Family Visit

We were so thankful to have Nate's parents (Oma & Opa) here with us for nearly two weeks in early October. We had a really special time together playing at home, doing some fun outings and taking a 5-day trip to the Alps. We also got to celebrate Maya's birthday with them before they left. Here are a few highlights from our time together:

Visit and hike up to Dürnstein Castle

At the top of Dürnstein

Walking around on top of Dachstein

Snow in October!

The view from the top of Dachstein

Riding up the cable car to the overlook in Hallstatt

Hallstatt

Hallstatt

Sisters holding hands!

The house we rented in St. Martin am Tennengebirge

Going for a hike

Enjoying the fall colors!

Exploring Hallstatt

Walking around Salzburg

Overlooking Salzburg from the fortress

Summer Home Assignment Highlights

Oops! Another blogging hiatus from us - we are so sorry! Our last few months in Austria before boarding a plane for the U.S. were quite busy and Nate also came down with a very bad case of tonsillitis that zapped him of energy for about 3 weeks. He was just trying to keep up with what he could during that time. Then, on June 17, we all hopped on a plane and flew to Atlanta to begin our 2-month summer home assignment in the U.S. It's been a whirlwind adventure so far and will continue to be! We have been having a great time and feel really blessed to be here. Here are a few highlights from our time so far!

On the trans-atlantic flight from Frankfurt to Atlanta. Lots of screen time for all :)

Attending VBS for a day in Atlanta with Ellie's cousin, Meg

Driving from Atlanta to my parents' house in SC

Grocery shopping with Grammy

Maya goes for a walk with Grampy

At the Veerman family reunion in NC. Maya plays piano with her cousins

Beach time!

My dad and his siblings and spouses at the reunion

The next generation down

Grampy and Maya snuggling

We've arrived in MN! Beach time at the lake!

Ellie gets to go fishing with Opa!

Many more memories to come! We will soon be sharing with churches and small groups about our ministry in Austria, as well as spending time with family. We'll keep you updated!

Special Time with Family

Last week, we were blessed to be visited by my brother and his family. It was so special to have them visit us here in Austria and get to share a bit of our life with them! They combined the visit with some touring in Germany and the Czech Republic, visiting some Reformation sites (in honor of the 500 anniversary) and a concentration camp. They spent 3 days with us here in Vienna and then we enjoyed 5 days together in the Alps.

Ellie LOVED playing with her cousins and it was so special to watch them spend time together. One of the hardest things about living overseas is missing out on time with family. Saying goodbye was hard, but we are so thankful for the memories we were able to share together.

Here are a few photos from our time last week!

The cousins together at Schönbrunn

Eating traditional Austrian food together

Hiking above Hallstatt

Touring the salt mines

The cousins together! 

Above Hoher Dachstein, one of the highest peaks in Europe!

Family Visits

We were so blessed to have both sets of parents visit us after Maya was born. This also meant, because of the timing, that we had family here for Thanksgiving, Christmas and Ellie's birthday! It was really special for us to celebrate all of these holidays with family, because these can often be the most difficult times to live overseas, when we have to be alone for a holiday. It was also neat to show our parents our new neighborhood and what our life is like, now that we have relocated outside of the city. They have a better sense of our everyday life and ministry now.

Here are some photo highlights from Nate's parents' visit ("Oma & Opa"):

Playdoh with Oma!

Visiting the Christmas markets, sometimes one need a break from all the walking

Baby snuggles

Oma and her girls

Baking Christmas Cookies

Raclette dinner with the Kosse family, here on a Vision Trip and now joining our team

Thanksgiving Dinner

Nate, Oma & Ellie hiking through vineyards

Here are some pictures from our time with Bethany's parents ("Grammy & Grampy"):

Grampy sitting by the presents and our "fireplace"

Playing Candyland

Walking to Schönbrunn Palace, with Ellie's doll in her baby carrier

At the mall

Our day trip to Bratislava

At a Slovakian restaurant

The view from the Bratislava Castle

At the playground

Maya's baby dedication at church

Dedicating Maya

Ellie's third birthday