5 Miles Away.....

Girl Power in Abuna Yemata (Tigray Region of Northern Ethiopia)

2011-12-01T17:39:00.004+03:00

In October, our family with some friends took a trip to Northern Ethiopia. Fantastic trip! The girls did some great hiking and free climbing to a church built into a cave. It is said that the church started being built in 800AD. There are also 14th century Frescoes inside.

However, in order to get to this church (which served as a refuge for many years) you have to climb 45 meters from the base to the final ledge mingling through these footholds and shear drop offs.

This was a true highlight for me and my friends. It was incredible. I did it and Mitch is still very proud since he knows I am a scaredy cat of heights. Yikes!!!!

Enjoy the pics!

Poinsettas Growing Wild!

2011-12-01T13:19:00.004+03:00

In October we took a trip to the Northern Ethiopian Region known as the Tigray Region. It was a fabulous trip.......one of our "highlights" of being here for 3 1/2 years. More pics to follow from this trip. However, I took these pictures when we deplained in Axum, Ethiopia.

I thought it was fitting to post a couple of pictures of the Poinsettas that grow in different parts of Ethiopia on the first day of December. We are getting ready for the holidays.........Happy decorating!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-30T07:47:00.002+03:00

Today was a special day for our "Lone Scouters" (cub scouts and boy scouts) in Addis. The day after Thanksgiving, the boys were able to learn about the American Flag, what does it mean, how to take care of it and also how to hang and fold it. The group was also able to "raise" the flag above the US Embassy with the Marines.

Eli's American Flag now has a certificate that it has been flown above the US Embassy Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It was a neat ceremony and we wanted to share with you.

We thought it was a wonderful way to end our American Thankgiving Holiday. Hope yours was great too!

Eli's Cross Country Meet

2011-11-25T17:24:00.012+03:00

Eli had his first "official" cross country meet in Addis. The entire ICS high, middle and elementary team competed with 4 or 5 other schools. ICS finished 1st place in the team division.

Eli placed 4th place with a time of 3:51 for 1k in the elementary division consisting of 4th and 5th graders. Eli is in 4th grade. He improved his time by 14 seconds from two weeks ago at the fun run. He almost passed the boys in 2nd and 3rd place......they were only 1 second apart. Sooooo close!

We are so proud of him. He really did enjoy his first year of cross country and I enjoyed being a parent volunteer coach. :-)

P.S. Did you see his Boise State hat on? Go Broncos!

We hate saying Good Bye!

2011-11-13T17:43:00.006+03:00

Today, we said goodbye to our friends and neighbors in Addis Ababa. The Whitts have been our neighbors for over 2 years. We were their sponsors when they arrived. Now, we are watching them leave and we are STILL here. sniff, sniff They are a wonderful family and we wish them well. Take care and safe travels. We love you guys and will miss you tons!

This part of the Foreign Service stinks. I am quickly learning that there are two types of ways you "deal" or "cope" with the goodbye situation. One way usually consists of a group of veteran, foreign servicers who have said so many goodbyes over the years in so many countries that they AVOID (at all costs) goodbyes and say SEE YA LATER! No tears and no drama!

The other way of coping is to say goodbye, hug, shed some tears, and sulk the rest of the day. Well, I am in this category. What can I say? I am a newbie and sometimes you just need a good cry! Eating Halloween candy is also part of the "coping" process.

Marine Corp. Ball - Thanks Marines!

2011-11-12T14:21:00.003+03:00

Last night was the Marine Corp. Ball in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It was a very nice evening with an emotional Marine presentation, guest speakers and ofcourse the social aspect of dancing, eating and mingling.

Here are some "candid" pics from the evening. Mitch was in the states on training, so I went with friends. We had a group of gals at a table. We danced the night away to some oldies and some goodies.......like Lady Gaga! My Zumba dance classes have come in handy. hee, hee

Happy Birthday Marines and THANK YOU for all that you do around the world!

The Kids Love Horseback Riding!

2011-11-07T09:01:00.002+03:00

Wow, we have great internet today so I am blasting through some blog posts. Hooray! I know I have been sooooooooooooo behind, but what can I do?

The Latest..........the kids have been taking horse riding lessons since August. They love it! Eli just went off leash last week....meaning that he controls the horse and not the instructor. Glori Sue has been doing great as well. She looks so proper when she prances around. Even Sophers gets to have a pony ride around the track. Enjoy the pics!

Go Eli Go!

2011-11-07T08:50:00.004+03:00

As an after school activity, Eli joined the 4th and 5th grade Junior Cross Country Team at his International School in Addis Ababa. Fourteen practices later, he continues to improve and get stronger. Last Thursday he ran a 1 mile time trial in 6 minutes and 40 seconds.

On Saturday he had his first "fun run" at another international school and ran a 1K in 4 minutes and 5 seconds. He placed third for the elementary runners with a course that was quite hilly. He is only in 4th grade, but shows a love for running. Way to go Eli!

p.s. After the race, he wanted the pain to stop in his legs. hee, hee, hee How I wish I could take the pain away. I know (very well) that running hurts sometimes or better yet most of the time! Yikes!

Halloween Fun in Addis Ababa!

2011-11-07T08:38:00.003+03:00

Look, it's Velma, a Jailbird and Princess Leia! Even the adults had fun this year! The Sophinator was Scooby Doo! She loved it!

All I want for Christmas is my Two Front Teeth!

2011-11-06T16:49:00.001+03:00

Glori Sue just lost her 2nd front tooth. We hope the tooth fairy remembers to leave some birr (Ethiopian money) under her pillow? Other parents have already told Glori that the tooth fairy is quite generous in Addis Ababa. Ughh!

Taco Night w/ the Missionaries!

2011-08-28T20:07:00.001+03:00

It has been a week since we have been home from summer vacation. We went to church today and wanted to have the missionaries over for taco night. We hope they liked it. At least it is a little taste of home. Not that we want them trunky or homesick! hee, hee, hee They are a neat group and some are moving on to Uganda. Good luck Elders and take care!

Taco Night w the Missionaries!

VIEW SLIDE SHOW	DOWNLOAD ALL
ADD MORE PHOTOS

This album has 1 photo and will be available on SkyDrive until 11/26/2011.

Share your own slide shows with Hotmail

Awash Falls Lodge - Ethiopia

2010-10-20T19:39:00.003+03:00

Since the kids were out of school and on their fall break, we decided to take a little trip outside of Addis with some new friends who recently arrived from the states. Awash Falls is about a 3 1/2 hour drive, south-east of Addis Ababa. The Debra Zeit road to get to Awash Falls is full of traffic, cars, semi-trucks, people, donkeys, horses, sheep, goats, etc....., but it was a fun get away out of the big city. We stayed in two tukuls (huts) joined together with a tiny bathroom. We were expecting to basically camp, but were surprised to have some ammenities. We saw some wildlife as in baboons, a crocodile, an oryx and various birds. The falls were refreshing to sit next to and the kids played in the sand. Don't worry, the crocodiles did not come to visit.

Sophi's 2nd B-Day!

2010-10-20T19:17:00.003+03:00

Sophi (a.k.a. Sophers or Sopherino) turned 2 years old. We just can't believe she is no longer our baby. On the other hand she is definitely in the terrible 2's with the tantrums and wanting to be soooooooo independent, but just not able to keep up with big brother and sister.

