Our visit with Aunt Kim and Uncle Keith

I mentioned in an earlier post how many visitors we had this year. We were very blessed with having lots of Sam's family visit. The last of those visitors came in September, just two days after my friend's baby shower. Sam's aunt and uncle stayed with us for a couple of weeks and we loved having them here. 

I think we've taken every person who's visited us to Garmisch. We just LOVE that place! We love it and think everyone should go there, so that's always on our agenda.  One of our favorite things to do there is hike the gorge.  It's just beautiful.  Sam wanted to ride bicycles to the gorge, so he and Keith rented some from the Edelweiss.  He also rented a tag-along for Elly, but in the end switched it out for a seat because she was just a little too young for it yet.  She was a little shaky.  We've since bought one for ourselves and she does great on it, but at this point she wasn't ready.  Here she was all ready for her bike ride.

The mandatory potty break before heading out.

Waiting to catch the cable car to the top.  Sometimes we hike up, but this time we took the cable car up and hiked down.

The beautiful rushing water in the gorge.

Sam, Elly and I had an afternoon to ourselves so we took an old cable car to the top of one hill.  I was a little nervous since it was wide open and they seemed rather old, but we enjoyed ourselves and survived.  Elly had to sit on our laps since the cable car was so small and had just two seats facing each other.  My stomach did several flips when I looked down and realized how easily she could fall out.  It always amazes me how relaxed the Germans are about safety.  I think America goes overboard for sure, but the Germans pretty much let you do what you want.  There would be so many lawsuits in America.  Not sure why that doesn't happen here.

On another trip to Garmisch we want to to maybe take a cable car up the mountain and hike down.  There's not much at the top, but it's so beautiful and serene. This day we didn't have that much time so we just walked around up top and took an ice cream break with Elly.  It had started raining so we got out some ponchos.  Elly was wanting Sam to carry her, so we fixed one to go over both of them.  It was a nice time. 

 

We stopped at a restaurant and had an ice cream break for Elly. She's at the age where every picture is her trying out a different look. She's so silly, but it can be a little frustrating at times when I really would like to have a nice picture. They are few and far between these days.

 

The view out the back door of the apartment we stayed in. 

 

Elly with Aunt Kim and Uncle Keith the night before they left. 

A baby shower for a friend

I was home from Alaska for just a couple of weeks when I threw a baby shower for a friend on September 15th.  I'm always nervous giving a party. There are many reason, but I guess primarily, because I'm just shy by nature and don't want the attention.  Also, I worry that it won't all come together and be the way I want it to be.  I was glad to have had the opportunity to be back in the states and buy some supplies to bring back with me. Mom helped me get all the big pom poms folded and stapled so I just had to fluff them for the party.  I think overall it turned out very nice.  There were about 15 ladies that came and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.  I went (loosly) with a clothesline theme because it was the design of the plates I bought.  My friend was having a little girl (her third), but does not like pink, so I didn't make that the primary color theme.  Anyhow, here are a few pictures from the shower. 

Gift basket for games

Door prize that we did a drawing for.

I wasn't sure what I was going to do about a cake for the shower, buy it or make it, but in the end I decided to make it myself. I'm just never happy with cakes that I buy.  Either they don't taste very good or the decoration is lacking.  I don't consider myself a cake decorator AT ALL, but figured I could do a simple cake justice.  I intended to do the entire cake with fondant, but was not impressed with the flavor of regular fondant and the buttercream fondant just didn't hold up that well, so I did it mostly in buttercream and did the accents in fondant.  I could pick it apart, but I think over all I was pleased with how it turned out.  The party turned out nice, but I was relieved when it was over :)

Our little ballerina

I always knew that if I was ever blessed with having a little girl, I would someday have her in ballet.   I just think there is nothing cuter than a little girl in a tutu :)  The ballet classes on post are open to girls 3 and older, so I signed Elly up to start in September.  She has the best teacher, which makes Elly love going to the classes.  I see her being in ballet for quite some time, which makes this mama's heart happy.  Here is our little ballerina all ready to head out the door to her first class.

