Obama Boyz – and Girl

I've had a request for a photo of our Obama boyz, and we recently celebrated Lenni's 17th birthday. So here you have it, a couple of photos. It's an exciting moment for Lenni to be in the US, and it's very interesting to hear his perspective on the election.

I really like the photo of Lenni and Sav, with Reece Witherspoon laughing in the background. It catches
the spirit that infuses our house quite a bit just now. There's a whole lot of homework, video gaming, talk at the dinner table, and affectionate joking going on.

And then there is the mood in the air: the election is almost over! I am reminded of this line, from Proverbs 13:12: Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.

Hello to Heike

It's time to give a shout out to Heike, my sister-in-law, who is recovering from surgery in Germany. She is married to Chris, Andreas's youngest brother, and together they helped bring us Lenni, the foreign exchange student living with us now. Lenni is Heike's godson.

Well, first of all: we love Lenni – he is a joy! He's a senior in high school with Jack, a couple of years older than Savannah. The three of them became easy, compatible siblings almost immediately. Lenni is smart, kind, funny, and he plays the piano each day, often when I'm fixing dinner, or just before school. So, thank you, Heike, for thinking of this arrangement – it couldn't be better! The hard part will be saying good-bye to Lenni in February.

I'm including a couple of photos here, one of Heike coming home after work at her house in Germany, when we were guests there. She is walking up through the gorgeous garden she planted that includes some flowers from mother-in-law Marlies. And there is Christoph on the left, on the same path.

Hey Heike – we hope you are recovering at home with your feet up, a cup of tea, and time to relax. We miss you and hope you'll send some words to elenabella, visiting often. Here's a photo of the 3 teens.