The loveliness of being loved

This very evening I spoke German more comfortably than I have since being here. The entire evening I had conversation using almost entirely Deutsch. I still have so much to learn but it continues to make more and more sense in my head. I can follow what's going on instead of standing there thinking about random things while staring at the drink in my hand. Some of my thoughts are becoming German and now I am starting to combine English and German when I speak. Gut, aber nicht so gut... My last few weeks have been a struggle to catch up in my Deutsch class since I started almost two months late and I finally feel close to being up to par. Not being the best definitely inspires me to study! I enjoyed a marvelous St. Martin's Day walking through the streets of Wegberg with the children singing songs and holding lanterns. It was rich with culture and I soaked it in. My mouth was so sore from the constant smile on my face that I felt like Barbie! I met 3 other au pairs last weekend in a nearby city called Erkelenz where I take my classes and it was so lovely to speak "fast" English and be with other girls my age. Last Saturday I spent with Olga hanging out in Düsseldorf and we had such a grand time! After our fun day, we came back to my house and enjoyed a Germanized version of Thanksgiving with the family, their friends and the au pairs I had met the night before. It was a glorious evening! Lots of beer and not a pie in sight. This week I biked to school, which takes about 40 minutes. On the way back it was pitch black since my class ends at 19:30, and even with the bike light and my headlamp, I could still barely see a few feet ahead of me. I am biking through a few villages and lots of fields so there are not many lights. It was quite exhilarating. Also, I do not have the money to spend on new jeans and I have already gained about 10 pounds since being here so biking is good! My money is all for traveling right now. :) I returned home this evening from the town center where I enjoyed an evening of music, dancing and german speaking! Jojo had a choir performance and we watched while drinking the delicious, hot, holiday wine that comes during Christmas season. They set up an ice rink for the kids and while they played, we talked and danced to the live music. It was a grand evening! Jojo had a few friends over this afternoon and we played marvelous games including playmobile, where we helped each other with the German and English words for all the accessories, then we turned off the lights, turned on a few rotating blinking lamps and danced to some girly music. In the midst of that, we had a pillow flight. Everytime Jojo grabs my hand, hugs me, paints me a picture or snuggles up next to me, I feel so content. I love being loved. The honesty of children makes their gestures so much more meaningful. I love kissing them goodnight or rubbing their backs when they're tired. I simply adore both of them. The Lord has truly blessed me with an incredible family here. Next weekend I am planning a trip to Paris with Olga. I am extremely excited. This Sunday I might go to a Christmas market in Köln with Britta and Christoph which would be lovely! I need to get a few more gifts for my family. I have felt very torn lately about my life direction. I'm not rushed into deciding if I want to stay another year but it has definitely been on my mind a lot and I am confused. I miss everything about my home in Alaska but love everything about my home in Wegberg. One moment I want to cry and go home and the next I want to stay another year! Crazy right? This afternoon I was surprised to see my family on Skype at 4:30 in the morning. (14:30 for me.) I spoke to my mom and she told me she woke up to take Kevin to the Black Friday shopping. Seriously. Of all the woman in that house and my brother was the only one who wanted to get up early and go shopping. Plus he's crippled! I got a good laugh out of that. Sometimes I can really tell that he was raised in a prominently feminine household... My eyes are beginning to close on me. It has been a long week. As always, I love letters or even a quick email. I miss everyone. I enjoyed speaking with the lovely Kristen Olson today which made me smile and have renewed energy for my daily duties. :) I love her! Germany is still so warm I have used my winter coat only twice. I won't lie though, I miss skiing so badly. I am aching to get to the top of a mountain and just fly down it! Oh, some good news on the horizon for me... I am tentatively planning a venture to the land of the leprechauns in March for St. Patrick's Day. Maybe I will get to see the real way to celebrate the shamrock!

