Dies Und Das!

Don't worry  about the post title - nobody died; I only decided to translate "This and That" to German for my blog title because that's what life is - a little bit of dies and a little bit of das!

Lucy is hilarious but actually now moves both feet when she plays hockey instead of only skating with the "lead foot".  She also hangs out by the tiny goal and when the puck comes her way she gets a goal.  She got 4 in this game!!!  She's only telling the other guy what to do and when:)

Well another quarterly "meeting" with our Fab 6 group last weekend with Jeff and Donna hosting and each one gets better.  Jeff honored Ross with the special glass for scotch that is shaped like a woman - a young woman!

Jeff and Donna - fantastic hosts, fantastic cooks and I am next in line for the dinner event and the standards are higher and higher but the laughs get louder and louder so not to worry.  I actually think these dinners make our marriages stronger because we hear everyone else living with the same type goofballs (both sides) and then can laugh about it because we're so "normal".

In spite of the odd name "Troublemaker" the wine Donna is holding was very good.  We are blessed with friends and we agree it does take time and effort to keep gathering but it is one of the best things in life and nothing like face to face contact in the social media age.

Every year I drag out my favorite picture of Alex.  He was 8 months old here and Amy was very excited to have him dressed in special Christmas clothes.  He pretty much looked disgusted and I can't imagine how he would look now at 9 years old.  I really want to try and find this outfit in a bigger size!

So last week we got an email from friends we met on the South America tour just mentioning they were going to Australia/New Zealand next fall and would love to have us join them and we said "oh that would be fun but we are going to Peru and Bolivia and also will be tending to Alex and Lucy while Chris and Amy are in Italy".  Then on the way home from the Fab 6 dinner nearing midnight Ross says "We should try to go to to Australia - it's on my list".  Hmmm - so now just 3 days later they changed their date to a week later, we changed our trip and the four of us are booked for next October !!

Now for the nearest trip - next April - the LOFT (Ladies of Fun and Travel) heading to Italy to cook, tour, hike a little, taste wine, and visit the Vatican are happy to welcome the 6th person.  I met Ingrid in college and she is to my right on our graduation day at U of M  3 June 1987.  I had recently turned 40 and she was early 20s and it sure made college fun for me to hang out with the young 'uns.  So who would ever have dreamed over 27 years later we're still going strong and putting on more miles!  We went to her wedding 27 years ago and now she has a child in college and one in high school.

So for Australia I won't need to learn a new language just a few slang phrases.  I thought this was a good one to destress about the holiday craziness:
"Don't get your knickers in a knot" - meaning:  Don't upset yourself!