So, I'm writing this from Reims, France, which is in the Champagne region. We had a long, and rather stressful, first day in Europe.
We got in about 8:00 local time to Germany. The plan was for Jeremy to take a cab to get the rental car, while Hannah & I waited at the "airport" (which was warm, comfortable and had free internet). The Avis was about 10 miles from the airport. I knew that it wasn't likely he would be there and back in 30 minutes, but I expected no more than an hour. After two hours of waiting I started getting really nervous. At three hours I started to panic. How could I get a hold of him? What if he was in an accident? What if he was stranded by the road? If I leave the airport, how will he find me? Yeah, in short, I was PANICKED! So, I bought a calling card and tried calling the Avis. Yeah, I got a bum card -- it would not work (so, I have a huge bone to pick with AAFES & AT&T when I get home). Okay, well, I wasn't willing to put $20 into the machine to try another card. Finally, after waiting for 4 hours, I went to the desk and asked for help. And by this time I was, of course, in tears. The soldiers there were really helpful -- one even offering to drop us off when he got off work in the next hour. They managed to get ahold of the Avis location and, luckily, Jeremy was sitting in the office with the guy who answered. So, in total, it took Jeremy almost FIVE hours to get our rental car. (It was a very small location, so the Avis guy actually had to go pick up the car from somewhere else, then he HAD to take the winter tires off and put summer ones on before we could leave.)
Grrrr!!! What a way to start our trip! Not only was I completely hysterical by the time we got the car, but we pretty much wasted a full day of sightseeing!
So, we started on our trip to France. Hannah & I were so tired that we could hardly stay awake. It was a very pretty drive -- everything is getting green and the trees are just starting to bloom. I got a kick out of all the windmills around and the little towns we drove through were so picturesque.
We ended up stopping in Verdun to grab a bite to eat. Unfortunately, we were a bit early for a traditional dinner, so we ended up grabbing sandwiches and having a picnic along the river there. Verdun was okay, though a bit run down, and we were really too tired to enjoy it (and it was raining), plus all the tours were pretty much closed before we finished eating.
We then headed to Reims, mostly intent on checking into the hotel and getting some sleep. However, our stomachs drew us out into the city looking for a treat -- a treat which we could not find. All the patisseries, markets and boulangeries that we drove by were closed, though there was a great selection of restaurants. Lesson learned: you pick up your snacks during the day and eat in the restaurants at night!
I have officially been put in charge of all communication with the French. Jeremy won't do it, for whatever reason. I feel a bit silly, as I know I am totally butchering the language. However, we seem to be surviving just fine.
The funniest thing that happened today: Our rental car is has a manual transmission. Jeremy drove a stick for years, so I wasn't worried about it until he forgot he was not driving an automatic and stalled the car out at the toll both on the freeway.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
We're in Germany!!!!
To be specific, we're in Spangdahlem and still at the "airport". Jeremy left us to go get our rental car (took a cab, since it is a few miles away and raining), so I'm taking the opportunity to catch up on communicating with everyone at home.
We were very lucky and got out on the 1st flight with available seats out of Dover AFB. I'm not sure how we pulled it off, as there were A LOT of people waiting. They have a very detailed system of how available seats are assigned, so I guess we just got lucky that the system worked for us. We originally drove (like lunatics) to Dover thinking we could get a 1:30 AM flight on Tuesday morning, however when we got there the flight had (from what we can gather) been filled with cargo instead of passengers.
So, here I feel obligated to say that the US Air Force is AWESOME!!! If only commercial lines were operated as well (and as courteously). It amazed me as we sat waiting for our flight, how polite EVERYONE in the building was. Passengers were gracious (of course, they were flying for "free") and the staff was patient, kind and helpful. Really, I can't say one bad thing about the experience! On top of that, the terminal facility was really quite nice (not fancy, but well maintained and clean) and there was an AWESOME USO there. (By the way, the USO does an amazing job taking care of soldiers & their families when their traveling.) They had TV's, Wii's, computers with internet, a pool table and plenty of soft cushy chairs to rest in.
