Farewell Blogger

Since I have been unable to figure out all the ins and outs of using this site and my new mac together,  I am closing this blog and starting a new at www.web.mac/jeriannseverson   .  Please head there for new info on the Family adventures!

Well, it has been WAY too long since my last update.  The good news it is mainly because we are so busy enjoying our new home here in Vienna.  And because following my using the wrong adapter to plug in my computer, ( which sent sparks flying) Byron bought me an Apple.....which I am still figuring out.  We just returned from a great trip to the US where Byron received his jet rating (this is a big deal for pilot types) and can now fly the Hawker jets he sells!!  Alexander and I spent some time with our family in NJ and then in FL.  It was fabulous!  Seeing Alexander with his cousins Joe & Dante was incredible.  He adores them both so much.  The FL sun was spectacular and we hit the beach everyday.  Our boy is a water beast!  He had no fear and ran right into the Gulf up to his neck!  Forget the pool,...he hops right in whether there is someone there to catch him or not!  We had a blast.  Alexander couldn't be more crazy about his Grandma & PopPa either.   It could be the fact that they have a ceiling fan in every room, but I think it is more likely that they are just so much fun!  He has been looking for them since we arrived back home.  He wakes up and says "PopPa?"."FanFan?"...he has also been looking for his buddy Blue whom he would have games of chase with daily at their house.  You can see photos and videos from our trip at www.gallery.mac.com/jeriannseverson

On the agenda for the next few months is a trip to Geneva, Berlin, and Chester.  We are hoping to plan a family trip to Greece or Italy in June/July and then in October.........we are welcoming baby number two!! Please pray for safe travels and a healthy baby!

Elf (11)

Hola from Malaga, Spain on the coast of the Mediterranean just 1.5 hours east of Gibraltar. I have had quite a week. I started in Berlin where I saw the remains of "the wall". After one short day there, I flew through Zurich to Geneva. I got in late and it took me some time to find the hotel (didn't help that I had no map!).

The next morning, I drove from Geneva to Sion in the Swiss Alps. It was a lovely drive with beautiful, rugged, snow-capped mountains and vineyards cut into the mountain bases. It was hard to imagine how the farmers tend to the vineyards since the gradients are so steep-thats a hard living!

When I got to Sion, the Swiss Air Force was practicing landings at this small mountain airport. They have something similar to the T-38 bit it's ppainted red with a big, white Swiss cross on the tail...pretty cool!

As I drove into the airport, I noted several castles built on mountain tops. The Swiss have obviously been masterful at self-protection and preservation! I saw my Ukranian customers off on their demo to Kiev and then went to buy some Swiss chocolate for my wife (being Valentine's and all) at a little gas station. The attendant spoke French, as most do in this area of die Schweiz (Switzerland). I've found that my French comes in as handy as the German I've learned.

Anyway, I returned to Geneva and past, once again, the lovely blue lake at the foot of a towering mountain just outsidse of Lausanne (breathtaking).

I flew to Manchester, England that evening through brussels. It was a very tight connection. I made my flight but apparently my luggage didn't. It will catch up to me in Vienna sometime next week. Meanwhile, I'm on day 3 with these clothes. Let's just say I'm starting to fit in with the aroma of the locals!Traveling light is key here I'm learning and I may get used to just carrying extra undergarments on these trips and a shirt or two. Losing luggage is a real drag.

Anyway, I hosted my Icelandic Hawker 4000 customer yesterday in Chester where we allowed himk to choose his colors for his new $21M jet. He and his wife are very nice, speak excellent English (and Icelandic and Spanish) and enjoyed the day. After, we flew down in a Hawker to Malaga, Spain.

I've told Jer that Malaga is a place we need to come to again. Its right on the mediterranean and the spanish would appear to have a great flair for life (so did my guest next door in the hotel apparently as he came crashing in at 1:30am). Well, we're on approach to Madrid, my connecrion on the way to Vienna so I'll sign off. Many beautiful sights this week but none as beautiful as the two to whom I'm returning!!!

Asta Luego
Cheers
A bientôt
Bis spater

Byron
+43.676.774.2779 (Vienna mobile)
+1.732.921.2100 (U.S. mobile)

CONGRATULATIONS MILLER FAMILY!!!

Congratulations to our friends Rob, Melissa, and Jake Miller who are expecting a baby girl this July!!! 

Zehn

Today was our first snowfall in Vienna.  The flakes were huge and just barely sticking but the park outside our window looked pretty with the white dusting.  It was sort of like a rain storm in FL... after about an hour it stopped and the sun is shining crazy bright now.  There isn't much new to report.  We are settled in now and finally have the last room of the apartment organized.  Ah no more shopping missions left.  What's a girl to do? Oh maybe prepare for guests?? We are ready so come on over!!  

Alexander is all set to start kindergarten in March.  At the same time Byron & I are going to start taking some intensive German classes 4-5x per week.  Hopefully we will actually get to use some of our German after that.  As it is now, we say one German word and then everyone speaks English to us.  I guess our accents aren't very good yet.  It will be fun to see if we can keep up with Alexander in the language department.

Neun

Greetings From Wien!! Finally a minute to type and an internet connection happen at the same time!! We have been settling into our new apartment for the last two weeks and it has been nothing short of wonderful. The apartment Byron found for us is perfect. Alexander is loving all the space to cruise and of course his own table with chairs in his bedroom. Byron & I are loving that he is sleeping in his own big boy bed all night long! Ahhh. We have been enjoying a ton of walking, eating, drinking, and of course shopping. We learned the hard way that adapters would not do the trick for most of our appliances so on the bright side we have a really incredible new coffee maker, toaster, and vaccum cleaner. After stinking it out for almost three weeks we also finally have a washer and dryer. Alexander & I have found a nice gym that offers babysitting 3 times per week. It is not ideal, but beggers can't be choosers. It is the only fitness center in the city that offers any child care at all! Luckily we were led to a nice church where we met several other expats from various parts of the world. The pastor's name is Tom, but he is surely no Tom Sigley. We are missing our Crossroads, but this seems to be a good place for us for now. Byron is waiting for an office at the airport which will be a quick train ride away but in the meantime he has a great temporary office that an easy 10 minute walk from the apartment. On the way he passes just about anything that should strike his fancy. Namely the "Anker" which is sort of the Dunkin Donuts of Austria. Coffee, Croissants, and Pastries. So life is shaping up and starting to feel more and more like we live here and aren't just on vacation anymore. This week we are hoping to recieve our official residence permits, cable TV (with a whooping 3 English speaking channels...BBC Prime, BBC World News, and CCN), a home phone, and a school for Alexander. Yup, big boy is heading to kindergarten. Children start school much earlier here, and we really want him to learn the language... so that he can help us!! We are visiting two this week. Please say a few prayers for us that we find the right place for our little guy. Check back soon to see a slide show of the city and our new home!

Temporary Living Slideshow

http://s238.photobucket.com/albums/ff254/jeriannseverson/?action=view&current=1fde9790.pbw