The Beaudoin Bunch

Time with Daddy

2011-06-03T13:12:00.008+02:00

After returning from Libya we had 3 weeks of family time to squeeze in before Frank headed to Iraq. In those 3 weeks we were able to take Emma golfing, bowling on base, playing at the park with Daddy (who is much more fun to play with at the park then Mommy!), go to Eifel Park, and spend Easter together. In between all the family time, Frank was spending every other second preparing for his deployment, which is extremely time consuming! I was hoping getting some of these activities in would help to 'hold over Emma' while Daddy is away all summer. She enjoyed her time with Daddy but now every time we drive past the bowling alley I hear, "I really want my Daddy to take me to the bowling alley again." Or,"When can I go golfing with my Daddy again?" I just answer, "As soon as Daddy can come home he will take you to do all those things," aka... in forever and a day. I've just learned from all this that you can NEVER get enough family time no matter what your time table has in store for you. So enjoy your family, you never know when they have to be gone for 9 months of a year.

Emma and Daddy Golfing Day

Eifel Park Fun With Daddy

Catch Up

2011-05-29T19:03:00.007+02:00

As you may have noticed, it's been over 2 months since I have posted! The last few months have been hectic, emotional, and boring at times. But we are pressing on! I am going to spend the next couple of weeks blogging about events from March/April and May.

Shortly after our trip to Normandy in March Frank had a last minute deployment to support Operation Odyssey Dawn in support of the Libya mission. Frank was gone for just over 3 weeks and returned home the first week of April. The Libya mission was more stressful for me then it was for Frank. Frank was like a little boy on Christmas Eve when he left, and I was scared, but so excited for him at the same time. In a nutshell- He went, he kicked some butt, dropped some bombs and came home! I think that officially makes my husband a war hero, right?

The day Frank left

Time to go pick up Daddy!

Welcome Home Daddy!

Normandy

2011-03-21T15:26:00.010+01:00

Frank got a week of leave before leaving on an extended 'business trip' so we took the opportunity to go to Normandy for 4 days! Unfortunately, the weather was not the best, but at least the rain held out and we were smart enough at this point to bring cold weather gear, rain boots and umbrellas! I have never been much of a history buff, and can honestly say teaching history was like pulling teeth at times, but when I actually get to see history, it can make even me want to learn more. Seeing with my own eyes what I had read in history books growing up, or even teaching my 5th graders sure makes it seem so much more surreal.

Oh, Frank's parents were also lucky enough to make it over to Germany to go on our trip with us! I think they had a great time as well! Here are some pics of our time in Normandy-

Mont St-Michel, France

Gold Beach, Normandy

Emma playing on the whale bench

Gold Beach, Normandy

Pointe-Du-Hoc

Omaha Beach, Normandy

Normandy American Cemetery

Emma and the Beach

2011-02-21T11:30:00.003+01:00

Emma's imagination has really been taking off the last couple of months. I find her pretending to be a mom to her favorite blanket, boo, putting 'her' in time outs for not listening and holding boo when she is sad. I find her having a restaurant in the living room and serving up all her favorite treats. But her favorite 'act' is going to the beach. Emma must take imaginary trips to the beach 2-3 times a day. It's so funny to watch, she lays out her beach towel, puts on her bathing suit and uses the tile on the living room floor as the pool. She gets in, swims around, and then gets out to dry off. Something about her fascination for the beach just amazes me since she has never actually been to a beach to play before! I am hoping this summer I can get her to a beach and see how much she enjoys the real thing! I am thinking she is going to like the real thing much better then the living room tile.

Emma and her beach set-up

Beautiful Day In the Neighborhood

2011-01-31T13:55:00.003+01:00

Living in Germany definitely has its ups and downs. The biggest 'down' has to be the months of November, December, January, February and most of March. The weather can be so depressing!! It reminds me of Michigan all over again. But January this month brought a few surprises in 2011- we had over a week of weather at 50 degrees of above, and some sun! I woke up one morning and opened my blinds in my room to get a view of this: Pretty amazing.

Santa Claus Came To Spangdahlem!

2011-01-07T17:55:00.009+01:00

Yes, it's well past Christmas but I am behind on this blog, again. But I wanted to post some pictures from Emma's FIRST 'she-understands' Christmas!!! Emma turned 3 in August and I suppose this is when Santa actually starts to excite a child. Last year we told her all about Santa and how he comes to our house to leave presents, eat cookies, yada, yada, yada. She just listened and went with it. This year ,however, the excitement within her was fantastic! Every day for nearly a month she would ask about Santa coming to the house, if she could stay awake to say hi to him, where he was going to park his sleigh at our house, etc. It was so much fun! On Christmas morning Emma woke up, tip-toed downstairs just enough to see the tree and the goodies surrounding it and then ran back upstairs to tell us, "Mommy, Daddy, Santa came and he brought me some Barbies!" Those Barbies turned out to be a set of Tinkerbell and her friends, but she was close! We spent nearly the entire morning opening gifts and 'releasing' gifts from their endless twisty ties, tape, glue and threads to hold them down ( I mean seriously, does a Barbie's head have to be attached to the back of the box with one of those tag attachments!?) When it was all said and done, Emma had a bottomless pit of toys, and Frank and I had cut up hands from sharp plastic. But it was all worth it, this Christmas was definitely one of the best Christmases ever!

Looks like Santa was here!

Emma's cookies for Santa (sippy cup and all)

Opening Presents

Toys, Toys, and More Toys

Emma in her Christmas dress

Back to Switzerland

2010-12-27T21:50:00.007+01:00

We were lucky enough to take a trip to Switzerland (Lucerne and Lauterbrunnen) in July. When the opportunity came up to go back- we took it! Along with 4 other families in the squadron we packed up the cars and headed for Zermatt, home of the Matterhorn. We all stayed in one Chalet with a perfect view of the Matterhorn right outside the windows. It was amazing!!! The town is small, so small that cars are not allowed to drive into it. We parked our cars outside Zermatt and were taxied in on an electric car. What an adventure! We spent nearly 5 days in this quiet, perfect little heaven of a town. I could have stayed another week, easily! Emma loved the snow and we played outside until my toes went numb. While in Zermatt we celebrated Thanksgiving with our friends. Everyone pitched in and brought items for the big meal! While most of the guys were skiing, the women stayed home to get Thanksgiving dinner prepared. It was a memorable holiday with wonderful friends! A memory to last a lifetime.

View of the Matterhorn from our Chalet

Our Chalet

Happy Thanksgiving From Zermatt!

Family Photo

Emma playing with an amazing view in the background!

To Our Country's Heroes

2010-11-11T15:21:00.004+01:00

For all of those who have served, or are serving our country now, thank you for all you do!

Veterans Day

By Taylor Weinman

Representing the red white and blue

The colors of our flag stand out proud and true.

The white stars on blue background with red and white stripes

Remind me of these veterans, who all risked their lives.

Just so the people of the U.S. could all live in peace and be free

These are the heroes that represent you and me.

They stood up strongly, untied as one,

And kept up the fighting until they were done.

And although some have fallen, and lost their lives in war,

We pray for each one of them.

And now that their souls live on forever more,

Above in God's hands.

They watch over our nation,

And give us strength to triumph over others with strong anticipation.

So every year, when this day comes by,

Think of all the veterans that while fighting, had to die.

And remember that they were people

With fire and passion embedded inside.

They die for this country,

So remember and honor them with pride

Daddy/Daughter Time

2010-11-07T15:01:00.007+01:00

I never thought that when I bought Emma her shopping cart for her 3rd birthday, that she would be using it like this:

Yes, you see what you think you see.. our 3 year old daughter helping Daddy 'transport' his warm Belgium beer from the storage area to the beer fridge.

Emma was so proud to be helping her daddy restock his beer that she forgot to put on pants for the occasion. ;-) I was so eager to catch this on my camera that I used the wrong setting and got these grainy pictures! I just wanted to make sure I documented this event for when Frank is nominated for Dad of the Year.

Disney Land Paris Take 2!

2010-11-07T14:41:00.006+01:00

Frank was gone for most of the month of October (in Bulgaria for work), so Emma and I decided to take ourselves on a trip! A good friend of mine and her kiddos, Emma and I went to Paris Disney Land for a few days of fun. As many of you know, we just took a trip to Paris Disney in July when my mom came to visit, but I had heard about how the park celebrates Halloween with parties and they decorate the park, so I was DETERMINED to see it before we left here. With Frank gone, I took the opportunity and we went! We were lucky enough to go on a unseasonably warm weekend for October and had fantastic time!

Officially 'posing' now.

1st Day of School

2010-10-16T15:27:00.004+02:00

Trying to play catch-up on this blog is definitely not an easy task for me! I have to be more disciplined and start writing something once a week... here's to my new plan! ;-)

Last month Emma started school. I had a few choices on what I wanted to do when it came to her going to school. I could enroll her in our German preschool in our village, enroll her on base, or in a local preschool run out of a military family home. After weighing all my options and seeing what was even available we decided to go with the in-home preschool. Of course, it's the furthest drive and the most expensive but I wanted Emma to get the most out of her days at preschool and this seemed the way to go. Emma will be going to preschool two days a week; Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8 am until 11 am. It's been hard for us to be up this early and out the door, but we are getting better. I've started getting her clothes out the night before and even pulling out breakfast necessities to save even a few minutes each morning before we run out the door. Emma's first day went spectacular!! I was worried she would cry, and she sure surprised me! As I was telling her good-bye (with a few tears in my eyes) she said, "Mommy, you go home and take a shower (thanks Em) and I stay here and play with my new friends!" It sure did feel good to walk out of there knowing she was having a great time and was excited about her day! She continues to be easy to drop-off each morning, which can only mean she is loving school.... just like her Mommy.

