Packages -
While stationed outside the US or away from family and friends, packages from home are a very welcome diversion. We eagerly look forward to "mail time" and check our box frequently if we know something is on the way. And sometimes we are surprised by packages we didn't know were coming. Even things I ordered online feel a bit like Christmas. It is just comforting for some reason. And having friends and family send us cards, letters, and packages reminds us that we are loved and missed in a very tangible way. And it is amazing how timely these little remembrances can be.
The first package I got - from Karissa - came when I just felt like a big crybaby. I was having a hard time coping with sad, distraught babies and with a husband who was never home and the temporary nature of a borrowed car and living in our friends' home. The package comes, with all sorts of "I thought of you" goodies, and suddenly I remember I am remembered, and I can focus on who I really am. Full of JOY, full of HAPPINESS, and able to cope because I know God will not give us more than we can handle.
Then last Saturday we had a particularly bad day. We learned we had lost the pregnancy that we had so eagerly anticipated. Brad was on call, so I had to drive myself home from the hospital. We checked the mail as we were leaving, and there was a card from Briana. See what I mean about timeliness? I am having one of the toughest days of my life, can't even go home to cry in the arms of my sad husband, and I have this sweet, warm, full of uplifting thoughts and full of love letter from a friend who is thinking about us. And sweet pictures her son drew for Joshua and Jacob. I read the card about 20 times, trying to help myself focus on blessings and conquer the sadness that threatened to overwhelm me. It helped, it really helped, and having such a tangible expression of caring helped a lot.
And last week we got a package from Amy. My sweet sister always manages to figure out a way to show us how much she cares and misses us. It included cold weather clothing for Joshua, long pants in size 4, long sleeve shirts, a hoodie, etc. And then we got another package a few days later of the raspberry chipotle sauce we love, as well as some red plum jam (my absolute fav) and a new flavor of sauce we hadn't tried, mango ginger habanero. Fischer and Wieser, based out of Fredricksburg, TX, makes the best sauces. Good for grilling, pouring over cream cheese and making into an appetizer, as dips for chicken tenders or even for mixing with olive oil and balsamic vinegar for a salad dressing. But, it is not always easy to find these sauces and particularly not here. So she sent us 8 jars of sauce and 3 jars of jam. The box was pretty heavy, but they had carefully wrapped everything, and only 1 jar of sauce broke. Brad and I tried out the mango last night - amazing! So nice to have this little "taste" of home.
ANOTHER Move In Date Change -
We are now moving in on MONDAY! Woohoo! And it turns out all our stuff may be here already. Apparently, I was supposed to call when I arrived, not wait for them to contact us. I do remember being told that at my move briefing, but for the life of me couldn't recall it when I arrived! So, we could have had the drop off scheduled already. We will do what we can, though, to have it scheduled as soon as we can. Nice to know that it might already all be here. We are that much closer to having it all together!! More or less. I can't wait to reintroduce Joshua to his bike. He is so excited! And I think when he is surrounded by his toys and our familiar things he will begin to feel like he is home.
Joshua has been sleeping in a twin sized bed since we arrived here. He really seems to like it, and it makes me think he won't be so excited about seeing his toddler bed again. We are thinking about buying him a bunkbed, one with a full sized bed on bottom and twin sized on top, if we can find it. I have seen metal versions of this here, so they must have wooden ones, too, right?
Both boys have been sick this week, but they are on the mend today. Brad and I had a bet about what Joshua had. Brad bet he had parainfluenza. I bet he had anything else. Turns out, we were both right. He has parainfluenza and the rhino virus. Luckily, no H1N1 as suspected. So we either both won the bet or we both lost. I am going with we both won!!
Friday, September 25, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
A Change in Plans. Again. *sigh*
We have the Pilot! Yahoo! The boys were very excited and we celebrated with some pizza at Pizza Hut that they barely touched because they are not feeling very good. And a little worrisome is that it turns out one of the ladies at the baby shower this weekend has popped positive for the Swine flu, and with our boys symptoms there is a chance they have it. We are swabbing their noses and getting it checked out today. Mostly because Brad is betting Joshua has parainfluenza and I am betting he has anything else. We like to bet and the test will let us know what he has. We have never really been worried about the Swine flu, but it doesn't hurt to be cautious and at least find out what they have. And if there is a chance I can win a bet, well, all the better!
So we have had a change in plans. The house won't be available Saturday, after all, so we are not going to be able to move in until Tuesday the 28th at the earliest. Not news I was expecting or hoping for, clearly, but it is just a weekend, right? And since we are going to a fun festival with some new friends, hopefully it will fly by. Assuming kids are well. Hoping the kids are well.