She had birthday cake and opened some gifts that were sent in the mail. Thanks grandmas and grandpas for helping make her birthday so fun even though we are across the globe.

Our birthday girl had lots of fun!

Meskel Celebration at ICS

2010-09-24T20:14:00.004+03:00

One of the major holidays in Ethiopia is the celebration of Meskel. At the International Community School (ICS), every year the kids dress up in traditional Ethiopian attire and celebrate the religious holiday which is also the end of the rainy season. This year the 3rd grade students presented a play depicting the Ethiopian story of finding the true cross. Eli was a "chief" and dressed up in the beautiful, red robe. Sophi and Glori were ofcourse, Ethiopian princesses in their yellow dresses. Here are some fun pictures of traditional Ethiopian clothing at the school. Enjoy!

Marti's B-Day!

2010-09-20T19:06:00.000+03:00

What a fun day I had! First, I woke up like any other day and got the kids off to school. Then I went for a run. Then my friends picked me up and surprised me with a birthday pedicure and lunch at the local Korean Restaurant. Hmmmm, it was good! Thanks gals for such a great, girl's day out! It was much needed. Then the kids and I celebrated at home with a cake Mitch made before I woke up in the morning. It was very cute. Thanks Honey! I had a nice 36th!

First Day of School!

2010-08-17T20:04:00.003+03:00

The kids had a wonderful, summer vacation in Germany and now it was time to start another school year at ICS. Glori started all-day kindergarten and Eli 3rd grade. This was Glori's first time on the bus, so we thought we would show grandmas and grandpas what it was like. Doesn't she look like a big girl and not even nervous. We hope the kids have a great school year!

Mittweida Friends and Twilight!

2010-07-17T00:38:00.006+03:00

Last Sunday we went to church in Mittweida. There were actually a couple of families who remembered Mitch when he was a missionary so long ago. One family invited us over to their house for lunch after church. Mitch recognized the father. He was in his late teens preparing to go on his mission when Mitch was in Mittweida. The family has 5 children, so the kids played and played and played. They have a large backyard with toys, a treehouse, swinging rope, etc.... Even though our kids and their kids spoke two different languages they got along quite nicely and had a lot of fun. To our new German Friends......thank you Marcus and Yvonne! You have a beautiful family and it was so kind of you to take us under your wings.

Now this is the funny part! After we ate lunch, the adults were talking and Marcus mentioned to Yvonne that maybe I would be interested in the "girls night out" coming up on Thursday. Yvonne said...."oh, she wouldn't be interested in Twilight." My ears perked up and I said....."Ummm, Twilight! I love Twilight."

For those who have been living under a rock for the past two years (aka Dad) Twilight is a series of books by Stephenie Meyer that are being made into blockbuster movies. Believe me, I was not interested in a vampire guy and a human girl falling in love until last year when a friend suggested I watch the first movie with her on DVD in Addis Ababa. Well after that I read all 4 of her books, bought my own set of books, read them over and over in Addis Ababa, and had my friends read the books in Addis too.

Back to the story.................Mitch was cringing because he thinks only the "girls" love the twilight movies (insert...Mitch rolling his eyes), he calls them chick flicks and was shocked that Twilight had penetrated all the way to eastern Germany. He said on the way home......"No, not the Germans too!" hee, hee, hee So Yvonne told us about being a huge fan and that she read the books in German AND English. True kindred spirits!

So the end result.......Thursday I went to dinner at Yvonne's house with other Twihards for a Twilight party and watched the new movie Eclipse at the local theater. It just came out this week in Germany.

This is to my fellow Twilight friends in Addis, Fairfax, Va and Boise, ID...

1. We had mushroom ravioli for dinner and soda pop.

2. The dinner table was decorated with all the books in English with little heart candies spread out.

3. Yvonne's daughter created a Twilight Quiz with Twilight and New Moon collector cards as prizes.

4. We had monster brownies because that went with the theme.

5. We saw Eclipse in German! Yeah, I loved the movie and I didn't understand one word. Well ofcourse I knew what was going on from reading the books, but didn't understand a word except maybe for Danke which means thank you. Yvonne translated a bit for me too.

It was such a fun night. Hooray, I got to see Eclipse. Hopefully, when I get back to Addis I can see it there too! Thanks again to my new German friend Yvonne........

Lunch in Meissen

2010-07-17T00:15:00.005+03:00

In between tours of the Castle and the Cathedral we took a break for a bite to eat. We had bratwurst, rolls, potato salad, etc....Mmmmmm it was good!

The view was fantastic. Pictures 3 and 4 over looking all the red roofs was from where we ate lunch. Yeah, I know.......I only thought these places existed in movies. I do have to admit (I love my children dearly) but it would have been a bit more romantic sitting at the table overlooking the city with JUST my husband. Then I wouldn't here Sophi yelling "no" to everything, Glori complaining about "something" and Eli eating his salad like a rabbit instead of using a fork even though we have asked him 10,000 times. Hmmm, like I said........just a bit more romantic! However, we are having a great time as a family making memories.

The first picture was the "gate keeper" to the castle and cathedral. I can just picture the guards standing watch as the weary travelers came up the hill.

Albrechtsburg Castle in Meissen

2010-07-16T23:07:00.009+03:00

The view of Albrechtsburg Castle and its close neighbor the Meissen Cathedral is breathtaking. I wish I had a better picture of both of them over looking the Elbe River.

1. A picture of the Princess or Queen Sophia.......ofcourse we had to take a picture.

2. Another picture of the historical murals in the grand hall.

3. Glori in the great hall. Can you see the vaulted ceilings and the sharp angles of the walls. It was so impressive.

4.. Glori Sue over looking the city from the winding staircase up to the castle. That is one thing we have done is walked and walked and climbed stairs.

5. The castle and the dom of Meissen.

6. Part of Albrechtsburg Castle after our tour.

7. More murals of old Kings and Queens.

8. A special masterpiece of this late-Gothic Saxon castle is the Grosser Wendelstein, a spiral staircase. It is mind boggling that it is original. It is all stone!

9. Another hall with murals of battles and stories. There were also statues of the late Kings. To enter this room we had to put on these big slippers over our own shoes and slide around the room. This was to keep the floor preserved. Glori Sue thought she was skating on ice.

10. Have you ever heard of Meissen Porcelain? "White Gold" from Meissen is legendary. The very famous and EXPENSIVE Meissen porcelain was invented and manufactured here in Albrechtsburg Castle starting in 1710 and was known as Europe's first porcelain manufactory. The porcelain "masterpieces" are amazing and there were MANY pieces on display (ex. the white vase with birds and blossums) to celebrate the 300th year anniversary this year. The Meissen factory is now located down the street and can be visited. However, we were short on time and could not even think about taking Sophi there. At 250 euro a tea cup, we were definitely NOT going there. If you are curious, go ahead and google Meissen Porclain in Germany. It is fancy schmancy!

Meissen Cathedral

2010-07-15T00:37:00.004+03:00

Yesterday we visited the city of Meissen. The Meissen Cathedral stands in the center of a plateau high above the Elbe River and sits next to the Albrechtsburg Castle.

