Alpine Delight

The time between the holidays and spring can drag a bit, especially when the weather is dreary and cold. We had come into a stretch of pleasant weather and I was ready for a change of pace, so we took a drive. We headed to the mountians where there is a replica of an authentic Bavarian village. There, as we walked the streets, we found shops to explore, eats to taste, and art to admire. We enjoyed fried green tomatoes with brats and beer lunch (well, the children had soda)--so good! Then later we found a honeybee themed coffee shop and enjoyed treats from there. I had a honey lavender latte and lavender macaroons--yummy!

At one point, John had to take some time to do some work, so he found a cafe with internet service. We took a picture to comemorate the moment. :-)

We discovered that there is a fun little tradition in the town where couples put their names on locks and attach them to the bridge by the river. So we got a lock and participated. Why not? ;-)

There was a coaster ride in town as well. Not a roller coaster exactly, but still lots of fun. The children enjoyed going up the mountain and racing down.

We all enjoyed walking the town and discovering what the shops had. The authentic coo-coo clocks were special to see and hear. We also visited the city's history and art center and learned how the town was inspired and designed.

The time flew, and with a long drive ahead we decided to leave, but not before we concluded that we would have to come back another day for more exploration. :-) Day tripping is fun!

String Art

We were inspired by our Worship Pastor's Advent creation to finally try our hand at string art. His nativity scene was gorgeous and he assured us that the trick to the art was a good template. Good advice. I was sure I could secure a good template to work with. We decided to start small--and I'm glad we did! We set out to make snowflakes.

It took us a long time and a fair amount of trial and error.

The snowflakes turned out well, but I will say, though we still dream of a large scale piece, I'm not so sure when we'll actually attempt it. :-) We do have mad respect for our Pastor's work though! And his latest piece is even more appreciated than the first. :-)

Circumstantial Opportunity

Early in January, on a wet and rainy day, Nikolas had the unfortunate experience of hydroplaning off the highway. Though they experienced several rotations and hit the center divide, thankfully, both he and Bethany were not injured. By the grace of God, there was no traffic on the highway at the time and the center divide they collided with was wire and not concrete. Though they were not hurt, the car was totaled.

This was sad, because Nikolas loved his Impala. However, it was very much an opportunity for him as he needed to replace his vehicle. At first, he was absolutely going to get another Impala. And why not, it served him well. But after much prayer, conversation, and consideration, Nikolas decided that he wanted to take the opportunity to buy a vehicle with more capability. We researched, shopped, and God graciously provided a great buy--a Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Nikolas is thrilled--and rightly so. :-) Praise God for protection and provision. <3

International Delight

International Lego Day is a general excuse for having extra creative fun that we gleefully embrace. This year, we enjoyed a trip to the Lego store where we spent literally hours designing minifigures. It was so much fun!

We also drooled over the fantastic sets a available. Seriously, Lego has some wonderfully creative, and now also some amazingly realistic, sets. After building our Minifigures, we stopped for tea before heading home for youth group. Any day where creativity reigns, we're happy to partake. ;-)