DSCN1578.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I forgot to tell you in my last post that I'm now a VP :-) I'll be serving on the board of the Women's Activity Club that runs Jonas' preschool. I'm looking forward to being more involved and working with a great group of women. Also, I've started taking Sara to a play group there. It's fun to see her interact with the other kids (and moms). She's growing up so fast! </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">And now some tidbits from Jonas: </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">During our warm weekend: J: Mom, my hair is hot. M: I know. Do you want to put on your shorts? J: No. My kneeeees aren't hot. My haaaiiir is hot.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">While battling yet another stomach bug this week (warning, this is a little gross, but we thought it was funny): J: Mom, why is my butt throwing up? </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">M: Jonas, you need to get some rest. Then you'll feel better. J: I don't want to rest. That's wasting my time.</div></div></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg79uolYWh_eVacZgxfS2iug45o6i4h3J0Rzo-pUkLKste119-i0E8ewDO9Go2EQrLUXP9NyopKR1wMaZWYfFZG06rhS7iiIcs9cBUBUoYbAOaKlWRFAcV7SGAvzzVGdhZZXEvDnPhYkQI/s1600/DSCN1546.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg79uolYWh_eVacZgxfS2iug45o6i4h3J0Rzo-pUkLKste119-i0E8ewDO9Go2EQrLUXP9NyopKR1wMaZWYfFZG06rhS7iiIcs9cBUBUoYbAOaKlWRFAcV7SGAvzzVGdhZZXEvDnPhYkQI/s400/DSCN1546.JPG" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsArqZdGRMA64Zg7QPSYYIiICiq-G4eBz7bBtAFlOi9m7lIFXCxp3HLu2HwEibB6Z-q1C6u_CxtAzB18m2NmnhmgevdTwDvwF3-s6AKilhmHr0WmpxGGIdoVrGN2h0ucN2YqhcI6CLYTQ/s1600/DSCN1587.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsArqZdGRMA64Zg7QPSYYIiICiq-G4eBz7bBtAFlOi9m7lIFXCxp3HLu2HwEibB6Z-q1C6u_CxtAzB18m2NmnhmgevdTwDvwF3-s6AKilhmHr0WmpxGGIdoVrGN2h0ucN2YqhcI6CLYTQ/s640/DSCN1587.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>April Kollerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11463639088844927584noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8465418932764814003.post-58275253083626788822011-04-06T14:00:00.000-07:002011-04-12T13:29:41.760-07:00Catching Up!<div>Sorry it's been a couple of months since I've updated our blog. We've had a very pleasant last few months of winter. At least, I hope we've seen the end of winter :-) In a way, winter was somewhat disappointing. Charlotte might have seen more snow than us. Andy only got to ski once, Jonas didn't make it at all and the winter wonderland was short-lived. <br />
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<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd32bFzEmOUVcndVtrCTwH3I3goLd4Isj-0W6gj1NdmVOJ525vnCBxKqOe3uBVhPL_15NDnZvkBTKonajkVmP-ciu4WeIz0yMKfdbuUYPC-O5UasXYvOefOLqv5FRX2pTJ03EnBZGaf3s/s1600/DSCN0807.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585918403995089586" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd32bFzEmOUVcndVtrCTwH3I3goLd4Isj-0W6gj1NdmVOJ525vnCBxKqOe3uBVhPL_15NDnZvkBTKonajkVmP-ciu4WeIz0yMKfdbuUYPC-O5UasXYvOefOLqv5FRX2pTJ03EnBZGaf3s/s320/DSCN0807.JPG" style="cursor: hand; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPsADHo2u0o6ScZfLDQYni5YNGWj67LSKTmZq2NAjADLtLR1Gw26tNGqShrC0THIOR6fXBEiNeLj9FYu5fzmEePQt4xd8MW1aAcXX96ogA_zJGC5QYWZCvJ5Y0ZsNMCVw9p3-TFzvEnq4/s1600/DSCN0803.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585918407275223298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPsADHo2u0o6ScZfLDQYni5YNGWj67LSKTmZq2NAjADLtLR1Gw26tNGqShrC0THIOR6fXBEiNeLj9FYu5fzmEePQt4xd8MW1aAcXX96ogA_zJGC5QYWZCvJ5Y0ZsNMCVw9p3-TFzvEnq4/s320/DSCN0803.JPG" style="cursor: hand; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a> </div><br />
<div>The highlights of Feb/March were our trips to Luzern. A beautiful city! And we had great, sunny weather! <br />
<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXTJd7_k9A_GoDsDQdUaK1xssTuesdZRw6qdmO2j5a_EtXF9YYKLjWjgsAcWCEpMeiFxDyHTGzG0Eu5sRcPkubj4D1FFERaV93vZ7_7h2Fm41_7D5eUqTL6lSqaHDw8o6SoNwLuYZuTyE/s1600/DSCN0819.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585918061630715730" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXTJd7_k9A_GoDsDQdUaK1xssTuesdZRw6qdmO2j5a_EtXF9YYKLjWjgsAcWCEpMeiFxDyHTGzG0Eu5sRcPkubj4D1FFERaV93vZ7_7h2Fm41_7D5eUqTL6lSqaHDw8o6SoNwLuYZuTyE/s320/DSCN0819.JPG" style="cursor: hand; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRUaYrI6M0xMJRHBbVUeL5nSG7AcQUkLxys_4agnOP8N9BnRDMoM90-dJTXEsRIfpQq3Vw6qNdIuj-4aOOCRLyicmygn1No3x0hyphenhyphen9od56nS2kLo6t0gP5heWWHHwnfTtdkJKYADwzPORA/s1600/DSCN0857.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585918054823171362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRUaYrI6M0xMJRHBbVUeL5nSG7AcQUkLxys_4agnOP8N9BnRDMoM90-dJTXEsRIfpQq3Vw6qNdIuj-4aOOCRLyicmygn1No3x0hyphenhyphen9od56nS2kLo6t0gP5heWWHHwnfTtdkJKYADwzPORA/s320/DSCN0857.JPG" style="cursor: hand; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a> <br />
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<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUHDsrZ_GMcr-qypImNDtTl1Nz0QO_iVvb10WlgAMHI5F9NEeZOnZ-lQhD8qE21nFDEGySW2jLv2U1mUXJpBYDaSheDTJ8kQ8-TG2AnDmNr3G5SVEeprtWcQ-51W5PqM5qIP9dU39EKNI/s1600/DSCN0884.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585918053024955026" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUHDsrZ_GMcr-qypImNDtTl1Nz0QO_iVvb10WlgAMHI5F9NEeZOnZ-lQhD8qE21nFDEGySW2jLv2U1mUXJpBYDaSheDTJ8kQ8-TG2AnDmNr3G5SVEeprtWcQ-51W5PqM5qIP9dU39EKNI/s320/DSCN0884.JPG" style="cursor: hand; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnfNAzugDN0US-p160Fy1vQueC_C72g8HF_VR4Tk4Kscv3batWJnul1EQoEfL4A-Qjk38RWFudfj5LIKLe5Hw4y3QSqmz9hKQq5s876v0yEXl1kWJf0-4b5klXBDi8exBy0IdW7-jXtOU/s1600/DSCN0893.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585918044403731138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnfNAzugDN0US-p160Fy1vQueC_C72g8HF_VR4Tk4Kscv3batWJnul1EQoEfL4A-Qjk38RWFudfj5LIKLe5Hw4y3QSqmz9hKQq5s876v0yEXl1kWJf0-4b5klXBDi8exBy0IdW7-jXtOU/s320/DSCN0893.JPG" style="cursor: hand; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a> <br />
<div>Luzern has a big Fasching (Carnival) parade, so Andy took the day off and we hopped on the train with Connie and kids to see the celebration. The costumes were incredible! And, you can see Jonas' delight when the parade participants started throwing candy to the kids :-) <br />
<div><div><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHti4isyezOkdPYu6i07S_6aHhcTqJs0Uqx2Nk0-z1vggEL9yiG49yhuJHMKSOz_KoSLRtKc5aCsXBjKAUB8_jsmYW9HXu0h4Tgz8QZzhHMCqFATvgSSn-K-XN9lpypPXSIbDnuVsq2q8/s1600/DSCN0977.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585907704390177842" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHti4isyezOkdPYu6i07S_6aHhcTqJs0Uqx2Nk0-z1vggEL9yiG49yhuJHMKSOz_KoSLRtKc5aCsXBjKAUB8_jsmYW9HXu0h4Tgz8QZzhHMCqFATvgSSn-K-XN9lpypPXSIbDnuVsq2q8/s320/DSCN0977.JPG" style="cursor: hand; height: 320px; width: 240px;" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOqyVIQjwPZt0BsER4bN0bE-LAhjQi8XjT42hV5e06xLe9Gu26XrmaGy4tkWAUIJ5wtcvMqrqP7gtPwJijUMcC1dl4kqUauaPWyBjNWssOdukXW3B5uqXGmfLgU05PKAthBZxQWmeQ07A/s1600/DSCN0980.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585907315232737458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOqyVIQjwPZt0BsER4bN0bE-LAhjQi8XjT42hV5e06xLe9Gu26XrmaGy4tkWAUIJ5wtcvMqrqP7gtPwJijUMcC1dl4kqUauaPWyBjNWssOdukXW3B5uqXGmfLgU05PKAthBZxQWmeQ07A/s320/DSCN0980.JPG" style="cursor: hand; height: 320px; width: 240px;" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgykvwap3sByVP1lK9_HpJmcHk9C0gHVBGb93nVwiBfYhSk7YpmmrnBab1qN8DBP25yYllT_7rOEfrC9lwjhaxeffIqKR77zDbLMjont7L0nMNLoFLzsAG8EqYSs0Cxw9b6YVw-6Wy9CIE/s1600/DSCN0952.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585909640513905522" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgykvwap3sByVP1lK9_HpJmcHk9C0gHVBGb93nVwiBfYhSk7YpmmrnBab1qN8DBP25yYllT_7rOEfrC9lwjhaxeffIqKR77zDbLMjont7L0nMNLoFLzsAG8EqYSs0Cxw9b6YVw-6Wy9CIE/s400/DSCN0952.JPG" style="cursor: hand; height: 341px; width: 400px;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ilv6Sf16xoP0fVKpkyMjxONQkS3lxqV3ZoXFqSC8DFf3CkZh0lO8ILa84uAWbcGL9s-NTXA_K_l_j94oKBY_1QZtu1lX2B9Qk8sNWh8yJEtDnC1z2Lo2w4jDRG2xfDPcFShzgxe8Mj8/s1600/DSCN0998.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585907307415317858" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ilv6Sf16xoP0fVKpkyMjxONQkS3lxqV3ZoXFqSC8DFf3CkZh0lO8ILa84uAWbcGL9s-NTXA_K_l_j94oKBY_1QZtu1lX2B9Qk8sNWh8yJEtDnC1z2Lo2w4jDRG2xfDPcFShzgxe8Mj8/s320/DSCN0998.JPG" style="cursor: hand; height: 320px; width: 216px;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOaeiR1ZzRIu4LxdEHmmzBawncfmak3-m_Mph83UlyFZTQH83g9mPB41gmv_2GpNSYUoIiSWt9XaYAWHKm6Xau7QX6Eg2GClZz_-CKf0mhWHUdlQ9zi4Glq-kUQf6L75cLvrBY_QSwVUs/s1600/DSCN0976.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585907865285915714" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOaeiR1ZzRIu4LxdEHmmzBawncfmak3-m_Mph83UlyFZTQH83g9mPB41gmv_2GpNSYUoIiSWt9XaYAWHKm6Xau7QX6Eg2GClZz_-CKf0mhWHUdlQ9zi4Glq-kUQf6L75cLvrBY_QSwVUs/s400/DSCN0976.JPG" style="cursor: hand; height: 300px; width: 400px;" /></a> <br />
<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2FWYgw-pMy3FmSaF0_63DN9D6705J4JFk42-sPf_bcCiHT2LGzIraKgwQybsxvYmB_ltK3iVmj5-0KxGuOF6JJwBDPe5WlOFVyUuXMWBLiNEGYhaLqndTiU8Z_jDR_7_K6yMPhnFSEXw/s1600/DSCN1001.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585905850987935714" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2FWYgw-pMy3FmSaF0_63DN9D6705J4JFk42-sPf_bcCiHT2LGzIraKgwQybsxvYmB_ltK3iVmj5-0KxGuOF6JJwBDPe5WlOFVyUuXMWBLiNEGYhaLqndTiU8Z_jDR_7_K6yMPhnFSEXw/s400/DSCN1001.JPG" style="cursor: hand; float: left; height: 400px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 326px;" /></a> <br />
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<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9X-icb6BaJCfk6cZ3veywTcc0qRjSvuhnYd4DH3WtUp_ZoieqvcBeeD2l3Fqyh3FBqRNTDGyCoTsL-PuaHY4kgFCFO0g11liTvzBZDDTnCa1zBTzwv8vwtMsITzAAo6FaNAO0lwKbb7Q/s1600/DSCN0987.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585907309202089906" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9X-icb6BaJCfk6cZ3veywTcc0qRjSvuhnYd4DH3WtUp_ZoieqvcBeeD2l3Fqyh3FBqRNTDGyCoTsL-PuaHY4kgFCFO0g11liTvzBZDDTnCa1zBTzwv8vwtMsITzAAo6FaNAO0lwKbb7Q/s320/DSCN0987.JPG" style="cursor: hand; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a> <br />
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<div></div>In March, we celebrated Oma's birthday. She hosted a lovely and incredibly delicious dinner! Jonas got a much-needed haircut. Although, when I first saw it, I was speechless. He suddenly seemed to look like a 5 year old. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlBKONlNiP09ngI6wyel63v7q3BomoBHTo3JujhNVvK1MhLSHsLB8b1IcRt8OKytj3_RU1MQvK0kS5InKI8JX55yuefazsfENrPxkdVJX1mw5xIfJpIJgs7PBq4RUS1xW-aGu4QxnBcVc/s1600/DSCN1137.JPG"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK2VezyR-4-j1ohiT8Xwo4AGJreFBbVF8VOGSKCmLw6voIYq8Lm7J-hPf6wmoXDBcZl-n1hD-__J-EzXdWKvzXMGWhQjFG-UC6tXPZsq6I1AV18k9cBODaHgU-dOZVuSvuACl0c0gx8co/s1600/DSCN1195.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585900774073816818" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK2VezyR-4-j1ohiT8Xwo4AGJreFBbVF8VOGSKCmLw6voIYq8Lm7J-hPf6wmoXDBcZl-n1hD-__J-EzXdWKvzXMGWhQjFG-UC6tXPZsq6I1AV18k9cBODaHgU-dOZVuSvuACl0c0gx8co/s320/DSCN1195.JPG" style="cursor: hand; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVKYP-jgCMeQeDXFAtZf1VZgbZKfajKPfNO-Ky840k9o0WApjxL3Ja8kATAUzvENRB4i-Boq5TbipWmoPWojz71qgLPfi52ibbkWiseG5okUz1vvBGqxIgsKCIuu7pfFKy4BvKfbB0T8E/s1600/DSCN1164b.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585903186853521698" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVKYP-jgCMeQeDXFAtZf1VZgbZKfajKPfNO-Ky840k9o0WApjxL3Ja8kATAUzvENRB4i-Boq5TbipWmoPWojz71qgLPfi52ibbkWiseG5okUz1vvBGqxIgsKCIuu7pfFKy4BvKfbB0T8E/s400/DSCN1164b.JPG" style="cursor: hand; float: right; height: 400px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 356px;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSa11gL9NfPo8xSqVHp5mm0lF2LoIVJxGLelqWJA2Hhvvqn3achlX8NlJh_Wq1Yt_Fr6Fmnmzl47Se5z8Yh1Nn1N7mMVwobJnysN6CZRqj8hkY-nAIXVwIVdkMqhXTOPgq6tnkse5RiZI/s1600/DSCN1208.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585900765770523250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSa11gL9NfPo8xSqVHp5mm0lF2LoIVJxGLelqWJA2Hhvvqn3achlX8NlJh_Wq1Yt_Fr6Fmnmzl47Se5z8Yh1Nn1N7mMVwobJnysN6CZRqj8hkY-nAIXVwIVdkMqhXTOPgq6tnkse5RiZI/s320/DSCN1208.JPG" style="cursor: hand; height: 320px; width: 240px;" /></a> <br />
<div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIdk5EYYR72llttBWv0i9q3XaVX4ghI7GHfqDzwansQuqxb3lzDWTcttrDI-TvGXJgDMmNu1t4TvdLES0HFZ0gILqdpscoWLFQwItU_f0oyvMuNK7FcoIzoL6H3_09dXOWdOxvLTQ2JGg/s1600/DSCN1164.JPG"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOuSBrLHSO-x7HdKv4Fc78jQyz9ZNE0llH0qwc0zInNYpZoAxd8bIM1w2tg3ndQbhLTAoclbYJWiY7Rwif5hxVa6ge4c3554-v5hOKUSOuyiXqh6QT9YfEU-ytEUOVmVmRcn7qSdY1tyw/s1600/DSCN1185b.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585901531215803202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOuSBrLHSO-x7HdKv4Fc78jQyz9ZNE0llH0qwc0zInNYpZoAxd8bIM1w2tg3ndQbhLTAoclbYJWiY7Rwif5hxVa6ge4c3554-v5hOKUSOuyiXqh6QT9YfEU-ytEUOVmVmRcn7qSdY1tyw/s400/DSCN1185b.JPG" style="cursor: hand; height: 371px; width: 400px;" /></a> <br />
<div>We also visited an animal park in Esslingen with Oma's neighbors. Joel and Jonas always have fun together, even though they don't speak the same language. Sara loves animals! Every time we head off in the direction of the farm here in Uster, she starts pointing and getting excited :-) We went to the Zurich zoo again and also to the circus zoo in Rapperswil. They have a sea lion show, which the kids loved! And Jonas rode a pony too. He hopes to ride the elephant or camel with Andy next time. <br />
<div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_TyuK7-2HzBxjW4R-i2ZMIvSUJKdkOHjdQzWHkzuL9FTOxrXZKuCvqeP_Z5qGOb8KSCZBP7t-1w5tparzdmRl19WpVxiU5Jjye_c93NC5chuijRjNUb1qVjP8D80xAIv5P1jrEBjhTXc/s1600/DSCN1214.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585900761138086498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_TyuK7-2HzBxjW4R-i2ZMIvSUJKdkOHjdQzWHkzuL9FTOxrXZKuCvqeP_Z5qGOb8KSCZBP7t-1w5tparzdmRl19WpVxiU5Jjye_c93NC5chuijRjNUb1qVjP8D80xAIv5P1jrEBjhTXc/s320/DSCN1214.JPG" style="cursor: hand; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiu56J1zh3QdmnLDTlXJYzBJO_WXwToBHE3WcssFdE3zWYkw_Jjwuit1kapNk5fObGG2djSaoKOGSyinP-CdxfIBp32C4Jsbu6Zhm_hyug9HBYLiR22QecMa8KiM4y0y04oj314MOheQQ/s1600/DSCN1228b.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5585900755312680258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiu56J1zh3QdmnLDTlXJYzBJO_WXwToBHE3WcssFdE3zWYkw_Jjwuit1kapNk5fObGG2djSaoKOGSyinP-CdxfIBp32C4Jsbu6Zhm_hyug9HBYLiR22QecMa8KiM4y0y04oj314MOheQQ/s320/DSCN1228b.JPG" style="cursor: hand; height: 249px; width: 320px;" /></a></div>Jonas went ice-skating for the first time and did great! Our neighbors invited us to attend lessons and Lenora kindly watched Sara while I spent time skating with Jonas. (Can you tell that we have the best neighbors? A true blessing!). I got a tear in my eye watching him :-) He would have stayed on the ice all day, but Mommy was tired! It won't be long before he can skate unassisted. Too bad we didn't pick up on this activity until 2 weeks before the season ended. I plan to invest in some ice-skates in the fall, because we'll be hitting the rink a lot next season. Maybe Sara will even join us on the ice by then!<br />
