Happy Anniversary!

Happy Anniversary Sweetheart! It has been the most amazing 2 years! I am looking forward to many more years and the joy of starting a family with you! I love you!

Week 16

This was taken week 14. You can actually see a pretty good profile on this one as well as an arm and the legs stretched out to the left.

This is also week 14. You can kind of see a little hand sticking up.

Week 14- another good profile of the baby's face.

Week 14- This one was taken in the hospital but is kind of hard to make out.

Week 15- Little Eby was making "himself" comfortable on "his" tummy. You can see the legs and feet sticking up on top. (I say "he" but only because I really don't want to say "it".

Week 16- Eby is facing down and you can get a good look at the spine.


Here's me week 16. Eby truly is growing quickly!

Thank You

I just wanted to post a quick note on here to say thank you to everyone who has been praying for me and my pregnancy. Thank you also for all the e-mails, calls, visits and words of encouragement. It has been a very stressful time with being in the hospital and not really knowing what is going on. Just in case some of you didn't know what was going on, I spent 4 days in the hospital recently due to some severe bleeding. I went in and they were able to tell me immediately that everything with the baby was fine and there were no problems there. There really isn't an answer as to why I had the problem, but the Lord has taken care of me and the baby. Please continue to pray for us and especially our emotional stability through this. It has been a very scary and trying time, but thanks to all the prayers and support I am already feeling God's peace that He is in control. I will be updating soon with lots of new ultrasound pictures! Our baby is growing quickly and it is more amazing every time to see how God is forming little "Eby". (Short for Eberhard) It's only a funny nickname we are calling it (I hate saying "it" so Eby's much better).

Baby Update- Week 11

Here is our baby at week 10. This was taken on June 22nd. You can see the head at the top and if you look carefully, you can see arms on the sides.











This is also from week 10.














Here is one taken from the outside. You can see the legs stretched out to the left and the head to the right. At one point we got to watch the baby kicking its legs and moving its arms all around. It was really amazing!









This is the last one we had done on June 25th when we went in to check if everything was alright. By this time it was already in week 11. I think you can kind of see the arms sticking up a little bit.









Me at 11 weeks. I am starting to get a little bit of a belly. :)

Day 3 of Family's Trip to Germany

Day 3 we took a boat trip down the Elbe River in Dresden, Germany. It was beautiful and relaxing and the weather was so nice and sunny. I think everyone enjoyed it. I had really wanted to take them on a boat trip from Dresden to the Sächsische Schweiz (Saxony Switzerland). The Elbe River goes through what is called the Elbsandsteingebirge (Elbe Sandstone Mountains) and it is a beautiful area. However, since it wasn't the main summer season yet there weren't any good time frames that we could take the trip from Dresden to that area without being on the boat all day long and we really didn't want to do that. But we were able to see some really pretty sights including castles and a famous bridge called the Blue Wonder (Blaues Wunder). We also got to ride on one of the oldest paddle steamer ships in the world.

Day 2 of Family's Trip to Germany

Now I know it has been quite a while, but I would like to catch up on all the things that have gone on since my last post before all the baby stuff came about.

Day 2 of my family's visit was fun. We went to Seiffen, Germany. It is a village in the Ore Moutains (Erzgebirge) not too far away from Chemnitz. It is known for it's wood work and toys and especially the traditional Christmas decorations of this area. We had a good time shopping in the many stores and seeing the Toy Museum.

Baby Update

Sorry to have kept you waiting to hear more news about the baby. Things have been absolutely crazy here the past few weeks. For a quick update: we had the Let's Start Talking Program for 6 weeks starting in May and then we had a singing campaign from Oklahoma Christian the last week and a half. It all went really well, but we were so busy! Needless to say, it was all a bit much for me and I had to take some time to stay at home and rest. I had a little bit of a scare with some spotting and was afraid that something was wrong with the baby. But I rested up all day Sunday and Monday I went into the doctor and everything was fine. He told me to just get plenty of rest and so that is what I have been doing. So, officially my due date is January 13th, 2008! We have now been to the doctor 3 times (including the one extra time to just check if everything was OK). I have several more pictures that I will post on here as soon as I scan them, but I will post the first picture we got from the ultrasound at 8 weeks. They do ultrasounds at every appointment here. (At least so far). Then I will post a picture of me at about 8 weeks. I know you can't really tell anything about it, but some people (Mom) want to see my progress. :) By the way, on the ultrasound... the little white blob in the middle of the big black blob is the baby just in case you are wondering. :)

