Jacob and Abi Beutler Family

It's always fun at Grandma's house!

2011-07-26T01:40:00.003+02:00

Aren't grandmother's wonderful? They are the perfect blend of wisdom, humor, and affection. I love all my grandmothers. Here is my Grandma Reva Beyeler. My kids call her Great-Great-Great-Great Little Grandma Beyeler (because she's so great!).

Love Forever True

2010-12-05T00:35:00.001+01:00

I am so blessed. I love my life. At the center of my blessed life is my husband Jacob. He will always be at the center of my life, because our faith and our religion binds us so permantently. And what a guy to be stuck with; he's so stong and handsome, and fun! Just what a gal like me needs. So the pictures are a bit outdated, but they fit with this post. They are pictures of us on our 6th Anniversary in Salt Lake City. Want to know more about eternal marriages?

Fall Post

2010-11-15T23:31:00.001+01:00

We are still here.
Alive and well.
Loving being back in America, our
Homeland.

This Autumn we have
fed the ducks
who weren't very hungry...
and shivered in the
SNOW
some happily
some not...
and dressed up for halloween
princess
cowboy
pumpkin.

Our sights are on the Holidays
We're thankful!
We're joyful!

One year older and wiser too

2010-05-29T08:53:00.003+02:00

I can hardly believe it, but Johnathan is 1 year old!!! And everything is still being organized from the move, so I am stealing pictures from some of my older posts. But here's the handsome fella. We love Johnnie and are so blessed to have him as part of our family.

HOME AGAIN HOME AGAIN jiggety jig

2010-05-20T07:46:00.002+02:00

Well, I have been way out of the blogging world. But I was moving to another country, so I have a excuse. I am not ready to plunge back into the wonderful world of blogging, but I just wanted to post that we are back in AMERICA and loving it. We miss Denmark, but home is home and we are ready to be back.

We are living in Orem now, and Jacob is back at BYU doing the doctorate dissertation thing while I try to unpack and settle into our new apartment. I will post more later. But just picture me unpacking, juggling kids, doing laundry, managerial maintenance and yardwork, and frequenting Walmart and Costco.

Come visit!

Rome Again, Rome Again, Jiggety Jig

2010-04-25T19:02:00.004+02:00

Jacob's brother Jared and his sister Deborah met us in Rome. We were so happy to see them, and they helped out a ton with the kids. We saved the best sites to see with them. These are all places that you read about in history books, and we got to see them.

the Colosseum...the Arch of Constantine...

the Roman Forum

the controversial Vittoriano and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Vatican Museums: four miles of papal collections/commissions, including

Michealangelo's Sistine Chapel.

More Rome

2010-04-16T15:23:00.004+02:00

On Jacob's to-do list for Rome was see some catacombs, underground cemeteries for early Christians. We went to a 45-minute tour of the Catacombs of San Callisto. We don't have any pictures of the inside of the catacombs (as it is forbidden to take photos of such a sacred place), but really enjoyed the tour, and I left with a feeling of gratitude for the early Christians.

Next up to highlight is Rome's first church, St. John's Basilica. It was gorgeous and HUGE (note how tiny Lizzie looks next the apostle Matthew's statue). The kids did not have much patience for it though (too much of a temptation for them to go wild) so we only looked around for half an hour (good thing it was free).

We also went to the Villa Borghese Park in search for a hot air balloon for the kids, but underestimated the parks' size and the time of sunset, so did not do much here, much to the kids disappointment. The park is huge, and if you don't know your way around you mostly wander around, trying to look like you know where you are going. But we did get some excellent photos, the kids got to watch some talented roller-bladers, and we treated ourselves to some fancy pastries on our way home. But still, Ben and Liz would have loved the hot air balloon.

Living the Dream of Rome

2010-04-13T15:43:00.006+02:00

We finally made it to Italy, specifically Rome, and had a wonderful time! We started off our holiday with a big bang and went to St. Peter's Square to witness the Catholic Pope deliver Easter Mass. It rained a lot, but that didn't stop the crowds. We listened to the Pope bless the world and to the choir sing in the majestic square, and were definitely impressed. Later in the evening we went to the LDS stake center in Rome and listened to a session of General Conference. So, a wonderful Easter Sunday (and the kids didn't even notice a lack of baskets from the Easter Bunny).

Planning on going to Easter Mass next year? Here's some advice. You will be able to get in and stand without a ticket, but you can only have a seat with a ticket. Bring an umbrella but do not bring any luggage/backpacks as this will slow you down with security. Finally, ignore the lines and just push your way through the crowds to get into the square (lines are just a suggestion in Italy, as are most traffic rules).

