I know I have to still write about our trip to France. It was wonderful and I took over 500 pictures, so I'm sorting, editing, and deciding what to share! Today has been and will be a busy day. I had a PWOC board meeting today, which was great. We got everything talked about and shared many laughs, and even one thing I didn't think would be possible happened today. I needed to purchase tarts (like candles sort of) to give as a gift, and didn't think there was time for it to be paid for, but it was! Awesome huh?! I meet with the Chaplain's assistant at 2 pm to get my tarts to had out as a love gift for our deployed spouses. As soon as that's done, our family will be heading to my dear friend Jen's house, which is 30 minutes away. She's having a birthday party for 2 of her girls (she has 6 AMAZING children and she see's her children as BLESSINGS). Chad went to Powerzone (our electronics store through AAFES) to measure tv's and get an idea of what he wants. I told him to get a new flat screen tv, as far as I know he is not buying it today. He is then taking the boys to get the vaccination they each need, then to sign Jack up for soccer and Jacob up for football. Chad will be coaching both of them! Yes, he's going to be one busy man!

Besides all the "busy" stuff, spiritually GOD's been all over me. It's amazing to see him and how he's working, and frustrating to see Satan come in and try to stop things. I am reminded though that when Satan tries to butt in, that I'm following GOD's will for me. One of the things I did a couple months ago in listening and obeying is that I suggested a bible study for PWOC for this fall or spring session. Well we're doing it and I'm facilitating it this fall! It's Beth Moore's Esther! I got my leader's kit yesterday and just dug in! Read through my leaders hand book (front to back! LOL), and started in on the actual study itself. I haven't watched the dvd yet, that will come tonight or tomorrow. A few ladies who know about the study are already telling me they want to be in the class, which is exciting to me. To know that GOD once again will be using Beth Moore to bless me, by sharing his word and getting me to see his word in possibly a whole new light, to make me dig deep into his word and really grow an even more intimate relationship with our Lord.

I will be giving another devotion in 2 weeks. I don't have a clue what I'll be talking about, but yesterday heard GOD telling me that it was time to get back up there in front of these women and share his message, so I'm obeying and know that what ever it is he wants me to share, I'll do it and all for HIS glory.

Have a blessed day!

Bonjour

Hello from France! We're just outside of Reims, France. Tomorrow we'll get up and head into the city and do some sight seeing and then head on West. We'll be driving through Paris (so pray for us and our sanity if you would), and will end up in Caen, which is in the Normandy region, about 1-2 hours from our final destination which is a B&B close to the coast.

So far.....Nous avons un temps merveilleux. Demain nous serons arrêtants et visitants la ville de Caen. Ce fait partie de la région de la Normandie. Alors mercredi où nous arriverons à notre destination, un lit de maison de ferme - et - déjeuner, nous restera là pendant 3 nuits. Nous visiterons les plages et les cimetières américains et britanniques jeudi et vendredi. Nous commencerons alors notre maison de voyage. Arrêtant et voyageant Metz, samedi. Nous resterons la nuit là. Diriger alors à la maison le dimanche.


Ok so to translate that, I went to this site: http://dictionary.reference.com/translate
Have fun! :)

Importance of a Dad

So here in Germany we don't have "regular" tv, we have what's called AFN aka Armed Forced Network. No commercials. AFN created "spots", it's their own little versions of commericals you could say. A lot of factual spots about the US and Europe, military information, timelines, etc and these sort of spots!!!! This is my absolute FAVORITE!!!!!!!! I found it on another blog that I read and was so excited! LOL I know it's kind of sad, but I love it!!!! So enjoy!

Enjoying Life

The title says it all! I'm simply enjoying life as it is, living with Chad home again is a blessing. We had that one bump a few days ago, but it was just that a bump, as we all have them. I am sure we'll have a few more before the end of his leave (vacation), but we'll get through those too!

We're looking forward to our trip to Normandy and just driving across France and seeing other cities! Today we went to a lunch, it was a thank you lunch for helping with VBS a few weeks ago, and they let Chad go. We went to a great pizzaria/Italian place, Salino's..yum! We're definitely going back, it's one we hadn't been too, sadly, but now we have and loved it! There was childcare being provided so we were able to have a nice lunch with adults! That's a rare treat!! After we finished and went and picked up the kids, we were off to Graf (another Army post about 1 hr away). We went to the PX and commissary, picked up a few things we'd been wanting, enjoyed our time there, ate Taco Bell (we don't have that here at our post), and then came home. We drove through what's called "Little Swiss", which is just so beautiful. (feel free to do a search, you'll see some beautiful pictures). We're going to go back next week, we'll be going to Pottenstein. There's a ride there called the Alpine Slide, it's a blast, and we'll also be going to the caves and going through them! Chad's not been to the slide, and when we stopped and looked at it he said "oh we're definitely coming here next week!", so there's one fun thing we'll do next week. I think we may also go to Playmobil next week as well.

After our France trip, we're going to Czech. We're going to the Flea Market, and possibly going into Prague too, I'm hoping! :) Prague is only 4 hours from us, but I told him he needs to decide by the weekend, so I can start doing searches and finding us a place to stay at if we are going. It's tourist season so it's not going to be quite as easy. If I can't find us a place in our budget then we'll just wait until early fall and go then and maybe do it on a 4 day weekend, and we'll pick a less "hot spot" to go to if that's the case!

