Opa is 60 and other happenings

Opa Harald turned 60 at the end of April, so we all went to Rostock to celebrate. It's a bit of a drive, to say the least, and we hadn't even made it out of Bavaria yet when we pulled off the infamous A9 Autobahn to have some lunch. There was an accident/traffic jam ahead, so we waited it out in some quiet little town. I think I could have sat in the sunshine drinking coffee there forever. :)

But we eventually all piled back into the car and left summery hot Bavaria for a much cooler and windier northern Germany, where we nevertheless had a lot of fun over the next few days.We celebrated with Opa, went to the beach and visited a bird park.

Aftermath. Lily slept and slept the day after the big party.

Ice cream woke her up, finally.

And look who stopped by for a visit the other morning!

Isn't she just A.D.O.R.A.B.L.E ?

And, last not least, project home improvement is finished for now. The new IKEA wardrobes were a real challenge, even for an engineer. Those sliding doors had to be assembled from scratch and it took us up to 3 hours per door. Getting them onto the wardrobe and working properly was actually the easy part. Now that everything is finished we love it. A place for everything and everything in its place.

The pictures were taken against the light coming in from the windows, so they don't do our room justice - the white furniture makes our bright room look even brighter now.

My new little reading spot.

The big shelf and lamp serve as room dividers.

Sometimes I even get to sit there and relax. Often, it looks like this, though.

Other changes: I packed up Sophie's room (sniff sniff)

and we got Lily a desk. She liked her new old room so much that she decided to move into it completely and not sleep in the bunk beds with Finn anymore.

One of our old wardrobes from upstairs got moved into the nook downstairs and holds our jackets and shoes now. The hallway looks so much tidier.

At least until the kids come home from Kindergarten. 

Pony Express

Lily and her little friends had a great party at the riding stable yesterday. Three fun-filled hours, and, best of all, Neil and I did NOT have a house and yard to clean up afterwards!

There was cake and cupcakes (Lily picked the Filly Fairy cake toppers), there were the ponies and the trail ride of course, a dog named Harriet who not only likes popcorn but also doesn't discriminate between real (pork) and fake (soy) sausages, there was the hugely popular swing set and wooden pig with a saddle under the huge chestnut tree, friendly people, tractors, the excitement when we discovered a broken-out horse on our trail ride (it was caught), there was the rain that stopped right when we needed it to, and a very happy 5-year-old girl and 6-year-old boy who fell into their beds after we got home and were not heard from again until the next morning.

Finn already told the friendly family who runs that stable to expect him and his birthday guests in late August. Since we are at the stable once a week for the kids' riding lessons I'm sure he will not let them forget. ☺

Dear Lily

♥

You are five now. Somehow, five seems so old. Definitely not a little girl anymore. 

A princess in pink and purple who loves to run and bike and ride a horse and inline skate. You are funny and smart and  courageous and really really LOUD and you can take your brother in a fist fight (sigh). You can be oh so sweet. And you can be oh so, not.  ☺

You are so loved, by so many. And by the One who matters most.

Happy Happy Birthday, princess.

P.S. And sometimes, when we walk somewhere, your small hand in mine, and you whisper: "Mama, I love YOU best of all," I have to pinch myself to make sure this is  real. I am so lucky to have you. Only, I call it blessed.

 

Lily had a wonderful birthday, with a party at her preschool and an afternoon picnic at the park with our English speaking friends. And she invited five of her best friends out to the barn for a Pony Party this Sunday. Stay tuned for more pictures!