Christmas Pictures

For the last couple of years at the christmas treelighting ceremony at the WAAF, our favorite Santa aka "Emily's Husband" endures hours of taking pictures with crying children, screaming parents and frantic grandparents cheering their offspring on to smile for Santa...
Since neither of us can pass up an opportunity to dive right into that AND it is his last year here in our community since Emily, the Art Director of the Römer Art Center, has decided to retire in spring, we got these pictures taken. My favorite is another picture though that has nothing to do with our family but makes me laugh out loud everytime I look at it! I´m only posting the link since it is public but I don´t want to put the picture of other people's children on our blog without permission. Here is the link though, if you need a classic Santa moment, this is it!:
www.armygermany.com/santa

AAAH! Forgot the Thanksgiving pictures, too! lol

OK, how bad is this? I forgot to post the Thanksgiving pictures.. lol...
Well, long story short, we went to the Messhall in Dexheim with a friend of ours, Georgina.

I won´t comment on the amount of food my boys stuffed themselves with - see for yourself! lol


Every year they have a contest between all the cooks for different cakes and displays - quite gorgeous. They also had a table for the soldier that can´t be there with them because he was killed in Iraq a few years ago. It´s nice they never forget.

Hearts Quilt.. Progress - finally!

Yup, it´s starting to come together.. and I think it´s the biggest project I ever tackled! Sometimes I wonder why I thought I´d have enough time to make this Quilt... Life is really hectic (isn´t it always?) and while I´m working endless overtime and we´re trying to get everything ready for Christmas there seems to be very little time to sit down and sew for more than 10 minutes at a time - that just does not cut it..
But, the top is almost done, the basting is next and then I can start quilting. Maybe I´ll take it on vacation with me? Yeah right, like I´ll have much time there! But I´ll try...
This is what it looks like right now, after this post I´ll go back downstairs to sew some more and hopefully finish it this weekend.

Have you ever wondered.....

how a broken ceran stove top looks like?
here you go:
and yes, it costs alot of money to replace it.. perfect timing 2 weeks before christmas, huh? lol

....where the 3 year old hides when he does not want you to know he took the Nintendo DS?
right here, wedged between the couch and the wall:
.....what a 19 year old looks like when he has to pick up all the easter candy that he accidentally spilled all over the kitchen floor?
so wonder no more.. ha ha

Christmas Tree Lighting

yeah yeah, I´m a couple of days late.. or maybe 2 weeks? Well, simple explanation: we have an Alex.. lol
Those rare creatures usually hog the computer all evening when I would have time to download pictures and do my computer stuff. Even now that he works from 9:00 - 18:00 during the week I haven´t had the time. So here are the missing pictures from this year's Tree Lighting Ceremony at the WAAF. The 1st Graders were the ones that were allowed to pull the rope with Santa to turn on the lights and Isa was the first one in line.. lol.. duh?


So proud - Isa's first letter to Santa - I love how well my 1st Grader writes already :-)


Isa's letter to Santa
Lilly and Isa - great friends since german Kindergarten

Santa's Post Office
munching on popcorn and cookies.. :-)
Making canes out of beeds - can he see through those bangs? lol
several attempts to take a family picture failed - partially because Juju wanted to rearrange the presents under the tree and hand them out to people he thought needed them.. lol

another failed attempt.. ha ha.. but we had fun - so who really cares?


THIS is the only way to roast marshmellows Army style.. lol