Werner - our new friend

Benjamin has always had a big heart for others and now it has given him and us a new friend.  We have some neighbors behind us (we share a hedge from our backyard to theirs), who we only really talk to through the hedge every once and awhile.  We don't live on the same street, but our backayards connect...You get the picture! 

Anyway, our neighbors are an older couple, with great grandkids and such.  About a month ago the man was in the backyard and we got to talking.  He said that his wife had passed away in September.  Benjamin heard this news and he immediately said "We should go visit him, he is probably really lonely."   I really wanted to encourage him in this sweetness, so the next day we headed over with a game of cards.  When we got there the man jumped out of his chair (as fast as an 85 year old man can) and said "come in, come in"  He offered us beverages and we sat down and had a chat.   The man's name is Werner and he is originally from Germany, but has lived over 65 years in Denmark - and was married for 65 years to his wife Sonja.  After chatting for awhile, Benjamin taps my arm and says "what about the game Mommy?"

So we asked Werner til play a game of Go Fish - and he said YES!  He really had a great time and were were all laughing.  He definitely didn't just let the boys win, but he was excited for everyone when they got a match.  It was such a lovely visit, and when we said we were heading home again, he said "Thank you so much, can I have a hug?"   Benjamin said when we came home that he had a great time, and he could tell Werner liked it too. 

Since that day we have been over there 2 more times, also playing games and eating an afternoon snack together.  Benjamin asks almost every day when we are going to visit Werner again.   It has been such a blessing for us to be able to go there and enjoy someone elses company, and we can tell Werner enjoys it so much too.  So its a big win / win situation! I wonder what day we will go there this week?! :-)

I don't have any pictures of us and Werner yet, but here is his house from our backyard!

Liam quote

 The other day Liam was putting on his socks and he says "Mommy, you need to clip my foot nails"...

Silas in Thyborøn

 Silas was on a three day fieldtrip with his class and the other 4th grade class at his school.  They went to Thyborøn, a small town on the west coast of Jutland in Denmark.  They did so many things such as: Visiting bunkers and hearing about the history of WWII, visiting a house completely deocrated with shells, visiting an aquarium, getting a tour of a fish market, going on an amber safari to find amber, and of course walking the beach, taking the train, and sleeping with his friends in little cabins.   One of his challenges on the trip was that 2 of the boys in his cabin wanted to have a "døgner"...which means you don't sleep at all and are awake for 24 hours.  Silas told us he did not want to do that, and decided himself to sleep eventhough the other boys were awake!   

He had a great time.  So great, that for the next few days he was really sad about it being over, and about never getting to do that exact same thing again.  We talked about the challenge of being sad when something is over, and then trying to find joy in the memories... But I, know this feeling so much and still struggle, so I guess Silas takes after me in more ways then we can count!  

Liam lost his first tooth

Liam lost his first tooth! It had been wiggly for like 2 months, so he is super excited! 😁 It fell out at pre-school when he was eating lunch. On Wednesdays they make lunch together and that day it was rice. Liam, showed the teacher his tooth and the teacher just laughed, "Ha ha Liam you're a funny guy" . She thought he was trading her and showing her a piece of rice! Ha ha... I guess that's what he gets for being such a jokster every day! 😁 🤣