Christmas Blues

I love this time of year but it is not quite the same this year nor was it last year when I spent Christmas day in Cuba with my hubby. Don't get me wrong I am incredibly grateful that I have got to spend these Christmases together with my hubby but it just isn't the same without the family and the traditions you have grown up with all your life.

This year I will long for...
~The faces of my sweet nephews as they open their presents and give out hugs and thank yous, and in sam's case spit up! ;)
~The craziness that is my grandparents house on Christmas Eve as our family of 40+ people cram in a garage and enjoy fresh caught and cooked seafood! That's right you read that right! We do it right at our house for Christmas: fish, shrimp, hushpuppies, coleslaw...the works!! It is a family tradition that my family picked up when my grandfather married my step-grandmother and it is the only type of Christmas Eve celebration I have ever known.
~Listening to the outlandish things my cousins have asked Santa to bring them this year. My personal favorite was the year Jenna asked Santa to bring her a hot tub...she was about 7 at the time. haha, wish Santa would bring me one of those as well but I am not sure I would have a place for it, a jacuzzi tub in the bathroom would do, I think that sounds fair.

Oh and for the record if it snows on Saturday back home in Georgia I am going to very displeased with mother nature that she had me come all the way to Germany in hopes of a white Christmas and gives everybody at home one!! :) That does not seem very fair of her!! Hehe!

While these little things will be missed, I still remember the real reason we get out all these decorations and shower our loved ones with gifts. I am incredibly thankful for my Lord Jesus Christ who was brought onto this earth to save me so that I may have a relationship with the Father. That is something that is universal and will NEVER miss out on!!

Happy Jonathan Rupard Day!!

Today marks me sweet honey's birthday and while I am quite sure he very rarely reads this blog of mine I decided to share some sweet words about him anyhow!

Dear Jonathan,
 I still remember when we first met on a soccer trip to the mall and how we were both lucky enough to survive out first ride with Leah driving! Since that car ride there have been many moments I would not trade for anything in this world. There are so many things I am incredibly thankful for and I think your birthday is a great time to tell you some of those things!

~ I am thankful for the way you randomly come up behind me and wrap me in your arms letting me know at that moment in time I am all that matters to you.

~ I am thankful that you always give me a goodnight kiss before we go to sleep and always tell me that you love me so that I can drift to sleep with a smile on my face.

~ I am thankful that you randomly write me little messages that just put a smile on my face from ear to ear.

~ I am thankful that you help me out around the house when I am overwhelmed and put up with my craziness on Sunday nights when my homework deadlines come around.

~Most of all I am thankful that you asked me to be your wife so that I can live everyday showing my best friend how much I love him. I love that I get to wake up next to you in the morning and go to sleep with you every night.

Happy birthday to my best friend and the love of my life, I pray we get to share many more together! I love you!

Are You Done Yet?

So yesterday early evening I had the priviledge of video chatting with my sweet big sis and two adorable nephews! Jack was dying to open his gift that arrived in the mail not too long ago so my sis thought it would be nice for me to watch and it was! What a blessing technology is! He was super excited about his Thomas Train matching game. He kept saying "It's Thomas the Train!" and "Can we play in here now, mommy?" I love that kid to death and miss him to pieces!! Sam also got to open his gift which had a cute helicopter shirt and pants outfit and a made for Sam bib that is more like a vest that is camo! So cute! While talking with my sister and the boys Jack asked, "Emmy, are you done with Germany yet?" I literally almost cried! He has such a sweet heart!!

Well we got quite the snow storm here yesterday where it snowed for about three or four hours straight heavily and we ended up with at least 6 inches. Jonathan of course decided it was family play time in the snow. Snowmen, snow angels, and snowball fights were had by all! The playtime did not end without near disaster when we could not find my camera anywhere but after ten minutes of searching it fell from wherever it was hiding it all the clothes I had on! Here a few pictures of our winter wonderland!

Our snow covered parking lot!

Such a beautiful sight!

Busy Busy Busy

Well I have actually managed to stay quite busy this past week or so. We had Thanksgiving with friends of ours here, as well as getting into the Christmas spirit. The day before Thanksgiving my friend brought over her kids for a Thanksgiving craft. We made teepees from frosted ice cream cones. They were beautiful and yummy! Take a look at our pictures:

  

Thursday my hubby had to work but we enjoyed a nice brunch before he left of bacon, eggs, and toast. Not too long after hubby left I got to cooking! My sweet friend made an amazing turkey and a couple sides and I chipped in my own mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and macaroni and cheese (homestyle). I must admit our table looked pretty darn good! Check out the before and after pictures!

 

The weekend after Thanksgiving was dedicated to school work and checking out the Christmas market here in Mannheim. I have to admit I think it is a favorite thing of mine here, all these markets! It is like an ongoing festival!! Chrystal, Jim, Kylie, James, Jonathan, and I ventured out on Sunday to check out the Christmas market and all it had to offer!

James telling "Uncle Jon" how goofy he is!

One of the many candy booths...yummmm!

Chrystal and me

 

A shot of some of the booths.

Kylie even got to whisper in Kris Kringle's ear that she wanted a princess Barbie doll! We had fun even though I almost froze my toes off and ended up buying an extra pair of socks. Since then we have been simply enoying the snow we were given on Monday. I have not yet uploaded the better pictures of those so I will do that soon!

Thanksgiving

Things I am thankful for:
1. My Lord and Savior who gets me through good times and bad. I am so thankful to know Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior because there have been numerous situations I would never have been able to get through on my own.

2. My husband. The Lord knew who the right man was for me and I can honestly say that man has made me a better woman! He truly is a gift from God. I am amazed at how well he knows me sometimes and how he still treats me like a princess! He is my true prince charming!

3.My family, inlaws as well. I have been blessed to be born and marry into a group of some of the most loving people you will ever meet. Sure they drive you crazy sometimes but what family doesn't? :) The thing that matters most is that they love me with an unconditional love. My eyes blur with tears knowing I will not be there this Thanksgiving season to hug them and remind them that I love them. Thank you for understanding and I pray that the Lord keeps you all well this season of thanks!

4. My pups. It may sound silly but Cash has provided me so much joy and laughter, especially while Jonathan was gone. He has given me a taste of what it is like to have something you take care of that loves you no matter what. Lilly is newer and while she drives me crazy right now because she is still getting used to how things work around here, she makes me feel loved when she comes and puts her front paws up on my lap and just wants to me love on her!

5. Friends. I am thankful for friends that have seen me through all my life as well as friends that say me through a season. Each one of those people had a purpose in my life and I will forever be grateful for the parts they played. I am extremely thankful for new friends we have made thus far that make this transition to Germany seem a little less daunting. They are truly our family here!

Promotion Pictures

As promised, here a few pictures from my baby's promotion ceremony.



Baby standing with some other soldiers getting promoted.

Getting his promotion certificate.



After the ceremony standing with some of the guys that received awards or were promoted.

I am one proud army wife!!