Time Soars By

Ten days. After that, I will no longer be a tourist. I will be an official resident in Germany! Hopefully with a visa to prove it. :) When my alarm wakes me up in the morning, my first thoughts as I open my eyes are heavy and filled with sadness. It's not for a particular thing, but a broad, empty weight that stretches across my soul. After a few moments it passes but I have started to dread the morning's first few minutes. I begin each new day with a prayer and the Lord is faithful and just. I am continually drawn near to Him and do you know what my favorite part is? I will spend my entire lifetime knowing God more. I will learn and learn and learn and STILL I will yearn to know Him more. In that moment when I put on the imperishable and lack the sting of death, I will come to be with my Lord for eternity, knowing Him more for the rest of time. What a glorious hope. I have been settling in more and more with each day. Learning new things, becoming more comfortable, and most of all, sculpting my surroundings to suit my fancy. Pulling towards me the sights and smells of home, the familiar sounds, anything and everything that will establish my life here. Slowly but surely, it will come. Friday afternoon, I was shopping with Britta in the grocery store and a song from the movie 'Spirit' came onto the radio and I began to cry. It wasn't obvious crying, but on the inside it was a good and satisfying cry. Katie listened to the Spirit soundtrack for about a year straight when she was younger and she performed a beautiful dance to one of the songs as well. It was then that I suddenly realized the depth of how much I miss my family. This Saturday I travelled to Bonn with the family and their last two au pairs. It was so much fun! We went to "Haus der Geschichte der Bundesrepublik Deutschland" which basically means House of German History. It was the history since 1945 and it took us 3 hours to see everything. I was enraptured the entire time. I had an English guidebook to read from and Christoph would also explain a lot to me since he had seen some of the things they were showing. I think it is so important to know the history of where you live and now I know! Although I am researching more on the internet because one day was not enough. There was a black room dedicated to the Holocaust that seemed to seep sadness out of each corner. I stood inside it for five minutes just looking and thinking. There were photos and there were names. And there were emotions. It was really intense for me. Yesterday I went on a bike ride with Christoph and the kids to a cute coffeehouse. I walked in and it was stuffed to the brim with tables and chairs. It was hot and there were "things" everywhere. I glanced up and saw knitted socks hanging from a clothesline on the ceiling. There were chalkboards every few feet along the wall and the fireplace had miniature cooking utensils hanging around it. Oh, and there was a cat lounging on a bench! Basically, it looked like mom's dream house. Most of all, it felt really cultural. It was so magical! I had a beer and reveled in the atmosphere. Christoph told me it was also a bed and breakfast so now I have the perfect outing to spend with DEVAN!!! :) As we biked home, we passed a field of cows and I noticed that one of them had a ring in his snout! I felt bad for the poor guy. There were lots of horses as well, and the fields are starting to develop a thin layer of frost every morning! I like that. Sunday evening, after our bike ride, I went inside and sat by the toasty fire to write letters. Christoph was playing Enya and I felt so relaxed and cozy. I was encompassed in the perfect atmosphere and I could not have been more content. I attended an evening service at the Catholic church and it was wonderful because I walked in the darkness of the town up to the main square where the church bells were ringing. I stepped away from the starry sky into a giant cathedral and listened to the organ and German hymns. I participated with my heart more than my words, that's for sure. Today I walked through the town and stopped in a few shops. I am getting better at understanding people!!! I usually am terrified when I walk in, but now I can communicate with a bit more ease. It's ever so wonderful. I found a cute little second hand store that has good clothes and nice prices too! The old man working there was so sweet and I was able to talk with him in German which was very satisfying. :) I bought a white lacy vest. It's very whimsical and I love it. I got it at a discount too! Tonight I am celebrating St. Martins with my family here. It will be a great cultural experience for me! They even insisted that I skip my Deutsch class because I would learn more from this evening with them. I will not argue! The kids will go door to door with their homemade paper lanterns and sing songs and get chocolate. I will be drinking hot wine and speaking Deutsch to the best of my ability. This is my first official German holiday! I am quite excited. I spent the afternoon cleaning my place and it got me very excited for when Devan comes to stay with me. I can't wait to show her all the beautiful places I walk and bike to, and also all the little shops and the places we can travel together. Oh, it will be amazing.

