Munich and Melissa

Five days after returning from the U.S. to Warsaw, Mark and I were off again to meet up with our Melissa in Munich, Germany!

Melissa was coming to spend Christmas with us in Poland, but we decided to meet in Munich so we could sample the Christmas markets there.  Though we had seen her at the beginning of the month in Utah, meeting Melissa in Europe was exciting for us!

Melissa had a whirlwind week prior to coming to Europe…finals…a grad school field trip to the Bay Area of California ….visiting friends and mission acquaintances while there….then home to Utah.  She was home for less than 24 hours, then left to fly across the Atlantic…to see us! 

Our flight was late leaving Warsaw, so Melissa arrived in Munich before Mark and I left Poland…but she patiently waited (not that she had a choice) until we arrived a couple of hours later.  Though tired, we thought she looked great and looked forward to having some Melissa time!

We ate lunch at a restaurant right inside the airport….feasting on a pretzel, German potato salad (the best), and traditional pork cutlet.  It felt so good to visit and reconnect with Melissa….who was much more relaxed without the stress of school on her mind.

In between Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 of the Munich airport…we saw our first Christmas Market in Germany.  Mark and Melissa even enjoyed a gingerbread treat!

We checked into our hotel…gave Melissa time to rest and then were ready to walk the streets of Munich and see some of the Christmas Markets we had heard so much about.

I loved the Christmas trees and decorations in Munich.  Melissa is standing in front of the hotel's Christmas tree….it is beautiful…though a very different style than one might see in the U.S.

Riding the S-Bahn to downtown Munich became very familiar to us over the next 3 days.

Though a cold and rainy evening... we made the most of our time and enjoyed the ambiance and being outside together. 

Mark and I had visited Munich the previous February…but the familiar areas looked quite different filled with Christmas Market booths, larger crowds, Christmas lights and trees.  So beautiful!

Below is one of many "Munich Christmas Market" signs we saw….there were at least 20 markets in Munich alone…and most towns, cities and villages throughout Germany had their own markets.

Mark wanted to purchase some fresh gingerbread, and this was one of many stops in his search.  Alas, the gingerbread hearts in this picture required an oven to warm and soften….something we didn't have in Munich.

The largest Christmas Market in Munich was at the heart of the city center…Marienplatz…with the Town Hall and 100-foot-tall Christmas tree in the background.

Throughout the rows of booths, traditional Bavarian Christmas gifts, food and drinks could be found. Wood carvings, scarves, hats, gloves, gingerbread (Lebkuchen), hot wine, and beautiful art.  Melissa found some gifts to take back to people in the U.S....not to mention a few things for herself.

Everyone knows the opening line from The Christmas Song…."Chestnuts roasting on an open fire…".  Mark bought some roasted chestnuts from an outdoor vendor.  They smelled good….

 ….but unfortunately, none of us really liked eating them.  Too little flavor, and too chewy….not crunchy like we expected. That was disappointing. They must be a winter treat to have grown up with…or an acquired taste.

It was fun to try various treats being sold in the booths.  But we needed a real meal, preferably German. We found a restaurant in an older part of the city center…serving pork knuckle, potato salad, sauerkraut, bread, etc. 

My favorite part of the meal was the dessert….apple strudel.  Sorry, no picture….we ate it too fast!

Our first night in Germany was cold and wet….but we still enjoyed being outside....and the weather definitely did not keep people away.

Merry Christmas season from Germany….from Mark, Melissa and Jackie

Beautiful Munich!

Wintry Warsaw….December 2012

The week before Christmas, quietly throughout a single night, a wintry blanket descended on Warsaw! 

 It was so beautiful…the only previous snow this winter was the last Saturday in October….and that seemed a little early.

Now it was December…and the snow and cold were timely. 

Polish people have often suggested to me to try to be outside a little bit each day during the winter….and so I do.

Leaving my house and turning the corner, this is the view I see….

….and I am hoping the 80+ stairs I have to climb are cleared of snow and dusted with sand.

As I climb the stairs…I love seeing the snow clinging to the bushes….

….and covering this park….

....that is a great place for people to go sledding.

(Stay tuned for a future blog about sledding.)

 Walking toward the tram, the U.S. Ambassador's home is in front of me….with an open field of white in the foreground.

 Returning home from errands, my Polish lesson, or working at the Family History Center….I cross the same field of white in the opposite direction, before descending the stairs into our neighborhood.  When this picture was taken it was getting dark by 3:15pm!

There were a few very cold mornings after returning to Warsaw in December.  I think this was the morning when the temp was 9F when Mark left for work….just a little nippy!  But by wearing layers and bundling up we do just great!

The one LDS chapel in all of Poland.

Wintry Warsaw….so pretty!

December days in Houston

Time for connections…with special friends

Mark and I spent a few days with our good friends Craig and Pat who live in Pearland, Texas.  Pat treated me and herself to pedicures and manicures.…we loved being pampered! It was only the second pedicure in my entire life…what a great Christmas gift she shared with me! 

