Catching up ... again

Finally I got to post the pictures from Gabriel's birthday and Leland & his motorcycle gang. Let's see what else went on the last week before I go to crawl in my bed after only a couple hours of sleep last night.

Monday morning we had Easter brunch with all the kids at Soren's playgroup and went to the party afterwards, so the last school free day of spring break passed quickly by. And the girls are already counting down the days to summer break.

The weekend before we took a look at a house to rent after deciding that we are not going to buy our own place right now. You never know what happens especially with the Army involved and just a few days later it comes true as always. So, we are staying in Texas, but after we are already more as 2 years in this place it's time to move on as always. Probably just in the next town looking at the address, but only a couple minutes from here. We will see and let you know if we actually pack up again and try to mark the box in which we pack the kids in. BUT of course the Army is messing with our plans.
We are ecstatic about that. OK - I am kidding.
But the Army is always changing plans so perhabs it works out for us for a change.

GOOD NEWS: I spent a lot of money today, and finally the passport application for Leland, Chiara and Soren are on their way. So perhabs there is a slight chance of summer vacation overseas??? I have absolutely if it will work out with everything that is going on here, but sometimes you never know and the quick decisions to go somewhere are often the best ones.

But if YOU want to make long term plans then you are very welcome to keep a weekend free in June - of course only if everything works out! Bring empty boxes with you and you can help packing and moving. I supply drinks and food. Or you can babysit when Soren gets tired of being packed in a box! LOL But usually he never gets tired of paper, so the wrapping paper will probably do.

Leland & his motorcycle gang

Actually being asked from Leland to take a picture of him (and his motorcycle) does pretty much never happen. He hates getting pictures taken and usually just makes a face and I am lucky getting one or two shots. LOL.

That's the one he asked for.

That's the one I love.

Of course all our rugrats show up and want to get a turn on the bike with Daddy.

Soren loves all the "shiny" parts on the bike and wants to touch it everywhere.

Eventually Leland had "enough" of smiling or just looking in the camera.

Gabriel's 1st Birthday Party!

After eating so much food on Easter Sunday, I still made a whole bunch of cupcakes for Gabriel's (Soren's best buddy)birthday party the next day. I managed to keep everybody elses hands of the cupcakes besides my own (pst - don't tell) and Bella was so sweet to share some of her orange reese m&ms for elmo's nose. She also insisted that I have to add the mouth the next morning. I really tried to get away without it.

Here is the little birthday boy Gabriel.

Gabriel & Mom

Soren is not mobil enough yet to enjoy all the bounce house, but loved to play in the toddler corner.

Here are the two buddies.

Isabell and Chiara had a blast playing there with friends and Chiara took me on one of those bouncy slides. It's actually a workout to get up there and high and pretty fast. I am not for heights. But Chiara was all happy and that's what counts.

Ostersonntag - Easter Sunday

'The not perfect Easter picture - but the best one out of all!'

Isn't Easter all about bunnies, chicks, eggs, chocolate, candy? No, not really. But the kids love it anyway and have a blast. Last year we had snow and skipped the egg hunt outside, this year, the weather forcast did not mentionen any snow, so we skipped the chocolate, which usually melts within minutes here because it is just to warm outside. But the weather was actually a little bit cool, which didn't stop us to BBQ with friends as every year.

OK - I have to admit that I had to chocolate bunnies for the girls, but when I pulled those out of the shopping bag you hardly recognized that they were supposed to resemble rabbits.

An Ostern geht es doch nur um die haeschen, Kueken, Eier, Schokolade, Suessigkeiten, oder nicht? Nein, nicht wirklich, Aber die Kinder lieben diese Zeit trotzdem und haben einen Riesen Spass. Letztes Jahr hat es doch sogar geschneit und wir haben die Eiersuche ausgelassen, dieses Jahr wurde kein Schnee vorhergesagt, somit haben wir die Schikolade ausgelassen, da dieser in minutenschnelle hier verlaufen ist, es ist einfach zu warm. Aber es war doch tatsaechlich relativ kuehl, das hielt uns aber nicht davon ab wie jedes Jahr mit Freunden zu grillen.

OK - Ich muss zugeben, dass ich fuer die Maedels je einen Schokoladenhasen gekauft habe, doch als ich diese aus der Einkaufstuete geholt habe, konnte man kaum noch erkennen dass das Hasen haetten sein sollen.



We were busy all morning preparing all the food, coloring eggs - Bella still has color on her hands even after lots and lots of scrubbing - Nicole, mark somewhere not to by THAT glitter egg dye again, because it sticks and sticks and sticks - we tried out a new German recipe for fresh little breads - yummy - even Leland AND the kids ate them all up.


