I guess we will start with Thanksgiving! Preparing for Thanksgiving was a fiasco. We were invited to two dinners: One with the sweetest girl in the world, Marina Moore and her family, and another with the Jensen family that lives on the same base as her. For the Jensen's we were making potatoes. For Marina we were showing up. The only problem was, we didn't have a pot big enough for the potatoes! The Sunday before the feast, I asked sister Jensen about this, and she said, "Oh, pick something easy, like pie or rolls." I thought, "I guess we could do rolls..." but then I told her it would be fine, and we would stick with the mashed potatoes. It would all work out!
The night before she called to make sure we were coming, and then I found out that she had thought I said I would do the potatoes AND the rolls! That was a nice surprise. I had class until 9:15 the night before, so Graydon and I didn't even get home until at or after 10. Then we found out we needed to be at the George's the next morning at 10 a.m, which meant we had to leave here at 9. And I was so tired!
We got out late the next day, but only a few minutes, and we'd called and let them know. We left with our little pot of mashed potatoes, mashed with a fork, and another container of mashed-with-a-fork potatoes so we had enough. We stopped by one of our favorite little bakeries on the way and picked up some rolls. It worked well. We were loaded with food.
When we got to the George's, who were taking us to the base, they were running a little late, too, which helped me really calm down. I was so grateful! And Davin and Andrew kept us company, which Jen did some finishing touches on the rolls. Such a sweet family! I love them all.
Then we went to Marina's, which was fun, and I felt at home there. There was a little drinking going on, and Davin almost got a swig, as well as Rock Band-playing while the missionaries were there, so that was a little awkward, but such things happen in part-member families, and the food was delicious. Marina is an amazing cook! She also had a dog and cat, so I was kept company. I didn't really want to leave when it was getting close to two, but off we went!
We got the mashed potatoes from the George's car, and walked around the barracks trying to find the right place. After not being able to find them the first time, I sent Graydon up to ask for directions again, and we tried again. This time we had success. Graydon asked a girl outside if she knew the Jensens, and she said "I am a Jensen!" Hahaha. That was great. So she showed us inside.
Even though I was reluctant to leave Marina's, it was nice to be at the Jensen's. Unfortunately, I was absolutely no good company because I was so tired, but it was nice and comfortable, there, and everyone was talking so I could listen and smile...and fall asleep without many people noticing.... It was funny that at the beginning sister Jensen was trying to resurrect our potatoes. First with a masher, then with whatever else. We really found it funny when we started hearing hardware in the kitchen. :) Old potatoes are never as easy as fresh ones. But she succeeded and they tasted...okay when it was time to eat.
The Jensen girls are darling and love Youtube. It was really good, as well, to visit with Brother and Sister Jensen and the other adults that were there, and to play cards while the kids ran around. Even though sometimes I would have rather been with the kids. I'm still one of them, you know! Dinner was good, and Brother Jensen gave us a ride home after the festivities. I love cars so much more than trains. Even though I'm grateful for the trains.
On Saturday we headed to the institute for German-practice with the missionaries. We wouldn't have gone, but Sister Seidel invited us. We love hanging out with the missionaries!! It was good, even though we didn't really have questions so it started a little slow. Then they began discussing real missionary things, so I decided it was time to pick up and get out. :D I was exhausted, again, and just wanted to go home and go to sleep.
On the way home, though, we needed to stop at Aldi for some groceries, so we did. And we passed a sort-of home improvement store, OBI. And Graydon told me that's where we could get a Christmas tree. At first I was like, okay, not today. But when we came out of Aldi with ornaments, and we already had icicles from Switzerland, I said maybe we could go take a look. It was really fun. We found a tree for 35 Euro (though I was pushing for the 20 Euro ones), and bought an awesome german Made-In-Germany tree stand to boot! Enough with those stupid screws and the cheap metal stands, we've got ourselves a high tech stand that clamps around the tree when you push a pump-like thingy! We really thought it was awesome. But heavy. :)
So, we brought it home and set it up. I believe Graydon already posted a picture of he and the tree on the train. Nice shot, in my opinion!
On Sunday the 30th we made and appointment with the Elders for dinner the next day. Graydon also got sustained and set-apart for his new calling as a counselor in the Sunday School Presidency.
The next day I wasn't feeling well, so I made Graydon cook. He made Maultaschen (tasty things like ravioli except we eat them plain, and they have different flavors), as well as a tomato-chicken stir-fry that was pretty dang delicious.
On Tuesday we told the sisters something someone said the night before at dinner, and Sister Hewitt looked at me with this innocent albeit neglected look, and I realized promptly that it was the sisters turn for dinner. Sister Seidel only had about two weeks left, and they were so busy it was hard to find a time that worked for both of us. We finally decided on Sunday the seventh. We asked Sister Seidel what she wanted for dinner, and she finally decided "American pizza!!" Sounded like a plan. Even though we couldn't find cheddar cheese anywhere in this confounded country.
