The Blasingames

Is It Almost October Already!?

2011-09-25T09:43:00.001-07:00

It is hard to believe it is almost October already! The lease on our rental will be up in a month....even Spencer thinks this year has gone by fast!

Well, there is no real news on the house yet. We were told that the seller and their bank have reached an agreement, now we are just waiting for their bank to release the house so we can get moving on our end. Once they do that, it will be about a 45 day window until we can move in. The real estate agent is confident we may be able to move in by December. Wouldn't it be nice to have our first Christmas in the new house this year? :o)

Nothing much else going on. Emily left for Hawaii on Thursday to stay with her grandparents for a week at their time share. She seems to be having fun....they took her to the Dole Plantation and she got lost in a 3 acre pineapple maze...too funny!

Spencer continues to bowl, game and (sort of hate) school. His new medication cocktail has done wonders for him! He's biting himself less and was even able to stop himself from a "meltdown". I'm so proud of him!

I'm doing well at my new job (so I've been told). There is ALOT to learn and I'm hoping the slow season will bring clarity to my world! It is nice to get Saturday's off to go see Spencer bowl and just hang out with the family. I am still working weekends (on Sunday), but I don't mind so much. It's overtime and gives us more time to save up money for things for the new house.

Stacey finished up another term of school. He got good grades, of course! He signed up for another 3 courses which will start soon. His med-board process is moving right along. He isn't ACTUALLY at work much these days, but has been able to take the kids to appointments, pick them up from school and work on his own school work. I'd say overall he is doing well to spite the extra stressors in his life!

I hope all are doing well! Drop a line if you have time!

Houses, Jobs And More!

2011-09-09T18:24:00.001-07:00

Well, it seems that a lot has happened since the last blog! So here goes!

We put an offer on a house on August 22nd. It is a short sale house, so it could take awhile for the seller's bank to approve and such, so we are almost at the 3 week period waiting. We were told this process could take up to 6 months to complete, so we are in for the long haul. We really love the house, though, and that makes it worth it. It is 3 stories, including the finished basement: 5 bedroom, 3.5 bath, 2 car garage, family room, living room and game room. It will definitly fit our needs until at least the kids are out of school (college or otherwise!).

I got a new position at work. I went from retail to Job Cost Accountant. I am really enjoying the new challenges that this position brings. Although it is a Monday through Friday job, I am helping out in retail on the weekends (overtime of course!) because one of the girls quit. Anyhow, I'm just excited for the opportunity to work in an area I was trained in. Although business....it is learning the construction industry from a perspective I've never had before, so that makes it interesting.

Last post, Spencer was being evaluated for ADD. Well, he was determined to have it, so he went on a new medication for it. It has really helped both in his attitude and his acceptance of school. We are so proud of him! He chose bowling over soccer this year, and he was so excited to get a Turkey on one of his last games. He bowled a 133!!!! Way to go Spencer!

Emily is playing soccer again this year....the program sucks, the team sucks and the coaches barely know what they are doing.....but that isn't stopping Emily from shining on the field! She played wonderfully in her first game and scored the only goal for her team. Way to go Emily!

Stacey is still chuckin' away at school. His placement in the "broken" brigade has given him a lot of time to play Dad...picking the kids up for school and appointments and even catching a lunch or two with me. He is a GREAT dad! It has been hard to relinquish the control, but he has proven worthy!

Well, that's about it! I hope everyone is doing well!

Life Passing By Too Quickly!

2011-08-13T16:26:00.000-07:00

Well, once again, life has passed by so quickly and I haven't kept up with everyone....so here goes!

We recently got a dog, rather Emily got a dog for her 13th birthday. The dog's name is Boomer and he is an Australian Shepherd. He is a VERY loyal companion for Emily, and she has done a great job at taking care of him...she gets up very early to walk him and walks him when she gets back from school and at night.....the two became quick friends and even though it's hard to say, I really enjoy having a dog in the household!

We are in the process of buying a house. We put an offer on one we really liked, but the guy countered our offer with an amount that was above the original asking price. So, we decided with time on our side, we didn't want to deal with people like that. We were going to put an offer on another house, but by the time we got to it, it was already under contact with someone else. So, we see houses again on Tuesday, and I'll try and post pics as we go. We have the option to go month to month on our lease when it's up in October, so we'll just take our time and find a house we love!

The kids started school August 11th. They are both going tow James Irwin Charter school this year. Yes, another new school, but this school will take them through high school with the same group of kids. They've moved around enough and we are ready to put down some roots here. In fact, our house search is centered around the school so we are available when needed. Emily had some trouble on the math placement test, so she can't do band until she gets over that bump. Spencer was smiling both days he came out of school....which, for those who know him know that is a big deal. He is being evaluated for ADD (something I was recently diagnosed with), so I'm happy to see a smile on his face!

Stacey and I celebrated our 16th wedding anniversary yesterday! We had a great day...slept in til 11:00 AM, went out to eat twice and got matching tattoos. It was an understated but welcomed day!

Stacey is officially in the "Med Board" process of his military career. He will be getting out and the process takes him through his injuries and evaluation for the VA, etc. His term was to end July 23, 2012, but this process might take him beyond that. So, we'll see. He is attending Colorado Technical University going for his bachelor's in information technology. He has his associate's degree, so he shouldn't have a problem finding work when he gets out.

I'm still working at Rocky Mountain Materials....I sell rocks....the end.

Well, I hope everyone is doing fine and if you have kids, that school is fun for them! Let us know how you are all doing!

Father's Day 2011!

2011-06-19T20:51:00.000-07:00

Well I hope everyone out there got to have just as great of a Father's Day as we did! We got to sleep in a bit, had presents, calls to parents, did a little hiking at Seven Falls, saw a movie, had a great dinner at a yummy Mexican joint and finished it all off with homemade frosted brownies and milk! What a full and fun day we had! I usually have to work, but my super gave me the day off and for that I am really thankful!

I am doing better at work. I was recently diagnosed with ADD and the medication is really helping my memory and in turn is helping with my patience as I learn my job. I still work most weekends, but the biggest frustration is that I am busier on my days off than I am on my working days. I am getting a little tired lately, but nothing a little diet, vitamins and exercise can't cure!

Stacey is getting ready to transisiton to "X company". He just put in a packet for a med board from the Army. Pretty much that means he is too broken (with his back and his knee) to be of any use to the Army. It will be a good thing overall, but he will have a trying year ahead of him. He is attending Colorado Technical University working on his Bachelor's degree in Information Technology. He did well with his first term back in school, so I'm hopeful that everything is moving in the right direction.

The kids are happy to be out of school. They play games all day, but I've gotten them to do some chores too (for money, of course)! They both got in to James Irwin Charter School starting in the fall, so we are very excited about that.

We are also in the process of looking for a new home to purchase. We are in the pre-financing phase right now but hope to be in a new home by October 1st. We are working with a great realtor and have great expectations in this department too! :o)

Well, we hope everyone is doing well! Other than work, work and more work, not a lot goin' on here.

Everyday Life!

2011-05-11T08:41:00.000-07:00

Well, not much going on in the Blasingame household, just a bunch of everyday life. Who's to complain...life could definitely be worse!

The grass is turning green and the trees have leaves on them. So, you can tell Spring is here. But, eveidently, Colorado gets snow into July and what a shock it was to open the door to leave for work and there was snow on the ground on May 1st. Okay, I'm an Oregonian and I am just not used to this stuff!

Stacey left for a feild exercise a coupld of days ago. No contact is allowed, so this will definitely be a long 10 days for both him and us. We were so proud of him for a couple of reasons....he fixed our car all by himself and he reached his weighloss goal of 160#! He looks really good and he has been helping to support me in my goals as well. He's been a great super-dad while I've had to work late and he is really pulling us together!

The kids have one thing and one thing only on their mind and that is the end of school. School lets out May 19th and even Emily who loves school can't wait for it to be over. They are both going to be moving to James Irwin Charter school next year which has them in the same school with the same friends through high school. We were very happy that they got in!

Emily just finished up her track season. She did the 100m hurtles, 100m dash, 800m medly and the long jump. She placed well in the championship and recovered well from her major tumble on the hurtles a couple of weeks ago.

Spencer had his medication upped to control his anxiety. I was really happy to find a new psychologist as the last one just gave us a prescription for the year and said see you next year. He is seeing a GREAT psychologist and he and his new psychiatrist said they should be able to get Spencer funtioning better by the beginning of the next school year. So we have high hopes! It breaks my hear that Spencer hates school so much and doesn't want to go, mostly from axiety. So, things are looking up.

Well, I'm still working at Rocky Mountain Materials after my 1st month. It is going okay, I think I'm picking up on things. But, it is not the job I consider to stay at for many years. It is seasonal, so perhaps I'll be looking for another job in the fall. But for now, it's nice to have the extra money and feel like I have a purpose in my day. I survived my 35th birthday on April 22. I am almost the age my mother was when she had me. I could not imagine being pregnant at my age....no way. We were supposed to go camping, but between the weather and my work schedule, we ended up making smores in the microwave! :o)

So that's about it! Like I said, just everyday life! I hope you are all doing well and we look forward to hearing from you!

Starting Work And Other Knick Knacks...

2011-04-12T11:47:00.000-07:00

I'm not feeling very crafty with my words today, so I'll do the best to update you all....

The big news is that I found a job...all on my own...I've always had help from an employment agency before. The pay sucks and the hours are worse, but it is income and has a potential to become more. This is the part where I have to be patient, work as hard as I can and hopefully things will work out. The job I found is at a landscaping facility that has it's own rock quarries (sound familiar anyone?). I work in retail sales, so getting to know the product has been the worst nightmare for me. Baker Rock didn't have even a quarter of the shapes, sizes and colors, so it's a bit flustrating to get a grab hold on things.

The kids wrapped up their bowling season a couple of weeks ago. Spencer really improved over the season, averaging over 124 the last two weeks. Emily has an interesting spin on her throw, and although I think she did great, she wasn't as excited to the awards ceremonies. They each got a trophie with their name on it. Bowling was especially good for Spencer because he met a new friend Nathan whom he's been hanging out with socially. That has been really good for his self esteem!

I got a chance to see my sister Colleen about a week ago! It was nice seeing family! She was in Denver visiting Brian who was there for work. So, we met up in Castle Rock for dinner, where I, of course, made it difficult on the waitress as it was one of the first times eating out since starting my diet. It was nice though to just catch up on things, find out how the neices and nephews are doing and catch up in general!

As for my weightloss, I have lost a total of 32.2 pounds as of this morning. It's fun because I'm finally starting to see it in my face and I went down a pant size. I catch Stacey checking my ass out a little too often now, so pretty much, that is the only thing I have to look out for! :o)

So, that's about it. We had planned a camping trip for my birthday/Easter weekend, but turns out I have to work 3 of the 4 days. So, I'm going to go out and spend the evening and then go home to sleep. I'm off that Sunday, so I'll be able to spend the night on Saturday night and go hiking with the troops on Sunday. We'll make it work...

Hope everyone is well!

LIttle Bit Of This, Little Bit Of That

2011-03-24T13:23:00.000-07:00

Well, nothing specific to report on right now, so I thought I'd give an update on a couple of things.

I had my Gall Bladder removed on March 4th. So far, everything is healing just fine. The doctor had to remind me that even though it was laproscopic and the outside doesn't look bad, the insides still went through the ringer. I have only been able to walk...no jogging...and that has been frustrating. I have a pain in my side that won't go away and shows up a lot when I'm walking. And, though I'm healing fine from that, my back went out on me yesterday. about 4 years ago, it went out so bad we had to call an ambulance. It was then I found out that I have a bulging disc at the L4/L5 Vertabrae. So, now I'm on muscle relaxers and pain killers and I'm not supposed to even walk for at least 3 days while my back gets back to "normal". All part of getting older I suppose. I'm hoping my weightloss will prevent these attacks from happening so often.

Stacey starts school at Colorado Technical University on April 3rd. I'm SOOOO excited for him because it is the last part of his Bachelor's degree which is one of the goals he had when going in to the Army. His Army career may get cut short because of his back problems. He has an MRI scheduled at the end of this month and it will tell us more. But, they are thinking about Med Boarding him and that makes things scary for us since I'm not working yet. Stacey, as always, is keeping a positive attitude on things, and that is helping us all!

The kids are on Spring Break right now. We didn't do much. I tried to take them swimming, but they got bored with it. They have had bowling and they really like jammy days. So, overall, not a bad week. I surely needed the break myself.

The weather has been nice here, and it has given us the opportunity to go hiking almost every weekend. It is usually a really nice family time.

It was discovered during one of my last lab workups that I have a genetic mutation called MTHFR. In short, it causes low uptake of B Vitamins and iron. These are things I've had issues with for a while. Because of the low uptake of B Vitamins, it is common for people with this mutation to have depression. So, we're hoping knowing this will help my treatment be a little more acurate. Also, it causes things like hardening of the arteries, strokes, high blood pressure, acute leukemia etc. All things my mother had a problem with, so I think I know where it came from. I'm just happy to have the opportunity at a yound age to know this so it can be treated.

Well, that's about it! I did promise Avis that I would tell her about the boy that Emily made cry. It is a boy that likes her and she doesn't like him. He was talking with another girl about Emily in a not-so-nice way and she stood her ground and stood up for herself. Well, evidently this boy went crying....literally...to a teacher and I got a call that said, "Emily made a boy cry"...so, not a big deal really, but we all find it funny. I say...good for her....it is good to stick up for yourself! I'm proud that she had the confidence to say something!

I hope all is well! Please leave comments or e-mail me....we would love to hear from you!

Surgery And Weightloss

2011-03-04T16:55:00.000-08:00

Just an update for those of you not on Facebook...I had surgery today to have my gall bladder removed. The pain so far is a lot less than I imagined it would be....of course that will probably change by tomorrow morning. :o)It was a day surgery, so I'm home resting as much as possible. I'm not allowed to drive until at least Monday and no strenuous activity for 4 - 6 weeks...so I'll have to wait to start my weights training until after then. I have been enjoying my 4 to 6 mile walks as well as hiking the past few weeks, and it's nice to know I only have to wait a couple of days to get back in that routine!

As for my weight loss, some of you have seen my ticker at the top of the blog. I finally reached below 200 pounds for the first time since I was in the Army, so I was so excited for that! I weighed in at 198 pounds this morning! My goal reward for reaching under 200 pounds was a new pair of Shape-Ups...those shoes are INCREDIBLE! Very comfortable and they really help with my walks since I have arthritis. So it's a plus all around!

Well, I hope this finds you all well! I'll keep you posted, but so far, the surgery has been low key and low pain and hopefully it will fix the symptoms I was having.

Tootles!

Garden Of The Gods!