Lilly in the Morning

Cash and Jonathan playing

So most of you look at updated pictures on facebook and notice that Jonathan recently got "his dog" an all white german shepherd named Lilly. She is already a few months old so is already trained which is great I must admit. Cash and Lilly love playing together. Lilly loves playing a little more than Cash and often Cash runs and jumps on the couch to attempt to escape for a little break. Both of the pups are protective of what they believe is "theirs" but that is very typical. In general, Jonathan and I love that Cash has a playmate now so that he is not constantly begging for attention from us! Haha. Here are a few pictures from Lilly's first few days with us. She took a while to get used to us but she is a sweetheart. It is nice to have a little pup who can sit in your lap and a pup who can only fit their head in your lap. :) 

Lilly bonding with Landon, our friend's son.

A few days before Lilly got here Jonathan was playing with Cash and all his toys. It was quite humerous and while the video I managed to get was not as funny as when they first started, it is still worth a good watch. 

On a human note, Jonathan got promoted on the first of this month. He is now Specialist Rupard. He is working a lot now and his shift is from 2pm-10pm but he has to be there earlier for PT so we do not get to do dinner together very often. :( So my cooking adventures have been put on hold. I did manage to make chicken and rice Sunday night and it was sooooo yummy. Jonathan loved the rice. He kept saying just make the rice, without the chicken! He is a rice fanatic. Anyhow, the pictures from Jonathan's promotion are not uploading right now so I will try to post a couple of those soon.

Versatile Chain

My sweet big sis tagged me in this versatility chain where I have to tell seven things about myself so here goes nothing:

1. I remember going to a circus as a young girl and watching my daddy ride in on an elephant and thinking he must be the coolest dad ever. I also remember my siblings and I getting to ride around the ring on an elephant. I remember riding up front because I was the smallest and having its ears flap against my legs. Perhaps I watched too much Dumbo but I told my mother when I got off the elephant that its wings kept hitting my legs. :)

2. I took gymnastics for about 7 years as a little girl and loved it. I lived for those early morning rides with mom to the meets and her braiding my hair and getting to spray that glitter hairspray in my hair. I was not a huge fan of the neon pink, blue, and purple leotards we wore but you can't win them all! My favorite part was the awards at the end. I know what you might be thinking, I am conceited. However, the awards ceremony was not my favorite part for the reason of being awarded, for all my brightness- I was not the greatest gymnast in the world. I could hold my own but I have much more red and white ribbons than I do blue ones! Anyhow, the awards was my favorite part because unless we were at my home gym the announcer always mispronounced my last name and my teammates always yelled out at the top at their lungs the correct way of saying it! They always had my back! :)

3. As much as I love watching the kids at church put on their musicals I loved more when I was a part of them. I loved learning all the songs. I am sure my parents, and my siblings, LOVED being forced to listen to me singing the songs at the top of my lungs in my room all up until the big day and most of the time even after the big performance was over. I must admit I think we gave WFBC some of its finest performances! I am sure my sister would beg to differ but we all have our own opinions!

4. I remember moving to a private school in sixth grade and being very nervous because all the other kids had known each other for so long. I remember being so excited to be able to play volleyball that fall and how that helped me find my niche at PAC. Even though we were allowed to play as sixth graders on the JV team we were not allowed to go to away games because we were so young. However, we for some reason or another (I don't remember why) we were allowed to go to one away game. I remember being the only sixth grader that started that game and they annouced the starters and their grade level and I remember wanting to sink into a hole when they announced my name and said sixth grade. Haha, I remember thinking, "Did you HAVE to say what grade I was in!"

5. It was around 1000 days ago that I got a text message from a cute red headed boy asking me if I wanted to go to dinner around 8 this weekend. I replied by answering, "Yes, I would be the one wearing the smile when he came to pick me up." A few weeks later he asked me to be his girlfriend, again I said yes. A year later he got down on a knee on the front porch of my apartment and asked me another question. I initially responded by saying, "Are you kidding me?" But rest assured said yes after the initial shock wore off. 6 months later I got to say "I do" to that cute red head but then a week later had to tell him goodbye. I got him back a year later and have not let him go since. I love my life with him and love the adventure we are on together. I love learning new little things he likes and dislikes. I can't wait for forever after!

6. My parents sweetly deprived me of having a dog my whole life so earlier this year in March I decided to get my own. Cash was born two days after my birthday! Must have been a sign. I love my little cuddler!! I love that he gets jealous when I am on the computer and there is no room for him in my lap. I love that if you leave him in the apt to do laundry he whines after you close the door behind you and is waiting on the rug sitting like a good dog when you come back. I love that he waits patiently while I am cooking until I drop something and I love that I don't have to worry about cleaning it up! He is the perfect lil pup for me and he has made a great addition to our little family.

7. I know teachers complain about their jobs sometimes but trust me we truly love what we do. I miss having little ones that depend on me. I miss getting to touch little hearts in a special way that only teachers can. I sincerely hope that sometime over the next three years I get a chance to teach at one of the schools here in Germany because I think it would be a real net experience.

Well, those are my seven random things. I hope you enjoyed reading my little bits and pieces.

Things I Miss the Most

Okay so I have been formulating this post in my mind for quite a while now and am finally taking the time to put it in writing!

1. Family & Friends: Obviously family and friends back home are what I miss more than anything. I hate that I can't just call someone up. I have to first do some basic math to figure out what time of day it is back home then decide whether it is important enough to pay the cost. I can't wait until our home phone gets set up and that second factor goes away. I think something I miss more than others is hanging out with my super cool nephews. I mean how many of you have an almost 3 year old nephew who pees on the Florida gator and sings Justin Beiber!?!?!? I am willing to take a guess that there are not many of you out there! I just hope my sweet nephews do not forget me and understand I still love them even though I do not see them as much.

2. Having a vehicle: Okay this is a temporary state but still, try going without a vehicle of any kind for two whole months. Believe me your patience will be tried!!! Jonathan and I are looking for some type of small SUV to drive mainly because the insurance is a little cheaper and we would feel safer! lol. In the meantime we do have Jonathan's scooter when we have to go run a quick errand but I am entirely reliable on my dear sweet friend Chrystal when it comes to grocery shopping. She allows me to tag along!

3. American ambulances: No, you did not misread that last one. I miss the sound of an american ambulance. I have attached a brief youtube video of an European police car going down the road. All sirens sound like this here! Mannheim is a fairly busy city so I can only say that I wish I could count on one hand the number of times in one day I have to listen to this awful sound!!! I never could have imagined wishing to hear an american siren!!

4. Walmart: Yea I said it! I miss Walmart. I miss being able to do all the shopping I need to do in one place! Even at its worst Walmart was still the most convenient place to go whenever you needed something.

5. Mexicali Grille and Chik-fil-A: My two favorites have been on the brain lately. You want to know how badly? I had a dream one night that I discovered that we had a Chik-fil-A on base and I was mad that I had not discovered it sooner!!! Yes, in my dream I was not delighted to have one but angry that I had not found it sooner!! I miss the cheesy beef quesadilla from Mexicali like crazy!!! In fact I must stop talking about these establishments before I go crazy!

6. Teaching & Coaching: Lastly, I miss having a classroom full of little minds to love and learn about. I miss the amazing teachers I worked with and how they made that place my second home and took care of me for two years and were with me when my baby was gone and encouraged and supported me all along. I also miss all the wonderful students I had the honor of coaching in volleyball and tennis. I got to know some amazing young people who are incredible people who I genuinely enjoyed spending time with! And not to forget the awesome coaches I worked with!!

