The One He Fights For (military girlfriends/spouse tribute)

This video really touched me. I just had to share, especially for all my Military wife friends out there.

Introducing Beck Baby #6!

Well, a LOT has happened in the last four months. I LOVE THAT it's flown by quite a bit though. ONLY, because that puts my sweetheart THAT much closer to coming home. I so love that man of mine.
I marvel somedays about how fortunate I truly am. He is not only my best friend, but my hero too. I admire him so much. He is an AMAZING Dad to our six beautiful children. He's so patient and kind and sacrifices his free time to be with them. They all know how important they are to their Dad and how proud he is of each one. It is a beautiful thing for a child to have such an amazing Dad (I would know. I have one too :-))
Our #6 was born on September 17th. Her name is Angela Isabelle and she is such a treasure for our family. It is amazing to watch our other five children around her. They are all amazed by her, and just can't get enough. They smother her with love and kisses constantly. Not surprisingly, she is the happiest baby we have ever had (to my reccollection). She was smiling when only 2-3 days old, and has kept on smiling ever since. It was especially wonderful that she started smiling so soon, since her Daddy had to head back downrange when she was 11 days old)

We had kept our fingers and toes crossed that Paul would make it home for the birth, and were so happy he did. Ironically, I missed it though. :-)
Explanation:
We were induced the morning of the 17th (two days before Angelas due date). We figured it would be fast and easy because this was my sixth child, and all the other deliveries were fairly easy and quick.(#5 was 3 1/2 hours from start to finish = I was induced)
Well, they started the induction, and a few hours later, nothing was really happening I was having fairly consistent contractions But just wasn't progressing much. The day started to get longer, and longer. Eventually, I was getting contractions right on top of one another and intense ones at that. After about an hour or so of this, I KNEW I had to be close to delivery (like with the others). They checked me, and I was only a "4" (we need a "10" people. ;-) ) and her head was NOT coming down. The Doc said that her head and fused together too much, and was not shifting like it needed to, to make it down the birth canal.
Well, at this point I am QUITE out of it. I have gone un-medicated for my other births, but needed something. The stuff they gave me luckily took the edge off, but unfortunately made me dizzy and queasy and I couldn't think clearly.
IT was decided that I would need a C section. They were going to just give a spinal block though, so I could stay awake and Paul could be in the room. Let's just say the anestheisologist (I'm SURE I spelled THAT wrong. ha ha), was not very good at ALL. They told me it wouldn't hurt, it would just feel like pressure, and that it would be easy. TEN POKES later, he STILL couldn't get it, and it HURT! And not to mention they had me sitting up through MAJOR strong contractions.
They eventually had to put me under.
THUS, I missed the birth. Paul was able to watch from the operating room door though, and was the first person to meet our angel.
It took a couple hours for me to wake up, and when I did, I had major blurry and distorted vision, so I couldn't quite see Angela. BUT, she was here, safe and sound, and she was worth it! We came to find out that the umbilical cord was wrapped around her neck twice too, so thankfully there weren't problems there.
IT was because of the difficult circumstances required to bring her here, that I think she has decided to have such a wonderful disposition. ha ha. She sleeps wonderfully, and is just a happy child . I just can't get enough of her snuggles. I adore this little bundle.
Well, that's it for today. I'll try to update on everyone else soon.
I just have to say, I am truly blessed. I feel fortunate every day for the beautiful spirits in my life! Life is good.

Isaacs video

Has it been that long???

WOW! I can't believe I have gone this long without a post. Crazy! This post will be short. But I will definitely add more soon.
The videos I posted above are the twins giving their campaign speeches at school. I was so proud of them. THey did great! (IT takes a lot of guts to do that in 4th grade, I think) Well, enjoy!

What military wives HATE to hear. . . .

I borrowed this from a friend. Not all of it applies to me personally, but it's a good thing for EVERYONE to keep in mind.--Lydia

TOP 14 Things NOT to say to a military Spouse!!

1. "Aren't you afraid that he'll be killed?"
(This one ranks in at number one on the "duh" list. Of course we're afraid. We're terrified. The thought always lingers at the backs of our minds ---but thanks brilliant, you just brought it back to the front. Maybe next you can go ask someone with cancer if they're scared of dying.)

2. "I don't know how you manage. I don't think I could do it."
(This is intended to be a compliment. Though, its just a little annoying. Here's why: it's not like all of us military wives have been dreaming since childhood of the day we'd get to be anxious single moms who carry cell phones with us to the bathroom and in the shower. We're not made of some mysterious matter that makes us more capable, we just got asked to take on a challenging job. So we rose to the challenge and found the strength to make sacrifices.)

3. "At least he's not in Iraq."
(This is the number one most annoying comment for those whose husbands are in Afghanistan. What do they think is happening in Afghanistan? An international game of golf? Guys are fighting and dying over there.)

4. "Do you think he'll get to come home for Christmas/anniversary/birthday/birth of a child/wedding/family reunion, etc?"
(Don't you watch the news? No! They don't get to come home for any of these things. Please don't ask again.)

5. "What are you going to do to keep yourself busy while he's gone?"
(Short answer: Try to keep my sanity. Maybe there's a military wife out there who gets bored when her husband leaves, but I have yet to meet her. For the rest of us, those with and without children, we find ourselves having to be two people. That keeps us plenty busy. We do get lonely, but we don't get bored.)

6. "How much longer does he have until he can get out?"
(This one is annoying to many of us whether our husbands are deployed or not. Many of our husbands aren't counting down the days until they "can" get out. Many of them keep signing back up again and again because they actually love what they do or they VOLUNTEER AGAIN and AGAIN to go back to Iraq b/c there is work that needs to be done.)

7. "This deployment shouldn't be so bad, now that you're used to it."
(Sure, we do learn coping skills and its true the more deployments you've gone through, the easier dealing with it becomes. And we figure out ways to make life go smoother while the guys are gone. But it never gets "easy" and the bullets and bombs don't skip over our guys just because they've been there before. The worry never goes away.)

8A. "My husband had to go to Europe for business once for three weeks. I totally know what you're going through."
(This one is similar to number two. Do not equate your husband's three week trip to London/Omaha/Tokyo/etc. with a 12-15 month or more deployment to a war zone. Aside from the obvious time difference, nobody shot at your husband or tried to blow him up with an I.E.D., your husband could call home pretty much any time he wanted to, he flew comfortably on a commercial plane, slept between crisp white sheets and ate well, paying for everything with an expense account. There is no comparison. We do not feel bonded to you in the slightest because of this comment and, if anything, we probably resent you a bit for it. Comparing a 12 month combat deployment to a few weeks business trip is like comparing a shitty ford taurus with mercedes convertible.)

8B. "OH, my husband has been gone for 3 whole days, I can't wait til he comes home in 2! It's so hard when he's gone"
Are you kidding me??? 5 days, and you get all wound up? Please think about your audience before presenting sob stories like this. Only 5 days would be a dream! (not gonna happen though). Don't whine about short jaunts away, and refer to 8A (above.)

9. "Wow you must miss him?"
(This one also gets antoher big "duh". Of course we miss our men. There are some wives who do not and they're now divorced.)

10. "Where is he exactly? Where is that?"
(I don't expect non-military folks to be able to find Anbar Province on a map, but they should know by now that it's in Iraq. Likewise, know that Kabul and Kandahar are in Afghanistan. Know that Muqtada al Sadr is the insurgent leader of the Mahdi Army in Iraq and that Sadr City is his home area. Our country has been at war in Afghanistan for seven years and at war in Iraq for five years. These basic facts are not secrets, they're on the news every night and in the papers every day ---and on maps everywhere.)

