Austria Anyone?

My sister Paige has her birthday the day after mine so this year we decided to take a birthday trip together. Hyrum's parents watched the twins for us so all we had was baby Julian to take care of. It turns out he is a very good traveler. He nurses pretty much anywhere, on park benches, in museums, in the car, on top of mountains...he's pretty easy going as long as he gets his food:)

We headed down to Austria for a few days in Salzburg and then over to Hallstatt. Salzburg was beautiful. I had been there once before but only for a few hours so it was great to spend two whole days wandering around the city. There are so many cathedrals to visit, it seems like there is a new one to explore around every turn. We happened to be there for Palm Sunday and it was a real treat to be able to sit in a cathedral for Mass. They had a choir and some very good soloists performing as well as the organ playing for a good part of the Mass. We also got to see the procession of people heading to Mass. Everyone was dressed in their very best Austrian outfits. It was so cute to see the children dressed in their Austrian clothes. Everyone had a Easter palm that they carried with them in the procession and there was even a band that was all dressed up and marching with the procession. The cathedral bells were ringing all morning and it was such a unique experience. We just don't have things like that in the US.

Hallstatt was wonderful and relaxing after being in the city for a few days. Our little guest house was right on the lake and we had a balcony that overlooked the lake. It is still pretty quiet here because the tourists don't come until May or June so Hallstatt was fun just to walk around and enjoy the beautiful scenery. All of the houses are built on a pretty steep hillside because Hallstatt is nestled between the lake and the mountains. I highly recommend this little gem of a town if anyone is headed to Austria.

Oma and Opa were so nice to watch the boys for us and we really loved the freedom of being able to walk around without two five year olds complaining about being tired. It was a real treat for Hyrum and I and we really appreciate being spoiled so much by his parents!

It was so wonderful to drive into Austria and see the mountains. There are a lot of hills around where we live but no real mountains.

The largest cathedral in Salzburg and the one we went to on Palm Sunday for Mass

"The hills are alive, with the sound of music..."


Hyrum being silly in Salzburg


Paige being silly in Salzburg (don't worry it was just a yummy Austrian soda called Almduddler)
Of course we had to visit some Sound of Music sights. Behind us is the house they used for the backyard shots in the movie. It was a beautiful day so we walked all around this lake and enjoyed the birds singing and the wondeful sunshine.


It was so fun to walk around the narrow streets in the old town of Salzburg

Salzburg

The ferry boat on the lake in Hallstatt. That is the town of Hallstatt behind us.

Paige enjoying the view from our balcony in Hallstatt

My very good traveller. Julian was just an angel the whole trip!

Sunny Days

We have had amazing weather lately. I hate to jinx it and say that Spring may have officially sprung around here, but it sure feels that way. We have eaten dinner outside on the front porch 4 times in the last 2 weeks! Opa put up a swing in the yard on one of the apple trees for the boys to play on. And, just today Opa and Hyrum made us a fire pit so we could roast marshmallows on warm summer nights. It is wonderful to send the boys outside to play and they love to run around, dig in the dirt, ride their scooters, drive their dirt trucks all over...and basically get filthy dirty having a great time. I LOVE it!!!

Enjoying dinner in the sun

Townsend decorating a tree outside for Easter. It is a German tradition to hang eggs on your trees during the Easter season. It makes all the yards around here look so festive, so we decided to join in the fun.

Opa giving the boys a push on their new swing

Townsend helping Opa saw some wood for the swing

Our new fire pit, complete with stone benches

Something New

So my friend Kari called me for my birthday (YEAH) and she told me that I needed to post some more photos of Julian. So here you are, Kari (and everyone else of course)!

I turned 32 years old today. How does time slip by without me knowing? I was just in 8th grade listening to New Kids On The Block yesterday wasn't I? I suppose if I have to be this OLD I'm glad that I have lived the life that I have. I am so happy to be married to a wonderful husband who takes care of me and makes me chocolate cake for my birthday (see photo below). I'm also happy that I have 3 beautiful and active boys. They do drive me crazy at times but they also are my greatest joy. I have been so blessed to have the friends that I have, some of you I have known for more than 1/2 of my life...now don't YOU feel old:) I have also been lucky to have the family I was raised with, the family that adopted me in Australia and then the family I married into, I love you all.

Julian, one month old already!

Julian

Thanks Hyrum!!!!

Opa making up some missed snuggle time. He and Oma were in Dubai the last two weeks and Julian was very sad to have lost his favorite snugglers.

The King and Queen have come to call, you may kiss the royal hands!

