John got promoted :)

Last week, John got a promotion to Staff Sergeant :)

This is a very big achievement as he's worked sooooooo very hard for this. I'm just sooooo proud of him!!!

I got the chance to pin him which was a big deal to me. I felt so special :)

I also got pinned too. It was a "thank you for your support" pin. I felt like I was on cloud nine hearing my husband say such nice things about me :)

Homecoming Video :)

I'd buy a wall full of clocks, if I could stop time for a while ...

Right now, in this very moment, I swear I wish time would've stopped.

JOHN'S HOME!!!!!!!!!!!

Plain and simple!!!!!

I can't upload any photos or videos to this blog because the computers here won't let you use the USB ports :(

I guess they don't want you screwing up the library's computers.

So I'll write about homecoming then when I get the chance I'll upload the video!

Okay Sunday about 1230am I got a call that told me wheels up (the boys are in the air from Kuwait) I couldn't sleep ... but I knew it'd be a LONG day ahead, so I forced myself to nap. I woke up at 4am to a wheels down call (they've landed and are getting onto buses soon). Tiffany and I, along with her kids, head to post about 6am. We get here and it's like everyone is buzzing little bees all excited about the day's events. John's main body consisted of 188 guys. If not the biggest to come back, definitely the 2nd biggest. Some of his "comrades" or co-workers were already here as they were in another main body. I got to meet some of them, and everyone I met was so nice and welcoming to me. I didn't feel like the newbie wife that no one knows ... I just felt like the wife they all wanted to help. It was great. Every soldier had a sign hanging up in the hanger, and I had made John one from me ... but since I got here after they hung up them all ... as in the FRG hung ALL of them before any main body came home ... mine wasn't up. I'd left it in the battalion's office, but it was forgotten I guess. When I met John's Platoon Sgt, Sgt Sal, he asked if I'd made one and I told him yes, but it was left out ... he called some soldier I have no clue who he is over and made him go get it and hang it for me.

Now there was soooooo many people here ... and all the sudden they announce that the boys are at the front gate. You better believe that everyone that didn't have itty bittys went running. Well, even new mommies with babies in arms went running to the motorpool (the place they turned into). I need to stop here to explain that the busses come in, but the guys get off and then have to go through all this paperwork and whatnot before the ceremony, which was about an two hours from the point of busses arriving until ceremony. Okay back on track. Everyone went running! We got to the motorpool and they were escorted in by MPs (military police) and I was video taping this whole thing. Well halfway through the 6 busses coming in I realized I was watching my camera and not the busses ... like a ding dong.

Once every bus was in, we went back to the hanger. There was a big open space where the soldiers were to stand, and we were all in the stands waiting. After what seemed like an eternity, we saw uniformed soldiers start to line up at the hanger doors ready to open them. And then it started. Now let me stop here to say I always get a tickle in my throat when I hear patriotic music, however this time ... WOW it was much different. They played "Courtesy of the Red White and Blue" from Toby Keith.

American girls and American guys
We'll always stand up and salute
We'll always recognize
When we see old glory flying
Theres a lot of men dead
So we can sleep in peace at night
When we lay down our head

(now picture the biggest American flag flying over these hanger doors)

They start pushing open the doors as the song goes ... "My daddy served in the army ..."

AND EVERYONE IS SCREAMING. Not clapping, not hooting ... SCREAMING AND YELLING!!!
We see the guys, behind those hanger doors, with two fire trucks behind them. They're standing at attention all in formation ... I swear, I've NEVER been more proud in my entire life to be an American. Those fire trucks start spraying that water as high as it'll go in the air. The guys march into the hanger and stop right in front of us. I'm searching for John while sobbing nonetheless ... but come on ... if you know me ... you KNOW I can't keep tears in. I'm a blubbering fool.

Commanders exchange "charge" I guess you'd call it, and then There's a short speach after a prayer. John finds me before I find him. I'm not paying attention to the prayer, I'm just looking for John ... and I feel his eyes drilling me. I'm searching face after face for his, I look up and there he is. Staring right at me - like no one else exists in the entire world. The speach is over, all the soldiers yell "Quickstrike" and that's it. I couldn't believe how short it was, but boy I was thankful for it. Everyone went running into each other. I was what felt like ten feet from John and lept into his arms. I swear on my life, I can't think of a better hello. I was sobbing, he was squeezing me tight. PERFECT.

We're holding each other and don't even notice there's anyone else in that hanger. I had my arms around him and told him he was skinnier than I remembered. But God he looked good. I literally fell in love with him all over again.

We met other soldiers and their families, exchanged hellos and welcome homes and it felt like this was the happiest place on earth. I'll tell ya ... Disney's got nothing on the feeling when a soldier comes home to his family.

Picking up the hubbs :D

I'm on my way out the door to pick up my husband! He's coming HOME ... from war!! He's gonna be mine now!!!!!!!!

