Missing Mom

This is how I knew Christian missed me while on my trip to the states for a couple of weeks (to help out with the new babies):

1 week before I left: "WHY do you have to go again? I think if Emily can do it on her own, so can Lauren!!

The day after I left: "I miss my family." (posted on Facebook)

1 week into the ordeal: "I need a haircut and for the first time in my life my mom isn't here to do it!" (also posted on Facebook)

1 week before we returned: Christian cuts his own hair (basically shaves his head)!

The evidence . . .



So now I am convinced . . . a boy needs his mom! :)

Christian, I missed you too!

Christmas 2010

Merry Christmas 2010

As I look back on the year, I can't help but think of the many wonderful blessings we have received . . . and at the top of that list is the arrival of three new grands -- Juliette (March 29), Annabelle (November 26) and Cole (December 20). What a fun picture that will make when they finally all meet each other for the first time next month!

Another event that contends for the top spot is the opportunity I had to see all of our adult children in the month of April. First I spent a week with Marie after the birth of Juliette, then a week in Utah with Emily and Lauren for their graduations, and then a day in the DC airport with Matthew since I had a long layover there before my return trek home. I was so happy to be able to spend a little time with each of them.

Other than a fun trip to Italy and Bavaria with the Clark family and an EFY trip to England (the kids), our year has been spent in the usual activities. Tracy has arranged his stake meetings so that he is only in Kaiserslautern a couple of times a week. I have finished two BYU classes (just six more classes to go!) and a couple of large crochet and quilt projects (late wedding gifts for Emily and Lauren).

Christian continues to take online classes from Maeser Academy; he does the remainder of his classes at Heidelberg High School with AP composition as a favorite. He did another internship at the community library which took up his afternoons for 12 weeks, but what he really loves to do in his free time is work on guitar and piano songs. He gave up his room (now he shares with Bryant) so that it could become the band room. He is currently heading up a youth "Unplugged" event for New Year's Eve at the stake center, so we often have groups of kids over for band practice. Another big event for Christian this year: he got his braces off on November 30! What a great smile he has!

Lissie and I just got back from visiting Emily and Lauren and to help out with the newborns, Annabelle and Cole. We were the boys' favorite Christmas presents since our flight was delayed a day and we arrived back home early Christmas morning! Lissie likes her online classes through Maeser Academy and usually spends her afternoons in dance classes -- ballroom and ballet. Her dream is to add jazz back into her repertoire. She got a guitar last year for her birthday and she has done very well this year at learning to play and sing (mostly Taylor Swift) songs. She has a fascination with "favorites" and has all the deacons in our ward trained to say that SHE is their favorite. She has Tracy and me trained too -- she is our favorite youngest daughter!

For several years Bryant has dreamed of getting a job as a paperboy, and his dream came true a couple of months ago when an opening came up here in Malschenberg; he actually made the calls himself and got the job to deliver papers every Wednesday and Saturday. It fit in perfectly with his soccer schedule too, and now he has more spending money than any of us! Actually, he has committed to saving 40% so now he also has more savings than most of us! He takes online classes from Maeser Academy and will likely attend half time at HHS next year. He finished his Eagle Scout requirements last spring, but wants to wait to have his Court of Honor until he and Ezra Clark are living on the same continent -- maybe after another year!

Wishing you all a lovely remainder of the Christmas season (it's just the beginning for us) and a wonderful New Year too.

We love and miss you all,

Tracy and Lisa
Christian, Elisabeth and Bryant

Baby St. Nicholas

(a.k.a. Nicholas Stephen or "Cole")


Baby Cole was born last Monday and as soon as Lauren met him, she was in love! I watched her admire, kiss and cuddle him, and I often heard her whisper "I love you" in his baby ears. She would lovingly gaze at him and say, "He is SO little . . . he is just SO cute . . . I can't believe he was just inside me . . . He is adorable!" She was so into her baby that not even the nurses could distract her for long. Yes, the stork brought Christmas this year, and it was Lauren's best Christmas present ever! Welcome Baby Cole. We all love you!

A Portion of the Best Grands Ever!

