BREAKING NEWS!!!

Well, it's very "Oregon coast" of me to be so excited over such a small and uneventful little thing...but that didn't stop me from freaking out when I looked out the window and saw Gomaringen's first snow!!!

Okay, so I know it's not that impressive...and the ground was already so wet from an entire day's worth of rain that it didn't stick at all..BUT--it's snow :-) I took a bunch of pictures and then sat down at the table with mama and had a perfect cup of coffee..and even though it wasn't the weekend, I even nibbled at a bit of her baked apples that were fresh out of the oven....well, baked apples with a decent amount of sugar and butter. :-)



Christian had a hard time not covering the flash, but this one isn't too bad :-)

If I hadn't known any better, I would have said it was December but there was no Christmas music, the fire place was cold, and most importantly, I had school the next day. My friends just laughed when I told them school was normally canceled in Coquille when it snowed. But now it's the weekend and although the sun has come back out, the temperature this morning (as I rode my bike to school) was under 40 degrees and throughout the day I'd be surprised if it broke 50.

I'm sure sometime--probably in the next month--I'll be able to have a post full of snowy pictures and give you a chance to see Gomaringen under a blanket of white but for now, an afternoon of flurries is going to have to suffice :-)

While the Sun is Still Shining

Take advantage of it! I can't count the number of times in the last few weeks people have marveled at how the weather is still so beautiful and Sunday afternoon was no exception. The sun was shining and there was hardly a cloud in the sky so after lunch we packed up and headed out....although I felt too embarrassed to admit that I didn't understand where they'd said we were going. I knew it wouldn't be too long before I found out--and I was right :-)

A fifteen minute drive took us half way up a little mountain (or maybe giant hill is more appropriate) and the view was incredible. Off in the distance the tiny figures or airplanes could be seen taking off and landing at Stuttgart airport, towns and cities were scattered all throughout the landscape, and the color of the once green forest was a beautiful mixture of orange, yellow, and red.

But that was only the beginning--up, up, up, we hiked! I started the trek with my sweater and jacket and reached the top with my sleeves rolled up and jacket hanging uselessly from my arm. Again, the view was breathtaking. But, when your siblings are 4, 7, 10, and 11, "breathtaking" only means "boring", and our time spent atop the mountain was short--just enough to snap a few pictures, eat a few apple slices, and realize that there was no bathroom. :-)

Once the troops had been loaded back into the mini van, it was Sunday afternoon--and what's Sunday afternoon without coffee and cake? Not twenty minutes later we were sitting in the sun of what I believe was a perfect fall afternoon, sipping lattes and nibbling on cake :-)


The view from the top :-)

 We made it home just in time for me to grab a bite to eat and run out the door for the youth church service. It's not every week the service takes place in Gomaringen but when I'm able to go, I enjoy it so much as it closely resembles my church at home and isn't quite as...traditional...as the normal morning service. But before I new it, that too was over and it was Sunday night.

Let week number six of school begin!

The Week in Review

In other words, I was so busy this week that I didn't have time to post about my individual adventures so now you get to read about them altogether :-)

My host dad's side of the family

SUNDAY: . The occasion was my grandparent's 47th anniversary and the result was a restaurant full of family--26 people to be exact--and a house overflowing with smiles, laughter, and of course, coffee and cake. :-) The afternoon was chatted away and although I didn't understand everything, I was able to participate in a number of conversations which proved to me the drastic improvement my German has seen in the last two months. But even with a house full of people, I felt comfortable; at home, just like part of the family. I was touched when Oma called my name as she passed cards out to the grandchildren and I opened mine to find a handwritten letter and a small gift--the kind that fits in an envelope :-) When she stood up to thank everyone for coming, her eyes watered, her voice cracked, and a silence fell over the room as the question of how many more anniversaries her cancer would allow her to see lingered in everyone's mind. The moment passed and later that evening as everyone left to go home, I realized, yet again, how blessed I am to be in such a wonderful family.

The girls stole Daniel's chair :-)

 

Oma passing out cards and chocolate
















MONDAY: For the first time I actually understood how to do the math homework. You'd think numbers are numbers and therefore math is a pretty universal subject, right? WRONG! commas are used instead of periods and I'm still not sure exactly what the division sign is but regardless, I conquered Monday's math :-)

My school <3


TUESDAY: I went over to Hanna's house for coffee after school. I'm so thankful that I have someone only a five minute bike ride away who understands what I'm talking about when I mention homecoming, spirit week, Coos bay, brown sugar (yes, its very different in Germany), and all those little things--whether American or specific to the Oregon Coast that are so normal to me. (For those of you who don't know, Hanna was an exchange student to Oregon a few years ago)

WEDNESDAY: I finished my book.:-) One day last week Mama came home from the bookstore with "A Thousand Splendid Suns", claiming she'd wanted to read it but it was expensive in German. Then she'd found the English version and it was much cheaper, so she she bought it for me. Isn't she sweet? Well, If you've never read it, I highly recommend it for a weekend when you don't have to keep putting it down but can just sit down and read :-)

THURSDAY: Keeping with my schedule, I went for my 2.2 mile run. My first week with my host family, it became quite clear to me that without discipline I was going to be bringing quite a few extra pounds back to the U.S. as unwelcome souvenirs in June. The idea was less than thrilling so I made a plan. Weekdays are healthy--no sweets, no butter, lots of veggies, lots of exercise. Weekends and holidays are relaxed--chocolate, cake, bread with butter and jam and whatever else I happen to want :-). Last weekend I reluctantly weighted myself and was shocked to see that I've lost six pounds...I guess biking to school everyday does have its benefits :-D

