Switzerland

 

 We hadn't been to the temple since moving to Germany.  It is a couple of hours away, and with a nursing baby it makes a trip that long kind of difficult.  So we decided that we would go with our friends, the Barons, and take turns going in the temple while the other couple watched all the kids.  And then we decided, if we were going to drive 2 hours to the Frankfurt temple, why not drive 4 and go to the Swiss Temple and stay overnight and make it a fun trip for Nathan's 32nd Birthday?!  And that is exactly what we did.  They have 'housing' right next to the temple for people that are coming from far away.  The rooms are very comparable to dorm rooms, with 2 sets of bunkbeds and very minimal conveniences.  But it is cheap!  We arrived around 4 pm on a Friday, quickly got settled, and sent Andrew & Mandy off to the 5 o clock session.  We hadn't planned out our dinner very well, so Nate and I decided to run over to the McDonalds real quick and get everyone something to eat.  We were floored when we saw the prices there!  I mean, we had heard that Switzerland was expensive...but that didn't prepare us for what we found!  A regular, old, Big Mac value meal was somewhere around 12 Francs (15 DOLLARs)! So we bit the bullet and got all the kids their Happy Meals, and then Nathan and I split one sandwich.  Ha!  We will always bring our own food to Switzerland from now on!  We rushed back to the housing area so we would be ready before the Barons came back.  We needed to make it into the 7 pm session, or else we would have to go in the morning.  At 6:45 we were still waiting in the playroom with all 6 kids, and no sign of Mandy or Andrew.  Ahh!  For those who don't know what's involved when you get to the temple, you need at least 10 min inside to get ready for a session.  We were kind of freaking out. At 6:50, a nice American woman we had met earlier, who was there with her family (she and her husband were taking turns going in) came back from the session.  She said she saw Mandy inside and she would hopefully be back in 5 min.  But we needed to go.  So we left our 6 kids with this couple (and their 3 kids), hoping that Mandy & Andrew would get back quickly to relieve them!  Kinda crazy, and never would have done such a thing in normal circumstances, but they were trustworthy people and we knew it.  On our way into the temple, all the temple workers were looking at their watches and giving us questioning looks.  But they were eager to help us through and we made it in just in time!  We saw Mandy in passing and told her what we had done.  They were on their way out.  Everything turned out ok.  I was really glad we were able to do it.  The Swiss Temple is a special place for my mom.  She took out her endowments there with her parents before marrying my dad.  It was just really neat for me to be there.  And what a cool place.  It is like a melting pot of languages in there.  So many languages spoken in and around Switzerland!  I listened to most of our session in German, even though I had the English headphones on.  I just wanted to experience it in German too, which was really cool.  

That night, we had the WORST time getting our kids to sleep.  Isla wouldn't go to sleep until everyone stopped being noisy and the lights were off.  And Sawyer and Violet were SUPER hyper and loud  (I guess I can't blame them--sleeping in bunk beds in the same room with mom & dad is pretty fun!).  And for some reason, Nathan decided it was a good time to fill up his new Zippo Hand Warmers with lighter fluid--at 9:30 pm in a dorm room with 3 crazy kids!!!  Let's just say, this mama went to bed kinda grumpy that night.  We slept ok, then had to wake up and be out by 8 am (brutal checkout time).  But it was good because it forced us to get going.  Next we headed to the city of Bern.  We got out and walked around for a while.  Our goals were to see the oldest clock in Switzerland, and the Bear habitat.  Bears are like the mascot of Bern, and they have a whole habitat of real bears in the city.  We thought the kids would love that.  Unfortunately, none of us were bright enough to think that bears typically hibernate in the winter months!  After all of that, the kids played on some bear statues and we called it good.  We got back in the car and headed up to Niederhorn for some intense Alpine sledding.  (I should also mention, that we ate almost nothing that day aside from random snacks in the car.  We went to a bakery in the morning and spent like 18 bucks on 4 pretzels!  After that we were hesitant to buy any more food!)  So we got to the parking lot, spent a good while getting everyone bundled up for the snow, and got on a gondola that took us up to Niederhorn!  That was truly awesome.  The views were breathtaking.  It seemed surreal that we were really there, sledding in the Alps, on a weekend trip.  The kids LOVED the gondola ride.  Probably the best part of the day.  The sledding itself was pretty fun too.  Once we got the hang of it.  I was on my own sled, with little Isla strapped to me.  And for some reason we thought Sawyer and Austin (4 & 5 yrs old) could handle riding their own sled together.  About 1 minute into the ride, after the boys went careening over the edge (slight heart attack for myself before I realized the hill wasn't too steep on the other side!), we decided to switch things up.  So Nathan pulled a second sled with Sawyer on it, behind his.  Violet started off in front of Nathan, but after a face FULL of snow, she opted for a back seat.  Whew.  So once that was all squared away, we finally had fun on those dang sleds!  Nathan went back for a second run with Sawyer, and Mandy & I stayed with the little ones in the lodge at the bottom of the hill.  We bought some french fries and hot chocolate...and they were actually worth the price!  It was a super fun adventure.  We headed back home around 5:30 pm and the kids konked out almost immediately.  And get this---they slept the ENTIRE time!  5 HOURS!!  And then slept in their beds the rest of the night. They were wiped out!  So it was a really pleasant drive for Nathan and I.  We talked and listened to a book on tape.  The trip was a huge success, overall.  

