Christmas Day

The kiddo's woke us up a little after 8am (Thankfully since it was a VERY late night for Matt and I), but it was still just getting light out.  We were able to skype for a little bit with family, see what Santa brought us, and open one or two gifts before we had to get ready to go to church.  The Christmas program at church was marvelous, and a perfect way to celebrate and reflect on the Savior's birth.  I think it really cemented the true meaning of Christmas this year.  When we got home after church we jumped back into jammie's, looked in our stockings and finished opening presents.  We had  some offers to join friends for Christmas Dinner, but Christmas has always been such a busy day for us bouncing between families homes.  Our kids have never been able to play with or open the packaging of toys they got for Christmas ON Christmas day.  So we decided to keep it low key again, and stay in our pajama's the rest of the day, made our own little grazing party for dinner and enjoy the day as a family.  It was so nice, and relaxing and fun!  We did miss family and seeing cousins, but we were able to Skype a little with some, so that made the day special too.

The girls didn't ask Santa for much this year.  So Santa really had to work hard to figure out what they wanted.  

The only thing they asked for was a HAMSTER!

YIKES!

We typically are a strict "no pet" family.  So there was a lot of nervous anticipation to see if Santa could deliver that request of all requests.

What are all the girls huddled around on Christmas morning...

 why, could it be?  It is!  Our new family pet, a female, golden Hamster named Ninja.

I voted for the name smoky or misty, because she is a gray with orange and cream...kind of like a calico cat (which are my favorite coloring...imagine getting a hamster that looks like my favorite kind of cat!)  But the girls out voted us, and so now we have a hamster named Ninja...who we call ninjee for short.

 Santa brought the boys a tee-ball set that Jack (our sportsman) just LOVED!

 AND  a work table with a drill that really goes that Hunter (our workman) just Loves!

 Santa filled in the Hamster with "How to train your dragon" figures, and Littlest Pet shop figures

 Hannah, where are your glasses?  Half the morning she kept saying, "wait, I can't see what you got"...until she (and we) realized she didn't have her glasses on!  Silly us!

 Hunter a working

 Jack a batting.

He can already hit the ball really well when pitched to.  He hits 8 out of 10 hits, which I think is really good for a two year old!

 The boys loved opening presents this year.  It was their FAVORITE thing to do!  I would say that almost every present that was handed out, had a little rip or tear in the wrapping from the boys "helping".

 Thanks Uncle Quinn and Aunt Nicole for our webkinz.

We love them!!!

 The best reaction of the day...

a while back Cora bought this barking and walking dog with her allowance from a German toy store.  The boys (especially Hunter) just love it.  When ever the girls leave their door open, the boys run in and grab this little dog to play with.  Well, we decided to get each of the boys their own ( you can't see Jack's because it is in his lap and he is backwards), the boys opened them together and Jack yells "Baby" which is what he calls his dog he sleeps with.  and Hunter yells "doggie" and bursts out in peals of giggles, laughs and "Yay, Yah, Yay's".  It was sooo cute!  You can tell in this picture that Hunter just loves it!

 The Christmas damages...

 Time to clean up the wreckage!

 Santa left this sit and ride toy thing.

All the kids love it, but I especially love to see the boys ride it through the house giving each other "lifts".  I am amazed still at the things these boys figure out how to do.

 This one was just too cute not to post

Ahh, this is the life.  All the unwrapping is done, now it is time to kick back and eat some delicious chocolate!

We had a fabulous day!  We hope you did too!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Christmas Eve

Since Matt and I were married we have always had a Christmas Eve tradition. We have always spent the evening with Matt's Sister's family.  We love that family, and count them as some of our bestest friends ever!  We always meet at dinner time, sometimes before if time allows, and have our Christmas Eve soup.  Then we pack all the kids up in the cars and go see Christmas lights, our favorite being the Spanish Fork Light festival.

