Gonna be starting something...

It amazes me that we continue to fight to be a part of the 21st century. Email, check. Skype, check. Facebook, check. Blog.....

So, we will now document our family adventures for all our loved ones as regularly as possible. Remembering that a 4 year old and 1 year old inhibits me from being proficient at anything.

Right now Jeff, Kattalin, Baby Jeff and I are all living in Stuttgart, Germany for the next 2.5 years. Maybe longer depending if you Americans can get things in order before we return;) Kattalin is taking ballet and will be starting German Kindergarten on October 13th. We are hoping she will master German with little effort, so that we may use her lavish language skills to help us. Baby Jeff is already starting his German. He has given up on thank you and now says danke. I too have started a German language class, but know that the kiddios will surpass me with little effort.

Our precious puppy Cali will be arriving back to her homeland shortly. She has been double micro-chipped (US and German version) and has been given a clean bill of health. However, the plan ride may cause extensive anxiety. Poor girl. I'll be very happy to have her helping clean up after Baby Jeff again.

Kattalin's 4th birthday was on Saturday. We had a big brunch in her honor. All of our wonderful new friend came and she scored big! It was so special to be able to give her a great party when she is so far from family and friends back home.

After her birthdayfest, which included bloody marys and mimosas, it was off to Volkfest. This is the Stuttgart Oktoberfest. Ridiculous! It is huge! The party is right on point. I'm more than amazed that so many highly intoxicated people could be jammed together in a tent (really a building, yet strangely and modestly refereed to as a tent) and get along. Happy, drunk, singing Germans. This is life.

Our friends Josh Shaffer and Leslie Church are currently visiting. Josh has fallen right into place and has been a huge help to me. Not sure if I will allow him to go home. There was heavy recruitment at the Volkfest. Maybe he'll give it some serious thought. Leslie decided to change her social status from single to engaged....yeah, Mazi proposed to her on top of the TV Tower in Stuttgart. It is the first TV Tower in the world and you can overlook the City, Black Forest and Swiss Alps. She had no idea he was even in Germany.

Hoping to go see the Sleeping Beauty Castle this week. It was based off of the Neuschwanstein Castle here in Germany. Popi has requested a photo of his Princess in front of this beloved fortress. Only wish he was talking about his daughter....alas, Kattalin outranks me.

Liebe zu allen!