November 30, 3009

From: Claire Owen <clairebang.owen@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, Nov 30, 2009 at 1:13 AM
Subject: Re: Liebe Schwester!
To: Lauren Bangerter <sisterbangerter7@myldsmail.net>

Dear Lauren,
I hope you had a great Thanksgiving!  Did you get to celebrate in any
way?  I'm sure that you're extra thankful anyway because you're a
missionary and so spiritual and things.  Well, I'm thankful for you!
I'm excited to be writing you on our new computer!!!! Wahoo!!!! Adam
and Lindsey found a great deal on a new computer that they needed, so
we jumped on the bandwagon (we've been looking for about a year for a
good price).  Other than that... it's been great to have them here!
It is funny to say "our whole family is here for Thanksgiving...
except the two in Germany" because it really never quite feels like
our whole family.  We love you and miss you!
This week will be a little difficult for me, I'm afraid, since Michael
will be gone Monday-Friday to interviews on both the east and west
coasts!  We haven't been apart that long since we got married... At
least I have Abby... and Mom, and Dad and the boys.  So, I'm blessed
to be here, where I'm much better off than I could be!
Abby and Alina have been darling all week.  So many squeals and loves
and hugs...  One of their favorite things to do is DANCE.  Abby runs
to the monstrosity and taps on the glass to get us to turn on the
music.  Then she and Alina bounce around the room together, giggling
and smiling, and even singing occasionally!  They also have enjoyed
playing with the little car together - Alina climbs in and "steers"
(though she's sometimes in the car completely backwards) and Abby
pushes her around.  Quite cute.  Abby seems to be getting older by
leaps and bounds... aside from actually leaping and bounding, she
seems older because she talks so much more!  She likes to "kolkol"
(color) with crayons on 3 or 4 papers taped to the counter... and she
sits there on a tall stool!  Not in a high chair!  And she doesn't
fall!  She can pick Dad out of the tiniest pictures (Papa!!!), she
tells us if she wants to go up or down the "stairs" (stairs.. yep,
she's got it right).  When we color with her, she dictates that she
wants a "ball" (ball - any circle is now called a ball - it doesn't
even have to be totally round - think a football), "tinkle tickle"
(twinkle twinkle, meaning a star.  She likes me to sing her that song,
bursting my fingers open as I go - and always wants "mo" (more) after
I'm done), and recognizes other objects like "ap-pul" (apple), "orse!"
(horse), and flowers, which she smells.  She has been pointing out the
"emple" when we drive by the temple lately, and today in sacrament
meeting pointed out to Mom that there was a "bemple" on the front of
the hymn book - true, it's really an organ, but why correct her now?
She was also excited to find "bempble"s on my young women medallion,
the front of the family history course manual, and on the cover of and
inside the personal progress book.  She is getting better and better
at imitating things we say.  She's good at saying "LaLeena" (Alina),
and even gets out "Ab-um" (Adam) and "Intzy" (Lindsey) occasionally.
Thanks to Alina being here, and taking naps, she now holds a finger to
her lips and says "ssss" (shh) when we talk about a baby - or points
to my tummy.  I don't know if she thinks there are two meanings for
the word baby (baby and tummy...) but I know she knows what a baby is
when she sees or hears one!  After telling us to quiet down, she then
folds her arms in a cradling position and rocks them back and forth.
She is quite good at communicating "yes" and "no" now - I don't think
she ever confuses the two.  Did I mention that she had a fever for a
few days last week?  It was nice to get our happy, spunky Abby back
once she felt better.  The bad news is that now Alina seems to have
come down with a fever... so I'm not sure how long this cold-swapping
will last (Seth and Steven had fevers before Abby...)  I guess that
just comes with the territory!  It's been fun to have these two little
girls together.  We're sure going to miss Alina and Adam and Lindsey
when they leave tomorrow!
I can't remember the other things I was going to say... so know that I
love you, am praying for you, miss you, and support you!  Has anything
unusual happened lately?  What new thing have you learned about your
companion?
I love you Lauren!
Love,
Claire
p.s.  Just seven weeks until the baby's due!
On Mon, Nov 23, 2009 at 2:21 AM, Lauren Bangerter
<sisterbangerter7@myldsmail.net> wrote:
> Claire - loved the pictures! Loved the Abby  update! I'm glad Michael is doing well. Have a fun THanksgiving! We Don't have much time - hopefully I'll be able to get a letter off to the family a bit later. I love you!
> Lauren
>