"Life is just a mirror, and what you see out there, you must first see inside of you"
Last weekend i went with my third host sister to a club, and that was great!! We went to the next city over, and the club, was a new one. We got there about 20 minutes before it opened, because we knew there would be a line. So, we got in the line and only waited about 45 minutes, and when we got up to the front, the security guards actually looked inside my purse!!! I was very suprised. So of course i turned to Laura (my host sister) and asked why in the world were they looking inside my bag?!? And she said they were checking for weapons...and of course i had my Epi-Pen in my bag...that took a bit of explaining, but in the end we ended up getting in.The first half an hour or so, was pretty boring...no one was dancing, and it wasnt quite full yet. But once people got there and the dancing started it was a lot of fun. My friend Saskia also ended up being there, so that was pretty cool getting to hang out with her! We stayed till around midnight, and then we went home, and i went straight to bed.
The next morning, i woke up, and my host mom decided it was time to start getting Christmas decorations down. So, she went into the attic and brought down a lot of decorations. We brought them all downstairs, and then my host mom started unpacking them and placing them around the house. Here in Germany, people dont really put up thousands of lights outside, no huge snowwglobes with snowmen, or santa...they dont concentrate much on the outside of the house. But, inside, they have a put on little figurines they place on windows, or on the table, etc. They also celebrate something called Advent. Advent is basically the coming of Jesus. I dont think they see it as a time of prayer and fasting, like some of us do in the states. But they have something called an Adventkranz. Meaning, Advent Candle. My host mom made her own, which is the picture. Once a week, before Christmas, a candle is lit. As you can see, there are four candles, meaning four weeks before Christmas. My host mom handmade hers. I couldnt believe it! As you can see, its beautiful! Like something you would buy at a store. Over the past couple of weeks, i've noticed my host mom is excellent at handmaking various things. She also made a really pretty door decoaration. You hang it on your door, i dont know what its called in English...or in German, but its really cool. She used pieces of pine tree, to make it so it doesnt clang really loud when the wind blows. And i've watched her make this little table decoration, again using different plants from outside, its really nice. And one of the rooms here, she hand made all the curtains!! She also hand makes sweaters...shes really talented! 
I left around 1:00pm to go with Laura, and Sabine (3rd host mom) and a friend for a walk with Luna. We walked through this path in the forest, for about an hour, and it eventually opened up to a restaurant. (The same restaurant i visited a few months earlier, with the Urny girls...i'm sure its mentioned in one of my posts) I again ordered the Potato Soup (my favorite!) And we talked and ate. and then my host mom, Martina was there too! She was meeting with a few friends at the same restaurant we were in, it was funny. Then Me, Laura, Sabine, and Sabines friend went to the horse stables. It was great to see and be with the horses. My host sister has been riding for over 7 years! I really hope sometime i can go riding while i'm here, with Laura. =) Then Sabine and her friend went and got the car (Laura and i both were exhausted, so we stayed with horses while the others walked down to the car, and we waited to get picked up) I really like meeting with my other host families, because i am hoping it will make the change easier...Speaking of switching host families, i will be switching next month. I can hardly believe it!! I have been here nearly 4.5 months...its unbelievable!! After Christmas, when i get back from Austria, i will be changing to my second host family. To be honest, i am a little nervous. I have finally figured everything out in the host family...i mean my first few days here were insane. I remember my first weekend, asking myself, oh god, do they shower before they go down for breakfast? Am i supposed to wait an hour or so, so Rudolf and Martina can talk alone and read the newspaper? Am i allowed to go downstairs before a certain time in the morning? And on weekdays, i never had any idea what time i should be ready by...it was very confusing, and exhausting my first few weeks, trying to fgure out the routines of this family...and i know it will be the same way when i switch host families. I will have to figure out the new families routines...etc.
My first host family is wonderful, and i am so very thankful to them, for hosting me these past couple of months. They were always patient with my language, and were always sweet and caring. I am so happy i was able to spend these past couple months as a member of their wonderful family.
I've all ready met my second host family, which definitely makes the change easier. They are extremely nice!! My host second host mom, Gaby has come with us to a few different places, and when i talk to her, i can see she is very nice, and also patient with my language, which is good!!! I look forward to staying with them.