Emma's 1st day of Preschool

Emma Turns THREE!!!!

2010-09-09T13:16:00.003+02:00

Yep, it's true. My little girl is officially 3 years old (as of August 30th, I am way late on this post!). Where did the time go? I feel like yesterday I was making bottles, cleaning up spit-up and listening to baby talk all hours of the day. Now I have a little girl who goes potty on the toilet (and now closes the door for privacy), freaks when she spills ANYTHING on herself, and talks more then I ever thought a 3 year old could! Wow!! Then another part of me does not remember what life was like without her around. She is my little BFF and I don't know what I would do without her! I love you Emma Lynn, thank you for being the best gift in the world and making me smile every day!

Emma's Birthday 8-30-2010

Mama Invades Europe!

2010-08-05T15:25:00.013+02:00

My mom got over her fear of flying..... and flew over 8 hrs across the Atlantic Ocean to come visit us for 2 weeks! Having her around was a true blessing! She was so helpful and it was just so good to see her! Being away from her for months on end after being with her daily my entire life until I was twenty-five sure can be difficult. Of course, we have adapted and just enjoy the time we do get to spend together. Since we (Frank, Emma and I) have ZERO plans of making that LONG trip across the Atlantic this calendar year, she decided to come here! It was a nice change, and it was a wonderful visit. Not only was this her first visit to Europe, but it was her first time leaving the country (unless you want to count Canada, but for those of us who grew up 20 minutes from the Canadian border, Canada is like another city- so it doesn't count in my eyes!). She was amazed at how beautiful it was here and we were able to take her to do some local sight-seeing as well as take a trip to Paris. Hopefully she had enough fun that she would consider coming back before we move again in the Winter/Spring of 2012.

Berkastel, Germany (Mosel River in background)

Vineyards along the Mosel River

Trier, Germany

Paris, France

Stars and Stripes in Switzerland

2010-07-29T16:48:00.012+02:00

We spent the 4th of July in Switzerland this year. Of course my first thought was, "But there won't be fireworks in Switzerland to celebrate America's Independence! That stinks!" But then I had to remind myself that I was spending 4 wonderful days IN SWITZERLAND! Fireworks last 10-15 minutes, this experience was going to be once in a lifetime! So the fireworks can wait until next year... unless we are in another country next 4th of July too! Here are some pics from our trip. Switzerland has been by far the most beautiful country we have traveled to since being in Germany. I could not believe this place was real and to some it's all they know, the Swiss are a lucky bunch!

Rhinefalls in Switzerland- Biggest Falls in Europe

How we got up the mountain

Top of Pilatus (about 7,000 ft)

Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland- view from our hotel room

Emma and her buddies; Peightyn and Preston

Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland

Biking Until My Butt Goes Numb.....

2010-06-30T22:07:00.006+02:00

Each year a 100 kilometer stretch of roads along the Mosel River are closed off for the day so bikers can explore the villages along the river. Frank had just purchased the 'God Almighty of Bikes' a few weeks before so he was pumped about this day of bike riding. For those who know me, well I have not owned a bike since I was in high school, so I was able to rent a bike from the recreation center on base for the event. Frank and I ventured out to the Mosel around 10 am, leaving Emma behind with the babysitter for the day. I was excited to get out and have some fun without having to be 'Mama responsible' all day long. We met up with some other friends and parked at a train station a hand full of kilometers from the river. Since so many roads are blocked off, getting close to the river by car is nearly impossible. So we took the train to a small village right on the Mosel. At each village you can stop, park your bike, and enjoy some local wine, beer and yummy foods! So predictably, every village we came to we stopped and enjoyed the local entertainment. We did this ALL day long! It was so much fun to just ride our bikes and hang out with our good friends for the day. About halfway through the trip I felt the standard riding-a-bike-aches but ignored them as long as I could- I mean, I REFUSED to be the first one to start complaining about aches and pains. ;-) The last village we stopped at on our ride back to the train station was the most rough for me. I still had 10 kilometers of biking ahead of me before we reached the car. I had to mentally push myself the first 7 kilometers and when the crew stopped for one last drink at a winery I decided to just walk with my bike on towards the train station and let them catch up to me. All in all, we rode over 25 kilometers on our bike that day, more then I have ridden all together in the last 10 years! I was so proud of myself for accomplishing such a task (HUGE for me peeps!). Yes, that night I was more exhausted then the night I gave birth to Emma (and probably more sore) but the soreness only lasted a few days and then I was back to the same spring in my step. My butt was another story....

First stop of the day!

The Beaudoins and the Clappers

Me and My German Ride

A bunch of fighter pilots taking over the traffic circle.

Mama's Break!

2010-06-10T16:44:00.007+02:00

Months ago a good friend and I decided we wanted to do a girls' weekend. A lot of times I will say I want to do something and then it never happens. However, I was not going to let this trip slip through the cracks. Frank has plenty of weeks away for work coming at the end and beginning of next year as well as a couple man trips this fall. I needed this vacation no matter how much I didn't want to admit it. After some planning amongst a few of my good friends we decided the sun and beach were a must! We settled on Mallorca. Mallorca is a small island off the coast of Spain that is still a part of Spain though the people of Mallorca are trying to become their own country. The airfare was cheap and the timing was perfect. I bought my ticket at the end of April and waited for June 5th to arrive. Surprisingly, the time flew and June 5th was here before I knew it. I was up at the crack of dawn, unable to sleep since I was so giddy to go! The flight was just under 2 hrs and by noon I was in paradise!! I spent 4 WHOLE days with 5 awesome friends. Four of the girls I have gotten to know since moving here and the 5th was a girl I went to school with in Michigan! What are the odds?? I know, very small!!! It was a great vacation, all due to the ladies I went with. Each time I move I wonder if I am going to be able to find good friends, ones that I felt as close to at the base before and each time I am amazed at how many awesome people are out there. These girls showed me an awesome time and I can't thank them enough for great company they provided. After 4 days of sun, beach, fruity drinks and dancing I was ready to come home. Don't get me wrong, I could have stayed for another 4 days, but I was missing my family. Now I am ready to plan another trip......

CopyCat

2010-05-26T15:40:00.007+02:00

Monday was a beautiful day here in the Eifel! The sun was out ALL DAY (so rare) and it was in the mid 70's. Since this kind of weather only comes around once every few weeks I decided to get outside and enjoy the sunshine! I grabbed my sunglasses, my latest US Weekly, and 2 chairs to use for sunning myself. After getting all situated and lost in my magazine (there was an awesome article about Eric Dane and Rebecca Gayheart's new bundle of joy!) I realized I was no longer hearing Emma playing with the shovel and riding her scooter on the back porch. I looked over to find this:

My little copycat! I love that she has her sandals off- just like me, that she has a drink (even if its fake)- just like me, and that she is reading a Consumer Report! I just love her little mind and how it works!

Boo

2010-05-08T11:10:00.005+02:00

Last night when I went to check on Emma one final time before heading to bed myself, and I found her like this. Yep, as you can see she basically fell asleep 'stroking her boo',as we call it. She has a corner (her favorite to use for stroking) and all. For those of you who do not know, Emma has been obsessed with this blanket since around 4 months old. She sleeps with it everyday and always has to know its whereabouts. When she is tired or whiny she turns to 'boo' for support. She will take a corner, and begin to rub is gently below her nose area. It's hilarious to watch. At the same time she is 'stroking' (I know, bad choice of word, but it works)her boo she sucks on her lip. She was never a thumb sucker or a pacifier girl, but she is definitely a boo stroker. ;-)

P.S. Please excuse the background noise, its a fan. It's necessary with the church bells that ring throughout the night. I will post a video of that for you to hear soon. ;-)

Miss You Much

2010-04-23T15:33:00.004+02:00

Emma is 2 years and nearly 8 months old. Yesterday was the FIRST time in her entire little life that she cried when I left to go out. It was amazing... and I mean that in the best way possible. Over time I had begun to think that my sweet little girl cared less about separating from me. On a normal night, I would grab my purse, give Emma a hug and kiss (lacking on her half) and wave good-bye. Emma would in turn wave half-heartedly back to me and then go about her business as if saying good-bye to me was a huge inconvenience to her. At first I loved that she didn't cry, it was so easy to leave her knowing she was just fine! Then over time I started to feel sorry for myself. I would get into the car and thoughts like, "She seriously does not care about me leaving, how sad is that?" or "Wow, that was too easy. I could probably stay gone a week and she would not care." Well.. that all changed yesterday. Whoop-whoop! So last night I grabbed my keys, bent down to her level and told her I was leaving but would be back and told her to have fun with Daddy. She gripped herself around my neck and said, "Me go too Mama, please?" First reaction? I smiled.. I know terrible, but if you know me, when things get sad or serious my first reaction is to smile or laugh. I have a heart, I swear, but it's just what I do. Perfect example of this to follow this story. So back to this story- I explained to Emma that she had to stay home with Daddy and the tears and wails started to exit her little body. I felt bad, but it felt good to see her missing me. I then distracted her with a tic-tac and passed her off to Frank. As I got into the car I could hear her crying, "Mommy, come back, come back." I drove away with the image of Frank holding Emma while watching me out the window and Emma screaming for me. Ok, so I got what I wanted. She loves me. ;-)

And for those interested, Frank said she cried about 5 more minutes until moving on to bigger and better things- playing video games with Dad.

