Family Fun 2010... June 24th...

So it is time to update my blog again. We've had so many cool and busy days this past week and I definitely have to share this with everyone. Friday my parents, brother and sister-in-law arrived and it was soooooooo good to see them again. And the next few days were packed with family fun and loads of cool things: Horse-back-riding, temple visit, Mormon Battalion, Legoland, Sea World, watching world cup games and Universal Studios. :)

It was freaking awesome and especially Horse-back-riding was super cool. None of us expected that we would actually really have to "ride" the horses. We thought we would just sit on it and they would follow each other on a little trail ride. Well we actually really had to control it a bit. It was so much fun and we are hoping we can do that again next week when my family is back for a few more days. They left this morning to visit my aunt and uncle in New Mexico but will be back in 1 week.

So here are some pictures of our awesome time together:

As you can see we had a great time and enjoyed every minute of it. Tomorrow we will have Nick's complete family in town and so that means another fun-filled-crazy week. :) More pictures to follow after that.

Josh ist nun 5...

Ja mein grosser ist nun 5 Jahre alt. Morgen wird er den Kindergarten offiziel beenden und am 30. August geht es mit der Schule los. Lustig ist, dass was hier in den USA Kindergarten heisst ist bei uns Vorschule und umgekehrt genauso. Also ab dem 30. August geht er in den Kindergarten (Vorschule). hahahahaha!!!

Hier ein paar Fotos aus den vergangenen 5 Jahren:

Ich muss schon zugeben, dass ich ein bisschen wehmuetig werde wenn ich mir all diese Fotos anschaue. Es ist einfach so komisch das er nun schon so gross ist. Na ja aber so ist nun einmal das Leben.

"Ich liebe dich Josh. Und bin dankbar dich in meinem Leben zu haben." Was bin ich unendlich dankbar fuer meine wundervolle kleine Familie. Das Leben ist schoen auch wenn es manchmal stressig, hart und schwierig ist. :)

Happy Birthday Nathan... May 24th 2010

Wow, where does time go? It seems like yesterday that I gave birth to our cute little Nathan and now he is already 3 years old. Is that crazy, or what? Here are a few pictures out of his life:

He is one stubborn little guy. I guess I can't even blame him for it, it is all that german blood that's stuck in him. ;) But even though he drives me up the wall all the time. I love him more than anything.

So today we also started potty training. It is going to be so tough with him. Because he keeps telling me that he "can't" do it. I am like hey if you can talk like that you can also go to the bathroom like a big boy. ;) We will see how long it will take us. I am doing it the way I did it with Josh. Diapers off and underwear on. One accident happened already, we will see how long it will take him until he realizes how gross that is. :)

So yeah life is crazy but great. I love my life here in San Diego. I love the weather, the area, all my great friends, my acting. It is awesome.

I love going for my acting dream. I mean that is something I always wanted to do and I always had fun doing it. I am so grateful that my husband supports me in this and that things are going well. This summer we will get our first Au pair and I am excited about it. It will be so nice to being able to go to an audition or shoot without having to worry about finding a babysitter all the time. She is from Scotland and I am excited to meet her and get to know her.

Life is awesome and I wouldn't want it any other way. Nick still doesn't know for sure if he can stay in the office he is in right now as a civilian or what is going to happen with his job situation but I am confident that it will all work out. I trust that everything will be ok and that we hopefully get to stay here. June 14th is his last day as an officer in the Navy and then he will be on leave for 1 1/2 months until he is officially out of the military. :) I am going to miss some of the things but most of it won't be missed. Especially the worry when he would get deployed again. :( I have friends who's husbands have a different job in the Navy and they are gone all the time and I am just so grateful that I never had to do that. But we were separated for almost a whole year and that sucked big time. I am glad we don't have to do that again.

So yeah we are doing well and I can't believe that our baby is 3 now. "Happy Birthday Nathan! We love you and we will always love you. We might not always like what you do and decide but our love will be with you forever!"

Aus dem Blickwinkel eines Schauspielers (24.04.2010)

Gestern habe ich meine erste "richtige Filmerei" gehabt. Ich habe eine Rolle in einem Studentenfilm bekommen und diese Szene wurde gestern gedreht. Das war aber nicht mal eben eine kurze Sache und dann ist es abgehakt. Nein, nein das ist eine langwierige und anstrengende Sache (ob man es glaubt oder nicht). Ich war dort fuer 5 1/2 Stunden. Zuerst einmal dauert es ewig bis die Leute alle eintrudeln. Dann faengt das Kamerateam an alles aufzubauen und einzustellen und dann letztendlich werden die Schauspieler eingewiesen. Die Szene wird aber nicht in einem durchgespielt, nein das sind lauter kleine Aufnahmen von ein und der selben Stelle. Es wird aus verschiedenen Blickwinkel gefilmt, immer widerholt denn der Direktor und Produzent haben da staendig ihre Nase im Spiel und wollen es mal so und dann so haben. ;) Zwischendurch werden dann noch Leute vom Kamerateam angegiftet wenn das Mikrofon ueber dem Schauspieler nicht richtig gehalten wird oder die Einstellung falsch und so fort. Es ist wirklich Interessant was am Drehort so alles abgeht. Und dies (wie gesagt) war ja nur ein Studentenfilm. So kann man sich sicher vorstellen wie das bei einem richtigen Film aussieht. :) Ich war auf alle Faelle an dem Abend echt alle und kaputt da ich fast die ganze Zeit stehen musste und wie gesagt es wird wieder und wieder gedreht und dann geht man zu einer anderen Stelle wo die gleiche Sache noch einmal gefilmt wird nur aus einem anderen Blickwinkel. Ich bin schon gespannt aufs Endprodukt. Ich soll auch eine Kopie davon bekommen und wenn der Film fertig ist, wird es zu Filmfestspielen geschickt.
Sicher braucht man fuer so etwas eine Menge Geduld und das ist nicht einfach denn oft ist es eine lange Warterei die damit verbunden ist, aber irgendwie habe ich dafuer die Geduld. Es ist einfach etwas was mich schon immer begeistert hat.

