Well, someone had to do it

I'm off tomorrow bright and eary for the Come Before Winter retreat in Bosina. Tamika let me know about this a few months ago. It is a ladies retreat put on my church members from the US and the only cost to the attendees are the travel expenses to and from the retreat site. We are staying here. I'll be traveling with Tamika by train from Vienna to Zagreb, Croatia, where we will be meeting up with some other ladies to travel the rest of the way to Bosnia. Pleas keep us in your prayers for a safe trip. I am really looking forward the time of Bible study and fellowship, but am already missing Jake and Abby. We have only spent a couple of nights away from Abby since being here, and none away from each other. I think the reality that mommy was leaving finally hit Abby when I started packing the suitcase. She asked why I was taking a suitcase and then kept trying to crawl into it. Just in case you don't have a clue where Bosnia is, I've included a map below. Have a great week.

Window Seat

Here are a couple of pictures I snapped of Abby the other day. She is sitting in the window of our apartment looking over her calendar. Our apartment is on the top floor of our building, so we have windows in the ceiling. Abby loves to look out and see what is going on in the neighborhood.

Hannah update

Here is the latest on sweet, little Hannah. Please keep praying for this precious little girl.

Hannah is doing great! She's off all pressurized oxygen, still require
some oxy, but without pressure behind it. She's not gaining weight
very well, but not loosing either. She's in an open crib and nursing
on demand when I'm here. I think it could be soon when she can come
home...we won't know until we acutally walk out the door because she
could loose weight at the last minute or drop her temp...which would
make us stay, but the light is bright at the end of the tunnel! We
love you all and thank you for all your support and encouragement.

Picnic

Today was a gorgeous day here!!! I can't express enough how glad I am that spring has arrived in Vienna!!! Seriously, during November and December I was pretty sure this whole living in Vienna thing was not going to work out. Vienna is dark in the winter. I mean really, really dark. And cold and dark. If you have only lived in the midwest or south your entire life, you really have no idea what it was like. I know I had no real idea what I was in for. Now, though, it is beautiful here. To celebrate the completely gorgeous weather we went for a picnic in the green area by our house. Hera are a few pics. Enjoy.

Oh the pressure.....

So, my husband informed me the other day the he thought, "our readership was down" on the blog and maybe I could try to post more often. Well, first of all, I didn't realize I had quotas to reach on this thing and second of all, I'm lazy. I love reading about and seeing pictures of other people's lives, but to document ours means walking all the way in the other room (we live in an European apartment remember) and getting the cord to hook up the camera to the computer. I mean really, people, what does this man expect of me? But in the name of making my wonderful hubby happy and perhaps the "masses", too, I'll try to post more often.
Here is an update of what we have been up to lately. Jake is about to take his last German class at the Deutch Akademie. This will conclude 9 months of intensive language study. I am so proud of him!!! I am looking into a tutor to futher my German learin' (sorry couldn't resist). I have also been sewing a lot. I've made a pair of pants for Abby, 12 dresden plate quitl squares, a skirt for myself and am working on a dress for Abby. When we moved here I shipped a ton of fabric and patterns so I'm trying to use some of that stuff up.
Abby is beginning to speak much more German, too. I've heard her speak complete sentences with other people, but mostly will just use a few words with us at home. She is totally into dogs and most any animal. She pretends to be a dog most of the day, I'm sure people on the bus think she is some sort of weirdo, but she's pretty cute. She also recently developed a keen interest in letters. She is writing her name now, too. Let me insert here that we have not been "teaching" her to write or read, she just started doing it on her own. I say this mostly to reassure myself that I'm staying in the guidelines of "developmentally appropriate practices". Can I get a holla' from any early childhood educators out there? Any hoo, back to recent happenings. Last weekend we went out to eat with a 2 Austiran Christian couples and had a great time. We met one of the couples on our survey trip in 2005 and the other we met more recently. We went to eat at an awesome pizza place and sat outside. It was an incredibly beautiful day. Then this last weekend we went to a BBQ at the home Martin and Sue. They are also Christians, and have 2 kiddos, a little girl Abby's age and quite possibly one of the cutest little boys ever!!!
That is pretty much what we're up to lately. Keep the blog post comin' I love "spying" on everyone :)

Flowers

Last night we went to eat at one of our new favorite places, Fresco Grill. It is a little like Chipotle or Mo's, and is the best choice for fresh Mexican in Vienna. Granted, there aren't a whole lot of options for Mexican in Vienna, but it is still really good. Afterwards, we walked around Votiv Kirche and enjoyed the awesome weather. For a few weeks now, all over Vienna, flowers have been showing up in flower beds, in yards and window boxes. I love tulips and they are in no short supply right now. Above is a pic of Abby sitting on a flower bed near Votiv Kirche.

Hannah Update

Here is a recent picture of sweet little Hannah. She is growing still, and up to 4 lbs. and 5 oz. She is recovering from an infection she had recently, and Claire said she is better, but not quite back up to where she was before the infection. I ask you all to keep praying for little Hannah and her parents.