Across the Atlantic

the end is near

2012-01-04T12:42:00.004+01:00

I really, really dislike packing. If you haven’t been around my blog during travel before, this will show you just how much I hate it. Sigh.

I think I actually did pretty well this time. I’m blogging after I packed, rather than during, which is an improvement. The only breaks I took were running stuff downstairs as I came across it in my room and going down again to check in for my flight. Not setting any records, but it took me less than 6 hours, so I say that’s pretty good. My carry-on is very heavy, and my suitcase is currently underweight, but we’ll see how long that lasts. I hate having to bounce things between both bags to try and even it out and make sure everything fits in the restrictions. Also – gummi bears are heavy!!

So, my time here draws to a close. I finished the four videos yesterday and got them on DVD, and have started the interminable process of uploading them to youtube. Tonight is the last ministry night I will get to see. Yesterday, Debbie took me out so I could eat döner for lunch. So yummy! I try all the different Turkish and Greek places I come across in the States, hoping for something similar, and while they get close, there's just nothing quite the same. It was delicious.

On Monday, a group of us went to Trier for sight seeing and/or shopping. Cari and I had fun walking around H&M, Karstadt, Galleria Kaufhof, and the Body Shop. I got the last of the chocolates and gummis that I need to bring home, and we also enjoyed some deeeelicious ice cream. It just doesn't come that fun at home!

It's been a good trip. Not as much snow as could have been hoped for, but at least I got some, and got to take pictures. I got to go on trips, I got to sleep in, I got to spend time with Brad and Debbie, make new friends, visit with old friends, and fulfill my contract. :) I got to wear scarves and gloves and hats and boots and jackets and coats and not feel silly. I got to speak German a bit, to walk on cobblestone streets and see lovely cathedrals and eat spaghetti eis. I went to a bakery and got käsebrötchen, and ate them with Bresso. I got to eat my favorite little stuffed peppers. I saw soldiers come home from war, and friends' new babies. Es hat viel Spaß gemacht. :)

Tomorrow morning, we leave dark and early - 5:30 am. After about 25 hours of travel time, I will arrive home in the desert! Excited to come back home, see family and friends and a certain kitten, to go back to work and to start my last semester of actual classes.

Reflections on Silvester

2012-01-01T17:35:00.002+01:00

It's a little weird to see January 1, 2012 above the posting, no? 2012 already???

I'll admit, last New Year's seems very long ago. I was still in the apartment with Ashley, I hadn't started back at ASU yet, and I don't even really remember what I did. This year, I spent my second New Year's Eve at the Festaburg setting off fireworks. Germans know how to do it, man. It's especially cool as we're all in these little hilltop towns, so you can look over and see the other villages setting off theirs. They don't have nearly as many restrictions here on what you can and cannot set off, and some of them are big. We had sparklers for the kids earlier in the evening, but we had a bunch of big-kid rockets to set off at midnight. The Americans down the street had an arsenal that sent clouds of smoke billowing up the street to envelope us in the sulfurous scent. The German family just above us on the hill had some very large fireworks, one of which accidentally got set off sideways, shooting past us to explode a few feet above the ground in a fortunately unoccupied patch of grass. Yikes.

Lots of fireworks from all around. The church bells from the next town were going off, people were screaming and shouting, lots of bangs and booms and pops and sizzles from all the different rockets and fountains and roman candles and firecrackers. It was a very noisy celebration to bring in the new year, and SO much fun.

~~This year has been~~ Last year was a good one. I have made some of the best friends I could ever ask for, and we have laughed and lived and loved and cried and enjoyed and played and learned and grown and had so much fun. They are there for me when I need them, willing to pray or to listen or to help out. I can't imagine life without them anymore, and I MISS them something fierce, being away for the holidays. They make school worth going to. :)

Here's to 2012! This year, I will (hopefully) graduate from college, at last. December 2012, I'm coming for you! I will also turn 24 - eek! Who knows what else it will hold? Maybe I'll get a house. Maybe I'll finally find a new church to plug into. Maybe I'll find a teaching job. Maybe I'll have someone to kiss next New Year's at the stroke of midnight. For now, I can hope and dream and pray. Happy New Year!

The 3 Days of Christmas

2011-12-27T23:47:00.000+01:00

Whew. That took a long time to upload - especially since I had to do it twice (darn internet failures). The silver lining is that the scarf I'm knitting for my sister more than doubled in length during the wait time. Hope you enjoy a glimpse of what Christmas was like here overseas!

Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T21:24:00.004+01:00

Merry Christmas Eve!

Santa has already done well tonight - he brought in an extra large return of soldiers. We didn't make it to the actual ceremony, but apparently Santa himself led them through the doors into formation in the Hall of Champions. What more could anyone ask for but the return of a hero just in time for Christmas? There are still many, many more downrange, so as you enjoy time with your families tonight, say a prayer for those whose family is far away and fighting, waiting to come home at last.

My Christmas Eve was lovely, starting with banana cinnamon pancakes in the morning, my favorite Christmas reading at breakfast, a hike to the castle in the cold and sunshine, and an afternoon of warm fire, winning at nertz, and naps. We then went to a Christmas Eve service at the chapel which I shall refrain from describing, then people came back to the house for bread and soup, a simple dinner in reminder of the humble birth of our Savior.

It doesn't really feel like Christmas. I know that the trappings and trimmings and traditions are not what the holiday is about, but they're nice, and it's different without them. I miss my family, far away in various places of the US of A. This is only my 2nd Christmas without them, and it's a little bit sad, even though I love being in Germany and celebrating at the Festaburg. Makes me feel even more for those who are off serving their country, and for the families they've left behind who are wishing they were home.

stille nacht

2011-12-22T21:20:00.004+01:00

I'm a city girl - born and raised in Phoenix, 6th largest city in the nation.

I'm in a village so small it has...nothing. Not a stoplight. Not a stop sign. Not a church, a bakery, or a school. It has houses, a cemetery, and a volunteer fire station.

I went out to walk Sam tonight. It's warmed up to 46 degrees (weird to get warmer after the sun goes down) so I was out in just a sweater and scarf. The snow has all melted, alas, but the streets were shining gold in the lamplight, wet with the rain. It glistened off the grass as we walked to the end of town. I stopped at the curve in the road and looked out. I could see the other little hilltop villages in the distance, windows gleaming warm through the night. Where the forest lay in between was complete, unbroken blackness, a gaping hole in the landscape where anything could lurk. Above, the sky was low and cloudy, and a faint smell of woodsmoke hung in the air, along with the rich aroma of wet soil.

The silence was heady as I stood and listened. No cars or trains, no dogs barking or tvs blaring, no crickets. The world echoed with stillness. You can't find that silence in the city, but out here, it's everywhere, soaking the darkness in it's deep quiet. Ahead, through a gap in the clouds, one star shared it's cold, blue light, twinkling in the black.

Moments of peace like that are rare, where the world stops and you breathe in and can only think of how great is the Creator, because the beauty of His creation drowns out everything with it's silent rejoicing.

Life at the House

2011-12-20T12:35:00.005+01:00

If you see my facebook, you'll be aware that we have had snow. Lots of snow! I woke up to a world of white (think Amy Grant's Christmas to Remember) and as soon as I was out of bed I was running around taking pictures. I went out with Brad to walk Sam, and we walked up to the end of the village. Everything is just so picturesque, especially with the fresh snow blanketing everything. I asked Brad if he ever felt like he was living in a postcard. He said that on trips to Rothenburg and similar places, he felt more like he lives in Disneyland for free. It's a fairly accurate description. :)

Yesterday I went shopping with Debbie at a German market (Globus is the closest Germany comes to Wal-Mart), and I picked out a few of my favorite things, including pepperoncinis stuffed with goat cheese and some Bresso. I covet a German grocery store at home, simply for the vast variety of meats and cheeses and jogurts they have! I'm sad that it's now illegal to bring home any kind of meat, but believe me I will be laden with chocolate and cheese and other deliciousnesses. If you want something specific, let me know!

Sunrise happens here about 8:30/9 am, and it's dark again by 4:30, which really is messing with my brain. By 9pm, I'm exhausted, which I put up to a combination of leftover jet-lag and sheer internal clock confusion by the early darkness. In the morning, I enjoy my tea with Brad and Debbie before we split off to our separate occupations. Debbie's not been feeling well, so today has turned into a very quiet one. I've been working on the videos, which are coming along quite nicely. It's weird to have been elevated from slave to intern and now to contractor, perhaps the highest level achievable in this house. Contractors get all kinds of perks, hee hee.

I am loving the snow. People were rather aghast that I had never before shoveled snow, so I seized the opportunity to do so this morning, and Brad obliged by narrating a video about it, thinking his filming was a fair trade for my shoveling.

The chill outside really makes my room seem even more delightfully warm by contrast. I also love the new wood-burning stoves that have been added since my last visit, one in each living room. We sat around last night, Brad knitting a scarf, me writing a letter, Debbie chatting on the phone, listening to Christmas music.

I am loving being here, even if it is cold. Still holding out for a White Christmas. Love and miss all of you at home! And eine froliche Geburstag für Matt!

Rothenburg & Würzburg Christmas Markets

2011-12-19T01:36:00.000+01:00

Hello! I decided to do a vlog, for several reasons that you don't really care about it. However, I was exhausted, between jet-lag and a long weekend trip, so I only went with one take. Please to forgive any errors or oddities. I say umm a lot. Enjoy!

oh ho ho

2011-12-16T22:01:00.003+01:00

I'm here! Flight from Minneapolis was delayed 2 hours, and the 2nd flight out of Amsterdam by another 40 minutes, but that meant I got to watch the sunset over the city as the lights came on, and read more of my book. I made it through about 750 pages of the Hunger Games books. (I never touched my knitting.) I also got to watch the stars out my window through my sleepy daze, which was glorious. There was a man singing on the plane at what approximated 2 am. He sang only in short, loud bursts - kind of like [off-key] musical Tourettes. And I have not broken my streak of never having a working television on a transatlantic flight.

Brad was there to greet me, however, unfazed by the delays. We drove back through cold and rainy German countryside, and I admired the dark clouds and the bare trees and the green hills with the vineyards stripped of their crop. The river is swollen and undulating with muddy water from all the rain, covering the fields and the bike path. We stopped at Globus and I ate my first real bratwurst and pommes in ages, and went by the IACS office to get my pass - much quicker this time.

We headed back home, where Debbie greeted me with a huge hug and a tour of those things in the house that have changed - not much, it still feels like another home. I unpacked into my old room ("Nellie's Room"), took a shower, and took a brief nap before it was time for the Christmas party.

Most of the people I know from before have long since PCS'd out of here, and in my increasingly jet-lagged state the evening is kind of a blur of new faces. I do have two friends from before, Rosie and Angelica, wonderful girls I met right before leaving 2 and a half years ago. They both have beautiful baby girls that I thoroughly enjoyed holding tonight. We ate dinner, sang Christmas carols, played some games, had a brief devotion, and enjoyed a gift exchange and lots of Christmas cookies. I got a cute new scarf and some long, white, knit mittens! I've already gotten to work on my video projects for Brad. I'm gonna finish a bit of uploading so I can share with you, and then it is time for me to pass out, since we leave at 8:30 am for Rothenburg!

I am soooooo tired. And so thoroughly delighted to be back in Deutschland!

tomorrow! I mean, today! I mean, tomorrow!

2011-12-15T08:42:00.002+01:00

It's so close! It's almost time to get up and get dressed and get on an airplane! Which means I should probably go to bed, since tomorrow has become today. I go to Germany today! But because of a time shift, I get to Germany tomorrow!

Time travel. Wheee!

As usual, my wonderful mother helped me pack my piles of stuff into the allowed luggage requirements quite successfully. And as usual I am running over a list in my head constantly, trying to figure out what I'm forgetting. And wishing that it was already time to leave, but all of a sudden I'm finally getting sleepy.

Also, gute nacht! Nun ab in die Heia.

One Week till Germany!

2011-12-09T04:50:00.001+01:00

A week from now, I will have been on a plane for 11 hours already. In case you haven't heard, I'm going back to Germany! I'll be working for Brad and Debbie for about 3 weeks over the holidays. That means it's time to bring back this blog, though I'll probably double-post on the regular one, A Little Rambling, too. If you're curious about what it is I do in Germany, go browse through old posts on this blog, or go check out some of these videos on youtube. I'll be making more, as that's the main purpose of this trip. I just got a new camera and better software, so they'll be improved!

I'm really praying for a white Christmas, though right now it looks like rain rather than snow. (Please oh please!) I'm excited to see some old friends and to make new ones, and to spend time with two of my favorite people in the world.

I have my voice jury tomorrow, and then my semester is over. That gives me the better part of a week to get a couple more warm clothing items and everything else I need for Germany, and to spend time with my most ubiquitous friends celebrating the season. It all goes so fast! I'm going back, across the ocean to where a good portion of my heart is tethered, to cobblestones and castles, bakeries and the balcony, döner and Deutsch. (I had to finish the alliterated pairs somehow!) I'm looking forward to Weihnachtsmarkts and chapel services (yes, even those!), to nertz on Sunday afternoons, hikes to the castle, prepping for dinner, discussions and Bible studies, even the smell of the mopping solution and walking down the hill to the garbage.

Be prepared for an onslaught of pictures and posts, though they may be spread out and very long.

A New Blog

2010-08-09T08:40:00.000+02:00

So, I've decided that I really feel like blogging again. However, it feels weird to use Across the Atlantic, since it's all for Germany, and I am reluctantly stuck in Arizona again. Thus, a new (& domestic) blog is born. Here's to a lot more rambling! Or, in the interest of promoting my own title, and preserving your interest, only A Little Rambling.

Veteran's Day

2009-11-12T01:06:00.004+01:00

I'm not sure I've ever really noticed Veteran's Day before. Yes, I remember being in church growing up and seeing all the vets stand up, and I remember getting the day off school when I was younger, but that's all it really was. It didn't mean anything to me. This year, it does.

This year, many of my very close friends are veterans. I saw them go off to Iraq in April of 2008. That summer, I went to my first military funeral. I waited, writing letters and e-mails and sending off care packages for 15 months. I prayed for them, hoping they would all come back and dreading that they wouldn't. In May and June of 2009, I was there to hug them when they got off the bus in Baumholder - and to go to a few more funerals.

Freedom isn't free. We hear it all the time, but I understand that so much more now. I have friends who lost dear friends in Iraq, and I've seen the hurt it causes. I've seen the pictures and heard the stories and seen the videos that they bring back. I've seen the effects of the nightmares, and seen the tears. Freedom isn't free - it costs lives.

Even without paying the ultimate price, every soldier has given up a part of their life for ours. Today is the one day we have set apart to thank them. To let them know that we remember them, and appreciate them.

So, thank you, all you who have served, from the bottom of my heart. God bless.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALS7wRSN0Gw

Bresso, ich hab dich vermisst!

2009-11-02T05:43:00.004+01:00

So, it was pointed out to me last week that I never post anymore. I was surprised to hear this, as I've only ever thought of this as a while-I'm-in-Germany blog, and figured no one would bother with it otherwise. But as it was mentioned, I thought about blogging a bit more - and then had a German moment today and thought it would work out.

I have Bresso! Bresso is an herb-y cream-cheese substance that I ate for breakfast and dinner every day for 9 months of my life. Sounds repetitive and boring, but it's delicious enough to make no never mind. Anyways, I brought some home with me, and found it in my parents' fridge today - and still good! So, I brought it home and am enjoying it immensely, even though I have to eat it on a normal bagel and not a delicious kurbis-kaese-broetchen. (a roll with baked cheese and pumpkin seeds on it, my favorite morning fare from Deutschland) All this to say, I miss Germany, and miss my daily breakfast. It also included a slice of gouda and some salami or kaiserbraten (some kind of delcious ham) and a cup of fresh, hot black tea. Oh...yum.

I'm packing!

2009-08-12T11:36:00.003+02:00

(obviously not...ugh)

Well, today is packing day. All of my stuff (except what's needed for tonight and tomorrow morning) is actually in my suitcases, so I know it fits. Now I just have to go through and reorganize it so it sits nicely despite shifting during flights, and making sure the weight is somewhat even. I really, really loathe packing. It takes a long time, and a lot of thought, and it makes you realize how far you are from your destination. Knowing that I'm moving on Saturday and therefore have to unpack, repack, and unpack again really makes this unpleasant. But I'm going home!!

Despite having said it at least a hundred times by now, I have to say - I cannot believe summer is over already. School starts next week. Work starts right after that. I'm moving in 3 days. (Praise God that things worked out in a last-minute crisis!) But tonight, I have to say goodbye to some of the most wonderful people I know. Brad and Debbie have taken me into their home, mentored and discipled me, and fed me for more than 7 months all told. Nellie has been like a sister - my sign sister! - and is so precious to me. She's moving to Texas soon, so she'll at least be closer. Justin has become a huge part of my life. Gordon is like an obnoxious older brother, or cousin or something. Sean and Jonathan are such good friends, and it's been so nice to talk with them rather than just e-mail like during the deployment. Rosie is an amazing new friend who I won't get the chance to know better. And there are so many others, I can't name them all. And tonight is the last time I will see most of them, as far as I know.

Sniff. I don't know what else to say at this moment. I'm sure after I've actually said the goodbyes, I'll have more of a reaction. Right now, I'm just looking forward to giving all my friends great big hugs and hanging out one last time. But first, I have to get back to shoveling stuff (neatly) into my suitcases....ugh.

New Videos!!

2009-08-12T11:29:00.003+02:00

Yup - a large part of my work as "intern" (notice I'm no longer a slave?) is making videos for the House. Here are the most recent two. The first is the newest, and actually gives a glimpse of what the Hospitality House ministry is all about. The second is a short, fun video from our trip to Colmar, France to see the Tour de France. Enjoy!

Fambly Visit

2009-08-11T13:50:00.005+02:00

This week the House was FULL!! On Wednesday, Brad and Debbie received visitors from Cadence Headquarters. Gene and Anne P., Carolyn, Matthew & Jill B. and their kids Eli and Emma all came to spend some time with Brad and Debbie and to see the House. On Thursday, my parents and Elisabeth arrived, effectively filling every bed in this whole huge house. Since I'm normally the only occupant of the third floor, it was quite a change to be running into someone every step I took, but having that many people here was pretty fun. We had to caravan our trips and used four tables for dinner on Friday night.

Having my family here was great! This was Elisabeth's first trip to Europe, and I'm glad she came this time. They were in Germany for almost 2 weeks before coming to visit me, and traveled all over. Thursday night, we had dinner just ourselves and Gordon, as all the others were out eating elsewhere. On Friday, we picked Justin up from the base and spent the afternoon in Idar-Oberstein, hiking up to the castles, eating Doener, shopping for gemstones, and enjoying some ice cream. That night was Bible study, led by one of the chaplains from post as a 'guest speaker.' It went really well, and it was cool having such a large group of people.

