Christmas Eve

(Click on pictures to enlarge)

Jeff, Lily and I had a great Christmas Eve. We woke up and enjoyed some of Jeff's delicious pancakes and then lounged around the house just relaxing. Unfortunately, we still don't have any snow here in Germany, but there was a beautiful, white frost blanketing everything Christmas Eve morning. It at least looked like a Winter Wonderland.

After stuffing our belly's with pancakes and bacon, we let Lily open one gift a day early, her MagnaDoodle. She had been patient all month, but was so excited to finally rip into a present. The gift was wrapped in Dora the Explorer paper and she shouted "Bye Bye Dora" every time she ripped a piece off. The MagnaDoodle was a big hit and it kept her and Daddy busy most of the day while I did a little cleaning.

Later that evening we attended a dinner at King Palace Restaurant in Vaihingen with some friends at Jeff's work. It was a big event, with over 50 guests. It was a little different to be celebrating Christmas Eve at a Chinese Restaurant, in Germany, but we Prager's like to spice things up! We really enjoyed ourselves and were thankful to just be together as a family. So many other military families aren't as lucky. The appetizers and food took QUITE a while to come out of the kitchen, as the restaurant was very busy. Lily did so well waiting for dinner to arrive. She colored, played with her toys and ate some extra food we had brought for her, she was such a trooper. The food finally started coming about two hours after we arrived (we were all starving), but it was worth the wait. We enjoyed roast duck, rice, two different beef platters, lo mien, sweet and sour pork and much more. The meal was eight courses, however we only made it through about six before we decided to head home. It was already 8:45 and we didn't want Lily to be cranky on Christmas day. Besides, we really couldn't have eaten another bite! I'm sure Lily's favorite part of the evening was admiring the fish in the pond with Daddy. She was so excited with all the "fishies" swimming around she wanted to climb into the water. There was a big tree next to the pond so she was truly in her glory!

We arrived home around 9:15 and tucked our tired little angel into bed. Jeff and I were so anxious to go downstairs and prepare the house for Christmas morning. Jeff went straight to work assembling Lily's new kitchen, while I filled the stockings. Even Kastor and Kody stocking's were bursting.

When we were finished being elves Jeff and I just relaxed with some hot cider and snuggled on the couch listening to Christmas music. I think we were more excited for Santa to come than Lily.

Celebrating the Holidays With Friends

December 22nd: Jeff, Lily and I attended a Christmas party held at our friend's Brent and Diana's house. We all brought an appetizer and a gift and came to celebrate the season. Lily had a fantastic time, as all her friends were there to play with. We arrived at around 6:00 and the kids played together in Jacob's playroom until almost 8:00. All of the adults ate, drank and just socialized. It was a very relaxing atmosphere. After the kids all went to bed, we played a fun game to exchange our gifts. Brent read a Christmas story and every time he read the word "right"or "left" we had to pass our gifts. After several (and I mean several) passes to the right and left, I ended up with a beautiful German Advent truck. Thanks Diana!! We stayed until almost 11:30 eating, drinking and laughing with our friends. When you have to be away from your family at the holidays, it nice to have such special friends to share Christmas with. Thanks Diana and Beth for hosting such an enjoyable evening. (Click on the smaller pictures for larger view)

4.5 Months!

On December 21st we had another OB appointment. Dr. Voss said that things looked good with the baby and with me. When she did the ultrasound the baby was sleeping so she had to wiggle my belly around to wake her/him up. Still no news on pink or blue, but we're hoping to find out at our January visit. The ultrasound picture is a big smile from Baby P2. The ultrasound is a 17 week picture, but I am rapidly approaching 19 weeks. I can hardly believe that I'm half way through this pregnancy. I finally have stopped feeling nauseous....THANK GOD!!! However, I have been struggling with some pretty bad headaches. I guess if it's not one thing, it's another. I have also attached a picture of me at 4.5 months. I am gaining weight light crazy. I have already gained 11 pounds. I guess all the holiday eating is catching up with me. Oh well....I guess I'll enjoy some guiltless eating while I can. I'll be sure to post another update after our January appointment. We should have lots of pictures, as it is a milestone appointment and the doc will be doing lots of measurements. (Click to enlarge photo)

Last, But Not Least!

Happy Birthday Grammie! We love and miss you very much. Have a great day today. Try not to work too hard.

NO REALLY, I'M 2 TODAY!

Let the monster birthday month continue!! Happy 2nd Birthday Samuel! We hope you have a fun day today. We love and miss you very much sweetie!

Little Artist

A note from Lily: Thanks Amanda and Case for my GRRRRREAT gift! I love my tub crayons. (Thanks to Addie too, I'll be trying yours out soon.) I really love coloring and drawing all over my bath tub. Mama and Dada says my numbers and letters are coming along nicely. I love that I can even draw on myself too. These crayons make my bath even more fun....if you can believe it. What do you all think of my Holiday art? Hee, hee hee.....Love, Lily

Happy Birthday Linda!

