Days of our lives...

Threw a 50's theme party in celebration of feeling a year younger ;) I was Lucy :) Suprised?!

50's theme party

More yarn on my needles...an owl hat for Haleigh

I've expanded my library....we are now Gluten-free....Health issues are forcing me to change my eating habits...I'm very sad as eating is a huge part of my experience traveling....haha

Green smoothies are the "norm" for breakfast now...they are actually delicious and filling.  I'm super happy the kids and hubby now love them as much as I do.
 

Avocado, Bananas, Spinach, Mangos, Flaxseed, Coconut water, Wheat Germ

This girl got new specs!!! :)

 

I'm at that point in winter where it doesn't matter what you wear out the house as long as it's warm and comfortable....so my attire has been the same hoodies, pants, chucks, beanies and quite frequently hair usually in some sort of messy bun, and glasses, which I find tend to hide the fact that you are not wearing any make-up...or maybe that's my imagination. This seems to be the longest winter in history.....or maybe I'm just itching to go to Paris this summer...

 

Nuremburg, Germany

 

The travel itinerary for the next few months includes, Hungary, Bulgaria, Morocco, Rome, Florence, Pisa, Scotland, Paris, & London.

 

I closed my piano studio for now...it was the right thing to do...I keep telling myself this.  It was getting to be too much with my health issues, homeschooling, traveling, ect, ect...I feel like I have my life back...like I can breathe and fly!!

 

Auf wiedersehen,

Aubrey

xo

Trier, Germany

It's the oldest city in Germany.  One of the few that is still decorated with beautiful ancient ruins.  In particular the Porta Nigra gate....This gate was white at one time.

For about 9 Euros you can take a tour inside the gate.  I took my GPS to go geocaching...but it was not there...or not where it said it was :(  Below is the staircase inside the Porta Nigra traveling up to the top floor.

 

The top of Porta Nigra created the best views of Trier!!

The Cathedral of Saint Peter

 

Hiked up the hill to these ruins of Roman baths.

 

 Tchuss!!

Aubrey

xo



Luxembourg

We stopped at the American Cemetary just outside Lux city.  5, 076 soldiers are buried at this cemetery, 101 of them being unknown.  General George Patton is buried here with his men; most of the soldiers buried here, perished during the Batttle of the Bulge.

 

These crosses put the number of losses in perspective for me...

Hiking up to the casements in Luxembourg City.

It looks really cold....because is WAS VERY cold....three hours hiking up and down Luxembourg about gave me frostbite...I spent the rest of the afternoon in a little french cafe, sipping hot orange, spiced gluwein with friends, and trying to thaw my fingers and toes.

off to Berlin next weekend for a few days....

Aubrey

xo

birthdays smurfdays

Today I am 37.   The number looks so ooold. But I don't feel any older than 27.  I guess the saying is true...you're only as old as you feel.  Yesterday I wore my chuck taylors and ripped up jeans...denial.  I'm so loving life right now....and then I have to go and celebrate another birthday...another year older...nothing like putting a damper in your mood.  :/

My son came home last night with an ice cream cake, a valentine, heart-shaped cookie with MOM spelled out in red icing, and my favorite perfume. How is sweet is that? He will make a wonderful husband to a lucky girl one day....way in the future ;)

Recently I've developed a new hobby....painting.  I paint with acrylics for now...and I listen to Edith Piaf.  I found it so relaxing.  I have no education whatsoever in arts....but regardless it makes me happy. :)  I have signed my art as "Lucy"..

Have you tried anything new lately?   Am I the only one that has random hobbies? lol  I guess I just like to try new things.....see what's all the hype and excitement about.  :)   I also discovered recently ....lavender baths+french music+candlelit room= happiness

Aubrey

xo

Once upon a time...

A thought to share with you ...something that has stuck with me all day today .....and maybe you are going through something and you need to hear it too.

Every person has a name....and every name as a story. A story that doesn't end until your time on earth as ended.   What is your story?  If I read your story would I weep, would I laugh, smile, would I get angry,  would I be inspired, encouraged, would I read it again, would I want to share it?

Nobody wants to read a perfect story...do you? A perfect story would be boring!  We watch movies and read books about superheroes who save the day, tragedy and triumph, victory overcoming evil, death and despair, joy and new life.  These are the things that make for great story!

The question is....who is the author of your story?  If we were to write our own story, perhaps it would be a little too perfect, a little too nice....ya know, the perfect house, perfect kids, perfect vacations, perfect husband, perfect neighbor....boring huh?

