My Favorite January

Looking at these pictures and thinking about the last three weeks, I'd have to say this has been one of my favorite January's ever. 

Justin is still recovering and getting his wrist mobility back, so we've been soaking up the extra family time before it ends soon... Happy & sad!

It's been a good month & time is passing fast! We've had the usual daily appointments and errands, yet the days have also felt slow and relaxed. I'm still working on walking slower & being more still/present.

I also can't believe the days are getting longer again?! Honestly, this dark Berlin winter has felt so cozy and passed so quickly. I honestly can't believe it. A blessing for sure, and now Spring is on her way! 

I was on my way to lunch and saw some blue skies peeking through. I LOVE where we live. I love Berlin. We're pretty happy in this little part of the world. 

Tried a new Russian restaurant with Walli & Alex. 

& walked down some new streets in a cute part of Prenzlauer Berg.

Then it snowed!!!!!!!! For the first (and most likely last) time of this winter. We'll take what we can get. We threw some hot chocolate together and finished our puzzle while taking breaks to go outside and watch the snow. 

Justin's team threw us a curveball & he did have to do some traveling for a few days (5!). The worst part of his road trips for me are the anticipation and lead up to the actual days. I'm sad and wonder how I'm going to be able to take care of Logan without Justin. 

Yet, our days always fill up & I never feel alone. So thankful for loved ones to FaceTime & that our home feels like a refuge from the world. 

Logan and I went on some good walks every day & found a new cemetery to explore. 

I rewarded myself for getting through my day with our favorite donuts. YUM. 

More walking, this time past the Berlin Wall. 

The blue "U-bahn" sign (below) leading to the subway used to be a popular stop before the Cold War. During the war, the train went from one side of West Berlin straight to the other. This station was blocked off and no trains stopped in East Berlin for the whole war.

A highlight of the week was Logan's music class. He loves music, loves dancing, and loves other babies, so this class is a pretty great combo for him. It's fun for me to meet other moms too in the same stage of life.

Cutest boy has been pulling some pretty sweet smiles at us lately. He's getting so big! 

Tried out a new recipe - strawberry cream cheese rolls. Pretty good, but I have to give the edge to my cinnamon rolls!!

Logan's been my little buddy at Kaufland lately. As we go through the store getting our groceries, I hand everything to him and he turns around and throws it in the basket. 

Last week he was pretty sad while I was getting everything on the conveyor belt to check out so I turned on "Who Let the Dogs Out" and snuck my phone into his coat hood while he wasn't looking. Worked like a charm!

This picture was taken after 10 minutes of getting our groceries from the car to our apartment! Our usual elevator wasn't working so I maneuvered a heavy stroller, shoulder full of groceries, and baby through our parking garage maze, hotel, and finally into our apartment building. Ha! 

I told Logan I'm excited to have a garage and house one day.

Logan LOVES being outside. It's hard to not go out in the freezing weather when he's pulling on his snowsuit asking to go outside. A bonus of going to the park in the winter though is the swings are always open! ;) This little guy swings for about 30 minutes before getting tired & wanting to go home. 

I met a nice woman the other day at the park who was visiting her daughter & granddaughter from Brazil! We talked in Portuguese and it was a highlight of my day. Pretty cool that an American and Brazilian can meet at a park in Germany and have a conversation in Portuguese. <3

A couple more smiles from this sweet boy. 

Another perk of living right next to Holland... Fresh tulips all year long!! 

Our Sweet Berlin Missionaries - I Will Walk with Jesus

About every three weeks, our ward missionaries come over for dinner & a spiritual thought. We love having them come to our home & hopefully help them feel a little closer to theirs while we eat and visit together. 

Last night for the spiritual thought we all sang "I Will Walk with Jesus". I played the piano and listened to those sweet missionaries & Justin sing behind me. I'm so proud of them!! Sometimes I see missionaries and think they've got it all put together because they're missionaries. Everything has to be great, right?? 