2011-02-27T14:03:00.000-08:00

Well, first I have to start off by saying, when we first moved here, we all thought Garden of the Gods was a flower garden or something. But alas, we know better now. We were able to take another hike and toured the beautiful trails of Garden of the Gods. It is pretty amazing to think of how these things came to be. Here are a few pictures of our day:

I've lost a total of 12.2 pounds over the last couple of weeks. I'm way ahead of my goal of 2.5# a week, so I'm very excited. The military does one free cosmetic surgery (yeah, I know, I'm still looking in to it). I thought if it were true, I'd take advantage of it before Stacey leaves the army and get a tummy tuck. This is just one of my goals. We put together a list of rewards when I reach a specific goal so I'd have something to work towards....they are:

10 Pounds New Music
Under 200 New Sketcher Shape-Ups
20 Pounds Flowers
30 Pounds Hair Cut (more than $8 hair cut!)
40 Pounds Pedicure
50 Pounds Day Spa w/Stacey
60 Pounds Manicure
70 Pounds New Dress & Shoes
80 Pounds Tummy tuck

So there ya have it....right now, I'm just being motivated by my health. I've developed a thyroid problem on top of everything else, and it all boils down to losing weight.

Stacey enrolled in classes at Colorado Technical University to finish his bachelor's degree. He starts April 3rd and I, for one, could not be more excited for him. He's been carrying a heavier load at work and then coming home to supsport me in my weight loss goals and now he'll be going to school for something he enjoys! We're very excited.

I hope all is well! If anyone comes to visit, we'd love to take you hiking! ;o)

Not To Blind You With Our Awesomeness.....

2011-02-20T21:40:00.000-08:00

It's been a great couple of weeks! Lots of changes are happening in the Blasingame household!

The weather is finally getting warmer....low 40s....but warmer nontheless. We got out for our first hike in almost a year at Cheyenne Mountain State Park. You have to pay for a day pass, but it was well worth it! We had a blast! We hiked a very moderate trail for about 4.67 miles. Spencer usually gets tired, but even he did great! We're thinking of getting the yearly pass and just making it a weekend thing. It was great! So, not to blind you with our awesomeness, but yeah....4.67 miles!

Many of you know by now that I have once again started a weightloss program. My health was telling me it's time, and I'm glad I started it up again. I lost 6.9 pounds in my 1st week and have gotten in to the routine of exercising again. I always forget how good it makes me feel when I'm done (gotta love those endorphins!). I went to see a nutritionist on post, and she is helping me with ideas on how to eat healthy and she's also keeping me accountable as I have another appointment in 3 weeks. It has been fun trying new recipes and Stacey and I even managed to make it to a free cooking class that the clinic offers once a month. We had so much fun!

Stacey has an appointment tomorrow at a college to talk about starting up school again. He is going for his bachelor's this time, so things could get a little busy for him. He has been coming home a little later since being promoted to sergeant, but it is important for him to finish his degree in case they don't let him stay in because of his health. He went to the doctor last week and got some bad news on his back....he has another appointment coming up to find out if he has surgery to fix it, or if they just medical board him out of the Army. Hopefully all will work out the way it is supposed to.

I have decided to go back to school to get a degree to be a paralegal. It is something I was thinking about in Arizona and it is a degree that will compliment my master's degree and hopefully get me a job. If I am able to do this degree with only a part time or no job, I can get it done fairly quickly and get my certification. So, we'll see how it goes.

The kids both got in to James Irwin Charter School for the next school year! We could not be happier! The kids are excited too! We plan on staying in this area until they graduate, so being able to stay in the same school is going to be a real treat for them. This charter is a K-12, so no moving, period!!!

I found out a few weeks ago that I have gall stones. Probably because of my high cholesterol, but it turns out that I will be having surgery March 4th to have my gall bladder removed. I'm excited and nervous all at the same time.

So, we're all keeping busy, but things seem to be falling in to place.....and that, my friend....is a miracle!

Stacey's Promotion Day!

2011-02-03T19:04:00.001-08:00

The Dotting The I's And Crossing The T's Phase...

2011-02-03T09:10:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I don't have a job yet. And, though it is sad, I'm trying to find other ways to stay positive, and there is really, quite a lot to feel blessed about.

Taxes afforded us the opportunity to pay off the small balance on one of our cars! We have been married 16 years this August, and have never been able to do this. With this car, we have a plan...Emily will be 16 in 3 1/2 years, which sounds like a long time, but it isn't really. We hope to keep the car in shape so she can use it for her first car. Paying it off is the first step in this process, so we are all very excited. Without me working, money has been tight, but again, taxes afforded us the opportunity to get needed items such as contacts, glasses, extra curricular activities for the kids, vacuum parts (instead of buying a new vacuum), Stacey's government card (which the government didn't cover from the move), oil changes, etc. You get the point...all those things that were just kind of hanging out there, we were able to take care of most of them.

Stacey was FINALLY promoted to sergeant effective February 1st. We go to the promotion ceremony this afternoon....we are all very excited and very proud of him for hanging in there! The kids have a plan if they get to "pin" him...I'm sure it will be very dramatic. I hope to get some video and some pictures and will share them tonight.

Emily has been doing well in basketball. Thanks for all the advice...she took it to heart and her game really improved. After a slight...um...well...set of strong words to the coach, Emily got to play a bit more. Their 7th grade varsity team is undefeated with just one game left to go. I'm so proud of her! Next is track, which I think she will do well at to spite the duck feet! :o) It will open her up to a whole new world and THAT she is excited about.

To get Spencer out of the house and off the X-Box, we're signing him up for bowling on Saturdays (it runs in the family and he'll get face to face contact with people) and Swimming on Mondays and Wednesdays. He has been doing a lot more reading since the new "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" came out. I enjoy seeing him read voluntarily as it is not something he would normally do.

Medically, our family is all jacked up! Stacey went in last month for some steroid shots in his spine because he has 2 compressed discs and bone spurs on one of his vertebrae. This pain management technique worked on one side but not the other, so he goes in on the 15th to talk about the next step. His knee isn't bothering him as much, but that's because he has a profile, so he isn't running and doesn't have to wear his heavy vest...he does want to improve on his marksmanship, but since he can't wear the gear, that has been difficult.

Spencer is doing better. He is doing really well at his school (which makes me sad because he has to move to junior high next year). His 5th grade team is VERY supportive and they communicate with me well when something is going on. He saw a psychiatrist that now says he DOES NOT have Asperger's syndrome. So, when we went to his psychologist, he told me about a nationally recognized neurophsychologist that will do a work up and he takes Tricare. I was very excited about this, so we are just waiting for the word back. We found a great psychologist who believes in fixing the problem, not just carrying on with therapy to get the money. I have seen several therapists over the years and not one has ever brought up, "the end" of therapy. So this could be good for Spencer. Both Emily and Spencer get really excited for letters when they come, but especially Spencer needs the encouragement to help him....so if you have time to write a short note....I'm sure it would help more than you know. Oh, and he lost another tooth....phew....he would have killed me if I didn't mention that!

My medical problems are always there. As many of you know, I am bi-polar. Because this topic often comes up when explaining my traffic violation back in 2006, I am having a hard time finding work. Besides that, I am taking ALOT of medication for everything from Bi-Polar disorder, to the sinus infection that I have. I have had several abnormal liver function tests, which the doctors were sure was because of the amount of medications I'm taking. Well, it turns out to be gall stones from my high cholesterol (which is from the Lithium I take). I am waiting for a call back from general surgery, but it looks like I'll be having surgery to remove my gall bladder. Add this to my severe anemia, vitamin D deficiency, psoriatic arthritis and my sinus infection, it's probably good I'm not working because I feel so sick all the time.

Emily has been really sick this week. Generally when you get the flu, you get 2 or 3 of the symptoms. I think she had 6 or 7 of the symptoms. So, she got to miss school on Monday. Then, they were off school Tuesday and Wednesday for weather. They went back to school today.....I almost kept her out becuase of her coughing. The cold air is kind of making things worse. But, she has a humidifier now, two cats that are empathetic for her, and she loves to drink tea. So, she's getting better, slowly but surely!

Other than all that, the weather has been crazy! School was closed for the last couple of days, not because of snow on the roads, but because it was so cold. It was -11F to -20F and then the wind chill was at -40F. The kids had fun.....I still had to run chores....BBbbbbbrrrrrrrrrrr! We feel SO blessed to have such a nice and WARM home!

Well, that's about it.....like the title indicates, we're just dotting the i's and crossing the t's as we get settled in. Things are starting to fall in to place and we are getting in to a routine.

Happy Valentine's day to everyone! Stay tuned for pictures of Stacey's promotion....I'm sure your well wishes will make him feel so much more like a big boy! :o)

Lady Falcon's Emily's First Basketball Game

2011-01-12T11:09:00.000-08:00

A New Year, A New Home, A New Hope

2011-01-12T09:25:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I have to clear things up a bit with my last couple of posts. Many of you have written or posted that you were worried about us. Please, don't be worried about us. Although, financially, things are tight, we are certainly not down and out. We have been blessed to be able to pay our bills, still put food on the table and we have an AWSOME place to live. We all love our home so much, that staying in it instead of going to movies or going out to eat, etc., really helped our morale! So don't be worried about us because we are doing fine. The only thing I really felt horrible about was not being able to send gifts, etc. for the holidays. I had made candy for everyone, but we ran out of money to ship them. Does this mean we starved for Christmas? No, we had plenty and what was so heart warming was how understanding our kids were. Okay, 'nuf said...no worries...

That being said, we had a wonderful holiday! The kids were excited with their gifts even though this is the first year we didn't by any electronics or games, etc. Santa brought so much candy that although we bought a ham for Christmas, we ended up not having Christmas dinner because everyone was so full! :o) We found it kind of funny! We bought our tree early this year, and because we did so, Christmas day was: 7:30 AM presents, 8:30 AM play time, 9:00 AM start taking ornaments off tree, 10:00 AM tree was out of the house.......and yes, it was because Alicia was scared of the fire hazard...felt good to get it out of the house!

December 26th is Stacey's birthday! He turned 35 this year and was awfully depressed about it too. But, to spite that, we had a great day! The kids and I stayed up late setting up Stacey's surprise. Again, it wasn't much, but he was surprised, which I've never been able to do before. We had gotten gift cards for Red Lobster from our friends for Christmas and it allowed us to go out to eat at a nice restaurant. It was very special! Stacey got a gift card to Gamestop as part of his surprise. And, as a treat to him, I let him bring the X-Box 360 down to the big T.V. and play his new game. He really seemed to enjoy his day, and that made us all fee pretty good!

A few days after Stacey's birthday, his parents arrived for a visit! It is ALWAYS great to see them...they really make you feel like everything is going to be okay. We had a second Christmas with them (minus the tree) and just had a great time hanging out. We even got Mom & Dad to play Guitar Hero on the Wii! :o) Too funny! We went out to Outback for dinner and then they took us to Costco as a gift for Christmas & Stacey's Birthday. It was amazing! I saved over $100 on my last grocery bill because they stocked us up with everything from toilet paper to meat to snacks for the kids...it was such a BIG help! Thanks again Mom & Dad!
Stacey's parents were able to stay through new years....so even though I know they have fallen asleep before midnight in the past, they stayed up and helped us celebrate! The kids were excited to get extra snuggle time too before they left.

So now it's a new year. I have a second interview at USAA on Monday and I'm very hopeful for this position (as an Auto Adjuster). It pays well and has fantastic benefits and even more fantastic advancement opportunities! Hope is in the air!

Emily is playing basketball this season. She made it on Varsity which is 12 of the better girls from the 7th and not so good from the 8th. They have a second varsity team for just 8th graders...yeah, I'm still confused on how it works. I got some video from her first game, but everytime I was rolling, the other team scored...we think it was because I was filming! :o) But, the Lady Falcons won their first game and Emily was very excited about that! I'll hopefully get the video up and running so you can see her....she is number 44 in the blue.

Spencer is doing pretty well in school. He only got in trouble once for "odd" behavior (he hid under his desk because he doesn't like public praise). He did come home with an F on his report card, but it was in spelling which is his best subject, so I have a conference to find out what's going on. I'm sure it was a miscommunication as it was his first term at the school. Socially, though, he's doing much better and he seems to like his teachers, which is a huge thing.

We put in an application for James Irwin Charter School for next year. They have a lottery in February, so we're hoping to get in. We aren't impressed with Carmel Middle School in meeting the needs of our kids. Emily needs to be in higher grades, and although she tested for TAG over a month ago, they are not able to give us the results. She was in 8th grade math in Germany and the lady here said she tested into 8th grade math and english but they never put her in those classes. I just feel like they are wasting her time. The music program is HORRIBLE, and Emily dropped out because it was holding her back. So, at the beginning of February, I'll be giving Emily saxophone and piano lessons so she'll be ready for whatever happens. With Spencer, I don't think Carmel will challenge him to his potential. The Charter school is VERY STRICT from what I hear, but they have excellent advancement programs, some college credit programs, an awesome music program and social/psychological programs that will help Spencer.

Well, that's about it for now. I'm sure we'll have a little more news next week about work...that will change everything here! Perhaps this year will bring a job for Alicia, a great school for Spencer & Emily and a promotion for Stacey....So greetings from Colorado Springs! If you're ever in the area, let us know! We'd love to have you!

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM THE BLASINGAMES!

2010-12-19T14:30:00.001-08:00

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Preparing For The Long Run....

2010-12-16T15:43:00.000-08:00

Well, we've been in Colorado Springs for about a month and a half now. It has been difficult settling in, but things are finally falling in to place. The biggest obstacle right now is finding work. Stacey's friend's wife works at JAG, so we may get my name in soon for tax work. Beyond that, I'd love to find something more permanent.

Emily is still struggling with the different dynamic in school. We had a meeting today with her 7th grade team, and I think it went pretty well. The problem we have is that Emily is bright and just doesn't fit in with the curriculum she's being given. She was tested for TAG, but according to the teachers, that doesn't do much. She is being tested into 8th grade math after the holiday break. They've said she's a good candidate for "Team 21", which is a college prep course, however they are full and won't let her join mid year. She is dropping band this coming term because she isn't getting anything out of it. I'm going to give her lessons here to get her ready for high school and we are looking for a community band for her to join. She did make the varsity basketball team, which she really enjoys. 11 got chosen out of 30 for varsity and this is her first year, so she's really excited!

That being said, I've put in a letter of intent at the James Irwin Charter school, which Emily's teachers recommended and said was a great school with a more advanced curriculum. The bonus of that is that I can send Spencer there too, and they have a high school in the same building, so they'll have a smooth transition. It is by lottery, though, so we have to wait and see if we get in and that won't happen until February.

Now, I say "settling in for the long run" because we want the kids to not have to move anymore. Also, Stacey's unit is pushing him to make a decision on whether he is to re-enlist or not. He is seriously considering it, however his back and his knee may not allow for him to do so. If he does, he'll re-enlist to stay here in the Springs allowing for a more stable homelife for the kids. We'll let you know what Stacey decides.

So, with that, we are just adjusting to new bills (like utilities, yikes!), new schedules and new people. Please pray for work. Things are pretty tight with the holidays and birthdays and moving expenses, so work would really do a lot for my morale!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year if I don't get on before then! Also, thanks in advance for all the cards and gifts....they mean the world when you aren't able to be with family during the holidays.

Bleakness Of Another Holiday Season!