When God is the author we're sure to have a story worth reading and telling others about! Haven't you ever read the Bible?  How He parted the Red Sea for Moses so they could escape those bad guys the Egyptians, or Jonah getting swallowed by a whale and surviving for three days, the flood, or how He fed the Isrealites in the wilderness for 40 days....many stories that would take pages to fill. Exciting, thrilling, and inspiring!! 

God has a story for each of us...its unique in that it is YOURS, no else has the same story, no remake, or recopy of an original....it's all yours!  He desires to write your story in a way that will change, inspire, encourage, motivate, and bless all those who read it.  He wishes to write a story of joy, victory, triumph, and courage...but these characteristics cannot exist without some dark valleys, trials, temptations, heartaches, disappointments, and strife.

As I look back on some dark valleys in my past, I am reminded even most recently how God is constantly using my story to bring others to Him or to bring hope and joy to someone who is now going through the same thing.  Every story has a purpose...and a purpose He intends to fulfill if we let Him write it.





Aubrey xo

Happy New Year (Frohes neues Jahr!)

I'm telling you they bring in the new year here with quite a bang!! Literally, fireworks started at 4:30 and continued till about 1am!!!! They are allowed to shoot fireworks here, anywhere, everywhere. So I suppose everyone was having their own fireworks show, making for quite a spectacular sight overlooking the village.  The following photo is courtesy of Edelweiss Lodge and Resort very close to where we live...where folks ski, snowboard, hike, camp....also home to the highest peak in Germany, the Zugspitze!

Do you make New Year's Resolutions?   I don't really....I feel I'm setting myself up for a disappointing year if I try to make a bunch of decisions to change in one day for the rest of the year! whewww!  Well, I do make a bucket list....but its all fun stuff to learn, explore, ect....does that count?  Here's a couple of mine for 2013:   Go to Scotland, (among other places I list), make sushi, climb the zugspitze, complete my photo books, hot air ballooning, open an esty shop....:)

This morning over breakfast, we had our first New Year's discussion...we each got a mason jar.  There are so many negative distractions in life, aka people, sickness, bills ect.  so 2013 let's focus on on the positives, the blessings that come our way EVERY day that we take for granted and sometimes easily forgot.  So today we decided to fill our jar till the end of the year with little notes of blessings that come our way.  We will only read these when we are feeling down and need a reminder of all the wonderful things we've done or have received. Then on New Year's Eve will will open our jars and share all the good 2013 brought us. 

We also put a suggestion box out...it's important that everyone in the family have a say or an opinion. It's easy to get overlooked or feel left behind when you have a big family...this way everyone can make a suggestion aka "can we start going bowling on Tuesday" , "Can Tuna(cat) sleep in my room on Friday night?"  :) 

Do you have any New Year's traditions or fun ideas?

Aubrey

xo

Merry Christmas...from France. :)

Oh dear me....where has the time gone!  It's almost a new year!  Firstly, Merry Christmas to you all...I know this is super late, but so are my cards...they STILL have yet to come in the mail, so I can ship them out. But I don't care if it's Easter, I'm sending them out!

After a MILLION takes we landed a few for our cards this year...

ok ok...enough pics of us :P

My neighbors have been putting my tinctures to good use over the last month....and fortunately only two sickies in the last month here.  Thankful for good health and no drama this winter so far.

I have been knitting/crocheting ferociously...mostly christmas gifts...hats and scarves.
I'm madly in love with CHUNKY yarn....not to mention they are super warm!

I recently took a trip to France...Soufflenheim and Strasbourg, both beautiful, quaint, and o.l.d.  I'll not bore you with a ton of pics....but here a few favorites I took while I was there.

Strasbour reminded me a bit of Amsterdam with it's canals and old houses built on the river.

^strasbourg's cathedral...

^^One day I will be a National Geographic photographer and all these pictures I take of random people will come in handy...:)

In Soufflenheim, I went shopping for french pottery :)

 

 

I went to an incredible pottery demonstration...and then got to choose my fondue pot from the potter's shop.

 

We, of course, had fondue when I got home :)

 

We ate at the most charming french cafe...(did I mention I LOVE french cafe music and they were playing it) ahhhh....Je 'taime

 

 

 

The only thing missing was a cat in the window....

 

I love traveling....sometimes it wears me out and I'm in my pj's for days....crashing with my kids...playing boggle, puzzles, chatting over a vanilla or orange rooibus tea, watching home videos, and walking at night in the cool air ...and sometimes we get lucky and it starts to snow and we look up and it looks like the stars are falling from the sky....

 

This year has been a wonderful chapter in my life. Beautiful opportunities came my way and gave me many unforgettable gifts.  Choosing to find the good things and remembering them this past year makes those small imperfections and mishaps, meaningless and forgettable!

 

Happy New Year to you and yours,

Aubrey

xo