Christmas is over and we're still getting fat

The Christmas season was wonderful. December seemed really long this year. I think it was because we only really had one Christmas party during the month - the ward party (and we weren't in charge of anything). We went to the Weihnachtsmarkt in Halle several times. We loved the little donut bites and the different smells. There were even hot drinks names after our girls. The fairytale corner was fun and the huge Christmas tree and pyramid in the middle were awesome.

Vacation down South

We got to take a little week-long vacation to Neumarkt (not far from Nuremberg). We went to some of the cities from our mission and saw some that we never got to see while in the mission. It was wonderful to be together as a family, break in our new mini-van with a crumbs, dirt and a little vomit. The kids would have been very happy to just stay at the house all day. It was a big house with lots of fun toys, a trampoline out back and rabbits. Probably the highlight of our trip was surprising our nephew, Tobias, who was serving his mission in Nuremberg at the time. What a fun week!

Life on the farm

Life on the farm is fun. I think after these few months I've decided I'm a city mouse rather than a country mouse. Hmm, we'll see once we have lived in the big city for a while. Anyway, here on the farm we never have to throw food away. Anything that we don't eat or that goes bad gets thrown over the fence to the chickens. It is so funny to watch them dart for the food. The kids help find the eggs in the evening. I think the record is 18. The huge rabbits aren't very lively in their little cages, but it's fun to help feed them, too.

The farm dog, Waldi, is also a favorite with the kids. The cats sneak around all day long, but not in the house (thank goodness).

Watch out Germany - here we come!

Our first months in Germany have been like an extended vacation. It's been fun to watch the kids adjust to their new surroundings. We've done a little adjusting ourselves (our belts) because of the good food. So, don't rub your eyes if you think we change a lot throughout these pictures. He he!