Some thoughts on Germany...

This entry may be a bit scatterbrained, but at least I’m admitting it up front. The past several weeks have been a complete whirlwind and I’ve loved almost every bit of it. Six weeks ago today we entered the Colorado Inn at Fort Carson since much of our stuff was in boxes and it was next to impossible to be comfortable in our house. We loved that place very much and hated to leave it at all, but with me being pregnant and the boys being, well, boys, we needed to get away from the boxes and on to a place that would house us. Staying at that hotel afforded us the chance to still be on post, near our friends, and among our familiar surroundings. We had a great view of our mountain and the boys had plenty of room to run around. After six nights there we loaded up our van and drove across the country. We chose a southern route in order to see new sights! We stayed in Amarillo and Dallas TX, Lafayette, LA, Pensacola, FL, and finally made it to Orlando a day early. We stayed in a non-Disney hotel for 3 nights before the grandparents arrived for our real vacation and we got settled in Port Orleans, Riverside for six nights. Great hotel with wonderful food, on site with a convenient shuttle bus system to take us back and forth to the parks. That trip was a dream come true, one we had waited and waited for. I so appreciate Disney for offering the Military Discounts that made the magic possible! The only disappointing part was Animal Kingdom but Matt and I had suspected that and, as it was our last day, all of us were pretty much ready to be done and none were too sad to leave the park early. (Not much on animals in the first place.) After we completed our stay at Riverside we moved into a hotel I had selected along with the help of our fabulous Travel Agent, Melissa Sims. It was within walking distance to the POV Processing Center where we were to drop off the van for shipping and it had a free shuttle to the airport. We spent 3 nights in this hotel waiting for our flight to Germany. I’ve written about our experience getting to the airport, about the flight, and our first night in the German hotel in this blog.

So I want to write a bit about our time here in Germany with some pictures I’ve taken of random things I have found neat or interesting.

I’m going to start with some things I noticed at my doctor’s appointment.

* When they had me drink the sugar water, it was not an “orange soda” kind of drink at all! It was 75 g of water that they had mixed up probably the day before with some serious sugar or something. It was just in a mason jar and the nurse poured it into a Dixie cup. I had to drink it all right then…no 5 minute window.

* There is only one chair for giving blood in the offices that I saw, so when they needed to take my blood and the chair was occupied, the nurse just took it in the lobby.

* When they take a vial of blood, they take it to the lobby and put it on the receptionist’s desk. You’d never see that in America. (Not saying there’s anything wrong with this, but it just doesn’t happen in America. Blood doesn’t come to the lobby for any reason!)

* They do an ultrasound at every visit, and the dr. does it herself. She was very quick and I’d say she was better at it than any technician I’ve ever had in America. Got a beautiful picture of Parker in just seconds!

(I took a picture of myself at the request of a few friends wanting to see the baby bump. Here it is at 25 weeks 5 days.)

Here are some random things I’ve experienced:

* Drinks in restaurants – they don’t give you ice in your drinks and since I was prepared for this, I just accept it. I don’t try to order ice, I just drink my coke as it comes. There are no refills so we tell the boys to go easy on it. There is a neat concoction that I had been told about before we came that my boys really like – coke mix. It’s a mixture of sprite and coke! The boys love to go to fountain machines and get a little of everything (GAG) so this is like a toned down version of that!

* It stays dark until 8:30 am and is dark again at 5 pm. I have heard that the summer is the opposite, with it light at 5 am and still a bit bright out at 10 pm.

* It rains almost every day. This leaves everything, sidewalks, streets, playgrounds, benches, etc, soggy and moist all the time. I am using a LOT of stain remover on their clothes and washing their coats all the time due to moss and mud. But at least they’re playing outside. We are currently borrowing a car from some friends and it is SPOTLESS. They don’t have small children with muddy shoes so we’re putting walmart bags on the boys’ feet before they pull their feet in the car. Works pretty well! (And, of course, they don’t get in with muddy clothes. We only get muddy at the playground and if we’re going somewhere in the car, they change into clean clothes.)

