The days...They just keep coming, don't they?

That's the difference between me and the rest of the world! Happiness isn't good enough for me! I demand euphoria!
--Calvin--

Well Hello Family and Friends and Followers!
What a week and a half! Sorry I haven't updated for a while. I just haven't felt like it. But thanks to you who do write me back and update me and email me and comment. It means a lot and makes my days a little brighter and easier to get through.

On that note, Things here are well. I won't lie and say it's a piece of cake. Each day has its challenges, but some days are easier than others, and the easy days get easier.

The other day I went into town to run some errands and I walked by a gelataria and I stopped to get some ice cream, nutella gelato, and There I was, bundled up, gloves, hat, scarf, coat, walking through the snow, with an ice cream in hand. People were looking at me like I was crazy. This old woman stopped and looked at me and then started laughing and shaking her head. And there I was, just smiling, eating my 4 scoops of ice cream. That's right. 4.

I've been Craving Mexican a lot, since back home that's the main staple in my diet. We had some at FHE, but honestly, it just didn't hit the spot. I told them next time they want mexican for FHE, I'm cooking. Elder and Sister Lyon were like, that sounds great! So I got home and was just craving mexican, so I looked in the fridge and we had avacados and tomatoes. So I started working.
Now Guacamole, in case you didn't know, is an art. Look at how you make it. Maree and tommy are so precise. The way they scoop out the avacado, the way they put the ingredients in, the way they mash it...well there's not much art in mashing, I'll admit. With Anita, it's the show. Talking to the customers, entertaining, and lots of salt. And with Auntie Kaye, it's a masterpiece. I can see in my mind exactly how Auntie Kaye does each step of her guacamole. And I love it.
Anyway, So with the ingredients i Had and could find around the house I give you: Duhn Duhn Duhn! Mandee's German Attempt At Guacamole Fresco!

It turned out pretty good too. I could definitely be a manager! I even found oranges and limes to squeeze the juice out. I ate it for like 3 days. Carola said, do you also want ot make some sweet potatoes? I said sure and got them out. She asked how I make them and I said, well I really only know how to make them as Candied Yams. She asked what that was, so I explained with the brown sugar and the marshmallows and she just stared at me. No way. She said. Her kids were NOT going ot have that for dinner. I laughed. So she cooked this extremely healthy and honestly, disgusting dinner. And So I ate Guacamole for dinner. She said, You can't have just guacamole. I said, I do all the time at the restaurant. The girls were just staring at me and I said, What? And Carola said, "They're thinking how they can't wait to be an AuPair and eat whatever they want."
Ha. I do have to admit though, My jeans are getting a little tight. Uh Oh.

Saturday was Valentines Day. And I ended up going out with Jen (this awesome girl from my ward who I love.) We saw the International and went to a Spanish restaurant for dinner. I ordered in German and everything. Go me.
Jen and I at the tiny English Speaking Movie TheaterSunset on Valentines Day over the Oberursel/Taunus Bahnhof. Isn't that gorgeous?I got bored on Friday, and sick of my red hair, and went back to very dark brunette, but I also added some peek a boo red. If you click on the picture, it will enlarge it and you can really see. Not as intense as I'd hoped, but turned out pretty dang good If you want my opinion.

Anyway, On Sunday I spent the day at the Brown's house. Brother Brown is in Abu Dhabi for work, so Julie and Jen and Breanna and I watched season 5 of 24. I am officially addicted. Jack Bauer and his little satchel are so stinking awesome! Ugh. And I hate President Logan so much. But I'm glad nothing bad happened to Aaron Pierce.

FHE was a lot of fun this week. We had some Japanese Members make us a big dinner with Tempura Beef and this amazing sweet and sour sauce poured over it on rice. And I sat by these two awesome kids, Felix and Arvid. They were talking about dialects and accents and I was trying desperately to follow the conversation, and finally I asked them what German with an Italian accent sounded like, so they proceeded to give me an example. They also did French and Russian. I was dying. I thought it was so freaking funny. Italian was the best though.

The girls have been off school all week, so I've had them a lot. It's exhausting. This family is really different from ours. Carola wants these girls to be doing something productive every minute of every day. So no, even though they're off school, they can't sit and play with their nintendo ds, which they never get to play with anyway. They don't get to watch a movie. They have to be doing homework, or workbooks, or reading exercises. Even though they've been doing them all day. And she enables the girls to rely on the AuPairs so much, because I have to be sitting there the whole time just watching. Instead of sitting on the couch reading. The girls expect me to give them the answers, and I have an inkling past AuPairs did, but I won't. I make them read the instructions 3 times to themselves before I explain it to them. So Funny. And they're always shocked when I make them practice on their piano each song more than once. I always say, ten million times is never too much. (see. I really am becoming my mother.)

Anyway, The other night I went to hang out with Jen. We played AeroSmith Guitarhero. It was a lot of fun. We had a blast. Then we watched Get Smart.



Love everyone. Miss you all! Hope you're all doing so well and I'll talk to you all later!
Mandee