On Saturday, we piled into a wide assortment of vehicles and headed off to visit Trier. I have been there many times, but I still enjoy visiting, and most of the people had not been there before, or at least not for a year or more. We saw the Porta Nigra (an old Roman gate), the double-cathedral, Constantine's Basilica, and Karl Marx's house. I thoroughly enjoyed a bratwurst and brotchen, along with a mass of Pommes (french fries) with mayo, and some pineapple ice cream. I'm going to miss Germany!!

Sunday saw all of our visitors off, my family to go back home, the Cadence folk on to the next House. That afternoon we enjoyed more bratwurst and just relaxing and hanging out together at home. Justin had a new Wii game that entertained a number of people, some played Nertz upstairs, others of us enjoyed the ancient tradition of the Sunday Afternoon Nap. Dinner was grilled quesadillas and chips and salsa, followed by a short devotional reading from Brad, and trips back to the base. My last weekend at the Festaburg is now over...

One man's trash...

2009-08-04T21:46:00.005+02:00

is often still another man's trash, too! At least at German flea markets. On Saturday, we caravanned a group of soldiers out to Homburg for what may be Germany's largest flea market. There are acres of stalls set up, and people sell quite literally everything. There are clothes, toys, cardboard coasters, hats, documents, records, music, books, glass and dinnerware, lots of (American) military gear, and many, many things that could be considered just JUNK. There are also food stands and ice cream trucks, which make it all better.

We walked around the place for a few hours, on one of Germany's few truly hot days - I have the sunburn to prove it! We found all kinds of random treasures. Nellie got a katana and a 10-inch, homemade knife. Justin found a WWII Nazi helmet. Angelica and Steven even found replacement needles for their old record player. Jonathan found a Chinese wall hanging, and while I'm not sure what all other people found, there was a very wide assortment.

I did not find anything to purchase, but I did enjoy trying on a very wide variety of hats, including the Nazi helmet, a gestapo officer's cap, a PC, and a silk top hat. I also got to try on an IBA (US Army issued body armor), and man...it brought me a whole new level of respect for our troops in Iraq. Not only is it heavy, and very hot, it's just dang uncomfortable. The one I tried on didn't even have the side plates in it, nor did it have any of the gear, or a weapon. Reason #574 why I am never enlisting in the Army!!

The Bike Shed

2009-08-03T17:55:00.004+02:00

So, I talked in the last blog about helping Brad build a bike shed. There was an old playhouse in the farthest corner of the backyard, long since condemned due to it's age and general decrepitude. So, Brad tore the rotten pieces off and fixed it up with newer wood and added a roof, since the old corrugated plastic roof was sacrificed to become a baptismal pit cover. Then I got to help, and we covered the whole thing in tar paper. Brad even entrusted me with a hammer and nails! (Though he did say I hammer like a girl...well...) After that, I got to paint tar onto all the seams and nails. The next day, after my garage project, I painted some wooden signs for the shed. My original thought was "Festaburg Bike Shop," but Brad said that was advertising for thieves. In response, I went with a Calvin and Hobbes-esque "Keep Out," "Top Secret," and "No Girls Allowed" idea, which was accepted with glee.

So, here's the finished product! Waterproof and waiting to be filled with a few more bikes.

"Actual Work"

2009-07-31T13:51:00.003+02:00

So, from looking at my blog, I realize that it may often seem that I do no actual work here, just play around with the people who come over. I promise, that's not true!! There's everyday chores like sweeping stairs, vacuuming, mopping, all those household chores. But there's "actual work," too. Like helping Brad build a bike shed yesterday (pictures to come!). I got to paint tar!

Take today for example. My job was to clean out the garage. Well, half of the garage, as the other half is mostly full of trash waiting for the appropriate trash pickup day. So, armed with lots of rags, some 409, a bucket of water, sponge, and my iPod, I attacked the garage. Several hours later, organization and some semblance of cleanliness appeared. I felt productive, for sure. But I just thought I would put this up here so that I can show that there is all kinds of uninteresting "actual work" that goes on that doesn't get included in my "fun work" blogs. :)

(I just wish these pictures showed the amount of DUST I cleaned! I had dust in places I didn't know dust could get! ugh)

Three More Weeks to Go!

2009-07-27T14:23:00.005+02:00

Wow...I cannot believe the time has gone by so fast! I remember thinking before I left that three months was a long time, my whole summer would be here. Now I'm down to two weekends and I'm wondering where the summer went! I am excited to come home, yes, but at the same time I know I'm going to miss Germany and all my friends here!

On Thursday, Brad and Debbie headed off to Belgium for an overnight date, so I had the House to myself. After doing chores and playing phone tag with Nellie for a few hours, I went and picked her up for a girls' night in. We had pizza and chips and watched a ridiculously girlie movie and just generally enjoyed having no boys!

Friday people came over early for dinner and Bible study, and I got to babysit two perfectly adorable little girls. I was in charge of the meal, and it was a success! Yay. :) On Satuday we went to Glan-Munchweiler for a Volksmarch. We did the 5 k route up some hills and then back around in a loop. It's a bit of work, but a lot of fun, especially with German summer being as beautiful as it is. After an afternoon of MarioKart and naps, we went out to Burg Lichtenberg for a castle tour by our very own Docent Brad. Unfortunately, our tour was cut a little brief by a sudden chilly rain, and we headed down to the Greek restaurant in the town below.It was probably one of the best dinners I've ever had. The food was good, yes, but the company even more so. We had a very large group, so they seated us out on the patio under a tent-awning, and I'm sure by the end of the evening they were very glad they hadn't put us inside. We weren't being rude Americans, but we were very loud and probably a little obnoxious. Our table was enveloped in hysterical laughter for a good portion of the evening. Michelle stops breathing when she laughs and really does begin to turn blue. Gordon laughs very loudly and enthusiastically slaps his knee. I her-hee when I laugh. Now, all three of us were seated next to eachother in the center of the table. Whenever one would start to laugh, the others would join, which would draw in the rest of the table. I actually laughed to the point of pain, something that hasn't happened in a long, long time. It was SO much fun!!On Sunday, we had people over after chapel for a cookout. We went to the comissary first, and the guys generously provided most of the meal, with many bags of chips along with hamburgers and chicken and brats and steaks. Despite the weather being perfect for volleyball, we mostly stayed inside playing the Wii and cards and napping and just hanging out together and enjoying one another's company.

le Tour de France

2009-07-19T19:25:00.006+02:00

Yesterday, for our weekend trip, we drove 3 1/2 hours across the border to Colmar, France to watch the beginning of stage 14 of the Tour de France. Our "advance party" (Gordon, Joe, and Jonathan) had left Friday to see the end of stage 13 and to scout out a good place to park and to stand amidst the crowds. They had to endure much rain, but we only had a few scattered showers on Saturday morning, and none during the race.

We managed to park and walk to the raceway and find a spot right on the curb. When the bikers rode past, I was almost afraid they'd knock my camera out of my hand, they were so close. They rode past us quickly, followed by a mile or so of chase-cars with bikes and tires and parts to help should a problem arise. And...then it was over. We took videos and pictures, and later that night Nellie and I went frame by frame until we found Lance Armstrong. :) Her picture is better than mine, cause mine was grabbed from my video camera. But still, that's him!! (it looks like a tabloid alien picture of questionable authenticity...)
After the few seconds of the rac we were able to see, we walked around and enjoyed a day in Colmar. We visited the Frederic Auguste Bartholdi museum - for those who don't know, he is the French sculptor from whom we received the Statue of Liberty. We even passed her on the way into Colmar, on a MUCH smaller scale. We also got coffee at a French cafe, and enjoyed traditional French cuisine like - gasp - escargo. We saw a mushroom store, and several delicious looking bakeries, and an Army/Navy store. One of the guys did go in and ask if they had any white flags. Her response? She handed him the rainbow flag. :) But the whole day was really great, full of good conversations and building of friendships.

Backyard Baptisms

2009-07-17T12:17:00.005+02:00

Sunday after chapel the house was filled with soldiers and families gathered to celebrate three baptisms. After a delicious grilled lunch, we put the liner back into the baptismal pit we'd dug last Easter and began our 'bucket brigade' to fill it up with warm water to offset the icy chill of the hose. The sun even came out after a morning of rain. Brad baptized Erika and Spencer Eifler, two of the children of one of the commanders who has been a friend to the House. Chaplain Craven was honored to baptize his assistant Danny. There was cake and volleyball and lots of fellowship afterwards to celebrate these three believers who so publicly demonstrated their faith.

Cinderella's Ball - A Retelling

2009-07-12T00:06:00.011+02:00

You've all heard the story - wicked stepmother, fairy godmother, dancing all night only with prince charming, glass slipper, pumpkins, the works. Well, I fear the Brother's Grimm got a little over-innovative, because this is how the story really went.

On a fine summer's morning, the 10th of July, Cinderella woke up in a fine mood. Tonight she was to go to a military ball! The invitation had come some months before, giving her plenty of time to win her stepmother over to the idea. She woke up early and began doing her chores, singing and dancing as she worked, even going out of her way to do a few extra. She cleaned the house, she weeded, she baked and cooked and dusted and took out trash. Finally, she finished her list and was free to get ready. Then, disaster struck - there was no one to babysit that night (Cinderella's other job). Whatever to do? Rather than being a wicked stepmother, like the silly Grimms thought, Cinderella's stepmother gave her permission to attend the ball, taking the job in her stead. How grateful Cinderella was!
Cinderella curled her hair and did her makeup, prancing around the upstairs as she got ready. Her ballgown was a floor-length sheath of red, sparkling and shimmering in the light. I'm not sure where the Grimms came up with Fairy Godmother and a pumpkin carriage, because all Cinderella had were her stepfather and a red Honda. She was told to be back by midnight, was given a cell phone in case of trouble, and she headed off to pick up Prince Charming -

- and charming he was! As she pulled up to the Prince's home, her face broke into a smile. What a handsome man he was! And how proud she was of him and his various accomplishments displayed on his uniform. He and some friends joined her in the Honda and they took off for the Ramstein AFB's Officer's Club (not quite a palace, Grimm Bro's, but close).
Once there, Cinderella was overwhelmed by the uniforms and names and faces as she was introduced to all of her prince's friends, acquaintances, and officers. She shook hands and smiled politely, staying close to her soldier for security. They went through the receiving line, where she met a good friend - who happens to be the wife of the prince's commander. They went and sat at a table crowded with his platoon, and waited for the ceremonies to begin.

Prayers and speeches were said before dinner, but after the food came the most memorable event - the Grog ceremony. The Brothers Grimm leave this out of their story, which surprises me, as they usually like to add gruesome details. The Grog ceremony is a time when the battalion's leaders each explain a piece of the unit's history, and to commemorate certain events add a great deal of a specific liquor into the Grog bowl. The commander begins, pouring in a bottle of Grog from the last ceremony. Copious amounts of other alcohol are poured in after each officer or NCO chugs a significant amount of the bottle themselves. Canadian whiskey was added for the War of 1812, Firewater for the Indian Wars, tequila for the Mexican-American, Southern Comfort for the Civil War, vodka for something Russian, beer for soldiers and Germany, you get the picture. However, other things go in, as well. A can of tank oil - turboshaft - is poured in, the blood of the tanks that keep the regiment rolling. Sand is also added (once from a tanker boot!) for the unit's involvement in Kuwait and Iraq, as is muddy water (to represent the Tigris and Euphrates). This is then stirred together, and the commander samples before everyone else. Lt.Col. Eifler drank three full glasses!! Once he pronounced it satisfactory, all the soldiers rush up to fill their glasses. The stuff is nasty...I (I mean, Cinderella) got close enough to smell it, and that was close enough!!
After the Grog, Cinderella and her prince went out on the dance floor, but didn't really dance much. Instead, one of Prince Charming's friends asked if he could have a dance with the lady and proceeded to whirl her around the floor in a stunningly agile salsa. They dipped and twirled and spun, and Cinderella focused mainly on how to stay on her feet! One would almost have thought she was the one who'd chugged an entire bottle of wine in 30 seconds and he the one who hadn't touched a drop.To avoid turning into a pumpkin - the promised threat if she wasn't home by midnight - Cinderella left the ball in plenty of time. No pushing limits like the girl in the Grimms' telling. Rather than leaving behind a glass slipper, Cinderella took with her a glass, embellished with the unit crest, to remind her of the ball. On the way home, however, events conspired against her to make her late for the midnight deadline. It wasn't forgetfulness or being chased by a zealous prince but a wrong exit and an empty tank of gas. Despite these hinderances, Cinderella and her Prince did make it back home safe, and not too late, and enjoyed spending the rest of their night telling others how much fun they had at the ball!

21st Birthday

2009-07-07T12:28:00.006+02:00

Woo-hoo, I'm 21! Wow...that sounds old. When I go home, I'm gonna have to go in and get a new driver's license. (That's good, because I look about 12 on the one I have now!) My birthday was really a lot of fun. Because it was a holiday weekend, the guys all had Monday off and were able to celebrate with me. We hung around the house most of the day, arranging Brad and Debbie's new basement furniture, then had a mexican-themed meal for dinner. YAY mexican food! You can't really get anything all that spicy over here, which is a shame, but it sure was delicious. Debbie even made my favorite cornbread casserole.After dinner, there were presents and cake and games. Debbie made me a chocolate cake with penuche frosting, the traditional Cardy birthday cake. I got earrings from Debbie - pretty red dangling ones that will match my ball dress! I got an Idar-Oberstein stone frog tealight holder from Brad. He'd tried to find one tick-shaped (I HATE bugs, and Sam's been having a vicious tick problem), but fortunately they don't make them that way. Thank goodness. I also got gummi bears from Gordon and a pedicure set from Kristen, since I'm an Arizona girl at heart and always, always wear flip flops (or go barefoot!). We ate cake and went and played my favorite game - MarioKart - on Justin's Wii. Brad and Debbie even got into it, and we all had a blast! It was a good way to celebrate another year of life. :)

July 4th

2009-07-06T10:57:00.008+02:00

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!! Ours was amazing - I hope yours was too! We had perfect weather: warm and clear and lovely. Saturday morning, we got up for breakfast as a group - a large group! We managed to fill almost every bed at the Festaburg this weekend. The morning was full of some preparations, and when afternoon came, it was time for a party!

Families and soldiers joined us, as well as our American neighbors and some of their friends. Joel brought over some huge speakers and a sound system, and we filled the air with classic American music. Some people milled around talking, but most of us headed out to the volleyball court for some games. While much of the time was just trying to keep a volley going, we did play a couple "serious" games, with eating first being the stakes. Because, what is July 4th without a barbecue? We grilled brats and hamburgers and hot dogs and pork steaks on our hanging grill, and enjoyed fresh HUGE watermelons and potatoe salad and chips and all kinds of good American foods.

After lunch and several more games of volleyball, we loaded up into our caravan and headed for Kapoun Air Base over by Ramstein and Vogelweh. There was a carnival there, so we headed over and walked around enjoying the cotton candy and hot dogs there before settling down on a grassy hill to wait for fireworks. (The Air Force has more funding than the Army, so their pyrotechnic display promised to be more spectacular.) It was worth the drive and the wait! About half an hour of amazing fireworks, shot from the middle of a baseball field. We were close, and could feel the ground shake with some of the explosions. It was a great ending to a wonderful holiday. This is the first American Fourth of July I've had in the last 3 years, so it was a blast!

Simple Joys

2009-07-03T13:14:00.003+02:00

So, today it began to storm as Debbie and I were getting ready for Friday night dinner & Bible study. Flashes of lightning filled the rooms, and cracks of thunder grew progressively louder and scared poor Sam. Two of the neighbor girls, Christy and Paige (there's an American family across the street now) ran over to see if I wanted to go play in the rain with them, so out we went. We danced in the streets, splashed in puddles, ran around with our arms open, jumped around and acted silly, pointed in awe at huge bolts of lightning, and on more than one occasion let out a squeal at a particularly loud peal of thunder. We got soaked, and came in bedraggled and dripping, but it was SO much fun to just go outside, run around, and enjoy God's storm. (no, I didn't take the picture...but it looked about like this!)

Munich, Dachau, and the Eagle's Nest

2009-06-30T19:49:00.012+02:00

So, this weekend was a whirlwind trip, fabulously planned and driven by George. We left early Friday morning and drove to Dachau with two vehicles, 10 adults, two children, and one dog. There was a lot of time in the van, much of it spent ill from car-sickness or some kind of stomach bug, even more of it spent asleep, but a good portion in some interesting conversations. The whole weekend was immensely enjoyable, so yay George!!

Dachau
First stop on Friday afternoon was the Dachau concentration camp memorial. I have been here once before, two Novembers ago, but the day I came was dark and icy. Much of the memorial was closed, and the silence was eerie. This time, the sun was shining, everything was open, and the whole place abounded with tour groups of various nationalities. We saw the film in English, then walked through the barracks and the museum. Afterwards, we walked around the rest of the camp, which was all new to me. We saw the chapels and memorials, mass graves, and the old and new crematoriums. When I was here last, it was easy to think of the places as the hell-hole it was, full of death and torment, with ice on the ground and snow laying in dirty drifts against the buildings and bare trees. This time, with sunshine and birds singing, seeing the brick building with it's chimney sticking into the sky, and green trees and flowers lining the paths, it's hard to believe that such evil can hide behind such innocuous beauty.

Eagle's Nest
On Saturday, we got up early to drive down to Berchtesgaden (which is ridiculously hard to spell!) to go to the Eagle's Nest. The Eagle's Nest was a gift from the Nazi Party to Hitler for his 50th birthday. Known in German as the Kehlsteinhaus, it sits on a cliff some 6000 feet above the valley floor. To get up to it, we drove up a hill and parked, then took a bus up to just below the house, then took an elevator inside the mountain face up to the chalet. The tunnel through the mountain to the elevator is long and damp, but large enough that cars could drive through it to keep important dignitaries (and Hitler himself) from having to get wet. Apparently, Hitler himself was rarely at the Eagle's Nest due to a fear of heights...
We were there on a cloudy day, which many people found unfortunate. I, however, have been lucky enough to be atop several very high peaks in clear sunshine, and found the clouds a very pleasant change. They gave the whole mountain an ethereal look, especially as the Kehlsteinhaus disappeared into the cloudbank. From the rocks above the house, you could see a cloud wrapping around the promontory, then suddenly cutting off on the side of the cliff and exposing the dizzying view of the towns so far below.

