Look what can happen in a year...

A lot has happened since I  last posted. I thought I just get caught back up to date so some pics of what we did since last December. 

We went to Garmisch for our anniversary and played in the snow.

 

February Birthdays:

Mark 37
Marky 11
Joe 6
Gage 15

Marky got his arrow of light and moved into  Boy Scouts!

Mark and Kat went to the 66th MI Ball at Wiesbaden Kurhaus

Kadence and Joe tried Soccer

and 

Marky tried Baseball

We went to Ronnenburg Castle for a Ritterspiel with Toni and Brian.

Mark went back to the states to pick Gage up and bring him home to Germany.

Gage and kids before enjoying some schnitzel

Kids went back to school

Gage started 9th grade
Mark started 6th grade
Kadence started 2nd and Joe 1st 

Mark and Gage before Gage's baptism  

A trip to Koln aka Cologne

We went to Koln to see the Christmas Markts there. We saw four out of the eight that the city has. We saw the huge Dom with lights surrounding it. We saw a floating Christmas markt. Then there was the Hafen Christmas Markt that had pirates among its patrons. And then we went to the gnome village that had an ice skating rink. We tasted some good treats. We had a crepe with banana and nutella, mushrooms in a garlic sauce, a salmon sandwich, and some tasty kinder punsch and hot chocolate.

It was a good time being together as a family.

Tasty treat of salmon ... Oh so much yum!

Christmas Markt on a ship

Cologne Cathedral

and

Koln Dom

The kids with the big Christmas tree.

A merry go round...

Joe decides to play it safe

The Chocolate museum that has cocoa plants.

An ark with animals

A dinosaur ready to deck the halls.

Medal for Civil Courage

Medal and Official Papers

Mark with Hessen's (State of Germany) President of the Ministry

Support of the Command

Mark and the US Military Liason who acted as translator for the event

Mark received a medal of Civil Courage from the German Government. He and the two other soldiers that help with an auto accident in March were given this honor. Of course the ceremony was in German and I didn't understand much. I did understand that the act of service that the soldiers gave was very much appreciated by the German government. Thanks to all that came.

Kady Bug turns Seven, Oh My Heavens!!

Kadence turns seven this year. She has had quite a year. She is such a bright star. She is learning how to be her and we all are there to watch her SHINE!!

Llama Llama Red Pajama = Pajama Day

The kids had pajama day at school Thursday to celebrate the kids reading a book about a llama in red pajamas getting ready for bed.