Business as Usual

Curtis had to complete a two-week assignment at a truck dealership, and he chose to do that in Salt Lake. So, why not bring the whole family? We took an extra week off, purely for convenience's sake, so we wouldn't have to drive to Portland then back to Utah then back to Portland. It was a fantastic idea, to say the least. Lately, I feel like all his business turns into extended family vacations. I still wish we had turned Spain into a family vacation. Oh well. Maybe next time.

After the Christmas festivities were over, we drove down to Salt Lake City, Utah, as we had done many, many times before. It honestly felt like we were driving home . . . not driving in the opposite direction. The mountains, the temples, the feeling of Utah seemed so comforting and familiar. It was nice.

Mammaw, than you for letting us stay with you for the first week. Boy, are you a hoot! We played games late at night and had a party with the whole family. Just like old times. You are a big reason we felt so at home in Utah.

Reid and Stacy, we're so glad we were able to see sweet Evaline's blessing. It was such an honor for you to invite us—and if you hadn't, this whole vacation probably would never have happened. We have always felt terrible about moving away right before your wedding, so we hope the steak made up for it.

Rick and the Nomen Alumni Association (actually, there's no such thing), there will always be a special place in my heart for you all! Teaching English was always something I wanted to do as a career, and I know I was more than lucky to do it while living in Provo, Utah. I was able to live my dream and meet some of the finest people in the world at the same time. It was lovely seeing you all again at the most authentic Mexican joint around these parts--Cafe Rio.

Sara and John, breakfasts at your house never disappoint! Although it was a little weird being in our old house with you, we always love chatting about whatever comes up. We can't believe how big Sam is (and how round his head still is!) and that you have another on the way! You two always make us feel so good about being who we are, so we really do wish we saw you more often!

Drew and Julie, we really are friends! It meant a lot to me when you told us we were good friends because we promised to visit you and we actually did . . . of course we did! It's a shame we didn't have time for you to tell us the story of how you fell in love again (my favorite story), but there is always next time, right? Right?

Many and Nere, you are both some of our most loyal friends, and we were so glad we got to meet little Liam! We still get a kick out of the "we are only doing something simple," and Many whips up the most delicious Baja tacos we've ever had in our lives. No exaggeration. Nere, I've been making salsa like you told us to. We will never do anything else.

Provo 3rd Ward, I feel like we will always consider you our "home" ward. You were the first ward we attended as a married couple, and you shaped our religious lives at a critical time in our marriage. We still talk about all the great friends we had in your ward and how easy it was to be ourselves around you. Thanks for welcoming us back with warm smiles and a jar of honey.

Alicia (and family), you were the best visiting teacher I have ever had, and you still make me feel like I am the most important person! We were so honored you invited us over to your home for dinner, and you must tell Ruben what a wonderful chef he is. So tender and juicy . . . it's a real vacation when every meal is delicious.

Pizzaria 712, you are the one thing we wanted to eat when we came back to visit. I don't know what "burrata," "romesco," or "crostinis" are, but you know that they are delicious together, and I trust you. The fig and Gorgonzola pizza was a total winner, but when have we ever had a non-winner with you? Never.

Kamille, I have basically known you longer than anyone other human on Earth, and it shows. No topic is-off limits, and I always know we generally have the same exact thoughts at the same exact times . . . probably because our two babies are the same exact ages. Winston was such a perfect friend for Sebastian. The testing at the beginning just allowed them to know they were on the same page, and now Sebastian loves Win like a brother. I want them to be friends forever. Kangaroo Zoo, the children's museum, swimming . . . I never wanted it to end.

Delyn, no matter how many years go by, I will always consider you one of my biggest inspirations and sweetest allies. You look better every time I see you, and I am so excited to hear about your new plans and to see where they take you. P.S. Sebastian finished drawing in his notebook after like two Sundays. I'm surprised it lasted that long! He just loved it. And I loved my chocolate. That didn't last nearly as long. Not at all.

Garrett and Austen and Baby Roy, what can I say? We love you guys to death. We loved having dinner at your apartment, at Pizzaria 712, and at our hotel. I still laugh when I think of Garrett throwing Sebastian on the bed the way you did. You already know this, but Sebastian has named all of his toys after you. We may not have a black and white cat toy, so the dalmatian is named Baby Roy. And they play chase together all the time.