But then I remember myself as a missionary, trying to be obedient and striving/struggling to give my best each day hoping it was enough & that people could feel Jesus' love through me. 

They're amazing. 

We shared our testimonies after the song & there was a sweet Spirit. I'm so thankful for the youth who sacrifice & dedicate time to serve missions. They strengthen me & blessed us last night. <3

Jesus walked in wisdom; Jesus grew in truth. 

He showed love to God and man while in His youth. 

Jesus wants to guide me. Jesus shows the way, 

Calling me to come and walk with Him each day. 

I can grow like Jesus. I will try each day - 

Promising to walk His path and there to stay. 

Standing by my Savior, safe within His care, 

Step by step I'll follow, and His love I'll share. 

I will trust in Jesus. I will hear His call. 

He will never leave me, even when I fall. 

Jesus gives me power, lifts and comforts me, 

Helping me to live and grow eternally. 

As I walk with Jesus to my home above, 

He will bless me with His Spirit and fill me with His love, 

Change my heart forever and help me clearly see. 

I will walk with Jesus, and He will walk with me. 

New Year's Eve 2024!

I've become such a homebody, I LOVE being home. I usually only leave the house once a day and like to space out my errands during the week. However, NYE was pretty remarkable because I went two places in one night! That's big for me haha. 

Alba had an afternoon game which was perfect for Logan's schedule. It was so good to see friends and familiar faces that we hadn't in a few months. We said hi to our "seat neighbors", Norman and Bergen. We also ran into Logan's pediatrician and his extended family. Alba always has a game on Silvester, (what Germans call New Year's Eve) and we got to be there for it to end our 2024 year.

What made it even better was being there with Walli! 

Probably my favorite part of that afternoon was when the game was over. I was holding a wiggly Logan on one hip and trying to stuff everything into his backpack with my other arm. When I finally got the backpack on and situated, I looked up and saw Dana standing there smiling at me. 

I hadn't seen my midwife since May! It was so good to hug and talk to her. She's one of my favorite people I've met here. She did so much to help me last year. 

We walked out the back of the Uber Arena just in time to catch the last sunset of the year.

Then it was straight to our Brazilian family for raclette & games! Walking into their apartment feels like coming home. The Spirit is there along with some of the most loving, hilarious, and kind people. 

Justin and I got to help with the dinner prep while Claudia played with her grandson for the evening. ;)

It was YUMMY & so fun to cook, eat, and talk about any and everything with some of our favorites. <3

We said goodbye and thankfully made it home safely amongst the fireworks going off at every street corner. We were stopped at one intersection and saw fireworks coming and going from every direction. We were trying to figure out where they were coming from, and realized that people were holding their hands out of car windows, lighting the fireworks off. 

It was crazy. 

Back in our apartment, we went to bed at 11:30 & welcomed in the New Year fast asleep! It was a perfect day spent with people we love. 

My 2025 vision board has been created, printed, and resides on our bedroom mirror! Can't wait to see what's in store for us. 

Last Moments Of A Great Year

We've had symptoms of a cold around here from December 20-today, January 14!! Haha, I've never been down for that long but we're getting better. The cold just stuck to us this year. 

Everything shuts down for holidays in Germany! Good thing we had a few things stocked in our cupboards because the grocery stores didn't open until December 27. & I had never seen our store's parking lot so full. & lines so long! I grabbed the last chicken breasts from the shelf. We love Kaufland!

Cutie, sweetie boy is now repping the Cougars thanks to his Grandpa and Grandma Rowley. 

Justin stopped the car so I could snap a picture of the Mall of Berlin in all of her Christmas light glory! 

We made monkey bread for the first time! Yummy. When you're making your own dough & the consistency turns out just right, it feels like the biggest win. :')

& we were all feeling good enough to see our ward at church & give a talk in sacrament meeting! 

