22 years ago...

This beautiful baby girl came into our lives and changed us forever. I miss her today. But only ten days till she's here!!!

And be thankful...

*disclosure: I have tried to publish this several times and keep losing what I've typed because I've taken too long. So below is the condensed version. Still a ton of pictures, but not so much dialog. ;)

The Bible verses I chose to memorize this year was Colossians 3:12-15. They describe how we are to act, as Christians. Kind, compassionate, patient, forgiving, etc. The passage ends with, "And be thankful." We aren't just to practice outward acts in our relationships-we are to be thankful in the depths of our hearts for those very relationships and every thing the Father has chosen to give us. 

Thanksgiving this year was a real test of my faith and trust in His providence. We are so away from 3/4 of our children and my big ol' farm table has been feeling pretty empty. Yes, I see His blessings in so many ways. I'm living in an incredible place with two people I adore, I'll have the Middles here in ten days, I'll get to see our new grandbaby in a little over a month, there's FaceTime and Facebook.....we have so many friends here already, a wonderful church, and on and on. Thank you, Lord, for caring about what I care about...

This year we eschewed traditional Thanksgiving in favor of a trip to the Alps. We didn't have turkey and mashed potatoes, but after a long day of hiking Joshua pronounced his schnitzel and pommes and worthy substitute. 

Get ready to enjoy a feast for your eyes:

First day-we drove through Austria so we could see a castle and new pedestrian bridge we had just found out about from a friend. It was AWESOME. It was about a 20-25 min hike up the mountain to the castle..

We passed by it so we could cross the bridge and check out Fortress Claudia before it got too dark. Thelma Lou was a little scared on the bridge and I think the grates hurt her toes, but she was a trooper!

Fortress Claudia was great-ten years ago it was completely overgrown in the woods and a big restoration project has it cleared and in fantastic shape.

After we crossed back on the bridge we went to explore the castle ruins. It was very impressive-everything there was-and we made plans to come back again soon with swords and shields! 

Friday Joshua said he wanted to see a castle that was not in ruins. 

So we delivered. 

His first trip to Neuschwanstein was pretty successful. The fog threatened to obscure all our views, but instead contributed to the fairy-tale like setting in a big way. 

They do not allow pictures inside the castle, but I took plenty outside!

Friday night we ate food we couldn't pronounce at a Croatian restaurant. It was scrumptious. 

Saturday, after another delicious German breakfast,

we went to the little farming village of Glenleiten. Look at part 2 for the rest of the story...

And so it begins....

It is officially the season for Weihnachtsmarkts! We kicked it off in good for yesterday by taking a drive up to the towns of Bernkastel-Kues, on the Mosel River. It was a small, but traditional, market and Joshua loved his first Christmas market! We did a little shopping, ate some delicious food, and this one had a bonus-there are castle ruins on the hill above the town!

We made sure to enjoy some warm Kinder Punsch!

Calliope music...

Burg Landshut

Trash talk

This isn't the kind of post that is for the faint of heart. Only the strong, the dedicated, the determined should continue reading beyond this point. 

This post is about trash. Garbage. Refuse. Restmüll, Gelbesack, Papier, Bio. And the mastering of the German recycling system. 

I am qualified to speak on this subject because, as of today, I have had exactly four successful weeks of trash pick up in Germany. There really should be some kind of certificate for this. Or a gift. But nothing that comes in a wrapper because that creates more trash. 

The biggest difference between the German waste management system and the United States' trash pick up is that the Germans prefer you not generate any waste. The system actually makes one consider every item brought into the house against its potential to create waste product. In the U.S. the general thought is recycle if it's convenient, get a bigger trash can if it's not. 

I have nothing to say on the benefits of mechanical recycling. That's a debate for another time. What I am concerned with right now is mastering the German system. And, at the risk of bragging, I think I've done it. 

Here is the system in a nutshell:

Recycle practically everything. It's not convenient, because everything has to be separated. It requires several trash cans in the house and four outside of the house. A good bit of it has to be driven to a separate drop off point. Try to have as little actual trash as possible. 

And here it is, in greater detail.

Gelbe Sack-which means "yellow bag." It is the most important one of all. All plastics, cans, aluminum foil, styrofoam, cellophane, milk cartons, water bottles (not German ones with a deposit), etc. go in the Gelbe Sacke, which you have to go pick up in the town where you live. Items must be fairly clean (not washed) and placed neatly in the bag. Gelbe Sack is picked up every other week and there is no limit to how many you can put out, as seen here:

Here is the kicker. The garbage men (or whatever they're called) actually TEAR OPEN the bags and look through them to make sure you don't have one thing in there that doesn't belong. A lone paper plate, random Starbucks cup, solitary toilet paper tube will all get your bag disqualified for pick up. 

