Happy Birthday, Chris!!!

Today is one of our favorite days of the year because we get to celebrate our FAVORITE person!!!

We can't wait to spoil and love on our favorite guy. all weekend...we've got some fun things planned and we're crossing our fingers that the weather cooperates!

The kids wanted to share 40 things about their Dad in honor of his 40th birthday that they love and that they think make him special.

1. He's funny because he tells a lot of jokes.
2. He's the one who always fixes everything and puts everything together.
3. He plays soccer with me. (This one was all Michael)
4. He's really good at math.
5. He's always nice.
6. He's just himself and doesn't try to be anyone else.
7. He works so hard for us.
8. He reads us books.
9. He gives the best tickles.
10. He's really cool!
11. He takes us on really cool adventures!!
12. He's really smart.
13. He dresses really cool.
14. He's a great driver and drives really fast!
15. He always does the best for us.
16. He's super strong!!
17. He cooks the most perfect eggs!
18. He has cool hair.
19. He lets us sleep in bed with him when we have a bad dream.
20. He has a great smile!
21. He makes everything easier for us.
22. He has really blue eyes.
23. He helps us get through hard things.
24. He's an awesome skier.
25. He's a great dancer.
26. He takes us to get ice cream.
27. He knows the best songs.
28. Peanut Butter and Chocolate are his favorite.
29. He loves Notre Dame.
30. He makes everything fun!
31. He's just awesome.
32. He's always happy to help us with our homework.
33. He helps us learn about God.
34. He likes to smoke cigars.
35. He loves to take us on bike rides.
36. He teaches us to never give up.
37. He has an important job at work.
38. He always protects us and makes us feel safe.
39. He is the best person to cuddle with.
40. He always loves us, no matter what.

Happy birthday, Chris! Thanks for putting up with all of our crazy...may all your birthday wishes come true! We love you so much!!

Bittersweet, but exciting news!

So we have some exciting news to share: we're moving back to Michigan one year early! This was not our plan and nothing we sought out...we really love our life here and leaving early is definitely bittersweet, but Chris had an exciting new job opportunity present itself so we're packing up and moving back to the Mitten.



The timing has been really fortunate in that our renters actually moved out in May so we are able to move right back into our home and since school is wrapping up in another 2 weeks our kids are able to complete their year here and begin a new school year in MI. They'll have the shortest summer ever, but that's ok, we've put them through worse! haha! We're all really excited that the kids will be back at  Our Lady Queen of Martyrs, too.

The kids and I will fly back at the end of this month, their last day of school is July 27. We'll bring back as much as we can in our suitcases and since we purchased all new furniture from IKEA when we moved here and have had all of our furniture from our home in Michigan in storage these past two years (thank you, Pro Movers) we won't have to wait months for our furniture to be shipped back to the US.

Chris will be home for 2 weeks in August for a planned vacation, but then he will fly back to Germany to finish up work with ZF and wrap up all loose ends here. He'll be back home for good at the end of September. It'll be a long six weeks until we're all back home together again but we'll make it, and the kids and I will be surrounded by family and friends while he is gone. I totally owe him, too...when we moved into our home in Beverly Hills I was in the hospital having just delivered Emily. I left our old house to have a baby and came home from the hospital with Emily to the new house. He moved us all. Like I said, I owe him ; ) It's my turn to move us in and let him come home to a finished house. Ha!

I met a sweet friend (also from Michigan!) shortly after we moved here...and their family moved back to the States a few months after we met...I was SO excited for her and for their family. We were only a few months in and the transition here was really difficult for me (remember I don't like change haha!) I remember my friend expressing her feelings about moving back to the US, she was excited and happy to be closer to family but also feeling sad to be leaving Germany. I didn't get it at the time...how could she be anything but excited to be going back to the US?!? But I totally get it now.

I don't know when I'll have the words to express what this experience has been like for our family. We've grown closer and have felt so fortunate to be welcomed into a new country and culture by so many wonderful people. I'm going to miss these friendships and relationships deeply. And I know our kids are, too. As excited as we all are to be coming home, and we are...(please don't misunderstand me. We get to come HOME! To the best country in the world!) We are also sad to be leaving this beautiful place and all of these wonderful people we've been lucky enough to meet in the past two years.