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!