* The dollar is very weak. We had to pay 50 Euros for something and we can just use our debit card. The receipt always shows the Euros and the dollar amount, which was something like $76.00. (This pic is of our first ATM withdrawal of Euros - I blurred out important info...)

* The windows are strange here. There’s a handle on the side that turns ¼ of a turn to open the window like a door or ½ a turn for the window to crack open from the top. Odd, but effective

* There are water shut off valves on wall above sink and toilets in my house and they were in the hotel as well… strange placement.

* The houses around here are beautiful and very old! Most were probably single family homes for very wealthy people years ago and have been converted into multi-family apartments. (Wiesbaden is an upscale town, very wealthy. We have seen stuffed animals in store windows downtown that cost 700 Euro, and that is $1025.19!!!!)

* Most of the cars are SUPER small! They look hilarious to me, considering I have 4 kids and these cars often don’t even have a back seat or any storage at all.

* There are few bathrooms in public, if any, and those you run across might require a fee to be able to use them. This picture was taken in a restaurant we ate in. The sign says that if you are a customer of the restaurant you don’t have to pay, but if not, place 50 Euro Cents in the box.

So, to wrap up the past few weeks since arriving in Germany:

We got here on the 25^th of NOV and had Thanksgiving with friends we had met in Columbia a few years ago. We spent 9 nights in the American Arms hotel, ready to be home. We had no trouble sleeping the first several nights after just being so exhausted. But then the time change caught up with us and we needed to “help” our systems adjust so Benedryl became our friend. (I even had to give the boys some two nights… wide awake at 11:00 pm is not my idea of okay, but their systems thought it was somewhere between 3-5 pm…not sure if their body’s were on Mountain time or East Coast time). I also started having my annoying issue with hives again, though until this past Sunday they were not severe. During the time in the hotel Hayden felt Parker kick, and was the first one other than me to feel him. Matt felt him a few hours later. Bailey asked the funniest question: (he's 5 years old) "When Parker comes out, are you gonna love him?" Me: "Oh yes, I will love him so much." Bailey: "If he's not our color, you'll still love him." Me: "I sure will." (But if he's not our color, I'll have some serious explaining to do to Matt!)

And we purchased iPhones after waiting years for them. Very pleased with our purchases and haven’t regretted it for one moment!

We moved into our house with just the things we flew here with on 4 DEC and have felt at home ever since. The Army had placed beds, couch and chairs, and a dining set in the house for us to use until our goods come. A friend in Matt's new unit loaned us enough bedding and linens as well as some curtains to tide us over, and CH Kesling loaned us a TV and DVD player. My what a blessing! Since I can’t purchase coffee yet (must have a ration card for that) Heather gave me some from her house. I think Matt and I would have been growing beans out back if we hadn’t had that gift given to us! He’s going to try to find out about getting our ration cards tomorrow, his first official day on the job.

Our Unaccompanied Baggage (that we had shipped 7 OCT) was delivered 10 DEC and I put our tree up right away. (Our Unaccompanied Baggage in front of our Colorado house being packed for shipping.) (Our baggage being unloaded here in Germany.) Found out that night as I was putting lights on that half of them were out. Matt bought more the next day and we’ve had a beautiful tree up since then! We are lamp people, using overhead lighting very seldom. Being in this house without our belongings, however, has caused us to have to use overhead lights. Now that we have the tree up we can turn off all the rest of the lights and watch TV by the light of the tree, which gives a much more homey feel. LOVE those moments! Oh, and I had asked my facebook friends to pray that my sentimental ornaments arrive unharmed… they did! Not a single one damaged! These are so special to me as Matt and I have been collecting them since we met.

We have had one crying spell with Hayden (8 years old) because he misses his friend, Jeremy. It breaks my heart but at the same time, I know this is part of the experience. He’s learning hard lessons and how to handle them well. He’s written several notes and now I just need to get them stamped and in the mail. We have a trip planned to visit our great friends, the Baileys, for New Years. Stephanie is one of my closest friends and our kids are close as well. I have missed her since she left Colorado ahead of us back in the summer. We’re only 2 hours apart and once I get my van (and driver’s license) it’ll be MUCH easier to visit. For now, we’re excited about getting to see them soon!

