International Day at BIS~

BIS hosted it's annual international day.

All the different nationalities that attend

the school have table's selling popular food

items known in their countries. They also had

entertainment through the day, as well as raffle

prizes and activities for the younger children.

It is the biggest school event of the year!

Here are male dancers.

Jim and Coreen helped with the food at the

American table, as well as many other parents.

A local saxaphone group performed.

Enjoying the entertainment and food

outside on the school patio.

Bouncy castles were a big hit.

People enjoying the socializing.

Here are many of the children waiting

for the raffle numbers to be called.

One lucky person won an itouch.

Cody helped with some of the "M"cing.

Enjoying visiting with Rosemary,

Cody's friend Allie's mom.

One of the student bands performed,

they were quite good.

A BIS teacher plays the guitar on

the right side of the stage.

By the end of the afternoon it was raining,

no surprise there.

But many people stayed on enjoying the

time to gather and socialize.

Swan Family~

Here is the Swan family getting bigger every day.

Beautiful trees around the ponds.

The whole family is dunking!

Waiting for mama to bring up something yummy!

Bryce Jr.?~

Jim thinks if Cody had straight hair he would

be looking at a younger version of Bryce,

Cody's 25 year old brother.

Cody-16 and cute as ever!

Says his mama!

It's Snowing...Blossoms~

At a quick glance you would think

it had snowed...

This is our neighborhood street.

One of the downers to having a street lined

with beautiful shade trees is having to clean

up all the tiny blossoms that fall from the trees.

I usually sweep the walks each day. They

become enough of a problem that someone

needs to be called in to clean out the gutters,

so they can continue to drain properly.

Here is the sidewalk in front of our house.

Later that evening a torrential rainstorm

helped to wash some of the blossoms away.

But by the next day we had more blossoms.

Dinner with Alfons and Lissy~

Great spring weather for eating outside!

We enjoyed a meal with Alfons and Lissy at

one of our favorite restaurants in Bad Godesberg.

Lissy was so sweet and brought this

beautiful bouquet for me!

I just love it!

I told Jim he needs to get the name of

Lissy's florist....

Besides the lovely pink roses, the bouquet has

hydrongia's and the large flower is a cahla.

We couldn't find the American name for it.

I took the arrangment to church the next day

to use as a centerpiece while I taught the

women's class at church-Relief Society.

The flower was admired so much that it was

used in Sunday School for display and then

I was asked to put the arrangement up at

the podium so it could be admired all through

our Sacrament meeting.

There's nothing like a receiving a European

flower arrangement to enjoy.

It still looks beautiful on my table at home!

Substitute Holiday for Memorial Day~

We celebrated The Pentacost Holiday

on Thursday, June 1st.

The boys playing in the Miller's yard.

There was no school and the weather was perfect

for the day. We were lamenting missing the

Memorial Day holiday that occurred three days

earlier in the U.S. It is a holiday celebrating

our countries service men and women, past and

present. We missed the luxury of a three day

weekend-work and school were back in session

for us the next day. Memorial Day weekend often

includes BBQ's with family or friends, or both.

We decided that our Pentacost Holiday just had

to fill the void. So the Miller's invited Cody and I

to a BBQ. We enjoyed great food including Heidi's

amazing potato salad and great homemade pies!

It was all delicious!

Cody, and friend Vivek, then stayed the night.

Creed, Nash's dad, drove all three boys to the

airport in the morning to fly to Berlin for the

GISST track meet their school was participating in.

Building them burgers Mmmmmm!

A great holiday meal together!

Thanks Miller family!

New Wildlife~

Recently new wildlife has moved into the park.

Here are two of the three cranes I've spotted.

In case you are wondering.....

It's flower blossoms floating on the water.

The rains cause all the blossoms to fall off.

From what I can tell this is an animal preserve.

Here you can see a young buck, deer

and yes...some goats.

This young buck has some pretty "fuzzy" antlers.

New Family~

Another new family has moved to the pond!

Here is a baby goose.

This mama has three to watch over,

papa was close by looking on.

Living in Deutschland Enjoying Indian Cuisine, Again~

Here we are back at the Indian restaurant.

The last time we were here only one couple

came together, the other's spouses could not

make the dinner. Since they missed out we

decided to redo this place.

Besides the usual couples including the Miller's,

Schaub's, Grunke's and Engstrom's we also

had the Merle family join us.

It was a fun night that ended back at the

Engstrom's for brownies and ice cream!

Cody's Driving?!~

Dad came through for Cody!

Actually, some of Dad's work colleague's did.

They lined up a group of co-workers and

included Cody and his friend Nash to race

go carts at the Michael Schumacher

Kartcenter in Kerpen, Germany.

Cody in red, Nash in blue

looking for their car number.

Jim's ready and waiting.....

Cody's good to go, he's in red.

Nash brings up the rear and ready to go.

Cody on left side of track course.

Cody on right side of track course.

Nash in the front here

with Jim just behind him.

Cody just making the turn.

Nash coming down.

Cody around the bend.

Jim on right side of track.

Left track view.

Right track view.

Cody just coming from behind the helmet,

on left side of photo.

First run down!

Jim, Cody, Nash

The drivers use the track for one hour.

There is a break halfway through.

Depending on your time from the first

thirty minutes determines where you are

placed for the second thirty.

There were seventeen drivers.

Jim took 13th, Cody 14th, Nash 17th.

They are off on their second run!

Jim pulling in to park.

Here is Cody.

Here is Nash.

Lookin' pretty good here.

Well, it's a pretty fun option until

Cody really does get to drive.

Thanks Dad!

The whole group from the office.

I've included a couple fun videos.

The one on the left is the second thirty minutes.

The other is of Cody doing the circuit.