2015 in Review

The Christmas decorations have been taken down and the new year is about to start. 2015 ha been a great year for us: set some priorities, moved, and spent lots of quality time as a family together. We definitely needed a more slow-paced and simpler lifestyle; although, we kept our schedules and hearts full. Here is what our 2015 looked liked month-by-month:

January

The kids and I traveled spontaneously to Germany for 2 weeks to see our family and friends. Despite the exhaustion and grief, I'm so glad we went to say our goodbyes to my uncle and grandma before they passed away. 

February

As soon as we returned from Germany, we repacked our bags and headed all to Mooresville, NC to check out the town. It even snowed and was pretty cold, but we liked the area and decided that this should be our next hometown. On our trip back to Florida, we stopped by to see Grandma and Grandpa. This month, we also celebrated the upcoming birth of baby Luca and enjoyed hanging out with our friends.

And my favorite picture of the month:

March

We played, we packed, we rode horses, we went to Miami and the beach one last time and said our heartfelt goodbyes to our friends. The kids also participated in an Easter egg hunt on the last weekend of the month.

April

We moved to Mooresville and made our rental house a home. We began exploring our new surroundings and took a trip to SC to visit my in-laws. We also celebrated daddy's birthday. 

May

Strawberry picking, backyard and playground adventures, a children theater performance, meeting new friends, and some cooling off in the pool was all part of this month's highlights.

June

We kicked summer off with a celebration at the library, enjoyed swimming at the lake and the community pool, met some princesses and drove down to SC once again. Amelia also had her first ever VBS experience and loved it.

July

We celebrated Independence Day with a parade and concert at a park and our 5 year wedding anniversary at a local pizzeria, took our boat out on the lake for the first time, Amelia went to 3 more summer camps, and did a field trip to Zootastic. 

August

It was Amelia's 4th birthday and we celebrated with her grandparents and cousins in SC at Chuck E. Cheese, went multiple times boating at the lake, had a date night, and took a field trip to Sealife Aquarium. 

September

Amelia started her transitional kindergarten class, Elliot had a day out with Thomas the train, we went apple picking and to the fair, hung out with friends and just savored the last few days of summer. 

October

This month was quite busy: Oma visited us from Germany, Derrick and I took a trip to Asheville, we celebrated my birthday and Halloween as well as hung out at the lake with the family. Amelia had her first field trip and a visit to build-a-bear with her best friend. But best of all was seeing all the pretty fall foliage and experiencing a seasonal change. 

November

We enjoyed the colder temperatures this month and had a relaxing Thanksgiving day at home. Amelia had her Thanksgiving performance and feast at preschool and her cherub choir performed at church. We also kicked off Advent season with the town's annual Christmas parade. 

December

The last month of the year was filled with lots of holiday activities ranging from Christmas parties, festivals, Santa visits, cookie baking, and enjoying a peaceful Christmas morning. We also celebrated Elliot's 2nd birthday. 

So, this it is: our year 2015.  We had beautiful moments and made so many great memories and so it goes down as one of the best years we ever had. But now we are ready to ring in 2016 with lots of new adventures awaiting us. Thank you all for following us along on our journey.  

HAPPY NEW YEAR to all of you!

What our kids got for Christmas

As I mentioned before, our children only receive each 3 gifts (plus their stockings) for Christmas from us. One gift is a want aka a toy, then a spiritual gift and a need such as clothing or shoes. Their stockings usually contain a small toy, some band aids, crayons, drinking bottle or other small tokens. They did get some more gifts from their grandparents and friends, so there were quite a few gifts under our tree this year.  

Here are Amelia's 3 gifts: A dollhouse (her want). I bought this wooden dollhouse over 3 years ago and couldn't wait till she is old enough to gift it to her. She enjoys playing with her dollhouse puppets and peg dolls, so I knew it would be a very fitting gift for her.

Her spiritual gift was a wooden peg doll nativity set. My little girl loves baby Jesus and playing with nativity scenes, so I knew she would really enjoy getting her own set. It was a labor of love, but so worth it. The look on her face when she unwrapped the dolls was priceless. 

Since Amelia didn't need any clothing, her third gift was more of a treat this year as she received some princess slippers, a crown and a wand. This also matched her Cinderella dress she received from her Opa for Christmas. This kid is ready for the ball now. 

Elliot received a book about the true story of Christmas for his spiritual gift. This book will stay out all thru the year so that we can read to him and teach him about baby Jesus. 

My little guy really didn't need much in terms of toys (his stockings contained some Thomas the train cars and he was all set), so we kept it small. He received a doctor bag as they always fight over Amelia's and now they both can pretend to "fix" us. 

His third gift (a need) was a dragon cape as he just started to get in to playing dress-up with Amelia and didn't really had any dress-up clothing of his own yet. 

That was it in terms of gifts for the kids. They liked every one of them and have been playing with them ever since. I purchased all these gift either at the consignment sale (doctor bag, book), made them myself (peg dolls) or bought them on super clearance throughout the year. This way, Christmas doesn't break the bank and we can enjoy the holidays and the true meaning of Christmas. 

