The Heymann Family Journal

Nicole's frog

2012-02-16T13:57:00.000+01:00

The photo's don't do it justice. Nicole is working on a giant flying frog made from paper Mache. It will be a 1950's superman type character. I don't know if she will give it a cape. I did order glass eyes for it. She is developing a series of flying animal characters. A frog, a squirrel, and a fish. I don’t know if she will do a bat too? But the frog is looking pretty cool. What a fun job, to be an artist! It’s like playing full time. I’m not saying it’s not work, but it’s fun.

should we invest the money

2012-02-15T11:24:00.000+01:00

The people that are looking at our rental house on Saturday (they changed the time) have 2 PhD’s. They seem very interested in the house. If they get it, I want them to stay a long time. Actually I want who ever rents to stay a long time. I'm wondering if having a very nice kitchen would help? I found 2 very nice kitchens on eBay. They cost a bi more. But they are really top kitchens with super appliances. I'm wondering if I buy one of these, would it make any difference in how satisfied our renter is, and how long they stay. People get "picky" when you give them the minimum. When they know they are getting a deal compared to what's on the market, they tend to complain less. For our sake, it maybe worth a few extra Euros now, so we have satisfied renters?

The first kitchen is modern. It does not cost as much as the 2nd kitchen, and it's much closer. I like the 2nd kitchen more but I could buy a new kitchen for the same price!

Valentines day with teenagers

2012-02-15T08:56:00.001+01:00

I bought chocolate hearts for all the kids. They took the chocolate with out a word of thanks. Juergen was the only one who thanked me. I made a special dinner. Mexican food from the ingredients I have been saving. It turned out great. They made allot of noise before dinner. It was stressing Jessica out. Instead of a nice relaxing meal, I had a headache. And after dinner, they rushed out and left me to do the dishes. No thank you...nothing. Juergen had to drive Jessica, I don't fault him. He was great, as always. I just find my kids very selfish and self absorbed. It makes me feel like not doing nice things for them. I'll probably calm down and talk with them this afternoon or evening. But I doubt it will change anything. It's probably stress from school...nothing to do with me. I get yelled at by the boss, I yell at the wife, the wife yells at the kids who kick the poor dog sort of thing. It is a very difficult age and I pray they are not like this when they grow up. If they are, I doubt they will stay married for long! I hope you all had a better valentines day. I'm grateful for Juergen. I am blessed with him even if the dinner was not what I had hoped it would be.

snow

2012-02-14T09:30:00.001+01:00

It's snowing hard today. It's beautiful to watch. I hate driving in the snow. I'll need to do that today and I'm not looking forward to it. Juergen has a cough that won't go away. He has 2 DRs appointments towards the end of the week. He will probably also take a week off next week. He looks really tired, and he is. We show our Leimen house to a German family that is moving back home from America. The appointment is Friday morning. They want to rent. There maybe other appointments too on the weekend. Hopefully it will be rented soon. The one family looks very promising. And they need a house March 1st. So the timing looks good. It will be a great relief to have this settled. We will need to put in a kitchen, get the stairwell painted and a few other things. But it's a short list of "to do's". And then it's done...and the whole drama is finally settled! I can see the spring flowers beginning to push up from under the snow. I had a dream of the giant flower boarder we planted last summer. It will not be long now until the spring. I think I'll try planting some seeds today. In about 4-6 weeks I'll be able to transplant things into the garden. Happy Valentines day.

How to make your own compost tea

2012-02-13T22:11:00.000+01:00

for rent

2012-02-13T12:05:00.001+01:00

Our house in Leimen is now for rent. Thank you for your prayers. We will show it on Saturday if anyone is interested.here is the ad...http://www.immobilienscout24.de/expose/63880679?is24EC=IS24&style=is24&navigationbarurl=/Suche/S-T/Haus-Miete/Baden-Wuerttemberg/Rhein-Neckar-Kreis/LeimenThe heater people are at our house in Bad Schönborn working on the heater. Juergen also ordered 2 thousand liters more oil to get us through the winter. We need some time to think about insulation and maybe a better system then oil. We will probably insulate the attic, improve some windows, put insulation on the outside walls (it needs paint anyway) and get a new heating system. It will all cost allot of money. But over time (in 10 years or so) it will pay for it's self. We have been paying a shocking 60€ per day for heat this winter...and the house isn't even that warm! It would have been cheaper for us to have shut the house down, and gone to Thailand for 3 months (all 7 of us). It's been rather frustrating to be bleeding money over the past few months. We are trying our best to change that process. I'm looking at kitchens on eBay. I found one near Frankfurt I think will do nicely. It sells in 4 days. I hope we can win the bid. Then our rental house will have a kitchen. Saturday we hope to show the house a half a dozen times. Maybe we can find a good renter. But we will be picky. We don't want someone who won't pay the rent, or causes damage to our house. We don't need a headache or problem renter. And of course if a buyer comes forward before we sign a rental agreement, we can still sell. But after we sign a rental agreement, we will rent for 10 years. That will be the deal we make with the bank. So we have taken a big step by posting this ad. It is a step we had hoped to avoid. But not all of life is easy. And this drama with the Leimen house has not been easy for us. But we are anxious to just stop bleeding cash. And a good renter will help us in this way!

something for Juergen to look at

2012-02-12T11:50:00.001+01:00

Our heater is burning too much oil. Oil is sky high in price. We are wondering about replacing the system. That would in the long run save money. In the short term cost money. But this is how a pellet oven works. The first video is in German and the 2nd in English. and here is a link about the easyfire system with the financing information...for Juergen. http://info.kago.de/pelletheizung/ or http://www.kwb.at/de/index.php?option=com_frontpage and they have a shop in St Leon Rot here.and here are some details on the system.

I was in Italy once

2012-02-11T23:14:00.000+01:00

Well, I was actually in Italy more then once. But on this cold winter day I am remembering our last vacation in Italy. That was 2 1/2 years ago. I'm tired. I wish I could go on another vacation now! But at least I can close my eyes and dream of those beautiful days on the hill. Lovely! I've spent the day looking at used kitchens. Juergen is reluctant to rent the house in Leimen. I'm just trying to do what needs to be done to get it ready to rent. I'm keeping my feelings out of it. I'm also praying that NATO will decide to stay in Heidelberg. Then we can rent to someone in NATO. They pay better then Germans. Juergen would be very happy with that compromise! And so would I. But you can not rent to a person in NATO if the house has no kitchen. So I’m shopping for a kitchen.

Chinese Beef Stew

2012-02-10T11:00:00.000+01:00

I'm going to try to make this for our small group pot luck tonight. We start our Bible study on James. I'm worried about the house being warm, but it should be a good time.

Trust in God, not your understanding

2012-02-10T09:33:00.001+01:00

We had a very costly day yesterday. The boys need 2,000 Euro more work on their teeth (not covered by insurance). The heater in our house isn't working right, and has burnt 2x's as much oil as normal. So we need more oil, and maybe a new heater. Our house in Leimen has water damage from a radiator that leaked. That has to be repaired, and will cost us another month...and money. And Juergen prayed and felt God say, "will you trust me even if you don't get a clear answer". And he said yes. So even though it's been really hard lately, we will just keep blindly walking forward. And we may never know why, but that's ok, it really is!

We are being hit hard

2012-02-09T18:11:00.001+01:00

Our house is poorly insulated and we are burning too much oil. Our tank is almost dry again. We will need more oil soon. And maybe the heater is not functioning correctly, because it is using up about 2 times the amount of oil that it should. We spent 3000 Euros on oil in November, and now we are looking at spending at least 2000 Euros more. That hurts bad! We have been putting bubble wrap on most of the windows. Juergen put insulation in the basement today. He took the day off. And the toilet is backed up. We think the pipes are frozen. And in the house in Leimen the radiator also caused some water damage in the basement. It will take some weeks to dry out. That means a delay in renting/ or selling the house. We are out of money! We will now be going into the ditch! It's been such a bad news day! We need Gods help...we are going under and we need some help! We have tried to act as responsible as we can. But we feel like we are being kicked. I’m trying not to get too down. I’m trying to keep my focus on what I can do. But I feel really attacked, and we need answers and grace for an answer.

