Rothenburg and the Nightwatchman

The weather had been really rainy and cold, so we almost cancelled out Memorial weekend trip.  Last minute we decided that we'd go.  We are so happy that it all worked out.   We managed to miss the rain and instead enjoyed a wonderful medieval, walled city.  We met up with some of our good friends there and that made it all the better.  Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a neat place to hang out.

 

Jag climbing around the edge of a fountain.  Believe it or not, nobody got wet.

Our friends, the Burkes, and the Night Watchman.   He has been giving these nightly tours for 20 years.

He was so funny and full of information about the town.  Everyone enjoyed the tour.

Looking back at the city.

Our hotel.  Look up in the windows!  Peek.

Looking across and down the street from our room.

Tricks outside the church

Jag posing like the statue.  The statue must have a lucky finger because it has been rubbed shiny.

Looking quite lion-like.

Inside the church were lots of wood carvings.  The Last Supper was done by the supposed "Michelangelo of wood working."  So I took pictures for Josh, my wood carving brother-in-law to look at and replicate.  Get busy Josh.



 

 

 



 

 

I felt like we were at Fantasy land in some Disneyland location.  The real buildings just don't seem real.  The city is so well preserved because of the plague.  The plague turned the busy city into a poor city and people were unable to make "improvements" thus saving the character of the old city.  That is according to the Nightwatchman.

 



Maybe a Christmas card, but that would mean I'd have to get one together, so maybe not.  Maybe if I start now.

I'm having obvious hair issues.

 

Darin went running through the walls early in the morning.  Here are some of the pictures that he took while out running.

Check out this funny house.  They don't have to worry about flooding.

Up on the left-hand side you can see the area where you can walk around the city walls.  We did it in the dark.

I can't believe that we almost stayed home.  For Germany, we got perfect weather.  Coats at the end of May, typical.

Boy's Eye View: Darin in Malawi

So, I was asked to go to Malawi, Africa for a work-related matter...um, sure. I am fascinated by the different peoples/cultures of the world.  I love to see the land, the architecture, what people do, how they act, try the local flavor, and I ask the locals a lot of questions and take lots of pictures.  What an amazing trip.

 

Market in Malawi with cool wood goods.

 

Random village/villagers on my way to safari.

 Safari. Saw a few hippos and gazelle type things, but the coolest part of the whole trip was the ride to/from the safari. Seeing rural Africa...all the small villages/villagers...awesome!

 More locals. It was amazing to see what these folks would carry on their heads, usually without holding on with their hands.

Another Birthday! Davis is 14!

Davis turned 14 on Memorial Day.  We celebrated by giving everyone the day off and having BBQs with friends.  He is really that awesome!

 

It is strangely wonderful to reach the point when I can just make a really good cake and it doesn't have to look like a dog, dinosaur, or whatever the imagination can think of.  He wanted a cheesecake.  Given my latest obsession with making cheesecakes, this was perfect.  We talked about all the different kinds and came up with something that sounded like it could be perfect.  Brownie bottom, regular cheesecake center, topped with a ganache truffle top.  I combined a bunch of recipes to come up with our perfect 15 pound cheesecake.  Honestly one of the heaviest cakes.

 

Turned out to be really wonderful. 

 

 

He loved it and that is all that mattered.
 He wanted Rubix cubes for his birthday.  He opened the packages and quickly mixed them up certain that he would be able to put them back together.  Not!

Davis is a funny, smart, musical kid.  He is growing up to be a fun (and so far easy) teenager.

He can't just smile in a picture.  He always has to be pulling a funny face.

 

He is all about the "Dead fish hug."  A half hearted, one armed half squeeze.  I force him to hug me, but he just can't let the "Dead fish" go. 

He plays numerous instruments and LOVES making music.  He plays the French horn (his instrument in the school band), trumpet, bugle (his instrument in the scout troop), snare drum, and sax.  He wants to learn to play the guitar, harmonica, piano, and many others.  Maybe a future band teacher one day. He got harmonicas and a "Harmonica for Dummies" book from his grandparents.  He also got the uber cool harmonica head gear! allowing him to continue with his musical multi tasking capabilities.  Now the possibilities are endless!  I am so LUCKY!

Harmonica and "head gear"

Accompanying his own birthday song. Ha.  what a kid.

 

Davis is super creative and crafty.  He made me origami crane earrings for Mother's Day.  He made them from black gum wrappers and then bought cheap earrings and took them apart to make these into my favorite gift.   He also wrote me a sweet poem.  He is very thoughtful. 

 

Davis is an amazing kid, even if he is a slob, and I enjoy the person that he is becoming (we are still working on the slob part).  Happy Birthday Kid!

