Merry Christmas!

May 
peace, love, and joy

be with you today 

and throughout the New Year.

Love Jon, Charmian, Alessandra, Dot, and Ripley

The 2011 Christmas Card

Hope this silliness can put a smile on your face this holiday season.

Christmas Concert

Katrin was singing at the Nikolaikirche so we got dolled up and headed into town.  We sat with Gabe and Sophia so the girls could see each other, share snacks, and help to keep each othr a bit distracted.

 Alessandra was so good and only needed two walk-abouts to make it through the whole concert.  During one of her walk-abouts Sophia (who is now walking) came around the corner and Alessandra squealed with delight and tried to run over to her.  She fell down and then looked up at me like I somehow stopped her from walking like Sophia.  It was so funny.  I picked her up and walked her over to Sophia where she assaulted her with hugs and kisses.  She's so sweet and really loves her best buddy.

Afterwards we met up with Katrin at the Christmas Market to chat and sip some gluhwein.  After  our cups were empty and our hands were cold we decided it was time to head home.

It was such a good time and Jon and I agree that we need to keep exposing Alessandra to different concerts, plays, and other cultural events so she can learn how to behave so we can continue to take her as she grows up.

So - what have you all been up to this Christmas Season?

Charmian

A Christmas Story Style Shopping Adventure!

A quick trip to the grocery store on a cold day.

And the result was a little too much like the little boy all bundled up in "A Christmas Story"

Hee Hee - Poor Alessandra! 

Charmian

Happy Birthanksdaygiving!

Jon said we couldn't do Christmas until we did Thanksgiving.  And I told Jon we couldn't do Thanksgiving until we "officially" did Alessandra's birthday (with a strip down cake eating frenzy).  Being the practical folks that we are, we decided to do Birthanksdaygiving.  

We first planned the event and the menu, found the  recipes online, made our shopping list, scoured the city looking for all of the necessary ingredients to make as authentic of a Thanksgiving dinner as we could.  

Not to toot our own horn but Jon and I thought it was pretty darn spectacular!

We dirtied just about every pot, pan, dish and utensil we own - 

including the three new ones we had to buy just to make all the food.

With our tiny little oven we had to put the sweet potatoes on the very bottom 

and the stuffing and the green bean casserole had to share the only rack in the oven.

Here's the spread!

The only thing that was off was the turkey - but that's just because it was actually a rotisserie chicken.  :o)

We even had a real live Indian at our Thanksgiving ;o)

After we stuffed ourselves just shy of puking, 

Alessandra opened a couple more birthday presents,

and finished off the night with some carrot cake with cream cheese frosting.

It was a complete success.

Happy Birthanksdaygiving!!! 

Chain of Unfortunate Events

Well, shoot rudy!

A little while after I got back from The States my camera stopped working.  Then while my Mom was here visiting my computer died.  And now this last week I lost my URL address for Stone of Joy to a jewelry store because of a processing error.  

Needless to say I'm a bit upset.  Luckily I have a friend who's been blogging a bit longer than I have who helped get my stuff back up, and I'm hoping before too long Jon and I will be able to come up with another good name/address for the blog.  We have a small "travel" computer that does about 70% of the things I need it to do.  Unfortunately, I can't do my German lessons and blogging on it is WAY more difficult (but not impossible).  And finally my Mom brought me her old camera, I just need to get used to it and figure out how to get the pictures off that and on to my little computer and I'll be set - RIGHT?!?

Long story short, I've missed blogging so much and hopefully I'll be able to get back on the bloggy bandwagon sooner than later.

Charmian  

Cutie Patootie