Auf Wiedersehen, Geldersheim!

As I mentioned in THIS POST we have left our quaint little German town of Geldersheim and are in the process of moving on post at USAG Grafenwoehr. We have so enjoyed living in a German town and I wanted to take a few pictures around Geldersheim to remember our time here. 

Our apartment in Geldersheim was perfect in so many different ways. We had the nicest landlord who was always very kind to us. He spoke a little bit of English, but when he felt he couldn't communicate something clearly he would use Google translate, print it out, and tape it on our door. The commute to work was short for Ross and we had beautiful views of the fields from our living room windows, which you can see from many of my Instagram posts (1, 2, 3, 4). Germany is absolutely beautiful when the weather is nice! A short walk from our house were bike trails that led to towns over an hour away. Many times after dinner we would walk along the trails. Especially on nights when the sun didn't set until after 9 pm. Tractors were a common sight and occasionally we experienced all that came with living in a farming town aka: the wonderful aroma of manure. 

I am so glad we were able to live in a private German rental our first year in Germany. 

I'm afraid I wouldn't have felt like I was really living in Germany if we hadn't. 

Another Move, Another Adventure!

USAG Schweinfurt is closing down so we're moving once again! Luckily it's just 2 hrs down the road.

We've accepted the offer for our new house, scheduled an inspection, and our movers are coming in 3 weeks!  

For our last 2 years in Germany we will be living on post. Something new for us! I'm really looking forward to it. Everything will be closer and RC will have a quick commute to work. We are on the 1st floor of a 2 story unit and have a great outdoor area. The inside hasn't been renovated and shows its age a bit. It has a really choppy floor plan, but we feel like the advantages definitely outweigh the disadvantages. We are gaining an bedroom & bathroom and I will now have a full sized American oven! The kitchen overall is bigger and like I mentioned earlier we LOVE that we will finally have a yard. We can also kiss transformers goodbye because on post housing has both 110 and 220 outlets! 

I'm sad to say goodbye to Schweinfurt, but I'm looking forward to making Grafenwoehr our home.

Here's to another move and another adventure!

1-91 CAV Redeployment Ball

One of the many benefits of living overseas is that the your squadron redeployment ball can be held in a ridiculously beautiful venue. The German banquet hall, Regentbau, is located in the spa town of Bad Kissingen. The concert hall located inside is considered among the top concert halls in Europe.  AND THAT is where we had the privilege of eating, drinking, and dancing the night away. I'm sure there won't be many balls that come close to topping this one. 

One of the highlights of the night for me was the guest speaker, Major General James C. Boozer. As you look at his rank, award decorations, and position as former Deputy Commanding General of U.S. Army Europe, it's not hard to tell that he is well-respected man. But when we met at the receiving line and I found out he was a native of Charleston, SC I knew he was a GREAT man. :) His speech was one of the most spirited speeches I've ever heard. 

The formal portion of the night was brought to a close when Maj. Gen. Boozer announced that jackets were to come off and he revealed his fire blazing sleeves and "GIDDY UP" embroidering on the back of his dress shirt. It was hilarious and the guys went wild. At this point he challenged someone to bring him the largest beer they could find which he proceeded to chug. Then he stepped off the stage and walked up & down the aisles challenging each troop to yell at the top of their lungs "GIDDY UP". It definitely started the party portion of the night off right. I'm sure I will remember that moment for many years to come. The guys definitely deserved a night like that after 9 long months in Afghanistan.

All of the incredible pictures above are courtesy of Susanna Avery-Lynch. You can visit her Facebook page here for more incredible pictures of military families and her travels abroad. I'm so glad there were such a fabulous photographer because I was so concerned with having a good time that I barely took any pictures. MAJOR FAIL. 

The lone picture I have of the two of us.

Happy Anniversary

Almost 5,000 miles traveled in two years.

1 Trans-Atlantic move. 1 deployment. 1 reintegration.

There is no one else I would rather be on this adventure with than you. 

I am so looking forward to our third year of marriage. 

To have you in my arms. To see what kind of memories we make. To see where we travel. 

I'm looking forward to making up for those 9 months we were apart. 

We have been given a blessed life and I love living it with you. 

I'm so glad we said "I Do".  :)

Welcome Home my Love!

Two weeks ago today my husband came home! It's hard to believe it's only been two weeks though. Now that he's back it feels like he never left. Life has resumed and everything is finally back to normal.  It's FANTASTIC to have him back safely in my arms and it's wonderful to see our post full of sky soldiers once again! BUT back to the homecoming celebration...

