Scenes from Reiten

It's picture day!

Remember "picture day" at school? Well, this morning in our house there was all sorts of braiding, curling and overall primping in preparation for the big day :)

Feelin' all Festive...

I don't know if it is the snow that is falling or the fact that Lindsay let me borrow her copy of the November RealSimple issue...but I am feelin' all festive.

I just signed up for this

I wish I would have ordered my Christmas cards from here
but I ordered them from here

this is certainly on my want list (hint hint)

and this Kate Rusby Christmas CD will definitely get you in the spirit of the Holidays...

Re-Grouping

Fall is trying hard to stick around...but winter keeps unexpectedly appearing. This morning we woke up to snow again. This always makes the kiddos happy, and I myself thought it would be the perfect day to stay warm and dry inside and re-group.





I don't even know if "re-group" is an official word, but after a crazy weekend like we had, I find it necessary to dig through the piles of clothes that accumulated over the weekend, catch up on e-mails that got neglected and just sort of get things about our house back in order.

On Thursday, Lindsay arrived and Abby and I also went to the theater. On Friday, some friends from our former life in Florida, came to visit Vienna and spent the day with us. It was great to catch up and have our kids meet each other. On Saturday we had an impromptu Halloween party and our neighbors obliged us and let us do some Trick or Treating. The kids just pulled costumes from our dress-up box and kiddos from our building came and played and watched some Halloween movies. So low-key and fun. Sunday was rest and church. Monday the kiddos didn't have school, so we spent the day at Bogi park with friends. It was a full, fun and long weekend!

So today was our first team meeting with Lindsay, and then mostly re-grouping, in between 2 trips to pick up the kiddos from school.



Along with sticking around the house today, I made cookies and ate them for breakfast and lunch. :) (We all need days like this right?) They were the perfect energy boost, when all I really wanted to do was crawl back under the covers and watch the snow fall!

She made it!

Our newest teammate Lindsay arrived today! We are so thankful that she is here! Please pray for her, as she adjusts to her new life in Vienna :)

He has given her a love...

Our kiddos didn't get to choose the lifestyle of living overseas...and although we feel there are many benefits to living in another culture, we also have had to watch our kids struggle time and time again with the many differences. We pray a lot for our kids and often a prayer that is spoken, is that they would have a love for the country of Austria and a heart for its people.

So yesterday when Abby came home from school, she said how they had been learning about flags...the American flag, the Austrian flag and the British flag. She was all excited to draw them for me and put them up on her bedroom door.


In addition to the flags, she also made a sign stating "these are my family's"...

I think God is answering our prayers...and He has given her a love...

Land der Berge, Land am Strome

As the national anthem says, "Land der Berge, Land am Strome", Austria is a "country of mountains, a country on the river."

Friday and Saturday, I (Brad) enjoyed the view of the mountains, riding a train 8 hours from one side of Austria to the other, where I joined my fellow pastors in the Evangelical Reformed Church to test and approve our newest pastor. Our denomination is young and small (5 churches and 4 pastors in 2 countries), so an event such as this takes on even greater significance. We thank God that Kurt Vetterli passed the exam, and that he was ordained on Sunday in Basel, Switzerland, where he is planting a church.

Today (Monday) was Austrian Independence Day, and the whole family drove an hour outside the city to Melk, a little town with an enormous abbey (Stift Melk) situated right on the Danube. Almost 20 years ago, my parents, brother, and I first traveled around German-speaking Europe, and one of our memorable stops was to the Abbey of Melk. A wave of nostalgia hit me as we entered the massive courtyard.

Melk can be seen from a distance when traveling on the highway linking Vienna with Western Austria, so a little Hunter family tradition has been to call Neena from our cell phone every time we pass by Stift Melk.

Neena--enjoy the pics!

Silas has a sleepover...

My name is Silas and today my mom is going to deliver my baby brother! Since I couldn't go to the hospital, my parents thought it would be fun for me to have a sleep over at the Hunters.


I got to read Elmo...


draw...


put puzzles together...


I even played the piano...


And that Miss Stacey is a real softy...she let me play with things that I normally don't get to touch and she even let me eat yogurt with 2 spoons!










So as you can see Mom, I do miss you and I am excited to see my new baby brother...but it is pretty fun here!

It's the Little things...

This was Levi this afternoon.
Slurping, blowing bubbles and giggling a lot as he dripped his drink all over his chin and the counter!

Who knew that drinking from a straw could bring so much joy!


Hope you are finding joy in whatever you are doing today :)

Cookies, caramel and conversation

This afternoon we had a play date with our neighbors. We shared ginger snaps, apples, caramel sauce and really good conversation.

The kiddos played and played...so long in fact that our play date turned into a dinner date :)

Just perfect, since Brad started classes again this evening.

Friday Favorites-Lainzer Tiergarten

It's Friday again, which means it is time to tell you all about another "favorite" I have about living in Vienna...

