Reuniting with Friends

One thing I enjoy so much on our trips home is reconnecting with old friends.  I am so lucky to have wonderful friends from my childhood, high school and college that I am still close to.  These are not friends that I see every day or even every month, sometimes more than a year separates our meetings.  And yet, it is as if no time has passed...except for the growing number of kids!

Our first weekend here I got together with some of my girlfriends from college.  It was a real girls weekend, since we took Kate with us.  Blaise stayed home with the boys and enjoyed some indoor playground fun at Bellaboos.  Here is a picture of us that I stole from my friend Kristy's blog.

The following weekend two more of my college friends stopped at my parents each with their pretty little girl. The "big" kids had fun playing together and cooing over Kate.

She's sooo pretty!

This girl is a riot!

Blaise sharing his blueberries with his new friends

The Adventures of Alexander and Blaise x 2

We met up a couple times this summer with our friends, Parthena and Frank (retrace our steps here and not here, because I apparently never blogged about our get-together earlier this year).  Their son is just a few weeks younger than Blaise and they are great playmates.  Recently we went out to Hanau for lunch and their yearly Volksfest and earlier in the summer they came to Ingelheim for lunch and a visit to the Tigers, Bunnies and Goats.

Blaise ready for lunch

My baby

Riding on the story telling bus at the Volksfest

Manning the bus

Two busy bus drivers

Who's driving the bus?

Riding the train with Mommy

Frank and Alexander

Sadness ensues after our turn is over

Earlier this summer:

Two monkeys

Story Time

Blaise ♥'s Alexander

Kinder Cappuccino

Parthena and Alexander checking out the goats

I think Parthena had more fun than the boys at our mini zoo

Here is a belly picture - I think from July

Alexander and the Bunnies

Buddies

Jen and Martin came over a few weeks ago for brunch on the weekend.  Blaise and Jonah are now able to interact some, which is fun to watch - soon they'll be rippin' up the playground! 

"America the Beautiful," Diary of an Ex-Patriot

Former students of mine spent two years in St. Joseph, Missouri, on a foreign assignment. They have since returned and we've met up a few times to hear about their adventures and listen in awe to how well their children speak English now (I taught them as well). We're actually getting together on Sunday, so stay tuned for some pictures.

I wanted to share this book that Axel put together of pictures he took while traveling around the United States. He is an amazing photographer!! We saw the book in "real life" and it really should be published, it is that good.

Check it out! They are also available to purchase through the blurb site.

Congratulations!

...are in order!! Our friends Jen and Martin welcomed a son into the world today! Jonah Daniel was born this morning at 8:43 weighing just over 8 1/2 lbs and just over 21 inches. We can't wait to see pictures!! (I'll share them with you if Jen says it's okay - not that she okayed the upcoming shot, but she's too busy to ask right now :) ).

This picture was taken Wednesday evening. It was their last evening of peace and quiet for the next 18+ years - and we crashed it! :)

Jen is also from Indiana, she and I studied together both in Bloomington and in Freiburg in 98-99. She has been living in Mainz since 2002, which is GREAT! It is so wonderful to have a friend from "home" in Germany. It's the best of both worlds! She and Martin got married in Noblesville, IN, in 2007 and we are ecstatic to have them so close - I have big plans for these boys to be best buds :) We are looking forward to taking part in your parenthood journey, to sharing and learning with you (and from you!) and most of all we can't wait to start taking Field Trips with Martin (who is a biologist! :) ).

Congratulations, again!

Love,

Michelle, Jan and Blaisey-Man