Three more years, I'm guaranteed to have him by my side! I've dreamt of this day and now that it's here, I don't know how to feel. I'm really super excited and bouncy, but I'm also nervous. I don't know why ... it's not like he's a stranger ... I mean he is my husband ... I guess it's just the not seeing each other for such a long time that's making me have butterflies in my tummy ... but hey, nothing's wrong with butterflies :)

Well I'll have more soon, and some photos too ... cause my wonderful, amazing, prince charming will finally be home to me .... God is sooooo good.

Bad Windshiem

This town is gorgeous! It was an icky night, but we walked around downtown.

This first photo is of some giant statue thing that's from the Renissance period.

Then there's Delphi - the really awesome Greek restaurant in town.

Then some photos of the town's square.

And my "host family" as I like to call them :) The Learn's. They're so great! There's Tiffany (mom) Amber, Brittany, and Justin.

Eis Rialto

It's German Ice Cream. OMG it's nothing like you've ever imagined!!!!! It's thick, creamy, and ALL NATURAL!! It doesn't have artificial anything in it. Now I felt like my butt gained ten pounds, but hey ... oh well!!

This is called Spaghetti Eis (Ice). It looks just like spaghetti, but takes like vanilla ice cream with strawberrry topping. It's got white chocolate "sprinkle shavings" that look like parmasean cheese.

Katterbach

I went to our sister post the other day, and saw some bad ass birds.

Here's a Chinook:

And a Blackhawk:

Flying

I wanted to get my photos up when I had limited time, thus I didn't get to write about my trip.

So here goes: On the flight from Knoxville to Dulles, there was this sweet old lady that asked me where I was going. I told her my story of my travels and she was so excited for me. Apparently she was on the flight with a lot of people she worked with so she had everyone around us "in the know" of my trip. It was so cute.

Once in Dulles they let me be the first person off the plane so that I could make it to my next gate in the 20mins I had.

I started nearly running to the gate, to find that they moved it :( I was in the wrong terminal. I landed in A was supposed to be in B but was needing to go to C as they changed terminals. I busted ass to get to terminal C, made it THANK GOD, and was on the hunt for food. I knew my next flight would be a bitch, and we all know plane food is terrible, so I got some chex mix (everyone knows how much I love that mix).

On the ride to Germany, I met a girl that was in my EXACT SAME SHOES! She just got married on R&R and is coming to Germany to welcome her hubby home too!!! It was nice to talk to her and find out what she knew. What a small world, same flight, same exact situation.

I slept horribly on the plane :( I was sooooo cold, but hey that's what you get.

Once I landed in Frankfurt, I was so excited but a bit aprehensive, as I hadn't heard from the person meeting me to help me get to Illesheim. Come to find out I was in one terminal, and she was in another. So there's no way we'd be arriving at the same baggage claim. I went on to the train station (downstairs in the airport) and waited thinking I'd see her. I didn't. My train was about to leave and I was on it but worried about my empending trip - really just the numerous train changes, and asked the "conductor" guy if I could use his phone. He said yes, and I hurriedly called the girl helping me (side note, I couldn't call her from a pay phone since I didn't have Euros and the phones here don't let you call using a calling card!) she answered her cell and was on my train, just in the last car ... where I was in the first car. I had 2mins to get to the end of this long train ... outside the train (since dingie me didn't know you could walk inside between cars ... hey it's my very first time on a real train). I started running with my heavy luggage all the way to the end of the train. Needless to say once I got there I was far out of breath.

I made it to Illesheim safe though, through 4 train changes - now I feel like I can do anything!!

Germany

So here's some photos of the little towns I'm in/near. More to come.

Plane photos

France, just across the English Channel:


















Germany:
















Frankfurt:















Train Station:
















This is me, jet lagged and frustrated.

Goodbye my lovies :(

Last night out with Sam and Kendra. I miss you girlies so much :(

Goodmorning Europe

Watching the sunrise. Gorgeous!

London at 36,000 feet.

I know it's shaky, but hey I was in a plane taking these.

I slipped up the window to see what we were over about 5am on my way over England. I saw this crazy city full of lights, and the flight attendant told me it's London.

Neat to see.

Goodnight America.

Watching the sunset on America, well or really Canada, or really the ocean back that-a-way.

I'm here!

So I made it to Germany. It's wonderful!

I had a little bump along the way with the incoming flight to Frankfurt (not sleeping well on the plane) then I couldn't find my new friend, that I've never met, who was taking me to Illesheim. I decided to go ahead and get on the train and at the last minuet I asked the conductor if I could borrow his phone, he said yes, I called Michelle and found her! So THANK YOU GOD I found her ... riding the train was more than I expected. I wasn't prepared well enough.