The City of the Century

When people ask me and Curtis about our favorite part of the last three months, we say, "Berlin"—without hesitation. When we first came to Germany, we thought we would be traveling every weekend. While we did get out and explore every week, we didn't realize how difficult or expensive it could be to take two babies somewhere exotic without a car. Curtis knew he had one week of vacation at the end of our stay in Germany, and while we dreamed of eating pizza in Naples or watching Shakespeare in London, we decided that Berlin was the city to visit.

Train Travel
Riding the train is the way to travel! Let me tell you . . . we've done a lot of traveling this year, and we love the train best of all. We saddled up our babies in our wonder-stroller and wheeled a suitcase behind us to the train station bright and early. We played at a nearby playground at the Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof (on a most gorgeous December day) while we waited for the train. We took four trains that day, but we had our own private compartment on the longest train, which traveled between Mannheim and Berlin.

We ate lunch and took naps and walked up and down the length of the train for, literally, hours. You can't do that strapped in a car seat.

Brandenburg Branch
When we arrived in Brandenburg, our final destination, we rushed to the bus stop only to be stopped by a familiar face! Matt met us right before we bought our tickets and gave us a ride to the church building. As we walked in, we were welcomed with open arms, Christmas treats, and Kinderpunsch (mmm!). The members of the Brandenburg branch recognized Curtis from his mission years ago, and I could tell he had a great time reuniting with these people that he loved so much.

We attended church the next day in the branch that Curtis spend seven months of his mission in. The Brandenburg branch is small, but very much like a close family. Curtis and I both spoke during Sacrament meeting (in German) about being in Germany, Christmas, and the Savior.

Berlin History

During the first part of the week, Curtis and I took the babies into Berlin to do some sightseeing. We booked a walking tour that outlined the past 100 years of German history in Berlin. To see the changes that have taken place in this city and to see how that city changed the rest of the world over that time earns Berlin the title of the "City of the Century."

The stones in the street mark where the Berlin Wall once stood.

Curtis revisiting the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe 

at the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe

a remnant of the Berlin Wall

some Stolpersteine, or memorials for victims of Nazism

It was truly a solemn day to reflect on the history that took place in Berlin, but it was even more astounding to see where the people of Germany are today. They are a people that remember the past, appreciate the present, and respect the future. 

Once it started to rain, Curtis led us to his favorite bus line. The 100, a double-decker bus, takes passengers past all the landmarks in Berlin. We hopped on at Alexanderplatz and rode to Kaiser Wilhelm Church on the top level of the bus, right at the front! We were lucky to get the best seat on the bus . . . but too bad for us, though, that the rain fogged up the windows!

atop a double-decker bus

after we wiped off the windows

Kaiser Wilhelm Church

Kaiser Wilhelm Church was destroyed in WWII, but was not rebuilt as a way to remember the war. The square surrounding the church was filled with Christmas market stands. We grabbed a döner kebab to share . . . but after one taste, grabbed another one because it was too good to share!

the best döner Curtis has ever had

The next day, we stopped at some of the locations that we passed (but didn't get to see) on the 100 from the day before. This time, Inette, our expert photographer, came with us.

. . . cheeks!

The third capitol in which Sebastian has chased pigeons!

Mission Revisit
Part of the reason we chose to visit Berlin was because Curtis spent two years in Berlin as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He lived among the people and spoke the language and walked past well-known landmarks every week. Here's just a few pictures that I wish we had made side-by-sides for!

Brandenburger Tor, 2007

Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, 2007

Potsdamer Platz

Weinachtsmarkt
Traditional Christmas traditions, like Christmas trees, Advent calendars, gingerbread houses, nutcrackers, and many Christmas carols, were born in Germany. At the beginning of December, Christmas markets full of decorations, traditional food, and music sprouted up all over the country. While we visited Stuttgart's Christmas market, we were very excited to explore the markets in Berlin. Berlin has Christmas markets all over the city, and we visited the one near Zoologischer Garten. We ate Rothenburger Schneeballen, chestnuts, and (of course) bratwurst. Before we left, sweet Inette and Matt wanted to buy Sebastian a ride in one of the cars. Look at the joy on his face.

Familie Richter
On Wednesday, we were invited to the Familie Richter's home for tea and cakes. Curtis met the Richter family while he was living and serving in Brandenburg. Brother Richter is a park ranger, so he says he gets to play all day for work. But he enjoys baking too: He made three cakes for us. "Do you like raisins? Well, I like raisins, so I'm going to put them in the cake," he would tease. They have a lovely house with lots of space and plants outside, including bees! Sebastian got to see the bees in their backyard before it got too dark, and he certainly has a healthy respect for them. We enjoyed spending more time getting to know this family.

