Hocking Reunion

Towards the end or our stay we got to spend time with my side of the family. Everyone was able to come into Raleigh, even my grandparents came to visit with us for a short time. Evan and Liam became instant friends and loved playing with the train set. We greatly enjoyed being able to meet the newest family members, Lilia and Eli, as well as catch up with everyone. We also had great adventures and made instant memories we will cherish.

Sovereign Reunion

Our Sovereign reunion started off in Ponce Inlet, Florida with Mark's parents. The kids discovered the thrill and joy of playing in the ocean and splashing in the pool. We started off our vacation with much relaxation before heading into Raleigh.
It was great to see all the family. Layne and Liam were thrilled to see their cousins, Caedmon and Abigail. They really enjoyed playing with each other and being silly and goofy every chance they got to. Cole and Luke were fun to interact with and just adorable. There were many fun activities that we took part in and we enjoyed our time with family.

Back in Germany

Wow!! What an absolutely fun and enjoyable vacation back in the States. It was such a blessing to see all family members from both sides of the family. It was also a plus to get together with some friends as well.

Right now, the whole family is recovering from jet lag and getting much needed sleep. I got 5 hours of uninterrupted sleep which was wonderful. (I have been getting interrupted sleep (kids, bathroom visits, etc.) for the last several months, so it was a much needed rest). Of course, I would have loved more sleep, but maybe in the days to follow.

Once I get my camera sent to me, I will post some pictures and add stories about the trip. Thank you to all for a very important vacation for our entire family. We had a blast!!!

School is OUT-Summer Vacation is Here

School ended on June 11. The kids are very excited that school is over and that summer vacation is here. Actually stateside vacation starts on Tuesday night and we are very excited. You will probably not see a post from me until mid-July when we return.

Layne enjoyed her first grade school year. She enjoyed being with her friends and learning more german, german culture, and typical first grade stuff. She will no longer be a part of the German Immersion class starting 2nd grade. The german portion was keeping her from learning at the level she needed to be at in reading and although she will miss the German class, she is ready for the change.

Liam had a very successful pre-kindergarten school year in the Montessori program. He will start the Kindergarten curriculum with the Montessori school this fall. He made many new friendships, though most of those friends will be gone when he starts in September, but I know he will quickly make new friends. He really loves going to school and learning. His favorite time is dancing and singing in the morning.

Clown fun at Spring Carnival

Liam's school had a Spring Carnival to raise some funds and they had a clown act come for entertainment. It was the same clown act we had used for Layne's 6th birthday. Brenne was fascinated by the large Scooby dog, but especially loved trying to catch bubbles.

I made some cute and fun cupcakes for the kids. I think they turned out great and everyone was impressed.

Fun at the Fountain

Our little town of Steinbach has a large bus stop area with a water fountain. One weekend, it was nice and warm out, so we walked to the bus stop and grabbed a few snacks from the local german bakery (YUM YUM) and played around the fountain. We played chase and put our hands and even heads under the water stream. The kids had a blast.

Flower craft

There were many things to do for Teacher Appreciation week at Layne's school this week. On Tuesday, she was to give her teacher a small gift, flowers, or card. Layne made handprint lilies we saw in Family Fun magazine. We placed them in a clear plastic cup filled with tissue paper and tied a simple ribbon around the cup. The teacher absolutely loved them. I thought they turned out really well.