Geez why is that? Tuesday April 20th 2010...

I can't believe my thinking sometimes. I mean every so often I get to a point where I am wondering about many different things. I have to admit it usually starts with me being angry about something. ;) I am a person who explodes quickly and also calms down quickly so yesterday was one of those days. It is crazy that when things go wrong there is usually more to come. :( And what ticks me of even more is when I start telling friends/ relatives about my thinking and they start lecturing me and or even throw a fit, making it sound like I am all negative and stuff. My goodness I am just trying to figure stuff out that has nothing to do with being negative and I don't want a solution either (men always seem to want to find an answer for everything). I just want to discuss some of my thoughts to get them of my chest. I would like to hear someone elses opinion without getting lectured. I soooooooooooooooooooooo hate to be lectured. It drives me crazy and makes me so mad when someone does that to me. And you know what's funny about that, usually the people who do that the most are the one's who get offended the easiest. They have an opinion on everything, share it freely with everyone and even try to force their opinion on you. ;) Sound familiar? Well I've met plenty of people (have plenty of people) in my life who do that. I try to be pretty tolerant and accept others and their ideas/ opinions on things but I expect the same in return. I know we have different opinions on things and that's fine with me but I don't like it when others try to change my mind just because they don't like my opinion. Nobody has to like it I don't always like others but we should be able to accept another person the way they are, right?
That's all I am asking about really. Accept me the way I am. I said it on so many occasions before. We can't change someone else. We don't have to like the same things. Some people love writing, some like me like acting, some like cooking, some like to read and so on (you get the point). Sometimes we even like a lot of different things but we all have a passion for something. I admire people who go for it. I admire people who have a dream and work on their talents. And I am happy for them when they succeed. Hey I do get jealous sometimes sure I do, after all I am human, but that shouldn't stop me from being happy for them and it is usually a kind jealousness if that makes sense? My Mom for example write's books. She just started her 4th one and hasn't been able to publish it (even though she tried so many times). I wish with all my heart that she would be able to succeed. But no matter what happens I know it happens for a purpose. I like writing too but I am just not as great at it as my Mom. A friend of mine would love to write but just doesn't have the time just yet with her kids being pretty small still. But I know she would be awesome at it and I know that she is going to do it once the right time has arrived and she has people who support her. Support is so important. Without it going for your passion is pretty much impossible. It sucks when you have people who say they will help you and support you and then as soon you start going somewhere with it, they back off or make you feel horrible about yourself all the time. It really stinks. I know, because I am also speaking from my own personal experience.
But obstacles/ trials/ hard times are good for us. I know because we learn from it. We wouldn't make any progress in any way if we didn't have opposition. ;) That's how we get better, how we can change ourselves.
I love life. I know some people don't think so because they like to twist my comments into something else but it is true. Life is great. I love my family, I am grateful for my friends and even my trials. I don't always like my hard times while going through it but I see afterwards how much it has helped me.
"Stop telling your God how big your storm is! Tell your storm how big your God is!!! :)

Wieder mal so ein Tag... (15.04.2010)