I can't help but mention that eating in Rome was great. Pizza/pasta and ice cream every day. Yummy! The kids thought it was cool too (notice the thumbs up from Ben and Liz and John's delight with being a big kid). The ice cream in Italy is called gelato and comes in many different flavors and consistencies. If you are in Rome and want good gelato, we highly recommend Old Bridge Gelateria (located right along the wall of the Vatican) for its excellent quality and quantity.

Our kids loved the fountains, and Rome is full of them. John especially loved getting out of the baby carrier and playing with the water. Doesn't he look big?

Lizzie's Three!

2010-03-12T17:18:00.000+01:00

Our sweet Lizzie turned three. She ordered a princess cake and I made good on her request. Here are some of Lizzie's favorite's:
Color: Purple
Food: Hotdogs with potatoes and ketchup
Dessert: Ice Cream, Cake, Candy, Cookies (she's got a major sweet-tooth)
Movie: Happy Feet or Mr. Magoriums Wonder Emporium
Activity: Play with barbies or dollies.
Book: Monster and the Magic Umbrella
Song: In My Room
Hero: Ben
We are so glad that Liz is part of our family. We wouldn't be the same without her. Love you Elizabeth, we love you!!!

Our Last Tour of Roskilde

2010-02-15T16:36:00.002+01:00

At the end of our stay in Roskilde, we were kicking ourselves for not doing more sightseeing during the summer. So in a desperate attempt to see a little more of what should be seen, we toured the big Dome Kirke cathedral, which is the burial place for Denmark royalty. To see what the Kirke looks like on the outside, see this summer post.

Us on the Frozen Fjord

2010-02-15T16:32:00.002+01:00

We lasted about 2 minutes out there. Zoom in on Ben's face and then Lizzie's to see a difference in personality.

Frozen Fjord

2010-02-15T16:28:00.002+01:00

A little cold never hurt anybody. But the biting, humid cold of an unusually snowy and cold winter is quite the monster for me. I prefer to bundle up and stay in doors. Not the Danes. The Danes are very active and the cold doesn't stop them. You know you are in a different culture when 70-year-olds are out bike riding in the snow, and 80-year-olds are out cruisin' in their wheelchairs.

Here's the fjord of Roskilde...frozen over. Beautiful and inviting, if you can brave the cold!

Despite the cold, we are still truly enjoying our time here in Denmark. Doesn't it look fun?

Wintery Day in Roskilde

2010-02-15T16:25:00.003+01:00

So, we have already moved but I have a ton of posts that I just haven't gotten around to doing. Here are a few shots of the town in Denmark where we used to live. I wanted to capture a winter day. Pretty, huh?

Plus, I just wanted to let everyone know that the sun is very weak in this area of the world during winter. Just to prove my point. In Denmark, on the lightest day of this year-June 23-, the sun rose at 4:25 AM and set at 9:58 PM (I loved the summer light!). In contrast, on the darkest day of this year-December 16- the sun rose at 8:33 AM and set at 3:36 PM. That's a mere 7 hours of light a day. And its not bright light either. These pictures were taken around 2:30 in the afternoon. The good news? The sun is on its way back!

A Day in Sweden

2010-02-15T16:22:00.002+01:00

Well, if you have read about our trip to Switzerland, then you know that both Jacob and I have ancestors from the same town in Switzerland. We also have ancestors from Sweden. To further the irony, as we were planning our trip to Sweden, we were surprised to find that our Swedish ancestors were from towns nearby each other! It was a wonderful feeling seeing these places and imagining what life would have been like so long ago for members of our families.

The rest of our day in Sweden was spent frantically trying to visit what we could in massive Malmo. The kids and I loved seeing the height of the Turning Torso and Jacob enjoyed Malmohus Castle. We didn't get there till 20 minutes before it closed, so they let us all in free. While there, a kind and knowledgeable historian gave a quick 1o minute tour of the castle. I especially like the story of this prisoner who sent letters complaining of a wailing cat ghost. Everyone thought he was crazy but modern historians found the remains of a cat within the walls of the same area where that prisoner was held.

Christmas Break and a Tour of Copenhagen

2010-02-15T16:21:00.002+01:00

We had a fantastic Christmas break. The kids absolutely adored having Jacob home for days at a time. Jacob took Ben and Lizzie sledding and built a huge snowman and bear with Benjamin while sick Lizzie watched from a window. We all went to a park next to the Viking Ship Museum where there was this cool hampster cage-ish swing that was really fun (but the fun ended when I crash tumbled after getting too ambitious and injured my back). I guess I just can't be a kid anymore! We spent Christmas Eve (the biggest part of Christmas in Denmark) feasting with our friends Eva and Martin and the missionaries from our church. We danced around their Christmas tree singing carols, and finished with generous presents for everyone and the incredibly delicious risalamande. Christmas Day morning was spent quietly at home, and Christmas afternoon our friend Theresa came over bearing gifts for Ben and Liz. Good times!

