mein Geburtstag

I enjoyed another wonderful birthday abroad.  As a refresher, I celebrated my 21st birthday in South Africa.  First, Max, Tom and Sabine knocked on my door at 8:30 to sing me happy birthday.  I have to admit that Max was a little shy but Tom sang nearly the whole song, despite the fact that he had only just woken up five minutes before.  Suess!  Next, my cousin Annika invited me to brunch in town.  I do love brunch in Europe - muesli, cheese, fresh bread, eggs, cucumbers, fresh orange juice.  It was absolutely delicious.  I had planned to do several errands on Monday but as it rained the entire day (that's not an exaggeration, somehow it is possible to never stop raining in Europe) I had to wait until Tuesday.  I spent the next few hours in town shopping for random odds and ends and eying some prospectives.  By the time I got home, Max and Tom had already napped and were waiting for the "birthday party".  It was a sunny afternoon and the sun has been setting much later in the day.  We were able to hang outside for an hour or more before Isabel, Moritz and Nikolaus arrived.  Sabine had prepared a cake so Isabel, Sabine and I enjoyed a slice each with some tea.  Then I put the boys in my room where they were meant to watch a DVD as the rest of us watched the inauguration.  Remember when I said it felt like my birthday when Obama won the election?  Well, it was my birthday when he was sworn into office.  Pretty memorable!  Nils and Mara made it just in time and another family joined halfway through.  We all enjoyed a glass of champagne to celebrate both occasions.  Sabine prepared cheese fondue which was a first for me.  It was delicious.  It was a wonderful day filled with wonderful people. 

Hinterthal

As promised, we visited Moritz this year for his birthday.  Both of his grandparents own vacation homes in the area.  Therefore, he celebrates his birthday in Austria rather than in Germany and this year, so did we.  Hinterthal is a pleasant town deep in one of the valleys of the Alps in Austria.  The town was quaint and the mountains were breathtaking.  The bright blue sky was a wonderful back drop and on most afternoons, we were able to enjoy lunch outside in the sun.  I couldn't ask for a better way to get fresh air in the middle of January!  Max and Tom were so exhausted after two hours of playing in the snow that they fell asleep at the lunch table on the patio and they remained asleep for two hours in the sun.  

The boys were excellent at skiing.  That's not to say it was not difficult; Sabine and Nils had to attend classes with the boys to keep them from crying.  On the fourth day they really were stars!  They were going up the lift with their teachers and Max made it up the entire lift on his own by the end of the morning!  After an hour of skiing, Max and Julia, his teacher, came to find Sabine and me.  Of course, we feared the worst - that Max was spent and could ski no more.  Instead, he had a few sips of hot chocolate and then asked to go back up the slope!  I think skiing was really for him.  Even after he threw up all night long, he wanted to go skiing.  

Generally, while the boys were at their lessons I was able to make my way up the mountain.  My first time boarding solo.  I have been down the slopes on my own before but usually heading to meet someone at the next lift.  It was quite peaceful as it was after the holiday season.  I spent five minutes at the top of the mountain just listening to NOTHING!  It was incredible.  The mountain (or mountains I should say) were unique.  Instead of being like most places I have boarded before, Hinterthal has several lifts throughout the town.  There is one major chair lift that brings you up a mountain.  From there it was possible to ski to other villages and towns in other valleys and then back again.   We had to call it quits a day early because Tom had a fever, Moritz had survived a fever, and Max threw up nearly a dozen times.  Somehow I survived, and five days later I'm still fit as a fiddle.

The boys were excellent at skiing.  That's not to say it was not difficult; Sabine and Nils had to attend classes with the boys to keep them from crying.  On the fourth day they really were stars!  They were going up the lift with their teachers and Max made it up the entire lift on his own by the end of the morning!  After an hour of skiing, Max and Julia, his teacher, came to find Sabine and me.  Of course, we feared the worst - that Max was spent and could ski no more.  Instead, he had a few sips of hot chocolate and then asked to go back up the slope!  I think skiing was really for him.  Even after he threw up all night long, he wanted to go skiing.  

Generally, while the boys were at their lessons I was able to make my way up the mountain.  My first time boarding solo.  I have been down the slopes on my own before but usually heading to meet someone at the next lift.  It was quite peaceful as it was after the holiday season.  I spent five minutes at the top of the mountain just listening to NOTHING!  It was incredible.  The mountain (or mountains I should say) were unique.  Instead of being like most places I have boarded before, Hinterthal has several lifts throughout the town.  There is one major chair lift that brings you up a mountain.  From there it was possible to ski to other villages and towns in other valleys and then back again.   We had to call it quits a day early because Tom had a fever, Moritz had survived a fever, and Max threw up nearly a dozen times.  Somehow I survived, and five days later I'm still fit as a fiddle.