This is the back to eden film

2012-02-08T21:10:00.002+01:00

http://backtoedenfilm.com/BACK TO EDEN shares the story of one man’s lifelong journey, walking with God and learning how to get back to the simple, productive methods of sustainable provision that were given to man in the garden of Eden. The organic growing system that has resulted from Paul Gautschi’s incredible experiences has garnered the interest of visitors from around the world. However, never until now have Paul’s methods been documented and shared like this!

update

2012-02-08T18:41:00.003+01:00

He showed the house. I guess the people liked it but they are not ready to make us a real offer. They offered us 30,000 less then our price. That's no offer! So next week they said they would give us a real offer. I know Juergen is hopeful, but I'm not holding my breath. It's too iffy. But maybe someone else will find us before next week? It is close to the end of this road...but not the end yet. Thank you for your prayers.

we will know by next week

2012-02-08T14:36:00.002+01:00

I spent the morning cleaning. I did the deep cleaning stuff. I cleaned the bathrooms , mopped floors, and dusted and polishing furniture. It will not stay clean, but for a short while everything looks and smells good. We had a heater guy here today. He checked our oil supply, It is sadly very low. We have burnt over 2000 liters of oil so far this winter. Only 400 liters remain in the tank. That's not enough to get us through the next few months. We will have to order more. We will also have to spend serious money on insulation this year. I also want to add some wood stoves (2 stoves). I want the kind that hook up to the radiators. That way they don't just heat the room they are in, they help heat the entire house. I got a call from a man in Leimen that wants to buy a new house. He has 3 kids, He just sold his home. He wants a bigger house (perfect)! So hopefully we can sell the house. Our bank wants us to refinance the house next week as a rental house. We basically need a buyer this week, or it has to be a rental house. We are at the very end of the line so to speak. I would be so glad if it sells! I don't want the ongoing responsibility of owning 2 houses. One is enough. We have had to ignore our house in Bad Schönborn to focus on Leimen. But the Bad Schönborn house needs insulation badly...we are burning too much oil. The balconies need to be repaired, the garden needs to be built...and many many more projects await us. Juergen is taking a few half days off this week to work on the Leimen house. A little paint needs to touched up, and the floor in the boys old room needs to be finished. A buyer at this point would be a miracle. But I believe in miracles...good thing! I’m willing to rent the house out. We have even started to advertise for a renter. But I have not stopped praying for a buyer because this is what I want most of all. After next week we will have to rent the house out. The bank wants us to change the loan by February 15th. So if we can not sell it by then, we will have to rent the house out for 10 years. I guess I can except having to rent if it comes to that. But God knows how much we want to sell it. We want to move forward with out carrying the debt and responsibility!

The China cabinet

2012-02-07T17:08:00.002+01:00

Nicole is working on a painting called the China cabinet. It will be a large china cabinet with dishes and nick knacks. And hidden among the stuff will be little Chinese girls. They will be the size as fairies. And the message is something to do with the smallness of girls in China. Anyway, here are some of her drawings of Chinese girls faces. I'm trying to get her to paint it in oil. It would take along time to paint because oil takes forever to dry. But the color and texture would be better in oil.

Happy Birthday Sarah

2012-02-07T16:52:00.001+01:00

You can tell she spends allot of her time playing with her brothers. She asked for Lego Police and Football trading cards.

I'm not a fan of the cold

2012-02-07T10:01:00.002+01:00

Today is Sarah's 9th birthday. 9 years ago she was born in China. And 9 years ago she was placed on a stone bench near a water treatment plant. I can only guess it was because she was a girl, or perhaps the 2nd child in a one child China. If I could say anything to her birth parents, I would say thank you for giving her life. I would tell them how sorry I am that they have missed having Sarah in their lives. And I would assure them how very beautiful and wonderful their extraordinary baby is. She is amazing! Nicole and I decorated the table with balloons and streamers last night. She came to breakfast and was surprised by the gifts and candy. The cake we baked yesterday goes to school today. I will brave the cold, and buy more ingredients for another cake for this afternoon. Her bowling party is scheduled for Feb. 26th. We have too many other things happening before then. I also need to feed the birds today. It's so cold. It was -21 last night.

here are some photo's I found on the internet. It's not so frozen here....just cold. We have a heater guy coming tomorrow to check our oil supply. He will put some kind of gage in so we can tell if we are running out of oil. We are burning lot's of oil, sadly. We will be spending money this year to improve the insulation in this house. Maybe we will also add some wood heaters. Know one wants to depend on oil in this uncertain world! It really looks like we will see WW3 soon. Israel will bomb Iran and China and Russia will come agents Israel. It's in the Bible, and about to happen. Just watch!

Sarah's 9th birthday cake

2012-02-06T17:40:00.000+01:00

-7 and I'm not going out

2012-02-06T11:53:00.000+01:00

It's -7 degrees out side today. OK, 18 F. But cold in any language and I'm not willing to go outside. I get a headache from the cold weather. Poor Jessica refuses to get out of bed. I think she is actually reasonable. Nicole wanted me to take her to an art supply store in Heidelberg. Instead we shopped online. She needed glass eyes for some papier-mâché characters she is creating. Juergen shows the house at noon today. I basically refused to do it because I would have to take Jessica with me, and leave her in the car. I'm not leaving her anywhere in this kind of weather. I hope we can afford to retire in Thailand. I want to spend my winters on a beach, not hiding under a blanket in my living room! My sister is blogging about the gardening she is doing in Oregon. Europe is experiencing another ice age. I want to garden too!

Update: Juergen showed the house to an investor. They liked it but...they are worried there isn't a market for big houses. So the past 6 families that have seen the house can not afford it, and the investor will not touch it. I think we need to move to the next stage. We put in a kitchen, and place the house on the general market. There are 2 different words for wisdom in the Bible. One is super natural wisdom, the other is common sense. God doesn't seem to be giving us super natural wisdom for this problem, and common sense says it's time to find a renter. At least that's what I think. Juergen is waiting for a miracle. I really hope he gets a miracle, but right now I think we just need to find a renter. Some times God's answer is to just to do what seems right at the time. I'm really OK with that.

it's good

2012-02-05T19:28:00.001+01:00

Juergen showed the house in Leimen a few times this weekend. One of the couples was very nice. They loved the place. They will contact the bank to see if they can afford it. There was 2 more phone calls today about the house. So there is a big increase in interest. And the new floor Juergen and the boys put down on Saturday looks amazing! Hopefully it will sell. I've been thinking allot about the process of transitions. We walked into this transition a little overly optimistic. We hoped for a quick and smooth transition. And in many ways it was easy. But because the house in Leimen has not sold, and because we are still renovating the house to make it more attractive to buyers, the transition continues. And it makes us realize how little control we have. It is humbling. But I can see God is in this whole process. He is using it to train us to trust in him, not our own great wisdom or skill. I also see transitions happen in stages. And once you manage one stage, you can move to another stage. We shouldn't despise this process. It's normal. I will celebrate a conclusion to this whole drama. But I realize the process of transition continues. Jessica still doesn't have a school situation. And I still have boxes to unpack. I have a garden to build. Work remains. This is just one part of the process and I'm anxious to put it past us. And I feel we will see an answer soon. That will be so great! But it’s good even now!

