Ice cream!

Dad and I stopped for a little ice cream treat tonight. Avery you would have loved it...tasted like sherbet!

Let's get some when we are home!!

A pic of mom!

Grandma said I needed to get in a picture. 

Here you go!

Amy and I in front of some flowers in Rotenbrg!

Nori!

This is Nori and his 'nori-phone'

He is the owner of our hotel tonight. 

He made this instrument.

Very funny!

Breakfast time!!

A traditional European breakfast!!!

Moving on...

We leave Berlin by train in a couple of hours. We will be heading to Rotenburg, Germany which is an entirely walled city that screams storybook past. We cannot wait to show this to Troy and Amy.

After that we will travel to Salzburg, Austria on Tuesday.

I am doubtful that we will have internet access until Salzburg so updates will cease for a bit.

Kids we love you and are thinking about you! Keep on being good and having fun!!!!

Experience of a lifetime!

Jordan will surely never forget this moment! Standing with his medal in front of the Reichstag. He was a bit choked up telling me about running through the Brandenburg Gate at the finish of the marathon too.

It's safe to say this history buff was in his element!

FINISHERS!!

They made it!!

Amy and I are so relieved and proud of our guys!

Troys goal was to be under 3:30 and he did it! Official time 3:29!!!

Jordan ran almost the identical race to Chicago. Official time 4:24!!!

We'll be heading for a celebratory meal soon!!!!

4:15!!!

We found Jordan!!!
A little over 1/2 way and he was running with the 4:15 crowd.
He said he did not feel like it was going well...but he looked good.

Amy and I feel relieved having found them. Well head to the finish area now.

It should also be noted that we managed the train system like pros.

3:30!

We found Troy! A little over 1/2 way and he was running with the 3:30 crowd.
He said he was feeling good!

Seriously, CUTE!!

Update #1

The phone tracking system doesn't seem to be working but we can see that Troy crossed the START line at 8:55 and Jordan at 9:15.
We are hoping to spot them just past the half way mark.

That is if Amy and I can navigate this huge foreign city. Might want to pray for us more than the boys! ;)

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And they're off!!

Berlin Marathon 2013!
Good luck boys !!!!

Tomorrow!!!

Say a prayer for our guys as they run tomorrow!
Conditions are not ideal due to Troy losing all his running gear in his lost luggage and then some general soreness from all our travel and walking!!

Will update before you are all awake I am sure!

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Test

Trying out posting from my blog!!!

Hi kids!

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just stop it.

Really, time needs to stop. 

My Grandpa Buzz

One thing I am really regretting SO much right now is that I didnt ask more questions of not only mom and dad, but also my grandmas. 

I want to know so much more about my grandpa's time in Germany, all of their lives growing up, where pieces of furniture came from, how people got their names, why was grandpa Buzz called Buzz, how were mom and dad as kids, I could go on and on. 

Its amazing to me that even after losing dad, I still felt I had plenty of time to ask all these questions. 

That is a huge piece of advice I give all my friends...talk to you parents and grandparents...find out all you can and write it down...you wont be sorry. 

So Thursday Jordan and I leave for Europe. 

My biggest excitement is visiting some of the sites that Grandpa Buzz was at in WWII. 

The last trip we took there we stumbled upon a couple of them and I will never forget the feeling. And I cant describe it. But standing there made me feel close to a man that I dont even remember. 

And like I was walking inside of history. 

It was awesome. 

Ive spent a lot of time this week reading his letters to grandma while he was away. 

I'll tell you this was where my dad got his sappy side, grandpa was the same way. 

He called grandma, darling, sweetheart and dear every other word. 

He missed her so much. 

So very sweet. 

This is my grandpa standing outside of Hitler's retreat. 

He describes the scenes in some of his letters. 

Its like pages out of a history book.  

I hope to stand in this same spot. We'll see if the fountain is still there by chance. 

birthday kids

Three years ago these two were born one month apart. 

How does three years pass so very quickly? 

And how could two cousins be so very cute? 

He's my favorite

Watching this kid play soccer is just awesome. 

He likes to know where we are. 

He waves at me...in the middle of the game. 

He smiles at me. 

Sullivan has a passion and zest that are unmatchable. 

Look at his face...Im so happy he is mine. 

Encouragement on a cruddy Thursday

'He brought me into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.' Psalm 18:19

HE delights in ME!

Happy

There really are just no words needed...

A few weekends back we were treated to a boating weekend away with friends. 