Happy Birthday Gammie!!! Have a great day today! We love and miss you very much!

Bernie's Breakfast Coffee

December 18th: Bernie invited all the gals over to her house for a Christmas Coffee. It was such a wonderful morning just hanging out, listening to Christmas music, watching the kids play and enjoying good company. Bernie out did herself with a beautiful and delicious spread of food. We all ate, drank and truly soaked up the Christmas spirit. The special surprise, our friend Dawn sent us all goodies from the States so we were all were able to open a few gifts a little early. Lily and I especially loved our goodies....THANKS so much Dawn!! We hope you had a wonderful holiday in North Dakota. Also, thanks to Bernie for hosting such a nice breakfast.

A Cool Winter's Day

This weekend has been a nice relaxing weekend. I will reiterate how wonderful it is to have all our shopping done and packages in the mail. It's nice to just soak in the Christmas cheer and spend time with my two sweeties. We had some friends over for dinner Saturday night and then just had a cozy Sunday at home. We watched Elf and Polar Express and took a nice walk. Not too much to say besides how much I LOVE this time of year. Admiring the Christmas tree lights, playing Christmas music, bundling up from the cold and listening to Lily talk about Frosty and Santa are by far some of my favorite moments. Besides, I just wanted an excuse to post some pictures too. We have three holiday party's next week and an OB appointment so I'll be sure to post again soon.











I love taking walks with Kastor, Mama and Daddy!!

Some Holiday Cheer!

Click on the link below for some Holiday Cheer! Make sure your sound is turned up. We hope you are all enjoying the season....

http://badaboo.free.fr/merryxmas.swf

The BIG 3!!

Happy Birthday Cailyn!! We love and miss you so much. We hope you have a great day today with Mommy and Daddy. Enjoy your party tomorrow, we wish could we be there celebrating with you.

Happy Birthday Lee!

Happy Belated Birthday Gampie!!! We hope you had a great day yesterday!!

Gammie and Gampie's Visit!

Lee and Linda arrived Monday morning, December 4th. Lily and I picked Linda up at the airport and Lee headed off to work. We had a great day hanging at the house and getting caught up. Lily loved showing Gammie her "tree" and all her toys. She especially loved sitting and coloring with her. Monday night Gampie and Daddy took over, while Linda and I headed out for some holiday Bunco. We had such a great time. There was SO much delicious food, holiday music, fun game time and of course, wonderful company. Linda and I both did really well. Linda, a first timer, came in with the third highest score. She won a beautiful Christmas table runner. Although she had only slept a few hours in the previous 24 hours, she was a real trooper. On Tuesday Jeff, Linda, Lily and I headed down town to Stuttgart and introduced Linda to a traditional German Christmas Market. We shopped, ate brats, pommes and crepes and drank gluwein. It was a beautiful day so we all really loved being outside and enjoying the festivities. That evening we celebrated Lee and Linda's 29th birthday's with a Lemon Herb Chicken ring, chocolate cake, presents and a few games of Euchre. Earlier that evening Lily received her first music lesson from Gampie....too cute!!!
On Wednesday we had another relaxing day at home. The weather was rainy so Linda decided it was a great time to give Kastor a little grooming. He hadn't had a trim since her April visit, so he was long overdue. He looks really great, thanks Linda! Jeff also brought Linda to Ritter Sport Chocolate Factory so she could stock up on goodies to take home. That evening we played with Lily and had a nice dinner. After dinner Jeff and I helped Linda set up her very OWN blog...ask Linda for details!!
Thursday morning Lily and I brought Linda to Kindermusik. It was so nice that someone could witness how busy my child his. Lily and Gammie had a great time singing and dancing together.
Thursday night we went to our favorite restaurant, La Piazza. We all had lots of yummy food, delicious wine (none for me) and Lee got to speak some Italian with the owner, Antonio. We of course had to come home and squeeze in one last game of Euchre. We also planned our Tuscany trip next Spring. We had a wonderful week, Lily especially loved time with Gammie and Gampie. We just wish we all lived a little closer. The good news... Spring will be here soon and they'll be back. Thanks for making our holidays so special Gammie and Gampie!!

Over Due Ultrasound Pictures

Here are some ultrasound pictures from November 22nd. The baby is 13 weeks here and looking great. I am now 15 weeks, I just wanted to send out the pictures before our next visit on December 21st. The doc said the baby was big, so I guess that explains my 5.5 pound weight gain this month. Oh well...it is the holidays after all. I am still suffering from some nausea, but I am hoping that it passes soon now that I am out of the first trimester. It's definitely not as bad as it was a month ago, so I am thankful for that! We are planning to find out the sex of the baby, but that most likely won't happen until our January visit. As far as a name....you'll all have to wait until June. Besides, we haven't even picked one yet!! No real cravings, just my usual large sweet tooth! All food is still tasting a little funny and I am having a few food aversions. However, even with all my uncomfortableness, I am still so thrilled to be experiencing the miracle of life again.