Pizza dreams

2012-02-03T12:45:00.000+01:00

I didn't actually eat pizza last night but I had bad dreams. They were all dreams about trying to sell the house in Leimen. 100's of strangers passing though the house. Each one trying to rob us. One person was trying to steal the documents. Trying to take away all our paperwork. Crazy! But that is really how these months have felt. I feel like a pack of wolves have been biting at our heels. It really wears me down. In my dream we rented to a very nice family. A nice family that was grateful to have the house. I saw Juergen helping them put in new flooring. They were happy there, and we were free. I don’t know if it was prophetic…just my wish to have this whole drama finished. I spent the morning doing some deep cleaning with Nicole. We cleaned the front of the kitchen cabinets, the stairs got washed, and Jessica’s room got cleaned. We also talked about design of the green house. I’m so grateful for my daughter. She is such a big help. I know she will not always be around to help us. She will move out and deal with her own independent life. But for now I treasure her.

the power of the sun

2012-02-02T13:35:00.002+01:00

It has been very dark and cloudy over the past few weeks. I'm sure that has contributed to my tired disposition. But today is different. It is very cold outside, but clear. I'm sitting in my warm living room. The windows are large, and the sunshine is wonderful! It really lifts my spirits. I bet two or 3 weeks walking on a Thai beach would be transformational! I wish, I wish! Maybe when we retire? I was meant to be a sunbird. Winter was never my thing! I'm sure I will not stand being in this living room in the summer time. It gets so much sun. But today it's a gift. I almost feel like crying as I write that. I feel the love of God and I know there is a real change of spiritual season. Something has been broken in the spiritual realm...and now we will see victory. I know that people are praying for us. I feel it. All I can do is thank you. And I do. Thank you for carrying us with your prayers.

My Mom

2012-02-02T11:10:00.003+01:00

I stole this photo off my sister Shelley's blog. This is my mom holding the beautiful baby blanket she made for her expected great grand daughter. I miss my mom. I'm checking for airline specials. I hope prices go down...I need to see my parents. So far I only find outrageously high ticket prices. But God willing we can find a deal.

I want my parents to see our new house. I want my dad's advice on the garden. And my mom knows how to can fruits and vegetables. I need to learn from her. They both have so much talent and wisdom.

greenhouse construction + rocket mass heater how to tutorial

2012-02-01T21:17:00.000+01:00

roccketstovemov

2012-02-01T21:07:00.000+01:00

green house

2012-02-01T20:44:00.000+01:00

My sister and parents assure me that I will

have enough light in my tent to use it as a green house. All I need is heat.

2012-02-01T08:48:00.000+01:00

artwork of a squirrel entitled "Nutless"

by British artist David Shrigley

WOW

2012-02-01T07:39:00.001+01:00

There isn't much more I could write! My Mom made this for her new baby great grand daughter who is expected in February. What a special gift! It's beautiful!

It's too nice to use.

Bubble wrap

2012-01-31T17:07:00.000+01:00

I was thinking about my green house. What can I use for a green house. Then I thought about bubble wrap. Has anyone ever used bubble wrap for green houses? So I did a web search. And people do use it. Mostly for insulation in glass houses. People also build green houses with plastic bottles. So maybe we could also think about doing that? But plastic bottles have a high deposit in Germany, so cost is a factor. Here are some photos. Maybe I can use straw bale for the bottom of the green house and plastic bottles for the top of the green house. Just an idea.

Keith Green - Make My Life A Prayer To You (live)

2012-01-31T13:42:00.000+01:00

snow

2012-01-31T12:50:00.000+01:00

We got some snow over night. It wasn't much, but it looks pretty. Juergen will show the house again tonight. But he is so anxious to sell it, I'm afraid he will give it away at a steep loss. I just have to pray God will protect us in this process. Someone at SAP already replied to Juergen's rental ad. Perhaps it will go in that direction? It's hard to know what is best? Our Father in Heaven Holy is your name, Your kingdom come, your will be done...I spent a good part of the morning studying the book of James. James seemed more concerned that we not sin when we go through trials, and less concerned that God remove us from our trials. It is the trails that help produce our good character. I believe God is very concerned with the process. He is not poor...and his hands are not short that they can not save. How we deal with these issues, united and not divided, respecting one another, with faith and trust. This is the issue, not weather a house sells or rents. At least this is what I believe. I’m not sure I will get the best report card for this trial. I've been far too anxious, far too stressed. I think of the old song "on Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand". If I was really standing on this rock, I should not be so easily shaken. But I'm trying to crawl back onto my rock. And some how, I'm trying to let this whole thing go. I have no control...and I need to trust Juergen not to give the house away just to get rid of it. He is not a stupid man, but he is really tired of all this. It makes him a little vulnerable. So I hope God will really protect us and give us wisdom.

2012-01-30T17:57:00.001+01:00

“Success always comes when preparation meets opportunity” -Henry Hartman

A very nice house

2012-01-30T17:29:00.001+01:00

Juergen showed the house again. The couple that saw it said that it is the nicest house they have looked at....but it's too big for them. They are just 2 people. It makes me wonder why they wasted our time? The size is clearly advertised. Did they think it would be smaller in person? But the complement encouraged Juergen. I'm happy about that. I'm going to try to take new photo's tomorrow morning. We have done so much over the past week. It does start to look pretty good. I guess the family that finally gets it will be blessed. Renter, buyer...I don't really care anymore. Just as long as they make themselves known soon!

I spilled my coffee

2012-01-30T13:00:00.002+01:00

It's Monday, and I spilled my coffee. After a very hard week, I'm hoping this isn't a sign of another bad week ahead. Some days You just want to go back to bed and forget the whole thing. It's cold out side. They say it's going to get very very cold this week. And I hate that! But it's only a few weeks until spring. So instead of hiding away, I need to move forward with the work I have. I cleaned the kitchen, did some laundry and began thinking about the book of James. I will be teaching an English Bible study starting Feb 10th. I'm also starting to organize the Alpha Course in English. That begins March 14th. Juergen shows the house again this after noon. I personally have given up hope that we will sell the house. I have accepted the idea of renting it out. Juergen posted an ad at SAP to rent the house out March 1st. In the mean time, we have hand workers coming to fix things. Someone will paint the stairwell. The heater guy will check the heating system...making sure it's working well. I hope that Juergen finds a buyer. He had hoped we could sell. I don't have faith anymore...but I hope God will bless Juergen's faith. Either way, we want to put the house thing behind us. It has been such a drain on our finances and our time. I'm glad we moved, but sorry that the sale/ or rent of the house in Leimen has not gone so well. But I accept that life is not always easy. Perseverance is good for us. But it is not fun! But here we are. A great part of me wishes we had the wisdom to rent the house earlier (like last September). We have lost so much money waiting and waiting. But we are not all wise and all knowing. We tried to sell. This is our desire. But we do not control the market, and our best wisdom is basically worthless. That’s pretty humbling. I guess I could just sit here and kick myself, or kick Juergen. But what is lost is lost. The question is what now. We will be very glad to sell the house. But we are now looking for a renter. If we find a buyer first, we will sell the house. If we find a renter first, we will rent. I’m guessing that God has a will in this, and I pray He will make that will known. I’m very convinced God has been part of this process. We have prayed. If God wanted us to have a renter or buyer last fall we would have had one. The money, or the loss of money is not so important. What’s important is who we are hoping in. It’s not money, or our own great wisdom…it’s God. And it’s also important that we work together…not fight each other. So far we are still walking hand in hand. Our unity is more important then who is right or wrong. I was willing to rent last fall. Juergen wasn’t. But that only means he has more faith then I do. So at this point I hope God blesses him for waiting. But even if we rent, I bless him for his faith. He had faith to believe for the “best”. And I believe God will honor him either way!James 1:2-8 says..." Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do. "

How can I use my tent as a green house?

2012-01-29T14:17:00.000+01:00

As you know, we have this super party tent I bought on eBay for my 50th birthday party. It is 5 meters wide and 8 meters long. The frame is a very good metal. It would be very solid if I dug the posts into the soil, or set them in concrete. The sides of the tent already let in light, it's the top that is the problem. Maybe I could cut large pieces from the top of the tent, and replace those pieces with clear green house plastic? I want to heat the whole thing with a rocket stove. Maybe I could build one or two walls from straw bale to increase the biomass. What ideas do you have? I’m anxious to have a green house. It would be a great time to start my seeds.

How to Start Vegetable Seeds

2012-01-29T11:42:00.000+01:00

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.

