Warning: Obnoxiously long photo blog post ahead

We were fortunate enough to go on an excellent adventure to Austria over the Holidays. The mountains were a high point (haha, get it?) it felt right being snuggled in a mountain range again, our natural habitat.  My biggest accomplishment from the trip is climbing a mountain, and no, I am not exaggerating... it was a MOUNTAIN people, I may have been on all fours, crawling at one point, but I made it!

 Some other observations include.... Austrians are much friendlier than Germans, Austria is home to the most neatly stacked firewood in the world. We visited a contemporary art installation... and actually liked it. So, enough talky talk... and more picky pics.

A special thank you to everyone who took the extra time (and money) to send us a Christmas card, cannot tell you how nice it was to come home and have those waiting in the mailbox!

Happy 2016

 Getting Nox to sit still and Newton to look toward the camera was next to impossible, but whatever, I guess these photos are more realistic. The following poses include...

-Ah, this isn't that bad... Newton, please look at the damn camera.

-Nox shows off his gymnastic skills while Newton... look at the camera!

- Newton, looking at Nox, who is looking at the camera

-I commence choke hold on the crazy, Newton... is getting closer

-Newton says "screw this" lays down, Nox is getting wilier by the second, and Zachs head disappears into the background

I hope your 2016 is filled with crazy, good, times.

Merry Merry

It is safe to say that this year has been extra special. We have grown, learned, fallen flat on our faces, accomplished much, made new friends, made genuine fools of ourselves, but we have smiled through it all (well kind of). It is weird to think that we spent the first two-thirds of this year in Kansas City, it feels like the distant past, I guess we have been through quiet a bit in a small amount of time. Even as I sit here writing this, I can't believe we are living in Germany.

 In another of our many firsts, it is our first year as a married couple spending the holidays apart from at least one of our families. It has been a bittersweet transition to say the least. We dearly miss our loved ones back home, but we have enjoyed making this Christmas our own.
Our favorite is coming home to see our lit Christmas tree in our window, so warm, and welcoming.
I have especially enjoyed decorating our new home for Christmas this year; I am finally starting to feel like a grown up for the first time in my life. I went crazy with the candles and bought some simple bunches of greenery to put here and there. Nothing extravagant, but enough to make our home feel festive.

Merry Christmas, we love you dearly.