So we have had a change in plans. The house won't be available Saturday, after all, so we are not going to be able to move in until Tuesday the 28th at the earliest. Not news I was expecting or hoping for, clearly, but it is just a weekend, right? And since we are going to a fun festival with some new friends, hopefully it will fly by. Assuming kids are well. Hoping the kids are well.
The Move Date, the Car, and the Unaccompanied Baggage!!
So, this coming Saturday is M DAY! The current renters of our house will be moving out Thursday and Friday, so Saturday it is ALL OURS! Our move in date. I can hardly contain my excitement. Our own home again, each boy in their own room so that I can finally let Jacob just sort out his sleep issues again. A backyard for the boys!! We are headed to Toys R Us this week to buy a sand box and a trampoline - we need these as soon as possible!! And did you know there was a Toys R Us here? Crazy.
There are a few problems, though. We aren't sure if we will have internet immediately, and when we do get it we may not have speed much quicker than dial up. Apparently satellite is an option, so we are looking into that. Not sure how I will survive without internet!! All that to say, we may be even MORE out of contact after Friday.
Today we are going to pick up the Pilot. It arrived on Saturday but with Brad working so much and other things going on, we haven't been able to get over there. I am especially excited about Joshua seeing it again. He has been asking for "our car" for awhile, and frequently asks when we are going to give Mr. Sean back his car. (Sean is a co worker of Brad's who had a second car he loaned to us. God is consistently providing for us!) So Brad will come in a few minutes to pick us up so we can go get the car.
And our first round of household goods will be here Saturday as well. That includes the crib and toddler bed, bedding, boys clothes, some essentials like towels and kitchenware, etc. Brandi and Kate came by the Wednesday before the movers came and helped me sort out all I would need to have quickly delivered and they were very good at picking out what I couldn't. So, I am eager to greet our first delivery! Brad is happy because it includes the TV. I think the boys will be glad, too, although the portable DVD player has been wonderful.
So, the next day to look forward to is SATURDAY!
There are a few problems, though. We aren't sure if we will have internet immediately, and when we do get it we may not have speed much quicker than dial up. Apparently satellite is an option, so we are looking into that. Not sure how I will survive without internet!! All that to say, we may be even MORE out of contact after Friday.
Today we are going to pick up the Pilot. It arrived on Saturday but with Brad working so much and other things going on, we haven't been able to get over there. I am especially excited about Joshua seeing it again. He has been asking for "our car" for awhile, and frequently asks when we are going to give Mr. Sean back his car. (Sean is a co worker of Brad's who had a second car he loaned to us. God is consistently providing for us!) So Brad will come in a few minutes to pick us up so we can go get the car.
And our first round of household goods will be here Saturday as well. That includes the crib and toddler bed, bedding, boys clothes, some essentials like towels and kitchenware, etc. Brandi and Kate came by the Wednesday before the movers came and helped me sort out all I would need to have quickly delivered and they were very good at picking out what I couldn't. So, I am eager to greet our first delivery! Brad is happy because it includes the TV. I think the boys will be glad, too, although the portable DVD player has been wonderful.
So, the next day to look forward to is SATURDAY!
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Scotland
Was AMAZING. The company - Karissa, Gregor, the kids, Terri and Ray, and our hosts Catherine and George - was gracious and kind, helpful and friendly. The food - YUMMY! And the accommodations - perfect. I will blog more on it later, when I can find the download cable to add some great pics of the castles, palaces, beaches, villages, and yes, Thomas the Train. The boys had a fabulous time with their friends Nolan and Keira, and I saw my sweet little men reemerge. They were fun and happy and didn't break anything! And Karissa's kids were their usual happy, sweet, fun little selves. Leaving them again just about broke my heart. It is like they are my other children.
Brad seemed to enjoy himself, too. He was at ease with everyone there. They are really like a second family to us, now. He finally got a little sleep, he read a bit, he played Chinese Checkers in the agonizingly slow way anyone who has played strategy games with Brad would recognize, he went for walks, played with the kids,etc. It was great watching him just take it easy for a bit. No need to answer pages or the phone (well, not much. He did get a few work calls, but not many.) He ate some fabulous meals, and particularly enjoyed the Beef Wellington and, like me, the lavender creme brulee.
The weather was much nicer than I expected. I guess I thought it was going to be really cold. It wasn't hot, or even warm. It was more like long sleeve t-shirt weather, so it was wonderful. There was so much to do within walking distance of George and Catherine's home and with perfect weather we enjoyed taking advantage. We didn't venture out in the cars more than 3 times - to Thomas the Train, to the palaces and castles, and for me to get my haircut! We didn't have to fill up the tank of our rental car and it was considered "full" when we dropped it off! We caught a break there since gas was so expensive. We walked to the main village of S. Queensferry several times. There was a fabulous view of the two bridges from the front yard, and we were able to get close enough to the train bridge to watch "absailers" - people dangling from the bridge on wires, sort of scaling the braces of the bridge. It was like rock climbing a bridge, I think. Fun to watch, and looked more fun to do than bungee jumping!
