Back on the treadmill

Soooo......I was being so healthy for a while.   Walking around talking about my mile times like I was a marathon runner or something crazy like that.   I ran two days in a row now and I'm all.....the time is not what matters.....it's the fact that I was. Out there.  Doin it....

Snow, snow

Go away....I hate your guts

But it's so beautiful, isn't it?   If only it would be completely melted in 24 hours. Then it would be perfect 

What?? We Thought You Were Dead

Well, I'm not.  I just gave up blogging for a while.  Now I'm back and hope to keep it up.  I have a lot of stuff to post.

Some pre and post Germany shots.  It's unbelievable how fast they have grown in the last 2 years.  Unbelievable.  John is done with high school.  How can that be?  Working full time at Merchants Tire and Auto while he decides which direction to take.  Almost too many choices.  

Ethan is a junior in high school.  Can. not. believe that he will be leaving us next year.  He is considering his options.  Maybe A&M, maybe UT Austin.  Not sure.  Even looking at colleges in Virginia.  We shall see.  Smart kid.  He will be accepted wherever he wants to go.  

Emily is hanging out in last place, looking forward to being an only child.  But I bet secretly she is wondering how she will put up with John and I with no one else to be a teenager with.  She is thinking about studying engineering.  Why won't anyone go to medical school?  I keep trying.  She also wants to go to college in Texas.  Still dancing.  She is in JROTC this year.  Finally a place where she can tell people what to do without getting in trouble.  

John says he is looking forward to Empty Nesters Syndrome, but we all know that it will be TOUGH without those guys at home.  He is still working for the government.  

Kathy Jo is still working away at the hospital.  Same ole, same ole......but that is a good thing.  

Well, there.....I have made a post for the first time in a while.  I am going to try and go backwards a little bit and post all of our European adventures.  

This is our new puppy.  His name is Trooper.  I know, I know.....we had a Trooper before, but we have had a dog between Trooper and this dog, Drover.  He was Satan's dog and that is no lie.  But another day for that story.  This dog is a full blood German Shepherd.  He is a good dog.  His parents reminded us so much of Trooper and while we were there looking at him, a Virginia State Trooper was there picking out a puppy for his little girls.  And so we thought.....it's a perfect scenario. How could we not name him Trooper.  He's a good dog.  We love him!  

The story of my new piano

This piano was originally built in 1904.  It was saved and completely refurbished and today it is beautiful.  Just being in the store was a great experience.  The shop owner spends about 14 months refurbishing the pianos and gets very attached to them during that time.  He rebuilds and his wife sells them.  He just completed the rebuild on this piano.  It's only been in the showroom 2 weeks.  They kept a journal of some of the rebuilding process.  He said it's something he wanted to do for all the pianos, but it was hard to keep up with.  These are the after pictures

From the Workshop Diary:  
With this project documentation we want to show our work, our staff, our ideas and our prices. 

A Bechstein grand is the ideal example for this. There are few grands, built between 1890 and 1920, which were build so often and so similar. In the past 26 years we have repaired more than 20 B-Models. We like this model because of its timeless design, its size (203cm), which produces a very nice grand-sound and its adequate price. 

Our grand has taken much damage, but the frame is alright. 

Today we start the repair. We check the instrument and think about the repairs we are going to do. 

We want to show the repair in detail and prompt. So if you want you can come to our workshop and take a look at the current status of the repair.   

And here are the before pictures.

Can't wait for it to be delivered!  I am giddy with excitement!

Going to Virginia to work

January 9th.....looking forward to it so much!  Getting an opportunity to work and catch up with friends.  Looking forward to a great time!  In other news, I am addicted to Bitstrips...

Cold

Thermometer says 52, but it feels more like 25. Tired of the cold already.  I miss these guys so much today. 

Cancer Sucks

My brother's father in law died recently after a battle with pancreatic cancer.  I feel so bad for them because, unfortunately, we know all too well what pancreatic cancer can do.  John's dad was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 1997 and died the day after Christmas in 1998.  It was horrible......heck, it still is.  Our family was stripped from the best father in law and one of the best grandpas the world will ever know.  When John and I got married he made me feel so loved.  I figured if John and I had trouble he would disown John and adopt me.  But when John was born, I was shoved aside for his new love....his first grandchild.  It was so good to watch him with John and see how much he loved my little boy.  When John got his first haircut, we had 3 Johns in chairs at the barber shop.  Grandpa, dad, and baby.  A great day. Tom was such a social butterfly....did NOT know a stranger, loved a party.  Loved a debate.  John acts a lot like him. Ethan looks so much like him. Can't imagine how spoiled Emily would be if he were still on earth.        Miss him so much......

Some People

We tell friends and family that they are welcome to come visit and stay as long as they like......but really.....this guy's been here too long

Happy halloween

I am sooo goofy....I titled the last post.  Ahhh.....the holidays are here at long last......well, these are the pictures that should have gone with that post.   LOVE Halloween......yes I do.

