A great summer

Our first summer in Germany has been wonderful. It sure helped that the weather was absolutely perfect, but I think we would have had fun either way. We spent a few days at my grandparents house in July and the rest of the summer we stayed in Munich. We went to the pool and the park and played in the backyard, made new friends and reconnected with old ones. Dugan is finished with his all day German classes and the girls just love getting to spend so much time with Papa. And he is the most awesome Papa they could have ever wished for. Our family has grown so close this past year spending so much time together.

The Alps

We started taking advantage of living so close to the alps...

...and all the beauty...

...and fun they got to offer...

...even now...

...that a great summer has turned into fall...

...the fun doesn't end...

...and there is so much more to see!

I love this...

...and she loves it too. This is the first thing Lily does every morning. She snuggles up on the couch with a stuffed animal and a blanket and watches us getting the day started. I know she can't wait to get ready with Emmi and I and go to Kindergarten, but I think she will miss this too.

Flower Fairy Party

Emmi really wanted to have a Pioneer Party for her Birthday Party this year but I wasn't really sure on how to get that theme across to a bunch of German four and five year olds. And it had to be pioneers not Indians. So after much discussion we settled on a flower fairy party instead.

But the day started with a circus party at Emmi's Kindergarten class which was a lot of fun. The birthday girl always gets to ride the wagon for the parade. Very cute! And Lily got to go too which she loved!

In the afternoon it was party time at the house. German Birthday Parties are kids only. So at 3 pm there were 6 little fairies and one pirate dropped off at our front door and we were on our own with an explosion of pink in our house. And I think they had fun and we did too...

5!!!

Five years old! And you are so proud! You woke up every morning for a week counting down the days the moment you'd open your eyes. And you are definitely a five year old. Smart, Funny and Happy. Sometimes you kind of act like you are fifteen already. For example when you tell us on how we don't love you and we are the meanest parents ever and you never get to do anything. Let's talk about this again when you really are fifteen... We enjoy that you are only five.

This past year has brought a lot of changes to your life and you have embraced them with ease and confidence. It's not easy to leave everything behind and start a new life in a new country and we know there are lots of things you miss because you told us (your friends, your american side of the family, the soft floor in our old house, cheeseburgers...) but you also seem to really enjoy your new life. Kindergarten has been a big hit. And even though you started in the middle of the Kindergarten year you found lots of new friends easily (This has been a lot easier for you then for us). Your new best friend is Katharina but you also play with lots of other kids. You love to have a crowd around you.

You also love to dance Ballet and you are good at it. You love to draw and do art projects. You play dress up daily and you and Lily play lots of role plays. Your doll Anna is still on your side a lot of the time. You love classical music and you love to read chapter books. Your favorite right now is "The children of noisy village" from Astrid Lindgren.

You love everything pink like most little girls but you also have your own sense of style and opinion on what you like or not. Your fashion sense is driving me insane. You refuse to wear pants or shorts. And you insist on tucking your shirt in. Always. As far as it will possibly go. And once you have a favorite dress or skirt you insist on wearing it all the time. Never mind that you have a closet full of different clothes.

You also think about a lot of things and everything interests you. For a while this year you considered becoming an astronaut but now you don't want to do this because you don't want to sit in the rocket ship for such a long time. Now you'd rather become a teacher like Mama or a Pediatrician. And a Mama of course.

We want you to to be happy and follow your dreams and we want you to stay our little girl just a little bit longer.

We love you Emmi! Mama and Papa

First Ballet Recital

Emmi has been taking Ballet since our move and she loves it! She loves the music and she loves how she gets to dace so "balletish". She did miss a lot of classes during our trip to Texas so I had already prepared her that she wouldn't get to take part in the recital. But she did and she even got to do a little solo. And she loved it! I asked her if she was nervous at all being up on stage in front of so many people and she kind of looked at me like I was crazy. Her only complaint was: "But I actually wanted the stage to be a lot bigger and higher!" She had imagined a stage like the one at the Long Center, where we watched the Nutcracker once and she would have not been once bit nervous going out on it! And she wants to take Ballet next year again of course...

Best Friends Reunited

Emmi counted the days and and once it was here she woke up in the morning and the first thing out of her mouth before she even opened her eyes was: "Today is the day Lena is coming!!". And luckily she did and she also brought Claire, Hans and Sophia with her. Hans only got to stay a couple of days before he had to head back to Berlin but the rest of the family stayed for an entire week and it was great! Emmi was sooo happy to have her best friend from Texas here in Germany with her. We did go on a few outings, but most of the time we spent just playing and hanging out. And Emmi was really happy. But it also made her a little homesick for Texas. But just a little. In her own words she misses "The soft floors in our old house & cheeseburgers." And Lena of course! But it may be in the stars that Lena won't be living in Texas forever but a whole lot closer to us. We are keeping our fingers crossed!

Münchner Stadtlauf 10k

Dugan participated in the 34th Münchner Stadtlauf 10k!

He was definitely the most handsome runner out of 20.000!

And while we were waiting for Papa to cross the finish line Emmi and Lily turned into a tourist attraction for lots of Japanese Tourists.

And while our children enjoyed their five minutes of fame Dugan finished in an impressive 46 minutes and 22 seconds.

And after watching so many people being really sporty and active we really felt like we earned us some ice cream...

...and Dugan earned himself a nap.

Lily's Heaven

Hyatt Wild Oak Ranch

No way we could have gone to Texas without spending a few days at Wild Oak Ranch. Emmi must have gone around the Lazy River about 50 times. Not kidding. Her toes were sore because she walked the entire time with the flow and the skin came off! And if we weren't in the river we were in the pool. Or roasting Marshmallows.