Curtis and the Richter family in 2009

Inette and Matt
Hands down, though—this trip would not have been one of the highlights of our year without Inette and Matt. When Curtis and I say that we loved Berlin, we are thinking much less about the city tours and döner kebabs and much more about the friendship we developed with Inette and Matt. They cooked for us! They toured with us! They even gave up their bed for a week so we could have somewhere to sleep!

Curtis met Inette when he was on his mission, which was roughly six years ago. Since Curtis spend seven months in Brandenburg, they became good friends, but their friendship didn't end when he left the area. We knew that we would get along when we stayed with them for this week, but I don't think and of us anticipated just how close we would become after just a few days. Some common phrases heard throughout the week: "That conversation just sounds like me and Matt," or "That's exactly what we have talked about!" We couldn't help but stay up—sometimes until 2 a.m.—just chatting as if we were at a week-long slumber party.

Inette and Matt were especially sweet to Livia and Sebastian. Livia just adored being held and played with while Sebastian ran around their apartment to explore every corner. We couldn't keep the Advent candles lit because Sebastian wanted to blow them out. Rather than just putting the candles away, Matt re-lit them over and over again for him for almost half an hour. After he stopped lighting the candles, he let Sebastian "blow out" the Christmas lights hanging on the wall. As soon as Sebastian would blow, Matt would unplug the lights. Sebastian thought he was magic.

Sebastian out like a light while the grown-ups partied in the other room

Inette and Matt in the other room

We just loved spending time with Inette and Matt. They are a perfect couple and they inspire us to be better people. It's such a shame that we live on opposite sides of the world because it's hard to find friends like them. We love you!

We chose well when we chose to visit Berlin. It may be a while until we go back, but the memories we made are some of the best we've made together.

Paris, Parks, Pigeons, and Pockets

185 kph. That's how fast we got to drive on the Autobahn. In a Mercedes-Benz. To Paris. 

We drove for six hours the first weekend of October, chatting the whole way about how we are livin' the dream. Until we stopped just outside of Paris, bumper to bumper, at a traffic light. That's when the window washers vivaciously shot our windows with soap and squeegeed them clean. They were joyfully animated until we didn't pay them for something we didn't ask for. Persistent fellows, banging on our windows. That red light seemed longer than the entire drive to Paris.

We finally made it to our apartment, which was located in the hipster-trendy, northeastern part of Paris. While we were awaiting our travel partners, we decided to take a stroll to a nearby park. I'll just remind everyone that Europeans know how to do parks. Parc de la Villette offered zip lines, running hills, climbing nets, bounce pads, and (to Sebastian's delight) pigeons.

We found our way back to the apartment, expecting David and Sabrina at any moment. David is one of my oldest friends. In fact, the first time I traveled to Europe ten years ago with Crew 425, it was with David. When he and Sabrina were first married, I visited their house at least once a week. They would talk of traveling through Europe in so many years, and I joked that they could pay me to accompany them and be their translator. Well, in case you don't know Sabrina—she doesn't joke around.

They arrived around eight o'clock in the evening. We decided to drive to a widely recommended spot, Sacré-Cœur, to enjoy the Parisian moonlight. David rode up front, I sat in between two car seats, and Sabrina got marooned in the back. It turns out, everyone had the same idea. Parking in Paris is, in case you can't imagine, like parking on a cloud—impossible. So we spent a while circling the basilica before we decided we should turn around. We forgot our camera anyway.

We started the next morning with a walking tour of the right bank of Paris. We began with the opera house (the inspiration for the "Phantom of the Opera"), strolled past the Ritz hotel, gazed at ritzy diamond jewelers, and studied the architectural renovations. We ended at a charming park, complete with rude Parisian children. The highlight of the tour, however, was the most perfect sunlight and clear sky.

We wanted to enjoy that sunlight as we ate our lunch. We found an outdoor spot at a nearby cafe, only to realize the menu was Americanized and a bit more than we wanted to pay. Burgers in Paris? Sinful. So we turned a corner and found a pleasant little bakery with fresh sandwiches under four euros a piece. Score! We now know that mascarpone cheese makes a heavenly sandwich spread and that quiche lorraine is a new Sebastian favorite. We perched ourselves on a stone wall outside of the Louvre and reveled in our bakery find.