We left late on Tuesday afternoon, which put us here around 8 AM local time. We flew on a military aircraft -- a C17. It was like a big cargo plain, with seats along the outside wall. The plane was almost completely full of cargo, so there were only seats for about 20 passengers. The passengers were split in two and set on both sides of plane, closest to the front. In between us was what looked like a small trailer/storage shed -- like those little portable classrooms that schools use. It was definitely a different way to fly!!!
They don't provide meals, but we could buy a boxed lunch before boarding, so we were well taken care of. The flight crew was amazing -- they were friendly, helpful and, best of all, really laid back. We were allowed to spread out on the floor to sleep and were given pillows & blankets. Jeremy & Hannah ended up crashing on the floor, while I spread out on our three seats. (Thanks to the ambien Jeremy & I took, we slept pretty well, though Hannah doesn't look quiet as well rested.) One guy on the plane even rigged up a hammock. I must say, I think it was a ton of fun getting to travel this way! Here is a shot of our side of sleepers (see the hammock on the left):
We were very lucky and got out on the 1st flight with available seats out of Dover AFB. I'm not sure how we pulled it off, as there were A LOT of people waiting. They have a very detailed system of how available seats are assigned, so I guess we just got lucky that the system worked for us. We originally drove (like lunatics) to Dover thinking we could get a 1:30 AM flight on Tuesday morning, however when we got there the flight had (from what we can gather) been filled with cargo instead of passengers.
So, here I feel obligated to say that the US Air Force is AWESOME!!! If only commercial lines were operated as well (and as courteously). It amazed me as we sat waiting for our flight, how polite EVERYONE in the building was. Passengers were gracious (of course, they were flying for "free") and the staff was patient, kind and helpful. Really, I can't say one bad thing about the experience! On top of that, the terminal facility was really quite nice (not fancy, but well maintained and clean) and there was an AWESOME USO there. (By the way, the USO does an amazing job taking care of soldiers & their families when their traveling.) They had TV's, Wii's, computers with internet, a pool table and plenty of soft cushy chairs to rest in.
We left late on Tuesday afternoon, which put us here around 8 AM local time. We flew on a military aircraft -- a C17. It was like a big cargo plain, with seats along the outside wall. The plane was almost completely full of cargo, so there were only seats for about 20 passengers. The passengers were split in two and set on both sides of plane, closest to the front. In between us was what looked like a small trailer/storage shed -- like those little portable classrooms that schools use. It was definitely a different way to fly!!!
They don't provide meals, but we could buy a boxed lunch before boarding, so we were well taken care of. The flight crew was amazing -- they were friendly, helpful and, best of all, really laid back. We were allowed to spread out on the floor to sleep and were given pillows & blankets. Jeremy & Hannah ended up crashing on the floor, while I spread out on our three seats. (Thanks to the ambien Jeremy & I took, we slept pretty well, though Hannah doesn't look quiet as well rested.) One guy on the plane even rigged up a hammock. I must say, I think it was a ton of fun getting to travel this way! Here is a shot of our side of sleepers (see the hammock on the left):
It was REALLY noisy in the plane. We had to wear earplugs, so visiting was out (which wasn't bad, since we really did need to get some sleep). There really weren't windows, so I didn't see anything coming in -- if I have a complaint, that would be it. But, hey, it was free, so who am I to complain?
Here is a shot of Jeremy & Hannah in their seats before take-off:
So, now we are off to the Champagne region of France. Hopefully my next update will be tonight from Epernay (near Reims).
Disclaimer: I can't get the photos off my good camera until I get home, so the shots I'm posting now are from Hannah's little point & shoot. I'll have better stuff later...
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Hurry up and wait!
Yes, I swear that is the motto of the US military -- hurry up and wait! We've had a very busy couple of days and are already pretty worn out.
We got to Ohio on Monday morning, after driving all night on Sunday night. At the time we arrived, we were planning on picking Hannah up from school and then heading towards somewhere in Pennsylvania to spend the night. We were planning on calling the airports early on Tuesday and then figure out where we wanted to head to -- primarily between Dover AFB or Baltimore airport. Jeremy called for flight status early in the afternoon and we discovered that they had a 1:30 "show time" (for Space A travel they publish the time you have to be there to sign up for the flight, not the time the flight will leave) at Dover for a flight to Germany (but not to Ramstein, where we were originally intending to go).