Boar heute ist mal wieder so ein Tag wo ich am liebsten ein paar Teile von rausschneiden moechte. Ich weiss schon warum ich nicht gerne mit beiden Jungs einkaufen fahre. Horror pur! :( Aber der Stress ging schon vorher los. Bevor ich Josh vom Kindergarten abgeholt habe, musste ich noch einen Nudelsalat bei unserer FHV-Leiterin abgeben, da heute eine Beerdigung war. Hey ich war 2 Minuten aus dem Auto und Nathan hat ein Mords-Theater veranstaltet nur weil ich es gewagt habe ihn nicht mitzunehmen. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH die restliche Fahrt bis zu Josh's Kindergarten hat er also einen wahnsinnigen Bock gehabt. :( Gut, dass ich mich aufs Autofahren konzentrieren musste, so haben wir es beide ueberlebt. ;) Hab mir nur immer wieder gut zugeredet. ;)
Leider war das nicht das Ende. Auf dem Weg zum einkaufen (nachdem wir Josh eingeladen hatten) schlief Nathan zum Glueck ein. Doch kaum waren wir beim Commissarry ging der naechste Stress los. Man ey da hatte dieser bloede Einkaufswagen doch nur ein Lenkrad und nicht zwei und Nathan wollte es auf keinen Fall, dass Josh dort auch mit anfasst. So bruellten sie beide und ich habe nur die Zaehne zusammen gebissen und versucht mich da durch zu atmen bis alles wieder ruhiger wurde. ;)
Nathan ist und bleibt ein schrecklicher Sturkopf. Wenn ihm etwas nicht passt geht's aber los. Wenn ich ihn in sein Zimmer sperre und er nicht raus kann weil ich die Tuer zu halte, holt er sich irgendwann irgendwelche Spielzeuge und schmeisst diese gegen die Tuer/ Wand. Er muss immer schoen laut sein. Leise geht's ja mal gar nicht. Scheint noch nicht ganz zu begreiffen, dass ihm das nichts bringt. ;)
Vor ein paar Sonntagen hatte er auch waehrend der Abendsmahlsversammlung einen Bock und ich bin raus mit ihm in einen Klassenraum. Da er auch nicht sitzen bleibt wenn ich ihn als Strafe auf einen Stuhl setze, habe ich ihn irgendwann kurzerhand auf den Schoss genommen und festgehalten bis er ruhiger wurde und bereit war sich fuer sein Benehmen zu entschuldigen. ;) Jetzt wenn er ausrastet und ich mit ihm in den Raum gehe, sitze ich kaum und er entschuldigt sich sofort. Hmmm mag wohl nicht auf meinem Schoss sitzen, wie?
Mutter zu sein ist echt harte Arbeit und ich bin ja nun auch ein relativ ungeduldiger/ temperamentvoller Mensch. Da kann man mal wieder sehen, dass der himmlische Vater einen Sinn fuer Humor hat. Er moechte das ich lerne mein Temprament zu zuegeln. ;)
Aber trotzdem liebe ich meine Jungs ueber alles. Ja klar sie gehen mir tierisch auf den Keks und das reichlich oft, aber sie sind dann auch wieder so suess und schnuckelig und Nathan hat so ein suesses Gesichtchen mit speckigen Wangen in die ich immer nur reinkneifen moechte. Hahahahahahaha!

Monday April 5th 2010...(Easter monday in Germany)

What an amazing weekend we had. It was incredible and awesome. I loved almost every minute of it and enjoy the time with Nick's family so much. :)
Friday night I was able to go to one of my mission reunions for the first time. It was awesome!!!! Well parts of it was awesome. ;) They even had bagpipes and drums there at the beginning and that was so cool. Loved it. The next part was mostly boring and soooooooooooooooooooooooo long. Man! People I don't know talking about who knows what FOREVER. I was like what the heck is this? That was actually the moment I was sad about not having my kids there because they would have been a great excuse to go outside with them for a while. ;) lol but I survived those 1 1/2 hours somehow and then we finally got split up in groups so we had little meetings/ get togethers with our mission president/s. It was great to see people again. There weren't that many there I knew this time but at least my last 2 "zoneleaders" one of my companions and one "sister" who served in my zone during my last 6 weeks. :) It was cool to catch up abit and think about those good old times. :) It was also great to see the office couple again I hadn't seen since they went home and other people I recognized even though I never really served around them. I also met a couple who used to be in my last ward on my mission. SOOOOOOOOOOOO cool to meet great people again after a long time.
Saturday was filled with family-fun. We had a nice easter breakfast as a family. Nick has 5 siblings and now that most of them are married and we are having kids too we are getting bigger. I am sure my in-laws love having all 5 grandkids around and it is fun to hang out with all of them because I really do feel like part of the family. Later we watched both sessions of General conference and then went out to dinner as a family since it was my mother-in-laws birthday. :) At night we got to hang out with Nick's best friend and his wife. It was awesome. I love those two they are soooooooooooooooooooo freaking hilarious and always make me laugh. (But it shouldn't surprise me very much though. Nick's best friend Scot actually has a lot of scottish blood in him, so of course he is going to be funny.) ;)
Yesterday then Nick and I went to Salt Lake to be live at General conference. It was amazing. Thanks to my uncle (who is a seventy) we had pretty good seats and it was just so great to be there. What an amazing and spiritual experience. :) The best part definitely was when we had the intermediate hymn: "I know what my redeemer lives". Wow it was so touching and brought tears to my eyes when we all sang the last verse together. Singing something like that with 21000 is just incredible. :)
After that we had lunch with my uncle, aunt and cousin/s at my uncle's office in the Church Office building. That too was pretty cool because Nick and I kind of felt like VIP's (Church VIP's of course). ;) lol. It was great to spend some time with them again. I hadn't seen them in a while so that was awesome.
It is so wonderful to hear the church leaders speak and to feel the spirit. I am so grateful that we were able to come here for a long weekend. It was totally worth it.
I love life when it is like this. Keeps you going, doesn;t it? :)