3 Cute Girls and a Wonderful Sister

So my time here in Germany has come to a close. It is definitely bittersweet. One one hand I miss my wonderful parents and of course my car, but on the other hand I will be super sad to leave my three adorable girlies! They are so funny!! Mary still is confused about my real name sometimes calling me, Mom,Anne and Oma. I get some weird looks when she calls me Oma in public, like what? you are old enough to be a grandma?, hello no. Leah is adorable, the other day she ran into the room said "Anne you're perfect!" and ran out. See, instant self-esteem boost! The other night I was asking Leah and Elsa what they wanted to be when they grow up. Leah said "Well I'm still gonna be Leah when I grow up!!" and Elsa said "umm I will be a Mommy with 7 children" These girls are too funny. Last night we went to a Christmas market in Bad Salzufen (isn't that a fun name). It was pretty great, except of course the girlies were whining about going on a ride the whole time. And it wasn't that cold so that was a plus I guess, although I wish it would have snowed while I was here. It snowed once but it was like maybe a centimeter and then it melted quickly. Today was a fun day, I picked the girls up from Kindergarten and then I took them to the park. I got some great pics -

Aren't they such gorgeous girls!! I absolutely love Elsa's eyes in these pictures too! So beautiful! I was talking to the girls about how I have to leave and I asked Leah if she wanted to come with me in my suitcase she said yes but Anne I have to bring my carseat. LOL Isn't that hilarious? Love these girls, gonna be a tearfest when I leave ;( sadness. I am glad I got to have such a fun time with them though, and Katie too! Thanks Katie for letting me come play with your kids for a month, it was a lot of fun!!!!

Think

http://www.upworthy.com/loneliness-illustrated-so-beautifully-you-will-need-to-tell-someone?c=ufb1


Wow, this video kinda blows your mind. Go watch it, its crazy.

My Amazing Family

M.D. -My Dad-Richard Jackson-Awesome-

I love my Dad so much!!!! He is pretty much the best Father in the whole wide world, not no pretty much the best he IS the best! I am so thankful to have an amazing father like him. He is such a good person and he provides for me, teaches me, loves me, says lovely things like "I love you spitless" and "This is gemutlich (dont know how to spell that)". I am so blessed to have a Dad like him, especially when I see some of my friends whose parents are divorced or their Dad is a drunk or something, and my Dad is amazing. This has been established especially in the last few months after he was diagnosed with cancer. He has never given up and though I'm sure it has been overwhelmingly devastating and hard he continues to live and love us just the same. I love you so much Dad, you are amazing. I LOVE YOU! (This picture was taken illegally in Florence, Italy last year at Thanksgiving, that trip was a lot of fun, especially the illegal pictures :)

My Mom-Caregiver-MOMupsidedownisWOW-Amazing-

My Mother is Amazing. That is the best way to totally describe her. I love her so much!!! My Mother is the most amazing women on the planet (ask others from this post, they will agree). My favorite times with her are mostly in the car, singing (thanks for putting up with my voice) laughing, talking, crying, etc. She is the most thoughtful person I know and she is obviously SO gorgeous! She rarely thinks of herself, she is always there for other people. She is always there for me. I am so glad to have her as my Mom, I hope to grow up to be like her someday. Sometimes in my wild teenager state I don't show my gratitude or my love very well but it is always there. She is my Best Friend Forever. Thank you for everything you do mom. I LOVE YOU!( This picture was taken legally in Sicily, Italy this year during Spring Break)

My sister-Elizabeth-Super

My sister Elizabeth is super...at everything. She is a supermom, supersister, superfriend, super super. She is awesome. She is such a great sister, she always knows the right thing to say and do. She has 4 crazy little boys and yet she still manages to be FANTASTIC everyday. I don't know how she does it, but she is definitely SUPERMOM. I am so grateful for her example in my life and I am glad that through this awful move at least I will be able to see her more often. (YAY) I LOVE YOU!!! (This picture was taken on our siblings adventure that we had right before everyone went their separate ways)

My sister- Katie- Wonderful

My sister, Katie is wonderful. She is an AH-mazing person/mother. She has 3 cute girlies and soon 1 boy and she is a great mother. I love that she is so creative and it is shown all around her house by cute things she has created. I am so glad she is my sister. She is a great sister, she knows exactly how to make everyone laugh and feel better. She is so strong too, she can handle pretty much anything an everything that is thrown her way. I LOVE YOU!! (This picture was taken last Christmas when I was experimenting with my new camera, so we had a impromptu photo shoot in the back yard :)