No idea why he's got a choke hold on Isla, but she doesn't seem to mind, lol

Wow.  That is one happy little girl right there.  And don't you love her pink and red combo?! haha

She does smile! And she does have more fun than she typically lets on in most pictures...

I smiled when I saw the following, 'tour' of Bern, by Nathan & Sawyer on his camera roll...those two crack me up :)...

It doesn't get much better than a couple of bear statues...(well, maybe real bears would have been slightly more entertaining)

I love this so much.  In like 98% of my pictures lately, you see me carrying Isla in my Ergo Carrier.  But this is what I see when I look down.  And I love it.  

Happy girl with her hot chocolate

Testimony

The other day I was giving the kids their lunch and I was telling them about Fast Sundays.  For those of you not of our faith, the first Sunday of each month is Fast Sunday.  We are encouraged to give up 2 meals that day as a sacrifice.  Through this practice, we are putting aside the temporal to help bring the spiritual to the surface.  Through fasting, we also learn how to better serve those less fortunate.  Whatever we would have spent on our own food during that period, we are encouraged to donate.  Along with fasting, church members are given the opportunity to share their testimonies during our Sacrament Meeting (the first hour of our church meetings).  I was telling the kids (mostly Sawyer) about bearing testimony, and why we do it.  When I was done explaining it to him, he looked at me, rather perplexed, and asked, "Mom, after we bury our testimony is it gone forever?"  :) It made me smile.  I proceeded to explain that the word was actually 'bear' not 'bury'.  But as I sat in Sacrament Meeting that day, I realized that I often 'bury' my testimony as I ignore the promptings of the Spirit that are urging me to get up and share my testimony with others.  It's not easy for most people to speak in front of a crowd, and I get nervous about it too.  But I went up that Sunday and shared my testimony with my family, and with the members of the ward.  I really wanted to be a good example to my kids and do the things that I teach them to do.  Thats the amazing thing about parenting.  Not only are we taking care of and nourishing these young souls...but we are nourishing our own through the process.  I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to be a mother.  I am even more grateful for my knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  It provides me with the direction I need to be a good person, and a good mom.  It gives me an eternal perspective that is vital to our ability to endure and grow.  I know the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Saints is the true church.  That it was restored to the earth through the prophet Joseph Smith.  I know that the Book of Mormon is true.  How grateful I am for its guidance.  I know that we are led by a true prophet of God, Thomas S. Monson.  And I know that I am a daughter of a loving Heavenly Father, who sent his Son to die for each one of us.  I know that families are forever--what a beautiful thing!  Jesus Christ is our Savior, and He lives.  His atonement is there for each of us to use, if we will only accept it.  Through it, we can return to live with our Heavenly Father again. I know these things are true, because the Holy Spirit has given me that knowledge.  I have felt that sweet burning in my heart...that peaceful feeling. This testimony--my testimony, is my foundation. It is the reason for my happiness, the reason I am able to endure the trials of life, the reason that I want to be a mother.  It is who I am.  It is why I am.  

