New House

The official move (the last of several in this country) has finally occurred. We are now residents of Vogelweh/Kapaun. The townhouses are nice...and new. The best on base housing we have ever lived in and did I mention new?? So no decrepit pipes, 13 sheets of wallpaper, or creaky floors :o) Of course it is smaller...as they always are, but we will manage as soon as we downsize the 18,000 lbs of stuff we had delivered here (WTF?). Seriously, we need to have a yard sale.

I took some pics.

The kitchen...
The living room...

Leading to the 2nd level...

Who doesn't want a closet door like this?...

and...his & hers sinks?



There is some serious family fun and porch time to be had here...


First attic (will hold a craft area for me)...

Second attic, a place for Saige and her friends to hang out...


Isla Casa in Deutschland...

What you didn;t see was the laundry room, the kids' bedrooms, the office or the garage (or what George likes to call "man land"). Those will come later once set up...

We already have the office/guest room done and the kitchen is complete. The livnig room is almost there, too. Sooo, we will be up for visitors in NO TIME. Book it :o) Popo will be here this summer (so excited). So jump on the bandwagon.

Next up I got a post featuring our Netherlands trip!!! {minus a coffee shop visit :o( ...this time!}

P.S. Breaking news.... Saige made the VARSITY softball team. 9th grade and on Varsity...we are so proud of her!!!

Until next time,

Germany is Growing on Us

Well, things are just rolling right along over here. The kids are meshing well with their classmates & teachers so far and I couldn't be happier. Saige is still "feeling things out" with finding friends, but she has a couple girls she has taken to and that she eats lunch with. JD talks about this kid Colby or Cody (I can't figure out which one it is because he keeps saying it different everytime, lol). So that is good that he's found a friend. He LOVES his math teacher (that was for you Thyme), who he also has for Learning Strategies. I can't wait to meet all of his teachers at Open House on Tuesday.

We, of course, are still at the hotel til the 14th, but we officially have the key to our house so that I can start taking some things over there (like George's military garb & gear for starters). I got a call the other day that our hold baggage is here. I am SHOCKED I must say. They slotted it to be here end of September. That shipment contains all the rest of our clothes, all our linens, my whole entire kitchen, our computers, 3 TV's, the game consoles, some toys, and the remainder of our shoes. Sweet!! I have them delivering it on our move-in day. In the meantime, I am going to tackle the home improvement store this week (when I find one here) and try to get the upstairs floor started. I am going to pull the carpet and see what I can do about underneath. I will most likely just lay new carpet. And I need to paint. Busy week next week.

To prepare for my strenuous week ahead, fun times and relaxation must precede right? Good thing I am going to finally see my girl Farrah. It will be refreshing to see a familiar face here and catch up on just about everything under the sun!! She is such a great "girl's girl"...and I am so lucky to have as many as I do in my life like her.

I also decided to use this Saturday (with no rain) to venture downtown with the kids. Lo and Behold...they were having a festival going on (I make fun because I swear there is a fest every weekend for some odd reason or another.....it's their excuse to drink tons of beer right after breakfast I think). I personally use it as my excuse to hit up every bakery stand and shop on the strasse. The kids were funny. Saige was amazed at all the stores they had "They even have Claire's, Mom!" and that it looked like an actual "city". JD was impressed with all the churches and historic spots we stumbled upon. He was begging to go into one of the churches from the moment we got out of the car in the parking garage.

On our way we stumbled onto the Stifts-Church and it was actually welcoming to the public, laced with a short history to read and photo opportunities. I was all over it. So was he....

this has to be the biggest organ I have ever seen

he immediately knelt down...

...when he saw this

the bible box

the alter

they had this area where you could write what inspired you about the church...he wrote it's BEAUTY

Gorgeous is all I can say!

It was beautiful in there and reminded me that we need to get started on our castle tours as soon as George gets back!

I forgot to mention that Saige's new glasses came in and they look darling on her. She hasn't worn her contacts since we picked them up. I'm glad she's happy with them...


We walked for a long time (until I felt we might not find our way back to our car). There was music playing everywhere on multiple stages...some current songs (I soooo could have done what this chick was doing...we like to call that karaoke lady),

there was some swing bands, a Mariachi band (look for yourself)...