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<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzcyOHtUTcYfxJtXd_XOf6KHyicFQqmgRy7fBt2LF_mPg87d_1YhYrCx4uKSLQC36GkIlbIkmWe_gcmnVXd-yymdceWWWgRn8Qfjro6DscUHvgQ2dHbRhTU0zwt2kFQXiRTnqtPLBN_-o/s1600/DSCN1134.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592570083921742498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzcyOHtUTcYfxJtXd_XOf6KHyicFQqmgRy7fBt2LF_mPg87d_1YhYrCx4uKSLQC36GkIlbIkmWe_gcmnVXd-yymdceWWWgRn8Qfjro6DscUHvgQ2dHbRhTU0zwt2kFQXiRTnqtPLBN_-o/s320/DSCN1134.JPG" style="cursor: hand; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFXCAaqv2nWBjy5tMNNiU7S22z-sceSh1ojP_YEcjHs5u0pE_qLZNEsP2fB8Ob8nbxrj0T9F_InjXcZ00Bnmb4d9QyRPL6RIBQKFJMUEGh8lIQ0FmfXlRK70LNdphbdRsjCrLdkuctbaY/s1600/DSCN1267.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592570087215439154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFXCAaqv2nWBjy5tMNNiU7S22z-sceSh1ojP_YEcjHs5u0pE_qLZNEsP2fB8Ob8nbxrj0T9F_InjXcZ00Bnmb4d9QyRPL6RIBQKFJMUEGh8lIQ0FmfXlRK70LNdphbdRsjCrLdkuctbaY/s320/DSCN1267.JPG" style="cursor: hand; height: 320px; width: 240px;" /></a> </div><br />
<div>February and March were a little difficult as Andy's grandfather and my grandma passed away. We miss them, but treasure the memories and trust they are in the presence of the Lord.</div></div><br />
<div>Sara took her first steps on March 19th. We even got them on video! She hasn't walked much since then. She still prefers to climb. I am constantly pulling her off of the kitchen table. </div><br />
<div>Last weekend, we took the train to Konstanz, Germany. It was a wonderful day: Incredible weather, great atmosphere, scenic boat ride, and gelato 3 times (you can't pass it up when it's only a Euro per scoop :-). A great way to kick off the travel season. This is the stuff European life is made of! </div><br />
<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwQxhm97X1GB0ogLZfGpVe8liYHDBw0SWy-qA1yg1Aa_eymyh1a141i06065BNaakk-VF1nHwrmj8_3ditaPP68N-D87lH0dj_0UGKDtgOw-9dNPKR4749uAB65_mJ_HdmSNAL6YYmsdk/s1600/DSCN1387.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592572555201362562" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwQxhm97X1GB0ogLZfGpVe8liYHDBw0SWy-qA1yg1Aa_eymyh1a141i06065BNaakk-VF1nHwrmj8_3ditaPP68N-D87lH0dj_0UGKDtgOw-9dNPKR4749uAB65_mJ_HdmSNAL6YYmsdk/s320/DSCN1387.JPG" style="cursor: hand; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqc5wXwL7sWK_CgnzOTujBEmvfyOmiK-MvCCFLlOsO0MU1jRT5uZWyRI-wBIY28qCcrE4_k0Lrh9GSj84JJ98JCemcfVak_cdsnF_T0m8uZCluw688RwjfxuNlxts7Bqi8RL3ksSW_HXI/s1600/DSCN1380.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592572558781447538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqc5wXwL7sWK_CgnzOTujBEmvfyOmiK-MvCCFLlOsO0MU1jRT5uZWyRI-wBIY28qCcrE4_k0Lrh9GSj84JJ98JCemcfVak_cdsnF_T0m8uZCluw688RwjfxuNlxts7Bqi8RL3ksSW_HXI/s320/DSCN1380.JPG" style="cursor: hand; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a></div>We visited an awesome park in Uster for the first time. They have a ton of cool things. Jonas' favorite was the tire swing zip line. <br />
<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh17pqXBhhmuuYmGhyphenhyphenfQof_odEn8LyKPOr5MTwkvvKtgr-oSmC1qmwHbiPQ56eknYr0qRb_j1Zxx2EDs8bL1_iKmu3ykNaPlsZwEIcTZQiOg0MQdalnlM0aatIvr5xFZI7UEHGcAWPonaI/s1600/DSCN1444.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592572563174862722" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh17pqXBhhmuuYmGhyphenhyphenfQof_odEn8LyKPOr5MTwkvvKtgr-oSmC1qmwHbiPQ56eknYr0qRb_j1Zxx2EDs8bL1_iKmu3ykNaPlsZwEIcTZQiOg0MQdalnlM0aatIvr5xFZI7UEHGcAWPonaI/s320/DSCN1444.JPG" style="cursor: hand; height: 320px; width: 240px;" /></a> </div>I leave you with a quote by Katy Stewart on the Travel Belles website recently: "Most places we visit merely offer the chance to flirt with them, to be blinded by their exoticism and leave before the spark goes. However, when you commit to a place for a while, when you settle in, the lust may wear off but it is replaced with love." <br />
<div><br />
<div>May you all find a place half way around the world to love (if you haven't already:-). I'm excited about visiting mine again soon (Florence and Munich).</div><br />
<div>Next stop, Lago Maggiore. Stay tuned! </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>April Kollerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11463639088844927584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8465418932764814003.post-86736234810988760982011-01-29T05:43:00.000-08:002011-02-03T13:15:08.920-08:00January 2011<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgfHUDgfbSf4mpAqYHenQFKxeRfz1fZGd_TsoSkOTaJkg1vOfnt2siD3Ga-RmJYaJWEy3MR7U_hsxGa6uFekb7gqr_HzwK4Y1kZxsU7EaNsB1UsXutbbMXtC1fX2zTssYIhkIVdQY351w/s1600/DSCN0514.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569567131564103874" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgfHUDgfbSf4mpAqYHenQFKxeRfz1fZGd_TsoSkOTaJkg1vOfnt2siD3Ga-RmJYaJWEy3MR7U_hsxGa6uFekb7gqr_HzwK4Y1kZxsU7EaNsB1UsXutbbMXtC1fX2zTssYIhkIVdQY351w/s320/DSCN0514.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCmgnE3pQgp_c-ksqDbunrqqRUA0RuV39nwg8C7LhL-WwgCFPeyRX9gGD0u8lBrTs9cxkg-kNELkQNIfLZQxCgL01HG2i82lvH1iD-xgMnqZdDRoq8GKgWOBu7j7pMoKHD6Wceoiehhw4/s1600/DSCN0565.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569567128598796354" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCmgnE3pQgp_c-ksqDbunrqqRUA0RuV39nwg8C7LhL-WwgCFPeyRX9gGD0u8lBrTs9cxkg-kNELkQNIfLZQxCgL01HG2i82lvH1iD-xgMnqZdDRoq8GKgWOBu7j7pMoKHD6Wceoiehhw4/s320/DSCN0565.JPG" /></a><br /><div>A sunset view from our balcony. View while hiking above the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Greifensee.</span><br /><div><div><div><br /><div><div><div><div><div><div>Is it really February already?</div><br /><div>Andy and I visited Munich in early January. How we love Munich! It's our home-away-from-home while here in Europe. We went to the Andrea <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Bocelli</span> concert and the kids stayed with <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Oma</span> & <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">Opa</span>. It's been a dream of Andy's to see Andrea <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Bocelli</span> live, so when I saw he was performing in Munich, I realized I had stumbled upon the perfect Christmas present. It really was amazing. He sang in a small venue, 2500 people. It was incredible to hear him live! We were also able to catch up with one of our former <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">KPMG</span> colleagues, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">Kazuko</span>, and her family. It was so great to spend time with them. And, they introduced us to a great Indian restaurant that will now be on our list every time we visit Munich. We finished up the weekend at my favorite restaurant in the world, La <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">Fiera</span>, and enjoyed some time at Mr. B's jazz bar too. Perfection attained!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7AWgZ2mIVhc0HRwd2BcClDaRtiX3lx9uQ26JSsNiOslcrNRNCCA8gP6pWaeqb72CDfiQrn193Co5BjppDw01IIzh630y6EKVqIhOaPPr4dNU0AvW8j_VO5mmQwfa34Ag0ukbS7K0Amfw/s1600/DSCN0606.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569567124220885154" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7AWgZ2mIVhc0HRwd2BcClDaRtiX3lx9uQ26JSsNiOslcrNRNCCA8gP6pWaeqb72CDfiQrn193Co5BjppDw01IIzh630y6EKVqIhOaPPr4dNU0AvW8j_VO5mmQwfa34Ag0ukbS7K0Amfw/s320/DSCN0606.JPG" /></a>A little music at home.</div><br /><div>Every day, Sara is more and more communicative. She says a few words, "Hey, mama, ball, yea" and finds other ways to express herself. If she's eating and doesn't want any more, she'll shake her head "no." She will say "shush" and put her finger to her mouth, or more often my mouth, when I'm trying to get her to be quiet as we sneak down the stairs if she wakes up before Jonas. She loves reading books and brings them over to me and crawls up into my lap. So sweet! Animals are her favorite thing at the moment. We went to to zoo a couple of weeks ago, back when the Spring-like weather was still here. Both kids had a great time. Sara will growl if she sees a lion and moo if she sees a cow. She takes my finger and points to anything in a book that she wants named. When she's done with her snack, she likes to feed it to me. Sara loves to "feed" her baby dolls too and even pretends to be eating and drinking when we have tea time with the tea set Grandma gave her for her birthday.</div><div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBYa0_lYNifsPeEQAcuUdP241IhODC8Sx73hu7uS1Lk_HTXvOjIyDFQQxwkT9wPl5yJ6uHmOVpoQud4U1gcvDba3Oc__m6o5uWTvAbB9yWm9bJk6p5Nuyz2h2Y6JC8wK2G8A0HBowSroQ/s1600/DSCN0671.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569564843195462450" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBYa0_lYNifsPeEQAcuUdP241IhODC8Sx73hu7uS1Lk_HTXvOjIyDFQQxwkT9wPl5yJ6uHmOVpoQud4U1gcvDba3Oc__m6o5uWTvAbB9yWm9bJk6p5Nuyz2h2Y6JC8wK2G8A0HBowSroQ/s400/DSCN0671.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4KnRZNJeL7x8PcounQG6zkDGkagp6koGOO3BsS1ggJ-P4XMmgA6YPQScZB8h95zkbETDxprJoOiOFy2yUVN1Q5ZbEgeQ5ZTisHWnhum7Wwb0bSnew-EG59OijLcFOEC1YLEqn1FYvjJw/s1600/DSCN0665.JPG"></a></div><div>Sara starting cutting her first molar in January. Thankfully, teething has never been an issue with our kids. Today, at 14 months exactly, she stood on her own for the first time! She was so pleased with herself that she started clapping once she sat back down :-). Won't be long now before she takes her first step. She loves to climb! The other day, I caught her trying to climb onto her little piano. And, she spends a lot of time under the kitchen table climbing around it. Bouncing/rolling all over the couch is great fun for her too. She has almost catapulted herself off a few times. I really have to watch her!</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglXcGpAbw2zJLHToIa6o0W3X7rmPmldj24LOzF11Wbz9qMtvhDp3OEXsOBRulpZI3EfEeBzAmhV35vXCzIeM5dIGlcoqW8ro_F0CsEA8YMqStp7BfAemnfLBzlyP2xbjLmsssdSneLEL4/s1600/DSCN0703.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 300px; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569564849052164146" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglXcGpAbw2zJLHToIa6o0W3X7rmPmldj24LOzF11Wbz9qMtvhDp3OEXsOBRulpZI3EfEeBzAmhV35vXCzIeM5dIGlcoqW8ro_F0CsEA8YMqStp7BfAemnfLBzlyP2xbjLmsssdSneLEL4/s400/DSCN0703.JPG" /></a><br /><div></div><div>Jonas was glad to return to preschool after the long Christmas break. Last week, Sienna was moved up into his class. So, he's a happy boy! He spends a lot of time with his best friend, Jack. So glad to have him around! This month we also joined <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">KinderCity</span>, a scaled down Discovery Place. It's only 2 exits from our house and is a great way to spend a cold winter morning. They offer a variety of classes there, so Jonas will soon learn how to make chocolate, repair cars, etc. </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrTC1iMEWHpBPVfw1-aCl0gUbmUjaj2j37iaqb_we2vCyfc0VXN_JmT5uofd-78VihljDk92PWQcZmzy8s9CRFPE8pHo06sJjAKGm0XvXtwJJDDLgPMujBq1G6aCDakDgHvtNIRpwfUjI/s1600/DSCN0641.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569565954325516034" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrTC1iMEWHpBPVfw1-aCl0gUbmUjaj2j37iaqb_we2vCyfc0VXN_JmT5uofd-78VihljDk92PWQcZmzy8s9CRFPE8pHo06sJjAKGm0XvXtwJJDDLgPMujBq1G6aCDakDgHvtNIRpwfUjI/s320/DSCN0641.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix6P2DteyqgLn-C5lA5r5Aw_SI0v1HI2k93sLvh9rma2lSyBYFKTQY84vnbXJlt0qZeKGIeNt6RyIm-z8wwPZP5W2VdGS44BSBKuHMmnGXid8MTtKHMdW_J0yf5NfyqNidkzUxCz3JYuA/s1600/DSCN0638.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569565961072950402" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix6P2DteyqgLn-C5lA5r5Aw_SI0v1HI2k93sLvh9rma2lSyBYFKTQY84vnbXJlt0qZeKGIeNt6RyIm-z8wwPZP5W2VdGS44BSBKuHMmnGXid8MTtKHMdW_J0yf5NfyqNidkzUxCz3JYuA/s320/DSCN0638.JPG" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4KnRZNJeL7x8PcounQG6zkDGkagp6koGOO3BsS1ggJ-P4XMmgA6YPQScZB8h95zkbETDxprJoOiOFy2yUVN1Q5ZbEgeQ5ZTisHWnhum7Wwb0bSnew-EG59OijLcFOEC1YLEqn1FYvjJw/s1600/DSCN0665.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569565124581639298" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4KnRZNJeL7x8PcounQG6zkDGkagp6koGOO3BsS1ggJ-P4XMmgA6YPQScZB8h95zkbETDxprJoOiOFy2yUVN1Q5ZbEgeQ5ZTisHWnhum7Wwb0bSnew-EG59OijLcFOEC1YLEqn1FYvjJw/s320/DSCN0665.JPG" /></a> Jonas also wrote his entire name for the 1st time recently. Caro & Daniel, you're the lucky recipient of the Valentine documenting this feat.<br /><p>We added another country to the list of places we've been: Liechtenstein. We enjoyed roaming around one Sunday and Jonas and Andy went sledding while Sara and I played in the car. We also booked a summer vacation to Italy with Andy's mom and step-dad. Can't wait! We'll be staying 10 miles outside of Florence, my favorite city in the world!</p><p>I've been trying to cook a little more. It's taken me a few years, but I'm finally hitting my stride with home cooked meals and all the house chores :-). Thank goodness for Jamie Oliver and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">Giada</span>. Jamie has become such a household name that Jonas recently asked, "When can we go visit Jamie Oliver in England?" Also, thankful to have met another American in the grocery store a couple of weeks ago. She showed me where to find cheddar cheese and hummus!</p><div></div><div>Before busy season kicked in, Andy had been coming home at a normal time (6<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">ish</span>) more often and was able to eat dinner with us and help get the kids to bed before continuing to work from home at night. That was so nice! Good for me and the kids. Hopefully, he'll be able to do that again once year-end work slows down. Tonight he's going out for dinner with a client. I'm so jealous! Somehow, meals taste better to me when I'm not the one that had to cook them :-).</div><div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLpwVG_-aHwktzKR4Z1uHGyeiFUs0YaVSr5Zx_uvZkhoewB4p4wlS2Q2EinJnjWlSVZW4tgHjfFjNAifq5AdahmP9dPRdybO8NzdnIxqkkP4E7RWfduoc5HJTAzNNx0LWThUxjigjoSS0/s1600/DSCN0778b.JPG"></a></div><div>I took the kids to their first music class here this week. Mini-Minstrels. It's similar to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-error">KinderMusik</span> and Jonas was so excited to be back in music class. Sara loved it too. I could just see the awe and excitement in her eyes as she explored all of the fun instruments. So, we have a fun Tuesday activity lined up now.</div><br /><div></div><div>Andy & Jonas got geared up for winter sports last weekend. Jonas now has a helmet and goggles for sled-riding and future skiing. Andy picks up his skis this weekend and is super-excited about hitting the slopes with <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-error">Oma</span> & <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-error">Opa</span> later this month. I'm not a snow-skier, which is a good thing since we have 2 toddlers that need to be watched anyway. But, I told Andy I could use a spa day sometime soon!</div><br /><div></div><div>Uncle Toby found out that he was accepted to a study-abroad program in the States. He'll be heading to Appalachian State University in the fall. A little bummed that he'll be there while we're here, but excited for him to have this opportunity. My family is looking forward to seeing him too :-).</div><br /><div>I'm still trying to figure out how to operate our new camera so I get the amazing pics I see some of you all posting. Might help if I would sit down and diligently read through the user manual :-).</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEqXQsL-3wO26m1giqSoNbUhLNSWsh1Xfq7KCSFbbPj9SEbV6a_v6piU9VRozKKGLcZp3rlqSafEC5bKKh1Q59hAGDZ9-MjcUOoU1z3vvGOH3ogwk3jocJ2iZYSEG2jdoOVhqgdtCMHmo/s1600/DSCN0791.