Fall Break; Part 2 (Germany)

After 2 full days on the road & 2 days in Polish cities, we went to Berlin. We've spent significant time traveling in Germany, but most of it has been in the western half of the country since that's where our friend, Sabine, and her parents live. Sabine lived with Kim's family in Michigan during our senior year of high school (1991-1992)when she was an exchange student (wish I had an electronic photo to show you of those days). We've stayed in close touch ever since, including me going to Sabine's family's home to visit in 1994 & again in 1997 in their tiny village of Lamersdorf, near Koln. Sabine's wonderful parents, Hedweg & Josef, have adopted me as their American daughter, much like my parents have done with Sabine. Our families have a wonderful bond.

Our original plans were to drive all the way to Lamersdorf to visit, since it's been since 2004 since we have been there. But since it would require another 7-hour day of driving, we asked if Sabine & her parents would be willing to come & meet us in Berlin instead. They happily agreed.
In March, Sabine had her 1st baby, a daughter: Antonia, who we were excited to meet. They were also excited to meet Isak. We spent a wonderful 2 days with them: the first exploring Berlin & the 2nd at the Berlin Zoo. Berlin is an amazing city with an extraordinarily dramatic & very recent history. In fact tomorrow (Nov. 9) is the 20 year celebration of the fall of the Berlin wall & Germany's unification. Only 20 years ago!!! That was just a couple years before Sabine came to live in the States with us. Being there to see what has developed in the last 20 years was fantastic. We'd love to go back & spend more time.

At the Brandenburg Gates: which used to be a check point to go from East to West

This brick path runs through the city to show where the Berlin wall used to stand.

In front of the Parliment building - we got to go in the globe on top & had an audio tour of what we could see of the city: an impressive view!

Sabine, Hedwig & Josef in the Holocaust Memorial

The Berlin Zoo was also a great experience. They claim to have the highest number of species than any zoo in the world! It was certainly an impresseive zoo & very fun for Ieva.

Such a great time with such great friends!

Fall Break; Part 1 (Poland)

Last week was fall break at LCC International University. Since we didn't go anywhere over the summer we decided it was time to get out of Klaipeda. And since we have a car now, we thought a road trip would be a fun way to do it!

So we decided to do this loop:

It started here in Klaipeda, went through Poland, up the north eastern side of Germany and then brought a car ferry back across the Baltic Sea to Klaipeda again. It was a total of 1,630 kilometers (1013 miles) on the road.

Our 1st day's drive took us to the capital city of Poland: Warsaw. We've been there a number of times before, but only for transit -- never to explore. We spent 2 nights in an apartment in the heart of the city's old town & spent the entire day checking it out.

Ieva in Warsaw's Castle Square

Part of the castle wall around Old Town Warsaw

A horse-drawn carriage in Warsaw's Market Square

breakfast of fresh Polish doughnuts at an old town cafe - yum!

After our 7-hour drive to Warsaw & a full day there, we drove another 7 hours to Boleslawiec on the western border, the home of the famous Polish Pottery. Again, as in Warsaw, we spent 2 nights & one day there exploring.

Boleslawiec doesn't have much going for it outside of this amazing industry of Polish Pottery. Nearly every roundabout in the city has a display like this one. This pottery is sold throughout Poland & in many places throughout the world (google "polish pottery" & you'll find loads of American sites that sell it), but buying it here -- directly from the factories who make it -- is the cheapest way to do it. It's all hand-painted & there are hundreds of designs. We had a fun day checking out the factories where it was made and of course, had to bring some home!

We ended our time in Poland with a side trip to the Polkawice Aqua Park! After dragging Ieva through pottery shops the day before, we wanted to give her something she could enjoy. Isak seemed to like it too!

Then, on to Berlin!