Germany is different and I am glad we have the chance to be here but there will always be things about home that I miss and these are just a few of those things.

Weekend of Fun

This past weekend was a four day weekend for us and we packed in as much fun as we could manage without even going far. Thursday night we ventured out to part of downtown Mannheim for a carnival that was in town. We went with some friends of ours, Jim and Chrystal, and their 2 kids. It was by far the BEST carnival I have ever been to. We didn't get a chance to ride a reall exciting ride because they had just closed it when we got around to but we still had a blast. I managed to get my hands on some choc covered strawberries that were delicious!

These were not the particular ones I ate but just wanted you to get an idea. We also managed to play a lot of silly carnival games and get silly carnival prizes but it was a lot of fun. We did manage to get on the ferris wheel before it closed and Jonathan LOVED that, not really! Haha! He was lucky that I didn't discover the cage could be spun around until the very end of the ride. It was definitely a very fun night. I would love to put up some pictures but Jonathan's card to his camera does not fit in his laptop so hopefully I will get a way to put those up soon.

Friday night we went to some of the high school football game since it was homecoming for them. We didn't stay for the whole game however since they were getting killed. We then went to watch Toy Story 3. It was definitely a winner.

Saturday was our lazy day. I went to the grocery store while Jonathan went out to the mall in search of some shoes he could manage to dirty up. We ate dinner and went to hang out and play cards with Amber and Ted at their house.

Sunday started with church with my hubby and Chrystal. After church Jim and Jonathan went to go a run/scavenger hunt type thing with a friend of theirs. So Chrystal and I took the kiddos to Burger King for lunch. After lunch I had to finish up on some school work before heading back over to Chrystal's to help make breakfast for dinner for the guys and us once they got back. Where we played Battle of the Sexes thanks to my sister-in-law, Lisa, and followed that up with Sequence.

Monday was somewhat of another lazy day. Jonathan had soccer practice and I went to watch and read and generally just enjoy the nice weather. We have had a lot of beautiful days here lately. So that was our weekend in a nutshell. We are still patiently waiting on our stuff to get here. We are hoping within the next week or so. Chrystal and I are making a trip to the self-help store today to get paint. I want to get the walls painted before our stuff gets here. Anyhow, I have to go jump in the shower because we are leaving soon!

Ten Things I Have Learned So Far

I have been making a mental list of these things for a while now and thought it might be fun to put them up on here. So without further delay here are the top ten things I have learned while living in Germany so far.

1. Always have at least 30 euro cent! I pity pregnant women in this country. You feel like making a trip to the mall? You better go before you go or have change in case nature calls. That is right, you have to pay to use the restroom in public places here. Forget about stopping in a restaurant or cafe unless you want to endure numerous evil glares from employees for using their toiletta without purchasing anything from them first.

2. Never go without a leash. Nevermind that it is understood rule around here to have a leash on your dog when outside. This place is crawling with dogs and little kids, two of poor little Cash's favorites. It is pure torture for him to not be able to reach them when all he wants to do is be their friend.

3. Ashudengan. This is German for "sorry" or "excuse me." I have sadly not learned very much German so far but this word has come in handy more than any other. Although, do not expect to hear it very often from the Germans. Thy are not known for their consideration for others but then again they were not raised in the south as I was.

4. NO personal bubble. One thing you notice upon going anywhere remotely crowded that there is no such thing as personal space. I never would have imagined it more dangerous to manuever myself through the mall than through actual traffic. Making a left to cross over the walkway in the mall can often be more difficult than making a left turn across a busy road in a vehicle. This is also where the excuse me comes in handy...sometimes!

5. Marketplace Heaven. Every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday there is a market place in downtown Mannheim. You will find the court swarmed with fresh produce, cheese's, flowers, and breads. It makes shopping at the grocery store far less enchanting. Whenever I go to the marketplace I feel like I have pulled back in time to a fairy tale town where you can manuever your way through booth after booth of the most delicious looking strawberries and grapes you have ever seen.

6. Happily ever after. We were told of all the castles but I never dreamed of anything like this. It is romantical to imagine what these grand structures looked like back in their prime. We have already been to a few different castles and obviously things are really never what you imagine they were but it sure is fun to!

7. No casual Friday. I never considered myself a slob by any means but I, like most people, like to just have a jeans and t-shirt kind of day. It is much harder to have those kind of days here. Going to the mall here feels like everyone is looking to be cast for Germany's next top model. Everywhere you look people are dressed like true fashionistas. Skinny jeans, high heel boots, scarves, and oh so cute jackets! It is a nightmare for a bargain shopper!! :)

8. Pet Parade. As I mentioned in a previous blog a few weeks ago, dogs are pretty much allowed anywhere you go as long as they are on a leash. Jonathan and I have learned the hard way that just because you are allowed to take your dogs places does not mean that you should. Cash had one trip to the mall and that will be his last for a long while if not ever because of his "accident" in the shoe store. Crazy dog!!!

9. Weather Forecast? What is that? You really never know what the weather is going to be like here. They do have so-called weather forecast but the weather forecast is hardly reliable here. It could be sunny and beautiful one minute and down pouring within the next hour!

10. Confusion is now an everyday thing. I never imagined myself as someone who could or would ever live in a foreign country. Confusion has become a part of my daily life. I mist admit that I feel that I am blending in a little better. Just the other day a lady turned around and said something to me in German about this older couple and was laughing about something so I simply laughed right along with her.

I still have much to learn and experience about Germany but for now these are the top ten. I have enjoyed myself immensely thus far but as everyone knows it can be all sugar and creme filling. Maybe within the next few years I will have another top ten. Guten tag!

Permanent Housing!!

Well folks, we are officially into permanent housing. We received our key and moved in Wednesday of this week. I will do my best to get some pictures up soon. I am already planning what colors I am going to paint and all that stuff. It will feel much more like home when the rest of our belongings get here. Other than that I finished the MOST, Mannheim Orientation Spouses Tour earlier Wednesday. I learned a little bit better how to operate the train system, the Straub. We also got the chance to visit the marketplace and found a Euro Shop, our version of the dollar store!! That place will come in handy I have a feeling. We saw some beautiful catholic churches located in Mannheim that I did get pictures of with Jonathan's camera. I, unfortuantely, do not have that with me right now! :( I am doing such an awful job of providing pictures I know! I will get better when I have internet of my own I promise!!! I hope I will anyways! ;)

Jonathan has still been going through classes and next week he goes through all his orientation stuff which I might try to come and sit in if I am not busy homing! Cash is doing good. He got super hyper this morning and just ran all over the apartment and then just crashed so I decided to take that advantage to come up to the computer room near all the offices. Still on the job hunt. I filled out a packet that might allow me to work at the day care on base here. But I also heard that the elementary school needs some help with their pre-k classes so I might go by there today and inquire about that. Hopefully, something will come up soon.

I start my first online class for my master's this coming Monday and I am excited right now. In a few weeks I may be the complete opposite but right now I am excited about it. I just hope I can get my internet at home soon so I don't have to walk all the way up here in order to get my school work done. Well, I have to try to go find a planner for my school stuff so I can stay organized. Be back soon!