2010-12-06T21:24:00.000-08:00

With the holidays upon us, we find ourselves in a tight spot with moving expenses being higher than expected and I am not working yet. I can't help but be grateful for the things I do have in my life...I'm together with my family TO INCLUDE MY HUSBAND who is not going to be deployed. I have a wonderful home to keep me comfortable and many of the luxuries I did not have when I was a child. It hurts me this time of year, however, when well meaning friends and family give my children gifts that I cannot reciprocate. And, for many of these friends and family, I know they cannot afford it either. I have told myself, that I will do what I can for whomever I can, even if it is just a plate of fudge, or an evening of fellowship. I want all of you to know, that if the resources were there, so would the gifts be. And, if you are one of those few who get us things and you get nothing but a card and a thank you in return, please know that it is not us snubbing you.....You all know how much I appreciate having all of you in my life and I hope this understanding carries through this holiday season!

Life in Colorado Springs has certainly not been easy, but it has been made more simple by the luxury of friends in the area.

Emily is having a hard time with school....it is both not challenging for her and she is having difficulty a new dynamic when it comes to choosing her friends. She misses Wiesbaden and whenever it is brought up, she tears up. We are working on both school issues and social issues and hope her excitement to finally get to join a basketball team, will help bring her out of her shell. She was tested for TAG today and her math teacher has put in for 8th grade math....so the wheels are in motion.

Spencer seems to be adjusting much better than his sister. He rarely has homework and when he does, it is done quickly and with out a temper like in the past. I have found him voluntarily reading his books...no school requirement and no pressure from me. It is a delight for me to see this as his stress level in Germany was so high that we couldn't get him in to much.

Stacey is attempting to settle into his new digs. The weeks after in processing seem to be as confusing and pointless as the first week he was here. The big focus right now is promotion. He has a high number of points, but without having 798 (perfect score) he won't promote. He is not likely to re-enlist for many factors, but the number one is that the moving has been really rough on the kids and I would like to find a stable job and so we'll probably stay here where there are a lot of contract jobs because of the different bases around here.

I have been looking for work. I have gone from the gung ho portion of searching to the depressive state. This state comes when no new jobs are posting and I'm not getting any calls. It will happen in time, but finances are REALLY tight until I start work. I have to get a hold of who does taxes on post and get my name out there.

Anyhow, we are all just trying to settle in still. It is taking longer than anticipated, so God willing, everything will happen at the right time for the right reason! I sure know the cats are enjoying themselves with all this new space, carpet and warm beds to cuddle up on!

Happy holidays to everyone in case I don't get the chance to blog. Stacey's parents are coming shortly after Christmas and we are really excited and already planning for their arrival! Everyone be safe, be happy and be thankful! We're with you in spirit!

Greetings from Colorado Springs!

2010-11-14T19:56:00.000-08:00

Well, we have completed our move to Colorado Springs, CO where it seems nothing has really gone as planned, but things are looking up. Stacey is stationed at Fort Carson, CO and signs in tomorrow for his first day of inprocessing!

We flew back to the states on October 14th and stayed until October 26th in Oregon. We had a good time seeing friends and family and going to the beach and laser tag and yummy food. We were to sign in to a townhouse on post on October 28th, however the family never moved out. So the next two houses they showed us, one was a "refurbished 1970's home" straight out of the ghetto, and the second was just simply too small. So, we ended up finding a really big, really nice townhome for less than what we would have paid on post. So everyone is happy. We are just waiting for our temporary storage to get here which has our washer and dryer and our piano, etc. Other than that, everything is set up.

Now, I am just looking for work. It's a very frustrating process. I feel like I'm re-typing the same information over and over again because every company has a different process...it's not as simple as mail your resume anymore....worse comes to worse, it will be taxes again this year....which isn't so bad...I rather enjoyed it the last few years.

Spencer is going to Wildflower Elementary. It is a very small school with VERY attentive staff. So far, things are going well with his autisim...things are in check. He forgot to take his medication 2 days in a row and had a meltdown today....so we just have to keep on top of that.

Emily is going to Carmel Middle School...not the school she was supposed to go to, but the other school was aweful. Emily has to wear a school uniform, which she was really upset about, but it is what it is. She is still in the testing period for getting back in to higher math, and although she tested into 8th grade English, they put her in 7th grade. Band is a whole other story. Instead of practicing as a group, there are several classes at 6 or 7 in a class and they all go through the book at their own pace. Emily is the only one in the school in the 2nd book, so I think that is going to drag her down. When I start work, we're hoping to get her in to private lessons and get her back into piano....here's hoping to everything working out.

Well, if you'd like our address and phone numbers, just send me an e-mail to alblasingame@hotmail.com and I'll send you a private message.

I hope everyone is well!

First Soccer Games of the Season!

2010-09-11T05:01:00.000-07:00

The kids had their first soccer games today! Needless to say, I think the teams were split up a little unfair. Spencer's team decided on the name of "Galaxy" which I think is pretty neat to spite the fact it has nothing to do with green. :o) Their team did not do so well...the score was like a billion to zero or something like that. In their defense. the other team was really not playing too fair. They were tripping, kicking, pushing and slide tackling. Spencer was pretty upset, but I think the coach has a good idea of what needs to be worked on now.

Emily's team is the "Yellow Jackets" as evidenced by their jersies. I thought they should be the officiators since they wore the same color as the ref. Too funny! Emily's team won something like 3 to 1 or something like that. I like Emily's coach because he put her on defense for part of a quarter...she's not so good at defense. We had to laugh because Emily grew something like 6 - 8 inches over the past year and she just looked clumbsy out there trying to get used to the extra height on her body.

It was a long morning as we got there at 8:30 in the morning for Spencer's game, and then Emily's game went from 10:30AM - noon. We went and ate lunch and now we are just all happy to be at home where we can relax!

Emily's Patriot Day Performance

2010-09-10T01:05:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of seeing Emily perform with her band again! It was incredible as they have only been practicing together for 2 weeks and were able to play 4 songs for us. I managed to get "God Bless America" on video. I don't like filming during the National Anthem because it feels disrespectful.

But, there were a couple of speakers...COL Dill, Garrison Commander; Milicent Dixon who had a personal story about 9/11 and Dr. Hill who is, well, someone having to do with the school....superintendent maybe?

I didn't get a good picture of just her because she walked by me so fast as to not let the other kids know that her "mommy" was there. She didn't even say thanks for coming or see ya later or anything....that's my bad....I forgot I was supposed to be invisible.

So, I hope you enjoy the video...it's on a camera, so it's not the best sounding thing...sounded great in person though!!!

Good News From The Homefront!

2010-09-09T09:41:00.000-07:00

Well, amidst all this stress of moving, and having an empty house, and having no one around during the day, it is nice to get some good news from what was to be a long and horrible parenting process.

Spencer has been seeing a therapist since the beginning of summer. After an evaluation with a psychiatrist, it was determined that he has generalized anxiety disorder and he has since been put on a very low dose of Prozac. Spencer has been doing really well on prozac and his therapist wanted to coordinate with the school to make sure he didn't have a co-inciding learning disability on top of it....as we've all heard how much he HATES school.

Well, I got a phone call today from the school's special education department that she doesn't believe Spencer to have a learning disability. She spoke with his teachers, both present and past, she spoke with Spencer, myself, and his therapist. That being said, he gets pretty good grades and does well on school projects, however, he doesn't like to participate in class activities (because of the attention it requires) and he doesn't focus particularly well in class because he is so focused on the social aspect.

So no learning disability is GREAT! It keeps him in mainstream classrooms and doesn't single him out as he hates.

His therapist is trying to categorize what Spencer is going through so it can more easily be managed. The two diagnosies are ADHD Inattentive and Asperger's syndrome. Based off conversations with the school, his therapist is leaning towards Asperger's syndrom. I've looked it up and it is great to see than many adults that were medicated as children, often "grew out of" of learned to deal with their sypmtoms and are no longer on medication.

So after the past few months of worrying sick about Spencer, he will be just fine and he is being quite opptimistic about things. He even got a bithday party invitation that he normally hides in the bottom of his backpack until it's too late....but this one he shoved in my face and said...I WANT TO GO TO THIS PARTY....HE'S MY BEST FRIEND!....I asked Emily why she thinks he is so opptimistic about this friend knowing we're moving and she simply said, "He trusts him". She's so smart...it really does all come down to trust when dealing with what Spencer has been dealing with.

Okay, that's it for now. Gotta go start dinner...French Toast and Eggs....It may as well be cookies....

First Day of School & Moving!

2010-09-01T08:05:00.000-07:00

Well, we've gotten through the first few days of school. Emily is in 7th grade this year and really doesn't want to have anything to do with us right now. She doesn't have to go to the teen center after school anymore because I'm not working, but she does anyway because she wants to socialize with her friends. Spencer is in 5th grade this year and having a much better time of it than last year. He really likes his teacher (Ms. Batt's...Emily had her in 5th grade). He, of course, comes home as quickly as possible, grabs a snack, and does homework REALLY fast so he can get back to gaming. So, I think I'm loosing the two of them as they develop their own sense of style....thank you mother nature for the hormones...

Our household goods were picked up yesterday. I tried to get pictures of the empty house, but the guys with the government furniture you borrow got here about 10 minutes after the movers left. So we are living on borrowed, REALLY UNCOMFORTABLE beds, and we only have 4 plates, 4 bowls, etc..so everything has to be washed 3 times a day. But, it is all temporary! Our flight is October 14th and we clear housing October 12th. The cats are kind of freaked out...sniffing all this different stuff. But, they are healthy and are confined to the house so they don't go out and get ear mites or anything. Mia is losing weight, so we got praise from the vet for that. Now, they just have to pass health inspection 10 days before we leave and we're good to go.

So, now Stacey and I are just EXHAUSTED from the past few days. We tag teamed today, he got the kids ready for school, I took Spencer to his appointment, Stacey takes him to soccer and I cook dinner.....life goes on even when we become tired from a huge event.

Well, that's it for now! 43 days and counting!

So Much Since March....I know, "Gasp!"

2010-08-29T02:50:00.000-07:00

I have been an absolute shame at keeping up this blog. I don't realize how many people actually read it until I start getting the "complaint" e-mails. So, let's try this again. I hope with all the changes coming in our family that I can keep up and let people know what's going on!

Well, since March, the kids have of course moved on from their previous grades and Emily is now going in to 7th grade starting tomorrow and Spencer is going in to 5th grade. Time really does fly once they get into school. You'll notice from our new family photo that both of them are quite close to me in heighth! I know that's not saying much, but it is really weird to think that I gave birth to these giants!

We got an opportunity in April to go to Holland for my birthday! I had been wanting to go to the Keukenhoff Tulip Gardens since we got here, and we finally made it! While there, we got to see THOUSANDS of different kinds of tulips in bloom....so beautiful! We also stayed at a hotel that was right next to the beach and the kids got to play in the very cold North Sea. Afterwards, we went to a theme park called Walibi World. It was a simple but fun theme park. We all had a blast!

In June, I stopped working at the Tax Center as the season ended at the end of June. I was awarded with the The Commander's Award For Civilian Service for my work at the tax center the past 3 years. It was an honor and certainly something out of the ordinary to put on the resume!

In June, Stacey also received his degree, an associate's degree in applied science, electronics. It is something he had been working on since 2006, so this was a wonderful day for him! He is currently waiting for points to drop so he can get promoted to Sergeant. His tour is up in July 2012 and he's still contemplating on reinlisting or not. So, time will tell on how things go.

In July, the kids had their birthdays. Emily turned 12 and Spencer turned 10. For Spencer's birthday we went to Phantasialand which is a theme park in Germany. He got in free because it was his birthday. We went to a place called Edelweiss on Emily's birthday. While there, we got to see the Neuschwanstein Castle which is the castle that Disney designed the Disneyland castle after. We also got to go summer tobogganing, hiking through a gorge, swimming and had a small drive through Austria. They both had great birthdays and we were really happy about that.

In August, we went to the local ropes course which is a series of rope obstacles up in the trees. I was too much of a chicken, but I got some great pictures of the rest of the family having fun! In August, Stacey and I also celebrated our 15th anniversary! It's hard to believe it has been that long! We took the kids to Schlossfreudenberg for our anniversary. It is a museum of the scenses! There were a lot of need optical illusions and such. Afterwards, we had a nice steak dinner at Tascaria Merado....so yummy!!!

Now, here we are at the end of August. Lots going on! Soccer assessments were last week and soccer starts tomorrow, August 30th. The kids are in the same age group this year, but because we are moving mid-season, they were split on different teams...it seems fair...I'd hate for a team to lose two members mid-season. So, Spencer is on Mondays and Wednesdays and Emily is on Tuesday and Thursday and then games are on Saturdays. Then, Emily has Girl Scouts on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of the month...so, it should be a busy time with school starting tomorrow as well.

Lastly, we are moving back stateside!!!! We move on October 14th. First we will spend a week or two in Oregon picking up our cars, and then we will be heading to Fort Carson, CO. To make the first week of school even more busy, they are picking up our household goods on Tuesday the 31st....

So now you are caught up! Please scream at me if you don't hear anything on the blog! I post much of what's going on on Facebook, but I have to remember you aren't all on facebook! :o) If you want to friend me on facebook I can be found under Alicia Blasingame or Alicia Haffner. Stacey & Emily are on there as well!
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1184347679 for Alicia
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1184347679#!/profile.php?id=1093009868 for Stacey
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1184347679#!/profile.php?id=100001127206463 for Emily

46 days and counting!!!

Emily's Home Recital

2010-03-27T07:52:00.000-07:00

Emily had a band requirement to plan and execute a recital of her own. She chose to play for her family at home. Emily had to make invitations, plan the music, practice, make programs and play her little heart out. She did a great job! The videos were to big to upload on blogger. But I got a picture of her program with the color coded tabs to match her book. Pretty funny! Spencer got to earn a little money and be the human music stand since she forgot one at school. He did a great job too!

Well Stacey is back from Graf! We're all very excited to have him home. I've been really busy with the tax center. I do all the quality reviews and as we get closer to the April 15th deadline (well it's actually June 15th overseas, but most people don't know that), we are getting a lot of foot traffic. We've had people out sick and training holidays for the soldiers, so I've gotten really behind.

Well, I hope everyone is doing great! Happy Spring and Happy Easter to everyone!

It's Been Awhile But We're Still Here!

2010-03-14T11:48:00.001-07:00

Alright, I know what you're thinking....she said she was going to keep up with the blog, but she didn't! For that, I am truely sorry! I don't even have a good excuse, I just didn't do it.

Lots has happened in the past few months. Stacey has been gone a lot, Emily has been busy with school and Girl Scouts, Spencer has been busy with school and of course gaming, and I started work in January.

Emily got an opportunity to go to Pisa, Italy with her Girl Scout Troop in February. She got to see a lot of the city, earn a couple of patches and have fun with the girls in her troop for a whole weekend. She is having fun this year because she is in a different troop and she has quite a few friend in her troop. It makes it more fun for her! She has also been busy with school as she gets used to middle school and realizes that projects can't be completed in a simple evening....Grades are going up and down, but I'm sure she'll pull through. She is having fun playing the Alto Sax....she's really taken to it and sounds pretty good!

