In my life...

There are places I remember
All my life, though some have changed
Some forever, not for better
Some have gone and some remain

All these places had their moments
With lovers and friends I still can recall
Some are dead and some are living
In my life I've loved them all

But of all these friends and lovers
There is no one compares with you
And these memories lose their meaning
When I think of love as something new

Though I know I'll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know I'll often stop and think about them
In my life I love you more

Though I know I'll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know I'll often stop and think about them
In my life I love you more
In my life I love you more


I really love this song for so many reasons. The last couple of days, however, it has particularly been resonating with me.

Firstly, Joel is gone to the Men's Retreat and I've been realizing how much he enriches my daily life (*shhh* don't tell him). Sharing my thoughts and experiences with someone who provides such a unique and different perspective on things really enhances my quality of life.

Secondly, all the familiar sights, smells and faces of my childhood & adolescence has evoked so many buried memories. Neither particularly bad or good, just many tiny pieces of what has shaped and formed me.

John Lennon, you win again.

Picture yourself on a boat in the river...

"Love of beauty is taste. The creation of beauty is art."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

On Sunday, we were able to be present for the opening of the intercultural days of Dresden complete with traditional russian, african, indian, polish (...) folk dances and music... We walked over the Albertbrücke from which we (more or less) had the above view ( I stole this picture from the internet...) to the Rathaus.

Yesterday in the early afternoon I sat with my German best friend Saskia at the Altmarkt (old market) drinking a cup of coffee and eating "Kräppelchen" from the fall market and several tour buses, school classes, and gray-haired couples in matching windbreakers with cameras passed by.

Although we are slowly making ourselves at home and are able to get around most everywhere with the trains, trams, buses, we have not yet lost that sense of awe of all of this wonderful city has to offer. I hope it continues to surprise and astound us daily ...

Hi, my name is Kendra and I'm addicted to E-bay.

I blame my dad. First of all for the fact that I hate spending money and will go to virtually any length to find something for a good deal. Part of me believes God created E-bay for people like us.

Joel and I signed a contract for an apartment this past Monday to move in on October 1st. We're so excited to be well on our way of soon having a home again although we are very grateful for all of those who have housed us over the past weeks.

We now have the grand task of furnishing our apartment. In Germany you move into an apartment without a kitchen (cabinets, sink, oven, etc.), therefore, our first purchase has to be a kitchen. The nice part is you can make it suit your taste... for the right price. My father and I have both spent countless hours on E-bay and newspaper classifieds searching for a suitable and affordable kitchen and just when you think you've found the perfect one... schwupp, ist es weg (it's gone). Naja... it'll all work out in the end. :)

We should really be off to bed, it's been a long week of jack-hammering, wall-papering, tearing out a flood damaged kitchen, gardening, laundry, and cooking meals for all of those that come and go at this grand central station (my parents house).

You say goodbye and I say hello

Life is the continuous adjustment of internal relations to external relations.

Herbert Spencer

As the majority of you are already aware, I'm sure, Joel and I have arrived safely in Germany. On our layover in JFK we were able to see and visit with one of my dear friends Whitney. Other than that our flight was completely uneventful, we received all of our baggage undamaged, and even Maggie made it through relatively unharmed. We had a lovely welcoming party who greeted us at the airport and then later at my parents house when we arrived for coffee.

Our first priorities at this point include acclimating to the new climate and finding a new home as soon as possible. Good apartments do not stay on the market here for long it seems and the majority we have found and called have already been taken.... A bit frustrating but I'm sure there will be the perfect place some where in there. :) We're already falling in love with the city and learning about the character of each of the various parts of the town. I can't way to explore some more...

Thanks for all your messages. We're so glad to know that we have people constantly loving us...

Bis spaeter!

Kendra