A party at the Palace

Just like getting invited to the ball, this was also a surreal experience! A birthday party in the Schonbrunn Place! It took place a few months ago and for some reason I never posted about it. I came across these photos and thought you might get a kick out of them too.

It was Alice's 6th birthday party and she definitely was treated like a princess! All of the children got to dress up in costumes of their choice, took a guided tour of the palace (even getting to go in rooms that are off limits to the public) and the party ended with the serving of a traditional sachertorte.

Phraselator

As I am cleaning up in the kitchen I am listening to NPR and there is an interesting story on a device called the Phraselator. LA Police are using them to spout off commands in other languages...I just need one to go to the grocery store and when I interact with my children' s teachers! For I think a mere $2500 I could score one!
Just yesterday I was at the grocery store and the cashier struck up a conversation with me...very unusual since they always seem to be in a hurry. Anyway, she is scanning my items, asking where I come from, why am I in Austria, what do I do for a living and so far I am able to respond back in German. She is scanning my items, I am throwing them back in the cart (as you bag your own groceries here) and she says something that I don't understand. I graciously nod, smile and act like I know what she is saying. She repeats her phrase again. I nod and smile again. She then proceeded to stand up, lean over the scanner and take the milk out of my cart and ring it up. She was trying to tell me that she hadn't rung it up yet!
Thankfully we both laughed! Which is something I have learned to appreciate in situations such as these. If you take yourself and the mistakes you make too seriously, you really could get down!

Still, I think one of these little Phraselator thingies might be worth investing in:)

Faschingsfest!

Today Abby was still the only one well enough to go to school. Fortunately, the boys are on the mend and will be able to go back to school just in time for Faschingsfest tomorrow. From my limited understanding, it is basically a time of carnival, when kids dress up and have fun parties in school. It is similar to Mardi Gras and a preparing to "let loose" before lent.

Cookies Recovered!

Yep..they will be coming home to momma! :)
Oh, and Rick got to change his clothes too.

The Latest...

So far this week, we have been well-loved by those near and far! We have received countless e-mails stating that you "are in"...as being willing to pray for us this week while Brad is in America. We have felt your prayers abundantly. Thank you!

Here is a little update...

Luke and Levi continue to struggle with a virus that has kept them both out of school all week. The blessing in this, is that they have been laying around a lot more than usual and I have not had to run back and forth to school and hort as much, because our friends have been willing to pick Abby up and bring her home so I can stay with the boys.

Our friend, Joanna came from Hungary to see a friend in Wien and it worked out that she could also stay with us and help with the kids! It was a sweet encouragement to all of us!

Dali spent the night last night, and watched the boys all morning so I could get to my German class today! Another big blessing.

Last night I also received a phone call from our field director just checking to see if I was doing ok. He is currently in Prague doing a Sonship week, and yet still took the time to see how we all were.

From what I have heard from Brad, he is having a great time! In between sessions at GCA, I am sure he is finding time to eat some Taco Bell. He has had some really encouraging times with potential teammates and has enjoyed concentrated times with Jeff.

Brad's brother and our pastor from our home church, flew up yesterday to Orlando to spend the night. I just received an e-mail from my sister-in-law that they lost Rick's luggage. I don't know how this happens...but the bummer in all of it is that all of our special requests were in that luggage. That means unless they find it, we will not see the Girl Scout cookies, the Juice Plus vitamins or the thoughtful Valentines' gifts that my sister-in-law took the time to get! I know there are bigger things in the world to pray for than cookies and vitamins, but if you feel lead to pray, we would love that those things would be found!

Thanks again for all of you who have loved us well!

Visa Approval!

I guess your prayers are working! We just received word today that our visas were approved! Hooray!

Today Luke really turns 9!

Happy Birthday Luke! You are such a sweet boy with a tender heart and a love for others and the Lord. You are growing taller by the minute, and before long you will be taller than Mommy! Smarter too, I am sure! :) You need the littlest sleep of any of us in the family, and yet are usually the happiest! When you get on the phone with someone you are always sure to ask, "How are you doin?"
You love Dr. Pepper, kebabs, playing Game Cube, riding your scooter and being with your friends. We are so proud of you and your willingness to try new things and dream big! We love you Lukey!