Thanks to little Sawyer for getting me thinking more deeply about my testimony lately.  The sweetness of a child can do great things.  And to add some humor to that, a couple of weeks later, Sawyer was telling Nathan and I that he felt like he was ready to 'bury his testimony' soon.  We smiled, and said, 'ok', but what would you say? what do you believe? what do you know is true? (we have made it clear that they are only allowed to get up and share if they can do it by themselves and be reverent about it)  He said, "I believe in Jesus.  I know everything in the Book of Mormon is true".  We said, "Great, how do you know that?".  He said, "Well, cause you guys told me that (?)...or wait, maybe I just made that up?!?!".  Haa....we chuckled and decided that maybe he should give it some more time.  So cute, though.  I love that boy. 

I had to add this picture of Sawyer.  He loves his little baby sister.  At this moment, he was saying to us, "Mom, what's wrong with Isla?  Why can't she walk yet, I mean, she has two legs, she's not an animal."  LOL

If anyone who read this post is not a member of our faith and would like to learn more about it, please visit www.mormon.org.  You won't be sorry! :)

January

Ned & Julianne flew home on the 2nd of January, and life went back to normal.  It's always kind of sad when the holidays are over.  But at the same time I get excited for a fresh new start to a new year!    Nothing huge happened for us during the month of January.  We celebrated both Omi & Grandma's birthdays (from afar!).  And Nathan and I had our 7th Wedding Anniversary on the 27th.  I was sick as a dog that day, so we didn't end up going out.  Instead we sat on the couch together and watched the Bachelor Wedding while Nate worked on his scout stuff.  That's the great thing about us.  We can be doing nothing at all, but as long as we are together we are happy :).  I am so grateful for a man who loves me, loves our family, and loves the gospel.  He works so hard to provide for our family, and he always supports me in whatever I do.  He plays with our kids when he gets home from work everyday, and he tucks them into their beds at night.  I couldn't ask for more!  Here are just a few random pictures from the month of January.

We played Pictionary for Family Home Evening one night.  Sawyer drew our family and I was super impressed.  He is getting better all the time!

Anytime the sun comes out (which isn't that often), we go out for a walk or bike-ride.  It's still cold, but at least its not raining! We haven't had any snow this year either.  Just lots of rain and clouds.  I guess we should be grateful that it hasn't been that cold.  I think it would be a real shock to our desert blood after all these years in the Southwest.

Since moving to Germany, Violet hasn't been taking regular naps.  Mostly by default, because we've been on the go so much.  Every now and then when we are home, I make sure she gets in a good nap. When she doesn't, she is likely to fall asleep in some random place in the house.  Like this bar stool, or at the dining table.  (side note--a few minutes after taking this picture she also peed her pants while sleeping on the barstool.  the potty has been a bit of a struggle for Violet)

We made one of our favorite Larson desserts for a family movie night--chocolate covered popcorn!  Mmmm...

 

The aforementioned movie night, complete with fort.

Isla has been pulling herself up to stand all over the place!  I think the first time I really noticed it was shortly after Christmas when I went to get her from her bed  (almost 8 months old).

 

The SUN!!!!  It DOES exist in Germany!

 

Finally checked out the Ramstein Aquatic Center and had a blast

 

Went to lock the front door before going to bed one night and noticed a light dusting of snow.  Nathan was so excited, he ran out with bare feet.  It was gone by morning :(

 

Found a snack that I used to eat as a baby.  It's called Zwieback...basically like little Melba Toasts.  Isla liked them.

 

Selfie in the church bathroom, haha. Isla is doing her little 'tongue behind the lip' thing. Also my screen was cracked, hence the fogginess on the camera.

 

Such a tender moment for me...both of my sweet girls asleep in my arms.

 

And another one...Violet wanted to help feed Isla.  Love it when she takes an interest in her sister.

 Grocery shopping!!  Isla has graduated to the shopping cart seat.