Christmas Day 2015

Christmas came and went and it took us a few days to recover from all the Christmas spirit and joys of such a big day. Also, I felt a bit exhausted and needed some extra rest and sleep. I woke up very early on Christmas morning, anticipating the kids' gleaming eyes when they saw what Santa had left under the tree. For the kids, they woke up their normal time and didn't venture downstairs till 7am. The look on Amelia's face is priceless: 

Taking in all the gifts under the tree. There were quite a few gifts under the tree for each of us, which must have meant that we all were very good this year or got spoiled by family members (Danke, Opa Dieter, Oma Doris and Grandma) because our kids only receive 3 gifts (a spiritual one, a want/ toy and a need such as clothing) from us plus their stockings.

Opening our stockings:

Elliot seemed already very pleased with his stocking stuffers and at first wasn't too interested in opening some of the wrapped presents. Amelia, on the other hand, was very excited this year and ready to see what Santa had brought her. Since they don't write Christmas wish lists, they have really no clue/ expectation of what they will get. So it was great to see their surprised faces when they unwrapped a gift. We take turns unwrapping gifts, one gift at a time, and always start off with the youngest. 

Then it was Amelia's turn: 

Showing off some of her new gifts:

Next, it was Daddy's turn:

And lastly, it was Mommy's turn: 

In between we took a break to eat some yummy breakfast (sausage balls) before continuing with the opening of gifts, assembling and playing. It was a peaceful and slow-moving morning and seeing my kids full of excitement and amazement made this day extra special.

Amelia's preschool had a Christmas store and she was able to purchase some small gifts for each of us. She did a wonderful job and bought very well-thought gifts: Daddy got a screwdriver, Elliot got a little helicopter and I received these beautiful wooden figurines. She also made a fingerprint canvas for us and it is by far one of my favorite gifts this year. By the way, Amelia loved her little pony necklace her brother had chosen too.

While the kids napped, I cooked our traditional German Christmas dinner: duck, potato dumplings, red cabbage, roasted Brussels sprouts and some mac & cheese. 

Afterwards, we took a walk around the neighborhood and then played some more with our new toys. We finished Christmas day off by having dinner in the living room while watching the movie Elf. 

This Christmas season has been truly magical. Celebrating the holidays with children make them way more festive and even brought back my own childhood memories. We didn't do anything over the top or out of reach, but just baking Christmas cookies or opening gifts on Christmas morning made my kids' eyes gleam and my heart burst with joy, love, and fulfillment. A child was born this Christmas Day to save the world and thru the eyes of my children, I was able to rediscover the magic of Christmas once again. We hope you all had a wonderful Christmas too. 

Christmas Eve 2015

Christmas Eve didn't start out the way you would imagine a day like that should start out. My little guy threw up milk all over the couch and my throw pillows early in the morning and then had a major potty disaster that had me cleaning up the entire bathroom. The older one did her part too: she spilled an entire bowl of soup over my kitchen table and floor right after she clogged the toilet by using too much toilet paper. And it wasn't even noon yet.... After a stressful morning, I took a couple of deep breath, calmed down and we got ready to attend church in the afternoon (the evening services were too late for my kids).

After hearing the Christmas story being read (Luke 2), I realized then and there that God doesn't want to make my life just easy and calm because then I wouldn't remember all those ordinary moments that happen every day. When Mary gave birth to Jesus, she must have been exhausted and in utter pain and when her son, our savior and king, was born, he didn't live a pampered life either. But both of them had never-ending love; a mother for her child and Jesus for all of humanity. He didn't seek perfection or an easy way out, but taught us (and continues to teach me every day) that life is messy and often doesn't work out the way we imagine it and that love is always present and that any moment can turn in to a great memory if we open our hearts and minds.

But during all this mess going on, we also had some great moments. For example, the kids said their goodbye to Eli, our elf on the shelf, as he had to get back to the North Pole and won' be back till next year.

And we received a package from my "little" brother, who sent us Bruce, a living puppet bat, as part of himself so that we can spend Christmas together (yes, his letter brought tears to my eyes). Thank you, Lenni and Anna! We will take good care of Bruce.

For Christmas Eve service we went to a different church and they had quite the entertainment going on: The family service involved a dance performance and a game show (not my cup of tea for a service) and afterwards they offered apple cider, S'mores, wagon rides and some snow for the kids to play in. After 3 days of rain, unusual warm temperatures, and being cooped up inside, the kids were delighted to be out and about (and we got lucky because it didn't rain the whole 2 hours while we were out of the house).

We also prepared for Santa's arrival by leaving reindeer food out in the front yard and putting cookies and milk out for Santa.

But the best part of the day was reading the Christmas story and "T'was the night before Christmas" with my kids before they headed to bed.

And then "the stocking were hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that St. Nicholas would soon be there." 

"Happy Christmas to all and to all a good night!"

Christmas Letter 2015

For years now, I have written an annual Christmas Letter that gets added to our Christmas card and sent out to family and friends near and far. It is usually a summary of our year, highlighting what each of us has been up to.  This year, I wanted to add it to our blog too as it serves as our memory keeper.