Munich
On Friday night, Jonathan, Joe, Justin and I (all the people in the picture above) went into Munich for a while, but Saturday night was when the whole group went in to the Hofbrauhaus. Let me tell you, that place is an experience. While there are Hofbrauhauses all over Germany, Munich's is the most famous. At the end of September, it becomes the center of the oh-so-popular Oktoberfest. Throughout the rest of the year, however, it still thrives. When we first arrived, we couldn't find any seats anywhere in the vast hall. Tables were crowded together, filled to overflowing with very loud Germans and tourists of all ages and nationalities. It was very hot, very crowded, and very loud. There was a traditional German band, consisting of accordions and brass instruments and Bavarian costume right behind our table, and periodically you would hear clapping and chanting breaking out, which usually meant somewhere, someone in the hall was chugging a liter of beer. (It apparently only comes in liter steins there.) Occasionally whole tables would stand up and start singing, glasses were raised, cheers given. Girls walked around selling giant pretzels and German cookies in their dirndls. The food was all typically German, lots of bread and sausage and cheese and meat. It was definitely an experience to be remembered!

Wordless Wednesday - Burg Eltz

2009-06-24T14:26:00.002+02:00

Rhine River Cruise

2009-06-14T18:51:00.009+02:00

So, with Brad and Debbie back in the States, the Festaburg is being kept open by the amazing team of George, Rosie, and myself. Most of the soldiers are home on block leave, but there are several who've stayed in garrison for various reasons. So, yesterday, we took a group of soldiers and families on a cruise up the Rhine River. We left the house bright and early on what promised to be a beautiful day, and we drove to Bingen, where we caught our boat.

I've cruised up the Rhine before, from Rudesheim (which is across the river from Bingen) to Cologne, but I think this trip was more fun. We went from Bingen to Koblenz, about a 3 1/2 hour ride. The trip is fascinating, because there are castles everywhere you look. I'm not sure, but I'm guessing this could easily be the most castle-populated region of the world. There really are a ridiculous number. Some are ruins, some restored, some hotels, some museums, some still residences. The first time I went, I remember trying to snap pictures of every one that came along. This time, I was able to sit and enjoy the cool breeze and sunshine, go below to eat some ice cream and enjoy panoramic windows, and just have fun with my friends.
Once we got to Koblenz, we found a little place to eat lunch. I had a little shoe-drama, too. Before we'd gone 10 steps from the van in Bingen, my flip flop broke. And not being a normal flip flop, I couldnt' just push the strap back through, but rather walked barefoot to the boat, where Michelle fortunately had a sewing kit and I made a rough repair to last me to the nearest shoe store. Walking through Koblenz I saw flip flops for €3.95. Unfortunately, you get what you pay for, and they were awful. Yes, they were shoes, but hard plastic with wiry braid and just...owch. Blisters and pain!

We took a train from Koblenz back to Bingen, and then took a ferry across to Rudesheim to walk around some more. What we didn't expect was a massive biker convention to be filling the quaint streets of old town Rudesheim with the smell of hot motor oil and the rumbling of thousands of bike engines. It was packed solid, and nothing like the romantic little town I remember. After leaving, George managed to successfully navigate us back home, despite having no GPS and lots of confusing construction.

Once home, I thoroughly enjoyed washing my poor feet in cold water, putting on comfy clothes, and curling up on the couch with bags of popcorn to watch a movie with Justin before bed. Today, we've all enjoyed a lazy Sunday, full of sunshine and beautiful weather and Mario Kart. Life here is pretty good. :)

"I like you better in person."

2009-06-10T00:59:00.002+02:00

That's what Jonathan said to me tonight, as we sat downstairs working out some worship songs for Friday's Bible study, and it struck me as a curious statement. We have been e-mailing back and forth for about a year now, almost every day, short little blurbs about life or curious thoughts or pretty much anything. As time went on, the approaching end of the deployment became a more frequent topic, and the idea that "see you soon" was dwindling from months to weeks to days, "talk to you later" was about to become actual talking rather than typing. Now, "see you soon" means the minutes between hanging up the phone and driving to base to pick guys up. They're finally back. The Festaburg is full again, even with so many gone home on block leave.

This is why we're here - we're here to be family for those who have none to come home to. We're here to be a home away from home, to be friends, to share life. In II Thessalonians 2:8 Paul says, "We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us." We share food, trips, talks, games, projects, walks, music, movies, our stories and our struggles and ourselves. And really, sometimes I think that's exactly what it's about - God shared Himself with us, and we can't share Him with others without sharing ourselves, as well.

Welcome Home

2009-06-01T14:53:00.001+02:00

Soldiers have been coming in in groups of all sizes for several weeks now. Most of the brigade is back by now, and I know I already described the ceremonies to you. Really, I think it is one of the most emotional events I've ever witnessed, except perhaps a soldier's memorial. The anticipation as everyone waits, the cheer as the soldiers enter, the building tension as the speeches and prayers are said, the relief as they're finally dismissed and home...it's incredible.

On Thursday night, Brad and I attended a ceremony at 11pm, hoping to see some more friends come in, as they were expected that night; no such luck. So, in the middle of the night, I got back in the car to go back for a 2 am ceremony. Friends who I have been e-mailing for more than a year were expected back, and I couldn't stand to miss their return. I almost missed it!! I went to the back gate, forgetting it closed at midnight, and forgetting it has a counterpart just up the hill that's open 24/7, I drove all the way back around to the front gate.

By the time I got to the Hall of Champions and parked, I could hear the music and the screaming, and I ran around and into the building just in time for the prayer and dismissal. Then it was run into the crowd and search faces until I saw them. I found Jonathan first, and he ran up to me and gave me a kiss on the cheek and a hug, and we found Sean and I got another great hug. We stood around and talked, trying to put 14 months of waiting into words. I can't really describe it. I'm so glad I was there, though - these guys have no one here to come home to, and both said often how glad they were that I was there to see them, even at 2 in the morning. I know I wouldn't have missed it for the world. Welcome Home!!

IBC Singles Conference - Berlin

2009-06-01T09:40:00.001+02:00

So, this weekend, Brad was the guest speaker for the IBC (International Baptist Church) convention in Berlin. Two soldiers, Gordon and Justin, came with us on the trip. Singles from all over the world who are now living in Europe were there. We had people from Germany, America, the Ukraine, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Poland, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Kenya, Switzerland, Korea, China, Japan, and I'm sure there were several more that I missed. Almost everyone spoke at least two languages, some more than six - all spoke English. It was really cool to get to interact with such a multi-cultural group, especially since almost all had one major thing in common - a love of Christ. (photo is my small group)

The actual conference was pretty fun. There would be music, and then Brad spoke from the book of Jonah at the sessions, and then we broke out into small groups for discussion, which was then followed by a time of fellowship with the whole group. On Saturday afternoon we were able to explore Berlin a bit, and our group went to see the Reichstag and the Brandenburger Tor, the Holocaust Memorial, and the Sony Center. We managed to get completely soaked running to the train station through pouring rain, but it was really cool. We got Dunkin' Donuts and Starbucks - what a taste of home!

One of the coolest things for me was:
I was walking up to dinner the first night, and as I walked in, a girl at the first table stared at me and beckoned me over. She looked familiar, but I'm in Berlin, 6000 miles from home, how could I possibly know her? It turned out to be Bethany Andrews, the sister of one of my good friends, who went to Northwest and just graduated from Southwestern a couple years ago. Last time I saw her was before coming to Germany last summer, as I was talking to her and her family about raising my support. We had no idea we were on the same continent, much less going to the same conference. She's been teaching English in Spain and came over with the IBC Madrid church. It was great to get to catch up with her and pray with her and just know someone from home.

SURPRISE!!!

2009-05-27T17:19:00.002+02:00

So, today I was able to go to my first welcome home ceremony (turned out being four of them) at the Hall of Champions (and later on the field) on post. No one we knew was really expected in (at the first one), so Brad was there to hand out candy bars, and I was there to video tape it. The bleachers were filled with wives and children anxiously awaiting the arrival. Signs were hung around the gym, families had hand made and custom ordered signs, little children ran around with "Welcome Home Dad" shirts, women were dressed and coiffed and nervous. The whole atmosphere was one of intense anticipation. As the doors opened, Toby Keith's "Red, White, and Blue" began playing, and screams and cheers echoed through the room. More than a hundred soldiers walked in in ranks, and the room was wild with people calling out, trying to find their loved one in the crowd. I was filming and taking in the moment, not looking for anyone in particular, but still moved by the moment. Both the German and American national anthems were played, a prayer was said, and a speech given (the best kind - less than 30 seconds long!). The first kiss was announced, and the soldier ran to his wife and I was already tearing up seeing that. Then the call came - "DISMISSED!"

The room exploded. Children raced off the bleachers, wives ran, there were hugs and kisses and Brad handing out chocolate bars and shaking hands, and I was filming, and then - there was Nellie. Running up to me, hugging me, and on the video all you see is wild movement and the sound of unintelligible screams and squeals. We hugged, and it was the greatest hug I can ever remember. She had seen me as soon as she walked into the room, I hadn't seen her till she was right there, and we were crying and squealing and so happy to be together again. I was so glad that we were there, to be there for her to come back to, and to hug her over and over. Eventually we calmed down enough to be able to speak clearly. SHE'S BACK!!!

The other ceremonies on the field were similar. I cannot explain the feelings that overwhelmed me as I stood there and watched the soldiers come through the gate and file onto the field, as they saluted the flag and stood for the anthems, as they answered the officers giving speeches. I cannot explain the look on the face of the woman who won 'first kiss,' or of the little girl who sobbed as she held Daddy's face in her hands for the first time in over a year. Pride, joy, gratitude, relief, so many emotions were pouring out of everyone there, even those of us who didn't have someone specific to welcome home. These are our heroes, and they are returning at last!

Camping in the Alps

2009-05-25T23:45:00.001+02:00

So, every year for Memorial Day weekend, several of the Cadence Hospitality Houses come together for a camping trip in Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland. This was my first chance to go, and it was pretty incredible. There were upwards of 100 people from four different houses and a couple other bases. Our group was Brad and Debbie and I, Gordon - one of the returned soldiers! - and the Short family, who are Malachi workers. (Malachi is Cadence's youth ministry.)

Friday
Friday we drove down to Lauterbrunnen, and my first reaction was to take out my camera and want to run around like crazy. Our campsite was deep in a valley, with several waterfalls pouring down from the heights, a constant rushing in the background. At the end of the valley, majestic, snow-covered alps soared into the sky. More on that later. We set up camp, and I have to say, I had the most interesting tent. German made, you set up the rain fly with poles and stake it into the ground, then you hang the tent from the inside, and it creates a room (the tent) and a kind of covered area, with another door leading outside. Quite handy, all told. And yes, this campground (Camping Jungfrau, if you want to look it up) is defintiely cheater camping. By that I mean, while I slept in a tent, there were showers, toilets, sinks, dishwashers, dishwashing sinks, laundry, laundry-sinks, anything sinks (there were lots of sinks...which begins to be a strange word after that many mentions!), microwaves and toasters and various other kitcheny things in the reception area, electricity...name an amenity, they probably had it. Half the campground is permanent campers/bungalow/cabin-y things. It was quite nice. After set up and dinner, we headed over to a little church, where Brad was the nightly speaker. After a time of worshipping through music, Brad started off each night with a highly-andticipated skit for the kids, and then spoke from the book of Jonah.

Saturday
Before the sun rose on Saturday, Brad and Gordon set off with a couple of the Stuttgart folks to hike up to Schilthorn, a 9000+ foot peak. I was up before them, but that was due to jet lag and freezing on the ground in my mummy bag. After a shower (gasp!), I was up and headed off to Grindelwald, a town high in the alps, to catch a gondola up to First, a 7100 ft peak. I went with a bunch of the K-town folk, and had a great time. Grindelwald was beautiful enough, with it's chalets and gorgeous mountain views and touristy shops. We did notice that the American flag was upside down on a hotel front, and a couple of the soldiers quickly righted this wrong.

After walking around the city, we headed up the mountain. Wow. I have been to the top of Zugspitze, which is the highest mountain in Germany and on a clear day affords a view of about 200 km in each direction, but this was something else. Mountains are my favorite landscape, and being this high and still being towered over by greater peaks was an incredible feeling. I stared up at Eiger, Monch, and Junfrau in awe. The sky was full of parasailers, and I cannot imagine what the view from there must have been - where I was was already breathtaking. I took more than 150 pictures from First, and it almost pains me to know that none of them can come close to adequately capturing what I saw.

Sunday
Sunday morning, Brad and Gordon set off with Sam (the dog) and hiked to Wengen, where Debbie and I met them after having taken the train with a bunch of the Rammstein group. We explored the tiny town and settled down to a most delicous lunch. I had Swiss Rösti, which are a kind of potatoes, similar to hashbrowns, ish. Anyways, they were covered over with ham and a lot of swiss cheese (not the holey type), and it was deeeeelicous. Lunch was followed by a game of Nertz (I won!) and then a run down the mountain. Yes, I ran down about halfway, chasing and being chased by Sam. We had fun playing, but I am now sore! The hike down gave great views of the Lauterbrunnen valley, which I had been hoping for all weekend. When we got back to camp, sweaty and exhausted, it began to rain, so Gordon and I set up the card table in the 'big room' of my tent and played many more games of Nertz...which I continued to win. :) After our evening session, a couple girls from Heidelberg joined our not-fire (we were fireless, but had good discussions around our lantern) while Gordon and I played yet again - same result. That sounds like bragging, and I guess it is, but I do so love that game - and winning it. :) I'll be done now.

Monday
Monday morning we broke camp, loaded up the van, and set off back for The Festaburg. It's been surprisingly warm, for Germany, and with no ac the trip back seemed long, (especially for Sam, on whom the sleeping bags kept fallling!) but it made coming 'home' that much more wonderful. We unloaded quite quickly and settled down to unpack and unwind. I have spent the last several hours trying to nurse my computer back to a semblance of help, prayers are always appreciated on that score. :) We had a quiet dinner, and I am excited because tomorrow I will hopefully get my base pass and - I'll tell you the other good news after it happens. :) :) :)

I'm Back!

2009-05-20T14:46:00.001+02:00

So, short post. :)

Flights went well, although definitely the most turbulent flights I've ever been on. Got some (uncomfortable) sleep, and was thoroughly delighted to see Brad coming up to hug me as I stepped through the barrier after getting my luggage in Frankfurt. We drove back to the Festaburg where Debbie was waiting with open arms and a ready dinner. Gordon is here, living in the basement apartment, as well as some missionaries from the Czech, and we ate and played cards and headed off to bed. I actually managed to sleep, and I am now unpacked and making myself of what use I can be around here.

Changes since last time - they have a dog (!!!) named Sam, there's more furniture in my room, and the basement is being redone, and looks really good! Other than that, it's just like when I left, and that's amazing. :) I am SO glad to be here!!

Leaving!!

2009-05-18T21:55:00.001+02:00

So, here I sit at Sky Harbor, waiting for my flight. I've only got about an hour, and sometime tomorrow morning (Phx time) or evening (German time) I will get off the plane, see Brad and Debbie, and go 'home' to the Festaburg. WOO!!! [[proof that I'm at the airport...my plane will be there ^ soon!!]]

I've been waiting so long to finally go back, it's almost hard to believe it's finally here! In about 20 hours, I will be in Germany. My friends are coming home, some within the week. I think I've written about all I can about how excited I am and how ready I am to be there, but I just thought I'd write a short little note as I wait for the plane to arrive to whisk me off to Dallas, then to London, then to Frankfurt, and then the drive to quiet, tiny Frauenberg just in time to go to sleep. Good timing to help get over jet-lag!

2 Days

2009-05-16T05:21:00.001+02:00

Only two days left in the United States of America. The last week has flown by, and yet whenever I think of how far I still am from the Festaburg, every minute seems to be dragging. Even though I know there is still a lot to be done - like packing, for instance - I feel so ready to just BE there already. Soldiers are coming home, spring is spreading over Germany, friends are writing and making plans, things are coming together, and I am still more than 6000 miles away.

I got an e-mail from a friend yesterday that made me want to be there even more. As the soldiers come home, Baumholder puts on a (very) small ceremony, at which family are present and one wife is selected to receive the 'first kiss,' and then the soldiers are finally allowed to hug their wives and children after more than a year apart. My friend e-mailed me with their hopeful arrival, and said, "I don't expect anybody to be able to make it to our little return reception in the gym, but it would be really cool to have somebody to hug when we get back to Baumholder, if the circumstances present themselves." So many of these guys and girls don't have anyone on post to come back to - what family they may have is back in the States. This is where ministry happens: just being there to welcome them home, to thank them, to support and love and pray for and laugh with and hug them. This is why I am so excited to get there, before I miss anyone else coming back.

2 Weeks

2009-05-05T00:06:00.001+02:00

So...two weeks from today I fly out to Germany! I've only got a couple finals left to finish, and moving out of the dorm, but part of me really wishes I was back there already. Brad and Debbie had a wrapping-party for some gifts for the single soldiers (www.festaburg.com), and I really wish I was already there to start handing them out!! I know that most of my friends won't be back in Germany till after me, but some will beat me there. Because of the nature of the Army, people are going to be cycling in and out of Baumoholder on leave and PCSing and all kinds of things, and I really don't want to miss the chance to see anyone I know and to give them a hug and welcome them back. I'm ready to go now!!

Heading Out Soon!

2009-04-27T21:39:00.001+02:00

So, after 9 months, the countdown begins again - 22 days until I head to Germany!! I've been asked to go back and intern for Brad and Debbie once again this summer, and I'm heading out May 18th. This is a shorter trip, 'only' three months this time. I'll be getting back with just enough time to catch up to the time change before starting my second year at Southwestern in August.

This summer marks the end of the '15' month deployment and the return of Baumholder’s troops from Iraq! This means that the Festaburg will be full of returning friends and heroes, and an increase in ministry opportunities. My duties will again include childcare, cooking, cleaning, teaching German, and helping the couple who take over from the Ellgens for the month of June to keep the House open and running smoothly in their absence. I am so excited to go back and see what God has in store for this summer, and to see my friends again!!!!! (!!!) [just a little excitement here!!]

I'm still about $6500 short on the support I need to raise. I do have enough to get over there, which is the main importance, though. Whether or not you can contribute financially, your prayer support is essential, both for the fund raising and preparation and for the soldiers and ministry in Germany. Please keep the deployed soldiers and the families they have left behind in your prayers, especially now as their return is so close!

If you do wish to contribute, please make checks payable to Cadence International. Specify on a separate note that you include with the check that the gift is for Laura Cardy, account #10728. These donations are tax-deductible; Cadence will mail you a receipt. Cadence International's mailing address is: PO Box 1268 • Englewood, CO 80150

I really appreciate everyone's prayers! The blog will be updated like before, hopefully every couple days, and I'm going to work on having a weekly e-mail update as well. If you'd like to be added to the list, just send me your address at laurakcardy@aol.com and I will be sure you get the newsletters! Thanks so much everyone.