2012-01-28T18:49:00.000+01:00

Juergen worked all day at the old house. This is after working every night there after work. My poor sweetheart is so tired! And he showed the house to 3 different families. It was too big for all of them. 2 families had no children, and one had a baby. It has 5 bedrooms, why do they look at all? And Sarah had a 2 hour cry over cleaning her bedroom. I think the cry had more to do with Juergen being gone all the time. We are feeling a little beaten up. I'm sure it will be OK, but it's hard not to feel discouraged. Part of this is just being too tired. "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. " Proverbs 13:12 We are feeling the pain of a sick heart, but still hoping for the tree of life. I hope it all get’s resolved soon. And for tonight, that we can rest. Everything looks dark when you are too tired!

anyone want to move to Bad Schönborn?

2012-01-28T12:43:00.000+01:00

I was looking around at houses. Juergen shows our house in Leimen 3 times today. Anyway, I found this nice looking house in Bad Schönborn for sale. I don't know where it is in relation to us. But it looks like it has great potential. Maybe you could even talk them down on the price? But 305,000 Euro for a single family house with over 700m² garden is pretty good. It looks like it's in pretty good shape. I have not seen it, so I couldn't say for sure. But it looks pretty nice.

http://www.immo-aktiv.de/index.php?cmd=object&id=200

They don't have the money

2012-01-27T12:01:00.000+01:00

Sadly most of the people that want our house in Leimen really can not afford our house. They ask what the bottom price is, and they want us to go down 20,000 Euros more. We have the house listed at a price where we will lose 11,000 euro already. I showed the house to a very nice family today. But they complained that the house had no fireplace. Sure it would be nice to have a fire place. It would be lovely. I want a fireplace in my new house too...but I'm not dropping the price another 20,000 Euro so you can have your dream house. The idea of renting is growing on me. There are about 3 houses for rent in all of Leimen (over 20,000 people). I'm sure we would be able to rent it out very fast. And then we would not be looking at a big loss...instead we would be looking at a small gain. I don't like carrying the risk of the loan, but perhaps the small risk out weighs the sure loss. We show the house again on Saturday and Monday. Maybe it will sell? But I'm getting emotionally OK with renting it out. The people looking at our house hope we are so desperate we will accept any offer. But we are not so desperate. It reminds me of the few times guys asked me to marry them saying “I maybe the last person to ask you”. What a stupid reason to marry someone! I’ve turned down multi millionaires! I’m not desperate! If it’s right, it’s right. I’m not compromising…God is in control and I’m not desperate! This is how we live our lives, and so far it’s worked out very well. If God closes the door on selling our house, well I just need to trust him. But it would be so stupid to panic sell. There is no reason we need to do that!

Oh man!

2012-01-26T21:28:00.002+01:00

Good news, bad news. We just got an offer on our house in Leimen. They offered us our price. That's the good news. The bad news is they want to pay us part of the price “under the table”, so they don't have to pay the notary so much money. You need to pay taxes and fees that are about 5% of the total cost of the house. That's a no go with us. Where do they find these people? Lord help us! There is no way I’ll sell my house to the mob!!! This is a test....this is only a test!

Nicole and I continued to renovate the Leimen house

2012-01-25T12:31:00.000+01:00

Nicole and I continued to renovate the Leimen house today. We bought wallpaper for Nicole’s old bedroom and Jessica’s bedroom. Nicole's room was painted a strong red, Jessica had a tropical photo wallpaper. We are covering those walls, and painting everything white. Nicole cut the wallpaper , getting it ready to hang. And I painted the guest toilet a very pretty Tuscan yellow. We didn't have much time. Nicole has to go to school, and the other kids will be coming home from school. But we did what we could. I'll probably continue the work tonight. We also plan to work tomorrow morning. Jurgen has someone coming tomorrow to refinish the wood floor in the living room. We won't be able to walk on it for a few days, but it will look awesome. There is also someone coming on Saturday to replace the door, and door frame in the boy's old bedroom. They broke the door frame fighting with each other. I thank God boys eventually grow up! I also thank God they now have their own bedrooms. It cuts down on the stupid fighting. Sometimes they remind me of the mountain goats that butt heads. I can not say I'll ever understand their male behavior. But the door and frame will be replaced on Saturday. We also have a painter coming to repair a little water damage to the wall in the front garden. The plaster is chipping off. The painter will repair the wall, and repaint it. It's a minor repair, but it should look nice. We are running out of projects. The house is nearly perfect. I appreciate your prayers for a buyer. I have so much work ahead of me in the coming months. I really don't have the time or energy to devote to this house in Leimen. It is such a weight...and we need to be free from this soon. But we are getting very practical about the whole thing. We are not lazy...we are just doing all we know how to do. I pray God will honor the effort. These are the before photo's. I'll post after photo's soon.

Building a Greenhouse

2012-01-24T20:10:00.000+01:00

This green house looks like the frame of my tent. This is why I think I can use my tent frame for a green house. And if I had a heated green house, I could start my plants next month. Wouldn't that be wonderful!

“You lost me”

2012-01-24T17:58:00.002+01:00

I just started to read the book “You lost me”, why young Christians are leaving the church. By David Kinnaman. I have a personal stake in the next generation of Christians. We have 5 children (ages 9-20). I want my kids to adopt my faith. Faith is nothing that can be inherited, it must be adopted by choice. I hope I can live in such a way that they choose to follow Jesus. That’s a great challenge. I am the one that makes them clean their rooms and do their home work. But they know I love them. I just hope they understand God loves them even more. Anyway, it’s a good book. I recommend it. “Some (though not all) ministries have taken cues from the assembly line, doing everything possible to streamline the manufacture of shiny new Jesus followers, fresh from the factory floor. But disciples can not be mass- produced. Disciples are handmade, one relationship at a time.”http://www.amazon.de/You-Lost-Christians-Church-Rethinking/dp/0801013143

The ups and downs

2012-01-24T16:14:00.001+01:00

Emotionally I'm down. The house has not sold and that is really disheartening. I want to just move forward with other stuff, but the house does effect us. It's not just an emotional effect. It cost us allot of money to pay for 2 houses. The bank isn't being nice, they want their mortgage payment even if we don't live in that house! That hurts. Each month we dish out so much extra money, I could be sending my parents airline tickets every month! That kills me! I want to see my family, but I can not because I'm broke! And we are spending money to fix the house up. Thursday we spend a 1,000 Euro on the floor in the living room. We spend time at the house painting, and wall papering. We may spend another 1000 Euro to put new floors in the bedrooms. We are doing everything we can to make the house more "sellable". It is a buyers market. And people are being so picky! We didn't argue the owners of our house down one cent. We didn't demand they do anything. Juergen took an entire month off to renovate. We spent 30,000 Euros to renovate. Why? Because we love the house, and wanted it. It isn't easy to find a cool old house like ours! But know one wants the Leimen house. Row houses are a dime a dozen. And it's killing us! I realize none of this will matter in 10 years. God willing we will recover. The house will be sold, or rented. I did have 2 people ask to see the house. A private family see's the place on Friday morning, and a investor (a person seeking an investment property) sees it on Monday afternoon. Maybe all the extra stuff we are doing will end up helping us sell the house. God knows we don't want to rent it out. Renting will help us stop the financial bleeding, but we will continue to carry the debt on the house. We do not want the debt on 2 houses. We want to be out of debt...100% out of debt. But when the choice is bleeding to death, or renting...you stop the bleeding. So we are investing time and money in the Leimen house. We are doing what we feel we must do. And even though I feel depressed, I know it will eventually work out OK. I love our new house. I'm very glad we took this step. We just need the grace to see it through. Jessica has a test day at her new work group on Thursday. The whole group will be moving in February. And they are moving to a garden center and house that's located 5 km's from us. It should take me about 5 to 10 minutes to run Jessica to her group. Wow! What a gift! I expect Jessica to "act up" poorly for awhile. She doesn't transition well. But I hope she loves her new teacher, and her new group! When I think about Jessica "not transitioning well", I think of me. Isn't selling the house in Leimen just part of the transition? I want the process to be over. We have worked so hard...we have spent so much money. I'm so tired, and I just want to kiss the past goodbye. I want my time and resources devoted to the now. But we are still transitioning. And I need to deal with it better! So easy to say…so hard to do! I need grace. But what's new?