Address and more

Well we finally got our APO address. It is as follows:
Jonathan or Emily Rupard
CMR 418 Box 333
APO AE 09058

Just try to let me know when you send anything so I know when to go check for it. Once Jonathan starts officially working he will be able to check it when he goes in but for now he does not go over there all too often.

We are still not too sure when we will be out of temporary housing. The apartment we are in right now is not that bad but I am definitely ready to make my home here and I can't do that until we are there! lol. We did manage to get by the lending office and get some pots and pans and other essential kitchen supplies on loan. Other than that there is not much more to update you on. Jonathan did manage to find the soccer team that was put together or soldiers here and they have their first game Sunday. So as you can imagine he is very excited about playing again and is loving that.

Life on Base

Well, our first week has come and gone. Sadly, we discovered that we will not be able to get internet until we are in permanent housing. BOO!! Anyhow, Jonathan have gotten to explore a little bit since we have been here. Saturday we ventured to Heidelberg with some friends and their kids to explore a castle that is there. Sadly you could not go inside without paying for a guide and we decided not to do that this time to come back another time. We still got to see a lot and it was very neat. Jonathan and I decided to go back to downtown Heidelberg to check out the shopping. We saw a few familiar stores such as Claire's and a version of Forever 21. Haha. This one made Jonathan and I chuckle. So you know how over here the legal age for everything is 18 while at home it is 21. The store here is Forever 18- no joke! We thought it was funny that it got changed.

One thing we are also learning that here you can pretty much take your pets with you everywhere you go. So as a result, we decided to take Cash with us on a trip we made to the mall late Saturday. Cash seemed a little overwhelmed at first so I ended up carrying him for a little while until we got into a department store that was a little less crowded. I put him down and he seemed to be doing fine. He apparently was so comfortable in the shoe store that he decided to do some stinky business as Jonathan were occupied looking at a pair of shoes. I freaked out of course and Jonathan and I tried not to bust out laughing as he grabbed some of that tissue paper that gets stuffed in shoes and we used that to scoop it up and walk VERY swiftly out of the store. Needless to say, Cash has had his first and probably LAST visit to the mall. Well, not much time left and I need to get my financial aid figured out before my hour on the library computer runs up.

Before and After

Well I thought I would update you and then give you some pictures. Jonathan and I arrived safely at the airport at about 9:15 Saturday morning here. Cash did splendid, which is more than I can say for his impatience with me as I type this blog. He pretty much slept the whole plane ride and only got a little whiny at the very end. We got our bags and all that jazz and headed towards the USO. When we arrived at the USO in the airport there was a sergeant there that helped us get everything squared away to stay in a hotel across the street from the airport for the weekend. So the rest of Saturday and Sunday was spent in a hotel room, because we were told we couldn't really go anywhere. So for meals we were reduced to whatever we could find in the airport which for the longest time was not a lot! Finally Saturday night when we headed over to try to find something to suffice for dinner we saw a plastic Ronald McDonald in the main part of one of the terminals so we went over to investigate. Good old Ronald was there to give directions to where his food was located!! YAY!!!! So after a quick-paced search of the said area we rounded a corner and there it was!!! It was a defining moment because being the picky person I was I had not had a decent meal since our farewell lunch at Red Lobster before heading to the airport. Some not so great beef was served on the plane. We were in the back of the plane and my mind flashed to Brian Reagan days in high school as the stewardess said, "What would you like? All we have is beef." I was thinking, then why ask?!?!?!

Anyhow, we also managed to find a few other food places including a Hooters in another part of the hidden restaurants at the airport! Yes, folks! Jonathan ate our Sunday dinner at Hooters! Hahaha! Monday morning we got our bags ready and checked out of the hotel to head over to the airport to meet at the meeting point. We got put on a bus and were headed to Mannheim. When we arrived at the base, we met up with Jonathan's platoon sgt. He was a really nice guy. He helped us get our names on the housing list, set us up in a hotel for the night, and all the other stuff you have to go through. So eventually we got some down time in which Jonathan managed to go ahead and blow his first appliance which led us back to the Px to plead for Paul, salesman, to help us out before Jonathan lost his mind! :) Today we are supposed to move into temporary housing for the next month until our permanent housing is available and ready. Anyways, to the good stuff, here are some pictures to make your reading worthwhile.

Jonathan and I at the airport in Atlanta about to board the plane.

Cash and I letting the jet lag get the best of us.

Cash slipped under the covers to get some R&R with daddy too.

One of the gorgeous hillside shots we saw from the bus on our way to Mannheim.

Another hillside, we are pretty sure that is a castle on the right hillside there. So cool!

Saying Goodbye

Well this past week has been really rough and we have not even gotten to the worst of it yet. Sunday morning Jonathan and I went to church with his mom's family and had to say goodbye to some of the people there. Those people are some of the most caring people you will ever meet. After church we headed down to Winterville to catch the tail end of a family reunion where I had to bid numerous sweet cousins goodbye as well as my 90 year old grandfather. That one was difficult because I sincerely hope and pray that is not the last time I give that great man a hug here on earth.

Monday, Jonathan and I were at the apartment all day cleaning, packing, and trashing. Tuesday we had some help from his grandparents loading things to go to Rena's house. We decided since we were headed that way to meet up with my sister, Josh, and the boys for lunch and a little time to hang out. We met up at Zaxby's and enjoyed lunch before heading back to their house to play with Jack and Sam one last time as a 2 year old and a sweet baby less than a year old. Jack enjoyed running from Umple Jonafin and it made me sad that Jonathan has missed so much of them already. Jonathan just met Sam on Sunday and is already telling him bye. It breaks my heart knowing I have been so priviledged to see these sweet boys grow up and laugh with them and play with them but not I can't. I am going to miss so much of them and that makes me so sad. It was so hard to feel that sweet boy give me a hug and a kiss and know that next time I see him he might have grown out of that. He will be a big 3 year old boy the next time I see him! :( Hugging my sister felt like letting go of a best friend. Ever since the boys have been born and she lived less than an hour away we have grown so much closer as sisters and as best friends. She is an amazing mommy to those boys and a great example. I love her so much and it hurt saying goodbye. I did pretty well until we pulled out of the driveway and waved goodbye from the car, I lost it. I boo hoo'd all the way to his mom's house. Thank you to my sister for making so much time for me this summer and I will forever be thankful!!! I love you so much!
Later Tuesday night Jonathan and I went to dinner with his aunt and uncle and their 3 children. We had a great time laughing and cutting up at dinner. After dinner more tears came as we had to bid them goodbye. Jonathan found it difficult to say bye to Kristina, the oldest of those 3. She is not much younger than Jonathan and they have a close bond. She is such a sweet girl who will be loved and missed.


