HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

 So our pigs got a new friend for a couple hours until we gave it away to the Pails.

 We spent New Year's Eve with Bro. & Sis. Pail. They loved their new family member!! Bro. Pail took it everywhere we went that night.

 This is some of the Austrian "Sylvester" food the Pails fixed for dinner. Thin sliced smoked salmon, smoked cod, deviled eggs, horse radish creme stuff, meat salad, and meat spread for the bread. That thing in the middle is a small mushroom cake that she bought for luck. Silvester is the word for New Year's Eve here in Austria.  It is named after a Catholic Saint but we don't have a clue why. When the Pails invited us to Sylvester, we didn't know what they were talking about.

 About 11:30 pm we drove into the city with the Pails  to witness first hand all the crowds of people congregating everywhere to watch the fireworks. They had fireworks shooting from the Schloss Berg (where the clock tower is) and fireworks were shooting off all over the city.  How exciting!

 We wish you a happy 2014!!!

 We are at the Hauptplatz (where the city hall is). The city tree was so gorgeous. Notice the clock tower in the background. The clock tower is the hallmark of Graz.

This is interesting.  They hung Christmas trees upside down from wires above the streets. That looks like alot of work to me, but it was pretty impressive. Maybe it signifies the ending of a year and the beginning of a new one.  We had a wonderful New Year's Eve. Thank you Pails!!

End of December Pics

 Another visit at the Luschin Home. Elder Tew, Sister Luschin, and Granddaughters Sara & Rosie. Sara was lighting all the candles on the tree for us.  It was a beautiful sight to see especially when she put a couple of sparklers on and lit them also. A first for us.

 This is what we saw one morning when we looked out the living room window. Breath taking. One of those sun rise alerts!!

 On P-day after Christmas, Bro. Schatz took us Graz Missionaries on a hike. It was a glorious day!! Then we went to a chinese buffet resturant.  Bro. Schatz serves in our Bishopric and is such a great servant of the Lord.  He served as Branch President in Bruck for 10 years recently and is so good to us.

 Elder Ward announced to us at District Meeting that he was leaving for home in North Carolina  because of health reasons.  He has really struggled these past weeks that he has been here.  He is a great Elder and will return as soon as he can. We will miss him and keep him in our prayers.

 PIGS, PIGS, PIGS!!  Gearing up for the NEW YEAR.  Stands like these are everywhere selling pink pigs of every kind.  They are supposed to bring you good luck for the year. Also mushrooms, 4 leaf clovers, and chimney sweeps.  Interesting. So of course we had to buy some.  Elder Tew is paying for them right now!!

These are the ones we chose for us.  Aren't they cute!  Matching PIGS  looking at who knows what?

Weihnachten - Christmas 2013

 Christmas Eve is when Austria celebrates Weihnachten or Christmas. Anna spent it with us and the first thing we did was walk around the Schloss and try to feed the peacocks with the cracked corn that you can buy there.  This one was hungrier than the rest and braved coming near.

 I wanted to show this white peacock because I had never seen one before coming here. It came running when it saw I had food but took a look at the corn and decided it was not worth it and simply walked away. It was hoping for someting better I presume.

 We had dinner at our apartment and played some games, watched Mr. Kruger's Christmas, opened a couple presents (we gave her a small German Hymnbook which she loved), then had dessert and took her back. We had a grand time.

 Here is Elder Santa before going to bed.

 Christmas afternoon and evening we spent at the church with our Missionaries.  As they traded off skypeing with their families we fixed waffles with all the trimmings.  Here is the grand waffle maker himself!!  We took our laptop and tablet and with the church computer going, all three units were being used which made it really great.

We gave them all cookies and  their favorite Traum (Dream) drink. These drinks are milk based but with all kinds of flavors.  They are very delicious and some flavors are only sold at Christmas time and are called Wintertraum.  My favorites are Nuss Nougat ( Hazelnut chocolate) and Schoko Traum (dark chocolate) Elder Tew's favorite is Weisse Schoko Kokos (white chocolate coconut) There is also Banana, Strawberry, Apple, Vanilla, and I think that's all.  Don't these fabulous Missionaries look great? We played games and Sister Tew even beat Elder Badders in pingpong. Lucky day for me. They finished up with a fun animated movie while we skyped with some of our family.  First Christmas in the mission for most of us. It was fun to be with these missionaries and to be on this end of the experience of calling home to family.

JAE Times

 FHE at one of our young couples apartment before we head out to Christmas carol.

 Elder Tew with Sam.

Bernhard Kober is our great Ward Mission Leader . 

 Valaria and her 3 darling children. She is single and comes to Institute when she can.  We went caroling here and the kids started running when I brought the camera out but I managed to snap this pic.

 Yummmm, waffles.

Elder Tew with Gabriel (Gabi) Knapp

Our Visit To The Chocolate Factory!

So, we actually are in a chocolate lover's dream!! On P-day our ward Mission Leader Bernhard Kober took all of us missionaries in Graz to the famous Chocolate Factory about an hour away.  Elder Christensen and I are deciding which dark chocolate is the best. They give you a porcelain spoon about a tablespoon size and once you pay the entrance fee of 14 euros, you can eat or drink all the chocolate you can.  You just go from one station to the next.  Their slogan is "From bean to bar" so they go through all the process to get the finished product. So many flavors, so much to taste.

Rick couldn't get enough white choc coconut flavor.  So much that after he moved from there he noticed that it had spilled all down the front of his suit .

There were so many stations but we kind of got stuck at the fountains.  Yummmmm

Now you can see some of the solid forms.  Of course you have to try it all, right? This only shows a small portion.

Rick is pulling down the lever to cut a piece of chocolate bar to eat. Yeah, more chocolate!!

Inside each of these round metal things are chocolate balls, all different kinds. By this time we are going on chocolate overload.

This is a poster of the owner covered in chocolate. Our insides felt like this, happy but covered!!  Is this Willey Wonka or what??

When you come out into the showroom, this display has lots of chocolate you can buy.  But who wants to buy chocolate at this point??  Oh what an afternoon.

A day with Bro. & Sister Pail

 First Sister Tew gave Elder Tew a hair cut at our apartment. Notice the washing machine and hot water heater above it in the bathroom.

 They made us a wonderful lunch. They always start out with soup. This one was pumpkin. They mashed their own.    yumm

 An excursion to this cool looking Catholic Church after we visited a couple of elderly single sisters.

 Oh wow, they treated us to the most amazing hot chocolate. You have to eat it with a spoon, it is so rich. This is in a little chocolate shop.

 At this time of year the streets are filled with these little places. I only looked.

Lots of people everywhere, most are drinking though.  It was a great day in Graz with the Pails!  We have become good friends. They speak some English esp. Bro. Pail.

Zone Christmas Conference Dec 19th

This is President and Sister Miles. They are so great and we feel very comfortable around them.

Rick was pretty good on the chimes during our singing. Pres. Mile's Counselor is next to him.

We got to do another white elephant game. I got mini candles and dad got some chocolate.

Some of us Sisters.

We are with The Strongs from Bountiful.  They are serving in Vienna with the JAE's just like we are in Graz. They are the only other Senior couple in our Zone. They leave in May for home.

Sorry its blurry but I snapped it from the car while Rick was driving. This is a street scene in Vienna. (Wien) is about 2 hours drive from Graz.