And this picture just sums it up. 

HE SHOOTS, HE SCORE!!!

Sully was SO excited for his first soccer game of the season on Saturday. 

He was determined that this would be the game for his first goal. 

We've waited and bit our lips at so many NEAR goals. 

I was anxious for him to score too. 

It meant SO much to him. 

And he did!!!

He was so excited. He jumped and had the biggest and best smile on his face. 

He had 'Sullivan excitement' over it. 

And if you know Sully you know what that means. 

The kid can get excited like no one else I know. 

I jumped up off my seat myself. 

I was in tears. 

I think Grandma, sitting beside me, was too. 

Dad and Grandpa were pretty pumped as well! 

I said right there they should have just taken him out of the game. 

He was too excited to focus. ;)

I love this boy.

There is absolutely nothing like him. 

Nothing.  

He loves life. 

Before the game Jordan had a piece of pie and Sully asked if he could have one. 

Jordan said not till after the game. 

Then they made a deal that if he scored, he'd get a REALLY big piece. 

 He was THRILLED!

Such a fun parenting moment...to see his dream come true! 

Uncle Roger

My dad had one sibling, an older brother named Roger. 

As a child I was terrified of him. 

Terrified. 

I have no idea why. 

Then we went to Adventureland and he took me on the bumper cars and 

protected me and I liked him a lot better from then on. 

Now 'adays we love to give each other a hard time. 

He likes to pick on people. 

So did my dad. 

I like to pick on people too. 

They are so much alike. 

And very different. 

They look a lot alike. 

Except that my dad had jet black hair and Roger's grayed earlier. 

When we went camping in August he and my aunt came for awhile one night. 

I had fun showing Tori how silly he was. 

She was basically as terrified of him as I used to be. 

The truth is...it hurts SO badly just to see him. 

Every single time, when I first see him, I can hardly breathe. 

My breath catches and before I can even say hello I have to leave for a minute.

He is NOT a hugger. 

My dad was a HUGE HUGGER.

I MAKE Roger hug me. 

And I hold on a really long time. 

He probably thinks Im insane. 

But for those moments when he's hugging me back its as close to a 

hug from my dad as Im going to get until heaven. 

And I'll take it. 

So thank you Roger...you'll never know what those hugs mean to me. 

cruel joke

Who exactly are these babies? 

And how did they get replaced with old kids while I wasn't looking?

2007

2008

2009

2007

2007

2007

2009

2007

And for that matter...how did these two get so old?

2005

My twins

Over the past few years Avery and Sullivan have had a contest going...

'who is taller now?'

Avery has always had him by a couple inches. 

But we knew that was fading fast. 

Today they both had doctors appointments.

They were so excited to see who would be tallest and heaviest. 

The nurse and I were getting a big kick out of them. 

It was even better when they were 

EXACTLY the same height and only had 2 ounces difference in their weights. 

And then when their bp's and heart rates were within a few small points from each other it was really funny. 

They hate it that they get mistaken for twins. 

I rather love it because I know soon Sullivan will tower over her! 

I love him.

Sullivan, 'Mom, what if instead of calling doughnuts, doughnuts, we called them, dog hunters? cause really we'd only have to take out a few letters and add a few and dog hunters would be a really cool word for doughnut.'

Why didn't I think of that?!

Sabbath

Part of this year's curriculum is studying the biblical feasts. 

Last week we talked about the Sabbath and so tonight we put on our own Sabbath meal...

There is so much symbolism involved and I only just touched the surface with the kids. 

We had a lot of fun preparing...pulling out the good dishes, candle sticks, wine goblets ect. 

I recommend researching this and doing it with your family. 

Sullivan was very serious about getting the table just perfect. 

This was my homemade apple strudel. 

It was actually very yummy. 

However, in the interest of keeping it real.

It spilled all over my oven and Jordan had to rescue me. 

The smoke detectors were getting a work out. 

The chaullah bread. 

It kind of got bigger than I thought. 

But was also very yummy!

We had to do the ceremonial had washing. 

They got a kick of out that. 

The girls made our chaullah coverings. 

The kids behaved very well and really were interested in the symbols. 

It was fun to learn more about it. 

(I had a little trouble holding it together during part of the readings...my mom had wanted so badly to do some of the feasts. I never made this happen for her. In fact I rarely even listened to her talk about it...just nodded. I'd give anything to go back and have had her with us for this night. 

So learn from me...listen to your loved ones and help them make some of their wishes come true.)