All About Katie

Katie got to go on a special trip with Gma and Gpa this past week. They left for Bremen very early on Tuesday and came back Saturday afternoon.  They went to visit Gma's mom and sister one last time before our move.  I think this girl loved all the special attention. She spent a lot of time in the car, going to the playground and having fun.

 She even got a nap on great-gma's couch.  She is so peaceful when she is asleep, and that is about the only time she ever is that still. I sure missed my girl but did like having a bit of a break from her mischief and stubbornness.

They came home by way of the Frankfurt Temple to do a couple sessions.  While they waited for Gpa, Gma took these very cute pictures of Katie.

This one is so typical of my girl.

Easter Weekend

Easter here in Germany is a whole weekend affair, starting on Friday and ending with Monday.  You have to be very careful what you do on Good Friday. No loud activities outside, where you might desturb the neighbors.  It is hard for us Americans to understand, but it has its advantages. It is very peaceful.  We have made a tradition to visit the grave of Jared's Grandpa on Good Friday. We delayed it this year and will do it later this month.

On Sunday we went to church. The missionaries hadn't been invited anywhere so we brought them to our house.  Jared and I gave them a tour of the gorgeous area where we live and all the wonderful Easter fountains.  Hyrum came with us. He stayed in the car with me on our first stop. 

 Despite how he looks in this picture he loved sitting in the front with me and playing while we waited.  I love his outfit.

 Beate and Ray made a fantastic dinner.

 My Easter request from Jared was tulips. He went to 3 different store on Saturday looking for some, but all were sold out.  So Sunday evening Beate cut these flowers from her own garden.  It made me feel so loved.  Jared gave me a intense pedicure (so needed). He even painted my toenails.  I am the luckiest woman alive.  And he gave me a box to organize all my craftie stuff in and a tool for my crafts.  It is already filled.

Because the missionaries were over on Sunday we delayed our Easter egg hunt until Monday afternoon. It took Katie awhile to understand and warm-up to the idea, but then she loved it.

 Katie's basket.

 Alicia's Basket.

 Anne's Basket.

We gave the girls headphones for the plane in May, so they don't have to wear the ones from the airline that hurt their little ears.

Gpa of course had to try them out...and daddy...and Robby.  He looks like something out of a sci-fi movie.

That afternoon the Schulz family came over and we had a great time eating, playing and talking.  The 2 couple made the dinner. It was yummy.

It was a wonderful easter and I am a bit sad it is over.

Just Can't Get Enough..

...of the zoo. As you all have probably noticed Gpa loves to take his grandkids to the zoo.  And they don't object. Neither do mommy and daddy, who get to enjoy a kid-free house for a day.

Yep, Robby went too.

2012's First BBQ

 Our friends, the Schwabs, made this adorable ginger bread house for us. It is so we have a house when we move to Utah.  This made me excited to make some at Christmas.

Earlier this week we had a bbq with our other fríends, the Dominguez. It was a bit cold, but fun anyway.

 The official family BBQer.  He does such a wonderful job, despite the slightly maniacle look on his face in this picture.

 This Daniel, Hyrum loved him, mostly because he got eat food while they were together.  Hyrum looks like such a big-boy on this one.

 Nicola made these fabulous cupcakes.  I couldn't resist taking a picture.  Got to love that face on that man!!!!  I sure love him, despite his inability to give me a normal smile in a picture.

We are going to miss all our friends when we leave, but we are grateful we able to have these last chances to be with them.

Conference and Easter Eggs

We had a wonderful Conference weekend.  I am so grateful for the internet that makes it so we can watch it in our home, even though we live so far away from Utah.

Because of the time difference we can't watch the sessions live unless it is in the evening.  The men watch the priesthood session Sunday morning. We had a nice slow day at home.

Jared got called away on business as branch president, so we delayed watching a session until he could be home.  We dyed our easter eggs while we waited. 

We ended up coloring 30 eggs. They turned out beautiful. Coloring easter eggs is one of the things I love most about spring.