When Jeremy got in the shower around 2:00, we were still planning on staying in Pennsylvania, so I had our bags packed like we were going to a hotel and not the airport. When he got out of the shower 20 minutes later, he announced that he wanted to try and get the 1:30 flight. Holy smokes!!! Yes, we could do it, but we'd have all of 45 minutes to spare (for dinner, gas or traffic issues), plus I only had about 20 minutes to re-pack and say goodbye to Ross. Talk about a frantic 20 minutes!!!
On the way here, we called and discovered they had added a 2nd flight out at 1:30, so we were confident that we could get on a flight. We managed to get here in time, but by the time we got here, the flights were either cancelled, the seats filled or cargo was added instead of people. So, we're stuck here in Dover (and there isn't much to do here, I should add).
There are no flights until later today and tomorrow looks bleak. There have been A LOT more flights to Germany the last several weeks -- I'm assuming the drop in flights is due to the holiday weekend approaching. So, here we sit, waiting patiently and contemplating our options. Should we stay here? Should we head to Baltimore? What if we can't get a flight, what should we do? How about flying into England and taking the train to France? Is that totally crazy? What if we can get to Italy? We don't know anything about Italy, but it would certainly be an adventure.
So, anyway, that is where we are. Waiting, waiting, waiting...
We got to Ohio on Monday morning, after driving all night on Sunday night. At the time we arrived, we were planning on picking Hannah up from school and then heading towards somewhere in Pennsylvania to spend the night. We were planning on calling the airports early on Tuesday and then figure out where we wanted to head to -- primarily between Dover AFB or Baltimore airport. Jeremy called for flight status early in the afternoon and we discovered that they had a 1:30 "show time" (for Space A travel they publish the time you have to be there to sign up for the flight, not the time the flight will leave) at Dover for a flight to Germany (but not to Ramstein, where we were originally intending to go).
When Jeremy got in the shower around 2:00, we were still planning on staying in Pennsylvania, so I had our bags packed like we were going to a hotel and not the airport. When he got out of the shower 20 minutes later, he announced that he wanted to try and get the 1:30 flight. Holy smokes!!! Yes, we could do it, but we'd have all of 45 minutes to spare (for dinner, gas or traffic issues), plus I only had about 20 minutes to re-pack and say goodbye to Ross. Talk about a frantic 20 minutes!!!
On the way here, we called and discovered they had added a 2nd flight out at 1:30, so we were confident that we could get on a flight. We managed to get here in time, but by the time we got here, the flights were either cancelled, the seats filled or cargo was added instead of people. So, we're stuck here in Dover (and there isn't much to do here, I should add).
There are no flights until later today and tomorrow looks bleak. There have been A LOT more flights to Germany the last several weeks -- I'm assuming the drop in flights is due to the holiday weekend approaching. So, here we sit, waiting patiently and contemplating our options. Should we stay here? Should we head to Baltimore? What if we can't get a flight, what should we do? How about flying into England and taking the train to France? Is that totally crazy? What if we can get to Italy? We don't know anything about Italy, but it would certainly be an adventure.
So, anyway, that is where we are. Waiting, waiting, waiting...
Sunday, March 28, 2010
I can't believe we're doing this...
...but we really are!!! We're almost completely packed and the house is almost spotless (don't think I could get all the way there with the three short people running around). I'm getting ready to start loading things in the car and then head out for dinner (the fridge is clean and bare) before we pick Grandma & Grandpa up at the airport.
I'm a little nervous about leaving the kids for two weeks. I know they're in good hands, but I'm not used to being away for them for such a long period of time. I'm trying to remind myself that Jeremy survived almost an entire year without seeing them...I can handle two weeks, right?
Hopefully my next post will be from Germany or France!!!