11. "Well, he signed up for it, so it's his own fault whatever happens over there.
(Yes, ignorant, he did sign up. Each and every day he protects your right to make stupid comments like that. He didn't sign up and ask to be hit by anything, he signed up to protect his country. Oh, and by the way, he asked me to tell you that "You're welcome." He's still fighting for your freedom.)

12. "Don't you miss the intimacy! I couldn't do it!"
(hmmm, no i don't miss that. i'm a robot. seriously...military spouses learn quickly that our relationships must be founded on something much greater than the physical side. We learn to appreciate the important things, like simply hearing their voices, seeing their faces, being able to have dinner together every night. And the hard truth is, most relationships probably couldn't withstand 12 months of "deprivation".)

13. "Well in my opinion....."
(Stop right there. Yo, I didn't ask for you your personal political opinions. Hey, I love a heated political debate, but not in the grocery store, not in Jamba Juice, not at Nordstrom, not in a bar when I'm out with my girls trying to forget the war, and CERTAINLY NOT AT WORK. We tell co-workers about deployments so when we have to spend lunch hours running around doing errands and taking care of the house, dog, and kids, they have an understanding. We do not tell co-workers and colleagues because we are giving an invitation to ramble about politics or because we so eagerly want to hear how much they hate the President, esp. while we're trying to heat up our lean cuisines in the crappy office microwaves.)

last but not least....

14. "OH, that's horrible...I'm so sorry!"
(He's doing his job and he's a STUD!. Don't be sorry. Be appreciative and please take a moment out of your comfortable American lives to realize that our soldiers fight the wars abroad so those wars stay abroad

Update

SO,
Paul has been gone for 24 days now, (but who's counting, right? :-) WHat this means is that we only have 341 days left. OR, (even better) 48 movie nights left, OR only 11 fast and testimony meetings AND only 3 group lessons (piano) for me to teach. :-) SEE! THat doesn't sound too bad.
Of course, it also includes one school year for the kids, (including first year with a middle schooler), Three more semesters for me, ANd giving birth to one baby! We can so do this though, right?
I am grateful right now that Paul has arrived at a temporary area (that he'll be at for anywhere from a few weeks to a few months). He arrived safely and it was an uneventful journey (though 9 to 10 hours in a large convoy).
He likes the guys he is working with, and it's nice for me to know a good chunk of these guys too, so I know who they are talking about. Now that I finally got his address, we have been able to mail a package to him. We'll see how it fares.
I wish there was a way I could send a long blast of cold air to him, considering that it is very VERY hot there. He's a tough boy. But it's the wife in me that wishes I could make things better for him.
We have been able to talk on skype a couple of times, which has been nice. We've also got a few phone calls in. THough I tease Paul it's almost like a "blonde conversation," because there is about a 6 second delay in the conversations, and it's like you have to wait for the other person to "understand" the comment. ha ha
It is wonderful having access to different forms of communication though. Phone calls are pricey, but skype and Instant messaging and email all are free (IF he can get a good connection). The point is, we have access when it was SO not available for any of the previous generations.
This was my 2nd Fourth of July as a military spouse. I have always loved that holiday, but it's definitely a different feel when you know you are separated at that moment because of the cause for freedom. It's pretty cool. I'd prefer to be together, but am SOOO proud of what he is doing. SO PROUD! It was a different experience to celebrate it here, in a foreign country. I actually got sick that day, so we stayed home and watched fireworks videos on youtube, ate yummy food, and blew up balloons, so we could pop them with pins (cheap man fireworks. ha ha) We also sang some patriotic music. It was a good day.
So, I am 7 months pregnant now and cannot help but employ the "pregant lady waddle." I have this habit of looking very large by the sixth month, but then don't get THAT much bigger. BUt, it's always "fun" to hear people say "OH! You're NOT that far along after all. . . . .(awkward pause)" I DO try to remind these people that I HAVE had five other children, and the belly kind of knows how to stretch out at this point.
It really is funny what people will say though. SUch is life.
I visited my NEW OB doc for first time this week. I like the office better than the last one, but I got to say, I really Miss my docs in the states. There still is a language barrier. Even though he speaks english, it's not perfect, and there already seems to be trouble understanding certain things. This office actually provides sheets though, so patients don't have to walk around "bottom-less" :-) Always a nice thing.
It's funny though. In life, anytime I figure I have something Figured out, the Lord always humbles me by throwing a new spin on it. I thought I had moving down to an art form (after 17 moves), then was thrown into an INTERNATIONAL move with less than 2 months to prepare.
I thought a single baby after having twins would be a breeze, THEN I had Natalee. (Love my high maintenance daughter VERY much!).
I thought labor is SO not a big deal for me, after five kids, THEN I'm told I'll be delivering in a foreign country with all sorts of different ways of doing things.
I could go on and on, but really, what's the point, right? It's all good. Life is good. I laugh at the ironies in life.
Paul and I are both hoping he'll be able to take his R&R about the time the baby is born. But nothing is for certain. NOTHING. If he is allowed, the baby still has to cooperate.
I have had five children all naturally, but Paul (as cheesy as it sounds) has been my pain killer through the labors. I'm trying to mentally prepare, just in case, but part of me is really being stubborn about that scenario (ME?! Stubborn?! No way?!)
I have less than two weeks of this semester and then I get a month off. It's been a good semester. But I'm thrilled to be done with the ONLY math class I have taken in 16 years. (Man, that makes me sound old)
Well, I think this ramble fest is about over.
THe kids have been great and we have had fun. We even went camping together last week. THat's RIGHT! I took all five kids BY MYSELF for three days and two nights IN a TENT!! I was pretty proud of myself. (and my air mattress was wonderful). We also spent two days at the Legoland that is here in Southern Germany. It was quite fun and the kids loved it. There are so many things I just wouldn't be able to do, if they weren't such great kids. In all reality, I need to remind myself of that when I get frustrated with silly little things (like not figuring out how to make the dirty clothes land in the hamper and NOT all over the floor)
Life really is good. I miss Paul terribly, but am so glad to be married to an amazing man that IS so missable! (and lovable). I so wish I could take weekend trips to visit family. I miss our family very much too, and feel sad sometimes realizing how long it might be before we can hang out again.
In the meantime, I laugh a lot still (My kids make sure of that. Well, them and Brian Regan. ha ha). As I said multiple times before, Life is Good.

New Kid funnies

Yes, I realize that these stories probably appeal to me more than anyone else, but I still think they are worth sharing :-) These are kid comments from the last couple of weeks.

Natalee (6 yr old): "Mom! Timmy called me Stupid"
Tim: "But MOM! It was ON PURPOSE!!!"


Next Story:
Paul and I were teasing the kids about something silly they had done, and made a comment that maybe they weren't so smart. Breanna (9 yr old twin), acted all indignant and said "HEY! There are only THREE kids in our class that are in the gifted program, and WE ARE ONE of them!" (Ha ha. I laughed so hard, and she did too once she realized what she had said.) Paul reminded her, that they really DON'T share a brain, even if they are twins, and really count as TWO> ("No Una-minds, in this house!") Now, we like to quote Toy Story and say "We are ONE!"

Shakespeare Debut

Here's my Boy making his Shakespeare debut as King Cladius in "Hamlet". I was so impressed with the 5th graders in this class, and just as impressed with the teacher who decided to take on HAMLET with 5th graders. Adam loves the stage. And how I love to watch him. Being a parent is WAY FUN!

Warning: Kid bragging alert!!!!

I am SOOO proud of my kids! No really, they constantly amaze me with their achievements and accomplishments and talent, etc.