Ahhhhh.....the holidays are here at long last

So, I haven't posted a thing in so long.  So everyone has adjust well, I think, to our move.  Emily is doing AMAZING at school.  AMAZING.  This weeks she is at Junior Leadership Seminar.  She will be gone for the whole week.  They are doing team building, leadership building exercises and touring.  She is doing really well in school and is very happy.  Great gaggle of friends.  She is Treasurer on the Student Council.  We are so proud of her.
Ethan is doing GREAT in school this year.  He is settled in, great friends, doing well in school.  Very active in ROTC.  Planning to go to A&M so, he is really focused on grades.
John is working at the PX on base 20 hours a week.  The golf season ended last week and he did really well.  He is starting to get a little nervous about graduating and moving back to the states without us there.  BUT he is going to do great.  He is so good at talking to people.  Strangers are not strangers for long.  He is thinking about joining the Coast Guard or going to TSTC in Waco, TX.  Stay tuned.
John is doing well at work.  Currently working for free due to the government shutdown.  Hopefully that will be ironed out soon.  He really likes his job and does an AWESOME job playing Mr. Mom when I am in the states working.  He dyed Emily's hair.  She wanted her tips blue, so we ordered the dye hoping it would come before I left this last time, but no luck.  When it came John didn't shy away from making his baby girl happy.  Her hair turned out really well.  It's cute.
Me?  I go to the states to work every so often.  I was there in August, came back to Germany for 2 weeks and then went right back for 2 more weeks.  That was rough.  And I hate it.  It's no fun to be there without my family.  Well.....not true....getting to shop is fun.  But, truthfully, I still hate it here.  HATE it.  And I really can't tell you why.  I think it's a bunch of little things.  I don't have a good option for working.  I don't really have any social outlet here.  It's always gray and rainy, and way too cold.  I don't really like this house.  It's not a warm, welcoming place.  And it's not MY house.  And I am going to really resent having to send John back to the states with us so far away.  I don't walk around all day crying, don't get me wrong.  I still love being a tourist here.  There are still a lot of things I want to do and see.  I have great joy in my family.

Emily on her way to Junior Leadership Seminar

The blue hair

Ethan trying to put Emily in the trunk instead of her suitcase

John, Ethan and best friend Dakota at Fort Hood this summer

The TSTC visit this summer

Me and good friend Tricia in Paris this summer

Emily at the Louvre in Paris this summer

Happy Valentine's Day

Again I was going through my drafts and found this.  I remember writing it, but can't remember what year.   Maybe I decided I didn't really like him that much after all  ;)

Ah, true love! How much sap are you guys in the mood for??? How much sap can John tolerate? Good thing he is out of town. And I don't think he knows how to delete posts.

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.....

1. He takes out the garbage.

2. He pays the bills.

3. I never have to be concerned with how much money we do or mostly DONT have.

4. He likes to cook.

5. He loads the dishwasher, vacuums, does laundry.

6. He makes me laugh.

7. He knows a little bit about everything.

8. I love the sound of his voice.

9. He always makes me giggle when I want to hurt him.

10. I don't want to hurt him very often.

11. He is kind and gentle with our children.

12. He doesn't chase me with spiders or bugs. And that's a big deal.

13. When we moved to Virginia, John flew to TX to drive the moving truck to VA. Ethan, Emily and I flew to VA. John left a soda and chocolate in the truck so it would be there for ME. THAT'S true love!

14. Once when I was pregnant and we couldn't afford to eat out, he went out in the middle of the night and bought me a cheeseburger. He didn't even ask me for a bite.

15. He knows what I'm thinking sometimes even before I do.

16. He's so handsome!

Ok, that's probably enough for now, even though the list is endless. Happy Valentine's Day!

Again with the tissues....

April 21, 2013--This is an OLD post I found in my draft folder, I didn't even know I had.  Don't know why I never posted it.  Actually, I found several in the draft folder.  So....going through those today and posting.

Awards day for the 7th graders. One special 7th grader in particular. Won every award they had except for math. Had the highest grades on his team. Which means, out of about 250 students, Ethan was among the top 8. Got one point away from a perfect score on his math SOL. We will have to wait until later in the summer to receive the other SOL scores. Why it takes them all summer to let us know the scores is beyond me. It is a computerized test, so you'd just think..... He really put forth a lot of effort this year. He studies every day after school (even when there is no homework) without being asked (for the most part). Plays football. Plays the PS3 (WAY too much). Loves history. Very level headed for someone his age. Still got a little bit of Mr. Magoo in him. Saying that he wants to be a surgeon right now. Or a lawyer. ???? Good to have choices. Heading off to the Junior High in the fall.

Happy Birthday Emily!

Present from BFF, Lauren, in Virginia.  It's a great present!  Can't wait for Emily to see what it is.  They are coming to see us in June.  Bought the train tickets for Paris this morning.  We ARE ready!  

