MY CAR IS HERE!!!!!!

This is a bedroom right next to our master bedroom that we are using as a closet

 

 

Our bedroom

 

I had to take this one, the boys didn't know what it was and thought it was so wierd that you use that to wipe your bottom  LOL

 

our master bath

It is huge

 

Stair case three floors

 

Spare bedroom - who is coming to visit?  I promise I will have the books off the bed when you come

:-)

 

Living room

 

Our new bar!!  Kellee - check out what is on top :-)  Memories

Our dinning room behind the couch and the kitchen off to the left

boys playroom

backside of playroom with washer and dryer - working on a 3D puzzel right now

 

Boys room

 

 

They got new rainboots today and had to try them out.  This is next door, it went from a dirt pile to a mud hole

 

trying to see how big a splash they can make

My boys and mud, couldn't be happier!!

 

 

My car is here and ready for pick up so guess what we are doing tomorrow?!?!?!  That is right getting my van!!!  YIPPEE!!!  I just hope it made its travels over the ocean okay.  I am sure it did and I can't wait to get in my van!!!  It will be soooo nice!!!  Today I asked if I could take cupcakes in for Michael's birthday to his school.  She said yes, but they have to be bought from the commissary an hour before they are eaten and I have to bring in my receipt to show them the time.  Now I understand being careful and all, but this is getting to be a little ridiculous if you ask me.  I am just trying to make my kid's day special and they are making it so difficult.  I am okay with buying them, but an hour before they eat it.  So they eat snack at 9:30 so I have to buy my cupcakes sometime that day after 8:30.  Lovely.  Oh well.  Michael and I did some shopping on the economy today and had a great time doing it!!  He was my little helper!!!  we were out for a long time but got quite a few things we wanted to get.  I found out today AJ also got 8 out of 12 challenge words right on his spelling test last week which are all second grade words!!  I am very proud of him.  He has gotten 100% on all the pre-tests for his spelling tests so far so the teacher does challenge words for the kids that get the 100% on the pre-test.  Today is Monday Night Football for us.  We set the DVR because it was waaaaaay to late (or early in the morning) for us to watch.  The Millers are over who are Green Bay Packer fans so there has been a lot of smack talking going on and I love it!!!  I finally took some pictures of the inside of our house.  It is not the cleanest, but thought I would get some up for you all. 

Our weekend was good, packed and over way too quickly.  I told David, next weekend we start traveling!!!  Hopefully I will have my van by then, keep your fingers crossed.  On Saturday we finished bringing in a couple of items from the garage, one was a new to us bar that is really cool!!!  (I know I will get pictures soon!!)  Then off to pick up a few things at Ramstein.  My 45 minute trip turned into about 5 hours.  The boys played at the BX play area for three of those.  Part of it was my fault, they were having a blood drive and I wanted to donate and it takes awhile to get through all the screening and actually give blood.  When I was done I talked to the boys and Michael said he never wanted to give blood because he doesn't like shots.  I told him it is a choice and he doesn't have to.  I also told him you are a kid so you can't yet any way.  He then told me that he wants to stay a kid and never grow up!!!  I thought it was too cute!!!  I told him to stay a kid as long as possible!!!  After that we went to a store called Mobil Marten and it was HUGE!!!!  Three stories of all sorts of house goods.  The boys were not happy to be there and right as we were about to leave I found a place where they could have played the whole time while we were shopping!  Next time definitely because there were waaaaaaay too many breakables in that store.  Saturday night we had our first guests for dinner and it was great!!!  David even got to use his new bar!!  :-)  Sunday was church in the morning, playdate with AJ's buddy from school and then straight to Awanas.  I knew we would be busy, but I have to find time to start that traveling!!!  We have a four day coming up and we are going somewhere, probably in Germany because we haven't gotten our international licenses yet, but that is next on our list, that is if David can get away from the office at all.  He has been really busy and staying late trying to fix that office.   He is hoping to have it to where he can take some extended leave by Christmas, until then there are lots of things to see within a 2 hour radius of us! 

Happy Friday

I had a great day today!!!  It started out with a little time to myself to try and organize the house a little more before doing a little grocery shopping.  Then off to pick up Michael and have a playdate with one of the kids in his class.  We went to the "dinosaur" park and had a BLAST!!!  Oh my gosh this park is really cool, there is so much to see and do.  They have stuff that would never get passed for safety in the states.  There was a ropes course, a tree house that was at least two stories, if not more high, a slide that was probably running on 2 -3 stories high, cool swings, digging, climbing wall, pirate ships just to name a few.  We didn't even have time to get over to where they do miniature golf.  I went a little nuts with the pictures that I uploaded this time but I couldn't decide which ones.  They also change the theme throughout their seasons right now of course it is Halloween and it is also an under the sea theme.  It also has a place where the kids can play in the water on a hot day, with water pumps to make water wheels turn and everything.  They even have comfy lounge chairs for the adults.  You can also bring in picnic lunch and make a day of it.  I can tell you we will be visiting that often!  Only down fall is it is only open from April 1- Oct 31 so we are at the end of their season.  The other mom I went with has a lot of travel tips for places within 1-2 hours of here and some great parks etc. that she is going to tell me about!   I am very excited!!!  The boys were also popular today after school, two of the neighbors came over to play with them!  They really enjoyed that!  I think we are almost done with setting up the house.  David has been working some loooong hours so it is a slow go especially with all we are doing.  AJ had his second scout meeting last night and had a great time!!  They are learning about community and helping people.  Their assignment for this week is to make up a chore list for the week, design a fire escape plan and draw it out.  I think it is going to be really good.  He is also trying to memorize the items to get to the next rank.  He is doing great with that!!!  He is also doing challenge words for his spelling test now.  He has gotten 100% on all of his spelling pre-tests so he didn't have to take the regular test today, he did challenge words which are much more difficult.  I will see next week how he did.  All in all we are getting more settled in and the travel bug is really starting to hit me.  We have a four day weekend coming up and I will find someplace to go!!!  Even if it is four day trips!!  :-)  Again sorry about all the pictures, but I couldn't decide :-)

