Shields Family Pictures: Frankfurt Germany

We now have beautiful updated family photos! Woohoo!! :)

Every year, it is my mission to get them taken - and these didn't disappoint in the slightest!

We unfortunately scheduled to have them taken on one of the coldest Fall mornings yet - but for the most part, we got through it without too much pain. Haha!

Fall is probably my most favorite time of year! I love all of the changes in color on the trees and the falling leaves. We were scheduled to have them taken just the day before but we were surprised with rain. Going to Palmengarten was out. Bummer! But there's a nearby park that I love to run around and take the kids to right around the corner from our house so we didn't have too walk far. It worked out nicely. Kids were a bit on the whiny side along with some teenage attitude to boot - but my friend that took our pictures brought a bunch of fun things to entertain and distract them with: bubbles, puppets, party blowers...including a little running around and an impromptu leaf gathering and jumping party. I'm so glad I know not to expect a perfect photo session. It just doesn't exist! We managed to have fun though!

I can't post my very favorite photo yet (as it's being used for our Christmas card this year) but I will post some more of my absolute favorites! So many turned out so nice, despite the cold chill! I was pretty impressed! Many thanks, Anastasia, for capturing my family so beautifully! xo

I love my family! xxoo

Aubrey {12}, Jocelyn {6}, Andrew {3}, Landon {18 months}

"Back to School" Dinner

In honor of the Shields' children starting another year of school, we adapted the lovely tradition from NieNie to have a "Back to School" dinner to celebrate the event. I had so much fun with this! The girls really enjoyed having this special dinner made just for them! :)

After coming up with the dinner menu, I printed it off and inserted it into a frame for the sideboard where the food was going to sit. I also thought some crayons placed around a candle with a ribbon would be a nice touch to go along with the school theme. 

 Dinner: Corn Chowder Soup, Sliced Ham and Herbed Cheese Rolls.

 I also printed off some cute prints and framed them for each daughter to be displayed in their rooms. This year's school theme we are going to focus on is: (Shine Bright and) Choose Right.

 Dinner seemed to be a success! Most wanted seconds but still saved room for some delicious Caramel Apple Bundt Cake. Mmm! So good! It was definitely worth the effort!

Here's to a great year of school, girls! Have fun and choose right! We love you and are SO proud of you! xo

{Jocelyn (5) Kindergarten; Aubrey (12) Seventh Grade}

Christmas Time is Here!

{Christmas Cards 2011}

I wish my brain wasn't always mush!

I find that my creative energy comes mid day - when I'm still running around getting things done at the homefront and keeping a baby clean, fed and entertained while big brother snoozes for his nap. Oh how I can't wait until they are both on the same nap schedule! :)

Until then, it's go, go, go!!!

(And I feel like a walking zombie!)

Don't get me wrong - I LOVE being busy caring for my children. They are most definitely busy bodies and most days they make me want to pull my hair out but they are the love of my life and I am so grateful for them and all their cuteness! I just feel the need to write things down to preserve memories and I honestly don't have as much time to do it as I used to. But I will find a way! Sleep just seems to be more necessary in this time of my life. Especially with a husband who's about to start his Master's Degree!

On a happy note...it's starting to feel and look like Christmas here. More so if it will snow in the next couple of days like it's predicting it will. I can't wait! Winter here started a few weeks back with darkness starting around 4pm. Not one of my most favorite traits of winter, that's for sure! I miss the sunlight!! And we had heavy fog for days. Now it's just cold, windy and rainy. Days aren't any warmer than the 30's and 40's. I left my kids in the care of a friend for a bit today to run through the hurricane like weather, which was pushing it's way towards us from France, to get some packages mailed off to family and friends in the States. And oh how I'm missing them all! I am getting a bit homesick again. Skype, how I love you so! It truly has been a great thing for us to see and talk to people from afar!

I am so relieved that all the Christmas cards have been written and presents have been shipped. I was losing a lot of sleep (and so was John as he and I stayed up until 1am last night) trying to get so much done in the past few weeks in between tending to a sick Jocelyn, an on-the-go Landon, a potty training Andrew and a homework busy bee Aubrey. NOW I feel I can enjoy the holidays. Thankfully the kids stuff has been bought and made for a while now and all is done except wrapping. I leave that for last minute. Got to keep up with tradition on most things! ;) Who knows...I might surprise myself and get it done earlier but I'm not banking on it.