Gma made these gorgeous silver speckled ones.  Love them!!!

This picture doesn't do them justice.

The girls had the job to put the stickers on. They have loved seeing the ones they did as we eat them.

As we waited for dinner we had a tea party. These girls have the best daddy!!!

Here is the promised picture of Katie's foot.  We got an MRI on Tuesday to see what could be wrong. They said it is the beginning of a fracture, but the only we can do it keep her still. Not very helpful!!! Obviously they have never had a 3 year old.

I saw this and loved it. This is true sometimes!!

Week Almost Over

 These pictures about sum up what this week has done to us.  Robby took them weeks ago, but I am finally getting them put up here, but they seem appropriate for this time.

We were at the emergency room with this little one.  For several weeks she has been struggling with pain in her foot. She mostly walks on her heal now and this has made her and me an emotional wreck.  Anyway, we finally took her in and it is not broken. They think it is just inflammed. But we do have an appointment at a clinic for further scans. Good Luck, to us.

I was also at the dentist with Anne to get a tooth pulled. Her first tooth was loose but just wouldn't come out and the new tooth was already growing in. So out it came. She was so brave and good. I am so proud of my girl.  She brought the tooth home and showed everyone. Then that night she came upstairs hysterical.  She had lost her tooth somewhere and now the toothfairy couldn't come!!!!!  Jared and I went down with her and Jared found her tooth.  At about 4am I woke Jared up in a panic. I asked him if the toothfairy had left her some money?  He assured me that she/he (there has been debate in this house about the gender) had.  Phew!!! The next morning early, she came in to show me the money the toothfairy left.  I love being a mom. She even has her next loose tooth.  The toothfairy may go broke.

I was also at the pediatrian for Hyrum's cough (He also had diahrrea 2 nights in a row, twice each night. His pajamas were soaked through each time.) and a follow-up on Katie's foot.  The challenge now is getting Katie sit most of the day with her foot wrapped, to give it a chance to heal.  Not an easy task a mother of an extremely stubborn and determine-minded 3 year old, who has 3 other children and in the middle of a major international move.  Daddy, ever the resourceful softie, got her some new "Shaun the Sheep" and "Thomas the Tank Engine" to watch.
Our car is broken, so we are running on one car for 9 people on longer trips. Jared's work computer died. He is working constantly because of some deadlines and this was such bad timing. He is stressed out of his mind and literally close to a nervous breakdown.   Plus, we are desperately trying to get things going with this move.

 We have a huge garbage container in our driveway quickly filling with things that have been accumulating in this house for the past 20 years.  Our house is slowly emptying as people come and take things and we clean out rooms. Several rooms have already been cleared out and painted. It feels so good to get all of this done. But the house is in a constant state of chaos, emotionally and physically.

Oh, add to that Katie being awake for hours at a time in the middle of the night, thus Hyrum being awake.  We have a gate in their doorway, so she can't get out. Well, this girl is the most resourceful and the greatest problem-solving 3 year old I know. She will climb on anything and get over that gate. I have taken any toy out of her room each night that she can climb on. But she stacks her stuffed animals up and uses those to climb over.  What do you do with a child like that?!  So either Jared or I are up dealing with that each night. 

Anyway, that about sums up our week and it isn't over yet.. Crazy, huh!!

But the weather has turned warm and beautiful. The kids have loved being outside and playing and we have loved letting them.

Shadow Play

I am in the primary presidency of our branch.  At the end of the year we had started planning an activity to introduce and explain the Faith in God program to the parents. Then there were changes in the organization and the mothers of the kids doing the program were put in the presidency. So we tweaked it a bit and invited the rest of the branch.

 We did a shadow play of the Parable of the Ten Virgins.  It was so cute and the kids did wonderful.  They also showed and talked about some projects they did about the parable.

 I love this picture of these two girls sharing a hymn book.

These two girls are just one day apart.  They are so similar in personality and looks.  I love them both. I would Amelie as my own any day.