Spencer has been struggling with school and the projects that come along with it. He made the A/B Honor Roll the first term, but he seems to have a meltdown with every project. In his defense, his teacher has ALOT of projects that are sent home and are very complex. He thinks like I do...learn it, test it, brain dump it....An example is his multiplication facts. If I do flash cards with him the night before his test, he does great...gets and "A"...if I am tired or forget, he gets a "D" or worse. He has a weekly multiplication test and his grades on this test are all over the place! In other news, he is a gaming King...gets that from Daddy. We now have 7 different media's for Daddy and the kids to play on (I don't play so much...not my schtick, ya know?). Don't worry, his grades aren't falling from the gaming...he doesn't get to play until work is done.

Stacey has been gone a lot lately. He went to Kosovo for a couple of weeks in December, and the he went to Grafenwoehr for 3 weeks in February and is gone there again for another 3 weeks this month. He left March 9th and will be back March 26th! So, although he's not been deployed, like I said, he has been gone a lot. Stacey did earn his Associate's degree from Cochise college (in January I think). It is a major milestone for him and I'm so proud of him!!! I believe his degree is in Applied Science In Electronics Technology. Other than that, he is constantly contemplating his future in the Army. His 4 year mark is in July and he can re-enlist enytime between then and his 6 year mark in July 2012.

As for myself, I started work again at the tax center on post. I swore to myself I wasn't going back, but my want to pay off bills before we move back to the states took over. We loose $650 a month for our overseas livng allowance once we move, so I had to find a way to get rid of that many in payments. This year is alright though. I am the quality reviewer and am called the "supervisor" for the center. The Officer In Charge has a lot of medical appointments and she is getting ready to PCS, so many times, I am the only one there to answer questions. Although the workload is heavier, the stress level is lower, which is what I was worried about in coming back. The other big news is that after 7 months of tests and x-rays and MRIs, I FINALLY got to start treatment for my Psoriasis which developed into psoriatic arthritis. After just one shot (yes, self-injected), my joints are already feeling better and my skin lesions are starting to get better.

So, that's about it for the Blasingame household! I'm sure I'm forgetting something, but hopefully I will get better at sharing some of the day to day details so that our blogs won't be so long....that is....if you've read to the bottom of this one. :o) We hope all is well with everyone! We miss you and love you and hope to see you in October when we move back to the states (who knows where yet!).

Oh yeah, and the cats are doing fine too! Mia is in a snuggle mode and Spencer likes to tease them both with bubbles and the laser on his nerf gun!

P.S. THANKS Mom & Dad for the couch cover!!!!! It will give our couch another few years until we can get the cats declawed and get a real new couch!!! ;o)

First Day Of School!

2009-09-01T00:24:00.001-07:00

August 31st was the first day of school for the kids. And, although Spencer keeps denying it, I think they were both excited to be back in the classroom.

Spencer's teacher is Ms. Brown. When we got there, she asked Spencer, "Are you ready for 4th grade?". To which Spencer responded with, "I guess??". So Ms. Brown (who was talking about herself in 3rd person the whole time that I wasn't even sure it was his teacher) looked him dead in the eye and asked "well are you or aren't you because we don't have any in betweens in this class". So Spencer answered yes. But, it must have gone alright because he didn't shut up for at least 3 hours after school ended about all the things in his new notebook, this project he has that is due Thursday, the friends in his class....buzz, buzz, buzz. So we're excited for him because he truely hates school and he showed some excitement about it all today.

Emily started middle school yesterday....yes, tears. She didn't even want me going to the front door. She wanted to do it by herself. She was buzzing when she got home too because she has at least 1 friend in each class. One friend she had was one of her best friends from Arizona that just moved here and she is in three of her classes. What a great surprise! She got band, which she really wanted. They don't get their instruments until the 18th (yes, the school provides the instruments). Emily played the clarinet in Arizona, so she should do great in band...I just hope she doesn't get bored as the rest of her classmates will just be getting started.

Soccer season is upon us as well. Emily has her skills assessment tonight so teams should be starting for both within a couple of weeks.

I hope your back-to-schools have gone or will go smoothly for those of you with children. Let us know all the juicy details!

Gartenshau - Kaiserslautern, Germany

2009-08-26T04:10:00.000-07:00

Tuesday I had an appointment at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Clinic (A US Hospital). We decided to make a day of it and Stacey's friend found a neat garden place to go visit in Kaiserslautern which is about an hour away. So, since my apppointment wasn't until 3:00 PM, we decided to check out Gartenshau. Gartenshau is a garden place that has dinosaur statues all over the garden. Even in the little stream there were little miniature lizards and things to constantly be looking for.

Spencer got one look at the big dinosaur in this display area and couldn't resist making it look like he was running for his life! It was a great picture that I just couldn't help but share! Then we saw this outdoor chapel that was absolutely beautiful! I could imagine getting married (or at least renewing our vows) there. It was made up of these trees tied together to form a dome. Overall, we had a fantastic time in the short amount of time we had there.

Afterwards we went to my appointment and then headed to Ramstein Air Base where they have more restaurants to choose from. So, we got to eat at Chili's again and it was so yummy!

As far as my health is concerned, this appointment was for Psoriasis which many of you may have noticed while I was home. Well, it has spread into my fingernails and the doctor said when that happens, usually Psoriatic Arthritis occurs. So, I walked away with a referral for Rheumatology. One more thing to carry on with.

Also a few months ago I was diagnosed with a Prolactinoma, which is a tumor on the pituitary gland. I saw a specialist a couple of weeks ago and all they are going to do is put me on contraceptives to get my hormone level back up. The tumor is too small to operate on and there are no pills to shrink it. So, I take the pills until I'm like 45 or something. So, no worries. The spcecialist said it could be the current medication I'm on, so maybe I'll see if I can get that changed.

Well there's you're update...took me less than 5 months this time! :o) School starts next week, so I'm sure there'll be plenty to write about then. Chiao!

It's Been Way Too Long!

2009-08-17T05:13:00.000-07:00

Okay, it's been way too long. I got lazy, couldn't find anything interesting to write about and just gave up on the blog. So, here I am, back at it. I included some pictures above of our trip to the states. We got to go camping, go to the beach, visit with friend and family and eat at a million different restaurants we've been missing. We had a great time and only regret that it was over so soon!

Our vacation made us even more overweight, so we're trying to lose those pounds again! They are coming off slowly but surely.

Stacey starts up on his schooling again today. He's excited because this is his last class for his associates degree! :o) With how busy he's been, this is a great acomplishment! He is also going to Graf again at the end of September. We're just hoping the appointment for his eye surgery happens soon. He's getting the laser thing done and he has to have it done by October because you have to be here for a year after the surgery and we PCS in October 2010. Everything will work out!

The kids start school on August 31st. Spencer will be in 4th grade and Emily in 6th. 6th starts middle school, so this should be a fun year for her.

I hope everyone is doing well! Sorry it's been so long! I'll try and write more often even if the information is not that interesting, deal?

Luxembourg Or Bust!

2009-03-20T10:44:00.000-07:00

Well we finally got out to a destination and I'm finally getting around to blogging about it! This past weekend we went to Luxembourg on a USO tour. It wasn't what we were expecting, but it was an adventure to say the least! We took a bus first to the German War Cemetary. There were 4 names per headstone there. There was also a huge granite cross where there were names of the missing. It was quite impressive. It was from World War I I think. From there, we drove down the road to the Luxembourg American War Cemetary where General Patton is buried. It is always a humbling experience to see all those crosses laid out on the field like that.

After that, we went to Luxembourg City which is the capital city. Right away when we got there, we had 3 hours for lunch (yikes! We don't know what to do!) We had lunch and looked around and then got a map from the tourist office to check out some of the local attractions. When we met back up with the group, we got to go on a walking tour of the city and learn a little history. We also got to see where the official residence of the Grand Duke is (the equivalent of their king). It was quite a long journey, especially for the kids, but we learned a lot.

Lastly, after the walking tour, we got more free time. We decided to go to a historical museum both to keep warm and entertain the kids. They had these neat layouts in each room depicting Luxembourg City from 1000 AD forward as it changed. It was pretty impressive and quite friendly for English speakers. They also had this room where you could walk in and it was an optical illusion. Emily and Spencer really liked that room!

Well, that's about it for that! It was a different experience for us all, that's for sure! :o)

A Taste Of Home!

2009-02-23T10:46:00.000-08:00

Well, we finally drove somewhere this weekend, though it wasn't to an exciting European destination. We were told there was a Chili's on the Ramstein Airforce Base about an hour south of here and we just had to go check it out! We haven't been to a sit down restaurant since Dennis and Avis cam to visit last year, so this was a real treat for us! The kids almost forgot how to behave in a restaurant as they were so fidgety and all. One thing here in Germany that you don't get when you go out is ice in your drink or free refills. So, when we went out and got ice and refills we were in heaven....I know, simple, but it was all it took!

On Sunday, Emily had her Girl Scout Thinking day which is a day where troops get together and talk about how girls to scouting throughout the world. Each troop from Daisies to Seniors do a country and they do a round robin. Emily's troop did Japan. Afterwards there was a potluck with international foods to share. She's just finishing up cookie season and is busy at work finishing up some patches that are keeping her busy so we'll see what life has in store for her the next couple of months.

In other news, I am officially on the payroll at the tax center as of February 17th!! Funding and approval all came through and right on time. We have a couple of other people who were trying to get hired who gave up and found other jobs (who can blame them?). So, we are short some preparers now, but all will work out in the end...it always does.

So that is it for the Blasingame household for now! We hope all is well with everyone in your world!

It Still Is...What It Is...

2009-02-02T11:50:00.000-08:00

I hope this blog finds everyone in good spirits and happy times! The last couple of weeks have been stressful in the Blasingame household as Alicia is yet to be on the payroll at the tax center. I am currently beginning week number 4 of volunteer duty. I was told today that I have not yet been "Selected" for the position (which is a matter of a technicality). Once personnel selects me from a list of candidates, which will hopefullly be this week, then it is supposed to take two weeks to get on the payroll. Now, I don't mind the work, and I don't even mind volunteering. The problem is that we are paying for childcare and not getting paid and that hurts. It is about $100/week for after school care and no discounts for volunteers. So, we'll see how long this lasts. If it goes on much longer, I may go down to part time and leave early to go get the kids from school instead of paying for care.

Our little IRS problem was a pain, but our 2008 tax return was more substantial than we thought it was going to be. So, the IRS will take their cut and we'll still have enough for vacation. So, thanks for the prayers...they seem to have worked out! :o)

Other than that, we are just trying to survive cabin fever. We are looking to go on a couple of outings once taxes get here...maybe drive to Bavaria or Luxembourg...We took the kids to Tobolino (an indoor kids gym) this past weekend to ease their pain of staying inside but we know they're a hankerin' for more!

Write and let us know how you're doing! We love to hear about our friends and family and all their adventures!

It Is What It Is...

2009-01-15T11:04:00.000-08:00

Well, it's that time of year again! I went back to "work" on Monday and it has been a turbulent week of tax training to say the least. There was a problem with getting the pay approved, so our first week of training was on a volunteer basis and we won't actually be on the payroll until January 20th. So, it is what it is and everything will be back to normal by next week!

Tax training week is always stressful! It's tough having to get used to getting up at an earlier hour and actually having to function, having the kids on a new schedule, shuffling around everyone's schedule with only one car, etc. But, add on top of that the 30+ hours of droning on of tax topics and then the 10+ hours of testing. It does get a little stressful!

To make matters worse, in the middle of all this tax training, Stacey and I got a letter of our own from the IRS with a hefty bill for $1700. Evidently I forgot about some income in Oregon when filing last year and we have to pay the back taxes plus penalties and interest. Phrase of the week? It is what it is... This comes one week after our computer just about croaked on us and we had to buy a new one. Our vacation fund is slowly dwidling away, so please put in as many good words as you can with the big guy that finances stablize (aka stop getting one disaster after another) so we can make it home to see our family and friends!

Well, that's about it! Just keep on, keeping on.....

Snowy Surprise!

2009-01-05T08:12:00.000-08:00

This morning we woke up to a snowy surprise...okay, so it was probably in the forcast on weather.com all week, but it is the opposite of reliable, so we never check. Anyhow, I was up in the middle of the night for water and without my contacts in I thought it was only a dusting. But, we actually managed to get a hefty 3 or 4 inches of the white stuff which the kids, of course, are thrilled about!

After school (yes, they still had to go to school...) we came home so they could play in the snow. Emily and Spencer went straight to work on a snowman since they finally had enough snow. The snow was so crumbly, however, that every attempt at rolling was futile, so the snowman ended up looking more like Jabba the Hutt than a cute little snowman! So, Spencer added a tail and Emily added some twiggs for decoration. Then it was off for some snow angels and in for some hot cocoa. What a pleasant and unexpected surprise!

Happy New Year 2009!!!

2009-01-01T04:53:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone!!! Last night was a lot of fun for us as we got to taste a little bit of the German new year! Last year my back was acting up and I was holed up on the couch so we couldn't go anywhere. So, our first new year here we got to HEAR all the commotion but not see anything. This year was different.

This year, we went down to the local commissary which overlooks the city of Wiesbaden. We saw some friends there, one of which was our accross the hall neighbor. New Year's is the only time Germans are allowed to buy fireworks, and so this is the time for them to go crazy with them. I must say, they put American's and 4th of July to shame in this department! Our neighbor shared some sparklers (in Germany they're called surpise candles) with the kids and we had a blast watching all the fireworks go off around the landscape. Now, next year we just have to remember to go buy a few of our own so the kids don't make us feel so guilty for not buying any. ;o)

So happy new year to you all! I hope your festivities were fun and your year is even more fun than that!

Happy Birthday Stacey!

2008-12-27T09:11:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was Stacey's birthday! Happy birthday to him, hooray! Stacey turned 33 and he looks absolutely fantastic, don't you think?! This was the first year I could actually see on his face that he was physically upset at having a birthday, so we had to work extra hard to keep him feeling healthy and happy! Stacey has been playing mind games with himself, his favorite of which has been thinking about the fact that in 10 years he "could" be a grandfather. I know, it is crazy to think about. But, Stacey and I got married at 19 and if we had it our way we would have had kids at 20.
Emily is 10 now, so you can do the math. Not that that's what we're encouraging or anything because it all seems so young now that we look back. But, it is a mind game and there are not limits! So, Stacey just blew out his candles and I made and extra wish for his sanity over the next year as we all come to grips with our age progression!

So in Germany, Christmas is a two-day holiday that lasts on the 25th and the 26th. So, we weren't able to take him out to a nice restaurant like we wanted to because everything was closed. Then, the American places were closing early because a lot of their business is from the Germans and they're of course all at home for the holiday. Well, the kids thought it would be fun to go to the bowling ally on post which was neat because they were having a
family bowling session for 50 cents a game and free shoe rental. All four of us got to bowl for only four bucks! It was a lot of fun! Afterwards we went home. One of Stacey's birthday gifts was Guitar Hero and so we've all been having a blast playing that together! For a 33-year-old, Stacey still has it together! :o)

Feliz Navidad!