Big News

Ok, as much as I would love to write everyone individually to tell you the big news... I just will not be able to do that. The big news is that I'm pregnant!!! From what I can figure out on my own I should be due sometime around January 12th. I am going to the Dr. on Friday so I will let you know if I find anything else out. Clint and I are so excited and happy about this! Right now I am feeling pretty sick, but hopefully this will pass soon. I will be filling everyone in with all the details... I promise. But for now I just wanted everyone to know! Please keep us in your prayers! We love you all!

Day 1 of Family's Trip to Germany

As most of you know, my family came to visit in April! My parents and sister Amy arrived in Dresden on Sunday, April 15th. We figured they would be hungry so we took them to lunch in Dresden and then headed back to Chemnitz. We let my parents into Karen's apartment to put their suitcases and to get settled. There was a men's meeting going on at the Sullivan's so they also got to meet several of the men from church as soon as they arrived. Our goal was to keep them awake until at least 8:30 or 9:00 p.m. so that they could get a good night's sleep and get over jet lag quickly. Once my parents were done at Karen's we went over to our apartment. Even though my parents have seen the apartment before it is very different since we were not married then and Clint didn't get any of his shipped things until the week my parents visited back in 2004. Amy had never been to Chemnitz so it was exciting to show her where we lived. We tried to keep them awake and occupied until 5:00 when we went to a local gym to play volleyball with a group from church. I couldn't convince my Dad to get up from the recliner however, so he stayed and slept for awhile. :( Oh well, I think my Mom and Amy enjoyed watching us play volleyball and meeting people and talking. I think they had fun. We came back and ate dinner and decided that the next day we would go to Seiffen. It wasn't long after that when everyone was ready to go to bed.

My Nieces

It has been way to long since I have put up pictures of my nieces. It has been even longer since I have actually seen them. :( It has been over a year now since I have been able to hug and kiss the sweet girls. Ashlyn turned 2 in March and Claire is 19 months old now. They have grown so much since I last saw them and have learned many new things as well. I hear that Ashlyn is a little bundle of energy and she is never sitting still. Claire is picking up new words so quickly and at the moment she loves to say "uh oh". Lana told me that she dropped something in the car one day and she continued to say uh oh the rest of the way home. :) I just thought I would share some of the newest pictures I have of them. Aren't they sweet?! When Mom was here she bought Claire the backpack and necklace and apparently she loves carrying it around the house even though she doesn't know how to open it yet. Back in February Jonathan and Lana got to take a trip to Houston to visit Doug and Amy so the girls got to play together a lot and I heard they had fun, but were also wanting all the toys to themselves and didn't want to share with each other. I guess it is about time for that phase. If you can see Ashlyn's car, it says Princess on it and I think that helps define her pretty well. Look at her with her purse, baby and car. She is such a cutie. Claire loves to get inside the baby bed that is at Mom's house. She is still small enough to get in it. For Ashlyn's birthday she got a play kitchen and her grandma made her a little apron so that she could play "kitchen." I love you Ashlyn and Claire and I will get to see you soon... in August!

The Joys of Marriage :)

It all sounds too familiar...

Spring Is Here!

Spring is definitely here in Chemnitz! We have really been enjoying the sun and beautiful weather. I especially love this time of year because of the blooming trees and flowers. It is so amazing here in Germany.

Around Easter time it is a big holiday time in Germany. Karfreitag/Good Friday is a national holiday and no one has to work or go to school. We were able to relax and enjoy the day.

We started out Friday by going to Jacqueline's house. I have been reading in English with her for almost a year now. She and her husband invited Clint and I over for breakfast. We had a really good time eating all the wonderful food and talking with them. After breakfast Jacqueline and I read in the Let's Start Talking Luke book.