Happy Birthday

2012-01-22T15:39:00.003+01:00

Happy Birthday to my baby brother Rickey. Miss you! Come and see us soon...ok?

white

2012-01-21T17:58:00.000+01:00

My German friends on Face book and this blog think the cherry wood kitchen looks too old fashion. So I bid on this white IKEA kitchen instead. It sells Sunday afternoon. What's nice about IKEA is it's so easy to replace any missing or damaged parts of the kitchen. And the eBay kitchen includes most of the appliances (minus the dishwasher). It even has a side by side refrigerator. So if we win the bid, it will be a bright white kitchen. Juergen is painting the inside of the house white today. It's basically going to be a clean canvas for anyone that looks at it. It should look fresher...I hope that helps sell it. At least it will be in shape to move in right away. And if we need to rent the place, it will be ready very soon.

1...2...3 mine, if Juergen says ok

2012-01-20T21:45:00.000+01:00

I'm looking at kitchens on eBay. I think we need to put one in our Leimen house if we want to easily rent the place. People often have to put in their own kitchen, but it's easier when they don't need to. And of course it maybe easier to sell if it has a kitchen too. New kitchens are between 7-12 thousand Euro for our small space (even higher of course). But I found this lovely cherry wood kitchen on eBay about 50 km from us. It sells in 2 days. It includes all the appliances. It was originally worth 33,000 euro. It is a very high quality. These are solid cherry wood cabinets. I bet I can get it for 500 Euro. I just need the OK from Juergen. It would need a new countertop. But I think it would look lovely with the terracotta floor. I'm going to buy new wallpaper for the room tomorrow. A nice Tuscan yellow. And maybe if I win the bid on the kitchen, I'll replace the little handles with a nice white porcelain knob. What do you think? Juergen is painting the inside of the house tomorrow. I think we need to go with white ceilings and beige walls. Boring! If we don’t sell the place it will be ready for a renter to move in. I hope to have a renter by March 1st, or a buyer by February 1st. Enough of this, I need to deal with my own house and garden. I can not have this unresolved any longer!

I'm feeling better

2012-01-20T10:43:00.000+01:00

I've been very sick over the past week. It's really been a full time effort to recover from this very strong virus. If you would talk to me today, I sound like I have a cold. I do have a cold, but it is much better. Today is the first day I have any energy at all in over a week. And I know I had better be careful not to over do it. I do have good things to report. Juergen found an Autism care center near by, a house where they have 5 autistic adults cared for by 5 caretakers. They actually have a spot for Jessica. She can try the group out next week. This group is very special. They are all trained to help Autistic people specifically. And they don't just manage them, they help them progress in personal life skills. This was our great hope. We did not want Jessica just baby sat. We wanted her to have the opportunity to continue to learn and grow as a person. We wanted her to be in an environment where she could communicate through facilitated communication. We wanted her to continue to learn life skills. We believe she is capable of more. And this is the type of small group we have found for her. It is a daycare situation. It is going to be located in Wiesloch (about 6km from us). Actually the group is moving to Wiesloch at the end of February. I would need to drive her to the group. But that's really OK with me. Apart from this, the funds have already been approved. The big question is going to be how Jessica likes it. But I see no better option out there. This sounds like a "made to order" situation for Jessica. It may require a period of adjustment. But I do believe it's the very best we could have hoped for. Once again I am amazed by God's provision. He is perfect in his provision! And I need to remember this because we have no buyer for our house in Leimen. I am feeling more comfortable at the thought of renting the house out. This weekend we will be there painting the house on the inside. I may even put new wallpaper in the kitchen. We will move forward with all the renovations necessary to make the place "move in ready". Perhaps this will help us sell it, but if not we can rent it. If you know anyone in the Heidelberg area who wants to rent a house, let us know.You can see our house Here. The house is available now. If you want to rent it, the rent would be about 1200€ per month. We have not decided to rent yet, but if we get a good renter(someone we know and trust) we would probably rent. And if we rent the house, we would stop trying to sell it. We would refinance it as a long term rental. So if you want to rent our house, you would not need to worry about it getting sold. We will be renting it out soon...in the next month if it does not sell soon. We do not have the money to keep paying for 2 houses. It was not our hope to be landlords. Some times you just need to do what you need to do. I am comfortable with that. http://heymannhaus.blogspot.com/

What about other faiths?

2012-01-17T14:59:00.000+01:00

hope made sick

2012-01-17T14:16:00.001+01:00

I was so excited this morning because I knew 6 different people had an appointment to see our house in Leimen. 6 different people! Juergen was to meet this crowd between 11:30-12:30. But The first couple didn't show up. The others were looking for investment property. They wanted a dirt cheap price, and they wanted it in top condition...ready to move in. We would need to put in a new kitchen, paint the inside of the house, and redo the living room floor. We may end up doing all that work, so we can rent the place. And my great hope melts. I feel kicked! I had a good feeling about that family that did not show up. Maybe they had a reason? Maybe they will see it on another time? They seemed perfect. We may need to repaint and wallpaper the old house. I’ve already started to look at 2nd hand kitchens on eBay. We will probably need to get the floor done & put in a new heater? I have an awful cold. I can not get out to shop for food. I'm really very sick. But I was so excited and now I'm very down. I'm not just sick with a cold, I'm sad. Poor Juergen, he had also been so full with hope! We really, really, really just wanted to sell the house. Now it looks like we must get it ready to rent out. More work, less money, and no closure. I'm looking forward to the spring!"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you." - James 1:2-5I'm getting ready to teach the book of James again. So true....so true!

just part of the game

2012-01-16T15:49:00.000+01:00

I was reading Jon Huntsman’s FB page. People like me are sad, and mad that he is getting out and endorsing Romney. One person asked if he got offered Secretary of State in Romney’s cabinet? I don’t like Romney, but I do like the folks that are kissing up to him. Chris Christy as the VP, Huntsman as Secretary of State. I personally think Romney will lose to Obama. But if he wins, at least he will have a good team. Too bad he would be the leader. That’s politics!

Good news

2012-01-16T12:34:00.000+01:00

I got 2 phone calls today about the house. Juergen is showing it 2 times during his lunch break tomorrow. It would be such a gift if we could sell it. We will have to rent it out, maybe even next month if we can not sell it. We just don't have the money to keep paying for 2 houses. I watched a You Tube video about prayer. It's funny how things happen when we pray, and they do not happen when we don't.

The boys at camp

2012-01-15T21:00:00.002+01:00

Tanz 1 - TEN SING life’n’rhythm Seminar 2012... von tensingfanclub_de

no takers

2012-01-14T18:35:00.000+01:00

Juergen listed our house in the Heidelberg paper. It cost 60€ for one small add. And we had hoped our phone would be ringing off the hook, but no. Not one phone call all day. And we are really trying not to be discouraged. I'm praying and waiting. I really feel like we were suppose to be here. I love my new house. But the money is really getting tight. I'm wondering how we can keep paying for 2 houses? We will need to rent soon, and that is not what we had hopped for. But as long as I keep going back to God and asking “ was this your will”....and I keep feeling his peace that it really was, I will just have to believe he knows what we need. He does not lead us into a desert just to have us die. He is our bread. Please pray with us for an answer. We are running out of money, and I feel a little foolish.

wow!

2012-01-14T11:52:00.002+01:00

Jessica news

2012-01-13T20:08:00.003+01:00

Enough politics. It seems my party has agreed to nominate Romney no matter what. That is what they all are saying. It makes me so sad. I hope they don’t do this, and if they do I think Obama will win. So America is in very sad shape with little hope. But I’m either going to forget about it, or just drive myself mad. I guess I’ll just forget about it. You are all probably glad about that. I hear your Amen’s! Good news. Jessica may be allowed to go a disabled workshop in Wiesloch. She did an internship there last year, and she enjoyed it. But we live in another district, and they didn’t have space for her Now they have space. We would need the funding approved and we will also need a new private teacher. Maybe her old teacher? Probably not because they are both already working with new students. But chances of getting a good teacher are better in the Heidelberg area.

Mitt Romney Flip Flops McCain Video Ad from 2008 www.RightFace.us

2012-01-13T16:43:00.000+01:00

How can this man be doing as well as he is doing? Are people asleep?