We later went on a canal boat tour of Copenhagen. If you ever get to Copenhagen, the canal tours are the way to go. You get to sit and enjoy the views as the boat takes you from one main point of the city to another, where you have the option of getting out to explore and then catching the next canal boat within the hour. The tour finished just as the sun was setting so everything was incredibly beautiful.

Vor Frue Kirke

2010-02-15T15:25:00.002+01:00

On New Year's Day our family visited our friends Kirsten and Peter and their family. While there, they offered to babysit on the spot. So we left our kids in capable hands and zoomed off to see the Vor Frue Kirke, or the Church of Our Lady of Copenhagen Cathedral, that houses a series of famous sculptures: Christ, the Twelve Apostles, and a Guardian Angel baptismal font. The sculptures were spectactular and in the appropriately reverent atmosphere of a church.

This statue of Peter holding a set of keys holds a special place in my heart because of a church talk I heard in 2008 General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In this talk, Elder Boyd K. Packer tells a story of President Spencer W. Kimball visiting the Vor Frue Kirke in 1976 and telling a janitor there that there are living apostles today, just like there were apostles in Christ's time.

All of the statues are wonderful works of art. The Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen produced hundreds of beautiful sculptures during his lifetime, which he left to the people of Denmark at his death. Among his works is the Lion of Lucerne, which we were able to see on our Switzerland trip.

Moving

2010-01-20T15:03:00.002+01:00

Hi all. I have been horrible with blogging this last month. Don't worry. I'll be back on in about two weeks with plenty to write about and pictures too. Right now we are getting ready to move to a different part of Denmark in the Jutland Peninsula (can't recall the name of the town). We are in moving mode, and having all the feelings that come with it. Wish us luck and good providence!

Danish Christmas Party

2009-12-18T17:11:00.005+01:00

We had a blast at our church ward Christmas Party. There was great food and wonderful company. The highlight of the evening? Dancing around the Christmas tree while singing carols! In Denmark on Christmas Eve, families join hands and dance around their Christmas tree while singing carols. The last carol is a fast-paced and loud one. One person break the circle and leads the chain away from the Christmas tree and around the house, and then back to the group. Ben and Liz loved it, but not as much as their mother!

Frederiksborg Castle

2009-11-30T17:52:00.001+01:00

So we finally took a trip to see Frederiksborg Castle, which houses the Carl Bloch paintings. It was all very cool. The castle doubles as a museum, and it is HUGE. When we got there we made a bee-line to the chapel and saw beautiful paintings, the highlight being Carl Bloch's paintings, which are well known within the church. Then we made our way through the rest of the castle. Some things that we all liked: battle armor, clocks, the ballroom, and ornately carved furniture.

Recycling the Danish Way

2009-11-30T17:39:00.000+01:00

We wanted to try out Danish kiosk recycling, so our good friend Theresa gave Ben and Lizzie lots of soda bottles. We sorted them and then took them to the store.

At the store there is a recycling kiosk. The kids took turns feeding the bottles into the mouth of the machine. The machine scans the bottles, then removes the labels, and further sorts. When they were done they pushed a button and got a receipt. Then they took the receipt to a store clerk and got some money...about 60 kroner (about $12.00 US). So here in Denmark, it pays to recycle.

Our Kids

2009-11-12T15:24:00.001+01:00

Benjamin is four years old. Elizabeth is two and a half years old. Johnathan is five months old.

Party

2009-11-09T14:24:00.006+01:00

We had a belated Halloween party with our friends Theresa and Alvin. Theresa is originally from Alaska. We had a baked potato bar and cinnamon rolls. For the activity, we all sat around and watched Ben and Lizzie go crazy with cowboy hats (brought by Theresa). Fun, fun, fun.

The Original Legoland is in Denmark

2009-11-07T18:43:00.000+01:00

Baby, Doctorate, and Brotherly Milestones

2009-11-07T18:38:00.000+01:00

We don't have a bathtub in our house (Danish quirk). So we finally bought a baby tub for Johnathan as he is too big for the kitchen sink now. Here he is kicking back and relaxing. Ben and Liz got right in when John was done. I was actually jealous: one of my "when I get back to the states" plans is to have a long soak in a bathtub.

Our Johnnie is five months old now, and taking to rice cereal very well. I'm not surprised, as the baby cereals have milk sugar and vanilla in them. Lucky guy!

The weather has shifted to chilly, bone-chilling. Here Liz and I chatter on the beach on Folle Strand (near Aarhus). We stayed there for a week while Jacob and his Riso team took measurements at the power plant. It was a long, but vital week for Jacob and his dissertation research.

Ben has discover his ability to entertain John. And John rewards Ben with an abundance of giggles.

