Utah is the place...

... to see Nichols/Anderson family and old college friends!

We had fun visiting in Utah as well, but I'm afraid I didn't take very many pictures here either. We just enjoyed relaxing and spending time eating, and playing games, walking in the park and Big Cottonwood Canyon, and talking with each other. I have a few photos to share though, and Rob's cousin-in-law(?) Marissa put some on Facebook if you're just dying to see more!

Grandma and Grandpa Anderson were enlisted to read many, many books to Charlotte and Toby. "One more, peease."

While we were in Utah, we all went to the dentist and had cleanings.

Charlotte gets the gold star for best dental patient under 5 years old! Turns out her baby teeth have "malformed enamel" and she will have some problems with them (including 3 cavities filled on this trip.) Thankfully, the pediatric dentist assures us we are doing a good job with brushing and her adult teeth should be fine.

We spent a day at the Children's Discovery Museum in Salt Lake, thanks to Cousin Annie. The kids loved playing here in the pretend construction zone, house, grocery store, and farm.

Annie's little girl Emma is done grocery shopping. We went to church with the Wolfes as well, and Toby loved being in Nursery with Emma while Charlotte was in Sunbeams with Annie for her teacher. :)

Can't make a trip to Utah without showing the kids Temple Square.

They were still in the process of setting up the Christmas lights, but we saw all of the Nativity scenes and talked with Charlotte and Toby about families being together forever.

Thanks to everyone that we got to spend time with...

and we hope you all have a wonderful Christmas!

Sweet home Pennsylvania

We had a nice time visiting the Kaufman side of our family in PA. :)

We started off the festivities with a group hike at Hawk Mountain. Uncle Dan, Eddie, Max, Charlotte, Leah, Toby, and Connor all made it to the top! (Although we did carry Toby quite a bit.)

Melissa, Dan, Pam, Dad, and Me- Julie. ;)

The views were really pretty with the Fall leaves,
and we did see a few birds.

We also got to meet BEN on this trip... my nephew Allen's son.

He is adorable and likes cookies a lot.

We went trick or treating at Ben's house but I managed to take those pictures on my sister's camera. Pam, please email me those when you get a chance. :D

Our kiddos really liked playing Aunt Pam's piano.

We got to visit with just about all of our family in the area, and also went hiking on the Appalachian Trail one day, did a LOT of shopping, and ate cheesesteaks and chocolate milkshakes to our hearts' content. Thanks ya'll for taking the time to hang out with us!

Iceland... continued

Just a few more photos I want to share from Iceland, and then I promise to move on. ;)

This was the last waterfall that we went to see, Skogafoss. It is at the base of that volcano that was causing all of the mischief over the summer with flights around Europe. You can see the ground is completely black with volcanic ash here.

The view of our car in the parking lot from the top of the waterfall. Rob is the only one who hiked to the top because it was a loooong way and it was super cold and windy out. The kiddos and I watched from the car and ate M&Ms. ;)

There are massive wide open spaces in Iceland. We spent a lot of time driving around on gravel roads in the middle of nowhere. Sometimes we just had to stop and stretch our legs with a quick game of tag in the "highway." (Those resourceful Icelanders are hauling that same volcanic ash around to make these roads.)

We returned to Gulfoss because it is just that amazing.

That is Rob and Toby up on the cliff overlooking the waterfall.

On our last day we went to the Blue Lagoon.

This hot spring was a great way to spend a few hours before a long flight. They have buckets of silica mud on the banks that you can do "mud masks" with and waterfalls to stand under. Rob and I took turns enjoying steam rooms and saunas. The kiddos had swimmies on the whole time and loved splashing around.

Note: We realize it's rather unusual to bring two small kids to a spa in Iceland, but if we didn't, then we couldn't go either, and they really seem to like traveling too. It's just the way we roll. ;)

Below is a bonus video of the Geysir going off.

Iceland is coooool (part 1)

Last week we went to Iceland- which is one of Rob's favorite places in the world. I was so excited to finally go to this amazing place with him! I'm going to attempt to be brief and just share a few of my favorite photos and give you a general idea of what our trip was like....

Our first stop was to Reykjavik. We spent our first night in the City Hostel... which was not the best hostel I've ever been in, but we had a family room with private bath, and it worked out just fine. There is this cool Viking ship sculpture near the bay. We also saw the cathedral and went up in the tower to look all around.

This is the cabin that we stayed at in southern Iceland. It was very nice down by the river, and we even saw the Northern Lights the last night that we were there.

Don't try this at home. You are not supposed to stick your hands in the geothermal pools near the geysir. It's hot. (Just ask Rob.)

They have a lot of rocks in Iceland. Rocks and water. And volcanoes. And glaciers.

And waterfalls. We love waterfalls.

This waterfall is called Gulfoss and is awesome.

Rainbow over Gulfoss. Notice that there are no "safety precautions" to keep you from falling down the waterfall. We were very, very careful with the kiddos here.