*The last time I smiled, or laughed at an inappropriate situation, I got myself into trouble. The day before Easter there was an Easter egg hunt on base. I was standing around with a few of my friends and their children waiting for the hunt to begin. My good friend's son was walking back to where we were standing and he was not paying attention to where he was going. As he was walking towards us he managed to walk smack into the only tree within 10 yards of us. Instantly, I laughed. The poor kid was fine, of course if he had hurt himself I would not have even smiled. But I knew he was ok, I saw the whole thing happen. Then I hear, "You don't laugh at someone when they get hurt!" Ooops. I look over to see the boy's 5 year old sister yelling at me for 'laughing' at her brother. That was a fun one to explain to a 5 year old, "I wasn't laughing at him, I was laughing because that is what I do when things like that happen." Yeah, she didn't go for that line of bull. Note to self: Laugh, but make sure no 5 year olds see you doing it.

Here is a pick of Emma and her boyfriend (the tree bonker) before the incident:

The Netherlands, or is is Holland? Hmmm...

2010-04-22T08:55:00.012+02:00

Almost two weeks ago we took a trip to Holland. By car, it was about a 3.5-4 hour drive, totally do-able with a 2.5 year old. We left on Friday afternoon and arrived just in time to enjoy a nice sunset and dinner along the beach. Our first night we stayed in Noordwijk aan Zee, which means 'City by the Sea' (the North Sea, to be exact). I guess in Holland they are famous for pancakes, and lots of them, every kind you can imagine! So for dinner on Friday we had pancakes, definitely my kind of meal! Emma and I went traditional, with pancakes with a chocolate topping, and Frank got a pancake that he said tasted a lot like a pizza. Yum!

Our 'chocolate drizzle' pancake

Frank and his 'pizza pancake'

On Saturday morning we headed out to the Keukenhof Gardens! The Keukenhof Gardens (http://www.keukenhof.nl/) consists of acres of beautiful flowers! It was completely amazing to see so many flowers (and a ton of them still had not bloomed) in one place! Emma loved the flowers and was my little 'poser' throughout the morning. We spent a few hours just walking around and looking at all the arrangements through out the park. Of course, I took TOO MANY pictures.. but here are a few of my favorites. ;-)

After leaving the Keukenhof Gardens we headed up to Amsterdam to spend the remainder of our day and for the night. What a great city! I was totally amazed at the canals and the massive amounts of bicyclist around the town. I was more worried about getting run over by a bike, then a car! While in Amsterdam we ate at the Hard Rock Cafe, went on the Heineken Brewery Tour and visited the Anne Frank house. Awesome trip!

My BIG Girl!

2010-04-09T11:44:00.004+02:00

The month of March brought several new things to our house. One was me turning 30, another was a new occupant of the house; the mustache, and lastly, but definitely the BIGGEST event- Emma went from diapers to undies! I started her on a Sunday and we never looked back. She had about 3 accidents total and has really taken the new responsibility smoothly. She is not night-time trained yet, but that comes later. When she wakes up the first thing she wants to do is pick out some underwear to put on and get off that dreadful diaper. This was our second attempt at potty-training and I could not believe the difference in her interest after only waiting a little under 8 weeks to try again. I think technically she may have trained a little later (she was 2 years, 7 months) then most girls but I can't expect her to meet all milestones right on time. So I officially have a big girl, no more baby in this house! :-(

Emma and her 'spyscope' (totally made up by her!!) a.k.a toilet paper roll

MY BIG GIRL!!

Another One Bites the Dust!

2010-04-02T21:19:00.008+02:00

Thank GOODNESS March is over! Why does the tradition of 'March Mustache' have to fall on one of the longest months of the year? I swear the tradition started just to drive women all over the continent crazy, and I am pretty sure it has succeeded. I've spent the last month complaining and whining about the scratchy, ugly, and dirtiness of Frank's mustache to anyone who would listen. Of course, I also listened to other wives do the same concerning their spouse's stache. I also catch myself explaining to total strangers who do not know the fighter pilot tradition of Mustache March as to why my husband looks like he should not be left around children unattended. Frank even had our sweet, innocent child giving 'mustache kisses' all month. Next year she will be smart enough to stay away... I hope. Several wives have discussed doing a Jungle July to pay the men back. I am not sure if this would be payback to Frank or misery for myself. Thankfully, it is now 2 days into April and the 'molestache' has been shaved from Frank's upper lip, only to return next March.

I was so mad! He actually started to shave it before I got a picture! How dare him!

Yay, Daddy's back!

The whole shaving off the stache event made Emma's day (AND MINE!)!

London, London, London.. and Turning 30!

2010-03-25T21:07:00.011+01:00

We have been her an entire year and we finally feel comfortable enough to pack up Emma and go on vacation. I know, I know, she is a good traveler overall, but I am such a freak about things going smoothly that I can let my insecurities about traveling with a toddler get to me enough to ruin a trip. Lame, I know. Anyway, I am over it!! Emma is 2.5 years old now and she knows how to behave (most of the time!). She knows right from wrong, and she is not a public tantrum thrower. So with the odds on my side I decided we were going to start getting out! We decided our first trip would be to London! I was stoked for 3 main reason:

1) The trip from Hahn Airport to London was exactly ONE hour. I mean we did 9+ hours on our last 3 trips, so ONE hour is cake!

2) We were going to a destination where they spoke ENGLISH!!! So awesome! I could understand everything written on signs, and ask questions to strangers without worrying that they would not understand me!

3) There were lots of things I wanted to see in London! (Pics will show you)

So we booked our plane tickets, our hotel, and headed out on our adventure on the 10th of March. We spent 3 days in London and it was just enough time to see everything we had wanted to see. We made sure to fit in some time for Emma too. We had naps worked into the daily schedule and a few attractions that would allow her to escape from her stroller and be mobile. I had to keep her happy and on some sort of schedule for my sanity, as well as hers. ;-)

Overall, Emma was a wonderful traveler, she complained a little here and there but not ONCE did she cry in public or cause a scene. I was so proud of her for being such a trooper!

We spent my 30th birthday in London which will make the BIG 3-0 extra memorable for me! Those who really know me, know I have always been a fan of my birthday! I turned 30 in London, how cool is that? I know, you are slightly jealous of me.. it's ok, I would be too.

Next trip you ask? Amsterdam in April... let the fun begin!

Tower Bridge

Big Ben

Buckingham Palace

London Eye

Birthday Girl eating some YUMMY cake!

Kensington Palace

Ein Jahr in Deutschland!

2010-03-07T09:26:00.006+01:00

One year ago today we boarded a plane in Dallas, Texas to begin our new journey in Germany. I can't believe we have been here a whole year already! Where does the time go? When I think back to our first few days here, and how 'foreign' it all was to us, it's just amazing how far we have come in 365 days! It is also hard to believe that in about 6 more months we will be half done with this experience already. We spent the first half of last year anticipating Frank deploying to Iraq. We watched his squadron leave in May, and he stayed behind because he had not been here long enough to get all the qualifications met that he needed to go to. Then he spent the next 4 months working with the other F-16 squadron finishing up the requirements to deploy with them in September. He was thankfully (at least to me) put on the reserves list (if someone ended up not being able to deploy due to illness, injury or any other type of situation) then Frank was to be their replacement. As it turned out, the other squadron did not need any reserves so Frank was able to rejoin his squadron in October. During those months we were unable to travel since he could not take leave since he was 'preparing' to deploy! It was frustrating, but I had to remember that this is why were here in the first place, not to travel Europe! Well in October Frank was informed that he was being sent to Alabama for some training for a month and a half. This is when Emma and I decided to take our trip back to Michigan! What a great trip it was and it helped being away from Frank for so long. Not that I can really complain, 7 weeks is really nothing compared to what a military family can go through as far as a separation period. So that brings us to late December 09 when we all returned back to Germany to celebrate our first Christmas in our own home (we traveled to Michigan the last 4.5 years for the holidays)! Now we are well into 2010 and so far Frank has been consumed with exercises! Exercises, exercises, exercises!!!! And he will be consumed with them through the month of July! Basically an exercise is when the base 'plays' war. Seriously, that is my best explanation for it. It takes a lot of preparation, hours at work, and for me, a lot of time without Frank around. I am adapting well, since I have such a great group of ladies here. We all keep each other as busy as we can to help pass the time. THANKFULLY Frank is able to take leave between exercises so we can get out and explore Europe a little! We are headed to London this week to celebrate my BIG 3-0! I can't wait to visit a country and be able to understand what the person next to me is saying! Yay for English speaking in London! We also have planned a trip to Amsterdam in April to see the tulips. I can't wait to 'toss' Emma in all those flowers and snap away with the camera!! I am also going with a few girls on a trip minus the hubby and Emma sometime in May or June. I think right now, we will be heading to Spain, but nothing is set for sure yet. Once of Frank's best friends, who is stationed in Japan, is headed here in September to go to Oktoberfest with Frank. So we both have our individual trips planned this year. I hope we hit a few more places but at least I know we will get more accomplished this year then we did last! Here's to an even better second year in Germany then the first!

P.S. My German speaking ability still sucks.

First weekend in Germany- March 2009- Emma's first bierfest!

March 2010- What a difference a year makes!

