The First Sunday of Advent

Praying for peace, unity and love!

Happy Mother's Day

The same procedure every Mother's Day.

IC stood guarding the bedroom early morning, 'Mama, you are not allowed to go down,' she emphasized.

Who's complaining? I stayed in bed, reading. But eventually, I had to move my sleepy body because IC refused to walk with the dog :-)

I got ready, still with IC tailing me; making sure I won't stray into territories where I am not allowed. No peeking!

Continued with the normal morning ritual: jogged with the dog running excitedly beside me, stretched and did some exercises inside the sleepy woods while the dog did it's business, played fetch and finally, gave the dog sometime to play with its friends around the neighborhood.

Yup, I forgot about the time!!! When the dog and I finally arrived home, my family was impatiently waiting for me! The breakfast table for Mother's Day is done and waiting for the most important guest, oopps!

Of course, our bread basket is filled with assorted croissants and bread rolls from our very own cafe, SB-BackCafe'. There's even slices of our homemade Quiche Lorraine!

After reading the card proclaiming me 'best mama in the whole world' (ehem) and opening my gifts, we enjoyed our breakfast while planning our day -- just a quiet day at home as we were up at dawn yesterday when the whole family stayed almost the whole day working at the cafe.

I hope everyone enjoyed Mother's Day!

A special shout-out to Nanay.

Dear Nanay,
You're the best.
More than enough patience. More than enough grace.
Then there's your cooking. Your sewing. Your singing.
Not to mention your faith.
You have the best love!!
We love you, Nanay!

P.S. Special greets to my sister, sister-in-law and my niece. You know who you are!

Easter Egg Coloring While Camping

Nobody can stop them!
Despite having very little space to move around, the girls wanted to
 do the traditional Easter egg coloring. They already colored more
than a dozen at home with their Papa, but they wanted more... so, more!

There you have them, the girls enjoying this Easter tradition on a sunny Sunday
in a camping ground in Schwarzwald.

Okay, IC was not so busy compared to her sister, but that's because she's still waiting for the boiling eggs.
It's not so easy cooking while using the camping equipment but they waited patiently, just like our dog, Rikki!

Winter Camping and Flea/Crafts Market in Bad Wildbad

And my late posts continue....

This is still a part of our Christmas camping break in Camping Kleinenzhof, Schwarzwald. Only this day, there's more snow and there's a Flea and Crafts Market in the camping grounds organized by the long staying campers.

Yes, that's what I like in this camping ground, the long staying campers always organize fun activities, remember the Halloween party?

This time, it's supposed to be a combined flea and crafts market, with some food and drinks and yes, fun, too!

Our pitch, taken during the early morning walk with the dog

Our New Year's Eve 2014

New Year's Eve and the girls have a plan. The same procedure as last year, you know.

Dinner prep, some kiddie fireworks, watching TV and board games (don't forget to watch Dinner for One!!!), raclette dinner, some table fireworks, TV, some more fireworks outside and then the real fireworks.

Of course, we kept the same traditions as usual: wearing clothes with rounded prints, rounded-shaped fruits, marzipan and chocolate made lucky charms, sekt and kiddie wine, mini table horns, fireworks, and a Bleigießen set (lead kit).

Fruits and Raclette on the table

Our Christmas Eve 2014

So, it's Christmas Eve!

The best time of the year, but 'could we open one gift already?`', pleaded the very impatient IC.

To appease her, I told the girls they could already put their gifts under the Christmas tree as early as the 23rd of December. This year, they shopped and wrapped the gifts.

And this year, too, they helped their Papa to prepare our Christmas Eve dinner. Yes, they are our secret Christmas elves :-D

Of course, the Christkind passed by secretly to bring the bigger gifts.

As our tradition, we attended mass, went to the cemetery to visit Oma and Opa before I had the privilege of checking if the gifts from the Christkind arrived on time while the kids and my husband took a short drive.

Rikki is happy to find a big bone under the tree!

 What a surprise! There were more gifts under the Christmas tree!

Our Christmas Tree

First, choosing the right tree.
Noticed that the first tree would always be the best despite any numbers of choices?
At least that goes for our family :-D

Despite the offer to drive our chosen tree home,
my husband declined and decided to carry the tree back home.