Playing tag in the continental rift. This valley is the division between the North American and European continental plates. It's also a significant place for Icelanders because their first Parliament was organized there around 900 or so.

If you look closely at the rock in the foreground, you'll see a red door painted on it. This is for Trolls. Charlotte loved looking for these Troll houses out her window as we drove all over the countryside.


Seljalandsfoss.
This is a cool waterfall because you can hike behind it.

Charlotte and Rob hiked behind it. And then I went by myself, it was a bit slippery and too dangerous for Toby we thought.

Well kiddos.... more to come soon. ;)

Vier Jahre alt

Charlotte turned four yesterday around 9:30 pm. :)

At four years old, she is as energetic, wild, and fun-loving as ever!

She can write all of the upper-case letters of the alphabet and knows them by their sounds. She is also able to count to 20 in English and German. Going to Kindergarten has been a really positive experience for Charlotte. She has made some new friends, has learned how to cope with people not understanding her (a new thing for our loquacious little one,) loves the social interaction every morning, and just generally is more cooperative when she is at home.

Right now her favorites (per our chit-chat) are...

Color: white (the color of polar bears and vanilla ice cream)

Food: cheese tortellini

Vegetable: green beans

Treat: ice cream

Movie: Gummi Bears (the old school cartoon we watch on Youtube)

School activity: lunchtime with her friends

Best friend: Cousin Leah

Some of OUR favorite things about Charlotte are her incredible imagination and dramatic personality, her excitement about travel and meeting new people, when she is kind and loving with Toby (this doesn't happen all the time but usually,) and how she wants to be "just like Daddy" (she may look like me, but they are two peas in a pod!)

Happy birthday Bubba!

Let's Party!

Over the weekend we celebrated Charlotte's FOURTH birthday with some of our friends at Halli Galli Kinderwelt.

Charlotte got to pick out a cake at the Commissary, (which she has been wanting to do for 2 years,) and I put some My Little Ponies on it.

Dinner time! Pizza, chicken nuggets, and french fries, oh my!!

Do you think Charlotte's having a good time being the center of attention or what?

The kiddos also spent a lot of time playing.

Toby, of course, located the Legos.

Here comes Cameron!

A little sensory overload for the adorable Miss Kate,

but she found some fun stuff to do too.

Girls in the ball pit- Sarah Jane, Ella, and Aubrey.

Oh man, this was a serious party!

Charlotte was so completely overjoyed the entire time. Even after tucking her in bed at night, I heard her singing Happy Birthday to herself. She cracks me up. ;)

Charlotte says...

Me: So, what do you think you might like Santa to bring you this year?
C: Um... maybe a new trash can.
M: A new trash can.
C: Yeah, for my room.
M: Okay. What else?
C: Nothin.
M: You don't want any toys or anything?
C: Nope. I have lots of toys already.

family photos

Our dear friend Felicity took some pictures of our family on Saturday in the park... and I am in love with them. :)

Check them out here:

http://felicitymaria.blogspot.com

5 years

To my sweet Rob,

Tomorrow is our 5 year anniversary.

At this time, 5 years ago, we didn't yet know about Hurricane Tammy and how she would crash our wedding. We didn't know how it would rain through our entire honeymoon, or how our first fight would be over a tied game of Scrabble.

We didn't know that in our first 5 years together we would have to bury a parent, give birth to 2 beautiful children, live in 3 different homes, have 5 different cars, and visit 8 different countries (soon to be 9.)

We didn't know all of each other's struggles and challenges, but our relationship has grown, our trust has deepened, and our love has been strengthened by sharing their weight and supporting one another. You know I like to plan, and I struggle with the unexpected, but I cannot deny that God has a bigger plan for us than we have for ourselves.

I am thankful for every day that I get to spend with my best friend. I don't know what the future holds for us, but I do know that we will walk through it together.

I love you with all of my heart. :)

8 Oct 2005

2010

Autumn reverie

I LOVE this time of year! My poor family is being stuffed with pumpkin cookies, apple crisps, and pear breads. I just want to soak in all of the flavors, and scents, and sights of Fall every second of the day...

"There is no season when such pleasant and sunny spots may be lighted on, and produce so pleasant an effect on the feelings, as now in October."

- Nathaniel Hawthorne

(The paper chain is our countdown to our next adventure, the pumpkins were made by my dear friend Sarah Jo, and the framed quote from my thoughtful MIL.)

"The gilding of the Indian summer mellowed the pastures far and wide.

The russet woods stood ripe to be stripped, but were yet full of leaf.

The purple of heath-bloom, faded but not withered, tinged the hills...

Fieldhead gardens bore the seal of gentle decay; ... its time of

flowers and even of fruit was over."

- Charlotte Bronte

(The view out our guest room window. Oooooh, I just love Charlotte Bronte.)

"Bittersweet October. The mellow, messy, leaf-kicking, perfect pause

between the opposing miseries of summer and winter."

- Carol Bishop Hipps

(Making leaf rubbings in our jammies on a rainy day.)