Well Wednesday was a little bit less tearful. We headed back to the apartment in the morning to wait on the movers to come. They came a little after 12 to begin packing up the things we are taking with us to Germany. In the midst of them packing some others guys showed up to work on the air conditioner, washer, and dryer. Then my dad came to take a few things for us in his truck. Our apartment was pack full of people moving all around and trying to get stuff done. It was crazy there for a little while. Once they were all gone Jonathan's dad, stepmom, and stepsisters came up to hang out for a lil while. The girls loved it because Jonathan and I were giving away stuff left and right. Even Karen took home a few prizes! lol. ;) Thanks girls for taking those off our hands. They helped us clean up a little and get things closer to being ready to go and we enjoyed spending time with them. We will be seeing Tim again but we did have to say goodbye to the girls. I know they will have grown up so much next time we see them. Well Jonathan has yet to meet the friends I made in Hartwell while he was gone. These said friends, mainly Kaitlyn, has been dying to meet him. So we managed to work it out to where we could squeeze in a dinner Wednesday night at our usual Mexican location in Hartwell. Well, Kaitlyn managed to gather so many sweet people to have dinner with us. A lot of my past volleyball players and tennis players showed up to say goodbye and eat and laugh with us. It was such a sweet time that we enjoyed so much. We walked away that night with flowers, candy, cake, frosting on the car, and cream in the face! I will post pictures soon for those of you curious about that!

Well here we are at Thursday, our last whole day here and I got to get out of bed and get going because my mom is on her way here to help us get the last of things! It all seems surreal but I guess we are as ready as we will ever be. Germany here we come!

Picture Post!!!!!! Finally!

This is Jonathan and me Sunday after church at his dad's house. He wore his class A's to go to church with his dad's family. He looked so handsome!!!! I thought this picture turned out really well. Since I was late on my promise for a picture I decided I would upload two in hopes of forgiveness! ;)

This is Jonathan and I at dinner at The Flight Machine at the Gwinett Airport. We ate here one night with his dad's family.

Home Sweet Home

Well I know I promised a picture with this next blog and I hate to disappoint but I am afraid I am going to have to! :( I have taken a few pictures but I have done everything I know how to do to get Jonathan's laptop to recognize my card for my camera and it refuses so...boo!!! As soon as I can gain access to a computer that will recognize it we are in good shape.

So, Jonathan arrived back around 4:30 safely. We were safe back in each other's arms again a little after 5. It was wonderful to be in his arms again. We drove part of the way back Saturday night stopping and staying the night at a hotel in Perry, Ga. We then got up early and drove the remainder of the way to Loganville Sunday morning in order to go to church with his dad and other family members. We had a wonderful lunch with his family and spent the rest of the day listening to some of Jonathan's crazy stories and looking at pictures and relaxing.

Jonathan and I spent the majority of this morning up at Fort McPherson in Atlanta trying to get all our moving stuff worked out. We also met up with one of Jonathan's good friends, Jay, for lunch at The Varsity. We are back at his dad's house now enjoying a little bit of downtime. We are going out to eat tonight with Tim, Karen, the girls, and Ben (his cousin). Like I said, I will get a picture up as soon as I can.

Chaos and Excitement!!!

Well the past few days have been a bit chaotic but of course filled with a lot of excitement! I have been busy here at the apartment trying to get those last minute things packed up and done. I feel like I am finally getting things done to where I can notice them too, which is always exciting!!!

Well, I leave Saturday morning to go pick up Jonathan and I am soooo excited!!! Soo, that being said, I promise the next post will have a picture of me and my handsome hubby!!!

Bye Bye Double Digits

Today marks ten more days, our last day in double digits!!! YAY!!! I have managed to stay fairly busy the past week and have therefore not posted, I have also not posted until I knew I had pictures to put on here for fear of the wrath of my sister. ;) Last week I got to eat dinner with my lifelong friend, Ashley. She is expecting a baby and sadly that sweet little girl will not get here until after I leave but I am sooo looking forward to seeing lots of pictures and meeting her someday. We had a good time catching each other up on what has been going on in our lives.

Last week I also got the chance to play competitive volleyball for the first time in a while. It was so much fun. My team lost mainly because we had some boys that refused to stay where they were supposed to be so they always got burnt and then they got in everybody else's way. They were quite frustrating to play with but its kind of like whatever, typical egos. It was still fun.

Monday mom and I went up to Laura's to spend the day with her and the boys. It was definitely a less "drama" filled Monday as Jack was having a much better day than last Monday. Tuesday I ventured back up to Laura's to go to splash zone one last time with her and the boys. It was not very crowded when we got there so Jack had a lot of fun swimming with Laura in the lazy river. He was doing "my by self." Later in the afternoon some of the camps started rolling in and it got a little too crowded for Jack so we headed out for lunch at Chik-fil-A. We made a stop by Target where we all split a giant cookie. YUMMM!!!

Today I have to head into Athens to take my engagement ring to Zales because I noticed Sunday that one of the small diamonds on the side is missing. I am just hoping that they can get it fixed and done by the time we leave. I dont want to have to go too long without it either. The sooner I can get it back the better. It is kind of crazy because I JUST had it checked last Wednesday. But it is ok because it is covered by the insurance we have on both rings. So hopefully it won't be a big deal. Well I have to go get Cash up so we can eat breakfast.

Monday Madness

Well yesterday I got up and got a workout in before packing the car with more boxes to take to my mother-in-laws. I decided to make a day of it and scooped up Cash to go spend some time with my sister and the boys. Jack enjoyed playing with Cash a little as always. Shortly after I arrived poor little Jack had a rough morning so I got some great cuddling in with my sweet Sam. I can't believe how much I am going to miss out on with those boys. I am going to miss them both so much. I have been slacking on pictures, mainly because my camera is dead and I keep forgetting to charge it.

After spending some time with the Laura and the boys I headed over to my mother-in-law's house to drop off some boxes and hang out with my sister-in-law, Ashley. Ashley and I went to grab a bite to eat for dinner and then to Walmart for a bit. We had a good time hanging out and I ended up just staying there because it got late and headed home this morning. Today is going to be a chill day of relaxing and trying to organize more of the things that are going with us.

Watch Out Teens...here we come!!

That's right we are in the teens, 19 to be specific. I am sooo excited only 19 more days without my hubby. I am so ready. In the meantime I am continuing to pack up things and try to keep things in a somewhat civilized state here at the apartment...its driving me nuts. This weekend my dad and brother got a couple of big pieces of furniture out of the way for me and that was greatly appreciated.

Saturday night the family got together at Carraba's and celebrated John's 34th birthday a little early. We enjoyed good food and taunting Jack with croutons! Haha. It was a little strange because every now and then the thought would pop up in the back of my mind that I would miss out of this celebration next year. My brother means so much to me. He is 9 years older than me so we weren't really all that close growing up. Lucky for me he took up residence in Athens while I was still in middle and high school. That is when we really got the chance to spend time together and go places together and it was always a highlight whenever I did. He is such a sweetheart and I would not trade anything for my big brother.

This week it seems like I got something going on each day which should be fun. I will keep you updated as I go!

Pool and Packing

Well it has been a little while. We are down to a miniscule 24 more days. That probably seems to a lot to those of you that see their hubbys on a regular basis but trust me for us 24 is not a big number at all. I have been cleaning, packing, and catching up with friends so far this week.

Monday my sweet friend Becca came by. Becca and I played doubles together my freshmen year at Emmanuel. She is one of the sweetest people you will ever meet and it was wonderful to catch up with her and hear about her new house and the many adventures she has had this summer. She got to meet Cash and he did his best to charm her.

Tuesday afternoon I met up with my cousin Russell to play tennis but it was so miserably hot that we didnt play for very long. He has more of a baseball style to his tennis playing that makes it quite interesting. Haha.