My sister-Stella-Fun

My sister, Stella is just fun. She is super funny and energetic and just fun. She says the most hilarious things without even trying. For example one night I was talking about how I was a little sad to be giving away my cat so Stella said "Don't worry Anne, I can sleep next to you and lick you face at night." She is just hilarious like that. I am so glad that I get to see her all the time now that we live in the same place. I am grateful for her example and I am grateful that when I was little she always played Barbies with me and dressed up as Mrs. Moon to entertain me. (Thanks Stephie!) I LOVE YOU!! (This picture was taken shortly after we got to Texas when Stella took me to Orange Leaf for the first time :)

My brother-Erik-Cool

My brother Erik is a cool guy. He is the closest to me in age so he is the only one I got to kind of grow up with. I am glad I did. We didn't like each other so much growing up but now I love him. He is a very giving person, he always thinks about others and tries to help them out. He is also very good at cheering people up when they are down, which is a pretty fantastic quality to have if you ask me. I am grateful for his example to me. I LOVE YOU! ( This picture was taken in Talinn, Estonia a year ago when we went on a Baltic Cruise, Erik really wanted a fur hat :)

And then there's me. I'm not going to say anything about myself except that this Thanksgiving I am so grateful for my AMAZING FAMILY! Thanks for putting up with me and loving me no matter what. I promise I will get better someday....hopefully. I LOVE MY FAMILY!!

Bucket List

Ok so I decided to write down my bucket list and I can come back every once in a while and add of cross off what I have done. Most of these ideas are stolen from my pinterest board hehe. Just something fun...

My Bucket List:

1. Ride a submarine
2. Move to New York
3. Swim in every ocean
4. Experience zero gravity
5. Buy flowers for someone for no reason
6. Do something crazy a break a bone
7. Drive down route 66
8. Witness a wedding proposal
9. Visit the Taj Mahal
10. Step foot on all 7 continents (2/7)
11. Fly a plane
12. Design my own dream house
13. Find out how many balloons it takes to lift myself off the ground
14. Be an assistant to a professional photographer
15. Watch the ball drop in Times Square
16. Visit Sydney Austrailia
17. Ride in a hot air balloon
18. Fall in love
19. Hold a monkey
20. Have someone win me a giant stuffed animal
21. See the great pyramids
22. Visit all 50 states
23. Go to a drive in movie
24. Lay on the road in the middle of the night
25. Stay in an ice hotel
26. Jump in a pool fully clothed
27. Swim in a fountain
28. Shop in NYC
29. Let go of a floating lantern
30. Ride the London eye
31. Walk on the Great Wall of China
32. Get in a taxi and yell "follow that car!"
33. Learn how to braid properly
34. Visit every major U.S. landmark
35. Get tickets to the ellen show
36. Have a mud fight
37. Shower under a waterfall 
38. Ride a camel in Egypt
39. Throw a dart at a map and travel to wherever it lands
40. Find the end of a rainbow
41. Send a message in a bottle
42. Find nemo
43. Ride an elephant
44. See a tornado
45. See the northern lights
46. Catch a jar of lightning bugs
47. Go to the olympics
48. Sing in the rain
49. Ride a subway in New York
50. Learn fluent sign language (working on that one)
51. Build an igloo
52. Have a massive water balloon fight
53. Shop on black friday 
54. Watch fireworks from inside a plane
55. Visit Rio de Janeiro
56. Go on a no budget shopping spree in Sephora
57. Be in two places at once
58. Skate in central park (Learn to skate first)
59. Find and go on the biggest roller coaster in the world
60. Have a paint fight
61. Go on a no budget shopping spree
62. Have a perfect kiss
63. Have a best friend who will never let me down (Have one)
64. Have an adventure like Jack and Rose
65. Run through a field of sunflowers
66. Climb Mt. Everest (eh thats not happening)
67. Play hide and seek in Ikea
68. Live happily ever after
69. Lay down in a field of daisies
70. Own a nikon
71. Read 365 books in one year
72. Ride a gondola
73. Live in my dream house
74. Find p. sherman 42 wallaby way, sydney
75. Go to times square
76. Be able to do makeup well (working on that too)
77. Marry the love of my life
78. Survive a natural disaster
79. Smash a pie in someones face
80. Travel first class
81. Run a 5k
82. Graduate college
83. Visit outer space
84. Visit Disney world
85. Take couple pictures in a photobooth
86. Own a Polaroid camera
87. Go on a shopping spree with my best friend (ish)
88. Go to an airport and buy tickets for a random flight
89. Own a collection of high end makeup
90. Watch every movie Audrey Hepburn was in
91. Have a wardrobe I love 100% of the time
92. Have a huge gorgeous walk in closet
93. Have a glowstick fight
94. Travel the world without a destination 
95. Go to India
96. Have a house with a spiral staircase
97. Watch a meteor shower
98. Own a pair of toms in every color
99. Find the perfect L.B.D.
100. Be in a blizzard
101. Ride in a limo
102. Own a typewriter
103. Get lost in a big city with someone
104. Read all the books on my goodreads to-read shelf

There's probably more but thats all I can think of now. Hopefully I accomplish all of these someday.