In the states this past weekend was Thanksgiving. A few weeks earlier, i had told my host family a little about thanksgiving, and mentioned its the first major holiday away from home. And my host mom suggested i celebrate Thanksgiving here! I was sooo happy!! So, i began planning and thinking of the various foods we make on thanksgiving, pumpkin pie, aunt sherri's jello, mashed potatoes with corn, stuffing, and of course Turkey. The next couple weeks passed by, and we'd gone grocery shopping, and i kept looking for a can of pumpkin pie mix, or something...there was no luck with this what so ever. I couldnt begin to imagine Thanksgiving with no pumpkin pie!!!
So, i searched the internet for a recipe for making a pumpkin pie...from a pumpkin in the garden. Well, thank God, i found a recipe!! So, the night before Thanksgiving my host mom and i went shopping, for a pumpkin, and various other ingredients. And we found a pumpkin...a Bio Pumpkin (Organic Pumpkin) I am sure I've mentioned before how my hosts eat organically...and we find an organic pumpkin, it was hilarious.
The next day, i got home from school, ate lunch, and immediatly began to start cooking. (This was around 1:30pm.) Everyone,(Martina, Rudolf, Marius, Domi, Britta, and my host grandma) were to arrive at 7:30pm. So, i figured the first thing would be to start the jello, and make sure it chills on time, (2 hours) So, by about 3 i had the jello prepared, and ready to chill in the fridge for the next 2-3 hours. Then, i began with he pumpkin.
So, i followed my recipe step by step,
Step 1. Wash pumpkin (without soap) so, i washed my pumpkin, being sure to use no soap (haha).
Step 2. Cut pumpkin in half, and remove the seeds. I began searching for knife to cut my bio pumpkin in half, thinking, that will take like 2 minutes at the very most. How very wrong i was!!! I used one of the sharpest knifes i could find..but it wasnt going over very easily. All in all, it took me about 30 minutes to cut the pumpkin in half. (It is now a little after 3:30) Now time to remove the seeds. That was pretty easy, messy but easy. Once seeds were removed, i separated the seeds from the pumpkin glop, so i could later bake them.
Step 3. Cut the pumpkin into four parts. How wonderful, yet again cutting the pumpkin. So, i went to cut the pumpkin around 4:00pm. All the while, in my head i am telling myself not to cut my finger off...This time it wasnt to hard, only took about 10 minutes.
Step 4. Use a microwavable bowl, put 4 inches of water inside, and place four pieces of pumpkin in bowl and microwave for 30 minutes. Easy enough right? If your in your own home, and know which bowls are allowed to be used inside the microwave for that amount of time, yes its so easy. but here i had no idea which bowls i could use for the microwave. So, after about 10 minutes of panicking, i decided to text my host brother Marius, and ask him which bowls i can use for the microwave (my hosts have over like...50 different bowls, i swear) He so helpfully replied, to not use a plastic one....well, that was helpful, but i still didnt know which one i could use....so, i replied, would a white one be okay, and he said yes, that should work out okay. (My host mom was at a conference, my host brother was at a friends, and my host dad was working, i was cooking alone) So, i placed the four pieces in bowl, and began microwaving in 10 minute intervals.
Step 5. After finished microwaving, the pieces of the pumpkin should be soft enough to remove the shell. Remove shell, and place pumpkin glop in separate bowl. Sure, easy...Well, i took the bowl out, and of course it was boiling hot, which of course means that the pumpkin pieces are also bowling hot. Well, i drained the water, grabbed a knife and a spoon, and picked up the first top pumpkin piece. And began to peel the shell off. And it seemed pretty easy, i was like thank God. By now its about 5:30-5:45pm. So, i finished the first chunk of pumpkin peeling, grabbed the next one, and it came off pretty easily. Then i grabbed the third piece, and it seemed hard as rock. So, i put it back in the mircowave for about 10 minutes, and it made no difference. So, i began cutting random chunks out of the third piece. Then out of the fourth piece, it was even worse. and it was so hot, i could hardly touch it. I managed to get enough out of shelling it. I'd had enough of the stupid pumpkin, and it was now 6:30pm. In one hour everyone was going to get here, and i hadnt even begun the stuffing, ot anything else other than the sweet stuff!!!!Step 6 Puree pumpkin glob. So, i started trying to mash it with a spoon, and it went okay, except for the rock hard pieces...so, then i tried using a mixer. and the pieces wouldnt get any smaller!!! I finally gave up..