God Bless!
~Laura

The Last Day (again)

2008-08-14T23:49:00.001+02:00

Well, I'm here - back in hot, flat, brown, cactus-y Phoenix. :) I love it. I do miss the coolness of Germany, the rolling hills, the forests, the green-ness....but I'm glad to be home. And I'm BUSY already!! Dinner with friends tonight, orientation tomorrow, job interview and open house saturday, hopefully pre-church starbucks with a friend sunday, and school starts monday! WOO.

It's amazing how much things don't change...and how they do. Even though I was gone a whole lot less time this time, I feel like I was gone longer, now that I'm back. Don't know why. It's a lot weirder to drive my car, now that I'm so used to driving a stick - my foot won't accept the fact that there's no clutch! And Opie, the little starving kitty who was nothing but fur and bones when I left is now FAT. And heavy!!! Fiyero still loves me, though. :)

So, my last days in Germany went well. It was sad to say all my goodbyes at VBS. Lots of hugs, a couple tears. One of my little pre-schoolers cried that she had to leave me. :) Went home to pack (ugh) and managed to get both my bags under 50 lbs. (Don't ask about my backpack, though...it may have outweighed them!!) I thoroughly enjoyed my lunch that day - I had a BLT with the first of the ripe tomatoes from Mac's garden. It was delicious, and I'm really glad I got them because here, tomato season is already over.

After packing was finished, Brad and Debbie and I enjoyed a delicious dinner and watched a movie together. I really am going to miss them. They're so different from any other people I've ever met. They challenge you - you can't be around them and not think. They've helped me to grow in so many ways, and they are just so wonderful! I love them. Wednesday morning we left at 6:15 for Frankfurt, said goodbye, and I was on my way home. The long flight was fine - I was next to a guy from Spangdahlem, and beind a friend of Mac's from 1-35 stationed in Baumholder (I didn't learn that until we were in the 1st line for customs). Then I had a 6 hour layover in Detroit (boooooring), and my last 4 hour flight, which was miserable, cramped, loud, and FREEZING. But hey, it got me home! Dad and Elisabeth and Aunt Lauri and Uncle Terry were there to welcome me, and an hour later I finally had my luggage and headed home. Woke up at lovely 6:30 am this morning, and am all unpacked! Happy to be home, indeed - but part of my heart is still in Germany.

The Present is for Exploding Sodas and Eating

2008-08-10T18:12:00.002+02:00

That's what Sara put on the inside of my goodbye-card. It seems like it should be one of those oddly profound kind of statements. :) We had another Super Sunday today, and after lunch it was also prayer time for VBS (which starts tomorrow!) and a goodbye for me.

I cried, I admit. I have grown to love all these people so much. This ministry is all about relationships, which is why I believe it is so wonderful - but also why it is so hard. Everything in Army life is transient; you meet new people all the time and it seems as soon as you manage to build that close relationship, someone leaves - whether because of a deployment, PCSing, ERDing, or, like me, just going home. I really am excited to go home and to start school and start working. But I am going to miss this place so, so very much. All my friends here are so wonderful.

Lisa made me a BEAUTIFUL cake. Sherry gave me a journal, and people signed it and wrote in it. I got a picture from our trip to the Maginot Line that everyone signed. (the people who signed it are not the people in the picture! haha) Sara and Erika made me the sweetest cards :) and gave me mentos! (They know me well.) Kristen even got me my faaaavoritest potatoe chips from the commissary. Everyone prayed for me, wished me well, hugged me goodbye.

I wondered when I came over here if this was the right thing to do with my summer. Throughout the months I've wondered if I've done any good, if I've had any impact on those around me, if I've really done something to further the kingdom of Christ on earth. Today I realized the answer - yes. I have built relationships with people, and in some way touched their hearts, and they have touched mine. I have grown this summer, both personally and in my walk with and understanding of God, and what it is to follow Him. I have learned more than I am able to articulate - and some things I have learned I may not even know yet. But I have grown, and changed, and loved.

As Sara put in my card,
"Goodbyes are not forever,
Goodbyes are not the end.
They only say I miss you
until we meet again."

okay....so, I just now got what she meant by the statement..."the present" didn't mean the present, as in the right now, but as in the mentos....it makes a lot more sense now. I was thinking more symbolically, you know? Like, eat, drink, and be merry - only more fun and laughter with exploding sodas and eating....oh well. I feel awfully silly now.

Apple Pie and VBS

2008-08-07T20:41:00.001+02:00

What says summer like those two things? Maybe not necessarily together, but that works too. Anyways, I feel accomplished - yesterday, I baked my very first apple pie! And it was GOOD, too! Under Debbie's expert tutelage, I peeled and chopped apples, rolled out crust, stuffed a pie, and fluted the edges. :) Top it off a few hours later with vanilla ice cream, and yum!!

VBS training and set up has started, too, since Baumholder's VBS (vacation Bible school, for those that have never experienced the fun of this acronym) is next week. For the two days I'm still here, I've volunteered to work with - guess - the pre-schoolers. Among regular duties, I'm doing Chadder's Theater, which is showing them the movie, doing a little science experiment (oh yeah, our theme is Power Lab so we're all a bunch of wacky professors), and reiterating the day's main theme and verse. However, Sherri (the director) asked me on Monday night if I'd be willing to lead the singing and teach the songs, too, since the lady scheduled to do that is still in the States. So, I've spent this last week learning the songs and the motions, and always having one of the 10 stuck in my head on constant repeat. :) I had to teach the main song to all the adult volunteers today, which was weird - in front of kids, no problem! But you have to do these things all different when your audience is older than 10.

So, for the first two days, I'm the first "professor" they see, so I get to kind of MC everything. Welcome, songs, skits (with my wacky scientist friend "Professor Wilma"), and the first mention of the day's theme and verse and story, and prayer. Cool! I'm really kind of excited for this, even though there's a lot of talking to do (I hope I can remember everything I'm supposed to say!) It's gonna be fun!

In Memory

2008-08-05T15:57:00.001+02:00

The 2nd Brigade Combat Team based out of Baumholder, Germany, lost it's third soldier in this deployment this week. Sgt. James A. McHale of the 40th Engineers died on July 30th, and his memorial was today.

The ceremony is very formal, and very moving. Both the German and American National Anthems are sung. Up at the front of the Chapel is the fallen soldier's battle cross - a pair of combat boots, a rifle, helmet, and the soldier's dog tags, along with his picture and medals. Army lore indicates the helmet and identification tags signify the fallen soldier; the inverted rifle with bayonet signals a time for prayer and a break in the action to pay tribute to the dead; the combat boots represent the final march of the last battle.

Former comrades and commanders give tribute to the soldier, remembering his life, honoring his sacrifice. After a silent tribute, the 1st Sgt gives the final roll call, probably the most wrenching and awful moment in the memorial. He begins calling out names in the unit, and the men answer, until he gets to the fallen soldier, when there is silence. He calls the name again; still no answer. He calls the name a third time - but the soldier will never be able to answer roll call again. The rifle volleys fire, and taps is played. Afterward, everyone files out in pairs past the battle cross to pay their respects, soldiers saluting their fallen comrade.

Please keep our troops in your prayers. Whether or not you support the war, our men and women are over there fighting and dying for us. They give so much so that we can live the way we do - some, like Sgt. McHale, give their all. Remember their sacrifices. Honor them.

And please, God, keep them safe.

Long Weekend

2008-08-04T13:34:00.001+02:00

Thursday
Thursday, Brad and Debbie and I loaded up the car and set off for Bamberg, to visit another Hospitality House while the carpets dried after their shampooing. Our first stop was Heidelberg, for some sightseeing. We hiked up to the castle (and it is a very steep hike!) and toured the ruins and not-so-ruins. After walking back down, we stopped and thoroughly enjoyed the elusive Starbucks - one of the few places here that will give you free ice-water! It was a very warm, sticky day, hotter than it normally gets here in Germany. After finishing our deliciously cold drinks, we got in the car and headed towards Wurzburg, where we stopped for dinner. We also walked around the gardens of the Residence there, which were quite lovely. After dinner, we drove to Bamberg and stayed up late talking to Matt and Tina Huisjen, the House directors there.

Friday
Friday-day Brad and Debbie and I went in to Bamberg to see the city. Bamberg is in Bayern (Bavaria) so the culture is a little bit different - I really enjoy the cities here. Friday night was Bible study at the Bamberg Hospitality House - it was so nice to be in a Bible study with so many people again! Bamberg is a larger base than Baumholder and has more than one brigade, so even though some of their soldiers have recently deployed, others have just returned or are even between deployments. The House was full, and we enjoyed good food, worshipping through music, a good lesson/discussion (lead by our own Brad), and lots of fun time in fellowship.

Saturday
Saturday was spent just enjoying time with the Huisjens. They have four children, ranging from 4 to 10 yrs old - Madeline, Jesse, Toby, and Bridget. We had a LOT of fun with them (and with the dog, Sandy). We took a drive out to a nearby lake to go swimming and playing with the inflateable rafts. Dinner that night was delicious - steaks and ribs and corn on the cob! Mmmm, it doesn't get much better than that!

Sunday
Sunday we said goodbye and headed back to Baumholder, with a stop on the way in Sinsheim at the Auto-technik Museum. We were checking it out for it's feasability (and desireability) as a Saturday trip for the House. It was fascinating - two huge buildings full of old classic cars and trains and planes, and a whole heap more outside. We climbed up to the cockpit of the Concord (or, since it was Russian, the sign called it the "Concordski"), and through an rickety old Bulgarian plane, and one like Indiana Jones flew on, and then slid down a kind of monster slide from the roof in a plane to the ground floor of the building below. We also checked out the IMAX 3D theatre there, and while it was pretty cool, I got rather motion sick. After leaving Sinsheim (the weather changed abruptly from bright and sunny when we went into the Concord to dark and stormy by the time we got back out), it was really very nice to come "home" and to sleep in my "own" bed.

Thinking about that made me realize - I only have a week left here!! AHHH. Then I really do get to go Home and sleep in my Own bed. Yay! I know I'm going to miss it terribly and wish I could come back (especially when I realize that Phoenix is a really brown and hot huge city and I start missing cool, green German countryside), but I'm very excited to start school again. Speaking of, please pray for me, that major decisions that have to be made SOON about school can be made - and according to God's will, even if not my own!

House Maintenance

2008-07-29T20:53:00.002+02:00

I'm sore. Achey-brakey. But it's good pain! This morning Kristen and I met at the track after PWOC for an extra day of running! I've been doing about 2.5 miles three days a week. This morning we ran the straights, walked the curves for a mile, which is SO much more fun when you have a running buddy! After that, we did some laps of walking backwards, and we did about a quarter-lap of walking lunges. DANG but those hurt. Good gracious. We got up after them (we shortened them from "all the bleachers" to "this set of blue bleachers" and it STILL hurt) and our legs felt like noodles - really heavy, jello-y noodles.

So, add that to a day of painting and another day of carpet shampooing. The House is closed for repairs this week. Yesterday we painted the main-floor living room, a wall or two in the downstairs coffee-area, the main kitchen, and the Kinder room. Today, we removed furniture and shampooed the carpets in the up- and downstairs living rooms and the Kinder room. Now everything is clean and shiny, and smells citrus-y fresh. (which is particularly appreciable in the kinder room!!) We finished it all a lot faster than we thought we would be able to, which was nice. And everything really does look so much the better for it! We're headed out this weekend to visit another hospitality house, which will give the carpets time to get good and dry. The House looks really different with all its furniture piled higgeldy-piggeldy on the tiled areas.

Super Sunday 2

2008-07-27T20:22:00.001+02:00

So, today was our second - and I think rather more successful - attempt at a Super Sunday. We had a whole lot of people, even some who've never been out to the House before. We grilled all our food, and I definitely ate too much. We played Koob, which is a game that really doesn't sound fun if you explain it, but is really a lot of fun to play. We played volleyball, sort of - it's hard to keep a volley going when most of your players are under five feet tall or the age of 10. But it sure is fun! The weather was nice - even 'hot' by Germany's standards, so we even had a water fight, and ate lots of popsicles, and laughed and generally had a good time.
And yet for some reason, I'm in a really bad mood right now, and therefore am unable to impart an accurate picture of how fun it was. Grrrr.

My Good Deed for the Day

2008-07-22T14:37:00.001+02:00

Brad is off on a bike trip, and Debbie went out for lunch with a friend and then to go meet him in Trier, so I have today all to my lonesome. I did my cleaning yesterday, so when PWOC got done this morning, I was in no hurry to go home and sit around, so I decided to hang out with Kristen and Ashley and Jess and her mom. Little did I know where that would land me! We walked on over to the Hall of Champions, where there was a blood drive going on.

I am terrified of needles.

But, somehow, Kristen and Jess talked me into it. I'm O neg, the "good blood," as the lady said. It's really hard to say, "No, I'm too scared of needles," when your friend is looking at you telling you how your blood could save her husband who's deployed to Iraq. So, I got guilted and cajoled into it, and I signed my name, filled out the paperwork, answered all their questions, and braced myself. I thought the finger prick was gonna be nothing, so I was glad no one told me ahead of time that that's the worst part! Got that done with - had high blood pressure, yay nerves. Then I got in my chair and held Jess's hand (she's a wonderful person!) while he stuck me. It didn't take very long at all till I filled up that little bag (ick...) and was on my way again. Poor Kristen was in the chair for probably 20 minutes. Gabe, Kristen's little 5 year old, held my hand as the guy (who had a terrible bedside manner) took the needle back out - he was great. :)

Frankfurt Zoo Trip

2008-07-21T15:38:00.001+02:00

This weekend we took a trip to the Frankfurt Zoo with 23 people - lots of little kids! Train is definitely one of my favorite ways to travel, and the kids seemed to enjoy it, too, because they weren't constrained by seat belts and so could switch seats or stand up and walk around and have all kinds of fun. Sarah and her friend Sydney sort of attached to me and Mac all day, which was kind of fun. The zoo was actually a lot smaller than I thought it would be, so we saw all the animals within about an hour. Then came the downpour. Mac and Sarah and Sydney and I ran in search of cover and just so happened to end up under the same tarp as the rest of our group, whom we hadn't seen since arriving at the park. Once the rain stopped for a bit, we left the zoo and went to enjoy lunch at a rare and wonderful place - Pizza Hut! It was delicious, and gave us a chance to dry out a bit. (the waitress had looked at us askance as we came in dripping wet.) Once lunch was done, the four of us hung out by the fountain until it was time to meet everyone else, and we headed home. Well, we thought we headed home, but we were on the wrong train. But after that, we did head home and actually made it. :)

peektchures

2008-07-16T22:58:00.002+02:00

Just wanted to show of the pictures of Kristen and my Dress-Up night! Golly, but it's fun to be a girl.

Fun day!

2008-07-15T22:23:00.001+02:00

After PWOC Bible study this morning, Kristen (my running buddy!) came up to me and asked if I would like to go to Rammstein with her today. I felt a flashback to junior high asking, "Mom, mom, can I go to so-and-so's house to play? Pleeeeeease? I'll do all my chores when I come back home!" But instead it was, "Debbie, Debbie, can I go with Kristen to Rammstein? Pleeeeeeease? She'll bring me home before dinner!" And she said yes! So, off I went with Kristen - dropped her kids off at the daycare and away we drove!

Rammstein is an Air Force base not to far from Baumholder. We went to go shopping :) because Baumholder is NOTHING compared to Rammstein. They've got a huge foodcourt, and a pretty base, and nice barracks, and lots of shopping, a big chapel, a nicer BX, all kinds of wonderful ammenities. The joke (not really the funny kind, since it's true) where Mac is in Cleburg is, "why does an Army soldier have to get injured in order to be treated like the Air Force?" (in WTU [warrior transition unit, where all the hurt soldiers go] their job description is 'to heal,' which means they get spacious quarters, free internet and a DSN line, TVs, and allll kinds of things that the Air Force just naturally gives it's airmen.) Anways, we had fun shopping, then decided to head over to Vogelweh, another Air Force/Army base, where we had lunch and did some more shopping - Kristen bought a couple of cute dresses, so we're gonna dress up for dinner & discussion tomorrow night.

It was just so much FUN, talking and laughing and joking and just being girls. It made me miss my girl friends at home, but it made me so happy to realize I have a friend here. After lunch, she suggested driving over to see Mac at Kleber, since it's really close to Vogelweh. When we found him, he said he'd actually been trying all day to get to Baumholder so he could buy some tanker boots, since there's no armor on Kleber, so we loaded him into the car and headed back. Picked up Gabe and Josh from pre-school, then Kristen dropped us off at the Festaburg. We sat around on the balcony talking till Debbie came home, then she and I made dinner and the four of us enjoyed it. We got to sit around on the balcony again after dinner and just enjoy the absolutely GORGEOUS day that God made for us, until Kristen came by to take Mac home again. And I get to see them all again tomorrow! What a great place is this - and how great to have such good friends!Sadly, I didn't get any of me and Kristen, but I CERTAINLY will tomorrow when we're all dressed up and cute! And I don't know why this is written as a link like this...oh well.

Saying Goodbye . . .again

2008-07-13T23:02:00.002+02:00

Friday night we held our farewell for Andy, Jeroham, and Mac. Andy and Jeroham will be deploying, and Mac is finally headed to WTU and has PCS'd to another post in Germany before heading to Fort Bragg. So, all the families (the Eiflers, Lahmons, Stones, Todds, and ourselves) were here Friday night to say goodbye. It felt a little strange to say goodbye, since Andy and Mac were spending the weekend with us, and because the Army is the Army, they all may very likely be here for quite some time yet. But you don't want to miss the chance to say goodbye, and to do it right. We discussed the biblical way to say goodbye, like Jesus does with His disciples at the last supper. Basically, there are four parts: "be good," "see you later," "I love you," and praying together. So we talked and prayed and laughed and said our goodbyes, and generally had a great time, despite the tears.

Saturday PMOC / men of the chapel took a trip to Belgium to see some WWII stuff, I think it was (not having gone, I am unaware of the specifics). Debbie, Mac and I were left to run around and go shopping and enjoy lunch and ice cream in Idar. Jonathan, Brad, and Andy came back and joined us for grilling hamburgers, and we all adjourned to our beds or our computers. Up this morning for chapel, where we learned that "eating a carrot is like walking with Jesus." (It's a long story.) A friend of Brad and Debbie's came for lunch today, as he was in Germany on a business trip, and after lunch Mac and I took Andy back to post and went looking for enough people for a volleyball game, with no success. So, we all took a hike almost to the castle instead, and came home for grilled cheese and leftovers. Then, since he was headed Ktwon way, our visitor took Mac back to his new 'home' (and the word is used ever so loosely), and Brad and Debbie and I cleaned up and retired, getting ready to start the new week.

20th Birthday

2008-07-08T14:29:00.001+02:00

I'm 20! It hasn't sunk in yet - not that 20 is such a huge step up from 19, but I'm no longer a teenager - I'm in my twenties. I'm more 'officially' an adult. It's kind of a fun thought. But it will take some getting used to.