Adam's 5th grade class along with one other classroom, decided to put on a production of Hamlet. That's right, SHAKESPEARE! That's a quite an ambitious project for 10 and 11 year olds. And yet, I have heard nothing but great things about it (I get to go tonight). In fact, there are six performances, and two casts. There were two performances for one of the classes, two for the other, and then the evening performances were for the "all star cast". Well, Adam not only was chosen for the evening performances, but also was asked yesterday if he would do it for the other cast during the day too. (He's the King, by the way)

Then today, we got a note home saying that Adam is being awarded the "Presidents Award for Educational Excellence." Only eight 5th graders in his whole school are receiving it!!! (and it's a big school) I am SOOO proud!

The twins are still excelling in their class, and are two of the only three kids from their classroom that qualified for the gifted program. All three of the older kids have been awesome soccer players and great contributions to their team. Adam has done great as a defender and forward. Breanna is an awesome defender and excels at it. And Isaac is quite the incredible goalie, especially at his age. Paul and I were quite surprised. Of course, we laugh sometimes that he does so well, cause he doesn't have to run. :-)

Natalee is ending kindergarten being well advanced past the goals they set to reach at the end of kindergarten. Many days go by that we're told she was the ONLY well behaved child in class that day.

Then there's Tim. He has learned a lot of his numbers and letters and is always wanting to do what the other kids can do. He'll start pre-school this coming fall on base. THough I'm not sure how I feel exactly about my baby going to school, I know he'll love it.

And our #6 (in utero), well, she's already proving to be a force not to be reckoned with. She seriously can kick! More than any of the other kids did. But then again, my memory could just be bad.



If you have survived reading this much, I'm impressed. I did warn that it was a brag alert. You really need to understand how much it impresses me though, that these amazing kids came from ME! (I know, cause I was there! ha ha). How did that happen??/

It's so great to see them reaching some of their potential. I have to remind myself sometimes, when I start getting frustrated because they lose socks, or wad up clean clothes, that if THAT is our biggest issue with them, we're doing okay. They all are so well behaved. We still get comments on it all the time. One lady we know here, said the other day "Your kids are SICKENINGLY well behaved. I'm not a Mom, but I want to be mad at you anyways, because they are." It was funny.

But the truth is, they ARE good. They make our life so great, and surpisingly, despite what others think, I think they make life a lot easier.

I am grateful EVERY single day for my children! I would take them in any package they came in, and any condition. I really like the ones they did come in though!
Life is good!

France Trip details.

WOW!
What a trip! I can honestly say, that seven months ago, I NEVER would have thought that I would EVER visit any part of Europe, let alone Paris! We had an amazing week and 1/2, but are glad to be home.
I've decided to give some detail from our trip, and if nothing else, provide myself some journaling for this vacation.

We arrived late Saturday afternoon at our villa outside of Paris in Marne-le-valle. A very small and quaint french town. How quaint you ask??? Well, we could barely drive our car down the main street there, AND there was a baker that drove her little cart/ van down the town almost every morning selling bread. Our final day there we finally caught her and enjoyed the most amazing croissants EVER! mmmmm.. . . .
Anyhoo, we checked into our villa, and finally told the kids that we were 10 minutes away from Disneyland, and that THAT was one of the main reasons behind our visit. (I posted the video of it below, in case you're interested). We headed over to the park, after eating dinner in the villa. We bought annual passes, and it took a little bit of time, but we still had time to ride "It's a Small World" and a few other rides the first night.
The next day, we were at the park the ENTIRE day! Timmy had discovered the Buzz Lightyear ride the night before and was convinced NOTHING could be better. It worked great as a ride for him and I when Paul and the older kids wanted to go on more intense rides (or at least rides with height restrictions). And seeing as how I'm quite pregnant, I couldn't really do all those anyways.
Paul and the older three all went on space mountain. Though, I will now admit, that I kind of tricked Isaac and Breanna into going. THey had NO IDEA it was such an intense roller coaster, and DEFINITELY did not anticipate going upside down. They weren't the biggest fans, but Adam luckily, enjoyed it, and became Dad's roller coaster buddy.
I won't give you a re-cap of every ride and show, don't worry. To sum up Disney, we ended up going there six days! (not whole days: 3 full days, and 3 halfs). It was enough so that between all of us, we went on EVERY ride and saw EVERY show they had in the two parks (Disneyland Paris, and Walt Disney Studios)! My feet were rebelling a lot by the last day (very tired soles :-)
For the most part, the park wasn't that busy. It's actually low-tourist season, so the parked closed by 7 most nights. We packed in lunch or made dinner after getting home most nights, but did go to a character lunch at one of the restuarants. The kids loved having Disney characters coming and saying hi while they ate their lunch. (food = not so great. Oh well)
Disney is quite magical with things they do though. Timmy was SO excited to meet Buzz Lightyear, and we had waited in a line so he could do JUST THAT. While we waited, he could not take his eyes off of him. When it was our turn, the older kids stayed back so that Tim could meet Buzz by himself (with Mom), but the kid totally got star-struck/ shy/ stage fright/ or whatever you want to call it. He buried his head in my shoulder and in turn, Buzz dropped his head and went and stood with his head against the wall (to act sad too). It was too cute. The other kids came over, and by the time our turn was up (less than 1-2 minutes) Buzz had Timmy laughing and giving him high fives. It was great.
I couldn't help but chuckle a little with how rude people were about shoving thier kids in the front of the lines at Disney though. And there definitely is not as much understanding of personal space (they Stand RIGHT next to you, even if there's room not to). But I can't tell you what nationality did it the most, there were MANY represented.
Some of the kids highlights (favorites) from Disney were "Buzz Lightyear" ride, (Tim and I did it 7 times), Autotopia (you drive your own car), Rock and Roller Coaster (Adam LOVED), and we loved the stunt show at the Studios park. The parade was pretty cool too.
On Monday, the 17th, we decided to take a day trip up to Normandy (northern France). Our map and GPS told us that it would take about 2 1/2 to 3 hours, but the GPS lies!!!!! ;-) She didn't tell us that she would take us through downtown Paris highways AND construction. eww eww EWWW~ Way worse than ANY city driving we experienced in the states. (even Chicago). It was scary. Motorcycles especially, don't have traffic laws like cars there (evidently), and were weaving in and out of the car lanes, and squeezing through spots that we didn't think were possible, going REALLY fast. Paul thought he'd see a wreck more than once. (we didn't though).

BUT, SIX hours later we FINALLY arrived up by Normandy. By that time, the places we wanted to visit were only open for two more hours. BUT, it was still amazing and very interesting. We visited Omaha Beach. THE OMAHA BEACH! This was also the first time our kids had EVER seen the ocean and gotten to get close to real waves too. It was such a beautiful place and I couldn't help but be in awe of all the soldiers that never got to realize the beauty or peacefulness that was there. We walked to the American Military cemetary right by the beach, and were there as they retired the colors for the day (took down the flag). It was so humbling to see people stop and show respect as the flag was lowered. I was especially proud to be standing by my soldier husband, standing at attention, and know that THIS is what we fight for. He represents that flag and in a very short time will understand it even more than I ever can.
It was so amazing to be on that piece of historical land and think of the sacrifices that were made to make it the beautiful peaceful place it is today.
We planned our route home to AVOID Paris highways entirely, but alas, did not anticipate CONSTRUCTION again (on a different section of highway), and it took another five hours to get home. UGH! BUT, it was still worth it. (Just don't EVER drive in Paris).
OH, and rest stops in France. . . . .well, let's just say, I TOTALLY missed good American outhouses. Seriously! THe rest stops are NASTY! They don't provide toilet paper (which we prepared for) or water or soap (we prepared for that too), OR a seat. . . . (NOT prepared for THAT) Even the girls bathroom was JUST a hole in the ground. . . .SERIOUSLY??!?!??! EWWWW! (I took a picture. hee hee).
The kids took one look and said "Uh, we can WAIT!" That made us chuckle a little.