Step 7 Mix all together, and bake. So, i mixed all the ingrediants together...and it just didnt look right. it looked super watery, and i was like, just wonderful!!
(Step 8) Freak out and run upstairs and attempt to get ahold of someone who could tell me how to make pumpkin pie mix thicker. (I was told that by baking it, it should get better...and thicker...) THANKS KATI!!!
Step 9 Make pie crust, and that was simple. At this point, my host mom called me and told me she would soon be home. And she asked if everything was okay...i looked around me, at the stupid pumpkin pieces, and my burnt hands...and said "Yeah, everything's great! Almost finished with the pumpkin pie". So, then i began baking the pie.
I set off to finish making Aunt sherri's jello, and it worked out pretty well. Finished with the jello salads, i put them back in the fridge, and began making the stuffing. (Only 45 mins before everyone came!!) Thank god, my host mom came home, and began making the mashed potatoes. Well, the stuffing only took about 15 minutes to make, and since we decided that cooking a turkey would have been to hectic, we made Grilled cheese sandwiches.
In the end, i finished a few minutes after 7:30pm. We all sat down around 8, and began eating. My host mom had been very nervous about eating American Food (I dont think shes a big fan of it...) Well, everyone got a little bit of everything and tried it, and it turned out tasting wonderful! Everyone liked the grilled cheese, and the stuffing. We then had the jello, and the pumpkin pie, which was everyones favorite. But the weirdest thing was, we had the pumpkin pie warm. I have never eaten pumpkin pie warm before, but it tasted pretty good. 
After this, we all cleaned up together, and then my friends went home, and i went and sat with my host family. They talked about Thanksgiving, and thanked me for making it. It was really a lot of fun, and definitely helped the homesickness. To be honest, thinking of thanksgiving in the states, i was quite homesick. Made me really miss my family, this was the first year i wasnt with my family, or my brother Kevin, for thanksgiving. But, i am so happy i was able to celebrate it here, and my host mom was so sweet. We even said what we were thankful for at the table, and my host mom said i could speak English! All in all, i really helped to celebrate it here.
Sitting with my host family, we somehow got onto the topic of baby books. And i was able to see my host brothers baby book, it was cute. We then looked through all the other photo albums, and i learned my hosts met eachohter in 7th grade, and then started dating in 10th grade, and ended up married!!! I find that the sweetest thing ever!! =)
We didnt go to bed until very late, but it was worth it. I really enoyed myself, and being able to make Thanksgiving. It was a great experience!!
Everything else is going good. There is still no snow here, but its getting colder, i am hoping for snow soon!! School is going well. In my Bio class, we'll be baking christmas cookies, and i will be making eggnog! I am excited for that!! And next weekend is something called Nicholaus (sp??) Anyways, its the 6th of December, and we got stockings filled with sweets, and small gifts. I will be spending this weekend, with Rotex on a trip in Aachen. We're going to a Christmas Market...and i am hoping i will find some Christmas gifts there.
Language is getting better every day, i noo longer have language tutoring with Frau Bosse. =( She was very sweet, and i really liked her. And at my last tutoring session, she gave me a book, (Breaking Dawn in German) It was very sweet. But, i am now having "tutoring" at school, with my Geography teacher, and the other exchange students. This one focuses more on speaking, and less on grammar, so hopefully this will help me improve my speaking!! And Frau Thelen speaks amazing English, because she lived in Britain for a few years, and i am excited to have someone who can explain a few things to me, in English, so i can understand it! =)
<3
I even had the chance to go to a Christmas Market this past weekend, and ride Ferris wheel, and try German eggnog! Completely different than in the states! Wealso visited a Museum all about Germany's history, it was really cool. My second host mom came with!!! =) 