2015 has been a year filled with change and up and downs. It began with the decision to move further up North and an unexpected trip to Germany in January. This was one of the hardest trips I ever made back home as I had to say goodbye to my (favorite) uncle and my grandma. Both passed away from illnesses within 5 months of each other. They are missed dearly. While I spent many hours driving to and from and being at the hospitals, the kids loved seeing their Oma and Opa and enjoyed playing in the snow.

Once we made it back from Germany, we took a trip to Mooresville, NC to scope out our new hometown. Since we liked what we saw, Derrick quit his job and we packed up and moved to NC. This was a family decision that has been in the works for over 1.5 years and has been wonderful for us. It meant to trust in God, take some risks, and to downsize, but it is so worth it as we are able to spend plenty of quality time together as a family of 4. Since April, we enjoy getting to know our new surroundings, exploring the outdoors and having fun on the lake all summer long. It has been one of the best summers we had in a long time. This small town living is great and we especially love the weather (we have missed the seasonal changes a lot). Mooresville and surrounding towns have lots to offer from parades, concerts on the lawns to a great library and a fabulous MOPS (Mother of Preschoolers) group where I met some wonderful mommies and made some new friends. Everyone is very friendly and open here. If you can't tell yet but we are loving it here.

After a fun-filled summer, in August Amelia celebrated her 4th birthday with her grandparents and cousins at Chuck Cheese in Summerville. In September, she started her transitional kindergarten class and loves going to preschool every weekday (from 9am to 1pm). She has a great teacher and her 4 classmates are a fun troop to be around. This girl is the life of the party and enjoys learning and exploring new things. Her brother has adjusted well to the change of her being gone all morning and soaks up one-on-one time with mommy or daddy. He is my buddy to tag along when I have to run errands or have my bi-weekly mommy meetings. Elliot celebrated his 2nd birthday just a few days ago and I can't believe that he is growing up way too fast. The kids adjusted very well to the new area and can be found almost daily playing in the big backyard or exploring a new playground around town.

While the kids keep me very busy, I also started focusing a bit more on myself this year: reading books, volunteering at the soup kitchen, going out with the girls once a month, and doing some arts and crafts projects. For the past year, I have been making wooden peg dolls (ranging from princesses to animals, Star Wars, Power Rangers, and everything else in between) and recently started selling them to friends. As you may imagine, this little venture keeps me quite busy now.  

Derrick meanwhile is busy with managing/ researching our investments and applying for some new job opportunities. We hope and pray that we can stay here in that area but are also willing to move if a good job offer becomes available. He also enjoys going on hikes at the State Park or takes his bike out for a spin around town and playing with the kids out back. 

This year truly has been a whirlwind and while there was sadness, teary-eyed goodbyes and pain, we had even more great moments and made so many fond memories by spending time with each other and discovering that less can be more.  We are looking forward to 2016 and hope that it brings us new adventures, joy and peace.  We may never find it, but we will keep pursuing our happiness and pray that you do the same. 

We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! May peace and happiness be with you always. 

O Christmas Lights

This is the season where you see holiday decorations and lights everywhere. Christmas lights make me happy as they brighten the streets, windows, homes, and storefronts. So it was no wonder that the kids and I had to venture out to at least one of the many Christmas Light Shows this week. We chose Zootastic (but there are many others such as the town of "Christmasville", The Motor Speedway in Charlotte and Tanglewood) due to its proximity and the fact that the kids love visiting the animals there.  So on Monday evening we met up with our friend Lisa and her daughter Dori and took the kids on a wagon ride thru their light displays. It was beautiful.

It wasn't easy to take good pictures as we were moving and it was dark outside, but here is a glimpse of what we saw that night:

After the wagon ride was over, we were able to see some of their animals and go thru the petting zoo. Of course, we had to stop by Amelia's favorite animal, Jigsaw, first. It seemed like he remembered us because he gave us kisses thru the window. 

His friend Melman had his window open and the kids were able to pet him and give him some crackers. Elliot has no fear of big animals and was the first one there to pet the giraffe. 

Next up where the tigers. The big ones got some treats while the little ones napped. 

 

And then it was off to the petting area, where my kids fed goats, kangaroos, and even camels. Some animals were rather tired as it was nearing 8pm (the kangaroo is sleeping, not dead).

A last picture of the kids and then it was time to call it a night. For sure, we enjoyed it and can't wait to come back to Zootastic in the spring to visit all the other animals too.

Elliot, Amelia and Dori

Since it has been raining here for the past 2 days, we entertained the kids indoors by playing hide-and seek and board games, watching Christmas movies, painting ornaments and making figurines out of play-dough. 

But since we wanted to see more Christmas lights, we loaded the kids up after dinner and bath tonight, and drove around the neighborhood. The Christmas music was playing, the kids ate cookies and drank milk and we all ahh-ed and ooh-ed at the pretty decorations. 

Oh what fun it is to laugh and sing and see the lights....Loving all those holiday memories we are making.