Before they left for sightseeing, we all sang around the piano. This has been our tradition for as long as I can remember. It was pretty neat to share our traditions with Joana and her family. It was awesome having you here Joana. Good luck in everything you do. Remember that there is "No one like you" and everybody likes you. You shared so much with us and it was a great "experiment!" I love you Joana!
Herta made a noodle salad with fresh basil, fresh mozzarella, sun dried tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, salt and noodles. I've never had fresh mozzarella before, but it was delicious!
Thomas made this amazing soft cheese spread (I wish I had the recipe). It was kinda smoky, kinda cream cheesey, kinda muntsterish... whatever it was, it was good. Also a Bavarian Voosch (sorry, I don't speak German) salad. It had sausage, onions, pickles and vinegar. I loved it!
I know, I'm weird, I love taking pictures of food. We also had lots of fruit, meatballs, roast beef, rolls, nutella (one of Joana's favorite things),
tons of cookies, cupcakes, cake pops, brownies,
and this weird little marshmallow mouse. Joana said in Germany, they don't like mice, so they eat them. I don't get it either:)
Herta's friend made this amazing looking chocolates. They weren't for us to taste, though. These were a present for Joana's Idaho Grandparents. I hope when I get to be a Grandma, someone will send me to-pretty-to-eat chocolates. I'm sure they were tasty!
Joana's parents came to meet us, tour the western states and fly back with Joana. It was a lots of fun for them to be in our home but sad that Joana has to go back to her other home. They brought lots of gifts for us. Bryn got some fabulous wooden play-food toys. My favorites are the Schokokusse, which are chocolates (they also brought some real ones for us to try) that have a wafer cookie on the bottom and about two inches of marshmallow cream on top. So yummy!
Herta (Joana's mom) and Bryn.
Herta, Bryn and Thomas (Joana's daddy).
Happy Family!
Sweet friends. Oh, we'll miss you Joana, but are glad you will always be part of our family, no matter where you are. And there will always be a chair for you at our table. Love you Joana!!!!
This is Ciara's blanket, completely finished. Finally. I love the tutorial from V and Co.
First you need a big bowl.
Next add some butter. Make sure it is soft by tasting it. Then mix it with some sugar and eggs until it's fluffy.
Next, eat some chocolate chips, add a spoonful of something...
Ya, that's the right one! Mix the dough with your hands
Make sure you put flour all over your head so everyone knows you helped.
And all over your shirt, so everyone knows how hard you worked on the cookies.
Lastly, marvel at the amazingness of it all. Then, try to snitch one before they are cooked and mom takes you away for a bath. Yay for cookies!
At least once a day I will find Bryn with all her books on her lap.
You can teach a student a lesson for a day; but if you can teach him to learn by creating curiosity, he will continue the learning process as long as he lives. ~Clay P. Bedford
I finally let Bryn eat her Easter sucker from Cathy. In the tub. Good idea. Pink water was cool looking.
Dishes LOVE me.
I did not make this on purpose. Just lifted the glass, and viola. Dishes love me.
Bryn was climbing all over, going back and forth on the couch, Quinn, Shane and I were talking. All of a sudden Bryn gets into Quinn's face! It was so funny! She would turn to go play, but then would get right back up there, like an inch from his nose. Not sure what she was thinking, but man, funny!
Bryn doesn't love riding in our co-pilot (bike trailer), but usually sings and jabbers on the way. This time is was unusually quiet. I turned around to make sure I didn't drop the trailer, I hadn't of course, my noisemaker was just sound asleep.
I never knew that eating was so exhausting! We WERE in the middle of dinner, but Bryn, being the director, coordinator and governing body of my life decided we should be in the middle of nap time. Okay. You win.
I think this is a Yoga pose. I knew before she was born that she would be a mover- climber- adrenaline junkie- explorer extraordinaire. She isn't wasting any time getting to that too. I took this picture as she was climbing down the gate. Bryn randomly does stuff that surprises me. She is now nine months old. She can stand for a long time, take 1-2 steps, go up and down stairs, climb off the bed (opposed to falling), and she 'nose' where her nose is!
She has added toe and Jesus to her vocabulary. We have a large sketch of Christ holding a child, and the child is giggling and pointing to the Savior's nose. Bryn will stare at that picture for as long as I stand in front of it, and now she can say Jesus. I know she remembers him, and I hope that I can create a home that she will never forget what it feels like to know him. That was one of the moments that make cleaning, wiping, changing, cleaning, running, reversing, cleaning, chasing, folding, making, cleaning... worth it.
Bryn was climbing all over, going back and forth on the couch, Quinn, Shane and I were talking. All of a sudden Bryn gets into Quinn's face! It was so funny! She would turn to go play, but then would get right back up there, like an inch from his nose. Not sure what she was thinking, but man, funny!
Bryn doesn't love riding in our co-pilot (bike trailer), but usually sings and jabbers on the way. This time is was unusually quiet. I turned around to make sure I didn't drop the trailer, I hadn't of course, my noisemaker was just sound asleep.
I never knew that eating was so exhausting! We WERE in the middle of dinner, but Bryn, being the director, coordinator and governing body of my life decided we should be in the middle of nap time. Okay. You win.
I think this is a Yoga pose. I knew before she was born that she would be a mover- climber- adrenaline junkie- explorer extraordinaire. She isn't wasting any time getting to that too. I took this picture as she was climbing down the gate.