Huntsman's Ideas Deserved a Bigger Run

2012-01-13T08:48:00.000+01:00

Huntsman's Ideas Deserved a Bigger Run

DEBT LIMIT - A GUIDE TO AMERICAN FEDERAL DEBT MADE EASY.

2012-01-12T14:51:00.000+01:00

When Mitt Romney came to town

2012-01-12T12:13:00.002+01:00

http://www.webcasts.com/kingofbain/This is the 28 min film on the business practices of Romney. This will not help the man's election... but who knows.

I saw this on abc today...funny

2012-01-11T23:18:00.000+01:00

a Boston Globe story that ran during Romney’s 2008 presidential campaign that detailed a Romney-family road trip 25 years ago. Before embarking on the annual drive from Boston to the family’s cabin in Ontario, Canada, Romney apparently strapped the dog carrier, with family dog Seamus inside, to the roof of his car for the duration of the 12-hour drive.Seamus, an Irish setter, retaliated for the less-than-ideal placement by going to the bathroom on the roof and down the back window of the family’s station wagon.The story outraged animal activists and pet owners, landing Romney in hot water during his last bid for the White House.

I don't think Romney can be stopped

2012-01-11T15:41:00.001+01:00

I listened to Romneys victory speech in NH. He sounded like he did some kind of poll on the words and phrases that effect people. He knew what Republicans want to hear. Those were the words , phrases and promises he used in his speech. For example "We will always stand with our friend Israel". It did not hold any real conviction...just good marketing. A University class should try picking the speech apart for content. It's purr propaganda. But it will be effective, sadly it will win him the nomination. I do not think he can be stopped. As they say, it's his to lose. And if a term like "your so Bain" will not bring him down, I don't think anything will. I personally don't like how he puts Europe down so much. What about we will always stand with our friends? He bashed Europe! He kept saying, we don't want to become like the failed Europe. I personally would rather live in Germany then America because the government does a much better job. The US government wastes so much. They are so irresponsible with money. I know he is talking about Greece and Italy, and the US does not want a debt that's 120% to GDP. America's debt is now 70% to GDP. That needs to be paid down. But Germany's Medical system, and University system, transportation system and retirement system are so much better then in America. And I don't see whole families living on the street in Germany. The divide between the rich and poor is not as pitiful as it is in America. I don't think America should tax it's people at 50% but it should learn to stop wasting the money it has. And American's need to work. I know that business will improve under a Republican President. But I don't happen to like Romney. He looks like a cartoon character of a Politian. Maybe he will lose...it would be surprising, but it could happen. Huntsman doesn't put Europe down just to make the nationalist happy. I have allot more respect for him!

I found this today...Jon Huntsman's father

2012-01-10T18:42:00.001+01:00

This is Jon Huntsman Sr. the father of Jon huntsmann who is running for President. I'm so impressed with him. He wrote a book called "winner's never cheat". It sounds like a good book to read. It's the Loop holes that are killing us. I am looking for a person to back as President. I think the more I look at Jon Huntsman Jr, the more I like him. With integrity nothing else counts, without integrity nothing else counts.— Winston Churchill

Jon Huntsman & Newt Gingrich - Lincoln-Douglas Debate - #LDdebate

2012-01-10T12:09:00.000+01:00

Jon Huntsman & Newt Gingrich - Lincoln-Douglas Debate - #LDdebateI watched the whole thing. It was very good. It makes me see that both these men have some brains. I want to know more about Huntsman's record as a governor of Utah, and his domestic ideas. I like Gingrich, but I think he has too much baggage to get elected. But Huntsman seems like an honest conservative. He adopted a girl from China and another from India. That is very special to me! He has experience over seas, and experience as a governor. I'm pretty sure being President is too hard for a Senator or Congressman (women). It requires management skills. Governors have an advantage in management. The real problem I have with Romney is he seems to lack depth, and sincerity. Huntsman seems very timid, but he is also very believable. I do not trust Romney. He reminds me of a used car sales man. I don’t trust Romney. If he is the candidate for the GOP, I really don’t know what I’ll do. Maybe just not vote? And I would hate to do that! Oh, I would probably vote for him. It would be a lesser of 2 evils vote...not a vote for anyone I felt good about! The country needs better then that!

Maybe I'll get behind Huntsman?

2012-01-10T11:39:00.000+01:00

I'm keeping my eye on the race in NH. I'm also hoping Huntsman does well. I don't know much about him, but he seems like a good man. He adopted 2 kids. I have to love a family that has adopted from China! Maybe Gingrich and Romney will basically disqualify each other, and a person like Huntsman can actually have a chance? I need to look deeper…maybe I’ll get behind him. But he needs to do well today.

I want chickens

2012-01-09T16:41:00.002+01:00

Brown Leg Horn Chickens -- powered by ehow

A head cold and life gets back to busy

2012-01-09T13:55:00.001+01:00

The kids went back to school today. Thomas began going to his new school ( it's a local school). I'm looking forward to hearing about his day. I hope it was good. Juergen and Nicole both stayed home, sick. They go to the Dr this after noon. Juergen saw the Dr last week, but his cough has gotten worse. He coughed all night. Poor man. Maybe he will get antibiotics this time. Nicole's throat is pretty sore. She can hardly speak. It is usually me with the sore throat. I do have a cold, but so far it is staying in my head. Poor Jessica is also sick. At least she is smart enough to stay in bed and sleep. It's raining outside. I see no good reason to get out. I'm just reading and drinking tea, and keeping warm. I don’t feel any great need to get things done! I need to take the Christmas stuff down. But that can wait a few more days. I got the Bible study workbook I want to use for my small group. I can already tell it was written for women. I think I'll be writing my own questions. I also got a book on building with shipping pallets. They have some examples of using pallet wood to build garden raised beds. I can get shipping pallets made from untreated oak for free, or nearly free. Juergen likes the idea of using shipping pallets instead of sandbags. Sandbags were my first idea. I just want to use a sustainable material for the garden beds. The world has loads of shipping pallets. Using them as building material in the garden is a good idea. He is the one who will be building the garden beds, so I will back him on using the pallets (as long as it looks good). I also want tall garden beds. The kind you can stand next to, and not bend down. The bottom of these beds can be filled with old newspaper and cardboard. Worms love paper. And on the top of the paper you put straw compost, then good garden soil. So I’m going to have to find a good source for paper and cardboard. But I have a few months to look.

Give me Jesus - (AirTran Airways Flight)

2012-01-08T11:17:00.000+01:00

a vacation fast over

2012-01-07T23:34:00.000+01:00

Well, our 2 week vacation is almost over. I didn't do much. I guess that was my goal. I can not tell you how tired I was. Very tired, and stressed. So I resisted the urge to clean, paint, and unpack. Instead I slept, and read. I watched you tube videos about gardening. I was careful not to open my calendar. I did not want to brain storm on 2012. No, that could wait until I was rested. And I have a cold, but I feel much better. I think I'll get much more done now, because I can dream and think, and move with out feeling exhausted. Sure, I wish I had one more week off, but I thank God for giving us this rest. The kids start back to school on Monday. Thomas will begin at a new school. We will see how that goes. And I guess I’ll pull the calendar out and start to plan. I do think it will be good.I also watched allot of God TV. I seem to be very drawn to “End Times” studies. You may think that would make a person depressed. Actually, looking at the news makes me depressed. Looking at what God says about the future is good news. In the end God will poor out his Holy Spirit. I see a dry land, but I also see a rain coming. I am so thirsty for what God will bring. Juergen went to see the kids perform what they had learned in camp this week. The boys danced, and Nicole wrote songs. I only talked with Juergen a minute because he was on the road. I understand it was awesome to see. A night not to miss. I have to pick the kids up tomorrow. I look forward to hearing all about it.

Vertical Garden

2012-01-07T18:03:00.000+01:00

worms

2012-01-07T17:37:00.002+01:00

The Long March of Newt Gingrich

2012-01-05T12:21:00.002+01:00

Watch The Long March of Newt Gingrich on PBS. See more from FRONTLINE.

