17 years of Seth Part 1

On Seth's actual Birthday Paige and I woke him up in the morning with a plate full of Bacon cheese fries and a loud happy birthday song I am sure any 17 year old boy would love!

The He got dressed and spent his birthday afternoon our teaching with the missionaries. After all he has exactly 1 year before he is eligible to be doing their jobs!
One of the new members made dinner for all of them and they ate together at the church and sang happy birthday!

The next day Dan returned from an away assignment and we had Seth's birthday dinner. Bacon Burgers (inside the burger) with bacon and cheese. French fries and chiuawa dip.

Then we opened presents! The complete series of avatar!

What has been described as the animators bible

 And a blow dryer because his hair is just as important to him these days as anything else!

Peach cobler

Happy Birthday Seth Part 1 ..... oooh! Fun! Stay tuned!

Happy 21st Luana

This is what she walked into completely unaware of what was going on. Maybe they do not do surprise parties in Italy, or maybe it was because it was three days before her real birthday, or maybe we are just that sneaky, but all these people came to wish her a happy 21st birthday.

We had a theme of a few of Luana's favorite things :

Bright colors, Taco Bell tacos, Chocolate covered fruit, and rice-a roni

- Ahh the god things in life.

Also we told the guest her current goals were working on becoming a missionary and so gifts that could help her prepare would be highly appreciated.  Many people gave generously and she was  over whelmed and speechless!

So many people wanted to be a part of wishing her well on her birthday

Everyone enjoyed Luana's favorite foods

Happy 21st Luana! 

New Years Adam and Eve

Well Santa brought us tickets for New Years Adam ( He comes before Eve)

To go to Il Teatro San Carlo in down town Napoli

It is the oldest continuous running theater in the entire world!

It was beautiful!

Luana ended up going to a YSA conference in Rome and so we gave her ticket to Amy who is a mutual friend of both Seth and Paige and a really great kid to have around!

We saw the nut cracker ballet 

Dance of the sugar plum fairies

the ceiling

the orchestra

The Italians Like the Spaniards are great at fireworks and I plan on starting my hibernation later next year, but the fire works we could see (which were many) from our yard and the ones we set off in our own yard  (possibly meting our plastic lid of our utility cover- or not) were great and satisfying and Happy 2017 ish! 

Happy new year from the tough ballet gang!

Santa Came!

Honestly I wasn't sure if he would find us. We traveled so much before Christmas I was worried it would confuse him, and Part of our family is in AZ and another one is in El Salvador. That could really mess up those reindeer and their tracking skills. 

But he came through the Jolly Ol' elf found us and brought along a wonderful heart warming Christmas!

Gifts from Mema and Grandpa Ed were a big hit.
 We are so thankful for family far away that makes us feel closer on special days! 

Traditional Christmas eve gifts (Seth made Dad some P.j's)

Dan loved the Italian leather gloves I got them, he wore them with his P.J's all day!

 

Sweet story:

Dan and I got each other the same gift. We had been talking about how someday when we have grandkids we would like to have a tree with a train around it and I guess we both had the same idea about which train it should be!

Non- traditional treats since we are in a new country (natella pastry tree)

We went to Church in the morning and thats a lot more fun when you do not have babies at home. It was a beautiful service with such inspiring music and such a wonderful feel of the real reason for the season. Although these big kids did try to peak in the windows before church to spy and see if Santa came, but as I mentioned before, we all had our doubts!

Coming home and getting on our jimmies and gathering our blankets to head down the stairs to the un known was pretty fun and of course exciting to see the presents and the happy faces!

Gaming equioment

Tip: get a short tree, it makes the stack of presents look bigger! 

It also makes the child look like a giant!

Oh! I got one for him he didn't get for me! I guess that train will have a Christmas village too!

One of my favorite parts about this Christmas was Luana having her first ever Strode family Christmas. She was so grateful and amazed that she had been treated as one of the family and said she had never received so many gifts. I would be lying if I said there were no tears of joy on this morning.

Luggage for her mission and money to get her pass port ready 

Paige had asked us months before about 50 times day if we would take her to Milan to see the 21 pilots concert. My response was always the same: Ask dad

So I was shocked when she never mentioned Green day (Her most favorite band) coming to Milan in January. Well I think it was her most favorite present of all and she did mention about an hour later that her stomach still hurt from how excited she was!

Our favorite time of the day was when Logan and Parker called in and we chatted and talked about some fun Christmas presents they got (hmmm.. a trip to Italy this summer) And then Tori chimed into our call and we were able to have a three way call for about an hour where we laughed our heads off and made faces at each other and talked about how soon Tori will be home and about her fun times and then we suggested singing a song together (I thought christmas...) Dan picked once there was a snow man and that seemed about right!

Best tie ever!

Seth received a life time supply of Franks Buffalo sauce that will likely be gone by the end of the year. Look at his face enjoying that smell!

This years Birthday cake for Jesus was brought home by our newest family member and it looks just like the stable and tasted like alcohol like all Italian cakes do!

It was a sweet, happy Christmas!

Berlin

We got back from a trip to Berlin Just days before Christmas and there was much to do and so I apologize for the delay in blogging this adventure.

We traveled our old neck of the woods in Germany for a few days and visited many Christmas markets and had a ton of kinder punch before making our way to Berlin. We had never visited this city before and decided to spend a few days out walking around and seeing it.

An important thing to know about our adventure here is that as we drove into Berlin and found our hotel 2 KM away there was an attack on a christmas market. The Man had hijacked a truck and killed the driver, and then drove his truck into a crowded Christmas market where many people were shopping, eating and enjoying the wonderful decorations and this wonderful time of year.

12 people were killed in this attack and the criminal fled to Italy where he was killed in an attempt to apprehend him. 

This Christmas market wasn't one of the normal ones where you walk to the center of town and are secluded and surrounded by buildings, it was one that lined the busy street and anyone could have chosen to jump the curb and drive into the crowd. 

It was a terrible thing to have happen and I feel and pray for the comfort of the families who lost loved ones in particular so close to the family holidays. 

I would like to point out that the next day as we walked the streets of Berlin there was a somber feeling in the air but many Christmas market vendors were opening shop and people of the city and tourists were out shopping and walking and eating and having fun despite the fear.

I believe in my heart of heart that that is how Berlin Won that day. 

If I am ever killed in a bomb on a train or plane traveling in some far off country or mowed down by a terroist in a opener market in a small city in a strange country, I never want anyone to say " I sure wish she didn't travel so much" or " See she should have stayed home" I want you to say " She died doing what she loved and she never let the fear that others tried to instill get to her"

One open air market we went to had this super fun slide we all had to try!

With that being said , we had a great time in Berlin. I had such a different feel from the country side and old villages we are used to in Germany and I liked it. It was like most modern large cities and had many options for movies, malls and restaurants.

Battenburg gates

Check point Charlie

Paige standing between the two sides of the Berlin wall

We went to a video game museum and spent hours learning about the development and the technology of video games. It sure made Dan and I feel old because they had rooms designed like different eras (all eras we have lived through) and having the gaming system that went a long with that era. Seth enjoyed the parts that showed how video games have been used for therapy and other helpful things and is convinced that video games are the best invention ever.

Dan and Paige playing in the 1980's room that looks like something Ive been in and had the game I played on our first  gaming system ever.

Of course Christmas markets and lovely lights! Germans do Christmas right no matter what city you are in!