Soenke still startles me with his ability to mobilize 15 people for a party in a matter of minutes. And in this manner was our New Year’s Eve bash birthed this year. I was all entertained out from the Christmas holidays, and suddenly Soenke flipped open his cellphone and started pressing buttons. Before I could intervene, the deal was done and an international group of folks were on deck with food assignments… from sour cream to Silberzwiebeln, all the raclette ingredients had been divvied up, 3 raclette grills were on the way, and Soenke had even promised to pick up the drinks and pull together 2 dinner tables and 16 chairs. I had swore we’d use paper plates & plastic utensils, but at the last moment my “inner Bree” protested too loudly, and the table was re-set with the nice stuff.

My friend Kirstan Boettger - the consummate party maker - showed up with wrapped party favors, German-English Pictionary (or did we just make it German English?), a pair of dice, and a pile of videos for the kids. (Really, that’s all you need for a great party.)

After hours of wolfing down raclettes, sipping Rhine wines, engaging in a lot of eye-raising discussion, and even a few rounds of Pictionary, the midnight gong struck and out we went for Germany’s hour of wildness. You’ve never seen personal displays of fireworks like you see in Germany. Really, people go crazy. And Andre led the pack this year, impressing us with his bottle rockets and other things that surely would be illegal in 26 states…

I leave you know with a pictoral montage of our totally enjoyable and fantastic evening. No Sophie here - she bowed out at 9pm - but the rest of us made it until 2 !

So Happy New Year to Everyone! I have a good feeling about 2009…

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Hours of raclette-eating make some guests a little giddy..

Kirstan & I goof off in the kitchen:

While the kids check out a video upstairs:

Emily hunkers down under the high chair:

Mehmet & Klaudia “practice” for their future! (those are Frito & Kara’s kids….)

And outdoors, it’s midnight, and it’s firework time! (bring out the bottle rockets, Germany!)…

Andre and his kids (Jack, Brendan, & Vivian - from right to left) are avid fire-workers…

Klaudia, Mehmet, Christine & Jalil get fired up:

Andre & Kirstan in Kirstan’s signature photo pose:

A kiss at midnight! (that’s Soenke and me)

Emily & Kara strike a pose:

At last, someone gives me something with fire! (Frito and Emily supervise closely, of course…)

And finally, a small video over Pictionary as midnight drew near…

Our home was graced again this year for Christmas with the presence of my parents. Ever the world travelers, they began their journey with a week in Rome, where my dad realized his lifelong dream of gazing upon Michaelangelo’s ceiling masterpiece at the Sistine Chapel… strolling the vast interior of wondrous St Peter’s Cathedral… and scoping out the best chocolate in all of Italy. Mom was somewhat indifferent to Rome, having been there many years ago as a college student. With her uncanny ability to dismiss an entire city in just a few words, she comments with rolled eyes “I just remember all those Italian guys pinching my bottom!”

They arrived none the worse for wear in Hamburg, where Christmas markets were in full swing and our own home already boasted signs of the holidays. We wasted no time in decorating our Danish-grown Christmas tree, eating way too much Italian-made chocolate, and heading for our own gorgeously-adorned German mall for some last minute shopping.

Christmas eve brought Soenke’s folks and a large prime rib to our house. This year’s purchase of the prime rib went a lot smoother than last year, as I was armed with the correct German term for prime rib for my trip to the butcher (”hohe Rippe”) and thus needed no printouts of cows with each edible part labeled. We babed up the menu with garlic mashed potatoes (I know, same-o same-o for Americans but virtually unheard of here, where boiled/peeled/plain potatoes rein), highly popular cumin-orange carrots, and a starter salad of romaine with pine nuts, gorgonzola, and dried cranberries. The Big Wow was dessert, which nearly blew everyone’s head off: rum-soaked cherries from Flensburg (a gift from my neighbor’s parents) over vanilla pudding. Now, these were not just cherries with a dash of rum. This was PURE RUM, 1000 PROOF, with a dash of cherries. I had to extinguish the candles on the table to make sure no one’s dessert caught fire. Thankfully, mom had saved the day with a backup jar of non-boozey cherries, which everyone except Hauke gratefully accepted (he’s a Real German Man, unfazed by such trivialities as 1000-proof desserts).

Now, if I haven’t mentioned this before, in Germany there are 2 Christmas days: the 25th and the 26th. All the stores are closed on both days, and they call them “the first Christmas day and the second Christmas day”. I don’t really know why they do this, but I notice that it gives you the opportunity to eat twice as many fantastic Christmas dinners, and drink twice as much delicious wine. Our second Christmas day was spent at the Einfeldts, where we feasted on assorted pieces of goose and duck. Accoutrements included the ever-loved potates, red cabbage, and brussel sprouts. It was possibly one of the most delicious meals of the year.

Other fun events included coffee, cake and a light supper at Brigitte’s house, where I enjoyed (at a safe distance) the Very-German tradition of lighting REAL candles on the Christmas tree (this, of course, is closely supervised). We also attended an American Women’s Club Christmas breakfast where Santa himself showed up to accept all the children’s (and a few mommy’s) wishes and hand out gifts. And, possibly one of my BEST GIFTS OF THE YEAR, Soenke and I inherited a huge china-cabinet worth of his grandmother’s gold band china - zillions of pieces, in beautiful condition !!!! I was in chick heaven. Our table never looked so good!

It was with well-fed bellies and gift-full suitcases that my parents sadly bid their farewells and headed back to So Cal on December 28th. We thoroughly enjoyed their visit, and hope to twist their arms to come again next year….

Here are some photos of our holidays:
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Sophie takes Grandma & Grandpa for a winter stroll:

Mommy & Sophie at the Santa breakfast:

Sophie demonstrates a marked disinterest in Santa and his lap (hence, Mommy running interference between Soph & Santa):

REAL candles grace Brigitte’s tree:

Christmas Eve dinner at our place, with both the German & American grandparents:

Sophie gets some Christmas Eve visitors (our neighbors’ nieces, Kiara & Cassandra):

Sophie gets the hang of unwrapping presents:

A new train!

Which someone obviously enjoys!

The family lounges around the house on Christmas day (NOTE! I am using my new camera here which was my gift from Soenke!):

We don’t know why, but whenever we put on a video for Sophie, she rushes to the sofa and sticks her arm behind the side cushion (maybe there is a secret “baby video control panel” back there???)

Chic new outfit from Aunt Gina & Uncle Andrew:

Knut & Saskia pay a visit, bearing gifts!

Sophie’s new tricycle !!!!!!!!!!!

Uncle Ole entertains the Soph:

A happy Aunt Lena:

And a couple videos for the grandparents…

Sophie’s first dance lesson (with Uncle Ole):