This year, far away in Germany, we couldn't share our tradition of 14 years or more with our favorite Christmas Eve family.  So we did some things that we always wanted to do, but never seemed to have the time or the kitchen when we were traveling.

 It's Christmas time, our advent calendar says it is...

 The night before, at the ward Christmas party, all the kids got these giant chocolate Santa's from Santa Clause.  I guess we were too slow getting the boys their breakfast.  Shortly after waking up in the morning I found them in the kitchen like this.

 I have always wanted to decorate cookies for Santa and make homemade ginger bread houses with my kids.  Christmas eve always seemed so busy, so Santa usually ended up with store bought cookies, or old stale cookies we brought with us to Utah.

This year we made gingerbread boys and girls, snowmen and a gingerbread house.  It was so much fun.

 I love this face that Cora makes.  She always makes it when she concentrates.

 Trying to decorate a gingerbread boy with my boys.  They weren't much into it.  Hunter ate the candies, and Jack new they were balls...and everyone knows that balls must be thrown at all costs.  I am still finding little candy balls in odd places around the dinning room.

After decorating cookies, eating some Christmas Eve soup ( we made potato and ham chowder), we tried to find some Christmas lights.  We were out of luck.  There just isn't any huge massive light festivals here where we live.  No animals made out of lights, no dinosaurs...so we had to content our selves with driving down the main streets in a couple of towns.  The kids weren't very impressed, so we ended early and delivered the last of our Christmas goodies to friends and neighbors.  Then we opened our Christmas jammies and snuggled up in blankets, eating cookies and drinking cocoa while watching a Christmas movie.

It's not how we are used to spending Christmas eve, but it still turned out nice.

Merry Christmas everyone, we hope Santa comes too!

Christmas Markets

As soon as people who had lived in Germany heard we were moving here, they told us "Christmas Markets!"  That is the best part about living in Germany at Christmas time.  It is truly magical, wandering around medieval settings, hearing music in the back ground, sipping hot cider and eating warm bread or scones or fried apples.  I love it!!!  We didn't get to go to as many as I would have liked, and I have still have a list of about 10 I want to hit next year. But we made a good dent.  Our first Christmas market was Nurnberg, which is the biggest in the area.

The next weekend we traveled about 40 minutes south to Nonnberg and went to a market that was held in Guteneck Schloss.

 Warming up.  The kids wouldn't get too close, they were afraid of catching fire.

 This Christmas Market had stable animals you could ride.  Anya and Cora both wanted to ride the camel.  Anya called it a "once in a lifetime experience".

 Gluwein is all the rage at Christmas Markets.  Mostly that is what you see the locals doing, standing around fires or heaters, sipping their mugs of Gluwein.  Since we are L.D.S., and we don't consume alcohol, we contented ourselves with the warm kinderpunsch...which is just like warm apple cider or wassle.  Very tasty.

 Next we hit Rothenburg Or De Tauber

This one was my favorite our of all the ones we went too.  The old town is still surrounded by a wall that is beautifully maintained.  When you step through the city gate it is like stepping back in time.

 Some of the booths and wares

 your done already?  we have more to see and more to do!

 Matt had to try this, it was called the "half-meter sausage"

 I have to admit, not being much of a meat eater myself, that it was pretty tasty.

 We were all the way in Rothenburg, we had to go up on the city wall.

 Cora, with the town's skyline in the background

 Tried to take one of me and Cora...it kind of worked.

ahhh, Rothenburg, we can't wait to come back when it is warmer and see all you have to offer.  We also want to go on the Night watchman's tour, so stay tuned in warmer months

We went to a couple of other Christmas Markets that I didn't get any pictures of, because it was after dark when we went.  My camera doesn't do well after dark falls.  We went to Weiden's Christmas Market, which was quaint yet fun.  We also went to Bayreuth's Christmas market, which was really fun.  The girls liked that one, because they remembered to bring their money and were able to by presents for their sister's at the market.

