Last year we had a big Thanksgiving dinner with over 150 people attending. I was on the committee to organize and plan this event. This year the zone leaders decided that it was just too much work so Kay Johnson and I decided to have an "italian" meal to celebrate the holidays with all the Senior Missionaries that were not traveling this weekend. It turned out great and we all had a great time. We even brought in a TV and watched a taping of the last BYU/U0fU football game. We are very close to going home so this was especially wonderful for us to get together with all those we have grown to love here.
I just love Theresa Dewey. Her husband is one of the Psychiatrists here in the mission and she works for the public relations dept. and writes our monthly missionary Wegweiser.
Kay Johnson and myself....we had a ball planning this and we think everyone had a great time together. We decided to keep it easy so we didn't even do any table cloths or center pieces and no one even noticed!
Two of my dearest friends Kay Johnson and Carol Nelson
Tony and I sang in the choir in the Frankfurt 2nd Ward and before the meeting started I snapped this photo. This is the international ward so we have people who speak English from all over the world. Most of them work for the American Consulate or the church.
Christian Wohlfurt came over to help Tony practice for a musical piece he was singing at our Christmas Family Home Evening with all the Senior Missionaries. He sang with Elder Nelson with Elder Koegler at the guitar
We were invited over to the Chavez's home for dinner. Paula and her husband are from Portugal and we just love them. She teaches our Sunday School class and she's fantastic. We will not forget them and their kindness to us.
It was so nice to be in a real home all decorated for Christmas!
We headed out on a Thursday (took off from our assignments) and went on our LAST trip with dear friends, the Lindsay's, Johnsons and Conlins. We went to Dresden - a beautiful city situated right on the border of Czech Republic. During WWII the Americans and British bombed Dresden bringing it to ruins and killing over 25,000 people. After the war the city was rebuilt beautifully and as it once had been. On some of the buildings you can see the older stones used to rebuild the city. The people collected the boulders from the rubbled of the bombed city and they re-used these pieces to help rebuild and restore this wonderful city. Hitler was using this city as one of his headquarters during the was. In 7500BC this city was inhabited mainly by the Slavic people until the eastward expansion of the Germanic people who mined in the nearby Ore Mountains.Gerri Conlin and Kay Johnson.......................
Our group ready to head out to the Dresden Christmas Markt.
I just can't say enough about these dear friends! Kay (right) lives in Southern California and Gerri lives in Layton Utah. We will definitely see them once they come home!
The wonders of the Christmas Markt. Like no where else! We bought a few things to take home with us.
Bigger than life pyramid! This one was about 50ft. high
Dresden Christmas Markt
This little man reminds me of Gipetto
We are looking tired......it's been a long 18 months but so worth the experience! Have loved EVERY minute!
Gerri and Scott Conlin, Gary Johnson and Tony and me
We old people don't know how to do "selfies"
Bratwurst for dinner
Gerri, myself and Tony and Jim Lindsay in background
1st day is over.....saying good-nite in our hotel
I love these two....the Conlins. They play tennis every week with Tony which he loves. He also pays with Steve Maines and Gary Sabin- wonderful memories for him!
Below is the Dresden Frauenkirche which was completely destroyed during the war. If you look closely you can see the darker bricks which were used from the townspeople collecting them from the rubble after the bombing to be used for the reconstruction. It was Catholic until during the Reformation it became a Lutheran Church.
A closer look of the reconstruction
Just beautiful
Tony is standing by one of the walls that was not destroyed from the church....this gives you an idea of how large the pieces were that were re-used for the re-construction
Inside the Frauenkirche
We climbed the 200 plus steps up to the top of the Frauenkirche to the bell tower to look over Dresden and the Christmas Markt below. It was really cold on this day!
You can almost feel how cold it was just looking at the Lindsay's all bundled up!
This is where we ate lunch. Coselpalais.....it was lovely and the food was great.....AND IT WAS WARM!
Tony and Marlene Lindsay outside of the Frauenkirche
This building is called the Semperoper - meaning Opera House - it was originally built in 1841 and rebuilt by the orginal architect after a fire in 1869
This building is called the Zwinger and houses an art gallery and a beautiful display of original porcelain collections.
Scott and Gerri Conlin from Layton Utah
Kay and Gary Johnson from Southern California
Jim and Marlene Lindsay from American Fork Utah
We walked out from lunch and these people were standing at the entrance so I took their picture...I have no idea why they are dressed like that.....
Breakfast the next morning and off to Freiburg
Outside the Freiburg Temple
I took this picture because it just looked COLD! I love how every "dorf" (village) has a church in the center. It reminds me of Massachusetts where each town square usually has a Catholic Church.
These next pictures are after we left Freiburg and drove another hour south to a small town named Seiffen. It is Christmas there - 12 months of the year. It is always decorated for Christmas and all the stores are filled with Christmas stuff.
I loved this small town nestled in the hills.....so quaint
This young woman was making these
trees that you see on the right. Amazing to watch her at work. This was the factory where they make all these treasures.