Stay tuned for the commentary....it is really late and I am going to bed. hee, hee, hee

3. This is a picture of the burial chapel of Duke Georg, the last of the Catholic Wettin Dynasty.

5. Eli was being a great big brother and decided to carry Sophi for just a little bit. The kids really did have fun climbing to the top of towers and looking out on the city, etc....

The little forest path in Mittweida

2010-07-15T00:12:00.004+03:00

Another must see in Mittweida was the little, forest path that leads to a restaurant. As a missionary, Mitch would volunteer "manual" labor in the forest cleaning up or whatever was needed. Community service type work, but NOT because you were going to jail and are getting off by doing a little work. No this was quite different.......Volunteer work is that thing that most people say..........oh, I don't have time to do that!

The story goes.........Mitch was working in the forest with other missionaries and said to himself that "someday, I am going to bring my family (a wife and children that he has never met at that point) to this exact spot. Really, this is no joke. He just thought the place was beautiful and peaceful.

Ofcourse we found this little path in the forest and hiked about a mile and 1/2 to the restaurant by another lake. It was soooooooooo nice! Now keep in mind that we have been living in Addis Ababa for two years, so yes everything here is nice/better, but I mean REALLY nice.

It was a HOT day but with the trees providing shade and a small breeze we were happy. The dinner was great traditional food and the kids even had meals put together in characters. Eli's mashed potatoes were shaped like a dragon with sugar peas as spikes along the dragon's back. Little sausages were cut to look like feet and he even had a tongue formed from tomato skin. It was a hit. Sophi had octopus hot dogs/ fries and Glori had chicken / fries shaped into a flower.

So after 17 or 18 years, the little forest path that leads to the restaurant was a perfect outing and another item marked off Mitch's bucket list!

Mittweida

2010-07-14T23:15:00.009+03:00

On Saturday and Sunday we traveled to one of Mitch's favorite cities, Mittweida. It is another beautiful town with a neat, city park with a lake. We strolled through the park looking at the swans, wild life and the scenery. We all played in the playground and even rode on the teeter totter. Even us grown-ups can have fun!

We ate lunch at this restaurant next to the lake and had ice cream desserts afterwards. Glori and Sophi had desserts shaped as bees. It was very cute!

3. The picture of the grayish, brown ,3-story, corner building is the exact apartment Mitch lived in about 17 years ago on his mission. He was living on the 3rd floor. Mitch had to go down "memory lane" again. We let him......again!

4. It appears that every large or tiny town that we encounter has a church building, maybe even a couple. Some are simple, but most are grand buildings with high towers and pointed roofs. Here is Mittweida's church building with the clock tower.

5. The other picture with the ornate, pink trim building is the city hall. It has the gold statue in front of it. We actually seen the tiny replica displayed in Klein Erzgebirge where I posted a message days ago. I am not sure I posted the picture there, but they do look exactly alike. The city hall or Rathaus is just a short walking distance from Mitch's old apartment.

1. and 2. The other pictures of these beautiful houses are two homes Mitch used to walk by on a daily basis. He has said more than once (I repeat, more than ten times) that he loved these houses and wanted to make sure we saw them on this trip. So there you are......I am sure in the millions.

Burg Kriebstein (Castle)

2010-07-10T23:54:00.012+03:00

Today we traveled to Kriebstein Castle, Saxony's most beautiful knight's castle. Now this was a treat! Here is some information from the flyer we obtained at the castle today.

The first documented reference can be dated back to the 14th century, when the Knight Dietrich of Beerwalde established the residential tower in 1384 which is 45 meters high. Apart from the extensive reconstructions of the first floor, the tower has remained almost unaltered up to the roof until today. The tower itself together with its furnishings presents an authentic record of the building and living style of the late Middle Ages.

The last owners were the family of Arnim who had been living there from 1825 until 1945, almost 120 years. The family of Arnim was expropriated in 1945 and Kriebstein Castle became state-owned. Since Januray 1st 1993, Kriebstein Castle has been owned by the land of Saxony. At the beginning of the 1990's, the renovation process started , facades and rooms were refurbished and total restoration process ended in April 2004.

3. The black Waldenburg tiled stove is from 1680 and is decorated with big shells.

8. The other green tiled stove was built in the 19th century.

2. The 2nd picture shows the saga of the faithful lady of Kriebstein. Margrave Friedrich der Streitbare seized the castle in 1415 from the knight Deitrich of Staupitz. After a period of time the ladies were permitted to leave the castle with the most precious thing they could carry on their backs. It was expected that the ladies would carry jewels and money, but the ladies carried their husbands out of the gate. The Margrave was overcome with emotion and saved the knight Staupitz's life.

7. The winged alterpiece with 5 people in it is especially rare. It was painted in 1520.

6. There was a treasure find in 1986. Books, silver and china were hidden in a chimney over 3 floors during WWII. Most of the objects were from the Steinort Castle in east Prussia. Its former owner Heinrich Duke of Lehndorff was actively involved in the attempt on Hitler in 1944 and was consequently imprisoned and killed. All the pieces of art and valuable items were transported to Kriebstein Castle.

1. The chapel is a compact square room and the paintings date back to 1410. The paintings were restored in 1994 and form one of the best exhibitions of late Middle Ages wall paintings in Germany today.

4. The castle is now a museum, restaurant and the church is used for small, quaint weddings. Today, there were actually 4 weddings and it was fun to see 2 beautiful brides. One of the brides was marrying a fireman. The groom's fellow fire firefighters dressed in their dress uniforms and filled their water hoses with air. The hoses were then bent to create a tunnel of arches that the bride and groom walked through. Very interesting. We had never seen that done before.

We have too many pictures to post all of them. It was a very exciting day to learn the history behind all the furnishings and treasures. We are going to try and go back on Wednesday for a private tour of the tower. With all the weddings today, it was difficult to see everything. Stay tuned for more later!

A sidenote: If you want to see the picture more clearly then click on the picture and it will go to almost full screen. :)

Visit to the Big City of Leipzig

2010-07-10T21:11:00.011+03:00

Two days ago we visited the city of Leipzig. We felt like it was "huge" compared to the small little villages we have been driving through and touring. The city has many trolley street cars, vehicles and many, many bicycles. Trying to read the road signs, staying out of the trolley cars paths, dodging bicyclists and listening to "Greta" our GPS navigation system in the car was quite the task for Mitch driving and me "navigating." However, we managed to find a parking garage in the perfect spot and to have a picnic lunch at a park in the middle of downtown. Thanks to Mitch's long term memory we had no problems.......his short term memory now that is a different story, hee, hee, hee

Mitch quickly became our tour guide and we meandered through the streets with the kids and the stroller. Sidenote: we couldn't figure out why we get stared out so much. It is not because we look like foreigners (I mean Mitch speaks pretty good German) it is because we have more than one or two kids. No joke! We have seen very few families with more than one or two kids. Our hosts back at the farm explained that it is just the culture.

Anyways, back to Leipzig. Mitch explained that many of the colors on the buildings have changed from dark gray to now very nice lighter colors. Years ago, most of the buildings were heated by coal and therefore produced a black or gray soot. Now, you can tell which buildings have been cleaned and which ones the city is still working on restoring.

We took many pictures, but these are the ones that made the blog.

1. The first picture is of Mitch and the kids in front of a statue in front of the Neues Gewandhaus. The statue is called Mendebrunnen.

