5.5 years

are parting those two pictures:

Amazing how they grow and how they learn.... Twins is a different story, they interact so closed-up - often there is no room for Mom/Dad or siblings..

I wish you all a merry christmas - and if you don't celebrate it - a relaxed holiday season and a happy new year!

Growing...

Well it's 2015 and we all get older.

My twins are already 5.5 years old and we have only 8 months kindergarten ahead before they will attend school and become hopefully proud first-graders!
Josie is 8 years old and turns out to be a stubborn, really talented painter, still day-dreaming with a big heart for animals.
Emily is 10.5 years old and already transferring to a teenager. That really scares me sometimes but is also wonderful when you can chatter with her and have vivid discussions.

Myself?
Happy...sure I have good days and bad days and some days all the trouble and wants of 5 other people feel unbearable - but they also make me happy.
I definitely have to work on "making myself feeling good", not always trying to make everything possible for others - but I am working on it.
We've bought a house, moved, I had to put my dog down after 15 years (still sad), changed jobs,picked up camphylobacter bacteria on our summer vacation which then was no vacation at all!
Then all of us picked up the flu.....
So 2014 was full of events - bad ones and good ones...

Health is one of the precious gifts we can have.

But I am happy! And 2015 is coming, I am curious what will happen next year.

May 2009 and so many changes

If there is one thing in our lives that is stable, it's constant change.
We were longing for a last and third baby but it looked like it's not possible. Then I joined the gym and started to work out again, and oops I am pregnant. That was last october. Well, the surprising but shocking news was: Twins.
But that's not all news: My hubby lost his job- recession. well....still ongoing search and I hope he will find something this year.
Having 4 kids soon is really challenging for us now...we needed a new car, new stroller, another bed...and so on. But i am confident we will manange it.
My job turned out to be ok, still not as exciting as it was before the merger, but I integrated into the R&D team and it's good. Hopefully they won't lay off people these days.
My parents are healthy, I am already at home due to preterm labor. The twins are a boy and a girl- so we end up with 3 girls and one boy!
Josie and Emily are doing great. 3rd of july the cesarean will take place....less than 50 days to go.
Peace and good luck to you all these days...

dizzy november

Long time no post. I was busy with life. What happened the last 6 months:

My Mom had a surgery and almost died, then she had another life saving surgery and had a long stay at the ICU- she survived... I am so graceful for that.
After rehab and 2 months in hospital she is almost her old self.
We had a family vacation in Austria/Italy and a short trip to London,UK to see friends. Both were good trips!
Josie is now a kindergarten kid and doing fine.
I started studying at night again and hopefully I will obtain a master degree in computer science in 3 years from now....
- job situation : still far from being interesting :(
- 2nd job: Good...getting more and more typo3 clients and am happy building websites!
Challenge me and send me an email if you happen to need one *smile*
My niece converted to Islam. This makes me sad - but honestly: It's her life, her fate.
BTW: Obama won! Yes Yes Yes!

Finally Spring

It's April.....we are doing fine. My husband has a new job and I am still not comfortable after merging into a large 60.000 employees company:(
But it pays my rent.
josie and Emily are so cute and I am so glad they are part of my life.

Back to Germany

now I am back...i was gone for 10 days to Seattle, WA (USA). Felt good to be back in the US...I worked all the time so I had no time to miss my kids and hubby...At least I got one escape to the Spaceneedle...
Glad to be back and that my kids still know me.

2 days to go before I travel.....

2 days and counting---I am going on a business trip to Seattle, WA. I will be there for 10 days conducting a customer training. Wish me luck! It will be the first time without my children.

Will I miss them badly ? Or will I get along perfectly well alone. Maybe I am able to sightsee Seattle a little bit.
Josie is happy climbing on tables --> see pic.

unsafe times rollling

We had a great christmas. All is well with the family. Since I recovered from pneumonia and take my drugs I did not get sick or have a single cold since last november- what a quality of life- and all the suffering for over a year due to an undiscovered asthma! I am so grateful.
My company has been aquired by a big one- don't know what will happen to my job.....we will see.
My hubby's contract ends this February and he is looking for something new, too.

