Christmas and New Year

So, I don't often get around to blogging or emailing out photos like I mean to. I am quite busy with three very energetic girls and battling the never ending battle of cleaning house and keeping up with laundry.

Here's a three second update: We've had a wonderful year with many adventures, and are grateful to God for the many blessings and miracles He's given us. The girls are growing up too fast and are as cute as cute gets. Ryan continues to be an amazing husband, father, and provider and we look forward to his graduating with his bachelors in IT this year. HOORAY for Ryan!! We enjoy our little home, yard, and taste of urban agriculture with our bees and chickens, though it's mighty cold to be getting them water this winter on a daily basis.

Here are some pictures my Mom took when we visited after Christmas. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

An update of the girls

 Amy and Esther were rather quiet one day while I was nursing Lena. They were in the bathroom, and when I finished I found they'd found my make up. I think Amy was the leader and Esther was the groupie, but this is what they did:

 Going outside to play in the snow with their new "gubs" as Esther calls them

 CLASSIC Esther cuteness

Amy had a cavity in her back molar and this was her smile after the Dentist's office.

Esther's birthday

 Enjoying Cupcakes outside on a beautiful sunny October day

 All her little friends...

 Cutie patootie

Painter extrordinaire...

 Schwester Ilse Hardel -- best cook in Kiel! She made Ryan draw a pig in her book too (a tradition she has of blind-folding you and making you draw a pig, and then she makes fun of what your pig looks like. :) )

 Maria Zouaiter and her now oh so grown up daughter (she was a little girl when I was on my mission, now look at her -- growing up and taller than me to boot)

Uwe and Sabine Zickler

What are the odds that my friend Anike knew Ryan's cousins. :)

Germany! :)

 Rolf and Moni Maichel -- great friends/ great people

 View from Hamburg's Michael Kirche

 Anike and Martin :)

 Rathaus in Hamburg

 Hamburg with the Fiedlers... We had such a great time with them. Wish we lived closer to we could hang out more often.

Luebeck

 We toured Luebeck with Rolf Maichel, one of my good friends from my mission... he and his wife let us stay with them in their lovely home and we enjoyed ourselves so much with them...

 Baumkuchen... how I love you.... I'm going to figure out how to make this for Christmas this year.

 Beautiful old German buildings...

Lovely lovely Germany!!

London

 The Gherkin -- I think it's beautiful... looks like a Russian egg. Below, Olivia, who took me around and here we were having a traditional English Tea... lovely sandwiches. :) She and I had a good time hanging out and have similar interests.

 Victoria Monument...

 Canada Gate at Buckingham palace...

 Court-yard in the Victoria and Albert Museum... AWESOME museum!!

 Harrods (I guess it's a big shopping center, but I didn't go in, just walked past)

 Buckingham Palace...

 View of Tower Bridge from the other side of the river...

 Tower Bridge built in 1870s by Edward, queen Victoria's son

National Gallery -- Rembrandt, Picasso, Monet, Manet... :) We're cultured now.