Here in Deutschland

My trip to DC was amazing and although I was only there for a few days it confirmed my dreams of living in a big city. I've said before, I just love the energy and the feel of it. Going to DC was my first time exploring an American City which was different and wonderful. I loved seeing my bestie Ashlynne too! We spent a lot of time shopping in Sephora (more like wishing), Forever 21 and H&M, it was fantastic. Also being in DC was such a great break from the heat and humidity of Texas. We went to Georgetown, Downtown DC and a lot of other fun places. I loved taking the subway, I am weird like that. :) I am so glad I got to spend the day with Ash when she turned 17, it was amazing. Pretty funny,two years ago on her birthday we went shopping in K-town, last year we went to Disneyland Paris and then this year it was DC! I hope the tradition continues! I also loved seeing her family again, they are so fun. I was sad to leave but encouraged by the thought that I am going to pass through again on my way home.

 The view from her bedroom window.

 SEPHORA!!

 Georgetown.

 Ash did my hair because she is a hair genius like that.

 Downtown DC

 She did my hair again

 On our last night we made cake pops but they took FOREVER to make so when they were done it was around 2am.

 Gorgeous Ash on her Birthday!

Well I have now been back in Germany for about two weeks and I am going to be here for 18 more days. Life here is full of little girl kisses, toys, ponies, animated movies, screaming, pouting, chocolate and warm snuggles to name a few. The three cuties are Elsa (5), Leah (4) and Mary (2). They are adorable and so fun. I love being able to play with them everyday that is wonderful. It is tiring at times (especially because they love getting up at 7 and I am not a morning gal) but mostly wonderful. I am also grateful for my wonderful sister who is a wonderful example of how I want to be as a mother someday. I am grateful that I have such wonderful sisters to look up to. Katie and I have awesome sister time after the girls are all finally asleep and that is great!(Just realized that I used the word wonderful entirely too much but oh well, its a good word :)

Mary is hilarious she is like a sponge, she repeats everything you say, but she says "I wove you!" with no encouragement, so cute! Leah is a little snuggly love, as soon as she wakes up she comes and gives me a long hug it is wonderful. Elsa is getting so big and she is obsessed with My Little Pony. Elsa is funny whenever she sees me putting on makeup she says "oh thats beautfiul, but why are you doing that?" With such energetic girlies and a small house sometimes an escape is necessary so I have taken up being obsessed with social media; twitter, polyvore, wanelo, instagram, youtube, etc. I love it! And I have discovered a new amazing band called Bastille they are awesome! Their album is definitely on my Christmas list (see that Mom?)  Anyways this week is Thanksgiving and it looks like we might have a house full of sick girls by then, hopefully not. I'm having lots of fun here but when I leave I will be happy for my room again....and my car:) 

Music, skunks, and a plane ticket....

I have recently discovered this awesome site called rdio.com it is pretty awesome, except after a free 14 day trial it is 10$ per month to use it. It is kind of like itunes in that is has everything and then you can make playlists and listen to it from your phone, computer, etc. It is pretty cool! Confession: I have about 4 emails two that I never use anymore and 2 recent ones, so for the free trial all it needs is your email so I have just given it a different email and gotten the free trial 4 times.... is that bad? I don't know, but it works, anyway I am now using my parents email and I feel like I might have to start paying for it soon...ugh. Anyway I have discovered some cool artists from rdio! Such as; Lenka, Lena, Regina Spektor, Ellie Goulding, He is We, and you know that song Royals that is soooo overplayed that you kind of hate it now? Yeah well I decided to look up other things by Lorde and she has some other pretty good songs so that's something. I only have 8 more days left before my last free trial ends, hopefully I can convince the parents to pay for a month or two.

So today I woke up and I smelled a very strange smell, I didn't think much of it but when I got back from seminary (early morning church class) I found Dad downstairs laying on the futon with a blanket over his nose. He promptly told me that George had gone out and gotten himself sprayed by a skunk and rubbed the smell all over the house....ewwwww. So the day consisted of looking up home remedies such as; tomato juice, bowls of vinegar everywhere, cooking spices (only made it smell like a spicy skunk sprayed), two dog baths, lots of air freshener and all the windows open. I have to say this is the worst smell ever, I mean yes of course you would expect a skunk to smell awful but this bad? I didn't think so, boy was I wrong. It is so gross and its everywhere! There is no escape! The smell also made me get a bad headache so I had a nap underneath all my blankets, which sort of helped. Anyway I really hope this smell will go away, if not I will simply have to leave...