Could be a long week...

I'm trying to be optimistic..but when Levi started throwing up last night and Luke was having problems with the other end...I had to think (and laugh) that this could be a long week! It is 7:25 am and Daddy is on the way to his conference....Levi has already played Play-Doh and is asking "What are we going to do now momma?" Here we go...

I'm stating the obvious here, but keep praying!:)

P.S. Fortunately for me, Brad is bringing a BIG supply of this and this when he comes back!

Luke's 9th Birthday Party

Luke had his 9th birthday party today with a few of his friends from school and hort. They had a great time just being "boys", as they played Game Cube, darts and even a game of American baseball! His big present from us was a new fish tank...which he has been asking for since we moved here! The newest member of our family is a fish named "Whiskers". Here are some more pictures from the party.

Start your day off right...

Our family is a big fan of protein in the morning! We used to fry up the Ol' Jimmy Dean...but I can't find it over here (even though there are more wursts than you can imagine) When you travel throughout Austria, often a hard or soft boiled egg will be on your menu for breakfast. Our kids have really grown to love these little guys! I even splurged on some egg-cups so I could make Neena proud with my presentation! :)

In case you don't know how to make a soft-boiled egg...here is a video.
It "cracked" me up! Hee Hee

Precious Gift

At Christmas, Brad's mom brought us a precious gift painted by a good family friend.  It is a picture of our kids looking out at the spectacular view in Hallstatt, Austria.  Laura noted the picture on our blog and proceeded to paint it in an art class she was taking!  How thoughtful is that!  We are going to get it framed and put it in our entrance-way for everyone to see!

Thanks so much Mrs. Grimes!

Coming off the cloud..

We have come off the cloud, after being at the ball and now just like Cinderella, we are back to the everyday things of life...caring for our children, going to school, cooking and cleaning. Posting about going to a fabulous ball is way more fun and interesting, but just not what is usually happening around here. So here is a boring ol post...of recipes I have enjoyed recently! Yes, yawn...yawn!

Go here for slow cooker sloppy joes and cheesy chicken
Click on the right hand side "labels" crock pot

Go here for orange mini-muffins with brown sugar glaze

"We're not great dancers"

Some things in life you just can't be adequately prepared for, and it's probably best that way.  When our wonderful neighbors, Gritt and Alfred, invited us to the Pharmacie Ball at the Imperial Palace, we knew there would be a room full of waltzers, but not much beyond that.  Before we went, they assured us that they weren't great dancers, and we had nothing to be nervous about.   Note for future reference:  when Austrians say, "We're not great dancers", don't believe it for a second.

Little did we know that Gritt had been the "Belle of the New Year's Eve Ball" every year for 18 years, as she dressed up as "Empress Sisi".  Alfred still works at several balls as crowd control, possibly the only place in the world where bouncers don 18th Century pink coats and knickers.  So as their guests, we got "back stage" (free!) access to the ball, and any time anything exciting happened, Gritt and Alfred positioned us right in the middle of the action.

We witnessed the opening ceremonies where "guests of honor" are paraded through hundreds of young people dressed in tuxedos and what looked to us like white wedding dresses, then on to 10 ballet dancers from the State Opera House, to the midnight surprise with Vienna's version of the Spice Girls with mad violin skills, to the Quadrille (Viennese line dancing), many, many waltzes, plus tango, salsa, fox trot, boogie, Big Band, disco, jazz/blues, even PeeWee Herman's favorite "Tequila!"  NO ONE, I repeat, NO ONE was faking it.  They all know how to move.   

Just to watch it all was supremely entertaining...and humbling.  The couple of times we braved the dance floor, we just kept laughing at how inept we are.  I'm sure in our own way we were entertaining to watch.  Our sweet hosts kept assuring us, "It doesn't matter how you look, just that you have fun."

At 3:30am we arrived home, and we told each other that we have to remember this night when difficult days come, that this amazing city is full of both brokenness and beauty.   We thanked God for the beauty we saw last night, and we pray for His redemption in the midst of the brokenness.