The Three D's

Destination, Determination, Deliberation....Deutsch classes. I sat at the table today and wrote the numbers 1-50 five times each and spoke them aloud each time. Might I just add that they are not short words either. Try writing, "siebenundswanzig" more than once and tell me how it feels. Then do 49 more. Even so, I still feel unproductive with my learning skills. I am behind in my class since I did not start until November and I don't have a book yet so I can't do homework. I am excited for the beginning to end so that I can feel more confident. I spent this afternoon baking cookies. I was very proud of myself for figuring out how to measure everything and decipher the temperature for the oven. I have missed making my cookies. The whole house smells absolutely divine! I have concluded that I will never bake cookies without eating too much cookie dough. It happens every time without fail. Yesterday I ventured to the library in Erkelenz, which is right next to the school and there is ONE small shelf in the entire four story library that is English! One! Even with my limited options, I found a delightful read about the 1920's and how people were trying to forget the war. I am excited. Here I come, 640 pages! I also picked up a book from the church library entitled "The Reason For God" by Timothy Keller and I cannot go one day without reading it. It is teaching me so much about why I believe in Christ. Here is one of the first things he wrote that stood out to me: "A faith without some doubts is like a human body without any antibodies in it." Definitely give it a read, it is well worth your time. The days are getting colder here, even for me. The air is fresh, crisp and chilly. Every morning, the ground is enveloped in a thick misty layer that once lifted, leaves shining dots on the grass and pavement. I run or bike at 8:00 and I find it quite enthralling to go through. I paid a visit to my "family" from church last weekend. Right as I walked in I felt a wave of comfort rush over me as Julia pulled me into one of her amazing hugs. Being back in Düsseldorf where I began my venture, being back in this home with people who love me, being able to walk across the street and look out at the Rhine, filled me with fond memories and a coziness that settled inside my chest. It's not very explainable but quite extraordinary. This evening, after studying, I solved a puzzle. It's a box filled with shapes that have to be placed inside the square. Usually I detest those games because they seem impossible, but I conquered it and the feeling was a good one. Now I am going to read more of my 1920's book while the kids are playing with their friends. After that I will make dinner with Britta and then put the kids to bed while she goes to a conference. I feel a contentedness and a peace about where I am. My life here has started the "settling down" period (I think) and I am very grateful for it. My days are full but in a relaxed and structured manner. I am so blessed. My prayer request is for guidance with my Deutsch classes. I fear failure! Also, something that has been on my mind is considering staying longer than a year to continue studies in Germany. I am not making any decisions but it has been in my thoughts and I would appreciate prayer. As always, I miss everyone deeply and keep you in my thoughts and prayers. I am trying to stay updated with the sermons online! I would love to hear from you all. Tata for now!!!

Juist

Wow. My brain in exploding with information to write down! This past month has been entirely verrückt!!!!! Let me start from October 20th. Mr. Hartmann escorted me from the door of the villa through the thick sheets of rain underneath his umbrella to my ride home, which just happened to be a Ferrari. He opened the door for me and the moment I sat down I looked over and saw a button with the word, "Launch" right next to the emergency brake. I began to grin uncontrollably as we made our way down the mountain. Once we got to the autobahn I fell asleep but woke up suddenly to the sound of a loud motor. I blinked and looked out my window to a world of blurred greens and grays. Every few moments I could feel the car shifting gears and jolting us forward again. After I ripped my gaze from the window, I was pushed back in my seat by the force of our speed! Hello, 180 mph. :)


After that speedy adventure, we did not get another chance to go fast. The traffic was worse than my driver had expected and I began to worry I would not make the train I was hoping to make at 9pm in Frankfurt. Once I realized I would miss my train I called my family and asked them to find me another train but the only ones I could take left in the middle of the night. So my choice was to either inconvenience my family by having to drive to Erkelenz to pick me up at 4am or ask my driver who I barely knew to let me sleep at his house in Frankfurt. Awkward? I think yes. After telling him my dilemma, he thought for a few minutes and then told me he knew of a nice hotel right next to the Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof (main station) that he would pay for me to stay at and take a train the next morning. Obviously, I said YES! After he paid and dropped me off I realized it was past midnight and I had never eaten dinner. As I opened the hotel door into the streets of Frankfurt, the misty air hit my face and filled my lungs with it's crispness. I love cold air! I looked around for a cafe and my eyes found a few sleeping bags along the sidewalks. I tried not to stare as I walked to a small cafe for tomato mozzarella and a cappuccino. As I came back to my room, I walked very fast because the people walking around in the middle of the night looked so sketchy! I am sure it was because when it's dark, everything is scarier. But I wanted to live to see the morning so I booked it to my room. After 5 hours of sleep, I found another train in the morning and waited at the platform, wanting nothing except to finally be back home. My first train was late, which made me late to my other 2 connections and as I ran through the station of Düsseldorf with my suitcase and duffle bag past 15 platforms to get to my train, it literally began moving the second I pressed the open button. Heaving and wanting to fall down and cry, I hauled my bags to the side and began to look at the boards for another train to take. Within the next few hours I miraculously found 2 other trains and made my way home. HOME. I was home. Later that day, as I walked through my town, passing pools of water with ducks and goldfish, fields with horses and sheep, and cobbled streets with people biking and walking, I felt for the first time like myself. I felt happy! I was not just filled with short bursts of excitement and happiness from adventurous experiences, but I was honestly, whole-heartedly content. I like being home.