FRIDAY: I went out to dinner with Mama, Papa, and some friends for hamburgers! A "Hawaii burger" to be exact. Okay, so it wasn't the Broiler...but it was certainly a decent burger. The best part was the comments: "now you feel at home" and "just like home, huh?". I was tempted to reply, "oh yes, how I've missed my daily hamburger!" But having no idea how to use sarcasm in German, I simply laughed and smiled :-)

SATURDAY: Hey, that's today :-) Well, obviously I spent sometime blogging, but I'm also planning on dedicating a good portion of my evening to my college application that I'm hoping to submit in the next week. (AHHH exciting :-))) Anyway, Mama and Papa are at a wedding and will be out late so they have the kids farmed out to various friends and relatives...and me? I'm home alone for the first time in months and with my giant cup of coffee by my side, and my music fairly loud, I must say I'm enjoying myself :-)

So there you have it. My week....a pretty great one if I do say so myself :-)

Ernte Dank

Translation....the closest thing to Thanksgiving I'm going to get in Germany :-) Actually, it's a Sunday set aside, once a year, where people bring food--and LOTS of it--to the church who then distributes the food to the needy. However, come Sunday morning the church is a sight to be seen. Piles of canned food, windowsills full of potatoes and bread, and wagon loads of fruits and vegetables. There was a happiness and warmth in the air that wasn't too different from the festive spirit at my own church every Thanksgiving Sunday.

 

The children were spilt into three different color groups and came up onto the stage to perform a series of songs at various times throughout the service. Instead of being divided up based on age, families sat together, pointing at their little ones on the stage and smiling at the shyness of some and boldness of others. I joined the parents on the balcony for a few pictures--just for you :-)

 Once the service was over, everyone shuffled next door where lunch was waiting. I, however, took my time walking around church and taking way too many pictures--again, just for you ;-) Once next door, I sat down to lunch with my wurst, soup, and bread...oh, how German of me! While lunch was good, it was the dessert table that maintained a steady stream of people. A long table was lined with strudels, tiramisu, a variety of cakes, and any other dessert you can imagine that can be made with apple ...be creative :-) Every dessert had apple, and every one I tried (which was probably a few too many) was delicious :-)

So, maybe it isn't Thanksgiving, but it's something German; something special that I may never get again so I thought I'd share it with all of you :-)

Miri and the Market

Last week I got an e-mail. This e-mail wasn't just any email though, it was an invitation to spend the weekend with my wonderful friend Miri who was in the U.S. last year. It was so great to see her again!!! I must admit, at first it was very strange to hear her speaking German but it didn't take me long to get used to it....and although my German in constantly improving, it still isn't all that great so for the majority of our conversations, English was the spoken language and German was saved for small talk:-)

 

As if seeing Miri wasn't enough, last weekend her town hosted an annual market. "Market" I believe that's German for way too much food, way too many calories, and way too much fun. I tried a handful of tradition German treat including dried mango...okay, so maybe not all of it was German, but all of it was yummy!

After an afternoon at the market, we spent the evening playing games at Miri's house with several of her friends. After we'd played a few games, Miri and I decided to introduce an American game to her friends--and pulled out the SPOONS! It was obvious the majority of the group was new to the game as we went the entire night without even the smallest battle scar. However, I'm pretty sure they liked it and by the time we called it a night, it had been a very fun evening.

I'm so lucky to have Miri only 30 minutes away and I have a feeling we'll be seeing a lot of each other in the coming months.

Being the Big Sister

Sure, maybe I'm a bit used to it....but a 15 year old brother and a 4 year old brother really have very little in common. First off, and most importantly, I no longer have siblings capable pinning me to the ground against my will at any given moment. :-) The last five weeks with Selina (11), Christian (10), Jonathon (7), and Samuel (4) have called for a bit of adapting, but overall, have been wonderful and I've come to love those four so much.

                                                        

My first morning in Germany, I'll never forget. 9:00 a.m. and the pounding on my door begins. Trying to ignore it at first, I roll over in bed....but little kids don't easily give up--they just get louder. All I had to say was one word. That's all they needed, all they were waiting for.

"Ja", I called out from under the covers and seconds later two squealing bodies jumped onto the bed and begun the task of finding me under the covers....a task I was purposefully making a bit difficult. :-) Once I was found, the squeals erupted into laughter and a battle of tickling began. This is only one of many stories to give you an idea of my new daily life that I love so much.

Since that first morning I've read books to Samuel--with pronunciation help from Christian. I've played games, engaged in tickle wars, listened to stories, and come to love these four little kids faster than I had anticipated. 

For me, the highlight though, is how much I'm learning from them. It makes me smile every time Samuel corrects my German and I think it makes him feel pretty proud. As I expected, I've developed a whole new level of patience that comes in handy quite often amidst the hustle and bustle of a family of seven. I now have a greater appreciation for the peace found late in the evening once all the children are tucked in but have also come to love the warm "big family feel" that surrounds the home during noise and chaos of a normal day.

I remember so vividly the reactions I got from many of you when I said I had four siblings and I laugh as I think back on the "reassuring comments" I got once I informed you that I had three brothers under the age of 10. Well, perhaps I was a bit nervous coming into this family as the big sister, and maybe I didn't know exactly what I was getting myself into....but now, I wouldn't trade this big family for the world. I'm the big sister, always will be, and I love it because I love them.