After lunch, we wandered along the Seine, pausing to admire the bridges and vendors. The paintings made us stop. Now, five years ago, I walked through similar streets lined with vendors selling jewelry, souvenirs, and paintings. An impressionist painting of the city of L'viv caught my eye. I debated for a few minutes whether or not I should buy it, but ultimately decided against it. I've regretted that decision since the minute I walked away. So when we passed these paintings of the Eiffel Tower, we couldn't pass another opportunity. We now own original art.

We found our art-owning selves at the base of a lovely bridge where a tour boat was docked. We decided a hour-long tour on the water would give us another chance to rest our feet and bask in the sunlight. (I brought sunscreen—don't worry.) Sebastian loved being on the boat but did not, apparently, love the sights.

We walked over to the Notre Dame, stopping to enjoy another highly recommended to-do: crepes. Now, don't hate me, but I wasn't impressed. I have had crepes just as good in my days at the FLSR and in my own kitchen. That may be because we stopped at the wrong crepe stand. I saw some mighty delicious-looking crepes after we came out of Notre Dame. Next time, I keep telling myself.

Notre Dame was as impressive as it sounds in Hunchback, which I read in its entirety while living in Ukraine. Although I don't remember all the details of what I read, the details are obvious when you step in front of this building. What is most impressive, however, is that construction of this magnificent building began even before the year 1200 and was finished in the mid-1300s. I often marvel at the Salt Lake Temple, constructed in the 1800s. Not even considering the technology and equipment available at the time, the stonework is immaculate. But Notre Dame is a completely different level of grandeur. Not only was it completed hundreds of years before, but the meticulous Gothic elements and vibrant stained glass are more than stunning.

This building did not disappoint—well, every visitor except Sebastian. We very well could take a space ship to Mars, and he would only be disappointed that there were no pigeons. So, Sebastian has now chased the Rats of the Sky in two nations' capitols this year.

But look at the way he folds his hands as we walk away.

We hopped on the metro, giddily discussing our evening plans: Going out for escargot and night-seeing Sacré-Cœur while David and Sabrina watch our sleeping babies. We couldn't even remember the last time we went on a date. My mouth was already watering thinking about all that garlic and butter . . . until we realized Curtis's wallet was no longer in his pocket.

Pickpocketed.

I learned quickly on the metros in Kiev how to hold your bags when you're smashed in between countless people. I guess the small towns around Berlin are different. Despite his preemptive tactic of keeping his wallet in his front pocket, they still got to it. Too bad we just visited an ATM.

Well, that put a downer on the evening. It's a good thing that our friends are so good, they not only babysat for free but paid for our night out.

It turns out that after putting babies to sleep, searching the apartment frantically for a wallet just in case, and moping around, we didn't actually leave the apartment until probably after ten p.m. I usually go to bed by then! We were on the metro home near (!) one in the morning. So much for going to the Louvre early in the morning.

We decided instead to drive to the Eiffel Tower. How many cars could be out on a Sunday morning anyway? Uh. Driving in Paris is crazy. We didn't know it before we got there, but the roundabout near the Arc de Triomphe is insane. I didn't whip my camera out until after our near-death experience, but there aren't even lines. I do not exaggerate when I say we are lucky to have made it out alive! Without a scratch, even!

But we were rewarded with a perfect parking spot. In fact, it was too perfect. We were so close to the Star of Paris that we had to walk like a mile to get this picture.

Eating snails was on my bucket list. Holding the Eiffel Tower was on Curtis's.

We stopped at a small park with a perfect view of the Tower to let Sebastian chase some more pigeons and to let Livia enjoy her last moments in the City of Love. Look at those lips.

Paris was too much for two days, but I believe we saw nearly everything we wanted to see. I told Curtis, "I can see why people like it here." The rich history, the grand architecture, the delicious food. (The gorgeous weather helped too.) But I can't stress enough how stressful it was not knowing French. I've never been in that situation before. But I blame myself. And aside from the rude Parisian kids who literally screamed in Sebastian's face on the playground (and the rude pickpocketer who stole our money), we met lovely and hospitable French people, especially the host of our apartment. When we go back (which we will), we want to get proper crepes, speak French, climb to the top of Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tower, and leave the car at home.