Cole in Action!

We visited a great park at Alte Donau this morning with some friends. Cole was definitely interested! He tried to play fussball, he tried to climb up the slide, and he picked some flowers. He's walking faster now and more confidently now, too, which is fun!

Our New Favorite Snack

Caramel Popcorn!

Melt together in a medium saucepan until bubbly:

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

12 large marshmallows (or a bunch of small ones)

Microwave a large bowl of popcorn and pour hot caramel over the top & mix.

Eat while warm & gooey. YUM!

SEW @ VCS

This week is Spiritual Emphasis Week at Vienna Christian School for the elementary kids. Jerry Jacoby and his wife, Michaella, have come for the week to have fun with the kids and talk to them about faith. Jerry writes silly songs and dresses up as Biblical characters with crazy voices. He also brought his chicken, Elmer, for the 3rd year in a row. He's a puppet! Below you see Jerry leading the kids in a song called Ruby Toobie Tango.
Otherwise, Cole and I have been spending lots of time at Prater, the park close to our apartment building. It's in full bloom now and jam packed with kids, bikers, rollerbladers, walkers, runners, and people lounging at outdoor cafes. Prater also has an amusement park connected to it, and the funniest thing is that Cole has been especially interested in the roller coaster. He'll walk right up to it and just watch. Now that he's walking, it's fun to take him out of the stroller and let him wander around after the things he finds exciting. The other day we sat and picked grass and daisies for about a half hour.
Chris and I have also been training for the Vienna Marathon Relay coming up next weekend. We are on a team of 4, where each person runs one part of the marathon to complete the whole race. So we've definitely been busy!



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Better than Kissing?!?!?!

It's a scientific fact!

The Vote is IN

The vote is in, and we are officially...yes, officially...moving to Bloomington, IN. At least for the next couple of years. We realized that the best decision for Chris is to pursue business school, since the only business experience he has is here at VCS, so we're headed to Indiana University. It just so happens that our home church, ECC, is there, and we have some dear friends there as well. So we're on the search for somewhere to live and Chris is looking for jobs for the next year while he applies to school and takes the GMAT. What an adventure. You never know what's next for the Franks!

Just Because He's So Cute!

Easter Egg Hunt

We had an Easter egg hunt this afternoon in the courtyard of our building with some other families and kids. Cole found 4 eggs, and really enjoyed eating the chocolate inside! See video below, too.

Easter Traditions

I've been reading a great book recently called Treasuring God in Our Traditions, by Noel Piper. The whole book describes how traditions remind us of the important things in our lives. People have traditions for all kinds of things...birthdays, Christmas, Easter, and other special or ordinary events, too. For example, my Great Grandpa Schindler began a tradition in his family to pray Psalm 121 before departing on a vacation. Now, three generations later, everyone in the family knows this short Psalm in the King James version of the Bible, and we say it when we leave on vacation. It reminds us that God is our Protector, and He will take care of us. It's not a Steer Clear of Accidents card, but a reminder of what we believe is important. So this book has been perfect for me now that we are beginning to establish traditions of our own as a little family of three.

So speaking of establishing new traditions, we adopted an Austrian Easter tradition this year. Austrians typically buy pussy willow branches and hang hand painted hollowed out eggs on them. They believe that if you receive a blessing with a pussy willow, your fields will be blessed in the coming year. Normally a blessing is given with palm branches on Palm Sunday, but since palms are not native in Austria, the pussy willow does the trick. So this year we went to an Easter market and bought our own set of eggs and willows for our own Easter tree.

One other thing we do on Easter Sunday morning is bake Empty Tomb Rolls. What are these? You take a large marshmallow (Jesus's body) and dip it in melted butter and then a mixture of cinnamon & sugar. Then, you wrap refrigerator roll dough (tomb) around the marshmallow and pinch it together so nothing leaks out. After that, you place it in a muffin tin along with the others, and bake. As the rolls bake, the marshmallow melts and disappears! So when you eat the rolls, there is only a hollow hole inside the roll...hence...the empty tomb! It's a fun and tasty reminder that Easter is really about Jesus being resurrected from the dead...what a huge gift!

