Getting settled

What a long two weeks it has been! After moving out of the hotel, which we called home for about 5 weeks, we had 1 night without any furniture. Luckily Chris' parents let us borrow 2 cots and a blow up mattress so we had something to sleep on without having to borrow beds and things from the Army's Loan closet.

The movers didn't lose anything, but I don't know if it was crappy packers or the trip across the ocean, but they managed to break 2 legs off our German Shrank (like a china cabinet), break glass on a photo, destroy our TV stand and a bookcase, and minor damage to a lot more things. This is the one thing I hate about moving around- I have to oversee the packing and unpacking, just waiting for damages. Oh, I did forget the WATER BOTTLE one of the packers left in a tub that leaked. Not good. I don't think there was anything too terribly important that was water-damaged. Our apartment has no closets- it sucks. Next week we are getting our "wardrobes" so we can hang up our things.

Chris has been in the field for the past month, only coming home for 4 days (which coincidently fell in the time we moved in and the movers came, maybe it was my good planning ;) so he hasn't seen the house without all the boxes and piles. Well, there are plenty of things that don't have a "place"- we have gone from a 3 bedroom, 3 bath, 2+ garage, 1700 sq foot house to a 3 bedrooms, 1.5 bath 1400 sq foot apartment (with no basement and a 1 stall garage). Add on top of that all the patio furniture that was on our HUGE patio- loveseat, several chairs, table, grill, etc...That is actually what is taking up most of our garage storage space. Damn you Target for having such great outdoor furniture last year! LOL I'm glad our gazebo flew away into the neighbor's house last year, cause we'd have NO place for that! :P

It is interesting living in a different country, especially when they do not speak the same language. I have started taking German language classes- learning a whole lot! I can now say my A,B,C's in German and count to 100! I have met one of my neighbors- he is in (I think) his 60's and likes speaking English. I told him I was learning so he quizzed me on my A, B, Cs at the bus stop! (He was very hard on me, but told me it will come with learning the language. I was glad he was honest with the pronunciations!) I can say several phrases and know my greetings and how to be polite. The kids even have German class once a week. I almost wish they would do a lot more, but I understand they have a lot to teach.

We've got all the amenities within walking distance from the house. We've got a pizza/kabob place right across the street, which is DELICIOUS!! A butcher shop and bakery right around the corner- the butcher shop is owned by our landlord's family. Right across the street from the bakery/butcher shop is the kids' bus stop. It takes about a minute to get from our door to the bus stop, which is quite convenient! Right near the bus stop is a grocery store. Only been there once, but plan on going quite often! There plenty of restaurants around us too. If only we had a train stop too! The closest one is only 5 miles, so hopefully we can take full advantage of the closeness!

We are looking forward to when Chris comes home next week! I hope to get some pictures after our place once we find a place for everything! :)

It's the little things...

We've now been in Germany for over three weeks! Time sure has been flying by-seems like just yesterday we were stepping off the plane in Germany! There are several busses that come throughout the week dropping off the fresh meat- we constantly have new neighbors in the hotel- I can tell by the dogs bark, or lately the newborn's cries from 2:30 to 4:30 AM. Luckily, that has stopped, so we figured they have moved on to their home. Apparently not a lot of people are here this long- trust me, it's not by choice!!! They are renovating ALL of the officer's quarters on post, so even if we wanted to live on post we'd have to wait til next year.

It has been a frustrating few weeks. I am hoping to create a "Dummies guide" to PCSing overseas, because no amount of researching and talking with people who have already been here really gives you a great idea on what to expect- sure you get some great information, but there is so much crap that isn't true either like this one: "Your kids can't start school until you have a place to live" F-A-L-S-E!!! :( Had to find that one out the hard way. After two weeks of living in the hotel, I call the school to figure out what my kids are expected to do until we find a house (which is a whole nother problem right there!!!). After speaking with the school's registrar, the kids were in school in two days. The school is quite lacking, especially when we are used to Isabelle being in a class with all gifted and talented children- she was pushed and challenged where here, well....I don't think it is much of a challenge at all. Tristan is excelling as well- knowing much of what is already being taught. We will likely be doing the "after-schooling" which will probably be more beneficial to them anyway.