I'm a little nervous about leaving the kids for two weeks. I know they're in good hands, but I'm not used to being away for them for such a long period of time. I'm trying to remind myself that Jeremy survived almost an entire year without seeing them...I can handle two weeks, right?
Hopefully my next post will be from Germany or France!!!
Saturday, March 27, 2010
It doesn't matter...
...how great of an organization system you have, if you don't use it.
I have (what I believe to be) a fabulous system for keeping track of birthdays and anniversaries. I have a three ring binder with twelve sheet protector pockets in it. In each pocket, I have a calendar of events listed on it for the month. I use pocket protectors, because I can put the cards in the pocket, behind the calendar, as I get them made or purchased. Great idea, right? And it actually works pretty well, but if you don't pull the binder off the shelf until, say March 26th, to check and see what the March events are it doesn't do you a bit of good.
I sent the stuff out anyway -- I figure late is better than never. My apologies to my March friends!
I have (what I believe to be) a fabulous system for keeping track of birthdays and anniversaries. I have a three ring binder with twelve sheet protector pockets in it. In each pocket, I have a calendar of events listed on it for the month. I use pocket protectors, because I can put the cards in the pocket, behind the calendar, as I get them made or purchased. Great idea, right? And it actually works pretty well, but if you don't pull the binder off the shelf until, say March 26th, to check and see what the March events are it doesn't do you a bit of good.
I sent the stuff out anyway -- I figure late is better than never. My apologies to my March friends!
Friday, March 26, 2010
Sigh...
...I once again have a long post sitting, only half finished, waiting for me to remember what else I was going to say. My life needs to get less complicated so that either my stories are shorter or I have more time to write about them. So, due to time restraints, you're getting the cliff notes version!
Over the weekend, Ross & Reid both got the bug that Lucy had last week. This tore Ross' throat up, so we ended up spending a night in the hospital on Monday so that they could keep an eye on him until they were sure he was done puking (and to verify that the blood clot that had formed was shrinking). To top it all off, Betty was out of town for a family emergency, so we were without anyone to watch the kids. Figures, doesn't it? So, our week didn't exactly go as planned and we all started out very tired.
We're still planning on leaving for Europe next Monday. I am SOOOOOOOO excited and (despite our recent rash of craziness) am actually mostly ready -- all of our things are laid out and just waiting to go in the suitcase. The biggest thing left on my to-do list is to clean the house on Sunday (because I hate coming home to a dirty house).
And now I'm keeping my fingers crossed that nothing else crazy happens before we can get across the border!
Over the weekend, Ross & Reid both got the bug that Lucy had last week. This tore Ross' throat up, so we ended up spending a night in the hospital on Monday so that they could keep an eye on him until they were sure he was done puking (and to verify that the blood clot that had formed was shrinking). To top it all off, Betty was out of town for a family emergency, so we were without anyone to watch the kids. Figures, doesn't it? So, our week didn't exactly go as planned and we all started out very tired.
We're still planning on leaving for Europe next Monday. I am SOOOOOOOO excited and (despite our recent rash of craziness) am actually mostly ready -- all of our things are laid out and just waiting to go in the suitcase. The biggest thing left on my to-do list is to clean the house on Sunday (because I hate coming home to a dirty house).
And now I'm keeping my fingers crossed that nothing else crazy happens before we can get across the border!
Friday, March 12, 2010
So, I've been working on this post for more than a week...
...and I'm finally just giving up and starting over. It seems all the details have been lost in the last week. Sigh...that is why I like to update this daily!
Ross had his tonsils and adenoids out last week. We believe that they were the cause of all his sleeping and eating issues over the last 3+ years. The procedure itself went pretty well. We were at the hospital all morning, but he was in surgery for just a short period of time. The first couple of days he did really really well. On the third day, he got a bit of a fever and was a bit irritable, but that passed after about 48 hours, too. So, all in all, it was really not a big deal. The surgeon said that Ross had "man tonsils", which didn't surprise me because any idiot could see how huge they were when Ross was screaming at them. It is weird to hear Ross' voice now. He's always sounded a lot like a chain smoker -- now he just sounds like a little kid.