A wonderful month with Ama & Grandpa Buz

We had the blessing of Kim's parents coming to Lithuania to be with us for 5 weeks! Now that we have a spare bedroom & an extra bathroom, we had plenty of space so we were all comfortable here together. The best part was all the time they got with the kids -- they are the first family to meet Isak! And it wasn't until their 2nd week here when someone at LCC asked me if we had them come specifically to help us during the busy start of the new academic year that I realized how perfect the timing of their visit really was. With my (Kim's) new job as Vice President of Student Life, the start of the year was incredibly busy & demanded long hours at LCC. Having my folks at home with the kids & then coming home to a home-cooked meal from mom each evening was a tremendous gift!!

Some of the special events Ama & Grandpa Buz were here for:

• the start of Ieva's 2nd year of preschool
• the start of LCC's academic year
• Isak started to smile often, started holding his head up & babbling a lot
• Ieva's 4th birthday
• the re-start (after a summer break) of our church, the International Christian Fellowship
• Isak's baby dedication in our church
• the start-up of a ladies Bible study that my mom attended with me
  

It was a WONDERFUL 5 weeks together!

September 1st - the first day of school at the celebration in author's square

In Kim's office

His shirt says "That's it! I'm calling Grandma!" :)

The beautiful flowers we got at the market

An armload of love

The quilt Ama made (one of her 1st!)

playing in Sculpture Park

Ama was really good at getting Isak to smile!

Looking all grown up...in Mama's shoes

the kiddos

fun with Grandpa

Corn-holing with Sophie & Dad at LCC's Community Day celebration

double zonked

enjoying one of the last sunny & warm days at an outdoor cafe

Ieva & Grandpa watching the Intercultural Olympics at the velodrome

feeding birds from the ferry with Erik & Becky Johnson on the way to Nida

all smiles

playing together

Happy 4th birthday, Ievute!

starting the wallpaper project in Ieva's room (which ended with the insulation & drywall being replaced due to wetness & mold!)

Steve Dintaman led Isak's dedication

at the International Christian Fellowship after the dedication

apple picking in the Dinatman's yard

Ieva turns 4

Last Friday, September 25th, was Ieva's 4th birthday. Where has the time gone? Having baby Isak to compare to now makes her seem even taller & more grown up. She's as smart & as strong-willed as she can be. She loves to sing & dance & draw & paint. She can write her name already! Where has the time gone? But this blog isn't a lament of time lost, it's a celebration of another great year passed & the anticipation of another great year ahead.

It's been really special for Ieva to have her Ama & Grandpa Buz here with us this month, and especially to have them celebrate her birthday with her. On Friday she took birthday muffins to the kids in her preschool, and then had a family birthday dinner at home that evening. We gave her family presents -- the best being the pink scooter from Ama & Grandpa -- just what she's been asking for! But she was also thrilled that Ama & Grandpa hand-delivered presents from her cousin Eli & Grand Aunt Shelley as well!

Thanks for the Madeline books, Aunt Shelley!

On Saturday afternoon we had a party at an indoor play area in a mall. We've never gone this route before, but since many of Ieva's friends are pretty high energy kids, we thought it would be the safest & most low-stress option. And I'm SOLD!! The place was fabulous! It had a big carpeted room with an play structure and 2 small party rooms on the side. We could order-in pizza and then we brought our own cupcakes & juice. The place decorated our room with balloons & colored flowers all over the walls! Ieva & her 6 friends played their hearts out for an hour while the parents happily sat & chatted. After two hours, the kids were exhausted, we were all stuffed on pizza & cupcakes and we came back home to an un-touched apartment. It was a fantastic party -- for both kids & parents!

Ama & Grandpa Buz outside the party room. Notice the nice blue booties all the grown-ups had to wear over their shoes?

Pizza in the party room - yum!

Isak got to sit up in the front of the stroller for the 1st time to watch the action!

The party crew: Charlotte, David, Ieva, Sophie, Sonshyne, Hevenlee & Erik

Happy Birthday, Ievute!