I already posted this on Facebook, but I wanted to preserve it here on my blog. Marie did a bang up job with our photo shoots when she and her family came for a visit in November. I love Juliette's face in this picture . . . she seems to be saying, "why are we doing this . . . again??" Love her, love them all. This is only a "portion of the grands" because soon after this picture was taken, two more babies were born. We are so lucky this year!

Three Beautiful Angels

This is Lissie with Hannah and Emma Ireland at the ward Christmas party some years ago . . . maybe 2006?



Does anyone recognize the angel dresses? Lissie is wearing Lauren's, Hannah is wearing Emily's, and Emma is in Lissie's! (Those baptism dresses came in handy!)

So absolutely heavenly!

Sister to Sister to Sister

Lissie is having the time of her life hopping on planes (5 so far this trip) to visit her sisters and their new babies. (I am simultaneously having the same fun trip, of course.) First she got to visit Emily in Utah and cuddle with Annabelle for almost a week.


Then she got to fly on to Texas where she has been absolutely fascinated by Lauren's pregnant state. Here she is feeling baby boy (Nicholas?) stretching and kicking. "So cute!" she says as she positions herself in her favorite spot -- right next to Lauren on the couch.



What a blessing to be able to visit two of her sisters in her favorite month of December! And . . . we can't wait til tomorrow!

Favorite Things

One of Lissie's signature queries these past few months has been all about "favorites," so it was only fitting that she have a "Favorite Things" 16th birthday party. Favorite things would include dancing and Taylor Swift so naturally this celebration turned into a dance party - at the church (A venue I would highly recommend for any kid party). Everything about the evening revolved around her favorites list . . . see if you can guess some of them.

She really wanted a "hot air balloon" cake and this is the best I could come up with . . .



Red daisies and Starbursts . . .



And although this picture was taken a couple of weeks after her birthday, Christmas is definitely on her list!



(We happened upon the REAL Santa at the Albuquerque Airport)

There were many more things on her list like yogurt, ice cream, Sprite, chocolate milk, horses and cowboys, but just these few picture clues will have to suffice for now.


Happy Birthday, Happy Christmas, Happy December Lissie!

SMILE!

November 30, 2010 -- the day Christian finally got his braces off!

Here he is with that marvelous metal mouth . . .


And this photo was taken (in the car on the way home) right after his teeth gained their freedom . . .



I only have a few things to say to Christian (after Hooray!). . .

"You are SO handsome!"
"Are you wearing your retainer???"
"After those many months and mucho $$$, I think you should smile at least twice as much as before!"

She always wanted to be a mom

Emily has always loved babies . . . even when she was in nursery she wanted to mother all the little ones there. And then when her little brothers and sister came along, she was a second mother to them too. Some of Emily's famous sayings have always been, "I want a baby!" or "That is the cutest baby I have EVER seen!" She would say this about EVERY baby she met, but I'm pretty sure she really means it this time . . . here she is with her new little daughter, Annabelle. So precious and straight from Heaven. "Perfection" definitely seems to be the right word.



Welcome to the world, Annabelle. We love you!

My Thanksgiving List

I'm actually preparing for a YW activity in which we will share some of our favorite books, and I came across a review I had written for Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse. I noted that even though Billie Jo (the main character) had had some trying experiences while growing up in the Dust Bowl, her inclusion of a "Thanksgiving List" provided me with a moment of self reflection and the realization that there is so much to be thankful for, even in times of struggle. Billie Jo's story celebrated the indomitable human spirit, especially in the face of significant challenges. Here is her Thanksgiving List:

Prairie birds, the whistle of gophers, the wind
blowing,
the smell of grass
and spicy earth,
friends like Mad Dog, the cattle down in the river,
water washing over their hooves,
the sky so
big, so full of shifting clouds,
the cloud shadows creeping
over the fields,
Daddy's smile,
and his laugh,
and his songs,
Louise,
food without dust,
Daddy seeing to Ma's piano,
newly cleaned and tuned,
the days when my hands don't hurt at all,
the thank you note from Lucille in Moline, Kansas,
the sounds of rain,
Daddy's hole staying full of water
as the windmill turns,
the smell of green,
of damp earth,
of hope returning to our farm.
The poppies set to
bloom on Ma and Franklin's grave,
the morning with the whole day waiting,
full of promise,
the night
of quiet, of no expectations, of rest.
And the certainty of home, the one I live in,
and the one that lives in me.

