Goodbye, Grandmum!

My grandmother passed away in the wee hours of the morning.

I, Anne Adele, was named after her, Jean Adele, 

and my sister carried the name on to the third generation 

by naming her daughter Adele.

Grandmum was a tender, loving woman with a love for 

and an ear for music. She was an eloquent letter writer 

and I like to think that I inherited 

both her musical genes and way with words. 

I could (and will!) fill a box with her letters, 

and I will treasure them and read them fondly.

I am thankful that both of my daughters knew 

their Great Grandmum

and that she had the pleasure of knowing and loving her

four children, nine grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren!

We love you, Grandmum!

Rana's 6th Birthday Party

Rana was ecstatic to invite her friends over for her party today.

We took the birthday girl and 7 of her rambunctious 

friends to the park across the street to run sack and three-

legged races, balance eggs on spoons, throw bean bags,

play soccer and bocci ball, have a water balloon fight, and more.

It was a great party!

  

Then we headed home for hamburgers and bratwurst,

fruits and veggies, and yummy cake.

What a fun way to celebrate Miss Rana!

Happy 1st Birthday, Mira!

Mira started her day by celebrating in the Kita this morning.

Her teachers put up decorations and everyone enjoyed the fun.

Mira only left her birthday crown on her head for about 

10 seconds, but she thoroughly enjoyed her special breakfast. 

And an outing to the nearby playground. 

And lots of time to play.

Plus cake at home with us this evening.

Happy Birthday, Mira!

A Little Town Festival

Good summer fun!

Mira in Marburg - A Flashback to Rana

We can't help but compare our two lovely daughters

from time to time, particularly when the flashbacks to 

Rana as a baby and toddler are so vivid!

Mira at almost 12 months

Rana at 15 months

Mira toddling through our old stomping grounds.

A Marching Band!

While Baba is away at a soccer tournament,

the girls and I were happy to discover 

a lot of musical activity around town today!

Happy 6th Birthday, Rana!

We took a stroll down memory lane in honor of Rana's 6th 

birthday and spent part of the weekend in Marburg.

Rana cannot recall much of our life there, 

which made our stroll through our old neighborhood 

even more important, including visiting the ducks 

and enjoying an ice cream cone along the riverbed. 

As we watched Mira toddle through town,

we reminiced about our little Rana 

who is growing up so fast!

Happy Birthday, Rana!

Let's put our shoes on!

Mira's observational skills are becoming more evident 

as she starts to copy more of our daily actions.

For example, because Rana usually takes a seat on the stairs

 to put on her shoes when we're getting ready to head out the door,

Mira has started doing the same.  She carries her shoes over,
takes a seat, and even tries to open the velcros
and lift up her feet to put on her shoes. 

On the other hand, she thoroughly enjoys taking everything OUT

of my bag or purse once I have packed it, as evidenced by the 

fact that she is holding my wallet in this picture, 

which means it still takes us a long time to get out the door!

Mira's First Day at Daycare!

Mira started daycare today and had a great time!

Since the daycare just opened, there are only four kids 

in her group so far and the parents are still mingling about

during the transition and adjustment period.

Nele (above) and the twins Valerie and Marielle

(below) are all about 1 and a half.

In the bilingual Kita, there are two teachers per group, 

one who speaks German and the other English.

After 3 hours of fun, 

Mira fell asleep in the car on the way home.

I'd say we're off to a good start!

Rana is a Seahorse!

Rana passed her swim test today and is officially a seahorse!

She can swim 25 meters without stopping, 

jump in and swim to the side of the pool,

and dive under to retrieve a ring.

We're proud of you, Rana!

Noor Came to Town!

It was lovely to see Noor and her parents again!