Hamburg

David already said a little about our trip to Hamburg, so I will just a little more. :)
We had a great time with Zachy's auntie. We were able to stay with her in her flat which was a lot of fun! We sat up and played games and ate junk food after the kids were in bed, it was great!
She also showed us lots of fun stuff in Hamburg, which I have to say is a very beautiful city. We went on the ferry and saw the harbor with the HUGE contianer ships (very cool!). Then we went to a tropical aquarium. It looked like disneyland with animals the design was great! Of course the kids loved that. We saw turtles, fish, lizards, snakes, sharks and many more!
So that was the first day...
The second day we went the mini wunderland (see the last post) then to the North Sea, about an hour and a half away. The North Sea is very unique in that when the tide goes out it leaves 'dry' (mud) ground. The tide goes so far out that you can't see the water any more, there is just a big mud field. There is actually a sport/hobby called watte wanderung, which is simply taking walks in the mudfield while the tide is out. (But beware the tide comes in quickly!) It's pretty cool to walk out a ways when the tide is out, it really is more like mud than sand. The kids found clam shells, and jelly fish and even a few dead crabs. The had a blast playing in the sand on the beach too.
For our last full day in Hamburg, we took it easy. Eva had to work so we went into town on our own and just walked around a bit, had lunch and headed home. Eva and I cooked stir fry for dinner (her request) and we had a nice meal together before putting the kids to bed and playing phase 10 again (which I lost).
So it was a very good trip and we wish we had had more time, I think we could have spent a month there and still not have seen everything. But we got to see the most important person there! And best of all spend time with her! Thanks Auntie Eva!
(Now we just need to round up the aunties here in Freiburg and coup them up in small quarters with all 6 of us for 4 days so it'll be fair! ;) )

Mini Wunderland

I have tons of pics from tons of trips so here's the first few. While in Hamburg we went to a place that has landscapes in miniature. And of course there is a model railroad that runs throught the whole thing. It was in a 3 story building and was amazing! I have to admit that I am a fan of model railroads, airplanes and minuatures in general. I find it fascinating, but could never do it myself because it would drive me INSANE to place every tree and rock by hand with tweezers. But I love to admire the work that others have done!
I think there were more adults than kids in the place, and the majority of those being men. It was fun the kids thought it was pretty cool too, except that it isn't to touch. ;)
I have to admit I took alot of these shots with my dad in mind. In case you're wondering where I got my love for model railroads etc.... ;)
So here are the pics, some are blurry, sorry. And some were taken by the kids so...
I don't know how well the detail will come accross in the pics, but it was unbelievable! And keep in mind that lots of the cars moved as well as other parts of the 'scene'. There were buttons to push in order to make something in the scene happen. The technology behind it all is beyond me! Just click on the picture to go to the album. I did it this way this time because there are so many of them!

Miniature Wunderland

Hamburg

David already said a little about our trip to Hamburg, so I will just a little more. :)
We had a great time with Zachy's auntie. We were able to stay with her in her flat which was a lot of fun! We sat up and played games and ate junk food after the kids were in bed, it was great!
She also showed us lots of fun stuff in Hamburg, which I have to say is a very beautiful city. We went on the ferry and saw the harbor with the HUGE contianer ships (very cool!). Then we went to a tropical aquarium. It looked like disneyland with animals the design was great! Of course the kids loved that. We saw turtles, fish, lizards, snakes, sharks and many more!
So that was the first day...
The second day we went the mini wunderland (see the last post) then to the North Sea, about an hour and a half away. The North Sea is very unique in that when the tide goes out it leaves 'dry' (mud) ground. The tide goes so far out that you can't see the water any more, there is just a big mud field. There is actually a sport/hobby called watte wanderung, which is simply taking walks in the mudfield while the tide is out. (But beware the tide comes in quickly!) It's pretty cool to walk out a ways when the tide is out, it really is more like mud than sand. The kids found clam shells, and jelly fish and even a few dead crabs. The had a blast playing in the sand on the beach too.
For our last full day in Hamburg, we took it easy. Eva had to work so we went into town on our own and just walked around a bit, had lunch and headed home. Eva and I cooked stir fry for dinner (her request) and we had a nice meal together before putting the kids to bed and playing phase 10 again (which I lost).
So it was a very good trip and we wish we had had more time, I think we could have spent a month there and still not have seen everything. But we got to see the most important person there! And best of all spend time with her! Thanks Auntie Eva!
(Now we just need to round up the aunties here in Freiburg and coup them up in small quarters with all 6 of us for 4 days so it'll be fair! ;) )