“There is a harmony in autumn, and a luster in its sky, which through the summer is not heard or seen, as if it could not be, as if it had not been!”

- Percy Bysshe Shelley

(Snuggled in to watch Blue's Clues with his buddies. This is Toby's "thinking face.")

"Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it,

and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth

seeking the successive autumns."

- George Eliot

(I cut out pumpkins and a variety of black shapes and let the kids go nuts with glue sticks... I was really impressed with the cool faces they made! There is no shortage of imagination in this house.)

HAPPY AUTUMN!!! :)

how old are you anyway?

Okay so we celebrated Toby's birthday forever ago, but he only just turned two a few days ago. So now I am doing Toby's 2 year old update. :)

At 2, Toby is 36 inches tall (85th %) and weighs 31 lbs (80th %.)

In the past few weeks he has REALLY started putting some words together and communicating with us. I hear a lot of "no unt to," and "Toe do it," and "air Guy go?" throughout my day. ('Guy' is his favorite stuffed frog's name.)

Toby and I love having our mornings together, while Charlotte is at school, to go for walks, clean, play, and do puzzles together. He is obsessed with puzzles right now and is shockingly good at them. I mean, we're doing 60 piece puzzles now. I keep at the puzzles with him, because when I don't, he finds other things to take apart and put together again-- like my vacuum and the TV remote. Someone told me this means he'll be an engineer. I think I told them that's only if he survives long enough to do so!

His temperament is still amazingly mellow and easygoing. I love that about him! I also love that Charlotte told me he is one of her best friends, and that he holds my face in his two hands, looks me in the eyes, and says "wub ooo mom" before bed at night. Seriously, someday there is going to be a lucky, lucky girl in my little man's life. I already kinda don't like her. (Just kidding!)

So, happy birthday to my sweet boy. Toby, you are one in a bazillion and we love you. xoxo

Bonus Charlotte story...

Tonight while Charlotte was in the tub I asked her about her day at Kindergarten.

Me: So what happened at school today?

C: I saw a kitten by the fence on the playground and my teacher picked it up and put it on the other side so it could be with its mommy.

M: Wow, that was good that you helped the kitten.

C: I didn't help it, my teacher did. (rolls eyes.) I was holding hands with that boy with the soft hair.

M: You were holding hands with the boy with the soft hair?

C: Yeah.

M: Do you know his name?

C: Nope. He's not my friend.

M: He's not your friend.... but you were holding hands?

C: Yeah, he's nice.

M: (Thinking at least I learned something at the parents' night that was all in German when I met a mom who told me that Oliver liebt 'Charlotta'... Oliver is 6.) Is his name Oliver?

C: Oh yeah. His name's Oliver. Can I paint my nails?

M: Sure, we can paint your nails after your bath. (I realize she changed the subject, but I'm kinda glad about it.)

C: No, I want to paint my nails.

M: Fine. You paint your nails... your highness. ;)

She didn't do half bad.

Our first slumber party

I checked on the kids before I went to bed last night and found this--

Cuddled up together, fast asleep in the corner of the nursery.

(I love that Toby did not forget to tuck in his beloved Lisa too.)

Legoland

This week I took the kids to Legoland, or Diegoland, as Charlotte is calling it. We went 2 days and spent the night in a hotel nearby. It was quite the adventure! The kids both loved it, and I liked that we could go on most of the rides together and have crepes and ice cream. So everybody was happy. ;)

Here are a few highlights...

At Legoland, they have a lot of stuff made out of Legos...

like the entire downtown of Berlin.

And Allianz Arena.

There are over 1 million Legos in this one. Each one of those people is a little Lego guy or gal. So crazy. Somewhere there's a guy who says, "I build enormous stuff out of Legos for a living."

Of course they have a lot of amusement park rides. This was one of the few that I wasn't also on, so it was a lot easier to take a picture. (Yup, you guessed it, those pterodactyls are made of Legos.) They have a few small roller coasters and a log flume, but nothing really extreme.

We watched a magic show and performers from the Chinese National Circus. (I anticipate Charlotte attempting a lot of crazy stretches and balancing acts in the coming days.)

They also have an area called the Duplo village, which is a giant playground for toddlers. We spent a bunch of time there.

Charlotte and Toby hard at work in the "Lego Test Lab."

Now, if you are a Star Wars fan, you may be excited to hear that Legoland has an annual Star Wars event. I did not know this. And my kids have never seen Star Wars. So of course we were there for the event! There were characters all over the park, and the guy who played something Grievous doing a meet and greet. There were lightsaber fighting demos. And I will have the Empirial March in my head for days.

Despite all of this, THESE are the characters my daughter wanted a picture with.

Oh, heaven help us in 10 years.

If you can't fight 'em, join 'em.

I forced my terrified children into one photo with a couple of the 100 or so stormtroopers marching around.

So, Legoland was a huge hit. :) And we all survived, despite the menacing looks from Darth Vader... or now that I think of it, maybe he was just wondering where I got that crepe. ;)