2. The second picture is of the "City Building." It is designed to symbolize an open book. Very modern looking!

3. Old Town Hall, market area. This is the center area where locals gathered to peacefully protest travel restrictions from East Germany in 1989. More and more people gathered and this eventually led to the peaceful end of the East German Communist Government. In laymans terms, it led to the wall coming down and Germany was one country. Very cool to see this in person even though the area was under construction. Those construction guys......Jeez, I tell ya they are always making a mess of things. Sorry honey, but you are. hee, hee

4. The fourth picture is of the famous St. Thomas Church or Thomas Kirche. It was built in 1212 and it is famous because this is where Martin Luther introduced the Reformation in Albertine Saxony on Whit Monday 1539. Also, because Joann Sebastian Bach was cantor and "director musices" from 1723 to 1750.

5. The last picture is of the new city hall building. It has been recently renovated, but built originally between 1899 to 1905. The tower is 114 meters high and the building has over 600 rooms. The stone has been cleaned back to the light gray color.

Burg Scharfenstein

2010-07-09T00:46:00.006+03:00

The same day we also drove another 15km to see Burg Scharfenstein. This castle was also renovated and diplayed items from that time period. Also many toys, nutcrackers, Christmas pyramids, wood art and other things from the 1800's through the 1900's were diplayed. The displays were fantastic.

The history of this area starts with the Erzgebirge Mountains and mining for silver. Most people made their living by mining. When there was nothing left to mine, the women went to work on stitching lace and the men went to work making wood art, wood toys, nutcrackers, Christmas angels and pyramids. Years later, the area is famous and well known for lace and wood art.

Here are few pictures of the castle (Glori's favorite was the princess tower) and the actual wood art on display. We also went down under the castle to see the well. It was dark, cold and a little scary. That was Eli's favorite part.......he wished there was a dragon that he can be friends with. How do you explain that dragons do not exist and that you can't be friends with a wild beast even if they did exist? We have tried to explain this a million times! Boys, you got to love them!

Schloss Augustusburg

2010-07-09T00:17:00.006+03:00

On Wednesday, we drove to Augustusburg and toured our first castle. In 1568, the elec-tor August decided to build a hunting lodge and summer residence. The builder and architect was from Leipzig and it only took 4 years to build. There are four corner houses that are connected by narrow buildings making a square ground plan.

The castle even has a chapel which was one of the first protestant churches in Germany and one of the few Germany Renaissance churches. Renovations are still on-going at the castle but other parts are made into restaurants and museums. It was very interesting. It was huge....and to think this was a summer home. Jeepers!

The tree that the kids and I are standing by was planted in 1421 and it is believed to have been transplanted from somewhere else. It was unbelievable!

Seiffen Church

2010-07-07T00:03:00.004+03:00

According to the official tourism website of Germany, the Seiffen Church (built in 1779) has been a magnet for thousands of people from all over the world. Alongside its uncluttered style, the appeal of this church lies in its octagonal shape, whereby the dome is supported by eight columns. The church is a haven of tranquillity at Christmas with its festive decorations and its children's choir singing peaceful Christmas carols. Seiffen's famous round church is well-known as one of the most enchanting images found on German Christmas cards and other wood art.

We just had to see "in person" the actual church that has been carved into Christmas pyramids, wall hangings and other wood art that we have been seeing throughout eastern Germany. Ofcourse it was beautiful and the boxes of flowers in the cemetary were gorgeous.

Christmas Village in July?

2010-07-06T23:40:00.009+03:00

Talk about going to the Christmas Village in July? We did just that! The city of Seiffen is in the heart of Erzgebirge Mountains. There are so many shops of nutcrackers and wood art that you can't possibly see all of them (especially with 20 month old Sophi.) The little town of Seiffen IS the Christmas Village and is well known to all.

On Mitch's mission, a missionary couple serving in the area said to Mitch....."You have to go to Seiffen. It is a must see!" They temporarily forgot that the younger missionaries have certain rules on only going to the areas you are assigned. The couple missionaries (husband and wife) have way more latitude on where they can go. hee, hee, hee So after all these years, Mitch finally gets to go to Seiffen. We visited a few shops and loved seeing all the intricate wood carvings and figurines. Here are a few pictures to show you how jam-packed every store is with Christmas treasures. When Glori walked into the store called Seiffener Pyramidenhaus she said...."Oh mommy, it is beautiful!" She was right.

The town was like Christmas paradise. Even the lamp posts have nutcrackers on them. We can't imagine what this place is like in December! WOW!

Then we ate lunch at a little cafe. The cafe even had a store attached to it where you could buy things. We collect Christmas ornaments for the tree and nativity scenes from all the places we have visited, so we added some German ornaments and a nativity to our collection today. We still keep saying to each other........"I can't believe we are really here in Germany!"

Erzgebirgische Holzkunst aus Gahlenz

2010-07-06T23:11:00.003+03:00

The title for the day is roughly translated into Ore mountain's folkart located in the city of Gahlenz. We visited our first place that makes and sells nutcrackers, smoker men and other wood art. Oh, it was so exciting for all of us. I need to reiterate my previous post on "made in china" nutcrackers are forbidden in our house and only Erzgebirge "original"nutcrackers are allowed for Christmas decorations. After visiting Gahlenz, it is very easy to agree with Mitch. They are fanstastic and you want to buy everything in the store. I think that is the point. hee, hee, hee

For years Mitch has been telling me that he always wanted a wooden figurine of a german woman holding a plate of kloesse (potato balls). The wooden figurine is what we call a smoker man/girl. You put a type of candle in the figurine and then smoke comes out of her plate of kloesse or potato balls. Guess what we saw today? Yep, we bought the kloesse gal. hee, hee

We took a few pictures of the factory and nutcrackers outside. Apparently, Gahlenz had the largest nutcracker made in the world in 1994? How cool would it be to sell all these Christmas decorations year round? Enjoy the pics!

Weimar, Germany

2010-07-06T11:53:00.005+03:00

Yesterday we drove about 2 hours to the famous city of Weimar, Germany. The city is famous for a variety of reasons. It was the home of Goethe and Schiller and for a period of time the famous pianist/musician Franz Liszt. Goethe was a famous poet and playwright and Schiller was a famous author. The statues of them are in front of the city theater where the kids happen to be eating yummy Italian ice cream. The town square pictures are of the city hall and of the famous Elephant Hotel. Look closely at the balcony. This is the place where Hitler gave a speech so long ago. Weimar has a famous music school and has been the home for a period of time to many famous musicians like Bach. It is a beautiful city. We also learned that just outside of Weimar is where the concentration camp, Buchenwald, was liberated on April 11th, 1945. The city of Weimar has been in a lot of ways a center of German culture in the arts. It was interesting to learn so much history and it was a great day. The state of Thueringen which Weimar is the center of is known throughout Germany for its bratwurst which we HAD to take a picture of. We also had McDonald's on our way out of town. What a way to wrap up the day!