IC stayed with him to assist, just in case.

Our Traditional Christmas Baking

Our traditional Christmas baking started the week before the first Sunday of Advent.

As tradition goes, my husband and the girls got busy while my chore started after their done. Yes, I am the Christmas baking cleaner :-)

The girls decorating the Kulleraugen (Saucer Eyes Cookies).
This cookie is a favorite in our family.

Nice and easy, IC.

Having fun!

Yes, and going great, too!

This time, it's Spritzgebackenes (Shortbread Cookies).

They always have fun making this because of the machine.

Yep, Rikki is busy cleaning the work area, too.

Faster....

Okay, they are comfortable using the machine now but they still can't help making themselves crazy with the tempo...

See how the girls work?

Kulleraugen, done!

Something new :-)

First Sunday of Advent

Wishing everyone a blessed first Sunday of Advent!

Halloween at Camping Kleinenzhof, Schwarzwald (Black Forest)

Something different this Halloween for the girls, spending it at Camping Kleinenzhof.

Halloween at Camping Kleinenzhof

IC bargained with her Papa though, begging him to drive them home late afternoon of Halloween for them to have the chance to go trick or treating in our neighborhood so they would have enough time to collect more candies around the camping ground.

Nope, no chance. Especially since they realized how big an event it would be in the camping site. They forgot about going home to collect more candies because they got busy getting ready for Halloween with their new found friends at the camp.

Our pitch 

Actually, I was also impressed by the preparation done by the long-staying campers at Kleinenzhof. They really created a Halloween atmosphere around the camping area. Aside from the fact that most campers were really ready for the invasion of the kids, too.

Here's some photos for you to enjoy!

Ready for Halloween

The kids on their way to the main meeting place while Rikki enjoys the stroll

A camping ground transformed

More Halloween decors

Getting ready for the big event

Trick or treat

The invasion of the trick or treaters

Moving around the camping grounds

The party afterwards...these kids are watching an outdoor movie

Dark and light, fire and ice

Yes, that's what's happening there... the campfire twist bread!

Candies, chocolates, gummi bears, cookies, etc.

After the trick or treating, there's Flammkuchen (tarte flambee) while the cakes and campfire twist bread were given free. There's also kiddie punch and Glühwein (mulled wine).

Well, Halloween at Camping Kleinenzhof was something to remember. 

IC's in Middle School

IC's first day in middle school

Today is IC's first day in middle school.

She was excited. She was nervous. But she was ready!

She gratefully accepted her big sister's 'old' school bag for her own use. And as a tradition, at least in our family, she created her very own school cone (Schultüte). The school cone is given to first graders, since it's also her first year in the middle school, she's getting her own school cone. MC got her own a few years back, too.

MC was off to school on her bike a few hours earlier, IC drove with her Papa and I to school. You know, we simply had to accompany her, a special send-off. Though she did question ur presence (why does both of you need to come?); and she immediately found her friends, leaving us on the sideline, upon reaching the school grounds. Oh well, how time flies!

Back home, she received her school cone filled with mini surprises. And she enthusiastically told us about her day, her first day as a middle school girl.

World Cup Tonight: Germany vs France

The girls are ready to cheer!

Our cheering squad is ready for tonight's World Cup Game -- Germany vs. France!

Our World Cup mascot

Mascot Rikki is ready, too.

Let the game begin! Good luck, Germany!

(As if I would really watch. I confess, I tend to escape the tense atmosphere and über excitement by keeping myself busy in the house. I would only appear during moments of 'winning'.)

Happy 3rd Birthday, Rikki!

Rikki is 3-year-old today!

I guess she knows there's something special going on because I have been busy in the kitchen since yesterday :-)

First I harvested more than enough spinach from our backyard garden. Then I made a dough for her doggie treats, and then another dough for her birthday cake. Meanwhile, MC made a birthday crown for her.

And today is the day!

Rikki is 3!

Sweet 3 :-D

Happy birthday, dear Rikki! You are the sunshine in our life...

P.S. Recipe for spinach doggie birthday cake to follow.

Vaddertag = Father's Day in Germany

Enough with the discussion about Father's Day. My girls know Mother's Day is being celebrated, so there should also be Father's Day, right?

Despite that, IC's still disappointed that they didn't do anything special in school for Father's Day.