Out of the Dust has been one of my favorites from my current BYU class in adolescent literature. It is entirely written in free prose and I highly recommend it!

Here is my own Thanksgiving List - not in free prose and not in any particular order:

Home and family
A dedicated and loving husband
Children and grandchildren who are beautiful to me
Turtle (the cat) and how she comes to prayer every night
Living prophets
Scriptures
Good books
Knowledge and testimony
Growing experiences
Living in Germany
Learning German (the slow method)
Good friends, new and old
Beautiful young women
Beautiful young men
Soccer or fussball
Smiles and laughter
Music and dance
Ballroom dancers and ballerinas
The band room
Guitars, pianos, and the drum set
Outstanding teachers
Understanding neighbors
My nearly new house
A second bathroom!
My father, who would have been 77 last week
My mother, who has the spunk at 75 to rebuild her house
Many beautiful memories


And the list could go on and on . . .

Two Thankful Weeks

Thanksgiving came early for us this year . .. thanks to the arrival of Marie, Will, Bella, Liam and Juliette to our home for two VERY SHORT weeks! On the day of their arrival, Bella amazed us all by not going to bed until 11:00 p.m. that evening (not even jet lag could slow her down!), Liam entertained us at EVERY meal, and Juliette was the sweetest, smiliest baby to ever come for a visit!

We spent our days with an occasional walk plus professional photo shoots (Thanks Marie!) with visits to Bruchsal, Angelbachtal and the local fields and vineyards. Marie also learned a few more sewing tips as we worked together on Juliette's Christmas stocking and a dress for Bella. We had an enchilada night and music jam with the Crandall Family, and an early Thanksgiving dinner with the Kloses, Roses and Pattersons. Of course, there were a few shopping trips squeezed in as well - the Hauptstrasse in Heidelberg and the new Frankfurt mall. Marie was intent on her Christmas list and left a tempting pile of presents on the bench upstairs before she headed off to the airport this morning. Such an organized and thoughtful girl!

It really was a grand two weeks and we all can't wait until we're all together again. Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

A Rock Star, an Indian, a Mad Professor and . . . Elvis, Again!

Halloween brought some interesting characters to our house. I learned a long time ago that if the kids know that "I'm not buying any costumes" then they tend to get very creative just in time for the fall festival, trunk or treating, and the Halloween dance.

Here are Bryant, Lissie and Christian right after we got home from the ward party:


(The Rock Star, the Indian and the Mad Professor)

Bryant and Lissie made the guitar out of cardboard; Lissie made her own Indian costume; and Christian was definitely on his own for this one!

Christian changed up his costume for the stake Halloween dance a few days later . . . he went as Elvis, but we forgot to take a picture :( I hope someone out there took one at the dance. Then I can add it to this post :)

But here he is in elementary school dressed up as Elvis, again! (This time it was for Fasching.)



Christian is definitely the coolest kid in the class!

Homecoming Dance

Christian decided to take Lissie to the HHS Homecoming Dance last weekend. So we shortened one of Emily's former prom dresses, then added a silver bow and made a mad shopping dash downtown to find silver shoes for Lissie. Christian looked simply dapper with his matching silver tie. Their plan was to salsa, cha-cha and swing dance the night away . . . but they ended up coming home early :( The music and setting just weren't right, and they would have felt too conspicuous. When they came home and walked through the door, Lissie exclaimed . . . "The best part of Homecoming was COMING HOME!" Oh well, at least they looked stunning together.

The Changing of the Seasons

To all of my multitudinous blog followers -- for some reason I'm still stuck at the end of summer. The storks started disappearing sometime in September, the leaves started changing colors soon thereafter, and this week we had frost in the morning as we stepped outside on our way to seminary -- I am nonetheless still in denial. Obviously, I am a step behind the changing of the seasons. But, of course, that also explains why I am behind in my "monthly" blog posts. That and the fact that all of the pictures I want to post are on other computers which are almost always occupied by "other people" (aka C, L & B). Now I have decided that I should do blog posts without the accompanying photos -- aka "Fotos to Follow!" Maybe.

