Christmas Market with the Neves

We had been so busy the weeks leading up to our friends arrival that we literally had no time to enjoy all the Berlin has to offer at Christmas.  It REALLY does it up right.  I feel like I need a redo for the pre-Christmas season here as we missed half of it.
But Chris, Amanda, Elliott and Sydney arrived and we were all so excited to meet them at the train station.
They definitely weathered that LOOONGG flight and travel day better than we do or they are very good actors because they barely seemed tired.

We made our way back to our new apartment and their new home for the week. It was hard to peel Josie away from her best friend whom she hadn't seen in nearly 5 months but we eventually headed back to our home just a 15 or so minute walk away.

The next day our kids still had their final day of school before the break so Elliott joined Josie at school for most of the day.  It was super cool because all of Josie's friends and even her teachers were excited to have Elliott come visit.  We all went to dinner in Zehlendorf and then hit or first German Christmas market of the season!  In the end it was nice to have saved all the Berlin Christmassy things to do together with the Neves.

Our teeny tiny little Zehlendorf Christmas market came complete with a fake, plastic ice skating rink.  Every time we would peek in throughout the weeks leading up to our first visit it looked like the kids and those skating spent more time on the ground that skating. 

Our kids were no different in the beginning but near the end they were all skating like champs.  Although very difficult to get a picture with them all up at  the same time.  They had a

BLAST.  So many laughs and even though it was pretty cold outside they all took their coats off from being too hot.
A successful first visit to a Christmas market for all of us.

Yummy German Gluwein (warm, spiced wine) and this one was actually on fire.