Happy Easter!!!

Cole and a few other kids had an Easter egg hunt in our courtyard today.


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I'm gonna git you

This is something I say to Cole a lot. It's a game that's developed between me and him since he learned to crawl pretty well. I used to use lots of voice inflection to make it really clear to him that I was going to crawl and "chase" him. Then he'd crawl away a little as I slowly followed him on my hands and knees. It'd last a couple seconds, and then he would sit up and look at me.

Now we've picked it up a notch. I pretty much just say "Cole" and look at him, and he gets it. Other times I say "Cole, I'm gonna get you" in a very normal, almost monotone voice. He starts to laugh and crawl away. He's getting fast and I have to work hard to catch him (if I'm crawling too). We've even played this a couple times now, with him walking, but he's still a little faster at crawling than walking.

Paris...

The Arc de Triomph
A world map with cocoa bean markers showing where cocoa trees are grown...Chris visited 6 chocolate shops and 1 chocolate factory on this trip! Heaven....yes.
One of our favorite Van Gogh paintings from the Musee d'Orsay. The blue color is amazing.
The Eiffel Tower by night. Add a tasty crepe and it's perfect!

Happy 1st Birthday to Cole!

Cole turned one yesterday! We celebrated Sunday night with pizza & cupcakes, and Cole was not shy to dig in!

Birthday Tent

Chris and I gave Cole a bright red tent for his birthday. Even though his birthday is tomorrow, he's been playing with his tent for a while. He's 1...he doesn't know the difference yet, and I couldn't wait! I need to control this before he becomes more aware of gifts! Ohhh....

Ostermarkt

Today we visited a traditional Viennese Easter market downtown Vienna. It was perfect weather to enjoy the amazing displays of handpainted eggs. I decided this year to invest in my own Easter eggs and make an Easter tree. Traditionally, people buy pussy willows and hang Easter eggs on them. I'll post a photo of our tree soon. The other picture is of me, my mom, and Cole on our way to the playground this afternoon.

Folks, We Have a Walker!

YES! Cole started walking yesterday with Chris in our living room. Today on our trip to the park, he bee lined straight to the swing and I captured it on video. The best part is that Omi, Aunt Jane, and Grandma Jean are all here to witness it!



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BREAKTHROUGH!

Cole was so sad that he cried when Chris left for work this morning.

You may remember Chris's sad blog post a few months ago...so this is BIG!

Fun with Omi & Grandbob

Omi and Grandbob came for a visit last week. While they were here, Chris and I spent a weekend in Paris! Cole had a great time with my parents. They gave him a new train for his birthday, which is coming on the 26th, and taught him some new words. They went all around downtown Vienna together, and Omi and Grandbob braved going out to dinner with Cole. Wow! He now knows where to find the star, drum, car, light, and Elmo. It's really fun to watch him learn. He's pointing at things, too. Yesterday he was so fascinated with some flowers in the kitchen that he didn't touch his snack. Oh well!

dinner with friends

Our friends, Ares and Katharina Kaftalli, came over for dinner this past weekend. We hadn't seen them since before Cole was born! It was great to catch up and hang out.

Cole can KICK!

Cole learned a new skill tonight when some friends were over for dinner. He kicked a ball across the living room! If only he could walk by himself...soon! He's pretty good at walking just holding my one hand, but often gets frustrated and wants both hands so he can motor along, like he's doing in this video.


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Stuff It!

The other night we had pizza for dinner. Cole had already eaten, yet didn't skip a chance to grab for Chris's plate. Chris gave him a few bites, which only left Cole wanting more!

In other news, we are pretty sure Cole understands a couple words now: ball and water. He and Chris have been practicing. Fun!

Stair Climber

Yes, Cole can now climb stairs. Unfortunately, it's probably only safe (and time efficient) for him to climb a few at a time, which means I still need to carry him up when we get home. But at school today, he and Chris practiced while I was at chapel, and I was lucky to get a picture!