Whatever, in our home, we celebrate Father's Day, too.

And traditionally, we started it with a breakfast feast. A short note: Father's Day in Germany is celebrated during the Ascension Day so it's really a holiday, meaning, no school!

Here's what we did -

Father's Day breakfast 

The girls told their Papa to stay in bed as we're supposed to be responsible for breakfast. Well, my husband savored his long bed time :-D

Tracking the Growth of our Plants in the Backyard

My husband is a bit skeptic this time.

He thought we might have been too late when we started our backyard garden's planting season this year. I told him we simply need to think positive. Am I right?

We started pulling weeds and clearing up some corners on the second week of May. That same weekend, we planted our cucumber, tomatoes, beans, melon, peas, red beets, etc.

The tomato corner after the hailstorm that same Sunday

Mother's Day 2014

Mother's Day!

Last night, my special request was to let me stay in bed a little longer. My husband promised he would feed and walk with the dog. Yey!

I woke up around 9:30 a.m. and decided to read in bed but I cannot concentrate. There's so much activity in the house. I could hear the dog running around, I could hear my husband in the kitchen, and I could hear the girls arguing about something.

Around 10:00 a.m., I have to get up. IC heard me and blocked the way, saying 'You are not allowed to go down, yet!' The same procedure every year :-D

When I was finally allowed to go down, IC escorted me and proudly presented the breakfast table.

Mother's Day 2014 breakfast table

Nanay = Mother = Mutter

Dear Nanay,

Happy Mother's Day!

When was the last time we saw each other? That was a long time ago, in 2010, in a far away country.

But the distance won't keep you from letting us know how much you love us. Your letters are short and sometimes, a bit hurried, but there's love overflowing in the words. I could even feel them flowing as I hold the letter close to me while I read them alone, or repeatedly even, for your granddaughters.

A much younger Nanay

Then there's the random packages that we would receive, supposedly for Christmas or for somebody's birthday that would might arrive a month late or even, a year later. We know how much it took time for you to choose and collect those items to suit our tastes. We received the love that got wrapped along with those gifts.

Easter Celebration 2014 in Italy

It's not only IC's birthday, we also celebrated Easter during our camping in Italy.

And despite being away from home, traditions would remain traditions, like having dyed eggs!

Two days before Easter Sunday, my husband and the girls spent a few hours boiling, dying and painting eggs. I brought the dyes and the paints as I know that they would be looking forward to this yearly activity.

And the result? See the photo below. If there's a will, there's colored eggs!

Colored eggs for Easter

A day before Easter Sunday was stormy. My husband and I spent a lot of time outside, trying to keep our awning's posts from being torn by the wind! And then we also took time to fix the awning so that water won't seep inside! We refilled our empty plastic water bottles and used them as weights to keep our awning in place.

I Love Oma's Waffle Machine

I am lucky to find this waffle machine in my in-law's living room's side board, behind other kitchen knick-knacks. It seemed it has been collecting dust for a long, long time.

I was real excited to find it. But, where's the electric cable? My husband and I decided to rummage in the attic. We found all sorts of electric cables and hoped that one of them would fit the waffle machine.

Well, one did fit :-) The next challenge would be -- would the waffle machine function properly?

Oma's waffle machine

I am happy to let you know that yes, the waffle machine is functioning properly. The girls and  I have been using the machine for breakfast and dinner waffles! And always, we cannot believe how this old waffle machine worked better than our 'new' waffle machine.

You could regulate the heat, meaning, it bakes waffles faster, too. It is more stable and yes, a bit heavier. Cleaning it is a breeze, too.

Our Caravan: Adria Altea 562PK

Remember last month we were contemplating on buying our own caravan/motor home? Well, here's the result.

It was not an easy decision but we simply cannot control the rising enthusiasm and so we went for it! After all, dreaming the impossible doesn't always mean it won't come true, right? Thanks to a friend who's business is caravaning, who pointed us to the right direction.

Adria Altea 562PK

It was a challenge looking for the 'best' caravan/motor home for our family. But when we found it, we all fell immediately in love!

Admittedly, it was my thoughts about savings and my inherent nose for bargains that made me go for the cheaper one with almost the same features. My family managed to persuade me just because it was a three against one decision :-)