Paris on the ICE

I am still working on getting the video put up on just how fast we were going on the ICE train.

We got on the train in Ktown at 700 am and we arrived in Paris just before 10 am. You really can not beat that!

Very comfortable, very fast and very smooth ride.  The best way to travel in my opinion!

Some of our photos got deleted from our IPhone, but I found these two.  I will try to get the video working just so you can see how smooth and quiet the ride really was.  Eric watched the speed reach 317 Kilometers, which converts to about 190 miles per hour!

Sunday Smile

Seeing that this is a family blog, I want to make sure to keep up with our newest edition and how fast he is growing!  He is almost 6 months! (does this mean puppy stage ending soon?)  In case you wondered, Nelson is a wire haired dachshund.  He is starting to look more and more like one each day with the little legs. When you brush his hair and smooth the curls, you can really see the dachshund in him (only with a beard).  I am kind of hoping he won't loose these little curls. If you look really close, he has one big strand of solid black right by his eye, he is marked so uniquely!

Eric's work camera was giving him some problems, so he wanted to test a few things outside in a rare second of sunlight and no rain! He captured this adorable pic of Nelson.  Eric rocks at taking these types of photo's!

In another strange Ronda moment, I could never figure out what I loved so much about Nelson's little face. Other than the obvious cuteness, there was just something about him.  I finally realized after seeing this photo that Nelson's eyes remind me of my Grandpa Walker. I know that is strange, but maybe its the beard with the eyes, I don't know, I just smile cause I think about him when I look at Nelson. (he may or may not appreciate that, lol)  I AM WIERD!

Friday News

Nelson made the news!
http://www.stripes.com/military-life/travel/commune-with-birds-and-animals-at-german-nature-reserve-1.268652#  Check out Eric's pictures and you will see him!  My foot made the paper (lol), what a great shoe shot!

Eric made the paper front page last week, awesome!

Congrats to Nicky, he made the Quarter Honor Roll!! Congrats to Zachary for an excellent score on his SAT's! Congrats to Avery for being a good student! (her school doesn't do honor rolls because they have way to many kids)

I can't believe in two weeks I will be 41.

I CAN  believe that in 2 weeks I will be out of German 1.  It can not come soon enough! #German is hard

The week of my birthday, the boys don't have school for two days! Avery gets to "skip" a day.  We bought some ICE tickets and we are headed to Paris for the day on the fast train!

Georgia is on my mind. We are flying home for a visit soon, just.can't.wait.  We all love coming back to our house.  Nelson gets to visit a doggie hotel while we are gone. Little worried on that one about separation anxiety. Cats= house to ourselves! Meow!

++Prayers every day for the Mayer family++

So far, Avery and I have taught Nelson the commands SIT, LAY DOWN, COME. We are working on STAY.  He is so smart, it really is amazing how quick dogs pick up on things.  He is pretty much house trained, as long as we keep him on a schedule. THIS is awesome!

Nelson is attached to Eric, seriously licking his ear attached. Funny because Eric actually has very little patience with dogs. He is trying with Nelson and loves when he sees some growth in his puppy ways. I konw he has reached his max when he claps his hands loudly and yells ZIP IT! #puppy learns howling (human ears can only take so much)

I totally get it, and secretly thank him for clapping so loud. Puppy books say startle to stop, and it works!

Nicky is busting it out in Tae Kwon Do, trying to make his yellow belt!  Avery was also hoping to make her yellow belt, but now is transitioning to Soccer and will hit Tae Kwon Do back up again in the fall. Tonight is her last practice.  Master Seo speaks no English, so the kids are never quite sure when he will test them, they are hoping for tonight!  Zachary starts track in two weeks, he joined the Enviromental Club and is setting up college visits for the time frame we are home.

Avery sold so many boxes of Girl Scout Cookies, thank you to everyone who supported her!

What's been going on.....

A quick photo drop of some things that have been going on in our life since we last posted.....

Eric got Avery and I white roses, our favorite.
 I have never been a fan of red roses, but white, oh so pretty and pure!

