Verdun, France

Last weekend we took advantage of Monday off work and went out of town! We wanted to meet up with family staying in Paris so we met 1/2 way in Verdun. Quick historical recap on Verdun: WWI battle site where 800,000 Germans and French died over 11 months. The Germans charged in there to show their might military prowess and both sides locked horns in the city for 11 deadly months, and then off and on for the remainder of the war. Coincidentally, battle started on the exact day we visited 95 years earlier.

It was breathtaking-- less in the good way, more in the holycrapwhathappenedhere way. It was a great trip though. Kids were good and all the grownups had a greater insight into and appreciation of a piece of history.

Some of my favorite photos: (the entire trips worth can be seen HERE ).

William was adorable and must have been inspired by his poser Aunts Annie and Abby (xoxo girls!) to have suddenly laid down and pose. Love the innocence-- immediately to the viewers right was a huge gun that could rise out of the ground and all around him are craters from gun/canon fire 95 years ago.

It was truly shocking how much of the land and hills that surround the current city looks like this.

Inside Fort Dououmont they had various shells/pieces of shells displaed. William walked up to this and said, "Mom! Look at this one! It's broken.... Cameron broke it." Riiight.

...While Cameron walked up to this piece and said "It's a Kiss mom!" (as in Hershey's kiss). Love these sweet innocent boys. Made me ache for all the mothers of the boys who were holed up there fighting.

We travel in style. See W's hat over on the right? I sat in between the captains seats. haha

The boys were so good even though they were so tired!

Birthday Baby

"Wicked" Addicted

Hello, Fans! Prepare to be amazed by my boys' singing abilities .... or ... entertained, at the very least. My sister's friend, Heidi Jo, is amazing though. She sketch animated a scene of 'Wicked' and my boys are now her #1 fans. I think they've watched this about 100 times. Watch it. It is incredible!

Enjoy the fruits of the boys addiction:

William is holding my calendar as his song book. haha!

I can't help it. I laugh out loud every time I watch them. Love these boys!

week in review

Last week was a lot of just hanging out around the house because Daddy was sick (ahem.. again..). The boys and I did manage to get out to visit a friend and her boys to feed some ducks and enjoy dinner.

unfortunately-- the ducks had recently been fed and weren't really interested. We threw all our bread in anyway.

The older they get, the more entertaining they are! (Andrew is the accompanist you hear in the background).

three boy three ring circus

You never know what you're gonna find when you walk into a room that the boy have been in...

I rescued poor Woody several times, but every time I walked by W's bike he was strung back up there.

Salad spinner remains the most popular toy in the house. Buzz and Woody salad, anyone?

My friend Steph gave William this awesome pilot outfit. He LOVES it (though it took him a while to realize I was saying PiLot not PiRate). He spent good amount of time pretending to fly around the toyroom... most of it with a pirate patch on too. Pirate Pilot. Love this kid.
Lately he's been getting nightmares at night. Last night when I asked him what was the matter he said "I didn't listen". Oh man. I must be pretty scary for him to have a nightmare about that!

"Take my pit-sure, mom!"
Cameron has been saying his L sounds for a while now and just a couple says ago he said "mom, look at this sharrrrk." I love how they overemphasize it when they first figure it out! He's recently added "huh" to his favorite words. "I made a mess, huh?" Oh gosh. It's so cute how he says it. I'll try to get it on camera for the fans. :)

Baby boy seems to know that his birthday is fast approaching and has banished baby food for the occasion. I fear that walking is not far away... Then our circus will really be in full swing. Just this week he's finally started babbling too. I adore that little ba-ba-ba-ba song that he sings.

"eating" with a fork

little pilot in action

catch up.

When family is in town, I always get a bit behind... here's an entirely random photo collection of what we've been up to! The top picture is at the chocolate factory in Köln. Aren't we cute?

A couple weeks ago Andrew got very sick and required a midnight visit to the hospital. My boys and their lungs! Because we brought him in there soon after the onset they didn't need to keep him there. We were so grateful. He recovered quickly, and we're equipped for the next time- to stop it before it starts.

Nanstein castle = awesome. I didn't even get to see the inside, but it was amazing. Like that combo of redrock and castle wall?? Not to rub it in for you all you stateside dwellers, but it's pretty dang cool to live so close to these things!

Annie striking a pose and trying her hand at mother-to-3-boys (she did awesome. she left yesterday and the boys and I are missing her dreadfully!).

70's was the goal, but we came off more like a Mexican mobster and his chica... That or a couple from Jersey. ;)

Annie and I took the boys down to an aquarium in Speyer. It was a FREEZING day but a fun city. I plan to visit again when the sun decides to return to this part of the Earth. Come on Spring!

Belly of a baby ray. Smile!

Am I a moron for not knowing that these were baby sharks?? (no need to really answer that question...). So cool and a bit x-files-ish at the same time to see them wiggling around in there.

Cologne. Amazing.

sunrise near our house.