A different world

Lance, the kids and I just returned from a weekend trip to Ohio, where we visited Lance's grandmother. It was a big family gathering and everybody got together to help with the yard work at her house. It was neat to see how everybody just comes and helps. The weather was great and we spent all weekend outside. We went to pick up flowers at a mennonite farm which was a great experience. it seemed like a different world and I guess that in a way it really is. Everyone was really friendly and I was able to speak in german to them even though the thick dialect makes it difficult to understand. I think it's a mix between german, dutch and swiss german. I thought that even though these people just know their own community, don't get to travel or experience a lot they seem really content living that way. It might be that living with less is actually more.

 The kids had fun (even though the picture doesn't look like it) playing in the barn and looking at their animals. On our way home we stopped and bought some baked goods from the Amish people which where really good. I could not resist taking a picture of them with their horse carrier and hope that Aunt Laurie has stained car windows in the back. We have returned back to Michigan weighing approximately 5 pounds more.

modern meets traditional

"no pictures please"

Lance's Grandma 

The US of A

After a long plane ride, which was the first for Luis we made it safe and sound to the United States of America. It was a very emotional journey that got us here and saying good bye to family and friends was difficult. Our last weeks in Germany were special and I will treasure the memories made forever. Here we are in the USA now, where you see people as big as 3 people next to each other, where a man becoming a woman is the evening filling program on more than one channel, where we had 2 burgers, and 1 greasy pizza in just 24 hours, where a regular parking spot is so big that you could park a truck, where you can find a post office and a pharmacy in a supermarket and an isle full of dog outfits but still no fennel tea for your baby and when you ask for it you are looked as if you asked for astronaut food.("you are looking for WHAT?") but its also the place where people actually interact in a loving way with your children (even after a 10 hour planeride), where you hear Jesus praised in a public radio station, where you see wild turkeys running around in the yard and birds that are have the brightest red feathers, were you can go fishing without a license, where you can ride in a truck thats as high as a flat house and still not stick out on the road, where I was smiled at more in two days than in half a year in Germany. The kids love it and it was a great start with lots of sunshine. And we all enjoy having so much family time. Lots of Love, Lana