Oma is here

She is finally here...Oma arrived, after two long hours of waiting at the airport, on October 7th. We are so happy that she will be here for 3 weeks. Lots of fun things are planned but also just hanging out and spending time with my mom. 

Picnic at the park: 

 And a lunch visit at school. Happy children:

Shopping with mom...we found things no one needs:

Oma cuddling our birthday pigs...Lucy and Linus were one year old on the 15th:

Nightly card games with the children and then with me:

Derrick was traveling for a week and the kids were missing him:

Amelia's classmates owns a goat, horses and dogs, so we all visited one afternoon. The children even got a riding lesson:

One evening, we had the fire pit on and made S'mores and stock bread. 

An afternoon with our German friends, Bettina and Dominik. Playtime, cake and then some pumpkin carving:

While Oma was here, Derrick and I got to go on a date. We originally had planned a weekend trip but because of all the Fall activities, we didn't find a good weekend to do it. So we went bowling instead. Of course, my husband never told me that he is really good at it: 

And the next day, it was time to say our goodbyes as Oma was flying back to Germany. We truly enjoyed having her here and we did lots of fun activities. Watch out for the next few posts about our adventures together. Saying goodbye never gets easier...we love and miss you already, Oma!

September Happenings

September has come and gone and we were always out and about, enjoying the (hopefully) last hot days of summer. A visit to the newly opened local splash pad was a must to cool off:

Amelia loves arts and crafts and made quite a few friendship bracelets.

 Elliot practiced some more tennis with Daddy. This boy is getting real good!

 Picnic lunch with our guinea pigs:

Off to work but not without our cool shades on:

When you start your morning run in the dark with safety gear and come home after 45 minutes to a beautiful sunrise. It is definitely worth getting up that early:

Chores are part of our daily routine. But afterwards we are ready to cuddle together on the couch:

Our church participated in the Taste of Hendersonville and I worked in the popcorn booth. It was very tasty:

On Saturday, we visited Derrick's former co-worker Nancy. She always spoils us with a huge lunch and the children love on her two pets:

Morning views:

Followed by a run in the park with my girl. And then we found the Eggo Waffle Mobil..all that running was worth it:

 Now we are ready for Fall and Oma to arrive:

5K Race and Party Time

Earlier this month and for the third year in a row, I participated in a local 5K race to raise money for underprivileged children. While I won the race the first time I participated, lately the competition got more intense. Nonetheless, the race is still fun especially since my family always comes to cheer me on.  

This year, I finished third in the overall female category with 23:47, 45 seconds faster than the year before. Not my top results but given the heat, humidity, and hilly route, I was happy with it. 

A couple of weeks ago, my friend Emily hosted her annual Hallelujah Back to Schoolah Party for her mommy friends. Just a fun evening with good friends, food, wine and some games (and learning how to twerk, courtesy of Paige):

Today, it was a busy day with the children attending two birthday parties. In the morning, our friend Carolyn celebrated her 3rd birthday with a Flamingo Water Party. Just the right thing in this Southern heat. 

After some rest at home, it was then Elliot's turn to celebrate his friend Hudson at an indoor trampoline park. Lots of bouncing, jumping and running...the best for these rambunctious boys. 

 Happy 6th Birthday, Hudson!