....and then at one point I heard it. "Du nuh-Du nuh- Du nuh da nuh da nuh da nuh da nuuuuuh". If you can't follow a tune...come on people, I gave you a hint with the pink lettering...I guess I will just tell you! It was the Pink Panther theme song playing in the distance. JD started walking swiftly, like the panther would I guess, toward the sound. Teage started screaming..."It's the Pink Pantha"!! They both adopt British accents whenever they say the title...weirdos! Anyone who knows my boys, knows they have a slight obsession with the Pink Panther (the cartoon & the movies). We have been desperately searching for months for a 'pink pantha' fake diamond. No worries though because Popo and Aunt Thyme found two large ones at a flea market and it is in the mail as we speak. (thanks guys!)

Anyway, we sat there like crazies and all "Da Nuh"-ed together in unison. Yes, it is the little things that keep us going!

They had a couple little rides for small kids there and so of course...it was ON! Teage jumped into a car with a little German girl, she freaked out and ran away crying (LOL)! So I directed him to the fire truck and he was too happy.

Yeah...that's JD's big butt riding the motorcycle. He has no shame in his game I tell ya....


As we were heading back....I saw this:

now, I don't know if YOU know how much the Germans love their mayonnaise (they put it on everything...GROSS), so you can imagine my relief to see a "large and in charge" mustard dispensing machine. I ♥ mustard!! I need one of these in my kitchen.

Speaking of odd German finds...here's a couple more of those "Oh yeah, I forgot about that" moments I had lately...

I was very nervous about driving once we left Okinawa. Driving on the left had become second nature to me and so I was hoping my first nature of driving on the right would come back to me quickly. Luckily, it didn't have to! I forgot that in Germany they have these great road signs that tell you where to follow.
This is not only handy for those really wide roads with medians, but for past Oki residents like me who don't know which side of the road to turn onto when in an intersection. Can you imagine the anxiety of being in an intersection and trying to remember what lane to get into....I can!

Secondly, what about the fact that the Germans don't serve their drinks with ice.
The ice lover that I am....I found myself saying "Oh, I forgot about that"!! I don't know which is better...drinking a room temp beverage or asking for ice and they give you a big bowl of it like you are going to eat it with salt & pepper.

Ahhhh, and the most recent incident. I forgot most Germans really do have bad B.O. Sorry, but it's true. I think they explore the anti-perspiration side of Speedstick, but not the deodorant side.
I say most though....some have the sense to conquer that fad and move on to full-fledged anti-p/deodorants. I say let's start a revolution for the old schoolers...

(I have a tons of these...more to follow)

Anyway, we had a blast and came home tired and with new memories to flood our heads. Can't wait to go back...

Thanks for looking and as always...love ya!!

Wilkommen to Germany

And so it begins...

OK I figured I better start posting about our arrival before I forget it all. Coming to GE was far less complicated than leaving Oki....so my anxiety level should fall under normal range as I type this all out :o)

We arrived on the 17th (Mon.) at about 12noon. Because we were so last minute (which means no one was there to pick us up at the airport), we had to go through the procedure that most all new baby Army soldiers go through when they arrive in country. I hated it! If I didn't have three kids and 10 bags, maybe I would have loved it....but um NO, it sucked! We waited for some Army dude to check EVERYONE'S forms before he led us to an empty hallway to dump our carts (yes we were the only people that had 3). Let me just give you a little history on the carts by the way, they are the self-braking kind...you know, the kind where you have to grasp the lever to make it roll and if you let it go, it brakes. Ok anyway, the airport uses those big a$$ things on the escalators. Forget the nasty look I got at the Wellington Green Mall for hiking my mini umbrella stroller on the escalator in FL.....I'm talking 100lb luggage carts (when empty) mobbing up on an escalator. So FINE, I am trusting this guy who has obviously done this more than once. He says, "roll it onto the steps and just LET GO".....so we all did just that. In single formation (you know how the military likes that), carts started flying up the escalator. I think I watched about 5 go up before I felt ok with going. Push and brake I went and in seconds I was gliding upwards. HOWEVER.....nobody gave the class about what happens when your tires don't catch coming off and you become a sandwich for your cart and the cart behind you. WTF!!?? Mine wouldn't roll off the escalator and the front wheels just kept spinning. Meanwhile, the person's cart behind me started to push me into it....again 100lbs each empty (did I mention neither were empty). I screamed when I felt my leg begin to crush and George came running (like my hero or something) to grab my cart....luckily, I only sustained a bruise (go figure) on my shin. But, I could have been killed right there. That happened within the first 30 minutes of being in Frankfurt....hee hee!