On to more exciting news....WE HAVE FOUND A PLACE TO LIVE!!!!!!! After looking at several 3-4 bedroom homes, we decided to look at apartments, as these homes were in major disrepair. One of my favorites (on the outside) was a 4 bedroom, 4 bath home on the historical society list- over 200 years old. We were told by the housing office that people

were really put off by the outside of the home- I'll let you decide for yourself -------->

We thought it was quite charming on the outside, but the inside was horrible! Needed new everything. I don't think the owner realized what a gem he had there! It would make for a great makeover show!

The others had been smoked in, or were too far away from post. Another issue we had was finding a place that was on the school bus route. I think that eliminated a good 75% of the homes available. We finally found an apartment available that had 3 bedrooms in the town we really wanted to live in. It's about 10 miles from post and right off the Autobahn! Hardwood floors and it is the 2nd floor, but it has two floors the living room, dining room and kitchen and 1/2 bath on the first floor and then 3 bedrooms and a bathroom on the top floor. Plus we even have a little patio to grill out! :) After looking through it, we determined it was in the best condition of everything we've seen and the best looking kitchen! :) I could overlook the bright orange master bedroom and the lime green, purple, blue and white striped, red, and pink walls, the flowers that were glued to the wall and the holes in the wall....and I could look over the playboy bunnies painted on a couple of the walls! (Cause it's just paint and holes can be filled in!!! LOL) Here are some of the pics:

Dining Room- love the hardwood floors!

Kitchen (purple wall to be painted)

Living room- to be painted! :)

Apparently you can paint whatever you want on your walls- some weird decorating going on there! Oh well, not my problem! They were in the process of repainting the house for us and if all goes as planned, we should be moving in on the 15th! I hope to be able to survive the next 2 weeks in the hotel as Chris just left for the field for the month. Luckily, they don't want to pay him any type of family separation pay (for being away for more than 30 days) so he should be home the week we are to move in for a couple of days. It remains to be seen whether or not we'll have any furniture by then, but by golly, we'll have a place! :)

So now I am alone with two kids in a foreign country....I should probably change the title of my blog to CONFESSIONS OF A LONELY ARMY WIFE (perhaps I will!)

Chris gave me this small leather bound book that I have been carrying everywhere with me. I use it to jot down notes here and there and have come up with quite a list of things that I have learned since being here, so here are a few things I have learned so far:

* Always carry 50 cent euro coin for each person traveling with you as you have to pay to use the restrooms at rest stops! (But if you buy something at the rest stop, you get that money applied to your total)

* If you have a motorcycle, please reconsider driving it on the Autobahn- some people are driving at over 120 MPH (I only know that because we were going about that fast and still being passed- by STATION WAGONS no less ha ha!!!) It's hard to see cars when they are going that fast, and I can't imagine how motorcyclists drive on it!!

* GPS is mandatory! I accidentally left mine in Chris' truck in SD, so we bought a new one with European maps- it is a GODSEND!!! We would be so lost without it!

* Gas is SUPER DUPER expensive!!! We have a fuel ration that can be used on post and at certain gas stations in Germany. Right now I think it's at about $3.30/gallon. It's at 1.15 euro per LITER for Germans. It costs over $50 to fill up my Honda Accord! Without the fuel ration, it was nearly 80 euros ($106)!!! EEK- It makes you wonder how Germans can afford to drive!

*Be willing to try new things! We preach it to the kids all the time, so we have been trying all kinds of new foods! We may not like all of it, but at least we know we don't like it now! :) My favorite is all of the baked goods- brochen, berliners, pretzels, and my favorite- croissants at the gas station! LOL (This reminds me that someone is trying to take me skydiving for my birthday---we'll see about that!)

* Be prepared to wait. It seems as if Germans are in no rush (except when it comes to driving on the Autobahn). You sit down to eat and after ordering, it takes a while to get your food. After you do get your food, your server doesn't come around a million times and interrupt conversation or rush you to get out of the place. It is so easy going around here, which is really refreshing!