Today Cash and I met up with Melanie and Hudson at the pool. We caught up and basked in the sunshine. We both were forced to take frequent dips in the pool in order to stay cooled off. Cash took a couple of swims but for the most part just enjoyed running around playing with his buddy Hudson. Both boys were worn out and Melanie and exchanged phone photos of the pups passed out in the same position. Too funny!!

I got some shoes and clothes packed up that will be staying here. I am trying to get Cash accustomed to be on his leash when we got out now because he will have to be when we get to Germany. I have also been looking into the online masters program at Liberty University. They have some great discounts and options for military and spouses. I am getting very excited about possibly starting it soon.

5 weeks

Well 5 weeks from now I will be getting ready to drive down to Jacksonville to pick up my hubby and I am so excited about it!!! It has been such a blast here at the beach but it has been a little bittersweet. I have loved spending this time with my family but it has also been sad to not have Jonathan here with me. He has been a real trooper though making himself available on Yahoo to talk to me whenever for the most part. He is such a sweetheart!

Well the week has been great and here are just a few more pictures of some of the moments dad captured. I sadly left my camera at home so I was dependent on other people's cameras. None the less, I am slightly ready to get back home and finish getting everything ready for when Jonathan gets home.

Laura and I decorating the golf cart.

Jack and I checking out the fish.

John, mom, and I on the beach watching the lighting!

39...At the Beach!

We are in the 30's now and what better way to celebrate than being at the beach with family. We arrived here in Myrtle Beach late Saturday afternoon. We got in a round of golfshoes, a game invented by our family. Dad and I teamed up together and proved to be doing well until a tragic ending where we were robbed by Laura and Josh.

Sunday morning we got up and have the breakfast of champions: cereal of course! We went to the beach and I read some of my latest book. We attempted to get Jack involved in making sand castles but he was slightly more interested in the demolition process of the sand castle building. Regardless it was a fun morning. It was very packed at the beach but we are hoping some of that dies down today since it won't be the weekend.

Sunday late afternoon we all, but dad and Jack, ventured to the outlets to look for some good shopping deals. I made a few purchases that I was pleased with and know I will get a lot of mileage out of them. We went to a nearby restaurant called Duffy Street for dinner. When I say nearby I mean John, Lisa, mom, and I put in our name and the others drove over in our golf cart limo from the beach house. Josh and Laura decided to rent a golf cart for our trips to and from the beach. They planned on renting a 6 seater but the company delivered an 8 seater. So we literally look like we are driving around a golf cart limo. Laura and I even decorated it with fourth of July decor. Dad has unfortunately not gotten a picture of it yet. After dinner we made homemade ice cream and took it down to the beach for the fireworks off the pier.

The fireworks show was a much anticipated one because we had seen it the last time we came here and loved it. The fireworks look really neat over the ocean. Plus they had some really neat fireworks last time that we had never seen done before. They did kind of like a waterfall of fireworks down falling under the pier. It was pretty neat. However, this year the fireworks were much more anticipated because they were supposed to start at 9:30 and we didnt have any fireworks until at least 10:15. :( The fireworks were pretty though. Here is one of the shots dad got with his fancy camera.

47

We are indeed in the 40's. This week I am really excited about getting prepped to go to the beach with my family next week. It is rare that our family gets a chance to get together, much less for a vacation. We have not been on vacation as a family since the summer after I graduated high school- long time! ANyhow, it technically won't be the whole family since Jonathan won't be there and I am saddened by that. I am excited that I get to spend the week relaxing and having geniune family time for a whole week at the beach. It is a perfect vacation to have my last summer in Georgia for a while.

This week I am trying to get some major cleaning and packing done. Mama Na, Jonathan's mom, will be dogsitting for my sweet Cash next week so my mom is going to come up on Friday with the Durango to take some more stuff to put in storage at her house. Some more scheduled highlights for this week include another splash zone visit with Laura and the boys, pool time with Melanie, dinner with Bray, and lunch with Emmanuel girls Thursday afternoon, and vet appointment for Cash Friday morning.

Ok so I have been tantalizingly promising you some of the information that I have managed to dig up on Germany.
Here is the website for the elementary school that is on base. There is not a whole lot to it right now since school is not in session but feel free to browse:
http://www.mann-es.eu.dodea.edu/
This is the website for the actual base. Most of the stuff is seemingly boring to normal people but thought you might enjoy it anyhow.
http://home.mannheim.army.mil/
I was trying to put the picture in here of what might be our floor plan but it is not working very well. I will try to put it on facebook.

50

Down to the big 50!! So exciting!! YAY!!

This week I came back to Camp All American as a guest counselor and it has been fun but I know I don't have the energy to do it all summer like I used to. I had a group of 6 and 7 year old boys. They have been rowdy from day one and so much fun. Some favorite conversations:
::Playing a game where they were trying to guess Robert's favorite food::
Kyle: Pony?
Robert: Ponies are not in food, unless you are in Brazil!
::The church where camp is held is doing som remodeling and building a chapel::
Bryce: What are they doing over there?
Me: Building a chapel
Jack: What is a chapel?
Me: Kind of like a small sanctuary for church or for weddings.
Connor: Why would you want to get married at camp?
::Walking out to the pool::
Kyle: Emily, are the Beatles still alive?
Marc: Yea, my dad has their CD.
Me: Well, there ya go!

Haha! Good times. They have been a fun group. One more day to go!! Then back home to Cash! I miss him. Jonathan is doing well. Still ready to come home. We have a tentative date for departure- September 10th. So I need to see and love on all of my loved ones before then! I promised you some Germany stuff and I will deliver soon. But for now- I am heading to bed! NIght!

54

54 more days!!

This weekend has been a busy but good one. Saturday I spent with my family celebrating my grandfathers 90th year of life. He is such an amazing man and I am so grateful to have him in my life. I am going to miss that man so much when we leave. He said while I was over there he needed to have a talk with Jonathan because he wasn't supposed to be taking me away from my family- that wasn't part of the deal. He is so sweet. I love him so much. Cash jioned us there and everybody seemed to love him. Grandaddy even tolerated him in his lap when my brother-in-law abruptly delivered him to his lap without warning or notice. Haha.

Sunday morning I got up early and drove to Monroe to go to church with Tim, Jonathan's dad, and the girls. It had been a while since I had seen them. Church was good as always. One of my favorite teachers of all time is the pastor at their church and I just love to listen to him. After church we went out to lunch at a Japanese place. Jonathan was able to call and talk to Tim a little while we were there.

Cash is currently at grandma's for the week. Sunday night I drove up to the Tarulli's household to stay for a week while I visit camp for a week. Amanda happened to be coming up this weekend so it worked out pretty perfectly. It has been great visiting with her whole family. I just found a whole bunch of stuff on Germany and I will post about that soon.

56

Well as of today I get to mark it down to 8 more weeks. This weekend is going to be a busy one as well as next week. This morning I am currently relaxing with Cash before I get in the shower and spend the first part of the day when one of my best friends, Amanda- who is in town from Orlando, Fl.

After hanging out with her I am headed back to parental territory for my Grandfathers 90th birthday celebration. He is such an amazing man and I am so thankful for the impact he has had on my life.

