Energy week and lots of snow...

I don't know the full history of why it is called "Energy Week", but it is part of the school calendar in Austria, and in February we get a week off of school!  Hooray!  Most Austrians go skiing during this week and we did too- but before our vacation started, we went ice skating at the Rathaus...

The following Monday, we headed out to Traunsee for a few days of skiing with friends.

and while the weather was a bit foggy and windy, the kids still had a great time

Ellie makes her way down the slope, while Carson rides the magic carpet

Milka loved watching all of the action and playing in the snow

and the hot chocolate was pretty good too :)

From our hotel we had a nice view of the mountains and the lake

and LOTS of snow

We came back to Vienna on Thursday, and it has been snowing off and on since

Crazy amounts of snow for the city!  

And while it is beautiful, I am having a little "Spring Fever" right about now :)

Bits and Pieces...

On Friday evening, Abby and Levi participated in a talent show at their school.  It was put on to raise money for a mission trip to Romania.

Abby sang the song "22", by Taylor Swift and Levi played an old man who sort of argued with her as she sang about the joys of being young.  They came up with entire idea themselves and it turned out really cute :)

As they are getting older, it is fun to see bits and pieces of Brad and me in them!  I was just like Abby in middle school~ and I loved to sing and perform at any chance that I could- and Brad would take any opportunity to dress up with his buddies and imitate voices and accents.  Yep- the apple seriously does not fall far from the tree!  I loved that they had fun, were creative and felt a sense of accomplishment when they were finished.

You should have seen the looks we got when Levi decided to wear his wig on public transportation!  Abby took all of these photos on my phone and I am so happy that she just kept snapping...it was a very sweet moment:)

I'm a fan of...

:: Adding a few new colorful plants around the house

:: Fridays

:: Nutella

:: This porch

(Source)

:: Tulips

:: Making sure my kitchen is clean before I go to bed

:: and this delicious chocolate cake

Have a great weekend!

Recent Weeks...

I know I have been neglecting this little blog lately- but we have been pretty busy!  Here's a bit of what we have been up to...

:: Levi turned 9 and we had a really fun bowling party!

:: We got LOTS of snow, and we took full advantage of playing in it

:: And with all of that snow, Luke decided he wanted a "sledding"14th Birthday party with a few of his friends

They had a BLAST!




:: Abby performed in the middle school musical, "Seussical Jr"

They all did a fantastic job!  Abby was the Mayor :)

:: We applied for our visas and should get them in a few weeks! (here the kids are waiting to be called back to be finger printed)

:: Lindsay came through Wien on her way to a Sonship Conference in the Czech Republic (along with Meredith, Sandy and Patric-but I didn't get a chance to snap a photo of them)

:: Made these Turtle Cheesecake Bars for the first time, and they were delicious!

:: Abby got some long layers cut into her hair, and now looks like a teenager ;(

:: We went to the eye doctor and found out that Levi needs glasses.  Thankfully, he is pretty excited about it!

:: And after 20+ days without seeing the sun- it finally came out this week!  I forgot how much I missed seeing it! :)

And some recent finds...
*good article for parents

*yummy muffin recipe
*cute idea for Valentine's Day

Happy Birthday Luke!

Happy Birthday!

Luke, you are one fantastic 14 year old! 

Here are 14 things we love about you...
::  your adventurous spirit,
::  your compassionate heart
::  your loyalty to your friends,
::  your willingness to try new things,
::  your quick obedience,
::  your work ethic
::  your hugs
::  your dance moves
::  your smile
::  your skills on the computer
::  your love for animals
::  your sense of humor
::  your honesty
::  and of course, your love for Jesus

We are so proud to be your parents :)

Here's a look at some past birthdays
2009
2010
2011
2012

Levi is 9!

Happy Birthday Levi!

Levi, 8 has been a lot of fun! A few of your favorite things included::
apples,
all things Star Wars,
playing outside,
hanging out with your friends,
making silly faces,
cheering for America at the Olympics,
being with Memoo,
swimming,
Playmobil,
any and all adventures,
your bedroom makeover,
your 3rd grade teacher, Miss Sipos,
holding babies,
learning how to play the piano and waterski,
loving others
and just being with your crazy family!
We love you sooo much and we can't wait to see how much fun this next year is going to be :)

Wow how time flies!
Here you are at 8,  7,  6, and 5

So far behind...

 First off, Happy New Year!

I hope you all enjoyed your holidays.  We had a fun filled, yet very relaxing Christmas Break.  Since I am so far behind on everything, I thought I would just put together some collages to catch you up on what we have been up to...

Christmas Markets in Vienna

Christmas Memories

Skiing in Kreischberg

New Years Eve

My 40th Birthday!

Obviously based on these pictures, we spent a lot of time with friends, ate a lot of yummy food and made some great memories this holiday season!  Now we are needing to get back to our normal routines and start exercising :)