Wir waren den ganzen vormittag beschaeftigt alles vorzubereiten, das Essen, Eier faerben - Bella hat jetzt noch Farbe an den Finger und sie hat sie x mal schrubben muessen - Nicole, merken fuer die Zukunft, NIMALS wieder diese Eier-Glitter-Faerbepackung kaufen, denn das Zeug klebt jetzt noch ueberall - wir haben auch ein neues deutsches Rezept ausprobiert und kleine Broetchen gebacken - yummy - sogar Leland UND die Kinder haben alle aufgegessen.


When our friends were over the grill got started, the kids played outside Badminton, running and chasing each other and Soren occupied the little slide and loved the gras. Afterwards some bunny spread eggs all over the front and back yard and Bella, Chiara and Stevie found every single egg. It was funny to see Stevie's face after he found out that the plastic eggs actually hold candy inside. The girls helped filling his pink basket and always called - Stevie come here, look there is another egg! LOL. Soren and Gabriel got a basket full of plastic eggs for themselves, those were just filled with animal crackers - trying to avoid the choking hazardous but beloved jelly beans - they cared less, just loved the colorful plastic eggs.



ALs unsere Freunde angekommen sind, hat Leland den Grill angeworfen und die Kinder draussen Badminton gespielt, fangen, ... Soren hat die kleine Rutsche in Beschlag genommen und liebt es i9m Gras zu sitzen. Danach hat irgendsolch ein Hase im ganzen garten Eier versteckt und Bella, Chiara und Stevie haben auch jedes gefunden. Es war witzig Stevies Gesichtsausdruck zu sehen als er herausgefunden hatte, dass die Plastikeier Suessigkeiten enthalten. Die Maedels haben fleissig geholfen auch seinen pinken Osterkorb zu fuellen und immer wieder gerufen, Stevie komm her, da ist ein Ostereier! LOL. Soren und Gabriel haben einen eigenen Osterkorb mit Eiern bekommen, die nur mit Animalcracker gefuellt waren - wir wollten halt die gefaehrlichen aber doch so schmackhaften Jelly Beans vermeiden - den beiden war das relativ egal, und haben sich mehr ueber die Plastikeier als ueber den Inhalt gefreut.

To see more pictures from sunday afternoon just follow the link.

Wenn ihr noch weitere Fotos von Ostern sehen moechtet, klickt einfach auf den Link.

Link - Oster/Easter Fotos

Frohe Ostern - Happy Easter!

Wir sind wieder zuhause! Und die Katze ist auch wieder da!

Es ist schoen wieder daheim zu sein. Ganz besonders nach der gestrigen Fahrt von Arkansas zurueck nach Texas.

Seit kurz nach der Ankunft in Arkansas, ging es Soren nicht besonders toll. Er hatte die ganze Zeit Temperature, war knatschig, hat nicht viel gegessen, wollte gar nicht mehr stillen und hat mehr und mehr roten Ausschlag im Gesicht und an den Beinen bekommen. Er "sabbert" auch wie verrueckt.

Wir sind nicht ganz sicher woran es liegt. Zahnt er schon wieder? Es ist nichts zu sehen. Hat er die naechste Mittelohrentzuendung? Oder Hunde-Allergie? Wir tippen auf das letzte. Denn seit wir zuhause sind geht es ihm so viel besser. Der Ausschlag geht zurueck, keine Temperatur mehr, kein Spucken mehr, er stillt wieder und hat auch so wieder mehr Appetit, spielt wieder und ist einfach wieder gluecklicher und zufrieden.

Auch Bella ist seit Mittwoch krank gewesen, hatte Fieber und hat fast den ganzen Tag geschlafen. Am Abend ging es ihr ein bisschen besser und wir haben alles ins Auto gepackt und uns auf den Weg nachhause gemacht. Dass die Fahrt zurueck natuerlich nicht so "toll" war, koennt ihr euch sicher vorstellen.

Mohrli, unser schwarzer Kater, ist am Samstagnachmittag Chiara durch die Beine gewischt und zur Terassentuer hinaus auf nimmerwiedersehen - er ist bis abends um elf nicht wieder aufgetaucht als nach AR abgefahren sind. Aniko, die nach unserem Haus, Pflanzen und Katzen gesehen hat, war immer wieder da um ihn reinzulassen, aber der Kerl ist nicht aufgetaucht. Unser Vincenzo war natuerlich mutterseelenallein in der Zeit.

Wir sind keine fuenf Minuten zuhause geht es MIAU, MIAU, MIAU und der Kater steht vor der Tuer. Er hat uns noch ein Weilchen zum Narren gehalten und ist wieder auf und davon, als wir die Tuer aufgemacht haben und hat in der Wiese hinter dem Zaun gesessen und MIAUt - lauthals. Aber beim dritten Mal kam er rein und sich viele Streicheleinheiten abgeholt.



It is really nice being back home, especially after the drive back from Arkansas yesterday.

