Training

Training Training Training. It seems like that is all I am doing lately. Training children, training a teenager, training puppies.... It is so hard sometimes to feel like all I am doing is holding the line, disciplining, sticking to my guns, administering consequences. Bleck!
I think that's why the Germany trip stands out in my mind so much. It was a completely self indulgent time. I loved it! I drank and ate what I wanted to while it was still hot and cold, I was inundated with so much beauty without one interuption of my taking it in, I had long and thoughtful conversations with some of the people I love the best, I was touched by God's lovingness during train rides, in castles, on city streets, in one of the coolest apartments I have ever stepped foot in. It was just awesome, Which brings me to my last day: shopping in the more modern sections of Munich and the opera. I really liked the stores we went into- there was a very graphic and fresh feel. I found a mirror that fit exactly into my "bavarian deer acorns and oak leaf" desires. Despite the handle breaking and it tumbling end over end when I was running to catch a bus, it arrived home safe and sound.
The opera was something else entirely! It was a good thing Matthew looked up the story line ahead of time because it was all in German, but the voices, oh the voices... I have been to one ballet and while it was very cool, I think I am more of an opera type girl! The music literally filled the entire building. Amazing.

So that was basically the nutshell of the trip.

Jane Austen's Anne says: "My idea of good company, Mr. Elliot, is the company of clever, well informed people, who have a great deal of conversation; that is what I call good company."
"You are mistaken,' he said gently,"that is not good company, that is the best."

How fortunate that I was able to share my Germany experience with the best company I know, my family. And now I have the summer to look forward to!

Day 5

And we come to Sunday- possibly the most mind blowing of all days. We did a lot of train travel on this trip, but I must say that as long as I was facing in the direction of travel, it was pretty pleasant! Well, it also helps to have two guides saying, get off here, it'll be 15 mins, get on here, would you like some of my mom's homemade bread?
The castles. How to describe the castles.
Picture: watery sunlight, fresh but not cold, the alps- tree covered mountains just that much closer to heaven, two pristine mountain lakes-cobalt blue, and perching in two lordly poses above you, two castles. One a buttery yellow, one a swan like white.
Howenschwangau (I'm sure I am spelling these wrong) Beautiful murals, furniture that people actually lived with, ruled in, had their babies in, faced life in. I love castles that help you to imagine what life was like in that time, and this was perfect for that. Lots of small rooms with windows that looked out on breath taking views of mountains, lakes, forests etc. We had a great guide with a perfect dry sense of humor. I liked this castle better than Newschwanstein. It was more real, less of a wild fancy and more of a real home. Well, as real home as living in a castle can get.

And then there was this beauty. Unfortunatly all I caught was this least impressive side. It got too dark too fast for me to catch the other sides. This was a mad king's flight of fancy and it was truly incredible. Part of me wishes that we could have taken pictures inside, adn part of me realizes that there is just no way to capture the feeling of it without being there in real life. Anyways, google it because its beyond my description. All I can think of is a truly lame WOW!

The gardens at Hohenschwangau. Don't we all wish we were as fashionable as this girl?

Oh wait! Some of us are! This is my incredible mom, posing with some German royalty. It's amazing who you run into in out of the way places!

Days 2-4

After our Christmas shopping extravaganza, we jumped on the train for a trip to visit Marissa's family. The more I travel, the more I appreciate hospitality in all it's forms. Marissa's family was so hospitable to us! They fed us incredible meals, took us on walks, let their children smash us in games like memory, and showed us different aspects of their lives. It was a lot of fun and helped me not to miss my own family as much over the biggest holiday of the year. We were treated to different German traditions, including a candle lit Christmas tree and a flaming, rum soaked sugar cube that melted into a pot of hot spiced wine. Glorious, but I had to be careful with that one! We also took in a candle lit Christmas Eve Service and probably the highlight of my trip, the village of Bad Wimpfen. Bad Wimpfen is medieval, Bavarian, castle architecture at it's best. People are still living in this village from the 1300's, which is so cool, but I think I got the best feel for life in the dark ages from this place. I love medieval warfare, and I felt like I could understand it best here.
If only all American kids could take a field trip here during their Dark Ages lectures. I think it
would last in their brains forever!

It doesn't rain but it pours!

WOW! This last week has just about blown me away! First my incredible trip to Germany, then a day of shopping in Billings, then home for a New Years party at some awesome friends, then home to a kennel full of surprise puppies! It's enough to make a girl's head spin.
First off, Germany.

This my friends, was the trip of a lifetime. I'm not even exaggerating. it was awesome! Everything that I had wanted to do in Germany we did and then some. I'm going to have to go day by day or it will take until next Christmas to upload them all.

So I had two day of travelling to get there, and as soon as I left the US it got nightmarish! Because of a mistake I had made on the tickets, I was stuck in Amsterdam feverishly running around trying to get on a flight to Munich. By the grace of God I was able to fly standby on a flight or I might still be waiting there today.

As soon as I stepped foot in Munich however, the fun began. Mom and Matthew were there to greet me and we hopped on a train to Matthew and Marissa's trendy apt. in down town Munich. I got my second wind after we arrived and I unpacked and kissed my Dad so we headed down to a pub for a beer. The pubs in Germany are everything you want them to be: stepping from cold damp air into a warm friendly atmosphere, sitting down to a table flanked by tall thousand paned windows amidst a wood panelled room. The feeling is cozy, and talkative, and there are an embarrassment of good things to eat on the menu!