Anyways, last night was my birthday celebration. Mac came over to the house and joined us for a dinner of Raclette, which is kind of a delicious cousin to Fondue. After dinner we opened presents: I got four books of a very wide variety from B & D, and a movie from Mac that he'd been trying to find for me since last time I was over here. I also got cards from home! And piano music that my wonderful mother sent me. :) Then there was the cake - Debbie made me a red velvet cake, and the recipe was actually one she got from my great-grandmother! And boy howdy was it delicious. I made my wish and blew out the candles - and actually blew one of the candles off the cake. I don't know if that enthusiasm means my wish HAS to come true, or if I blew all chances of that away. I guess we'll see! :) After enjoying our cake, we went downstairs and watched a movie, before Brad had to take Mac back to post.

It was a very fun night. I was especially glad Mac got to come, because he is headed back to the States very, very soon, and I am going to miss him something terrible.

Bike Trip and Birthday

2008-07-07T12:15:00.002+02:00

WHEEEEE this last weekend was AMAZING!! We went on a 4th of July bike trip up the Mosel and Rhine Rivers with 20 people from this (Baumholder/Festaburg) House, the Spangdahlem Hospitality House, and the Heidelberg House. It was incredible!

Thursday
Thursday night we all met at Roger and Sheila's house in Spangdahlem, The Hanger. They bought an old Pension (like a little privately-owned inn) and fixed it up to be their Hospitality House - and it's amazing. There are 10 bedrooms! After everyone had arrived and had a chance to sort of get to know one another, we were given our rooms and went to bed so as to be well rested for the next day.

Friday
Friday morning we ate breakfast at the Hanger, then loaded up the vans and trailers and set out for Wittlich Bahnhof, where we unloaded the bikes. Debbie and Gloria were driving the chase van (which didn't really chase us, as it beat us to every destination) with the trailer. The Spangdahlem folks didn't join us the first day, since they had a 4th of July bbq planned, but would meet up with us the next day. So, away we went! We had gorgeous weather, sunny but not too hot. (I managed to get rather spectacularly burned, but fortunately it turned to tan by the end of the trip. However, I do have a white strip down the middle of my back from my braid!) We rode from Wittlich all the way to Cochem, with a couple stops along the way for water or ice cream. In total, we road 85 kilometers on Friday in about 6 1/2 hours (that's 52 miles!). My bike battery lasted the whole way, which was AMAZING! It's supposed to last only 40-60 km in a day. :) The only problems we encountered were with Jonathan's bike, which seemed determined to break repeatedly, though each time we were fortunately near a town that had a bike shop. At the end of the day, we set up camp in Cochem, then Vincent and Jonathan and I went off to go swimming, which was a wonderful end to the day. I shared a tent with Brad and Debbie, and I froze. It was SO cold. I was in a mummy bag, on the ground, and normally I'm fine, but I didn't hardly sleep at all because I was so darn frigid. But it was great to be sleeping in a tent again!

Saturday
Saturday morning, Diane saved us all from Brad's idea of breakfast. Instead of dry rolls and jelly, we had fresh, crispy bacon, wonderful hashbrowns, and cheesy, bacony eggs. After our morning devotion and packing up camp, we set off again. Our ultimate destination today was Koblenz, a slightly shorter ride than the day before. Along the way, we stopped to hike up to Burg Eltz, which had most of us panting by the end. Once we regained our breath, we took the tour and ate lunch atop the castle. Back down the hill to our bikes, only to discover that we had several inexplicably flat tires (probably just from over-inflation after sitting in the sun). Change the tires, set out again on our journey. A while later, Jonathan's bike broke once again, but some kind man at a gas station drove home, got some tools, and fixed it for him. Tragically, it was not long after that that my bike broke - and not so reparably. The handle came off - the handle which controls the throttle and the battery. There was still a little bit of assist left, but an 80 lb bike is hard to ride up hills. I did make it to the next meeting place with the van, thanks to Brad pushing me for a while. Once we got there, my bike was loaded into the van and I rode the last 15 km to Koblenz with Debbie, Gloria, and Brad (who was driving in order to negotiate the impossibly narrow and steep ways.) We got stuck once, but Brad is skilled at backing a trailer down narrow, curving alleys, and eventually we made it to our hostel - which just so happened to be inside a 19th century fortress.

After showering, we all felt much more alive and headed over to the nearby restaurant for a delicious dinner. We ate outside, enjoying the view overlooking all of Koblenz, including the Deutsche Eck, where the Mosel and Rhine meet. When it got too cold, we moved inside for dessert and coffee. Slowly people headed back over to the hostel for bed. Vincent and I took the opportunity to take some really cool night shots of Koblenz. Then it was off to bed, to be ready for the very last day.

Sunday
Sunday morning dawned cloudy, but not threatening rain, and still pleasant temperatures. Since my bike was not functioning, I was a little sad about having to ride in the van, but riding with Sheila and Brittany was fun. Before we left, though, everyone sang Happy Birthday to me. I'm 20 years old!! I'm finally not a teenager anymore! So, the bikers left, and we took off down the hill to meet them at the next stop. When we did meet them, they were exhausted from riding against a vicious headwind for most of the way. We set off again and met in St. Goar, under the shadow of Burg Rheinfels, my favorite castle. We ate lunch and wandered around a bit, until it was time to leave. However, the clouds looked a lot darker, and Jim decided that the Heidelberg group was going to get on a train here to head back to Wittlich instead of waiting until reaching Bingen, the original end of the trip. Not quite ready to give up, the Festaburg and Hanger crews decided to ride for about another hour until we got to Bacharach. My wonderful friend Jonathan even let me ride his bike so that I could finish the trip. We set off, and I survived riding 'the demon bike' as it had come to be known for all it's breakages. It didn't break this time! We made it successfully to Bacharach, where we loaded up the vans to head back to the Hanger so the trailers could all get the right stuff loaded into them. Steve was the only person to ride the entire trip - my bike broke, Jonathan gave me his for the end, Brad had to drive the van in tricky spots, Spangdahlem joined a day late, and Heidelberg stopped early. Only Steve went the whole way - and he'd been on a bike the least! Go Steve!!

So, back at the Hanger, we unloaded Heidelberg's stuff from our trailer, had a few minutes overlap with them after they arrived from the train station, we said our goodbyes, and headed off for home. The trip was really, really great. Nothing went drastically wrong (although a bee did get stuck inside Laurel's sunglasses and manage to sting her), and everyone really seemed to enjoy themselves. We got to make new friends, or make old friends closer, and get to know people in relatively the same situations, just different locations. We saw Germany at its most gorgeous, and just overal had an amazing time. It is certainly my most memorable birthday!

My New Best Friend

2008-07-01T20:09:00.001+02:00

So, Brad and Debbie are home now - yay! I met them at the airport, we came home for lunch, and they both took a nap to get the worst edges off the jet-lag. After waking up, though, Brad was ready for a bike ride. Since we have a 4-day Bike Trip coming up this weekend, I thought it might be a good idea to get some practice in, so I went with him. Whoooo! 10 miles! I cannot remember the last time I rode 10 miles on a bike. Yay me! Or actually - yay my [[Debbie's]] bike.

This bike is amazing. It's got a motor (which means the bike is 80 lbs heavier than normal), so it will assist you, as long as you're peddaling. However, if you get too tired (which, with these hills, is often!) you can switch modes, pull on the throttle, and off you go! It was AMAZING. Although, I must say Brad is even more amazing, because he made it up those terrible hills under his own power. Dang. But it was so much fun!!! I can hardly wait for the trip now. It's gonna be like 40 miles a day (YIKES!!) but it won't be as hilly as what we did today. Whee it's gonna be FUN!

Woah...June is OVER!

2008-06-30T22:21:00.001+02:00

Where did the time go? When I got here, I was kind of sad that Brad & Debbie were going to be gone for almost a whole month - so long without them! But now, they're coming home tomorrow and I cannot believe that the whole month of June is gone already. It's the Forbes' last night! I'm crushed. I'm going to miss them so much. I'm going to miss Blaire's talking in the third person. ("Blaire didn't hit her - that's good." "Blaire wants to pray!" "Blaire will do it.") I'm going to miss Graeme's mathematical mind and his cool lego inventions - but not so much the sneaky tickle-attacks. I'm going to miss Paige, who comes and curls up in my lap, or running-leap-hugs me, or drapes herself around me, or just cuddles with me. And Duncan and Suzanne!! They were the perfect couple to fill in for Brad and Debbie while they were gone. I'm really going to miss Suzanne - she reads my mind ;) and is so easy to talk to - about literally anything. I can't remember last time I made such a close friend so fast, or found such a mentor. That's definitely one I'm going to keep in touch with.

As for what's been going on here, let's see. This last weekend we went to a chapel-wide barbeque on post, then loaded up the van and headed off to K-town to visit Fred and Diane Stocks, who run the K-town Hospitality House. (K-town = Kaiserslautern) They took us to 'their' castle, which I have to admit is in some ways cooler than Brad's castle. It's all in ruins, but there are a great many random walls left, and lots of fun places to climb up in and play spiderman. There's even a dungeon! (Gated up, can't get in. Sad.) After that (oh, I do like Brad's castle better because I can sing in it, and the hike isn't as killer!), we went back to the K-twon House and had Chinese food for dinner. I think the funniest part of the afternoon was right after the hike, seeing all of our people spread out on all the couches and most of the living room floor - sound asleep. How nice of the Stocks' to let us come over and crash!

Let's see what else. Brad and Debbie come home TOMORROW! I'm excited - even though I'm terribly sad to see the Forbes' off. I'm driving with them to Frankfurt, chilling at the airport for a while (babysitting the van), then driving back with Brad and Debbie. This weekend we're going on a bike trip up the Mosel Valley - now THAT will be cool. The next few weeks may be sad, though, as some guys are waiting to deploy - again - and some are hoping to get orders even this week sending them back to the States. That's the sad part of military life - all the goodbyes. But the friendships are worth it.

A Wonderful Weekend

2008-06-22T21:42:00.002+02:00

Friday
Friday night after Bible study, we finally hooked up the volleyball nets. We played four on four, me and Andy and Jonathan and Pedro against Duncan, Suzanne, Jeroham, and Kristen. We played until it was too dark to see the ball and the fireflies came out. (I haven't seen lightning bugs since last time I was in Michigan, and they make up part of my favorite memories, so I was TERRIBLY excited.) After we finally gave up (we lost too many balls over the fence), we went up to where Duncan had started a fire. Some of the guys had NEVER roasted marshmallows, so I took it upon myself to make lots of them. After people went to bed or back on post, Andy and I sat around talking and playing with the roaster-hanger and the poker in the fire, until the coals were out.

Saturday
Saturday we took a trip to Barefoot Park - 3500 meters of various things to walk on. The very first is mud. Slimy, cold, mushy-gushy-nasty mud. There was also a lot of grass, several wood bridges, a rolling-thingy, round rocks, flat rocks, sharp rocks, rocky rocks, wood chips, loam, a muddy water, a river, and a rope bridge. My feet hurt afterwards, but it really was a lot of fun. We had three other families go with us, and one soldier.
Sunday
Today after chapel, we went to a middle-ages-market thing at Kusel Castle in Burg Lichtenberg. (sponsored by the german army...?) It was a really warm day for Germany - 85 degrees and humid. We walked all around the castle and looked at all the little booths and their overpriced wares. We did get really good bratwurst and potatoes, though. After coming home and chilling (literally) in the basement to recover from the heat of the day (be quiet all you phoenix folk!!), Suzanne and Mac and I went to the theatre on post to see Prince Caspian. It's a weird theatre - the seating is flat, so all the kids bring booster seats so they can see the screen. We dropped Mac off at his barracks and came home to play around on our computers, trying to get all our various pictures and blogs up. And with that - I am done, and can go to bed!

Rheinfels Castle

2008-06-14T20:54:00.002+02:00

So, today we took 6 soldiers with us on a trip to Rheinfels Castle. At only 1/3 of its original size, the castle ruins are still enormous. We walked around for probably 3 hours and I still don't think we saw the whole thing. Probably the coolest part was when we walked down into the mines. I do believe it may have been one of the bravest things I've ever done. While not exactly claustrophobic, I do not do well underground or in the dark. I have always refused to even go in the lava tubes at home. We toured some gemstone mines in Idar-Oberstein this week, and that was fine for me - it was open and well lit with a clear trail. These were very different. You climb down some steep, dark stairs into a pitch black tunnel about 3-4 feet high and maybe 3 feet wide. You can't go in without flashlights, because it is so completely and utterly black. I felt myself about to freak out, and Mac told me to turn back NOW before I lost it 600 feet in, cause you can't really turn around. But I went on! I had Andy's hand in a vice grip and clung to the light from Mac's flashlight. You have to follow the white lines painted on the ceiling, but there was more than one point where we stopped and had to consult the map so as to avoid getting lost in all the little side tunnels. It was completely terrifying, but definitely the coolest experience of the day.

Birthdays and Busy Times

2008-06-07T22:16:00.001+02:00

This week seems really long - maybe just because so much has happened. Duncan and Suzanne got here on Wednesday to take over from Brad and Debbie, who left early this morning to go back to the States for three weeks. Debbie had a birthday, and so did Duncan, so we've had cakes and candles and cards. And lots of small children!!

Mac had surgery this week and is spending his recovery leave on the couch in the basement, working his way through a laaarge stack of movies, with me as his nurse.

The kids - Graeme, Blaire, and Paige - are keeping me busy and entertained. They are SO much fun, and it's so nice to be living with little kids again! Friday night Bible study I had Gabe and Josh, too, and was very glad that the weather allowed us to play on the swings and slides out in the backyard, because they were crazy. Fortunately, that wore them out, so when it started raining we went in and watched a movie and they all but fell asleep on the couch.

Today we took a hike up to the castle, and I had us take only one wrong turn. The hike seemed a lot longer than normal, for some reason, and when we finally got up to the top we all sank down around the rim and ate our pincic lunch on top of the castle. When we got back, almost everyone fell asleep - the chairs and couches upstairs and down were full of napping people. Since we woke up and ate dinner, we've been playing cards and dice and legos and army men. I have to say it's kind of fascinating to watch soldiers playing with army men...

I'm Still Alive

2008-06-03T16:59:00.001+02:00

Which is more impressive when I tell you that I drove Brad and Debbie's 9-passenger VW van back from post today! YIKES. I'm new at driving a stick anyways, and this thing is larger than just about anything I've driven before. (It might about equal dad's old truck.) But German roads are also a lot smaller than anything at home! I did fine until we got into Idar, and then I managed to stall about 7 times in a row trying to start. :( It was embarassing - and that's never happened to me before!! Sigh.

I must say, I feel much worse for Debbie, who drove with me today, than I did for my dad, who taught me. ;)

The Weekend

2008-06-02T10:06:00.001+02:00

I love Germany in the summer - the weather is perfect! We've had a lovely mix of beautiful sunshine and a few hard thunderstorms at night. :) On Saturday we went and played in downtown Idar-Oberstein. We walked up to the Felsenkirche (Church in the Cliff), which was cool because I'd never been inside before. We also did some shopping and ate Doener - yummy German/Turkish food. After that we came home and hung out before dinner, and then we played Quelf, which is quite the interesting game.
Sunday was Chapel, and I think I shall refrain on comment about this particular service. We came home and grilled up our lunch and ate out on the balcony. After lunch we played Nertz, watched movies, played ping-pong, and generally hung out until it was time for dinner. A nice, lazy kind of day with friends - and I even beat Brad at ping-pong! (True, he was playing left-handed, and being distraced by Mac the whole time. But still! Neither Mac or Jonathon managed to beat him!) After dinner we cleaned up and then settled onto the couches downstairs and watched Braveheart before it was finally time to take the guys back to post. Always sad to see them go - even though I'll see them again tonight.

Day 1 1/2

2008-05-30T23:15:00.001+02:00

Well, I'm here!

After a loooong flight (20 hrs travel time!), I landed in Frankfurt, collected my luggage, and walked through the doors to see Brad's smiling face waiting to take me to the Festaburg. I was oddly wide awake, despite only getting about 45 minutes' sleep on the plane. We ate dinner, then I unpacked and ended my evening (10 pm is still light out, therefore still evening) with a large cup of chammomile tea on the balcony, enjoying the fresh air, birds, green trees, and general glory of God's creation.

This morning I woke up at 6 am (whatever happened to jet-lag??) and did more unpacking, but then fell asleep again and didn't wake until 1 pm (ah, there it is). Then it was a normal Friday - help cook for Bible study dinner, work on projects for Brad, and then people come over. Only this was different, for me - there were 3 soldiers over, instead of 30. My first taste of post-deployment life. It was still a lot of fun, and it gives a chance to hear every individual more during discussions. But I do kind of miss the large, rather chaotic groups. Two of the guys were new to me, I only knew Jonathon from before. After Bible study, we played a ping-pong tournament before Brad took one guy back to base. So far there's no plan for tomorrow except waffles at 10. :)

I am so happy to be back here - and so blessed to be wanted here! One of my tasks is going to be teaching Brad German, every morning from like 9-10. Should be fun! They say teaching really helps you learn something even better. I am excited to see what God has in store for my summer here! Keep me in your prayers, please. :)

Going Back!

2008-05-23T07:43:00.001+02:00

Well, after an almost-2-month hiatus, I'm back - and with exciting news! Yesterday I received my acceptance as an intern with Cadence International, heading back over to Germany next wednesday to work for Brad and Debbie for the summer. This all got set in motion about 2 weeks ago, and God has had His hands in everything, from getting my application in on time, to references coming in, to finding a cheap flight. I fly over next week and will spend all summer helping out at the Festaburg before coming back home in August just in time to be bodily - if not mentally - present at orientation at Southwestern.

I'm thrilled!!! Just in case you haven't picked up on that. I'm working on sending out prayer/support letters, and hopefully by the end of the summer will be able to raise the $5300. I'll be keeping this blog going while I'm gone, but I'll also have an e-newsletter to send out. If you'd like to sign up, just send me an e-mail at laurakcardy@aol.com.

The Festaburg

2008-04-17T09:09:00.001+02:00

Part of my job as slave to Brad and Debbie was to video tape just about everything, so I could later make sort of 'promo-videos' for the Festaburg. In the interest of spreading the word, I thought I'd post them on here as they come. I finished the first one tonight! Yay. So, check it out!!

Saying Goodbye

2008-04-13T06:45:00.001+02:00

Sunday, 11:15 pm

The silence is loud. We just closed the door as Brad took the final van-full of soldiers back to post, to pick up their bags and head to the Hall of Champions, the last place they will be on post, where they get their smallpox shot, check their id's and dogtags, and get on the bus. Fifteen months before they'll be back. And we pray to God that they will all be back.