After we parked our carts, we headed to some weird room where they had wrestling playing and random people sleeping in chairs. They gave us a brief after about 30 minutes (I am dying at this point because we are all too grimy, starving, and TIRED to be waiting on some BS). We were then instructed to watch a video on sexual harassment (seriously??), then they took us downstairs with carts in hand to the bus loading area. (I saw a McD's on the way and made the whole group stop....too bad). Our bus to K-Town left about 20 minutes later and I slept the whole way there. I was then awakened by some civilian guy asking us if we were the Isla's...um Yeah! So we got off the bus to see 3 Soldiers from George's unit there to pick us up. (Apparently the dude at the airport called and warned them we were coming so that there would be someone there...but, I later found out they had no idea we were coming). One was our Sponsor and the other two were there to help get our luggage. We then ventured to the Barbarossa Hof (hotel) to get a room. It oozed Germany....and it all came flooding back! See what I mean....


It was nice at first, they put us in two rooms though and the big kids had to stay alone. I wasn't happy about that since the rooms did not connect and some other guy's room was right there with us. So we asked to be moved as soon as a Family Suite came open. They did just that the next day and the room they gave us was NASTY!! I guess it was in the older part of the hotel and full of mold! (Who knew Germany had mold like that)....it was smelly and awful. I didn't even feel safe in there. We left there as soon as one of the other hotels opened up. We are now temp residents of the See Hotel in Gelterswoog. The have Family Suite Apartments and it is much nicer. Just look at this view....

*view from the restaurant via Saige :o) *

The lake always has some action going on (whether it be motorized boats, canoeing, swimming, fishing,etc). We decided to venture out one day and walk that trail that goes ALL AROUND the lake. It was so cool. The kids were happy to soak up all that surrounded them. And I finally got my cool, brisk breeze I was waiting for....here is our mini adventure:

How cute are they? I have a painting of the Black Forest that has couple walking on it that looks just like this...

And you know I cannot post anything about Germany without adding some yummy food pics. I had flashbacks of not only the brotchen (bread), jagerschnitzel (pork cutlet with mushroom sauce), and pommes frits (fries)....but I soon became re-familiarized with the little things, like the ketchup. First, I forgot you had to pay for extra ketchup here. That's because the packets are HUGE!!! And yes, it is the Queen of the pommes....(this is a regular sized saucer by the way)

And here is the delicious Jagerschnitzel I practically had to run over people to get...

And last, but not least, the Tiramisu my heart yearned for....



There is more to come....but I had to share some of the first couple days so I didn't feel that far behind!! Love ya and wish you all were here....(I'm only a passport away, just sayin')

MUAH!!

Vacay....to FL!

You can't even imagine how much I need to catch up on with the blog! I have tons of pics, lots to say (as always), and a few "what'd you learn" posts to come in the future!

SO, let me get right to it!! After our hellish flight to DC,we got in our rental van (not full size SUV like we had reserved, but at this point......EFF IT), we drove straight to West Palm and arrived around 12 midnight! I about died when I walked through the threshold to find Thyme's two oldest kids!! They were gigantic...for real. GJ looks like he could almost be a MAN and Starr reminds me sooo much of Saige when she was at that age....beautiful young girl emerging into a young lady....but still with that tomboy-ish persona we moms love to hold onto in our girls. The kids immediately sparked their every own convo and it was like no time had passed. Anyway, after the tears and long hugs to my sister and Popo, we all sat and small-talked, staring at each other like we weren't sure if we were in a dream or not. It was definitely a "moment" to say the least. Finally, we went to bed (we were BEAT) but I soon found myself opening my eyes after only 7 minutes to the sound of Teage screaming "All Aboard" as he guided Thomas the Tank Engine along the play table that was in the bedroom we stayed in. Damn kid slept the whole way down...