Let's Sing!

Each Thursday, as you know, I go to VCS and speak at elementary chapel. It's a perfect way for me to stay involved at school at still take care of Cole at home. Chapel is a weekly thing where kids grades K-5 come together to sing, watch drama, and hear about practical ways to grow in their faith. So this semester we've been learing about the fruit of the Spirit, and today's fruit was goodness. I tried to capture a moment of singing from the back before it was my turn to speak. The big screen in the front of the room is an overhead with words, and the fifth graders lead the songs and motions up front each week. Enjoy!


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The Cat in the Hat

Book Month is upon us at VCS! Each year during the month of March, the VCS library hosts a bunch of events for readers of all ages. Kids play charades with favorite book titles, read books for a Battle of the Books competition, and have a reading race among other fun things. This year's reading race for lower elementary kids is a race to help the Cat find his Hat. And who is the Cat in the Hat this year? Our own VCS Business Manager...Chris Frank! He made his debut today at elementary chapel with a poem. He even had an accent. What fun!

P.S. Sorry for the bluriness of the photo...I didn't use a flash. The flash made the picture too dark!

4th grade Geometry Fair

If you were a patron of our blog a year ago, you may remember that the fourth grade classes, one of which I taught up until Cole's birth, put on the first annual VCS Geometry Fair.

Well, Cole and I had the chance to visit this year's second annual 4th grade Geometry Fair today. Cole learned about circles, triangles, rectangles, and squares! There were lots of new activities, and the kids were really excited about the crowds of people who attended. Above you see Amina (Nigeria) and Anna Maih (Philippines) teaching some kids about geometric word puzzles.

Avocado Patience

When we returned to Vienna in August, Chris decided to plant an avocado pit. He saw that our friends the Griffices had done that when we visited them in San Antonio. Now, for those of you who don't know, Chris is the best plant care taker that I know. He loves plants, waters them multiple times per day, and does everything short of talking to them in order to keep them thriving on our window sill. He even dunked one of our plants in our full bathtub once to revive it. It worked! So Chris first suspended this avocado pit with 3 toothpicks in a glass jar full of water. He made sure the water levels remained just so for months and months and months. Nothing happened. Until just recently! As soon as Chris noticed a sprout from his avocado seed, he transfered the pit lovingly to a real pot with soil. Now the thing is growing like crazy! Ta da!

Death by Stairs

Folks, our stairs are killing me. All 79 of them have a plot against me, I'm sure of it! A couple times each day I travel (Yes, travel. It IS a journey.) up and down these stairs with Cole, my 25 pound and ever growing hip attachment. Often, I have a bag or two of groceries in my other hand (THAT is a whole other story) and a backpack containing some life essentials on my back. You know...diapers, wipes, sippy cup, snack, wallet, kleenex, and of course, a couple toys for the ride.
The upside to this is that my leg muscles burn each time I reach my front door and I get my heart rate up to fat burning levels. It's a wonder I get the key in the door. There should be a warning at the bottom of the stairs! You'd think that after 2 and a half years of doing this I'd be in better shape, like those who live at high altitudes.
So let's pretend that Cole & I leave our apartment 2 times each day, which means we return home 2 times each day, too. That's 79 x 2 = 158 stairs per day. Then, that's 158 x 7 days per week = 1106 stairs per week logged on my legs carrying 25 pounds plus each time.
My only hope is that Cole will soon be ready to walk, which means he can start climbing those stairs HIMSELF. Whew!

The Cole Man

The Cole Man

babble and laundry tubs

So today while Cole was eating a snack I decided to record our conversation. The funniest part of our talk was when I said, "Cole, say mamamamaama!" and immediately he says, "dadadadadada." I couldn't get that one on video, though.
We decided to be creative with Cole's laundry tub, too. Instead of buying a little car that Cole can ride on and push around, we figured out that the laundry tub works just as well! Cole stood up today, too, for about 15 seconds all by himself, and we can tell he has the urge to walk. Fun!