Church in Freiberg, Germany

2010-07-04T15:40:00.004+03:00

Today was one of Mitch's highlights. We attended church in Freiberg. Mitch loved singing and speaking in German. We also met all these wonderful people including President and Sister Appel. President and Sister Appel had Mitch in their home about 18 years ago for dinner when Mitch was a missionary. Years later, Daniel (Mitch's brother) served as a missionary in Germany with President Appel being the Mission President in charge of all the missionaries in the area. It was just delightful to finally meet and see the people Mitch and Daniel have talked about for so many years.

So Daniel.......President and Sister Appel remember you and we told them about your family. He also said that the missionaries were sometimes......rascals. hee, hee, hee We thought you would like that!

Klein Erzgebirge in Oederan, Germany

2010-07-04T15:04:00.005+03:00

Yesterday we went to another small town called Oederan. There is a place called Klein Erzgebirge where old churches, castles and historical buildings are made and displayed into small replicas. It was really interesting to see all these small buildings on display. The kids loved it! Mitch and I then made a list of all the "neat" replicas that we wanted to see. Now we have a working agenda to go and visit the actual location in Eastern Germany. Here are only a few pictures of the replicas.

Side note: The Erzgebirge Region (where we are) is the area that the original nutcrackers are made. I was informed almost 14 years ago when Mitch and I celebrated our first Christmas together that the "made in china" nutcracker decoration that I had displayed in the house was FORBIDDEN and could not possibly be in the same house with his "orginal" nutcrackers from eastern Germany. Ofcourse, he bought some on his mission. Well, after all this time.......I now know why! The wood carvings and nutcrackers are absolutely beautiful and numbered. There is NO comparison.

This place also had a great playground, sand box and toys that the kids could play with. There was even a sprinkler system for the kids to get refreshed. Glori finally got a picture as the princess in the castle. Germany has been hot, hot and hot and the locals say it is a bit unusual.

While we were having fun in the sun and eating yummy soft serve ice cream cones, we couldn't figure out why it was so quiet and no people around. We came back to the farm and realized Germany was playing Argentina in the world cup. Germany won 4 to 0 and cars were honking and German flags are displayed everywhere.......on houses and in cars. Way to go Germany!

More pics of Freiberg, Germany

2010-07-03T02:16:00.004+03:00

More pics of the city. Look at the cobble stone streets and the old architecture. It is a beautiful and CLEAN city. Most of the pictures were taken of the old town of Freiberg where a brick/stone wall surrounded the inner circle. Some of the wall is still standing as well as various towers. We also visited a grocery store. We had fun walking all around, had fun at a park and had the best strawberry ice cream sundae ever. Yeah, it was great day!

Freiberg, Germany

2010-07-03T01:52:00.004+03:00

Today, we drove to Freiberg. This was Mitch's first city he served in on his mission. He drove straight to the temple grounds with no mistakes. Believe me, I was impressed after 17 years. We visited the grounds with the kids and met some sister missionaries from Texas and Washington. Ofcourse Mitch and the sister missionaries had to talk "shop" about their missions. Mitch was so excited to tell the sisters his "entire" story. hee, hee, hee

Mitch kept saying that he could not believe that he was finally there with his wife and kids. It really has been a dream for him for so many years.

Then Glori and Eli were playing tag on the grass and then down they went with Glori getting a bloody nose. Luckily, I was semi-prepared with wipes and hand sanitizer. Glori is fine and Eli felt really bad when he saw the blood. hee, hee, hee He made Glori cry louder when he said, "oh no, look at all the blood!" yep, that did it. So that ended our temple grounds tour.

Stay tuned for more pics tomorrow!

Frankenstein, Germany

2010-07-03T01:20:00.005+03:00

After 17 years, Mitch FINALLY gets to take his family back to where he served his LDS mission in Eastern Germany. We have been married for almost 14 years and I have heard soooooooooooooooooo many stories about his mission, I felt like sometimes I was there. We decided to make our homebase outside of Dresden and then make some visits to the various cities he served in for 2 years.

Yesterday we arrived in Dresden by train only to rent a car and drive to a little town called Frankenstein. There are no monsters here and it is like stepping out of the hustle bustle of city life into a nice, clean, refreshing, country life. We decided to stay about 45 minutes outside of Dresden on a small farm where the kids can feed the chickens, sheep, rabbits and eat fresh strawberries and other veggies right out of the garden. We also can drink some nice clean, well water. Oh, can you just picture it?

Here are some pictures to show you just what I mean.

The large white and brown, barn looking building is the house. We are staying in a nice renovated apartment upstairs.

The green field is where Mitch and I ran this morning first thing along the path through rolling hills of GREEN. We even ran by the forest that looked as if Hansel and Gretal were trying to find their way home.

Ofcourse, we had to take a picture of one of Frankenstien signs.

The first picture is of Mitch eating what we would call a "gyro" but it is really called a dooner (this is not how you really spell it, but it is close.) Mitch wanted to take this picture especially for his brother Daniel. You see, Daniel served in Germany also and wants to come back to visit, but hasn't had a chance to. Daniel loves dooners. So this picture is of one brother rubbing it in to another brother..........how I get pooled into these "brotherly love" antics is beyond me. Anyways, we had a dooner in Freiberg today and it was hmmmm good! We love ya Daniel!

The picture of Mitch standing in front of a whitish building is a sentimental one. This was Mitch's first apartment that he lived in on his mission in his very first city, Freiberg. He literally drove right to it after all these years. Way to go, babe! The building was drab grey back then since it was only a year and a half after the wall came down.

So stay tuned for more pictures. We are having a ball!

Working with the Missionaries

2010-06-26T14:59:00.003+03:00

Every month or so I have the privilege to work with the missionaries. We visit other members in the branch or visit non-members. Last week, we drove aways to see a family with 2 daughters who are in my primary class. Kalkidan and Beeza are wonderful, bright girls and it was nice to visit with their mom too!

Mitch's B-Day

2010-06-08T01:08:00.006+03:00

We celebrated Mitch's birthday with a yummy dinner and a peach pie.....I had two cans of peaches left. You can't get peaches in Addis. The pie was still hot when we placed the candles in to light them. Note: Mitch does not like cake for birthdays. He is a pie man. The candles started melting.........we laughed so hard. Oh well, we ate the pie like there was no tomorrow and it was good....colorful candle wax in all. hee, hee, hee

Lalibela, Ethiopia

2010-06-01T00:29:00.000+03:00

Over the Memorial Day weekend, our family took a trip to northern Ethiopia to see Lalibela. We have been told that you can't live in Ethiopia for a few years and NOT see Lalibela. It would be just a shame. Even the children's atlas has details about Lalibella, Ethiopia. All I can say is it was fantastic to see all these rock-hewn churches, to learn about the culture, the Ethiopian Orthodox Christian church and the history. This is why people all over the world visit Ethiopia.

The churches are believed to be built in the late 12 century or early 13 century by King Lalibella's direction. Just google Lalibela, Ethiopia. Go to the wikipedia website or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lalibela,_Ethiopia to learn more of the history and details. We took a ton of pictures. Here are just a few.

We had a great time with the kids climbing through tunnels, going inside the churches and seeing the architecture. It was fascinating. If you are ever in Ethiopia, it is a must see.

Current Missionaries of the Bekulobet Branch

2010-05-25T00:32:00.001+03:00

We had the missionaries over for dinner recently. We hope all the Elders had full tummies when they left. One day Eli will be a missionary and I would want someone to be kind to him and feed him once in awhile while he is far away from home. hee, hee, hee The missionaries work so very hard and keep smiles on their faces. We hope this picture is viewed by the Elders' families and know they are doing great!