On Wednesday, we took the metro (subway/ train) into downtown Paris. I love their train system. It's funny that their system was so much easier to understand IN FRENCH than the system in Seattle (in English) was to me last year. But really, it was great. We arrived downtown, and went on a four hour walking tour of the main sites of Paris with an american tour guide. IT was wonderful. We saw the Eiffel Tower, the ARc de Triumphe, The Louvre, the Militare Academie, more museums I can't pronounce, the tomb where Napolean Bonaparte is buried, and Notre Dame.
We got to stop part way and eat at an amazing french cafe too. Ham crepes, and creme brulee. SOOOO good! (Even the kids liked it all). After the tour, we took a boat tour down the Seine and saw the same things, from the water this time. It was beautiful and unreal that we had just walked ALL THAT WAY (I think 4 or 5 miles). We ended up seeing the Eiffel Tower from 4 angles. Foot, car, train ,and boat. And I was so glad that I got to see this truly beautiful side of Paris (cause after the driving a couple days before, I was NOT too happy about the place)
I have to say the boat was probably my favorite part. It was so enjoyable. And Natalee spotted a nude sunbather "That man is wearing his BIRTHDAY SUIT!" ha ha. Paul and I laughed over her observance and nonchalance about it. We ended that day with french ice cream and sorbet. mmmmm.. . . . (Yes, Lydia likes good food :-), then were able to catch another hour at Disney before heading back to the villa.
Friday we checked out of the villa, headed back to Disney for a half day (the kids got to choose their favorite ride), and then went to Vogelweh (by Ramstein The next day, I needed an easy day (standing and walking that much in one week wore this preganant girl OUT), so we slept in and looked around Ramstein (the closest to an american mall here), and even enjoyed American food at the Chili's restuarant on base.
The next day, we added another country to the ones we have visited, and went to Luxembourg. We visited the military museum there, which was incredible. And then General Patton's museum, and then the American Military Cemetary by the Ardennes Forest (where the Battle of the Bulge took place). It was incredible, too! I can't get over the awe I feel when I stand on a piece of land that was a key factor in a piece of history. It is there that General Patton is buried as well. We even met an older gentleman from Michigan there, that asked Paul if he was military. When Paul said yes, the man got teary eyed and thanked him over and over for his sacrifice for our freedom. It was quite humbling and emotional.
Later, as they were getting ready to retire the colors (take down the flags) over the cemetary for the day, Paul asked if he could participate and was told that he and Adam and Isaac could do it. What an awesome experience. It was such an honor to know that they were showing honor to OUR flag over hallowed ground. Ground that MANY gave their lives on in honor of that flag and freedom. The boys felt it was an amazing experiece as well, and we couldn't imagine a better end to a great week.
OH, AND Paul got to feel the baby move for the first time that night TOO! I was laying down, and she was kicking like crazy and I put Paul's hand over it, and she kicked three times. It was so special that he got to connect with his newest little girl before he leaves (we were hoping that would happen)
After arriving home from our France trip, we went swimming at a local pool one day, and to Flossenburg Concentration Camp another. I have mixed feeling about the concentration camps. I think it is SOOO great to visit and learn, and for my kids to do so too, but I find it so emotional draining. I couldn't handle standing in the crematorium there.
I kept commenting to Paul what a different feel it was to be at the concentration camp vs. the Military cemetaries and sites. Both had had many lives taken. But one instance it was completely sinister, and those affected had absolutely NO CHOICE. The other came from men who had been willing to sacrifice thier lives (if the case needed to be) for the cause of freedom. The military sites felt peaceful and sacred, the camps, almost eerie. Walking at the Military sites, I felt so proud of what our country and others had done. Walking at the camps, I just felt sadness from what was done.
Strange to have such contrasting feelings.
It's been a great time with our family. These memories will last us many many years to come. :-)
Life is Good.

True Purpose Revealed. . . .

SO, we just got back from a most amazing trip to France. The kids knew we were going and were excited to go visit Normandy, and see the Eiffel tower, etc. However, we never told them that there was a Disneyland in Europe, and that THAT was our true purpose behind this destination. :-) hee hee They had never been to an amusement park, much less, DISNEY! It was so exciting to plan the whole thing as parents and present it as a surprise. The following video is when we FINALLY revealed it. Enjoy!

Update

Life is going good.
I am looking VERY pregnant now. I'm 20 weeks now and there is no denying this belly or that I'm pregnant. Evidently, by kid #6, the belly figures there's no sense wasting time and jumping out there. ha ha
I'm trying not to do the pregnant waddle yet though :-) (though Paul says the fact that my hands are always on my belly is also a dead give-away)
The older four kids are all in soccer right now, which takes up 5 days of our week, but it's been really fun (busy busy, but still fun). It is SO fun to see our kids excelling at differnt things. Adam has not played team soccer in about 4 or 5 years, but you can't tell by watching him. He's an animal out there and even though he's the shortest kid on his team, he's one of the top players. Our last game was over an hour away from our house, and by the time we got there, they were WELL into the game (we ran into a few glitches on the way). But when he ran towards the field there were some cheers from mom's and "Yay, Adam's here!"
His game's give ME a work-out becuase they get so exciting, and I just can't sit still. I seriously LOVE this game.
Isaac constantly amazes me. He has really taken to being an animal on the field too, and LOVES being goalie. I don't think he's let ONE past him yet. He'll dive in front, on top, or whatever it takes to stop the ball. And for a kid that does not seem that focused sometimes, he does not lose focus when playing. He and Breanna are on the same team, and were defenders together for one quarter. I loved it. The ball NEVER made it past the two of them.
Nat has only had practices so far, but her games start this week.
The older three kids all were informed this week that they have been accepted into the gifted and talented program here too. It's pretty elite, and requires interviews, reccommendations from the teachers, and multiple tests to be admitted. Usually only 3 kids per classroom are selected (the twins took 2 of the 3 spots in their class). Adam was selected to be a meeter/ greeter for his class too. There are only two kids chosen per semester (one boy and one girl), and it means that they become the escort for a wek for any new students in thier class and show them the ropes (and he's only been here for 3 months of school)
It seriously is so fun to see them growing and doing so well. They're happy and healthy and constantly keep us laughing.
My little Tim loves to read and build things and ask mom math questions
Tim: "Mom, what's 7 + 0 + 0 + 0?"
Mom:"That would be 7, Tim."
Tim: "NOPE! It's 'B' 'A' 'X'".

Or
Tim: "Mom, how do you spell Toy?"
Mom: "T-O-Y."
Tim: "NOPE. It's 37."

It's too funny. And you canNOT try to explain why you're actually right. He'll have nothing to do with it. Ironically, Dad NEVER gets a question wrong (Even if it's the SAME question, AND same answer that MOM gave.) He's a little stinker pants sometimes, but MAN I love this kid!
We're headed to France for a week Next weekend and are super stoked for this adventure. (There will definitely be pictures and posts about it afterwards(

My online classes started again two weeks ago. One is a math class (the first in over 17 years!), and scares me still. Paul is a great on call tutor for now, and I have another friend willing to take over when he leaves. ha ha. It is almost refreshing to be back in school though. It's nice to try to use some more muscles in the old noodle.

Other than that, I don't think there's much more to add.
Life is good.