Avery and I made these adorable Valentines for her class. Each one had a marshmallow, 2 chocolates and graham crackers. I found the printable on pinterest, but can't remember what site it was.

Large chocolate chip cookie for 5th grade class, ummm, yumm!

Nelson, in his winter jacket.  He is starting to look more like a dotsie and less like a puppy!
(Please don't mind the font, I didn't have time to fix it on the picture!)

A quick ride in our neighborhood (see the German stairwell housing behind)

I just love this picture of Avery for some reason! Potato soup and carrot cake, that was her birthday dinner choice!  

Eric taking pics for his next Quick Trips story

We were behind this car, and LOOK!  It's ERB!

Graphic Design Class

This post is about just me, which feels weird!  I will actually be done with my BA this year. It has taken me 7 years (since we moved to GA in 2006) to complete it. I took about 4 years off and I did classes here and there, but first and foremost being a Mom and Wife always have meant more to me.  I still have dreams of finishing Le Cordon Bleu and I will someday, but until that door opens for me, I will continue to work towards bettering myself and for me, that is completing this degree.

My Major is Graphic Design.  In the bigger scheme of things....everything that I enjoy, cakes, cooking , decorating and baking all comes together in a big melting pot because I just like to create.  I can't do cakes here because of the German laws in our state we live in, so I might as well keep using my brain to figure new stuff out. Along with this class, I am taking German and Adv Bus Writing.

So some wondered what this class is about and what I am doing in it.  Here is my first assignment. This is not a picture you would put in your house. This was an exercise in creating what is called a Matte Painting. Basically, taking more than one photo, and creating a picture that looks as if they all belong together. We do this by using the Photoshop brushes and textures. It really was about everyone learning how to move around in Photoshop.

Luckily for me, Eric showed me the basics along time ago, but this was a fun assignment that ended with an A.  I took two photos (as labeled below) two stock photos from the Internet and combined them to be the end picture. Enjoy!

Stock Photo

Photo I took while visiting Lake Konstanz on the Germany/Switzerland border.

Another stock photo

This was Westminster Catholic Church in London, love this picture because the kids are sitting on the left hand stairs and the old car is pretty neat looking.

Avery's 11th Birthday

When I started this blog back in 2012, I was determined to keep up on it. I have come to a few conclusions since then:
1. Time goes to fast
2. Sometimes you don't get it all done
3. Your family loves you anyways

So, here I am.  I resolve to do much better at posting, while keeping these three things in mind.  This year has been so different , just like time is moving faster than ever.  But, I made it to this day, and in my head I crossed the finish line!

Avery's Birthday came so quickly this year. Maybe it was because the kids didn't even go back to school until Jan 6th.  Maybe it was because 4 classes started up again.  Maybe it was because we ventured into having a new puppy (babies are so much easier).  I don't know! I just know that our sweet Avery is 11. It feels like I blinked, and here we are.  So non sappy readers,  you may want to pass over this next paragraph!

Avery, I remember finding out I was pregnant with you.  What a surprise you were! You were no surprise to Zachary, because just a few weeks before I found out I was pregnant, he told me we were going to have a baby sister, and I just laughed, "Yes, we probably will someday".  Wow, when I found out I WAS pregnant, that was surely a God wink!  Holding you for the first time was something I will never forget. You were my first baby girl, and I instantly knew that... you and me kid, we were good to go forever. You have always been the easiest, sweetest, most precious soul. I think God makes special ones like you just to remind us how beautiful life is. I believe you choose your parents with God, and thank you for choosing Daddy and me!

Now, Party Time!  Avery LOVES< LOVES<LOVES (that was singing) the movie Frozen. Eric and I took her to see it in 3D, (the boys were having none of that). Anyways, she didn't like the movie in 3D, so she watched it blurry with glasses on her head. I have to say this is one of the better Disney movies I have seen. It is a beautiful story about loving your siblings.

Avery had eight girls come to her party. Let me tell you, I LOVE MY HUSBAND. I know he thinks I am crazy sometimes. But he is always right by my side, helping me pull off these ideas.  We started with our bare white basement room, that was filled with basement stuff.  That means moving stuff. No fun....