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569561720719052690" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEqXQsL-3wO26m1giqSoNbUhLNSWsh1Xfq7KCSFbbPj9SEbV6a_v6piU9VRozKKGLcZp3rlqSafEC5bKKh1Q59hAGDZ9-MjcUOoU1z3vvGOH3ogwk3jocJ2iZYSEG2jdoOVhqgdtCMHmo/s400/DSCN0791.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLpwVG_-aHwktzKR4Z1uHGyeiFUs0YaVSr5Zx_uvZkhoewB4p4wlS2Q2EinJnjWlSVZW4tgHjfFjNAifq5AdahmP9dPRdybO8NzdnIxqkkP4E7RWfduoc5HJTAzNNx0LWThUxjigjoSS0/s1600/DSCN0778b.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569561276897640098" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLpwVG_-aHwktzKR4Z1uHGyeiFUs0YaVSr5Zx_uvZkhoewB4p4wlS2Q2EinJnjWlSVZW4tgHjfFjNAifq5AdahmP9dPRdybO8NzdnIxqkkP4E7RWfduoc5HJTAzNNx0LWThUxjigjoSS0/s400/DSCN0778b.JPG" /></a><br /><div></div><div></div><div>A few quotes from Jonas:</div><div></div><br /><div>1) When he heard our neighbors were going on vacation in Canada: When can I go to Canada? I want to go to lots of countries: Canada, Ireland, Winston-Salem, Austria, India...</div><div></div><div>2) When I grow up I'm going to grow horns and be Ramses (UNC mascot).</div><div></div><div>3) In the car after visiting a new friend, who has 4 kids: J: Mom, why don't I have 3 brothers? M: Because God gave us you and Sara. I think that's enough, don't you? J: No. I want more. A few seconds later he <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">enthusiastically</span> cried out, "God!?" (Before he had a chance to finish that prayer, which I assume was for more kids, he got distracted by Sara. Whew!).</div><div> </div><div> </div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>Hope you all are doing well. Let us know when you'd like to come visit!</div><br /><div></div><div>April</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>April Kollerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11463639088844927584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8465418932764814003.post-53935315389908921752011-01-17T04:19:00.001-08:002011-01-27T01:43:35.306-08:00December in Review<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitNwXK4nHpMyM2zN3XyXWpHuE9GFoQM9jzBdQa9yD44FLcp1yx4K4ztJt-lMMguVuplFil5Lscp4t5pVQjwAierJCGpg9gZWgT6T8bwBK6qrdMWcAaFfCfrXFyyavMvGIRgCN17Hl2Wno/s1600/101_0177.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 240px; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563144853444393922" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitNwXK4nHpMyM2zN3XyXWpHuE9GFoQM9jzBdQa9yD44FLcp1yx4K4ztJt-lMMguVuplFil5Lscp4t5pVQjwAierJCGpg9gZWgT6T8bwBK6qrdMWcAaFfCfrXFyyavMvGIRgCN17Hl2Wno/s320/101_0177.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqtLB5-igTO3Ce1R95yVQAGemhOaOtSzJdSyiFzb4K7C_3BtB_N0pBoz_Ga4EdVornQK2GJb4oWa2Pz_CIH07-Q2vYUkpg3cLblTefQY61h8_yW2a0-okPNeyRBj3oS1woRg5GYMuAmos/s1600/101_0174.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 240px; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563144836409004018" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqtLB5-igTO3Ce1R95yVQAGemhOaOtSzJdSyiFzb4K7C_3BtB_N0pBoz_Ga4EdVornQK2GJb4oWa2Pz_CIH07-Q2vYUkpg3cLblTefQY61h8_yW2a0-okPNeyRBj3oS1woRg5GYMuAmos/s320/101_0174.JPG" /></a><br />Wow! I better hurry and finish 2010 before January 2011 is over!<br /><br /><br />We had a wonderful December. First, we got a car! To this day, we aren't "legally registered" in Switzerland, so we gave <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Oma</span> money to buy the car in Germany and have it on her insurance. They delivered it on Sara's birthday. It's a 2000 Toyota <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Avensis</span>. Silver, leather interior, heated seats, sunroof, etc. Only 60k miles on it b/c an older man owned it and didn't drive it much. I love it and wish we could bring it back to the States. In fact, it's my favorite car I've owned, which is amazing considering that we bought it without seeing it in person or test-driving it ourselves. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Oma</span> & <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">Opa</span> did a great job car-shopping for us. Thanks!!<br /><br /><br />Having a car makes life so much easier! Especially since the winter weather is upon us. Now, it's so much easier to get Jonas to preschool and to do grocery shopping. Sara moved up into her "big girl" car seat and likes being able to see a little more of what's going on around her. We got a navigation system too, so the kids and I can venture out on our own without getting lost.<br /><br /><br /><br />Jonas was absolutely thrilled with all the snow we had in December. We went sledding with <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Oma</span> & <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">Opa</span> the weekend of Sara's birthday. Jonas loved it! Sara had quite a different reaction. She hated it and went screaming down the little hill with <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">Opa</span>. She much prefers being slowly pulled around.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuFsXpY7uJ6bavCQcy_zCy3VP5bglFAjkRhplB8yCQ9h-WjOyYLVw2GZTq_uCR0G3jsCfkHLpepmj3yGlIsf0RW_vaAl746nRiwTEjDpiZR2tSVmJv4ZJoRbmjhhftqCheJM19zmelNao/s1600/101_0242.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 240px; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563144831502369522" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuFsXpY7uJ6bavCQcy_zCy3VP5bglFAjkRhplB8yCQ9h-WjOyYLVw2GZTq_uCR0G3jsCfkHLpepmj3yGlIsf0RW_vaAl746nRiwTEjDpiZR2tSVmJv4ZJoRbmjhhftqCheJM19zmelNao/s320/101_0242.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOxt9WnXp-VqIh4cECaIHga_QIrZUe84Uy3z0yiM93kWtH0S31AzlOD0hLXVWcJWrw0HgS6C-sMh2mlog3Q048fvVR1YZwLlK1p49o0RTwjoy1F70qS9xau7kTgMzpNZGvWFDilkx16XY/s1600/101_0246b.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 288px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563141462719410578" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOxt9WnXp-VqIh4cECaIHga_QIrZUe84Uy3z0yiM93kWtH0S31AzlOD0hLXVWcJWrw0HgS6C-sMh2mlog3Q048fvVR1YZwLlK1p49o0RTwjoy1F70qS9xau7kTgMzpNZGvWFDilkx16XY/s400/101_0246b.JPG" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw-m6H8foaj_IORhm_hIBoNt6sBn-VPkNDErOZ2KsCSGrDMgI5zQxcTlwJyEiWtKrcVLtFeViRbYGfF5w_fvPrEqMli5WjOFNiBssGCZqcUlW7FcbZmoREuJoBZGqdkRAlu6a3ReM8rmw/s1600/101_0245.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 300px; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563141456512648738" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw-m6H8foaj_IORhm_hIBoNt6sBn-VPkNDErOZ2KsCSGrDMgI5zQxcTlwJyEiWtKrcVLtFeViRbYGfF5w_fvPrEqMli5WjOFNiBssGCZqcUlW7FcbZmoREuJoBZGqdkRAlu6a3ReM8rmw/s400/101_0245.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmNvg-HHCZj4Ph0-n5rJed9f05vWDlSnLB6ydMI_76S4N_6boSWfMzVO4rJvO95lKxH2kiZ7I5oF_6Kv58pkqqAaCXb36ASj0Ql0Oq0fZaUOXnpW2PhOgA7CCHBTD-zxKJBi9GW9RIQVM/s1600/101_0237.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 300px; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563141456249889090" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmNvg-HHCZj4Ph0-n5rJed9f05vWDlSnLB6ydMI_76S4N_6boSWfMzVO4rJvO95lKxH2kiZ7I5oF_6Kv58pkqqAaCXb36ASj0Ql0Oq0fZaUOXnpW2PhOgA7CCHBTD-zxKJBi9GW9RIQVM/s400/101_0237.JPG" /></a><br /><div><div><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdAgcdkfXL3G23BUVi0xeggp-bQ5dGX6xBRzdB9sDQPVRjiY8s5D1WCiCQSBTfTWsCo7JZr7Lo0KUY3f5jWWG4gnTorEYIU67lEQ02ibVusNPtnKXr6EJmrj72_IoSTRuVW4D9GfcVQrw/s1600/101_0254.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563141448409038994" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdAgcdkfXL3G23BUVi0xeggp-bQ5dGX6xBRzdB9sDQPVRjiY8s5D1WCiCQSBTfTWsCo7JZr7Lo0KUY3f5jWWG4gnTorEYIU67lEQ02ibVusNPtnKXr6EJmrj72_IoSTRuVW4D9GfcVQrw/s400/101_0254.JPG" /></a><br />There was no shortage of presents in December! Between the Advent calendar, St. Nick's Day, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">Christkind</span> and Santa, the kids certainly stocked up. Then of course there were packages arriving from the States too. They were so happy! And a bit disappointed when all the gift-getting ended :-) Then, Jonas decided he wanted to send a package to his friend, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">Keegan</span>. When I told him that we'd first have to go buy something to put in it, he replied, "We'll just send Sara's toys."<br /><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXHOq_xL7xf-lsZ75vH7tet1ToNF5XLQPv_Qis-IY1hN9h4gISci9Be8BK-VNO7XciFU_4ZqA20oRh6QTeza3y7fHJ9zkW3CdByMgQUhyphenhyphenIsgf0Ck-H3VaVklzXr7ppZJqHUcCxhZkHlFc/s1600/101_0281.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 240px; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563139994588206018" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXHOq_xL7xf-lsZ75vH7tet1ToNF5XLQPv_Qis-IY1hN9h4gISci9Be8BK-VNO7XciFU_4ZqA20oRh6QTeza3y7fHJ9zkW3CdByMgQUhyphenhyphenIsgf0Ck-H3VaVklzXr7ppZJqHUcCxhZkHlFc/s320/101_0281.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE6c5OXvI0dY819TK-lXIMRPlJ_2No3gxHkTdqhw860HE08rTJnz0dbOuY3fifF84_DzDwlUZ3sTLrLLypPSwBW9AK_aNW9maztJZYKOKqx7PzDZyUKJzwHbbRbO7G-YdqW0Hy052-G0U/s1600/101_0286.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563139985584293906" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE6c5OXvI0dY819TK-lXIMRPlJ_2No3gxHkTdqhw860HE08rTJnz0dbOuY3fifF84_DzDwlUZ3sTLrLLypPSwBW9AK_aNW9maztJZYKOKqx7PzDZyUKJzwHbbRbO7G-YdqW0Hy052-G0U/s320/101_0286.JPG" /></a><br />We attended the Christmas party at Jonas' preschool. Santa was there! Jonas was shy at first but then so excited to have met Santa. Sara screamed the entire time she was in the same room with him :-) This is Sienna. She's the daughter of Jonas' first, and favorite, preschool teacher, and the first girl Jonas has had a little "crush" on.<br /><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI0zEchy3JuNQdChq3THGbh0h-m2BsPT3DPx-x1E7HsZuv8-mhVL3lQbFuHkQu72wwsVAFDJT0M6TqJdgOWEyoO-sgPvMSolTfKO6nDNis8QbuXF1K0Zv0n8XLpfvnIXe5qDlpwsuWLiA/s1600/101_0315.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563139983493441538" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI0zEchy3JuNQdChq3THGbh0h-m2BsPT3DPx-x1E7HsZuv8-mhVL3lQbFuHkQu72wwsVAFDJT0M6TqJdgOWEyoO-sgPvMSolTfKO6nDNis8QbuXF1K0Zv0n8XLpfvnIXe5qDlpwsuWLiA/s320/101_0315.JPG" /></a> </div><div>On December 10<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">th</span>, we finally got our Christmas tree. I much prefer to put it up the day after Thanksgiving, but they aren't available here until mid-December. Jonas enjoyed helping Andy decorate the tree. Really, he was so incredibly into Christmas this year. It was so cool to experience it through the eyes of a child.<br /></div><br /><div>Jonas spent much of December pretending to be Santa. He'd dress up in all sorts of things and deliver the toys. Our couch was the sleigh. He even said, "When I grow up, I'm going to be Santa." When I asked him what Santa would think of that and suggested that perhaps he could be Santa's helper, he replied, "<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">Ok</span>. But I'm going to drive my own sleigh."<br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwByTRLBPDw-au8NgcufU6Tf_5gxeQV1x4p1x1aZz08PlTrF9uT1LClHOsmpnjkGlrRgtOLB0cGjX38j_AA4J9RPy9N0DhzQwMCh30ID4-iEYGYgfiBz2WKHMBpEP8RuEVKGykAr6E9fg/s1600/101_0387.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 240px; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563138209334600306" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwByTRLBPDw-au8NgcufU6Tf_5gxeQV1x4p1x1aZz08PlTrF9uT1LClHOsmpnjkGlrRgtOLB0cGjX38j_AA4J9RPy9N0DhzQwMCh30ID4-iEYGYgfiBz2WKHMBpEP8RuEVKGykAr6E9fg/s320/101_0387.JPG" /></a><br />Every night we'd read Christmas books. Jonas basically memorized 'Twas the Night Before Christmas. In case you missed my <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-error">facebook</span> post during Christmas, here's the video:</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyZC8HZTvOCvDw5aWEMoATDOEUc4T8sV-YvWTsGIR9DO4jOCsAZhJu5tNbdhvzQ4gCuxcfIONwPXPtlomDiVg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><span style="color:#000000;"><u></u></span><br /><br /><div>Jonas learned a lot of Christmas songs. When I sang Away in A Manger to him, he said, "No! We can't put baby Jesus asleep in the hay. It's too prickly!" We also learned Silent Night in English and German. One night, after singing it as a family, Jonas commented that it sounds better in German. A very good point, considering that it was initially written in German :-).<br /><br />We went to visit Ur-<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-error">Oma</span> and Ur-<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-error">Opa</span> in mid-December. It was the first time they<br />met Sara. Both kids warmed up to them very quickly and Ur-<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-error">Opa</span> even commented (in German, of course), "They know their people!" Andy's aunts, uncles and cousins also stopped by to see us. We had a lot of delicious food and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" class="blsp-spelling-error">Oma</span> sent us off with a bunch of Christmas cookies.<br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlzZBXJ2W3hqSeXltpxzirJzQyvteW2JcT9teUSHZwxJ8hqlXmWPyug_cb2LokOCt1NKnu-YA7Mk9Qp1iJ8Q1sligGL6ozyEeyqmCEQI_kk_V71-VcZwrukBCcjoP92NIbkKbfGwS9iDQ/s1600/101_0378.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563138498628079522" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlzZBXJ2W3hqSeXltpxzirJzQyvteW2JcT9teUSHZwxJ8hqlXmWPyug_cb2LokOCt1NKnu-YA7Mk9Qp1iJ8Q1sligGL6ozyEeyqmCEQI_kk_V71-VcZwrukBCcjoP92NIbkKbfGwS9iDQ/s320/101_0378.JPG" /></a> </div><div>Our Christmas holiday was just fabulous! It was the first time in 8 years that Andy's mom had all of her boys with her for Christmas. Plus, we had snow - and a lot of it, which always adds to the magic of Christmas. Sara was quite the little princess in her Christmas dress.<br /></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha6ovxtdja2cOJxZ86o-4UftOQ8AtIOK2BDxOpmLZSPEs9SNfRIZJzQlTv93zkoAYckQ4-aivBw-98s4KuJW_ouO796wyg6iOK_Lm0lALg4I7foKxxPVeqUfy53ZfZcEPnL9gTYo3odB0/s1600/101_0411.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563141447019415458" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha6ovxtdja2cOJxZ86o-4UftOQ8AtIOK2BDxOpmLZSPEs9SNfRIZJzQlTv93zkoAYckQ4-aivBw-98s4KuJW_ouO796wyg6iOK_Lm0lALg4I7foKxxPVeqUfy53ZfZcEPnL9gTYo3odB0/s400/101_0411.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd7rHVNjCj105YYztNidjcPWROIIXELB514P6axGMqXbhwCyAj9UysyoGANpH9jlRdDup7-BSjEV0HtnnVlLO7IRQdkGKHRmTqEJEr-RPC0WFcU-pw5C1MQ4PqjRBGm0vRsghbp48I_rY/s1600/101_0398.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563138204701882882" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd7rHVNjCj105YYztNidjcPWROIIXELB514P6axGMqXbhwCyAj9UysyoGANpH9jlRdDup7-BSjEV0HtnnVlLO7IRQdkGKHRmTqEJEr-RPC0WFcU-pw5C1MQ4PqjRBGm0vRsghbp48I_rY/s320/101_0398.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyr2BLV6O5Q6TUpJMncxcP7fDJYZ7ZhGzJ3ikCEQor4erPuBPkU_6VWnLhIyttMHYw2U_vp7Q0QlGegNLtFwo3BdMP31aUVpZwpcfrPDzRRxRQ_sX5N8VME2YVWlGh6XKDfFYxe8p7Yho/s1600/100_0508.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563138195296957234" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyr2BLV6O5Q6TUpJMncxcP7fDJYZ7ZhGzJ3ikCEQor4erPuBPkU_6VWnLhIyttMHYw2U_vp7Q0QlGegNLtFwo3BdMP31aUVpZwpcfrPDzRRxRQ_sX5N8VME2YVWlGh6XKDfFYxe8p7Yho/s320/100_0508.JPG" /></a><br /><div><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUeLC5cxcE8P2SDUSXN1nwXL6t63qsKRAaDQTG6aXlOb047pkymgeYpPM2L-YRAzRKohUH64m5AT-clDzFNYN7-5xprzSix_6YtCjW5Z2A49MSzogLTCAqWikFxElnXxVwta2YrtQiT3I/s1600/100_0433.