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Smiley Boy!

My Chocolate Status

This is exciting!
I read a book called The Chocolate Connoisseur by Chloe Doutre-Roussel recently and loved it. It was light-hearted and very informative and I highly recommend it. So the book taught me a lot about the history of chocolate, various companies, specific tasting methods, a few recipes, health benefits of chocolate, etc.
Anyhow, I got the idea to look at her website recently. She used to be the chocolate buyer for Fortnum and Mason (some kind of top of the line grocery store in London) but now has left to do independent chocolate things. In looking at her website I thought I'd try emailing her a couple questions I had about good places to get chocolate and her recommendations. I was thinking, "I hope some employee of hers actually sends me some kind of response."

But, lo and behold, what did I find in my email inbox after only 2 days? An email from Chloe HERSELF! I guess this isn't impressive to probably any of you, but it was very much so to me. Her email was actually longer than what I wrote her. She gave me ideas and her opinions, specific brands, stores, and even a few links to some companies she was talking about. How great is that?

It makes me think about how much I want to hang out with and ask questions of TRUE chocolate MASTERS like her.

Please add a couple points to my Chocolate Status Card, thank you very much.

Once again, LAUGHTER

It almost sounds like Cole is pain and anguish - but he's really just laughing cause Anne was crawling up to me. The most random things make him laugh. I had to catch it fast on the video so I forgot to turn on the light - but I think you really will just want to hear this one.




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Sledding...Frank Style

This week is Energy Week or Ski Week for most schools in Austria. That means a week off work to enjoy winter, snow, skiing, sledding, and the like. There is no snow here, though, which is a bummer. It's actually been a really mild winter. I've been hearing about all this snow in the midwest and I'm jealous! So Cole & Chris made up their own version of sledding last night. Enjoy the video of Frank style sledding!


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Go Colts and Go Mike!

Check out this link on You Tube: http://youtube.com/watch?v=jVaCqwAnS5M

It's a video with photos from this year's Superbowl. The lyrics and music were written by MY BROTHER, Mike Luginbill. The song is titled Dreaming in Blue. If you're interested in more of his music, check out http://www.myspace.com/mikeluginbill or go to iTunes and type in Michael Luginbill.

Baby Bartels

Our friends Joe & Christiane Bartels had a baby yesterday! Congratulations!

To see Lucy, go to their blog: www.bartelsbeat.blogspot.com.

Lost

I lost my wallet again last night. I went to Billa (our neighborhood grocery store) to pick up a bottle of wine for dinner and some Pepsi for Chris. I thought I dropped my wallet back into my purse before leaving, but I guess I dropped it somewhere else. Ugg! I went back to Billa today to ask if it was there. No, of course.
Last time I lost my wallet a nice policeman came to our door that night with it, so I'm crossing my fingers that a nice policeman will make an appearance again today. If not, I guess it's not the end of the world. I can cancel my credit card and get a new public transportation pass. I guess I'll need a new wallet, too. I love shopping!

Peekaboo!

Cole & I played peekaboo with his blanket yesterday and Chris captured it on film. What a funny boy!

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fort!

Chris and Cole built a fort in our living room this morning!

Confession

of a hopeless furniture rearranger. I did it AGAIN today.

Yes, that's me. I am publicly confessing that I LOVE to rearrange furniture, it's actually a hobby. Small scale or large. Rugs and couches. Containers and cereal boxes. Speakers and plants. Take your pick! I've rearranged it at least a couple times in our 900 square foot flat downtown Vienna.

Our living room has had 5 different arrangements since we moved here in August of 2004. I've rearranged Cole's room 3 times and the kitchen once. Our bedroom has only received minor alterations over our short stint here, yet those still count! Whew.

