More building and helping an apartment
become a home.

So many swans we couldn't count them. Some of us love swans!

I couldn't wait until we got home and cut off the hair. Elder Lee got a
haircut, too, but not as much fell on the floor.

It's always so much fun to look back at the week and see what we have done. Most are trivial but they are adding up to some great memories and fantastic experiences. Today we talked about what we missed from home - family, friends, our house, our neighborhood, the weather, walks by the Columbia River,  Zips, Dairy Queen; and then we talked about what we will miss from here - friends, our apartment, Thuringer Sausages, ice cream on every corner, hikes, the weather, activities with Young Single Adults, castles, the strength of the members, the love of the members, hugs from Ekatharina and Emma. We only have six months left. We love both worlds!

Our own little garden in front of our apartment.

Flowers and statues add character to every nook.

We attended a concert of a flute and Cembalo. Only Bach. Ahhhhh.

You never know who you'll run into - a Roman "soldier?" He is a
fantastic street performer and friend.

Our little family. We are mummy and daddy, Oma and Opa to them.

We ended the week with the sisters coming to dinner and phone calls from home. Perfect.

It seems every week brings new experiences. It has been a much slower week but still new adventures. There have been several train strikes since we have been here so that gives us opportunity to do more service for the young missionaries that rely on trains for their transportation. We were able to drive a young sister to meet her new companion in Stuttgart. We have not been there before. The traffic was crazy, construction everywhere and the GPS kept getting lost. It was quite the adventure but we found where we were supposed to be just as the trains were back up and running. We got to visit a Ritter Sport factory and enjoyed a wonderful lunch in the fresh air before heading back home. Institute was back to normal (9), a wonderful opportunity to serve and talks with family made it a great week.

I think the camera was falling? Our last District Mtg. with an extra sister.

A fantastic concert by this very accomplished Flutist.. So enjoyable!

Can you say chocolate? Mmmmmmm.

A wonderful opportunity to serve, teach and learn.

It was a wonderful week with two of our sons. We couldn't have done more or had more fun. It was a pretty perfect week. Starting with picking them up we were on the go! We climbed a mountain to an ancient fortress, road a boat into a waterfall, climbed another mountain to a castle, road a train to a neighboring village, they experienced Institute (20 people there, that's a record) and played basketball, then we drove to Munich, went to a concentration camp and an air museum, ate at Hard Rock Café Munich, climbed up to Neuschwanstein after a horse drawn buggy ride. Whew!! I'm sure some things were left out but that gives you the idea of what a week with company looks like. It was fantastic! THEN after they left we were involved with a baptism and a wonderful concert. It was hard to walk back into an empty apartment but life doesn't slow down, we're headed into another phenomenal week.

Hohentwiel. It's a climb but we had beautiful weather!

Overlooking Singen and the Bodensee.



Rheinfalls. Thank goodness it was warm, we were in the splash zone!

Lake Konstanz (Bodensee).

Deutsches Air Museum.

Dachau. Very sobering.

They enjoyed playing, lots of laughing. Who's Lloyd?

Neuschwanstein

Thanks for coming. We made some fantastic memories!

This incredible week started with local apartment checks and Family Home Evening with our Young Single Adults - we played "Sniff the Broom," "Crossed/Uncrossed," and "Tri Raids." We ate fried bread and laughed until we were sick = great fun. Institute, meetings, more apartment checks (4 in Switzerland), IKEA shopping for some apartments, teaching a reading class, visiting with less active members of the Branch, a baptism and getting ready for company pretty much filled up the week. THEN we had company and Mothers' Day - a perfect week with a fabulous ending. Our hearts were warmed and testimonies strengthened as we learned from phenomenal people.

This is how you "Sniff the Broom."



Apparently he loves fried bread.

Fun evening with great people!

Their moms can be proud! These two know how to clean!

Baptism of a fantastic lady!

Such a FUN reunion!! So much to tell.

What do you have when you're a little hungry but not hungry enough
for a full meal? A fruit and ice cream pizza! Welcome to Switzerland!



We went up to a small castle with an incredible view! Welcome to
Switzerland!!

A cannon - mmmm - how does this work?

It's too late and I'm too tired for a full blog entry tonight but I want to thank everyone for the incredible Mothers' Day today. I have been able to talk to all of my children, hug two of them and felt the love of the 5 missionaries that came to our home for dinner and were able to Skype home to their mothers. This sweet family has made us a part of their family and have included their two new brothers with open arms. It has been an especially special Mothers' Day.

It was a week spent in a wide variety of activities! After the usual District Meeting and Institute (Broccoli Rice Casserole, delish) we helped a lady move, had German/English class, had a baby (congratulations to our famLee, she's adorable), helped a lady paint her apartment, Skyped with our Young Single Adult area advisors, attended a baptism, made treats and went to a dance, drove to the Bern Temple, AND ended the week at church with a lot of investigators. It is so heart warming to watch people want to come closer to Christ and change their lives. It's a great place to be!

I don't have a pic of the baby but this is her quilt.



Our forest is putting on her greenery. We've had lots of rain.

Lots of people happily willing to help with a move.



Everyone danced. Live band. Lots of fun.



Two of our favorite dancers.

Heavenly.

Beautiful day at the Temple.



Our traveling companions. Two of the best. Temple is in front of us,
Alps behind us. Pinch us!!