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 256px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563138188642122754" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUeLC5cxcE8P2SDUSXN1nwXL6t63qsKRAaDQTG6aXlOb047pkymgeYpPM2L-YRAzRKohUH64m5AT-clDzFNYN7-5xprzSix_6YtCjW5Z2A49MSzogLTCAqWikFxElnXxVwta2YrtQiT3I/s320/100_0433.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLQ5YbMLxYDVDJAqF0YtAUVbz9bdPEz8DF7NZTyANPPyAp9NahUL9qsdgxoWr4zKsVCxdBPmjWc2dZ8qF3DKTMioWrtEmoUDTj9Rfnq1ZVQMZ_wqDQ7Pp03tdhakNSlPoYLuMcHI9q_4E/s1600/100_0446.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563138185315190754" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLQ5YbMLxYDVDJAqF0YtAUVbz9bdPEz8DF7NZTyANPPyAp9NahUL9qsdgxoWr4zKsVCxdBPmjWc2dZ8qF3DKTMioWrtEmoUDTj9Rfnq1ZVQMZ_wqDQ7Pp03tdhakNSlPoYLuMcHI9q_4E/s320/100_0446.JPG" /></a><br />Jonas got a new sled for Christmas, but Sara took ownership of it. And, you can see that they're getting ready for the marching band. Jonas loves his new drum, which can be carried as either a bass or a snare, and Sara has figured out how to play the trumpet.<br /><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh49gENSiyBS2Y0SJl2-rix_Yxa8rtdJI2bDjK9JLvBVd3UJW3YyoH3cIejuh8gW-N1OgpwAmcIv2IikGPWlASC08fQGljq9ZghzUjomIv8hwmmeiCehtzk541x7LAtglkhFvhFyIvhVfw/s1600/DSCN0140.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 240px; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563136859123882354" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh49gENSiyBS2Y0SJl2-rix_Yxa8rtdJI2bDjK9JLvBVd3UJW3YyoH3cIejuh8gW-N1OgpwAmcIv2IikGPWlASC08fQGljq9ZghzUjomIv8hwmmeiCehtzk541x7LAtglkhFvhFyIvhVfw/s320/DSCN0140.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOztiNjfF9BEUh-z_tQBg6jbZQirBuQxII5X461xgGQeUfCjBOBBaUYcFH3bGBKSW2yzE2KSxhqCCQ60OUj1zXJsWF86x3bg6hn0H-I6g-xHzcctJYuksfw_PxJZrpDeMEZsCHxIU_Z14/s1600/DSCN0098.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563136866460484738" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOztiNjfF9BEUh-z_tQBg6jbZQirBuQxII5X461xgGQeUfCjBOBBaUYcFH3bGBKSW2yzE2KSxhqCCQ60OUj1zXJsWF86x3bg6hn0H-I6g-xHzcctJYuksfw_PxJZrpDeMEZsCHxIU_Z14/s320/DSCN0098.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvbugm9wmIkA4ZKuyyGwvyA4Fj1W4_DpLB__k55NzMPHSBbt_opC4Bjhb86QvYAIq5iseLgCqKsn8mQVLdAHxJrRd_gko3sBX4q-8bU8VMQ6HQGwiWnqBF9gDlWAC3E_fvys4OOYCbEGg/s1600/DSCN0136.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 240px; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563136855588278418" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvbugm9wmIkA4ZKuyyGwvyA4Fj1W4_DpLB__k55NzMPHSBbt_opC4Bjhb86QvYAIq5iseLgCqKsn8mQVLdAHxJrRd_gko3sBX4q-8bU8VMQ6HQGwiWnqBF9gDlWAC3E_fvys4OOYCbEGg/s320/DSCN0136.JPG" /></a><br /><div>I gave Andy tickets to Andrea <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_16" class="blsp-spelling-error">Bocelli</span> for Christmas. More on that in the next posting. He got me a new camera. Here are a few great shots he took:<br /><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Uyt7dDTc42a2LeM3VvPBg6YdqrnBhEOfxY_qwz7IZAV9rjjS_3KB11th7yFMh6hrLzc2OULXn42j1FMngAS-0_Mo94VKFOMCVrQeQRTiW4cT-cvRR3y_7QB9eUZCqwnU68AnHMW4yAU/s1600/DSCN0293.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563133819715206994" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Uyt7dDTc42a2LeM3VvPBg6YdqrnBhEOfxY_qwz7IZAV9rjjS_3KB11th7yFMh6hrLzc2OULXn42j1FMngAS-0_Mo94VKFOMCVrQeQRTiW4cT-cvRR3y_7QB9eUZCqwnU68AnHMW4yAU/s320/DSCN0293.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo2w6hZkCPp29bjwezAFN8hQEubZKg6lOrLAchutUMKPG1KASFIroBZrBP5pYeJ_wLLmPd2xAxAoBnB3mc8ScNND-fH15-lkWm-28rkz0ZWqPVOefeFDE_ckvz2B0HVI9TBSi6e-kQZfc/s1600/DSCN0289.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563133812355505042" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo2w6hZkCPp29bjwezAFN8hQEubZKg6lOrLAchutUMKPG1KASFIroBZrBP5pYeJ_wLLmPd2xAxAoBnB3mc8ScNND-fH15-lkWm-28rkz0ZWqPVOefeFDE_ckvz2B0HVI9TBSi6e-kQZfc/s320/DSCN0289.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div>So, Andy and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_17" class="blsp-spelling-error">Oma's</span> neighbors created a snow bar with all the snow they shoveled over Christmas. We enjoyed warm <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_18" class="blsp-spelling-error">gluehwein</span> outside a couple of nights. Jonas and I decided that the only thing missing was Marshmallows, and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_19" class="blsp-spelling-error">Opa</span> had some! The Germans got a little chuckle out of us roasting our marshmallows.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin15G3MQzTBJ5S8WTk-oEazik95hmOihmCfzBBeffYec6TKZ8AQ-1CG3r_O_CCDdNhXZ14PzrwrWXr_e4xANa1WuNnSKSY8ethCrtkI5cG_EaDM0m_q6tZGEJO6y-wO6cQm4n4_iO7ip0/s1600/DSCN0304.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563133807588597890" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin15G3MQzTBJ5S8WTk-oEazik95hmOihmCfzBBeffYec6TKZ8AQ-1CG3r_O_CCDdNhXZ14PzrwrWXr_e4xANa1WuNnSKSY8ethCrtkI5cG_EaDM0m_q6tZGEJO6y-wO6cQm4n4_iO7ip0/s320/DSCN0304.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEnXgUsNa5KMtjctJ7S1-l_auKmVNx0Vwejrmq2T7P1FQY1XDnpf_1DIM8C4dLWNEzMdTw5QM6echo8Az-3jTj9pLOK4fVzpR1sUWaQxqpiN031plrcxNV91IGsPhUSHoypBBAEM5k7XQ/s1600/DSCN0391.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563133796210252114" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEnXgUsNa5KMtjctJ7S1-l_auKmVNx0Vwejrmq2T7P1FQY1XDnpf_1DIM8C4dLWNEzMdTw5QM6echo8Az-3jTj9pLOK4fVzpR1sUWaQxqpiN031plrcxNV91IGsPhUSHoypBBAEM5k7XQ/s320/DSCN0391.JPG" /></a><br />We visited with some of our German friends from the German preschool Jonas attended in Charlotte. Julia was visiting her parents, who live 20 minutes from Andy's mom. Petra and family had moved back to Germany in the Spring and came down to meet up with all of us. So cool to see some "Charlotte friends" in Germany! Jonas was happy to see Benny and Elias again!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSSnMrfsw5K5JTczalSACkFwi6LkF9IuglmFh0Mshq67N0JA0d-xLAxN4BUOoPlpeufLoPrnVAcazvnPr7_a9Iyn3wRfLFY6j6hAx8VJ-_0uhyphenhyphen9j4wJdL2NCR7kB418p82pRP3ncIPYMU/s1600/DSCN0326.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564357885722385874" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSSnMrfsw5K5JTczalSACkFwi6LkF9IuglmFh0Mshq67N0JA0d-xLAxN4BUOoPlpeufLoPrnVAcazvnPr7_a9Iyn3wRfLFY6j6hAx8VJ-_0uhyphenhyphen9j4wJdL2NCR7kB418p82pRP3ncIPYMU/s320/DSCN0326.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div>New Year's Eve was rather uneventful for me and Sara. We both stayed home sick. Andy and Jonas had a great time celebrating at the Kelly's house!<br /><br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>April Kollerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11463639088844927584noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8465418932764814003.post-31643442348928262442010-12-03T13:42:00.000-08:002010-12-03T14:26:10.620-08:00Sara's 1st Birthday<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjII2Gf-x9m2bANM7j7DM5NoOqo2wzL9VKrx9FshN2YHCYYENKAie4-6ZStHR7s512gBd_4MC9PktIiBa2fm6BpZA74sG9z3k6Uf_iB__hkHjBExRE36EpdFDEcGDd49AP54iVbGAByEak/s1600/101_0212.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546578669140944114" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjII2Gf-x9m2bANM7j7DM5NoOqo2wzL9VKrx9FshN2YHCYYENKAie4-6ZStHR7s512gBd_4MC9PktIiBa2fm6BpZA74sG9z3k6Uf_iB__hkHjBExRE36EpdFDEcGDd49AP54iVbGAByEak/s400/101_0212.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><div><div><div>Today Sara turned one! It's so hard to believe that it's already been a year since God blessed us with her - our little angel. She's always smiling and just about everyone we meet comments immediately that she's so smiley. Even yesterday, an older woman greeted us on the street and said so (in Swiss-German :-).</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqVXZmfTLQIvsbqTtITYLwTxJ_ptCME-WsbMz1QlKZDa57Z3Bz-Wcc-q9Qe-DKluuMFwCwgIdKs_REj1MXqZorPigA1-XNku0GR_3P2BqNIVpKmFUDcWZJ9Cuxr0vmJodBdhePMkUEulg/s1600/101_0210b.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 340px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546578390689058594" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqVXZmfTLQIvsbqTtITYLwTxJ_ptCME-WsbMz1QlKZDa57Z3Bz-Wcc-q9Qe-DKluuMFwCwgIdKs_REj1MXqZorPigA1-XNku0GR_3P2BqNIVpKmFUDcWZJ9Cuxr0vmJodBdhePMkUEulg/s400/101_0210b.JPG" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip2oz04OCBKHOMYlWd1QPQx0HGRiQCfF2gqbkbPBMWA6jrsRcj2Ke2he5Gg11kyV5axfl_byFCyOil-lefG9IICZJwEGQpqwkHsUxV2QYtxXHcKSNXmmTpMvNWgO-pkOExxUqIqK6JQKo/s1600/101_0206.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 314px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546582201395160722" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip2oz04OCBKHOMYlWd1QPQx0HGRiQCfF2gqbkbPBMWA6jrsRcj2Ke2he5Gg11kyV5axfl_byFCyOil-lefG9IICZJwEGQpqwkHsUxV2QYtxXHcKSNXmmTpMvNWgO-pkOExxUqIqK6JQKo/s400/101_0206.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNXt_DjQthJvfyVbZoZegpn7ygTy_EykWHXuy59CIWgcAvExkzsdj_WvBK3v8ZZn8l9ngbLAGoiAsYm6LcInjfVxOSI_Q89-BxP_tTMpylb0VodxHpMuRPgEAzPXNx2CbEAz7DE7fa3Nw/s1600/101_0206.JPG"></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr3YgAclzPc4aREHl1tWqJh-FFJ7GVqdsiyTVeiUGtJQ-1DCkDmPFwIIlAQZiBPU71PaIU6rt4RLD_Z9v9TyU7ifMaSpOIIp73db0EuFJQw9l5SkWGHY5FzvxmiVq7iA44jN4Cl4L-uT0/s1600/101_0199.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546584744737496498" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr3YgAclzPc4aREHl1tWqJh-FFJ7GVqdsiyTVeiUGtJQ-1DCkDmPFwIIlAQZiBPU71PaIU6rt4RLD_Z9v9TyU7ifMaSpOIIp73db0EuFJQw9l5SkWGHY5FzvxmiVq7iA44jN4Cl4L-uT0/s320/101_0199.JPG" /></a><br />She had all of her friends over for lunch and cupcakes. Then we celebrated again in the evening with Oma & Opa. As you can see, she likes cake as much as her mommy does :-)<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQzveoc1TSVVp0bCQ4jQogh-JpALbKqyzH44sxon8qUVhxXy0yW9_5BSnr1X6RcDSGX6z1E3gFNxsgXfSrzIZePJSL-mWQao5ljNe7Dv1uK5ZS8VGKqJcCs6LXrvxDB5jX2JYgemj8C9U/s1600/101_0201.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 300px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546578376651499378" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQzveoc1TSVVp0bCQ4jQogh-JpALbKqyzH44sxon8qUVhxXy0yW9_5BSnr1X6RcDSGX6z1E3gFNxsgXfSrzIZePJSL-mWQao5ljNe7Dv1uK5ZS8VGKqJcCs6LXrvxDB5jX2JYgemj8C9U/s400/101_0201.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdJ25Ufsqz-wCLXSNThTOm_EACcKC_Got5aV3AxUUbuXYB0OxfiIlwV2LMsdtgWhBQPWuhefk02FJ5nZAe41fa2XhtRYrswpYeCvUcCl6Bvf6GjN3-sN6h2wZyHJpbcGBQDSTvGHWqjOo/s1600/101_0200.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 300px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546578369890262018" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdJ25Ufsqz-wCLXSNThTOm_EACcKC_Got5aV3AxUUbuXYB0OxfiIlwV2LMsdtgWhBQPWuhefk02FJ5nZAe41fa2XhtRYrswpYeCvUcCl6Bvf6GjN3-sN6h2wZyHJpbcGBQDSTvGHWqjOo/s400/101_0200.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY1hZ4o2hcqnonOlw5QfsR6wQOmUutfeM0sTqVydnrMzeLgcQ9OcwQUkdfzIXxVt9PeC_mcpmuYlIoMTeno71YjpRNmkVUBCYtQnJaeL_b1la2FmtiLyZrkj8zAyXpFEbdJKYHp3tq4mY/s1600/101_0167.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 296px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546579263831020562" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY1hZ4o2hcqnonOlw5QfsR6wQOmUutfeM0sTqVydnrMzeLgcQ9OcwQUkdfzIXxVt9PeC_mcpmuYlIoMTeno71YjpRNmkVUBCYtQnJaeL_b1la2FmtiLyZrkj8zAyXpFEbdJKYHp3tq4mY/s400/101_0167.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div>She has become so active. Now she can climb up into Jonas' little chair and she takes the stairs all by herself. She has 3 teeth and a few more just below the surface. She loves riding the firetruck and can get off of it by herself. She's been trying to get onto it too and is really close. She'll probably be taking her first steps soon.</div><div></div><br /><div>Really, we just love her so much. She wakes up every morning with a smile. She is so agreeable. Her personality is really starting to shine. She squeals when she really likes something (like seeing Grandma and Grandpa on Skype, her friend Jack, the little doll Auntie Wendy gave her for her birthday). We can't wait to see what she has in store for us this year.</div><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div>April Kollerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11463639088844927584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8465418932764814003.post-54987955660239957142010-11-25T05:51:00.001-08:002010-12-01T13:40:30.665-08:00With ThanksgivingIt's hard to believe another month has passed. Here's a recap of November:<br /><br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>We visited Oma & Opa again and Sara got to meet some additional family members for the 1st time: Uncle Michael, Ur-Opa Adolf and Ur-Oma Margaret. Jonas kept Uncle Michael occupied playing trains and airplanes and loved all the attention. </div><div><br /></div><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHfsluVveDu4R82WmoNdWcJgynsKEl5h9MtQv0OFQxWWzlrYh8s6yMQtHYcuxjjnGTIEL1YitsWpTr-Ag_4qnXEdahbWjgKdk-h6lu7QCZFgK8JLgHBZ46GaDuKmEv3Lj6g349-_GiCSw/s1600/101_0096.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544717276104046786" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHfsluVveDu4R82WmoNdWcJgynsKEl5h9MtQv0OFQxWWzlrYh8s6yMQtHYcuxjjnGTIEL1YitsWpTr-Ag_4qnXEdahbWjgKdk-h6lu7QCZFgK8JLgHBZ46GaDuKmEv3Lj6g349-_GiCSw/s200/101_0096.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgjzO_8790esakyHEqNWDhy-Dfnbk3T_YXiqk-3TuvYXneWceuRx_4ifYbuIM2Yk4fubWto7XTtiY0eHrZ3moMn_V-dynHjGr32JUVlXFPAZqOtXG5QEKISYAMgUmKk-BhlQSeP6fhmgo/s1600/101_0092.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544717283125047442" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgjzO_8790esakyHEqNWDhy-Dfnbk3T_YXiqk-3TuvYXneWceuRx_4ifYbuIM2Yk4fubWto7XTtiY0eHrZ3moMn_V-dynHjGr32JUVlXFPAZqOtXG5QEKISYAMgUmKk-BhlQSeP6fhmgo/s200/101_0092.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEIB20tfObxzr7J3j9xx1G6PS61AiDahMqrj4dVG5o5gvPsApAkX_m7vwbNLZUbTHn5S-4YVRRNNmnNqi409lvwkBjhHz5ziTEp-NUETciDtdvUJTNzH0CBlVww4gROWqc-hvY_MiD3b4/s1600/101_0088.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544717289090848034" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEIB20tfObxzr7J3j9xx1G6PS61AiDahMqrj4dVG5o5gvPsApAkX_m7vwbNLZUbTHn5S-4YVRRNNmnNqi409lvwkBjhHz5ziTEp-NUETciDtdvUJTNzH0CBlVww4gROWqc-hvY_MiD3b4/s200/101_0088.JPG" /></a></p><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj605-yJD1HAD0BauY0YlUdyamkKZ5OlztLYdRzgc2Kxvogiz2gzAcP6C7L-Q8Qd8M5L0IlvRxsM1UJwC5-2uodC5s1QaAF8PmeLTjTUQ3URcffv4fUKeIQOUaR8h4F5lY6E1r44hjBYYM/s1600/101_0104.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544716577554213458" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj605-yJD1HAD0BauY0YlUdyamkKZ5OlztLYdRzgc2Kxvogiz2gzAcP6C7L-Q8Qd8M5L0IlvRxsM1UJwC5-2uodC5s1QaAF8PmeLTjTUQ3URcffv4fUKeIQOUaR8h4F5lY6E1r44hjBYYM/s400/101_0104.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcE_74EbF_FGr0alfS2Ywt0FRICejrvy7uHzinTeWnwCF250vTonxImTIcNKwnIGXwHEU1B-F_wUXTdV0mi_cWPQydtnvMqe245kiZrVmcNZOaw-ciAQ3Z7E_wZmo6r4ixsoOnawsk9PA/s1600/101_0099.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544716583079434290" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcE_74EbF_FGr0alfS2Ywt0FRICejrvy7uHzinTeWnwCF250vTonxImTIcNKwnIGXwHEU1B-F_wUXTdV0mi_cWPQydtnvMqe245kiZrVmcNZOaw-ciAQ3Z7E_wZmo6r4ixsoOnawsk9PA/s400/101_0099.JPG" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>We revisited the Jucker Farm, which is now all decked out for Christmas, and went to our first Weihnachtsmarkt of the season. Andy made his first candle ever. Jonas was content to watch.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6BpwhMLzktSJfPPQFKrheoQVEYl6-ER2mRbE2yzvnWhrCdVo0HYq4D5DX_7btnruGkgLys26cDiH9G-JfOdOkCoMiOpTOZ8_XiU3RX6kpzK9i0l9sGPAj-BpkXb0nzc8DSa4CW0KBRM0/s1600/101_0112.