Mini Wunderland

I have tons of pics from tons of trips so here's the first few. While in Hamburg we went to a place that has landscapes in miniature. And of course there is a model railroad that runs throught the whole thing. It was in a 3 story building and was amazing! I have to admit that I am a fan of model railroads, airplanes and minuatures in general. I find it fascinating, but could never do it myself because it would drive me INSANE to place every tree and rock by hand with tweezers. But I love to admire the work that others have done!
I think there were more adults than kids in the place, and the majority of those being men. It was fun the kids thought it was pretty cool too, except that it isn't to touch. ;)
I have to admit I took alot of these shots with my dad in mind. In case you're wondering where I got my love for model railroads etc.... ;)
So here are the pics, some are blurry, sorry. And some were taken by the kids so...
I don't know how well the detail will come accross in the pics, but it was unbelievable! And keep in mind that lots of the cars moved as well as other parts of the 'scene'. There were buttons to push in order to make something in the scene happen. The technology behind it all is beyond me! Just click on the picture to go to the album. I did it this way this time because there are so many of them!

Miniature Wunderland

Road Trip!

We are in Hamburg in northern Germany this weekend (after a nine hour drive from Freiburg to Hamburg with 4 small kids in the car!). Never been to the north part of the country so here we are to visit Zachie's godmother who moved here last summer. We are having a blast - will post some more fotos after we get back to Freiburg next week. but here are a couple to tide you over until then...

Here we are in Hamburg in the Speicherstadt (customs warehouses?? - don't know the English word, but it's the place where all the freight is unloaded, inspected, logged and stored until pickup/delivery).

2nd foto of me in Buxtehude is kinda an inside thing, I think only the Germans would understand. ;-)

Road Trip!

We are in Hamburg in northern Germany this weekend (after a nine hour drive from Freiburg to Hamburg with 4 small kids in the car!). Never been to the north part of the country so here we are to visit Zachie's godmother who moved here last summer. We are having a blast - will post some more fotos after we get back to Freiburg next week. but here are a couple to tide you over until then...

Here we are in Hamburg in the Speicherstadt (customs warehouses?? - don't know the English word, but it's the place where all the freight is unloaded, inspected, logged and stored until pickup/delivery).

2nd foto of me in Buxtehude is kinda an inside thing, I think only the Germans would understand. ;-)

One Day at a Time

We really are taking it one day at a time right now. I look around sometimes and if I think too much about everything, i.e. what still needs to be done, what we will do in socal, and how it's all going to happen, I just shut down! Instead of getting up and doing something towards the goal. When I get that 'overwhelmed' feeling I have to stop and go to God and ask Him to help me take things one day at a time and not look too far down the road.
We are blessed to have so many helpers here, I couldn't have as much done as I do without them. Mixed feelings are beginning to appear for me now. I am excited, sad, scared (not knowing what is next, but I know that God already knows).
We moved more furniture out today. The apartment is slowly but surely becoming more and more empty. I am glad for that. I need to be able to see what we still have when all the big stuff is gone, so that I can better judge what still needs to be done.
We will be taking one last road trip this weekend. We get to go to Hamburg to visit Zachy's auntie Eva. We've never been to northern Germany so we are looking forward to it. Then we will stop in at the Calvary in Siegen for a couple of days for a confernce. We will be able to say some goodbyes there.
After that David does one last wedding and then we only have 8 weeks before we fly!! I can't believe how fast the time is flying! I knew it would, but I still can't believe how fast.
Anyway, enough rambling, I just wanted to update anyone who's interested! I have a ton of pictures and fun stuff I want to post about but the boxes are calling my name!! Maybe another time :-).
In the mean time, please keep us in prayer, it is a pretty stressful time for us all. Thanks!