Here is the culprit, he smells awful but he is so cute with his sad puppy eyes! We have kind of been shunning him all day, poor thing....

So my amazing sister Katie, who lives in Bielefeld, Germany, is pregnant and she also has three adorable little girls and her husband is in Japan for 3 months for work. She is having a hard time so my parents thought about it and looked at plane tickets and they were really cheap. So now the plan is in the works to go and live with my lovely sister for a month to help her out. Which will be fun because I will get to go back to Germany (Yay) and see my sister and nieces!! It will be hard but I'm hopeful I can give Katie a much needed and deserved break! So I am leaving on the Nov. 5 from DC which is conveniently where my bestie Ashlynne lives! So I am going to go and visit her for a couple of days before I fly out to Germany! I am so excited! I miss that girlie so much! We are already making all sorts of fun plans, it will be fantastic! So there is my life update. 

Katie with two cute girls! Isn't she gorgeous?

My bestie Ash! 

In other news Dad is doing amazing and he is almost done with his first chemo/radiation round! Tomorrow is his last day! He is such a touper I would just give up but he just keeps going! I love you Daddy!

Being a star...

This is an awesome article that a friend posted on Facebook. It describes everything perfectly! GO READ IT! NOW!

https://medium.com/repatriation-after-the-shipment-is-unpacked/3b9fd76169f2

I AM A STAR!! AND PROUD!

WARNING:Passionate Reader Post!

I am in love with reading! I always have been, it is just like traveling to a whole new world. You can experience so much in books! It is amazing. Especially now I feel like reading is such a great escape, you can just sit down and not think about your problems for awhile and get caught up in someone's else's life. I don't know how people can even say they don't like reading! What's not to like? I think something might be wrong with those people but maybe its just me. Maybe I'm just a weird reading geek because it is definitely not the cool thing to do but oh well, who am I trying to impress anyway, I don't have any friends, no worries!  I recently found some awesome quotes from people that know exactly how I feel!

"That moment when you finish a book, look around an realize that everyone is just carrying on with their lives... as though you didn't just experience emotional trauma at the hands of a paperback." -Unknown

"Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers." -Charles W. Elliot

"What an astonishing thing a book is. It's a flat object made from a tree with flexible parts on which are imprinted lots of funny dark squiggles. But one glance at it and your inside the mind of another person, maybe somebody dead for thousands of years. Across the millennia, an author is speaking clearly and silently inside your head, directly to you. Writing is perhaps the greatest of human inventions, binding together people who never knew each other, citizens of distant epochs. Books break the shackles of time. A book is proof that humans are capable of working magic." -Carl Sagan

"Words cannot do justice to the pleasures of a good bookshop. Ironically." -Unknown

"Sometimes you read a book so special you want to carry it around for months after you've finished just to stay near it." -Markus Zusak

"Reading gives us someplace to go when we have to stay where we are."-Unknown

"If you think reading is boring, you're doing it wrong." -Unknown

Anyway I thought I would list my top ten books just for fun or something. 

1. Harry Potter- (all of them) obviously! I think these books might be the reason I started to love reading! My whole family was obsessed with them and it caught on quickly, these are awesome books.
   
2. Heaven is Here- This book is so inspirational! I loved reading it, it made me laugh and cry. I recently reread it and it was definitely helpful. I love her, I wish I could have her strength.
   
3. The Hunger Games- This book was just an intriguing read! I think I read it in less than 6 hours. :D
   
4. Fahrenheit 451- This one was just so interesting! I loved it. It made you think too...
   
5. Enders Game- Just a fun read.
   
6. The Diary of a Young Girl- Also a very inspiring and interesting book.
   
7. Divergent- I obviously like dystopian books..... yep
   
8. The Princess Bride- I saw the movie first and then decided I had to read the book and it was not disappointing, it was very good actually.
   
9. The Time Travelers Wife
   
10. My Sister's Keeper- Made me cry! Way better than the movie.
    

Anyway that is the end of my nerdy post on my love of books and reading. I think this was brought on by the fact that I am going to Barnes and Noble tomorrow! I am so excited, that is one thing, they really did not have good bookstores in Germany. I am also going to see if they have any job openings because I need a job and it would be a dream to work there, cross your fingers.....