Belated Happy New Year from the Weigels

Hayden's awesome blog:

I watched fireworks on New years Eve.  And I got a computer for Christmas.  Last week we took all of the ornaments off the Christmas tree.  Then my dad threw the Christmas tree out of the window!  Then I threw balloons out the window.  Sunday I got a train set from my dad's cousin for my birthday.  Tuesday we started back home school.  We also went to a restaurant.  We got to walk there.  We also went to the forest and we hopped over the creek even though my Oma said "nein!" (no!).

Evan's blog blob:

My brother's birthday was Sunday and my brother got lots of presents.  And cake.  And for new years I saw lots of fireworks.  And I got a sled for  Christmas.  We started  Homeschool Tuesday.  And dad threw the Christmas tree out the window.  We had popcorn for snack.  Then I walked to a fancy Restaurant.  And my sister drove.  We went into the forest and my dad jumped over the creek and I held onto roots to get across and my sister and Oma walked around it.

Stella:

I started homeschool and I like it.  I like to eat Brezen (pretzels).  I like them with butter.  I wish they made Brezen like this in Auburn.  I miss my friends in Auburn so much and I love you.  My mom made a dinosaur picture for me and I colored it.

--Mom's notes:  It's true...Hayden, Evan, and Stella's dad threw the tree out of the window!!  It was the easiest way to keep the pine needles from shedding all over the carpet and the stairwell ;-).  So he threw it right out of our living room window, and then went to the yard and brought it around to the front of the house, loaded it up, and drove it away. You have to dispose of your own tree here...no curbside pickup.

Playing in the snow!

Too big to throw!

We wish everyone a very Happy (though belated) New Year!!  We've been slow to update as we've been busy with New Year's traditions here and a slew of January birthdays for family and friends.  Unfortunately a close family friend here passed away unexpectedly at the beginning of the month as well.  We have finally settled back into our routine this week, and we're starting to plan for our first little trip.  We'll keep you posted.  In the meantime here are some pics from Hayden's birthday and our afternoon trip to Nuernberg.

Dodging snowballs

Making a wish and blowing hard

Celebrating with cousins and opening presents

Cutting the cake that the kids helped decorate

...and waiting for the cake

Waiting....

And more presents!

And on to Nuernberg (about a 40 minute drive from Ansbach).  The weather was perfect, so we took an afternoon trip...

Faber-Castell Factory (we hope to tour this on a rainy day while we're here...the weather was too pretty today to be inside;-)

Nuernberg City Wall and Tower (Stadtmauer und Turm)

In front of the "golden" fountain

at the base of the Nuernberg Fortress

Climbing on the Sandstone (from which the fortress was  made)

Watchtower

Views from the top of the Fortress

From the base

Water Break!  (it was quite a walk for little legs;-)

Albrecht Duerer Haus (artist most famous the praying hands)

Lorenzkirche (St. Lorenz  church).  We had a mini-lesson on WWII.  This church was bombed (along with much of the city).  Inside the church there is a picture tour of the destruction.  Hayden, Evan and Stella had lots of good questions.  We hope we had good answers.