Praying for Layla Grace

2010-03-01T10:33:00.003+01:00

I swear I do not know what I would do without the Internet. It is my source to EVERYTHING, especially while living overseas. I am able to email friends and family, shop, use Facebook to interact with my family and friends, and keep you all up to date with this blog! The Internet has also introduced me to Layla Grace. Layla is a 2 year old girl from Texas who has been battling Stage 4 Neuroblastoma. She was diagnosed with it at 16 months and has been battling with it ever since. In January the family sadly found out that Layla had new cancerous tumors and there was nothing they could do to help her anymore. The Marsh family has spent the last 5 weeks making Layla as comfortable as possible as she prepares herself to go to God. This story is absolutely heartbreaking and I have spent the last couple of months thinking of this little girl several times a day. It appears the end is very near and my thoughts and prayers go out to this strong family. If you are interested in this story please go to www.twitter.com/laylagrace (for frequent updates) or visit the family blog at laylagrace.org. Please say a prayer for this beautiful, strong, sweet child.

Nurture Nature

2010-02-17T21:29:00.003+01:00

A perfect example of why I do not own plants and should never be left to care for yours! Yes, this is a potted plant -the previous owners of our house left it behind for us to care for. I knew it's poor life would be cut short, but I didn't expect it to end so bad. Poor thing sat on the balcony and endured days of snow and ice before I even realized it was out there.... RIP potted plant. I hope the pot didn't crack, it could make a good bucket for something......

I Am Officially Married to a 30 Year Old!

2010-02-15T20:39:00.007+01:00

Frank is the first to turn 30! We celebrated with balloons, cake, presents and a trip to Ramstein AFB for some good shopping. I hope Frank enjoyed his birthday and it will be a memorable one for him. It is funny to think that we were together when we turned 20 and had no idea that we'd end up married and be together at age 30! Now I can't imagine it any other way. I look forward to the many more milestones we face!

The Birthday Boy

Frank's cake- made by my talented friend, Kelly!

How close can Emma get before it's too close?

Kisses

Family shot! Happy Birthday Babe!

2010-02-03T17:40:00.003+01:00

Military Wife

Lots of moving...
Moving...
Moving...
Moving far from home...
Moving two cars, three kids and one dog...all riding with HER of course.
Moving sofas to basements because they won't go in THIS house;
Moving curtains that won't fit;
Moving jobs and certifications and professional development hours.
Moving away from friends;
Moving toward new friends;
Moving her most important luggage: her trunk full of memories.

Often waiting....
Waiting...
Waiting...
Waiting for housing.
Waiting for orders.
Waiting for deployments.
Waiting for phone calls.
Waiting for reunions.
Waiting for the new curtains to arrive.
Waiting for him to come home,
For dinner...AGAIN!

They call her 'Military Dependent', but she knows better:
She is fiercely In-Dependent.

She can balance a check book;
Handle the yard work;
Fix a noisy toilet;
Bury the family pet...

She is intimately familiar with drywall anchors and toggle bolts.
She can file the taxes;
Sell a house;
Buy a car;
Or set up a move...
.....all with ONE Power of Attorney.

She welcomes neighbors that don't welcome her.
She reinvents her career with every PCS;
Locates a house in the desert, The Arctic, Or the deep south.
And learns to call them all 'home'.
She MAKES them all home.

Military Wives are somewhat hasty...
They leap into:
Decorating,
Leadership,
Volunteering,
Career alternatives,
Churches,
And friendships.
They don't have 15 years to get to know people.
Their roots are short but flexible.
They plant annuals for themselves and perennials for those who come after them.

Military Wives quickly learn to value each other:
They connect over coffee,
Rely on the spouse network,
Accept offers of friendship and favors.
Record addresses in pencil...

Military Wives have a common bond:
The Military Wife has a husband unlike other husbands; his commitment is unique.
He doesn't have a 'JOB'
He has a 'MISSION' that he can't just decide to quit...
He's on-call for his country 24/7.
But for her, he's the most unreliable guy in town!
His language is foreign
TDY
PCS
OPR
SOS
ACC
BDU
ACU
BAR
CIB
TAD
And so, a Military Wife is a translator for her family and his.
She is the long- distance link to keep them informed;
the glue that holds them together.

A Military Wife has her moments:
She wants to wring his neck;
Dye his uniform pink;
Refuse to move to Siberia;
But she pulls herself together.
Give her a few days,
A travel brochure,
A long hot bath,
A pledge to the flag,
A wedding picture,
And she goes.
She packs.
She moves.
She follows.

Why?
What for?
How come?
You may think it is because she has lost her mind.
But actually it is because she has lost her heart..
It was stolen from her by a man,
Who puts duty first,
Who longs to deploy,
Who salutes the flag,
And whose boots in the doorway remind her that as long as he is her Military Husband,
She will remain his military wife.
And would have it no other way.

--Author Unknown

Good-bye Decade of My Twenties!

2010-01-13T12:56:00.004+01:00

I had some free time in my head today and started to think:

In the last decade:

I graduated from college

I lost one set of my grandparents a year and a half apart

I married my best friend

I moved to Oklahoma

I got my first puppy

I got my first teaching job

I learned to live without Target

I had my first baby

I went on my first cruise

I watched my two nearest and dearest best friends get married

I moved to Arizona

I made countless new friends

I learned how to have long distance friendships, and be good at it!

I drove across the country too many times to count

I moved to Germany

I crossed the Atlantic Ocean 3 times

I've owned 5 cars

I rode on my first subway train

I attempted to visit my first castle

All 4 of my nephews were born

I watched 10 more years of The Young and the Restless

I had my wisdom teeth removed

I can't wait to see what this decade hold for me and my family!

Long Over Due.....

2010-01-05T15:23:00.008+01:00

Hey followers! I can't believe I haven't posted in nearly 2 months! I guess with 5 weeks spent in the states and the holidays, the blog kinda slipped my mind. I will try to get back into my regular posts now that we are home and all holiday'ed out.

We had a great visit in the states. For those of you who don't know Emma and I were able to go to Michigan while Frank was sent to Alabama for work. It gave Emma and I a great opportunity to get home and see family and friends! Of course, I could have used another 5 weeks to get in all the things I wanted to do but I will take what I can get. My sister-in-law is always so kind to take us in and this visit was no different! Emma arrived to her house with a princess toddler bed and all for our stay. I can't thank her enough for all her hospitality and letting us share her house for over a month! It was a wonderful visit!

We all returned to Germany in time for Christmas. It was the first year in my entire life that I have spent away from my family. It ended up being bittersweet however. The new tradition of spending Christmas morning at home with my family was definitely a wonderful event too. Emma understood this year that Santa came and brought presents and filled her stocking but she didn't understand why he didn't come back on the 26th, 27th, etc. She was also in near tears when the decorations came down last week. She is still trying to hold on to the holiday season by belting out tunes of "Jingle Bell Rock" and "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" whenever possible. ;-)

I am looking forward to what 2010 has to bring! 2009 was quite exciting in the Beaudoin household but I am hoping that 2010 tops it!

Daddy helping Emma with her message to Santa

What Emma wanted to say:

Emma and two of her cousins, Cameron and Brady

Thanksgiving Day- 2009

Emma's Halloween

2009-11-08T15:45:00.008+01:00

Here are some pics from Halloween of Emma. She LOVED Halloween and actually said, 'Trick or Treat" when going up to houses! She asks daily for a 'trick or treat' when she wants something from her pumpkin bag. I can't wait until all the candy is gone!!!

Our Lil' Stinger

Me and Emma at a Halloween Party at Spangdahlem AFB

Emma checking out her goodies

Yummy!

One more.... please Daddy?

Halloween for the Adults!

2009-11-02T14:11:00.010+01:00

Last week we had three days to 'celebrate' Halloween. Thursday night there was a Halloween party on base that consisted of dinner, dessert, and fun. Friday, Frank and I had an Adult Halloween Party with his squadron and Saturday we took Emma on base to trick-or-treat. I have always loved Halloween, I think it's such a great time of year! I have not always loved the dressing up part, but I am trying to get more into it! Frank and I have been together for 10 Halloweens now and we have NEVER dressed up together. We always did our own thing and this year we decided to change that! I am glad we did because 95% of the couples had themed costumes to go together. Every year I see awesome costumes, and this year was no different! Here are a few of the costumes, enjoy. ;-)

Cherrill and Frank; the Flapper and the 20's Gangsta!

Kidd, FoxC, Me and Frank

Emily and Hack; the Mexican Wrestlers

Massod and Ellie; Ghostbusters

Heather and Stucca; Martha and George

Magnum and Ashley; The Beekeeper and his Bee

Link and Melissa; The Pink Flamingos

Shady and Lauren; Beyonce and one of her back-up dancers

(for those who don't know, its an SNL skit with Beyonce and Justin Timberlake- hilarious skit- look for it on YouTube.com)

Too Much, Or Not Enough? That Is The Question!

2009-10-28T21:04:00.004+01:00

I feel like every time I turn around Emma is 'cleaning.' Yes, you read that right, cleaning. It started with baby wipes. She insists on having one and then I find her on all four scrubbing the tile in the living room. Sometimes I look closely to see if she is really cleaning up a mess, nope, she is just cleaning. Yesterday she had her wipe and she managed to 'clean' a sofa cushion, the molding on the wall, a drawer handle, and the rug in the living room. I love to just sit back and watch her as she intensely goes into her cleaning mode. Once in a while she will claim to have gotten an 'ewwie' off something and then she needs a new wipe. Her other favorite way to clean is with the dust mop. She pulls it out of the pantry almost daily and wipes up the kitchen and living room. If I attempt to put it away she follows me into the pantry only to take it back out and start cleaning again. Needless to say, I have to 'sneak' the mop back to its home. Last week I was cleaning the living room and went into the kitchen for something. When I returned Emma had taken over my work. So this is the question......Is she cleaning because she thinks its dirty around this house or because I have OCD with cleaning and I've passed it on to her? If I passed it on to her, I am so sorry Emma.