Original Lyrics by Lydia :-)

SO, Recently our ward had a visiting teaching conference. It was fun and entertaining and hopefully, I'll be able to get back into my "Good Visiting Teacher" groove soon.
I was called a few weeks before and asked for any suggestions I might have for a fun silly song that would go with the visiting teaching theme.
Well, most of my sheet music is in a four drawer file cabinet in a storage unit, back in the states. SO, I asked for some time to think about it. I looked through the one drawer of music I did have and let the creative wheels spin a little. They don't get exercised NEARLY enough any more, but it was fun to try my hand at it again. What I came up with was new lyrics to two songs I like.
I LOVE the music from "Enchanted," and so I took the "Happy Working Song" and put a visiting teaching spin on it. It's actually the one we used, and I ended up singing at the conference. I think it went well. It was well received and got lots of laughs and smiles.
I forget how much fun I have singing fun stuff for people. I always hoped I'd have an opportunity to sing some "Enchanted" music some time, and made it happen (with a little ingenuity. hee hee)
So, I have included the lyrics to the "Happy Visiting Teaching Song," and I've also included the other song. It's a spin-off of "Orange Colored Sky"
I hope you like them!

Happy Working Song (From “Enchanted”) with a visiting teaching twist.

Come my little friends, as we all sing a visiting teaching song
Merry sisters voices clear and strong
Come and roll your sleeves up, so to speak, and pitch in.
She may need help cleaning her kitchen, or just feel she belongs.

Trill a cheery tune, as you show up with your message from the ensign
And leave a magnet for the kitchen
Oh what joy comes from, your visiting teaching.

Just keep visiting without fail, spreading joy around you
Bringing sisters homemade bread, or even Hersheys will do.

How we all enjoy letting loose with a little adult conversation
There’s no need to hurry off and run
It can be such fun, just visiting teaching.

Oh, how strange a place to be
We’re here in Germany, so let’s enjoy it.
And, as long as we are here,
I guess some new friendships could help with some deployments
Hey enjoy it.

You can do a lot, when you’re got such a fun calling to embrace
It’s okay if there’s no make-up on your face
We adore each sister we determine
And since none of us are vermin, we can be a happy throng.

Singing as we help with your little things
There’s so much more than just meals to bring
Jump right in, and make sure you allow yours in.
And help us with our visiting teaching song.


ORANGE COLORED SKY (visiting teaching style)

I was walking along, minding my business
When out of an orange colored sky
FLASH - BAM - Ala-ka-ZAM
My visiting teachers had come by

I’d been sick with the flu, Dirty dishes galore
When out of the orange colored view
FLASH - BAM - Ala-ka-ZAM
My visiting teachers became part of my zoo.

One look, and I yelled “Oh no!”
“My house is beyond a mess”
But they scrubbed and they cleaned, shared a message I need
They did it all with a smile and I knew all the while, I’d been HIT!
This is IT! This is it!

I was walking along, minding my business, when a purpose came and hit me in the eye
FLASH - BAM - Ala-ka-ZAM
They were true friends who brought joy and love
I knew that it’s a calling sent straight from above
FLASH - BAM - Ala-ka-ZAM and Good bye!
(spoken: "See you next month!")

And the Flavor is. . . . . . . .

We saw the Doctor yesterday, and she said that there is a 95% chance that we are having a . . .
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
girl!


That's right: We will have our very own little Brady Bunch. Though, I have to say, I think I'm way tougher than Carol Brady. First of all, I am actually giving birth to all six of mine, AND I have NEVER had a housekeeper. (OR way cool station wagon! :-)

We're excited though. It's a little weird for me though. Growing up with four brothers, and Paul having four boys in his family had me feeling that WE needed four boys. AND , I always seemed to understand boys better than girls, so I just assumed I'd have more boys than girls.
That said, I love how delicate and adorable my baby girls are. I love to dress them up and watch them giggle. And I love sister relationships. Come to think about it, I love to just sit back and watch my children interact with each other. I love the parent/ child relationship, but there is also something totally magical about sibling relationships. Sure, there are arguments now and then, but what a wonderful thing it is, to have siblings to grow up with and REALLY NOW just how crazy and silly your parents are. Ha ha.

Life is good.

Easter Weekend 2010

We just got back last night from our first overnight trip "away from home" while in Germany (as a family). We were able to go on a family retreat to Garmisch, Germany at the Edelweiss lodge ( a military R & R site). It is right in the alps, and absolutely breathtaking. It's also right by the Austrian border. We unfortunately, did not cross the border this time, but will definitely in the future. :-)

We DID however get to go visit some amazing sites. We arrived on Friday, and swam in the great hotel pool, then had a class to go to (as part of the retreat). While Paul and I had a class, the kids had their own and had a blast. (jumping houses, crafts, games, etc.).

On Saturday morning, we went to see the Neuschwanstein Castle AND the Hohenschwangau castle. (Have fun saying THOSE names). The Neuschwanstein Castle was the model for the Cinderella castle at Disney. It is absolutely beautiful! There were no cameras allowed inside, so my pictures are from the outside, but seriously, it was amazing. Every room was painted with murals throughout. Every inch of wall AND ceiling was painted intricately, showing scenes from favorite stories of the king (Ludwig Dunkel). The throne room had over two million tiles on the floor creating a mosaic masterpiece. And the VIEW from the castle was amazing too. It was a decent hike to get up to it, but SO worth it. Kind of funny that the hike (and tons of stairs in the castle) did not even phase Paul or the kids, JUST ME :-) I was the only one breathing heavy (good practice for when this baby comes, right?? :-) ha ha). They all did great. Paul has been chuckling at my hobble of a walk the last two days though (evidently LYD is not used to so many stairs. ha ha)

About a 1/2 mile away on a different mountain side, was the Hohenschwangau castle, which was the childhood castle of the king. It was way fun as well, AND lucky for me, had MORE stairs. :-) I have pictures posted on my facebook page for whoever is interested. That night, we went swimming again, and to our second round of classes.

On Sunday, yesterday, the kids were THRILLED that the Easter Bunny had gotten the email I sent about our location change for the holiday (wink wink), and brought goodies to the hotel. ALTHOUGH, the homemade easter baskets we made out of lunch bags got left at home (oops by mom). We found out that plastic bowls work JUST as well (That's twice this easter that I improvised Easter baskets).
The Hotel hosted an easter egg hunt for the kids and they enjoyed it. (though, I sometimes laugh at the differences of cultures. Many of the eggs were filled with candies, with NO wrappers. Americans are ALL about individually wrapped candies, and evidently, the germans are okay with whatever.)

Also in the morning, Paul and I got to enjoy the spa facilities at the hotel (He got a massage, I got a facial: So cool and relaxing).

THEN, we loaded up and headed to Dachau Concentration Camp (by Munich). It was packed, with literally THOUSANDS of people and SOOO many different languages and cultures. It was interesting to feel the solemn mood there though. There was a quiet respect that emanated from everyone. The displays were so interesting and heartwrenching. The older three kids especially found it fascinating. They wanted to stop to read everything and wanted to talk about it and tell us what they just learned. Unfortunately, our two hours there was just not enough time. It would take many many hours to see all the displays and read all the information they had.

It was a neat experience to be there. It's hard to describe how it truly felt though. I found myself near tears many many times.

We are so thrilled that we are getting to see and experience some of these historical sites.

A little funny side note: While coming out of one of the buildings, a teenage boy stopped to hold the door open for Paul (who was pushing the stroller with Tim). When Paul said "thank you" He said "You're welcome. No problem." with very good english, and so Paul said "Where you from?" The boy said "Idaho" and Paul said "No kidding. What part?" It turns out, he's on a school trip from Boise. Paul got a good laugh out of that and told him he was from Meridian. It's such a small world sometimes.

To sum up our weekend, we saw some amazing stuff, and got home safely. I was reminded how very much I like having a second parent along for these trips. (It's been QUITE awhile since Paul got to take an overnight trip with us)

Oh, and on Thursday night, we had our FIRST campfire in Germany (in our backyard), complete with messy messy smores (I really hate those things: But the kids LOVE em).