A few weeks ago, (before Winter suddenly came along) we spent an afternoon at Lainzer Tiergarten. It is a gorgeous park, with lots and lots of space! (which is important when you need a break from the city)

It is the perfect place to:

*feed the deer


*or feed the ducks


*check out the rams


*hang out on the playground


*play some football


*take a walk


*play in the leaves


*stop and smell the roses


*sit for a spell


* or simply just pose for a beautiful picture for Momma


Happy Friday from Vienna!

Memoo would be proud!

We woke up to falling SNOW this morning! Mind you, it was mixed with rain, but the high today is only supposed to be 39, so the kiddos are hopeful it will continue. :)

As Levi was getting himself dressed this morning, he came out in these...



Totally cracked me up that he was all proud to be wearing Memoo's socks that she left here the last time she visited.

And I know you all are wondering..."did she let him wear them to school?"

Of course! :)

Let's go for a sleigh-ride...

It quickly turned cold here today...with temps in the mid 40's. After school, the kids put on their "winter" pj's, scarves and mittens and proceeded to go for a sleigh ride! Imagination at it's finest :)

Apfelhof

Today we invited some old and new friends to join us at an Apfelhof

We picked potatoes, apples and pumpkins! It was a fantastic day on the farm. Then when we got home, we made THIS out of the apples we picked! YUM-O :)

Friday Favorites- Museums in Vienna

Yesterday I went with Abby on a class trip to the Technical Museum. We all had a fantastic time! This is just one of the many great museums in Vienna. Anything technical you want to know about, they have it! And as you can see, it is VERY hands on for kids...

Sword Drills...

Recently the kiddos have started liking "sword drills". It has become the highlight of our evening family worship. Abby especially likes to find Exodus...which she refers to as "Exo-dose" or "Exo-duce". We get a kick out of it too!

Gettin our routine down...

Yes, I know we have been in school now for over a month...but I just now feel like we are getting our routine down. Slowly, we are adjusting to the new schools and after-school activities. We also have been busy setting up Brad's office at Operngasse, along with building some new closets and dressers for the kiddos here at home. (as they had grown out of the current furniture) and I should say Brad and Levi were busy building!

Our "stuff" is finally finding it's way back into a particular "place" and I feel like we all are finally settling into our new "places" too.

Levi has had a pretty hard time adjusting to life at a new school, with new friends...but we are seeing him come around. His anxiety seems to be lessening, but he still could use your prayers. He is a BIG helper and is so funny! Just yesterday, he told me he was going to be a "mailman" someday and then asked me what I was going to be when I grew up :)





Abby absolutely loves her new school! She is making friends and although her days are longer than last year, she does her homework at school, which is good for all of us. She is our budding artist and leaves a trail of artwork throughout the house. Recently we have discovered this website, and have found some great ideas! Below is her latest work, along with a picture from one of her best friend's birthday parties...



Luke continues to do well with all of the changes, and is playing soccer and flag football. He also has had the opportunity to re-kindle a friendship with Andrew Mason. The Mason's lived in Florida for awhile when the boys were just little squirts and now he and his family are in Vienna for at least a year, while his parents serve on staff at Vienna Christian School. It has been really fun watching these boys together again!




New City Wien has started to meet weekly again at Operngasse for worship/Bible study and this weekend we are gearing up for a family day with the church at an apple farm.

And last, but certainly not least...Today we got news that our teammate Lindsay has the go ahead to purchase her tickets to Vienna! And while that means some more changes ahead, we are very thankful that she will be joining us soon! :)

After 36 years...

He can finally grow some facial hair! :)

Cheer, Cheer for Ol' Notre Dame!

After living here for 2 years, Brad has finally learned how to get Notre Dame football LIVE...(go to justin.tv if you want to try it for yourself)

This is where you can find him now on most Saturday evenings :)

Friday Favorites-Fall

My favorite season is Fall, and it has finally arrived!

I love the colors, the cool air, baking things with pumpkin and cinnamon...you get the point.

Here are a few new and old shots of our Falls here...









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Happy Friday from Vienna!

Just look at these faces...

My camera has been broken since we returned from the States.

It has felt like a very good friend has been missing from my life.

Yesterday, Brad finally took it to get fixed. :)

Now I can take pictures of some of my favorite faces again...

This probably doesn't look like someone who was diagnosed with Scarlet Fever a few days ago, but antibiotics and rest are doing her body good.

And while she wouldn't let me take anymore pictures of her...Milka would (cause she doesn't have a say in the matter)


Life is soooo hard for this pooch...


obviously...

so hard...



I just love my girls...

Abby's first horseback riding lesson...

Abby had her first "Reiten" lesson this afternoon. She did great and had a really fun time! Her teacher is very strict, but good and her friend Magdalena also goes, which makes it even better!

Levi is reading!

Check THIS out...

Look who is 1 already...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MILKA!