Later in the day we went on a walk with the Sullivans and enjoyed coffee time together. The picture is the Sullivans in front of a beautiful blooming tree right next to their house. Even Snickers was smiling! :)

On Sunday we were invited over to the Sullivan's for lunch and it was nice to share a meal on a holiday with our coworkers. We always enjoy the time we have with them. After a short nap (it's a must on Sundays, right?) we met with the Sullivans again along with Stefan and Martin, a friend who came to visit us. We went on a walk (which is a Sunday afternoon tradition with the Sullivans) and had coffee. (Do you see a trend here?) After coffee we headed over to Jacqueline's house again. She and her husband had invited us over for dinner. We made Russian food with them and their friends and played games as well. We had a lot of fun and got a lot of German practice. :)

Ostermontag/Literally translated- Easter Monday is also a national holiday so once again we had a nice relaxing day. We went to work out at the gym with Stefan in the morning and then we went to Stefan's house for lunch. In the evening we grilled with the Sullivans and Cantrells for the first time of the season! It was so yummy, but the weather was actually chilly that day, maybe a little too chilly for grilling outside. But, it tasted good and we had a good time!

So that was our Easter weekend! I hope you all had a great time as well!

Birthdays, Engagements and Baptisms, Oh My!

The past couple of weeks have been busy but wonderful! A lot of great things have happened and I would like to share them with you all.

First of all our friend Janine turned 20! We went to her house for coffee, cake and dinner. We had a great time with her. It always amazes me the time that goes by so quickly. Right now Janine is finishing up school and will be taking her final exams soon. She wants to study at the University in Leipzig and I'm finding it hard to grasp that she will not always be in Chemnitz! I will miss her so much! Happy Belated Birthday Janine!

Then we had a visit from our friend Lydia and her boyfriend Brandon. It was the first time we met Brandon and we had a great time getting to know him. Although it was too short, it was great getting to see her again. Just a few days after they came to Chemnitz, Brandon proposed and they are now engaged! Congratulations Lydia and Brandon! We wish you God's blessings for your life together!

Then last Thursday our friend Stefan was baptized into Christ! He and Clint have been studying together for awhile, but he has been friends with and studied with several people from church for a long time and we are all so thrilled that he has made this decision to become a Christian! Welcome to God's family, Stefan!

Switzerland Trip

In March Clint and I were able to go to Switzerland with Larry and Pam. We were there for a little over a week. We left after church on Sunday and drove all the way there.

The first part of the week was a seminar up in a little village called Eriz in the Swiss Alps. It was so beautiful up there. The seminar was led by a man named Evertt W. Huffard from the Harding University Graduate School of Religion. He spoke about leadership and it was a lot of information in just a few days, but it was a lot of good information. We talked about leadership in the church and what we can do to be good leaders.

At the end of the week we went to Lucerne where Larry was asked to speak at a gospel meeting. We were able to stay with a family there that works with the church and we had a great time getting to know Mathias and his family.

The meetings were in the evening so we were able to go out during the day and see a little bit of the city and do some shopping. Thankfully the weather was really beautiful and sunny that week.

On Monday we left Lucerne on our way back to Chemnitz and we made a stop in Basel where Pam and Larry lived for 2 years the first time they came to Europe about 20 years ago. They reminisced as they showed us around the city for a short time. It seems like a really nice city and hopefully we can spend some more time there at some point.

The first picture is Clint and I enjoying a walk in the mountains in Eriz. The second picture is all of us on a walk. The third picture is us enjoying a snack before bed at Mathias' house. The fourth picture is a famous bridge in Lucerne. The last picture is the City Hall building in Basel.

Valentine's Dinner For the Elderly

On Valentine's Day we had planned a Seniorenessen/ or a dinner for the elderly members at church. We did this once before with the young adult's group and everyone had such a great time that we had to do it again!

Since we usually try to do group activities every month which usually involves a Bible study, we had all the girls meet together before all the festivities took place. Janine and Vanessa took part in a class called ETM. I forgot what that actually stands for, but basically it is a course that takes place every Spring and Fall where Christians can look for their talents and abilities and learn how they can use that in the Church. As part of this course everyone has to prepare a presentation talking about a specific topic that involves our Christian lives. Janine volunteered to do her presentation for the girls and she did a great job!

