Fam Bam 4th Festivities

I say 4th, but it was really a celebration on the 3rd for us. Our first 4th of July in Germany can be summed up in two words....heated and LONG! We started out with sprucing things up around the house for the BBQ, took a few 4th Family photos,



then we headed out to the Freedom Fest (which is only a couple blocks from my house...SCORE on that). Saige and her softball team were in charge of working the Dunk Tank for a Little League Fundraiser. It was frickin' HOT!! Hot not only for Germany's standards, but it was flirting with Okinawa/FL hot! But seriously, I think when people sweat like this they ARE actually melting!

The Dunk Tank was fun and I even tried to pay somebody to get me in that thing ...but only the coaches were getting dunked.

testing out the ammunition

Coach Kent in the tank...

Surrounding the area was the children's section...bounce houses, duck pond games, face painting, over-sized sumo wrestling, and an inflatable boxing ring. There was even the occasional superhero roaming around. The boys went to town...

Shrek looks like Zombie Shrek...but Teage didn't seem to mind.

Punch-Out Time!

NANANANANANANA...BATMAN!

After we left the fest, we went back home and I started grilling (again, how hard is it for a certain cubexican to grill up some burgers and chicken? ...all the days perpetrating). Rhea and the kids were in tow along with a friend of hers, my new friend, Brooke and her hubby came and then some other people I didn't really know too well. Needless to say, it is challenging to keep everyone in sync and happy when there are blind dates (guests) in the mix...especially when kids are involved. But, I was on a mission to have a good time, and I did.

Singstar is always doing everybody right...they were totally singing Britney Spears' "Toxic"

After the YUMMY eats and pool time (both water and table), we ventured back to the fest to check out the kid's rides and watch the fireworks. It turned into a gorgeous night and finally things started to cool down.

Next week we are headed to Italy for Saige's Regional tournament (they play Italy and Poland) and if they win, they represent Europe and move to the World Series in August held in Kirkland, Washington. They are a really great team and have the potential to go super far...can't wait to see my girlie kick some Italian and Polish booty!

Until next time....HAPPY 4TH PEEPS!!!

Mother's Day

So... We spent the day pretty low-key and my fam made it fabulous for me. I woke up to a collage of me and the three kids with a homemade card that read like butter. After that, we headed to brunch with Rhea and all the kids...and had a nice meal. We had hoped to take the kids to the park, but to our disappointment the rain took over. So, George decided to snatch up my grocery list and drop me off at home while he and the kids battled the C word (it's called the C word because nobody likes to go to the Commissary...so we mask its name). After that, he ventured off the BX with the kids while I watched Marley & Me (why I decided to watch a tear-jerker alone is beyond me...actually, I got stuck as I flipped through the AFN channels). The kids walked in and what a surprise! Teage had a shirt I had been eying hanging around his neck, Saige had a cute, brown summer purse in her hands and JD entered the threshold with a box of Russel Stover's (mmmm). As if that weren't enough...my honey got me a gift that far surpassed any previous gifts in the past. A new wide angle lens for my Canon....CHYA!! He really knows the way to my heart :o) I have the best Family.EVER!

As you can imagine, Mother's Day for us this year was quite different than year's past. I was thinking about how George would feel on this day and hoped I could make it as "normal" as possible for him. I had decided early on that I would send Maria some flowers for Mother's Day and I didn't tell him til the day before...with the hopes to not make him think too much about it. They arrived and we asked G-Pa to swing by and take a picture of her with the flowers. They were beautiful and they kind of encompassed the niche. But I know she would have loved them.


We also sat down to dinner (thanks to my awesome Saigie...she makes the best pasta) and went around the table as everyone said a few words to express their Happy Mother's Day to Grandma and Popo. Their words meant a lot to George, I could tell...we are starting a tradition where we will get Maria a card each Mother's Day and have the kids write what they want to say to her. I think it will be a great memory to look back on in years to come. In the meantime...we will continue to keep her in our hearts and remember her always!!

Día Siempre una madre para todos nosotros ... Feliz de la Madre!

To all the Madres...

The best conversations with mothers always take place in silence, when only the heart speaks. ~Carrie Latet

Easter Joy

Being able to spend a Holiday in our home was the real joy about this Easter. While the timing itself was a little cramped up and I had several tings going on at the same time, it was fabulous to spend the day as a Family. I even christened Saige with her first Pretty in Pink viewing...joy.

Thankfully the Easter Bunny realized we had moved and dropped off some baskets for the kids. He even manged to recruit George into scoping out some good hiding spots in our backyard for candy-filled eggs. The best was that apparently the Easter Bunny is part German because he managed to squeeze tons of Haribo and Kinder eggs into their baskets. YUM!

Happy Happy Joy Joy was experienced by all Fam Bam members :o)

All the days trying to be in charge...

...but what can I say, he listens to her :o)

Happy Easter All!!

After we concluded our morning events, Geo and the boys headed outside to sort through some outdoor boxes...and they found the best present of all. The trampoline is BAAAACK! I didn't even realize we had one still. It came via our Georgia shipment and talk about excitement. Teage hopped up on there like nobody's business. Of course Daddy & Saige wanted in on the action, too.

In the meantime, I finalized my Humanities project and sent that off which ended this term. I have never been so happy to finish a class. I think with everything that was happening while I was in school, I lost sight of being motivated early on with these two. Oh well...it's over and I did well, so that's what matters. Plus, my next term (which starts today) I am only taking one class and it is Photography...so that should be actually a fun class (my syllabus has me only taking photos and submitting them as assignments all term, I am ALL over that).

Next weekend we hit Euro Disney Paris and I cannot wait. I love all things Disney (who doesn't) and I feel like this will be the first of many trips there (it's like we live in FL again with it being so close by...only a 4 hour drive). It makes me smile just thinking about it. I can tell there will be a major post in my future...

In other news, last week I started writing for another blog (www.DebtHelper.com). Some friends of mine are contributors and employees and asked if I would write about being a Military Family and the ways we save money and such. While I am NO financial guru, I do have some thrift sense and have definitely stretched a dollar before. I am just glad that I am able to share my blogging with different people...how exciting. I will probably make it a weekly thing...so if you are ever in the neighborhood...check it out.

In Sports, Saige played her first softball games this past weekend as a Varsity Lady Raider. She did really good. Geo is so proud of her...it's obvious how excited he is to see her follow in his footsteps. And she is thrilled to have her dad come see her and they share that in common. She even asked the coach on new uniform day if she could have 6...her dad's number all the days. So now they are both 6's. How cute!! There's already a net and batting tee set up in the backyard for some quality father/daughter bonding time :o)

She has the cutest running stance...and she's the only one who does it, so it looks really unique

Playing second base

Where's Waldo??....err, Saige!!

The Lady Raiders did us proud...they came out victorious in all four games this weekend. They played the two high schools from England in double headers. 4-0 so far...

I hope everyone had just as fab a weekend as we did. 2010 is shaping up to be a spectacular year...thank goodness :o)

Talk soon and as always, thanks for looking!!