All I wanted on this trip was to eat soft pretzels, sausage and sour kraut and I did myself proud!

The next day we hit the outdoor Christmas markets. Munich is such a beautiful city with stone buildings built with grace and cobblestone roads that are narrow and winding. Tucked into various courtyards throughout the city are these markets. If it's Christmas, it's sold at the Christmas market!


Mom and I stocked up on ornaments and we were sure to stop at the outdoor sausage stand for some bratwurst and sour kraut.
Then we toured Matthew and Marissa's schools. We walked around town some more, Mom and Dad shared a coffee while Matthew and
I toured the medieval Christmas market. And that was the first day!

A day at the zoo

In October I picked a weekend to take the boys to the zoo. I LOVE zoos and neither LB or Chubzie had ever been to one. Of course, Billings zoo has a reputation for being kind of small and dingy, but I thought it would be a fun day out. As the Saturday of my choice drew near I started to get really nervous about taking both boys the 3 hours to Billings. What if they screamed the whole way? What if I had a complete meltdown from being overwhelmed? I was really freaking myself out!

I shouldn't have worried, the boys did great. The day was perfect- warm and sunny, and with stroller and latte in hand, we got a map and made the rounds. The Billings zoo is greatly underrated! They had pretty areas for gardens and although most of the animals aren't really that exotic, they did have a tiger and a pair of gorgeous red pandas. The most perfect thing was that right about the time Little Buckaroo got tired of walking around we ran out of exhibits. I have to say the otters were my favorite. They were having a ball, sliding down their grassy slope and wrestling each other until they saw us through the glass. They scampered over and checked us out. It was so cute seeing LB and the otters "connecting". What a great day. It was really worth all the planning and by the end of it I felt so relaxed. Delightful.

Ugh...what a day

Well today was lousy so I am just going to write about it and send it out to the great unknown hoping that it takes all this lousy feeling with it.

Woke up to snow. again. All my magazines are about that lovely fall feeling, my favorite feeling in the world, which has been covered in snow.
Got a call that a dear friend I have been praying and praying for had to go to the hospital.
Kids were stuck inside today and drove me absolutely nuts. I have wanted a fence around the backyard since Little Buckaroo became mobile and we still don't have one. So if he goes outside, so do Chubzie and I. Usually I have to drag LB inside screaming because he loves it out there and I always have something that needs doing inside.
LB got up from a nap and couldn't make it to the potty- giant puddle on the carpet right in front of my bedroom door. I keep forgetting about it and stepping in the wet spot and getting a nasty little surprise over and over.
Learned another horrible little piece of news last night that I am too embarrassed to post and yet kept me up all night worrying. No I'm not pregnant, ha ha.
The Lord revealed to me how I have been treating Him like a "Santa God." Telling Him everything I want and then feeling like He doesn't love me unless He does something about it.
That's pretty much it.

The highest point of my day was talking to my brother and sister on the phone. There's just something about family that can lift you out of the darkest moments.

Getting back to reality. Whatever that is....

I haven't posted in months- where did all that time go? Sucked away by moments too boring to blog about, mostly involving laundry and dirty diapers. There have been some fun creative things happening in the background, though. Here are some highlights:

I've realized that Baby#2 is even more strong willed than Baby #1! That isn't supposed to happen, is it? I was thinking, oh, Little Buckaroo is so strong willed- That must mean Chubzie will be more easy going. NO. It simply meant I didn't know what a strong will was! Chubzie is even MORE strong willed than LB! My mother and sisters are laughing behind their hands right now, but won't the rest of you please have pity for this poor momma's soul???
Here's an exhausted baby who has decided he is not going to give up on his bottle:


I also made time for some fun sewing. The boys were both sleeping in cribs when my sister happened to see this adorable 50's style metal bed in the yard of an abandoned cabin. I spray painted the bed bright red and that gave me the inspiration for a vintage cowboy theme, with cream, pale blue, and bright red being the color palette. When all was said and done, I had a little coverlet and window valance. My sister had brought a fantastic metal lamp in the shape of a boot, so that helped to tie everything together. Before and after:
I'm thinking I want to paint something on the wall over LB's bed in the same pale blue. Maybe a cowboy on a horse or some calves or something.
I also made a cool trendyish leather belt that sits low on the hips over long t-shirts or whatever. I am still painstakingly beading a western belt for myself, but who knows when that will ever be done!
Chubzie is crawling all over the place and pulling himself up on things- really fun to watch! He and Little Buckaroo get along great for the most part. I think his crying irritates LB but what's a brother to do? They take baths together and LB loves to splash with him in tub. Just yesterday LB came up to me all smiles.
"I share Mama!" he shouted.
"Good boy! Who did you share with?"
" With chubzie!" he screamed, jumping up and down.
" Oh what a good bro-" suddenly I got a sinking feeling in my stomach. " Ahhh, LB. what....what exactly did you share with chubzie?"
"Dog food!" he started clapping his hands.
I looked over and there was a small mountain of dog food on Chubzie's tray. He had two fistfulls of kibble and was happily chirping to himself while trying to cram both in his mouth.
How can something be adorable and horrifying at the same time?