The day is at its close. Ellen and David's boots wait for them by the door. His school bag is packed and ready for morning. Good night!

Ellen made this candle holder for a tea light. It is the cat's pajamas!

SUPPER TIME!

I'm about to be called to the table for supper, but I decided to post a quick update before we eat. Tonight Annette is baking chicken for our family and our guests - visiting American Baptist missionaries - father, mother, and daughter. They came to meet me tonight before they return home to the states for the holiday. Fun to meet Dan's friends. While I sit on the sofa typing this for you, I am listening to the guys have a conversation about one of Dan's antique German books. The ladies are hiding out in the kitchen, and the kids are stowed away in a bedroom, I think.

David and I had the best time playing Legos. Dan came in from work - EARLY: HOORAY! - just as we were about to start playing. He doesn't enjoy building the models, but he likes to sort the pieces, so he sat in the floor sorting while Dave and I built a castle.

We didn't quite finish before Ellen and Annette returned home. Then we hopped in the car to run to the market for last minute ingredients for supper. What a beautiful village they have! Time for supper, so more on that and some new pictures later...

Some of the decorations in the dining room...

Look who greeted me at the front door!

"O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum, wie treu sind deine Blatter. Du grünst nicht nur zur Sommerzeit, nein auch im Winter wenn es schneit. O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum, wie treu sind deine Blatter."

Ellen and her friends made these pretty paper stars!

Dan sounds just like our daddy, "Keep that fridge door closed!" I opened it just for a sec to show you how tiny it is. It's sitting on a cabinet (You thought it was the rest of the fridge, didn't you?)

From David's window, I can see right into the other school building's windows and watch the kids going through their lessons...

David's room is so cool!

Friendly snowmen standing gaurd on the kitchen sill.

Look at the treats waiting for me on my bedside table when I arrived - my favorite chocolate, an advent calendar, card, and beautiful stars!

A "corkscrew" branch suspended from the kitchen ceiling is decorated with felt stars...

All that's left this morning of Dave's cake. It was great!

The view from the kitchen window. The village is just down the road. A cobblestone drive leads through the trees to the apartment building...

I'M FINALLY HERE!

I'm in Germany! I arrived happy and healthy. No problems in customs. They stopped the woman in front of me and took her to a separate room to search her bags, but they waved me on. I walked through the doors and into Daniel and Ellen's waiting arms. Dan told me they prayed for an easy arrival.

Yesterday (the 14th) Annette prepared a light supper of BLT’s with fresh veggies and chips. But the real treat was baked by David - his very first cake - a lemon pound cake with drizzled icing. He followed the recipe and made it himself without help! Way to go, Dave!

Their apartment is WAY bigger than I expected it to be, but also very cozy. Because it’s in the upper story of an old school, some of the rooms have slanted ceilings, but most of them are high. It’s filled with great architectural details like wooden ceilings and glass doors. There’s even a cool winding attic stairway hidden behind a door. The building was used as a home for Hitler Youth during the war, but it’s now being used as classrooms and apartments.

The view from their windows is spectacular! The weather is mild but crisp. The forecast predicts snow soon! I’ll keep you posted.

Tonight will be a late night for most of the family, but David will be home from school soon, giving us some nephew/uncle Lego time! I’m staying in today - no adventures on my own until I get my bearings a little better.

Enjoy the pictures! Email or leave a comment if you have questions or feel inspired.