Foto Friday

the crazy cousins

Marathon Day

Whew! Yesterday was a marathon family fun day.

During PCS season, after living without a schedule and our stuff for a while, we get bored...bored, bored, bored. Bubba didn't have to go to work since the person he is replacing won't be back from TDY until Monday. So, we decided to get out of the house. The weather was beautiful, but HOT so that limited our choices. We had gone to the Mariner's Museum here in Newport News last week and noticed that they had paddle boats. They were cute - two pirate ships, a gondola, a Loch Ness monster, and the African Queen. We grabbed Nannie (my mom, who we are staying with) and went. We took the two pirate ships - complete with Jolly Roger flags and off we went. It was wonderful! We saw many, many turtles sunning themselves on logs. We saw a beautiful blue heron, who took off right in front of us. A pair of osprey were flying overhead fishing for their lunch. BoyBoy had a map of the lake and made sure we didn't venture outside the boundaries. Nannie instigated an epic naval battle when she stripped a gum tree of its gumballs and fired a warning shot across BoyBoy and Bubba's bow. A splash fight kept us all cool. We moored our galleons and went to pillage the cafe for drinks and cookies.

We weren't finished yet! Bubba and I are always challenging BoyBoy to step outside his comfort zone. He is cautious almost to a fault. Doesn't like to take unnecessary chances. He might have fun! So, we donned our swimsuits and headed to Water Country, U.S.A. We climbed the stairs to the first slide and after learning the ropes from the three boys in line in front of us, we chose our slide. BoyBoy chose the green one, I chose pink (of course!) and Bubba followed BoyBoy down the green one. At the bottom, BoyBoy was hooked. We slid on every slide in the place (except one - it was in total darkness - even I have my limits) and closed the place down. We might have to get season passes. It was a great time! BoyBoy can't stop talking about it....he dreamt about it last night.

I love days like this...I love being back in the states!

Just askin'

Is it time for the kids to go back to school, yet?

My Little Girl is in Love

Melly has a boyfriend. She has fallen head-over-paws in love with my sister's Golden Retriever, Jake. We introduced them two weeks ago and, after a lesson for Jake in who is the true queen, they both fell in love. It is silly, really. We had them together for a week at the beach and it was just the bonding experience they needed. They greeted each other every morning with a slobbery kiss and a game of tag around the coffee table. Some light wrestling after breakfast followed by tandem napping went into the daily rotation. Evening walks on the beach cemented their bond. They both had serious depression when we came back and they were separated for the first time. It was so bad that my sister had to come and pick Melly up for a play date the next day.

Jake is absolutely the ying to Melly's yang. He completes her. Where she is neurotic and a spaz, he is laid back and a big lug. Where she is small and compact, he is huge and lanky. His paws are bigger than her head and yet he allows her to believe that she is bigger than he is. When they are together, she is permanently attached to his neck. He will flop over on the floor and let her gnaw on his fluffy neck for what seems like hours. Where she is faster than a speeding bullet, he takes more of a stop and smell the roses approach. When we take the two of them on walks, he waits for her to use the bathroom and even averts his eyes in respect for her privacy. It almost looks like he is the doting spouse, holding her purse while she powders her nose. All you have to do is say his name and she is headed for the door with a glance over her shoulder to make sure we are following with the car keys. They seem to be a match made in heaven. My little girl is in love. I just hope he doesn't break her heart for that trampy poodle down the street.

Foto Friday

Wow, that was fast

Okay, we had dug in for the long haul with this home search thing and, after looking at umpteen houses on the first day, we thought we were in for the really, really, really long haul. We had been told the housing market was saturated and it would be like shooting fish in a barrel. However, sellers must have given up and decided not to try too hard. We walked into one house and there were breakfast dishes on the counter with soggy rice krispies in the bowl! The mom's bra was on the floor in the bathroom! There was a box of feminine hygiene products on the counter in the KITCHEN?!?!? Now, call me crazy, but if the market is saturated and you want your house to stand out from the rest, this is not the way to go about it, for sure! We were deflated by what we saw.

