Thank God for Skype

 

 

 

Garden

I have observed a strange phenomenon in Luxembourg, this small country I am calling home. When children start preparing for their Communion in 3rd grade, parents get really nervous. It is a family celebration and everybody wants his house to look nice and clean for the big day. So they start building......and painting......

......and gardening.

The last time I remember the garden being so beautiful was when we had to take pictures for our adoption profile ;-).

(We'll have another Communion in two years).

His 8th birthday

It was his birthday. His 8th.

This beautiful son of ours.
His birth mother is a Xhosa woman. His birthfather a Zulu man. I have been thinking a lot about them these past few days. I am certain they carry him in their hearts forever.




















This was on Monday, immediately after school. Too much excitement!

What I wore Wednesday - May 1st, 2013

Linking up with The Pleated Poppy today!

Dark grey cardigan (By Ti-Mo) and dark green underdress with lace (Kaffe). I just love Scandinavian brands.
The necklace and bracelet (by me) contain glass beads from an old necklace (my husband's grandmother's).

By the way....did you see what Máxima wore yesterday? 
Oh, that blue dress! I spent most of the day in front 
of the tv.

Gambibgo baskets

I like natural colors for my home, but when I came across those baskets, I knew it was time to add some color.
The baskets are handwoven in Ghana and the right name is Gambibgo baskets/pots. The difference between the Gambibgo basket and the original Bolga basket is the swivel handle that folds down flat. They are woven from naturally dyed elephant grass and they are incredibly sturdy. Every basket is one of a kind. I love them!

(www.houseoftalents.com)

(www.basketsfromafrica.com)
















  

(www.africanfabric.co.uk)

I have added the links to the shops where I found them, not because they sponsor me (they don't), but because my heart beats for Africa (ànd because these baskets are really fantastic). The weavers (mostly women) get fair prices for their baskets and can feed their families because of them.

Holy Communion

I remember only a few details of my First Holy Communion. I know I was wearing a dark blue velvet dress and when the priest showed us how to receive the host for the first time, he gave us a little white peppermint. It was a simple celebration.

I'm sure my daughter will retain more vivid memories of this day. It is one of the most important days in a child's life in Luxembourg.

We were so lucky, the weather was beautiful. The kids walked in a small procession to the church.

 

She looked so happy. I had a hard time fighting back my tears.

 

Oh, the hair (love it! hate it!) She had been begging me for weeks if she could wear her hair like this. It isn't the best style for going to school, dancing and swimming, but for this one special occasion....
 

All these boys! She is the only girl in our family (both sides). 

 

Her oldest brother does an internship in Luxembourg and is living back home again for three months. Big brother number two came home from Germany to celebrate with her.


The food:

We prefer to celebrate at home. When the kids get bored, they can go upstairs or play in the garden. 

I love to set the table for a special occasion. 

We ordered the main course and prepared the entrée and the dessert ourselves (I forgot to take pictures of every course).

 

What she wore:

For the official part in church, children wear white tunics. I love that. When I came to Luxembourg, the kids were dressed up like it was their wedding day. Little boys in suits and little girls in long white dresses. The tunics make them all look equal. It prevents moms from buying dresses for hundreds of euros (just to keep up with the neighbours :-)). 
For our family celebration I wanted her to wear something simple. Cute, but not expensive. I found this off-white dress by coincidence already more than a year ago (H&M) for 25 euros. I prayed that she wouldn't outgrow the dress, but for that price I thought it was worth taking the risk.

A couple of weeks ago I found leggings (Cream) in the same color, for 39.95 €. They have lovely details and buttons. 

And the best thing is that she can wear this outfit all summer long!

Thank you!

I wanted to give something personal to our guests, something from South Africa. I found this African Rub in a German online shop. It is made of 17 different spices and it smells so good! I found the small glass jars on Amazon.

The point shows where she comes from: Johannesburg.

To the moon and back...

Bis zum Mond und wieder zurück...

To the moon and back...

Holy Communion

We are in preparation mode for her big day tomorrow.

She is so excited!

Reading, watching, listening

Reading:
I almost finished the second book of the Little House series, Little House on the Prairie. I liked them as a kid, but I appreciate them so much more as an adult. What a beautiful, adventurous but rough life.

 

 

And I just started reading Anne of Green Gables to my daughter. She likes the fact that Anne was adopted.

I can't remember having read the series when I was young,

although they seem to have been translated in Dutch.

My daughter's Dutch isn't good enough to understand

a whole book, so I was lucky to have found a used copy in German.

 

 

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Watching:

"Sometimes I dream of a tree. The tree is my life. One branch is the man I shall marry, and the leaves my children. Another branch is my future as a writer, and each leaf is a poem. Another branch is a glittering academic career. But as I sit there trying to choose, the leaves begin to turn brown and blow away - until the tree is absolutely bare."

 

The movie tells the story of the complicated relationship between poets Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes, who couldn't live with or without each other. The movie received quite a lot of negative reviews, but I think it is worth seeing for Gwyneth Paltrow's performance alone.

 

 

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Listening:

And this is the audio book I am listening to right now. Charlotte Link is one of Germany's most successful female authors. Im Tal des Fuchses (In the valley of the fox) is a suspenseful, psychological crime novel. It is not Literature with a capital "L", but it is perfect for that half hour in bed before falling asleep.
 

 

 

Holy Communion peg doll

 All the beautiful peg doll wedding cake toppers

on Etsy inspired me to make a cake topper for my 

daughter's First Holy Communion next week.