I am content that we will find something challenging and new and not end up unemployed. There is no longer a life-long commitment, those times are over.
Emily and Josie are getting along well, my parents and in-laws are magnificiently caring for them while we go to work ! I thank God and them for their dedication.
We've just returned from a business trip to Bristol, UK

4 days to go......

Tomorrow is my last day at work....jippieh! Still no snow but in all the chaos we managed at least the basics for a nice christmas: WE do have a tree though still outside on the deck :( , we did make some cookies - was fun but all are already eaten and digested!
All presents are wrapped and hidden....
I only have to decorate the tree and survive shopping for the meal this saturday! (Kids will have a babysitter) ...and yesss! vacation until 2nd January!

Oh and our friend Antje visited us and stayed for 5 days - is was fun ! Hope to see her soon with her lovely boys.
I wish you all a peaceful and relaxed but chaotic christmas and happy holidays!

Full of anticipation

well only 12 days till christmas....I have many presents for Emily (3.5 yrs), only two for Josie (14 months), none for my hubby so far...
I truly enjoy christmas time, all the christmas fairs/markets here and church sundays, where my older daughter starts to take part in plays, family services. It's sooo cute.... And listening to her pleading god for good weather tomorrow and Santa Clause for many presents - makes me feel like I am 4 years old....it's so much fun when you have children. Before I couldn't even imagine what it could be like! It's wonderful..
Tomorrow our friends and former neighbors are visiting for 4 days, we host them. We are all excited and looking forward to it!

Almost christmas!

Lots of things have happened...After our vacation I got sick and had an unpleasant hospital stay recovering from preumonia. I was put in bed for almost 6 weeks...
Finally back to work. Josie is about to walk and a real tomboy! Emily ist 3 and a half years old and sooo cute. She can ride her bicycle and starts to recognize letters ! She is so excited about christmas and I am looking forward to a peaceful christmas with my family!

back from vacation

We are back....the vacation was wonderful but not quite what I expected. 2 Children 1 and 3 years old are so energetic that it is a full-time job to handle them.....I am exhausted - but they had loads of fun. Emily can now swim through the whole pool with her swim-aids, she can now ride a bicycle at 3 years 3 months! WOW!

Time to Relax

Tomorrow will be day one! We are going on vacation - 10 exclusive family days. As I started working full-time right after the 8 week maternity leave I am not the usual mom. My children are with the grandparents and daycare centers longer than they spent with me. So I need to get used to them :) So it will be fun and a challenge spending 10 exclusive days with my 2 daughters and my husband together. Wish me luck with the weather as we are going to bavaria (germany).... And these days the summer kind of spared us this year! Anyway when returning, Josie will turn one year old! I am still thinking about what to give her as a present....

growing....

My first daughter Emily turned 3 on June 5th 2007.....since then she has started thinking about getting older....so her conclusion is: " Mom, when I turn 4 years old, I will get a bicycle. When I turn 5 I will get a large preschool cornet of sweets......and so on.
So her mindset for the future is set! *smile*

11 months

Today my second daughter turns 11 months old.. Josephine is a truly friendly baby and I am so glad she came into my life.

Changes in Life

My best friend Pogo died on june, 16th 2007...I am still very sad and every day I think of him.
I will always miss him..He was crazy - really- and living with him as room-mates (he was like my little troubled brother) I experienced so many weird and crazy things I never expected they can happen....I could write a book about it.
So my life will be definetly suffering those on-the-edge-moments he truly and reliably delivered.

He was single, 41 and full of ideas...stupid bacteria killed him.

Dog's Day

Today we had our first day with Spot and his new life. We paid for a dog trainer to help us solve our various obedience troubles we've had with Spot. He's a tiny dog but behaves like he's the overall alpha male of our family......the job is too much for him and we are tired of his alpha behavior- this has to stop...