We have so many wonderful and busy things to look forward in the next 9 days - by the time Christmas arrives! Especially with my brother and his family coming out for a week to spend Christmas with us. The tree is up, Christmas break starts NOW and 4 more days until they arrive! Woo hoo!

And off I go to catch this little guy! Heaven help me...Landon learned to do this amazing trick as well as pull himself to stand along furniture just a few days ago. He's NINE months! We're smelling TROUBLE now! None of our other kids did it this early. I'm sure he's got the notion to stay up to speed with his brother and sisters. Boy do we have our hands busy! Gates are going up pronto!

Thanksgiving 2011

We had a good Thanksgiving this year. As always, we go around and list all that we are eternally grateful for and blessed to have in our life. Family and friends are always at the top! We definitely have much to be thankful for!

With us being relatively new to a different country still and Thanksgiving not being (obviously) a German holiday, we were perfectly content celebrating alone. But when we found out that some friends from church along with the sister missionaries didn't have any plans for the day, we quickly invited them over! We love our extended family.

As we started the day preparing the pies and turkey, I looked at our dining room table and felt it was desperately needing some color and decoration for our dinner with friends. The walls throughout our home are nothing but plain and white and it drives me crazy with the lack of personality. Another reason I strongly look forward to the day we have our own home again...so we can completely personalize it like we want it. I decided to walk down to the nearby grocery store: Rewe. I found some nice brown napkins and a bright orange vase with a fall colored bouquet of flowers. And I also snatched up some red apple scented candles to add to the look. It wasn't much but I thought it looked nice on our tan table cloth as well as with our new pottery pieces from our anniversary. I have to add that the walk to the store was a wonderful break! :)

The day started off with the kids coloring and helping me make jello molds. Aubrey made some paper cranes to go on the kitchen table - she's so cute! And then the kids were engrossed with some Mario Cart on the Wii. Landon slept, ate and played. He's usual! :) By the time our friends came over, we had most of the things in the kitchen finished for our dinner so we took our kids down to the playground to run off some energy and have some fun! John in the mean time stayed behind to finish the remaining dishes. He LOVES to cook - and I let him any chance I get. I love to cook as well but a break is always welcomed after a long day with the kids.

We had the traditional American Thanksgiving dinner. Turkey, stuffing, homemade mashed potatoes & gravy, green beans with bacon, rolls, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, pumpkin cheesecake, and these amazing pumpkin whoopie pies that my friend made. Drinks were sparkling cider, soda and egg nog. Everything was delicious! And so were all the foods we snacked on all day long! I'm so glad we only pig out once or twice a year like this. So much food!! Oh, and for the record, Landon LOVES pumpkin pie. And whipped cream. Not sure in which order! :) What a fun night! We had an amazing time with some pretty awesome people!

Family and friends that live afar where greatly missed! We thought of you all and look forward to the day that we can be with you again! xoxoxo

Christmas Eve 2010

 It was really hard getting the kids happy and into the Christmas spirit with them knowing that their Daddy wouldn't be home the next morning to open presents on Christmas. After getting to talk to him over Skype, we made some some cookies for Santa and a big batch of puppy chow to enjoy over a movie. Of course it didn't remove their Daddy from their thoughts but the treats at least brought a smile to their faces!

Poor little guy! I just love how big sis jumped in to comfort him when he was sad!

{This years Christmas ornaments we had made at the mall}

 I made things as simple and pretty as possible with John in Iraq and me very much pregnant with Landon. I didn't go to our storage unit to get our 7 foot tree and I let a few things slide in order to focus on my kids so they had the best Christmas they possibly could with their Daddy away. I was running out of steam hitting my third trimester anyways. I hope they know just how much they are loved!!!

I actually love the little prelit 3 foot tree my Mom bought us while she was here for Thanksgiving. It's different than what we normally decorate but I loved it the same! I think it's just the right size for the two younger ones too. :) I stayed up late this evening wrapping presents and wishing my husband was here to make good memories with us. It's so hard having him away. Instead of the normal 20 minute limit to talk over Skype, he gets 30 tomorrow so I'm beyond excited to talk to him while the kids open their gifts. Wishing all of our friends and family a very merry Christmas!