Happy Holidays! USA Trip... Moving.... oof!

SO I know it's been way WAY too long... but finally an update from this side of the pond. Will keep things brief but hopefully have time to upload lots of pics.



The USA Wedding Part II was amazing. It was so special to see so much family and friends, and to share in our marriage celebration with everyone. The party was great, food was tasty, company fabulous... we're so grateful for everything. The whole weekend was full of family and playing with Anjun...



While in the USA Anjun took his frist real steps. And now... a month later he's really perfected it. He used to walk some steps and then when he fell, he would crawl further. Now when he falls he almost always gets right back up and walks again... oh my.



Otherwise we've been crazy busy and with the holidays I don't see it getting any calmer around here... After our return to Germany we had three weeks to get ready to move, including one week where we were basically painting every day. I say we but it was really so much Sebastian... Anjun got a fever and a couple days I had to stay with him all day. Just when we (or really especially, I) thought we could get some stuff done Anjun had other plans. It was a good test for me.

Oh, and my first born son turned ONE! omg, so much has happened.....



Then the move, with pretty much just normal moving stresses, nothing crazy or too stressful. And now we're about 90% settled in. Still have a kitchen to complete... here it's totally normal to bring your kitchen with you when you move... not just your oven and refridgerator... cabinets... countertops... sink... everything. And since we didn't have on to begin with we had to compile one and now Sebas is making it beautiful! I'm excited to see it coming together. Fridge check, stove check, sink check, cadinets check, countertop almost done and then some nice new doors for the cabinets.


Now Christmas preperations....

Then New Years...

And inbetween Sebas makes many preperations for his schooling in Canada that will begin in early January.

Oh and Anjun... and our growing family :)

Which reminds me... big announcement next blog!

Love,

The weddings.....

Dear next 48 hours: please don't suck.

Super quick update here, some pics, then back to packing! We're getting ready to fly to the states... um... tomorrow! Finally, after planning and preparing for this trip for quite some time - just now does it seem somewhat real. Maybe it's the piles of clothing to be packed on my sofa, printing tickets etc that did it. But we'll be ready. I just hope Anjun is. With the flights, time change etc we're anxious to see how it all goes. And it's funny, this is the first time Sebas and I get to fly together... and we'll be caring for Anjun the whole time. Maybe someday (in like 10 years) we'll get to go somewhere just the two of us.







Anjun loves to point his finger in the air and grunt.. as if to say "I just remembered something very important" or "I have a great idea" It's very cute.










Sebas got to endulge in a couple tools recently, a friend had him make something for their kid's birthday, so he was more than happy to buy a few things he needed. Here he gets to play with it the first time and Anjun just gets the box...















If you need a good laugh just take a look at this. I'll be thinking of this if Anjun freaks out on the plane or I need a reminder of what an adorable baby he is under normal circumstances.

Crawling around

Sebastian's playing a little game with Anjun... I don't think Anjun gets it. But he's pretty focused on getting those bells.
Love the one knee one foot crawl... like he's prepared to sit back and play with the bells at any moment but then somehow they move!

September...

Short and sweet with lots of pics this time...


We've been enjoying what could be the last of the nice weather, bike trips with the new Anjun trailor, walks, playing in garden...




And besides a fever early in the month and then a small cold a week or two ago, we've all be healthy and happy (check out the runny nose)





I can still point! And he does it all the time... pointing... waving... and standing longer and longer alone...





Unbelievable, we'll be in the states in just over two weeks.... I gotta get to my to do list for the wedding and trip! wow.

Love

The Weddings

Vacation, Plans, End of summer!?

Wow time flies....

A couple weeks ago we went to Langeoog, an island in the North Sea for Sebastians brothers wedding. The trip was an adventure to say the least. Anjun isn't crazy about the car, or at least being in it for more that 20-30 minutes... so the drive was... stressful. But the island was really nice, and it was good to see some of Sebas' family again. It's cool because the island isn't that big, has no cars (just some electric vehicles for practical purposes) a nice beach and sand dunes. The weekend flew by with Friday arrival, Saturday wedding, Sunday adventures with family and hanging out and back Monday. Sebastian got Monday off of work so we at least had more than one full day on the island!


All dressed up for the wedding!






Some playing with Papa and cousin Jona... so much fun!




Anjun's first glimpse of the sea... you can tell he's taken back! We're on the ferry going to the island.




Family portrait at the wedding. Sebas and Anjun both have stripped blue shirts on.. how cute!


eating pasta with both hands... I think he likes it!



After getting back from that trip we've been really focusing on our next step as a family. Looking for a place to live, thinking about details of moving etc, and of course finishing up loose ends for the wedding celebration the end of October. Then, just once things got back to normal, Anjun started sleeping better and - bam! - he got an unexplained fever, was up all night, only wanting to be held - constantly - by primarily me... and all of the sudden a week is gone! He's just today back to 'normal' mostly. Now to get him to go back to sleeping in his bed!


Oh! And we got a bike trailor for Anjun. I'm pretty sure he loves it. Well, I love it, and he love it when I let him play with the sun screen bottle.

Love to all!
The Weddings

Caution: he's mobile

Over the past week Anjun has decided it's time... time to crawl. (check out video at the bottom) Pretty much the same day he also decided it's time to pull up to standing on just about anything he can find.