Lucy came down with a stomach bug earlier this week. Initially I thought it was food poising from our trip out to dinner. Then on Friday night, Ross started getting sick. Reid followed shortly after on Saturday morning. Yuck. I've been washing laundry constantly since Saturday morning and am unable to get caught up. It feels like we dirtied every sheet and towel in the house during the ordeal. At least the kids are all feeling better now!
My project for the last week has been yard work. It was time to clean out flower beds of old mulch, re-edge and then fill with fresh mulch. I also dug a new 30+ foot section of flower bed. And the beds around the pool needed refreshed with some additional gravel. So, Jeremy & I spent the weekend moving around 3 tons of gravel and mulch. Fun times, I tell you!
And that is all the time I'm going to get today...Lucy is tugging at my legs!
Ross had his tonsils and adenoids out last week. We believe that they were the cause of all his sleeping and eating issues over the last 3+ years. The procedure itself went pretty well. We were at the hospital all morning, but he was in surgery for just a short period of time. The first couple of days he did really really well. On the third day, he got a bit of a fever and was a bit irritable, but that passed after about 48 hours, too. So, all in all, it was really not a big deal. The surgeon said that Ross had "man tonsils", which didn't surprise me because any idiot could see how huge they were when Ross was screaming at them. It is weird to hear Ross' voice now. He's always sounded a lot like a chain smoker -- now he just sounds like a little kid.
Lucy came down with a stomach bug earlier this week. Initially I thought it was food poising from our trip out to dinner. Then on Friday night, Ross started getting sick. Reid followed shortly after on Saturday morning. Yuck. I've been washing laundry constantly since Saturday morning and am unable to get caught up. It feels like we dirtied every sheet and towel in the house during the ordeal. At least the kids are all feeling better now!
My project for the last week has been yard work. It was time to clean out flower beds of old mulch, re-edge and then fill with fresh mulch. I also dug a new 30+ foot section of flower bed. And the beds around the pool needed refreshed with some additional gravel. So, Jeremy & I spent the weekend moving around 3 tons of gravel and mulch. Fun times, I tell you!
And that is all the time I'm going to get today...Lucy is tugging at my legs!
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Starting Over
I know I haven't been around here much. It bothers me that my blogging has fallen to the side in the face of all the other stuff going on around here. Even I get a kick out of going back and reading through my old posts. It is amazing how much of the little details of life fade from your memory -- I want to keep writing so that I have this to look back on someday!
Since Jeremy has come home, I've been very very happy. However, I've also found myself scrambling around trying to re-organize my life. Things were different when he was gone -- our time consisted of late night phone calls, sleep was dominated by the kids (very bad) sleep habits, dinner was never an event because the kids didn't care what I cooked, exercise was paramount because it helped me deal with the stress, free time was spent doing stuff to pass the time, etc. Now with Jeremy home, I'm having to re-adjust everything. And I'm surprised by how much of my old habits I miss. Some of the stuff is superficial -- like missing my daily dose of NCIS. I haven't watched an episode since he got home. Some of the stuff -- like the exercising -- is really bothering me.
I've put on a little weight since Jeremy got home -- not a lot, but 5 lbs makes your clothes feel a lot less comfortable. And my running has gotten to be pitiful. I used to NEVER take a break to walk while running. Now, I'm lucky to get to my 20 minute limit (self imposed rule -- no breaks until 20 minutes) before I'm obsessing about a break. I used to routinely run for 40 - 60 minutes, without feeling dead spent by the time I finished (no breaks and I usually only came back because I had things to do, not because I was exhausted). Yeah, I'd be happy to get a good 35 - 40 minute run in (without a walking break) right now.
So, this has been weighing on my mind a lot lately. I don't want to obsess about my weight, but I don't feel as good as I did (physically, anyway) 6 months ago. And, quite frankly, I refuse to buy any new clothes to accommodate a bigger rear end! I feel like I've spent most of my life overweight and I don't want to go back to it -- I know age won't make it easier to get the weight off, so I need to stay on top of it now. Additionally, this is the one thing I do just for myself. As a stay at home mom, so much of what I do revolves around my children (which is okay) -- I need to have a little time to exercise my right to be Michelle and not just Mommy a little bit each day!