I will post pictures as soon as we find our upload cable.
Brad seemed to enjoy himself, too. He was at ease with everyone there. They are really like a second family to us, now. He finally got a little sleep, he read a bit, he played Chinese Checkers in the agonizingly slow way anyone who has played strategy games with Brad would recognize, he went for walks, played with the kids,etc. It was great watching him just take it easy for a bit. No need to answer pages or the phone (well, not much. He did get a few work calls, but not many.) He ate some fabulous meals, and particularly enjoyed the Beef Wellington and, like me, the lavender creme brulee.
The weather was much nicer than I expected. I guess I thought it was going to be really cold. It wasn't hot, or even warm. It was more like long sleeve t-shirt weather, so it was wonderful. There was so much to do within walking distance of George and Catherine's home and with perfect weather we enjoyed taking advantage. We didn't venture out in the cars more than 3 times - to Thomas the Train, to the palaces and castles, and for me to get my haircut! We didn't have to fill up the tank of our rental car and it was considered "full" when we dropped it off! We caught a break there since gas was so expensive. We walked to the main village of S. Queensferry several times. There was a fabulous view of the two bridges from the front yard, and we were able to get close enough to the train bridge to watch "absailers" - people dangling from the bridge on wires, sort of scaling the braces of the bridge. It was like rock climbing a bridge, I think. Fun to watch, and looked more fun to do than bungee jumping!
I will post pictures as soon as we find our upload cable.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Scotland, Here We Come!
When we found out we were going to be stationed in Germany, one of the first things we did was book a trip to Scotland. My friend Karissa is married to a Scotsman, and they make the trip back at least once a year, if not twice. They already had their trip booked, so we booked ours during the time they would be there. This weekend, woohoo!!
Karissa and Gregor were an amazing support after Brad left for Germany. All my friends in California were spectacular, really. But this post is about the trip to Scotland, so I will focus on that!! When Brad left, I had a great deal to do - take care of the boys, work with the movers, take cars to be shipped overseas, pack for TX, etc. I ended up staying with Karissa and Gregor since the movers took all our essentials a little less than a week before we left. It made my life much easier in that I could run all kinds of errands and have help with the boys. Karissa and Gregor cooked meals for my kids, gave them baths, loved them when they were sad, dressed them, changed them, ran errands for us, took us everywhere we needed to be (including an hour away to drop off one of the cars for shipment) etc.
One of the most difficult things about leaving California was saying goodbye to this family. Nolan, Karissa and Gregor's son, is Joshua's best friend. Yes, he is only 3, but the distinction is very clear in his mind. He loves Nolan very much, and the thought of separating those two weighed very heavily on our hearts. And then there is Keira. Keira just turned two, and she and Jacob have very much a love/hate relationship. But love absolutely is the dominant emotion. I think "Jacob" was one of Keira's first words! And then there is Karissa. Very much a kindred spirit, she is my "soul sister" and I miss her terribly. And Gregor. Who couldn't miss Gregor? Amazing at pitching in without complaint, he really filled the gaps for us when Brad had to leave. Taking me to pick up the car, building boxes to ship stuff to Brad, always willing to give rides to the airport, watch the kids, etc. etc. etc. Is it any wonder we are anxious to be reunited with these friends? And come tomorrow, we will be. YAHOO!
Karissa and Gregor were an amazing support after Brad left for Germany. All my friends in California were spectacular, really. But this post is about the trip to Scotland, so I will focus on that!! When Brad left, I had a great deal to do - take care of the boys, work with the movers, take cars to be shipped overseas, pack for TX, etc. I ended up staying with Karissa and Gregor since the movers took all our essentials a little less than a week before we left. It made my life much easier in that I could run all kinds of errands and have help with the boys. Karissa and Gregor cooked meals for my kids, gave them baths, loved them when they were sad, dressed them, changed them, ran errands for us, took us everywhere we needed to be (including an hour away to drop off one of the cars for shipment) etc.
One of the most difficult things about leaving California was saying goodbye to this family. Nolan, Karissa and Gregor's son, is Joshua's best friend. Yes, he is only 3, but the distinction is very clear in his mind. He loves Nolan very much, and the thought of separating those two weighed very heavily on our hearts. And then there is Keira. Keira just turned two, and she and Jacob have very much a love/hate relationship. But love absolutely is the dominant emotion. I think "Jacob" was one of Keira's first words! And then there is Karissa. Very much a kindred spirit, she is my "soul sister" and I miss her terribly. And Gregor. Who couldn't miss Gregor? Amazing at pitching in without complaint, he really filled the gaps for us when Brad had to leave. Taking me to pick up the car, building boxes to ship stuff to Brad, always willing to give rides to the airport, watch the kids, etc. etc. etc. Is it any wonder we are anxious to be reunited with these friends? And come tomorrow, we will be. YAHOO!