The New Busy is not the too busy. Combine all your e-mail accounts with Hotmail. Get busy.

"The Cheetah"

2010-04-13T22:55:00.005+03:00

Has anyone seen the movie Duma? Grandma and Grandpa Miles sent the dvd to Eli for his birthday last year and Eli instantly loved it. The movie is about a South African boy and father who find a baby cheetah, bring it home and raise it. The cheetah and boy have many adventures and then finally the cheetah (Duma) is released back into the wild. It is a great movie for the family. So, back to the game drive. The driver stops the vehicle and tells the group that we are going to see the cheetahs. He brings out a leash. Yeah, you guessed it. We not only got to meet "the cheetah" in the movie, but also got to pet him and he even licked Eli's hand. I guess he likes the salt. Can you believe it? We actually by complete coincidence meet Duma. Well his name isn't really Duma, but it is Anthony. He is amazing. Then we find out that the boy in the movie is actually the son of the owners of the facility we are touring. What a small world! The kids and I just couldn't believe it. Eli has watched Duma so many times and then actually meets him. What are the chances of that? Needless to say, Eli and Glori were thrilled! We can't stop talking about it. Thank you again Grandma and Grandpa Miles for introducing Eli and Glori to Duma.........I bet you would have NEVER guessed that someday Eli and Glori would meet him. hee, hee, hee .... ....See, I told you this story had to have its own post!

The Farm Inn, Pretoria, South Africa

2010-04-13T22:13:00.005+03:00

After about a week after Eli's tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy and being "cooped up" in the hotel, he was feeling better and wanted to get out and about. It was recommended to venture to The Farm Inn which is a hotel and conference center with a game park/reserve. Wow, we were in for a treat. We walked into the lobby/reception area and were greeted by lions and a cheetah. Fortunately, they were stuffed. No matter they were still impressive. Then we ate lunch outside under a tukul and enjoyed the beautiful landscaping. We had some visitors too........a mother hen and her chicks waddled about trying to find a small morsel of something. The 10 baby chicks were adorable and kept Sophi entertained. I was personally thinking...."what kind of place has baby chicks to stuffed lions." Quite a contrast. After lunch, we boarded an open window vehicle ready to start our "kid friendly safari/game-drive." We were excited to see various animals from warthogs ("when I was a young warthoooooog!" remember from the Lion King movie, to giraffes, hyenas, blesbuck, lions, cheetahs, wild dogs, blue wildebeest, etc......thankfully the "predator" animals were behind huge electric fences. The non-predators just roamed freely not having a care in the world that a predator was lurking about behind a fence. What I liked about the lion areas was that the caged areas were huge and modeled their natural habitat. This was not a zoo cage. The lions were huge and came right up to the fence. Yikes! The Farm Inn was a great place to visit. I took a brochure. Some people have even had their wedding there. The owners have a fascinating story. http://www.farminn.co.za/ Then we went to the cheetah area. Now this story deserves a different post. Stay tuned!

Union Buildings, Pretoria, South Africa

2010-04-13T21:34:00.005+03:00

The Union Buildings are the administrative headquarters of the government. The buildings were designed by Herbert Baker in 1910 and are constructed of colored sandstone and surrounded by beautiful gardens not to mention a spectacular view of the city. We had a nice relaxing picnic, enjoyed the scenery and took lots of pictures. Here are some of them. Everday vendors set up "shop" for tourists and visitors to purchase little African nic nacs. Ofcourse, the kids had ice cream too! Grandpa Miles.......we are not sure you can appreciate the views with our pictures since our camera is just a plain old point and shoot, but we were imagining you taking family photos in some of the prettiest spots with your professional camera.

Happy Easter from South Africa!

2010-04-04T18:46:00.002+03:00

Happy Easter to all! We attended church this morning for the first time in South Africa and we really enjoyed it. The kids attended their classes and sang songs. No matter where we go in the world, it is always nice to attend church and know that it is the same......maybe in a different language, but the order of the meetings, songs and special feelings are all there. We hope our family has a special day as well no matter where you are. We love you and Happy Easter!

The Rhino & Lion Nature Reserve! Johannesburg, South Africa

2010-04-04T18:19:00.005+03:00

One word............AWESOME! This park was amazing. It is a private reserve over 1200 hectares (that is metric). There are up to 600 head of game including rare and endangered species. Ofcourse we had to stay in the vehicle, due to dangerous predators lurking about, but oh it was so exciting. We saw lions, rhinos, cheetahs, warthogs, zebras, wild dogs, cape buffalo, wildebeest, impala, gemsbok, sable antelope, ostrich and much more.........

Then there was another section of the reserve for tourists with a restaurant, playground, picnic area and other animals that cannot be put back into the wild for various reasons. The kids even got to pet and hold baby lion cubs. It was just a once in a lifetime experience. There was even 2 siberian tigers that worked with trainers. They were born and abandoned and the park took them in and have raised them. This place was unbelievable, truly! I stand corrected...to zoo was fanstastic, but this reserve was even more incredible! A must stop if you are ever in South Africa. Grandpa Bloom, close your eyes.........Eli is holding a snake. He knows you are terrified of those creatures........hee, hee, hee

Pretoria Zoo....South Africa!

2010-04-04T18:01:00.004+03:00

One word..............Fantastic! We have been to many zoos in our day......this one was incredible. It really was. The whole family had a great time. We were rained on a few times, but it was okay. We just took an ice cream break under a covered patio. We believe the rain "brought out" the animals. The lions were roaring...echoing throughout the zoo and were posing for the camera. We didn't have to search for the animals in their areas, they were walking around, jumping, etc..... in front of their enclosures. Even the reptiles were active. It was crazy! And to make matters better......we were practically the only ones there. It was a week day. If anyone visits South Africa and wants to do the poor man's safari, this is it! Oh, you can spend thousands on a safari, but why when you can see it all at the zoo for tremendously less and with kiddos. hee, hee, hee

What do you think of the flamingos?

Pre-School Family Day!

2010-04-04T17:48:00.003+03:00

Pre-school family day was great fun! There was yummy food and the children played the entire time. The children performed "traditonal" Ethiopian dances for the families. It was very cute!

Injera!

2010-04-04T17:36:00.003+03:00

It is hard to explain the food of choice (staple) in Ethiopia. A picture shows it much better than I can describe. Here are the girls eating injera and bean sauce. They love it! Injera is like a large circular thin pancake, sponge like and tastes close to sourdough to me. I have seen it made. It is almost like a mixed pancake batter poured onto a very large, circular hot plate. It cooks for about 3 to 5 minutes and wha la.......injera. Mitch and the girls eat a great deal of it.........Eli and I not so much. I like it once in awhile, not just all the time.

Bekulobet Primary!

2010-04-04T17:29:00.003+03:00

Just thought I would share a primary picture of our Bekulobet Branch. I love these kids and not just the ones that are my own! I have the privilage of teaching them every Sunday. We read, we color, we play games and we sing....lot's of singing. I have to admit that I am wore out after 2 hours, but they are a great group. Now, if only I can learn more Amharic to become a better teacher.

