Accomplishments...

Everyday we have little adventures, new words, new signs, and new accomplishments. Nathaniel has an ever expanding vocabulary is quickly learning to use language and signs and to combine them into phrases. We (his parents) are slowly expanding our German vocabulary, too! We feel a lot like toddlers sometimes. As for accomplishments, Sara finally got her drivers license and Tom bought an old Mercedes wagon for our family-vacation-mobile. Nat is growing enough hair to comb (up into a mohawk). Also he painted his first picture recently. We have it proudly displayed on the fridge! Nathaniel's daily adventures include trying on different shoes, scarves, hats, building towers with blocks, rearranging the chairs and other movable items in the house, and also spinning around until he gets dizzy and falls over.

Cologne

After we enjoyed a great Thanksgiving meal gathered with some new friends in our dining room, we set out northward for another traveling adventure. This time we visited Cologne. We enjoyed seeing a few of the cathedrals, old markets, and housing areas. Cologne dates back to the 3rd century and has ruins from many different eras. It was fascinating! We also went to a chocolate museum and factory. Nathaniel enjoyed the free samples from the chocolate fountain. He asked and signed for "more snacks" for the rest of the trip throughout the museum. A free chocolate fountain was clearly his idea of a good trip to a museum!

Dinner with Nathaniel

Some days are just messier than others! This dinner was particularly slimy and yummy. Nathaniel enjoyed it quite a bit, as you can see from this little video!

Nat's Christmas List

Some of you have been asking what Nathaniel wants for Christmas this year, so I thought I would generate a few ideas for those who are asking! It probably takes about 3 weeks for packages to arrive here during the holiday rush (remember you can use U.S. Priority Mail, no need for international postage expenses). Feel free to get creative, too, this is just an "ideas list."

So here's the list...
stacking/nesting cups
Nalgene Grip n Gulp Bottle (link)
board books (especially bible stories or those about vehicles)
DVDs (Baby Signing Time, PraiseBaby, Baby Einstein)
thick slipper/gripper socks
magnets (for play on the fridge)
wooden blocks (yes, like we all played with)
small chair (either a wood rocking chair (link), or mini IKEA Poang (link) as seen in the "Nat Playing" entry of our Blog)
Kelty back pack (for Dad to carry him on his back)

Mercedes Museum in Stuttgart

The Mercedes factory and museum are in Stuttgart (and nearby Porsche and Audi are also made)! Of course, Tom was eager to see this place. The museum was fascinating for Tom (and Nat said vroom-vroom a lot). There were hundreds vehicles, including the very first Mercedes and designs for future automobiles.

A Little History Lesson

While in southern Germany, we were able to see some beautiful pieces of history. We toured a cathedral in Ulm. This is the highest church steeple in the world! It is Gothic style (13th and 14th century architecture). We hiked up to and toured two famous castles - Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein. These 2 castles were built in the 19th century, and are filled with furniture and gifts from people in the kingdom of that period. King Ludwig II certainly had a vivid imagination and extravagant spending habits as seen in these castles.

Hiking in the Alps

During the last week of October and early November we took a trip to the Alps. It is only 5 hours from here - so when you come to visit we'd love to enjoy the mountains with you! Tom was attending an optometry continuing education program, and Nat and I went on little walks and hikes. When the weekend came, we all went adventuring. We took a bergbahn (cable car) up to the Alpspitz (one of the peaks) and hiked around at the top and back down again. The little farm towns are quaint and lovely. The cows and sheep roam the hills and wear bells around their necks. The hills are certainly alive with the sound of music! It was snowy and chilly up there, but the views were fantastic. Our God is an awesome creator!

Nat Playing

Our little Nat is growing so much these days! He enjoys playing around the house with things that are not toys, such as brooms, rubber tubs, and car keys. He recently enjoyed his first lollipop and tried to eat his own ice cream cone, both were very messy, but yummy adventures! Just this week (beginning of November) he's starting to talk. He has been signing for many months now, but now he's trying to copy our words. He also loves to make animal sounds - his favorites are lions roaring and dogs barking. He occasionally says German greetings. He wants to be independent and do everything by himself. It is a very exciting time for us to watch his developments into a toddler!

Heidelberg Castle

We checked out the Heidelberg Castle this past Monday (Columbus Day!) It is really cool, unfortunately it has been gradually destroyed in various battles and lighting storms in the last 800 years and has only been partially restored. What is even cooler is that it's only 30 minutes from our home! Enjoy the pictures of us and the historic castle and city!

New Home

Our apartment is not huge, but it's certainly comfortable and well-maintained. Here are a few shots of the outside and inside. Our unit's on the third floor in a 12-unit building. We even overlook a German farmhouse from our balcony to the West for beautiful sunsets. As you can see, Nat loves the balcony already. You should come check it out for yourselves!

OKTOBERFEST 2007

Yes, we decided to check out the world-famous Oktoberfest in downtown Muenchen (Munich), Germany, yesterday. This was obviously a long day of travel round trip, but Nat is a real trooper and did very well!

We sat in an outdoor Biergarten next to a very nice young German couple. There was an "oom-pah" band playing just inside. We ordered beer, wurst, sauerkraut, and spaetzle. The fest is a huge carnival with the added feature of many giant beer halls. At dusk we took a few pictures on the way out, we got back on the S-Bahn to the car and back on the Autobahn.

We might consider a return trip if any of you would like personal tour guides, however, there are probably nicer and more enjoyable things to see when you do come visit!

Yesterday's Day Trip

We drove to Worms which is 30 minutes away to see the cathedral and the Martin Luther Monument. We also had a great meal in a fancy cafe and enjoyed the sights. This was our first real adventure out in the car; we only got a little lost! Tom especially enjoyed the Autobahn! Our day wrapped up with a trip to IKEA (yes, and it's about 15 minutes away from home)!