Sunday morning I am going to go see Jonathan's dad, Tim, for father's day. Then back through Athens to see my own dad on father's day. Then back up to Amanda's house that night because I will be working at camp next week to help them out for a week. I am excited to go back and visit and hoping that some of my favorite campers are there!! Well I gotta get up and going so I can start this busy weekend! I will update as I am able next week.

57

57 days to go, we are almost down to eight weeks!! The time has flown and I could not be more grateful!!

Yesterday, I finally got up the will power to go through some of my teaching supplies that I had to clear out of the classroom and divide into what I know I will take with me and what I know I will leave behind. I still have to go through all my books because I have so many and there are so many that I know I can do without. Well I decided to go ahead and bring the first load of things that Jonathan's mom, Rena, will house in her basement for us. Yay for having family with storage space!!! :) Well I also pulled aside a few books I thought Jack might enjoy and asked Laura if she wanted to keep them for me so that they could enjoy them while I am gone. So I took those over to the their house and hung out with Laura, Jack, and Sam for a while. Then Josh got home and we all went to dinner where Jack made a boot with his chip! Haha. "I made boot!" So after dinner I came over to Rena's house and hung out with the girls. Cash was really hyper and wanted to play with Poohgen, Ashley's pug. He was running all around the living room and I am sure was seeing stars after running straight into the legs of the table a few times!

Right now I am the only one up, watching the US play Slovenia. Right now they are losing- big shocker!! ;) Maybe they will get lucky again but I kind of doubt it! Oh well. Plans for today are just to hang out with family. It is going to be a busy weekend.

58

58 days to go!!

First sunburn of the summer!! YAY! That means the rest of the summer should be sunburn free!! Cash and I met Melanie and Melissa at the Cape residence and went swimming. Cash went swimming for the first time and seemed to really enjoy it. He kept going to the edge of the pool and whining to get in. He was soo cute. It was warm but fairly cloudy so it was a good day. It was fun to hang out with Melanie and Melissa and we got most of the dogs together for a party as well. Cash got to meet his new friends Baxter and Hudson. He also met Molly, and while Cash made the sincerest attempts to befriend her, Molly is not exactly sociable! :) We had fun catching up and making daquiris, virgin in case you are wondering.

On the exercise note, I have not been running the past two days because of the rain that has started each day about the time of day I desire to run. Nature is working against me! However, I have been doing a little better about what I am eating. I stocked up on fruits and veggies to snack on instead of junkie food. I know this is something Jonathan will help me with too when he is here. He has become hooked on rice down there in GTMO so I see a lot of different kinds of rice in our dinner future, which is fine by me!

Well it is hard to imagine that I have a mere two more months before I get to see my husband again. The last time I saw him was January 2nd. This past year has flown by and I could not be more grateful. Don't get me wrong some great things have happened over the past year and I know that without a doubt I have grown as an individual as well as grown as a couple. I am very excited to see what this next phase will hold for us. We are blessed to have a love like ours and even more blessed to have this wonderful opportunity to go on an adventure together in our first few years together. Well, that is all for now!

60 Days to Go!!

Well today was pretty laid back. I watched world cup games with Jonathan, via webcam of course. Cash had a few sucesses today as well as a few failures. We had a good day and Cash was kinda bummy today. He kept wanting to just sit with me on the couch.

As my hubby persisted, I started running today. Now don't get me wrong, he does not force me to do anything. He just knows it's important to me to stay in shape and I have told him so numerous times. So he has agreed to push me when he knows I get lazy. I am so glad too because I know I would get severely out of shape if let to my own laziness. I am glad he is willing to push me like that and not just back off when I start making excuses. I discovered something today while running, worship music is the best running music I have ever listened to. It made me feel really good while I was running and it made me push even harder because I felt like what I was doing, I was doing to make sure my body-His temple- stays fit and healthy. I still have a long way to go before I can truly say I feel in shape. I was only able to run about half a mile and I power walked half a mile. Pretty pitiful, I have never been a good runner but it is so good for you and makes you feel great afterwards. I just got to get that eating healthy thing down!! It is so hard when you are eating by yourself all the time. It is just sooo much easier to heat something up or do something real quick- which is definitely NOT healthy choices. So, if anybody has any good suggestions about quick easy meals for one don't be selfish and keep them to yourself...share with the world, or just me!! ;)

61 more days to go!

61 more days to go until I get to pick my hubby up in Jacksonville. YAY! This morning I went to First Baptist Church Hartwell and it was a good service. I had never visited there before but it reminded me a lot of my church at home. It made me want to go there more and get involved. There are a few teachers from school that go there and a few of my players from volleyball and tennis. I picked up lunch on the way home and spent the rest of the day watching World Cup and playing with Cash.

I was so proud of Cash, he came up and sat in front of me and whined, so hoping he was catching on, I took him out. Three out of the five times he did this he tinkled right when I put him down outside!!! SUPER excited about that. All of the accidents are not behind us but we are definitely getting there. Haha!! Looks like both of the former Giles girls are blogging about potty training!! :) Aren't we just wonderful!!

I am going to try to do better about blogging in these last few weeks. Jonathan and I both are eagerly counting down the days and very excited about all that lies ahead. Now we are to the stage that I have to start making a list of the things we definitely need to take with us and figuring out how we need to get things done.

2 Years Down

Well I have officially finished my second year of teaching and I must say I definitely feel like I knew more what I was doing this time around. I was by far much more organized than I was last year and that is always a plus!! Hopefully that organization will continue to grow over the years. Our last day of school was Friday and I must say it was little bittersweet knowing I would see students walk through THAT door for the last time, taking my kids to lunch for the last time, and seeing my bus kids off to their buses for the last time. I know I will have many more students to teach throughout my career but it was more sad than I thought it would be doing it all for the last time at Hartwell Elementary. I think I am destined to be even more emotional this week during our three days of post planning. I love all the wonderful teachers and friends I have made there these past two years. They already feel like a part of my family and some of them have seen me through a lot. They were there when my grandfather died, they were there to hear about the engagement, they were there to help me out when I was crazy getting stuff ready for the wedding, and they have been there to love on me and support me in this time away from Jonathan. They are all amazing people and the Lord blessed me tremendously the past two years to give me that family. I will never forget those people and will miss them all dearly.

Cash is doing pretty well. We had a scare a week ago when I took him to the vet for a vaccination. He had an allergic reaction to it and within ten minutes of me having it home his whole face was two times its normal size and he looked awful. He was absolutely pitiful. After rushing him back to the vet for a shot of benadryl and two small doses of benadryl later that night and the next morning he was back to his normal self and far less pitiful. It was definitely a freak out moment for me and Jonathan assured me I was doing everything I needed to do for him and it gave us a glimpse of what parenthood might be like for us. Me- freaking out, Jonathan- trying to calm me down...seems about right!! lol :) He is up to about 4 pounds now and he doesn't seem so small to me but I know it's because I am around him all the time. I know when I put him down outside in the grass it becomes VERY apparent how tiny he is!! lol.

Well we are down to 75 days, 11 more weeks until Jonathan gets home. I am oh so excited but also planning on living up my summer spending as much time as I can with family and friends. My sister, in particular, to my joy is planning on keeping me busy with my nephews this summer. I am very happy to spend as much time with them as I can because I am going to miss out on so much with them! My sweet lil Sam won't even know me when we get back! :( Well, I am talking to Jonathan now so I am going to go ahead and end this update, see you next time!!!