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544716047471858418" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6BpwhMLzktSJfPPQFKrheoQVEYl6-ER2mRbE2yzvnWhrCdVo0HYq4D5DX_7btnruGkgLys26cDiH9G-JfOdOkCoMiOpTOZ8_XiU3RX6kpzK9i0l9sGPAj-BpkXb0nzc8DSa4CW0KBRM0/s320/101_0112.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDiediO-xhyphenhyphenJUdpTe8abs7jba7Rg2A98i-Q89EwJvfWBEY6wwfZ2Hk_fin4nSM4ChyphenhyphentB9yu8a76OJIAUQ7YZd-C070JSJtWIdIylrQHRTbz-8H3p-ghoTLUmPknBRDBbp02lsKnuqvGnc/s1600/101_0118.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544712903192496498" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDiediO-xhyphenhyphenJUdpTe8abs7jba7Rg2A98i-Q89EwJvfWBEY6wwfZ2Hk_fin4nSM4ChyphenhyphentB9yu8a76OJIAUQ7YZd-C070JSJtWIdIylrQHRTbz-8H3p-ghoTLUmPknBRDBbp02lsKnuqvGnc/s320/101_0118.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz2azEEFZIlNcbrp4w8Xv3TqHaGR7e9wHxT0BsanopFZHn5a-xwOs0WbSOtMt78MGEjSyusORjInJPFHDFdTqszEK5hrua9UoGIpkNRI-6Yki3g0A5C4NZWZeSV2q5wtu0LdhZzJC2Tms/s1600/101_0123.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 294px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544713619909446514" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz2azEEFZIlNcbrp4w8Xv3TqHaGR7e9wHxT0BsanopFZHn5a-xwOs0WbSOtMt78MGEjSyusORjInJPFHDFdTqszEK5hrua9UoGIpkNRI-6Yki3g0A5C4NZWZeSV2q5wtu0LdhZzJC2Tms/s400/101_0123.JPG" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>We also celebrated Thanksgiving - twice! The first time was with a large group from Jonas' preschool. The food was excellent and plentiful. Here is Sara after her very 1st Thanksgiving meal. She's got the American tradition down, doesn't she? </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJcnhzw_xdh_tIZ5mjsM1iDJHmCmcuBcw6vQCwqEcDRmxm37ZZvfD2p7_fz19hfghB4WaVRc6G8stUD_JxgteudOB85zVPORpQUga1gFw1lkiTf_RDdYmA-NVLLbo296qqbOqr-sWbPUs/s1600/101_0125.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545458571548345138" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJcnhzw_xdh_tIZ5mjsM1iDJHmCmcuBcw6vQCwqEcDRmxm37ZZvfD2p7_fz19hfghB4WaVRc6G8stUD_JxgteudOB85zVPORpQUga1gFw1lkiTf_RDdYmA-NVLLbo296qqbOqr-sWbPUs/s320/101_0125.JPG" /></a><br /></div><p></p><p>In Germany, I found a new winter jacket (purple, of course) and some boots. Just in time because we've had snow on the ground since the day after Thanksgiving. It is exciting to wake up and see a winter wonderland. And to watch the kids enjoy it. Sara loves watching the beautiful big flakes falling. Jonas loves stomping around in it and trying to eat the snowflakes as they fall.</p><p>Sara has really been cruising around a lot. She seems to think I'm a human jungle gym, and tries climbing on the furniture now. Won't be long before she's taking her first steps. She is quite the wiggle-worm too. Changing her diaper is a real challenge now. She seems to have a stubborn side. Hmm.</p><p>This past Sunday, we had the Kelly family over to celebrate Thanksgiving again. More good food and good times! We are so thankful to have found such wonderful friends! You'll be seeing more of them, I'm sure.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp9ajkgYj_6RB7rgo1h8UWWt-LHyFMVotmgfUxCIiaA6LvjBrSAiKz-2Xzg6k219Lz8z0tBRcF8o8FEMKH1h6wmN1bMq-pXA-0G0hbBGrDFtrB18XzWc59WaFT7xjk25ZRN6TzmB9Y2nM/s1600/101_0151.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544711094294583794" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp9ajkgYj_6RB7rgo1h8UWWt-LHyFMVotmgfUxCIiaA6LvjBrSAiKz-2Xzg6k219Lz8z0tBRcF8o8FEMKH1h6wmN1bMq-pXA-0G0hbBGrDFtrB18XzWc59WaFT7xjk25ZRN6TzmB9Y2nM/s320/101_0151.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_KVWvcWrmH1Nl_DuxB0QWIiX-6Rwq2VbfsVU9arQhamn7OCdyCzhH07PPNHibO7QVvy8VqlEz9y5bT2S6zukW7soBRRThXFLaQqvUIpA6NStDMYfCMEAoI4pnebyQ-99hLlyr9gOerz8/s1600/101_0149.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544711101884295906" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_KVWvcWrmH1Nl_DuxB0QWIiX-6Rwq2VbfsVU9arQhamn7OCdyCzhH07PPNHibO7QVvy8VqlEz9y5bT2S6zukW7soBRRThXFLaQqvUIpA6NStDMYfCMEAoI4pnebyQ-99hLlyr9gOerz8/s320/101_0149.JPG" /></a><br />In the absence of American football, the guys enjoyed watching Ireland beat Argentina in Rugby.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkYPRvRJinTOFmwSKMKOvK9nspqqLz9V-w2OHzWylE-UerDmQMWuSReELalXszH-IxnvSFyF44lxU0HNO1Kmck2tDes6FEuJ4dXfWWPxdPUtRuAYL4tSLfvQYEL0BLqd_IlMM-zsHOZ3U/s1600/101_0156.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544710392502107586" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkYPRvRJinTOFmwSKMKOvK9nspqqLz9V-w2OHzWylE-UerDmQMWuSReELalXszH-IxnvSFyF44lxU0HNO1Kmck2tDes6FEuJ4dXfWWPxdPUtRuAYL4tSLfvQYEL0BLqd_IlMM-zsHOZ3U/s400/101_0156.JPG" /></a></p><div>Sara seems to have the same love for guitar as Andy & Jonas. She enjoys playing her own, and sneaks a few strums on daddy's guitar whenever she can.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitLSUnWdV1TxGRnam_TgAjl95f-n14zcRhRRrXoI-R6v6wP5R1_FQ77KbgPCULfkEcIrXTs-FF13wBpa0IdUtMuRoBGPQp461MLHZ72_EvzWaTBu_PQIzhkhh_xbK9hyOFmSsnbu4eh3g/s1600/101_0157.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 400px; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544710381515689778" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitLSUnWdV1TxGRnam_TgAjl95f-n14zcRhRRrXoI-R6v6wP5R1_FQ77KbgPCULfkEcIrXTs-FF13wBpa0IdUtMuRoBGPQp461MLHZ72_EvzWaTBu_PQIzhkhh_xbK9hyOFmSsnbu4eh3g/s400/101_0157.JPG" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div>Uster has it's own festival at the end of every November. Lots of local vendors, traditional Swiss food and rides. Jonas and Jack enjoyed the motorcycles. Our friend Lenora babysat the kids one night so Andy and I could go. It was so fun to be out at night, by ourselves. We were almost giddy!<br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA7XEyup5Slc39FHQ8k8YO5km-blZrAHr3UlbOyZCR2Pq7GmZNzE9Z5XfIZmfGwvH7MJm84HJbcxpP3sYCS81Reyc99ALLTVNw0_wj6OltvnX2Tn8q5IowmPCnvfPbcRsj3sc83c-k0U4/s1600/101_0141.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544712893844741122" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA7XEyup5Slc39FHQ8k8YO5km-blZrAHr3UlbOyZCR2Pq7GmZNzE9Z5XfIZmfGwvH7MJm84HJbcxpP3sYCS81Reyc99ALLTVNw0_wj6OltvnX2Tn8q5IowmPCnvfPbcRsj3sc83c-k0U4/s320/101_0141.JPG" /></a><br /><br />It's hard to believe that the Christmas Season is upon us. As you can imagine, Jonas is especially excited. Every day he asks when St. Nick, Christkind and Santa will be coming. And, that he just can't wait, of course :-). We look forward to experiencing all of the European traditions, and to sharing them with you! </div><div><br /></div><div></div><div>This month's tidbits from Jonas:</div><div><br /></div><div></div><div>1) Why didn't you just ship our house from home?</div><div>2) After hearing "Away in A Manger" for the first time this season: No. Jesus can't sleep on the hay. It's too hard. It will poke him.</div><div>3) M: You're so big. You can peel your own orange and you're only 3. What will you do by the time you're 30? Solve all the world's problems? </div><div>J: "Yes." And with a smirk on his face, a twinkle in his eye and pointing his finger at me, "And then, I'll be the boss."</div><div>4) After intently watching several minutes of a ballet performance clip, he suddenly exclaimed, "How do they do that dance? That's hard. They're dancing on one foot!"<br /></div><div>5) J: Is dinner ready? M: Yes. J: Ok. I just have to watch one more play. (I was speechless).</div><div>6) Jonas woke up one morning, climbed into my lap and said, "Mommy, You're the sweetest big girl in my heart."<br /></div><div>And a few random thoughts from me: </div><div><br />Things I love about Switzerland:</div><div><br /></div><div></div><div>Chocolate, cheese & bread!! Yum! (you know I had to start with food!)</div><div></div><div>Bakeries on every corner - another Yum!</div><div></div><div>Nature - Farm close to our house, pasture lands and hiking trails nearby, beautiful views of the mountains</div><div></div><div>The "honor system" to buy eggs, flowers, veggies, cider from random spots along the way</div><div>Being able to weigh my own produce - much faster than having the cashier look everything up</div><div>(As a side note, sometimes I wonder why in America, a country that prides itself on high standards and moral values, we can't trust each other/ourselves to utilize the "honor system"?)</div><div>Public Transportation - safe, punctual, convenient (but not cheap - in Switzerland anyway:-)</div><div>Advent exhibits and Christmas Markets and everything that goes with it - lights, fires, greenery, candles, gluewein, cookies</div><div>Better coverage of world news</div><div>Less coverage of American politics </div><div>High quality washers</div><div>The floorplan of our rowhouse</div><div>The price of cable: Internet, phone, cable (125 channels, dvr, HD, 15+ English channels) - 85 francs<br /><br /></div><div>Things I miss from home:</div><div><br /></div><div></div><div>All of you, of course! And Molly too!</div><div>Church</div><div>Convenience</div><div>Large grocery stores with huge selection and free parking</div><div>Hummus</div><div>Affordable prices. Random example: I looked for some salt here just in case we need it to keep the ice at bay this winter. A small bag was 65 Francs! The Swiss franc is roughly equivalent to the dollar. Isn't that a crazy price?!</div><div>Being able to buy our Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving</div><div>My mixer and our coffee machine :-)</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>April Kollerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11463639088844927584noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8465418932764814003.post-55630367438806713192010-11-07T10:44:00.000-08:002010-11-07T11:20:43.289-08:00<div><div><div>Today we went to a Swiss-German church with some friends we met in our apartment complex. While I didn't understand much of the message, since it was in Swiss rather than regular German and b/c he spoke so fast, I was still really moved by the worship. I guess it always amazes me that no matter where I am or what language is being spoken, God can be felt. Sometimes, I feel so far from home here, but today I was reminded that all of us are far from home. Yet God can touch us and unite us across cultures and help us feel Him right where we are. It was really cool to sing "Blessed be Your Name" in Swiss-German :-).</div><br /><div></div><div>We had another great weekend. Friday night, we participated in a lantern parade. Earlier in the week, Jonas and his friend Jack made lanterns together. After the parade, we all enjoyed some tea, cake, sausages and bread by the fire. A great time!</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_zpCkskNWfY88ZyTpS0RaaZgFpM8RGGDip7YGB0H80NXI5v59gG6Z_Pnk8Enx1qZy3KffYRWvBKprC3RWSKNS1Hv1Qe1IQQ1HxxlOH8BjMTolC41M_bDyDYgX-rWg_RIaDHjoDJrB674/s1600/101_0067.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536888392129081186" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_zpCkskNWfY88ZyTpS0RaaZgFpM8RGGDip7YGB0H80NXI5v59gG6Z_Pnk8Enx1qZy3KffYRWvBKprC3RWSKNS1Hv1Qe1IQQ1HxxlOH8BjMTolC41M_bDyDYgX-rWg_RIaDHjoDJrB674/s320/101_0067.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJpYu6EkCi_qlXV7-OYAYw_UABtrO8jjCNyxLFElxQ2RLM1QgiAbwqZwNOCyPMyMkKM6FlKAwddu2yCTwOwsn2uReazZlBpcyhoq1AjpmfSR5zU7c17Y666qHWXwZTCLI-heN_0TxdkRc/s1600/101_0057.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536888396976025186" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJpYu6EkCi_qlXV7-OYAYw_UABtrO8jjCNyxLFElxQ2RLM1QgiAbwqZwNOCyPMyMkKM6FlKAwddu2yCTwOwsn2uReazZlBpcyhoq1AjpmfSR5zU7c17Y666qHWXwZTCLI-heN_0TxdkRc/s320/101_0057.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Q8CznsbPbwmqbZ6sVxfkqyBqYDOgGXeo32HeSk5DNBBTYtbDp6XxWrRBbX12IUm1zYXJcdOqGjpPeQiHvh6r_VFmFAk18uLE23SfMHtTEtlt6ixly8MHs-HfMLw8cZoZvAXKz6U2kIo/s1600/101_0064.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536888400779574098" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Q8CznsbPbwmqbZ6sVxfkqyBqYDOgGXeo32HeSk5DNBBTYtbDp6XxWrRBbX12IUm1zYXJcdOqGjpPeQiHvh6r_VFmFAk18uLE23SfMHtTEtlt6ixly8MHs-HfMLw8cZoZvAXKz6U2kIo/s320/101_0064.JPG" /></a><br /><div></div><br /><div>Saturday, Andy went biking with John. Andy loved it, but noted that biking in Switzerland is a little different than biking in Charlotte. Many hills! A good, fun workout though. That afternoon, our friends Silke and Tobias visited with their 21 month-old son, Felix. We met Silke while working in Munich back in 2002, and have seen them a few times over the years. It was great to catch up and enjoy a nice walk, on what might have been the last nice day before The Great Unpleasant sets in. Today, the weather turned rainy and cold. They also have an extra car we can borrow! We are currently still "illegals" in Switzerland as we haven't been issued our residence numbers. The Canton of Zurich has yet to accept our US marriage licence. Hopefully, the issue will be resolved soon and we can buy/insure a car of our own. </div></div></div>April Kollerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11463639088844927584noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8465418932764814003.post-57835900605226850322010-10-31T13:22:00.000-07:002010-11-03T14:00:12.193-07:00Happy Halloween!<div><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTIMUGGwjqV_sQxk0Pd6WVEouw-v4tWULle_S8ajTr4vXaNeyLdwIsgo-OBNWSEq5SUvroDBTH1bOqQIGG5_Ql_z9JKhMkH8ibz-bnWeY4_djvOhX6xGXJ0utEJiXCjDSNB4X7I37_vtw/s1600/101_0013.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534311937363335746" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTIMUGGwjqV_sQxk0Pd6WVEouw-v4tWULle_S8ajTr4vXaNeyLdwIsgo-OBNWSEq5SUvroDBTH1bOqQIGG5_Ql_z9JKhMkH8ibz-bnWeY4_djvOhX6xGXJ0utEJiXCjDSNB4X7I37_vtw/s320/101_0013.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEEhJU_qf_ew4XfIt_bIeSCkzRgcYfJESy7rtO0rsHM_jMYlnNsyIWSDPwycnfTvcf6NZvDA_RhtNWW_-Wf8ZiRyyuvxcUVF_RYzgvetGN6HLKkPgfmgu42tuvxKhOPVKg0AJehAX-fso/s1600/101_0009.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 325px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534311934201059682" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEEhJU_qf_ew4XfIt_bIeSCkzRgcYfJESy7rtO0rsHM_jMYlnNsyIWSDPwycnfTvcf6NZvDA_RhtNWW_-Wf8ZiRyyuvxcUVF_RYzgvetGN6HLKkPgfmgu42tuvxKhOPVKg0AJehAX-fso/s320/101_0009.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEjtEkP0K4T_hlWWRlHwUc2LxU7mdKJT6wfFlJXpf_Dxg_YuEh9hP-U39KeRadQlcY-U4xmoTFytzmXz_Vjt0MrkRsC4XbIx6TJkm7uHia1fpEwcAcQVZ6ByI14i7sOh4LJMZhWrfzqD0/s1600/100_9963+(2).JPG"></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDU44tnPQIEfxJmfj3bay7y0BF-SQRF2CISbbmegfikBMaIzoGtwiwDrnVs0Pe1uNhKLCIcaoOOULfdIQSyDdsRQTatpszN0XJFs4FoFPG5JFznDzf_Oq2M_peC1OLMUkhEtpWTF3bwBI/s1600/101_0025+(2).JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534345292076564722" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDU44tnPQIEfxJmfj3bay7y0BF-SQRF2CISbbmegfikBMaIzoGtwiwDrnVs0Pe1uNhKLCIcaoOOULfdIQSyDdsRQTatpszN0XJFs4FoFPG5JFznDzf_Oq2M_peC1OLMUkhEtpWTF3bwBI/s320/101_0025+(2).JPG" /></a><br /><div><div>We spent the afternoon at a Halloween Party at Jonas' preschool. We all had a great time, and Jonas (the fancy, fancy elephant :-) was especially excited about trick-or-treating. He wanted to know why we can't have Halloween tomorrow too? A big thanks to Grandma for finding us these great costumes, and embellishing Jonas' so that it met the "fancy" requirement.