Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

As this view from my desk as I write tells, we are off to a running start at making this the second winter in a row that our corner of Germany has had “the worst winter for snow in 50 years!” That is what our German friends, neighbors and TV weathermen kept telling us as with every snowfall last year. Either we are defying the odds and I start buying lottery tickets by the gross or, the Germans have fantastically short memories. It does make for a festive holiday season and one certainly doesn’t need to dream for a White Christmas!

While the kids tell me that every year I declare our Christmas tree the best ever, this year we truly do have the biggest tree we’ve ever had. This is a good thing as the number of ornaments we have grows steadily with an annual addition for each child and souvenirs of various travels. Thank goodness we waited to get such a tall tree till Ethan had grown as Gary needed his help to reach the top to cut the net wrapping the tree – and even Ethan, who is reporting his height for the first time as “6’- something” (no doubt more to come until that ‘something’ is final!), needed a stool.

As we pass the midway point of our stay in Germany, we are beginning to view our remaining time differently - starting to consider places we’d still like to visit and things we’d still like to do. This will be the last school vacations and long weekends when European adventures are within reach! In fact, as I reflect on the past year, it has been a series of notable “lasts” as well as memorable “firsts.” I am grateful that the “lasts” inevitably come in their season and always lead to exciting “firsts” that take the sting out of time’s forward march.

We had our first high school graduation in early June as Molly completed her primary education career thousands of miles away from where it began (in Cedar Rapids, IA) and light years away from where we would have imagined it at that time. It will no doubt be the last high school graduation for one of our children where champagne is served afterwards for the graduates (thanks to the 16 year old drinking age in Germany!). Molly handled the transition and missed “Senior” memories at Zionsville High School with a great deal of grace and positive attitude and made some unique memories that otherwise wouldn’t have been possible. A graduation celebration dinner with her Oma, aunt, uncle, cousins and some German relatives, looking out over the city lights of Frankfurt and the Taunus mountains is a memory we all hold dear. A graduation trip with a good friend from Zionsville - itinerary and all details planned by Molly- that included Paris and London as well as Frankfurt was another.

Another first for us was sending our first child off to college. An ocean between us for months at a time has been an adjustment, to be sure. But, “eating together” via Skype is a remarkable consolation even if she’s eating lunch while we’re eating dinner! In September we had our first transatlantic family celebration via Skype for Ethan’s 15th birthday. Gary and I are sure grateful for the technology to “see” that Molly is settling in so well at St. Olaf. She gave her siblings their first tour of campus last month when we stopped to pick her up on the way to our annual Door County trip. Gary received his first tour a month before that when he spent the weekend with her on a layover before a business trip.

With the arrival of that all-important birthday, the first words on Ethan’s lips in any discussion about our return to Indiana are centered entirely on how quickly we can get to the BMV for his learner’s permit (you've got to be 18 to learn to drive in Germany so, no hope of learning on the autobahn for him!). Turning 15 also marked the last of his years in braces. While the move to Germany brought added months to the treatment and stories too numerous to mention about the crazy orthodontist here, he characteristically took it all in stride and with good humor.

Audrey, who lost her last baby tooth yesterday, began middle school this fall and has enjoyed her first experiences representing Frankfurt Interntaional School on athletic teams. She made the tennis team this fall, earning “player of the match” recognition once and “most improved player” for the season. Girls ‘basketball season is now just underway. She will pack tonight for the first “away” trip of the basketball season – to Zurich, Switzerland. Now, with both Ethan and Audrey traveling with their respective basketball teams, come January, it will be a first that it is Gary and I who are home by ourselves and the kids who are all away in foreign cities!

With the “graduation” of our youngest from elementary school last June, Mom said goodbye to 12 years of various room-mom and parent volunteer opportunities as the last of those requests came for help with the end-of-year classroom party.

Though summer vacation from school is shorter in Germany, we made the absolute most of the time we had. Welcoming Zionsville friends and sharing a part of their European adventure in Paris, Munich and the German wine country on the Rhine River is a very special memory. For Molly, Ethan and the other teenagers in the group, a first para-gliding experience over the Neuschwanstein Castle was a highlight.

Family togetherness has been the theme of our time over here. We have planned more family adventures than would be the norm and are so pleased that the kids seem to truly enjoy one another – at least most of the time! We spent a fun five weeks on “home leave” this summer, participating in all our familiar summer activities – lots of tennis, swimming, and time with friends. That family togetherness was put to a true test as the five of us shared a small two-bedroom rental apartment, for the first and, hopefully, the last time!

Our transatlantic frequent flyer miles were responsible for a highlight of the travel year – one week in Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada. Long at the top of my list of vacation destinations, it did not disappoint. First glacier climbing experience, first family canoeing and the first and absolutely the last time we accept a Lincoln Town Car as an “upgrade” from a car rental company running low on inventory during peak vacation season!

Happy Holidays!