Other than that, my camera roll was pretty limited as we were hanging out at home & keeping the tissues handy! You were SO good to us 2024. It was a pretty perfect year. So thankful to God for our blessings & how we grew.

Let's Go for a Night Walk!

Justin wasn't always into going on walks for fun. I had to break him into them while we dated & now it's one of our favorite things to do. Especially in one of our favorite cities. 

We landed in Berlin the afternoon of December 24, feeling very weird since we left Utah the morning of December 23. Christmas Eve was practically over and we were exhausted. We spent the evening with half-unpacked suitcases scattered in our apartment, two parents half-asleep on the bed, and one baby half-holding a phone watching Miss Rachel, since what's an extra 30 minutes after watching for 10 hours on an airplane? Ha!

We had considered our time spent with family all of the Christmas we needed. Christmas Day looked like sleeping in until 11 AM then going back to bed at 2 PM for a 3 hour nap!! Man, the time change was such a hard adjustment & all of us had some pretty severe colds going on. 

The day after Christmas, we were feeling a little better & Justin surprised me by saying, "Let's go on a night walk!" at 6:30 PM. (Which felt like 9 PM since the sun sets at 3:30 PM around here). 

We were all happy to get some fresh air and go for a night walk. It was fairly warm for December & I snapped this picture as we crossed our favorite river. 

The river was a dividing line between East and West Berlin during the Cold War. 

Now, it's a peaceful place where we come often. & looks beautiful in the night light!

The Unexpected Blessing of Being Together

I love being home. Sometimes home is in Berlin & sometimes it's in Santaquin. We got to call Santaquin home for a couple of weeks in December & took full advantage of the togetherness during those precious days. I didn't see Logan much while he was being snuggled & playing with his aunts, uncles, and grandparents.

First things first. Running lots of errands for Courtlyn to get a new updated wardrobe.

Logan was feeling more confident with his walking since anytime he took a step, his fans would cheer for him. Even in Old Navy. Ha!

Got to go to one of our favorite places together. I love, love the temple. I'm glad we snuck over there when we did before things got crazy later in the week.

Our favorite Blauers came over to see Courtlyn & we got to meet Ivy Jane!! Can't believe this is the phase of life I'm in, meeting my childhood best friend's baby. 

Logan was so sweet with Ivy Jane. When Mom was holding her, Logan crawled right over and buried his head in her lap, giving her a hug. It was unprompted and so sweet. 

Being the Christmas season, we had lots of holiday parties on our calendar, giving me opportunities to see people I haven't for a long, long time. 

Rowley Cousin Christmas Party

Most nights looked like this. Everyone lingering in the kitchen, not ready to say goodnight. We had so much fun with everyone home on Christmas break. The time change got the best of me though and I was usually the first to bed.

Got to go to good old PJHS & watch Andrew play some basketball. Logan was pretty proud to see his uncle after his game.

Grandpa gave Logan his first haircut!! He looks so handsome & it was quite the scene in the laundry room. All of us crowded around watching Logan, commenting after every swipe of the hair clippers while he sat tall on the stool watching Miss Rachel.

The rest of that Saturday was spent preparing food, tables, and chairs for Courtlyn's homecoming gathering. 

The only picture I got of the Wagner family Christmas party! Every year, Grandpa and Grandma host Grandpa's siblings and their families at their church building. We ate good food, talked with family I hadn't seen in years, and finished it off with some chimes. 

It was so happy and fun. I love my cousins & am grateful the effort is made to gather.

Then we got to gather at church & listen to Courtlyn share her testimony of Jesus Christ with us & the experiences she had in Ecuador. One of my favorite days!! It was the best church meeting filled with everyone we love, who then filled up our house. 

We're soooo happy she's home!! & that she's FaceTimed us every single day since. :')

I got to have lunch with some of my best college friends. <3 Missing lots of others too - I can't believe how spread out we are now, but it was great to see these three. I LOVE THEM. Can't say enough how grateful I am for their light and friendship. 