I failed my one hour, then my 3 hour glucose tests, so I have to go to a diabetologist. Never heard that word before, but I’m going to see one.

Love the milk… Army milk and its organic. Who knew?!?

Carson lost his 3^rd tooth and he says, “I have an “L” in my mouth!”

I got my internet and phone turned on yesterday and feel SO much better. Access to the outside world and the ability to type with both hands makes me happy! It’s the little things in life…

Well, I’ve been under the weather for the past 4 days and the boys have had to fend for themselves for the most part. I think I’m feeling better so we may attempt a walk around the neighborhood. Tomorrow I go to WAAF (the Army post where Matt works) to schedule my diabetologist appointment and to see if I can get my glucometer. Yuck. Glad to be feeling better!

Merry Christmas, my friends and family! If you celebrate a holiday other than Christmas, then Happy Holidays! (But I must say I'm a bit annoyed that so many TV stations are ignoring that this is actually a Christmas Season and refuse to say that word. I don't mind if they want to add the other Holidays to their well wishes to their viewers, but I wish they would recognize my holiday!) At least they're still showing movies that say Christmas, like 'A Charlie Brown Christmas.' Off my soap box for now!

~Jennifer

* Upcoming post *

Here is the "upcoming post" as I mentioned at the bottom of the previous one that discusses our next assignment. :)

I have had so much fun in the state of Colorado observing wild life. We have seen elk, rams, deer, and plenty of ground hogs, moles, and prairie dogs. But I really wanted to see a bear! Not in the zoo, anyone can see a bear in the zoo. Many of my friends have had bears visit them at their house, even having them peek in their windows. While I don't want to be in danger, nor do I want to put my family in danger, I would LOVE to see a wild bear just roaming around. I even joked that I didn't want to move from here until I got to see that bear.

Well, in early June we were driving home going South on 115. (For those of you who are familiar with Colorado Springs, we were on Nevada/115 leaving downtown. We had just passed Southgate on our left and were coming up on the Myron Stratton Home.) Just as we passed the Home, I saw a bear on the right hand side of the street. I about jumped out of my seat, which was not good, as I was the driver! But I pointed and yelled for everyone to look! As we passed it, we noticed it crossing the street behind us. I made a u-turn and headed back toward him (now facing toward downtown).

The bear walked to the entrance of the Home and climbed over the fence, while just 3 feet to the left was the wide open drive way. (Not the smartest bear in the wild.) We followed him for about 15 minutes and I got some very poor quality videos. He came within about 5 feet of the front of my van, making Matt a bit nervous since I had my window down.

On the way home from this momentous experience I said, "We can move now." Strangely enough, I really meant it. While I love Colorado, I really do feel like I am ready to move on.

The next few weeks brought us to the point where we needed to get CO drivers' licenses and tags. We began one of the most annoying aspects of the nomadic lifestyle and it was quite painful, requiring several trips to the MP station for VIN verification and then to the license offices. But in the end, we left with new tags and licenses on the way. Here, they mail you the actual driver's license and you use your old one (that they punch a hole in) along with a printed piece of paper in the meantime. Matt's comment during this very annoying ordeal was, "Just watch...as soon as we get this process completed we'll get orders.

A couple of weeks later, on June 30th I had one of our New Life friends' kids for a couple of nights. In order to keep everyone entertained the boys and I went out to the motor pool to climb in and on all the bradleys and humvees that belong to 4-10. I grabbed the mail on the way out the door and flipped through it. THEY HAD ARRIVED! Our official, COLORADO driver's licenses! When we got to the motor pool the first thing I did was give Matt's his to inspect his picture (you know you do that too!). He glanced at it and then said, "You wanna know where we're going next?!?!?" First of all, I was DYING to know! When he told me Germany I could NOT believe it! This is what we had wanted all along! We really want to see as much of the world as the Army will allow (except for certain parts of the Middle East, at least for a while). Living in Germany will provide our boys amazing educational opportunities that don't "feel" educational at all! They'll get to see where major world events took place...and honestly, I want to see these places. (I must say, they're mostly excited about LegoLand, but we'll work on that!) What was so interesting was that, just as Matt had joked, we got the word about our move on the day we got our licenses!

