the cows are still awake

today's advent gift (and william's snowman from the 4th).  they are practical elves... 

today, this was the one decent shot i got on my way to the train... 

after that, i was in a rush, and after i was in a rush, my phone died.  and after my phone died i had to run back to where i'd been to send an email to where i was going to say that my phone died but i was on my way.  and after i was back on the above bike path after being on my way, that is, after i was on my way home again, in early evening, the same cow as yesterday was walking down the hill to the same stream to take another drink and i reached for my phone/camera only to remember that my phone was dead, so you will have to believe me when i say i saw her doing it again only this time it was late afternoon-- 4:15-- so the sun has set... there is just a band of orange sky behind me, the bike path lights are turned on, kitchen windows are lit up, the horses are dozing off in the field, but the cows are still awake.

in the evening, henry focused on his tricky track... 

and this guy got his first german lesson from a german-danish neighbor...

so he can probably say it better than me, but gute nacht!  

brief glimpse at a cloudless sky

yesterday's weather... 

a sky as blue as they come... 

i walked my bike to the grocery store so i could stretch my legs, enjoy the sun (and yet not have to carry my groceries home by hand).  

this little lady was heading down to the creek for a drink... 

and this little one was watching her (though in this shot she's (he's?) moved on to a new viewing spot)...

all the kitties were out yesterday.

later in the afternoon... w...

and even later... we take the forest path home...

and the boys stop to play (i.e. hit a dead tree with dead sticks)...

and i look up...

today the clouds returned from their short excursion, but the temperatures were not bad and town is dressed up for the holidays...

now for some yoga.

remembering back

this was william four years ago, playing around with the computer.  he loved taking pictures of himself.  the boys and i were at my mom's house for thanksgiving and greg was in denmark interviewing for a job.  so this was william when he was still 100% midwestern and not any parts danish which, i would say, has changed since then.  i can still remember how i felt during that thanksgiving trip, with the possibility of this big move in front of us, how i felt when i learned he got the job and we decided (via skype and in the span of a minute's conversation) to say yes.  'denmark' was only an amorphous, exciting opportunity.  we would be laying down a new and unexpected chapter in our lives and in our children's lives.  that was all i knew that thanksgiving...

it's been both easy and hard, depending on the day.  there's been an entirely unexpected and unwelcome chapter thrown into the middle of it all that has perhaps changed our lives even more. but from both experiences we have learned so much and grown, inevitably, and not just in that a three year old's round little face has thinned out as he's turned into a boy of nearly eight.

i am thankful we were willing to make the trip.

sunday brunch and christmas tree birds

such a very nice sunday.  at least one-half of us was up before the sun (well... these days, we're all always up before the sun) putting together a quiche, making bagels and granola, then later we added a fennel salad, coffee, juice, and our friends who helped make up the small but thriving (for at least a year and a half) "little america" in our old neighborhood came over, fruit salad in tow, and we had a nice, long brunch.  

and of course i forgot to take out the camera for any of it.  so you can see the christmas tree birds (that would be 'juletræfuglerne' in danish-- see, i just made up a new word!) instead... 

happy sunday!

christmas tree

let's see if i can put these pictures in somewhat chronological order and then i'm going to call it a day. 

last night's book club... 

the boys, sometime this morning... 

today was our planned day to get out the christmas decorations.  and buy a tree in the wind and rain...

getting it set up...

no doubt in henry's mind, the train is first things first... 

and in the middle of decorations, some perler beads...

 a mostly decorated, charlie brownish christmas tree...

with some window lighting to go along... 

december 3's offering

looks like the nisser (the elves) are leaving two pencils for tomorrow morning.  i like that they're keeping the bar low.

william made this at school.  it's really sweet and we are going to watch it very closely when it gets near the bottom...

i'm tired.  going to take advantage of a quiet house and relax.

1. december

december first's offering... 

today greg went off to switzerland for a conference and the boys and i rode home through the woods...

and at bedtime i somewhat brusquely told them i was not as lenient as their dad is when it comes to getting them their precisely requested temperature of water and just generally allowing for a long, drawn-out bedtime.  i feel badly that in my own worn-outness i didn't try to get my point across in a different way but i must admit that i am not disliking that i got my point across and the house is quiet. here's hoping for a good day tomorrow.