What I want to Remember from Preseason

Life is a little slower paced upon returning to Berlin. The European preseason is almost two months, giving us lots of family time together before the road trips really start up again. I'm grateful & proud that we've made it to this point. We've begun our final year in Berlin. 

These last weeks have been full of good things & lots of memories with little Logan. 

Daily trips to the splash pad. 

A new obsession with everything trucks, tractors, and cars.

Afternoon paddle boarding with Alex and Walli. I love the neighborhood by the lake.

Hours well spent playing with the water table.

I never get tired of this view! Another favorite part of Berlin is the neighborhood where I see my doctor and Logan's pediatrician. & a stop at the bakery afterwards for the best chocolate & cheese breads. 

Discovering new places with Marlies. This time, a library.

Going to the Harry Potter park as a family on an off-day after some appointments.

Attending baptisms at the Dahlem building for new friends.

Going outside every day! I've definitely felt enabled to keep up with Logan's energy while being pregnant. 

This is one of Logan's favorite places to sit outside of our apartment. We watch the trams and big buses go by while shouting out the colors of all the vehicles.

Visits to Marlies and Ludwig. A year ago at this time, we had hardly spoken to them. So grateful for this friendship.

Driving home together after Justin's very first preseason game in Oranienburg. Prettiest sky <3

Lots of baking together! Logan loves to get his "big stool" out of the bathroom and help out whenever he can in the kitchen.

The zoo with Nova. Third time's a charm! This time, Logan was actually into all of the animals. He especially loved the giraffes, elephants, and birds.

Lines of tractors, trucks, and cars in a new spot each day.

Still discovering pretty places to explore and walk around. 

The Night Kitchen!! We went here with our friends last night. Holy cow, it was my favorite meal I've had in Berlin.

We love our missionaries. What made the night even better was finding out I knew the elder in the middle from four years ago! I was his HXP counselor in North Carolina. Small world. 

Last but not least, interviews for this guy that begin at 10 PM due to the time change. This one in particular was very exciting. I wasn't even upset that Justin woke me up after midnight to share his big news. :') 

Good things to come!!

My Little Logan Bean

I had an appointment with my midwife today. She was surprised Logan wasn't in Kita and that he wasn't going to go when we have our baby girl. I tried explaining that the culture in the U.S. is different with sending little kids to school/daycare. 

Here in Germany, daycare is free once a baby turns one year old. Such a blessing to mothers who need/want to go back to work. I would be so sad though if I didn't get to spend my days with Logan. Being a mom is who I am and the best part of my life (besides being Justin's wife <3). I can't think of a better place for Logan to be learning and growing and living than in our home with us. 

There's no other way to describe Logan than fun. He makes life so fun & joyful. He has a funny personality & I'm so grateful I get to wake up each day and spend it with him. 

One of my favorite parts from the summer was watching him interact with our family. FaceTime is great, but watching everyone get a piece of Logan's personality in "real life" was so fun to watch. 

Here are a few pictures that capture who Logan Bean is:

We love you sooooo much, Logan. I'm so thankful I get to be your mom forever and ever. 

The Best First Day Back

First full day back in Berlin for Season #3. After doing a Wilma workout and unpacking a little, Logan was pretty restless and needed some outdoor time. I brushed my wet hair, threw on our shoes, and we were out the door. I told Justin the night before I was ready to meet some new people & excited to get back in the Berlin swing of things. 

When the elevator door opened, we met our new neighbors! One of Justin's new teammates and his family. They have a little boy a few months younger than Logan. I'm excited to get to know them better. 

When we rounded the corner onto our street Logan started yelling "BLACK, BLUE, WHITE, WHITE, BLACK!" Hahaha it was hilarious. He loves cars and didn't stop calling out their colors the whole time. When the tram went by he said, "Yellow! Choo choo! More?" 

We got on the swing next to a cute girl and her grandparents. After listening to their American accent for a minute I asked them where they were from. Utah! Logan, Utah!! What a small world. Their son lives a few blocks away and they're Justin Bean fans. Excited to get to know that family better as well.

I love my sweet, smily boy!!!!!!!!! He climbed up the playground and stuck his head between each slat of wood saying, "Hey you!" then giving me a kiss. My little bestie. 

We walked to Rewe after that with a Z Bar in hand. He did a good job holding my hand and helping me push the stroller (getting ready for baby sis to join us!). It was a tender miracle to meet some new people.

Oklahoma Summer 2025

Basketball seasons can feel long and hard when we don't get to spend big holidays and celebrations with family. BUT, the summers definitely help balance everything out. We get two months of uninterrupted time with our families. I'm so grateful for that. 

Erin spoiled us right away & we got some good use out of the Ninja Creami. 

& Logan would spend lots of his time wandering around the house to find "EE" and ask her to play the piano or sing Ring Around the Rosies with him. 

One of the things I can't wait to have one day is my own yard haha. A place for my kids to play while I can enjoy the comforts of my own house. Going to the park every day gets a little tiring, but we make it work! 

Cousin time! It didn't take long for Logan to learn the names of his cousins. Justin and I were listening to Logan fall asleep one night and we heard him going through all of his cousin's names before he fell asleep. It was so cute. He loves them soooo much!

Weekly dinners with the Browns!

We had a reunion road trip to Branson in the middle of our Oklahoma time. Logan discovered the joy of splash pads, and since then we've been to the one down our street a few times.

One of my favorite pictures haha. 

While everyone went to Silver Dollar City, I got to take Logan on a little date to Top of the Rock & 

Chick fil a.

As we were walking in, I realized I've never taken Logan to a restaurant by myself. It showed too! We looked a little chaotic with our food everywhere, spilled milk, and 20+ used napkins, but it was a fun memory to have with him.

One of my favorite traditions is our girl time while at the reunion. We made some sea glass jewelry & got yummy food & ice cream!! 

Jacquelyn made the point that next year at this time, the kids will outnumber the adults. Can't believe how many grandkids there are!

Back at home, Logan looked forward to seeing Baker every day. 

Costco <3 Samples, bulk, and the best snacks a family could ask for. We stuffed three big boxes of Costco snacks in Logan's car seat bag back to Berlin haha. They've lasted 4 weeks so far!

For our anniversary, all I wanted was to do initiatories at the temple. I knew it would be our last time going for a long time. I'm grateful we could hear those blessings as we prepared mentally, emotionally, and spiritually to return to Germany.

A cute, core memory was Logan asking Mema every day (multiple times) to get the mail. They would look at the big tree, listen to the birds, and check the mailbox. If Logan was having a meltdown, to the mailbox it was! <3

It was our first time doing a red eye back to Europe and despite the long layovers, I think it was worth it to have Logan sleep for our long flight!! I was so grateful. I love my travel buddies.