The birthday mayhem starts in about 45 minutes......8 preteen girls and me.  The boys have taken the coward's route and left for the day.  Gone to Speyer to see the other Teknik museum.  We have tons of food and some games planned......and Twilight Breaking Dawn Part 2.  Blech!!  What is with young girls and this whole vampire craze?  Hopefully, they will not be too rough on me.  

What???? Snow?!??*#

Last week the sun was out for 5 days in a row.  We had highs of 60 degrees. It was glorious!  I....used...my.....sunglasses!  I thought Spring was here......but NO! It's not.......currently snowing  :(  It feels extra cold now at a whopping 33 degrees.

In other news....celebrating Emily's birthday this weekend.  She wasn't supposed to have a big party this year, BUT I am a sucker.  So, I'm going to say it again this year......this is the last big party.  Until the 16th party, I'm sure.  I have no backbone.

Found a new castle this weekend.  The Kusel Castle....Berg Lichtenberg.  No pictures.  I did not take my camera and my phone battery was almost dead.  We will go back though.  It will be a fun place to go hang out on a warm day.  Seeing these places that are so old always make me wonder about the people who lived there.  They must have all been very short.  The doorways were not very big.

I think that's about it.  The kids all have standardized testing this week.  We are looking forward to having Emily's friend, Lauren, and mom Tricia come see us in June.....92 days.  And then, the next week, we go to Texas.....105 days.  We love the countdown!

I did computer training to day for my volunteer job at the Family Practice clinic at the Army hospital.  Hopefully, will get to shadow a provider Wednesday and Friday and then start providing care next week.  NOW.......y'all are all caught up in Thompson news.

A Return to Public Hangings

This Trooper in Virginia was shot during a traffic stop yesterday.  He gave me a ticket for wrecking my car in 2011, which I thought was punishment enough.  Potential, he said, to harm others.  Wreckless driving.....for which I was forced to suffer through a torturous 4 hours of driving education and sit through court next to a very scary and annoying woman.  BUT, he was so nice, you could hardly be mad at him for giving you a ticket and he was even nicer in court.  Who could kill this man?  It's so sad.  And so.....I suggest a return to public hangings

After much begging.......

And certainly after we have moved.......Blue Bell has decided to sell ice cream in Virginia.  We're still happy for all the Virginians who can now know what we were talking about all that time we were complaining about not having REAL ice cream in Virginia.  You're welcome

Her Birthday is Coming.....

The big 13!  How did time pass so fast?  I can remember going to investigate because it was a little too quiet back there and finding her asleep.  She was 5.  Seems like yesterday.  We still have that blanket she's sleeping on.  Doesn't look quite as good now, but we still have it.  

I'm Going to Post a Happy Post

Yes I am!  We have had some big highs and lows while here in Germany!  Nothing is ever easy, right?

*Starting before we even left Virginia--John had our furniture sent over early--like 5 weeks before we left--5 weeks--so it would be here waiting for us when we got here.........was it?  Was it?  Noooooooo!  Didn't see our furniture until mid September.

*My piano was destroyed in the move.  

*Everyone told me that I wouldn't have any trouble finding a job over here........BUT I did.  The military is drawing down their forces here, so the Army hospital doesn't have any positions right now.  But they were absolutely thrilled about the idea of me volunteering.  So, they got started on my credentialing.  I did manage to find a job doing physicals for servicemen leaving the military, but now I'm not able to do that anymore either.  But, I do still get to volunteer at the hospital.  At least I will keep my clinical skills current.  Looking into doing some temporary work back in the states.  

*We thought we were going to be able to see healthcare providers at the military clinics.  Nope.  We were told, ONCE WE GOT HERE, that we could only be seen at the military facility on a space available basis.  Guess how much space they have on any given day.  None.  Not once have they had "space available" to see us when we need medical care.  Frustrating!  On the up side, it is not too terrible difficult to be seen by a local doctor.  

*Emily broke her arm, saw a local physician who did not have a full cast put on her arm.  Wore a splint for 4 weeks, then had follow up x-rays and the bone was not set well.  We thought she was going to have to have surgery.  Saw a pediatric orthopedic surgeon at the Army hospital.  He decided it would be worse for Emily to have surgery than not due to her growth plates still being open.

*Ethan played football in Virginia.  But the football program here is not a very good program.  So, Ethan is going to take up golf.

*BUT, if we hadn't come here, we would have missed out of some wonderful experiences.  Such as:

*Seeing that HUGE rabbit at the farmer's market.  The "little" rabbit there is actually a normal sized rabbit.

*New and exciting ways to enjoy chocolate and sugar.  

*Beautiful scenery

*Family to share it with

*Santa Clause even comes to visit

*We have already had some fun times here and we still have 2.5 years left. Our list of things we want to see while we're here just keeps growing.  We have friends coming to see us in June.  Going to Munich, Garmisch, and Austria.  Looking forward to that.  Then, the very next week, we go to Texas to see family.  That's going to be a lot of fun.