Here Comes Cash

So sorry that it has been a while, Laura! ;) Things have been super busy with school wrapping up and Cash coming. Last Saturday I went to McDonough, Ga. and picked up my sweet lil guy. He is a 2 months old miniature daschund that is choc and tan. He has the biggest ears I think is possible but that just makes him even cuter. I can't wait for daddy to get home and meet our sweet baby. He has done pretty welll so far. We have had very few accidents thus far, so good job for sweet little Cash! This past Saturday we went to the Marigold Festival with mom and dad and he had a lot of fun getting loved on by his mema and getting lots of "awwwws" and "he is so cute" statements from many of the festival attendees. Right now he is regularly sleeping in his kennel at night and while I am gone at work. This was difficult at first but he has gotten better. I can't wait to spend the summer with him.

The school year is quickly coming to an end. I have two more weeks to get my babies ready for first grade. I feel like this year has just flown by. It is going to be especially hard to let my little ones go this year because I will not be able to watch them grow next year. I am also going to miss all the sweet and wonderful people that have become part of my work family over the last two years. I have had the wonderful opportunity to work with some amazing people that I will never forget.

Jonathan is at about 13 weeks, 90 days, as of right now. That seems like forever but I keep reminding myself that it is one less day than before. I know that this time has made us stronger in a lot of ways but it has also been difficult to really connect in ways. It is very hard to feel so distant from someone that is so close to your heart and not be able to do much to fix it. We are both ready for this time to be over and truly start our lives together. Christ has been so faithful to get us through this time and I know that we can get through anything with Him in our lives.

Cooking Class in Session

Well, tennis season ended on Wednesday afternoon with a tough loss to the number 2 ranked team in the state. :( Oh well. I decided that since tennis was over and I would have more time in the afternoons now that it was about time I started learning how to cook more than macaroni and cheese, that is a stab for my sister that thinks that is all I know how to cook. Well a couple weeks ago I purchased this cook book that had some of America's most wanted recipes from several well-known restaurants. I decided to start with a favorite of mine, the fett. alfredo recipe from the Olive Garden. I deemed my first success on my new cooking adventure. It was a little more complicated than I thought it would be and it made TONS of pasta so I took the leftovers to school where everyone said that it was good.

I plan on trying more things down the road so I will keep you posted on how things go. I am getting excited about August getting closer and closer and Jonathan getting back. We have 15 weeks to go. I think the thing I am most excited about is knowing that once I am in his arms again I can hold tight knowing that I won't have to let go in a few days. That is the first time I will have been able to do that in a year and a half!!! Well I am off to go get ready for bed!

Hallo...a new adventure

Well I drove up to my sister's house on Thursday to spend the day with her and the boys. She very politely informed me that it was time for me to update my blog, so here I am.

Easter was pretty good. I went to church with mom and dad. We went to Grandaddy and Glendia's for the great food, fellowship, and finding of eggs. I had a lot of fun helping Jack with his eggs and also got in some cuddle time with sweet little Sam. I also engaged in a very interesting conversation with Brooklyn about how she weighs 11 ft tall. :) I love little kids! hehe!

I have been on spring break this week and it has been fairly uneventful aside from a few tennis practices and some spring cleaning. I did get to spend some quality time with big sis and nephews on Thursday. That was fun. Jack was very excited that he was going to the football game on Saturday. This will be his first Ga football game, even though its only a scrimmage. It will be interesting to see how he does.

On a BIGGER note, Jonathan received and has signed his contract. We will be going to...GERMANY!!! Hence, the "hallo" for the title. I am very excited. Now on to making sure everything that needs to get done actually gets done. I need to get my teaching job figured out. I need to get a physical done at the navy base in athens as well as get my military ID. I have already started to look up things to do and places to go that I hope we will get to all of them. The biggest thing about all of this is that I will be WITH my husband!! I am sooo excited. We have 17 weeks to go!!! This has been a trying time and it has definitely made our love for each other grow in a very special way that I will never regret. On the other hand I am ready to see my husband on a daily basis rather than a few months basis. God has been faithful through this time and has kept both of us strong. We are about to truly begin our lives together but it is more than that. We are also beginning our lives together by embarking on this amazing adventure. I am very excited about all of it and for my sister's sanity will try to keep you updated more often! ;)

Annual Cough Fest!

Well every year at some point in time I develop what I tease is my smokers cough. No, I don't smoke but at least once every year I get a really bad cough with a cold of some kind that makes me sound like I put a pack down everyday! ;) My cough started last night but I woke up around 4:00 this morning with a for sure fever. My head was burning up but my body was freezing. Luckily, the fever has subsided for now but I still feel extremely weak but do not really want to eat anything. I need to go to the store and get some gatorade or something but I am soo tired. I need to get up and moving around somehow because I am supposed to go up to Laura and Josh's house to celebrate Josh and mines birthday. I hope I feel a lot better by then. The sad thing is this means I need to stay away from my precious newborn nephew, Sam. :( Oh well. I did manage up the strength to take a shower so one victory accomplished.

I was planning on going to school today to get some serious planning done because this past week has been soo crazy!! We had a tennis match on Monday which we won 3-2. Of course on Tuesday we had our snow day. On Wednesday we had pictures and practice. On Thursday we had an away match at Eastside, about 2 hours away from us. They only had four courts to play on and we didn't get done until 8:30. We had to stop and get something to eat which didn't get us back to school until around 11:30 where I had to drive another 20 minutes to Royston to get in bed!! It has been an exhausting week and with tennis season in full swing there are bound to be more just like it! Well I am going to attempt my next task of going to the store and getting some gatorade to hopefully give me a little more energy!

Hard, Harder, Hardest

I don't complain much about Jonathan being gone in Cuba. I feel like if you were to put in on a meter the number of my complaints, the line would be at the very bottom. Sometimes, it is more how I appear. But there are times when I am by myself when I can't help but think why God has called us to go through this time. In the past year I have spent about a months worth of time with my husband. He left for training last March so it has been almost a year. We are coming up on 7 months in Cuba, 5 to go. When it is all said and done we will have spent the better part of a year and a half apart. Most days I can keep myself busy enough to not think about it too much but I can never trick myself completely because I am always well aware of the empty space beside me that should be filled. I am always aware that when I come home at the end of the day there is no one else there. I am always aware that the amount of communication with my husband that night depends on whether the internetor or the phone lines in Cuba are working. Thank the Lord for technilogical advances that allow me to hear my husbands voice and see my husbands face. Now if only there were a way to feel his touch, feel his arms wrapped around me, and tell him "I love you" whenever I want. People ask me often how I am and I usually respond with ok or fine. People ask me how is married life and I honestly do not know what they expect me to tell them so I always laugh and make a joke.

The truth is it is hard at times, harder at others, and hardest at rare occassions. The truth is that I am painfully aware that I am alone when I come home and am sadly used to it. I have wonderful family and friends that keep me busy and thanks to them and my faithful God most days are good days. I constantly remind myself that there are others who are much worse off than me. I constantly remind myself that I am no martyr be any means. God constantly reminds me that in due time even if I never see why I will forever have the knowledge that this time will bring us closer to each other and closer to Him.