Friday Favorites- Festivals

I don't know if it is just Austria, or all of Europe, but they do "festivals" really well.

Good Food.
Good Music.
And LOTS of fun things for the kiddos.

Here are a few festivals that we have been to since living in Austria:

Stadt Fest


Pumpkin Festival


Mittelalter Fest

Happy Friday from Vienna!

Signs of Growth

This week has been one of those times that you reflect on how much your child has grown right before your eyes.

1. Luke asked yesterday if he could ride home on public transportation...3 different trams mind you. He even figured out to get off a stop early and walk home because the tram wasn't going to stop at our station for some reason.

2. Luke's coach asked him if he would like to play goalie for his school's soccer team, because he was one of the 2 best goalies in tryouts. And tonight he started playing football (yes American football), and in practice threw a touchdown pass.

3. On the way home, Luke told me (Dad) about 2 classmates, both of whom are his friends, who don't like each other because of their respective religions and the historical strife between their two countries of origin. Luke really wants to be a peacemaker here.

Pray for our Luke to grow to be a strong, humble, peacemaking leader.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NEENA!

Wish we could be there to help you blow out your candles! Have a wonderful day!

Re-Connecting + Friday Favorite

When we returned from our vacation, I was feeling a bit overwhelmed about being back in Vienna. Many of you may know by now about Jeff and Jodie's decision to return to the States to work at World Harvest's sending center. We all were very sad to see them go, and I was weary thinking about what it would be like to be without teammates once again.

Lots of you have been praying for us and our transition back, and although we miss the McMullens, re-connecting with our Austrian friends has really been encouraging! We have had many play-dates at the park and invitations to our friends' homes. In fact, yesterday we saw EVERY family with children from our apartment building at the park. It was so fun to re-connect, and it really felt like we were "home" again.

Here is Levi and Abby with their friend Alice...



Last night we were invited to a dinner put on by Barnabas International. It was solely for the purpose of encouraging those serving in Vienna. It provided a fun evening of hanging out with old friends, and opportunities to meet lots of other people who are doing the same types of things as we are.



Then today, we spent the afternoon with a friend from Abby's old school. Her mom and I determined that we would still meet on a regular basis, (even though Abby is now at a new school) so the girls could play and stay close. We had a wonderful afternoon catching up and then we headed outside of the city to cut some flowers.

This is definitely "Friday Favorite" worthy.

There are fields right outside of Vienna, where you go and pick and then cut your own flowers. It is all on the honor system, and you just put your money in the box when you are finished! How fun is that! (I don't think we would see this sort of system in the States :)










Here is Magdalena, Abby and Hannah with their gladiolas...


And here is the box that you put your money in...


We had a great Friday and I hope that you did too!

First Day of School...

We survived the first day of school! All of the kiddos started in new schools, so we were a little nervous about how everyone would do...but they all did GREAT! Thanks for praying :)

Wanna see how much they've grown since last year?
since 2 years ago?

Who wins "most changed" award???

Summer comes to an end...

As we get ready to start school on Monday, we are saying goodbye to staying up late, not having a routine and just plain having nothing but fun! It is a daunting task to go through ALL of the pictures I took on our family vacation...but these are a few of the memories for each kiddo that I really want to remember from our Beech Mountain trip 2009...

For Levi age 5:


-walking hand and hand with Daddy


-his infectious laugh


-watching him snuggle on Neena's lap as she read some of his favorite books


-lovin on his "sister-cousin" :)

For Abby age 8:


-how she intently watched as Neena taught her how to make roses with frosting


-her smile when she found the biggest gem


-how she has no fear


-and her love of shoes

For Luke age 10:



-his bonding with the boys


-the willingness he had to help build the treehouse


-his continued love for fishing


-and his ability to not up-chuck as he rode on crazy rides, that made us nauseous just watching him


Goodbye summer...we will miss you

Friday Favorites...brought back to life

So while we were on vacation, our old pastor and friend sent us this

We were encouraged and decided to revive Friday Favorites.

On Fridays, we have decided to write about a few of the things that we love about living in the city of Vienna. This is not only to help you see the great things about Vienna, but it will also be a sweet reminder to us of all the great things at our disposal. So here goes...

The public transportation is awesome...



This city loves our Milka pooch, and all dogs really...



How many of you have ice cream scooped from a man who wears a hat like this...



Riesenschnecke...



How can one not have fun on a slide this big...


Happy Friday from Vienna!

"Is there sweet tea?"

This is what Levi asked me when they were serving drinks on our flight from Munich to Vienna. I hated to disappoint, but with a smile and a chuckle had to remind him that we were no longer in America.

We had a wonderful vacation with our family and made lots of new memories...that hopefully I will one day find the energy to share with you. For now, we have to catch up on e-mails, unpack, go school supply shopping, prune the "jungle" on our terrace and tackle all of the odds and ends that go undone while you are away on vacation.