Complain Time:  One thing I can't stand about being over in Germany is not having Hobby Lobby, Michaels and Party City. I know, such trivial things seem so stupid. But try planning any kind of themed party and you are out of luck.  We do have a party store here in Wiesbaden, it is called Party Schmaldt.  It is like 1/8 of the above stores, cost three times as much, and is pretty much all costumes. They still have the three Disney princess's party ware, if that tells you anything.  UGHHHH...I was so frustrated.

So, I had to think outside the box on this one. Thank God for IKEA. We managed to get most everything there, my Mom sent me two Frozen dolls (thanks Mom) and well, we made due with what we had.

Back to Eric. He helped me hang all this wrapping paper on the wall. He glittered big snow balls with Avery, he painted red containers white. He strung lights. He carried benches in. He only got yelled at 10 times. Avery was shaking her head a few times, because, lets face it, Daddy's are boys and sometimes boys just don't get the decorating thing. But we love him anyways!

It was a hit all around and then some. We used IKEA frames and modge podged pictures of Elsa and Anna onto them, and then the girls used all the decorations to decorate their mirrors.  We made OLAF(the snowman in the movie) mugs and they colored and chatted all while the movie was playing.

Her cake was a fondant OLAF, and if you haven't seen the movie, you need to just for him. He is the cutest little guy, who has no idea he is made of snow and can melt. He is hilarious!

Zachary's Friend actually drew the two sisters and let us use it for the invitations that we made! She is very talented!

                                        Avery and I cut out each one of these girls!

                                  See how much work Eric helped us do. He is such a good Daddy!

Avery came up with the food ideas, so I thought it was cute to put on here. All "Frozen" related. I should have taken off the saran wrap!

All in all, she had a great birthday, and the girls had such a good time watching the movie.   I wish I could have gotten better pictures, but these will have to do!

In addition to this party, this week we had SAT test taking the same day for Zachary, Girl Scouts twice, Tae kwon do twice, Averys real birthday Wed ANDDDDDDD No school Friday.

I woke up sore this morning, not sure why? :)

So to end this very long post (sorry about that) I will end with a quote from Olaf.

Some people are worth melting for......yes Avery, you are!

Nelson IV

We have been super busy around here, and I have so many pictures to go thru and post. The New Year just popped up and left as quickly as it came, just like the holiday season. Sad in a way.

But...a new year holds new things, and we have been planning a new addition for some time--just waiting for the right moment.

We are going in to year #2 since Eric was denied retirement, and life kind of flipped up side down for what we thought we had planned. We had to make some quick decisions, some really hard decisions about our pets, and choose to leave Champie, our Dotsie, with my parents.  He doesn't do well with German stairwell housing units, and flying was hard on him making him skittish.

I know that God always directs us to the path we need to take, even though sometimes it feels sad. It was hard to leave Champie, but in my heart I knew it was right. I didn't really know why though.  This year my parents lost their older dog Bear. Bear and Champie had become best friends and I really believe that this is the reason why our family made the choice we did. Champie has provided laughter and love to them during their grieving.

When I see Champie I can tell how happy he is and lets face it, he hit the jackpot of love!

So, we have been waiting. Deciding. Talking about it. Thinking about it. I gave it to God. If its right, it will fall into place. Just like Sami did. Just like Lajja did last year on Avery's b-day. What a sweetheart Lajja turned out to be! And then, after alot of looking, looking into shelters, adoptions, and coming up empty handed, one day a post in our local yard sales online popped up.

I saw him out of three, and I just knew. The same way we knew with Lajja and Sam, and even Champie.

Meet Nelson IV, a wire-haired Dachshund. A sweetheart who has melted all of our hearts.

Why, you ask, is he named the 4th?  It is kind of a inside family joke, but when I want the kids to get going, I always say, "Let's go Nelson I... Nelson II and Nelson III" in this crazy nerd voice.  I don't know why I have always done this. No one really does, but he just seemed like Nelson IV to all of us.

Eric caught this adorable picture of him running up our hallway which is very long.  After running back and forth about six times, he is ready to chew on his bone awhile!