Anyway, here is what I might have written about in September and October:

1. Brace Yourselves for the Unexpected -- You guessed it -- Bryant AND Lissie both need braces . . . Bryant is completely missing a permanent tooth, and Lissie has a permanent tooth that wants to permanently stay up in her gums! And seriously, their teeth DO NOT look crooked! So now we are thinking of creative ways to pay for the unexpected.

2. Paris Here We Come! -- Actually, we backed out of this Paris trip. There was simply too much unrest (strikes/terrorist threats) in the "City of Love" this week and we decided not to be stupid about it. Lissie and I went to the movie and had a limited shopping spree as consolation. Yes, we love each other!

3. A Two Bathroom Home and Family -- Well, we got the upstairs bathroom tiled, but we are still waiting (and waiting) to have the sink and faucets, etc. installed. It's nonfunctional (which is better than dysfunctional) and gorgeous!

FOTOS TO FOLLOW . . . Maybe!

Gifts of Love

Some of you know I have been working on a couple of big projects this year -- A quilt for Lauren and Steve and a crocheted coverlet for Emily and Jake.

Both projects took so much longer for me to complete than I originally expected (when will I EVER learn?), but I am finally done and they turned out beautifully. I just wish I could have been present when the surprise packages recently arrived in the mail. I even had to be satisfied with a delayed telephone response since they arrived in the evening which was the middle of the night for me -- but the girls and I still had some delightful conversations the next day.

Here is my first ever "real quilt" complete with an attachment of handmade lace (I made the lace for Lauren several years ago) . . .



And I chose this beautiful crocheted daisy pattern because it reminded me of Emily . . .



So . . . I think I am done creating heirloom wedding gifts for a while. And 401 daisy squares later, I cannot possibly crochet again for a VERY LONG time! Good thing Lissie has determined that she someday wants a QUILT as her wedding gift. Just give me about TEN years, okay Lissie?

As Summer Comes to Close . . .

We have had such a memorable summer -- A trip to Italy and Bavaria with the Clark family, World Cup soccer, summer jobs, girl's camp, scout camp, and EFY in Nottingham, England. And this past Monday Christian left for Berchtesgaden for a week with the young men of our stake at Camp Helaman (a missionary preparation and adventure camp).

Here is a quick recap of the kids' fun EFY experience: 15 hour bus rides, ferry rides across the English Channel and a glimpse of the White Cliffs of Dover, a taste of British food (granola bars and Goldfish to stave off the near starvation), late nights and early mornings, wonderful new friends, British accents and idioms, scripture and gospel study classes, winning the dance competition (Bryant and Lissie placed first and Christian and Stephani Ray second), performing I'm a Believer in the variety show, dances, game night, morningsides and devotionals. And finally . . . having to say "cheers" until next time.

Here is a YouTube link to their enthusiastic variety show performance (just copy and paste if it doesn't connect):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9IwHJVlTbw


It was such a wonderful blessing for our kids to have had this experience. Thank you Kaiserslautern Military Stake and the Area Presidency for making it all possible!

In the next the couple of weeks we will be back into our school and seminary schedules along with soccer, ballet and ballroom dance.

SO LONG . . . Summer of 2010!

I'm a Believer

In preparation for their EFY experience, the kids put together a band number to audition for the variety show. I've posted a YouTube link to their practice run of I'm a Believer by The Monkees. Lissie plays the tambourine and sings, Christian accompanies on the guitar, and Bryant is on the keyboard.
Br. Togisala (our dream band coach) is in the background on the drums.

Here is the link to the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9y8vAagSbQ

So, from the #1 fan of CeLeBration! . . . Good Luck CL&B at the audition!

I'M A BELIEVER!

Home Alone!

I was going to label this post as "Goin' to Camp," since in the first picture Bryant is sitting on the step at 5:00 a.m. waiting for his ride to Camp Freedom in Ansbach; and then six hours later (notice the light of day difference) Lissie poses on the same step clutching the remainder of her camp gear. She was on her way to Jugenddorf Teufelsfels, Schneppenbach, for girls camp. They both enjoyed a week of camaraderie, activities and RAIN! Bryant says they were completely rained out the first night and "allowed" to sleep in the cars. And even though his sleeping bag didn't dry out until Wednesday, he says it was an AWESOME week. Lissie is especially grateful for cabins and covered pavilions!