So, when we set out on the second day, our hopes were not high. But...on the last house of the morning, with grumbling tummies because it was well past lunch, Bubba and I walked into our new house. It was so cute and us that we were immediately taken by its spunk. We were both grinning by the time we went up the stairs and when we got to the top of the stairs we were hooked. A tiny reading nook, adorable bedrooms, and a secret hideaway for Boyboy...we were goners. An offer was made and accepted and in 30 days, we will be homeowners.

We are soooo excited and can't wait for the joys and trials of home ownership! Photos to come.

Home

Today, we begin the process of finding our final home. Not just our next home, but our final home. A bit of a daunting task, if you ask me. We are making a decision that will affect the rest of our lives. We are staying here forever...Bubba will retire in the next year or so and so we want to find THE house. The one we have been waiting 16 years to find. The one that we have built in our minds from the many houses we have lived in. The kitchen from California, the bathroom from Virginia, the backyard from Germany are a must. The laundry room in Kansas, the driveway in Virginia, the plumbing in Germany are a no-go. We have already joked that we can't build our own home because it would cost us a bazillion dollars to put all the must and no-gos into it. So, we start looking...wish us luck.

My Sister

Do you ever get the feeling that the only way to communicate with your family is through confrontation? I had such a conversation with my sister last night and realized that the best conversing we do is at the beach under the slight influence of some type of Anheuser Busch product. She and I are at the best of times the best of friends and at the worst of times our own worst enemies. I have looked up to my sister since the day I was born and it has taken me 39 years to realize that she is human just like me. We had a conversation last night that can only be described as cathartic. She is the Cancer survivor, larger than life, can do no wrong older sister. I have always lived in her shadow, wanting to be more like her, and struggling with my identity in our family. Last night, we solved all of that. She showed me that she is as vulnerable as I am and that she needs my support as much as I desired hers. We realized that as sisters we are in this together. We are lucky to have each other to navigate this life together. We can talk about our parents and how they drive us crazy and we are the only ones who understand what we are talking about. We realized that the sisterly bond is what makes us stronger. Our Husbands try to understand and support us but don't get the reason why we give each other so much slack. She is, at the same time, my hero, my inspiration, my straw that breaks my back, and my favorite soul. I am so glad to have her. I am sad that Boyboy will not have a sibling to commiserate with. She, whether she knows it or not, has shown me how to be strong, independent, and compassionate in the most dire of circumstances. I love my sister...she is the bomb.

Foto Friday

Auf Weidersehn, Deutschland!

On the Move

Tomorrow, we leave Germany for the last time. I have mixed feelings about it and definitely know that I will miss this country that I have come to love.

We have had a rocky relationship, Germany and me. The first time we were here, I did not adapt well. Cold rainy summers, even colder grayer winters, very long summer days (which were ok until you tried to put a toddler to bed at 7pm and the sun was in his eyes), and very short winter days all put me on the fast track for pharmaceutical intervention. What also didn't help was the lack of family contact. I love my family and was used to being able to pick up the phone and call when ever I felt like it and I couldn't do that without figuring out the time difference first which usually turned out that they were asleep or at work. My sister was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma while we were here the first time. I felt so helpless when I talked to my mom and heard about her treatments and what they were doing to the larger-than-life sister that I had always thought was invincible. Fortunately, she beat the cancer because she fights harder and makes it look easier than anyone I will ever know. Oh, and let's not forget September 11th and the beginning of the War on Terror...so, needless to say, I was very ready to leave Germany the first time.

Fast-forward two years and we're told that Bubba will take command in ... say it with me ... Germany! While I was proud of Bubba and excited for him to take this responsibility, I did not want to go back to Germany. However, from the first day we were here, it has been different. The weather is still gloomy and the distance is still there but I think I am a better person for the trials that happened the first time. Everything fell into place this time - from friends for Boyboy, to friends for us, fulfilling volunteer opportunities for me, an opportunity to go back to school and further a hobby into what I hope will be a career, things have been better. And, I admit, there are things about Germany that are sooooo much better than the USA that I didn't appreciate until we left the first time. The things we will miss most we took for granted the first time and now we know to savor them . We will miss sitting in an outdoor cafe drinking great German beer, enjoying the weather (on those odd days that it is not raining), eating hearty food and relaxing with friends. We will miss traveling and the ease of European trains and highways. Need French wine for your dinner with friends? Head over to France and pick it up...it is only 45 minutes away. Want to ski this weekend? Grab your gear and go to Switzerland....only 4 hours away. Can't do that in the USA. But most of all, we will miss our friends. We have made some of the best friends in our Army career and hopefully, if the stars are aligned, we will be together in the same place again.

