Family Blog

Today there was a carnival parade in Gerlingen. First we didn't want to go to it because carnival in Swabien is not so much fun. If you really want to see carnival in Germany you must go to the Baden area or to the big capitals of carnival Cologne, Düsseldorf or Mainz.

But our daughter persuaded us to go. One of the big difference to other parades is that the candies are thrown discrete and sparse - this is Swabien carnival.

The package for Christmas, we sent in November, has now reached Wisconsin, two weeks after the package to California has arrived Lincoln. So I guess the post ship had taken the route over India to reach the west coast of America. In the 19th century the mail needed about 10 days for 1800 miles, as you can read on ponyexpressnevada.com (California to Wisconsin is about 2000 miles), so the time hasn't changed so much.

Nevertheless, Manuel and we are all happy that the package hadn't gone lost on its long trip to America.

Merry Christmas

Can you find Manuel on this video from the Whitefish Bay High School? The video was made be a student of this school and I'm not sure but I think in two scenes you can see him.

We celebrated Sylvester with friends. We were a little above Gerlingen and normally we would have a good sight about Gerlingen and surrounding. But it began to snow and we had a limited view at the fireworks. Home again we tried to phone with Manuel (he had tried before), but it was not so easy because he was in the neighbour city. He told us that he will watch movies with friends.

In the U.S. Sylvester is a normal day. Philip wrote that he was the only one, who was awake at Sylvester, because his parents went to bed earlier, and his sister was sleeping in front of the TV!

One of our two "Christmas packages" has arrived now (after more than 5 weeks!). Philip was very relieved when he heard it in Nevada (he was at that time at his new grandparents). The other package of Manuel is still waiting for - we hope that it isn't gone lost.

Both, Manuel and Philip, have settled down well at their new families. As Jeff wrote, Philip has evolved from a"visitor" to a"family member." And Manual has also well integrated in his new family what we gather from the last letter.

Today arrived a christmas package together with a long letter from Manuel. Also a "Jingle-Bell" christmas card which squaks when you open it. In his letter he wrote that he begins to have a problem writing in German...

The package contained a lot of things I didn't know before, e.g. Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. It tastes like a mixture between chocolate and peanut butter - mmmh, I like it. Carmen is happy about the Hard-Rock-Cafe-shirt and about a pompom cap. Cordula got a nice chain and I got a picture from him which I have desired.

Philip has sore muscles from playing Wii with his sister and Dad - who says that computer games are not good for the fitness?

Yesterday we got a nice letter from Wisconsin. I had to smile myself when I read it. The letter ends with
You Know your an AFS Host Family When...
...You get "care packages" from distant lands....
Unfortunately our "care packages" for christmas haven't still arrived yet (after 5 weeks!). We hope that they haven't gone lost.

Manuel and Philip both enjoyed Christmas very well. They didn't seem to miss the German "Weihnachten". Both wrote us enthusiastic mails about their impressions and presents from the Christmas Ev and the day after. Perhaps they meet each other at Eastern which is the best present for them as Philip wrote in his blog.

This year Christmas Evening will be different to other years - without Manuel and Philip who are in America. Normally we would go to the Stiftskirche in Stuttgart to listen our boys and the Hymnus Choir but this year we will go to the Lukaskirche in Gerlingen where I played the tuba in the trombone band in former times. After church my sister from Australia will come with my parents and celebrate christmas with us. Cordula's father is already here. But nevertheless we will miss Manuel and Philip.

Our packages we sent 5 weeks ago haven't received at our host families in America although the man of the post office had told us. I guess Manuel and Philip are sad about that. but we can't change it. For them christmas will be much more different as all the years before. Here in Germany you go to church on the evening of 24th and then you get your present after dinner. In America the Santa Clauss will come through the chimney and you unpack the presents in the morning of the 1st Christmas Day (25th). And then you go to church.

But I think for all of us it will be an unforgettable christmas event.

Merry Christmas

It's getting early dark now in the evening - the night starts here at 5:00 PM. Also Christmas is coming nearer and nearer and it is a strange feeling to know that only 60% of the family will sit around the Christmas tree.

Manuel and Philip get more and more excited because the package we sent a month ago still hasn't arrived. For them it will be a totally different Christmas than the years before. In the US Christmas is celebrated in the morning of the 25th and afterwards you go the church . Here in Germany first you go to church and then you celebrate it in the evening of the 24th.

Yesterday it was Nikolaus Day here in Germany. The children put their shoes in front of the door and the next day they find some sweets and other little things in the shoes. Unfortunately, I was not at home but at work in Wiesbaden. But I got a picture from him ;-)

Since several weeks you can hear Christmas songs in the radio as Manuel wrote us. This weekend he went with the whole family in the forest to fell a Christmas tree. He watched their dog which seems to be not so easy...


Philip and his family has already started last week to decorate their house using eight boxes with Christmas balls, fairy lights and two snow men.

Today is Thanksgiving in America. This isn't celebrated here in Germany but in America it is a holiday. Manuel will spend this day with his family at dad's brother near Chicago. He is pretty excited, because he will see the whole family (and there will be six dogs in the house) and he will experience an American Thanksgiving.


Philip is back from Florida and has no school this week. He and his family began to decorate outside and inside of the house for Christmas...Philip will spend Thanksgiving with his family at dad's parents. Read more on his blog.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness..." This is the first sentence of the American Declaration of Independence which Carmen has to learn for school till tomorrow.

Manuel has started swimming-practice and the beginning is very hard for him. He never had practiced butterfly and I know it from my experience long time ago that it is not so easy. But much harder is that the training also starts at Saturday already at 7 o'clock in the morning.

Philip enjoys one week school holiday before the 2nd trisemester starts next week. He has cooked a pudding and waits now till it is cooled down.

Philip and his family is back from Walt Disney Land and Cap Canaveral. As you can read in his blog he was with his family at the Oktoberfest and on a mission to the Mars.

Manuel has finished cross country and started swimming.It's getting cold in Wisconsin (and also here in Germany).

Today we received a greeting card from Walt Disney World. Last Friday Philip and his family has gone to Florida to visit the biggest amusement park of the world.


Manuel has caught a cold and must lie in his bed. Unfortunately there is a photo shooting tomorrow at school for the year book where he can't participate. Get well soon, Manuel!