Final observation:  When Brad and Stacey tell their Austrian friends, "We're not great dancers", oh! for the sake of Pete, believe us. 

 

Click here to see a photo album of the ball on Facebook.

Ready or not, here we come...

Check-list for the Ball...

* Long Dress (found a black one in my closet that is do-able)

* Fancy enough jacket to keep my arms warm and not scream "You don't belong here!"
(found one for 29 Euros) Yippee!

* A "Smoking" which is actually a tux (Brad happened to keep his from our wedding, complete with expandable pants, but not quite "pregnancy pants")

* Babysitter to spend the night! (Dali gladly offered)

* Practiced the Waltz (even if it was with Abby, Brad still practiced)

* Nap, since we won't get home until after 3 am. (We have drugged our children and will plan to sleep for a few hours this afternoon.) Just Kidding!

* Small camera that fits in very small purse (charged and ready to shoot like the paparazzi)

* Lots of anti-perspirant to keep me from sweating like a pig when my nerves go into overdrive (shipped in bulk from America)

*Leave wristwatch at home! (Tamara "Tammy" says it's is a bit cultural faux-pas to wear one.)

Well, that is all I can think of...so ready or not, here we come!

Aim High, or at Least High Enough

As I recall, "Aim High" was the US Air Force's motto when I was a kid. Through school and college and seminary, I (Brad here) usually tried to, you know, "aim high". But when I began taking "Sociological Research Methods: Data Collection" in German at the University of Vienna, and had a hard time understanding even 10% of what the professor was saying, goals had to be drastically rearranged. "Survive" became my new motto.

I took the one and only exam in December, complete with 14 essay questions (one an 8-parter), with a "generous" 45 minutes alloted. I was sunk. I was the last person in the room and still had 4 questions left. I scribbled something down for one of them, and the impatient professor said, "I'll ask you the other's orally." He gratefully accepted 2 of the answers.

Failure would not only mean the death of my pride, but a severe complication for trying to secure a student visa. For all of you who prayed, I have some good news, humbling, but good. I received the lowest possible grade that is still considered a passing grade. The professor called it "Genügend", lit. translated "Enough." So for those of you who regularly pray for my pride to be killed, thanks a lot. God is working on me. And for those of you who have been praying for me to pass my classes, thanks as well. God seems to have answered both prayers simultaneously.

What to wear?

On Wednesday,  we got an invitation from our neighbors to attend one of these.  You might be saying to yourself...how lovely, that is a once and a lifetime event etc... but all I can think about is what the heck am I going to wear?  And how am I going to find something in just 3 days? 

So this afternoon I am heading to the 1st District, where all of the fancy shops are, to try and find something that fits, doesn't stand out and fits in my price range! Ha!  Wish me luck...and stay tuned.  This is going to be quite an adventure!

All good things must come to an end...

It has been so much fun spending time with Neena and Memoo! Lots of good memories were made on this first visit to Vienna! We are so thankful for them!

Grabbing a few M&M's together from the recently restored gumball machine
Brad and Neena take some time to enjoy some treats at Demel's
Here is Memoo teaching Abby how to sew
Sweet kisses...
Getting all 4 candles out!
Neena shows off her fabulous cake decorating skills!

This morning we said goodbye to the Glam Grams! Not a fun way to start off the day, but before we know it Memoo will be back in March to visit again! Neena will come again in June!
one last "hot flash"

Levi trying one last time to sneak into Memoo's suitcase! (Literally)

Our baby turns 4!

It is hard to believe how fast the time goes. Our baby Levi was born January 16, 2004 weighing in at a whooping 9 pounds 7 ounces, with a FULL head of hair! Levi has always been
willing to go with the flow (as long as he has his blankie). The blankie's texture and scent can take him to his happy place! Singing also makes him happy...he sings himself to sleep and he arises humming his favorite selection of Christmas tunes and worship songs. He loves ANYTHING chocolate, his friends and his Glam Grams too. He has no trouble keeping up with Luke and Abby, unless it involves walking..and then he says his legs "are tired and too skinny"! He certainly is the comedian of the family and brings so much joy and laughter to our lives! Happy 4th Birthday Levi!