Pumpkin Painting

2009-10-27T10:29:00.012+01:00

For the last 4 years I have enjoyed painting pumpkins, rather then carving. I remember growing up getting a pumpkin and carving it but never finding it much fun. I would carve the pumpkin and then hope that no one really looked at it since I thought that it looked bad. Then my first year of teaching in Enid I saw some painted pumpkins at Wal-Mart that I thought were cute, but were too expensive! So I thought, "I can do that myself!" I ran out, bought the supplies and have been painting them ever since! This year I decided that I would share my tradition with Emma. I let her pick out a pumpkin at the Commissary and we painted our pumpkins together one evening. Emma loved it! I let her pick the colors and go to town! I was shocked at how well she did, both creatively and neatly! When she was done she had a cute pumpkin and clean clothes! I hope to continue our painting pumpkin tradition for years to come.

Emma painting pumpkin #1

Pumpkin #2

So proud of her pumpkin!

Finished products

Did Someone Call A Doctor?

2009-10-18T21:01:00.004+02:00

Emma turned 2 in August and that meant she was due for a checkup at the pediatrician's office. We had her appointment scheduled for September 30th (yes, I specifically wanted this date, its EXACTLY one month after her birthday and easy to record in her baby book. Of course, I would have preferred her actual birthday but that is not fair to her!). Anyway, lately anything that is new to Emma is a turn-off for her. If we go to a new house, or a stranger tries to get in her face at the grocery store- you get the idea here, she doesn't like new surroundings. So I had a HUGE feeling that this doctor's visit was not going to go so great.

We arrived on time and sat in the waiting room for only 5 minutes and were escorted to our room. Emma was already checking out the nurse as to what her intentions were. We were not even in the room and the nurse tells me the first thing she needs to do is weigh Emma. My thought, "Ok, no biggie." Yeah, I was already wrong. All I needed her to do was to stand on the scale and she refused. She cried, flung her arms out, and made her legs turn to noodles. It was fantastic (sense the sarcasm here please). I continued to try and get her to cooperate with no such luck. The nurse thought that a 'princess' sticker would do the trick, I knew she could have cared less about that sticker. We ended up resorting to the baby weighing table. Picture it, me trying to put Emma on this table while she continues to cry out "Mommy, no, Mommy, no" and me trying to peel her fingers from anywhere on my body she could get them attached. At this point I was glad to have applied a nice layer of deodorant because I was sweating! We were able to back away from the table to watch the scale jump around a few pounds. We settled with 30 pounds, 8 ounces. Oh boy. As soon as I lifted her from the table she instantly stopped crying, again, it was ridiculous. Next came measuring her height. Of course I was NOT thinking "No biggie" at this point, I was thinking, "Is this really necessary!?" Again, she refused to stand against the wall so we could put the measuring stick above her head. For a second time we resorted to the baby weighing table which also includes a height measurer. So round two, I held her upper body, while the nurse dealt with the flailing feet and we were able to get a measurement after 30 seconds of struggle- 36 inches tall. Now I need a nap at this point and we have not even seen the doctor yet! After the nurse left Emma settled into coloring in her coloring book while I filled out the 2 year questionaire. Questions like, "If you put an object in a clear bottle, will your 2 year old grab for the item for turn the bottle upside down to get it out?" Beats me.

Before the doctor arrived Frank called my cell phone to ask where we were in the doctor's office. I was relieved to know we'd have another set of hands for the 'battle' with the doctor. Frank arrived as the doctor was just settling into the room, and she had a great personality and Emma instantly warmed up to her. The doctor was able to talk to Emma about her pictures while doing her entire exam without a cry. I could not believe it. Emma was due for a Hep-A shot but the doctor suggested we come back the next week to get it since she already had a fear of being there. I thought it was a great idea and that is exactly what we did.

We arrived a week later all prepared. I had put a dress on Emma that day to skip the struggle of removing pants before and after the shot. I know, smart huh? Well we waited again for only a hand full of minutes and then that same nurse from last week came to the waiting room to get us. Great! She ended up administering Emma's shot. She had everything ready to go and I laid Emma on the table as fast as I could, she gave the shot, and I had her picked back up in about 10 seconds. It was amazing, and Emma cried maybe 5 seconds. She did great. All Emma cared about after that was seeing her Spongebob Band-Aid. I don't even know how the heck she knows who Spongebob is, we don't watch it at our house! But she loved that band-aid and I have the photo to prove it.... enjoy. ;-)

Bed or Bust

2009-10-15T13:53:00.005+02:00

About 4 weeks ago we converted Emma's crib into a toddler bed. I was not ready to do it but Frank wanted to. I decided to let him go ahead and have his way this time! The first few nights went smooth. Of course, they had bumps, but Emma did better then I had expected. Each night she was getting out of her bed about 3 times before finally staying put. It is funny because when she gets out of her bed she does not do what you would expect. Most of us would expect her to continually come out of her room for me or Frank. Nope, not the case here. Emma gets out of her bed but instead of coming out of her room she climbs into the rocking chair with her boo (her favorite blanket), moosey, and falls asleep there. Frank and I would then end up going in her room to check on her only to discover she was passed out in the rocking chair. This went on for several weeks until I started catching her before she could fall asleep. We are still working on a trick to keep her in that bed instead of getting up. Last night I had enough and removed the rocking chair from her room first thing this morning. Let's see how things go now!

Where I find Emma sleeping 80% of the time......

Where I find Emma sleeping 5% of the time.........

and where she tends to be the remaining 15% of the time!

The 2-2 Returns!

2009-09-29T14:21:00.016+02:00

WELCOME HOME STINGERS!!!

McKenzie and Toto

On Sunday and Monday Frank's squadron returned home from Iraq after a 4 month deployment. Frank did not join them this time since we arrived too close to the departure date and Frank had some training to finish up to be qualified for war. I may not have had my husband deployed this time but I definitely feel like I got a good glimpse of what it is like. I spent the last 4 months with many of these girls while their husbands were away. I have to say, the Stingeritas are one strong group of women! The girls found plenty of things to keep them occupied during the deployment and stayed as cheerful as possible. I was able to get to know many of these girls more personally during the deployment, so it is going to be strange to see them with their other half! For the homecoming I was lucky enough to capture some emotional moments with my camera. I have to say, it's such a heartfelt experience to be there and witness so many families reuniting after 4 months apart. I enjoyed every second of seeing the looks on the kids' faces when they got a glimpse of their daddy for the first time. I don't think I will be lucky enough to experience this again without Frank being one of the pilots returning, but these two homecomings will forever be in my memory.

Niah waiting for Daddy

Brynlie waiting (her shirt says "Dad, where have you been?)

The kids waiting for the big arrival of their dads

The Bircketts

The Youngs

The Clappers

The Welts (he is meeting his daughter for the first time here)

Rip and Clara

The Nikolai Family

Birthday Bash

2009-09-24T13:53:00.009+02:00

For Emma's 1st Birthday we were in Phoenix. Since we were new to the area we decided to just have a Daddy, Mommy, and Emma party. This year we decided to have a party with friends in the squadron on Saturday, September 12th.

Emma is obsessed with Dora the Explorer so we went ahead with a Dora theme. A friend in the squadron makes awesome cakes, so Kelly was more then happy to make a Dora cake for Emma. I decorated the house with streamers, balloons and Dora decorations and Emma was thrilled! Once her friends started arriving she was in her glory! Emma spent the entire time playing with her friends, enjoying some yummy food, and sharing her toys with everyone! I was so proud of her willingness to share everything, including her favorite stuffed animal and her boo (her favorite blanket). We also had a pinata, which may have been the high-light of the party for many of the kids! I hope all Emma's friends had as much fun as Emma did!

Presents Galore!

2009-09-20T21:40:00.016+02:00

Frank made it home and we spent a better part of that Saturday (September 5th) opening presents with Emma. She would open one then play with it and we would have to talk her into opening another one! I actually canceled a movie night with friends because the present process lasted well into the evening! Emma loved all her gifts and was a bit overwhelmed by it all. Not only did she get a ton of neat things, she was also reeling over the fact that Frank was home after being gone for 2 long weeks. She would play with a gift, run to cuddle with Daddy, then go back to the gifts and so on. We ended up saving a few presents to open the next day too! Frank and I will have to start Christmas on the 23rd just to get finished by Christmas Day! Overall, Emma was spoiled rotten by family and friends. I can't thank you all enough for the thoughtfulness you have displayed! We love you!

PRESENTS!

Love From Daddy

A big box of presents from Grandma and Grandpa Carter

More Love From Daddy

Ready for rain- thanks Aunt Sally, Melissa and Co.

Clothes from Auntie Allison and Uncle Mario

Play food from the Labadies

The coolest Dora book from the Loneys

Ready for winter- thanks Burd Family!

My little ponies from Aunt Stacy, Uncle Nico and the boys

Play food from Aunt Monica, Uncle Brian and the boys

Happy Birthday Emma!

2009-08-30T14:38:00.007+02:00

Happy Birthday to my sweet little girl! My baby is officially TWO today! I can't believe it! Where did the last 2 years go? I feel like it flew by, yet I don't remember life without her around. I hope the next two years are as enjoyable as the first two have been (well, 95% of the time)! Daddy is in New Mexico until a week from today so we are putting off presents until he comes home, and hopefully Grandpa Beaudoin will be here by then too. I figure this is one of the last years I can 'put off' her birthday! We are also having a party for her on the 12th of September with all her friends in the squadron. So she will have plenty of celebrating! Emma and I made some cupcakes today and we played with her new play-doh set she picked out at the store yesterday. She had a great day!