Church Day

2009-10-18T20:51:00.002+02:00

Our friend was kind enough to take a family picture of us at church. Lizzie and Ben are sporting outfits that Grandma Beutler sent them (what the grandchildren wore at Aunt Esther's wedding).

Trick or Treat

2009-10-08T19:40:00.010+02:00

While I was letting Ben and Liz fluff up our couch cushions for me by letting them jump on them on the floor, I thought to myself, "I wonder how many mothers out there know this trick?" So, in honor of Halloween, I give you five tricks. And if you are reading this, consider yourself "tricked" into posting some of your own tricks, in either comment or blog form.

To keep your kids "around" but out of the kitchen while you cook dinner or to get some vegetables into them, put some cut veggies (carrot sticks, bell peppers...) on the dinner table and let them snack/pick away while you finish dinner. Ben and Liz love this occasional pre-dinner ritual.

You can machine wash and dry stuffed animals/cloth toys. I used to shun away from buying cloth toys and stuffed animals from used stores. After all, most of those toys say "spot wash only". Well, then Lizzie came along and she is a big stuffed animal fan. And I am usually too thrifty to buy new. One day, I gave in and bought a used and germy stuffed animal...EEW. I went home and threw it in the washer, wondering if it would survive. It did! So I threw it in the dryer (who wants mold growing on the inside while it dries on the outside). And the stuffed animal survived. Good as new. So now I wash and dry all cloth toys and stuffed animals. I've even washed and dried a talking Woody and talking Jessie, and they still work. But it doesn't for the mega sized teddy bears...pity.

A kitchen timer is a useful gadget when it comes to discipline. I use it with Ben and Liz to keep them in their rooms when they wake up to early ("Stay in your room until you hear the DING"). I also use it for time-outs, to limit TV, to speed up the bedtime routines or chores, and reading time. It's good because you can let the timer take the blame. You could even use it on yourself (to...ahem...limit your blogging craze).

You can extend your baby powder with constarch.

Chinese cooking is really easy and fast if you remember four things: start rice, make sauce, prep veggies, and piping hot pan. Sauce can be any combo of soy sauce/vinegar/broth with some seasoning like coriander/ginger/garlic/red pepper mixed with some cornstarch. Carrots are the only veggie that need to be in thin peices, as all the other veggies cook fast so chop/slice them up with speed. Piping hot pan. Add some oil. Oil saute your meat (5 minutes), then veggies (3 minutes) and stir in sauce. By then your rice will be done and you'll be a chinese guru. Add some nuts for a sassy crunch.

When we're helping we're happy

2009-10-02T14:51:00.000+02:00

Jacob recently enlisted Benjamin and Elizabeth as his helpers. Then went to Riso (Jacob's work) and picked a bunch of Paradise Apples (baby sour apples) and made apple jelly. Ben and Liz loved the quality time with their father, and the jelly isn't that bad either.

Happy Birthday Jacob

2009-09-21T15:53:00.000+02:00

For Jacob's birthday party we ate Hawiian haystacks and banana layer cake. Then he opened presents. Ben was so excited about Jacob's presents that he informed Jacob what was in them. It was a great night to celebrate a great person. Jacob is a wonderful husband, father, and graduate student. We all love our Jacob!

Will you please please smile?

2009-09-18T16:16:00.000+02:00

One of his few smiles John'll give when we try to get a smiling picture.

Beach and Embassy

2009-09-02T16:07:00.000+02:00

Isn't Jacob so handsome. And a good father, to boot!

The kids had a wonderful time at the ocean. Lizzie said, "That was fun!" about ten times on our way to the car. We also had to stop and turn around to say "Goodbye ocean" every five steps in order to drag Lizzie away from the waves.

I'm so strong. I swam like 5 kilometers to reach these slippery rocks and still had the stregth to pose for this shot. Okay, just kidding, I walked out about 5 meters.

Here is the shot we used for Johnathan's identity photo when we went to the U.S. Embassy in Copenhagen to register his birth abroad and apply for a passport and such. He smiles a lot now, is already out of his 0-3 month clothes, and is starting to grow back some of his hair. We love our sweet Johnnie!

Five Years and Still Going Strong

2009-09-02T15:48:00.000+02:00

Jacob and I have been married for five years. To celebrate, we went out to eat at an Italian place. When we were in Switzerland, we bought a Swiss cuckoo clock for our present to each other.

Last week we had a cookout in our driveway. The kids were fancinated with the fire and we all enjoyed the time together.

I also hunted down a super yummy lettuce wrap recipe and the results were so good, I wanted to document it (see and drool below). I didn't follow the recipe completely, on account of lack of ingredients and laziness. If you make it, you can use ground chicken (I marinated this in the stir fry sauce while I got the ingredients ready) instead of taking the time to cut raw chicken into itsy-bitsy pieces. Also, don't worry about removing the chicken before you stirfry the veggies (I added in two carrots, finely diced). Just throw the veggies in when the ground chicken is mostly cooked. Happy eating! Your kids should love it as long as they can't identify the onions, mushrooms, ect.