We are sharing with Mark how pretty we look…to this day my toes still look great!  Too bad that now they have to be covered with 3 layers of footwear, in addition to the boots at this time of the year. What a fun afternoon for us!

While at the Pat's house…my good friend Gwen stopped by for a visit, in addition to Rachael and Eliza, Pat's daughter-in-law and granddaughter…I just LOVE all of these ladies! I am constantly enriched by wonderful, good women! 

The week flew by….but I was able to stop by my former school, McRoberts Elementary, and visit with a few principals and teachers.  I love my co-workers…here I am with Geraldine. We worked on the same team for five years as reading specialists. Good memories we share.  

I visited with Lynn and others also but didn't get pictures….but am so glad for the connections I can still make with former co-workers at my school.

Caroline spent Friday with us….after taking her last final on Thursday evening.  We had fun shopping, playing games and hanging out together!  We went to Jamie's office for lunch with him.  He joined us after work and they spent the night at Brian and Diana's with us.  

Mark and I pose by Brian and Diana's Christmas tree on the night before we were to fly home to Poland.

We had a quick but good 9 days in Texas.

We had a great Saturday breakfast and lunch, and played even more games together before we had to leave for the airport in the afternoon.

Thank you Brian and Diana…you are wonderful friends and we love YOU!

Our two families have wonderful December memories over the years…we have loved growing up together!

Merry Christmas….we just need Melissa with us!

Mark and I left Houston at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, December 15.  We would be arriving in Frankfurt late morning the next day, and arrive in Warsaw at 5 p.m.  Fortunately, we were able to sleep for 5 or 6 hours on the flight over the Atlantic ocean.  That helped with the inevitable jet lag after we arrived home.

During our layover in Frankfurt, Germany on Sunday morning, Mark had a typical German snack while breaking out his laptop to work.  Though on vacation for 2 weeks, he worked many days…but such is the nature of the job that he has at this time.

Mark looks pretty relaxed as we board a bus that will take us from the plane to the airport terminal.

And then we were home….December 1-16 flew by for Mark and me!  We were happy to go to the U.S. once again…and happy to be returning home to Warsaw.

Christmas arrived in Poland while we were away….

….scattered throughout the airport were decorated Christmas trees.

We gathered all of our luggage and were ready to take a taxi ride home. We are always happy when we retrieve all of our luggage! 

Yea for us…we made it home! We loved the first half of December….making connections with our children, friends, and family in both Utah and Texas. We loved shopping and bringing a bit of the U.S. home with us to Warsaw. 

We looked forward to the 2nd half of December also…Christmas in Poland once again…but this time we would be joined by a special family member….we were excited for her arrival!

2nd USA Stop…Houston, Texas

First weekend in Houston, Texas...

We arrived in Houston to balmy December weather…. and our first Friday was a great night to enjoy going to the Houston Zoo and see the creative Christmas lights display!

We started the evening with sweaters…and paused occasionally for a picture or two….or more.

But soon our jackets were off and we walked around trying not to think how truly warm it was in December.

Our good friends Brian and Diana joined us for the evening….which was a natural since we spent our 10 days in Houston at their home.  They were so kind to welcome us into their home and lives…we appreciate them so much!

We had never seen Christmas lights at the zoo before, but we have since heard it is done at a number of zoos throughout cities in the US.

The only animals on display were the giraffes….

….which were interesting to see in the dark, and attracted a lot of attention!

It was an interesting evening….to be at the zoo and not see all the animals.  It was still enjoyable though.

The light displays were quite creative throughout the zoo.

This car was at the entrance of the zoo, and had a creative display of lights.

Though warm and humid, it felt good to walk around, listen to Christmas music, and enjoy being together.

Saturday we spent time with Jamie and Caroline….just as we loved making connections with Melissa in Utah, we enjoyed and cherished the connections with Jamie and Caroline in Houston. 

We loved breakfast, shopping, napping and even going on a few errands together! We love being in Caroline and Jamie's home, especially at Christmas. Their tree and home are beautiful and it is always fun to feel of their fun spirits when we visit.

Like Melissa, at this time of year Caroline was in the midst of studying for finals….and Jamie had much work to do at E&Y.  But we enjoyed the weekends and evenings with them when we could.

Mark and I also visited the cemetery where our first daughter, Sarah Elizabeth is buried. We  placed a pretty poinsettia plant by her marker and reflected for a moment.

On Saturday evening we crashed a church Christmas party at the home of some members of our former congregation.  The food was great, as was the "white elephant" gift exchange…but we especially enjoyed our fun conversations with so many special friends!

Our next week in Houston was spent shopping….clothes, Christmas gifts, and foods and articles that are hard to find in Poland. We visited doctors, played games with friends, ate great food and shopped….we enjoyed our pre-Christmas time in Texas once again.