New Blog

Because we are no longer Dutschis living in Deutschland, I have decided to create a new blog with a new name.  Come on over and check it out if you are at all curious what we have been up to the last few months.  I just have to warn you, it won't be nearly as exciting as traveling all over Europe so I won't be sad at all if no one wants to check it out.  Depressed much?

www.durtschisinportland.blogspot.com

Too Many "Lasts"

Julian feeding Peter the cat for the last time.  Peter was our landlords cat but we sort of fed him the last four years...we miss you Peter!

Corpus Christi was the last German holiday we saw celebrated.  Most holidays in Germany are religious so they usually included a parade of the townspeople dressed in their Sunday best marching through the streets of the town to the church.

Last chance to hang out with all my Relief Society friends...you guys were so much fun!

We took one last trip to Playmobil land in Nuremberg

Julian steering the ship at Playmobil land

Emerson riding a unicorn?

Climbing around the ropes course at Playmobil land

One last look at "little blue."  We sold Hyrum's work car to this cute couple and their little girl named Chloe

One last look at "big blue."  We sold our van to some friends who also have a little girl named Chloe...how perfect was that?

The last time the boys got on their school bus for the morning ride to school

One last bike ride with my great friend Maratee

Last workout at the gym with Sarah Brown (she tried her best to keep me fit but the lure of German chocolate was too great and I still gained weight!)

One last snuggle with Brielle Platt (oh man, I wish I had a little girl!)

Our boys last chance to party with the Platt boys. (L-R: Townsend, Cael, Brecon and Emerson)

Emerson with his teacher, Mrs. Hall, on the last day of school

Townsend with his teacher, Mrs. Goodfellow, on the last day of school

The last time Julian got gelbwurst from the meat counter at REWE

Last fun afternoon spent at MegaPlay

We had one last campfire and invited all our friends over to roast marshmallows and say goodbye, this was the night before we left Germany...very sad to have to say farewell to friends

Charee and Chloe Brown having fun at the campfire:)

Emerson and Townsend with their fabulous primary teacher, Maratee Andrus.  

Friday, June 15th.  Our last breakfast in Germany

And so it ends.  Our four years in Germany went by way too quickly.  I wish so much I didn't have to move and start all over again in Oregon but I remember feeling this same way when I left good friends behind in Washington when I moved to Germany in 2008.  I guess life just keeps going and just because I have to close the book on one chapter does not mean I have to dread the next chapter.

We loved you Germany, we had so much fun living in Europe!  Here's to new adventures, new friends, new schools, new jobs and new life...and so it begins.

It's Great To Be Eight!

On Sunday, June 10, Townsend and Emerson had the opportunity to be baptized.  They were lucky enough to share this day with their good friend, Cael Platt, who actually turned 8 years old on June 10th!  

I have been blessed in many ways these last eight years.  My boys have learned to walk and then run and then ride bikes.  They are curious about the world around them and their minds absorb all things scientific.  I love to watch them read and I also love to watch them climb and swing and hang upside down.  It has always been a challenge to try and raise these two boys side by side.  They each have their own strengths and personalities but it's so hard to separate "the boys."  They can be best friends but also worst enemies.  There are some days that I feel like I would be a better mom to them both if they had come down from heaven separately but then I see how much they love to play together and how much fun they have making up games side by side.

I love you boys and I am so happy you are mine (even if you drive me crazy sometimes!) 

Emerson, Townsend and Cael before the baptism.

The boys were baptized in the Vilseck Army Post Chapel.  It was kind of different to attend a Mormon baptism with a cross hanging on the wall:)

I love this shot of their little bare feet

Townsends hair was a bit crazy looking after he was baptized

I love you boys, I'm proud of your choice to be baptized

Kutna Hora, Czech Reupublic

When I moved to Germany in 2008 someone told me about the "bone church" in the Czech Republic that she thought my boys would enjoy.  I have wanted to go and visit since that time but we never had the chance so this past weekend (being only one of 2 weekends left in Germany!) we decided we finally needed to go and visit the "bone church"

We stayed Friday night at the Aqua Palace in Prague.  The room was great, slept all of us comfortably and the breakfast was included (and was fabulous) but the best part was the free entrance to the water park, attached to the hotel.  We went swimming on Friday night from 7:00-9:30 PM and then on Saturday morning from 10:00-12:00.  The boys had sooooo much fun!

Playing in one of the many pools.  Those windows in the background were actually fish tanks with salt water fish in them that you could see from above or below the water.

Julian and I coming down a slide.  The boys were old enough to do all the slides themselves but Julian still wanted to go down with Mommy:)

The Sedlec Ossuary (or bone church) is about another hour East of Prague.  This is a photo of the outside of the church.

The boys inside the church.  There are the bones of about 40,000 people inside this church.

This is over the entrance to the Ossuary.

How cool is that chandelier?

A coat of arms made from...you guessed it...bones!

After walking around the bone church for a bit we headed into the town of Kutna Hora.  It turns out this is a super cute medieval town that was lots of fun to walk around.  Just think Prague, without all the crowds!  This is a group shot with the Platt family (yeah, we drag them around Europe with us and they are so fun to hang out with!)

Crazy boys!  We are going to miss you Platt family!!!

And the Beat Goes On...

So life does continue as normal, even if I'm off traveling.  Here are a few snapshots of the last couple of months...

Townsend with the chimney sweeper that comes to our house each year to clean our chimney.

Remind me again...why am I leaving this beautiful place?  Look at those blossoms on the trees!  Not to mention, where else can my kids run around the yard looking like this?

Emerson and Townsend at the Toy Museum in Nuremberg.  They took all the furniture out of the dollhouse and stacked it into a tall tower, pretty good balancing.

Can you guess what Julian loved to play with at the Toy Museum?  This boy loves trains.

I got home from my cruise on Mothers Day and these gifts were waiting for me:)

Emerson and Townsend at the Nuremberg zoo watching the monkeys

Goofing around on the playground at the zoo

The zoo train!

Play date with Aadi and Anaadi.

Julian at the park with Daddy, he loves his sunglasses.

No swimsuit?  No problem...I love Europe!

At Pirate Park in Amberg with the Tucker and Platt Families.  Emerson, Giovanni, Townsend and Cael.

Look at this huge frog Cael caught!  The boys had lots of fun with this frog...putting him down the slide, putting sand on him, making a pool of water for him to play in...poor froggie, I think he was happy to see us go:)

The Dads even got in on the fun at Pirate Park. I think Julian made Hyrum and Ben ferry him across the lake about 10 times on this little boat.

Julian LOVES his boots:)

My friends just opened a cup cake business and I couldn't resist these Angry Birds cup cakes for the boys.