Back to Reality

It was very hard to get out of bed this morning when the alarm when off at 6am. It was cold and dark and my bed was awfully warm! We have had nothing but fun for almost 3 weeks now, so getting back to reality really is a struggle! All of the kids went back to school and I started another round of German. This time I am attending the University of Vienna. Brad spent the day studying for another final that he has tomorrow. Pray for him and the rest of us as we begin to descend into the valley, after several mountaintop experiences!

Tabea , Luke and Memoo at Hort (aftercare) today.


Here is Levi waving goodbye from his classroom window!


We also had the sad reality of having to take our Christmas decorations down. Here is Memoo cramming our tree into our elevator after she and Neena packed up all of our ornaments! In Vienna you take (or drag rather) the tree to a drop off site. Many of those sites are located outside of churches. Unfortunately my mom didn't see the drop off at the church right across the street from our house, and instead dragged it 4 blocks down the street to another site!

Mittersill, Austria

I lift my eyes up...to the mountains
where does my help come from...
my help comes from you, maker
of heaven...creator of the earth.
Oh how I need you Lord
you are my only hope...
you're my only prayer...
so I will wait for you to come
and rescue me...

This song would ring in my ears as I would look out and see mountains surrounding me.
Schloss Mittersill was the meeting place for the World Harvest team leaders retreat, and it was absolutely beautiful! Daily we would worship, pray, fellowship and study team building together. We also took time to play together! (Click here if you want to see more photos.)



The Glam Grams came with us, and were able to meet so many of the people they had heard about! They were also a great help with the children. Luke, Abby and Levi ran freely around the castle making all sorts of new friends. It was a wonderful time of encouragement and refreshment.

Best Christmas Presents Ever!

The Glam Grams have arrived!

Neena, Abby and Levi

Memoo and Luke

Back, but not for long...

Blogger is having a few issues right now with loading my photos...which is just as well, as I don't have the time (or energy) to figure out which pictures to put up. We had a wonderful time in Innsbruck with Rick, Dede and the kids, and tomorrow the Glam Grams arrive. They are only in Vienna one day before we take off again for our World Harvest Team Leader's Retreat at Schloss Mittersill, in central Austria. I hope to get some photos up when we return!



The only photo that would load...ice skating in Innsbruck

They are here!

Rick, Dede, Elisabeth, Ben and Mikey made it! The only time it will be quiet is when they all are sleeping...like right now! Tomorrow we head out for some skiing and vacation. We will have lots of stories and pictures to share when we write again! Hope you all are enjoying your times with your families , as much as we are with ours!

These are a few of our favorite things...

On our first Christmas in Austria we bring you the following...

Living cross-culturally brings with it a mixture of excitement, confusion, & frustration. Humor is a necessary ingredient for longevity. In this spirit we bring you the following song, sung to the tune of the Sound of Music’s “My Favorite Things.”

Mozart and snowballs, chocolate and schnitzel,

New friends from school and the Glam Grams are well,

Neighbors who teach you to bake and to sing,

Theses are a few of our favorite things.

Vonage and ichat with friends and with family,

Quaint Christmas markets with toys, punch, and tea,

Up on our terrace we see to the Ring,

These are a few of our favorite things.

When the tram’s late,

Kids don’t feel great,

We can’t parse a verb,

We simply remember

our prayer team back home

And then we don’t get disturbed.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!!!

Merry Christmas from our family to yours...

Abby is on the mend. Thanks for your prayers, e-mails and calls of concern. Between loads of laundry, sanitizing the house and working on Christmas cards, I managed to make a batch of my favorite Christmastime cookies. Thanks to everyone who sent me red and green sugar!
Here is the recipe:

White Crack Sugar Cookies
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 cup shortening
2 cups flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cream of tartar
3 egg yolks
1 tsp. almond extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Cream sugar, butter and shortening. Add egg yolks. Sift dry ingredients and add flavorings. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Roll into small balls and dip in red or green (or both)sugar. Bake at 350 for 8-10 min.