2008-12-18T09:07:00.002-08:00

Well it has been a busy week for the kids at school and I have had a great time trying to keep up. ". Emily and I got to make Christmas tree cookies for her class and some for Spencer's "fiestaThey were fun little cookies to make with three different sizes of round, sugar cookies coated with green sugar on the edges. Then you stick them together with vanilla frosting and top them with a red hot. The kids really enjoyed them and we had fun making them.

Spencer had a fiesta today. In the video above, he is sitting in the back left with the long sleeve red striped shirt. He is in a group of kids that started last year integrating Spanish into the curriculum (mandatory...yes, I know we're in Germany, and as much as I argued, we couldn't opt out). Anyway, in FLES (Spanish), they got to invite parents so they could sing Christmas carols in spanish and have a fiesta of both spanish and not-so-spanish foods. They did great!

Then, we came home and Spencer and I got to work preparing 25 goodie bags for his party at school tomorrow and a gift exchange they are doing. They are supposed to bring 22 of someting small...a candy cane, a party favor, etc....to give to their classmates so that in theory each child goes home with 22 gifts. Not an idea I've ever seen in a school, but we went with it. So, we wrapped up 22 little paratrooper men.

Now, tomorrows the last day of school before winter break, so I have a lot to do. I need to make sure I have all shopping done for the youngsters while I have the advantage of them being in school. I also have an interview tomorrow (For the tax center....long story), so it will be a busy day...

Well, two blogs in one week, don't you feel taken care of now?! :o)

O Tannenbaum!

2008-12-14T23:59:00.000-08:00

I know many of you have been waiting for a new blog and my answer to you has been that I've been waiting for something exciting to happen to have something to write about. Nothing overly exciting has happened, but we did get our Christmas Tree this week and I thought I'd share a few photos as it is one of our favorite trees of all time! Stacey and I went through the phase where we had to have the tallest tree...you know, the phase where you go out and find the absolute tallest one that would fit in your house. And we went through the fattest phase looking for one that would hold the most ornaments. And now we're at a point that we just find a pretty tree and put "enough" ornaments on it that everyone thinks is pretty and it makes for a really nice tree!

Stacey has been in Mannheim for training since December 3rd, but he has been able to come home on weekends to spend time with us. We are thankful because this tree thing would have been a disaster otherwise. He isn't done with training until Wednesday and I fear trying to pick up a tree 5 days before Christmas would be a disaster! We were warned that trees would be expensive here this year so we prepared ourselves for it. We went to a tree stand down the road and looked around. The trees weren't that great and then we looked at the prices. A little one that goes up to your waist was about 40 Euros (About $60). So, we left, thought about a fake tree and headed to Hornbachs (German form of Home Depot) and looked at their trees while checking out their artificial. Their real trees were only 25 Euros for a regular sized one so we got lucky!

Anyhow, that's our story! On my weightloss, I'm at 23.4# lost. I kind of staled out for some reason...perhaps need to look at what I'm easting, etc. It gets harder to lose weight the lighter you get, I do remember that. I'm thinking about going in to try on some jeans that are a size smaller just for fun...I know, it's sad what we do for fun around here! :o)

Anyhow, if I don't blog before then, everyone have a great Christmas and a happy new year!!!

B-I-N-G-O And Brainwork

2008-11-21T11:36:00.000-08:00

Bless me Father for I have sinned. It has been 2 weeks since my last blog... Yes I know it has been two whole weeks, but I can honestly say there has been nothing going on here worth blogging about. That's not a bad thing if you ask me. But, tonight we did get to get out of the house and went to the kids school to enjoy some family night B-I-N-G-O. None of us one, but it was still fun as I, for one, hadn't played Bingo in years.

We've all been so bored that we have been finding ways to entertain ourselves. Spencer has gotten pretty good at making paper airplanes, Stacey has been busy with schoolwork and I have been cleaning, reading books and even played a couple of video games with the kids (which anyone who knows me, knows I don't do...mostly because I'm awful at them). But when I walked in to Emily's room one day to check on her, I saw her set up on her bed performing some Zen ritual with a pile of rocks. So, this portion we call the brainwork portion as she was exercising her brain cells or something. I'm not sure where she picks this stuff up from...must be all those books she reads! ;o)

Lastly, just a brief weightloss update. I am now weighing 178.6# as of this morning which is a total weightloss of 16.6 pounds. Weightloss has slowed down a bit, but I think it has a lot to do with how I've been eating. Surprisingly, I have been eating too little instead of too much and my body is holding on to calories or someting. As soon as I started eating a little more, I started losing again. Weird, I know.

Well, that's about it. Just getting ready for Thanksgiving and get in the mindset for another holiday season. Have a great turkey day everyone!

Not Allowed To Use A Catch Phrase...

2008-11-06T07:15:00.000-08:00

Well, some of you may have heard from me already that Emily was getting braces. Well, today was the day and I have been given permission to post a new mug shot of the pretty princess for you all to see. This is her first round of braces. She'll have head gear in a couple of months that she only has to wear at night (Thank God!) and in a year or year and a half, she'll get the braces off and she'll have a retainer that she'll wear until she gets her second set of braces. Sounds crazy, but until her teeth and jaws are aligned, this is the way it is! Stacey had braces as a kid, so it is nice having a "coach" in the house that knows how it's supposed to work. The orthodontist gave her a goody bag of stuff for her to use that would make me panic, but she took it like a trooper. She's just got a little soreness in her teeth as the pressure starts to get to them and she is relearning how to eat. Other than that, it should be a smooth transition! Wish her luck!

Success Is Imminent

2008-11-03T05:14:00.000-08:00

I got busy over the last couple of days and didn't get a chance to post my 1 month progress report for my weightloss endeavor! I'm glad to say that if the rest of this little project goes just half as well as this first month has, then success is imminent! Here's just a few numbers as of November 1st:

- Weight: 184# (11.2# lost)
- Waistline: 39" (3" Less)
- Abdomen: 39 3/4" (1 1/4" Less)
- Upper Abs: 37" (2 3/4" Less)

So, overall, I'm really excited. I know the weightloss in general will slow down...at least I'm expecting it to, but it is nice to know I have a handle on things. I've been able to enjoy a few things I like in moderation, which afterall is the point. I'm learning to recognize my limitations and where I can and cannot control myself.

Anyhow, continued prayers would be appreciated, especially as we get into the holiday season!

Trunk-Or-Treat!

2008-10-31T14:25:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween everyone! We have had a unique experience over here in Germany. I can't say to any German traditions, it was just a different year than we were used to. To start off, we didn't carve pumpkins because even if we found one, living in a stairwell where people are not allowed to trick-or-treat, there is no place to display it. So, we forgoed that experience altogether.

We started off the afternoon festivities with going to Stacey's final formation at work. Stacey had a company fun run this morning which was 6 miles long. Then, he went and ran something called the Frankenstein run, which is an 8 mile, uphill run. Needless to say, he is tuckered out this evening! He then went to his final formation where they had trunk-or-treating for the kids. For those of you not familiar with the concept, people decorate their trunks and hand out candy from there. The kids made a huge score there!

Then, we went trick or treating in the neighborhood which was interesting because of the rules. You can't go in the stairwells, so everone giving out candy had tables or chairs set up outside the building. Trick-or-treating was ONLY allowed from 5:00pm until 7:00pm and most people ran out of candy by 6:00pm. So, if you decided to go out a little later, you were out of luck.

Anyhow, it was different, but the kids seemed to enjoy the day. And, the big finish was eating candy while watching the Simpsons Halloween Marathon on the Armed Forces Network! Happy Halloween everyone!

Dancing With The Scars!

2008-10-25T05:00:00.000-07:00

Cheesy title I know, but it had to be said! Last night the kids' school had a Fall Family Dance where the kids got to where costumes and run amuck in the gym to loud music. It was SO FUNNY to watch as a parent! So, you get a sneak peak at Emily and Spencer's Halloween costumes. Emily is a Midnight Sprite (whatever that is) and is basically just a bunch of rags and scary paint. Spencer is a ninja and actually adopted some very secretive moves that he practiced on me at the dance! Stacey and I got a kick out of the generation gap at the dance. There is definitely a reason why parents shouldn't go to dances with their kids. First they did the Cha Cha Slide which all the kids LOVED! Then, some teacher from the 90's thought it would be cool to let the kids know that long before the Cha Cha Slide was the Electric slide and proceeded to get the parents brave enough to try it to get the kids to do it. While they were trying, one child started a conga line and that was the end of the electric slide!!! :o) I couldn't stop laughing!

Afterwards, they were having something called the "Haunted Hangar" at the airfield. Well, I am a big chicken when it comes to the dark, so once I heard there was one pitch dark room, I bailed. The kids and Stacey only made it through 3 of the 8 rooms (evidently not as family friendly as advertised as this was a common tale). But, at least we tried...well, Stacey and the kids did anyway! What a fun night!

Slow Your Roll...

2008-10-22T01:14:00.001-07:00

This week my body decided to slow it's roll on weight loss...I did nothing to provoke this, I swear...it just up and decided to slow down. But that's okay, I still lost another 1.8 pounds which brought my total to 8 pounds overall. I'm still a little over 4 pounds over my goal anyway, so that's nothing to be upset over. Besides, it's healthiest to lost 1-2 pounds a week anyway from what I've read.

This week has brought challenges emotionally. I've just felt really down this week for some unknown reason (Aunt Flow is probably on the train coming for a visit or something!). I have felt weak in terms of the foods I choose and the amount of exercise I get in. I haven't made bad choices, I have just been teetering towards the dark side! The weightloss stall in the middle of the week could be part of it, and if it was, perhaps the discouragement will go away and I can get on with things!

That's about it for this week! One more week down (can you believe it's been 3 weeks?!) and 36 weeks to go!

Did You Know?....

2008-10-15T11:10:00.000-07:00

Did you know that it takes burning and EXCESS of 3500 calories to burn just one pound of fat?

Did you know that knowing your basal metabolic rate (the calories your body uses for basic function) for my body type is 1610 calories?

Did you know that I lost another 3 pounds this week?

That's right! After my second week of dieting I'm down to 189 (I'm in the 180's! Woo Hoo!) and I've lost a combined total of 6.2 pounds! Remember my month goal is 5.55 pounds in a month, so it is nice to be ahead of the game.

This week was exciting because I got to go to the gym 3 different times. It was a holiday weekend so we went as a family twice. Emily even got on the treadmill and can probably outrun her old mama! I managed to squeeze out 40 minutes on the elliptical trainer (my equipment of choice because it is easy on the joints!). I'm almost to a point that I can probably run around our block without feeling like I'm going to die!

Anyhow, that's about it for this week. Just excitement that I got to go to the gym and I'm still having no problems staying in the food parameters. Thanks for the well wishing everyone!

Shed Some Pounds, And Some Light...

2008-10-08T01:41:00.000-07:00

Well, the end of week one! I made it! If I was going to quit, it would have happened in the first week. I finished off the first week weighing in at 192#, that's 3.2# lighter! I noticed that I failed to mention my goal weight in the last blog so here we go. I started at 195.2. My goal is to lose 50 pounds by July 1, 2009 so I'll be 145. I am a numbers person so that is 5.55 pounds a month. You can see this weeks progress is exciting for me. I know that it will slow down because my body is just in shock right now, but it is nice to have a little encouragement right at the get go!

Food was definitely not a problem this week. If anything, I had a hard time getting enough in! I found myself panicked about eating too many calories in the morning so I'd eat low cal snacks and have to stuff in calories in the evening to make sure I had enough. I gave up toward the end of the week and only had around 1000 calories on two of the days (I know Tammi, don't be ashamed of me! I'm fixing it!).

I've been keeping a journal of food and notes of my experiences throughout the day and it has really been helping. It is a journal that is actually on paper which is saying something for me. Stacey asked me why on paper because he was curious and I didn't really know. He asked if it made it more real and I guess that it did.

Anyhow, I could go on with things from my journal because I write some of the funniest things when I'm inspired! But on to other more serious matters.

This has nothing to do with weightloss, but it was really something that touched me this morning and I wanted to share it so maybe the people I love would think about it. Emily's 4th grade teacher Mr. Hedges retired last year after 20+ years of teaching. His wife Mrs. Hedges was also a teacher who taught kindergarten at the same school and retired at the same time so they could FINALLY do some exploring. I was fortunate to be the one to do their taxes last year and got to know them a bit. Emily was walking down the hallway at school yesterday and saw a plaque honoring Mrs. Hedges as she had died recently just before school started. I just started bawling. I didn't really know them well, but I was just upset to think that we go through life working so hard so we can enjoy time with the ones we love and then it's over just like that. The Hedges were so obviously in love and it was just really sad to have heard about all of their plans and then hear that none of them would happen now. Anyhow, I just want people to think about living now and not later. I know I will be from now on.

She's A Brick House....Ooww!

2008-10-01T11:06:00.000-07:00

Okay, so here is is in all it's naked truth! Day 1 of what will undoubtedly be a humbling experience. It is quite something to look at yourself in the mirror and not see anything "that bad". It is quite another to look at a photo and see yourself from every angle...every fat roll, every possible hitch for a wide load sign and say to yourself it may be time to do something about this. So this is me declaring war on my body. I choose to share this openly (I didn't say I wasn't embarrassed) because I need my friends and family constantly nagging me about how I'm doing if they don't see me post in order to keep me honest and on track. I've been to the doctor, had my blood drawn, etc., so I know that none of my weight loss endeavors will cause a stroke, heart attack or kidney problem my family is so inclined to entertain. So here are the stats:

Day 1 Weight: 195.2#
Waistline: 42"
Abdomen: 41"
Basic Rules:
- Min 1200, Max 1500 calories per day
- Minimum 64oz water per day
- Exercise 5 or 7 days

That's it. I'm just keeping it simple so I can stick to it. I plan on posting some blurb weekly at first until the novelty wears off. Then, just monthly weight loss. Not sure on the pictures. I may just keep it a surprise until the end, but I'll play it by ear.

Thanks everyone for your support and the great ideas I've already gotten! 9 months 1 week and counting until we're home!!!

Imagination, Clearly...

2008-09-27T10:59:00.000-07:00

EVERY year the kids go through their annual examinations such as eyes, ears, weight, etc. And, EVERY year, at least for Emily, we get a note home that says she's tested "abnormal" in her eye test. This is not a big surprise as Stacey and I have horrible eyesight! Well, EVERY year we take her to the eye doctor and EVERY year they tell us it's nothing and send us home with a note that says such so the school doesn't send us back. Well, THIS year, we received no such note much to our dismay. So, Emily is now sporting a brand new pair of glasses, just for school right now...that how we ALL started out though eh? So, here is a photo of her in her new digs. She picked them out herself and I think she did a fine job!

In other news, Spencer has always been our little imaginarian! Stacey got a PSP for his birthday and it came with a game called Daxter. It is a game that is a little juvenile for Stacey and as such he beat it very quickly. So, Spencer has been getting some time in with the game. In it, daxter wears a hat with these ball thingies on the back and goggle looking things on top. Spencer really wanted a hat like that so we went to work on cutting up an old shirt and fitting it with all the bells and whistles. So, we thought you'd enjoy a picture of Spencer in his Daxter hat...pretty close resemblence actually! :o)

Die Fußball Ist Das Beste!