So, this time is bittersweet. I am ready to leave but sad to go. C'est la vie militaire!

Redonkulous Cuteness!

Check this site out but make sure you have an insulin shot handy because it is the sweetest thing I think I have ever seen...

http://www.dailypuppy.com/

If you love puppies as much as I do, you must go to this site immediately!

Foto Friday

I hate moving...

People touching my stuff...

All our worldly possessions in boxes...

Feeling disorganized and discombobulated....

Sweaty people touching my stuff....

Worrying about what will get broken this time...

Feeling like a man without a country...

Strange, sweaty people touching my stuff...

Living out of a suitcase for months...

Wondering where my _____ is and realizing that it got packed....

Not having my stuff....

I hate moving...

Foto Friday

I hate leaving...

There, I said it...I . Hate . Leaving .

We have started the long process of making sure we see everyone to say goodbye before we leave. I have gotten into the habit of not saying 'Goodbye' but 'See you later!' With the military community being as small as it is, I have come to know that I will indeed see them later. Case in point, we are having a reunion this fall of folks that we knew back before Bubba and I got married. We will get together and it will be like no time has passed. That is one of the things I love about our life. Even though we might not stay in touch like we would like to, we can always pick up our friendship as though we just saw each other yesterday. But, I digress.

Leaving. We should be used to it by now. And I should be looking forward to leaving this time since we are going where we want to go and retirement is around a not-so-distant corner. But, I am not. I hate the saying goodbye, the pulling up shallow roots, the vacating of a home, the leap into unfamiliarity. I hate knowing that some of the friends I have made will always be Germany Friends, not lifelong friends. Not because they aren't special to me because I truly treasure every friendship I have been blessed with, but because they are just the type of friendships that pass through our lives. They are friends with an 'use by' date. We will eventually lose touch and that makes me a bit sad. I also hate closing the door on our home for the last time, knowing all the memories that are shut up inside that house. It was our home for a time...that is what we make of it. I lived in only two houses before I met Bubba and my parents still live in one of them. Those two houses are my childhood homes. The homes I have made with Bubba and Boyboy are in our hearts...we will always have our memories of those houses and may even visit them at times but the memories we made inside those houses are the true homes. And, finally I hate the uncertainty and unfamiliarity of what lies ahead. New experiences, new neighbors, new schools, churches, grocery stores are all adjustments. I am not good at change...I adapt slowly.

So, in short...I hate leaving.

Just for Fun

Found this over at When Life Gives you Lemons (http://jessicaboots-whenlifegivesyoulemons.blogspot.com/)