I can't help crying as I think of this. This was the last weekend. Now it's just Brad and Debbie and the guys on Rear D. Even I'm leaving - but I'm going home. Back to the States. I will miss this place, but I have no complaints. I get to go home, back to familiar sights and voices and foods and hugs. But these guys - and girls - my friends - are going downrange. Some of them are already gone. The house has been filled, every single bed and several couches, for the last four weekends, and now it's empty. And in that reality, the silence is loud. You can hear every clock tick, every footstep. Every deep breath, and whispered prayer. Oh God, why them? Is there a reason for this? Will they come back?

My heart breaks for the women who have to stand outside the gym, wishing they could follow their husbands inside as they check out. I cry for the children who are too little to understand where Daddy is going, and for the ones who have already been without their mother or father, who've had to stay in the States and adjust early to living on phone calls and letters. Now the soldiers are off to the heat of battle, where they will serve and fight and sacrifice for the rest of us.

They've laughed and joked about it, but when you stand in the doorway and say those goobyes, you catch a glimpse of what's behind their strength. You walk by an open door and hear it in the choked words on a last phone call home for who knows how long. You see it as they all sit and listen to the same songs over and over. If You're Reading This, by Tim McGraw. Letters from Home, John Michael Montogmery. They know where they're going and what it is they're going to be facing. Some of them have been there before, some as many as 4 times. They're gone. It's been talked about for months, but until now, when I've seen them walk out the door for the last time. When I know that I won't get another chance for goodbye. When I know some of them are gone already. When I know that in a few hours, they'll be on a bus with their bags, headed for a plane to take them to Iraq. To war.

Please, pray for our soldiers. For my friends. For these heroes.

The Last Day

2008-04-07T19:08:00.002+02:00

It seems unreal that this is my last day in Germany.

It began about 12:05 am, as I was sitting on the couch watching movies, when Mac opened the door and told me to go put on my shoes so we could play in the snow. He wanted to make a snowman, cause he'd never done that before, and we built a big one! We rolled giant snowballs up and down the silent street until about 1:30 in the morning, and we built Christoph (that's his name) right outside the front door. We had fun dressing him up in Mac's beret and fleece, with a knife for a mouth and a plug converter nose. He even had bushy eyebrows! Brad certainly was startled when he went to step out this morning. :)

I spent the morning packing all my stuff back up. Despite having gotten rid of as much as I could - including multiple pairs of shoes - my bags appear to still be overweight. All that German chocolate!! But I got it all in, which is good. We went out for Döner as my last German meal, and we had Spaghetti-Eis to top it off. Came back, and I talked to mom about details and whatnot. Tomorrow morning we'll leave at 7 am, and I'll be in Phoenix at 8:30 pm!!!!!!!! I get to sleep in MY OWN BED tomorrow night!! AHhhhhh this is unreal! But so, so, so incredibly exciting!

I am going to miss it. It's going to be a weather shock coming from snow to 80 degree sunshine. I'm going to miss how beautiful the German countryside is. I'm going to miss Brad and Debbie, and I'm really going to miss Mac, and I already miss so many others. I'm going to miss speaking German - or a mix of "Denglisch." But I cannot wait to see my parents and hug my sister and see the SUN and pet my kittens and eat real mexican food and hug my friends and go to my church and did I mention enjoy the sunshine? I am ready to be home!!!! OH, it's so exciting!! Thinking about it is giving me tingles. :) hee hee hee hee the year is over!!! Can you believe it?? there were times when it went by soooo slowly, but now that I'm going home it seems to have sped by. Although, while it seems I haven't been in Germany that long, it seems like I haven't been home in forever. EEEEEEEEE I cannot WAIT!!! I hope I sleep on the plane, that always makes time go faster.

I'm coming home TOMORROW!!!

One Week!

2008-04-01T21:03:00.001+02:00

That's right - this time next week, I will be HOME! What an incredible thought - it's still hard to believe, because it seems that this world right here is the only one that exists, and that home is something I've dreamed of for so long that it couldn't possibly be real.

Brad and Debbie and I went to the pre-deployment ceremony this week. Not all of the soldiers were there, but there were quite a few. It was a good ceremony, but sad at the same time. Then Friday started what would probably be one of the last weekends. :( I got to babysit five adorable children Friday night, ages 6, 5, 3, and two just around a year old, one walking and one not. Fun stuff.

Saturday we took a trip to Trier and then to Rammstein Air Force Base. This was my third time in Trier, but it was a first for a bunch of the guys. We saw Constantine's Basilica, the Dom, and went up in the Porta Nigra, an old Roman gate. After spending most of the day there, we drove over to Rammstein to eat at Chili's (a real American restaurant in Germany!) and to go to the PowerZone, which is slightly larger at Rammstein than in Baumholder. Rammstein, being an Air Force Base, is in almost every way superior to the post in Baumholder. Mac, being prior service in the Air Force, left no opportunity un-seized to remind us of this fact. The sad thing is, it is quite true.

Sunday was church. I managed to fall down the stairs, and my left leg is now bruised from my knee down to my ankle. Ouch. The service was combined with the traditional and gospel services, and the Chaplain was . . . quite unlike anything I've ever heard. I was only able to understand about half of what was said, as it was delivered at such a volume that individual words were no longer discernible. After lunch it was back to the Festaburg for lunch, movies (or naps), and games.

Monday was a nice lazy morning, since about half the folks left to go work out. The rest of us just lazed about, enjoying the sunshine and the chance to do not much of anything. That afternoon we took a walk up to the castle with a large group. We brought a hymnal this time, so that we could enjoy singing a bunch of songs and actually know all the words. We sang for quite a long time, and it was really very cool. We hiked back and had dinner, and then played Catchphrase until it was time to take the soldier's back to post, which is always a sad time. Right now, you never know which hug you give out will be your last one before they're gone.

Easter Weekend

2008-03-24T20:43:00.001+01:00

And what a weekend it was!! Busy days, and it was a four-day weekend for most of the guys, so it's been crowded. People came over Thursday night after getting off work, and the house was pretty much full from then on, to the point that we used every single available bed, which has never happened before.

Friday was hole-digging day. Brad had decided that Sunday was going to have baptisms for some of the soldiers, and it was going to be a field baptism. That means, we went out and dug a hole in his back yard big enough to dunk people in. During the digging process (and by we I mean Mac and Will, with myself as supervisor, photographer, and coffee-fetcher. When I offered to be on digging detail, I was told that I could go play with my little sandcastle set. Brad has his picture here digging, but he only turned up the tip of a shovel-full for the sake of a photograph), it snowed, and hailed, and sleeted, and the sun shone. O spring weather in Germany, how strange thou art. In German there's a saying, "April, April, er weiss nicht was er will," (April, April, he doesn't know what he wants) and it's sooo true. The weather is crazy!! Anyways, as they started, the guys were like, "It's been raining so much the ground is nice and wet, this should be no problem, as long as there aren't really many rocks." A few shovel-fulls later, they discovered the boulders. We were out there for 4 hours before it was finished. I got sick. :(

Saturday was Easter-preparation day, but included a hike to the castle. Much of the day was spent cleaning and cooking and getting ready for the next day's invasion. I made a potato salad, the recipe of which I must remember to brink home with me. Mmmm-mmmm. Yummy! One of the hams was cooked, and a bunch of other stuff prepared. We did take a nice hike up to Brad's castle, and I got to sing. Gordon even sang with me, which always makes things more fun. There were snowball fights on the way, and another once we actually got to the castle. Jonathan and I ran and locked ourselves (literally) into the castle to get away from the onslaught. Mac had to use his 'key' and free us again. That night we watched Ben-Hur, and I managed to stay awake for the whole movie!

Sunday morning, snow had fallen, but I was determined to still where my little Easter dress, and I did. People looked at me like I was crazy, but that's okay. I was determined. The service was good, and when we came home there was a mild frenzy of getting ready, and then sort of a calm before the storm spent playing Left Right Center and the piano. There were over 50 people for our Easter meal. Tables and chairs upstairs and down, tons of food (about 40 lbs of ham and a turkey and tons of potatoes and deviled eggs and so much more), people on couches and oustide and everywhere. After lunch, we sang some songs and then went outside for our field baptism. We'd filled the hole up with hot water from the downstairs shower so that the poor soldiers wouldn't freeze to death, and the sun had come out and melted the remains of the snow. Five soldiers were baptized, and wrapped warmly in towels as soon as they got out. Next came an Easter Egg Hunt for the little kids (of which there were many!) and I got to be Chief Easter Egg Hider (woo-hoo!). Once that was over people started trickling home, and when they'd left, there were still almost 20 people staying here. Having 50+ people over makes a house a mess, so we set to work doing a basic cleaning before watching our movie and then saying our goodnights.

Today was re-clean-up day, with a thorough scrubbing of the house from top to bottom, helpful since there were still 12 of us. All the beds full, plus people sleeping on couches! Incredible. After clean-up and some down time, some of us took another hike to the castle. Then came dinner, and the soldiers were back off to post. Most of them have four-day weekends coming up again, and I'm looking forward to seeing them all again soon. The house seems so empty once they're gone, especially after such a full weekend as this one was!

Sorry for the long read, folks, it was a long, fun, and busy weekend! And I'll be home in 2 weeks!!!

La Ligne Maginot

2008-03-16T22:14:00.001+01:00

or, The Maginot Line: a rather brilliant military installation designed by the French to prevent Germany from invading during World War II. It was basically a line of fortifications stretching from northern France all the way south to Nice along the German border, able to defend against any German onslaught. Unfortunately, Hitler decided to invade Belgium and enter France from the other side, rendering the whole ineffective, since the guns couldn't turn around the other way. Oops.

That's where we went yesterday. We went to Ouverage Simserhof, the fourth largest 'block' of the Maginot Line. Friday night we were sitting around discussing our options for Saturday's activity when Gordon suggested France, and a trip to the Maginot Line. Sounds interesting, only an hour and a half away - okay, let's go! So we did - and it was fascinating. I had never heard of it before, so it was a lot of fun to sit in between Brad and Gordon on the way there and learn all about it. We watched a movie about it in English, then took a tour on a train, with audio and video in alternating English and German. After that was over, we took a walking tour throughout the entire block with our German guide. (I got to be the translator - and I don't think I did too badly!) It was really very cool - much cooler than I thought it would be.

After the three hour tour, we drove another 10 kilometers to another block, one that hadn't been turned into a museum, where we could climb up top and see the raise-able (I know there's a better word in English, but it escapes me at the moment) gun towers. It was a lot of fun, and we had a full van. Poor Happy actually had to stay behind because there weren't enough seats. Debbie and Nellie were away on the PWOC retreat, so I was the only girl, which was pretty fun. :)

The rest of the week has been great, too. Wednesday night we had a record number of soldiers at the house, and Friday night was very large, as well. Mac had a four day weekend so he was here helping me clean and cook on Friday after Debbie left. Saturday was our French adventure and movie night, Sunday was church and a nice big lunch, followed by an afternoon of Catchphrase and other games. I played more chess this weekend than I have in the last 10 months, which was fun, even though I lost most of the games. And today, I laughed more with Mac and Nellie than I have laughed in a very, very long time, to the point where breathing was painful (or impossible) and smiling hurt. It was great.

And now I can say I've been to France!

Week One

2008-03-10T19:58:00.001+01:00

Well, my goodness, I can hardly believe the first week is already over. Time flies when you're having fun! And what a week it has been. Have I mentioned I love this place?

So, Tuesday morning I went with Debbie to the PWOC (Protestant Women of the Chapel) Bible Study on post. It had been snowing a little bit when we woke up, and by the time we got to the chapel, there was enough snow sticking to the ground that we could leave footprints. I was excited! Well, 3 hours later, it still hadn't stopped snowing. We got almost 8 inches of snow!! It was so beautiful! We did get stuck on post for a while until the roads got cleared and we could go back to the House, and it was just so cool to see everything covered in so much snow. I finally got my big snow for living in Germany! Wheee!!! Of course, I had to go make a snowman, down on Brad and Debbie's volleyball court, and they even gave me a carrot for his nose. :)
Wednesday night is always a dinner & discussion night, and there were quite a few single soldiers there. We filled the entire upstairs living room. It was fun to meet a lot more of the soldiers, and to see some familiar faces again.

Thursday was a good day, Brad left to go pick up the speaker for the PMOC (Protestant Men of the Chapel) conference that was this weekend, so Debbie and I had a nice, laid-back day, concluded with popcorn and movies.

Friday is Bible Study day, so we clean and cook during the day, and people come over for dinner. It was a smaller group, since most of the guys were at the PMOC retreat. One of the soldiers led a Bible study, and then everyone went home except our weekend group.

This weekend, the group was Debbie, me, Nellie, and Mac. Now, Nellie and Mac are regulars, to the point that they have rooms named after them. The 2-bed bunk room (where I'm living) is "Nellie's Room," and the bedroom is "Mac's Room." (and the other bunkroom is "Rob's Room.") What a great group - we had a blast. Saturday was spent shopping, all over in Idar-Oberstein and on post in Baumholder. Saturday night was movies and ice cream sundaes!

Sunday morning we had chapel, and then it was back to the House for grilled cheese sandwiches - and yummy tomatoe sandwiches! Lazy afternoon playing dice and catching up on e-mail and stuff, and watching Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, which is very good. We also all got new nicknames this weekend. In Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, they have an accountant, and they call him Mutant. (you have to see the movie!) Anyways, it's hilarious, and at the end I said I needed someone to call Mutant - and Mac volunteered, so he's officially Mutant. Nellie is Trolli, or gummyworm, because she managed to win an electric blue Trolli hat at the German store. Then they decided I was Princess, or Buttercup, after we watched the Princess Bride - which of course makes Rob the Dread Pirate Roberts. It's random, but a lot of fun. We went back to post in the evening so Debbie could go to Bible study, and we three ate at Taco Bell (!!) and then picked Rob up at his barracks, since he was back from PMOC, and we went to the bowling alley on post. Just really a great week!

Train Travel

2008-03-03T11:50:00.001+01:00

"Tomorrow's going to be quite the day" hahahahaha silly me. How innocently and happily I said that!

Well, all in all, my luggage probably weighs at least 180 lbs, if not as high as 200. (something I intend to work on while I'm here - what can I get rid of??) And I got to take it all the way across Germany on the trains. Well, the first train was fine, Peter helped me get it all on the train, there were no steps, and there was lots of open space for it to stand out of the way. When I got to Osnabrück, a nice lady from my first train said she had extra time, and helped me get my bags. I had to go from platform 13 to platform 2 in 5 minutes, but a very nice Schaffner (I'm not sure of the English word) opened up the service elevator for us, and we made it in plenty of time. YAY! So, Osnabrück to Mainz was my long train ride. A nice gentleman helped me get my bags up the stairs of the train and into a luggage rack. Getting off the train was an adventure, I had no one to help me, and they kind of collapsed down the stairs, but fortunately everyone was standing far enough back that no one was injured. (how embarassing!) I cannot count the times I had to tell my story to people wondering why on earth I had sooo much luggage. Well, here in Mainz I ran into some difficulties. I went to Platform 3a where my train was supposed to be, but the train I'd been on was too late. So, it said the next train to Idar came on platform 1b. Back upstairs. Nope, that train's not coming, go to 4a. Back downstairs. (fortunately, there were elevators!!) No train. Wait! 4b! AHHH there's the train, RUN FOR IT! So, I managed somehow to run with my bags, and caught the train. Managed to get my luggage on it (no stairs!!) and into a seat. Whooo. Well, then the train decided it wasn't going to go to Idar like the schedule said, it stopped in Kirn - one stop too early. So, I get off at Kirn, and it says next train to Idar-Oberstein, Platform 1. I'm on Platform 3, and there are tracks between me and my destination - and no elevators. It was a desperate moment. Somehow, I managed to get all my bags downstairs, across the tracks, and back upstairs. The handle broke off of one suitcase. But I made it.

Now, if you know me, you know I'm not exactly strong...and I tend to be kind of a wimp. This was a herculean effort for me - and I did it!! And then I saw the train - and it had steps. My arms were already shaking from their efforts, and thank the Lord some young man managed (barely - I told you they were heavy!) to get my bags on the train. He helped me get them off, and as he unloaded the second bag, there were Brad and Rob and Will, helping me, taking my burdens, and filling me with such an unbelievable sense of relief. It was over!! I made it - and I didn't have to carry those darn bags any more!! I collapsed into the back of Brad's van and was so happy to finally be there.

We came back to the Festaburg, my wonderful boyfriend carried my bags up the stairs for me, and I had 5 minutes to recoup before we rushed off to a Bible study on Post. Very fun - great people. And good food! Then it was back here, unpack a bit, and sweet, sweet sleep.

The moral of the story is: train is only my favorite way to travel if I have one suitcase or less. I NEVER, ever want to do that again.

Last Day #2

2008-03-01T21:06:00.001+01:00

Today was very quiet.

I managed somehow to get everything into my bags, though I'm scared to think of how much they might weigh. I gave my gifts, and they were all enjoyed. I got a big (heavy) book of Germany in pictures, it's absolutely beautiful. Sadly, I did not get to go for a last walk or drive today, because the wind is threatening to blow the country over into Holland and the rain comes at your face perpendicularly. A good day for contemplation. It's still hard to believe this is it - it's over. It's incredible. I enjoyed my last chance to tickle Flori, listen to Benni, and tell Tina her bedtime stories (they're always stories of my life). Tomorrow I'll wake up for an early breakfast, shove my pjs and today's clothes and my toothpaste into my bags (somehow), say goodbye, and be off. 6 1/2 hours later, I'll get off a train, my boyfriend will hug me, and Brad and Debbie will take me home.

Tomorrow's going to be quite the day.

Packing cont'd

2008-03-01T14:07:00.002+01:00

So, I finished. Except for my pjs, what I'm wearing now, and shampoo and toothpaste, I'm packed. And boy does that train ride tomorrow look scary. Heavy suitcases - and 5 minutes to get from platform 13 to 2. Wheeeeee. I'm considering sending one of the suitcases on it's own (they do delivery for like $15.90) but I don't know if it's worth it. Brad's advice is to smile at some nice German who doesn't have any luggage and ask for help - and how I pray it works!! And I hope some strapping gentleman sits near me, cause there's no way under heaven that I can lift those into an overhead luggage rack on my won. Goodness me, but they're cumbersome. But I'm done!! Weird. Weeeeeeeeird.

Packing

2008-03-01T12:48:00.002+01:00

How I loathe it. And here I am, fitting my life back into two suitcases, a carry-on, and a backpack. AAAHHHH!!!! Stressful. I didn't just start all of it today, don't worry, but today is the day I actually have to make them relatively even so that I can actually carry them, and make sure everything fits without breaking, all that fun stuff. And it stresses me ouuuuuuuuuut. I need my expert-packing mommy, who more or less packed it all for me when I came here. I need her expertise! Or anyone's! CAUSE I HATE PACKING!

Which is why I'm sitting here blogging instead of working on it. I'm about to go back to work, but I needed a break. Blaaaaaaaahhhhh sorry for taking it out on y'all. The pile is daunting.