2008-09-20T06:11:00.000-07:00

Soccer season has officially started here in Germany! Both Spencer and Emily were supposed to have a game last week but they were "rained" out. Yeah, I know, who stops playing soccer for rain? Besides that, by Oregon standards, it was only sprinkling!

Spencer got to have a make-up game on Tuesday. His team is the Tigers as evidenced by his Orange shirt. We have to laugh because last year his shirt was bright orange too! Oh, well, at least he already has matching socks! All the moms are asking me where I got his socks! ;o) Our little secret! Spencer's team lost 0-2 but it just looked like they had fun just to be able to play against some other kids. Today he had another game where they looked a lot more put together. Spencer usually plays defender, but he got to play a little forward today. He's not used to that much running so when they stopped for a break, I felt his chest and it felt like his heart was going to jump right out!

Emily got to play in her first game today. Since the kids' games are at the same times, I didn't get to watch. But, from what Stacey said, she did a fantastic job! Emily plays center forward and she's used to the running so she usually does pretty good. She just moved up to the 10-12 yr group. She is already on the small side so to see her in there with all the other kids is pretty scary! She holds her own though. Emily's team is the green dragons. Their team lost 0-2 but you should have seen the size of the other team. Also, we were short a couple of players and the other team had plenty of spares so their players weren't that tired. Pretty good effort I say!

Well, at the top of our blog you may have noticed a countdown until we get to come home! We decided on a date of July 8, 2009 to fly home. We will be home for 3 weeks and as we get close to the date I'll start contacting people to schedule some time together. We are SOOOOOO excited to be able to come home for a visit!

Lastly, starting October 1st, I am going to be trying to lose some weight. It is not only for vanity, but my back is getting to the point that if I don't do something, I'm going to have permanent damage. I needed someone I could count on to keep me accountable, so I decided that I am going to share my experience on my blog. I'll be posting pictures, things that have happened over time, my weight, etc. This way, I can look my best when I come home for a visit!

Okay, I've done it again...I really must try not to talk your ear off so much!

1st Day of School...my bad!

2008-09-01T13:03:00.000-07:00

I meant to post this last Monday after finding out about the kids' first day of school. But, time slipped away (no, I really wasn't that busy, I just didn't do it...terrible, I know!) The week really did go by fast as we were all getting used to the routine again!

Emily is in the 5th grade this year. Her teacher's name is Ms. Batts (and yes, she is a little batty for those of you who were asking yourself that question). Since middle school here starts in 6th grade, Emily is enjoying ruling the school as I'm sure many of us did that last year in grammar school. Emily is having a hard time adjusting again. If she just had to read, life would be great. But with that last year of grammar school comes the realization that you actually have to study intently at home in order to get those A's that make mom and dad so happy. She'll do fine as she settles in. Her best friend from last year is not only in her class, but is sitting next to her this year as well. It's a good thing Alexandra is smart or I'd worry about the talking too.

Spencer is in the 3rd grade this year. It feels kind of weird to say that...3rd grade. His teacher's name is Ms. Lane and he insists this is going to be the best year ever. I'm pretty sure it has something to do with a marble jar used for rewards for good behavior (Colleen, remind me to tell you about it!). Spencer is different than the other 3rd graders. I don't say that in a negative way, he's just different. I went to an open house on Thursday and got to observe the other kids. Spencer is very in to just getting things done so he can get home and play his games and build with legos. The teacher starting telling about a book they were reading and the other kids got so excited about the characters, etc. Spencer just shot me a glance that said, "Can't you shut them up so we can go?" Time to get him in a 12-step program I guess...

Other than that, life has been tame as usual. We didn't do anything fantastical over the holiday weekend. Friday, Stacey was off work, but the kids were in school. Stacey is overloaded on classes (2 from Cochise College, and 2 from Central Texas College). So, every waking moment is spent doing homework. I'm not complaining, though, as finishing his degree is a long time coming and it's nice to see he's almost done!

Don't forget to write and let me know how you're doing! I do love getting e-mails from everyone just to know how you are!

Last Days Of Freedom . . .

2008-08-22T09:55:00.000-07:00

Well, so begins the last weekend before school starts. We've been off to a busy start. Emily had her soccer skills assessment on Thursday. It was kind of scary for her because she tried out with the 13-16 year olds. She had to do that because she had a dental appointment during the time her age group was being assessed. She dug in though, and a couple of the parents were impressed at how she wasn't afraid (okay, didn't appear to be afraid) to step in and get the ball. Spencer had a great time too as he managed to push every button and pull every lever in our car while we were waiting! We'll see soon what team Emily is on and both will start practices within a week or two!

Today, Emily had her first traumatizing experience at the dentist. Today begins her orthodonture adventure. She had 4 teeth pulled to make room for 2 teeth that were starting to grow sideways. Then in a month or two, we're waiting for an appointment to get her fitted for headgear...don't worry, they don't have to wear it to school these days. She'll have headgear for probably the rest of the time we're here. Then, as soon as we're back to the states, she begins the braces regimen. Well, this is the plan the orthodontist has for her anyway. I did happen to snap a cute picture of Emily attempting to smile at me while the entire upper half of her mouth was numb! Funny! She bounced back quickly though, and has been strutting around all evening like nothing happened.

1st day of school pictures will be on their way Monday!
P.S. Sorry to slide show you to death...the blogger is not letting me add photos for some reason...

Planting Seeds

2008-08-12T03:04:00.000-07:00

In our quest to find something useful to do with our time during the summer, the kids and I decided to plant some seeds just to see what would happen. We realize that it is a bit late in the season to see them bloom, but you never know! After failing to find the complete set of items we needed at the local military exchange, we headed out to Hornbach's, the German version of a Home Depot. It's there where we found trays, soil, seed and water cans. The kids had a blast as we went step by step in putting the soil in he containers, poking the hole for the seed, putting the seeds in and finally covering the seed up before watering. I had to laugh because Emily was so delicate with her seeds; as though if she were to push too hard on the soil or pour the water wrong that it would kill the seed. Spencer on the other hand looked like he had been planting seeds for a while. He was finding some very creative ways to streamline the process (I think so he could get back to gaming), but he enjoyed it every step of the way.

Like I said, we probably won't get to see blooms because it is late in the season, but if we do we'll get some pictures. It was funny because one of the seeds I picked were these puffy yellow balls. It didn't occur to me until I got home that in German it was "Sonnenblumen" which means Sunflower and it grows 150cm tall. Whoops! I think that one is going to be a little big for the house this winter! :o)

The Things People Do For Fun...

2008-08-01T12:46:00.000-07:00

Indeed, the things people do...specifically the Blasingames! We have been finding new (to us) and inventive ways to entertain ourselves as to flee from the boredom of life that comes from routine.

The weather has been hot and humid here. So much so, in fact, that our two children thought it would be a great idea to dump water on themselves! When they asked and I said yes, they were in shock. So up and down the stairs they went, first each with a bottle, but then eventually with a pitcher. It was quite funny and they had a blast!

Also, because of the weather as of late, we've enjoyed some walks after dinner and some time at the park playing basketball, throwing the baseball around and kicking the soccer ball. The kids even got to break out the roller blades which is not safe around here without adult supervision, so it was a treat!

Last night we had hamburgers and bought an avacado to change things up a bit (I told you we lead a boring life of routine if an avacado is exciting). Anyhow, we looked online on how to grow it into a plant, not a fruit bearing one of course, and we are going to see if it actually works.

Lastly, the best entertainment indoors is watching the cats. Ginger specifically has contortion abilities so it is fun to sneak up on him to see what he is up to. I snapped this picture of him with chicken wings. I know, it doesn't look as though it would be to comfortable. But, he managed to turn on his side without moving his arm. Ouch! It's painful just to watch him!

Well, let us know if you have any fun summer activities we can try out! We're going tomorrow to get some window pots and seeds to try and grow some flowers from a seed. Should be fun!

Happy 10th Birthday Emily!

2008-07-25T02:12:00.000-07:00

Emily celebrated her 10th birthday yesterday! Can you believe it has been a whole decade? We're still in shock! To celebrate her birthday she wanted to go to Holiday Park which is a theme park about an hour south of here. Holiday park was surprisingly pleasant. The bathrooms were clean, there seemed to always be someone around to pick up trash, the rides were in good order. The rides didn't even have that long of a wait to spite the length of the lines. The best part was the landscaping! They had the most beautiful landscaping with flowers and plants we'd never seen before. The walks from ride to ride were just beautiful because of the flowers. They even had a lake that they did water skiing tricks on. What a great day!

When we got home, we had cake and icecream and tried to figure out Emily's new iPod. She is very excited because she had been saving up her allowance to get one and now she can use her money for music and videos instead!

Happy birthday Emily!

Happy 8th Birthday Spencer!

2008-07-20T11:47:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to Spencer! Yesterday was Spencer's 8th birthday. And, to celebrate, we went to Legoland Deutchland. Our main mission, we say, was to get Spencer some much needed blue legos and some more mars mission men. Legoland is great because you can find just about every lego imaginable, right down to building your own lego men, pants, hair and all!

It was a long day. We woke up at 7:00 AM to get ready and open presents. Spencer didn't know he was going to get to go until that morning when he opened his presents. Then, the drive was only supposed to take 2 1/2 to 3 hours, but because of traffic jams all the way there, it took us 4 1/2 hours. We stayed at the park until closing because they were having a fireworks show (which was absolutely AMAZING!) which was at 10:00 PM. Then, for the long drive home. We finally got out of the park at around 11:30, so we rolled into home about 2:30 AM. It was worth all the effort though as everyone had a great time and Spencer had a great birthday! I pray God gives us the strength to make it through Emily's birthday which is on Thursday! ;o)

Frankfurt Zoo

2008-07-12T10:45:00.000-07:00

We did something miraculous today...we went to the Frankfurt Zoo! I know, you're thinking it is just a zoo, what is so miraculous about that? Well, for the Blasingame crew, planning the trip, actually driving AND parking in a large and yet congested city and actually find our way around, is an accomplishment I feel proud of! Yeah, Mom & Dad, you know what we mean! ;o)

Now, I didn't say we didn't get lost at any point. After parking at a structure called the "Zoo-Passage", we figured it would be close by. Which, as we found out later, it was. But we got to see a few things as we were searching. We found a park with some birds that were bigger than ducks, but smaller than geese...so we called them gucks. Then we got to see a flower garden which we couldn't find a name for, but it was really beautiful.

The Frankfurt Zoo is probably smaller than the Oregon Zoo, but we get excited going to zoos in different cities because we get to see animals they don't have at our hometown spot. We have never actually seen a rhinoceros in person before.
It was pretty funny because they had posted a sign saying "Caution: Rhino Squirts Into Public". They also had animals we had never seen such as the Fossa. It is a catlike animal from Madagascar. It was funny because evidently Germans don't know what Fossas are either. We heard several families utter the phrase "Fossa? Was ist das?" for what is this?

It was a great day! We even enjoyed some soda in a pleasant surrounding. I must say though, it is frustrating enough to hear a 2 year old screaming in English much less in German...yikes!

Other than that, we are keeping busy with this and that. I had meant to blog about 4th of July but there was quite frankly nothing to blog about. We did get to see the Berlin Airlift reenactment at the Wiesbaden Army Airfield and we have been trying our hand at making some new and exciting dinner creations. We're thinking of venturing south to go to the Legoland here for Spencer's birthday, but that is only a week away, so we're not sure that's going to happen yet.

That's it with us! Write us and let us know how you're doing!

Congratulations To Our Friends Torsten & Karina!

2008-06-23T09:08:00.001-07:00

Stacey and I took a trip to Krefeld this past Saturday for our friends Torsten & Karina's wedding. Although we didn't understand a blessed thing that went on because it was all in German, it was an awesome experience anyway. Where else are you going to get to watch a bride step out of a horse drawn carriage looking like a princess, only to step into a church (Sankt Cyriakus Kirche) that is at least 200 years old and quite seriously be the only thing to come close to looking as beautiful as the bride? Once we were inside, we got to see gold colored sculptures and listen to the most gorgeous pipe organ I've ever heard. The soloist was out of this world. Seriously, I think the only place I've ever heard a voice like that was on T.V.

I have to say something too, about this silly horse. One of the horses drawing the carriage must have been thirsty and dumb or something because it's tongue was sticking out the side of it's mouth the entire time we were there after the wedding. It was a great source of entertainment for the kids (Okay, I admit it was for me to!).

Afterwards, we went to a place called Cafe Korneblume, where we were treated to drinks and dinner.
We felt like royalty as the staff was better than any four star restaurant in the U.S. and the food was delectable! It was beautiful as well! So thank you and congratulations to the newly married Heines!

Lastly, I know it has nothing to do with the wedding, but many of you have heard my woes in finding a new purse. Stacey took me out on Friday afternoon to downtown Wiesbaden and I finally found a purse that will work for me! I was excited to find a matching wallet too! I spent way more on it than I should have, but I was very excited to find one nonetheless!

Welcome Home Daddy!

2008-06-18T11:44:00.000-07:00

Hooray! Stacey arrived home from his 1 month at WLC! The kids and I are absolutely excited beyond words! Stacey did extremely well at the course! He got a letter of commendation for being in the top 20% of his class. He graduated with a 92.6% overall. And let me tell you . . . my man looks SO HOT!!! He lost nine pounds and his butt just looks like buns of steel! Yummy! So congratulations to Stacey on not only finishing the course, but finishing it well!

Since Stacey was gone for Father's day, we decided to celebrate a few days late. The kids were busy yesterday making brownies for Daddy's favorite treat (brownies with vanilla frosting and cherries). Then we were busy hiding clues all around the house for a scavenger hunt. Stacey was busy searching all over the house trying to find the little nick knacks for him. We decided to do it that way because he always guesses what's in a package . . . so we had to make it interesting somehow! :o) What a great day for everyone! Welcome home Daddy!

Last Day of School!

2008-06-12T10:43:00.001-07:00

Well, it is the last day of school. And, while I comfort one (Emily), I can't contain the other's excitement. Emily is sitting here wishing it was the 2nd day of 5th grade already. She doesn't want it to be the first because more often than not, the first day is a 1/2 day. I can't seem to find their 1st day of school picture, but I do have their soccer picture from the day before school started and a picture from today of their last day of school. I just really enjoy seeing how they've grown over the year. You can really see it in their eyes a certain level of maturity too.

The best part of the last day of school for us moms and dads is of course all the crap that comes home at the end of the year. Now, I understand that the multitude of school supplies that we were forced to purchase (twice in our case since the DOD schools don't actually coordinate with each other) have to come home. However, Spencer's stacks came home with papers that he did before Christmas break.

It wouldn't annoy me so much but some of it I had never seen, some of it is stuff we had to sign off on previously (so duh, of course we've seen it!), some of it was incomplete. I had fought with his teacher on the communication issue for the longest time. So, anyhow, I'm done complaining now! Now it's just time to sort through all the goodies and find out what we need!

