SPENCE AND XAN GET A HONEYMOON

Francesco DiLillo, Assistant PA Director in our office, and his wife Manuela  invited the Brandes and us to dinner this week.  We enjoyed being with their cute young boys and feasting on fabulous Italian cooking by Manuela.  The Brandes are heading home in a few days and we are going to miss them dearly.  Not sure how we will be able to get along without them.

Spence and Xan came for a visit this week and we took them south for a few days to see Bavaria and our good friends the Schoenwalds, Berndt and Angelika.  Angelika and Elaine were childhood friends here during her dad's mission and we exchanged children back in the day, with Emily and Ali coming to their home for a month.  Xan is taking the picture here just before we head off to church.  Ruthie is kneeling with her daughter.  She came to our house with her cousin for a month many years ago.

On our way back north we passed by Dachau and stopped to visit this concentration camp war memorial site.  A very sobering experience to feel the breadth and depth of these victims agony and to contemplate how it could be possible for humans to be so cruel to their fellow man.

The beautiful land of Bavaria in southern Germany.  Don't know if we will ever be able to re-acclimate to Utah.

Fun to wear our missionary tags when traveling on P-day. It gives us the opportunity to meet many vacationing members and update them on the progress of the Church in Europe.

Can't describe how wonderful it was to be with our baby boy and  his sweet bride.  We are  comforted to see how happy they are and excited about life and doing so well.  We cried when they had to go, not knowing when we will see them again.

It's still hard to believe parts of this country are for real.  Charming doesn't begin to describe it, especially if you could hear the accordian and guitar playing in the background by two leder-hosened Bavarians.

The art of Marzipan 

This is Obersee or Ober sea above Koenigsee in Berchesgaden  National  Park.  The  little berg hut  on the shore in the distance below the water fall with cows grazing near by was over the top spectacular.  The lake reflection is near perfect.