Saturday morning, I left with my family for a week in the North Sea on the island of Juist. After getting off the ferry onto the island, the weather was brisk and windy. There were no cars on this island, so you bike, walk or take a horse and buggy everywhere. I was in heaven! The island is small enough to walk across in a few hours, (although somehow I managed to get lost twice!) either along the beach or through the fields of horses and sheep. The sky looks so big when you're surrounded by ocean. I had magic, peace and beauty at every turn! I met wonderful friends of my family and we spent the week having fun together. While we were out shopping in town I noticed 2 kids with a double seated bike and the smaller kid in the back couldn't reach the pedals so he was pretend-pedaling through the air!!! Twas very amusing. I went for a few runs along the ocean during the week here, and as I ran through the wind, the ships drifted along the horizon and the sand danced along the shore. All the pain from my run slid off because the beauty that surrounded me was so breathtaking. Needless to say, I enjoyed my time on Juist and cannot wait to return again someday!


My family makes me feel comfortable and loved. I feel vibrant and true to myself. I am incredibly excited to see how everything unfolds in this next year. I attended a big family brunch last Sunday and met a majority of the extended family which was wonderful! The table was about 3 times longer than the average table and jam packed with food. It was truly a feast. I had 2 plates, 3 cups, 2 forks, 2 spoons, 1 knife, and a napkin. I smiled at the feast and thought, "Harry Potter." Really, I did.


This has been jumbled and crazy but so much has happened that I really cannot relate it all. I will conclude by saying that I am extremely blessed and I have so much to be thankful for. Sometimes I still feel sad and I don't think that will ever go away, but I am confident that this is right where I should be. So here I am, sitting in my house with my new brother who likes chocolate and "moonwalk/Michael Jackson" dancing to jazz funk music!

Glimpses of Glory

Picture the longest table your eyes have ever laid sight upon. A table that spans the length of 2 normal sized rooms. Take that picture and add 25 people, lots of food, lots of wine and a lot of laughter. Guess what? I was in that picture and it was awesome. I was at the center of the villa with the entire group sharing a meal together. The cook served 5 different courses, starting with breads smeared with olive creams and other strange, but oddly delightful flavors. There were locally made bottles of wine placed along the table every few feet and sparkling water at the same intervals. The second course was a ravioli served with freshly grated parmesan. The third course came along in the form of freshly sliced bread with green salad tossed in homegrown olive oil and salt. It was divine. The fourth course brought fried potatoes with grilled meat that looked like turkey, but I chose not to ask. Finally, a giant platter of Tiramisu was brought from the depths of the kitchen into our presence and we basked in it's picturesque glory before digging into at least 2 helpings each. It happened to be the best tiramisu of my life. As if the 5 course dinner was not enough, I managed to make connection with 2 girls that were staying at the villa who speak German, Italian, and a little bit of English. It is beyond fascinating to discuss and learn the differences in languages. 

I went to a castle up in the mountains to attend a wine tasting! I have wanted to go to a wine tasting for quite some time and I am so thrilled I finally achieved that. The castle was absolutely spectacular and even though the man spoke German throughout the tour, Eva translated most of it for me. On top of making wine there, they also make olive oil from the trees around the castle. It tasted ever so lovely with the fresh bread it was drizzled over. So now I can officially say I have been to wine tasting, and in a castle at that! 

My time has been spent mostly at the racetrack this weekend. Seeing people "in their element" is quite amusing to me and I enjoyed observing the sights, smells and sounds that encompassed me. The mechanical smell of fuel, oil, tires and exhaust is absolutely divine to my nose. Listening to the revs of hundreds of motors and the buzzing of bikes passing by on the track is music to me ears! Seeing the different colors and shapes of all the motorbikes and seeing the different gear each person wears was also quite pleasing to my eyes. I found one that was all yellow. The entire bike and also the suit and helmet of the rider. I though of you, Kevin! Even though the days were long, I am glad I am more educated on the subject of motorbike racing. As we drove away for the last time, I looked back and I saw a cat sitting on a hill to the right of the road just relaxing, being a typical cat. I started laughing. Wild cats are normal in Italy, I suppose. 