Their arrival time kept getting pushed back further and further. So Sunday was an excruciatingly long day. A sweet friend and I tried to take our mind off of the ever present (and seemingly never ending countdown) and watched an entire season of Nashville. Then we tried to eat dinner, but our nerves got the best of us and we didn't end up eating much of anything. After dinner we came back to the house and watched a couple chick flicks. Finally at around 1:45 am we received our phone call that they were on the buses and finally making the drive back to post. We scrambled around, putting on last minute touches of makeup, and flew out the door eager to get to the gym where the homecoming celebration would be held. We still had over an hour and a half to wait, but who's going to stick around waiting at their house at that point! 

Luckily the majority of my dear friend's husbands/fiances were coming back on the same mainbody as Ross'. So finding each other in the gym to wait together made for even more excitement in the air. We had all been there for each other during these past 9 months and to be able to experience the excitement prior to the homecoming together was the perfect ending. I am so thankful for these girls and their friendship! I truly would not have been able to have stayed in Germany by myself for as long as I did. 

This is what 4 am looks like to wives and children who have missed their soldiers for 9 months. 

Life in Afghanistan

I could never give you a true depiction of what life is like in Afghanistan. RC would have to do that and quite honestly I don't ever see that happening on this blog... BUT the FRG, Rear D, and the soldiers down range have done an amazing job of trying to keep family members in the loop via social media. Almost every month each troop (company) posts an update on the unit's Facebook page. There is always a nice write-up with mentions of promotions, awards, and daily life of our boys. RC was promoted to 1LT a few months ago and I was so proud to see his name mentioned.

The best part of these monthly updates is ALWAYS the pictures! I mean look at the way my husband hams it up in front of a camera! There are usually at least 30 pictures for each update and even if your soldier isn't in them it's always exciting to look through the album. Being able to actually see what it looks like at his COP somehow makes it seem not so far away. Plus I am extremely proud of my husband and I so cherish having these pictures of him. 

And it's not just photographs they are sharing with us. The guys down range even recorded videos wishing everyone a Merry Christmas (which you can watch below)! Through a program I can't remember the name of, they were also able to have each soldier record a video to send home to their family. In RC's video he gave a quick shout out to both his family and mine. He also read a Christmas book for our nephew Brayden since we don't have any children of our own. The video was burned onto a DVD and sent in the mail with a copy of the book he read, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas'. Not only did it bring a smile to everyone's face to see RC and hear his voice, but he also scored a big one in the 'favorite uncle' department which is a fierce battle between him and my brother.

I am so thankful for technology. Not only has it made this deployment much more manageable on a day to day basis, but it has given me some fabulous pictures and mementos to remember this time in our lives. Even though it's a time I am not eager to ever repeat again it's still a season that I want to document. 

Deployment Milestone

Just wanted to post a quick hoorah! 

We reached another deployment milestone. 

Don't want to say the exact number of days for OPSEC reasons,

 but the daily countdown, in my eyes, is much more manageable now!

I think I may even make a paper chain to countdown the days.

Also, I'm flying out this weekend to head back to the States. 

As if this week could get any better!

I'm so happy to be going home to my family. 

I will be staying in South Carolina for the remainder of the deployment. 

Hopefully the time will fly by while I'm with family.

Halfway There!

Even though everything inside of me doesn't want to....it's kind of hard to say "WE'RE HALFWAY THERE" without making the obligatory Bon Jovi reference. So there you go...

Wooooahh, we're halfway there. 

Wooooahh livin' on a prayer

Take my hand and we'll make it- I swear

Wooooahh livin' on a prayer

Moving Mondays @ My Traveling Troop

Today I'm being featured over at My Traveling Troop for 'Moving Mondays'.

Kristina has a fabulous blog where she shares about her life as a Navy wife. 

Her family recently made the trek from Monterey, California to SINGAPORE.

Kristina is creating an incredible collection of tips and stories of military families living all over the world.
Getting the news that you're PCSing to another duty station can bring on all sorts of emotions.
 Excitement, but also fear of the unknown. There are so many questions running through your mind!
That's why having a database where you can go to read other spouses experiences is so beneficial.

So if you get a chance today stop by My Traveling Troop and read my Q&A session with Kristina.
We cover everything from the pros & cons of living in Germany to travel tips and my newest obsession: Crossfit.

If you're a military spouse be sure to bookmark her blog or add her to your Google reader because let's be honest...
none of us know when or where we'll be living next!

Deployment Diary: Week 10

LIFE LATELY... So things have been feeling a little monotonous around here. I guess this is actually a good thing; If you want to look at the glass half full! I've gotten in a nice routine between work and Crossfit classes. On days where I have both --I'm only working part time-- the time flies by! On days I have off I spend time on Pinterest. So THIS is my life lately... doing what I think most military wives who move every couple years do- dream of their dream home.