I just had to do it.
Put your iPod (or iRiver) on shuffle (unless it is an early version iPod, one that doesn’t have shuffle) and press next for each question. Write down the song that’s playing as an answer.
1) How would you describe yourself? I'm On Fire - Bruce Springsteen (Ok, we're off to a good start)
2) What do you like in a guy/girl? The First Cut is the Deepest - Rod Stewart (Hmmmm)
3) What is your motto? The Thunder Rolls - Garth Brooks (In like a lion?)
4) What do your friends think of you? Anyway you want it - Journey
5) What do you think about often? Best of My Love - Emotions (Maybe)
6) What do your parents think of you? Superstar - Jamulia (Right on!)
7) What do you think of your best friend? Around the Way Girl - DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince (Yikes - which best friend does this describe?)
8) What do you think of the person you like? Burning Dog - Sugar Ray (Hmmmm)
9) What do you want to be when you grow up? Back at Your Door - Maroon 5 (Creepy, since we are moving back home just in time for Bubba to retire)
10) What do you think when you see the person you like? She's Got a Way - Billy Joel (Hmmm, he's got a way...)
11) What song will they play at your wedding? She's Always a Woman - Billy Joel (Two Billy Joels in a row - I thought this was "shuffle")
12) What will they play at your funeral? If You Love Somebody, Set Them Free - Sting (WOW!)
13) What is your hobby/interest? I Hope - Dixie Chicks (I hope I have a hobby)
14) What is your biggest fear? Some Days You Gotta Dance - Dixie Chicks (Hopefully not in public - and again with the two in a row!)
15) What is your biggest secret? That Was a River - Collin Raye ????
16) What do you think of your friends? Let It Be - Brooke White (Sometimes...)
17) What is your theme song? Fins - Jimmy Buffet (Am I the only bait in town?)
18) What do you think of your family? She's Everything - Garth Brooks (Well, they are everything to me)
19) What is your best friend’s theme song? Sin Wagon - Dixie Chicks (Again, which best friend are we talking about?)
20) What is your mood right now? O My God - Police (Seems to be my mood a lot lately)
21) If your heart could talk what would it say? Let Him Fly - Hootie and the Blowfish (Boyboy?)
22) What do your co-workers think of you? Gimme Some Lovin' - Spencer Davis Group (Gimme, gimme, gimme)
23) What does your future look like? Paris - Faith Hill (I wish...)

This was fun...sometimes laugh out loud funny. See what happens when you do it...

Foto Friday

Bubba Home!

So, Bubba is back from two weeks in the field and besides the insurmountable mountain of laundry in the basement, I am SO glad he is home. Ever since he got back from his deployment in July, when he is not here I miss him more than ever. I guess it brings back to front and center the pain from last year. Last year was hard. Enough said. I don't ever want to go back there again. One of the driving forces behind Bubba deciding that the time is right for retirement is that he doesn't want to deploy again. Twenty-two years in the Army, countless short deployments, multiple long ones have taken their toll on him. Folks who are not in the military seem to live under the idea that for us it gets easier every time....that we get used to them being gone. They couldn't be more wrong. Whether the time away is just over the weekend for training or for longer, it is NEVER easy. With each absence, Bubba is missing time...time with BoyBoy playing Command and Conquer on the computer or Legos in the basement, time with me discussing what we want to be when we grow up or just holding hands on the patio. That is time we will never get back. Don't get me wrong, I love the Army life and I am a little bit terrified of what life will be like in the "real world", but there are times when I wonder what it have been like if Bubba had been a corporate geek and we had stayed put from the beginning. And then, I remember...we have had the chance to see the world, face our fears, have the difficult conversations, and meet a melting pot of friends who know our pain and will live it with us for the rest of our lives. And then, I am thankful. I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to every mother out there. It has been such a blessing for me to experience the joy, frustration, happiness, sorrow, love and fun of being a mom. Boyboy is not always the easiest child but I know that I am so fortunate to have a healthy, bright, funny child who worships the ground that Bubba walks on and loves me, warts and all. From the day Bubba and I found out we were going to have him, I have thanked God for the miracle that is Boyboy. He continues to amaze me every day with his wit, charm, and brains. I am trying hard to keep up with him and I hope that he still lets me hold his hand for many more years to come. Thanks, Boyboy for making me a mom. I love you.

Things I am not looking forward to back in the States

• Thunderstorms - this is a double edged sword since I love listening to thunderstorms but, my poor Melly is sooooo terrified of them that she becomes almost inconsolable. We have had maybe 5 thunderstorms in the last 3 years and I think there have been that many this past week in Virginia.
• American drivers - sorry, Germans are very predictable in their driving...passing on the left, signaling when changing lanes, never running a red light. Americans, not so much.
• The cost of living...cell phone, cable, mortgage, etc. - all things we have been lucky to keep low over here, I know will put a larger dent in our budget.
• The faster pace of life...there is something to be said for stores being closed on Sunday and long, lingering dinners.

For the most part, I am thrilled to be going back to the states. I will miss all of the wonderful friends I have made this tour and the amazing country of Germany. I will also miss being able to go to France for lunch!