Birthday Wake-Up!

How old are you Emma?

Emma and her favorite things (boo, Moosey, Bear and Magenta)

Balloons in my room are a good way to start the day!

Birthday Picture with Mommy

New Ride!

2009-08-25T14:13:00.006+02:00

I decided a while back that it was time to get Emma a bike with pedals. We were at another family in the squadrons house and their kiddo had a bike. Most of the kids took turns jumping on and off it but Emma just sat back and observed (soooo normal for this child!). I knew that if she got on the bike she would have no idea how to ride it. So I didn't even bother trying to get her on it. Well last week I went ahead and got her that bike! When she saw it for the first time the biggest smile spread across her face, and it made the purchase completely worth it just for that burst of excitement! She climbed on and started to push around using her feet and the floor. I think for the time being she is thrilled with just being able to move around on it. When I am feeling adventurous I put her feet on the pedals and we move around the house that way. But as soon as I am done assisting her, the feet go back onto the floor. I think it will come with practice. She is so obsessed with the bike that in addition to telling Mommy and Daddy good night, she also says, "night-night bike." Yes, I think she loves it!

First time on the new bike!

Giving her 'moosey' a lift

Trying the bike outside

LOVES it!

The First Step is Admitting the Addiction, Right??

2009-08-19T15:05:00.010+02:00

The last few months I have had Frank trying to convince me of something, that I have an addiction. Of course I've denied it up and down, not me! It's not something I do daily, or even weekly (well not consistently) so there is no way to call it an addiction. He just doesn't understand because he is a man and men just don't get the need to shop online. We have been living in Germany for nearly 6 months now and the best place to shop for clothing is on base. If you know what shopping on base for clothes is like, then you understand why I have turned to online shopping. The only place that I spend money is at the commissary (grocery store) so think of all the money I am saving! There is no local Target or Wal-Mart, or a mall, or even a CVS to drop money at here. The same $20 can sit in my purse for weeks! So yes, I turn to the Internet for about 95% of my needs these days. The other 5% is given to my mom for things I can't seem to even get online since not all online stores mail to APO's. My shopping life sucks! I think when Frank is going to get the mail and finds another package that has been delivered to us he seems to think I am buying like crazy. If anything we are saving money living here because I can't run to Target, come home and put all my purchases away before Frank comes home from work. ;-) Now everything I buy comes through the mail for him to see when he picks it up at the Post Office on base. I think he may just be jealous that Emma is getting a whole new wardrobe for the fall and he is not. I keep reminding him that we didn't buy winter clothes last year because we lived in Phoenix, now we are in COLD Germany! Even if we did, kids wear different sizes every season for years. No, he has not told me I have to stop my online shopping, so I can't complain there, but I am just trying to space my purchases out a little to make him think I have lightened up on the shopping. Or maybe this last purchase is what put him over the edge........(see pic below- and its not my fault that BabyGap put out a 30% off your ENTIRE purchase coupon- these are rare people!).

P.S. If Frank deploys in September and Emma and I come home for the holidays- Target better watch out!! ;-) Until then, I will continue to dream of bullseyes.........

Summer Online Purchase #17*

Summer Online Purchase #28*

Summer Online Purchase #33*

The BIG 30% Purchase!!! ;-) Now Emma is ready for fall!

* Online Purchase numbers are simply estimates, actual purchase numbers could not be determined. ;-)

First Try

2009-08-13T16:54:00.005+02:00

Well I have had a training toilet in the bathroom for months now. My idea was for it to be there and for Emma to get used to its presence. And she has, just not the way I had intended. The first few weeks she liked to just take it apart and scatter it throughout the house, then came putting the seat on her head like a hat or necklace when she turned it the correct way to fall over her head. Next came putting her Dora dolls on the potty. Well last week she decided she wanted to sit on the potty herself. So I went ahead and removed her diaper and let her try it out. She sat there for a good 3 minutes before telling me she was "all done" even though the potty remained dry. I guess this is one step closer to the real thing.... I hope!

Eifel Park in Gondorf

2009-08-12T15:59:00.013+02:00

Last weekend we decided to take a trip to a park we had heard about in the local AF paper, Eifel Park in Gondorf. The park was only about a 10 minute drive from our house and the weather was perfect for getting outdoors and enjoying some sun. Our plan was to go and stay as long as Emma could handle before a nap was needed. Eifel Park ended up being one of the coolest places for kids we have checked out since being here. There was a ton of things to do, and for all ages. We easily could have stayed the entire day but this 23 month old was done at 2 pm. We didn't even cover the whole park before we had to head home. We definitely plan to go back and think it's a great place to take any visitors who come that bring their kids. Frank can't think of a better place to go and let the kids play while he can enjoy a nice German beer at the same time.

Entrance to Eifel Park

Emma attempting to feed the animals

Emma loved this huge slide!

Kiddie trampoline

German clown

Frank on the 'control your own speed' roller coaster

Only in Germany can kids get into the animal exhibits and it's allowed

Frank showing Emma the bear below

On the nature walk portion of the day

Blasted Bee!!!!

2009-08-05T16:14:00.006+02:00

Today I decided to take Emma to a local pool to enjoy the warm weather and clear sky. Those of you not familiar with Germany, these days are rare!!! So I packed up all the necessities for taking an almost 2 year old to the water park and we set out on our adventure. The plan was to meet up with a few other Stingeritas (our squadron wives- Frank's squadron is the Stingers.... hmmm, good thing to share considering the story I am about to tell) and their kiddos. The water park was pretty impressive, there were a number of pools and areas for the smaller kids to play. It has been over a year since Emma has been to the pool so I was a little nervous about her reaction to it all. Well she cried the entire time I applied sunscreen and as I got her ready to go into the pool. I kept thinking that once I got her into the pool she would start to enjoy it and her whining would tamper off. So I scooped her up and told the rest of the girls I would meet them in the pool since she was whining so much. So Emma and I went off on our own. Of course she stopped her pouting once we entered the pool, but she insisted on staying on my lap to watch the other kids play. If you have not seen Emma lately, you would not know this, but she is all about observing and watching people. She would rather sit on my lap and watch then to go and do it too. I am trying to get her to try stuff but I think its just her personality and the age she is at. So I didn't push her to do anything she was not ready for. We may have been in the pool 3-4 minutes when out of no where Emma begins to scream uncontrollably. At the same time, I see a large bee fly away from behind her head. I instantly start to check out the scene to find that the poor girl got stung in the neck by a flippin bee!! The stinger was still in her neck, so I had to quickly remove it while my poor baby girl is crying like I have not seen before. Of course now I have half the pool staring and wondering what I did to my kid! Her crying did not stop so I decided to head back to the area where my friends were and see what I should do. Luckily one girl had an ice pack to use and another had some neosporin to apply. By now her neck is pretty red and the area around the sting is white. It was pretty much impossible to keep the ice pack on her neck and she continued to cry on and off for the next 20 minutes or so while grabbing at her neck. I decided to wash this day up as a bad one and pack up and go home. Maybe we will try this again Friday when they go back... or maybe not.

Update- It's now Thursday a.m. and Emma woke up this morning all back to normal! She just has a red mark on her neck! YEAH! Good to know that she is not allergic to bee stings. ;-)

Emma after her rough day!

The STING!

Gof (how Emma pronounces it)

2009-07-27T10:18:00.014+02:00

It's no secret that Frank is a BIG fan of golf. He loves to watch it and he loves to play it. To make up for his void of not playing golf in the off season he gets his fix playing Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2010 on the Wii. So it's no surprise that Emma knows what golf is. Whenever Frank pulls out the Wii remote, Emma instantly says "GOF!!!!!" and gets excited for Frank to play. While Frank plays we catch her mesmerized in the video game and occasionally shouting, "Go Daddy, Go!" Of course Frank has planned for Emma to love golf from the minute she was born. He told me that he planned to teach her as soon as she was old enough. I want to learn myself so I told him he could teach us both at the same time. Frank looked at me with the straightest face and simply replied, "Absolutely not, you will annoy me, she will not." So anyway, the weather has been nice around Germany (hit or miss!) lately and he told me last week he was planning to take Emma golfing this past weekend. I tagged along for the photo opportunities. Emma had a great time. I have to admit, she loved riding in the golf cart just about as much as trying to play the game with Daddy though. Hopefully over time the game will become more fun for her then the ride around the course.

Uninvited Visitor Update

2009-07-22T15:52:00.003+02:00

For those of you wondering how our mouse story ended please read on.