Tracy and I drove up to girls camp on Thursday to attend the hoedown dinner and testimony meeting. Then we spent the night and helped bring a carload of girls back. Yes, we left Christian HOME ALONE. But aside from it being really quiet at home, he only encountered one mishap . . . he burned his frozen pizza and still had to eat it!

And speaking of being "Home Alone," Tracy and I are on our own this week . . . Christian, Lissie and Bryant all left last evening for Nottingham, England, for an Especially for Youth (EFY) program. We were there to wave goodbye as they drove off (three busloads totaling about 130 youth from our stake), but the hardest part was coming home to our empty house . . . we miss them!

Then and Now

For the past four years, Lissie and Christian have been in the same ballroom dance classes learning the likes of waltz, cha-cha, tango and swing . . . so I wasn't too surprised when I came across this picture from 1997 in my files (Lissie almost 3 and Christian age 4). . .


Here they are 13 years later with a little better form . . .



And speaking of evidence of things to come, take a look at this page out of Bryant's baby book entitled "A Style of His Own" (notice the natural baby mohawk) . . .



And 13 years later with a very similar look . . .

Birthday Bliss in Garmisch

What could be better than a week in Garmisch spent swimming, watching movies, alpine-sliding, hiking, paddle-boating and tree climbing with the Clark Family? How about topping it all off with a birthday celebration? Bryant turned 14 during our vacation, and since Christian's 17th birthday is just around the corner, we celebrated their birthdays together . . .

We started out with a big buffet breakfast at the Edelweiss Lodge . . .



Then we were ready for the real excitement of the day: KLETTERWALD! This is a climbing park (ropes, ladders, wooden platforms and other similar obstacles) set up in the trees. After being equipped with climbing harnesses, helmets, and a safety course from trainer Heike, everyone was ready. Bryant liked to lead out and even did the most difficult courses twice! Imagine swinging – Robinhood style - from platform to platform, or skateboarding and bicycling up in the tree tops. Balance and strength were certainly the order of the day.

Here they are . . . all dressed up in their birthday party gear:

ERIN


CHRISTIAN


TAYLOR


LISSIE



EZRA



BRYANT


RACHEL


JESSICA


Christian leading Lissie through the black course (aka Monkey Heaven). . .



In the leafy treetops . . .


Robin and his merry climbers . . .



And the birthday boys at the end of the day . . .



Happy Birthday Guys!

Walks to Remember . . . Lucca, Pisa, Cinque Terre & Verona

The Tuscan town of Lucca is the perfect place to take an afternoon stroll--whether atop its medieval wall which still surrounds the city or just around town.



And I had to take a picture of this sweet little man filling up his green glass water jug at a public fountain. I only wish I had known how to say in Italian “will you look at me and smile?” as he mounted his bike and rode off with his treasure in tow.



The next day we ventured out to Pisa and its Leaning Tower . . . good thing we had Bryant along so he could hold it up while I took a picture!





And later that day, we spent some time in the warmth of sand and sea at the American Beach in Tirrenia. Between paddle boating, canoeing, beach volleyball (which soon became beach soccer), shell collecting, sun bathing and relaxing, only a little more TIME could have made the afternoon more idyllic.

Here are Christian and Taylor setting off in the canoe . . .



Jacob and Bryant triumphantly displaying their battle trophy . . .



And the Allred, Clark and Hibbard kids at the end of the day:



We knew that the next day we would be down near the water again as we hiked along the famed Cinque Terre (five beautiful coastal towns just northwest of La Spezia). The highlight was being witness to our very own cliff divers -- Bryant, Christian, Taylor, Brent, Jessica, Heidi, Hailey and Dallin . . . love that clear Mediterranean water!

The cliff . . .



Here are Lissie & Erin in their sun hats (if you look closely, you can see the Cinque Terre in the background)



Our last stop in Italy was Verona. We spent an afternoon there as we journeyed from Italy back to Germany. We were impressed with the centuries old coliseum (still in use for operas, concerts and plays), marble sidewalks, and the fabled Capulet home (we couldn’t miss seeing Giuliette’s balcony). In the end, we decided that a couple of hours was just not enough . . . so fair Verona is on our “must see again” list. Ryan Air must fly close to there, right?





Here is what Bryant, Christian and Lissie think about that . . .