For me right now it's not even dreaming of my dream home.
It's dreaming of not having the restrictions of living overseas in Europe.

CASE IN POINT: repurposed furniture. LOVE IT.
I'd rather have a house full of garage sale/thrift store/Craigslist finds than brand new furniture from IKEA. But I've had a really hard time finding thrift stores/etc. around here. Not to mention that we live in stairwell apartments which make it difficult to navigate any piece of furniture up to our second floor. Oh yah, and the fact that I am husbandless.

WANTS...

ONE thick legged kitchen table: repurposed into a desk

ONE old rustic armoire: repurposed into a storage cabinet for office

Source: thenester.com via Emma on Pinterest

NEEDS...

ONE old dresser: repurposed into more storage for an office

Source: thenester.com via Emma on Pinterest

GOTS TO HAVE... 
ONE MORE old dresser: repurposed into entry way table with storage

Source: southernrevivals.blogspot.com via Emma on Pinterest

Source: sweetpickinsfurniture.com via Emma on Pinterest

Deployment Diary: Week 9

I've been really slacking on these weekly updates, but here we are at week 9! We have made it two months which makes us about a 1/4 of the way through this deployment! I don't have many pictures or updates from this week so I thought I'd leave you with some Instagram pictures from Luxembourg...

Deployment Diary: Week 7

This week was definitely out of the norm. I spent the entire week in Wiesbaden/Mainz for work training. No Crossfit, absolutely no gym time, but lots of shopping & wining and dining!  I was lucky to have some amazing girls in our class and we spent pretty much ever waking minute together. We were a nice mesh of Army and Air Force  and we even had some lovely girls from the UK. I learned that my English accent was actually pretty good and thanks to them I'm going to start trying to integrate the words "wag" and "posh" into my vocabulary. :)

Deployment Diary: Week 5

This week started out a little rough. RC and I have had pretty constant communication since he left, but that stopped all of a sudden. Completely out of the blue. For 2 days I didn't hear from him and I was a little freaked out. I knew something was wrong. I soon found out that all soldiers in his region were put on a media blackout because two men, a specialist and a private, were killed. A number of other individuals were injured. With the way technology and Facebook is they are mandating blackouts so that families can be properly notified before someone senselessly posts something on Facebook.  

My heart aches for their families and instantly I was reminded how real this war is. 

The rest of my week was spent at work and continuing the CrossFit/functional fitness classes in the evening. I've developed some nice calluses, determined my baseline for weightlifting, and hopefully gained/toned some muscles! I also conquered round two against these gawd-awful walls and hung some curtains in our living room. Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, a retelling of Cinderalla from one of the "ugly stepsisters", is my current read.

Also, here's a picture of one of the Daddy or Hero Dolls. You can place a picture under the plastic piece in front of his face. I'm not gonna lie, it's kind of creepy looking and the dudes got crazy hair. But these are a great tool to help kids deal with separation from their solider.. or errrr wives when there are extra Daddy Dolls left over. :)

Friday's Letters

DEAR GERMANY, this rainy weather needs to stop. I would like to get at least a tiny bit of a tan. I am already pale and don't need to be translucent by the time winter rolls around. DEAR HUSBAND, I got a "hero doll" so now your cute face is going to go everywhere with me. Travels to European countries, Thanksgiving dinner, and most definitely Christmas morning. DEAR NINJA MOSQUITO, must you be so allusive and always attack at night? I've never even seen you yet I wake up with bites on my arm every morning. Also, there are about 5 million of your brothers and sisters in South Carolina. You are one of like 5 in Germany. Why did you have to pick my home to live in? DEAR CONCRETE WALLS,  I may have bent the first nail I used, but eventually I  succeeded in hanging pictures! Emma for the win! DEAR CROSSFIT CLASS ON POST, I'm looking forward to you kicking my butt tonight.
DEAR HUSBAND, We made it one month! And I miss your face. A lot.