Logan's face was pretty much a constant smile. He always had someone new to play with him and didn't get tired of the love & attention.

His newest trick was sitting on the bottom stair, then standing up to take a few steps on his own!!!

Then we got to work on that RowFam Christmas Bucket List we had all been adding to for a couple of months. 

Chocolate houses went in their molds.

Sugar cookies were cut & frosted.

At Courtlyn's request, we made Ecuadorian salchipapas. 

The table was covered in different games, day and night.

When we weren't doing high fit & working out together in the basement, you could find us snuggling cute baby Ivy Jane while rotating into pickleball at the church.

Another pretty exciting day arrived... 

Since Justin had broken his wrist, he got permission from his team to visit his surgeon in Oklahoma to get physical therapy there. In addition to that, he was able to fly to Utah and be with us for three days! We were all together for three days & had some pretty special things planned for that time.

This was my airport crew that came with me. They made the car ride to SLC 10x more fun. I love Gracie & Andrew!

GG Wag also came to the airport to see Justin since it was such a quick trip. I love them so, so much. 

When we got home, everyone was in the driveway jumping up and down with excitement to see that guy they had missed dearly since summer. 

Courtlyn hadn't been feeling well & had been in the ER & a different clinic two nights in a row. :( No answers to that constant pain that wasn't going away or getting better. Yet, she always a smile on her face. 

Moose Masters, Five Crowns, Play Nine, SkyJo, Snarf, you name it and we probably played it!

We had our sibling gift exchange & presents for Mom & Dad. We keep who we have a secret until the night of & share what we love about the person we give to.

Courtlyn gifted Justin & I, and Mom & Dad each a nativity from Ecuador. Something we'll treasure forever!

Natalie, an incredibly talented artist, had been working all month long on this painting for Mom & Dad. So special & beautiful!

& Logan kept us all smiling and positive when Courtlyn went back to the ER for the second time that week. They felt discouraged going back there because they were previously told not to come back, but see a doctor. After trying that and not getting any answers, we didn't know what else to do. 

We prayed and asked others to pray with us. Finally, late that night, a second CT scan showed that her appendix had been the problem all along. Something that didn't show two nights earlier! The surgeon commented the next morning that she was being watched over during that long process & surgery.

We were sad she had been in so much pain and undiagnosed, but so grateful to have an answer & that she was on the mend. 

We drove to the hospital to meet Mom & Dad in the morning. This day was the only full day we were going to have together as a family before we headed back to Berlin. As we were getting on the freeway, I had the distinct thought that I wasn't sad our bucket list items wouldn't be checked off. I wasn't sad that we were spending that day in the hospital. I was just so grateful that we were all together. 

Like Mom said, we were experiencing a part of mortality together. There wasn't any place I would rather be than with them that day.

& then another surprise showed up. The blinds of the hospital room parted, and there was Grandpa and Grandma, standing in the window. <3 Justin later commented he wasn't surprised that they had come, with a casserole for us no less. That's just who they are. Serving and thinking of others, especially their family, through and through. 

We were able to spend the afternoon at home together & humored Courtlyn by showing off our skills playing the "brown paper bag" game. We weren't allowed to make her laugh because it hurt too badly. 

It was Christmas Sunday the next day and we were able to all be together, worshiping our Savior & thinking of His birth.

A huge unexpected blessing that we were able to be together for a few days, made possible by a lot of effort & love. I love this family so much.

Ecuador boys! 

We had our first Bethlehem Dinner (a new tradition, I hope!) and talked about how we had seen Jesus in our lives the past year. Followed by chimes, hymns, and a scripture story. 

We then tried to not be sad and think of everything we did from that point on as "lasts" before we left. It was the best trip filled with so much joy & togetherness. We really all love being together. It's all we want & I'm so grateful I get to be with them for eternity.

Mom & Dad sent us off at the airport & this little baby slept longer than 40 minutes on our flight back to Europe. <3