...so he was WIDE AWAKE!!! I'm sure he planned this on purpose....

After sleeping about 1.5 hours for the night, I then found the morning sun glaring in on me (at this point I'm thinking...was this a set-up?) so I said what the heck and decided to get this party started...sleep will come later right?? We only had one week in FL, so we needed to use our time wisely. So "up" we were and by 7:30am all children had eaten breakfast and were in the pool...ALL OF THEM....I'm talking 8 kids whooping it up at 7:30 in the morning poolside!! It was awesome. You have got to love this....

The little ones...Teage, Bren Bren & Markie

(Oh, so I was going on and on about Markie looking like someone famous, but I couldn't put my finger on it....until now! Doesn't he look like Joseph Gordon Levitt??...he's so cute! Here's a pic of him to compare...I'm just sayin')

G & J

Katie & Saige

Starr baby and T


GJ (my fave pic of the whole trip)


Aaron



Playing Chicken (P.S. my son has a ba donk-a-donk, WTF?)

I told you they were big!!

Teage didn't waste any time getting all up in Brenna's face competing to see who was the alpha kid in the house. They both could have stood some more quality time together on the trip I think. I say they both think they are WAY too cute for their own good....and dang it they are right!! TOO CUTIE!!


We decided that night we would do our traditional "crab leg" feast and with that I got to finally see my cousin Jennifer and her two babies. It had been way too long since we saw each other...never again will we let that happen. Anyway....feast your eyes on crab night!!!


Another funny moment concerned the stairs at Thyme's house. I swear she had the carpet laced with some form of Ambien!! Both my boys took to them like a crackhead to a dollar. These we taken on consecutive nights...



So that was just a 24 hour period of what went down...I won't go on about every little detail of what we did (well, because even though I know my peeps love me and my blog...overkill is overkill)...here are the highlights, meaning pics mostly:

SHOPPING....amazingly though, it wasn't for me (WTF??!!) damn kids!!!
EATING OUT....duh (I had greek twice, Arby's twice, Chick-Fil-A, and a couple restaurants, but who's counting?)
HANG W/THE KIDS...Above all, I was more than thrilled that I got to spend time with my nieces and nephews. They are the best and all I wanted to do was spoil them rotten and hug them all the days! I hope they felt both...
PARTY W/THE PEEPS...nuff said!! I will get down to the reunion BBQ later...all I will say is that it was GOOD TIMES!!

Oh, I forgot to say that Ebeth came down in between all the fun and I got to see Leila and Kai as well as meet baby Rayah. She is a DOLL and also a lil rambunctious like Thyme and I's youngest. What is it with the last babies?? I am now starting to think the real test of motherhood comes with that last push. Literally!! But like I said before....you can't hate on the cuteness!!

Rayah

Check out more of our highlights...

This is how I like them...at Smokey Bones

Starr

Kailani

Leila

Saige & Kai

Aunt Thyme (aka Seester)

Jennifer Poo Poo...(I had to)

Me & Chris

SMORES!!!

I am so glad I got to see my familia....they made us feel so welcomed and missed. I am trying to finagle using our free round trip tickets to go back for another short visit during winter break when we go see the familia in AZ. I think they will only fly us as far as FL anyway for our COT leave. More of that info to come as we get settled.

Back to the Party with the Peeps. I couldn't have had a better time on our last full day there + I had boiled peanuts.


Cousin Jennifer set up the best spot for the BBQ and Mike grilled all the food (he rocked)...

...and they fronted the cost (she thinks I forgot probably, but I didn't...her reward will come soon enough...that, my friend, is called paying it forward). Anyway, it was a blast!!! I am so glad the people that came, came. It was nice to see my old buddies. We didn't skip a beat and got right back into our old friendships. Thank you to them for coming and for making us feel welcome back at our old stomping ground. I know, I know...you wish you were there (no really, you do) :o) LOL!!

Ebeth (aka my other Seester)

I have so much more to tell you all, but like I always say..."you gotta crawl before you walk"!! Next, we get into the Germany posts. I already have multiple pics w/narration to spill, so get prepared!! I'll be in touch and as always....Love Ya!!