Imagination

2009-08-28T16:45:00.000+02:00

Yesterday, Ben and Lizzie were fighting over an imaginary computer. Lizzie would type on her imaginary computer, and then Ben would run over, grab at the air, and say, "MY computer". This, of course, sent Lizzie into a screaming fit. She got the imaginary computer back by grabbing "it" out of Ben's hands, which got Ben going. And that started the whole thing going again. I tried to tell them that if their "computer" got stolen they could just whip another one other out of thin air, but neither one would expand their imagination to allow two imaginary computers to exist. Lizzie looked at me as if to say, "Come on Mom, get real, there is no such thing as two imaginary computers. Duh."

Then at lunch they were throwing around a imaginary camera. It went something like this:

Ben (throwing): Liz, catch.
Liz (catching and bringing hands up to eyes): Say cheese.
Ben: Cheese.
Liz (holding up her palm): See.
Ben: Oh, that's a good one.
Liz (throwing): Ben, catch.
Ben (catching and bringing hands up to eyes): Say cheese....

This continued on through most of lunch.

Happy Birthday Ben!

2009-08-21T23:14:00.000+02:00

Last Batch of Switzerland Trip

2009-08-21T23:01:00.000+02:00

More Bern Pictures

2009-08-21T22:39:00.000+02:00

Beautiful Bern

2009-08-21T22:33:00.000+02:00

Bern Pictures

2009-08-21T22:24:00.000+02:00

Switzerland Trip Event #5

2009-08-12T13:37:00.000+02:00

Guggisberg

Ironically, part of both Jacob's ancestors and Abigail's ancestors lived in Guggisberg, Switzerland.

Jacob's great great grandparents, Rudolf and Elizabeth (Trachsel) Von Niederhasern owned a farm in Guggisberg. The following four shots were taken at this farm, nestled in the mountains of Guggisberg. Most of the farm buildings and house are all originals. The people who now own the farm kindly let us look around and take pictures.

Abigail's great great grandfather, Frederick Beyeler, is from Guggisberg. The following three shots were taken in the center of Guggisberg. Notice that Abigail is pointing to the Beyeler name on a sign in one photo.

Switzerland Trip Event #4

2009-08-10T15:40:00.000+02:00

Lucerne, Switzerland

This next shot is one of me and Jacob posing like the soldier on top of the water fountain. And in case you want another peice of Swiss trivia, you'll be interested to know that all water fountains in Switzerland are also drinking fountains. When Jared's friend Jubi first told me, I didn't believe him. But he was totally serious and telling the truth. After that, I noticed people drinking and filling up water bottles at various water fountains. We even joined in the drinking when we visited Berne (I'll post some pics later).

I was worried that the rainbow wouldn't show up on this shot, but it did. Lucerne, like all of Switzerland, was breathtaking.

The following Lion Monument was sculpted in honor of 700 Swiss soldiers who died defending their palace from a mob of angry Parisians during the French Revolution. It is a huge lion and reminded me of CS Lewis' Aslan.

Switzerland Trip Event #3

2009-08-10T15:06:00.000+02:00

Please Pass the Chocolate!

On Saturday night we met up with Jared at his friend's sister's house. We stayed there for two nights. The family was extremely kind to us and very hospitable. One thing that we witnessed while we were there was how much chocolate is a part of the Swiss life. Some version of chocolate was served at each meal, and not just at dessert. I ate more chocolate in those two days than I have in six months! Would you like:

chocolate sandwich (bread and Nutella)
chocolate muslii (dry oatmeal with chocolate)
chocolate yogurt
chocolate milk
chocolate squares (served as a side dish)
chocolate soup (melted chocolate bars on top of ice cream)

We did eat healthy food too, but if you want to feel Swiss at breakfast/lunch/dinner/snack time, don't forget the chocolate!

Switzerland Trip Event #2

2009-08-08T17:46:00.000+02:00

Trummelbach Falls: Located in the heart of the Jungfrau Region, these monsterous glacial waterfalls have carved their way through the mountain.
We rode in a lift (like a glass boxcar) 100 meters up the inside of the mountain. Ben loved the lift so much that we went on it twice, thanks to the nice operator.

After riding the lift, we worked our way down the mountain. The path weaved inside and outside the mountain. The hike was slippery and cold on the inside, and warm and dry on the outside parts, but the waterfalls were amazing/loud/awesome.

You can't really tell in thise picture of me and the kids, but little Johnnie is straped inside my baby carrier up front, with my sweater over him, and my rain poncho on top. He slept through the whole hike.

