Recap and Upcoming

This will be fast! The last few days have been a little stressful, but everyone is on the mend now. To make a long story short, Hayden got a bad case of the croupe cough. He gets it every year, but this was the worst he's ever had. We ended up at the hospital, but were released early evening and got to go home. Thank you, God for that. It's a little hard to be in the hospital with one child and have two others at home when your husband is in a foreign country and you don't have many friends left here. Matt's office has been great to help me out. Hayden is not well, but he is much better and hopefully will get to return to school on Monday.

So, with all that my week hasn't gone quite as planned. However, I think I'm about ready for tomorrow... just a few more things on my to do list. My mom and aunt will be here in the morning and I'll be making a trip to Frankfurt to pick them up. The plan was to get there and back with the boys were at school, but now it looks like I'll be taking 2 of the 3. That's what I get for planning, ha! You would think I would have learned that by now, but apparently I haven't.

Please pray for my grandparents health while my mom and aunt are here. They are the only siblings and were a little hesitant to leave them for such a long visit. Neither my grandmother or grandfather are in good health.

There should be some upcoming pictures as you know we'll be doing a lot of sightseeing!

Thanks, dad for encouraging mom to come.

My Hubby!

I got this picture from Matt today. I've been encouraging him to take as many pictures as he can because usually I am the one with the camera. He has sent me a couple and I'm looking forward to seeing some more when he gets home. I asked him if I could put this on the blog and I got the ok from him. So, "here is Matt in his current location." ha! That's about all I can say. He looks good, doesn't he? Can't wait to give him a big hug and kiss in a few weeks.

Earlier in the week, I was thinking about how it used to be for wives years ago compared to now. I know that I have the better end of the deal with the internet, email, cell phones, texting and not having to rely on snail mail. However, I was wondering if sometimes it backfires to have all these things at a touch of a button.

Back when wives didn't hear from their husbands often it was a constant wonder in their heads as to where their spouses were were, what they were doing, were they safe? They were really in the dark. However, in todays world many of us hear from our husbands very often. Like, daily. So, when a few days go by and we don't hear from them... we begin to panic. This has happened a few times since he has been gone. I heard from Matt on Wednesday morning, I think. Then, nothing... nothing all day Thursday... I begin to panic and send him emails, no response. I tried to keep busy by cleaning my house, (though you wouldn't know it by looking at it.) Nothing. My mind begins to wander... and I try not to let it go there. But it does, and I play out everything in my head. How would I react if service members came to my door and knocked? Then, on Friday, I get a call from him. Now my mind can relax until it happens again. And it will, I'm certain.

It's also funny how time flies when its other friends spouses that are gone. Wow... only a few weeks and they'll be back, that time flew right by! But, when it's your own family, it feels like an eternity. Everyone gets busy in their everyday lives and time starts ticking.... to everyone else. I really can't complain as our summer did fly by us. We were almost too busy, but we loved every minute of it. However at home and in our own setting, we see Matt's clothes, his place at the dinner table, his car, his office and it's a constant reminder that he is not here with us. I think back to when he left and it seems like so long ago. Think back to where you were April 30. What have you done since then? I think of baseball season, Hayden's kindergarten graduation, a summer full of trips and fun and family, the beginning of 1st grade and middle school, Hayden losing his first tooth, Jordyn talking absolutely nonstop and forming such long sentences, and soccer season. It seems like he's missed so much.

I say all this, to tell you that if you know of a family who is going through a deployment, it means so much to them to give a few words of encouragement. What a nice surprise to get a card in the mail or a spontaneous phone call from an old friend. It doesn't take a lot of effort, and means the world to them. I'm guilty of not doing it and I am living it. I try to, but sometimes life gets in the way.

Thank you all for your kind words these last several months! We're almost there... I've got a sick kid calling my name so I best close.

Yippee!

Guess now I know why I've been pulled over 7 times and been searched at the gate on the way into the base. Maybe I should stop complaining about it?! Ahh... just in time for some touring with my mom and aunt, too. Surely they won't recognize us with two SUV's in the driveway and an American bench sitting on the back porch. Ya think?

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/09/24/germany.travel.alert/index.html

**Change that number to 9 times. Actually, I think I've lost count at this point**

Need Some Input

I have to admit this feels a little different posting, now that I know who actually reads this thing. Some of you surprised me and I had no idea, and some that I thought did.... evidently don't. ha!

I have a question for you, now that I know who you are. I can see that 25 of you have already logged in and I still have some open invitations. I have one or two who seem to be having problems getting logged in. Did any of you experience this? I know if you have gmail account, it's fairly easy and probably logged you right in. How about those of you who don't have gmail? Any tricks? Any pointers? Can you see the blog ok?

Any pointers that might help would be great. I'm a member of a few private blogs myself, but once I set up my google account with a password I never had any issues.

Matt's set to come back October 22 and my mom and aunt are coming for a visit next week. I'm so excited and will have some more traveling pictures soon. Though, we'll probably stick mostly with what we know so some may be repeats.

