Christmas 2013

I made the children pose for photos before allowing them to open presents.  They were not happy about the delay but they learned quickly that arguing about it just lengthened the delay...

Back to School 2013

After a nice summer break, the boys went back to school.  Oscar started fourth grade and Calvin started first grade.  Like last year, I asked each of the boys pose for some back-to-school photos.

First day of school 2012

The boys started third grade and Kindergarten this year.  We told Calvin that boys and girls would learn how to read in Kindergarten.  He was excited to learn how to read but when he got home on the first day of school he was disappointed that nobody had taught him how to read; he thought it was all going to happen on the first day of school...

Church activity at the park in Groß-Gerau

We had a ward activity at the park in Groß-Gerau -- good friends, good food, good times...  I brought the camera and took some pictures.

Norschter Kerb

Each year in late August the town where we live hosts a small carnival -- the Norschter Kerb.  We walked to the carnival and let the children play some of the games and ride some of the rides.  They each got a small treat as we started to walk home.

Raingutter regatta and a water gun fight

The cub scouts held the annual Raingutter regatta (a regatta is a series of boat races) at the end of June.  The boys made boats out of plastic water bottles and raced them against each other.

Strawberry picking 2012

I took the boys strawberry picking in June.

Spring Soccer 2012

The boys both played soccer in April and May.  Oscar turned eight in February so he played on a team with children who were eight and nine.  His coaches were the same from last fall.

Father / Son Camping Activity 2012

This year's Father / Son camping activity was at the American Military Cemetery in Luxembourg (same place as last year).  If you remember my post from two years ago, you might recall that I do not particularly enjoy camping.  It rained hard as we were driving there so I was expecting a sloppy mess upon arrival.  I was not disappointed -- there was mud everywhere...

The Netherlands 2012

My father and step-mother came to visit during Oscar's spring break in April.  We scheduled a three-day trip to the Netherlands.  Of course we went to the Keukenhof (3rd year in a row).  The weather forecast called for rain each day we were there but it never rained once.  On the day we went to the Keukenhof, the sunlight helped me get some great photos.  My dad brought his fancy Canon 7D camera so I got to use that for the photos.

A day trip to Strasbourg

In 1977, my father was employed as a Visiting Assistant Professor at the Institut de Chimie, Université Louis-Pasteur in Strasbourg, France.  Strasbourg subsequently became the city of my birth.  When my father came to visit in April, he said he wanted to see the city again.  It was only a two hour drive from Wiesbaden so we drove there and back on the same day.  We visited the Strasbourg Cathedral (from 1647 to 1874 it was the world's tallest building), walked around the Grand Island (in 1988 it was named a UNESCO World Heritage site), had lunch at a French restaurant, and stopped at a pastry shop for desert as we walked back to the parking garage.

Basketball 2012

The boys both played team basketball this past winter.  Oscar was one of the youngest boys on his team.  Although his 8th birthday was two weeks before the end of the season, the rules required him to play on a team with 8 and 9 year-old boys.

Calvin played with the 3-to-5 year-old children.  His group did not play weekly games; instead, the focus was on skills development.  Calvin was supposed to have one game at the end of the season so I was waiting for that occasion to take pictures.  Then the other parents voted to cancel the game.  So I do not have any photos of Calvin playing basketball this year.  Calvin will be six in October so he will play with boys who are 6 and 7 this coming winter.

These photos are from January and February 2012.

New banner image

I updated the banner image with some photos I took after church today.

Calvin builds a Lego truck

Calvin built a small Lego car a few weeks ago.  I had to help him press a few of the pieces together and he needed help putting the tires together but he did the rest of it by himself.

Oscar's baptism

Mormon children are eligible to be baptized when they turn eight (see here for an explanation).  Accordingly, Oscar was baptized on his eighth birthday.  Oscar spent several months preparing for his baptism.  We talked a lot about what it means to be baptized.  We also we discussed answers to questions that were in a "Baptism Book" that the ward Primary Presidency provides to each of the seven year-old children.  We are grateful that Oscar made the choice to be baptized.

Cirque Dreams at Ramstein Air Base

After Oscar's birthday party, I took Oscar and Calvin to Ramstein Air Base to see Cirque Dreams.  The show was free (compliments of Armed Forces Entertainment).  A performance stage had been constructed inside a large airplane hangar.  The seating was just removable benches that had been set up on the floor of the hangar.  It was really crowded and we got there right as the show was about to start so we had to hunt to find poor seats in the back.  Because the floor of the hangar was not sloped, we had a hard time seeing much more than the backs of the people sitting in front of us.  Lots of people were standing in the aisles because it gave a better view.  Initially I thought we should just give up and go home but we had driven over an hour to get there so I decided to just wait and see if things improved with time.  In fact they did improve -- but not until lots of other people sitting near us left early (because they were also unable to see).  Once people started leaving, our view improved significantly.

Narula Family 2011 Year In Review

Tina made a 2011 memory book at shutterfly.com.  I made some small changes as I was reviewing the book for clarity and errors but the majority of the book is Tina's work.  We have not yet received the book in the mail.  Here is what it will look like:

New banner image

I updated the banner image with newer photos.

Calvin picks his name

A recent conversation with Calvin:

When seat belts attack

Calvin's neck got stuck in his seat belt today.