Switzerland Trip Event #1

2009-08-07T16:38:00.000+02:00

The first thing that we did in Switzerland was go to the temple. Jacob watched the kids while I did a session. The temple is beautiful inside and out. For more information on temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, click here. It was a great start to our vacation!

See how they've grown...we love our kids!!!

2009-07-24T14:57:00.000+02:00

Relaxing at our home

2009-07-15T15:30:00.000+02:00

Midsummer's Eve

2009-06-24T15:18:00.000+02:00

Last night we drove around to get a peek at the celebration of Sankt Hans/St. John's Eve/Midsummer's Eve. This is the day when the birth of John the Baptist is celebrated. There were lots of bonfires (to ward off evil spirits) along the beaches and in other places. On top of each bonfire is a witch (made of straw and cloth). We also heard bits and peices of people singing the Midsummer hymn "Vi elsker vort land..." ("We Love Our Country") and saw the fireworks from afar. Cool, huh?

A Blessing for God's Gift

2009-06-24T14:59:00.000+02:00

Jacob blessed our little Johnathan Ernest on June 21. We were so grateful that Jacob's parents were here for it.

Suprise

2009-06-24T14:33:00.000+02:00

A couple from our church ward invited us over for dinner last Friday. At the end of the meal, sisters from our church ward started showing up with presents. They threw me a baby shower. Everyone was very thoughtful and generous. I now have plenty of clothes and bedding. Yea!

Playing in our backyard

2009-06-14T17:09:00.000+02:00

Beautiful Denmark

2009-06-10T22:02:00.000+02:00

To get to some parts of Denmark, you have to cross over bridges. This is a picture of a lighthouse just before a bridge.

Our Territory

2009-06-10T21:44:00.001+02:00

Here are Ben and Liz at Market Day in our town Roskilde. Market Day is Wed. and Sat. and we go there each week for produce like carrots and tomatoes. We already have found our favorite booth. The kids love market day and the man who runs the booth sometimes gives them a free sample of his vegetables and fruits. This is the Cathedral that is in Roskilde. Roskilde used to be the capital of Denmark. Ben gets excited each time we see it, as he thinks its a castle and that there is a princess in the highest room of the tallest tower waiting to be rescued. Liz and Ben love it when Dad comes home. That is when they can wrestle and do all the physical stuff that I avoid during the day. This is in our back yard.

Ben and Liz in front of the back of our home.

Johnathan Ernest Beutler

2009-05-31T20:03:00.000+02:00

Fashionably Early

2009-05-30T12:45:00.000+02:00

Just a quick post (more will follow) to announce the birth of our baby. He came to us three weeks early on May 28, 2009. 3320 grams. 52 centimeters. This meant nothing to me as they measured him after the birth, but I have since learned that 3320 grams equals 7 pounds 5 ounces. 52 centimeters is 20 inches. He is a cute little guy. We haven't decided on a name yet! We got home from the hospital yesterday (sharing a hospital room with three other moms just didn't suit my fancy), and are both trying to recover. Jacob has locked off the back of our house to give me and _____ some peace and quiet. Ben and Liz are not happy about it. Hopefully they'll adjust soon. Will post pictures later.

Everything is Food Food Food

2009-05-18T16:20:00.000+02:00

I have been obsessed with food lately. I think it is due to the baby being due in one month, and to the fact that going to the grocery store and preparing food in a completely different country takes a lot of brain power now. So I thought I'd clue you all in to what grocery shopping and food in general is like in Denmark. People here apparently consume a lot of open-faced sandwiches made with a variety of very dense breads, McDonald's (there are two or three in our city alone), pizza, and coffee/tea. In addition, everything is bought in small quantities. The only thing bought in bulk seems to be beer. A standard box of rice contains about 3 cups rice, enough for two dinners. We are trying to adapt our usual American shopping list to what we can find/afford in Denmark. The following is just a bit of Denmark food wisdom I've developed.

Chicken: They have it! Chicken breasts are $5.00/pound on sale.
Peanut Butter: It is a luxury here at $5.00 for a very small bottle.
Yogurt: Is very yummy and tastes homemade. I can't recall the price.
Baking Soda: I haven't found it yet. Anyone have any cookies recipes that don't reguire baking soda? I did find baking powder and yeast (which is very very smelly) though.
Cookies: A bag of cheap store-brand wafer cookies goes for $4.00 here in DK.
Apples: So scruptious and juicy here.
Carrots: I got a steal of a deal (for real) at the farmers markets for $3.00 a bunch. They are very good.
Juice: Very expensive. I have yet to break down and buy it. It is all bottled or boxed. No frozen juice concentate here.
Milk: We are big milk drinkers, but appparently the Danes don't drink much of it, as it is only sold in liters. Milk is very good here. We buy it at about $1.00 a liter. So you math whizzes out there can figure what it would be for a gallon.