That is about it for now~ both kids are in bed sleeping and I should be headed that way myself!

FREEDOM

German houses

We're FRRRREEEEEEEEEE......we're no longer stuck to walking around post and bumming rides off people! :) Chris got the car picked up this morning!!!

Tip #1 for those moving overseas- send your car ASAP before moving!!! It took about 5 weeks for our car to get here. It's been sitting here for a good 2 weeks too. But before you can get your car, you have to pass the driver's exam and get your German driver's license- which can be done in the States at certain military installations.

So tip #2 would be to get the license before you actually get here!

Chris was so busy in the weeks leading up to graduation that he didn't get a chance to take the test. Luckily the walk isn't too terribly far to get places here- even going off post wasn't bad. But when it's snowing, raining, and super windy, it's no fun walking. I am a bit disappointed with the people here so far. When you see a family or a soldier walking with several grocery bags in snow drifts, while snowing and windy, wouldn't you at least OFFER them help or a ride? Or at least slow down when we're standing at the crosswalk? People never cease to amaze me. Luckily we weren't hit by any cars or frostbitten! :)

Chris was able to take the test yesterday and rocked it out! He was one of 5 in the class that passed it- I think there were 45 people who took it. You have 2 tries to take it before you have to wait another 2 weeks to pass it. If you don't pass it on the 3rd try you have to wait 60 days to retake it. You'd think that people would take it seriously to pass, but people don't care I guess!

Tip #3- get your International Drivers License at AAA before you leave the States so you can drive in other countries!! We did get those so we are good to go!

We've been in Germany for 8 days now! 8 days of living in a hotel with 1 bed and a couch with a pull out bed. There are however, 3 sinks in the place. Why there are 3 sinks is beyond me. One in the kitchen (yeah, we do have a kitchen with oven, microwave and fridge), one in the bathroom, and another right outside the bathroom in the hallway. We've hardly seen the sun- it is always overcast. It's snowed, rained, and sleeted. I was hoping to get out of the nasty winter weather, but no luck yet!

The lack of a vehicle has made us stay on post to eat and spend time. There is a great restaurant called the Rhinelander- been there twice now. Isabelle got up and tried finding the bathroom the first time- didn't find it, but came back with a coin in her hand. The post commander had given it to her on her way back to the table. She was very excited about that. Coins are a big thing in the Army- many times higher ranking officers or NCO's will give coins to soldiers for doing a good job or apparently unsuspecting kids trying to find the restrooms! We went again a few nights later and the post commander was there too. We were going up to get food and he asks Isabelle if she had her coin (we didn't know who he was at this point) and sure enough she had it in her pocket! It hasn't left her sight since she got it either! After getting our salads, he came to our table and he coined Tristan (who was very jealous he didn't get one). The commander was very nice and sincere while talking with us. He asked about our housing situation and welcomed us to Baumholder.

This past Saturday, we got out of the hotel (thanks to the in-laws picking us up!) and did a 5k Volksmarch- it was so nice to get some fresh air and burn some energy!! It was a cloudy day, but the temp wasn't too cold. Had bratwurst and fries afterwards- they were delicious!
It was interesting seeing the different people that come to Volksmarches. There's families, German soldiers (in uniform), older couples, younger couples, and everything in between. They have their walking sticks and lederhosen and some knee high socks and are all ready to go! And afterwards you eat, drink coffee, or have a big mug of beer. It's funny to watch women older than my grandma drinking beer before noon! :)

Tristan with his tiny fork

I will be taking my driver's test in a couple of days, so studying up for that. I don't know if I can match Chris' 95%, but I'll try! :) All that matters is that I get an 85% to pass the dang thing!

Isabelle after the Volksmarch

One week and counting!

Next week at this time, we'll be in Atlanta, preparing for our overnight flight to Germany!! I know that this next week will fly by!