We waited about a week before we told anyone. We were hoping to get some more information as to when/where. But eventually we needed to share this so our families could begin to get used to the idea. (And we want them to start saving so they can come visit us!)

Fast forward a few weeks and we still didn't have information, but we were told that someone here wants Matt to stay on with 4-1o for the next deployment. This deflated our excitement to a degree, but we kept trying to keep our hopes up. There are definitely pros and cons to both options. I may list them, if I have the time.

And now to today, August 12, 2009, we're still at the point where we are keeping our fingers crossed. We would like to report to Germany on or around December 3rd. This MIGHT just allow us a very quick visit back to NC before flying out. (If so, this visit most likely not be a whirlwind of activity as our previous visits have been, but we'll try to lay low and relax as much as possible.) After as much research as one can do without knowing which unit he'd be sent to, Matt thinks the earliest he'd deploy would be May 2010. That means our baby would be about 8 weeks old when he deployed, IF he deployed soon. Still a slim chance we could get over there to a unit that didn't deploy for a year or so.

However, we're still hearing that "they" want to keep Matt here. If that is the case, he'd deploy in March, same month the baby is due. Maybe even before he/she arrives.

If this happens, we'll look at the positive note: we love Colorado and at least the boys and I are happy in this neighborhood; we would get to continue going to New Life, a place that feels like home to us; several of my New Life friends have vowed to help me take care of the older boys a little bit in the weeks after the baby comes...THIS will be huge!!; and the #1 reason we could keep our chin up?!? Deployment means extra income and we would KILL our debt! We could be calling Dave Ramsey to give our FREEDOM SCREAM sooner than we ever expected! (Stupid Student Loan, bye-bye!!! - also known as albatross of debt!).

But as you probably know, our hearts are really set toward going to Germany. As an adventurous family, one who loves to travel, Germany would offer us the chance of a lifetime to visit MANY countries in just a few hour's drive. I plan to take the boys to see the Ann Frank House. I have always been fascinated with how people can follow a monster like Hitler, so I want to teach the boys (on their appropriate levels, of course) about Auschwitz and how following any MAN the way one is supposed to follow God leads to destruction. On a lighter note, I want to take the boys to Austria to show parts of where The Sound of Music was filmed. I want my boys to witness the lifestyles of other cultures, the stuff that makes our world so colorful! To experience the German culture by being there and interacting (especially if we end up living off post) with German neighbors... Some German culture is simple to learn, like, if you order water at a restaurant it will have "bubbles." Meaning, it is plain soda water. If I want regular water, I may or may not get it, but I ask for it by saying (in English until I learn German), "water, no bubbles." (This lesson was given to me by a neighbor who IS German!) Other cultural considerations will be more difficult to discover. Growing up in America, the word "German" was synonymous with "Hitler" or "Schindler's List." I don't think that's exactly what the German people would like to be remembered for. But these are the kinds of things I want to learn, to experience, and to offer to my children. If we get the blessing of living there, they will, of course, learn the history of Nazi Germany, but they will KNOW the beauty of the country and the people as they are today.

Or, we could stay in Colorado for another few years.

My heart is really trying to stay objective on this. I know what it's like to force God's hand in order to get what I want...say, a big, pretty, yellow house. But I've also experience the consequences of doing so. (Losing MONEY at the sale of the house just to be done with it.) I'd rather face the immediate and relatively minor disappointment of not getting to go than FORCE God's hand and suffer the unbearable consequences of disobedience.

So, if you have made it this far in my wordy blog entry, please join us in prayer that Matt and I will gladly accept God's will for our next assignment, even if it is disappointing. (But I also don't think it hurts to pray for what we want, and we want to go to Germany, so we're praying for both! Germany, but for a peace regardless of whichever way the orders send us.)