Another recipe that our family really enjoys is this...
You will find these at our house on Christmas morning...taste like cinnamon rolls, but way easier to make!

Magic Marshmallow Puff Pull-Aparts
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
3 tsp. cinnamon
2 (8oz) cans Pillsbury crescent rolls
16 marshmallows
1 stick melted butter

Heat oven to 375. In small bowl combine sugar, flour and cinnamon. Separate dough into 16 triangles. Coat each marshmallow with melted butter and roll in sugar mixture. Place coated marshmallow on shortest side of each triangle. Roll up, starting at shortest side of the triangle, gently wrapping dough around the marshmallow and rolling to opposite side. Pinch edges of dough to seal. Coat each in melted butter and roll in sugar mixture. Place in 2 8" round pans and bake for 18-28 minutes-until deep golden brown.Cool slightly then drizzle with glaze.

Glaze: 1/2cup powdered sugar with 2-3 teaspoons milk. Melt in your mouth delicious!


A BIG, HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who have sent care packages and cards! It means so much for us to still feel like we are connected to those we love and miss back in the States! Sooner, or rather later, you will get our Hunters' Holiday Herald 2007, so be on the look out. You probably won't hear from us until after the New Year, as we look forward to just enjoying our family while they are here...please know that you are dearly loved and we wish you a Very Merry Christmas!

Late...Very Late!

So Abby started puking her guts out last night and literally just stopped about an hour ago...my day has consisted of laying next to her ALL day, getting her ice cold wash cloths (like Memoo did) for her forehead, reading stories, holding hair back and crushing ice cubes! I really wouldn't have wanted to do anything else than comfort my dear, sweet daughter...but please know this year that gifts and cards from the Hunter family will be LATE...VERY LATE!

The Countdown is on...

6 more days until the cousins come...14 more days til the Glam Grams arrive!

Everybody's got an opinion...

So tonight I overhear Luke telling Brad, "I like the cut, but not the color." Brad asks "why don't you like the color?" Luke responds, "because it's BLACK!" Then Brad follows-up with "I don't care what color it is, as long as it's not the WEDGE cut!"
And Luke then calls it a "wedgie?". Ugh.

First Haircut is a good experience!

Before



After

A BIG chicken...

Tomorrow I go to get my first haircut and color since we left Florida the end of May. Pretty sad I know, but I am a BIG chicken. I have been trying to memorize words like stutzen, which means to trim and klein, which is small and ein bisschen, which is just a little bit! I have heard from a few folks around here that the hairstylists don't always listen to what you are telling them... and if I think about it, I have had that experience in the States too...like when I came home with a cut like this...

Anyway, tomorrow I will be armed with pictures of cuts and colors I like, words that should be helpful and a friend who speaks fluent German! There shouldn't be any problems right? Stay tuned...if I am happy, I will post pictures...and if it is really bad I probably will too!:)

Christmas Party

Brad and I don't know the first thing about wine and cheese...especially what types Austrians like. Thankfully our friend Herbert has a wine cellar in his house and the
man at the BIO Market was very helpful with the cheese selection. We had a great spread, a great turnout and a great time! Here are some photos!

This is what it is supposed to feel like...

My kitchen is warm from baking. Christmas music is playing. I look outside my window and big flakes of snow are falling slowly to the ground. My hollyberry candle is burning.

After spending many of our last 10 Christmases in Florida, I now remember why I like winter. Yes, it's cold...but also very beautiful. Ask me how I'm doing in February.

Here are a few things I am working on for our Christmas party tomorrow night...
Sugar cookies...mix compliments of the Cates Family!:) Thanks!


Toffee Caramel Squares (you can find the recipe here)

Impressive Bed-Head

Levi started the day with some impressive bed-head!





Hope your day is off to a great start!

Demütigungserfahrungsbericht

I'm not sure if that's a real word, but it describes what this post is about. It means, read backwards to forwards, a "report on the experience of being humbled". That's a good way to describe my exam yesterday. At the end of the mere forty-five minutes allotted for this exam, I had 4 questions out of 14 (short answer, mini-essay questions) left unanswered, and I alone was left in the room. I scribbled something down for one of them which the professor said looked ok, and then the prof went on to ask me the last three questions orally, and graciously accepted my weak answers on two of them. I'm unsure of when we'll find out our grades, but my hope for now is ANY passing grade. Expectations have to be adjusted in such situations!