We have spent the last week in Georgia, living in a log cabin. No internet, no cell service. It was a great time! The first few nights we had a large cabin with a loft for the kids to sleep in. It was great until we heard some wildlife creature in the wall- we narrowed it down to a mouse or bat with it's squeaking. Luckily we only had one night left at that cabin, so the kids slept on the 2 leather couches downstairs. The night before brought a HUGE thunderstorm, so for a good 3 hours we had all four of us packed onto a double bed. Made for little sleep and bad backs once we got up the next morning. There were several herds of deer on the property and Chris caught a glimpse of feral (wild) pigs. We switched cabins and ended up with a smaller one, with bunk beds for the kids.



We were able to spend 1 day in Atlanta, visiting the Atlanta Aquarium and Olympic Park downtown. We were able to finish the day with a fun supper with a Japanese chef preparing the meal in front of us....plus some sushi!


We saw the Airborne students jumping out of planes and saw a Blackhawk land, among other things. Got to take the kids to the National Infantry Museum for lunch (which was DELICIOUS!!!) and the toured the museum. The highlight of that may have been watching the kids shoot at targets in an indoor shooting range (all electronic). We had dinner with one of Chris' buddies and his wife- our first taste of Indian food! It was a great first taste! Mmmm....curry!

We got the last of the briefings and paperwork done, with an exception to our No-fee passports, which we'll do in Germany.

Chris graduated from the Career Course Friday morning and after signing out, we were on the road and back in South Dakota the next day. 20 hour drive, plus stops for gas, food, and hotel. Had Legos for Tristan, season 1 of NCIS for Isabelle ,and season 1 of Lie to Me to keep us occupied! We were well prepared! :) Going to spend this last week packing, tying up loose ends, getting together with friends and saying our goodbyes to everyone!

We have all kinds of things planned for traveling in Europe and can't wait for the next chapter of our lives!

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes....

In about two weeks we'll be on our way to Germany!!! It's is such an exciting/anxious/stressful/amazing/wonderful time for us! Pretty much everything is in order for us to go- just a couple of last minute things to finish up, but can't do that until we are in Georgia.

It is finally hitting me that it's happening. The Army has skewed my expectations of things. I try not to allow myself to get excited about things until they are REALLY happening. I am finally at the point of excitement- I mean, our vehicle and household goods are en route and we know the unit Chris will be going to, so it's getting real.

We have a whole year together! This is great for us, as it hasn't happened in about 6-7 years. Separations never get any easier, but that is what our life has consisted of. I hope we don't drive each other bonkers in that time! LOL I like to joke that our marriage works so well because by the time we get sick of each other, it's time for him to leave. Although being a military family has it's struggles, I think it makes us appreciate each other and TIME so much more. We make the most of it- and I know we will be able to experience Germany and all it has to offer leaving lifelong memories for us and the kids. I mean, how many people have the opportunity to live in another country?

Once we get to Germany, we'll start house hunting. The housing for us is being remodeled, so we will likely move off post and live off the economy. The kids will go to a DoDs (Department of Defense) school even if we are off post. They will be learning German in school, so hopefully they can teach me some more! :) We've been learning German from Rosetta Stone, so I know some basic phrases and words. I can take language classes on the base to learn more if I want- SIGN ME UP!!

The kids and I are headed to Georgia this weekend for a week! Looking forward to warmer weather and spending time together! Chris will be graduating from the Career Course and then we will be driving back to SD in his truck and get the last minute packing and such done and we'll be jet setting across the world!

Only a month to go...

and we will be boots on the ground....in GERMANY!!! LOL Well, maybe Chris will be in boots. I will likely be in slippers. Or at least something comfy for the 12 hour plane trip over the ocean.

The whole No-fee passport debacle has finally blown over...yes we need it, but not to fly overseas. They are like a visa, so that we can stay more than 90 days in the country without being deported. Maybe we are an exception as many people have told me we need the no-fees before we fly. Who knows....all I care is that we get to go all together! I really didn't want to make the trip by myself with the 2 kids. Just have to remember the benedryl to knock them out! And something stronger for me! :)

The car should be there about a week after we get in...but who knows about our household goods. Luckily we can borrow the essentials from the loan closet until our things get in. First we need to find a place to live! The on post housing appears to be quite lacking in the space department! (No surprise there!!!) And as of right now, they are renovating the quarters for Chris' rank...so even if we wanted to live on post, it's not available. Hopefully we can find something quick that fits our needs!

