I love watching...

Abby when she is holding a baby

Levi when he is intently building

and Luke as he strums on the guitar during family worship...

I love watching them play nicely together
I love watching them use their gifts and talents
I love watching them have fun with their friends and
I love watching them express their individual personalities

I just hate watching them grow up so fast!

Scotcharoos...

I forgot how yummy a Scotcharoo is...and I think it is even better when made with chocolate rice krispies.

We don't have Rice Krispies in Austria, but we do have Choco rice :) We actually don't have Karo syrup here either, but I import it from America. It is a fine product and recommend always having some on hand, just in case you have a craving for a pecan pie or Scotcharoos!

This is the recipe I used, but there are many variations:

1 cup Karo syrup
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup peanut butter
6 cups of rice cereal

Bring the Karo syrup and sugar to a boil. Add peanut butter and stir until melted. Add cereal and stir well. Pour into a well greased 9x13 pan.

if desired: top with 1 cup Butterscotch chips+3/4 cup chocolate chips melted together


Levi had to eat his zucchini before he could have a treat. After much debating, he finally choked it down, and
It was well worth it!

Summer Plans...

I know we still have a little while until summer... (our kiddos don't even get out of school until the first week of July) but my mind keeps drifting there.

As usual, our summer will be crazy busy, with a family arriving here in June for an internship, our week long English camp July 5-9 and then plans to travel back to Florida to spend time with the Glam Grams, so I am already starting to make my lists of ideas to keep us all sane. :)

Thought I would pass along some of what I have been gathering...

* a great idea for a summer list

*reading lists

* ideas for journaling (I plan on making each kiddo a notebook with room to journal, keep spelling lists and put photos and papers from fun places we visit)

*more fun here and here and here

*and how cute are these!

New recipes...

We have a four-day weekend ahead...so I think it might be the perfect time to try some new recipes! I am sort of in a rut, so if you have any good ones you would like to pass along, please feel free to share :)

Baguettes made at home
Oatmeal Whoopie Pies
Toffee Pecan Pie

Big and Small prayers answered...

On the way to school this morning we prayed for Abby and Lindsay's requests. Abby's request was that her teacher would be gracious, as she lost one of her books from school and Lindsay's request was that she would finally receive her Visa this morning~after a very stressful process of trying to do things the right way.

Abby was nervous to tell her teacher that she had lost it, and she was also supposed to have a quiz on the book this morning. I reassured her that I would come with her to talk with the teacher. Ms. Edith was very sweet and understanding. Not only did she tell us where we could buy another book, she also said there would be no quiz today :) You should have seen the relief on our sweet Abby-girl's face. A small prayer lifted up to the God of the Universe~yet he was gracious to hear the cry of her heart.

Lindsay was also quite nervous to head out to the Visa office this morning. She had good reason, as this process has not been so easy. This request felt bigger, but again not too big for our God.
We also know that we were not the only ones praying for this process, and we are thankful that she was able to finally get her Visa today!

Two beautiful young women, at different stages in their journey of faith were able to taste and see that Lord is good and that He answers big and small prayers!

Psalm 34:8
Taste and see that the LORD is good;
blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

My love languages...

My kiddos are awesome! This morning this is what I got to wake up to...how cute is that?
Actually this entire weekend they have been showering me with gifts, crowns and breakfasts' in bed...yes plural, as they brought me breakfast in bed yesterday too :)
We were told there was only one altercation while the breakfast was being made (all the while Brad and I were sleeping upstairs)...Levi took a few sausages without asking, so Luke made him write that he will not take food without asking first. hilarious.

My husband is pretty awesome too. He made me a beach themed picture wall with some of my favorite photos and artwork from the kids.

This was a loooong time ago, when he could still pick me up...but it is one of my favorites!

Here is some artwork from Abby and Levi...


And Luke made this a few years ago...


I am one blessed momma!

How our kiddos burn extra energy...

Of course they do what any other kid does... stuff pillows in their shirts, put on bike helmets and proceed to plow into one another while laughing uncontrollably...

they also pose and taunt...


and flex...




and somehow manage not to get hurt :)

Day Date...

Brad and I aren't so good at making time for dates...
but now that Levi is in school all day, we have decided that we should prioritize some "day dates".

We started yesterday by having lunch at Neni, located at the Naschmarkt. They serve all sorts of eclectic food, with an Israeli~Asian bent. Our lunch was great, but the claims of New York style cheesecake were unfortunately overstated.

Big Accomplishment..

Levi is a homebody. He loves to just be at home...and I have really enjoyed our "just the two of us" time.

After a rough beginning at this new school, we decided that it would be best for his days to be fairly short, with him coming home at 12. This has really worked well, but he is six, and even though he won't begin "real" school until next year, we thought we should lengthen his days a little now to prepare him for next year, when he will go until 3.

We started last week, by having him stay and eat lunch. I would pick him up at 1. He did great, so we asked him if he wanted to start staying until 3 with many of his classmates. Surprisingly, he said yes!

Today was his first day and he did fantastic! We are so encouraged by his big accomplishment~ the only problem is, that it means my "baby" is turning into a big boy!

Here is where he places his shoes...

this is where he hangs his backpack...


this is his classroom...


and here is my BIG boy!

A little taste of America...

Look what made it to Austria folks... white bread...WITHOUT THE CRUST!
Our bread around these parts is usually dark, dense and loaded with nutrients, but not this stuff. Pure white fluffy softness, just begging for peanut butter and jelly.

So this was the excitement of our Friday night! Pretty sad I know, but once you live in a foreign country and something reminds you of a place you used to call home...you jump at the chance to taste it again...


(yes- Luke made a triple decker!)