Back to work

Well as Tammy has said I am back to work again and have been for a couple of weeks now.  It is certainly a big job and has been really frustrating to start with.  Unfortunately there are quite a few folks here that seem to have given up on doing things the right way and are just doing enough to get by.  I understand I guess, there seems to be a lot of folks that are on the burnt out side of things.  It is sad to see so many people upset with their current circumstances.  I try to stay positive and I am working my butt off as I have a huge mountain to climb.  The nice thing is that I have good people working with me but I can tell that they are a little fatigued with all of the taskings and high optempo, such is life in the Army though.  Other than that things are going pretty good, Germany is definitely beautiful and it has been fun meeting all of these new people--still missing friends and family though.  Tammy has been burning the candle at both ends if you can't tell, I know that isn't much of a surprise to anyone that knows her.  Looks like AJ and I will be having some fun with scouts this year and am really looking forward to a camping trip that they will do 2 years from now to Normandy.  I guess we might be in one of those photos you see with all of the people spelling out words on the beach!  I think it will be a great learning experience for AJ and as I didn't do scouts as a kid it will be a cool experience for me too.  Already getting into the full busy swing of things here and we really aren't all the way settled.  Tammy and I talked about not doing that but I guess we can't help ourselves sometimes.  I hope that everyone is enjoying the blog and is doing well where ever you are.

So I finally have the pictures of our house, not too many inside yet, it is still a little too messy.  It is getting better, but still finding places for things.  The boys decided since I finally found their floor they wanted to use the boxes for a fort and they had a great time doing it!!  We finally got our tv today, mostly German stations, but we paid for a few american ones so we can understand them.  Actually we got it for David and his sports!  I was able to volunteer at AJ's school this morning and had a great time and was asked if I could volunteer three times next week.  Busy busy.  Michael is still enjoying his Strong Beginnings.  I have had no agrument or fight in getting him to school.  He is excited to go!  He always has something to tell me that was exciting and he is still learning stuff.  :-)  I am hoping our van will get here soon, this juggling with one car is difficult when we are going so many different directions.  Thank goodness Jen lives close to us and works with David.  That helps out a ton!  The big dirt pile next to the house is going away.  I think they are going to start building there soon.  The boys are a little disappointed about the dirt pile going away.  They are building on the other side of us already and their is a huge crane.  They do everything in cement here, no wood.  I found a few things while driving that I really have to remember and pay attention since it is different over here.  The right of way is the hardest and bicyclists have the same rights as cars do.  Also one thing I really like is when the light is about to turn green the yellow light flashes once and then the light turns green.  That way you have a little advanced notice.  I am starting to drive a little more like the locals, only I don't speed.  I have no desire to be picked up by the German police and fall under their rules.  They are a little different.  For one thing if you refuse to take a breathalizer, they can forcefully (punch you in the nose to draw blood) make you take the test.  We are working on getting our first big trip hopefully soon, I have research to do and am soooo excited about it!!!  I can't wait.  I think the boys are settling in more now that we are getting into activities and friends are already coming a knocking to play with the boys.  I knew it wouldn't take too long!  We also finally met our neighbors that are attached to us, they were in the states when we moved in.  They are a couple with no kids and seem really nice.  Hopefully we won't be too loud for them. 

Well it was another busy weekend getting a few more things set.  On Saturday the boys and I had a good day.  We hung out a little, shopped a little, played in the dirt a lot, got a few things put away, like moving up the couch (man I wish there was somebody else who could have helped David up those stairs) and getting ready for a ball.  Yes David figured we had our stuff for less than a week, lets go to a ball!  It was the AG ball and it was a pretty good time.  We are getting old and didn't know a lot of people yet so we didn't stay too late.  On Sunday we tried out our first church and everybody seemed to like it!  It was a special service at a park with bouncy castles and BBQ to boot, so the boys kept saying "Mommy I made some friends!!"  Which made my heart swell!!  Then it was off to Awanas.  It is like scouts except for church related things.  And the boys LOVED it!!!  They are so excited about it and I am soooooooooo glad!!!  Speaking of scouts I don't remember if I let you know that AJ is in scouts for his first time!  He had his first meeting last Thursday and LOVED it!!  They have so many cool things planned this year!!  I think he is going to have a great time!  Michael also had his first day of Strong Beginnings and he LOVED it!!!  Thank goodness!!!  He really had a great time and couldn't stop talking about it!!!  Praise God!!!  He was so happy he was line leader and he learned stuff!!!  So all is well.  I have pictures and I will try and get them posted tomorrow of the house, the dance, and the big dirt pile next door the boys have enjoyed.  Oh and I have found a great running trail which is a bonus because I didn't know it was their.  I can go miles and miles and never have to run on the street!!  The down side is, it is A LOT of up hill, but sooooo beautiful and peaceful!  And everybody has been friendly that I have met on the trail so far!  It is literally right across the street from our house!!  Such a blessing!!!  Well it is way past my bedtime.  I will post pictures tomorrow.  Night all!!