The Talking Blog

I have a backlog of videos I've been needing to upload, so I think I'll do that now. I had to get a youtube channel so that I could post them to the blog. So if you want to subscribe to my videos, I think just search for "LttlStrb"  on youtube or click at the end of one of the following videos. Now that I know how to post videos again, I think blogging with happen faster. 

Also here is a link to the Easter pictures I put up on facebook, you don't need to be a member to see them. I'm not sure if you will be able to see the captions I wrote underneath if you are not a member, let me know.

Click here

http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2323748&id=12604326&l=213bf4d8a8

Not sure why my videos are coming in different sizes but enjoy!

I am learning to drive a manual car, I have since gotten better from the time this video was made.

There was a safety feature on the car that I didn't know about and I couldn't even get

the car to start. I felt like such a failure. But anyway, yes now I can drive, but still working

on those hills.

Love my pink youtube boarders!

Next topic....

And this should probably be a different blog post, but its my blog 

and I do what I want. So here are some pictures from a wedding that Jay, 

Andrew, Meredith & I shot right before I left for Germany.

I've also made some updates to my website: www.GallerybyLaura.com

And if you have ever been to Shandon or been in BCM, you probably know

someone featured on the site, and if you've never heard of Shandon or BCM, 

you probably don't know me and you aren't reading this.

Oh and now I am leaving to go pick up my brother from the train station!!!

We are going to Munich this weekend with Beatrice that I met on the 

plane ride from the States, I will blog about that after I blog about

going to the Spring Festival with Tiffany & the Maypole thing...

1st Days in Germany Pics

Hallo from Germany! I thought this would be an appropriate 1st picture from Germany. When I saw these at a store, I thought I was just being a tourist, but I found out people wear them to parties, Oktoberfest, & even my aupair mom has to wear one for an upcoming theme wedding. 

Now to back track a little bit. Here is the disaster that was my room right before I left. Thanks to Jessie & Daron for all their packing/moving help.

Also Thanks to my Mom & Dad, Meredith & Lauren for coming to Charlotte and seeing me off! 

I made a friend on the plane, Beatrice!

I thought this was funny, it caught me off guard "Marley & Me". Some of the movie titles were translated, some were exactly the same and some had no translation so they were just given new names. 

I love the inflight map!

Germany! I think!

And now for April, pictures of things I ate. (April the person, not things I ate in April, well actually...both.)

Now while it appears I eat soup a lot, I don't, it is popular, especially with the kids, but I just happened to take two soup pictures in 2 weeks.

While I did not eat this rock, my family puts amethyst in our drinking water. I was told it "gives you more energy" at first I thought this might be a joke, since our amethyst looks like a glass stirring rod filled with amethyst that might be just for decoration. I saw at someone else's house that their drinking water had actual amethysts in the bottom of the pitcher, so I guess its real.

More stories and Easter pictures to come!

In Germany

Hallo,

I realize I have been very mean to my very kind friends who have been waiting for a post. I'm sorry, Entschuldigen Sie! (excuse me). I will post more later with pictures but I just wanted to get something on the blog. As you can see the language is hard and I am not on vacation here. I am working long days. Everything is overwhelming. The two year old has just now gotten around to liking me so my days have gotten better. 

It is quite beautiful here. We eat outside a lot. Lunch is the big meal and dinner is light, just bread and cheese etc. We pretty much only drink water and apple juice, which is fine by me. The soda freaks would die (cough, Jessie). I've only been out of the house once to the grocery store. Very different, very much the same. I have never seen so many types of meat or cheese before, but they do have Uncle Ben's rice. When "Papa" showed me the milk, I was like "where?" no white gallon jugs here, just small blue rectangles. 

I have learned many random kid-friendly words such as: Easter Bunny, Easter Egg, Dog, hair clip, play, trousers, socks, hand washing, shoes off, No!, Stop!, Come here! etc.

My favorite part of the day is playing on the trampoline with the 5 year old. Eins, Zwei, Drei! Wheeee! (To be honest, I have not actually seen any of these words written down before, so they are coming as a surprise to me too. I am looking them up as I write, I've picked up everything from listening.) Hannah (5) and I had a great time today looking at a book. We found several words that are pretty much pronounced the same in German and English: fish, bear, shoes, mama, baby, papa. (and now I'm drawing a blank, sorry that list is not more impressive.) I can't really read their books unless they are in English, so with a German book I just pick it up and point to the pictures, if I know the German word I will say it or I'll just say the English word and act like I am "teaching" them, but really it is just me not knowing German. Hannah teaches me probably more than I teach her. 

I have enjoyed skyping with a few of you. Please more of you get skype, you simply Google the word "Skype" click it, it will ask if you want to download, say yes, and done. Assuming you have a mic. You can talk to me for free over the internet like on the phone, but if you have a computer video camera even better, but you don't need one. 

FYI the time difference is 6 hours, I'm ahead, I'll let you know if anything bad is going to happen that day. 

Tomorrow is Easter, we will be visiting "Papa's" family, Oma & Opa, aunts, uncles, cousins etc. They don't speak English. Lots of smiling and head nodding for me. And for whoever wrote "motormouth" at my party, you know this will be hard for me. 

Zach Stinson 1 week old

I know lots of people have been waiting to see this little guy. 

Below are a few favorite pictures.

And this part is actually more for my family, but this is what it is like to eat breakfast with my Grandmommy. Tastiest breakfast in the world! 

And for my German readers, the white stuff is grits. I might bring some with me.