I made it here, got a shower at the commander's house ... and my new family - the Learns - came to get me. I've spent the whole day with them, they're great. And I can't get enough of Bavaria or this sleepy little town we're in :)

I'll post photos soon.

Night night, I need sleep ... I'm a lil jetlagged :(

Leavin on a jet plane ...

I'm leaving in T Minus 18 hours!!

I promise promise promise to keep this blog up, and keep in touch as much as I can ...

This is all I have to say for now ... stay tuned for more updates :)

Ranger's all better!

After over $260 in two days on my little baby, he's FINALLY better!

So we treated it as a colon problem until he didn't get better by the shot that Dr Lehman gave him that was a "cure all" shot. After him vomiting so much last night, Dr Lehman thought it to be necessary for Ranger to come in this morning to see if there was an obstruction, which would require surgery.

Thankfully, his blood work and x-rays showed that nothing was wrong, and it was like some little miracle made him all better at the vet today. I don't care what it was that did it, but I'll take him feeling better any day over knowing what was wrong.

Dr Lehman said we needed to switch meds and needed to treat this as an upper intestinal infection. Nonetheless, he's SO MUCH BETTER!!

Now it's just special food, extra meds, and lots of love and extra "are you feeling better's" for Ranger for the next few days.

We now have a plane ticket!

I got it this morning! I'm "officially" headed to Germany on Monday afternoon! WAH HOO!!

I'm all packed, I've done a dry run to see if I can maneuver those bags ... and I CAN!! I'm good to go!!

Now I'm just worried about Ranger. He's been really sick the last few days. We thought he just was "stopped up" but after going to the Doctor yesterday and getting a shot, medicines, and special food ... he's not eating and still having difficulties.

I know he's just a doggie, but I can't help but think I'm a bad mommy to him for leaving to be with John when he's so sick. We're going back to the Doctor this morning to se if he's got something caught inside, and hopefully he won't ... because if so it may mean surgery.

Please pray for him (I know it's crazy praying for a dog, but he's my baby and I know he hurts)

Kentucky Splash

Mom and I went to this little water park called Kentucky Splash last weekend, and I'm telling you .... it was a nice relaxing day. Small but nice nonetheless :)

I wish I had photos of when we were in the wave pool. Mom is terrified to swim so she didn't wanna go out far. I kept pulling her out thought (sneaky me) and she was in a dingy tube (it was starting to deflate) so we maneuvered to where she'd be popping out of that dingy tube and into my good tube, our plan was so elaborate that we couldn't stop laughing. We couldn't do anything because we were laughing so hard!

I then made her go down the spinney slides. She was pretty nervous, but did great! I'm very proud of her!

The best part is that if you bring an empty Pepsi can, you get $6.95 off your admission, making it only $10.00 for the whole day! And the snacks and drinks aren't crazy expensive! It's like going to the pool when you were a kid. NOT AT ALL like Splash Country :)

A Huge Weight Off My Shoulders!

For a little back story, I've been stressing out lately about this move. For one, I've had no, and I mean NO contact from John's FRG :(

I've tried for nearly 2 months with no reply and I was getting worried seeing as they're the ones contacting me when John's on his way home!

Well ... this morning at 3:52am I get a beep on my phone that usually indicateds John's sent me an email or Target's sent me some sale ad. No, it wasn't them - it was the FRG!!!! Wahh hoooo!!!

Both ladies were sooo nice, and so helpful! One is going to help me get a hotel and the other is helping me work out transportation from Frankfurt so I'm not riding 4 different trains to get to Illesheim!!

I've been fretting and praying and I'm telling ya - someone answered my prayers and had these ladies contact me back.

In other news, I was also told I could get a phone that would work internationally at the PX once I get there, so I'll be able to figure that out soon and get in touch with home as well!

Today will be a good day ... I can feel it :)

Reception Site

I went today to the Top of the Plaza, here in Maryville. I love it. It's GORGEOUS! I don't know if we can afford it, but oh my word it's perfect. When I close my eyes and think of my dream wedding - this place is it.

Time to pinch pennies ...

Dress Shopping

So I went shopping with Mag for dresses for John's homecoming ceremony and his pinning ceremony (when he gets promoted and I, his WIFEY, get to pin him .... EEEEEKKKKK)!

I want to post photos of them, but I want them to be a surprise for John.

Just a few short days away. I'm soooo ready to see my hubbs again :)

He just swelled up!

Ranger had some crazy kind of allergic reaction the other night! He was just hanging out while I was getting ready for bed, then all of the sudden his eyes were puffy!

Mom said not to worry, but then his little snout got all puffy too :(

So we called the ER Vet and she said to give him Benadryl.

He was konked out, like none other.

Moving Out!

So as of 7/31/2009 I'm MOVED OUT :) EEEKKKK!!!!! I have great family that helped me move. I'm at mom's now until I head out to my hubby!!

Here's some photos of the place ...