I have been trying to get Sawyer into the German preschool since we moved here, and I have not been successful so far.  We would really like for the kids to learn German, but I'll be the first to admit that I am NOT doing well teaching them on my own.  It is so hard to be the only one who speaks it, and it's not natural to me, so it requires quite a bit of effort on my part.  I really need preschool to help me out.  I have had contact with them here and there, but we are basically waiting for them to have a spot.  We are debating sending Sawyer to German schools while we are here, but I really wanted him to have a few months of practice before I make the decision about where to send him in the Fall.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he gets in soon!  In the mean time, I have had all 3 kids home with me everyday, all day.  It has been interesting.  Not as bad as I would have imagined.  For the most part, they get along so well.  Sawyer and Violet love to play together.  And Isla is about the easiest baby anyone could ask for.  And I've become pretty good at grocery shopping with all 3 too.  Not fun--but it can be done.  I feel like I am learning a lot about myself and expanding my abilities for patience and love.  It's a busy life, but it's a very blessed life.  I have so much gratitude in my heart for my many blessings.  And these 3 kiddos have a lot to do with that!

Battle of the Bulge

I asked Nathan to write the post for this event...since he was the one who experienced it.  Here's what he said:

Well I was called as scoutmaster and assistant deacons quorum adviser in Nov.  There was no time for a campout in Dec so Jan was our first campout as a new scoutmaster.  One of the things I have been trying to do is let the boys lead.  With a bunch of deacons (12 & 13 yr olds) I feel like it's kinda like giving a kitten a loaded gun.  So I had one boy reserve the campsite and then I figured out where we would go in the morning and do a hike.  I talked to the boy that was bringing the food several times and he said he always had everything worked out, so at that point I just crossed my fingers and hoped it would all work out.  I also then brought enough food for the scouts as a backup plan.  The night before, I downloaded a few documentaries about Bastogne and the Battle of the Bulge and burned them onto 6 DVD’s.  (one for each car) Well off we went to Bastogne, Belgium.  We got there and surprisingly everything went very well.  We had plenty of food that actually tasted pretty good and it was the rain/snow mix the forecast said it would be.  The next day we woke up, the boys made breakfast and then we cleaned up and off we went to the city center of Bastogne.  The scouts here offer a special patch for hiking what's called the Bastogne Historic Trail.  It starts at a tank in the center of town then leads out of town to a memorial.  As I already alluded to, a very important, perhaps the most important battle, in the battle of the bulge took place in Bastogne.  It was fun to learn the history and then go and see the city.  At the end of the trail was the memorial and it was huge.  You could go on top and see the surrounding city and there were maps to tell you what you were looking at.  After we were done we went to the edge of town where there were a bunch of fox holes from the battle in the forest.  They were scattered about and part filled in from erosion but it was still obvious that they were foxholes.  Some could have been holes from mortar fire because they were very circular but most of them were all sorts of different shapes.  The boys loved it and soon started a pinecone war, complete with stick guns and pinecone grenades.  I was amazed at how dark the forest was, from the outside it looked like someone had turned out the lights inside the forest.  Well we came back, had some PB&J, and that was it.  I just cant imagine how those young men fought that war in the cold snow without all our modern equipment.  Here I was in my waterproof shoes, with nice snow pants and I was marginally comfortable.  We got a light dusting but during the actual battle there was a lot of snow on the ground, it must have been miserable.  They truly are the greatest generation.

 

 

Metz, France

We had a day off and decided to visit the city of Metz, France.  We went with our friends the Barons. It was a rainy day but we still had fun traipsing around, exploring the city.  We forgot our stroller sun/rain covers, but luckily we had a couple of umbrellas in the car.  Got some eclairs from the Patisserie--the maple one was to die for!

They still had their nativity up inside the cathedral.  The kids had fun looking at that.  It was a really cool one where they went through the entire story of the nativity in progression...

Nathan and Andrew went on the tour of the catacombs underneath the cathedral.  We thought it would be a short thing--an hour later they came out to two very exasperated women with a bunch of bratty kids in tow.  Our cell phones don't work outside of Germany, so we had to either wait outside the front door in the cold rain, or try and keep everyone quiet inside the cathedral.  Not cool.

I was in love with the purple gates on this church!

Ok so they were probably a little bored...

I am seriously coming back to this door for family pictures next year!  So cool!

I think Nathan is training our kids to mimic his facial expressions at an early age...