Thank you to all who prayed for me. Evidently God knew that I needed an "experience of being humbled" more than I needed a gold star.

Prayer Update December

Dear family and friends,

Forschungspraktikum: Datenerhebung
That's the name of one of the courses that I've been taking at University of Vienna. Research Practicum: Data Collection.

Not the most glamorous of courses for such a long name. Actually, that name's a piece of cake compared to another couple of words I have to get down before Wednesday's exam. Try Reproduzierbarkeitskoeffizienten and Fragebogenkonstruktionskriterien on for size. Yes, I admit it. I, Brad Hunter, am in over my head. I need your prayers as I go in for this exam.

Throughout the semester I have gotten to work together with 6 other students in a research group, researching superstitious beliefs of Austrians. It has led to some startling revelations for me, as conversations wander from simple "good luck charm"-type superstitions to esoteric beliefs to Zen meditation and Reiki. Nature abhors a vacuum, and in the immense spiritual hole left by the decline of the institutional church in Austria, Eastern thought is streaming in. Highly-sophisticated, yet broken people, are grasping for some sense of the divine. Pray that we, our team, and other Christians in the city may be able to point Viennese to the One who can truly satisfy their longings.

Also, would you pray that our visas would come through? We're still "legal", but we've been here almost 6 months, and it can be unnerving to live without a visa.

This Saturday we are hosting a Christmas party for many of the folks we've been building relationships with here. Pray for the aroma of Christ to be present in the way we welcome people. We plan to send out a Christmas greeting as well, but in the mean time, may the peace which only Christ can bring be yours this Christmas and forever.

As always, we are so grateful for you,
Brad, for the viennahunters
---

For those who have asked how to support us either monthly
or with a year-end gift, click HERE.

Rare moments...

It isn't very often I get to spend the afternoon with other American women, who are also here serving in Vienna. Today was one of those rare moments. Five of us from all parts of the US, with varied life and ministry experiences gathered together for a nice lunch and fellowship. We laughed, cried, shared our struggles and joys. (and I even learned where I could buy a ceiling fan!) It felt normal. I didn't have to give anyone strange looks because I understood everything they said, I didn't have to explain what I do with my time, because they all understood what adjusting to a new culture is like. I forgot how much I missed just hanging out with other women who could understand me! We also ate chocolate! Really good chocolate desserts!:)

After my time with the girls, I took the children to see a movie. Brad needs all the quiet he can get as he studies for his test tomorrow, so we went to see "Mr. Magoriums Wonder Emporium". It is with Natalie Portman, Dustin Hoffman and Jason Bateman. I had never heard of it until today, and it actually was a sweet movie, filled with all sorts of lines like "Life is an occasion-rise to it"! Cheesy I know, but it was nice to just watch a "feel good" sort of movie. We don't go to movies in the theater that often, so that was a rare moment in and of itself, but rarely do we also eat popcorn and gummy bears for dinner! Another treat!

Speaking of treats, I took some of my favorite bread to my lunch to share with the girls. Everyone I know here in Vienna is getting this bread for Christmas. Teachers, neighbors and friends! I wrapped the finished product in aluminum foil, tied it with some silver ribbon and attached a silver cookie cutter! Ta! Da! My attempt to be Martha Stewart like. Below is the recipe!




Poppy Seed Bread Recipe

3 cups flour
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/8 cups vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons each of vanilla, almond extract and butter flavoring

Glaze
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 teaspoon each of vanilla, almond extract and butter flavoring


Mix all the ingredients together for 1-2 minutes with an electric mixer. Put batter in 2 large loaf pans or 4 small ones; bake for 45-one hour in 350 degree oven.
Right after I take them out of the oven, I pour the glaze over the top of the bread, while it is still in the pan...then it seeps into the warm bread. Remove from pan when cooled completely.

Abby's Artwork

Inspired from Luke 2:1-16