Sisterly love

2010-04-04T17:20:00.006+03:00

I just liked this picture of the girls. They are two peas in a pod. Then there is Sophi.....aka......Sophers or Sopherino like daddy calls her. She is a hoot. She LOVES this bear harness and wears it all the time. It was originally Glori's years ago when she would "bolt" on me in a public place ensuring that I had a panic attack. Now, Sophi WANTS to wear it. Okay with me.......and I don't care what others think about "harnessing" your kids. If you have an escapee (like Glori was)....use all means necessary to keep them close to you. hee, hee, hee

Glori's Birthday!

2010-04-04T17:04:00.006+03:00

Glori Sue turned 5 years old in March. She was soooooooooo excited to decorate cupcakes. Thanks grandmas and grandpas for your packages.........ofcourse she was spoiled. A little update on Glori....she loves pink, purple, rainbows, ponies, purses, dress up, princesses, polly pockets, hair bows, preschool, injera (staple for Ethiopians), singing, dancing, coloring, etc......you get the picture! She won't even let me "trim" her hair, so it is long enough to touch her behind. When she starts sitting on her hair, then there will be intervention. hee, hee, hee She is thrilled to start kindergarten in August. She is so fun in our family!

The Girls....

2010-01-31T17:46:00.001+03:00

A friend gave the kids traditional Ethiopian clothing today. Glori was so excited she came home and tried her dress on right away. The blue and gold accented dress is really beautiful. Even Sophi was excited about her dress.

Hotmail: Trusted email with Microsoft's powerful SPAM protection. Sign up now.

Bekulobet Branch!

2010-01-31T17:40:00.000+03:00

Your E-mail and More On-the-Go. Get Windows Live Hotmail Free. Sign up now.

Eli's Special Day!

2010-01-31T17:35:00.001+03:00

Eli was baptized today in Addis Ababa....Sunday, January 31, 2010 after our regular church meetings.
He was very excited. Mitch performed the baptismal ordinance and confirmation. Eli gave a wonderful testimony about how good he felt after he was baptized and recited the 4th Article of Faith for the congregation. Glori passed out the baptism programs and Mom gave a talk on baptism. Sophi even decided to participate by taking her first 3 steps during the confirmation. We were blessed all around today and very thankful. Our small Bekulobet Branch uses a green, rectangular tank filled with water for a baptismal font. It was not as cold as Eli and Mitch were originally preparing for. Our family friend Dirk Bater was in town from Germany and attended the baptism as well. The primary children helped sing songs and then we enjoyed some cake and brownies for refreshments. It was a memorable time for our family and our little branch! Ofcourse Mitch and I were emotional and very pleased that Eli choose to be baptized. Enjoy the pictures!

Hotmail: Free, trusted and rich email service. Get it now.

More pictures of the Special Day!

2010-01-31T17:31:00.001+03:00

More pictures of Eli's special day! Here is a picture of the "green tank" and another picture of our branch. Enjoy!

Hotmail: Trusted email with powerful SPAM protection. Sign up now.

Went to the Movies!

2009-12-12T19:23:00.001+03:00

Hooray! The movie "New Moon" came to Addis after all. I hear from the web and tv that it is crazy popular in the states. I have seen it twice now. Once with fellow twilighters and then I dragged (literally) Mitch there last night. He kept making silly comments and giving me the "eye rolling," but he was there. He was a good sport since the movie is really for all the crazy girl fans out there and he will not read the books. It was great to be able to see the movie though! I can't wait for the third movie....Eclipse! 200 more days to go, but who is counting! hee, hee, hee

Your E-mail and More On-the-Go. Get Windows Live Hotmail Free. Sign up now.

The Christmas tree and the Lioness!

2009-12-11T00:32:00.005+03:00

Sophi is one and good at it, so this year the Christmas tree is now on a table. She has been like a lioness stalking her prey trying to see where she can attack the tree and grab an ornament. Hopefully she will NOT be successful! She can't quite reach the bottom branches. Hope you are enjoying the Christmas season.

Even Sophi has a car!

2009-12-11T00:06:00.001+03:00

Just thought this was a fun picture. Big brother sure loves his little sister. He would push her around all day in this little car if he didn't have to go to school everyday. Enjoy!!

Never say Never!

2009-12-10T23:53:00.003+03:00

We NEVER thought we would EVER have a family member wear ANYTHING that had to do with Idaho Vandals......or Vangals is what a friend/co-worker would say. However, our good friends that used to live in Addis made and sent these AWESOME Boise State blankets to us. We love them and use them all the time. Then we noticed something else in the box and wouldn't you know it........an Idaho Vandal onesie for Sophi. Hmmff! Mitch was distraught and I thought it was hysterical!! So this is the ONE and ONLY time we will have vandal paraphenelia (sp?) Thanks Sombke's and to my wonderful friends in Idaho who are Vandals.........Enjoy and have a laugh!! However, be assured we are true blue bloods and have been watching Boise State all season when we can get the games on ESPN!! Even at 3 am! Go Broncos!

2009-12-10T23:46:00.002+03:00

Shocked! I am......I just logged onto blogspot for the first time in months. Hooray! I am going to see if this works. Here is just a cute picture of the girls! Sophi loves her sister and brother and loves to make a mess.

Lake Langano Trip!

2009-04-25T13:32:00.003+03:00

It has been awhile since our last post.........the internet connection and speed here is downright........UGHH!! Anyways...onto more pleasant experiences. At the end of March, the family headed out of town for 4 days to Lake Langano. It is about 3 to 3 1/2 hours (depending on traffic) and is out in the country. We had a wonderful time! It may not look like much in the pictures, but it was a little bit of heaven compared to the overly crowded city of Addis. We stayed in a small cabin and tent. We had a kitchen and fire pits to cook our meals. We also had a restroom facility. We were not roughing it at all like we had expected. We played and swam in the water, played volleyball, played bocce ball, fished, played card games/board games, seen lots of different kinds of birds, and enjoyed every minute. It was really nice and we were able to go with some friends who knew the ropes. You will see that Eli caught the only fish of the weekend and it was capital U for ugly. Then Eli beat us all in Bocce Ball....never doubt that beginner's luck idea. Glori and Eli collected shells on the beach and played all day from sun up to sun down. Sophi did well. We had her playpen set up and she played, played, played and slept. All in all a great time and we want to visit again. Enjoy the pictures!

Daddy's Girls!!

2009-02-07T16:30:00.003+03:00

Mitch and his girls.........well, one girl is taking the picture! I thought this was a cute picture.

Found a new friend!

2009-02-07T16:04:00.005+03:00

Our friends found a turtle walking by their gate drinking some run off water. Here are some pictures and video of this curious fellow. Eli said his name should be George!!

Baking and Cleaning

2009-02-07T15:47:00.003+03:00

In December, I unpacked the Bosch mixer and started putting it to good use. I use it several times a week making bread, dinner rolls, hamburger buns, hot dog buns and scones. I know what you are thinking......no way!! I used to occasionally bake from scratch and now it is a necessity. Honestly, it has been fun. One of my friends here makes Martha Stewart look like an amateur. She is an awesome baker and cook. She gave me some tips and some of her high altitude recipies and they are great. The other pictures are of veggies and fruits bought on the local market. They are drying out from all the "cleaning prep" that needs to be done. However, it is worth it! The fruits and veggies are delicious. Fresh mangos, papayas, plums, oranges, strawberries and sweet melon. the lettuce is out of our very own garden. Yummy!!