No place like home...

We have now heard where we are going... drum roll please............

FORT CARSON, COLORADO!!!

 

(This photo was taken of the boys in May at Spring Canyon.  A place we have grown to love and I'm sure we'll make it back there a couple of times before we move!)

Yep!  Staying right here!  We were gearing up for a big move, possibly one to Germany, and of course, hearing that we aren't moving has left us just a tiny bit deflated, though I say "tiny bit" with absolutely no sarcasm.  We are deflated only because we had prepared ourselves, had started to let go of things we love here, in preparation to leave.  It's something you have to do as a military family and it's actually quite healthy.  I have been thinking for a few months that I may have to leave the church I loved at first sight, the friends I've made (at least the ones who aren't PCSing...some are leaving ME, which is a completely different post with a completely different set of emotions...), the house we are so comfortable in...  One must do this in order to be fully "there" when you get to the next place.  Some people get so attached to where they are that they simply can't leave it emotionally, and when they get to their new duty station, they find it difficult to make friends, enjoy their new surroundings, or settle in.  Not this girl!  I'm up for adventure of any kind, and so I was preparing myself for the next PCS, type of adventure.  

As I sit here and write, however, the excitement is growing inside me because this will absolutely make our adoption adventure much easier!  (In fact, I just paused to email our Intercountry Adoption Coordinator to give her the news!)  Now I can start to allow my heart to wrap itself back around the things we love here.  I give that word, in this case, a lot of weight.  I love my coffee, and am currently drinking out of a mug my mother-in-love gave me years ago...it has pictures of Matt and me at around 17, 18 years old.  I love my coffee (and my sweet mug).  But that is a different love than the love we have for Colorado.  We love this place, the lack of humidity, the temperatures, the mountains, the snow, our church, and our friends.  We know the friends we have will weave in and out of our lives again.  This is hard.  For example, TJ and Stephanie are both moving away from me, and I will certainly grieve, and it has already begun, as the tears in my eyes reveal.  I had not yet started to think of not being with Stephanie as we thought we'd be together in Germany.  That will be very hard.  But God is so GOOD and has provided me with so many friends here who I don't have to leave.  I may get in trouble for not mentioning all of them, but one for sure stands out in my mind.  I am so glad I get to be by Corie's side as she begins her first deployment.  Not that I am all that helpful, but I can do some babysitting, for sure!  I love her with a deep love that comes from God.  It was immediate and strong, and I know God put her here for me.  She has been such a blessing to me and I can only pray that the Lord finds unique ways to bless her through me.  

To sum up my current feelings on not moving, I am just a bit disappointed that that adventure is going to be put on hold (because in the Army, it is never far away) but overwhelmingly excited that I get to stay in the place I love, with people I love, and most of all WITH MY ABSOLUTELY HANDSOME PRINCE CHARMING!   

I must write this.  Last night I was watching "The Prince and Me II" and I was swept away in the romance of it all.  At the end where the Prince-turned-king kisses his bride, I thought, "Oh, nice pants...I love a man in uniform."  Then it hit me.  I actually DO love a man in uniform, and it looks a bit like that one!  I love to go out with Matt at any time, but put him in his dress blues and my heart starts flipping all over the place!  My fairy tale came true, and I never dreamed that a dashing uniform would be part of it!  

Not long now and he'll be boarding a plane for Kuwait.  I guess I will give you the breakdown of what we are expecting:

4 FEB - leave Baghdad (Camp Liberty) for Kuwait.  Short flight.

He could be in Kuwait for 36 hours 

8 FEB - leave Kuwait - if all goes well, it is about a 24 hour journey from Kuwait to Colorado Springs.  He'll have a few stops and we're praying they are SHORT stops!

10 FEB - Arrive here in CO!  It could be earlier, could be later.  I have no way of knowing.  He might arrive in the middle of the night and the boys and I will pop out of bed and go to the Special Events Center to welcome our Hero home!   You can bet I'll update then!