The weather here has been gorgeous and sunny. It's been a beautiful September! I hear lots of you have been having LOTS of rain. I'm not sure why, but the apple trees don't seem to be producing many apples this fall. It's strange, because normally they are falling off the trees in clumps and they are everywhere we go. I'm not sure how the grapes produced, but I'll see in a week or two. I know it's grape picking time right now so I may miss them. It's strange to think that this is the last autumn we will experience here. I'm really going to try and enjoy this school year... it's already slipping away.

My Little Soccer Star!

Why Can I Not Think of Any Catchy Titles Anymore?

I'm leaving my blog open one more week as I'm still getting trickling comments and emails from various people. Thanks to all of you for commenting and emailing me and if you haven't yet, please see the post below and send me your email address.

Time is going slow here, but we are doing ok. Today withheld a few meltdowns from all of us, but we made a big pan of brownies and that made it all better! We are really missing Matt and the 5 months without him is taking a toll. When I think back, in some ways it has gone quickly and in other ways it seems like an eternity ago that we saw him.

Jordyn started gymnastics today and I was thinking back to when Matt left. She had her first gymnastics performance not long after he left and I took a few pictures. Look how much she's grown just since he's been gone. I wish I would have measured all of them before he left. I think they've all grown quite a bit over the summer. Landen's foot is as big as mine now and he's up to 5'. Hayden is finally growing and has lost his first tooth. I think he's about to lose a second one before long. The ironical thing is that Landen lost his first tooth while Matt was in Iraq... now Hayden has lost his first while he's in Afghanistan. I wonder where he will be when Jordyn loses her first tooth??!

In May

Today

The boys were really cracking me up playing outside tonight with their American friends down the street. They were playing world war with all their guns. What I found funny was listening to their comments.... "I'm America", I'm "Germany", I'm "Russian", I'm "Poland"..... "No, Poland is poor. I'm Korean!," , "Oh, wait! I'm Chinese - they make everything and have lots of money!"... I just thought that was funny for young kids to be saying. It's amazing what they pick up so young. They proceeded to play and used pears that had fallen to the ground from the pear tree next door and threw them as grenades. So funny... what a bunch of military brats, right?

Making A Change

I've talked about it before, and then life seems to get in the way. Anyway, I'm gonna make the switch and make my blog private. Some of you have asked me why, and the answer is that I put so much information on here about my children. Nothing has happened or anything like that, but I just decided I would prefer to know who is reading what I'm writing about them.

So, I know there are a lot of you who read and NEVER leave a comment. If you prefer, you can email me at joleero@hotmail.com and I'll put you on the list. Or, leave me a comment with your email address so I can send you an invitation to the blog. I don't have to directly know you, so don't be scared! I know some of my mother in laws friends read it, etc.... if you would rather tell her then she can forward me the message and I'll still let you in.

I'm gonna leave this post up for a week or two, to give everyone time to log on. Stay tuned and watch for an invitation! Thanks for reading!

School and Anniversaries!

My mother in law has been encouraging a new post and I told her I didn't know what to blog about! We're kind of boring right now. We're not traveling. Our big excitement is going to the BX and commissary, soccer practice and figuring out what to cook for dinner.

We did have a great first week of school! Landen and Hayden both seem to like their teachers and they seem to be adjusting nicely. It was a BIG jump for Landen because 5th grade begins middle school here. So, to my disappointment Landen and Hayden were only in the same school for one year. Anyway, the middle school involves lockers with combination locks, various teachers, 8 classes, school dances, beginning band, an a la carte line at lunch and more. It's quite an adjustment from elementary school. So far, so good. Here's a picture of them on their first day. The parents go with the 5th graders through out the whole first day to help them get organized and adjusted.

On another note, I found something involving some German culture to share with you. In Germany, they have a neat tradition for their "big" wedding anniversary years. We've watched across the street and through the window at the celebration of one. Only, at the time we weren't sure what it was all about. Now, our landlords are having their celebration next weekend and we were invited.

First, two "Christmas Trees" appear outside their doors with a cute little sign and with the appropriate garnishments (silver for 25.) These stay there for a few weeks until they hold their own party. Our landlords have invited Matt and I, though we can't take kids and I'm not sure I'll have a babysitter to go. However, I bought them a little present to take over and wish Matt was here to go see what it was all about. Anyway, back to the celebration. On the night of the party (the one I was invited to is a garden party and I'm still trying to figure out the rest of the invitation!), everyone will gather outside their house and bring their noise makers. They will shake and rattle them until the couple will come out the door and everyone takes pictures and congratulates them. Then, they will head to dinner or come into the house for the party.

Isn't it cute??

I'm not sure what else takes place, but I may add some more knowledge to this after next weekend. I've got word out and have got to find us a new teenage babysitter, but have had no luck so far. I'll keep you posted if I get to go. Don't hold your breath!

One last note... I need to mow, but it's too wet. The summer has left and the cold dreary rain is setting in. We're enjoying the last few rays of sunshine we will see for a long while and are noticing a few leaves are already starting to change. I think I'm actually ready for the fall this year.