January
Following our Christmas in Michigan with my family, Kelty and I stayed through mid-January. Kelty loved every minute with his Papa, Nana, Aunt Ca-Ca, and his cousins ... and so did I. Kelty has since removed the photos of his cousins from our family tree and keeps them on his nightstand. I also left Kelty in the care of my sister and parents and traveled to Florida for a few days to work at Disney and keep my show approvals in Fantastmic.
February
After almost a month in the states, we spent February re-acclimating to Germany. Kelty also became quite the little helper.
Following our Christmas in Michigan with my family, Kelty and I stayed through mid-January. Kelty loved every minute with his Papa, Nana, Aunt Ca-Ca, and his cousins ... and so did I. Kelty has since removed the photos of his cousins from our family tree and keeps them on his nightstand. I also left Kelty in the care of my sister and parents and traveled to Florida for a few days to work at Disney and keep my show approvals in Fantastmic.
February
After almost a month in the states, we spent February re-acclimating to Germany. Kelty also became quite the little helper.
March
Spring arrived! We spent a lot of time outdoors soaking in the sun we desperately missed during the winter months. Kelty gained a new level of independence at the playground ... graduating to the "big boy" equipment. We also started a new tradition of stopping to cut fresh flowers together after school. Kelty continued with his speech therapy and we started the referral process for Kelty to be seen at Center for Communication Enhancement at Children's Hospital Boston.
Spring arrived! We spent a lot of time outdoors soaking in the sun we desperately missed during the winter months. Kelty gained a new level of independence at the playground ... graduating to the "big boy" equipment. We also started a new tradition of stopping to cut fresh flowers together after school. Kelty continued with his speech therapy and we started the referral process for Kelty to be seen at Center for Communication Enhancement at Children's Hospital Boston.
April
April marked our first big vacation of the year, Greece! We spent a day in Athens followed by several days on Crete. Al and I also enjoyed our first Weinprobe with some great friends ... it was quite the experience and one never to be forgotten. Along with some amazing wine, we dined on delicacies like Emu and duck ... there was a lot of wine involved ... which is pretty much the only reason the Emu made it passed my lips.
April marked our first big vacation of the year, Greece! We spent a day in Athens followed by several days on Crete. Al and I also enjoyed our first Weinprobe with some great friends ... it was quite the experience and one never to be forgotten. Along with some amazing wine, we dined on delicacies like Emu and duck ... there was a lot of wine involved ... which is pretty much the only reason the Emu made it passed my lips.
May
We traveled back the states in May to celebrate my brother-in-law's graduation from medical school where we spent one amazing week in Vermont with Al's family. Immediately following, we drove to Boston for a week-long series of appointments at the Center for Communication Enhancement at Children's Hospital Boston where Kelty received training on an augmentative communication device to assist with his Apraxia of Speech.
June
Al and I celebrated our birthdays. I started a new Reserve job as a staff officer. We took a day-trip to Strasbourg, France and despite a rough start we had a nice visit. We enjoyed our villages festival, to include a parade and 2-mile walk into the woods to continue the celebration. Al also took a "guys trip" and spent a weekend hiking the Swiss Alps (unfortunately the hiking photos are MIA just like the month of Jan).
Al and I celebrated our birthdays. I started a new Reserve job as a staff officer. We took a day-trip to Strasbourg, France and despite a rough start we had a nice visit. We enjoyed our villages festival, to include a parade and 2-mile walk into the woods to continue the celebration. Al also took a "guys trip" and spent a weekend hiking the Swiss Alps (unfortunately the hiking photos are MIA just like the month of Jan).
July
Norway! ... or as Kelty calls it, "my Norway". We spent an amazing week in and around Flam ... one of our most memorable trips thus far.
Norway! ... or as Kelty calls it, "my Norway". We spent an amazing week in and around Flam ... one of our most memorable trips thus far.
August
We did a lot of biking in August and Kelty continued to show his independence. Our family bike rides have gone from Kelty in a bike seat, to Kelty riding a tricycle and mom/dad walking, to Kelty riding a bike with training wheels and mom/dad riding along. Our longest ride this summer was during an autofrei day where Kelty rode his bike over 4 miles. Kelty also started soccer camp ... he loved it, but spent a considerable amount of time picking flowers on the field and bringing them to me. :)
We did a lot of biking in August and Kelty continued to show his independence. Our family bike rides have gone from Kelty in a bike seat, to Kelty riding a tricycle and mom/dad walking, to Kelty riding a bike with training wheels and mom/dad riding along. Our longest ride this summer was during an autofrei day where Kelty rode his bike over 4 miles. Kelty also started soccer camp ... he loved it, but spent a considerable amount of time picking flowers on the field and bringing them to me. :)
September
Kelty started Pre-School/Pre-K! We also welcomed fall by enjoying our annual visit to the pumpkin festival at Hitscherhoff where we dined on pumpkin bratwurst and pumpkin soup. Al started a 6-month deployment ... fortunately to another base in Germany so we are able to see him on his days off. Poor little Pogo (our 13 year-old chihuahua) was diagnosed with diabetes and our routine now includes blood monitoring and insulin injections.
Kelty started Pre-School/Pre-K! We also welcomed fall by enjoying our annual visit to the pumpkin festival at Hitscherhoff where we dined on pumpkin bratwurst and pumpkin soup. Al started a 6-month deployment ... fortunately to another base in Germany so we are able to see him on his days off. Poor little Pogo (our 13 year-old chihuahua) was diagnosed with diabetes and our routine now includes blood monitoring and insulin injections.
October
Kelty started riding lessons at a nearby horse farm in late October, he loves his "yee-haw". We finally found our groove with Al coming and going, despite a difficult start and a lot of stress over Pogo's health. Somewhere between Sept and Oct Kelty became addicted to Star Wars, despite having never seen the movies or the cartoon ... I blame it on the toy store.
November
Gearing up for winter! We spent several evenings with our German neighbors learning to cook traditional foods like Dampfnudels with Vanilla Wine Sauce and enjoying gluhwein, in return we had them over to enjoy our traditional Thanksgiving dinner.
Gearing up for winter! We spent several evenings with our German neighbors learning to cook traditional foods like Dampfnudels with Vanilla Wine Sauce and enjoying gluhwein, in return we had them over to enjoy our traditional Thanksgiving dinner.
December
Kelty turned 4 and we celebrated with a Star Wars Jedi party! This also marked the age where Kelty was allowed to rock climb at the indoor climbing wall on base. We stayed in Germany for Christmas this year since Al could not take leave. It was a quiet Christmas with just the 3 of us but it was still a perfectly wonderful. We visited a few nearby Christmas markets and anxiously awaited snow ... which is still yet to come!
Kelty turned 4 and we celebrated with a Star Wars Jedi party! This also marked the age where Kelty was allowed to rock climb at the indoor climbing wall on base. We stayed in Germany for Christmas this year since Al could not take leave. It was a quiet Christmas with just the 3 of us but it was still a perfectly wonderful. We visited a few nearby Christmas markets and anxiously awaited snow ... which is still yet to come!
... and that's a wrap on 2011!
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