Last Day #1

2008-02-29T19:23:00.001+01:00

Meaning, last working day. How I wanted to end on a high note - and how incredibly off-pitch that note was. One child sick (he was the best behaved, however), one child screaming, one child beastly, and my least-favorite of the friends. I have a few new bruises (courtesty of beastly child), and I ended up bleeding twice. One was my own fault, at least (I stubbed that toe WAY hard), the other I had my fingers in a toy chest cleaning up and as I pulled my hand out someone decdied that was the best time to jump on the lid. OUCH. Pain I can deal with - but that girl, I swear, I think it's her goal that I leave joyously thankful that I get to get away.

Anyways, I'm really hoping that tomorrow goes well, as it's my last day with the family, since I leave early Sunday morning. I really want to not be rejoicing that I'm leaving. I want to have fond memories of here, and not the kind that fill my head after nights like these.

Madrigalchor Vechta

2008-02-28T22:25:00.001+01:00

So, maybe it's because I'm me, and a choir nerd, and this is what I'm used to. Maybe because it's the first place I found outside of the house here. Or maybe it's because music is the true international language and brings people together. Whatever the reason, my choir is the one place here that I have truly felt wholly and completely comfortable.

And tonight was my last night.

The prospect of leaving this family does not make me want to cry. I didn't cry saying goodbye to the house-group. But I wanted to cry tonight as I said goodbye to a room full of the world's sweetest ladies and gentlemen. No one really knew until the break that this was my last night, and the reaction floored me. Ange-Marie, who does all the announcements, asked me shockedly if it was true, and then announced my departure to the choir. There was such a loud moan! Almost everyone in the choir came to shake my hand and wish me luck or condolences for being "rausgeschmissen" (thrown out). Everyone - including me! - was sad that I wouldn't be there for the concert in May; I was supposed to sing a couple solos.

What struck me so, though, is I have never, ever had so many rooms, beds, or offers to find a job to choose from! If I didn't have Brad & Debbie to go to, I have several of the sweetest German people who would take me in, just like that. Even after I told them I had a place, they still insisted that if anything should fall through, I change my mind, or decide before going home that I want to come back to Vechta, I have somewhere to sleep. I have a whole stack of phone numbers and e-mail addresses from people filling my wallet, in case I should ever need anything while I'm still here. Everyone was so sincere, and so kind, I almost broke out in tears to have to leave them.

I truly can't explain quite how I feel right now. These people are so, so very different from my guest-family. Several were rather indignant that my family would dare to do such a thing to me, and I tried to explain that I wasn't totally disappointed to have to leave them sooner than planned. But it still is very, very sudden. I thought I had three months left with these people. The only time my German is perfect is in choir, I don't know why. Maybe it's because I'm so comfortable there. And I now feel so loved, part of me thought, gee, I could almost take one of them up on their offer of a room just so I can stay in choir! I can't remember the last time I have been so truly moved by anything. My director, a wonderful man, thanked me for joining their choir - for searching them out on the internet (apparently, the website was never, ever really used, but he said, look! one good thing came of the trouble it took to put it up!) - and complimented me on my singing and playing, and wished me luck in my studies. Ange-Marie was sad she couldn't throw a party. :)

This is the first real, sad goodbye I've had. Leaving home to come here wasn't very sad, I was too excited to be moving to Europe. Leaving Larissa in January wasn't terrible because I knew I was going to see her again. Leaving the house group wasn't terribly sad because I wasn't terribly close with any of them. Leaving this family won't be very sad because I'll be too excited to get away (that sounds harsh, I'm sorry). But leaving choir . . . I miss them already. Choir is my life, and this one was the one thing in my year here that was just like it always is, has been, and will be; simply in another spoken language. And I wish I could put into words the sadness I feel at leaving them, and the glow that comes from knowing someone here cares about me.

I'll remember this night for a long, long time.

Abschiedsfeier

2008-02-28T19:41:00.001+01:00

(going-away party)

So, Tuesday night was my last night in my house-group Bible study. Sad day!! Those are wonderful people. Anyways, they had a little night for me, with chips and cookies and pudding and a special pizza-soup. :) They even gave me a gift! I got a notepad, and a rasberry-vanilla-cream-chocolate bar, a few Euro, and a cd of the Jungel Book, 'cause everyone knows of me and my Disney-fanatacism. (that may or may not be a word? my english is beginning to fail me!) They also all wrote me a postcard, usually with a verse or two. And they gave me a cd with all the pictures we took that night, as well as from our 24-2 prayer weekend. Before I left, they all gathered 'round and prayed for me, that my trip home would be safe and for God's blessings in my future, and I was really very touched.

So, above is our nice, normal, smiling picture, and here's the "real" picture. Gotta love it. :)

Back Row: Thomas, David, Marc, Marten
Middle Row: Johanna, Lois, Ulla, Simone
Front Row: Tim, Jan, Jana, Laura

The Time Has Come, the Walrus Said...

2008-02-24T22:10:00.001+01:00

To talk of many things: of shoes and ships and sealing wax; of cabbages and kings; and when the sea is boiling hot; and whether pigs have wings. Or of how this is my LAST WEEK with the family! Yikes!

I think this whole things is being held against me by a certain 8-year-old who seems to be determined to make me pay for leaving early (because of course it's my fault) by being absolutely beastly to me every chance she gets. I haven't heard a single pleasant thing from her since about 16:45 on Wednesday afternoon. It's not exactly making me wish I could stay here longer...but everything else is going well. I've started packing - a daunting task that leaves me prone to being easily distracted by just about anything. How I wish my wonderful, talented mother was here to help me, like she did when I was coming over here! I fear I may never get it myself.

Today was my last Sunday at church - and I finally got to sing on praise team!! Perfect timing. It was a blast. I will be thrilled to go back home to Palmcroft, though. I found out that my college pastor, the amazing John Craft, has his sermons on iTunes as podcasts...how I wish I'd known that a few months ago when I was desperately missing home, instead of now when I know I'll be there in a month! Sigh. It's still cool to hear them, though, and to hear the voices of my friends answering questions or being talked about during announcements. A little piece of home.

Life Comes At You Fast

2008-02-20T22:47:00.002+01:00

Well, this is probably going to be the most shocking entry I ever write.

I'm leaving this family next week.

Yes, you read that right. Sunday, March 2nd, I'm getting on a train and going away. Am I running away? No. Am I fired? No. It's rather a long story...my guest-mother came to me yesterday (wow, it seems like so much longer!) and asked if I had a flight home already. I said no, we're looking at May 19th, but we haven't bought the ticket yet. Well, she said, the thing is...

They've found the lady they want as their next Kinderfrau. They're done with Aupairs, they want someone permanent. It's hard to find someone willing to work afternoons, and who lives here nearby, and is willing to be here long-term, and this lady apparently worked for my guest-mother's boss for like 10 years with his kids, so she's got great references, yada yada yada. Great, why are you telling me this? Well, she's been unemployed for a while now, and after a certain amount of time, the German unemployment agency stops giving you money, and she needs a job now. If they don't let her start early, she's going to have to look for a different job, and they really really want her, and don't want to have to do the whole search again, it takes so long and is so difficult. So, they ask if I can fly home early. Sure, no problem, I don't have to stay for my choir concert if it will help. How early are we talking about? Well, she wants to start March 3rd.

...

..........!!

What?!?!?! Did I hear that correctly? I only have to work here for 10 more days, and then just - that's it? Go home? WOW what just happened here?? I just started my 3 month countdown, and it suddenly got jumped to like 2 weeks! Less than! WHAT? It took a very long time to sink in. Actually, I'm pretty sure it still hasn't entirely sunken in.

So, yes. Next Friday is my last day of work, Saturday is packing, and Sunday is getting on a train. A train, not a plane. I'm not ready to leave Germany yet!!! So, thanks to the grace of God and the generosity of the Ellgens, I am going to live with Brad and Debbie for about a month before flying home. I'll help them out in any way I can, enjoy the rest of my time in Germany, and, of course, see Rob. God is good!

Most of you know this because you were praying for me, but about two weeks ago, I almost quit and came home. I was so sick of dealing with some things, I called my parents crying and asked them to bring me home. After the rest of the day, I had calmed down and thought things through and knew I didn't really want to just up and leave, but at the same time, I was so exhausted from struggling with some of the things here and wanted to give up. Mom reminded me of God's promise that no temptation has overcome us but that which is common to man, and that He will not give us anything we can't handle, but along with it provides a way of escape. I resolved to trust Him and stick out my last 3 months, no matter what, because to say God isn't enough would be terrible. Two weeks later, God has provided my way out - and I didn't have to quit or get fired or anything, AND I get to go back to the Festaburg, which in my opinion beats Disneyland any day for The Happiest Place on Earth.

So, WOW! That's all I can say, wow. I'm still rather overwhelmed by the shock of it all, and a little stressed that my time here has suddenly been chopped, but it's all in God's hands. If any of you think of something you'd like me to bring you from over here, please let me know!! I thought I had a lot more time to work on that, but not anymore!

I'll still keep blogging, even though the Aupair year will be over. And, I'll see you all in April!!

9 Months

2008-02-16T17:23:00.001+01:00

Yes, I have been here 9 months. 3/4 of my year is over!! The last three months have arrived. Wow. 75% done. Wow. Wow. I know, very articulate, aren't I?

So, today was interesting. Remember how I told you that the lady at church wanted me to teach sign for a mother's evening performance or something? Well, I went in today to do that, and found out that I'm really doing something very, very different. (I didn't think my German was that bad!!) Instead of teaching them sign for a song they want to do, I'm choreographing a dance - or two, or three - for them to perform. I get to pick the music, choreograph it, and then teach them. Woo-hoo! Kind of a surprise - but sounds like fun!! I will also hopefully be helping with another group of these kids who are doing sketches and scenes and stuff. Fun fun fun fun fun.

Oh, and I went to IKEA today - SO much fun!! The store is simply amazing. I love it. It excites me like no other. I could spend so many fortunes there!! It's kind of a dangerous place, because it gets me thinking about decorating everything...hmmm :)

Sunshine

2008-02-09T19:54:00.001+01:00

The sun is shining for the FOURTH day in a row!! This is noteworthy!! Beautiful sunshine! How I love it. :) This has been a good weekend. Sleeping in, being sick - okay, so that one's not so good, but at least it's just a cold - driving, shopping, munching, and taking long bike rides through beautiful german countryside. This is what it looks like by me - jealous? :) [if you click you can get it bigger]
Oh, and something cool happened today. I have no voice at the moment, so in church I was signing with all the songs, and one lady happened to take notice and came up to me afterwards. She said she couldn't help but keep watching me, because it was fascinating, and just what she was looking for. Apparently she's planning some kind of mother's evening at the church, and some of the jr high age girls are performing there, and they were looking for some kind of dance or something to do - and she thought sign would be perfect. So next Saterday - and a few after that - I get to teach sign language!! Just to a song or so, but still - exciting!!

OH YEAH

2008-02-08T19:50:00.001+01:00

I almost forgot! Well, I did forget, and then I remembered again. I want to show you all the video from my time at the Festaburg!! Well, here you go. :)

New Year's at the Festaburg (Public Version)

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525,600 Minutes...

2008-02-08T19:17:00.002+01:00

Yes, RENT. Another new favorite musical. The story is...interesting, but my gosh is the music incredible. I've been singing it all week, and physically cannot get it out of my head. There's constantly a mixture of at least 4 songs running around, and I love it. :) I think I'm going to go watch it again....for like the fourth time this week...and I've watched all the extras, too.... :) Oh, and I think I'm in love with the character Mark Cohen. I haven't fallen in love with a movie character since...well, Legolas doesn't count, but before that was Han Solo, or Garrett from Quest for Camelot. This one beats them all.

Anyways, there is another reason for the title. One year ago today, I heard about this job and wrote back. A very simple e-mail, asking for the information just for information's sake, never believing I could actually DO it. I just wanted to know all about it so I could dream and think how cool it would be. I wasn't serious when I told my mom and Aunt Pam about it two days later in line for the VNSA booksale. I'd been looking for nanny jobs around Phoenix, and when she asked how it was going, I said, "Haha, I've found the perfect nanny job."
Oh, really?
"Yeah, guess where?"
Where?
"Germany. Wouldn't that be amazing? Too bad I could never really do it."
Why not?
"Mom - it's Germany. Pack up for a year and just go?"
Yeah, why not?

Well, apparently, she was right, because here I am a year later, 3 months away from the end of my year here. One small step back then...and look how far it's come. It's interesting to think back to what was going on then, with school and choir and OneVoice and trying to find work and roommates and Southwestern and just everything. I miss it. I can already say, I cannot wait to go home. I'm gonna miss it here, and I love Germany, but I'm so close to being ready to come home. Once Rob's deployed, I'm ready to leave here.

The Weather

2008-02-02T21:43:00.001+01:00

Yes, this is a blog about the weather. You know, everyone always talks about talking about the weather as if it were a last-ditch conversation effort, but really, sometimes it really is worth mentioning! If it's been raining for a month solid and you get a morning of blue skies and sunshine, Yes! the weather is an exciting topic! If you live in Phoenix and the sun shines and bakes and fries and broils every single day of the year, and you wake up to the sound of raindrops, Yes! the weather is very exciting! And if it should happen to begin to really storm, YAY! call your friends (we were always 'storm buddies') and get excited together because the weather is so darn exciting!

I cannot wait to go back to having rain be something to look forward to instead of dread. It has rained every day for longer than I can keep count. I can hardly wait for spring. I love rain - in Phoenix. Here...it's just another day that we're mostly stuck playing inside, and it's cold and wet and muddy out. The weather has been mild, between about 2 and 10 degrees over the last couple weeks. Then today's weather was just . . . wow. I woke up to a partly cloudy sky, very excited to see blue. Then it was fully cloudy. Then fully sunny, with dark clouds on the horizon. Got some rain. More sunshine - actually got to wear my sunglasses! Then SNOW. Then sunshine. Then rain. Now it's dark and we can't see the weather anymore. But it's cooold. Woo-hoo. At least the sun has started getting up around 8 and going down at 5:30ish, instead of the mid-winter up at 9 and down by 4. Every day is a little longer....by the time I leave, it will be up at 5ish and down at 11ish. Yay sunlight!!

An Expensive Mistake

2008-02-01T09:54:00.001+01:00

So, I accidentally used up all my phone money. Which is saying something. :( Calling home from my landline here is really super cheap, and I had approx. a 20 euro per month limit. No problem, I maybe used the full twenty once or twice so far. Well, then came this month. Apparently, calling a german cell phone from a german landline is much more expensive than calling an American number from a german landline - who'da thunk it? So, this month, my phone usuage was pretty much the same as normal, just to a different kind of number - and there went the rest of my year's phone money. Ouuuuuch. So, now I get to pay my own phone bill, woo-hoo! I really don't mind that at all. I just feel bad, cause I really had NO IDEA that it cost that much more, and that's a lot of money I used up. I'm not going to mention the number. But I feel bad - more, I feel they're a little, well, disappointed isn't quite the right word, but maybe disapproving? But honestly, it was an accident - I had no idea at all. Dang it.

Ha, and to make things even 'better,' my pre-paid cell phone needs to be re-upped. I never use it, hardly, and haven't had to put more money on it since like July, but the timing would happen right after I have other phone/money issues. Joy.

So, just pray for me? That I don't feel so guilty about this or worry about it so much. Honestly, I hardly slept last night for worrying about it. See, originally there was only one number I couldn't call, and I could still call home and other stuff, so I was confused as to why it wasn't working, and then it stopped working all together, and I knew I'd used up all the money - and spent the whole night worrying about what I had done and what the consequences could be. Fortunately just a mild lecture and having to pay my own, but still.... :( I do feel badly. Very badly. Why does calling a german cell from a german landline have to be so darn expensive???

Growing Up is Uncomfortable

2008-01-30T08:28:00.001+01:00

So, seeing as there's really not all that much going on here, I decided I'd take a break from telling you about my day to day German life and talk about something else.

Who am I? Really. I have changed so much this year - and still am - that I hardly recognize myself anymore. I've become, in some ways, a totally different person than the girl I was when I left home, but I still carry around that old image as if it were still who I am, which causes some serious internal conflict when the contrasts collide. Sort of a conflict between who I was, or who I thought I was, who I really am now, who I think I am, and who I think I should be. I think part of this comes from being so isolated, I have too much time to spend with myself and think about me. I cannot tell you how wonderful it will be to come home to my friends! I really do have a lot of time for reflection, for introspection. I'm not always sure I like who I see. I'm not always sure the changes are good - and then I'm not always sure who I was before was as good, either, even though I was perfectly content to be that way. Part of me wishes to go back, part of me wishes to leap forward to who I can be, but most of me just wishes that who I am wasn't such an uncomfortable jumble of confusion about who that is.

Something Worth Mentioning

2008-01-23T20:08:00.001+01:00

I just got my first kiss! From Flori, that is. He and Benni have been running into my room all night and running back out again, but just now they ran in, and Flori said, "Nacht, Nacht, Nacht Joua!" (pronounced Yo-wa, and "nacht" is "gute Nacht," which is goodnight) and then made little kissing noises, and gave me a good night kiss! And then Benni said, me too! I feel so loved by my boys. First kiss after 8 months!

For Daddy

2008-01-17T10:58:00.001+01:00

Dad is complaining that I haven't blogged recently or often enough for him to enjoy living vicariously through my foreign living arrangements, so here I am! Not much of note has happened this last week or so, which is why I haven't had much to say. The weather yesterday was odd, though, because it was a good 10 degrees outside, the sun was shining, and I was able to go outside in short sleeves and drive with the windows down and use sunglasses. HOW FUN IS THAT? I tell you, I am so looking forward to being in Phoenix where it's warm and the sun shines. I know it's hot - miserably, unbearably hot at times - but it's better than being cold! The days are slowly starting to get a little longer here, which is exciting, too. And I saw my most colorful sunrise yet the other day!

So, there you see how exciting the week has been - a blog about the weather! hee hee I promise the next one will be more interesting, cause this weekend's gonna be fun. ;)

New Year's @ the Festaburg

2008-01-07T21:32:00.002+01:00

Ah! I'm actually sad to be back, I had SO MUCH FUN the last 10 days, I cannot even describe it. As most of you know, Larissa was in Germany, working for the Ellgens at their hospitality house in Baumholder this month and I got to visit her. It was heaven. I got to spend 10 days with my bestest best friend, making new friends, and being AMERICAN.

There were two soldiers staying with Brad and Debbie almost the whole time, Rob and Brad, and Nellie came along at the end. Lots happened, and I have lots of pictures, and yet neither the words I write nor the pictures I show can capture this whole weekend. I laughed a lot more than I have in a long time, I was challenged in my thinking, I grew in my faith, I made new friends, I got to work, I got to stay up late and sleep in and use every hour of my day, I got to play, I got to sing and dance, I got to eat salsa(!), and most importantly: I got to spend time with my twin.