Not much left to do now! The kids and I will be heading to Georgia in a couple of weeks for Chris' graduation and then doing some last minute things in order to move. Have to apply for the passports and then attend a briefing in order to go overseas. Once that is done, we'll get our plane tickets and make our way to South Dakota to get the last of our things packed up and say our goodbyes! Trying to plan a going away party to see everyone before we go.

One step closer!

This past weekend, my mom, Tristan, and I traveled to the St. Louis area to ship my car. What was supposed to be an overnight trip turned into a 5 day trip. Thanks to an impending ice storm, we decided to leave on Friday, instead of Sunday to beat it. Started Friday and it was a uneventful trip...well, until we reached our hotel.

I figured you can't go wrong going to a Holiday Inn Express, right? Yeah.....no. We got checked in and went to the room, to find no curtains on the windows and no bedding on the beds. We drug all of our stuff back downstairs to tell the front desk and go to Room #2....this one had curtains and bedding, plus a ladder and all kinds of cleaning supplies and a handyman to-do list. So we drug all of our stuff back downstairs and checked out and drove to the next exit and found another Holiday Inn Express. Luckily they had a great lady working at the front desk, so got a discount off the military discount for the night's stay, plus they kept the pool open late for Tristan to go swimming. So, it made up for the first hotel. Tristan was very excited to see curtains on the windows, cause "he likes his privacy."

Left the next morning to get to St. Louis. Lots of rain and wind, but we made it there in one piece! Just hung around the hotel on Saturday and left sightseeing til Sunday.



A BRIDGE OVER THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER

We ended up going to the Arch and the City Museum. Not many people at either place, which was nice. Took the tram to the top of the Arch and got to see out the top. Tristan was scared out of his mind. He was afraid that the Arch would fall or that the tram would get stuck and we couldn't get out. After the complaining and being scared, we got off and he thought it really wasn't that bad! LOL



THIS WAS AFTER WE WENT TO THE TOP



VIEWS FROM THE TOP

We then went to the City Museum...definitely unlike any other place I've been. A series of caves, tunnels, slides, stairs, and paths for kids and adults to roam around. There were several spots that I couldn't fit into, and you never knew where the path would lead, so it limited Tristan in where he could go. The last thing I needed was for him to wonder off in some huge museum! The St. Louis circus school also had a show there, so got to see some teenagers and kids performing circus acts...juggling, unicycles, and on bikes. There was this tiny little 5 year old doing tricks too. It was pretty impressive.

Finally on Monday morning, I was able to get my car turned in. I was pretty nervous about getting it turned in, but I was worried for nothing, as it went so smooth. We have gotten so much misinformation about this move and it is quite frustrating. After driving for 9 hours the last thing I wanted was to get there and be told that I didn't have the right paperwork or we weren't authorized to ship from that particular port. Fort Benning told me one thing and after contacting the St. Louis VPC, I find that I was given the wrong information. With any luck, by the time we get to Germany, the car will be waiting for us! I suppose we will find out just how fast it can go on the Autobahn! :)

All day Monday, we were trying to keep up to date on the weather. We had Grandma calling us telling how bad it was and where the accidents were. Missouri was windy, but by the time we hit Iowa there were cars in the ditch left and right. I think we counted 40 cars/SUVs/semis in the ditch in less than 30 miles. It was wild. Many of them were flipped on their roof or on their side and they seemed to be in groups. By the time we got into Omaha, it was windy and snowy and the roads in Iowa and SD were really bad, so we ended up staying the night in Omaha. We finally got home yesterday, and it is so good to be home!

Now our latest issue is the No-fee passports- do we get them, don't we get them. Can we travel to Germany without them or do we have to wait til they are ready? No one can really tell us the right answer. It is another thing that has to be done on post. So, it will have to get done once we get to Fort Benning next month for Chris' graduation.

Some exciting news came over the weekend, when we found out that some of our good friends will also be stationed in Germany. So now I have someone else going through the process as well and we are able to help each other out with things. It will be so fun being able to do things with another great Army family!