Shortly after the arrival in Arkansas, Soren got sick. He had temperature, was extremely fussy and clingy with a few happy moments in between, didn't eat as much as usual, spitting up, didn't want to nurse much anymore or not at all and got more and more red rash and hives in his face and over his arms and legs. He is/was also slobbering like crazy.

We are not sure why or what the reasons are. Is he already teething again? Does have another ear infection? Or is he having allergic reactions to dog? We are guessing the last one, because since we are back he is doing soooo much better. The rash is getting less and less, no more temperature and he is eating and nursing more. He is playing more content again and has fun pulling Bella's hair and punching her. LOL

Wednesday Bella got sick, too, with temperature and being just miserable most of the day and sleeping. By the evening she was doing a little bit better and we packed the car up and drove home. You can imagine how the trip went!

The day we left for AR, Mohrli our black cat ran through Chiara's legs out the door and was gone. He didn't come back even it was time for us to leave. So our friend Aniko who took care of the house, plants and cats or in this case cat - was only one left - check so often to see if he finally showed up to come home and to let him inside. Nix, nada, niente - not one tail in sight. And left Vincenzo lonely while we were gone.

We are no five minutes back , you hear MIAU. Loud. And he shows up. He thought he has to play games and took off as soon as we opened the patio door anf sat in the high gras behind our fence and went MIAU. He did that a couple times, but finally came inside to get love and attention.

Alles Gute zum Geburtstag, Opa! - LIVE

Visiting More Family

Soren is meeting Uncle Michael and his family for the first time.

And is all smiles and silly with him right away. Must be the beard, because he liked Uncle Bob right away, too.

He is exploring Auntie Dawn in detail.

And has fun with his big cousin Katrina.

He also makes friends with Lucy who spent all night with him.

Lucy can't stop licking Isabell.

Chiara plays and chases Lucy for hours and does not get tired of it.

Soren and Katrina - who is closing his mouth first?

Lucy, Lucy, Lucy

Everybody is knocked out late night.

No pictures from yesterday

Soren is not feeling very well at all, has temperature and is throwing up. So he is very clingy, napping with me or Leland a lot (so he can't roll of the bed). He has a few happy moments, but lots of fussy ones, too. Tylenol is working for the temperature, but he has been glowing yesterday, so hopefully he is doing better today after he wakes up from his morning nap.

We had luck driving up here, it is raining, thundering and storming since yesterday non-stop. Wish us luck that we get a day break for our drive back home to Texas.

Grandpa Bissell

This is a very special photo right here for a few reasons

• nobody's head is cut off
• first photo of Soren with his grandpa
• a true Bissell picture with three "boys" from three generations
• Leland is almost smiling
• and it was hard to keep Chiara out of the picture LOL

So here is one from her with granpa and Soren.

I am sure we will take more pictures during our stay here.

Sunday dinner at Aunt Karen's house

We had a dinner invitation at Leland's aunt and uncle's house and also got the chance to see his cousin and his family there. The girls have seen their cousins Ausitin and Alex only once before when we stopped in Arkansas on the move from Massachusetts to Texas, but those four came along right away. That was really nice. So we had to to take pictures. But there was no way to line all those sillies up in a row, but they had more fun the other way and I like the pictures the way they are. LOL

- Bella, Chiara and Alex -

- Soren loved all the attention he got. -

- And he got hold of Austin tightly - look at the close up. -

It was nice to see everybody and that they all had a chance to meet Soren for the first time.

Roadtrip to Arkansas

Saturday morning Leland left on tour with his motorcycle group towards the south of while
the girls and me started getting ready for leaving over spring break. We started packing our bags with clothes, snacks and toys. It is amazing how much stuff you need for five people or better for four people and one baby boy.

Later on Leland got the car ready with fuel because I am always running on empty before we leave to go somewhere LOL. Hooked up the DVD player (life saver on every longer roadtrip) and
got all our stuff in the car plus stroller. The car is packed in every meaning of the word.

One last stop on post and we are ready to leave town at 11:30 pm. Chiara and Soren are already asleep minutes after starting driving. Bella was happily watching her movie and had no intentions ever going to sleep and never did when you ask her. Unfortunately I couldn't reach the camera at that time when shw was laying all over her sister totally knocked out.

The roads were pretty empty except right through Dallas with a few maniacs on the road there.

The kids slept almost all the way besides the last part of the way and we arrived by 8:30 am at Leland's parents' house and went to sleep for the next couple hours.

At Cici's with Sandra and Stevie

Sandra and Stevie are the first friends we made when we came to Texas in December 2005. Stevie was just 2 months old then. The girls adore Stevie and he loves the two of them. And now they are getting ready to move quite far away from here. So any chance we get we will get together with them and of course snap pictures as here at Cici's.

We will miss you.