Looking Back on 2010

I can hardly believe another year has passed us by. Each year seems to be just as busy and chaotic as the last ... but always full of wonderful adventures and true blessings. Let's take a look at our journey in 2010 ...

January

January we flew back to the states so I could work a few shifts at Disney and keep my approvals in the stage show Fantasmic! at Disney Hollywood Studios. During our whirl-wind trip to Florida we also visited a few of our old friends and squeezed in a visit with my sister Rachel and her husband Shawn.

The opening scene of Fantasmic!

A reunion with Kelty's little buddies!

February

I think we were simply trying to survive the rest of winter during the month of February. We had so much snow! Our brother-in-law John also started his 7-month deployment out to nearby Stuttgart; he was able to make it out our way for a few really nice visits!

We missed out on buying a sled earlier in the season but still managed to take Kelty sledding ... on our snowboards ... hey, it worked.

A day trip to Rudesheim.

March

March held a few surprises! I took a trip to Poland to shop for Polish Pottery and also re-opened my Etsy shop ChichiKids after a 1 1/2 year break. With the re-opening of ChichiKids came a pleasant surprise ... the business was a greater success than I had anticipated ... so much that I occasionally close-up shop to keep myself sane and to keep up with the demand.

Polish Pottery!

Handmade and custom iron-on appliques ... the new foundation of ChichiKids!

April

We managed a day trip to Trier and the Frankfurt Zoo in April. The sunny days of April were a welcome change to the overcast and cold days of winter.

Trier, Germany

Picking tulips in bloom

May

In May we boarded the Disney Magic with our friends the Wagner's for an absolutely amazing 10-day Mediterranean Cruise. We visited 6 countries in 10 days and would do it again in a heartbeat ... it was truly, truly amazing.

Sipping coffee on our veranda the first day at sea

Kelty and Daddy on the beach in Corsica

June 2010

June was AMAZING! For my birthday, Al arranged a Reichlin European Vacation and coordinated travel for my family to visit us in Germany! June was the start of a summer with family and we also had my older sister, Jessica, and her kids with us through August!

The family in Rome!

Back Row (L-R) Mom, Shawn (brother-in-law), Leslie (sister-in-law), Rick (brother).
Front Row (L-R) Rachel (sister), Kelty (our son), Al (the hubby). I'm taking the photo!

We took my mom to Solingen, Germany ... the birthplace and childhood home of my Grandpa Lutz! Our German neighbors translated my Grandpa's birth certificate and it contained his home address, which is where he was born. Though the house is no longer standing, this is the corner where it used to stand.

July 2010

Jess and the kids were with us most of July and the kids had a blast playing together. July also marks the month where Kelty's "prankster" side started showing its face!

Kelty playing "dead". For a look back on that story, click here.

Fun with the cousins!

August 2010

In August I traveled with Kelty to Michigan to visit my parents and give Nana and Papa a chance to spoil Kelty. :o) Summer in Northern Michigan is a beautiful time of year! August also marked a period of growth for Kelty ... somewhere along the way I started seeing Kelty as a "little boy" and not just my "baby boy".

Our 3/4 mile bike ride to visit the deer near our house ... our little stinker rode the entire way

Kelty with his Papa and Nana in Michigan

September 2010

The month of September rang in the season of festivals in Germany. We traveled to both Bad Durkheim and Bernkastel-Kues for their wine festivals and enjoyed our annual visit to the Pumpkin Festival.

Enjoying a glass of wine at the wine festival in Bad Durkheim

A photo op at the Pumpkin Festival

October 2010

Looking back, October was a ramp-up for a busy November and December. Al started another graduate course and moved into a "staff job", I promoted to the rank of Major in the Air Force Reserves, and we took a 3-day mini-vacation to London, England.

Enjoying the Fall on Sunday afternoon walk

Our walk across Abbey Road in London

November 2010

November brought us a busy month of travel. Early in November we took a quick trip to Aviano, Italy and Salzburg, Austria. Later in the month our great friends, Tina and Jordan, visited us from Florida and we enjoyed a Thanksgiving holiday weekend in Paris and Amsterdam.

A breathtaking but rainy trip to Salzburg, Austria

On-board our houseboat, The Hercules Seghers, in Amsterdam

December 2010

December was a chaotic month! I pulled Reserve duty, Al did a lot of travel for work and wrapped-up another graduate course, Kelty turned 3, and we traveled to Michigan to spend Christmas with my side of the family.

Kelty on his big day

Fun with family over Christmas

Reflecting back on 2010 ... it was quite an adventurous and blessed year. We traveled to 10 countries, enjoyed multiple visits with family, achieved job promotions and witnessed some amazing changes in Kelty ... our biggest blessing of all. In a time of economic struggle, we consider ourselves very fortunate and are unspeakably grateful of the opportunities we have been given.

... and that is a wrap on 2010!