22 months

t h e    m o n t h    o f    a s s e r t i o n



with vee's
increasing
vocabulary
comes
her ability
to let us know
when she
wants
(or does not want)
something.

she can
also clearly
assert
her
displeasure
when
she does
not get
what she wants.



don't
let this
sweet smile
or
curious tilt
of the head
fool you,
if
she wants it
she aims
to get it.



she has
thrown
more
mini-tantrums
in the last month
than we are use to...

we do not
see
her
assertion
as
a bad thing.



it means
she is
really
beginning
to voice
her opinion
and
this means
we understand
her better.



she can tell us
when
she wants
to swing...



or
when
she
wants us
to refill
her watering
can...



or
that
she
wants
to go
somewhere.



sure
she is sassy
and
mischevious...



but
she
is a hell
of a lot
of fun.





she
is also
showing
us her creative
side...





as well
as letting us know
when
she wants
some
vee-time



with
her blankies
and
a good book.



we are
enjoying
watching
her world
get bigger



and
watching
her find
her place
in it.



xo

luschendorf & lübeck

after the wedding
we left bremen
and headed
northeast
to luschendorf
to visit
my uncles
gerhard & herbert,
aunt irmgard,
and all my cousins.







vee loved
uncle
gerhard's
garden.
it was
a children's
paradise.





we sat
in the garden
and took
turns pulling
vee around
in her
blue chariot.



the next morning
vee played
with her cousin ella!
ella is just
a few months older
than vee.





in the afternoon
we took
a trip
to lübeck...
one of
my favorite
european cities.



i lived
in lübeck
for a summer
years ago
and wanted
to see how it
had changed.



our primary
reason
for going
to lübeck
was to visit
niederegger.
the mecca
of marzipan.

my siblings and i
have cherished
memories
of receiving packs
of niederegger marzipan
for christmas
from our oma.



john & vee
were very excited.
vee helped
her papa
select
some marzipan
to take home.





of course
we
had to eat
some marzipan cake
at
the niederegger café!



we tried
5 different
types of cake!



vee helped
us decide
which one
we liked best!

then
it was time
to
join my cousins
by the obertrave
for a beer
before heading
back to luschendorf.



unfortunately,
our visit
was
short.

the next morning
we were
on the train
home to
neuchâtel.

fortunately,
vee had
a new friend
to play
with
on the long
trip
home.



xo

vee's first wedding

at the beginning
of july
we headed north
to germany
for
my cousin tina's
wedding.



we stayed with
my uncle edgar
and
aunt conny
in bremen.



vee was very fond
of her uncle & aunt.
she was intrigued
by uncle eddie...
(aka uncle "stop that")
and
vee loved conny
instantly.

a german wedding
is quite the affair...

it all began
on wednesday evening
with the polterabend.
a crazy event
where all the guests
break dishes
(ceramic, never glass)
and
the bride (tina)
and groom (stefan)
have to clean it up.

the evening started out
with pouring rain
and
we were all worried...



but soon
the rain cleared up
and
vee was thrilled
to discover
tons
of dirty puddles
to jump around in...





the polterabend
was at
the farm
of
stefan's parents...



this meant
vee met
some cows!



the cows
were intrigued
with vee...



and
vee
had a lot
to tell them.



stefan's dad
and sister
also
got fresh milk
from the tanks
for vee to drink!



vee thought
that
fresh milk
was
pretty tasty.



the
dish-breaking
was exciting...



although
at first
it was
a little scary...



but soon
vee realized
it was
a lot of fun...



she even tried
some dish-breaking
herself!



when the sun
went down
it was time
for vee
to go to bed...



while
the adults
continued
to party.

the party
went late...
and
it was loud.
eventually
vee woke up
just before midnight...



just in time
to see
the tradition
of burning and burying
the groom's pants
and nailing
his shoes to a tree.



. . . . .

we spent
the next day
recouperating.
vee
rearranged
the kitchen in
uncle edie's apartment.



. . . . .

the standesamt,
the legal wedding ceremony,
was on friday
at the town hall...

vee was
ready to go!





we waited
at the town hall
for
the bride and groom.



here they come!



vee was
not allowed
in the room for
the legal stuff...
so she
kept herself busy...



while
the big stuff
happened
in the other room...



afterwards
she was
offered some
champagne
(by tina's oma)
to celebrate!





. . . . .

finally,
the next day,
saturday,
was
the church wedding...



it was
a beautiful day...



the ceremony
was not
so interesting
to vee...
she did not like
being quiet.





but soon it
was time
to go outside



and
celebrate!



after the ceremony
vee tried
to help
by telling
everyone
where to go.



then it was
off to
the gasthaus
for the party.







vee made
friends
with
the flower girl...



and
for the rest of
the evening
vee played
on the
dance floor
with her
new friend...









until
it was time to go
upstairs to bed.

the rest of us
partied
until 4am.



. . . . .

we were all
exhausted
the next day.



it was time
to put
our feet up
and relax!





xo