Some morning quite time... just chillin.

Check out the sweater vest and turtleneck!

In this pic I left the room to make the bed and when I got back he had crawled from the xylophone (see it in the background?) to daddys backpack and was standing, using the backpack for support. He also has discovered the joys of opening and closing doors... which in and of itself is amazing - but then thanks to daddy he discovered there's also THINGS inside the doors! So now we're onto taking everything our of the dresser or cabinet. That went fast...


This lucky little guy has a dragon to keep him safe at night! He hasnt really warmed up to it yet... perhaps the spikes are scaring him off... maybe he'll bond with it... maybe not. I told him it's a very special dragon. A dragon that likes to eat babys who scream at night. Didn't work. He still gets up sometimes :(

Oh and the video!




And last but not least... finally... the announcement. I'm sure it's not at all what you've thought or expected. NO we're not having another baby... yet. We realized when we put our family first we couldnt imagine putting everything on hold for a year to go to Canada. Sure, we would love the adventure, the town, the people... something new to discover together... but what's more important in this moment is to make a home for our growing family. SO, we're staying in Germany. We will of course be in the USA for the wedding, and Sebas will still go to Canada three times over the next year to finish his schooling.

So change of plans. Stacy and Sebas style.

We will be finding a house to move into soon. In Germany.


Still something new.


An adventure.


Now to an island in the North Sea for the weekend, Sebas's bro is getting married!


LOVE

Vacation to the Alps

Will pretty much let the pictures speak this post....





Family portrait on the top of the mountain we climbed!





The view from the balcony of our vacation apartment.... cute little town at the very beginning of the Alps





Sebastian on a hike - he's prepared: extra baby clothing, water, backpack, wooden spoon for Anjun to bite on, and can you see??? little clips on his pants to keep them up... it was hot!





below: Mango monster... he LOVES mango










































What a breakfast! We ate this every morning... so tasty... (check out Anjun trying to get a good look at the goodies on the table!)




Pics Above:
Check out Sebastian! SO BRAVE! (okok, so it's just some random guy... didn't do the paragliding :( )



Realxing in the apartment... playing, reading... relaxing



dorkey pic of me & Anjun... we're so close to the mountains!

Now we're back home and back to reality! But it was alovely week, so nice to be so close to the mountains and nature... out on walks almost every day.... traveling wasn't too stressful with Anjun... and family time...


Next update we have a big announcement to share! check here in the next week or so!


Love, Weddings

CHECK OUT MY TOP TWO TEETH!

Over the past week or more Anjun has been working hard.. His top two teeth came in one right after the other... so he now has two top and two bottom. For some reason the two top teeth (that aren't even in all the way yet, just about half way out) make him look totally different to me. Like a little kid instead of a little baby!

Oh my...



Otherwise we've been busy with playing... singing... discovering the piano and guitar



Going on walks... but mostly enjoying staying around the house and relaxing



He's rediscovered things like paying with his feet, observing his hands moving/waving... and the cutest is when he's on hands and knees and pushes up into a down dog like pose and looks between his arms at his legs. Cool new perspecctive I think!


Working hard on crawling... I'm realizing we need to appreciate the last days of our little one not being mobile. He's getting closer and closer... days are numbered. He gets on hands and knees, rocks, either pushes himself back on belly, pulls himmself forward on belly - OR the newest thing is going from hands and knees (belly) to sitting! That was a surprise the first time... I was sitting with him, saw him on his belly playing, then I look again and he's sitting. I really had to think for a minute "wasn't he just on his belly?....how did he do that..."

We're preparing for a trip to Austria with the family here.. so going to keep this short. Will send pics of the vacation out after a week or two.

Happy summer everyone!

~The Weddings

Like only papa can

Sebastian is the only one who can make Anjun laugh like this...
SO CUTE!!!!!

Ode to Papa:

The candel holder Sebastian made for me for my birthday... I struggle using the words 'candel holder' because it fails to convey the beauty of this massive olive wood piece of art he created. Just for me...












They say mothers have a thankless job... but being blessed enough to be a stay at home mother I at least get lots of hugs, slobbery kisses and an uncountable number of smiles all day. Sure, there's ups and downs and it can be tough... but I know someone who deserves more thanks than he gets: Papa.




Sebastian is such an amazing father. I've gotten to see him grow and learn so much about family life these past months. I knew he would be a good dad, but he has superseded my expectations profoundly. Not only does he help with household things and baby, he's also a handy man, wonderful husband and gets up at 5:15am every week day to go to a job he doesn't like so we can support our family (he says "it's not SO bad" but I know deep down he doesn't enjoy the work and looses valuable sleep because of it).




Pics below observing Papa in the kitchen, above facinated with Papa's zipper.




I will never be able to express how thankful I am for everything he does. And just when I think I couldn't love him anymore I find myself even more taken by him than before. This past week was his first Fathers day - and a card, pancakes and gift (which he still has yet to receive thanks to my poor planning) just don't seem to do it. I'm a firm believer that every day should be fathers day, mothers day and valentines day combined. So I try so express appreciation and gratitude more for all the amazing people I have in my life.





Pics: Sebastian trying out the baby bed while Anjun rolls around on the changing table and Anjun watching Papa mow the lawn.










Thank you Sebastian. Thank you for being an inspiring father, a loving husband and for making me want to be a better person. I love you.