Ask me how I know. It's so discouraging to peer out at the curb when you get up and see a bag or two sitting there forlornly, left behind to be sorted properly and re-submitted in two weeks.

You don't get an outside can for the Gelbe Sack. It's best to just stack them up in the garage so animals don't get to them.

And here are the outside cans:

The big blue can in back is Papier-for paper. It is only picked up once a month. Because of that, we have taken to using our fireplace to take care of a lot of our clean paper. We fill that thing UP in a month.

The big black can is really not for anything. We use it as an overflow when needed, but that's dangerous because if you can't fit something in its own can on pick up day chances are it still won't fit in another two weeks (or month!). 

The brown can is Bioabfälle-for biodegradable items such as coffee filters, and paper towels. Picked up twice a month. Also, lawn trimmings, leaves, and food that can be composted (not meat). It is highly encouraged to have a compost can or pile and to use it on your garden rather than recycling it. I haven't gotten there yet.

The Restmüll can is the cruelest of all. It is for the actual trash. What can't be recycled. It is picked up twice a month and it cannot be overflowed. Not bad. Except see where that little ridge below the words is on the can? That's where the bottom of the can actually is. It can reasonably fit two Glad Tall Kitchen bags in it with a smaller wastebasket bag shoved on on the side. For two weeks. 

Glass of all colors has to be taken to a special public drop off point in town and sorted there. 

Batteries must be dropped off to a special place, as do light bulbs. And once a year there is a special pick up for electronics and other items like that.

And of course, most plastic soda and water bottles bought in German stores can be returned to the stores for the deposit (Pfand).

It took me a few weeks and a couple fails, but I am pleased to say that I have mastered the system. I know what goes where, I have a useable and somewhat convenient, system for sorting in the house, and I have learned to watch those containers like a hawk to make sure nothing forbidden is carelessly tossed in the wrong can. 

There you have it. Trash Talk for the Federal Republic of Germany.  ♻️  🇩🇪

Honor

This Veteran's Day we drove to Luxembourg to the American Military Cemetery to pay our respects to the more than 5000 US veterans buried there. It was a breathtakingly beautiful drive and although we did get some rain during the actual ceremony, the trip was well worth it. 

I am so proud of my soldier-husband and now my soldier son. We also have several men in our families who served their country and I am grateful to each of them for answering their call to duty. 

Veterans' Day is kind of sandwiched in between a lot of busy holidays and events. I hope that we as a country never forget the sacrifices paid by our military. I know first-hand what my husband has given up in the service of his country. Long separations from family, missing births of children, little say in assignments and timing, ready to deploy at any moment, physical discomforts and pain, emotional strain, constant change. In return he gives his loyalty, his obedience, his skills and leadership, and his devotion. 

God bless the American soldier.

So proud of these two.

My favorites

Life in Germany is good. Really good.

But it has one gigantic, gaping hole. It's missing our big kids. Every day, every adventure we take, every lovely afternoon walk, every evening spent by the fire, I miss them. I don't suppose it'll ever feel "good" to not have them around. I am so thankful for technology-even the improvements over the last ten years since we were here before, that help us stay in closer touch with them. But it'll never take the place of actually touching them. Laughing together on the couch, marveling over some amazing thing we saw, talking about their hopes and dreams, rubbing that baby belly....

I love them.

Here are some recent pictures from social media in case you miss seeing my big kids, too. :)

Baby time is getting closer! Also, J's IT career is going great and they are loving life in their new town. Rach has been working part time while she still feels good.

(The Marrieds were recently on Restaurant Impossible! They are tv stars now...)

(Cutest little basketball belly ever. He scored. ;) )

The girl is working two jobs and taking a full load of classes at the university. She works every day of the week but she's doing great! She's a North Carolina girl at heart...

The college boy is just about as busy as a college boy can be. He recently got hired at the IT dept at the school and was chosen to be the "face of MBU" on the fall literature they're sending out. 

Life is good in a Germany, and in the States. Because God is good. All the time. Is it always easy? No. But it's good. And I know in my heart of hearts that the best place to be is in the center of the will of God. And that's where I want to be. And where I want each of them to be...