My three older kids are away this week on their school trips and Brad is in Rome for work, so it's just Luke and me at home.

I wanted to take a picture of the two of us having an intimate scrabbled egg supper, but Luke is too cool for that.  He must be feeling the I'm-the-biggest-kid-here-now bravado, because he insisted on giving me his "Peace-Out Face".  Good grief.

After dropping Mom and my sisters off at the airport at the crack of dawn, I came home to find this card they left for me.  Inside, each of them wrote a really nice note thanking me for having them (as if!). I sat in my unnaturally quiet house reading this and lamenting their fresh absence.

I'm pretty sure I'm going to be grumpy today.

Today was baseball, so we all spent a good part of the day huddled under blankets in camp chairs at the ball park.  I was too cold to get up and take a photo, so you'll just have to use your imagination.

Afterwards, my family did some last minute shopping while I stayed home and helped my kids pack for their school trips next week.  Oh, and Lukie went to a birthday party for one of his classmates.

The party had a Knight theme, so Luke came home in this get-up.  He had a whole houseful of aunts crooning over him when he modeled it for them.

In honor of Cinco de Mayo, Mom made pork tacos and Brad wowed everyone with his homemade salsa and guacamole.  Then, we hunkered down and stayed up way too late watching movies.  Even though we had to leave by 5:30 the next morning for the airport, nobody wanted to turn in early.  Speaking for myself, I wasn't ready for the visit to end.

This morning we toured Charlottenburg Schloss, home to the lovely and buggy-eyed Sophie Charlotte, first queen of Prussia.

Ash and Jen channel their inner cherub.

Ahhhh, Jode.

After lunch at the cafe on the castle grounds, which included cream puffs the size of our heads, we got into the car and drove to Wittenburg.

In front of the Schlosskirche, where Martin Luther nailed up his 95 Theses.

Not the original door, but still cool.  This door has the 95 Theses engraved on it.

Small irony:  Martin Luther's biggest beef with the Catholic church was the selling of indulgences.  But inside the church memorializing him, visitors must pay 1 Euro for the privilege of taking photos, which is otherwise forbidden.  I paid the 1 Euro fee and relished the fact that I could take as many pictures as I wanted, while those who didn't pay had to keep their cameras in their bags.  Purchased indulgences are awesome. 

Martin Luther's grave.

I wanted to take this picture because all four of them were sitting there with their heads bowed, looking so reverent.  But then, Jami looked up and gave me a goofy face, destroying all reverence.  Typical.

 I don't know who this guy is, but he gives a very good Stank Eye.

Nothing says "Hurray for the Reformation" like Jazz Hands.

Today we drove to Sachsenhausen concentration camp, where we all got suitably depressed.

Low point of the day: the infirmary.  Each of us walked out separately with tears in our eyes and asked the group "Did you hear about the little boys?"  They should not allow mothers to listen to that.

We finished our day with a raclette dinner, which made us feel a little better.

Have you ever had a perfect moment in time when your worlds collide and it works beautifully?  This was such a moment.  My family met my friends for Thai Wednesday, and we had a delightful lunch with lots of laughing and talking over delicious food.

My mom and sisters with me in front of Good Time, the Place Where Thai Tuesday Magic Happens.

After lunch, my family and I went into the city to see the sites everyone has to see when they come to Berlin.  First, we hit the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag, where many photos were taken.

Clearly, I was more interested in my visitors than in the sites we were seeing, since all my photos are of my family taking pictures of said sites rather than the sites themselves.

From there, we walked over to the Memorial to Murdered Jews of Europe.

 Ashley by the segments of the Berlin Wall at Potsdamer Platz.

Finally, I couldn't help but snap a shot of Jami and Jen chilling like an old married couple in Pepper's bed.

They're here!!!!

Tonight, I picked up my mom, sisters, and sisters-in-law at the airport.  I have been dreaming about this moment for months, when these women would be sitting at my kitchen table in Berlin.  Since we've moved here, there have been many, many times when I'd see something and think "Oh, my sisters would love that" or "My sisters would think this is hilarious."  But, it seemed impossible that ALL of them would be able to come, let alone at the SAME TIME.  So, when Mom called in January and told me they were all planning to come for a visit, I went through the roof.  This week is going to be awesome!