Easter Weekend

We had a fun filled Easter weekend. Saturday was just beautiful so we decided to hop on the train to Bayreuth for the day. The train ride is about 45 minutes long and the boys loved looking out the windows and walking around to explore the train. Luckily there were only about 3 other passengers so they didn't bug too many people with their wanderings around. When we got to Bayreuth we headed over to the "Easter Carnival" which we thought would be like a Christmas market, only Easter themed...we were wrong. It was an American style small town carnival, complete with "carnies" trying to get you to play expensive games for really cheap prizes. The boys liked the couple of rides they went on and Hyrum was nice enough to go with them on some of the scarier rides. We went to a playground and had a snack and then headed over to the dinosaur museum. I was pleasantly surprised by the museum. It was really tiny but had some very interesting displays. The boys loved all the fossils and rocks and models of dinosaurs. We grabbed a few bratwurst on rolls for dinner and then headed home on the train. It was a good day.

Sunday started off wonderful with some yummy German Easter bread and hot cocoa. We went to an Easter egg hunt sponsored by one of the doctors Hyrum works with. There was only one other child there besides the twins so needless to say they came home with WAY too many eggs filled with candy. It was another good day.

We were also able to watch some of the General Conference broadcast by the LDS church. What a wonderful weekend to listen to the prophets talk about Christ and his role in our lives. I am so grateful to celebrate this Easter season with my family.

The boys enjoy a snack on the train

Having fun at the carnival

You could look but you wouldn't be able to find a more beautiful boy

The boys got a little too close to the T-Rex cage. I love Emerson's "I'm dead" face:)

Mommy and Julian explore the dinosaur park

This is how Julian gets around these days. My fingers sure hurt by the end of the day but I'm hoping all the "practice walking" will pay off and one day he will be on his own.

The boys at the Easter egg hunt. Townsend found the Golden Egg for a special treat, a cake shaped like a lamb.

Happy Birthday to Me

Tomorrow is my birthday and because I have such a wonderful husband he let me take the weekend "off" and I headed over to Ramstein for a weekend with Paige. No kids, just fun sister time. Here are a few photos from my fun, restful, awesome weekend. Enjoy:)

The boys had fun with their stuffed animals, they made a pyramid...

...then they stacked them up in a "movie theater" so they could watch a movie on the tv

OK, now for my weekend. We had some yummy food. This is the Korean we had on Saturday, we also enjoyed Italian and Indian during the course of the weekend

We saw Alice in Wonderland in 3D

The awesome 3D glasses look

Being silly in Kaiserslatern.

We got pedicures. What's a girls weekend without pedicures?

I also got some new clothes. Nothing like a funky skirt to make your 33rd birthday fun:)

Concentration

This post is really to satisfy my sister Riann who is after me for not posting more often (even though she didn't post anything on her blog for 6 months!) But, I figure since I need to post something I would show you a little clip of Julian playing with the ring stacker. Watch his tongue as he concentrates, it's super cute:)

Winter Walk

Last week was just beautiful. All the snow melted in our yard and from our driveway. The boys came home from school and played outside in nothing but their sweaters. It was wonderful. Then Saturday came and we woke up to 5 inches of snow outside! I felt really bad for the pretty little white flowers that were just beginning to grow in our back yard. That was a pretty nasty trick mother nature pulled on us. I think we have had enough of Winter and I'm ready for Spring!!!

This being said, we did take advantage of the beautiful day on Sunday to go for a walk through the woods. I guess if it can't be warm and summery, at least it is clear and frosty:)

Julian's first ride in a baby back pack. He did really well, no complaints.

The Durtschi boys doing what they do best...hiking!

Beautiful sunshine, even if it was cold.

I love being with my family:)

Happy Birthday Julian

It is amazing how quickly a year passes when you have a brand new baby. One minute you are in the hospital trying to understand this strange new person and the next minute you are singing "happy birthday" to your one year old. In some ways it seems like Julian was just born yesterday but in other ways it seems like he has been part of our family for years. He certainly brings us happiness and joy. He makes us smile with his crazy laugh and silly sounds. He makes me cringe when I see him getting into the garbage or climbing up our 13 very hard wooden stairs! He melts my heart when he reaches up for me to hold him. He likes to "walk" around the house holding my fingers for balance. He likes to look outside at the cat. He loves the books Brown Bear Brown Bear What Do You See and Blue Hat Green Hat. He generally loves his big brothers but sometimes they get into his personal space and he lets them know to back off with a swift smack. He loves his daddy's tickles and his mommy's kisses.

We love you little man Jules. I honestly can't imagine what my life would be like without you in our home. You are my sunshine:)

Fun with my family...my whole family:)

I know I have not posted on the blog for a while but I have been having so much fun playing with my family these last few weeks. Here are a few photos of some of the things we've been up to.

Julian loves music. He loves to dance and sing and bang on things. He is loving having daddy home because he loves to listen to Hyrum play the piano. He sometimes joins in with daddy for a "lovely" duet.

Here they are all ready for church. Hyrum bought the boys bow ties that match his. The boys were so excited to wear a tie to church for the first time and they told everyone at church, "it's the same as my Dad's"

The boys kindergarten had a parade where they had to dress up like a season. Townsend's class was "summer." I don't think he was feeling too sunny that day though, check out the attitude!

Emerson's class was "winter." They got to hang snowflakes off their umbrellas and decorate them like a snowstorm.

Here is Julian dressed up for Fasching. Fasching is a German party, similar to Mardi Gras where you get to dress up and have parties. We went to our Stake Primary Fasching party and had lots of fun.

The boys dressed themselves up. Emerson said he was a "hiker" and Townsend said he was a "mountain climber." Poor Hyrum, I made him wear that hat...he hates dressing up!

There has been a lot of snow the last few weeks. Julian finally got a chance to explore a bit in the snow. We tried to make a little chair for him so he wouldn't fall over, but it looks kind of like we were trying to bury him...oops.

We spent the day in Regensburg this past Monday. We went to Ikea, to a sushi bar and then to a fun indoor play place. The boys loved jumping around on the big bounce toys.

The play place had a roller coaster. It was the first time the boys have ever been on a carnival ride all by themselves. They had lots of fun and wanted to go again!

So there you have it. Life has been so wonderful with Hyrum home. I enjoy spending my days playing and having fun with our boys, and I enjoy quiet conversations in the evening when all the craziness is done and we can just talk.

Daddy's Homecoming!!!

That day has finally come. It was a crazy afternoon trying to get Daddy at the airport but we are back together again and that is the important part. Hyrum's flight was supposed to land in Nuremberg at 2:00 PM so I picked the boys up around 12:30 from school so we could all drive up together. Well, Daddy's plane was 2 hours delayed so Mommy got to entertain 3 boys for a couple of hours. Good thing the address for Play Mobil Fun Park was still in the GPS! We spent some time running around the climbing toys at Play Mobil and then got to the airport with just 5 minutes to spare before Daddy came through the security gate. The boys were so excited! They couldn't stop hugging Hyrum. Julian is still a little doubtful about who this "Daddy" guy is but Hyrum has already successfully changed a poopy diaper, so I think we're off to a good start.

It is still sort of surreal having Hyrum back. It is wonderful to be all together as a complete family again. I love that he did all my dishes for me tonight AND did bath time with the boys. He has wrestled with the twins and tickled little Julian. There has been laughter and happiness in my home this night and for that I am grateful. I'm SO glad when Daddy comes home!

PS: sorry for the shaky camera work, I was holding Julian and trying to film two boys running!