Hope that this wasn't too boring of post. I've got to go find something to eat now. Anyone else hungry?

Our Flight

2009-05-14T17:45:00.000+02:00

If you are interested in our flight story, read on! Warning: It might give you a headache.

Our first flight out of Utah was delayed, so we missing our connecting flight at the Newark, NJ airport.
The airlines in Newark put us up in a hotel that night.
We got to the airport the next day in plenty of time to make our flight. BUT...had trouble locating our checked baggage. THEN...Jacob and I got separated. We finally found each other. Then we had about 10 minutes to get through security and on our flight. We were all running and Ben and Liz were crying.
We rushed on the plane just in time and got settled. Then they announced that there was engine trouble with our plane and that we needed to exit the plane and get on another one.
We waited for an hour or so at the airport and then loaded onto the new airplane.
Once we were on that plane, we had to wait another hour to get a clearance for our take-off.
Our flight to Germany was fine, and we picked up our luggage and rental car without any problems. Then we drove four hours to Denmark and got checked into the guest house here in Roskilde.

More of our adventures to come. We miss and love you all!!!

Crazy Days

2009-04-25T08:53:00.000+02:00

I just wanted to let you know a few of the things that happened this week.

On Monday I spent three hours digging up dandelion weeds (part of our managing job), only to wake up on Tuesday to more. Spent half an hour on Tuesday, and then woke up to more on Wednesday. Then my dad told me that you have to spray them to get rid of them and that two more come up after you dig up one. So I've quit!
I sorted through yet another part of our house (a job that seems to never end) and boxed up a good portion of the kids room.
My parents (Brenda and Kerry) came to help Wednesday and Thursday and we all made a huge dent with our moving plans. We took four loads to our storage unit with my dad's truck. It was so wonderful to get to see them. We said our goodbyes to my parent's on Thursday, which was pretty emotional. For anyone who doesn't know, my parents are going to be serving a mission in the Pocatello Idaho area for one year, and we will be in Denmark for one year.
Amidst all this activity, I took Ben and Liz to the dentist and the doctor for routine exams before we leave the country and went to the chiropractor.
On Thursday I went to Ogden for my niece Sunnie's bridal shower and visited with her family. It was a great night.
We got up early on Friday to take Ben to get two small cavities filled at the surgical center. One of those small cavities turned out to be a toddler root canal, and they doctor also found one more cavity to fill in addition to the others. Poor guy!
Jacob spent all day Friday in Salt Lake getting Process Burner Operation Training. I sorted through the kids clothes a second time.

So step by step we are getting ready to leave the country and make our big move to Denmark. It has been a wild ride so far and is only getting wilder. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers!

Moving to Denmark

2009-04-07T00:55:00.000+02:00

Roskilde, Denmark (where we will live)

Jacob is in the middle of getting his doctorate degree in chemical engineering at BYU. As part of his research/schooling, he will work with Dong Energy and Risø National Laboratory in Denmark for one year. He will take measurements in power plants. All of this work is focused on replacing fossil fuels (coal) with biomass (straw and wood chips) and waste in power and heat generation. Biomass is a CO2 neutral fuel.

We are all flying out on May 5th. Our Baby #3 will be born there. We are nervous about all the different adjustments of being in a new country, but we are also grateful for this opportunity to grow and see a different part of the world.

Our Benny Boy

2009-04-07T00:22:00.001+02:00

So Benjamin has been playing make-believe lately. He likes it best when he can combine all of his favorite characters and become Mr. Woody/Kung Fu Panda/Shrek. The other shots are after Jacob got the urge to cram one of my knee-highs over Ben's head. It was a bit quirky/freaky/funny. Jacob even fit the knee-high over his head, but that was way too scary to document.

Lizzie's Belated Birthday

2009-03-14T04:11:00.001+01:00

So we were a bit frazzled about Elizabeth's Birthday. She turned two on February 24th. We took her out to eat that evening, but didn't have time to do cake or presents. We gave her presents (a pretty denim dress and a Sesame Street car wash set) about a week later. I made cupcakes and two mini-cakes on Monday and had a wonderful plan to let the kids decorate them, but it turned out that the cupcakes were eaten before any decorating. So tonight I finally pulled out some frosting and Ben and Liz were able to decorate a slice of what was left of the last mini-cake.

Lizzie could only concentrate with her mouth open.

Ben takes his sprinkling seriously.

Lizzie tickled pink.
Gearing up for the first bite.

And then the cake fell...

Our sweetie-pie.

Ben's cake matches his party beads.

Ben digging in, literally.

AND THAT CONCLUDES LIZZIE'S DRAWN-OUT BIRTHDAY!!!

