PaRiS

What a few crazy, hectic weeks it has been! This month has just flown by!

Last weekend, we decided to take a trip to Paris for my birthday. We ended up taking off late afternoon on a Thursday and driving 4 hours to get there. The kids had no idea where we were going- but when we woke them up once we got into Paris, they were SOOOO excited! We caught a glimpse of the Eiffel Tower sparkling- it was great! We were only going to be there for a couple of days, so we maximized the time we had there. Got all settled into our room down the street from the Eiffel Tower- with a great view of the Seine River and the mini Statue of Liberty.

Our first morning we stopped to eat at a little Cafe right by the Eiffel Tower- RIBE. (We asked for the pronunciation, but still can't say it!) OMG- the breads, croissants, and jams were to die for! And both kids loved the omelets they served- they were so light and airy. Since we were in Paris, I had to have crepes, and they didn't disappoint. Drizzled with Nutella too! We had to go back the next day to have some more! The kids were able to order in French- by the time we are out of here, maybe they'll pick up some more of the language!



Got to the Eiffel Tower to stand in line to go to the top. Hassled by the guys peddling their mini statues and women begging for money. So annoying! I don't know if it's us getting old or what, but once we got to the top, we got vertigo so bad, we couldn't wait to get down! The kids had no problem at all- they loved the view from the top, even though it was cloudy.




We also checked out the Catacombs- underground tunnel lined with bones.




After an afternoon of shopping on Champs Elysses Blvd, we made our way to see the Arc de Triumph.



It was an exciting time and we all had a blast! We went looking for a dress for me, with no luck. I did find a beautiful gown, but once I saw the price tag (5,800 EURO) I had to put it back! :) It was in this department store with clothes from every well known top-of-the line designer. I was in the fashion capital of the world and couldn't find a thing! Oh well, the kids made out like bandits in their new wardrobes! LOL Isabelle's dream has been to go shopping in Paris, so she had the time of her life! Shirts, dresses, and pants for her and some new shirts and shorts for the little man!

Our last day there we decided to head to the Eiffel Tower again to try and find some good vendor food- had another crepe, ice cream, cotton candy, and some fries. I have to admit that the German fries are much better than the French ones!







After stuffing ourselves with goodies, we decided to hit the road and head back home. Got our car from the parking garage and of course the GPS didn't work right away- so Chris tells me to tell him what direction to go (knowing full well the right way!) and of course, I tell him to turn the other way! So we drove around Paris for a while waiting for the GPS to start working. I think we almost got into 5 or 6 accidents in about 10 minutes due to the crazies on mopeds! They come from everywhere! Once we finally got to the Autobahn (or whatever the French call it) we got stuck in traffic, due to a moped/motorcycle accident. After seeing what happens, I have absolutely no desire to ever ride a motorcycle or moped in/around Paris!




We finally got out of town, the kids and I fell asleep while Chris drove us through France, Belgium, and Luxembourg, and back into Germany. Now we are preparing for the next visit in a few short weeks when my parents come! Chris has 2 weeks of block leave and we will be traveling ALL over Europe! On the agenda: Some sights in Germany, head to Italy and visit Venice, Bologna, and Rome then head to Monaco and then to Paris for a few days and go visit Normandy. After that is Belgium and Luxembourg and back to Germany! It is going to be a whirlwind trip, but can't wait!!! We are trying to maximize our time in Europe and see everything we've always wanted to see and do! Future trips include London, Moscow, and Poland. I just wish we had a little bit more time before this next deployment! There is so much time Chris will be in the field and doing training.

Tomorrow is Chris' Change of Command! He will be taking over a company (up to 120 soldiers). It is a very exciting time and added responsibilities too! I will be in charge of the FRG (Family Readiness Group) and am excited about this new opportunity for me! More posted about this soon! :)

A Day for the Spouses!

TODAY IS MILITARY SPOUSES APPRECIATION DAY!

In 1984, President Ronald Reagan (great man!) proclaimed that the Friday before Mother's Day should be a day set to honor the spouses of our country's service members. In a time where we are facing multiple deployments and two different wars, I think it is important for spouses to be recognized and appreciated.

In my speech class last semester, my last speech had to be a "toast" and what better to toast to? ARMY WIVES! :) So here is the condensed version:

We all know the motto: There is STRONG, and then there's ARMY STRONG. Maybe our motto should be, there is STRONG and then there is ARMY WIVES STRONG. We have a bond like no other. We've become like family, spending holidays and special occasions with each other while our families and husbands are away. We are always there to lend a helping hand.

So here's to you, the care package queens and for the women who tuck their kids in at night without their Daddy.

For the ones who stay up late or get up early, just to catch a glimpse of him on the webcam.

For the women who put a smile on their face, even though they are lonely and miserable on the inside.

Here's to the women who have their cell phones within an arm's reach 24 hours a day, just in case he calls.

Here's to love that stretches across an ocean.

Here's to knowing that one day down being one day closer to seeing him again.

Here's to the women who sit by and listen to their civilian friends whine and complain about their husbands, when you wish your husband was around to sit and complain about as well.

Here's to the goodbyes we say and the hellos we look forward to.

Here's to friendship and staying strong and to the women so great they made a TV show about our lives. We make the most out of each and everyday and stay positive and strong for our kids and husbands.

We get no awards, but are so proud of the ones our husbands receive. We are supportive, no matter what. We are what keeps them going. We know what sacrifice is, because we live it each and everyday.

So here's to standing tall and proud, not letting a deployment or separation get the best of us. We know that freedom is not free.


I am so lucky to have a group of friends that are so supportive and understanding- why? Because they go through the same things. Many do not understand what it is like to have their husband gone all the time and our worries when they are gone. I know I have someone to talk to that knows what it feels like. The Army, Air Force, and Marine wives I know are the strongest women I know. They are incredible.

So if you are reading this and know any military spouses, please celebrate and appreciate them on this day- well everyday actually, but this day in particular. We are the rocks in our husband's lives. We are the ones standing behind our heroes each and every step of the way.

So to my fellow Military Spouses- THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO!

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!