Birthday Weekend

Our sweet Lissie turned 17 yesterday. She woke up to a waffle-strawberries-fresh whipped cream birthday breakfast before the boys headed out to help with an Eagle project. We met up with them again a few hours later for birthday lunch at Cafe Rosso in downtown Heidelberg. Christian and Bryant then drove (Christian can legally drive now, remember?) to their jazz band performance at the Village Pavilion, and Tracy and I took Lissie up to the Loop 5 Mall in Frankfurt for a three hour shopping adventure wherein she traded much of her birthday money for H&M stylishness. Hmmm ... we could have stayed in Heidelberg for that!

Oh, and the birthday celebrations turned into "weekend" celebrations mostly because I hadn't had time to make her cake (a.k.a. cherry pie) yet. We saved the cherry pie making, singing, and blowing out of candles for today!

Here are some pictures to commemorate her special day:

At the Cafe Rosso

The ever lovely Lissie (in H&M birthday outfit)
and the festive cherry birthday pie

Happy Birthday, Lissie!

November's "Top Ten"

So basically, I'm not doing much better in the "post slacking" department. My goal was to write about November while we were still in the month of November . . . I'm no longer sick, but I think maybe I'm still dealing with homework, picture and camera issues. Sorry!

But anyway, here are the "Top Ten" highlights from November:

1. Tracy got to visit Matthew in DC.

2. Tracy, Christian and Bryant enjoyed a Switchfoot concert in downtown Mannheim, (Tracy's birthday present this year).

3. Lisa and Lissie had a girl's movie night: We watched Victoria and Albert (my favorite!) and Pirates of the Caribbean (Lissie's favorite!).

4. Christian got his German and USAEUR driver's licenses. Woohoo!

5. Christian finished his college applications.

6. Lissie beautifully performed her Grieg piano duet for Young Women in Excellence.

7. Lisa received the "hedgehog" award at Young Women in Excellence (in honor of the dream I had back in August that one of the YW got bit in the big toe - by a hedgehog - whilst on our high adventure ropes course!).

8. Bryant's soccer team won all of their games in November.

9. Bryant survived a soccer cleat gouge to one of his legs -- he earned that win.

10. Bryant got his hair cut . . . he was starting to look like an ELF, again!

And here are some pictures to go along with the highlights:

Christian's German driver's license -- it NEVER expires!

The Switchfoot Concert

Dad and Matthew in DC