MERRY CHRISTMAS

We wish everyone a very merry Christmas

Love

The Simpsons (Teah, Brandon, Carla, Bradley)

White Christmas ...?

Looks like we may have a white Christmas. It's 18:00 on Christmas eve and te snow is falling outside.

Brandon and I have been making snowmen lately, only the weather warmed up to about 5c and resulted in them not lasting long.

Teah: More Pics

First Week

Here are some of the pictures we have taken this week, been a bit up and down with some mixed sleep ...

Our Daugher finally arrived

Lat night at 23:24, our baby daughter, Teah Mackenzie Simpson, was born. Carla and her are both doing well and recovering in the hospital for a few days. She weighed 3.72kg

The Christmas Market

We went to the Christmas Market again today. We went last weekend and had dinner at the local brewery and looked at all the xmas stalls. It was dark and freezing cold and mom and Brad were able to warm themselves up with some Gluwein whilst I had to drink the Kinderpunch. I wanted to go back during the day because they had some merry-go-rounds for Brandon to ride. So we got there just before lunch and the stalls were just opening. We had some lunch and then Granny bought some tickets for Brandon to have a few rides on the merry-go-round. Needless to say, there were tears when we had to leave.

A cold day at the Darmstadt Xmas Market
Riding a fire-engine

The number one driver

Delighted to see Santa's elves making xmas presents

Out for a walk with Dad

After breakfast, Brad and Brandon went out for a walk in the snow.

I'm not too sure if I'm enjoying this yet!
Okay, I made up my mind - this is FUN!

Heeeheeeheee

A close-up

Building a snowman

It's Snowing

I'm finally ready to go play in the snow (it took mom and gran ages to get me into this snow suit)
Making a break for it.

Teehee, gran takes me playing at midnight (just kidding it's only 4:30)

Knee deep in the snow.

SMILE

Here are a few pics of Brandon trying to smile for the camera but unable to keep his eyes open for the flash.

Wow, that's a bright flash!
No, I don't think I can do this.

Still no luck but I'm trying my best to open my eyes.

No, no I wasn't ready.

Yay, we got the shot!

Pumpkin carving

On Sunday it was Brad's birthday, so on Saturday night we found a lovely Italian restaurant in Griesheim where we 've been staying and had dinner. On Sunday we woke up and had a big breakfast and watched some of the Korean Grand Prix. We then went to some friends to join them in their Halloween pumking carving. It was lots of fun. They had bought a lot of enormous pumkins so we had to choose one and then we had to go about finding a pattern for the carving. I've only ever carved a jack-o-lantern with the kindergartners in Korea and that was just the usual triangles for nose and and eyes with a big toothy mouth. But Andrea had bought some pumpkin carving kits in America and they came with amazing patterns. We settled on a cat since that was something Brandon would recognise. The first step was to cut off the top and clean out all the seeds. This was the part Brandon enjoyed the most because he could mess about with all the slimy pumpkin innards. I then used a special tool to prick holes through a pattern and that gives you the carving lines. Brad then went about carving out the pattern. He did a great job and our pumpkin looks fantastic.

Just getting started with our pumpkin carving
Cleaning out the inside

Brad's busy carving and Rando is busy putting his pattern on the pumpkin

By this point Brandon had lost interest and mom took him to play

The pumpkins are outside and ready to be lit and Brandon is making a run for them (that's him in the green and white stripes).

There's our cat

Rando had carved this pumpkin before we got there.

The kids posing with all the jack-o-lanterns

Brandon trying to see if he can get to the candle inside

Bath time

Here are some pics of Brandon enjoying a bubble bath.

Our little guy in a bubble crown.

Mommy's trying to teach him to blow the bubbles

Keeping warm after a bath