The mouse climbed into the dryer on Tuesday and Frank and I spent the next 3 days trying to catch him out of the dryer with no luck. On Friday I decided to purchase two mouse traps and set them up outside the dryer. On Saturday morning when the traps had not been messed with we assumed the mouse was dead. So Frank bravely (at least in my eyes he was) pulled out the dryer and found the mouse had died right next to the hole it had climbed in. So the uninvited visitor was transported into a zip-lock baggie and now resides in our trash bin until next Monday. ;-)

Uninvited Visitor

2009-07-15T13:28:00.007+02:00

Yesterday morning I decided to knock out some of the laundry that was beginning to build up. As I began my usual routine of gathering the dirty laundry and heading downstairs to the washer and dryer I had no idea what was awaiting me. I was in the middle of transferring clothes from the washer to the dryer when I heard this scratching noise coming from the dryer area of the room. I instantly froze knowing it was not a normal sound to be hearing. The noise began to increase rapidly and I knew I had to muster up the courage to get closer and investigate. As I approached the dryer I went from flat feet to tip-toe walking and frantically searching the floor around me in fear that whatever it was would touch my bare feet! Looking behind the dryer I saw the culprit of the noise, a large mouse. It was trying to escape the house by attempting to run back up the dryer vent I assume he fell down earlier. As it was doing that I was able to block off the area behind the dryer to prevent an escape. Now that I had the mouse barricaded behind the dryer I had to come up with my next plan of action. At this time I noticed how big it was! The mouse was easily as long as an adult hand spread out. GROSS! The longer I stood there debating what to do next the more freaked out I became. I decided to pull the vent up off the floor since the mouse was beginning to tear the thing to shreds. As I did so the mouse ran into the hole of the dryer where the vent attaches.... just great! I stood around and waited and waited for it to emerge from the hole again but it never happened. I left my barricade up and continued to check the area the rest of the day. Once Frank got home last night I filled him in on our uninvited guest. His first idea- he walks into the laundry room and turns the dryer on!!! I jumped back so fast waiting to see this giant mouse (or rat as people are suggesting after they hear about its size) shoot from the dryer vent hole. However, it never happened. Now I am freaked that either the darn thing has died in the dryer hole or that it escaped my barricade and is running around the first floor of my house somewhere. I did pick up everything off the laundry room floor and shut all the doors, so I was convinced it was either still in the dryer or it was somewhere else in the laundry room, which was unlikely since there was no where else for the mouse to hide. Before bed last night I could not get the thing out my mind. I decided to entice it with a nice spoonful of peanut butter surprise outside the dryer hole. I figured this would prove to me if the mouse was still in the dryer and alive. When I woke up this morning I walked downstairs praying that the peanut butter had been touched. Sure enough, it had! Most of the peanut butter was gone but there was no sign of the mouse. So I know he is in there, and he is alive! If I can't catch it out of that hole (and snap a picture for you all to see!) then I will be forced to visit the local German hardware store and get a mouse trap and end his little life. I hope it doesn't have to end that way, but the mouse may give me no other choice! I will keep you all updated on the ongoing struggle with this house guest.

P.S. Cindy- I am sorry that I keep forgetting to make the size bigger for you to read, otherwise you might be busting out the coke bottle glasses! Love Ya!

The scene of the break-in, with the peanut butter in sight, but no mouse! It's busy in the dryer hole annoying me.

My makeshift barricade

When it Rains it Pours.....

2009-07-05T20:00:00.008+02:00

Frank, Emma and I decided to head out and explore some of Germany over the 4th of July holiday. Our first stop was Hohenschwangau, Germany. Located here are two beautiful castles, one which was the inspiration for the castle at Walt DisneyLand. The evening we arrived in town it was rainy (standard in Germany!) so we spent the night walking around the town and eating at a yummy Italian restaurant. The following morning we headed out to tour the Neaschwanstein Castle. We decided to wear pants on this journey since it was still cool out that morning and bring along an umbrella just incase of rain. After our tickets were purchased we took a bus ride most of the way up the hill and were dropped off to finish the hike on foot. We were able to stop off at the Marienbruke bridge and take a few photos of the castle before heading to the entrance of the castle. As we approached the castle loud rumbles of thunder began to pour over the sky. Frank instantly put our sacred camera away and prepared for rain. I thought we were close enough to the castle entrance to miss the rain, boy was I wrong!! Within seconds the rain came pouring down, all over us.. we were soaked in seconds. That one dinky umbrella we brought along for the 'just incase' didn't stand a chance with this storm. So now we are outside the castle soaking wet and unable to find the entrance. We opted to huddle next to the castle wall hoping it would shield us from some of the rain, not possible! Once Emma started crying and people were running madly for shelter I realized this was not going to end good. We ended up finding an open garage door that is used for the maintenance crew and stood inside for what seemed like forever. Once the German workers told us they were closing the door we had no choice but to begin our journey to get back to the bottom of the hill and to the car. Oh yes, by this time our tour had already begun and the next group was huddled outside the castle entrance leaving us no room to get near the doors. We gave up trying to stay dry at this point since we were already soaked beyond belief. And yes, Emma was still crying "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy" the entire time! We finally found a horse-drawn carriage that took us to the bottom of the hill. Frank left Emma and I huddling under a store awning while he retrieved the car. So we left Hohenschwangua with no castle tour, a bag of wet clothes and a camera (the second camera we own, a small Canon) that no longer works. On the plus side, our other camera was the only thing we had that was not wet and we left with a good laugh and a memory to share with Emma one day. ;-) From Hohenschwangua we headed to Munich which was about a 2 hr drive. It rained cats and dogs the entire drive there. We were SO OVER the rain once we got to our hotel and were making a plan for the rest of our day. The rain (thankfully) came to a stop and we headed out downtown for dinner. We ate at the all-famous Hofbrauhaus. For those of you not familiar, the Hofbrauhaus is known for its beer! They have the 2nd largest beer tent at the world famous Oktoberfest held yearly in Munich. Frank dined on beer and Emma and I dined on pretzels, it was a nice dinner for all. ;-) After dinner we explored the downtown area and enjoyed some gelato before heading back to the subway for our ride back to the hotel. After this long day, we all slept good in our non-air conditioned room. The next morning we packed up and headed back to Spangdahlem for the 4th of July festivities on base. What a weekend... what fun we had!

Hohenschwangau, Germany

Neaschwanstein Castle

On the Marienbrucke

The Hohenschwangau Castle in the background

Frank enjoying his beer at the Hofbrauhaus

Emma loving her pretzel!

In Munich

Thoughts

2009-06-30T14:46:00.004+02:00

With all the news surrounding the deaths of several celebrities this past week, it got me thinking about life. I realize that I spend too much time thinking about future events, and time lapses I would like to skip over. I think we all do it at times. You know, like wanting the whole year of wedding planning to be over and just get to the wedding, or wanting your husband's 4 month deployment to come to an end (understandable of course), or wanting the next month to fly by for that vacation you are planning to take. Or it's simply Monday and you are ready for it to be Friday. We are all guilty of it. I have decided I am done wishing for time to pass. I am going to live each day in the moment. If I keep wishing for it to be another 'time' in my life I am going to wake up one day 80 years old and wonder why I wished it all away. I plan to wake up tomorrow and do nothing of interest but I will not hope for the day to end simply because it's a boring day. I have to look at tomorrow for what it is- another day I get to play with Emma and spend time with Frank. I thank God everyday for giving me another day, even if it's uneventful.

My Big Girl- 22 months old today

Loving Every Second of Her!

My Busy Bee

2009-06-12T11:07:00.003+02:00

The other evening while I was busy working away in the kitchen Emma was spending some time downstairs on the first floor playing. I have an area set up with a play rug and all her Little People toys. She plays down there regularly and I am able to check on her simply by looking down the stairs. Well the other night when things got quiet I went to inspect. After running back upstairs to retrieve my camera this is how I found Emma:

I guess she is trying to tell me to get some laundry done around the house!

A,B,C,D, Emma!!!!

2009-06-05T10:42:00.003+02:00

Emma has a new obsession: letters! She started about a month ago when we got her these foam puzzle pieces that go on the floor and each of them have a letter on it. She would want us to take a piece of the puzzle out and Frank or I would say the letter we were removing for her. She seemed to listen and then continue playing without another thought. About 2 weeks later out of no where she has the whole alphabet memorized! I am still shocked when I watch her do it. It cracks me up every time! She loves to point out letters at the grocery store or in the credits of her cartoon shows! She does have some sort of nervous habit however, and you'll see it in the video. When you ask her a question she always has this hesitant "Eeeeeeee" sound she makes before whipping out the correct one! Enjoy!

Work-Out Queen.... Or Not?

2009-06-03T13:26:00.004+02:00

For those of you who know me you know there are several things I don't do: I don't do lasagna, I don't do public speaking, I don't do cleavage shirts, I don't do cooking, I don't do spiders, I don't do flying without stress now that I have a child, and I don't do physical activity.

So I bet you will be shocked to hear that I decided to work-out this morning. I don't know what motivated me to do it. Like all women, I have my 'fat' days and what not but I just don't have the motivation to go to the gym and do that dreaded act called "sweating". I usually just skip that extra cookie or eat a yogurt for lunch, you know the 3 minute fixer instead of a whole session of working out and burning off the calories. So a group of moms in the squadron have arranged a weekly work-out time while one mom stays behind and watches all the kiddos while the other moms go to the gym or do errands. I thought it was a great way to get Emma out socializing with kids her age on a weekly basis. Not only that I get a whole 2 hrs to do whatever I want without having a 21 month old nagging on my leg while I try to get the easiest of errands done! But I have decided (at least for now) I am going to spend an hr or so of that time at the base fitness center. I try to remember that so many people have to pay for the amenity of having a fitness center and here I have one for free, so I should be taking full advantage of it.

So I arrive at the Fitness Center (after passing it once since I wasn't 100% sure of its location) right on time for my SPINNING CLASS. Yes that right my friends, I decided to jump right into this sweat session by starting off with a spinning class. Of course when a few of my friends told me that spinning kicks butt I started to get nervous before I even saw the bikes. But what's an hour of riding a bike right?? WRONG! We were not even 3 songs in and I could feel my thigh muscles screaming for relief. I had the thoughts of jumping off the bike and running for the exit without looking back, or acting like I had a broken toe so this class was just not for me and I should gracefully exit the room. However, I decided to push those thoughts to the back of my mind and press on. I knew that quitting would mean I would have to come home and face Frank and tell him I didn't make it through the first class. He would laugh at me uncontrollably and would not have been surprised! I had to prove it to him, and me I could do this!! About 30 minutes in when I had thought that position one (simply sitting on the seat and peddling) was my favorite the pain in my legs began to shift to my butt area. I realized in no time the seat I was sitting on was doing a 'job' on my bottom. I spent the next 30 minutes sweating (ewwie, as Emma would say), gulping ungodly amounts of water, and praying that the next time I looked at the clock it would be over. Once the class was over I walked to my car questioning my ability to drive since my legs felt like rubber. I also took a few glances around the rest of the center taking it all in since it may be the last time I enter that place.

