America, here we come!

Bryan left for Captain's Career Course for 9 weeks and I decided it would be fun to visit all my family in America while he was away.  Unfortunately, we were waiting on Jane's passport and scheduled a flight a couple days after he left.  My dear friend, Abby, took me and the girls to the airport.  I survived almost 25 hours of awake time (only 15 hours of flight time) with my little monsters.  To be honest, they were actually great.  Kate enjoyed her own personal television/movie player.  Jane happily slept in my arms and crawled on the plane's floor.  I prepared myself for many breakdowns and tears, and it was anything but that.  I also was very grateful for a plane ride during my kids waking hours.  I think I would have been more stressed if I had to keep my children asleep while everyone else was sleeping. 

Anyways, we made it to America safe and sound.  We have been adjusting to time change and routine change and all the big cars, stores, and roads. 

 I put Kate in gymnastics at the local recreation center and she is excelling. 

We've gone sledding with grandpa and cousins.

Kate sledding by herself.

 We have visited the ice castle in Midway and took pictures with the Frozen cast.

And watched Koko practice her bobsledding. 

 

 

Jane 6 months

I love this baby.  She is so squishy.  Why do they have to grow so fast?  Jane is now a transcontinental traveler.  She has taken to the pacifier since our long flight to America.  She decided to grow two bottom teeth one day before our long trip.  She sat up by herself the day before daddy left for America and a week later decided to start crawling.  Now she is working on standing up with support! I am very please to announce she has started sleeping through the night.  We have even started her on real food.  She has experienced sweet potatoes, green beans, squash, and bananas.  It is such a joy to watch her grow and develop.  We love her to pieces. 

Christmas 2015

Our Christmas this year was really exciting.  I felt like this year I was on top of it.  I sent out all our family gifts early (to America), planned the Christmas markets we wanted to attend, sent out our annual Christmas cards, hosted a Christmas party for the little troopers, and completed most of the present shopping for our kids before December even came.  That way, we could enjoy reading Christmas books, watching Christmas movies, baking and decorating sugar cookies, playing in the snow, and eating way too much at all the parties.   

 

 Jane at the Little Troopers Christmas party.

 Kate at the Little Troopers Christmas party.

 Grinch cookies for Santa and carrots for the reindeer.  Jane is so happy to be held by her big sister. 

 Both girls slept in until 7:40am.  Jane mostly enjoyed the paper and ornaments.  She received books, clothes, balls, rocking giraffe, and a trampoline for Christmas.

This might be the first Christmas Kate will remember.  She got a lot of princess stuff, dress-up stuff, Frozen stuff, and of course, a trampoline. 

This was such a fun surprise from Santa!

Jane 5 months

Sweet little rollie pollie.  Jane has slept through the night two times.  She is getting up on her hands and knees and pushing herself backwards.  She has had licks of apple, banana, soft pretzel, and carrot.  I don't think she is ready for food yet, but she sure loves putting "food" in her mouth.  It is so fun to see her watch Kate play around her and include her in some of her play.  We are loving on our sweet little girl and can't believe she is growing and moving so fast!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from Germany! Bryan and Rebekah are enjoying all our European adventures.  Kate loves singing, dancing, and dressing up.  Jane is fat and happy.  Both girls bring so much joy and excitement to our lives!  We hope this letter finds you well and wish you a Happy New Year.

Thanksgiving, Christmas Markets, and Garmisch-Partenkirchen

We are on the hunt for awesome Christmas Markets and collecting gluhwein cups.  And since Jane does not have her passport yet, we have been doing just that.  8 Christmas Markets thus far- 4 in Dresden, Guteneck, Parsberg, Lupberg, and Kuhstallcafe.  You can spend a lot of money on trinkets, food, and entertainment.  So worth it though.

While we were in Dresden, we drove an hour and a half north to the Rackotzbrucke or devil's bridge.  The reflection of the bridge on the water makes a complete circle.  We still are not sure if it was worth the extra 3 hour drive, but we checked it off our list of things to do and see.  Kate threw an awesome first tantrum there.  It was a culmination of tired and hungry and first time watching a movie in the car.

After Dresden, we drove down to an inactive volcano in Parkstein.  It was snowing and the view from on top was beautiful.  Poor Jane mostly gets pictures in the carrier while we are traveling, so this might be a first.  

 Saw camels in the parade at the Guteneck Christmas Market.

Bryan had an optometry conference at the military lodging Edelweiss in Garmisch-Partenkirchen the first week of December.  The girls and I tagged along and I am so glad we did!  The weather was fabulous and I was finally able to see the Zugspitz (tallest mountain in Germany that we hiked up last fall).  We visited the cute little town of Oberammergue and all the beautiful wood carving shops.  

We checked out the monastery in Ettal and the cheese factory.  I love cheese!!

We hugged Jane too tight in Santa's chair.

 We hiked the Partenkirchen Gorge and ate icicles. 

  

And we swam in the indoor and outdoor pool.  Jane was a trooper through it all.  

 

Kit Kate

Our little Kate is quite a handful.  She is up at 7am and running her mouth and/or body non-stop.  She can be a big helper or she can be a terrible two-and-a-half year old.  You just never know which one you are going to get minute to minute.  Kate is quite the little gymnast.  She can do flips holding on to bars or adults arms.  She tumbles all over the couches and jumps on the beds.  She loves to help change Jane's diaper, especially if it has poop or she needs diaper cream.  She doesn't eat, unless it is a "snack".  She knows all the words to every Disney princess song.  She says girl, Belle, and down super cute.  Reading is a necessary thing every day and she has been reading (memorized) some of her books.  Kate loves to swim and has gone down the waterslide by herself.  She wants to do everything "all by myself".  She had her first drop down to the ground and scream tantrum at a park in eastern Germany, near Dresden.  She talks about how mommy and daddy left her there and it made her so sad.  She gives kisses and hugs to Jane every night before bed.  She is a fireball and I can't wait to see what else she has in store for us!  We love our little Kit-Kate.