And THAT sums up our last week! Have a great week!

March update

So Paul is now back from his Uncle Sam camping trip. He was gone almost a month and it's great to have him home again. He got to do lots of stuff that he thought was quite fun. They had all sorts of "war simulations," and real air support to back it up. He got to give out some real stitches, and load some fake patients into a helicopter with simulated gun fire around him. He is as giddy as a little boy when he talks about it :-)

I'm not adventurous enough YET to go exploring towns around here without Paul, and so when he is gone, . . . well, we stay home :-) But it's all good. In the next two months, we have plans to visit the Czech Republic, Austria, AND France. We will be in the Alps by the Austrian border in acouple weeks and are really excited!

The older four kids all start soccer this week. Thank goodness, the twins are on the same team, and games are all on different days, so we shouldn't have any conflicts. They're really excited to get to do a sport again. (Moving messes stuff like that up sometimes)
I was the ward organist for this past month (since our ward organist was also on Uncle Sam's camping trip). Each week, that meant that the kids had to sit by themselves for 1/2 of the meeting while I played. They did great and we got many compliments on their behavior. A. is becoming more and more responsible and REALLY helps with T. I've noticed that he actually does a better job than teenager babysitters we've had here. It's neat to see the kids growing and maturing.
The older three sang a special musical number in sacrament meeting this week too. Just the three of them (I accompanied). They sang "A Child's Prayer" THe twins sang the first verse and A. sang the second and then they did both parts together. They sounded so wonderful. (And even made their Daddy cry). I love the things my kids are doing. (most of the time :-) ha ha)
I was NOT a fan when N. decided to cut her hair this week. SHe had a little rubberband in her hair and thought it would be best to cut it out (before I woke up), THEN covered the evidence with a big headband. It took me a while to figure it out and I was NOT a happy camper. (Paul had to stifle a laugh). SO, N. NOW has bangs, and wouldn't you know it, she STILL looks cute! ;-) (Little stinker).


OUR BIG ANNOUNCEMENT:
For those of you who have not heard yet, We will be getting a special delivery around Sept 19th this year. We decided that 6 was a better number than 5 and now have one in the oven (JUst ONE: no twins this time), which will give us an even 1/2 dozen kids. (We're already getting Brady Bunch comments). We told the kids about a month and a half ago, and they have been great about keeping it a secret until Dad was back (that's when we felt it best to tell others) They are all WAY excited and it just warms my heart. I love that my kids are so aware of how precious these little ones are.
OB care is not done on base, so I am seeing a german doctor and it is very. . . . . interesting. Let's just say that we have two VERY different opinions on modesty. . ha ha, and it's just different. This will be interesting. We are hoping to find out the flavor by ultrasound, if possible. I am 14 weeks along now. I had more morning sickness with this one then the last two, but it luckily subsided about a month ago. Other than that, all is going well.
We really are excited. There's a lot of interesting hurdles that we will have to get over with this one, (Delivering in a different country, Paul deployed, mandatory 3 day stay in the hospital "BLEH!~", etc.) but it's all good.
I love having our family together! (Just wish we could see the extended family). We hopefully will have lots of fun pictures in the next little while of fun trips around here.
Life is good!

great commercial

I found this video SOOOOO delightful! :-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owGykVbfgUE

The saga of the conniving GPS

So last night, my sweetheart called to say that he had to run into the military base that they are closest to today, and would be there by lunch and that his Sargent said it was okay if I met them there. How could I turn down a lunch date with my hubby??
Well, of course I was willing to go. Forget the fact that I had never been to this base OR even remotely close to it, and had no idea where geographically it was located OR that I'm in a foreign country where I don't speak the Language OR that I had no cell phone, so if I ran into trouble, . . . .well, I count on human kindness for a lot :-)
Anyhoo, I DID have a GPS with me AND the coordinates I needed for the base (address) AND was told that it's only about 45 minutes away.
Well, 45 minutes later I arrived. . . . . .at the "Supposed" destination. It was not even close. I had taken tons of windy windy mountain roads (gorgeous, mind you). Much of it was completely snow covered (no visible pavement), and isolated. I passed surprisingly few cars.
Well, as I "arrived," it was Obvious that Carmen (my husbands name for our GPS) had led me astray. (She's quite deceitful you know). I suddenly found myself in a little tiny German town with tiny cobblestone streets and barely room for my vehicle to fit. I luckily was able to find a parking area to sit and ponder in. (AKA get annoyed)
I fiddled with Carmen again and the next choice she gave me for my supposed destination said it was 3 hours away. (SO not gonna happen). SOOOO, I tried again. THe next choice was 1/2 an hour away. Not great, mind you, but better than 3 hours.
I also have no way of calling my hubby to tell him why I am late and going to arrive LATER.
So, I drive. I pass more beautiful countryside. My 3 yr old wants to know why we are STILL driving, but good other than that.
At one point, I see a sign saying the name of the town the base is named after. It is pointed in an opposing direction to what "Carmen" wants. I decide that I don't trust deceiptful electronic devices and opt to follow the sign (A MAP in the car would have possibly been a good idea at this point. However, it's written in German, so maybe not)
"Carmen" gets snooty with her "RECALCULATING" comment. And continues to try and persuade me. I turn her off. COmpletely. Fifteen minutes later I'm winding through small streets again and see my first sign of hope in the way of a "Gate 5:tactical vehicles only" sign. SURELY there is another gate nearby. Ten minutes later, I arrive at the Main post gate!!! Wahoo! U.S. soil! (kind of). It still takes me a while of getting lost to get to the designated meeting spot, but I made it.
Now, keep in mind, at this time I am about 50 minutes late. Paul is not around. I would LOVE to call his cell phone, but alas, I have no phone, and pay phones aren't really workable.
I pounce on an un-suspecting private first class who made the mistake of playing with his cell phone with me standing by, and use my 3 yr old's cute face as extra incentive to let me borrow his phone. He gave in, Paul was reached, and we got a whole 20 minutes together as he watched us eat (we were hungry and STILL had to make it back to pick up kids from school on time).
SOOO, almost two hours of driving for 20 minutes of hubby time= TOTALLY worth it! :-) Being able to get home in 1/2 the time it took me to get there (my home was already pre-programmed in)= SOOOOO wonderful.
I'm going to make this as another notch on my army wife belt though. I took on unknown foreign roads ON MY OWN with a traitor electronic device and CONQUERED! Take that CARMEN!
My little man was such a good sport. On a different note, as I was tucking him in tonight, he wanted to show me how good he was at counting. This was his next comment.
T: "Mom! 11 is the AWESOMEST letter I KNOW!" (Ha ha. I love that boy!)
My kids are troopers. Life is good

Pictures in Regensberg! :-)

March 6, 2010

It is currently snowing AGAIN, and I think it's beautiful! The kids are currently outside my back window sledding and having a blast. (I just hope Paul is staying warm on his Oh-so-long "camping" trip with Uncle Sam. :-)

This morning I went to Erlangen ( a town kind of close to Nuremberg: about 70-80 minutes away) for a stake relief society meeting. I and another sister from my ward were providing the music. It was fun to do (organ/ piano duet and I accompanied her singing) and the conferece was neat to experience. The other sister was also kind enough to loan me her teenager to watch my kids at home. :-) It was about half and half german and english sisters at the meeting, so translaters were neccessary the whole conference. I love hearing hymns sung at the same time in two different languages.

I keep thinking about how different it may have been here 70 years ago. What a beautiful thing to be united as sisters and members in the gospel.

Paul called SUPER excited yesterday, because he got to do stitches for the first time. He loved that! He also is very much enjoying being around his Sargents and truly respects them. They have been so encouraging and supportive of his higher goals and really help boost Paul's spirits (I'm not worried about an over-enlarged ego, . . .YET. :-) T I LOVE THAT others are seeing the potential in my husband that I have seen for many many years.

