Growing Up

This one shows you how much Katie is growing up. That Anne sure loves to mother her.

She really wants to sit, but as you can see she still needs more practice. She just started holding the her bottle on her own this past weekend. I am loving it. And she rolls over all the time now. Doesn't take her long to get impatient with the position though, but all my girls have been that way.

Katie is now using her highchair to eat rice cereal. She is still getting used to the new texture and gets impatient if she is too hungry. But she is doing good and I am proud of her.

I just thought the slippers were cute and so is the girl wearing them.

Alicia was feeding her baby just like mommy.

Don't know how she did that. She's got skills.

Girls Camp

Our Stake's Girls camp was a couple weekend ago. What an experience that was. I will give you the highlights. I was asked by the camp director, who is my friend, to come one of the days. Richy was supposed to be cooking. So Thursday, the first day, Jared and I went with girls to pick up our car that Richy was using.

When we got there it was chaos. The rain was poaring down and they were trying, unsuccessfully, to set everything up. And the girls were going to start arriving. Jared jumped out and started to help setting things up. When it looked like we would be there awhile I took the girls home, so that Jared could stay until they didn't need him anymore.

• The girls watching Jared get the soaked camp presentable.
  

He called after a couple hours and said that he might be there all night. The YW were sharing the camp, bathrooms, 1 meeting room and 1 kitchen with other camping groups.

Later that evening Jared called me and said that he might be staying the night. One of the other groups had a portable hot tub. Combine that with the traditional way for Germans to celebrate (beer) and what you get is a bunch of people drunk and running around naked. Co-ed! Not the best atmosphere for a girls camp and to feel the spirit. Jared and the other priesthood leaders figured it would be best for one of them to be awake at all times during the night.

He finally came home at 3am.

The next morning I headed out for my dad with the young women. When I got there the leaders were trying to decide whether or not to go home. After talking with the Stake President, they decided to end the day at the church building nearby.

So I called Jared to come and help transport girls and equipment. He, Ray and the girls came, with the trailor. While we made lunch and finished packing everything up the young women went on their hike.

Alicia entertained herself by setting up all these chairs. She was so proud of herself.

I am so grateful for my husband's willingness to always be there when anyone needs help.

Anne and Alicia loved playing in the trailor while it was being loaded. The young women loved having them around and were good about entertaining them.

She was determined to carry these heavy jugs to the car.

They had dinner and the testimony meeting at the local LDS church. It was wonderful to end the camp on a spiritual note.

Anne even made friends with the daughter of our friends Hannes and Alex Keil. They had so much fun together even though they don't speak the same language. I guess that is what Christ was talking about when he told us to be like a little child.

I couldn't believe how much of this apfelschorle she drink in one sitting.

Ray, my friend Jenny Keil, Jared and Richy sorted through all the unused food. There was so much.

Time with Dad

Just some special moments with Dad.

When we were at Girls Camp (more to follow) during the testimony meeting Jared, Ray, a friend and his son took the girls to a little park that also had goats.

Anne was so scared to feed them once she got really close. But Alicia had no fear.

I wish we had a playground in our village for our girls. Perhaps in our new town. They look so sloppy here, but hey it is girls camp.

We had Enrichment this past week. I brought the girls into the city and Jared met me at the church after work. Then he took the girls home. Apparently, they got sidetracked. Our local "mall" had these wild boar sculptures. They reming me of the huge cows in crossroads mall in Salt Lake.

Jared is so outnumbered by all his girls. He pretends at times that he feels overwhelmed by it, but he really loves it.

Father's Day 2009

Father's Day this year became Father's Weekend. Jared came home from work a couple hours early on Friday and I told him that this was his weekend and was allowed to do whatever he wanted. And he wasn't allowed to argue. He went and played sports with some people from the ward, played computer games with his brothers, and even got to play the piano. On Saturday we went and got some wonderful mexican food from the local restaraunt. Then Sunday was the dessert time and gift time.

A couple days before we bought Jared a new suit for church and some movies. That and the weedend to do what he wanted were my gifts to him. Plus, having him do what he wanted was nice for me, because then I didn't have to make any choices. I just made him do that.