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Part III - The Pickup
Given the somewhat disconcerting dropoff, I had no idea what to expect with the pick up. What a relief, though! Joshua was a happy, sweet preschooler when we got there, happily eating a muffin. He apparently cried all of two minutes once taken upstairs to play and get control of himself and had a fabulous rest of the day. Of course I was at home worrying and worrying, but he was fine. Whew! Another day in the life.
On a very happy, fun note, we received a nice package in the mail from my friend Karissa! It had some Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf coffee, small packages of creamer, a fabulous coffee press travel mug I have been eying for a while (I don't think she knew, though - she is just intuitive like that, lol!), and some clothes. WOW! What a nice surprise. And I will be making my coffee, um, now. Yea for packages from home! Thanks, thanks, thanks Karissa. I am about two feet further away from the brink of tears thanks to that thoughtful gift. Makes me miss her all the more. Scotland is only two days away.
On a very happy, fun note, we received a nice package in the mail from my friend Karissa! It had some Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf coffee, small packages of creamer, a fabulous coffee press travel mug I have been eying for a while (I don't think she knew, though - she is just intuitive like that, lol!), and some clothes. WOW! What a nice surprise. And I will be making my coffee, um, now. Yea for packages from home! Thanks, thanks, thanks Karissa. I am about two feet further away from the brink of tears thanks to that thoughtful gift. Makes me miss her all the more. Scotland is only two days away.
Part II - The Unsuccessful Dropoff
Today was not so fun. I really, really screwed up. Here it goes. Joshua was not so enthusiastic today. He ate his breakfast, but was pretty upset about having to wear underpants to school. He didn't want to wear anything under his jeans. Particularly no underpants. (I will attach the video of him telling me all about it. Funny.) He also didn't want to meet "new friends". He didn't want to see the new Emma, he wanted to see the old Emma (his cousin from Keller, TX). And he wanted to see old friends, particularly Nolan and Dylan. So here is where I screwed up. On the way to school I explained to him that in just TWO days he would be seeing his friend Nolan. He was so excited! I calmly explained that he will go to school today, then sleep tonight, then go to school tomorrow, sleep tomorrow, then when he woke the day after tomorrow we would get on a plane to Scotland and see Nolan, Karissa, Keira, and Gregor. ("Gregor at work?", "No, Gregor is in Scotland with Nolan." "I want to go to Scotland." "We will, day after tomorrow. We will get on a plane to Scotland and see Nolan." "I want to get on a plane with Nolan." *SIGH*)
We get to school and Joshua is very excited. He says to me, "Nolan at school." And I immediately realize why he is so excited now. I explain, "No, Nolan is not at school. He goes to a different school." At this point, we are walking up to the door. "I want to go to different school with Nolan! I want to go to a different school!" He is yelling, parents and toddlers and teachers all around. I quietly explain this is his school, and he begins crying, telling me not to leave. I take him to the bathroom, then to the room where his teacher, Ms. Amy, is leading a well behaved, sweetly cooperating group of toddlers through songs. My child is crying loudly. And getting louder. They tell me to leave, that they will call if he doesn't calm down. So I go to the parking lot and stand there, holding Jacob, and cry because I can still hear him wailing. Last update, the teacher had taken him upstairs to play and to give him a chance to calm down. It has been 45 minutes and no call, so I assume he stopped crying. But this is not a good day so far and I am a sad, sad mommy.
We get to school and Joshua is very excited. He says to me, "Nolan at school." And I immediately realize why he is so excited now. I explain, "No, Nolan is not at school. He goes to a different school." At this point, we are walking up to the door. "I want to go to different school with Nolan! I want to go to a different school!" He is yelling, parents and toddlers and teachers all around. I quietly explain this is his school, and he begins crying, telling me not to leave. I take him to the bathroom, then to the room where his teacher, Ms. Amy, is leading a well behaved, sweetly cooperating group of toddlers through songs. My child is crying loudly. And getting louder. They tell me to leave, that they will call if he doesn't calm down. So I go to the parking lot and stand there, holding Jacob, and cry because I can still hear him wailing. Last update, the teacher had taken him upstairs to play and to give him a chance to calm down. It has been 45 minutes and no call, so I assume he stopped crying. But this is not a good day so far and I am a sad, sad mommy.
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