I'm feeling braver about getting out in the "economy" (german towns), and even went shopping by myself this week. (It's a big step okay). I still know very little german, but will get better.

I also got registered for my spring classes yesterday and I'm actually excited to start up again. I have a math class. I haven't taken one of those in over 15 years! Good news is it's the only one I need. I'm hoping for the best. (Wish me luck)

I also start teaching music lessons here this week. It's kind of nice getting back into my crazy schedule. Though, after having something going on EVERY night this week, I started wondering WHY I had missed it :-)

The kids are having "Red Hot Readers Month" this month at school, which means LOTS of fun activities. I've got to be a guest reader and it's been quite fun. There is a huge map of the U.S. in the school lobby for all the readers to put their name on their home state. I have been the only one from Idaho all week! (GO IDAHO!) The school is great and the kids are still enjoying it.
Life is good though. I miss family a LOT! So many times I wish I could make our families all come over and eat sweets with me! :-) We'll have to schedule that for later. In the meantime, I am meeting some wonderful people.
I can't complain. I have a great family. A roof over my head. Food on my table. And many wonderful days. Life is good.

My honey. . . .

Today, I want to take a minute to say I LOVE my Husband! I think it is all too easy to get caught up in the everyday mundane parts of life without stopping to say "WOW! I am blessed."
If I wanted, I could sit and make a lists of struggles and "uncomfortables," but let's face it, that doesn't make ANY of us feel better.
Listing ways we are blessed DOES!

I am thankful every day for my amazing husband. It's funny, because I started to write a very lengthy note here detailing many of the things I so love about my best friend. As it grew longer, I started to feel that it had become TOO personal. Instead, that letter is now pasted in a word document, to be given to him.
Paul truly makes me a better person, and is a healing balm on my daily wounds. (no matter how superficial they may be)
I miss him every day he is gone, but am so grateful knowing that I will ALWAYS get him back! :-)
So, now you have the short and sweet version. Lydia loves Paul! (enough said)

My funny of the day. . . .

The IOC stunned the world this morning when they awarded U.S. President Barack Obama a gold medal for Men’s Skiing. Even though he's never skied an IOC spokesman said “Barack Obama is going downhill faster than anyone this year.”

I'm getting there. . . .

Maybe I'm NOT so cyber-challenged. I'm figuring out how to make my blog cuter! YAY for me! I love sprucing places up and re-arranging things. (And this one doesn't hurt my back! ha ha) I hope you enjoy the new look.
P.S. I discovered this great site called www.thecutestblogontheblock.com
They have tons of cute backgrounds AND ideas AND walk those of us who aren't as cyber-savvy, through the whole thing. I HIGHLY reccommend!

Reason for privacy

So, I'm sure I don't need to explain why I decided to make my blog private, but decided to tell you all anyways.
I should have been doing it from the beginning, but I'm not so great with technology and have been trying to figure this whole thing out. For security reasons, it's really a good idea too. We get lectured quite a bit about OP-SEC (operation security). It's a little "conspiracy theory", but also makes sense. And after all, we ARE living in a foreign country. I also try not to use my kids names, because I really don't want all their info out there.

But, I have a story to share, that I find quite entertaining, but really made me want to make sure some shared information was private.
So, hopefully, this will make you laugh.
I love facebook, and I love sharing little details. But I also have some "friends" on facebook, that I don't neccessarily want them to know too much personal info about me. BUT, it would be awkward to "un-friend" them, because they would notice. (And I see them regularly)
The other day I made a comment on my "status" that I finally got some of my lemon stuff up in my kitchen. (Not too personal, right?)
Well, one of these "facebook friends" stopped by my house two hours later to come see it!!! "I'm here to see your lemon kitchen!!" (Unannounced , of course).

I'm still unpacking, and the house was a mess, and I said so, (kind of as a tactful way of saying "no thanks") She just walked on in, and said "That's okay."
Who does that?!?!? I laughed about it later. Paul was completely baffled by it. But I'm afraid to post things because of her. I barely know this person and she talks to me like we are life-long friends, because she reads my info and knows stuff now. I'm sure she's a nice enough person. It just is a little much for me.

SO, though the story is entertaining, I would really rather share stuff with just the people I want to. (I'm stubborn like that). And if you are reading this, YOU'RE SPECIAL!!!!
Well, have a most wonderful day!!!

Funny Story

Today, TEB (my 3 1/2 year old) was waiting with me at an appointment. (FOR 45 MINUTES!!!). He was doing so good and just sitting and watching people go by. A pretty lady walked by, and TEB turned to me and said "That's a cute tooshy." He said it so matter-of-factly, it was HILARIOUS! I got the biggest kick out of that!

I'm going to laugh about this for awhile. :-)

In the last 30 days. . .

In the last 30 days, these have been some of the highlights. . .. .

1. AP (my oldest) got to take ski lessons IN EUROPE! (I know, we're probably going to be here a while. I still think it's fun to say though :-) He absolutely LOVED it and can't wait to go again.

2. My two girls got to go on a Daddy Daughter Dinner Date with their oh-so-amazing Daddy! I couldn't help smiling. I helped the girls primp and get ready (including a little eyeshadow and lipstick) They even got to borrow some of Mom's jewelery, and we painted their nails and picked out pretty dresses to wear.
The date was sponsored by the military post here. THey got to have a nice dinner and party favors and dance with thier Daddy. The girls and Paul even invented their own Daddy/ Daughter dance. When they got home, BK could NOT stop smiling. She was so happy. In the morning NF said "Mom, I just had SOOOO much fun last night." It was a magical evening, for all three of them. But I have to say, it was magical for me to stand back and watch. These are some of the moments that create immortal memories for a little girl
To go on a little more about it, I have to share a story. When I was buying the tickets, the lady who was helping me, said it was nice that the girls were young enough that they still WANTED to do stuff with their Dad. I said "Well, I hope they NEVER outgrow that! I still enjoy dates with MY Dad." And it's true. I really and truly do! In fact, I was able to tell her that two months previous, I HAD gone on a date with my Dad.
This same lady confided in me that her Dad was never worthy of dates. There was a lot of pain there for her.
At the moment I was reminded of how grateful I am for a Dad that's always fun to be around, and that my kids have the same kind of Dad. I always said I would marry someone like My Dad, and I'm so glad I did.

3. Parent Teacher Conferences are ALWAYS great for me. I have to say, I love hearing others tell me how great and smart my kids are. I love it even more when they point out little personality traits/ quirks that my kids have. It's then that I KNOW that they truly know my child. AP's teacher told me that he was only the new kid the first day, because after that he seemed like he had always been there. He made friends and jumped into it so smoothly. I loved that. He had stellar grades, and even had 2 A+'s!
IG and BK are in the same class. I love that. Their teacher pointed out how different they are. And it's true. They are. They both had perfect report cards too, and are constantly excelling.
NF loves showing what she can do. She has let her new school see a lot of her spunk too (in a good way) Her teacher said that one day, she was complimenting NF on how smart she was, and said, "Is everyone in your family as smart as you?" To which, my NF responded (with a twinkle in her eye) "NO. I'm the smartest one."
The teacher also told me that she wants to have a lot of kids (like 4), but her husband and her don't agree on it. He has told her that "You can't possibly give them the attention they need when you have that many. They will never be that well adjusted." Well, this same teacher said after the first week of NF in her class, she went home and told her husband that he had to meet NF, "becuase she PROVES that 4 kids are totally doable, because she is #4, out of five, AND she is an incredible and smart girl!" Yes, it was a very proud Mom moment for me.