While out shopping, I walked down a small street and entered into a tiny, cramped shop filled with candles, baskets and similar old people items. Somehow, I kept looking. I was sifting through some postcards with adorable paintings of children on them and the woman working there heard me say something to myself and immediately said, "If you need me to speak English, I can" which I thought sounded a bit eager, since I had not even spoken to her! But I turned around and said, "oh yes, I speak a little German, but mostly English, thank you." She then described to me that she is from the states and moved here to be with her Italian husband. I told her my story of how I came to be in Italy, and also in Germany. At that moment, her husband walked over to me. He started talking about how he had gone to the states to be with his wife and did not know any English but learned in 6 months simply because no one could speak Italian with him. I found that very encouraging! We talked for 15 or 20 minutes and they were completely charming! I found them to be absolutely marvelous. They brightened my day and I made sure to buy some postcards before I departed. 

Saturday afternoon, standing outside by the car waiting to leave for the racetrack, I looked down at my feet to admire my new Italian shoes (only 10euros!) and I rested my eyes upon a pear. I thought to myself, "Hmm, there is a pear on the ground. How odd. I must investigate." I glanced above my head and behold, there was a tree. As I looked closer, I could see the pears hanging down and I promptly jumped up and down in excitement and in mid-jump grabbed the most perfect looking pear and ate it simply for the experience even though I had just eaten breakfast…and it was delightful. And thus ends my 'discovery of a pear tree' story.

Stars are something I have been missing since being here. They are scarce in comparison to Alaska it seems. As I was closing my laptop to walk back up the mountainous road to the villa, I suddenly realized how dark it was. Determined not to get all worked up into a frenzy and scare myself, I began my trek up the road. I began to pray and happened to glance back down the road as I was talking. I stopped dead in my tracks and my words. Spread before me was a rich canopy of deep navy sky, heavily dotted with glimmering stars and in the midst of it all, the moon shone out bright and strong, allowing my eyes to fully capture the expanse of world which was sliding into my being through my eyes. Nothing can compare to the glimpses of glory the Lord shares with us. Though the night was cold and my body was tired, something had me rooted to the ground, unable to peel my feet from the surface and walk away. To add to the teetering stack of wonder I had compiled over the last few moments, a shooting star shot through the glossy sky, enveloped into the navy darkness within two seconds. These are the spaces of time where my own smile is not enough. These are the spaces of time where Jesus is smiling with you.

Lazy Mountain Bible Church, I would like to address each and every member and/or person who goes there. I miss you. Even though I do not know all of you personally, I miss the strength and fellowship you bring. My heart and soul ache to be in your sanctuary worshipping with you again. Before I fall asleep on Sunday evenings, I think of you all at church and long to be with you. God has opened many doors and avenues for me here and I had found a solid church, but these past few weeks of traveling and changing jobs have found me to be searching once more for a place to worship. I feel withered and dried up from lack of fellowship. Despite that, our Lord is very great and I am continually strengthened by his love and faithfulness. As I am surrounded by many different beliefs and opinions about the world, I have begun to learn more about why I believe what I believe. Even so, I need help. I need prayer. Dear church, please pray for me. You are in my thoughts and prayers often, as you continue to know Christ and to make him known. I long for the day when I will step through those doors again! 

"But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ." - 2 Corinthians 2:14-17