The kids get to go to full day childcare until my work ends on July 3rd. It should be fun for them because each week is themed and has 3 field trips with it. They get to go to an amusement park, swimming, museums, castles and a sea life park! All of this is included in the price we pay for childcare so it is really fantastic!

Okay, enough for one night! Emily chomping at the bit to get on the computer so she can play Webkinz . . . Toodles!

The Masses Have Spoken!

2008-05-26T07:17:00.000-07:00

Okay, okay, you've all put your word in on how lazy I've been in keeping up with this blog as of late! :o) I'd say we have been busy, but I would be lying to you. It truly has been simply laziness! So lay down your bludgeoning tools, oh scary ones, and I shall feed your hunger! (Does my cheesiness show my recent affliction with boredom?)

To start off with, I want to say how beautiful it is here in the spring time! We took several pictures over the course of a few weeks of a tree just outside our front window. What's fun is that it seemed to go from buds to full with leaves in that short amount of time. The magic is that all of Germany looks like this one tree. It's gorgeous!

Stacey left for WLC (Warrior Leader Course) on May 19th. Absence definitely does make the heart grow fonder. I never realize how spoiled I am until he leaves. :o( But, sssshhhhhh don't tell him I said that! :o) He gets to call frequently as they got to take cell phones. Our only obstacle is that we are on pay as you go phones and the minutes can get quite expensive if you're not paying attention to how much you are talking. With Stacey gone, of course, a lot of you know that I am driving again. I got my license on May 8th. I know, I know...we're working something out with the German Polizei to warn motorist when I'm on the road! No, so far it is going alright. Stacey is doing alright as well. He passed his first Physical Training test and passed his weight. Now he is struggling with letting his inner leader become an outer leader.

We are looking in to this new "sport" called Geo-Caching. My friend Mike turned us onto it. We really want to check it out as it is a great way to get out and explore. Basically, you plug in the coordinates to your GPS system and go find a place logged on the geo-caching website. Once there, you'll find a bucket or box with "treasures". Basically you leave something in the bucket and take something out and in the end, you've gotten to see something new. Our only problem is that we can't figure out how to plug in coordinates to our system as everything is by street name or location name. We're thinking there's got to be a download or something, but we'll eventually get to try this. If any of you have had the same problem, let me know how you fixed it!

Other than that, we are keeping busy doing little projects here and there. Emily finally broke out her crystal growing science set from Christmas. Spencer made some little cars from a kit that Aunt Colleen sent. Daddy put the kids' bikes together so we could go on bike rides in this beautiful weather (seriously, it has been in the upper 70's and low 80's the past couple of weeks!). Lastly, I have to post a picture of Emily posing as a Diva. Yes, I have taken this as a sign that we need to get them out of the house more!

Happy Bearth Day!

2008-04-22T11:58:00.000-07:00

Happy birthday to me! Happy earth day to everyone! Today started off wonderfully as I was serenaded by my husband and children who each took a turn to play happy birthday on their guitar! The day was otherwise uneventful which is how I like it! The kids baked me a cake and when it came time to blow out the candles, they were arranged in a 23 instead of what we all know to be the true mirror image number ;o). That along with all your e-mails of well wishing made me feel truly loved at thirty-something!

In other news, we went to Stacey's "Mandatory Fun" day, which is a novel military idea where they force everyone in the unit to get together and don't plan any activities. The unit planned an outdoor event where it poured down rain. They had only planned on one tent so the event got moved in to a garage where they set up the kids jump toy up right next to where they were grilling on open flame grills for 150 people. Yeah, it just got better from there. The kids were bored out of their mind, but managed to find a worm to torment. We got through it though and aren't we all better people for it!? :o)

Ho Humm...

2008-04-16T10:51:00.000-07:00

I haven't written a blog in a while and so I was trying to sit here and invent something exciting to tell you about. I thought that working at a tax center I would have some exciting story about April 15th, but it was actually one of our slowest days since opening...go figure?!

We have all been feeling pretty cooped up in the house on the weekends and decided to head out to a nearby city that has a great kids play gym called Tobolino. They have trampolines, slides, blow-up play structures, jungle gyms, etc. all in one huge warehouse where the kids have free range. The picture above isn't great, but you can see Emily in the green shirt and Spencer climbing up the "volcano". They had a blast and got incredibly warn out!

Spencer lost his front two teeth FINALLY! Towards the end they had been sticking out like a beaver because the adult teeth were growing in behind it. Needless to say, losing the two front teeth in the same night (I hear it was a bloody massacre! blah!)gave Spencer bragging rights to the double reward from the tooth fairy!

Stacey got selected to go to WLC (Warrior Leader Course) which is a course that has to be taken in order to be promoted to Sergeant. He's not sure why he is being selected so early as he just made Specialist and he needs 6 months time in grade before you can be promoted. The course runs from May 20th to June 18th so the kids and I will be all by our little lonesome for 30 days as the course is in "Graf" (I'd tell you the whole name of the city, but frankly, I can't pronounce it and can't remember how to spell it!). Graf is a couple of hours away so he'll be staying in barracks for the month.

Well that's about it with us. Not alot but at least its something! :o) Hope everyone is well!

Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!

2008-03-26T11:30:00.000-07:00

Where to start...as many of you may know, when we came to Germany we couldn't bring our cars because of the cost of insurance and my horrible driving record. So, we bought what folks around here call a hooptie...basically anything with an engine on wheels to get from point A to point B. Well, we bought a 1991 Fiat station wagon for $1200 that ran alright for a couple of months. The last month or so it started gurgling and making funny noises and finally decided to stop going from A to B while Stacey was on the autobahn. Upon inspection by a friend, it turns out the head gasket blew and the radiator is not recognizable. So rather than spend more money on the car to fix it than we paid for it, we just decided to buy a new one (okay new to us...). We got a 1991 BMW 520i. Believe me when I tell you that even though they are the same year, the difference between the two is night and day. BMWs get a lot more miles on them than Fiats do. Our new ride has power everything, and upgraded stereo and a sun roof that doesn't leak! No more puddles of water on the floor, hooray! Now we just need to get through registration and all will be well!

Making The Grade!

2008-02-29T10:30:00.000-08:00

After a busy and exhausting month, we ended on an exciting note! Stacey got his early promotion and is now sporting his Specialist rank! He is a humble guy, so I had to do the bragging for him. He was originally scheduled to promote in July, but I guess he has just been a good boy this year! ;o) Congratulations to Stacey!

Our New Toy!

2008-02-25T12:16:00.000-08:00

Okay, I'll make this short! We just got our taxes and decided to splurge on a new GPS system to help us navigate some of these foreign countries. We have to laugh because the system cost us more than half of what our car did. It will be nice though because it has the maps for the United States as well. Fun! Fun! Fun!

Frankenstein Castle

2008-02-25T11:55:00.000-08:00

It has taken me a while to post this one, but here it is! Our friends Torsten & Karina are having the civil service part of their wedding at Frankenstein Castle in Darmstadt, Germany on Friday the 13th...scary, right?...Anyhow, we met them at the castle for lunch and had a fabulous time! We snapped some great photos, ate some great food and talked with some great friends!

Afterward we headed out to Heidleberg to walk around the fabulous pedestrian zone. There were more shops than I could count and I got to have a Starbucks to boot! :o) We saw a statue of the man who invented the Bunsen burner in front of the building he used to teach at. There was a great church in the middle of the zone that was such a cathedral on the inside that it was breathtaking. Overall, it was a great day!

C'est Magnifique!

2008-02-16T13:48:00.000-08:00

What a beautiful little trip! Paris was wonderful (except for the traffic...that is a whole other blog in itself). We didn't make it to the Eiffel Tower on the first day like we planned because it was late and we got lost. But we did go to Disneyland Paris on the 15th and had a blast! Emily was tall enough to go on the Space Mountain Mission 2 ride which I was too scared to go on a second time. I think she gets her spirits from Daddy or something. Spencer really enjoyed getting drive the cars. We got to watch a character parade and rode in Peter Pans adventure! Overall it was a nice trip

The hilight of Paris was getting to see the Eiffel Tower in person. It stands at nearly 1000 ft. We got pictures from several angles that I am going to try and send you through kodak easyshare, but it was really great! We opted not to wait in the 2 1/2 hour line to get in to the elevator, but it was just as splended looking at it from the ground. The only thing that threated to spoil both the Disneyland day and the Eiffel Tower day was the fact that it was so cold. We spent more time at Disney trying to warm up than we did on the rides it seems! :o)

Our next trip won't be for a while (a big one anyway), but we are thinking of going to London (I think we might go through the travel agent on this one though!). We plan on buying a GPS system and then exploring the castles in the area with the confidence that we can find our way home.

Ejoy the pics if I can get them sent through! :o)

Day For A Drive

2008-02-12T10:16:00.000-08:00

We took the day to drive along the Rhein River to look at all the castles and take in the charm of all the little towns along the way. The above picture was my favorite of all the castles, both for the look and the story behind it. The two castles were built in the 11th & 13th century. If you look closely, you'll see a wall between the two which is known as the hostility wall. The story Goes that the two castles built as imperial castles, were inhabited by two brothers who did not get along and therefore the wall was built to keep each other away. Legend has it that the two brothers killed each other in the church of Bornhofen which was at the bottom of the hill in the town we drove through just below the castles.

About half-way through our Rhein loop, we stopped at a little town called St. Goar for dinner where I had my very first Weiner Schnitzel (Yum!). Emily had something called Asterix which was a lot like a big fried pork chop. The food here is so salty but the drinks are so small, expensive and don't come with refills. It was a good filling meal though, not like McDonald's which leaves you hungry in about a half hour.

The other thing that was amazing to see was how the vineyards are situated. Everywhere we drove there was these vineyards that go straight up the side of the hillside. It was interesting looking at them being so steep and wondering how the ones at the top got water.

Overall it was a great day! Tomorrow we are off to visit some friends in Krefeld, so it should be a fun drive as well.

A Sad Goodbye For Millie

2008-02-11T11:54:00.000-08:00

We got the call that I figured we'd be getting. While Dennis & Avis have been here visiting, our old "Fat Cat" Millie has been in a boarding kennel. Evidently she wasn't doing very well and when they did a blood test found out that she has diabetes. The choices were to put her down or to give her insulin twice a day. With the latter choice, there is only a chance she would survive and then only for 2 years. As much as it felt bad to make the decision, we made the choice to put her down. As most of you know, Millie has been a fixture in our lives for the past 14 years. We left her with Dennis & Avis because we didn't think she would survive the move over. We just didn't think it would be this soon. The kids are sad because she has always been there in their lives. Three cheers for a good friend that will be missed.

Long Lost Friends . . .

2008-02-10T14:49:00.001-08:00

We had the pleasure of getting to meet up with some old friends tonight! We haven't seen Torsten Heine since my sister Tanya's wedding nine years ago. Torsten was also the one that caught the garder at our wedding. Torsten is living in Darmstadt with his fiance Karina (whom is very sweet, by the way!). Darmstadt is where Stacey works, so it is really nice to know we now have some friends in the area! We had a great time talking about how everyone's lives were going and about things in Germany. Torsten even helped interpret some Gluhwein seasoning packets (warm, sweetened, seasoned wine) that I have been holding on to for a couple of months. We have plans to go eat on Sunday so maybe Stacey will actually get to see him again as he had a 24 hour shift tonight. It should be fun as it is going to be in a castle! Yes, I'll send pictures . . .

A Day At The Market

2008-02-09T11:38:00.000-08:00

Stacey's parents are here visiting from the states and we took the day to go exploring at the marketplace in Wiesbaden. Stacey and I are just scaredycats when it comes to having to interact with someone from the "German World". But, with Dennis & Avis there to give us a little nudge, we managed to buy some potatoes, oranges and bananas at the markt frisch (fresh market like the farmers market at home). Once we got the prices figured out (everything is in grams instead of pounds), it was pretty easy. The commissary just doesn't have very good produce, so this was a nice treat.

The market is in the courtyard of the Marktkirche (Market Church) which was built in 1852. It is usually our landmark for finding our way home as it is the tallest building in Wiesbaden. The fun part about walking around in the pedestrian zone is looking at the buildings. Wiesbaden is the state capital of Hessen and so many of the buildings used to house royalty and are now instead housing the politicians of government.

Our next blog will be from our Valentine's day excursion to Paris. I'm really excited to get to see the sites there as well as go to EuroDisney. Don't worry, we'll post the photos as soon as we get home!

Making Up For Lost Time!

2008-01-21T09:20:00.000-08:00

I seem to have gotten to a point where my pictures will now upload, so I thought I'd make up for the lost time (2 whole months!). We'll start with Halloween and finish with Christmas, eh?

Halloween was as fun as it can be 7 days before an international move! Thank God we bought their costumes early. Emily was Princess Leah and Spencer was Darth Vader. It was an easy guess as to what they would be as we just got done watching the entire Star Wars collection from Episode I to Episode VI. We didn't trick-or-treat for long (that is usually daddy's job and he left on October 16th) but the kids got a lot of goodies!

Then Came the Move...getting there wasn't as much of a problem as entertaining ourselves when we got there. With no household goods, no T.V., no computer, it was like living in a Puritan world! Emily decided to make a huge something or other with cards and the kids thought it would be fun to try on daddy's full battle rattle. Needless to say, it is amazing what you can live without when you have to.

Thanksgiving was also intriguing as it takes a lot of planning when you don't have the normal cooking stuff. We hade a set of 4 loner on plates, eating utensils, cups, pots and pans. Don't even get me started on what to do with the left-overs when there is no tupperware. Dinner was fantastic as evidenced by Emily chomping down on a turkey leg! Spencer just loved the dessert as usual!

Christmas an New Year's were fun. Emily and Spencer were excited about something on Christmas, but I can't remember for the life of me what it was. They both got a Nintendo DS, so that might have been it. New Year's Eve was spent putting together this ferris wheel. I don't think I have ever seen so many fireworks or heard so much noise as I did at midnight!

We hope to be getting out more in the next month or so, so hopefully we can send you some photos of the things we see.

Finally On The Right Track!

2008-01-09T09:59:00.000-08:00

Don't you sometimes just feel like life is a train? For the past couple of months it has been, but now we are on the right track! So much has happened this past week! The fact that I am posting a blog means we FINALLY have Internet in our home. Government computers blocked access so I wasn't able to post anything. Our Internet took so long because of inside AND outside wiring problems, then we got two bad modems. The third finally got here today and Stacey was a pro at setting it up although all the configuration instructions were in German! :o)

We got our household goods this past Saturday! What a joy! Living on minimums is okay for vacation, but almost two months is crazy! We are now just dealing with the clutter that results from unpacking. Poor Stacey is getting a workout lugging storage items down to the basement and taking out the huge amounts of paper that the movers wrapped things in down to the recycling.

Starting Monday, we trade the crazy life we just experienced with a new sort of crazy life. I got a job as an electronic tax filer. It is only temporary, but it gets me in the system. It is full time steady employment until July. Now, we just have to get used to shuffling everyone around in just one car. We have always had the luxury of 2 cars until now.

Okay, I guess I've babbled on enough for one night. Now that we're online, we'll be getting more posts out there. We hope everyone is well!