I had an American cake mix that I knew he loved so I had planned to make it. Unfortunately, all the wonderful plans I had for this cake didn't work out. So he ended up having cupcakes out of them. And I ran out of powdered sugar, so the frosting was good but not quite as good as I could have wished. They turned out nice though.

In the envelopes by the cupcakes were note and pictures the girls had done for their dad a couple days before. I told Anne that it was a surprise, not knowing if she really understood it or not. Well, that night when Jared got home she blurted the whole thing out to him. I asked each girls a variety of questions about what they loved about their dad and listed them, while they drew him pictures. I even did one for Katie. She even held the crayon and just let her hand move where ever it wanted to.

He was such a good sport and let me smear frosting all over his face.

Jared told the girls to eat their cupcakes without their hands. They loved it and thought it was so funny.

So Jared did the same thing with Robby, but this time it was a contest to see who was the fastest.

Jared told me that it was a great Father's Day. I hope so. It is the best dad and his girls just love him. He worries so much about how we are doing and if all his girls (including me) are happy. And we are...because we have him.

Handprints

The other day we had some girls from the ward at our house. Their mom was in the hospital and we thought the girls could use a change of scenery. I wanted to do some crafts with them and get their handprints for their parents.

We thought that we would do our girls' hand prints too while we were at it.
I loved the drawing as much anything else.

Now Katie thought it was ok when we painted her hand and foot, but as you can see she hated when we tried to get her print on the paper. That is her upset, scrunche-up face look. She was doing her ear-piercing, high pitched scream.

I can't believe how big my girls are getting. I remember when Anne's hands were tiny.

I think the girls loved it. I love the record of their ages.

Visit to the Lake

I hope no one is feeling overloaded with all my blog entries. It just that this is our family journal and I am making blog books out of them. So they are picture and information heavy. I am behind on getting events put up here. So I try to do one every couple days, that way those of you who wade through it all get a chance to read before the next one is put up.

In May we made our first visit to the local lake of the summer. I am sure you will be hearing about other visits as the summer goes. Jared loves the lake and so do the girls. I love watching their excitment and seeing Jared's inner child come out. And Jared is wonderful and doesn't make me get in the water.


Jared spent several days coordinating with friends and I think everyone enjoyed themselves.


My ever creative and clever husband made this canapy for us. He knows I hate heat and direct sun, so he put this together. Since the day ended up being rainy it came in handy for that too.


We used the stroller to cart everything around. The poor thing was probably wondered what it had done to deserve that kind of treatment.
Because it was so rainy the water was way too cold. Here are the disappointed swimmers.

Figuring out the Weather.

Once the rain and wind got so bad that it was destroying our little pavillion the mothers decided that enough was enough and we made the men take down camp and get out of there. I even got water poured on me when the wind picked up and dumped the water from the pavillion on me.

Ray joined just as we had packed up. We were making the long walk back to the car when the sun came out and everyone decided to stay. So we layed out the blankets and relaxed again.


We laid out the wet tarps so they could dry. The girls thought this was the best. They loved rolling around on them.

It even got warm enough that many in the group got in the water. Of course my girls weren't about to be left out. Gpa was good to take care of them and push them around the water.

Alicia was cold from getting all wet. Jared had told me the weather was going to be warm, so I didn't pack jackets or pants. My poor girls were freezing. One of the mothers with us let Alicia borrow her son's jacket.

Naturally, Katie was good sport most of the time. She did have a screaming fit in the begining. Finally I coaxed her to sleep and then she was content for the rest of the day. She loved sitting in her stroller and just watching everyone.

The adults loved playing volleyball...

and the kids love the sand.

Jared even got a chance to play badmiton.

It ended up being one of our most memorable trips to the park so far. I just hope that sometime the summer we will manage to have a our sunny day at the lake, ever.

They Make Me Laugh

My kids have done tons of funny and cute things lately. Here is just a sampling:
She is just like her mommy; in face and food preferences.

In some ways these two are so alike. Bahnka (Gpa) loves to give them these ice cream sandwiches.

I looked into Alicia and Anne's room the other day and this is how I found Alicia. This is the potty for their dolls. I guess she is almost ready to be potty-trained. The question is if I am ready to go throug the messes again?

Jared put her tights on her head after church on Sunday. She had fun playing with them. I think she is cute no matter what.