Traveling

Traveling with your husband...good idea
Traveling with two five year olds and a three week old...bad idea

As you might have guessed we took our first family vacation with three children this past weekend. The traveling in the car went well, all though nursing in the back seat while parked at a rest stop was not ideal. I suppose that really the worst part was trying to sleep in the hotel room with all three kids. The boys had coughs which kept them up (and woke Julian up). Julian had to eat every three hours which kept him up (and of course woke the boys up). It would have been great to find a hotel with two adjoining rooms or at least a room with a separate living room area. Maybe next time.

We went to Munich on Friday and then headed to Nuremberg on Saturday and Sunday. We had Stake Conference on Sunday and I was called into the Stake Primary presidency, 2nd counselor. I am sort of confused as to how I was even on the radar for this calling because I don't know the Stake Primary president or the other counselor...I guess it was just meant to be. I will need to travel all over the Stake visiting the other wards and I'm sort of nervous to do this because all the other wards in the Stake speak German. I guess I'll learn as I go, either that or resort to grunting and pointing to get my ideas across. Either way I'll look pretty foolish!

We had Oma and Opa with us this weekend and they are now on their way to to Dubai to visit their son Jason and his wife Camille. I will definitely miss all the help that Oma has been these last few weeks. I don't think I have done the laundry, made dinner or mopped my floors since she has been here! They will be back in 2 weeks and then spend another 3 weeks with us before heading home to Utah.

The weather on Saturday was just beautiful. We didn't even have to wear jackets!

Enjoying a true German lunch...sausage on a roll!

Oma and Opa

Emerson playing in a park in Munich

Daddy took Emerson and Townsend up in a church tower. They counted all 300 steps up and 300 steps down. Mommy was more than happy to stay with baby Julian at the bottom:)

Spring is in the air. There were pussy willows for sale by the bundles at the markets in town.

Fresh flowers at the market

This is what the boys look like after 3 hours in a museum

Blessing Day

We know that Julian is only less than 2 weeks old but we decided to bless him this last Sunday because Oma, Opa and Auntie Paige were all able to be here this weekend. All of the ladies at church were very surprised to see me up and at church because they know I had a c-section. I felt pretty tough as I told them all how I was doing fine and they were all impressed...it made me feel good:)

It was strange to bless him here in Germany with so many family and friends missing. We remember blessing the twins and just how many family members were there to witness the blessings. We wish we could have had many more people with us today but we know that you were there in our thoughts.

Julian let me sleep for 5 hours straight last night! Let's hear it for chubby babies that can go longer between feedings!!!!

Blessing Day

Yes, I made him wear the cap even though he resisted at first

Auntie Paige has found true love:)

The boys need to join FAA, Future Architects of America!

They love to build towers and then they decorate all of the different landings and cubby holes on the tower. Emerson looks kind of crazy in this photo but they are at the age where you say "smile" and they either turn the other way or make a crazy face!

This is Dr. Mark with Julian. He was the doctor that delivered Julian. In fact, he told us it was his very first delivery standing on one leg (note the cast on his right leg, he had injured it the day before Julian was born!)

More Photos

Oma and Julian get along perfectly. Julian loves to be held and Oma loves to hold him:)

All ready to go home from the hospital

My beautiful baby boy. You gotta love those cheeks!

Emerson gets his first look at his new brother

Julian checking out his surroundings. He is very alert and loves to look around.

Diapering at 4:00 A.M.

Hyrum's parents are here at the moment and his Dad found a poem that he thought I might enjoy. I liked it so much and it suited the way I am feeling so well that I decided to post it here on the blog:

Diapering at 4:00 A.M. by Carol Lynn Pearson

I saw a calf born once.
It really was amazing
How soon (all tidied up by tongue)
He wobbled off
And the new mother
Went back to grazing.

But you, my little creature
At the top of the animal kingdom
You would lie in the pasture for months
And wave your fists and cry.

So here we are
You and I
Tied together in all
The bathings and the dryings
The pickings up and the puttings down
And the turnings over
The dressings and the undressings
And the powderings and the feedings
And the cleanings up of the comings out.

I know--
I know what it's all about
This disguised blessing of unavoidable touch
Spinning a thousand threads
That encircle us like little lariats.
And before you know it
We're caught.

Calves come for going.
But not--not my little ones.
The Lord thought it all up
This essential intimacy
And He called it good.

He created the heavens and the earth
And the seas, and the naked, needing
Infants crying to be held.
He thought it all up
This clever stratagem.

And yet--
I'll bet He smiled
When He thought about diapering at 4:00 A.M.

I am so happy to have a new little baby in the house. And there is NO DOUBT in my mind that I am LOVING having one baby and not two! Townsend and Emerson are being great big brothers and they love to rub his little head and give him kisses. He seems to like all the attention but is overwhelmed by the noise of his brothers sometimes.

Well, I hear the call of the hungry baby. I guess posting new photos will have to wait for another post. Thank you to all of you that have posted congratulations, I miss all my friends and wish you could all come over for some snuggle time courtesy of baby Julian:)