Each rearrangement has come for a purpose, just so you know. My hobby is goal oriented. The first time we (yes, WE) rearranged our living room because we bought a TV and needed the sitting furniture closer to the cable box. The second time my dad rearranged after I saw something in a magazine while they visited when Cole was born. The third time I rearranged to get the coffee table out of the middle of our living room so Cole could have a place to frolic and play. And today's had a dual purpose. I'm getting good at this stuff. The first purpose was to provide a place for the playpen to live in Cole's room. The second was to give Chris a comfortable place to do his accounting homework in our bedroom. See, it's strategic.

I think this hobby of mine drives Chris crazy, and is soon to drive Cole crazy once he figures it out. I constantly devise new ways to store our stuff, too, which leaves Chris looking for something in it's old location often (old is used very loosely here).

A couple good things emerge from my realization. One, I could call this hobby decorative creativity. Two, it's very very cheap. Rearrange what you already have and voila! A fresh look for 0 Euros. And three, I sure do keep our friends on their toes. Every time people come over they say, "Wow, you moved things around...again." I'm just helping them with their observation skills.

McDonald's Treat

I stopped at McDonald's today for a drink, and Cole got his first ever treat from McDonald's...a balloon! It's amazing what fascinates him.

Lovin' the cup

This is Cole chilling on the couch today after his nap with his cup. You may think he relaxes for a while, but usually the cup is gone in 2 minutes flat. Speed drinker!

Zoom!

On Saturday we took Cole to the Zoom Kindermuseum in Vienna. There is an exhibit made for little kids called Ozean, which is all about the ocean. Cole had fun, and we had fun too! There was a huge area set up like the ocean floor with animals and toys, and there was a large ship on the second floor with ropes, mirrors, and lots of fish!

Joy

Elementary chapel was about joy today. Not happiness that comes when you get a package in the mail or a friend calls from far away. Or the happiness that comes when you get an A on a final or someone drops $10 in your mailbox so you can grab a no whip skim caramel latte on your way home sometime.
Joy is something deeper...a calm delight in your heart's deepest spot. That's what we talked about today. We talked about Psalm 126:3 "The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy." That's why we can be filled with joy. The Lord has done great things for us. What great things has the Lord done for you? I asked the kids that today, and the responses floored me. Here are a few...

David (2nd grade) "God helped me trust Him when I was scared because my mom was going the hospital."

Lizzy (2nd grade) "God gave me the chance to come from America and live in Vienna."

Then we talked about how Romans 15:13 says that God will make your joy overflow. You don't make your joy overflow. He does. So I showed them what overflowing is like with some buckets and water and big tub to shield the water from the floor. Make sense?

We are like gas tanks in that our joy needs to be filled up. It's a good thing, though, that we're not like gas tanks, too. If gas tanks overflowed all the time, there would be serious problems.

Did I also mention that I broke the microphone as I was talking today? Yes. Laughter erupted. Fortunately, kids are a forgiving audience.

A Few New Discoveries

Today was a day of new discoveries at our house! Cole discovered kleenex packets and gave them a once over with his teeth. I discovered that Cole looks really cute wearing Chris's brown beanie. I also discovered that I can make a successful cheesecake. And last but NOT least, I put some butternut squash & cereal on the spoon Cole was chewing on during dinner and he ate it by himself right of the spoon! He ate the second bite, threw the third bite, ate the fourth bite, and so on. What a victory!

GO COLTS!!!!

THE Chocolate Shop

So, now I've told you a little about my chocolate-craziness.
Tonight, we're hosting our 2nd chocolate tasting party. We're due to have about 15 people here and so I decided to go shopping for so good chocolates yesterday afternoon. I had always gone to Julius Meinl for my high quality chocolates. But since I did some research for chocolate shops in Vienna that carry the good stuff, I found a handful that have more variety and cheaper prices than Julius Meinl.

One of those is called Xocolat. It's really an amazing place - high ceilings, very tall dark wood shelves, 2 and a half stories of just chocolate, and a huge variety of outstanding chocolates. If there were a chocolate shop the Harry Potter stories, it might look like this. I had a hard time not spending over an hour just walking around, gazing, inspecting, and being overwhelmed by this place. I know there are a few other places in Vienna with good chocolates too, but I'm thinking this one will have a hard time being beat as the best.