One Day at a Time

We really are taking it one day at a time right now. I look around sometimes and if I think too much about everything, i.e. what still needs to be done, what we will do in socal, and how it's all going to happen, I just shut down! Instead of getting up and doing something towards the goal. When I get that 'overwhelmed' feeling I have to stop and go to God and ask Him to help me take things one day at a time and not look too far down the road.
We are blessed to have so many helpers here, I couldn't have as much done as I do without them. Mixed feelings are beginning to appear for me now. I am excited, sad, scared (not knowing what is next, but I know that God already knows).
We moved more furniture out today. The apartment is slowly but surely becoming more and more empty. I am glad for that. I need to be able to see what we still have when all the big stuff is gone, so that I can better judge what still needs to be done.
We will be taking one last road trip this weekend. We get to go to Hamburg to visit Zachy's auntie Eva. We've never been to northern Germany so we are looking forward to it. Then we will stop in at the Calvary in Siegen for a couple of days for a confernce. We will be able to say some goodbyes there.
After that David does one last wedding and then we only have 8 weeks before we fly!! I can't believe how fast the time is flying! I knew it would, but I still can't believe how fast.
Anyway, enough rambling, I just wanted to update anyone who's interested! I have a ton of pictures and fun stuff I want to post about but the boxes are calling my name!! Maybe another time :-).
In the mean time, please keep us in prayer, it is a pretty stressful time for us all. Thanks!

Thank God for Godmothers!

Well, I finally got a moment to sit and post about a couple weekends ago when Becks went off to the Women's Conference in Siegen. And I was home with 4 kids. Somehow that weekend was really chaotic. But thank God for the kids' 'patentante' (German for godmothers). They helped out a lot that weekend - that kept me somewhat sane. Well, as sane as I normally am, which really isn't that much. ;-)

Dariah's Auntie Doro took the kids out to the construction sites near our house. They loved it - playing with cinder-blocks, pieces of broken up concrete, boulders and junk from the building sites. Why buy toys when your kids love playing with trash?!?! Amazing what a child's imagination can come up with - they had built a whole 'city' from trash, replete with yellow insulation foam for cornfields.

Then the next evening the 3 older kids got to spend the night with Zachie's Auntie Simi and her husband. They had a blast - I'll post some fotos of that when I get them. So I only had Dariah at home that night, which was good because I still needed to finish preparing for Sunday's message.

On Sunday morning, Auntie Merle helped with the kids, which freed me up to focus on the teaching. A big thanks to all you Aunties (and 1 uncle)!

Here are a few fotos of the troop in the construction site...

Thank God for Godmothers!

Well, I finally got a moment to sit and post about a couple weekends ago when Becks went off to the Women's Conference in Siegen. And I was home with 4 kids. Somehow that weekend was really chaotic. But thank God for the kids' 'patentante' (German for godmothers). They helped out a lot that weekend - that kept me somewhat sane. Well, as sane as I normally am, which really isn't that much. ;-)

Dariah's Auntie Doro took the kids out to the construction sites near our house. They loved it - playing with cinder-blocks, pieces of broken up concrete, boulders and junk from the building sites. Why buy toys when your kids love playing with trash?!?! Amazing what a child's imagination can come up with - they had built a whole 'city' from trash, replete with yellow insulation foam for cornfields.

Then the next evening the 3 older kids got to spend the night with Zachie's Auntie Simi and her husband. They had a blast - I'll post some fotos of that when I get them. So I only had Dariah at home that night, which was good because I still needed to finish preparing for Sunday's message.

On Sunday morning, Auntie Merle helped with the kids, which freed me up to focus on the teaching. A big thanks to all you Aunties (and 1 uncle)!

Here are a few fotos of the troop in the construction site...