September and October

Well, I'm finally getting around to posting what we've been up to. September was a great month for many reasons--Jake's parents coming to visit, finding out we were pregnant and my birthday. We had such a great time with Jake's parents here. We took them around Vienna and they even struck out on their own a couple of times. They were here last December, but the weather was so cold we really didn't get to go out too much. We made up for that this time. They got to stay for over 2 weeks this time, and it was great having them here. Jake had a men's retreat in Germany the last week in September and I was supposed to have a women's retreat right after that, but my back went it out and I spent most of the week in bed. Following that week our friends Clint and April came for a visit. Jake and Clint were roommates and OC and now Clint and April are missionaries in Chemnitz, Germany. Let me just say they have one of the top 5 cutest babies ever, Heidi. They actually just left on Wednesday and we are already gearing up for the next round of visitors. Next week we'll have 2 families from Memorial Road here in Vienna. Neither family is staying with us, though we will be spending time with each of them. I realize this a pretty quick summary, but it hits the high points. Here are some pics of the last month and a half.

Notice Anything New?

Take a look around and see if you can find something new on the blog.

Updates and pictures coming soon

Sorry, for the long absence. Jake's parents just left on Tuesday after a long visit. It was so great to have them here again. I'll be posting pics of our time together and a few other bits of excitement soon.

First Day of Kindergarten '08

Well, school has begun again here in Vienna. A day parents have waited all summer for, I'm sure. I wasn't waiting so anxiously, though. You see, as I mentioned previously, Abby started at a new kindergarten this year. Over the past year and a few months many things have had to be learned, many, many things. Upon arrival in Vienna it seemed as if almost nothing was the same. At least as far as, procedure was concerned. There were many tears and frustrations in those first few months, but now, most things seem rather normal. And since most things seemed normal, I wasn't anxious to start learning again. Don't get me wrong, there were many very valid reasons to change Abby's kindergarten, but none of them were making much sense to me in the days leading up to yesterday. You see, I had kindergarten figured out. I knew how it all worked at her old school--who the teachers were, how the day went, in short, what to expect. But now, we would be starting all over again. It should be noted here, that only the mother had these concerns, father and daughter exhibited no signs of worry.
So, yesterday morning we woke up bright and early for the big day. Abby had her usual breakfast and we only had a minor confrontation about wardrobe. Off we went to start this new adventure. Once at kindergarten, Abby acted as if she had been doing this all for a long time. I was relieved at the friendliness of her teachers, the classroom is great and we even met some English speaking parents who were beginning at the school for the first time as well. We hung out for about and hour and a half and then went home. Let me tell you, Abby was not excited about only getting to stay for a short time. We assured her the next day would be longer, though. So, all in all, it was a great day. I have been praying about this for a long time and God has surely answered my prayers. Here are some pics from the big day.

Art Day

Today, we went to the Hensals for a little bit of art fun. We are going to start doing a Bible hour for the kids soon, so we were working on a mats for the kids to sit on. The kids all had a grand time and were all good, too.

 

 

 

 

Check It Out

I've decided to try and do a separate blog for some of my more creative efforts. Head on over and check it out. It is a little sparse now, but hopefully will fill up soon.

The Zoo

One of our favorite things to do when we still lived in Oklahoma was to go to the zoo. It was pretty close to our house and we had a season pass. Abby and I loved going with friends for play dates or by ourselves for a Mommy and Abby day. Vienna has a great zoo, too. I've heard it described as a modern zoo in an imperial setting. I think that is a great description. There are several great new animal places, like the new elephant house which Abby loves, but you can't forget where you are by looking around you. Here are a few pictures from a recent family trip day.