The Word Blurb

2009-03-14T00:14:00.000+01:00

Do you know how when you are doing something online, and just to make things a little more secure, they ask you to type in a "word verification" (whatever combination of letters you see on the screen)??? I have been getting a kick out of this lately. I like to picture some elfish character making up these oddish words. Here are some of my favorites:

penheso
ingenate
dionso
fursimpl
divablup
koodin
redrooe
blomatte
prangs
nodge
oactial
thydro
weizazie

Wonder-Jacob

2009-03-09T04:57:00.000+01:00

So Jacob is my breakfast maker. He has been making breakfast since we got married. I decided it was time to document proof of his wonderfulness. The featured breakfast is grapefruit, waffles with fruit and whipped cream, and hard-boiled eggs.

Oh Boy!

2009-02-14T21:35:00.000+01:00

Just a quick post to let ya'll know that we are having a boy. Also, they moved my due date up to June 18th. If you can't tell, the ultrasound picture is showing his face. ;)

Sewing For the Brave

2009-02-03T19:15:00.000+01:00

I've been doing websurfing on various sewing projects. I am not a sewer. I have only successfully threaded my sewing machine once. But I thought that these were cool. So if you are feeling brave, try some. Or if you are a sewing wiz, give me feedback as to whether or not a project is "worth the trouble" and such. Or...you could make them as a gift for someone very special (hint, hint).

Nursing Cover (Hooter Hider/Bebe au Lait): These are all the rage in Provo. I have had several cousins tell me that they are wonderful. I've never tried one, but thought they looked cool and practical.

Nursing Shirt: So this website says that you can make a nursing shirt out of two regular shirts. If this is possible, it would be much cheaper than buying a $20 or more shirt from stores like Motherhood and Motherwear. Has anyone tried such a thing?

Flirty Aprons: I used to walk by these bib-aprons in the mall and think, "what a waste of money" and "who cares how the apron looks, its for cooking" and so forth. Then I tried one on at a women's expo and wearing one of these for one minute boosted my ego about twenty times. I fell in love with them but not the price ($30). Now, as for patterns...??? Here are some that I have found that are close, but not quite to the original "Flirty Apron". Frilly Reversible Apron, Retro Black Tie Apron, Old Fashioned Aprons, Pleat Tutorial, Ruffled Panel Tutorial. Can anyone come up with a pattern?

Okay that's it for now. Except for I more thing. I have a sister-in-law (Mandy Beyeler) that is so very creative and handy with all things crafty. Here is the link to her blog with how-to directions for things. Here is the link to her store where she sells personalized shirts and such.

Miss Polly had a Dolly Who was Sick Sick Sick

2009-01-27T05:38:00.000+01:00

My pity party poem:

This Winter's too old
We feel like mold
If Spring'd unfold
We'd feel like gold

Okay, give me a shout out if you are tired of the cold wind, gray slush, and all the various forms of illnesses that come with it.

Christmas in Salmon

2009-01-09T05:50:00.000+01:00

We spent Christmas in Salmon with Mom and Dad. It was so nice. And relaxing. Ben and Lizzie loved being the center of their grandparents attention. We got to visit with Jason's family and Teresa's family a couple of times as well. But of course, we forgot our camera...so no pictures to post. You'll just have to use your imagination.

Fall in Retrospect

2008-12-03T04:55:00.000+01:00

Here's a quick sum up of our Fall 2008 Adventures:

Jacob has been busy working on his doctorate. He also has done a ton of work for the apartment complex we manage (making screens, plumbing work, garbage cleanup, etc.) The new face lift looks good on the place.

Abi has been busy taking care of two wild/angel children. She is also directing her church ward choir (never saw that one coming). She also has been busy collecting rent and doing some major weeding for the complex. Other than that, she's been a home-body trying to get some much needed rest.

Ben had to have foot surgery on two crooked toes. We do toe exercises each night so they will heal right. He also has to wear these hard plastic inserts in his shoes to help correct his extreme ankle roll. Poor guy, he's been a real trooper.

Lizzie has developed a strong sense of fashion. She is opinionated about what we put on her. She particularly dislikes Ben's hand-me-downs. She's also really into dancing and Signing Time. We love our girlie girl.

Say my name Say my name

2008-10-24T06:30:00.000+02:00

Okay, so here is something you midght find worthwhile, or at least some of you. For about a year I was searching for some songs that are forever in my little kid memory. For instance, there ones that went something like:

Do a pirolette. Then a deep plee-aye. Button-high then touch the sky. Dancing all the day...
I have ten toes way down at the bottom...I have a sit down right in the middle...
When I go "quack quack" do you know what I am? What animal, now tell me...

Well, I found them. They actually have them on CDs now. Brite Music makes them and they are called "Watch Me Sing" and there are still people out there that sell them. And the company has gone MP3 with downloads. Have at it.

http://www.britemusicwithmichelle.blogspot.com/

http://www.britemusic.com/mp3/index.aspx