Happy Holidays!

GOD is good! We made it (the three of us!) to Germany for Christmas. It was really nice to spend the holiday week hanging out with G's parents. We even made them dinner one night. It wasn't anything special, just homemade pizzas (they are all about the Pepper Jack now!), but it felt good to have G's Mom sit back and relax for one night and enjoy a special meal that she didn't have to cook. She went above and beyond to make our Christmas perfect. She baked all of our favorite cookies and cakes and she even found vegetarian Wiener Schnitzel for me! How sweet is that? We also had an impromptu "garden party" with friends the night before we flew home. I will never get tired of the power of 'Danglish' and how the most simple translations produce pure comedy. And after a warm and fuzzy Christmas with G's parents, tomorrow, my Mom is flying in to spend the first week of 2010 with us. Yaaahh!

As 2009 comes to an end, I find myself filled with gratitude. My little family of three is happy and healthy. Our parents and siblings are well. I am grateful for Yoga and the invaluable gifts I receive every day that I teach. G and I are still discovering so many things about our marriage and about ourselves. We are planning our future - adventures in India and Africa and FINALLY, making the decision to build a life here in the USA. And who knows...maybe even the pitter patter of little white chocolate feet:) For those of you that read this blog, thank you for taking a moment out of your busy life to read about mine. And as we slide into 2010, I wish you a safe and peaceful new year. The light in me honors the light in you - Namaste and Frohes neues Jahr!

Christmas Wish

Dear Santa:

Can you please make the temperature rise above 45 degrees - so that I can get on the airplane with my Mommy and Daddy and to fly to Germany for Christmas?

Keeping my paws crossed.

Love,

Denzel

DNA Test

On Saturday, I opened my Christmas gift from G. It was a DNA test kit from African Ancestry. After years of talking about it, I am finally tracing the African ancestry of my Mother's side of the family. By analyzing my DNA, African Ancestry will pinpoint the exact country of origin of my maternal ancestors. In order to receive my results before Christmas, I had to take the test early, which was basically swabbing the inside of my cheeks. I can't help thinking - such a simple test that will produce such profound results... I am almost bursting with anticipation!

Weihnachtsgeschenke

This year, we are ahead of the game, for a change. We are done with everybody on our shopping list (woo hoo!) - except for Denzel. We want to buy all of his presents in Germany. It's kind of a tradition. Whenever we spend Christmas in Germany, on the night before Christmas Eve, G and I head to the pet store near G's parents' home, and we take our time browsing the aisles, searching for special little presents for our favorite boy. We always buy too much and we always lose all will power and give him present after present on Christmas Day! I'm really looking forward to spending the holiday in Germany this year. I haven't been to my second home :) since February. In anticipation, we've already attended one Weihnachtsmarkt, sponsored by the German Armed Forces Command of Virginia, and tonight, we are headed to a Gluewein Party. YUMMY.

Medical Update

After a fabulous Thanksgiving holiday in NYC, we returned home with tired legs from strolling around the city and full bellies from repeat trips to Lombardi's. And G finally went in to have the bothersome cyst on his back removed. Instead of just offering my verbal support during the procedure - he was awake - I decided to stand and watch it in its entirety, giving G play by play (or should I say slice by slice!) commentary. When the cyst was removed, to our surprise, it was the size of a small grape! Scary, right? Here is his post-op pic.

The Obamas' First State Dinner

FLOTUS was flawless.

Worth the Wait

After an hour and a half wait, a bottle of wine, two Mojitos, and a platter of deviled eggs, we finally sat down for dinner at Founding Farmers. In all fairness, we didn't have a reservation and it was a packed Saturday night. But after reading about the certified green restaurant specializing in farm-to-table American inspired food, we were more than ready to sample dishes made from fresh ingredients straight from local farms. The restaurant is actually owned by a group of American family farmers. The menu offers something for everyone (for real) and highlights include a mouthwatering Steak Portobello, the Show Stopper Fisherman's Pasta with tuna meatballs, and Edna's Carrot Cake. Good food. Good times.