The Big Guy!

December 1, 2006: Last weekend we took Lily to the annual Winterfest on Patch Barracks. They had lots of decorations, food, children singing Christmas carols and the famous tree lighting. The weather was mild so Jeff, Lily, Kim and I walked around and enjoyed the Christmas festivities. The most exciting part of the evening....Lily meeting the "big guy". She was a little overwhelmed meeting Santa, but no tears. She really wasn't thrilled to be sitting on his lap, but she amused us long enough to snap some pictures. We ended the evening with a yummy Italian dinner at La Rose and keeping our kiddo out way past her bedtime.

O' Christmas Tree

This year we decorated the tree a little later than usual because we were in Venice over Thanksgiving weekend. It was so hard for me to wait an entire week to put up the tree, but with Jeff's work schedule and Lily's bedtime, we knew Saturday would be the best day to decorate. So....on December 2nd all the boxes came in and the fun began. We put on the Christmas music and started decorating the house with Santas, candles, snowmen and lots of other festive items. The tree was the most exciting, as Lily was so filled with Christmas spirit. She was so excited about every ornament...especially any with "SAN-TAH" on them. She loved stringing the beads with Daddy and digging in the ornaments. Her favorite part of the night was when Jeff turned on the lights. She said, "wow" and then proceed to say "tree" several times. She hasn't stopped shouting Santa and tree since we put up the decorations.

The tree has been up for a week now and after a few discussions, Lily seems to understand that the ornaments are meant for the tree and not her toy box. However, she loves running up to the tree and pointing out "San-tah" and telling anyone who will listen about her "tree". We have placed her presents under the tree and she is excited about the colorful wrapping and ribbons. Jeff and I are so anxious to wake up Christmas morning and sit around the tree in our pj's. Watching Lily open gifts and run around Christmas morning, will be the highlight of our holiday. Let's just hope Lily (and I) can make it three more weeks with out ripping into a few of the packages! Happy Holidays everyone!

Thanksgiving in Venezia!

Jeff arrived home from his business trip Wednesday the 22nd just in time to rearrange his suitcase for our trip to Italy. Our flight to Venice left at 8:40 Thanksgiving morning. It was a quick 40 minute flight, a 25 minute bus ride and a 20 minute water bus ride and we arrived at the beautiful San Marco Pier in Venice. The trip was pretty uneventful, except for my leaving the directions to the hotel on the water bus. Luckily I remembered the name of the hotel and Jeff had a sense of the location. We actually only had to ask three different locals for directions. The hotel room was amazing.... marble floors, flat screen TV and a jetted tub. We were in heaven with all the amenities. We left the hotel a little after one and had some pizza and cappuccino for lunch. Then we walked a few blocks from our hotel to the beautiful Piazza San Marco (St. Mark's Square). Lily was absolutely overwhelmed with all the "quack quacks", a.k.a. pigeons. The Square and the Basilica were breath taking. It was another pinch me moment for me and Jeff. After the square we navigated our way through the many narrow streets and canals of Venice. We did some shopping, enjoyed some delicious chocolate gelato and then visited the famous Rialto Bridge. It was a relaxing day and Lily was a dream. She took two separate naps in her stroller, which gave Jeff and I a more "romantic” feel to the city. Thanksgiving evening was spent enjoying take out and bubble baths back at the hotel room. We talked to all our family back in the States and missed the smells of turkey and stuffing (but just a little); after all, we were enjoying the beautiful sights and sounds of Venice. Friday was another day of navigating the canals and taking in the sights. We toured the inside of St. Mark's Basilica, did a quick run through the Palazzo Ducale (Doge's Palace Museum) and enjoyed a relaxing gondola ride down the grand canal all before our lunch at McD's! After lunch Lily napped while Jeff and I sat at a cafe and enjoyed more cappuccino and hot chocolate. We did some more shopping (I had to get another leather bag!) and then we crossed over the Rialto Bridge for some more sight seeing. We ended our day letting Lily chasing the "quack quacks" around the square again. Jeff and I are sure the pigeons were the highlight of Lily's trip. That evening we had a "romantic" dinner at Galileo's. Well, as romantic as a dinner can be with a 19 month old coloring on the table cloth. We had some yummy pasta and dessert and then headed back to the hotel to relax. Lily had her first experience with the bubble bath and she loved it!! She couldn't get enough of laying and splashing while the bubbles came up around her! Saturday we had lazy morning getting everything packed up. We checked out of the hotel and took one last stroll around the city to take in some last minute views of the Grand Canal and beautiful Italian architecture. The weather cooperated all weekend, so we were able to sit outside at a little cafe on the Grand Canal for lunch. It was a nice way to wrap up our wonderful trip to Venice. Another amazing travel adventure under our belts!