This is very interesting on Newt Gingrich. I always knew he was an immoral jerk. But Clinton is also a jerk, and I'm sure the country would elect him again (if they could) because he balanced the budget with Newt. So the question is do we hire a guy that was a real jerk, but can actually get the job done...or hire someone else (who might be a jerk, if we knew the truth) but can not get the job done? I'm not sure I believe anyone in power. They all have dirty hands (sad). I agree with the state that puts people to work, and does not just provide welfare. We know Newts faults, but we also know he gave us a balanced budget...and we have not had that since then. And the debt we are in is immoral! There is such a sad lack of leadership in government. And what is even sadder is the gross amount of money it takes to win an election. Obama made that worse by not honoring the rules of finance reform. So now everyone needs money, and all that money has strings attached...not just for Gingrich, but for everyone!BTW I don't know who I can vote for. I'm not happy with anyone.

pallets in the garden

2012-01-05T00:33:00.000+01:00

I'm looking for a good idea for using pallets for raised garden beds. Pallets are free or almost free untreated wood. You don't want to use treated wood in a vegetable garden. Juergen likes the idea of using pallets because they are easy to work with and cheep. I'm wondering if we can make the frames of the high raised beds from pallets, and the inside of the beds can be lined with a plywood or a heavy plastic? If you can use them for compost, you should be able to build high raised beds with them! Maybe you'll need some extra wood for support, especially if you plan on making long beds. But I want high raised beds so I do not need to bend down when I'm gardening. we will need to spray paint the outside of the beds to look nice. I still care that it looks nice! Maybe we can even use the vertical garden idea and plant the out side of some of our raised beds. We could grow our strawberries and herbs on the out side of the beds. That would look cool!

Not happy with Romney

2012-01-04T15:33:00.002+01:00

looking at 2008, Huckabee won Iowa, McCain won NH, and we really didn't start to see McCain gain ground until Florida and South Carolina. I'm not happy with Romney. I'm guessing the person that wins South Carolina and Florida will be running agents Obama in the fall.

today

2012-01-04T11:53:00.000+01:00

I got a package today from Thailand. It had seeds I ordered on eBay. Chinese Kale, Bak Choy, Chinese cabbage, long beans, Jumbo cucumbers, and sweet peas. All non hybrid seeds of course! I also got 3 kinds of tomato seeds in the mail (Roma, Red giant, and Long Willi a long yellow variety). I'm looking forward to the spring and summer! I'm not sure what to do for the next few days. I don't want to get allot done...I just want to rest. I need to clean the kitchen, do laundry and vacuum the floors. But after that, I have no great ambition. Maybe I'll take Jessica on some drives to pick up glass jars I find being given away? I want to collect 1000 jars to fill this year. Sounds a bit crazy, but it takes allot of food to feed a family of 7. My mom said she grew 100 tomato plants, and filled about a 1000 jars per year with vegetables and fruit. I loved her apple sauce and peaches.

Juergen will show the house in Leimen to a private family today. They seem to know Leimen. They will be looking at another house in Leimen first, before our house. Maybe that's a good thing. If the other house makes our house look good by comparison? I do think we have the best house by price on the market in the area. But you never know what people are looking for. I also plan to take Sarah to a movie today (God willing). Don't ask me about the political race in the USA. I'm so not happy with the choices. God save us! I think it will be Mitt Romney. I read that McCain is going to back him. The only way I could be happy about Romney is if Chris Christie is his VP. Then I wouldn't really be voting for Romney, but Christie. So sad! So sad! But anyone would be better then Obama. America needs jobs. I don't like Romney, but I do think he could help the US create jobs.

I really like this idea

2012-01-03T19:54:00.002+01:00

Maybe I can have some of these things made for me? What a cool and simple way to build a garden bed. Juergen would like this! You can buy them in America. But I can probably get someone to make them for me here in Germany.

2012-01-03T16:39:00.001+01:00

I just watched a news story about a soldier wrapped in a big box that his son opened for Christmas. It reminded me of the time I brought my daughter Jessica to Oregon to visit my parents. I spent one week in San Diego first. I showed lots of photo's of Nicole and I on my blog, but none of Jessica. They had no idea Jessica was with me. And when I came, they could not have been more surprised. Have you ever pulled off a good surprise?Juergen took the kids to camp. They will be gone for a week. Philip and Thomas will do a dance workshop, and Nicole is in a song writing workshop. Juergen and I will try to just rest. We will take Sarah and Jessica a few places, but mostly the plan is to rest. Our house guests have also gone home. It’s all so peaceful now!

Crochet

2012-01-02T20:01:00.000+01:00

I'm teaching Sarah to Crochet. I only know the basics, so I can not teach her much. But she made a friendship bracelet.

Happy Birthday Philip

2012-01-01T18:07:00.000+01:00

At midnight we went outside to shoot off fireworks. And as everyone was outside, I set the table with birthday gifts & cake for Philip. He has a January 1st birthday. His birthday was given to him by Thailand. We don't really know anything about his birth (not even the date). But he is now 14 years old. He wanted cloths, so this is what I gave him. And he wanted a coconut cake. So he got that too. And he and Thomas did some break dancing for us. His best friend spent the night. We will probably do a bigger party in a few weeks. Probably a bowling party because that's easy. We didn't get to be until around 3am. I've been sleepy all day. We have house guests. It's been pretty low key. Happy New Year everyone.

free jars

2011-12-30T18:24:00.000+01:00

I'm so excited. Someone in the paper was giving away their old canning jars. I just picked up 70 wick jars for free! I’m running them through the dishwasher. If you know anyone that wants to get rid of jars, let me know. I would be so blessed to take them!

New Years Eve

2011-12-29T19:42:00.000+01:00

We are having a small party (16 of us) for New Years Eve. I got an Italian cook book at an after Christmas sale. I want to give it a try. So I'm planning on cooking Arugula Salad with Shaved Parmesan and Balsamic Vinaigrette,Minestrone soup,Tortellini Carbonara,Chicken Lasagna,and caramelized peaches with ice cream. Wouldn't it be

cool to go to an Italian cooking school in Italy? Maybe I'll do that one of these years?

2011-12-29T17:24:00.001+01:00

I canned my first beef broth with vegetables’ and red wine and herbs. I made 10 jars of it. Then I opened one jar to add to my spaghetti sauce. It was awesome, like sauce that had cooked all day. Juergen got me 2 canning books for Christmas. I look forward to canning the food I grow in my garden. I'm going to need more jars!Juergen has been working on organizing his workshop. I gave him a new workbench for Christmas. He isn't finished, but it looks much better.

Making Pad Thai

2011-12-26T15:44:00.003+01:00

Pad Thai is Thailand’s National dish. Here is a post I did on my food blog. http://hungryforlovecookbook.blogspot.com/2010/12/pad-thai.htmlI'm making the dish today. Oh how I wish I was on a warm beach in Thailand! But we have had a restful day! I've gotten lot's of sleep, and I've watched art history DVD's I got Nicole for Christmas. It's interesting stuff! I could take a few more weeks of just eating well, and doing very little!

2011-12-25T11:19:00.002+01:00

We had a really wonderful Christmas Eve. We were so blessed to spend it with 3 International students. Fun people! After dinner, and opening gifts, we played board games. They are a very competitive group...but that's probably why they are the best of the best! Juergen is making me brunch right now. Now my vacation starts! I hope you are all blessed and safe. Merry Christmas.

2011-12-24T17:12:00.000+01:00

Merry Christmas! The kids are with Juergen at Church, and I have a few minutes of calm. We cleaned, cooked and packed all day. Mexican food is on the menu. Fresh salsa, guacamole, fruit salad, Mexican rice, beans, slow cooked chicken fajitas, and beef soft tacos. We also expect 3 International students. They wanted to enjoy Christmas with a German/American family. I'm glad that the work is mostly done and soon we can just celebrate together! Happy Birthday Jesus...we celebrate you everyday!