4. TE is so smart. He loves Mommy time (he gets a lot more one-on-one then he has ever gotten). He loves being my helper with whatever, as long as I allow him car and building time. :-) hee hee. We also learned that he knows "Eye of the Tiger" by heart. HOW did he ever learn that??? (I blame older siblings a lot! :-) ha ha

5. I passed my german drivers test with a 100%. I'm officially a German endorsed driver.

6. We discovered the German dollar store!!! I realize this seems silly, but I have SOOO missed discounted items (The PX is NOT great about this kind of stuff)

7. OUR STUFF GOT HERE!!!!!!!!!!

8. Our stuff got here!!!!!!!!!

9. Our stuff got here!!!!!!!!!!!!

10. OUR STUFF IS HERE!!!!!!!!! (A quick funny: They told us they would be here between 8 am- 10 pm. (You gotta love THAT window). Well, they showed up at 7AM!!! (HEY, that wasn't the WINDOW! We were asleep!!!! It was a hectic way to wake up, but., . . .. OUR STUFF IS HERE!!!! SO yay!!!!

That's it for now.

I, once again, hope to update a little more frequently. Heck, if I think of more to add to this list, I will make sure to do so. In the meantime, Life is good!

3 weeks too long. . . . :-)

So, I have known for a while that I have a mild addiction to my computer (mostly the internet). I say mild, because it really CAN be controlled. I just choose not to, most of the time. :-) hee hee
However, I don't like it when it is COMPLETELY taken away from me! A little over 3 weeks ago, our laptop crashed. Completely dead and gone! There was NO recovery. I thought, "Oh. No big deal. My home computer is supposed to be here in days."
Well, it's true. It WAS supposed to be here. Yet, when I called a few days after the supposed delivery date, they had NO idea where our stuff even was, and didn't know for two more weeks. I honestly laughed, and thought "Well, of course silly. Why SHOULD you know where my stuff is???"
After two weeks without my internet connection to the world, I was going a bit batty though. Okay, okay, I was cranky. I thrive on my connection to family and friends. And with the time difference, phone calls don't happen too frequently. Snail mail is always a possibility too, but that takes WEEKS, and wasn't helping me during my two week withdrawal. FOr one of the first times, I was feeling homesick.
Well, a kind friend took pity on us after two weeks and let me use their laptop (I didn't kill this laptop. :-) YAY!)
And yesterday, MINE ARRIVED! Three weeks late, . . . . BUT, it arrived!
I've told a few people already, that our first few weeks here were good. It was like we were living in a large hotel room set-up. None of the furniture or belongings really were ours. Only the clothing and minimal personal items we carried on the plane. Our kitchen was bare minimum
After a few weeks, it got a little old. AND, I'll admit it, I got bored. I'm on break from classes til April. I had no stuff to unpack. No supplies to work on projects with. No library collection (though I did utilize the base library when I could)
Basically I cooked A LOT, and cleaned more than I have in a LONG time! It was getting old without my own stuff here. And I was SOOOOO missing the hung up pictures on my wall. I like turning a house into a home, and it's a lot easier to do with MY stuff. (yes, it's just stuff, but it makes it cozy)
Well, pictures and all sorts of fun have arrived!! We slept on our most heavenly bed last night (I like when a mattress moves a little when you sit on it, and doesn't feel like the floor). We used our blender last night! And tomorrow, I'm making pancakes on my large and wonderful griddle.
AND my piano is here and held up amazingly well in the move! OH, and get this, I had a whole 1000 lbs allowance LEFT that I could have used to get stuff here!!! (good knowledge for next time, I guess)
So where is this rant headed? Well, I feel at peace today, looking around my home. It feels like a home. THere are still a lot of boxes to unpack, but we're gettting there. My legs and arms are oh-so-sore today from standing for 14 hours straight yesterday, and moving LOTS of boxes. But this is SOOO worth it. Yay!

I like to think I'm getting smarter. . . .

So, I'm obviously not the BEST blogger in the world.
Nor, am I the wittiest, or smartest, or most creative, blah, blah, blah. :-)
However, I like the idea of blogging, and really want to try and make it work.

In the last month I have packed up a house (for seven people), had 3 of my children's birthdays, shipped Christmas in boxes to a different continent, flew with five kids (and only myself as "adult supervision") to a different continent (arriving 20 hours later with the same 5 kids and 18 pieces of luggage in tow that I started with), took finals AND received straight A's (I will be stoked about that for awhile), and . . . . .well, that's all (I think), but I think it's a pretty good list.

Life is good. I say this a lot. But I truly believe it!

I've learned a lot on my journey to this point in my life, and the more I learn, the more I realize I have a whole heck of a lot more to still learn. NOW, if I have the brain capacity is the next question! ha ha

In the last three weeks, I have some especially good words of wisdom that I want to share.

#1: When there is a need to fly to your next duty station, it is a REALLY good idea to put kitchen utensils in your luggage. Can openers, spoons, spatulas, measuring spoons, etc., are all small enough to stow away, but really add up in cost when you have to buy them all, because it is still another 1 1/2 months before YOURS arrive!

#2: You will always miss your family and friends the most! But a good mattress is a close second! (I am counting the days til my lovely bed arrives with its sweet comfort. versus the plywood-sorry-excuse-for-a-mattress they "loan" you til yours arrives.

#3. Castles really are magical.

#4. Never underestimate the power a 3 year old can have over any GRANDMA (whether it's his grandma or not. And whether she speaks the same language or not.) In fact, lets change this to: Grandmas are ALWAYS awesome!

#5. Not all video games are evil (okay, okay, don't hold this against me. ;-) A Game that involves music AND my whole family playing, can't be all-that-bad.

#6. A smile means the same thing in ANY language! I may not speak more than 6 words in German, but I can smile at people and 9 times out of 10, they smile back.

#7. Technology is AMAZING! We would have been LOST while driving SOOO many times by now, if it were not for our lovely GPS that makes the journey with us each time and "recalculates" when we mess up.
AND, I love that I can call my family AND see them as we talk through an amazing thing called the internet, and skype, and a computer!

#8. There REALLY is a time difference between us and those back in "the states" It may be coming to the end of my day, but it is just beginning for my family in the Northwest. Weird!

#9. My husband will always continue to amaze me with what he can accomplish and what he's willing to do for me. (Okay, this is NOT a new revelation, but it's still important to point out often).

#10. Goodbyes ALWAYS suck. It doesn't matter how often I do them. I still cry. I still feel sad. BUT, it's also always fun to meet new people. There are good people EVERYWHERE you go!

#11 I LOVE German Bakeries. mmmmmmm. . . . .

#12. This list is longer than I expected it to be.

#13. There are good and bad to everything, INCLUDING military life. Yes, there are some downsides, but I definitely enjoy some of the perks.

#14. I miss Wal-mart. (and paying Wal-mart prices)

#15. Kids can adapt. They're amazingly resilient. They can be bounced back and forth and STILL come out smiling and happy and give amazing hugs.

#16. My Mom and Sister are sorely missed. Whenever we go exploring somewhere new in Germany, I can't help but think "OH wow! I wish mom and Rach could see this!" Don't get me wrong, I LOVE all my family. . . . . It's a mom/ sister thing.

#17. I'm so glad to have lived where I have lived and been to the places I have been. To quote a favorite singer of mine "I've been a lot of places and I've seen a lot of faces so I know, I must be going somewhere. . . ." (2 points to whoever can name the "quoted."

#18. Brain cells may be rusty at times, but can still work with the right amount of prodding.

#19. Einbahnstrasse is my newest favorite german word. It's just fun to say. Go ahead and try it. :-)

#20. I really do spend a LOT of time on the Computer and REALLY need to get off now.

Life is GOOD!