Lilli turned 4!

it's been almost a month since we celebrated the Birthday of this special girl. And she had a wonderful time celebrating at an indoor playground with her best friends.She love the Elsa cake that I made and she even forgave me that I had to cut her legs off haha. It was such a joy to have Gabi Oma here with us to celebrate and her Day was perfected by a surprise visit from "Elsa". The neighbors daughter showing up in a snowstorm. Lilli is such a loving and caring little girl and full of life and energy! She can cheer you up with her faces and has an incredible imagination. She sinks into her make belief worlds and takes you into them if you want to or not and there is never a boring moment with my Lillian Kate who I love so much! Thank God for bringing this girl into my life and letting me be her mom.

                 

Give thanks!

Obviously there is to much that has happened since I have been on here but I just wanted to write about a few things that I am thankful for! I am thankful that Luis is walking, thankful for a wonderful summer I was blessed to spend 3 weeks in Florida with my mom while Lance worked his reservist time, thankful for lots of time with Lance's family including a cabin stay in the mountains with all 10 cousins, thankful for Susi's visit and a wonderful time with her, thankful for new friends that will be lifelong, thankful for time with old friends and for being able to spend time at their lake house, thankful for good health, thankful for date nights with my husband, thankful for my sister in laws,  thankful for a cute little house and christian landlords, thankful for nice weather and lots of sun until November, thankful for my husbands heart and obedience to God's commands, thankful for everyone that supports and encourages us, thankful for the time we had with Lances sister and her family before she moved to Africa in September, thankful for my women bible study group, thankful for the beautiful fall colors (don't know if its Michigan but I have never enjoyed this season so much), thankful for the church we found and our neighbors that invited us, thankful for the airplane that Travis gave us to fly, thankful for the first flight I actually took just with my husband today, thankful for Skype and being able to communicate with video with family and friends,. thankful for being my son's teacher, thankful for his desire to learn and his good memory, thankful how well Lilli does when we do school, thankful for Friends that give us an airplane to fly around!!!

I am not saying that Life with 3 little ones is always joyful and easy because it's not but it is good and so worth it ! Of course I loose it sometimes but I am thankful for Forgiveness, people that shape us and thankful that God's Grace is new every morning! (Lamentations 3.23)

he did it!!!

after Liam and Lilli, Luis gets to wear the jacket that Ur -Oma made

kid free chicago trip!

Lake close to the house

gorgeous lake Michigan

Superman

LUIS IS ONE!

Thank you God for bringing this boy into our lives!

Liam is 5!

so glad we were able to celebrate Liam's 5th Birthday with his cousins. Liam is such a joy and has grown up so much. He started to ask questions that aren't so easy to answer and his mind stays always busy wanting to learn more. Just recently he asked why it is so difficult to make good choices even when you want to. (Romans7.19 talks about this struggle).
He is a good leader to his little siblings and Lilli keeps asking him if he is her best Friend.
So happy that God gave us this special boy!!

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

Come as you are

Just yesterday I talked to someone who is a believer. Not knowing about her faith previously I was excited and said something like "thats great, I did not know that you are a Christian". to wich she replied by saying "yeah I know often you can't tell and I am not always showing it".
I told her that I didn't either and that thats why we need Jesus.
Actually that is the real Christmas story. This is why Christ was born. The savior. A savior has been born to you (Luke 2.11) Jesus came to heal the sick (Mark 2.17), he did not come for the righteous ones. He came for the Sinners.
Lets not forget this Christmas season why Christ was born and why he came into his world. He came to make a way for the lost.
Yet as Christians we so often think that we need to be a certain way before we are accepted. thats what religion tells you.Be a certain way don't do or say certain things and then you will find favor with God. Every Religion is thatt way. But Jesus is so different. He says "Come as you are my beloved child", he meets us right were we are at.he meets us with all our shortcomings and failures and frustrations. thats what makes CHRISTianity so beautiful. The difference of CHRIST. This Truth beautifully reminds us of the story of the prodigal son. Just read and see how the Father acts when the son comes back home. He walks towards him! He is so happy that the son choose to come back that he walks towards him.  No, he does not wait till he gets his act together, finds a job, pays back the money and does some good deeds to pay back for the frustrations he brought to his father. He runs towards him with open arms and welcomes him with his filthy rags. And then, then he dresses him in the best clothes and brings out the best food for him. Thats what Grace looks like. Thats what undeserved Love is. and thats the heart of Christianity. So to everyone that wonders if he is good enough, does good enough or says good enough stop trying so hard. We can never be good enough. Thats why Jesus came into this world. To save us. Thats Christmas.
Merry Christmas everyone!