tall, tall, TALL

From Crowell Post

Last week cheery Abby and Gracie came over and whisked Elsie out the door--boots, beanie, mittens and all to catch the fresh snow and build a snowman, "tall, tall, TALL"! It was the talk of the day! We felt so much at home seeing trees, bushes, and everything blanketed in inches of snow. The day felt so cozy.
As the song goes, the sun did come out a few days later and melted our little friend, but to us he'll still be ever "tall," that snowman.

Quite at Home

From Crowell Post

Some really good friends of ours paid us a visit a couple of weeks ago and we were tickled as ever to have them! For those of you who know Angelika {Lika} or "Lee-ka" as Elsie calls her, know she has one of the most generous hearts in the world. Elsie and Spencer {and their parents} felt particularly special with the gifts she brought. Ulrich {Uli} or "Oo-lee" is quite the match--so kind and thoughtful. We always found him clearing the table or loading the dishwasher.

From Crowell Post

We first headed to the charming seaside town of Aldeburgh. Strolled up and down the streets dotted with colorful and unique cottages.

From Crowell Post

Elsie and I have come to really love fish & chips---Elsie should probably admit it's really the {te-patch} or ketchup she loves. Who needs a chip only dappled in the stuff? Well, not even drenched in it. After all, ketchup is so much better in it's purest form--straight from the tube. Angelika caught some classic pictures of her--in fact most of these pictures are through her lens. She really captured some fun moments.

From Crowell Post

Ulrich and Angelika were ever pleasant to host. They enjoyed seeing a bit of Woodbridge and eating lunch at the Wild Strawberry Cafe. Angelika shared a darling story about Mog, the cat with Elsie. It was nice just to relax and even play a game or two of Ticket-to Ride.

From Crowell Post

Okay, so I was totally conked-out for the second game. Like I said, Angelika is good at capturing moments in the real...or life as it is :)
Next year, we can't wait to visit Angelika & Ulrich in Germany when Nikolaus comes to visit at the beginning of December. We think Elsie and Spencer will be at the perfect age...and uh, I think I'll be at the perfect age :) to enjoy the Christmas markets. Thanks "Uli" and "Lika" for a wonderful visit. We felt quite at home with you here.

Music with Mimi

From Crowell Post

Has it really been a month since Mimi was here?! I can hardly keep up, time keeps on moving so fast! Mimi brought with her music in every step! We loved having her here. Elsie still talks about "shop-een"{shopping} and "nannies"{candies} with Mimi. Our days were filled with making cakes, going on walks, watching Disney movies, and making music. While on the train to London, Mimi would quietly sing the Halloween song, "Ooo, Ooo, this is Halloween!" in Elsie's ear. The smile on her face was quite irresistible. Thank you for making our hearts sing, Mimi!