</div><br /><div></div><div>October was a busy month for us. We began to get settled into our new "townhouse" in Uster. Our container arrived on October 4th, the same day Jonas started preschool! It was so nice to finally have our stuff. When Jonas got home that day, I heard a lot of "Wows" as he saw his toys for the first time in 2 months. Next came the huge task of making a house a home - an especially difficult task when starting from scratch in the furnishing area. One weekend, we spent 8 hours at Ikea. The kids behaved wonderfully through it all. One Saturday, Opa & Uncle Toby helped Andy & Jonas assemble<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigeO02ox-tJ3wYQblWR8YJta5OEgbx0eMqrWAl33yhk680h53_EK0Nuf_luIsDKdH8TrYQE312b9cC53dOurkmCI0eHPPzvAW9OgvrdX57cN05FKHCp7P62qge2kPI-91Dp-56NyLDvyM/s1600/100_9998+(2).JPG"></a> the furniture, while Oma, Sara and I hit Ikea again. A huge thanks to them for all of their help.</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXIUvEK3u8CD070rsdowAsYOT_pWcSZCYEQWq9czT24Nds5r2Gli6LyE1u-wQb1OIGpYaixppVwYkcbG8CI1dTfOOsrHm8g7dlacs9hThW44fKlNafzPIsIvcQBA6YrmBIkoZ2hf8Sdfc/s1600/100_9997+(2).JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534582493974947954" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXIUvEK3u8CD070rsdowAsYOT_pWcSZCYEQWq9czT24Nds5r2Gli6LyE1u-wQb1OIGpYaixppVwYkcbG8CI1dTfOOsrHm8g7dlacs9hThW44fKlNafzPIsIvcQBA6YrmBIkoZ2hf8Sdfc/s320/100_9997+(2).JPG" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUVZCeTQHqk8GUD1dp5QS4d5t2GB5fWctZ-i-OimK9iIgBjWTyVMzLD4XGng-g6aPqo5EgL_feeVFxDf0cGMNW7-rLp7z_yLfAyiav8Z2r5FH-bAMQqcYij0b0LxALcKoobI6ARXZx1o0/s1600/PA170161.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534582477556161522" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUVZCeTQHqk8GUD1dp5QS4d5t2GB5fWctZ-i-OimK9iIgBjWTyVMzLD4XGng-g6aPqo5EgL_feeVFxDf0cGMNW7-rLp7z_yLfAyiav8Z2r5FH-bAMQqcYij0b0LxALcKoobI6ARXZx1o0/s320/PA170161.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div>Jonas loves preschool. He goes 3x/week and Sara & I enjoy a little girl-time, and some quiet around the house :-). This week, he's moving up to the older class. His teacher really enjoyed having him, and loves that he's such a chatter-box. </div><br /><div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqKbkEuY4UhsB9KGCIyqNuT1VTmMW2lZLbonvsp0tX9nengGw4g0t-yxUvk6w8yGO2n01JVqbNdQBxs1JeALPvu7kxeFnLpdzWMgqMF5iD-Rlmp5g6ZJYfBIMLtDHJ8sf2FdWJ3mR0ubo/s1600/PA160114.JPG"></a></div><div>At the women's brunch for new members of the preschool, I met a great friend, Connie. She's Austrian and her husband, John, is Irish. They live in our apartment complex and their son, Jack, is a few months older than Jonas. They are expecting their second child in December. John likes to bike, so I am sure he and Andy will be riding together soon. We also met another couple in our complex that have 2 boys. Lenora is Scottish and Marcus is Swiss. They had us over for lunch the first weekend we were here. God has truly blessed us with a great house and great friends.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5x-zipZiR4_OSHHXTeTT-lpT3v6Cyk3gFznpZlHjVvbvyVpGBIurptgC9XPep8XMrV8wC0lkZ_9SoAqBLE92KLOh8T1oGhyR6DfroslImbyG5tOCSds-5dZlkyHvl4gfDnrzuv-dTV9Q/s1600/100_9975.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534335143442739858" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5x-zipZiR4_OSHHXTeTT-lpT3v6Cyk3gFznpZlHjVvbvyVpGBIurptgC9XPep8XMrV8wC0lkZ_9SoAqBLE92KLOh8T1oGhyR6DfroslImbyG5tOCSds-5dZlkyHvl4gfDnrzuv-dTV9Q/s200/100_9975.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfCN2GR_zg9ERO3W3RgQNoHlieP-BEH_IRQpZvRqh2ncB-SlN-mLtgXthcMv1K9i3cy7NGYRHrDr6njT__MRBAn0GD2fMdb9n4_d6yyhGcA3Fhfm0zoAA0HKrsOKhj073WkZ4o4SCaxHY/s1600/100_0981.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534343340287318306" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfCN2GR_zg9ERO3W3RgQNoHlieP-BEH_IRQpZvRqh2ncB-SlN-mLtgXthcMv1K9i3cy7NGYRHrDr6njT__MRBAn0GD2fMdb9n4_d6yyhGcA3Fhfm0zoAA0HKrsOKhj073WkZ4o4SCaxHY/s200/100_0981.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXo9vuD9NOO1usQHgQFJm9I7RpAsDxeMAUqv6I7atlmJgyuJJXQnTNTdxKMrntKrZav3cLPwsN0RhVIQuGjArXNITq9Rc51QGqNP6K-uh-Xes9hjSMLtdQaIOFWBURusf-HVRMrh8I2g4/s1600/101_0006.JPG"></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnvYCUP4oDQwWVQuNj5dunSdlpti5tjv7aJhSkUzE2mqnmVfrqArNN3mnM03B46OkyMvwugEs4KmV5wHmRX-qw6lwa-gNNg2a1IN5bUrYSYfdj0bhjMEcZ2TfZesOB8edz0my5-FgbdEE/s1600/100_0917.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534334027951010466" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnvYCUP4oDQwWVQuNj5dunSdlpti5tjv7aJhSkUzE2mqnmVfrqArNN3mnM03B46OkyMvwugEs4KmV5wHmRX-qw6lwa-gNNg2a1IN5bUrYSYfdj0bhjMEcZ2TfZesOB8edz0my5-FgbdEE/s320/100_0917.JPG" /></a><br />Our month was also filled with visitors. Auntie Wendy came for 8 days and Grandma & Grandpa were here for 2 weeks. It was so wonderful to have all of them here together! Jonas wanted them all to himself. He often told me to "go away" (and to take Sara with me) so that he could play with them. Sara loved having enough people around to actually get some attention herself. She became very proficient at riding the firetruck around all by herself, and loves to ride bikes with Jonas outside too. Sara remains the most pleasant, agreeable baby ever. Really, she's a little angel. Jonas, the angel's brother, is often a little stinker these days. He's definitely trying to exert control, and often tells me that he's the boss. I'm sure many of you can relate :-) </div><br /><div></div><div>We showed them the farm nearby that has donkeys, horses, pigs, cows, goats and chickens. An Alpine parade was taking place in the mountains the first weekend they were here, so we ventured out to get a dose of local culture/heritage. Despite the rainy weather, the parade was a huge hit with us.</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzisr5ZK-P9N4oUjlHRc0Co5mQiMCByRBffhQ41Bgkn4NGjaUKw-h7gEIj051oB44MEZiyklIiK723ipH64QTVLL0o_c3LEun8BWqbWVgvUbDUwux8PnYcCG4GI0OMx8hBrpUdZOHKapc/s1600/101_0058.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534334697629647474" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzisr5ZK-P9N4oUjlHRc0Co5mQiMCByRBffhQ41Bgkn4NGjaUKw-h7gEIj051oB44MEZiyklIiK723ipH64QTVLL0o_c3LEun8BWqbWVgvUbDUwux8PnYcCG4GI0OMx8hBrpUdZOHKapc/s320/101_0058.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzEEY_IBac7xDrnazKAPdEvAjm8CbrJFAupvFEG7Cj_6EOd1jjKbaM5CqD16frWgUsLYZz6CaEk5uM6Pej0p9AgBAH-lOlYB8c9O_mruUCijknm1DeGxGnUz1F0m7HwOrrSBq-avzgNz0/s1600/101_0021.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 150px; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534343373508313666" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzEEY_IBac7xDrnazKAPdEvAjm8CbrJFAupvFEG7Cj_6EOd1jjKbaM5CqD16frWgUsLYZz6CaEk5uM6Pej0p9AgBAH-lOlYB8c9O_mruUCijknm1DeGxGnUz1F0m7HwOrrSBq-avzgNz0/s200/101_0021.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmpU9EcMeaZna9iJGb9jqOahAGyeO3-dpQIpHlKb9zP_86KAe4duanrY-aVTFLNFs7z5P-v4H74vrC1WR3d5SB6-mCp8QEpPnnoRJG0NZwNCk40Utlge80uF8YuTUFUMijsp8La6VBdNE/s1600/PA160129.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 150px; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534335005630726578" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmpU9EcMeaZna9iJGb9jqOahAGyeO3-dpQIpHlKb9zP_86KAe4duanrY-aVTFLNFs7z5P-v4H74vrC1WR3d5SB6-mCp8QEpPnnoRJG0NZwNCk40Utlge80uF8YuTUFUMijsp8La6VBdNE/s200/PA160129.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqKbkEuY4UhsB9KGCIyqNuT1VTmMW2lZLbonvsp0tX9nengGw4g0t-yxUvk6w8yGO2n01JVqbNdQBxs1JeALPvu7kxeFnLpdzWMgqMF5iD-Rlmp5g6ZJYfBIMLtDHJ8sf2FdWJ3mR0ubo/s1600/PA160114.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534335015961388402" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqKbkEuY4UhsB9KGCIyqNuT1VTmMW2lZLbonvsp0tX9nengGw4g0t-yxUvk6w8yGO2n01JVqbNdQBxs1JeALPvu7kxeFnLpdzWMgqMF5iD-Rlmp5g6ZJYfBIMLtDHJ8sf2FdWJ3mR0ubo/s200/PA160114.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif6B6g1bbpiL0IAeBKEA0No9eLao7PL9gnYt3k7j0LUYBFbwmNR3MeENljYrC_pCCUVi2rv05EguCN9-jfibSEMEamA-RLioj7SvuXKLtNto_4jI7uIG-bk-lS2Zg8Gz_nroip6KDuwLs/s1600/101_0031.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 150px; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534334433401972850" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif6B6g1bbpiL0IAeBKEA0No9eLao7PL9gnYt3k7j0LUYBFbwmNR3MeENljYrC_pCCUVi2rv05EguCN9-jfibSEMEamA-RLioj7SvuXKLtNto_4jI7uIG-bk-lS2Zg8Gz_nroip6KDuwLs/s200/101_0031.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJkwyz-bmuv5-oOOe6qf3eOTsRviT9Tmiz8gKPXXjhJH2H-qOgQwjx-5tb8VAU2RIBnw_n3DGcpDz6qBSmggi6llzG3kPsFwufCjvKBW_sOKKT3Zzb2_YekoNSFhxyUqxpY5b4TZhMWp0/s1600/101_0030.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 150px; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534334437167976178" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJkwyz-bmuv5-oOOe6qf3eOTsRviT9Tmiz8gKPXXjhJH2H-qOgQwjx-5tb8VAU2RIBnw_n3DGcpDz6qBSmggi6llzG3kPsFwufCjvKBW_sOKKT3Zzb2_YekoNSFhxyUqxpY5b4TZhMWp0/s200/101_0030.JPG" /></a><br /><div>We ventured into Zurich a couple of times, riding the boat that we enjoyed so much at the end of the summer and showing them the parks we had frequented. One night, dad stayed with the kids while the rest of us went for fondue. (btw, always keep a camera handy when riding public transportation. You never know what you might see :0). It was so nice to finally see Zurich at night. In our old apartment, we were never outside after dark since the kids had to go to bed. Dad made a bakery run just about every morning. He always came back with such delicious treats! I know the women at the bakery must miss him. Mom and Wendy ironed just about all of Andy's shirts, so I'll be free of that chore for a few weeks. </div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu1FCWsOkIPSklLnH8YLcWpAIaS3hQOWzRi-tjooWpxT_bCjx3aTRlqOsMOl4R_toyMca37r4-Wd1fNUVSf6_QxNstFkbjcoYfT5Yr16sPU-4-X3OK16x1c6YBNDZGt05tsrIEWSTMOfY/s1600/PA160053.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534334999483295346" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu1FCWsOkIPSklLnH8YLcWpAIaS3hQOWzRi-tjooWpxT_bCjx3aTRlqOsMOl4R_toyMca37r4-Wd1fNUVSf6_QxNstFkbjcoYfT5Yr16sPU-4-X3OK16x1c6YBNDZGt05tsrIEWSTMOfY/s200/PA160053.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR9oH-OqItkgKDwHsRZKTxwzatY0RNsw92Apq6DYoiUS0Dritu9rjjakDCR1YygqZjVlxSwUxeHnrvY3pTeOmwOUBScgjcRLN0B8aPY03PLl-UwzKd3WXGBk1WF9uE-Sp8UcSZujdNxWw/s1600/PA160055.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535429261272796466" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR9oH-OqItkgKDwHsRZKTxwzatY0RNsw92Apq6DYoiUS0Dritu9rjjakDCR1YygqZjVlxSwUxeHnrvY3pTeOmwOUBScgjcRLN0B8aPY03PLl-UwzKd3WXGBk1WF9uE-Sp8UcSZujdNxWw/s200/PA160055.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div></div><div>Wendy introduced us to a new game, Bananagrams, and we spent many nights playing it. Thanks for leaving it here, Wendy! Thanks also for the sweaters and movie donations :-). Jonas (and the rest of us) were quite devastated when Auntie Wendy had to leave. </div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZSOOmF1vuxmy566CErLf6rYzEpFtD3fJoqnIqL0yvZvR-O5CIv1SH3fGG9RADuDMMulWcdWYbQxEX_yxfWIwQWMyXgz2upOiE3a8z4VRB_ulHt4gPHGYD0jMgIx6nBGJGbJlz9rR3lzc/s1600/100_0887.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 150px; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534343350252325138" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZSOOmF1vuxmy566CErLf6rYzEpFtD3fJoqnIqL0yvZvR-O5CIv1SH3fGG9RADuDMMulWcdWYbQxEX_yxfWIwQWMyXgz2upOiE3a8z4VRB_ulHt4gPHGYD0jMgIx6nBGJGbJlz9rR3lzc/s200/100_0887.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq3Jaze2cz4Vtxi-Sny6fDACIIWjkRE6UIybdfCcfjvowZcROG0yms6HeAsfRpNjb0Y3otNhJWiE7Tj0apOVcCrbVGIinTdAZ1YUQf7Wj1TLHPc7yrt_h7Zpgq4ehyphenhyphenys-7_H1PzZlWa6w/s1600/100_9991+(2).JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 150px; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535429257233270514" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq3Jaze2cz4Vtxi-Sny6fDACIIWjkRE6UIybdfCcfjvowZcROG0yms6HeAsfRpNjb0Y3otNhJWiE7Tj0apOVcCrbVGIinTdAZ1YUQf7Wj1TLHPc7yrt_h7Zpgq4ehyphenhyphenys-7_H1PzZlWa6w/s200/100_9991+(2).JPG" /></a><br /><div></div><div>The weather was actually very nice the 2nd week mom and dad were here. Sunny and relatively warm. We visited a local farm that displayed dinosaurs made out of pumpkins. We hiked a mountain to get there. Mom and Dad were such troopers! But, it was worth it. The view was incredible and so was the fresh apple cider.<br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg-HRvsvLV92rtjD096j_rlL9E9U5UXImfEnX92i2JQ_seMm8zxXTMpuif_gOd9-9jqk5WRcbkbozLVeiTt2muSDtC4AEwkiJDQl6r4UXq84vYldXiDHRTnxUkW-23lm0NiMH4muV5Xm4/s1600/100_9963+(2).JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534344268784249538" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg-HRvsvLV92rtjD096j_rlL9E9U5UXImfEnX92i2JQ_seMm8zxXTMpuif_gOd9-9jqk5WRcbkbozLVeiTt2muSDtC4AEwkiJDQl6r4UXq84vYldXiDHRTnxUkW-23lm0NiMH4muV5Xm4/s200/100_9963+(2).JPG" /></a>Mom and <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb-DX4Xenv2oFcXQKhCNZQ1vTbrDFYjmE_gJ37VSeC3CIVdXs0Lc-f5e7QobSszVcxX3RzwyqnslLqrB98iZeAkSyqOLsA64LEiIO_Zej0FbSbmqBTSYTe9pBL18plDkERnKrN4yVFIlU/s1600/100_9961.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535429253320013666" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb-DX4Xenv2oFcXQKhCNZQ1vTbrDFYjmE_gJ37VSeC3CIVdXs0Lc-f5e7QobSszVcxX3RzwyqnslLqrB98iZeAkSyqOLsA64LEiIO_Zej0FbSbmqBTSYTe9pBL18plDkERnKrN4yVFIlU/s200/100_9961.JPG" /></a>Dad returned to Charlotte last Thursday. We miss all of them so much. Andy even told them they could stay with us for the next 2 years if they liked! Jonas doesn't understand why they can't. But, it really was such a great visit. And I know we sent them home exhausted. They might recover by the time we all get together again in the Spring :-) A big thanks to the Lomax family and Kristen, who took care of Molly. We miss her, and know she would love it here. But, it's just not practical to ship her back and forth across the Atlantic.</div><div></div><br /><div>Last weekend, we took a little hike around the area near our house. There are a lot of "wanderwegs" nearby. The pasture above our house often has horses, cows or sheep in it. On a clear day, the view of the mountains is amazing. Switzerland is a beautiful country. Surprisingly, the "warm" weather is still with us. I'll take all of the sunshine I can get!</div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZLPrtkFHTHqkuh7QBAolHI4TX1WYqlZz-a21D5hTNyQmxwJ0WuMeFOLNn8v70jj1VXWUED5LBEhkrCXhU5yI5yBqw9CRjZdZsJMmRudFbKg9vFWUAnC43W5hr92KeagbYoOMN1mI5wdg/s1600/101_0007+(2).JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534334035350467170" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZLPrtkFHTHqkuh7QBAolHI4TX1WYqlZz-a21D5hTNyQmxwJ0WuMeFOLNn8v70jj1VXWUED5LBEhkrCXhU5yI5yBqw9CRjZdZsJMmRudFbKg9vFWUAnC43W5hr92KeagbYoOMN1mI5wdg/s320/101_0007+(2).JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi22hMt67WYm3fwA-mneJlnG9WkNj4rHyQ9hPw7inllbmoQF0Te9M-hk1vldqStpUSYlAKX2HMffevDTlQZKZS-9H2WqXIQviOpjZaNuqvFMNoNfwrjD0_sp36DHB5OanYn2cdraToFqu0/s1600/101_0008+(2).JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 240px; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534334028533510066" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi22hMt67WYm3fwA-mneJlnG9WkNj4rHyQ9hPw7inllbmoQF0Te9M-hk1vldqStpUSYlAKX2HMffevDTlQZKZS-9H2WqXIQviOpjZaNuqvFMNoNfwrjD0_sp36DHB5OanYn2cdraToFqu0/s320/101_0008+(2).JPG" /></a></div><div></div><br /><div>A few tidbits from Jonas:</div><div></div><br /><div>1) J: The cows here, do they moo in German or in English?</div><div>2) M: We have to share this cookie. Do you want the eyes or the mouth?</div><div>J: I want....both :-) After we finished sharing: J: That was fun to share. Can we do it again right now? (Well, I couldn't resist that request, since I'm a cookie monster too :-)</div><div>3) Jonas had to go to the bathroom when we were on the train. I took him and he stared down into the hole, which dumps out onto the track, for a few moments and said, "I don't have to go anymore." Later, while Andy was trying to convince him to go, Jonas looked at me and asked, "Do you like that bathroom?" He knew I wouldn't want to use it either!