Now I sit at home after taking a nice hot shower and letting the pain sink it. I can barely walk up a flight of stairs at this point. I can't wait to see how long it will last. However, I did have a moment where I felt good about my accomplishment this morning. I actually got up early this am to go to the gym and I worked out for a whole hour. This is unheard of for me! I am so proud and I plan to do it all again next Wednesday.

No pics for this post... too scary of a sight. ;-)

Hair

2009-05-26T14:00:00.003+02:00

Emma is going to be 21 months old this coming weekend, gosh, where did the time go? Over the past 21 months I have spent many of those months wondering about her hair (or lack there of). I had a feeling I would end up with a baldy considering Frank and I were both born with bald heads. I actually didn't care much about the fact that my daughter was bald until about 6 months ago. I spent the first 15 months of her life or so defending the fact that just because she did not have hair doesn't mean people should assume she was a boy. Once in Arizona last summer Emma and I were shopping in Kohl's and an 80 year old man walked up to me and said "You better be careful, putting purple shoes on him could affect his future." I was speechless. He is lucky he was an old man because for some reason I have spent my whole life with a soft spot for old men. I just said, "Actually she is a girl." Of course he didn't hear my response since he was 80 and he just wandered away shaking his head. I have had several awkward encounters of people calling Emma a boy and I can truly say it doesn't make me mad, only when she is wearing pink, holding a doll, and has a barrette attached to her 3 wisps of hair. ;-) Ok, so back to the present. I have been so consumed with moving from Phoenix, traveling across the USA, and settling in Germany to realize that Emma IS GROWING HAIR! We went to the park yesterday and there was a nice steady breeze. It was like slow motion as I glance at my toddler who is standing on some stairs saying, "Hi Mommy, Hi Mommy, Hi Mommy" and realize Emma's hair is BLOWING in the wind...... Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!

Now I wait for it to be ready for a ponytail. ;-)

I've attached a few old pics just to show the difference. The first is on her 1st Birthday last Aug. 30th. The next is from the beginning of February and the last 3 were taken within the last couple weeks.

Our First Visitor!

2009-05-11T14:23:00.005+02:00

This past week my cousin, Melissa, came to visit us in Germany! It was a great visit! She 'forced' (not really.. but for entertainment purposes) me to get out and do some sight-seeing that we've been putting off due to getting settled.

I also experienced my first shopping spree here too. Melissa was quite the teacher when it came to how to shop in Europe, she has some experience in that department. We spent the WHOLE DAY (I'm too old for that anymore) shopping in Trier. It had an abundance of shopping to keep us busy for hours! When it was all said and done our feet were sore and we drove home chatting about all the things we had bought, or forgot that we had bought earlier in the day.

I also took Melissa to a place called Bernkastel. It is a village along the Mosel River that has a lot of beautiful scenery including vineyards for miles. Emma was on her best behavior for this evening out!

Sundays in Germany are pretty much like an American holiday, everything is closed. We decided to take Melissa to village that was supposed to have some waterfalls and hiking trails. We packed a lunch and decided to explore. It turned out to be a great afternoon, though the waterfalls were not all that impressive.

One weekday Emma, Melissa and I went to the Eiffel Zoo, located about 25 minutes from our house. We had a GREAT time at the zoo. Our favorite part was a swing that swung you out over a small lake. I have posted a pic for you to see! We also got a kick out of the German style playground. Not only were the toys unique, they also would NEVER be allowed in an American park due to the liability some of the toys would cause. For example, there were several large trampoline's for kids to jump on. Last I heard in the states a person could not even get their houses insured unless the trampoline they had in their backyard had netting around it. ;-) Oh... and the animals were fun too!

Overall it was a great visit. Now that she is gone I can get back to the grind of things around the house. I have only a few boxes left to unpack and then I need to start hanging things on the wall. Moving can be a pain, but it also has it perks. A new house requires things that the old house did not, so that gives me a GREAT excuse to shop! I will post pics of our house once I have it organized.. until then you'll have to just imagine, and no it's nothing like you would expect the typical German house to look like. Those commercials of Germans living in a shoe are very misleading!

Moving Mania!!!!

2009-05-03T22:26:00.004+02:00

I am pleased to announce that our household goods arrived on Friday April 25th!! That was an amazing 5 days early! After our experience in Arizona I was not holding my breath for it to arrive on time. When the movers showed up at 8 am I was anxiously awaiting their arrival. The movers were German (standard!) so only 1 of the 3 movers spoke English. The other two understood me telling them where to put things but their English was very limited. After about an hour of unloading the movers were lucky enough to unpack my first piece of furniture made by my father-in-law. For those of you who don't know, my father-in-law is extremely talented in the woodworking department. He built most of the furniture that we own, including our bed, end tables, coffee table, Emma's changing table, an armoire, a bookcase and a few other pieces. Oh, and the most important part- they are EXTREMELY HEAVY! Frank and I watched from our kitchen window as the unpackers discovered the armoire first. As they attempted to move it from the truck they realized it was not moving as easily as they imagined it would. The next thing we heard was a loud moan and then some German foul language (at least we assume that is what it was). Frank and I were practically rolling on the kitchen floor laughing, and hoping not to get caught in the act by the movers. Needless to say, they had to call for back-up to remove the item from the truck and get it inside the house. The next set of German cussing occurred when I had to inform them that the armoire was going on the 3rd floor of the house... the day pretty much continued in that pattern. Just when they thought they had placed the most heavy item in the house they would discover yet a new heavy item to unload. I felt bad for about 5 seconds and then just enjoyed the rest of the day watching one of the men becoming increasingly mad about the situation he was in. I just reminded myself... he is a mover.. this is his job. I think he needs to be reminded of that too.

Potty Possibilities?

2009-04-17T13:12:00.005+02:00

A few weeks ago Emma suddenly began to tell me when she was going to 'poo poo' or right after she already had. I didn't think much of it since she is just 19 months old, I just assumed she was getting to the point where she didn't like the feeling of a 'full' diaper. It is actually quite comical to watch her run up to Frank or me and grab at her diaper from the front continually chanting "Poo Poo, Poo Poo, Poo Poo" until we changed it. I decided to go ahead and buy her a potty chair online just so we had it readily available for when the time came. Well a week later the potty chair arrived. We decided to go ahead and take it out of the box and set it up in the main bathroom so she can get used to its presence and maybe it would not be so intimidating when the time came to try it out. Of course I attempted to let her try it out but she wants nothing to do with it as far as using it for it's purpose. Instead she has found many other ways to use it for entertainment. ;-)

Things Are Coming Together

2009-04-06T14:12:00.004+02:00

Well we moved into our house last Wednesday. I am excited that we are out of the TLF and finally getting a roll on getting our life back! We have furniture on loan from the base, as our household goods are not scheduled to arrive until the end of the month. We sent a small shipment of toys, Emma's bed, clothes, computer, and some other small necessities that traveled on a plane. Our other stuff is coming on a boat. We received the small shipment the day we moved into our new house, it was nice to see some of our things.... even if 90% of it was Emma's! We had our Internet hooked up over the weekend so each day is getting better! And the last we checked our car had arrived at a port in northern Germany, so we are praying (well I am for the most part) that I will have a car sometime this week! We do have a telephone that we are able call the states as often as we would like! I am so excited to get some phone calls in! However, the family that lived here before us left us a phone but the connection is terrible. So we are working to either buy a new phone or see if something is going on with the line. As soon as we get that in order I have a list of people to call! I was able to make a quick call to my mom last night and it was great to hear her voice! Now, if I could just get the television going.......

March Mustache

2009-04-06T14:00:00.004+02:00

For those of you who don't know, in the Air Force fighter pilots dedicate the ENTIRE month of March to a former AF fighter pilot, Robin Olds. He was known for doing as he pleased and his signature style included a mustache. So starting March 1st AF fighter pilots around the world stop shaving their upper lip to pay tribute to the legendary pilot. I absolutely HATE March because of this tradition! Each year as Frank gets a little older his mustache seems to get more and more creepy. I've even considered never planning to have a child due in March for fear he won't have time to shave the mustache off before we head to the hospital where many pictures are sure to take place! This years mustache has followed the same general course as in years past. Frank started growing out his mustache on the 1st. Usually the first 10 days are bearable, then things start to get ugly. I spend the last 20 days of the month doing nothing but cursing under my breath about how I can't wait for April to arrive. This year I decided to take a picture just so everyone can feel my pain. Farewell March Mustache 2009..... I SURVIVED ANOTHER YEAR!

Blogging Rookie!

2009-03-27T18:34:00.000+01:00

Well this is officially my first post on our new blog. I figured with the big changes in our lives, a new blog site would be the perfect way to keep everyone updated on our adventures! We have been in Germany for almost 3 weeks now and things are getting more settled by the day! We move into our new house on the 1st of April and our household goods should arrive about a month later. I am looking forward to the day when I can sleep in my own bed with my pillows! I am sure Emma is ready for her bed to arrive too, she has grown to be the size of a pack-n-play. Each morning I feel the need to do exercises with her to stretch out her muscles from her cramped quarters! Poor girl... Overall, we are doing great and adjusting great. I almost feel like we can conquer anything after a move like this!