Walker's Graduation

Our "Little Brother" Walker graduated from UMKC with a Bachelor's in Music Education. We celebrated at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts downtown Kansas City. The kids enjoyed their first graduation ceremony - because they knew we were going to eat Vietnamese afterwards...

Beautiful venue for this celebration

You did it! We are so proud of you!

Future university graduate coming up

Congratulations Walker!

UMKC School of Music and Dance Graduates

This is it!

The Hornets

Alex enjoyed his last game of soccer of the season. Chances are that he'll want to continue to play soccer this fall. Go Hornets!

The team with coaches Joe and Joe

Got a medal!

A Fairytale Ending

Alex's half-day kindergarten class put on a great show for parents called "A Fairytale ending". Alex had a lot of fun singing and acting in front of a crowd with his buddies. No stage fright there for sure...

Miss Courtney Gust, Kindergarten teacher

Cool kids on the block

Mrs Wishy Washy play

3 Bears / Boucle d'Or

The Gingerbread Man

Jack and the Beanstalk

I will sing Hello around the world

The Kindergarten Class, Adams Family style

The End!

Happy Mother's Day

Alex made mama a Mother's Day present at school. He kept it a secret for quite a long time. Until he said: "I have a gift for you, but don't tell papa I told you, OK?". How cute is that?

What is it?

My very first hand-made candle holder. Thank you, Alex!

Linsertorte

Oma's specialty from Germany is to bake a Linsertorte for her family to enjoy. Here is her recipe:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup ground hazelnuts
• 1 egg
• 2 sticks butter or oleo
• 3 T Kirschwasser
• 2 T cacao
• 1 1/2 t cinnamon
• 1/2 t nutmeg
• 2 t baking powder
• 1/2 jar  raspberry jam

Put flour, sugar, hazelnuts on the counter. Make a depression in the middle and add the rest of the ingredients - except the jam. Cut the butter in little chunks and work the dough together with your hands.  Cool in the fridge for 1 hour.

Use a little more than half the dough and press at the bottom of a springform pan. Spread the jam over it leaving 1/2" from the edge.

Roll out the rest of the dough and make a top with leaves or stripes. Brush with egg. Form the edge with dough too.

Bake at 325 degrees F for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

We finally got a step-by-step demonstration.

Hazelnut dough

Rolling, rolling, rolling...

Add raspberry jam

Ta-da! Yummy-in-our-tummy good!

Gisela, also from Bretten, came to taste Oma's dessert

Oma's Visit

Oma came for a week to help us celebrate Sophie's birthday and see how the "city kids" spend their time. Between school carnival, a party, swimming lessons, and soccer practice, Oma kept busy keeping up with the energizer bunnies of the house.

Mama made a giraffe cake for Sophie's birthday party. It was certainly not as sophisticated as papa's Dodge Viper cake - can't compete with the master baker!

Pig race at Alex's elementary school

Jumping is what we do

Who is the man of the house, now?

Oma, check out my new game!

Thanks Oma for the book and puzzle

Can you believe I turned 3?

home-made giraffe cake

Happy birthday, Sophie-Giraffe!

Reading with my friends

It's Hello Kitty bubble-maker

bubbles everywhere

Sophie turns 3

Happy Birthday, Sophie! Three years ago we were blessed to welcome Sophie into this world. She has grown so much! From no hair to a head with some curls. From blue eyes to brown eyes. From silent to talking in full sentences and asking "why?" - like her brother. From PJ's to pretty dresses and looking at herself in the mirror. That's our girly girl!