Announcing...

Today was a big day. We found out the gender of our baby! I thought it would be fun to make a festive FHE treat. We didn't have any blue food coloring so green was sufficient for our needs. Drumroll please.. we are having a girl! Justin might need to borrow one of your boys to go and play football with.

The Name Game

Tonight we thought it would be fun to play the name game, as a family. During Daddy's turn, he thought the name "Olivia" was a nice name. Keanna argued that she already knew an Olivia, and that name was already "taken." Based on her comment, and her top names, Keanna is into original. Justin and I got some great laughs on Keanna's suggestions.

GIRL
Gussy
Evangelist
Sholly
Nellie

BOY
Peckett
Braget Breckett
Brickin Pecker (We convinced her that Brick would be a good nick name).

A picture of all of us in front of the field by our house.

Flossenburg Concentration Camp

We were much to somber to take many pictures. It was a strange feeling to walk onto these grounds, and think of the many acts of murder and torture that were committed in this area. This is a terrible thing to think about, but it's good to remember what happened, and each to recommit, to be a better person.

We had planned on visiting the WWII museums in Nuremberg that day, but spent a long time in the museum at Flossenburg. Justin drove fast enough, to still get a glimpse of Hitlers rally grounds. Hitler held huge rally's here that were packed shoulder to shoulder with people. At the rally grounds we met up with a family friend Andrea. This was a happy ending to a gloomy day. We ate at a Doner shop and enjoyed catching up. Andrea, thanks for meeting us!

Prague

We had such a fun time with our visitors in town. Our intentions were to post daily, but exhaustion got the best of us.
We had an enjoyable trip to Prague. It's amazing to think this country was liberated a little over 15 years ago.



Garrity and Emily standing in the courtyard which housed the castle and the

Dale and Leslie inside the


Keanna enjoying the castle orchestra playing in the streets of Prague

I know, I know.... typically this pose is done in London. However, we couldn't help ourselves. The guards were so still and serious.


Dramatic Keanna on the castle steps

The Castle Garden has the best views

Leslie, Justin and Garrity


On our way to Charles Bridge. We felt like we would see Tom Cruise any moment filming another sequeal to Mission Impossible.

Dale and Leslie on Charles Bridge

The love birds on Charles Bridge

Jason this is for you. Bon Jovi is a world wide obsession.

Here we are waiting for the famous clock to reach the hour





Even when its 40 degrees outside, it's hard to resist an "Italian Eis"






The beautiful lights of Prague

Rothenburg

Garrity and Emily liked this BMW bike

Keanna really had to go potty. Theres nothing like squatting in historical places

This is the turntable where nuns feed the poor.

I needed to add these pictures for scrapbook purposes, just more of Rothenburg

On Tuesday, Emily and Ayla picked up Grandma, Grandpa, and Aunt Garrity from the Munich Airport. That night, Grandpa and Garrity attended Justin's football game (who happened to have two touchdown receptions.) They rested the next day. On Thursday, all loaded into the van and went to visit the well-preserved medieval town of Rothenburg.


Ayla, Grandpa, Garrity, Keanna, and Justin at the top of the city wall.


Grandma coming down the stairs from the city wall. Ayla throwing a fit that she wasn't allowed to walk alone down the stairs.


Cute and happy kids.


Garrity finally caught.


A happy Garrity and a happy Ayla outside the wall of the medieval town of Rothenburg.






The view below Rothenburg, towards the Tauber River.

Keanna and Grandma on the stairs leading up to the medieval tower and wall.


Justin and Dad outside the city gate. Coming up next is a trip to Prague.

Our headliner

We thought it was time to mention our BIG NEWS! due March 2nd

I'm Pregnant! We are all very excited.

I am thrilled to be out of my first trimester. On Saturday I hit a milestone. I was able to exercise without a visit to the toilet or my head between my legs!!!

First day of Kindergarten

On Tuesday Keanna had her first day of Kindergarten! She was really excited as she got ready in the morning. We arrived at school and she confidently walked ahead of me, ready to get to her class.

That confidence began to dwindle as she watched all the other kids wait for the first bell to ring. Thankfully, her friend Hailey, from church, is in her class. In this picture I asked the girls to smile. Keanna barely moved her mouth to produce this little grimace.

Lining up for class

Keanna waiting for class to start.

I did a good job keeping myself together, but when I turned my back to the school,the tears started to come. I cried the entire drive home, and allowed myself all the snuggle time I could get with Ayla.

2:30 could not arrive soon enough. I was really anxious to see how her day went. As I approached her, she seemed a little down. I nervously asked how her day went, and she said it was a bad day! I couldn't believe it!

When we got home, she told me exactly why it was a bad day. She fell down at recess and hurt her knee, and a boy was annoying her. We sat on the porch for 30 minutes and I listened to her day. As she talked, she seemed a little more upbeat and by the end of the conversation, I thought it was probably not a BAD DAY, but just a few annoying things happened.

When Justin got home he also asked about her day, I wasn't in the room. She told Justin it was a great day and proceeded to tell him about the cafeteria and the Big Park.

I wondered why she would tell me one story and tell Justin another???

All 3 of us where in the same room and Justin asked her again

"how was your day?"

she looked at me and said "it was a bad day."

Justin- "You just told me it was a good day."

Keanna- "Oh, I was just teasing."

Justin- "You told Mommy you had a bad day?"

Keanna- "I was just teasing you Mom, I had a good day."