Jag's Birthday

May is a month full of birthdays for us.  I used to think that I had fantastic family planning, now I think I wasn't thinking about the future me making cake after cake and throwing party after party.  The future me might have planned in a little breathing room.  Oh well...bring on the birthdays.

Jaggy and Anya share a birthday.  I try to make sure that each kid gets their own stuff and own party.  I tease Jag about making just one cake each year-pink princess-but he just hasn't seen the vision of it.  I still think back 3 years ago when I was about to have Anya.  Jag asked me to "Please, don't have a baby on his birthday."  He has happily shared his birthday and everything else with his little sister.  Still thinks it was his best birthday present yet.

NINE!

Jag LOVES birds.  He loves all animals, but has real fascination with birds. 

Yes, we buy the 90% off Christmas wrap and use it all year long for every gift we wrap.  Christian wraps everything really, really, good.  Lots of tape involved. Bet you thought Jag was getting a tennis racket...nope, butterfly net.

This just about sums up Jag. 

Jag is a fun 9 year old.  We spend every minute of his day together.  He eats non-stop throughout the day.  That may be his toughest challenge when he transitions to public school; starvation is a real thing.  He stalls, he hides, he is easily distracted.  He is a good student, luckily.  He is kind and hates confrontation.  He doesn't like anyone to be unhappy.  He is helpful and loving.  He loves to read the scriptures and knows them well.  He loves any stuffed pet, because he doesn't get real pets.  He wants to have a zoo at his house, but has started to show a tendency to allergies (he gets upset if I mention the possibility of allergies).  He would live with me forever, except that because of my allergies he wouldn't be able to have pets, so he wants to be my neighbor.  He loves digging in the dirt and playing outside.  He is not competitive at all.  He hates running errands or leaving the house.  He is sweet and innocent.  I really like having him around.

Happy Birthday Princess!

Anya counted down Every.Single.Day. from Noah's birthday (Feb. 22) until hers.  Every time it was the same: 

 

 Anya: Is today my birthday?

Me:  nope.  When is your birthday.

Anya:  May.

Me:  What is today? 

Anya:  March.  March April May then my birthday.

Me:  yep. 

Anya:  Maybe tomorrow is my birthday.

Me:  Nope.  May is a LONG time away.

Repeat

 

I didn't tell her when May first hit.  In fact I didn't tell her it was her birthday until the day before.  She was so happy.  I only put one gift out because I didn't want to torture her or me until Darin came home from work.  She made quick work of the one gift and was happily asking for more gifts the entire day.  We were all so very glad when daddy came home.

 

Jaylynn sent Anya a Dora nightgown which she wore most of the day.  Anya LOVES Dora.  Grandpa and Grandma Davis sent her a Dora baby that sings 'Happy Birthday' in Spanish.

 

Tears!! Dad was home.  Gifts were out, but it wasn't time to open them yet.  She just couldn't stand it!

 

She's crying but doesn't realize that the gift in her hands is just undies.

 I can't believe that this little one is 3!  Where has the time gone?

 Anya loves the book The Very Hungry Caterpillar.  I had thought about doing a Princess something or a Dora something, but I figure I will have years of stuff like that ahead of me.  For now, I wanted to do a caterpillar.  Once upon a time, like a dozen years ago or so, Davis was invited to a Hungry Caterpillar party.  My friend did the cutest stuff, I've always wanted to do a party as well.  This year, however, I swore off birthday parties and opted to have just a caterpillar without a party.  Not as cute as a party, but definitely easier on me.

I had to put the book there so that it would be obvious as to what I was going for.  I was thinking that it looked just like a strange, kinda lame caterpillar without the prop.

So happy to eat her pink cupcakes

Is she 3? or does she have claws?

Lovingly looking at her first Barbie from Daddy.

She has started talking about her next birthday already.  I don't know how we are going to make it until next year!

 

*A few things about my Anya:

*She talks and talks and talks.

*She talks to everyone about everything.

*She is in charge and wants her way or else a tantrum quickly follows.

*She does not like to be in trouble.

*She loves her brothers, but rarely all of them at the same time.

*If a brother kisses or loves on her she will quickly start to yell 'YUCK' and be disgusted about 50% of the time.

*She is smart. 

*She can identify all her letters and knows all the sounds.

*She can count to 25 without help (except for 16, but who needs that number). Once she is given help with the 10s she can count to a hundred.

*She is a very good mother to all babies.

*She is always helping in the kitchen.

*She calls her dad her Angel

*Sometimes she just cries and cries 'I need chocolate.'