Guess Who?

2009-02-07T15:35:00.003+03:00

For our family in Idaho....look really closely to this picture. Who do you think the man is in this picture? We will give you a hint......he is from Germany........it is Dirk!! Surprise Daniel Son!! It is such a small, small world. He was visiting Ethiopia for business and came to our small church branch one Sunday. So after all these years, we have to see him again in Ethiopia. It really is a small world. Daniel, I need you here.........Dirk and Mitch are speaking German and I need a translator!!

Running, it may be in the genes!

2009-02-07T15:23:00.003+03:00

Glori loves to run........either being chased by her brother or chasing her brother. For family that may be watching this......does she look like someone...oh about 30 years ago! Hee, Hee, Hee

Look, no training wheels!

2009-02-07T15:03:00.004+03:00

In the last month, Eli started to ride his bike again. After a few wipe outs and scraped knees, he is riding his bike without training wheels. Hooray! He loves his bike and rides it every chance he gets. Now, he rides like a pro.

Glori's ribbons!

2009-01-14T13:02:00.004+03:00

For those of you that know Glori Sue........she loves silky tags even the ones in the back of her pants. So, Grandma Anita had a great idea to keep her hands out of her pants. She had a blanket made with all these pretty, silky ribbons all around it. As you can see, it has been a hit! Glori loves it and we do too. Thanks Grandma! Now, all we have to do is work on the thumb. Ughhh!!

Sophi's Growing

2009-01-14T12:29:00.003+03:00

Here are some new pictures of Sophi Marie. Today she is 3 months old and everyday she smiles, coos and kicks her feet. She is for the most part a very happy baby. Both Eli and Glori can make her laugh most of the time. Eli loves her soft hair and wants to touch it everyday. Glori says...."my sister is so cute!" Sophi also does not let mom out of her site for too long. She will follow mom with her eyes anywhere in a room. Mitch says that she always keeps one eye on me. She is a lot of fun! Some of these pictures were taken by Eli. He is getting pretty good at taking pictures, don't you think?

Sophi's Blessing

2009-01-04T12:10:00.004+03:00

Sophi was blessed at church in her beautiful white dress on January 4th. She looked like a little angel and was very quiet during the blessing. Members of the Branch Presidency stood in during the nice blessing with Mitch. Now for the rest of her life she can tell friends and family that when she was a baby, she was blessed in Ethiopia.

Portuguese Bridge Outing

2008-12-27T18:25:00.001+03:00

The family packed up the car and headed out the Saturday after Christmas. We drove about 2 hours outside of Addis Ababa in the country. The road was nice and the view was beautiful. It was farmland, cattle grazing and rolling hills with a few green, alfalfa patches. It reminded us of Idaho in the summer. We visited a tourist spot called Portuguese Bridge. The Bridge was built in the 16the century out of limestone and ostrich eggs. No Joke!! The kids and Mitch hiked down to the bridge and saw the cave where the baboons sleep at night. They didn't see any and that was okay. Marti and Sophi stayed up on the hill, so when you look at the pictures I am way at the top with some guides. It was our first time out of the city and it was a pleasant trip. Enjoy the pictures!

Is it baggage or a goat?

2008-12-27T13:12:00.001+03:00

We took this picture on the way home from our portuguese bridge trip. The picture is not clear, but if you look closely ........that is not baggage on the top of that bus/van, it is a goat with its legs tied together. Yep , that is common here. Anything goes!

Christmas Fun!

2008-12-25T17:27:00.003+03:00

Christmas morning we woke up to Marti's mom calling. It was a wonderful surprise and we should have been up, but we were trying to sleep as long as the kids would allow. hee, hee, hee Eli was so excited to see his stocking filled and commented........yippee, Santa found our house! He made it too Addis. Eli says he liked opening his presents and seeing what was inside. He is officially a lego man. He was in the lego club at school this past semester and had a great time. I cant figure out the pieces, but he has a complicated jet plane made in 45 minutes. Glori is now into polly pockets. I had no idea how cute all the little pieces were. Luckily, Mom and Dad bought her a polly pocket suitcase to put all the little pieces into. Mitch says I am a sucker for anything that organizes. I agreed and explained he is a sucker for anything that has an REI label on it. hee, hee, hee Sophi had her first Christmas with Santa bringing her some small hand toys for when she gets a little older. You keep her fed and keep her pants clean and she is pretty happy. Her Christmas present to us was sleeping in the night. oh, I feel like a new person.
After family time we headed to our friend's house. We had a very nice Christmas dinner with friends and the missionaries from our small, church branch. It was such a nice day. I will add some pictures when I can.

House pictures during the Holidays!!

2008-12-24T14:04:00.004+03:00

Here are some pictures of the house during the holidays. I love this picture of Glori Sue by the tree.......she is so excited about Christmas. Although, after I looked at the picture again she looks OLDER than 3. Well she will be 4 in March, but still. Where has my baby girl gone? They grow so fast.

It was fun putting together the Christmas Eve dinner table and making dinner with Mitch. We had turkey, mashed potatoes, veggies, rolls and a different version of the Miles broccoli bake. Sometimes (most of the time) you have to improvise with recipes, because you can't get all the ingredients. We had a great time though and enjoyed having some young men that Mitch works with at church over for our traditional family home evening Christmas program. We sang Christmas songs, watched the Joy to the World dvd and read the birth of Jesus in Luke. We made our first Christmas in Addis memorable, however we did miss our family and friends. We hope you enjoyed the Holidays too!

Eli's Birthday!

2008-12-21T17:49:00.003+03:00

Eli's birthday was a fun afternoon. In our family the birthday boy gets to pick out his birthday dinner and he picked out hot dogs and shells & cheese. Ofcourse not any hot dogs.......we had to cut the hot dogs in such a way that when they are boiled they look like octopuses with three curled legs. We are used to it because this is one of his favorite dishes. We invited our friend's over to celebrate, but we had to warn them what was being served. Not gourmet that is for sure. I tried making homemade hot dog buns too. Let's just say by the third attempt they were pretty good. It was a fun day and can't believe how time flies.

My 2nd Post!

2008-12-20T15:32:00.000+03:00

It only took me about another month to make my 2nd post on our blog. The Miles family is doing great now that we are all back together again. We have been busy unpacking and organizing the house. We also found a fake Christmas tree at the local store and decorated it this week. It it cute. Eli's birthday is tomorrow so I need to make a cake and get ready for that. He also gets to pick his birthday dinner. He wants hot dogs and mac n cheese. Well, we bought hot dogs at the commisary and now I need to make homemade hot dog buns because you cannot buy them here. Well, at least I haven't found them.

Christmas is only a few days away. I need to get crackin on baking some goodies. Hope everyone is enjoying the Christmas spirit! We miss our family and friends. I will post more when I get a chance. Merry Christmas!!

I caved!

2008-11-23T01:22:00.000+03:00

I caved! I caved to the overwhelming pressure of starting a blog. Lots of my friends have been nagging.....yes nagging about me getting into the 21 century. So here I am sitting with a great friend who is taking the time and getting me started. Thank you Angie!!