So after choosing some good chocolates for the party (Pralus, Tiroler Edle, Green & Black's, Amedei, Bonnat, and Blanxart), I decided to ask the lady for help finding the best milk chocolate. The small lady was very nice and helpful and pointed out a couple to me. We talked for a while (mostly in German), but when she first heard me speak German, she asked if she should speak French with me. I said no - English. But her English was only so-so, about like my German. Anyhow, she let me taste a kind of chocolate I'd never had, and then even a whole cacao bean for free. Then when she found out I was having a tasting party, she asked how many people were coming. Then she gave me half a bag of cacao beans for free so everyone at the tasting could have one. So cool!

I might just have to become friends with this lady :)

What does Cole do all day?

Wednesday, January 17, 2007




Cole has definitely kept us on our toes lately. He's pulling himself up on everything, crawling everywhere, opening drawers, perusing our DVD selection, and drumming. It seems like just overnight he turned out of a baby and into a little boy.
A few other things...
I've been listening to a book called Velvet Elvis, by Rob Bell, on my iPod. I'm hooked.
Chris and I have been trying to eat healthier lately.
At the top of our list? spinach, blueberries, flax seed, red peppers, oranges, and dried apricots
I took Cole to the doctor today. He weighed in at 23.1 pounds and 30 3/4 inches. The stairs up to our apartment are taking me longer and longer as Cole grows heavier and heavier. I can't wait for the day when he can walk up them himself. Then, though, the trek will take about 50 times longer I'm sure.
Tomorrow we're learning about the fruit of the Spirit LOVE in elementary chapel. Jesus showed love once by healing a man with leprosy and a paralytic, among others. He lived it. He didn't just feel it. Just like a balloon doesn't do much without air, we don't do much loving without God's Spirit in our hearts. So I'm going to show the kids a balloon, deflated and inflated. Piece of cake, huh?
That's all. Over and out good buddy.

Monday January 15th!!!

It's Anne's birthday tomorrow (the 15th) so why don't you give her a call or write her an email to wish her a happy one!

Thanks for playing :)

L.A. needs more celebrities

don't you think?

Let's throw in a European soccer player - that'll add some spice if you know what I mean. Hint: click on spice and scroll down to Personal Life.
It's enough to make me want to get to a Galaxy game - but I'm guessing they'll sell out like hotcakes. Funny - I remember going to a Galaxy game back in their first season - 96 or 97 I think. It was at the Rose Bowl and I was impressed with how many people were there. The big name was Jorge Campos I think - a Mexican goalkeeper. He was flamboyant and good - and he knew it.

Mr. Mom

Today, Anne went shopping for a while since it's her Birthday Weekend! I stayed with Cole and we had a good time dancing, playing, stuff like that. I noticed something new today:
when I left him for 5 or 10 seconds to walk into the other room and get something, he'd start crying. Woah - he only does that for mom, I thought. Then, when I walked back and sat down next to him, he stopped and wanted to crawl up on me again or have me help him stand and walk.
Amazing - I've reached a new status in Cole-Man's opinion. now THAT is cool

USA Bound

Yes, we are moving back to the USA in August! You may be thinking… “What? They just told us they were staying 2 more years!” You’re right. A few months ago we felt compelled to pray about the option of leaving VCS at the end of this school year. So we prayed. Through that, we found freedom to make the decision to go. We believe God led us to this point, and we want to trust Him for what’s next. So what is next? We DO know that we will stay here to help with staff transitions. We’re considering moving to Indiana or California since we have family in both places. Chris desires to pursue business in some form. That’s pretty much all we know right now. We would greatly appreciate your prayers with us as we trust God for the next steps in this process. Thanks!

Little Monster

We have a little monster on our hands these days! It seems like just overnight Cole figured a million things out. His new favorite hangout is the bathroom. As you can see above, he likes hiding behind the shower curtain, especially while Chris is getting ready for work in the morning! He also likes playing with dad's shoes, my hair brush, and the volleyball. Yesterday I turned my head for just a second and turned back to find him emptying an entire basket of movies and sticking his little fingers in the VHS tape holes. Yikes!