After Janine's presentation we got into our delegated groups and prepared for the evening. There was a group who worked on decorations and of course they focused on the Valentine's theme and used red, pink and hearts as a main theme. It looked really great!

Then of course there was a lot of preparation for food. Many people helped out in this area as well, but honestly Clint did most of it and it all looked and tasted really great!

The appetizer was Belgian Tomato Soup. The main course was a type of salad with salmon and rice. Then the dessert was Tiramasu!

After the appetizer and main course we put on a little talent show and I think almost everyone was involved in that in some way. As a group we sang a couple of songs and others showed other talents as far as playing instruments, doing card tricks and even juggling! I think it was a lot of fun for everyone.

We think that everyone who came and everyone who helped organize it had a great time and hopefully we can do it again next year!

"Mathematically, this shouldn't have happened"

Does anyone else have problems knowing what to say or how to start every single post? I guess I'm just not that creative so I struggle with it every time. Oh well, I am just trying to make my family at least happy to let them know what is going on with me. Hopefully there are some more of you out there that enjoy reading this. Well, right now I am sick. Yeah... yesterday I woke up with my throat on fire and I knew that the past two weeks of trying not to get sick had caught up with me. I went to the doctor and got some antibiotics and now I'm at home laying/lying?? on the couch because I don't have the energy to do anything else. Anyway, since I am now out of commission because of being sick and I haven't posted in a while, I thought I would update with some things that went on in February.

First of all I have to tell you about Saturday, February 10th. We had the monthly fellowship singing in Chemnitz. Many of the members of the Church in Saxony all get together and sing together one Saturday every month. It is always nice to get caught up with people and enjoy praising God all together.

That day was my friend Vanessa's birthday so several of us were going straight to her house afterwards for her birthday party. We had decided we could all fit into two cars so Pam drove and Clint drove. As we were leaving I jumped into Pam's car to ride with the girls while Alex rode with Clint. We made it to Vanessa's house and as we were looking for a parking spot on the road across from her house Pam turned on her signal to turn around and park on the other side of the road. Apparently from behind came two guys on a motorcycle who wanted to pass us all because we had stopped. Pam started to turn and stopped just as the motorcycle tried to pass us, but instead slammed into the left fender and fell off of their bike. Thankfully they had helmets on and were not injured at all, but as soon as Pam tried to move the car out of the road we discovered that the tire was flat. The thing that makes it better is that it was cold and rainy that night and Courtney and Pam had both been sick. Anyway, to make a long story short Clint changed the tire and everything was alright. The guy on the motorcycle admitted that he saw her turn signal and that it was his fault.

Thankfully we were able to go inside, get warm and enjoy the party with Vanessa. By the way, I must say I am proud that Clint really stepped up to take care of the situation with changing the tire and making sure everything was OK. :) Anyway, we got Vanessa the blanket/poncho that she is wearing in the photo above and this feet warmer thing from IKEA because she is always cold. :) I think she likes it and will get a lot of good use out of it. The party was fun and we enjoyed looking at baby pictures and videos of Vanessa.

On the way home Clint was leading and suddenly we noticed that Pam had stopped so we pulled over and asked what was wrong. It was unbelievable... the other tire was flat!! It wasn't even on the same side and was nowhere near where the accident occurred. This is when Alex, in his typical mathematic way said, "mathematically, this shouldn't have happened." We got a pretty good laugh out of that one. Basically, the chances of that happening all on one night were so low, but it did happen to us! So, Clint stepped up once again and thankfully our spare tire from our car actually fit her car, otherwise we would have been in trouble. Clint got it changed and on the way home we stopped to put air in the tires at a gas station. We finally arrived home around midnight!

Of course from this situation we realized that God had taken care of us through all of it. I mean, mathematically speaking once again, what are the chances that we would have two cars with two spare tires that work on one car and still be able to get home safely without God's help. After the second tire went flat we stopped and prayed together and I guess we should have prayed before that, but I guess God let us know He was there!