</div><div>4) J: When are we going to buy a pool here?</div><br /><div></div><div>PS: I know a few of you have had problems posting comments. I'm not sure why it won't work. If I figure it out, I'll let you know.</div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div>April Kollerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11463639088844927584noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8465418932764814003.post-32843215474727974462010-10-01T14:42:00.000-07:002010-10-02T14:08:00.800-07:00Oktoberfest & More!!<div><div><div><div><div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNDIPygs0iHStaNDzKTx3YVbg6MiY6vNf9H8PHoD5PPH_U_LdAmgtpphiXzQlRpxMQ0LV3PLZK75XxHUqlID2u8RHsYJbVA6gviTZTVYIrJgzPLq8P6GjhEnELxQywSk7ivPfCj75yVHg/s1600/100_1075.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523455675067424706" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNDIPygs0iHStaNDzKTx3YVbg6MiY6vNf9H8PHoD5PPH_U_LdAmgtpphiXzQlRpxMQ0LV3PLZK75XxHUqlID2u8RHsYJbVA6gviTZTVYIrJgzPLq8P6GjhEnELxQywSk7ivPfCj75yVHg/s200/100_1075.JPG" /></a>What can I say? We just had the best time in Munich! Here's what happened:<br /><br />Day 1: We went to the Munich Airport to pick up our friends, Russ & Corey. While waiting, we saw the Bayern Muenchen Fussball Team arrive from Basel, where they won the night before :-). How awesome to see half of Germany's World Cup Soccer Team walking right past us. Lahm, Schweinsteiger, Mueller - amazing luck to run into them!<br /><br />We checked into our hotels and started hitting all of our favorite places in Munich. Lunch at Weisses' Brauhaus (can't beat their Kaiserschmarrn and other Bavarian cuisine), coffee at San Francisco Coffee Company, beer at Hofbrauhaus (ok, so this isn't one of our favorite places, but our friends wanted to see this over-rated tourist trap :-)... the beer was nonetheless very good there as well. Then a walk through Theresienwiese for a preview of Oktoberfest and past our old stomping grounds, KPMG. We had dinner at our favorite quaint little Italian Restaurant, La Fiera. The antipasti, Gnocchi and Tiramisu were incredible. (Can you tell that I probably gained 10 pounds within hours of being in Munich :-).<br /><br /><div></div><div>When Andy & I arrived back at the hotel, we were a little confused to see a "Do Not Disturb" sign on our door - and even more confused to open the door and find someone sleeping in our room! We booked it down to reception! Turns out the hotel made a big mistake, as their were 2 Koller parties that night and they somehow gave us both the same room. They had our luggage downstairs. The manager apologized and upgraded us to concierge level, with free breakfast, mini-bar, etc. It worked out great for us in the end, once we got past the initial shock. So strange though, b/c the hotel had so many chances to correct the problem before we arrived at midnight. If you arrived in your room to find luggage, a bathroom that had been used and such, wouldn't you have had them give you a different room? Not sure why the guy stayed.<br /><br />In hindsight, it was very funny. Especially b/c it was a bit of deja vu for us. When I lived in Munich, we came back from a weekend trip and my key no longer fit into my apartment lock. I peeked in through the mail slot, and someone's stuff was there. Thanks goodness Andy hadn't just left me at the door that Sunday afternoon, b/c the apartment agent didn't speak a lick of English (and at that time I didn't speak any German). Turns out, there had been a miscommunication between KPMG and the rental company re: when I would vacate the apartment. They packed up all of my stuff and put it in a one-room apartment downstairs. I felt extremely violated at the time, but I got enough per diem b/c of it to finance a trip to Venice for me and Andy, so the displacement worked out well :-).<br /></div><br /><div>Day 2: After a wonderful German breakfast, we met the guys and toured Munich. Viewed some churches, saw the Glockenspiel at noon, walked the pedestrian zone and <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs_Sk-t-gwcwiWdRp2KN2NstDAHYfZq3Z7vdsjM3-TOkEcUCpy_-UrNgHbqJpYtrviEUH85DCAw1PdcCdsYlmPGZd_SUk4x0lDKm4G_6yodId6-A1LgskvYGpEcYKse2_ngEI8mK_C0S0/s1600/100_1095.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 173px; HEIGHT: 128px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523546770566787042" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs_Sk-t-gwcwiWdRp2KN2NstDAHYfZq3Z7vdsjM3-TOkEcUCpy_-UrNgHbqJpYtrviEUH85DCAw1PdcCdsYlmPGZd_SUk4x0lDKm4G_6yodId6-A1LgskvYGpEcYKse2_ngEI8mK_C0S0/s200/100_1095.JPG" /></a>then on to the English Garden. For the first time, we saw the surfers there (wearing wetsuits, of course). Lunch at Unions Brauhaus and then on to Oktoberfest. A huge thanks to brother-in-law Toby, who got us tickets at a reserved table in the Lowenbrau tent. We were in the middle of the tent, with very clear visibility to the band. Great beer + Great Food + Great Friends = Amazing experi<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj498m1UFf4fq3qHS4kp5OlzuKD6M-omtZEaVFFv6UnPF6S1T24oRYwmLeMXAFmVhu8trlZF9kpATN0zLgA2DVbyZAPtY3VZjj7tUgq55_ERiJ1Nzsv2GCb-h1WoEOFrRdWT_qhWtPcZeU/s1600/100_1130.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523540170822203730" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj498m1UFf4fq3qHS4kp5OlzuKD6M-omtZEaVFFv6UnPF6S1T24oRYwmLeMXAFmVhu8trlZF9kpATN0zLgA2DVbyZAPtY3VZjj7tUgq55_ERiJ1Nzsv2GCb-h1WoEOFrRdWT_qhWtPcZeU/s200/100_1130.JPG" /></a>ence! <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJZrMIGj8zHtGI1nDaUzIfhuBvaWcFTxa1XqxRM-CBiZ8kSocaUefEmJ3RvubvUYzrB_5N7swk8NFEsI9VMs_3T2UP4KQ0rgonRHsOhosR5ke2tQI-RK_Y4oac06QgFhqIB6wt2MxEcDs/s1600/100_1146.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 178px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 146px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523540177639483906" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJZrMIGj8zHtGI1nDaUzIfhuBvaWcFTxa1XqxRM-CBiZ8kSocaUefEmJ3RvubvUYzrB_5N7swk8NFEsI9VMs_3T2UP4KQ0rgonRHsOhosR5ke2tQI-RK_Y4oac06QgFhqIB6wt2MxEcDs/s200/100_1146.JPG" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje9oTZNCl5WbtJidtQKCIfTPvapP-l1M29P16owGqvA6UJtISVJqX16FxJKlSlST-IoFIJ0eMR1bpWzJtQNeMhDO7B27wFLmeF6f6VV2ICj5c_ltZTXPi1BtP1sh7vl-7jg7OP3h2XdQ0/s1600/100_9938.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 184px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 146px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523540166834389490" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje9oTZNCl5WbtJidtQKCIfTPvapP-l1M29P16owGqvA6UJtISVJqX16FxJKlSlST-IoFIJ0eMR1bpWzJtQNeMhDO7B27wFLmeF6f6VV2ICj5c_ltZTXPi1BtP1sh7vl-7jg7OP3h2XdQ0/s200/100_9938.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br />Andy took a break from the Oktoberfest tent experience to walk through the carnival area with me. We rode the swings and Ferris Wheel and he won me a little gray horse by shooting (gun, not basketball) 12/15. And, of course I had my fill of chocolate-covered strawberries too!</div><br /><div align="right"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-NaqSpHY1TTS-pd3OyTIejK4MAayAmgYeVRlIuaX_sLLNqBOuPEjGrF2xV53rEVlEP1qdTNQpQHaruAhzKfo23APyZS-m-5CCJsU6Q1NoEzM6ogxbNDus55QfUbZu09OIKmygowFY7Y0/s1600/100_9942.JPG"></a></div><div align="left">We headed to Mister B's after Oktoberfest shut down. Mister B's is a hole-in-the-wall jazz bar I discovered back in 2002. It's owned by Mr. Best, a man from Brooklyn. Our favorite saxophone player, Ernest Butler, is from Cleveland, but has lived in Munich for over 40 years. We weren't expecting to see Mr. Butler, as he wasn't listed on the schedule. When we walked in, there he was! </div><br /><div align="left"></div><br /><div align="left">He recognized <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-NaqSpHY1TTS-pd3OyTIejK4MAayAmgYeVRlIuaX_sLLNqBOuPEjGrF2xV53rEVlEP1qdTNQpQHaruAhzKfo23APyZS-m-5CCJsU6Q1NoEzM6ogxbNDus55QfUbZu09OIKmygowFY7Y0/s1600/100_9942.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 196px; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523544804652250834" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-NaqSpHY1TTS-pd3OyTIejK4MAayAmgYeVRlIuaX_sLLNqBOuPEjGrF2xV53rEVlEP1qdTNQpQHaruAhzKfo23APyZS-m-5CCJsU6Q1NoEzM6ogxbNDus55QfUbZu09OIKmygowFY7Y0/s200/100_9942.JPG" /></a>Andy, even though it had been 8 years since we last saw him. (We've been to Mister B's a few times since then, but he was never there). So, our perfect time in Munich just got even better! We spent the next 2 1/2 hours listening to some great jazz and reliving memories. We hope to see him a few more times over the next 2-3 years. </div><div align="left"></div><br /><div align="left">It was so wonderful to be back in the city where our relationship first began, and to share some of our favorite places with our friends. The kids had a great time with Oma & Opa.</div></div></div></div></div></div></div>April Kollerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11463639088844927584noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8465418932764814003.post-57298148271269253382010-09-13T04:29:00.000-07:002010-09-19T14:12:46.163-07:00A Knight's Tale<span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Hallo!</span><br /><div><div><div><br /></div><p><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">We've had a great week and hope you all have too! We signed our rental contract and will hopefully be able to access our new apartment this weekend. If so, we plan to go shopping at Ikea this week - so purchase your shares now! We also found out that our container has already made it through customs (despite the fact that we haven't registered here as we'd been waiting on our rental contract) and we'll get our stuff on October 4th! (We could even get it sooner but we're going to be traveling to Oma & Opa's and then to Munich). Yippee!!! Jonas will feel like he's in heaven when that truck finally pulls up! </span><br /></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnzL-H1XOijoBkuahnE9uzd_u7L1jzs6HMORDpMZv0nqOOwjxBVemrbrB4B_bch4GefUJBCn7tkNvWf9z2GnhBOW0MhxnrQpnTSgNoGKkdg5CNMoBq0E99a5UqNe7wSH5srBpyWakhgDU/s1600/100_1012.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518726360942001890" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnzL-H1XOijoBkuahnE9uzd_u7L1jzs6HMORDpMZv0nqOOwjxBVemrbrB4B_bch4GefUJBCn7tkNvWf9z2GnhBOW0MhxnrQpnTSgNoGKkdg5CNMoBq0E99a5UqNe7wSH5srBpyWakhgDU/s320/100_1012.JPG" /></a><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Last Sunday, Oma visited. The weather was great. The kids even wore shorts! Oma brought homemade kuchen, which of course was a big hit with all of us. Thanks, Oma!</span></p><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhxAXUzlTADJn0qMdr8sjPZVvpFO8sOnwPKq2JXD8JhMStcWzKRQ57B8eR0x-U7ZcAIuTS1dvcuN5yypg3aiLfhfpDUQrcH3tiOxXoc6nOw-lMAaKeXVQYg46fs3zKu6pKoSllG1LNFPE/s1600/100_1040.JPG"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518728891294987042" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhxAXUzlTADJn0qMdr8sjPZVvpFO8sOnwPKq2JXD8JhMStcWzKRQ57B8eR0x-U7ZcAIuTS1dvcuN5yypg3aiLfhfpDUQrcH3tiOxXoc6nOw-lMAaKeXVQYg46fs3zKu6pKoSllG1LNFPE/s320/100_1040.JPG" /></a><br /><br /></div><p><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Jonas had a wonderful 3rd birthday. (I was disappointed that I couldn't make him the "proper" b-day cakes I usually do, but he didn't seem phased by it :-). And, he absolutely loved getting a few toys, wearing party hats and playing with balloons! </span></p><div><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518729396097547474" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXsbjqgfN5QsHhmU1c2tIUFkPZ_bPTAWHvPV0_HCCZc1fMZFfOCkcVUVDPHNUKeT8gJSs2287LeVkC9fWgViKE9LsiORYBmyyIdVwGtK3k7STTMu0XkB0gYWeySnF3ld2TF1dyGx_kLew/s320/100_1026.JPG" /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">This weekend, we felt like we hit the jack-pot. I actually could read enough of the German newspaper to understand that there was a kid's flea market at the church near our house. So, Saturday morning, we went flea marketing Swiss-style. We found clothes, toys, books - all for less than we would have paid at the consignment stores in Charlotte. The "best buy" - Jonas' armor. He's been learning all about knights, castles, etc. ever since. We even pulled up videos on youtube to show him some of the knight's festivals that we hope to visit. (Really, what did we all do before youtube, facebook, Skype, etc?)</span><br /><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh11zuXSBvPdSszDW3sdS8M78bDnFJEpDMoq78x-vpkw32zj-uMGsEfk2r-_5XBVt1lPNBZuyRfMt9cIWHL_J9eV0PFiT2nuMkmFe4kgp4bUWO5chDWoime808taSMfunPMV8-70qY_Fbs/s1600/100_1047.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518726381286395810" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh11zuXSBvPdSszDW3sdS8M78bDnFJEpDMoq78x-vpkw32zj-uMGsEfk2r-_5XBVt1lPNBZuyRfMt9cIWHL_J9eV0PFiT2nuMkmFe4kgp4bUWO5chDWoime808taSMfunPMV8-70qY_Fbs/s320/100_1047.JPG" /></a> </div><div><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Next, we went shoe shopping. Fearing we were going to have to fork out a couple hundred bucks for new work shoes for Andy (poor planning on our part), we were so happy to discover the equivalent of Rack Room Shoes at the train station. Major savings!</span></div><div><br /></div><p><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">To wrap up the day, we took the "Short Round Trip" 1 1/2 hr boat ride on Lake Zurich. We didn't get off at the "final destination", b/c we had boarded at what we thought would be the next stop. Turns out that at the final destination, the boat doesn't continue on the same path, but rather reverses direction. So, we found the boat heading to the opposite side of the Lake! Luckily, transportation in Zurich is so great that we hopped off the boat at the next stop and got on a bus back to where we needed to be. My, that would have been a long walk! Or, a long boat ride. At least we know now. (I had been trying to figure out the timing during the ride b/c it didn't compute when compared to the leg of the trip that the kids and I take almost daily. It never occurred to me that the boat switched direction :-).</span></p><div><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Today we visited the zoo again. The Zurich Zoo is really great! The weather has been really nice the past couple of weekends. I'm not missing the heat that so many of you are experiencing! But, I'm going to be really jealous of you all when I'm up to my eyeballs in snow this winter.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">More from Jonas:</span><br /></div><div><br /><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">On the eve of his birthday: J: So, when I wake up tomorrow it will be my birthday? M: Yes. J: When can I go to bed? (Unfortunately, that was a fleeting thought :0).</span></div><div> </div><div><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">The morning after his birthday: J: Mommy, when will it be my birthday again? M: In 364 days. J: I can't wait that long!</span></div><br /><div><div><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">On Friday, Andy was late getting home from work. When Jonas asked why, I said b/c daddy didn't listen to me and he went to the wrong store. The next morning, Andy wanted Jonas to go with him to the bakery. Jonas was very reluctant, saying that it was going to take a long time. Andy replied that it was just around the corner. Jonas said, "Are you going to listen to mommy this time?"</span></div><br /><div></div><div><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">One morning, Andy's alarm clock woke Jonas up. So, I told Jonas the next time the alarm clock goes off, "Just hit daddy and tell him to turn it off." Jonas: "Ok, so will I not get a spanking for that?"</span></div><br /><div></div><div><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">The day of the flea market, Andy was trying to convince Jonas to eat his dinner: D: Pirates always eat their pasta. J: I'm not a pirate! I'm a armor! (knight :-).</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">On the way back from the park today a couple was having an argument in their car while we passed in front of them at the crosswalk: M to D: Those people are fighting. J: Where? M: In their car. J: With their swords?!</span></div><br /><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>And one from Andy: "I'm too American for this."</div><div> </div><div>Cheers!</div></div></div></div>April Kollerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11463639088844927584noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8465418932764814003.post-87596956784984229982010-09-11T12:31:00.000-07:002010-09-12T01:15:08.655-07:00Grüzi everybody,<br />
