Happy New Year...

With big steps Christmas was approaching. December seemed to be such a short month this year. Sean and I got our Christmas tree a week before Christmas and we also decorated it with all the little wooden things from Germany and a few red and glass baubles and some sweets. It was a really lovely tree and is still with us now. It is too sad to take all the decoration of and dump the poor thing when it still looks so healthy, so we decided to keep it a little longer. After all Christmas is only such a short time once a year.


After a lot of preparation on the 24th December we all went to church to hear the Christmas story. Then we walked home and wanted to warm up with a lovely cup of tea. When we got back we could already see through the window the Christmas tree lights were switched on. So, somebody must have been there ??? Under the tree was a mountain of presents and Sean thought this can only have been the 'Weihnachtsmann". Because only in Germany would the kids get their presents after a visit to church on that day. There was so much to unwrap and a lot of little surprises for all of us.


On the 25th December in the morning we found that Father Christmas had brought us each a stocking. What a lovely surprise. We had already so many presents the day before. We also did not expect it, because we dont have a fireplace, but he managed to find a way in the warmth of our house as well. And we did get some lovely gifts.


This break from work and school gave us a lot of spare time which we spend playing games. And some of them were so funny.


...and we have been eating and eating, but Sean and me prepeard a very good turkey.





Over New Years we went to Berlin and enjoyed the sights of the divided capital....




... followed constantly by the DDR-Ampelmaennchen.....