Crispy stuff

So, it's been a while since I've really blogged more than a random picture or joke or something.

Thinking back, when I was working at IU, I had more free time to wander around on the internet and I found out about blogs. I started one and enjoyed blogging about all kinds of random and funny things. I kept bugging Anne to blog, but she just didn't for a long long time. Then sometime in the last year or maybe 2, she picked up the blogging thing and I faded off stage left. I'm not saying this is going to change again, but just remembering.

What's up with me?
Chocolate.
Random thoughts.
More chocolate.

Let me tell you about this. I've always loved chocolate, and have been told I was a chocoholic since a young age. Chocoholic probably isn't technically the right word, but good enough. Anyhow, since being here in Europe, I've discovered a whole new world of REAL chocolate. Quality stuff made of higher percentages of cocoa beans, better quality of cocoa beans, or both. Chocolate is becoming like wine in the sense of there being connoisseurs, beans coming from one special plantation, etc. I've gone from thinking Hershey's Special Dark was the best ever to not ever wanting to touch that stuff again - even with a 39 1/2 foot pole. They use the lowest/cheapest quality beans, probably over-roast them, put in way too much sugar to cover up the taste, and throw in some unnecessary chemicals and artificial flavors. Yuck.

Some random thoughts.
This was a Christmas break of extremes. One extreme was having family from both sides here for Christmas. Lots of people, presents, attention for Cole, food, etc. It was great. Then they all left and we have lots of time just for us 3. Reading, sleeping, hanging out with Cole and watching him learn to crawl, stand, put his finger in anything that resembels a hole, try to eat plants, and just being his normal curious self. Now that he's kinda mobile, it's getting dangerous.

I've gotten pretty interested in photography - as a hobby. I have a nice digital SLR camera and an extra lens that allows for much higher zooming capabilities. It's fun to walk around Vienna and take pictures of whatever - signs, architechure, people, etc. This city is full of old buildings, history, lots of cultures, un-American signs and customs, so it makes for good photography opportunities.

I got a soccer game for the computer. It's very cool and fun and very much eye-candy material. Problem is I can't score. Even if I choose the best team with Rooney, Ronaldo, Rialdino (sp?), etc. - a dream team - and I play against some sorry team in a low level league with terrible defense. I still can score one stinkin goal! ugh. I still have to learn the right buttons and stuff. Eventually I will... but I just hoped that during Christmas break I would have learned more with the free time. But the free time went mostly to being with Anne, Cole, and...

CHOCOLATE. Seriously people - I'm crazy about this. Not only am I a budding connoiseur, but I have ideas about future business possibilities. I've been taking notes about my ideas as well as the "notes" I taste in chocolate. The look, mold, smell, break, first taste, melt, second taste, texture, after taste, etc. It's amazing how much there is to premium chocolate. Anne gave me a book for Christmas called The Chocolate Connoisseur. It was a great book for me - it encouraged me in what I already knew and whet my choco-appetite for so much more about the beans, growth, production, the small companies that make the good stuff, conferences and festivals, and more. I've been realizing that living in Europe is awesome because most of the great premium chocolate in the world is made here - France, Italy, Germany, etc. I'm oozing with ideas of making trips to chocolate factories. But I better stop there - cause I don't want to write too much and I kinda want to go read more of another chocolate book I have.

Now THAT was a serious post!

2007 Cole Man

Photo Sharing - Upload Video - Video Sharing - Share Photos So, the last few days have been full of Cole moving around our apartment! He's an official crawler now - not just doing the army crawl. This has given us more motivation to really Cole-proof our apartment. We bought some little gadgets to keep some drawers and things closed for Cole's curious little hands. But the bummer is that they don't fit like we hoped (this is actually the second time this has happened.) Double sad. But Cole sure is being cute. He prefers to walk with our help over crawling.