Thursday Graydon went to the ward sport evening, and I stayed home and read. It was a nice break, I liked the book I was reading. Graydon came home sweaty and happy as a clam, and that was pretty good all by itself.
On Thursday or Friday I caught and obnoxious cold. It was (and is!) terrible. It made it hard for me to breathe, so I really couldn't sleep at all, especially Friday night. On Saturday morning we woke up early so Graydon could go to Stake priesthood meeting, and then our friend Markus came home with him to pick me up so we could go to the Weihnachtsmarkt in Ludwigsburg. I wasn't ready--I'd been up all morning trying to tidy up the apartment/ do the Kehrwoche for our week, and hadn't even showered. I also got a call from Gabi, where she asked if it would be okay to just bring us home and see how we were doing in our new apartment after church the following day, which meant we had no time to clean our messy messy apartment before then, and also made an appointment with Thomas upstairs to meet and visit with them around 3. When I talked to Thomas I'd forgotten I needed to make pizzas. My mistake.
So I went already sick and tired with Markus and Graydon to the Weihnachtsmarkt in Ludwigsburg. We actually first went to Markus' apartment because he needed to do something, and I asked if he had any peppermint tea, which he did have. That helped my sinuses AND my stomach, and was a blessing in itself. It's like a candy cane in the form of hot chocolate. So nice and yummy and soothing.
THEN we went to the Weihnachtsmarkt, which was the first one I'd been to and absolutely charming. We didn't buy anything except for Angell's Christmas present and some pumpkin seeds for me. We would have gotten more, but we're looking for something specific for Grandma, and nothing else really popped out at us for anyone else. But Angell's is perfect. We then went back to Markus' and he made us dinner. I then watched Ferris Bueller's Day Off while Graydon got a haircut, and we finished watching the movie.
By this time I was THE WALKING DEAD. I wanted to go home. Unfortunately, it was too early for Markus to let us leave, and so we just kept talking. Then he drove us to the Bahnhof in Ludwigsburg, picking up Strawberry shakes from McDonald's on the way, and then we sat and talked some more while we drank the shakes. I was dreading leaving the cold car for the even colder platform to wait for the train, and when I saw the second one go by, I asked if we could give Markus ten Euro to just take us home. He took us home without taking the 10 Euro. I was grateful. I was also exhausted, and we had an apartment to finish cleaning. I think we finally got home after 10:30. We were grateful for the memories we'd made.
On Sunday morning Graydon woke up early and I woke up a little later. I didn't help much that I woke up because I felt like I was moving like cold molasses. We got the apartment tidies sufficiently, got ready for Church (again without a shower on my part), and were on our way, late, but still going. We got there just in time for the sacrament, which we took in the foyer. This was nice because it as just me and Graydon out there, and no one to watch me, or for me to be distracted by. I was actually grateful that we were late. It really helped me.
After I had a surprise meeting with the bishopric in which I was called to be A WARD MISSIONARY!! That was really an answer to prayers--the last few weeks I've become increasingly discouraged according to the question "why am I even in this accursed country, anyways?!" and was asking to figure out what I was here to do, and the answer came, loud and clear, (or, as Germans would say, "laut und deutlich"), and I could not deny it. And I was grateful for that calling. I can't wait to get rolling!
Gabi came home with us, and just visited with us for a while, which was so nice just in itself. We just talked about everything, and especially about missionary work. It was nice to have her here. She then invited us to Christmas on the 25th with the whole family (who we miss so much!!), and then to her seventieth birthday party in January! We were so happy about that. We miss Familie Vogt.
When three rolled around I sent messenger Graydon up to inquire if we were leaving then, and I think we interrupted their linner, so we were invited up for...pizza! Funny, huh? Then it was about time to leave for the Weihnachtsmarkt in Feuerbach. I got sick and was not feeling like braving the cold, as well as needing to make fake-italian sausage and get the pizzas going, so I copped out last minute and asked Graydon to excuse me. I took a short nap, read and relaxed until about 5:30, then got to work in the kitchen.
And it worked well! I will post pictures of the various stages of the pizza. I just can't believe I didn't get a picture of them as they came out of the oven! Aside from the salami that was so not pepperoni and made me sick just by smelling it, and the homemade italian sausage without fennel seeds/composed of half-hamburger, it couldn't have gone better! The last time I made pizza, it was in the breadmaker and it turned out terrible. This time I did it all by hand and it turned out PERFECT! I owe that to my wonderful previous place of employment.
The sister came just as the first pizza came out of the oven. Sister Seidel couldn't believe I made it (they didn't know there were two yet), and said it looked like it was from Pizza Hut, where she had wanted to go for some time. It was a nice, enjoyable evening. I love those sister missionaries! They left with a spiritual thought, and left us 100% satisfied and at peace.
Not much has really happened the last two days. I have to leave for institute pretty soon, and it's already cold and dark outside so it's really hard for me to pull myself away from the nice, warm apartment. I'll try to post a few pictures, though, before I go.
We love you all!
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