2011-12-22T09:43:00.001+01:00

2011-12-22T08:12:00.001+01:00

Our Christmas letter

2011-12-21T23:04:00.001+01:00

We finally finished our Christmas newsletter. I put it on a blog. It's kind of a year in review letter, with lot's of pictures. Enjoy!

http://littlemonsterseeksafamily.blogspot.com/

Christmas Crafts

2011-12-21T19:22:00.002+01:00

Today I'm cleaning and shopping for food. We have friends coming for dinner on December 23rd.This should be special because my God daughter Anna is going to be there! On Dec 24th we go to church at 4pm, then come home to open gifts and eat Mexican food. Nicole and I will make tamales, Mexican rice, beans, and chicken fajitas. So far we have 2 international students coming on Christmas Eve, but it maybe more. I’m so excited! And Tomorrow is Juergen's last day of work. He is taking at least 2 weeks off (maybe even 3 weeks). The kids also have their last day of school tomorrow. Tonight Nicole, Philip, and Sarah made a garland of candy for our tree. They also made these cute candy cane reindeer. Fun!

Juergen did the paper work to change Thomas’ school. He will start at the new school in January. His new teacher seems very nice. Juergen met him today. I think it’s going to be a good move for Thomas. He seems really happy about the whole thing. It takes the pressure off him. I think God has given us wisdom on this decision. I hope it really helps Thomas relax and feel like he can manage things. I want him to feel like he can climb the mountain, not be crushed by it!

Snow

2011-12-20T13:51:00.001+01:00

We woke up to some pretty snow today. It looks like we will get rain for the next few days...but maybe it will get colder and give us a white Christmas? That would be nice!

I'm looking forward to the extra sleep

2011-12-19T10:19:00.002+01:00

The kids have school until Thursday. Juergen also works until Thursday. Then there is a 2 week vacation. We have a few things planned, mostly dinners. We will also go to see Juergen's dad for a few days. The kids will be at a workshop for a few days. But I am looking forward to the extra sleep. I will be so happy to just go to bed Thursday night and sleep in on Friday. Man, will that feel good! I hope I get to sleep and nothing happens to disturb me. No guarantees! I feel so tired.

free Bibles on audible

2011-12-18T17:41:00.004+01:00

You can get the audible Bible worth $50 free with audible.com 30 day free trail membership.

http://www.amazon.com/NIV-Audio-Bible-Dramatized/dp/B0006IU7T0/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1324226350&sr=1-1

audible.de also has a free 30 day trail with a free book. Die Bibel die komplette Lutherbibel 1984 could be yours for free (normally a 69,90€ price).

http://www.audible.de/pd/B004UZSDR8

or here
http://www.amazon.de/Die-Bibel/dp/B003YM1DR0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1324227600&sr=8-1

I listened to the Bible 2 times this year. And faith comes by hearing!

Happy day

2011-12-18T14:37:00.000+01:00

I had such an exciting morning at church. I met a women from Nigeria and another women from Thailand. We are seeing the nations brought to our door. I’m so excited!

A change of plans

2011-12-17T16:16:00.004+01:00

I wanted to take some students to a Christmas market in France today, but the weather was bad. We had a storm last night, and another storm is on it's way. Today was actually OK, but we had already canceled. Sad! So I'm just taking care of some stuff around the house. Juergen is out shopping with the kids. He is stressed trying to find me a Christmas gift. I gave him a list about a month ago. Stuff he could order on line. But now it's too late, and the stores are a zoo. But there is just so much you can do to help. The kids wanted to buy me this vegetable chopper. That wasn’t on my list, but they were sure I needed (wanted) it. So they went to buy it, and it was sold out. That’s when the stress began. But at least I know they are giving me a whole afternoon of thought. This is progress! I guess you should ask people what they want? But giving gifts is a learned art. And my kids are learning from Juergen, and it isn't his strongest area of gifting. I love them all. I'm excited to get any gift at all. I shop for the whole family. It's allot of work. Come Christmas, I want to unwrap something too. And I don't care what it is, because I already have everything. I just want the "thought" and consideration. Does that make any sense? I don't want to give and give and give, and receive nothing back. I would feel bad. Tonight we have a babysitter. Happy to get out with Juergen again. But we are going to a friends house. So poor Juergen isn’t really getting rest this weekend. He needs a vacation.
We show the house in Leimen again tomorrow (God willing). It would be a great gift if we could sell the house.

an angel fell out of the sky and appeared in our store

2011-12-16T18:01:00.000+01:00

The young father stood in line at the Kmart layaway counter, wearing dirty clothes and worn-out boots. With him were three small children.

He asked to pay something on his bill because he knew he wouldn't be able to afford it all before Christmas. Then a mysterious woman stepped up to the counter.

"She told him, 'No, I'm paying for it,'" recalled Edna Deppe, assistant manager at the store in Indianapolis. "He just stood there and looked at her and then looked at me and asked if it was a joke. I told him it wasn't, and that she was going to pay for him. And he just busted out in tears."

At Kmart stores across the country, Santa seems to be getting some help: Anonymous donors are paying off strangers' layaway accounts, buying the Christmas gifts other families couldn't afford, especially toys and children's clothes set aside by impoverished parents.

Before she left the store Tuesday evening, the Indianapolis woman in her mid-40s had paid the layaway orders for as many as 50 people. On the way out, she handed out $50 bills and paid for two carts of toys for a woman in line at the cash register.

"She was doing it in the memory of her husband who had just died, and she said she wasn't going to be able to spend it and wanted to make people happy with it," Deppe said. The woman did not identify herself and only asked people to "remember Ben," an apparent reference to her husband.

Deppe, who said she's worked in retail for 40 years, had never seen anything like it.

"It was like an angel fell out of the sky and appeared in our store," she said.

an artist for Nicole to look at

2011-12-15T23:58:00.002+01:00

http://www.benheine.com/

Philip idea

2011-12-15T20:33:00.002+01:00

Philip wanted something to hold his mp3 player, so he made this today. Very clever! It's a wrist band. I come home from driving Sarah to art school, and Philip has my sewing box out. He just thought the whole design up himself, and made it. I'm going to buy him a sewing kit for Christmas.

2011-12-15T15:57:00.003+01:00

Juergen is so funny. I gave him an advent calendar. You are suppose to eat one piece of candy each day leading up to Christmas. By the 12th day this is what his calendar looks like. He said he was going to go buy 2 more calendars! He is worse then all the kids!

A free book

2011-12-15T14:19:00.003+01:00

Today I got a free audible book on Amazon. I choose "A heart for freedom" by Chai Ling.
(from her web site)
Chai Ling was on a path to success: a girl from a small fishing village now attending China’s most prestigious university. But everything changed on June 4, 1989, when the Chinese government cracked down on the student protesters in Tiananmen Square, killing hundreds of unarmed citizens. Chai Ling, commander-in-chief of the student democracy movement, became a fugitive, on the run from authorities who wanted her imprisoned.

She eventually escaped to the U.S., earned two Ivy League degrees, found true love, and became a highly successful entrepreneur. But her desperate quest for freedom, purpose, and peace was never satisfied until she had an unexpected encounter with a formerly forbidden faith. Her newfound passion for God led her to her life’s greatest mission: fighting for the lives and rights of young girls in China.

It's a 13 hour book. I hope to hear it during the Christmas vacation. God birthed the idea of adopting Sarah from China because I had read about the one child policy, and a girls worth (or lack of worth) in China. China is an amazing and wonderful country, but it's people do not share the same rights we take for granted.

Thomas and another school change

2011-12-15T11:40:00.003+01:00

Thomas had a test day at the local school. I can not wait to see how it went. Juergen said that Thomas met 3 boys from his soccer club in the hallway before school. Also, our next door neighbor works there. So the school looks promising! It would save Thomas over 2 hours a day in travel time. It would save us about 400 Euros per month in school fees and lunch, train fees. A change could be a win/win for our family! I hope he likes it! I like his private school. It's wonderful. But it is so far away, and he has no time to get the German help he badly needs. He has no local friends, and no time for friends. No time for music lessons. No time for just hanging out and doing nothing. He is so tired and so stressed. We see no other answer but to change his school to a local school. But when he can change to the school, and it's an easy transition...well that would be such a gift from God. So I really hope that he loves it!