Broken

Hanna started the new year with a bang!  The first Saturday in January she really wanted to go ice-skating. We had gone a few weeks before over Christmas Break at a Christmas Market in Strasbourg France, and earlier in the month with some friends from church, and she LOVES it!  So the big kids and I headed to K-Town to check out the local ice-skating German scene.  It was a fun day with lots of other ice-skaters having the same idea since the Germans were not back to school yet and still on winter break.  It was very crowded, but we still managed to play tag, have races, and I timed the kids as they went their fastest around the rink. 
It was almost time to leave, so Carter and Hanna decided to race one more time.  Two laps around while Mom watched for the winner.  They were off and both going as fast as they could and still maintaining their balance, weaving in and out of traffic around the rink they sped until they neared the finish line.  A fellow skater with good ice skating skills sped by and cut Hanna off.  He did not run her over, but he startled her enough that she lost her balance and fell back landing on her wrist trying to break her fall.  And break her fall it did. 
It was late Saturday night and we weren’t sure it was broken so we waited it out until the next morning.  When she still wasn’t using it and the swelling didn’t go down, I told Jared that he better take her in.  So on Sunday after sacrament meeting they went up to the hospital and got an X-ray.  Daddy read it and confirmed it was a simple “buckle” fracture NOT near the growth plate that should heal easily in a month’s time.  
The best part is what Hanna said about the whole thing, “ as soon as I get my cast off, I want to go ice-skating again”!  I love her go-getter-don’t-let-anything-stand-in-my-way attitude about life. 

Two days later Hanna got to miss School and go up to get her cast.  The first in our family……so we think its kind of novel and fun!  She picked BYU colors (only after learning the green was dark green and not lime green which would have been her first choice!)  She was so much happier to have this small lower arm cast compared to the large over sized splint and sling she had earlier.  She’s very independent and didn’t want much help with getting dressed.  

Of course no trip up to Landstuhl is complete w/o visiting Daddy’s office.  Jared lucked out with one of the nicer offices. Isn’t he the most handsome Radiologist?   (And I’m not just saying that……) 

A Merry Christmas Morning

The Christmas Line up of very excited kiddos!

Santa definitely came and brought an ipod touch for Carter, an American Girl desk for Hanna, a giant frog for Jake, a DS case for Josh, and lots of “Cars” Geo-tracks for Cole! 
   
Josh got lots and lots of Playmobil sets, this house to share with Jake, a western set, and a sail boat.

I love all the Christmas hugs…..they are one of my favorite parts of Christmas morning. Hugs after seeing someone happy from what you gave them.
  
 
The only tears shed on Christmas morning were from Cole because he didn’t get a fun robe like Jake and Josh.  He knew robes would be such a hit?  Jake and Josh love them.  They wear them nonstop!

We love those Aeble Skivers…..a tradition we borrowed from Dave and Sara’s family.  This year we found a new favorite:  Nutella stuffed pancakes.  We especially liked them with the chopped pecans and the Nutella.  Seriously yummy!  We also had the cinnamon apple ones and plain (which were not the favorite this year…the kids are growing up and want the filled ones).

Another flat Stephanie picture with Hanna and her treasures up above….and Carter with his ipod touch below.  

A quick family photo after church. 

Christmas Eve With the Johnsons

In all the years that we’ve been friends with the Johnsons, (15 and counting), we have never been together for Christmas Eve.  Even during medical school we were usually flying home spending time with family and not with each other.  So we were pretty excited to finally enjoy it together with them in our home.  They came up on Friday (Christmas Adam) and we quickly gave them their Christmas present which was a Spaetzle Press and then showed them how to make fresh Spaetzle.  We are not pros, but Jared did recently learn from his brother Dave and our brother in law Ryan who were here a month ago and showed him how.  Dave and Ryan both served missions in Germany.  After some Cheese Spaetzle and games, we ordered pizza from a nearby village (Weilerbach) and then headed out for the 7 pm showing of Sherlock Holmes and ran into half of our ward there!  We left  four very capable babysitters in charge back at the house namely: Carter, Hanna, Ryan, and Katie.  We had a great time at the show and Lisa and I bought some Polish Pottery at the BX from the line that she has helped me fall in love with! 

Christmas Eve day was spent in preparing for the big dinner and evening time activities.  There were games of Dominion, Christmas movies, Soccer games in the field across the street, Christmas BINGO and lots and lots of Christmas music constantly going on.  

Dinner was finally served around 3pm.  The menu consisted of turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, rolls, candied yams, cranberry sauce, green salad, pretzel jello, orange jello, pickles and olives.  So glad to have split the meal between two families, it made the prep so much easier! 
The crazy kid table below was lots of fun!  We used our Christmas plates that I purchased last year on clearance after Christmas.  I still LOVE them!  The kids had fun picking which one to eat off of.  (Santa, Snowman, Reindeer, or Tree) 

This is our advent wreath…a very German tradition.  They LOVE to countdown to the big day in lots of different ways!  The four candles countdown the four Sundays before the big day.  So you light one each Sunday and then add another the next week until all four are lit before Christmas day.  I decided to light it one last time for our big Christmas dinner. 

After dinner was cleaned up, we started in on the family traditions.  The Johnsons, always decorate sugar cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve.  Great idea….we were really happy to join in and sample some ourselves! 

Our tradition is to act out the Nativity story while our Dad reads it.  Josh and Megan were happy to be Mary and Joseph this year.  Carter, Ryan and Luke were Wisemen, Hanna was a sheep, Emily the Angel, Jake and Katie were shepherds, and Cole was some other farm animal.  We always have to have another family to help us with this tradition!  Ta-Da!  Another great show.

After the Nativity, we played Christmas Carols on the bell Chimes which the kids were really good at!  We took some family pictures and the Johnsons hit the road so they could get snuggled in their beds for Santa to come.  We continued on with our tradition which includes opening one gift which usually is new jammies!  This year each kid got a little something with it.  Carter, Jake and Josh got Halo lego guys, Cole got “Blue Mater”, and Hanna got a girl playmobil character.  
   
I have a crazy obsession with Christmas jammies!  I started shopping in early November and found these for the little boys.  (Soo dang cute from Gymboree!)  Then I looked all over and finally found the shirts for the big boys ant Kohls and the bottoms at Target.  Hanna’s shirt was from Target too, and her pants were from Walmart.  I know it seems like a lot of work, but I love it…and I like to make them match and figure something out for Hanna with in the theme, but that is still girly.   

I love all the excitement in the air!  After reading The Night Before Christmas, we said prayers and hopped into bed.  We also left some cookies and milk out for Santa.