Villas & Motorbikes

Snuggled in a nest of blankets in the back of a red van, sitting atop suitcases and bags (and a motorbike) I drove out of Germany, into Austria and finally crossed the border into Italy. Rafael, the villa owner, came and picked us up to bring us up the mountain to the villa. As I gazed upon the hills and valleys of Tuscany, it made me think back to 3 months ago when I was biking to work, wondering what I was going to do with my life. Surprise! Here I am, creating a new pool of memories and emotions to dive into when I am older. We finally arrived at the villa on Saturday afternoon after road tripping for 2 days. We were beyond exhausted! We are situated at the very top of the mountain (Italian mountain, mind you.) and the view is spectacular. There are other parts of the villa below us and if I want to go swimming or use internet, I have to take a 10 minute hike to get back home! After settling in, I found myself very glum and I just wanted to cry. This confused me since I had held Italy in my thoughts as some sort of magical dream, not something I would ever attain but something I could pull out and examine in detail and wonder, letting my imagination ebb and flow. But instead of feeling completed in my joy of a dream come true, I felt empty. I was seeing Italy with my eyes, but my heart did not respond to it. I walked down in the fading light to an internet accessible area of the villa and Skyped with my mom. It was pitch black outside and my feet were frozen, but I was happier than ever. She cheered me up and comforted me and I am grateful. I showed her the "villa kittens" that are running around everywhere and she told me funny stories to get a smile on my face and also gave me advice on how to see my struggles in new perspectives. I have a truly marvelous mother. She picks me up even when she's falling down. That is a selflessness I pray I will give back to others. The following morning, after telling myself it was going to be a good day, various people began to arrive and fill up the rooms. It is always tricky meeting people and figuring out how much English they know. I can't exactly carry an intelligent conversation in German yet, though I have improved a vast amount from when I arrived! Sunday afternoon was the highlight of my stay here so far. I got geared up in boots, pants, suspenders, jacket, neck protecter, gloves and helmet and basked in the glory of feeling "cool." You all know how difficult that is for me. The man who I was riding with was the designer of the bikes so his signature was etched into all the bikes. I felt excitement rising as I climbed onto the seat and held on tight. The rush of energy that went through me as he started the engine continued to rise as we began down the long hill to the roads below. Once we got through a few towns we began to climb a curvy mountain. The twists and turns and revs of the engine slapped a grin on my face that ached as my cheeks pushed against the sides of my helmet. I literally couldn't stop smiling! The rush of the wind, the rush of the beauty surrounding me, the rush of thinking, "I'm motorbiking through Italy with a super cool guy" and the rush of gripping tightly to the bike as we zoom around the constant curves and wondering if I am going to fall off and die. Today I start a new week and my prayer request is that I would seek and find good perspectives in my day. I am struggling with sadness and I miss you all very much. I would not change where I am for the world, but sometimes I am thrown off guard by what truly brings me joy. Joy does not always come from those big dreams you grew up fantasizing about. Sometimes joy is that short conversation with someone you love. At the end of it all, love is always first. It always has been and it always will be. 

Düsseldorf

My blog is titled, "My Au Pair adventure in Düsseldorf" and now that seems like an incorrect title since I live in Wegberg. But I am not changing it because when I stopped to think about it I realized this: Düsseldorf was the beginning of my adventure, the beginning of the relationships I have made, the beginning of my journey to learn about self, world and love. Düsseldorf will not be my ending, but it will always be where I began. 


Monopoly has never been a game that I succeed at. The kids just so happen to love Monopoly. By the time we stopped playing to have dinner, I had 22euro to my name and they had hotels on practically every property. I owned all 4 railroads but the rest of my property had been mortgaged so I could pay them for always landing on their property. It is a very good thing that I have succumbed to not being competitive in certain areas that I know I will fail at. The bright side to this experience was that I practiced my German numbers!!! I am quite good now. I can say numbers up to the thousands, and the format is becoming more familiar to listen to. I am proud. The kids are not as fluent in English so it is fun helping each other learn words. I have gotten better at understanding what people are saying. It fills me with a sense of exhilaration!!! I was privileged enough to snuggle up with the kids to "Barbie: Die Prinzessin Akademie" a few nights ago. As I sat there with my little sister's head in my lap, I realized a few small blessings I was thankful for. We were eating chocolate and potato chips on the couch, I had my feet curled up on the seat, and it was past the kid's bedtime. Those things could have gone unnoticed but I am glad they did not. I am glad the Lord opened my eyes at that moment to see some of the beauties he surrounds me with. Just 2 months ago, I would not have appreciated those 3 things. But I see now that hard experiences open your eyes to the blessings you get, no matter how small. They always make a difference, always penetrate.


I am currently looking out the window at a darling squirrel bounding through the garden! I am glad we do not have a dog to go chase it and kill it in front of me. (Kristen and Katie, you two alone will understand my strange fear of squirrel death by dog...) Dad, I went to a Catholic church last Sunday and it was all spoken in German! My favorite parts were the singing. Hearing the words filling the room was an experience I cannot compare to anything. I enjoyed attempting pronunciation. :) Yesterday I went out with my family on our bikes in a big circle around Wegberg so I could get a tour. We stopped at a water mill and had some beer. (apple juice for the kids!) There are a lot of water mills in Wegberg! That is my random and slightly useless fact of the day. We got to bike through forests and fields which I liked very much. When we got back home, we prepared a delicious BBQ and I ate so much I almost fell asleep right then and there!!! We had some more beer as well, which was lovely. 


I leave on a train this Thursday from Erkelenz to Düsseldorf, then from Düsseldorf to Bad König to meet up with Eva and her family! On Friday we will drive to Italy. I am sure that my next blog will be packed full of wonderful, Italian experiences. For now, I must be off to prepare a delicious lunch! I am HUNGRY. Also, the kids need to eat. :) Tata for now! 


James 1:16-18
Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.