I can't wait for next year's Christmas Markets!!!

Tree Trimming

Oh Tannebaum, oh Tannebaum

We love Christmas trees, but the kids have never had a real one before.  Mainly because we have always traveled to Utah for Christmas, and have never in our 14 years of marriage (except the few short years when we lived in Provo/Orem, Utah) had Christmas in our own home.  We just didn't see the sense in buying a real tree, decorate it, only to take it down before we left because it is a fire hazard.  So, we have a really nice, beautiful pre-lit, artificial Christmas tree that we use.  

Only this year we are in Germany, and we are staying in our house for Christmas.  So it seemed wrong to use a fake tree...and we wanted the kids to experience having a real tree.  So we went of to the tree lot everyone recommended, and we were able to cut down our "first" real Christmas tree.  It was an experience to remember, mainly because it was wet and rainy and we lost light because we took so long deciding on a tree.  So by the time we chose one, we had to use the flashlight app on Matt's iphone so we could see to cut the tree down...oh the memories.

But, we have a beautiful, fresh cut, Christmas tree in the end.

 We have to string the lights on the tree?  

It doesn't come pre-lit?

Poor dad...

Decorating begins.  All the kids have their favorite ornaments they like to put on the tree year after year.  So the first thing they do when I get the ornaments out, is dive in, find their favorites and make their piles.  Silly kids!

 Cora does love to pose

 The boys liked playing with some flashlights they found more then decorating the tree.

That's ok, they thoroughly inspected the tree for any critters that might be hiding in it

Inspector Hunter

 Inspector Jack

 Dad always puts the star on the top.

Our beautiful tree.

all the breakable ornaments are on the top, so the boys can't get them...maybe next year the tree will be decorated more evenly?

Thanksgiving in the house!

We had a FULL house for Thanksgiving, but we really wouldn't have it any other way.  We are used to big family gatherings for the Holidays, so it made it feel just like being at "home".  Some of our good friends that are currently living in Belgium came down for a visit.  We have known each other for years, and have been fortunate to be stationed close to each other for three duty stations.  We also have mutual friends that live behind our house in Germany, so they came over to celebrate with us too.  All totaled we had 16 kids, and 7 adults. It was a blast!

The guys on potato duty....

 Some of the kiddos

 two of the "16 kids" were new babies.  Hannah and E. made great babysitters!  Those are some cute babies, I loved having a baby in the house again.  Even if it was just for a few short days.  Babies bring such a sweet spirit into the home!

Hohenstein

What's touring Europe without stopping at some kind of castle or fortress.

We had a hard time finding one that was open in the winter, and luck wasn't with us because this one was closed too.  Normally you can explore all inside this castle ruin, but we had to content ourselves with the outside.

I had to post this one of Anya.  The sunset caught in her hair and it was a brilliant, fire red.  It looked like a flame blowing in the wind.

 Two of my boys

 We went into Nurnberg for a Christmas Market , and stopped in the St. Lorenz church.  All the kids wanted to light a candle and "make a wish".  I thought it looked neat how all the kids are kneeling before the nativity scene.  It seemed like Christmas to me.

This picture reminds me of " The Christmas Story", how the highlight of the season was looking in the store front window displays.  All the kids faces mashed against the glass in fascination.  Here, they are all looking at a massive electric train display.

Here is little "I" peeking up over the table.  Notice the tall, very unstable, glass, glasses.  We stopped in the cafe to warm up and get some Hasse Schokolade.  It came in these tall glass, glasses.  They were too "hot" to touch, and very wobbly.  I think we had two, maybe three spills during the course of our warm-up.  Funny now, but at the time it was crazy.  What happened to good old-fashioned mugs for hot chocolate?

We had a great time, despite the cold.  And we were sad to see our friends go, but look forward to when we will see them again.  We are so grateful for good friends, wonderful family and the gospel in our lives!