This picture makes me a little sad.  I took this picture right before her class started and I was about to walk out the door.  She looks kind of scared :(  I knew she would be alright though. I love her so much!

Alaska (19 July - 23 August)

Elly and I made our annual trip back to Alaska in late July. I love going home.  It's always so good to be back with family and friends who I've known since I was young. I feel most at peace when I'm there.  Sam is never too thrilled about it, but I usually go for several weeks to make it worthwhile.  With the 10 hour time difference and the money it takes for the tickets I feel it's a waste to only spend a couple of weeks there.  This year we went for 5 weeks and loved every minute of it. 

We had some nice warm days where Elly enjoyed playing in the water spinkler.  After living in town with neighbors on every side of us, it's a breath of fresh air to go home where it's so private. I can step outside and not see any other houses on any side. I love that!

When possible, I like to be home for the fair in town.  We got up early and headed downtown for breakfast. Elly was still so jet lagged and tired.  She is never cold, but this morning she was just freezing so I bundled her up in her carseat.  After breakfast we watched the parade go through town.  Then it was off to the fair.   There's really never much to see there, but it's still nice to walk around.  The kids had fun on a couple of rides. 

Two sweet little cousins just days apart.  We were getting ready to watch the parade. 

These two are so cute together!

Another cousin, who she adores! 

 

Some of them sat in the back of the truck to watch. 

 

 I LOVE this!  He is so cute!

 

 Trying to be patient while waiting for the parade to start.

 

 

Sunday morning before heading to church I snapped a couple of pictures.  I just love Elly's hair. It's so curly and getting so long.  I think this was the first time I put two little pony tails in with the other down.  Usually I had it in braids or one pony tail because it was just too wild down, but it's getting long enough that it has a little more control. 

After church we took a few pictures in the front yard.

This was the very first time I ever saw MYSELF in Elly.  She looks so much like Sam, but when I saw this picture I couldn't believe the resemblance to myself around that same age. 

Elly and her "Mom".

Another favorite past time of Elly's was riding the 4-wheeler. 

Petting Lizzie

Elly got a package from Grandma Thorne (her great grandma).

Elly and I spent a couple of days with my sister in Fairbanks.  I always wish I had more time to spend with them. I love being with my sister and Elly loves having cousins to play with. 

 

I think Hadassah liked having a younger girl to dress up.  Elly enjoyed it too....for awhile :)

Trying on her Tinkerbell outfit from Mom.

No words.... :)

Elly loves helping.  It was no different at Mom and Dad's.  She loved helping to feed the fish, sneak food to Sweetie and help Mom clean Lizzie's cage. 

It was so nice seeing good friends again! I had to get an updated picture of Elly with Uncle Bill, Aunt Cheryl and Michele for her photo album.

One big dark cloud over the visit home this year was the loss of my cousin's son.  He disappeared just a couple of weeks before we went home. Everything points to him falling in the Delta River.  The loss is unimaginable and my heart just breaks for them.  I never know what to say to someone in their circumstance.  Nothing can be said to make it better.  It's so hard to see those I love go through something so heartbreaking.  Not knowing what to say made it hard for me to want to go over and spend time with them even though I wanted too.  Elly and I did go over a couple of days before we had to leave.  Gaylene has goats, chickens and horses that Elly really loved being around.  The baby goats were especially cute.  I was glad I got a couple of pictures of Elly with them before my battery died.

I hate goodbyes.  They stink.  But I'm thankful that I have family that I love, who make saying those goodbyes so hard.  Mom and Dad waited at the airport with us until we had to go to our gate.  Kristy and the kids came over to say goodbye too.  I just wish we could all live closer to each other.  I love my family.  No one knows me like my own family.

 

Then we were on our way back to Germany...