Deployment Diary: Week 4

Wahoo! We made it a month! I can't begin to tell you how happy it makes my heart. I know it's a small milestone, but know it feels like we're actually making progress! One month down. :)

Since I've been busier with work I didn't exactly take a picture for everyday. But this week we had two girls nights. One was comprised of pina coladas, homemade pizza, and an app-sharing session. The other was spent eating Mexican food and planning our trip to Poland next month. Sunday I had to pull over to the side of the road and take pictures of the sunflower fields by the gate to get on post. It's so beautiful when there are bright blue skies behind the sunflowers! Downloaded iHeartRadio and have been listening to that and Songza nonstop. Luckily our car has an adaptor so I can plug in my iPhone and listen to country music in the car and not hear German commercials! Hallelujah! Got special nails from Self Help so I could hang pictures on our concrete walls. Our diplomas were the first thing I hung.  Last night I got to catch up with my bestie from Clemson. We gushed about our shows, caught up on each others lives, and she shared a yummy recipe with me. :) All in all a pretty good week. Of course it would have been better if my love was here!

Deployment Diary: Week 3

This week actually went by very quickly! Here's to many more weeks like it. RC started a new work schedule this week. Luckily he has the ability to sleep anytime & anywhere when given the opportunity; whether it's AM or PM. I'm hoping that he adjusts well and that our schedules continue to allow us to talk regularly. Our daily conversations have made this so much easier!

// Day 15 // H&M and German restaurant day was a success!! I actually really liked the schnitzel.
// Day 16 // Celebrated two sweet girls' birthdays over the weekend.
// Day 17 // Laid out on my balcony and tried to get a little sun.
// Day 18 // I've been using the Nike Training Club app and absolutely love it!
// Day 19 // Went and saw RIO for FREE on post with Sarah. Yes, we were the only ones w/out kids.
// Day 20&21 // Been busy being a working woman. Thankful for this job! The days go by much quicker.

I Carry Your Heart With Me...

I've always liked this poem by E.E. Cummings and now it has an even sweeter meaning...

Deployment Diary: Week 2

This week was full of ups and downs. I got really frustrated on Sunday evening. I had been trying so hard to stay busy and have a good attitude... and then it hit me, it had only been a week. All of this work and effort for only a week. I felt defeated. I was tired of trying so hard to be happy. I'm starting to realize that this is going to take time. It is going to take awhile to start feeling comfortable in this new routine. 

// Day 8 // Worked on better understanding our finances. Didn't hate it.
// Day 9 // Fun in the sun @ the lake. Homemade pina coladas courtesy of Sarah.
// Day 10 // Put together the wall ladder for our towels. I hate having no closets.
// Day 11 // Bought some beautiful flowers for the window sill.
// Day 12 // Had a crappy day and moped around in RC's basketball shorts.
// Day 13 // Celebrated the 4th the only way I know how... in the sun.
// Day 14 // Met up with other ladies from the 173rd.



I should also note that RC is doing well. I've gotten to talk to him every day since he's been in Afghanistan. That is such a blessing! He's been working long days and there aren't really "weekends" in combat zones so I know he's exhausted. They have yet to receive any mail, so hopefully his packages while arrive soon. I am so proud of him and honored to call him my husband!

Deployment Diary: Week 1

For those of you who follow me on Instagram, I'm sorry. I know you've seen these all before! 

But I've decided to challenge myself to taking at least one Instagram picture a day. I think it will push me towards getting out and doing something fun everyday. Plus will be fun to look at the 200+ pictures when this deployment is all said and done. This week felt forever long, but we made it! 

Week One

// Day 1 // Said goodbye to RC.
// Day 2 // Went to a winefest with some friends.
// Day 3 // Set up the wireless internet.
// Day 4 // Enjoyed the sunshine and started a bible study.
// Day 5 // Went to the Farmer's Market in the marktplatz and then Zumba.
// Day 6 // Found a thrift store and explored with a sweet friend. Skyped with RC. Found a note on my door.
// Day 7 // Picked up Mr. Owl from the thrift store and shopped at Momax!

Personal Growth

We are facing a deployment. My husband who has become my rock in this transition has left. It's going to be hard. I can't even fathom being apart for 9+ months. It scares me to no end. I know there is a time to grieve the loss of our time together, but I also know that there is a time to take control of my emotions.
---
My husband is at war. He is being shot at. That is not going to change. The scary reality is no matter how much I dwell on his safety I am not in control of that. The only thing I am in control of is how I handle myself. I want to take this time to improve. I want to become the best ME I can be for ME. I also want to be the wife that RC deserves.

I'm still adjusting to this military lifestyle. It's difficult uprooting and starting over. When you sacrifice for your spouse I think an identity crisis can occur. So often who you are can be defined by what you do (your occupation), who you associate with (friends), who you are a part of (family), and what your role is (wife). So when you leave those things behind in a move you can loss grasp of who YOU are. I want to find out who I am again. 

Every second of every day I will be thinking of him though. All I want is for him to come back to me. Safely. And if any of this sounds selfish, believe me, I would rather not have to take this personal journey this way.