A lot has happened in that timeframe...I got married, built a house, planted an apple tree, had a child (as the German saying goes). I have been gracefully accepted as a son into Eva's family, for which I am very grateful. I have embraced a culture that can be difficult at times, but more often than not, it is a much more user friendly, outgoing, and service oriented society than it gets credit for; I believe my new culture has also embraced me. Despite the distance, I have become closer to my own parents and family. Eva and I both feel at home in our neighborhood, where we chat with the neighbors, wave at the local hairdresser, and take walks or hikes in the area; while Germany is still foreign, I have lived in only one city, my hometown in Texas, longer than I have lived here. I have seen cities, cultures, and things that a small town kid from West Texas could have only dreamed of.
I am living a dream that started as a small seed with my first German class at the University of Colorado. After I started working for Siemens, the seed became a goal, and 5 years ago, this goal became a dream fulfilled. A lot of people ask why I wanted to go to Germany, and it is still a question I cannot fully answer. It was just that way.
I also never thought that I'd be spending my 5 year anniversary, alone, in a hospital.
Yep, a hospital. Last Saturday, I sliced two fingers and ligaments while changing the blade on my lawnmower. Surgery on Saturday and in the hospital until Tuesday. The hospital here is an excellent teaching hospital, but there is no A/C (it was 90+ (30+ C) degrees last week), and you have to pay extra for TV. My iPod and Konrad Adenauer's Erinnerungen (Memoirs) kept me sane while I was there. The frequent visits from Eva also helped a lot. Thankfully, all is OK, and it looks like things are healing fine. Just have to wear a cast for 4 weeks. The doctor wanted me to keep me out of work for 4 weeks, but I negotiated him down to 2 weeks.
Despite the cast, I'm able to do a lot. I've been working a bit from home, but I've been enjoying the extra time with Eva and Quinn.
I know I've been a bit behind with my blog posts of late. My folks were here for two great weeks in Juné. I'll post a longer post of their visit next...even if it is a bit chronologically backwards. Nonetheless, here are a few random pics that I wasn't able to post before my folks got here and a few after their trip. Enjoy.
First, a short film of Quinn Mowing the lawn with his new lawnmower.
Here are a few pre injury pics from early June: go figure, of me and Quinn mowing the lawn.
Quinn helping Eva bake a cake: Eva does a great job involving him in our activities. It allows him to do 'big peoples stuff', and it keeps him from screaming. 
Quinn helping Eva bake a cake: Eva does a great job involving him in our activities. It allows him to do 'big peoples stuff', and it keeps him from screaming. Quinn has always liked books, but he now picks up the books and plops in your lap. His way of saying: Daddy, read to me. So cute! Note the cast on my fight hand: post injury pic.
It still amazes me how fearless Quinn is, like most kids are, when he's climbing the steps to the slide. I guess that will change after he busts his head a few times.
Then we had to clean up our mess that we created the previous 4 days. Quinn was a big help sweeping the condo (this is not a staged pic...he really likes running around the house with the broom or mop).
Finally, Eva came back from her trip...and had a sweet gift for Quinn: a (plastic) lawnmower like mine. He had a blast showing me how he thought the lawn should be mowed.
Then, we hit one of the biergartens that is close to home. They have a small playground for kids so the parents can eat and drink in some semblance of peace while the kids get dirt.