Well, nothing else to really write about tonight.

Have a blessed weekend!

Not Me Monday

Today was not a better day, and I was not in a better mood over all.

Chad did not come home today and then take the boys canoeing , and they did not have a wonderful time!

I did not enjoy having a girls only day and remember how easy it is with just one child! LOL

When Chad came home I did not hurry and get ready and go out ALONE 100% ALONE to see a movie, The Proposal. I did not really like it!!

I most definitely did not enjoy my quiet walk home from the movie!

I am not sick and tired of all the Michael Jackson love fest. I do not think he was a pervert and think people have lost their minds in making him into a saint. I do not literally gag at times when I see the stuff. I surely do not change the tv channel as quickly as possible.

I was not up until 5 AM last night because I could not sleep and did not end up watching a
movie called "Dad" with Ted Danson and did not cry a few times.

I am not ready for Chad to start block leave, so we can start cleaning and rearranging!

I do not smell cigerette smoke right now and am not gagging. I do NOT HATE smoking and really do not mind the fact that I have to ingest their cancer causing agents.

I am NOT excited that I have lost 15 lbs so far, many more to go, but hey I'm not proud of myself for this nice start!!

I am not slightly concered about what we'll be eating while driving across France, since I've heard that on a moderate budget the food is NOT good (a country that's food is, you get what you pay for...yikes~!)

I am not excited to go to Normandy, to experience the beauty and the history. To share with the boys what Normandy means. To explore the rest of the area as well.

Lets be honest here

My husband's home after being deployed to Iraq for nearly 14 months and well many would think I'm floating on cloud 9, but here's the reality, I'm rather grouchy. Part of it is most definitely hormones. The other part though is that it's a hard transition. Really hard, when you are used to doing everything yourself, and then he comes home and wants everything to be back to "normal", wants to jump back in...part of me wants that, the other part though is screaming "NO, that's my job". It's crazy because it's what I've been waiting for, but it's a transition and we're only on day 4 of his return. I've been snippy with him all day, and there's been no reason for it, except I'm being a pain in his butt. He's tired and deserves to take a nap, I'm tired and really desire to take one (or 50) myself. The bad thing is, I wake up normally grouchy from my naps, so it's best that I not take one. Finding this balance is going to take a while, so there's my prayer request. Pray that we find that balance. This is not our first go around of reintegration. This is our 5th. There's still bumps we have to get through, there's still the discoveries of how this deployment has changed us for the good and the bad, and working through those changes together.

Now the kids are doing great, especially the boys. They just seem to have went right back into having Dad home. Emma's on her way as well, she really likes having Daddy around, although she still wants me quite often, even when it'd be just as good to go to Dad. She's already woken up one morning calling for Daddy over me, so she's getting used to him being here! LOL

Right now Chad's still going through reintegration, a few more days of that and then he'll start his leave. We will go to France in a couple of weeks, so in the mean time we'll be doing local things I think. Chad's yet to make up his mind for sure. I know we'll go to a couple indoor water parks, probably Legoland, Playmobil, and over to Little Swiss.

Thank you for all your support and most of all your prayers, they mean so much.

We'll get through this bump in the road and come out stronger!

God Bless

Pictures, Pictures

He's Home!!!!

He's home! We had to be at the gym last night at 7:45. We got the first call that they were in Germany a little after 5, and then at 7 got another call that we needed to be at the gym in 45 minutes. I had to call the 5 ladies under me, get dressed, fix my hair, put on make up, and make sure the kids were dressed and drive to the gym. So no time to update! It was really a whirl wind!

Once home we had dinner together as a FAMILY (I'd made enchilada casserole..simple, easy, and good!)...he played with the kids and we just hung out for a while. Emma wouldn't let go of him, it was the sweetest thing ever! The smile on her face has barely left since last night!!! The boys are just insanely happy. It's so hard to describe everything, it's definitely an atmosphere that you simply have to be there to truly understand.

I'll get some pictures up here in the next day or two. We're going swimming after Emma's up from her nap and Chad will join us when he's done with his 1st day of reintegration if he's not home before we leave.

Well I need to go. Thank you for all the support and love.

Today's the Day!

It's 11:15 AM Wednesday and no call yet. I'm about to lose my mind. I got 2 1/2 hours of sleep last night, have a ton of laundry to fold right now, because the boys pulled out all the laundry they've throw all over their floor...so ultimately I have rewashed a lot of "clean" clothes that got stepped on...as in 10 loads. Yes I know insanity. They've been very blessed the last few months in recieving hand me downs from friends and they just went to the floor....lets just say I was furious!

So I'm doing laundry, folding it, and putting it away.

Ok so the phone rang, it wasn't THE phone call, it was a friend who wants to come and she told me that she heard 3 or 4, from a pretty reliable source. Whether that is true not sure, but considering it's noon now, that's starting to look pretty realistic.

If I have time I'll write another update, or I'll try to remember to put it on twitter!

God Bless