Since she was actually there as a missions trip and not just a visit, we got to do some work. We painted the apartment downstairs, which was fun, even though we had to do one ceiling twice. We got to cook, and helped clean up afterwards, too. Like Debbie said, I think we spent a great majority of our time preparing for a meal, eating a meal, or cleaning up after a meal. Yay food! I got to eat AMERICAN food!! Not a single boiled potato all week long! We had quesadillas, and chips and slasa, and Aunt Lauri's mexican soup, and American-style pizza, and fried chicken, and cornbread casserole, and just so much more. Debbie's an amazing cook. I felt very special, too, when I came down to lunch one day, and Rob had brought me Taco Bell from on post. Mmmmmmmm.

We had a couple misadventures. On my first whole day there (Friday), my eye decided to burn and turn red and swell up and be generally miserable, which was no fun. That was the worst misadventure. Another time, we were disposing of the Christmas tree (throwing it off the balcony to land 3 stories down was Brad's idea), and we discovered as it landed with a "crash, tinkle tinkle" that it was not fully undecorated. The worst - and only cause it was COLD - was when we came back from Trier with Laura and Nina to find ourselves locked out of the Festaburg. We told Laura and Nina they could leave us outside so they could drive home before the roads got too icy, or we'd have been sitting in their car forever. Not having Brad's cell number, we were stuck outside. Fortunately, Rob remembered that the furnace room outside is unlocked, so we crowded in there, because while not really warmer than outside, it blocked the wind, and so we huddled in among the ladders and old tools till Brad and Debbie came back.

New Year's was fun, we set off FIREWORKS! Not like sparklers and firecrackers, though we had those, but like real, light-them-and-run-far-away, shoot-up-way-high-in-the-air-and-go-boom FIREWORKS!! It was SO COOL!!! Even Larissa, who has always been petrified of fireworks, not only stayed outside, but launched one herself!

What else did we do...there were Bible studies on Friday nights, and Larissa and I babsyat. We took a day trip into Mainz and saw the Gutenberg Museum. We took a day trip into Trier with Laura and Nina. We took a walk up to the Frauenberg castle, and I got to sing! We took a long walk and talked about learning and reading and a great many other things after completing all the homework Brad gave us. We played a zillion card games and watched a hundred movies. We spent quality time with one another being relational. We went on a Volksmarch. We took many, many pictures and lots of videos. We laughed and we cried. We had so much fun, and it was so very, very hard for me to get in the Smart and drive away. Larissa I'll see in less than 5 months, but the soliders are about to go on deployment, and Brad and Debbie are still in Baumholder. I'd love to go back to this last Saturday and just freeze time right there. It was the best New Year's I've ever had, that's for sure. Thanks, all.

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

2007-12-23T14:42:00.001+01:00

So, yesterday, this world was really a winter wonderland. Everything froze so much - again - that it was gorgeously white, and the sun was shining and the sky was a perfect clear blue. This is one way I know God loves me - He sends me sunny days on weekends, when I can truly enjoy them. So, I went out photographing everything I could, went to the Haus im Moor, drove around back-country Germany, and went walking in my favorite spot in the woods. Just gorgeous. And it's a good thing I did this yesterday, because today it's a whole 3 degrees and things have melted, it's drizzly, foggy, and for some reason the entire world has a sickly, yellowish cast to it. Eew.

So, yes, there are lots of pictures, but I can't resist showing them off, because God's creation is so breathtakingly beautiful! Walking around in the silence, hearing the frost fall in showers from the frozen branches, and seeing the brilliant blue of the sky and the shining white of all the ice - it was an incredible afternoon.

I am officially done with ALL wrapping of gifts, eagerly awaiting getting to put them under the tree and watch the kids open them. We don't decorate the tree till tomorrow, I've been told. I really have no idea what the next two days are going to be like, I'm just going with the flow. Whee! It doesn't really feel like Christmas...it's going to be very different. With all the traditins gone, though, it really brings back the focus on why I celebrate Christmas. Without the comfort of my family around me, the only one I have to run to is Jesus Himself, because He never leaves me alone, and that is a comforting thought.

O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum

2007-12-21T16:58:00.001+01:00

So, several hours and quite a few purchases later, here I am again! I know, two blogs on one day, but hey. I'm now finished my Christmas shopping! At least until I see Larissa...she's here!! I got to talk to her on Wednesday when she got here, and I am SO STINKING EXCITED to get to see her!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We did get our Christmas tree today. I think we don't decorate it until Christmas Eve day, though. That's also when presents are exchanged, so I don't know what one actually does on Christmas. I know I will be spending a good deal of it on the webcam, watching my parents and sister open presents at home! Hooray for technology.

I swear it's getting colder, my hands feel like fire after being outside walking around for so long. (I miss malls!) It certainly has gotten foggier since I was writing earlier, I can't even see across the street now. Glad I'm done driving for the day! Nothing to do now but sit back and relax - or scramble secretly to wrap and hide all my gifts for people. I love Christmas! :)

Oh, and yes. I wanted to show you more pictures that I had fun taking of the almost-snow today, since I only got one uploaded to the last one before I remembered I had limited last-minute shopping time. Here you go! Oh! (again) I think one of the wierdest things I've ever seen is frosted spider webs. The house here is COVERED with them, and now they're all broken with the weight of the ice, so there's these thick white strings hanging everywhere, and it looks odd. (see slide picture)

Let it Snow, Let it Snow,

2007-12-21T13:51:00.001+01:00

Oh PLEASE, God, let it snow!!! It's SO CLOSE, I can see it, feel it, taste it, touch it - and it's not here. The high has been -5, so if it does snow, it will stick. Everything froze last night, and there's a thick fog, so the world is white - but no snow. It's still lovely, and a thick frost like this is almost good enough to be snow - but I really, really, really realy reallyreallyreallyreally want SNOW! I'm freezing, there should be a beautiful reason to be this cold! A white Christmas! Ein weißes Weihnachten! Please?!?

So, school's out, and work's out, and I still need to finish my Christmas shopping. YIKES! I should get working on that...now....

Christmas Can't Be Very Far Away

2007-12-17T13:15:00.001+01:00

Which is funny, because I was just thinking seemingly yesterday how far away it was still, and now I only have one week left to find the last two gifts on my list. Eek! Then next Friday, I GET TO SEE LARISSA!!!! Isn't that a THRILLIFYING THOUGHT??? I'm a little excited, in case you couldn't tell. I'll get to spend 10 days with her and Brad and Debbie. Woo-hoo!!

So, what's happened since I've written last. It's been a busy holiday season so far, with Christmas parties everywhere - school, kindergarten, work, and this week I have two for my house-group from the church and for choir. Yesterday was our choir concert, J.S. Bach's Weihnachts-Oratorium. I sang it two (three?) years ago with Phoenix Symphony Chorus, too. It's a fun piece - and a harder one you're not likely to find. But I officially have the first three parts memorized! Yay me? We sang with an orchestra from Osnabrueck and four professional soloists. They were all wonderful, but the tenor and the bass - woah. Astounding. The whole thing went very, very well. It was sad not to have anyone in the audience to watch me, though. :(

What else has been going on...last Friday was fun, Celeste and I went out to the Weihnachtsmarkt and the movies. She's an Aupair from my German class, she's from South Africa and a Christian, too! What more could I ask for in a friend over here? It's so exciting to have a friend! haha (no, really...) We went and saw Der Goldene Kompass (try translating that one, it's realyl hard), which was really good, even in German. I was watching specifically for any anti-God whatnot and didn't find any, so I don't really see why people were putting up such a big fuss about it.

Other than that, there's just been fun with baking! Warning for all who dare attempt this recipe: Marshmallow Creme Fudge is sticky business!!

Morgen kommt der

2007-12-06T22:11:00.001+01:00

Weihnachtsman! Well, not. Last night der Nikolaus came, though. A little info about German Christmastime. December 6th is the day that Sankt Nikolaus (St. Nicholas) comes and fills the children's boots with mandarin oranges and apples and nuts and chocolates, and on December 24th the Christkind (Christ child) comes and gives them their big presents. So, yesterday afternoon we cleaned up the kids' boots and set them outside the front door, including a little one for Lennard, and stuck their wishlists inside for Nikolaus to take (to give to the Christkind? I don't know.)

This morning we woke up, and I came downstairs to find Tina rejoicing over the chocolate and small gift left in her boot. When I went back into my dark entryway to put on my shoe, I narrowly avoided squashing an unexpected surprise in my shoe. Wow, der Nikolaus found my tennis shoe, even though it wasn't outside! How nice of him! He also sent me the coolest cd ever - Die Schöne und das Biest (Beauty and the Beast, in German). (thanks again mom!!!!!) (now I really want to watch a Disney movie - particularly this one!) (sorry for all the parentheses.) (really.)

Then tonight, as we were sitting around after dinner and the kids were watching tv, Tina just about shrieks and runs in to cling to me out of fear because "a man knocked on the window." Maybe it was der Nikolaus? She was terrified, almost in tears, and apparently it happened again. I didn't hear it either time. But with Florian on my hip and Tina clinging desperately on my other arm, and Benni laughing at the "Angsthasen" (scaredy rabbits), we opened the door to see if someone was there. Presents! Three bags full of even more chocolate for the kids, and on a second look later, two plates of even MORE chocolate, one of which was for me! I feel so special. First an advent's calendar full of chocolatey goodness, then a shoe full, and now a plate full. I love the Christmas season. ;)

For the most humorous description of the St. Nikolaus holiday I've ever heard - thanks to Brad Ellgen - go read this: David Sedaris's 6 to 8 Black Men.

It's beginning to look a lot like

2007-12-01T15:06:00.002+01:00

Christmas! Yes, it's finally December! Wow! How exciting is that?? Very!! The first day of advent's calendars is here! haha I helped Christiane make calendars for the kids, they're rather sepectacular. I remember advent's calendars as being flat, with little doors you open and find a chocolatey surprise. Well, they seem to be a bit of a bigger deal here. We spent about 3 1/2 hours making them, because you have to make all the little pieces, fill them, glue them together, and stick them on. It was fun!! here in the picture, you can see me building it. I was very sticky afterwards. Then it was so sweet, because I woke up this morning and came into my living room and found an advent's calendar hanging on my wall! Tina and Benni filled it up for me.

We've decorated the front door, there's a string of star lights on the wardrobe, I have strings of red beads in my room (I need to buy some lights!), and there's a silly santa sitting in my chair. My favorite, though, is driving through town. The main street is lined with real Christmas trees, in various stages of decoration, and there are lights! It looks so pretty! Now, I just need to praaaaaaaay for snow! I want my first white Christmas! It all looks so lovely. And the Weihnachtsmarkts (Christmas markets) have begun in cities all over the country. That's very exciting - I can hardly wait for tonight so I can go to my first one!

On the first day of...

2007-11-26T21:46:00.001+01:00

SNOW! YES, SNOW! I LIVE SOMEWHERE WITH SNOW!! Isn't that exciting?!?! There we were, sitting in German class, when the teacher looks out the window and says, oh, it's snowing. What?!? Celeste and I (my fellow desert dweller, shivering here in the frozen north) ask for permission then run outside. SNOW! It was too warm for it to stay on the ground, but it was coming down pretty thick, and it was beautiful! Sadly, I didn't have my camera dabei any of the times it snowed, because I was either in class or driving. But still! It snowed! And I have high hopes for more! I'm dreaming of a white Christmas....

Then, today was full. We made cookies! Watching four kids (Lena was over) and trying to bake cookies and clean up all at the same time is a handful. And tomorrow I get the kids all alone, all day long. Eek! A true test of my abilities. But yes, the first cookies of the season! Woo-hoo!! I love this time of year!!!!!

Tiffany's Trip

2007-11-25T15:21:00.001+01:00

Well, this was a fun weekend. Tiffany Pritchard took a weekend out of her semester abroad in England to come visit. Now, this is especially interesting when you realize the fact that we've technically never met before...but don't worry, neither of us are totally random strangers. She went to NCS, too, for a bit, and we had a great many of the same friends there, so we've talked before and heard stories on one another. The thing is, when you're over here, if anyone you know - or sort of know - is on the same continent, you just have to get together. You can't let something like that pass you by!

She flew in Thursday night and I picked her up, and Friday morning we set out at a nice dark 7 am for Munich. The drive is about 8 hours, and since it was the day after Thanksgiving - despite Thanksgiving not existing in Germany - we listened to Christmas music the whole way there. Our goal was Dachau, one of the largest concentration camps, which still stands as a memorial today. We got in about 4:30, meaning it was already dark, and there was still some snow laying on the roofs and the gravel was icy. The first time I ever visited a concentration camp was 7 years ago when PCC went to Mathausen in Austria. I'll never forget the experience, but I think this one was even more impacting. Perhaps it's just because we were in Mathausen on a sunny summer's day, and here in Dachau we visited in the dark, the bitingly cold and windy and wet late fall. Walking across the roll call area between the main building and the barracks, it really made me think a lot more about what life there might actually have been like. You can go into one of the two remaining barracks and see where the prisoners lived, and I can't imagine how awful, and how cold, it must have been. The walls and floors are bare wood, the beds three on top of eachother, no space in between - at one point a room that was supposed to house 60 men held about 400, crammed into these beds. There's a museum in the old kitchen/office building at the camp, across the parade ground from the barracks. We didn't have enough time Friday night to look through all of it, because the memorial closes at 5, so we came back Saturday morning to get another chance to go through. There's so much information, so much horror and pain and tragedy. There was a Nazi demonstration in Vechta last weekend, and it makes me wonder, after seeing things like this, how can people possibly want to go back to that? I know it's just a select, sick few who venerate the Nazi way of life, but how can someone even think of doing this to another human? It makes me ill.
So, the rest of the trip was fun. We stayed overnight in Munich in a hostel, a first for both of us. Happily, none of the horror stories we've all heard were true for us. The hostel was clean and safe and pleasant. There were four other girls in our room, two of whom were British and we spoke to for about a minute before going to bed, two others we only saw as shapes in dark beds as we left early the next morning. After our second forray into Dachau, we went to downtown Munich for souvenirs and the like. In the process, I encounted the most annoying parking experience EVER. We waited in line to get into the parking garage for a good 40 minutes. Yes. Really. It - and the others - were so full that you had to wait at the ticket machine until someone left, then go hunt down their old parking spot. Ha. I had to try and park at AZ Mills on Black Friday last year. Europe, not having Thanksgiving, must do everything the Saturday after, because this was i.n.s.a.n.e. Parking at the mall would have been a breeze compared to this.

We walked around the festive and decorative downtown Munich for a couple hours, enjoying the Christmas-specialty smells and fighting the crowds. The only time I've seen anything here this crowded is the day we went to Heidelberg. Lots and lots and lots and lots of people! But it was fun nonetheless. Then, sadness, it was time to go home. Back in the car with the Christmas music! We had no traffic on the autobahns the whole weekend, but getting out of Munchen was gridlock for a looong time. Then there was the adventure of trying to find food and not being able to, of Jane not sticking to the windshield because she was cold, and of adventuring trying to find our way home because the autobahn (#33) was closed and we had to try and find our way in the dark because Jane was insistent on taking it. Whee. Fun times.

Up again this morning to beautiful sunshine and blue skies! It has since changed and is drearily gray and cold and rainy out, but on our way to the airport it was lovely. Tiffany is now back in England, and going home in 2 weeks! Wow. Part of me almost wishes I was here for a semester thing like that, but everyone says the last 6 months go by SO fast, so here's hoping!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2007-11-22T13:09:00.001+01:00

Thanksgiving is my fourth favorite holiday, unless you count Christmas Eve and Christmas as one, in which case it becomes my third favorite holiday. I love sleeping in a little, sitting in my pajamas and watching the Macy's parade, seeing the sun streaming through the windows in that way it only does on holidays. I love the festive feeling that makes me smiley, and wish that the parade would drag on a little longer before I have to start cleaning and cooking. I love having the whole family over and eating - even though I'm really not fond of turkey - and eating and eating some more, and then starting on the dessert (mmmmm pie!). I love decorating the house in fall colors and turkeys and leaves and pumpkins, which somehow we never seem to remember to do until Thanksgiving morning, and it all gets cleared away the next day for all the CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS!!!

This year, things are different, although I am very thankful that God sent me that special holiday sunshine here in the sun-forgotten land of Germany. Imagine - seeing the blue sky! What a treat! And not freezing without three layers of long sleeves on! Incredible! And I still got to do some cleaning because Tiffany's coming tonight, so it sort of does feel like Thanksgiving. I'll scrounge on youtube and find some old Macy's clips to complete my day. :) No pumpkin pie, though.

So, some things I'm thankful for.

♥ My family!! Who knew I'd ever miss them so much?
♥ My friends, who keep me sane.
♥ all the people - YOU - at home, who are praying for me
♥ The chance to live in another country - and the fact that it's halfway done!
♥ the hope I have, all because of what God has done for me
♥ the sunshine
♥ all the little ways God blesses me and sends smiles into my days

Then there are future thanks:
♥ getting away for the weekend
♥ getting to see Larissa next month!!
♥ getting to listen to CHRISTMAS MUSIC tomorrow!!!!

Another Day

2007-11-19T21:45:00.001+01:00

Today is rather how I thought life here would be - a very typical aupair day. Wake up to a smile, take people to school, go to German class, come home, do homework, eat lunch, grab a nap before spending the afternoon playing fetch and being a stoplight for racing traktors and pushing swings, seeing the most colorful sunset here to date (this picture is at 4:15 pm) then coming in (to a nice warm fire after FREEZING outside) and playing after setting the table, picking up, eating dinner, helping get kids to bed, and spending a lovely evening reading by the fire and listening to the German "Who Wants to be a Millionaire," before coming upstairs to call my bestie on her birthday, finishing travel plans, and settling down for one more chapter of HP7 (third time in as many months, I know, I know) with my cup of Kamille tea and a couple cookies before bed. Just a good day.

Eek!

2007-11-17T21:40:00.001+01:00

So, due to some random whim of the internet, my blog seems to have been deleted, but here I am re-instated on the same site, so we'll just continue from here. After all, it's a new leaf to go with the fact that -

I've been here 6 months!!!!

Can you believe it?!?!? I can't hardly believe it! From now on, every day that I am here means that I have been here longer than I have until I go home. Counting down and not up. Half-way!! Not that I'm so terribly anxious to leave already, but it's a huge thing. Think: I have been living in Germany, in Europe, for half a year! Half-way! What a concept.

Oh, and its amazing how much of a lift one can get from talking with one's best friend for the first time in 4 months. :)

Anyways, if you could all continue to keep me in your prayers, it'd be much appreciated. What with holidays approaching, the homesickness is creeping in! Eek. And pray that Tiffany and I have a safe trip next weekend, that everything goes well!