So, anyway, that is part of the reason I haven't been around here much. I'm juggling and trying to sort out a new routine. I've been getting up (or trying to, anyway) at 5:00, so that I have time to workout (and sometimes even get some chores done), before the kids wake up. Reid has stopped napping recently, though, so this only gives me back the time I used to get during their afternoon naps. I still have to contend with the fact that I have a lot more on my plate than I did while Jeremy was gone (can you believe that? seems backwards, doesn't it?). I actually cook again -- a task that takes a surprising amount of time with three little ones underfoot. And then there are the things that Jeremy & I do together, like the bible study and small group activities we have done with our church. We actually do things on the weekends, so I loose a lot of time there, too.
Now don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining about Jeremy coming home. I'm much much happier with him here. However, I just need to re-organize and re-prioritize my to-do list, so that I don't feel like I'm constantly missing something (either the big things that are important to me or the little things that add the fun to life). I suppose you could say I'm much like the kids -- I like a predictable routine. So, right now, that is what I'm searching for.
Since Jeremy has come home, I've been very very happy. However, I've also found myself scrambling around trying to re-organize my life. Things were different when he was gone -- our time consisted of late night phone calls, sleep was dominated by the kids (very bad) sleep habits, dinner was never an event because the kids didn't care what I cooked, exercise was paramount because it helped me deal with the stress, free time was spent doing stuff to pass the time, etc. Now with Jeremy home, I'm having to re-adjust everything. And I'm surprised by how much of my old habits I miss. Some of the stuff is superficial -- like missing my daily dose of NCIS. I haven't watched an episode since he got home. Some of the stuff -- like the exercising -- is really bothering me.
I've put on a little weight since Jeremy got home -- not a lot, but 5 lbs makes your clothes feel a lot less comfortable. And my running has gotten to be pitiful. I used to NEVER take a break to walk while running. Now, I'm lucky to get to my 20 minute limit (self imposed rule -- no breaks until 20 minutes) before I'm obsessing about a break. I used to routinely run for 40 - 60 minutes, without feeling dead spent by the time I finished (no breaks and I usually only came back because I had things to do, not because I was exhausted). Yeah, I'd be happy to get a good 35 - 40 minute run in (without a walking break) right now.
So, this has been weighing on my mind a lot lately. I don't want to obsess about my weight, but I don't feel as good as I did (physically, anyway) 6 months ago. And, quite frankly, I refuse to buy any new clothes to accommodate a bigger rear end! I feel like I've spent most of my life overweight and I don't want to go back to it -- I know age won't make it easier to get the weight off, so I need to stay on top of it now. Additionally, this is the one thing I do just for myself. As a stay at home mom, so much of what I do revolves around my children (which is okay) -- I need to have a little time to exercise my right to be Michelle and not just Mommy a little bit each day!
So, anyway, that is part of the reason I haven't been around here much. I'm juggling and trying to sort out a new routine. I've been getting up (or trying to, anyway) at 5:00, so that I have time to workout (and sometimes even get some chores done), before the kids wake up. Reid has stopped napping recently, though, so this only gives me back the time I used to get during their afternoon naps. I still have to contend with the fact that I have a lot more on my plate than I did while Jeremy was gone (can you believe that? seems backwards, doesn't it?). I actually cook again -- a task that takes a surprising amount of time with three little ones underfoot. And then there are the things that Jeremy & I do together, like the bible study and small group activities we have done with our church. We actually do things on the weekends, so I loose a lot of time there, too.
Now don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining about Jeremy coming home. I'm much much happier with him here. However, I just need to re-organize and re-prioritize my to-do list, so that I don't feel like I'm constantly missing something (either the big things that are important to me or the little things that add the fun to life). I suppose you could say I'm much like the kids -- I like a predictable routine. So, right now, that is what I'm searching for.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Since it has been a while...
...here are a few snapshots of the kids from today. Reid was really hamming it up for the camera, but Ross was decidedly uninterested in the process.
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