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Now that I have spent a little over a week at the office (and actually done some work, actually plenty of work), I am in the position to share some initial impressions from the office and work life in general. How could I do that better than with a few pictures...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="border: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_YZGY_Igr_vzGFg77ocLgJU3H0mOB_4A4-kATyEjltjoF97LAYH7e0RIGMN_NhHouqXUXVmQialUdm8GpNUVBVhOFGC_JJ3g-tlZVDsKJnSVlvzimZRIC7Nv76OLac3DLpTSkTNtOwxRq/s1600/IMG00023-20100910-1624.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_YZGY_Igr_vzGFg77ocLgJU3H0mOB_4A4-kATyEjltjoF97LAYH7e0RIGMN_NhHouqXUXVmQialUdm8GpNUVBVhOFGC_JJ3g-tlZVDsKJnSVlvzimZRIC7Nv76OLac3DLpTSkTNtOwxRq/s200/IMG00023-20100910-1624.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="border: medium none;">Here some pictures of the architecture and view from my workspace.</div><div style="border: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div style="border: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4TFkx7oeGSkYZ0Sj03vTQgHRRiwEnTKTxRw7FGeaXbPbZU6ENCJRyznZT8kbcrr6U_7a-NjYkjQvVucE-2BO9emHNgE2aVLV4a-KhNXgJxirVuw811cCSGimvYoERfkU2Gbsmu4Ytbo2B/s1600/IMG00024-20100910-1624.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4TFkx7oeGSkYZ0Sj03vTQgHRRiwEnTKTxRw7FGeaXbPbZU6ENCJRyznZT8kbcrr6U_7a-NjYkjQvVucE-2BO9emHNgE2aVLV4a-KhNXgJxirVuw811cCSGimvYoERfkU2Gbsmu4Ytbo2B/s320/IMG00024-20100910-1624.jpg" /></a></div><div style="border: medium none;"><br />
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- The one on the left is taken through the glass wall in my workspace and shows the galleries and "bridges" you cross when walking from the offices or elevators on the other side of the open courtyard to my office area.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYZo3vw-d20fIPJX4-1rNHXDPrsANtUemqhZrumETAAiLbTciQwkCEnaIuFXTYSpsLUS7K2Wpljk-kt_ck5xW_rQqnEcpJoWQZ5veqkwmNJ76n3NNNciElBuh8Wau67g6SexNNW9LpeyRv/s1600/IMG00055-20100907-0941.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYZo3vw-d20fIPJX4-1rNHXDPrsANtUemqhZrumETAAiLbTciQwkCEnaIuFXTYSpsLUS7K2Wpljk-kt_ck5xW_rQqnEcpJoWQZ5veqkwmNJ76n3NNNciElBuh8Wau67g6SexNNW9LpeyRv/s320/IMG00055-20100907-0941.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>This picture on the right is taken sitting behind my desk, view across the courtyard to the kitchen (located in the glass cube). <br />
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I'll post more pictures of the architecture in the blog at some point, quite interesting.<br />
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<div style="border: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCyBhIj6UHpWmgzB5blfHo1uDXoES0-1zPex8YbC5r6OPmXU2kmB-w5BK3HQpRsyHGWE8WS9rx3nWnM1pkgzWXjklB5NeIiLIDgh8HQoFxRIjdnvkVLm0fuxoEmtbk5v5Y6eUS-NbeSnUZ/s1600/IMG00058-20100907-1120.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCyBhIj6UHpWmgzB5blfHo1uDXoES0-1zPex8YbC5r6OPmXU2kmB-w5BK3HQpRsyHGWE8WS9rx3nWnM1pkgzWXjklB5NeIiLIDgh8HQoFxRIjdnvkVLm0fuxoEmtbk5v5Y6eUS-NbeSnUZ/s320/IMG00058-20100907-1120.jpg" /></a></div><div style="border: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border: medium none;">- Here one of the coffee-machines located in every kitchen. Excellent coffee they have here, I must admit.I was just letting out a Latte Macchiato ... note the INITECH cup, I am trying to add some American culture here... So one of these days I am going to walk up to someone's desk with my cup and say with my Lumbergh voice "sooooo, what's haappening...(then take a sip from the mug) Aahh, ...now, are you going to go ahead and have those TPS reports for us this afternoon?" </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxlJnAQz-EoZphGVJlLHqibByE9vTapkMAhasFdjXgpjOCxdXi4DXLxf47vMHuR848ENfy6orMjpQIMSTEfl8haeOpHI5RmkVUO-TrkC5pA-GMCyjbxBqRPcU5N0ph60cyXTgW_CeH0SF1/s1600/IMG00057-20100907-0949.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxlJnAQz-EoZphGVJlLHqibByE9vTapkMAhasFdjXgpjOCxdXi4DXLxf47vMHuR848ENfy6orMjpQIMSTEfl8haeOpHI5RmkVUO-TrkC5pA-GMCyjbxBqRPcU5N0ph60cyXTgW_CeH0SF1/s320/IMG00057-20100907-0949.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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Staying on the "Office Space" topic, on the left is a comparison between the ridiculous sissy toy they call a stapler here and my Red Swingline stapler I brought along - solid, heavy duty, professional grade and Made in America. They really need some decent American hardware here. Seriously, when I saw this pitiful stapler, I wasn't quite sure whether I should laugh out loud, be offended or just embarrassed to be seen with it. They might just as well have given me a pink version with laces of this ... thing.<br />
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All in all, everything at work is going well, I like the team and really enjoy the work. Oh, and have I mentioned the coffee? Great. I drink way too much of it... To compensate for the unhealthy effects of caffeine, they serve fresh fruit on every floor, every workday. I am impressed. <br />
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<div style="border: medium none;">Enough of work life... it is weekend now, and today (Saturday), April, the kids and I explored Zurich some more, hit some of the side streets and then walked back along the "Utoquai", along the lake. We grabbed some gelato from our favorite stand at the quai on the way, which Jonas very much appreciated. Here some impressions of the Utoquai and Lake Zurich...</div><div style="border: medium none;"><br />
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And of Zurich downtown at the river...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDgq-opSm3lJzJsWYRTKrvp1IB7uK7YpbXou41ZUtnzW5PQSZs1Y6Knec0MBBGgA_OfwOAiMa_zyhm9mQ9PBpacN_6gEPN-R06EDOSbYYlm_I4lQrvI_vLctRwwQmDTaUv0HD2KxgP9aVH/s1600/IMG00035-20100911-1716.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDgq-opSm3lJzJsWYRTKrvp1IB7uK7YpbXou41ZUtnzW5PQSZs1Y6Knec0MBBGgA_OfwOAiMa_zyhm9mQ9PBpacN_6gEPN-R06EDOSbYYlm_I4lQrvI_vLctRwwQmDTaUv0HD2KxgP9aVH/s320/IMG00035-20100911-1716.jpg" /></a><br />
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We got Jonas a new soccer ball, in the Swiss national colors of course, and he loves to play. His dribbling game is already far better than daddy's, that's for sure... so hopefully our retirement dreams come true and Jonas will become a European soccer star!</div><div style="border: medium none;"><br />
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Tomorrow, Oma will come to visit, so more fun ahead. I think the weather should be nice again, so we may take a long boat tour on the lake... we'll have more pictures then :-)</div><div style="border: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04135037476565113715noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8465418932764814003.post-60937130728406716712010-09-08T04:09:00.000-07:002010-09-08T12:14:16.957-07:00Good news!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQl9yOk6kXzFiQYEJrxEAR7hKGOS57-CUj16hVG5ANnq3JfoykSvWTM1PyY1axdW2ytEieV0wN6Ppmvr-0kTVVKNiWb4uAwzOfOgYWBH3jyna0KGPw3ieFYvJ9KrzQ4s5ow0goHDxhwlM/s1600/100_0972.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514502918778115954" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQl9yOk6kXzFiQYEJrxEAR7hKGOS57-CUj16hVG5ANnq3JfoykSvWTM1PyY1axdW2ytEieV0wN6Ppmvr-0kTVVKNiWb4uAwzOfOgYWBH3jyna0KGPw3ieFYvJ9KrzQ4s5ow0goHDxhwlM/s320/100_0972.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj92d74vyyRC6GfWVggasinyzeX-jO_5OYSmHc3sy_TWdhxi0Ns5Kbbi4fHRpwy8OrY7Qngi82Q16zPc_pqq6nwQwUaM-dyLR07ArPuxrgth_U1gaBvtbxsU0q2dmasNqy2RB_JgwtgxEs/s1600/100_0968.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514502912959891746" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj92d74vyyRC6GfWVggasinyzeX-jO_5OYSmHc3sy_TWdhxi0Ns5Kbbi4fHRpwy8OrY7Qngi82Q16zPc_pqq6nwQwUaM-dyLR07ArPuxrgth_U1gaBvtbxsU0q2dmasNqy2RB_JgwtgxEs/s320/100_0968.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxZNtCl7kIikoHVl63MJCECnbxBzIejSGMmydUoHBsbDg6z1B14xCkZik7oejeiDdEI2hMPCNBsN6ZEE8ewWJOsRKMlD7EvhWRzfj042xjQ1SW-q4wDannZh7aasFxmYBULAH4Fb5zCDY/s1600/100_0966.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514502902574221570" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxZNtCl7kIikoHVl63MJCECnbxBzIejSGMmydUoHBsbDg6z1B14xCkZik7oejeiDdEI2hMPCNBsN6ZEE8ewWJOsRKMlD7EvhWRzfj042xjQ1SW-q4wDannZh7aasFxmYBULAH4Fb5zCDY/s320/100_0966.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>Hello Everyone!</div><div> </div><div>Our apartment application has been approved and we will be able to move into our new home shortly. Yay!!! Jonas looks forward to starting preschool too. And, our container is due to arrive in Switzerland this week. Hopefully, it won't take it long to get through customs.</div><br /><div></div><div>This past weekend we spent time strolling around Zurich, riding the boat (Jonas' favorite activity - which we do almost daily) and visiting the zoo. Thanks to our wonderful friends who gave us a full year family-pass. We will use it often!!! </div><div></div><br /><div>While the public transportation system is excellent here, the tram doors don't offer much resistance to body parts. Andy was nearly beheaded this weekend while helping me get stroller #2 off the tram. Same goes for sliding automatic doors at the train station. Jonas got his hand stuck in one the first day we were here. So, traveler beware :-) </div><br /><div></div><div>We received an awesome care package from Grandma and Grandpa yesterday. Jonas and I snacked on popcorn and hot chocolate and had peanut butter and jelly for lunch! Adjusting to the food here continues to be a struggle for Jonas. But, he's starting to at least try a few more things.</div><br /><div></div><div>A tidbit from Jonas:</div><div></div><br /><div>1) After hanging up from a skype video call with Grandma, Grandpa and Auntie Wendy:</div><br /><div>J: Why didn't we give them a hug before we hung up?</div><div>M: Well, we were talking with them over the computer. How were we supposed to give them a hug?</div><div>J: Just dig a hole in the back of the screen, give them a hug, and then close it back up.</div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div>April Kollerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11463639088844927584noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8465418932764814003.post-50857704337233013882010-09-01T13:38:00.000-07:002010-09-01T14:56:43.563-07:00A few firsts<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRVPK_u0YzGWinZ4bjPtb-gvsIcy-DKGSszv5yjLkMson88rhZESmiWnj-riAkFRUwr57QolJAw7eLzGEP93yUR8KE8GhSxgFUKCcjIWLi6GcAbMJwn69XQ5IkfpKG94clwH-WhZUaUXo/s1600/100_0951.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5512058528488836994" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRVPK_u0YzGWinZ4bjPtb-gvsIcy-DKGSszv5yjLkMson88rhZESmiWnj-riAkFRUwr57QolJAw7eLzGEP93yUR8KE8GhSxgFUKCcjIWLi6GcAbMJwn69XQ5IkfpKG94clwH-WhZUaUXo/s320/100_0951.JPG" style="display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
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<div>Today was Andy's first day of work. So, it was the first day the kids and I were all by ourselves. We ventured out to two different parks and to the post office, where I even said a sentence in German :0) The weather was nice (although I absolutely should not have bothered packing any shorts for the kids). After dinner, we all went for a walk by the lake and had gelato. Does it get any better than that?<br />
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The kids are still adjusting to the time zone difference, which means we are too. Sara is cutting her first teeth, which probably isn't helping. But, we're seeing light at the end of the tunnel.<br />
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On Tuesday, Jonas said his first self-generated German sentence: "Wo ist dein Tram?? It was completely out of the blue while we were waiting for the Tram. Andy and I are so happy that he is definitely starting to pick up the language. I think the weekend visit from Oma & Opa helped.<br />
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We've been apartment hunting and have one we really like. We visit a few more on Saturday and hope to get it sorted out soon. Regardless of which place we get, we definitely plan to be in the town of Uster. Andy picked it out all by himself and I have to say he did an excellent job. It's within walking distance of a nice lake. Once around the lake is half-marathon length and they have excellent bike and walking paths. When we were there on Tuesday, we drove by a dog that looked exactly like Molly, which brought tears to my eyes. Hugs to you Molly! We miss you!<br />
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There is a Women's Activity Club in Uster that offers preschool (in English, which wasn't our first choice but options are limited - I mean, we can't afford to send him to the English/German preschool that costs $18k/year. How crazy is that!). They also have a Swiss/German playgroup, so we plan to send him to that too. The club has a library, children and adult events and really looks like it will be a place where we can connect with people. We will visit the preschool tomorrow morning. Jonas is looking forward to going to school. I think he's a little bored hanging out with me all the time.<br />
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A few more tidbits from Jonas:<br />
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1) This morning, he opened his eyes and the very 1st thing he said was: "In the Frosty the Snowman video, they sing and then they jump in a big pile of snow. I want to do that - all by myself". I think he must be dreaming about snow every night.<br />
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2) On Sunday, Andy and I were discussing what to do for lunch. Jonas comes in the kitchen:<br />
J: Is this the day Chick-fil-A is closed?<br />
M: Yes (followed by laughter)<br />
J: Do they not have Chick-fil-A's here?<br />
M: No.<br />
J: Awww.<br />
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3) J: Mommy, I want to buy some powers so I can heal God if he gets sick.<br />
M: You can't buy powers. God has them.<br />
J: Well, maybe he'll share some with me?<br />
M: Yes, maybe he will.<br />
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