Say Goodnight Gracie!

2007-11-06T09:18:00.000-08:00

Well, 2nd day of packing and they are about ready to pack in the computer. So, I thought I would get one last blog in before I dismantle the computer. It is so crazy seeing your entire life fit in to 4 large wooden crates. The cats are freaking out because they were hiding under the bed and then they moved the bed. It was hilarious watching them scramble around the house looking for a place to hide. Somewhere in it all, Ginger decided he would make a run for it and try and escape. But, the kids caught him and brought him back.

We go to the hotel tonight, so without a computer, I guess this is us signing off for a few days until we get connected again! Wish us luck! I've got some good sedatives for the plane, but I'm still so nervous!

Goodnight Gracie!

Let The Games Begin!

2007-11-04T22:52:00.000-08:00

Well, tomorrow the movers come to pack everything up. I think I may have to dismantle my computer tomorrow, but I'm going to haggle for another day! :o)

Anyhoo, it has been a busy couple of weeks preparing. Getting the kids ready and getting their school records and the cats and their records and can't even name everything to be done. It feels good to have the movers coming tomorrow though, because I have everything packed for our flight on Saturday (so the movers don't accidentally pack it) and now we are just along for the ride!

The kids each had their scouting event. Emily went swimming and the we went over to her leaders house for a cookout. It was the first real food we'd had in ages, so we wolfed the grub down quick! :o) The girls had such a good time that Emily got invited to go back over this morning to play with Jessica (one of the other girls scouts. So It was just Spencer and I this morning and he helped me with a couple of chores around the house and then we headed out to Wal-Mart and then Micky D's for a treat because it is is favorite.

The next couple of days will be an adventure! Only 5 days until we have to step foot on that plane . . . We'll have to let you know how that goes.

So, if you don't here from us in awhile after today, it's because the computer had to go away. Peace out everyone . . . keep us in those prayers . . . we're almost there!

Is There A Word For Crazy In German?

2007-10-23T16:05:00.000-07:00

Finally we have a date for myself and the kids to go to Germany. We are flying out on November 10th. I thought once I got the date for the movers and clearing housing that everything would be smooth sailing. Movers don't get here for 2 weeks, so sitting around not having to think about anything seems as though it would be wonderful! But, instead, I have been going nonstop since yesterday morning. I have a lot of preparing of the house to do, lots of paperwork, and lots of prep for our cats. Let me tell you now, if you ever move overseas and want to bring an animal...don't...it's not worth it! I'm doing it for the kids, NOT for the cats.

All the stress has already taken it's toll on me. I had to go in for a strep test today (won't find out until Thursday). Now, I know it is Arizona and it's common, but a cockroach came scurrying out in the bathroom and I started crying. Dumb, huh? Anyone who knows me, knows how clean I keep my house. So, now of course I have to scrub the bathroom head to toe to make sure it was a random critter and not an infestation!

Stacey got to start his in-processing FINALLY! There is a lot of confusion because he is working in Darmstadt but living in Wiesbaden. He is supposed to start work on November 8th, but we'll see. From the sounds of it he got stuck on desk duty instead of in a shop where he can get some operational experience. Oh, well, perhaps it's for the best.

Our new mailing address is:

CMR 467 Box 3835
APO AE 09096

It's regular postage as if being mailed in the United States, it just takes a little longer. Everyone take care and we'll post updates as we get them!

Auf Wiedersehen

2007-10-15T15:03:00.000-07:00

You'll notice the lack of a skillfully taken picture on this episode of the blog. Well, that is the first wake-up call that Stacey has begun his German journey.My Kodak Easyshare Software decided to go kaput and I can't upload any pics...of course this happens when my electronics-trained husband isn't here to fix it.

This morning was difficult to swallow. It is a strange feeling to sit and watch your spouse hugging his children and know that in 5 minutes, we will be parting ways. I was fine until I got home and saw his keys on the counter and his side of the closet empty.

We did get to spend some time together. On Saturday we went to a place called Apple Annie's. The first part of the trip was going apple picking. The kids had a lot of fun. After that, we drove down the road to their pumpkin patch. It was really need because we got to cut the pumpkins right off the vine with these huge loppers.

I'll post an address for Stacey as soon as I get it. I'm sure he'd love the letters!

A Sad But Necessary Day...

2007-10-06T23:10:00.000-07:00

Stacey left for Oregon today, with Milo & Millie in tow. As most of you know, we have to store our cars before the move. So, Stacey is driving up starting tonight and will fly back on Wednesday the 10th. Millie will be going to stay with Stacey's parents, but Milo is heading to the Washington County Pound. I have never felt like such a bad mother as I do now as the kids were sobbing uncontrollably at Milo leaving. With Millie, they know there is a chance to see her again. But, with Milo, they know it is forever. It is really so sad. It was sad for me as well, because I got Millie in April of 1995...quite a long time we've been together and with the shape she's in, who knows if we'll get to see her again. So the first of the big changes have started. If you have time, prayers would be wonderful!

Congratulations Graduate!

2007-09-29T13:36:00.000-07:00

Stacey graduated from AIT on Thursday, September 27th! It's been a long year, but Stacey flew threw it and was one of the honor graduates, finishing off the course with a 96.48%. The ceremony was not all that fancy, but they did show a little more history of what Stacey does and besides, he looks so sharp in his Class A Uniform!

Now, Stacey is working on a few out-processing details and then he will officially sign out of B Co. 305th and in to his 14 days of well deserved leave. He flies out on October 15th for Germany. Sadly, he will be going alone as the family orders we got were for deferred travel. When Stacey gets to Germany, he'll get us on the housing list. Please just pray that it doesn't take long for housing to become available.

Giddy Up Horsy!

2007-09-23T18:26:00.000-07:00

Emily got to go horseback riding with the Girlscouts today! She has been counting the days. She even had her rendition of a horse drawn on her calendar...very cute! This whole process of horseback riding started 2 weeks ago. The girls were supposed to get a trail ride right after the class they received for their badge; but living in the desert, a monsoon rolled in and they didn't get to ride because of the lightning. So, today was a make-up ride and the girls just had a blast! Emily had a rough start as her horse, Ben, didn't want to keep his nose out of the hay bin! From there it was a great ride! It was really funny because the adults were so tense and nervous. Every time their horse would trot, they'd freak out or just get really tense while nervously yelling "whoa" over and over again! The girls, on the otherhand were so loose, they looked like a line of bobble-head dolls. I sure hope we don't have to wait too long until we get to go on a horse ride again. Could you imagine trying to tell a horse to stop in German? (okay, so it's probably the same, but it made you laugh at the thought, didn't it?)

You Want Me To Pay How Much?!

2007-09-15T13:15:00.000-07:00

So Stacey got his paper orders a couple of days ago...a lot of help that was! :o) Other than the fact that we are now able to get Stacey out processed after graduation, the orders didn't give us any more information than we already knew. We have to wait for something called an orders amendment saying I am authorized to go overseas with him before we can actually set up the transport of our household goods and find out when and if we get to go over with him right away.

We got an insurance quote to take our 2004 Chrysler overseas. Because of that horrible driving record you all know about combined with how new the car it, they quoted us $493/month! Yes, you read that right! So, we will now be storing both of our cars stateside (Thanks Mom and Dad!) while we continue to make the payments. We'll buy a cheap used car from the post lemon lot and pay only $70/month for liability insurance. Funny how life works out! (P.S. Amber, we may have to take you up on that offer after all!)

Our passport applications were put in the mail on Wednesday (Yeah, $506 later), but we should get them in 3 weeks. With shots complete for all of us (I had 4...ouch!), it seems we are well on our way. Let's just all hope that it isn't a long wait for housing. Stacey has to report to Darmstadt on October 27th (well, October 26th since you can't report on a weekend), and if housing isn't ready, we stay here until it does.

It's hard to believe Stacey's last day of class is on September 20th already and his graduation day is September 27th. It went so fast! I'll be sure and post photos of graduation when I get them!

Hiking in Garden Canyon

2007-09-02T19:33:00.000-07:00

I had a therapist once tell me that among the top most stressful events in life is moving...it's probably the one bit of information that I actually believe! :o) So, to relieve the stress of being cooped up with so little information about Germany (thus causing the stressful arguments), we went hiking in Garden Canyon. It was a really nice getaway as it is butterfly season. I don't think I've ever seen that many butterflies in a natural environment...I would say there's probably more out there than at the butterfly exhibit at the Oregon Zoo! We went up the Sheelite Trail which was supposed to be 3 miles long, but after it got so rough we couldn't find the trail, we turned back so as not to get lost (yeah, like either Stacey or I thought to bring a map!).

Overall it was a great day with lunch by the creek! I tried a new communication game I learned from the Internet which is a lot like 20 questions where you ask tons of oddball questions one after the other....favorite animal? Favorite color?...etc. The kids got a real kick out of it and we learned a lot about what makes them tick at the same time!

Germany It Is...

2007-08-31T08:49:00.000-07:00

Stacey got word back yesterday that they will not let him switch with anyone to get out of going to Germany. Evidently families can switch with families and singles can switch with singles (I suppose to keep the numbers even for housing, etc.), but singles can't switch with families. Sounds like a crock to me, but starting today, we will be going through all the steps to head out on our way. I just found a list on the Internet and am feeling alot more overwhelmed now than normal. Immunizations, passports, inventorying every God forsaken thing in the house - the list goes on and on!

Well, I guess the one good thing to come out of this is that it will keep me from driving . . . yeah, most of you know my driving record stinks!...now if only the airplane nightmares would stop!

All Hail The Great Soccer Gods!

2007-08-26T15:08:00.000-07:00

It is that time of year and soccer season is under way! Opening ceremonies were on Friday (what a nightmare!) It was so crazy! It took upwards of 20 minutes just to file all the teams in. I tell you what, though; I will never in my life cease to be amazed that among 250 screaming children and even more gabby parents, that all noise stops when the flag & the national anthem are involved. It went from panic attack loud to being able to hear a pin drop in a matter of seconds.

Both Emily & Spencer had their first game on Saturday. Emily scored the first two goals of the season and assisted in the third, so she was very excited! Spencer's team is still at an age where they're feeling their way through the game, but he had a lot of fun and played aggressively!

Update On The Madness...I Mean The Moving!

2007-08-22T09:04:00.000-07:00

Well, Stacey got to talk with someone from the class before his that is going to Germany. That class has been to their Levy brief (where you find out specifics on where you're going). Anyhow, he found out the unit he is being sent to is supposedly deploying in February. He isn't afraid of the deployment, so much as the fact that they are shipping them back to the states after. So, we'd pretty much be uprooting everything just to not live with him and then come back 15 months later.

Stacey has a couple of people that may be willing to switch orders with him and right now it is between Ft. Huachuca,AZ; Ft. Sam Houston, TX; and Ft. Stewart,GA. So, please keep us in your prayers. Stateside is definitely better!

Darmstadt, Germany

2007-08-15T12:59:00.000-07:00

Yup, you read that right! Stacey just got his orders yesterday and we are headed to Germany! We are a mix of scared, excited, anxious and nervous all at the same time. We can only ship one car overseas so that means one car is staying here or we have to pay $2200 to have it shipped. It's all good though...as soon as we are able to drive, we'll get to explore places I never thought I'd get to see (Emily is excited to see Paris)! I swear that by the end of this tour (we think it is 3 years) I'm going to visit Italy & Greece!

Well, so much for stateside! Stacey has to report on October 21st. Keep us all in your prayers (especially the kids who have to deal with us!) as we transition in to this new phase in our lives!

First Class All The Way!

2007-08-10T21:44:00.000-07:00

Well, it is officially official! Stacey got his rank today as he went from a PV2 (Private 2nd Class) to a PFC (Private First Class). Now on the grand scale of things, it isn't a big deal. We get excited though as it marks a year in the Army, the last of the MGIB payments and a small raise in pay! Stacey is doing well as he is only 7 weeks from graduation. He got his proxy card allowing him to train on the top secret stuff which means he has his clearance. So, everything is just coming together.

So, congratulations to Stacey for his well deserved promotion!

Back To School

2007-08-09T15:38:00.000-07:00

The kids went back to school yesterday. Yeah, I know, it's way too early huh? They only just got out May 25th and here they go back August 8th. And no, it's not that trendy new year 'round school! :o)

Emily is in 4th grade this year and her teacher is Mrs. Bergen. Emily is very excited about the new school year because her school got new science books and a brand new science lab for the fourth grade this year! It's funny, though because she had homework on the first day of school...what teacher gives homework out on the first day of school? A precursor of the year or just a welcome to the 4th grade!

Spencer is in 2nd grade this year and his teacher is Mrs. Glow. I know...I swear the kid will never forget any of his teachers. Last year his teacher was Mrs. Boss who actually introduced herself to me saying, "Hi, I'm Mrs. Boss and I'm the boss of this classroom!" Spencer just indicated he is excited about lunch and recess as he's not much for school. He says he doesn't like going back to school, but I think secretly inside he's excited!

Monsoons Are Crazy!

2007-07-27T15:56:00.000-07:00

I love thunder and lighting, probably more than most people you know! There comes a time, however, when a girl has to admit defeat against Mother Nature herself, as I don't like the T & L that close to my person. ;o) My lawn, as evidenced by the above picture, is now covered in an inch and a half of rain, and yes, I was just complaining this morning about how brown my lawn was because they never let us water it. Murphy's a funny chap, eh?

HAPPY 9TH BIRTHDAY EMILY!

2007-07-24T21:56:00.000-07:00

So, after about a week of spontaneous crying that my little girl was turning 9, the day finally came! I managed to embarrass Emily at least 3 times today, so I'm pretty proud of myself!

The kids started swim lessons today and then Emily had band camp. After that, we went to Tucson where there was a Chuck E. Cheese which was Emily's birthday choice. The kids had a blast and it was nice to see a Chuck E's in good shape as we all know how the ones n Oregon are! After that we went to Golf 'n' Stuff. They had the best mini-golf course on he planet and a really neat bumper boat pool (it had lanes that the kids managed to maneuver me in to and proceed to soak me from the waist up!).

We then came back from Tucson where there was a surprise waiting. Daddy got to come home for 3 hours to have dinner and birthday cake with us! He should have been a salesman with all the charm he can work on people!

Overall, a great day! This keeping things simple really does make for some opportunities to do something different!

HAPPY 7TH BIRTHDAY SPENCER!

2007-07-19T20:33:00.000-07:00

Today is Spencer's 7th birthday! We kept it pretty low key this year. We didn't have the addresses for the kids at school & Spencer wasn't quite comfortable with the kids in his den to invite anyone over for a birthday party. So, with the money we saved on a party, the kids got a trampoline (which they are SOOO excited about!)

We started out the day by taking Mia to get spayed, which I might add was like a birthday present for us all (cats in heat are so annoying!). Since we were out and about at 7:00 AM, Spencer decided he'd like to eat at Denny's (he LOVES their pancakes!). From there we went to Emily's band practice, went bowling and went shopping at Wal-Mart to start spending the gift-cards that Grandma sent.

The highlight of the day was that Stacey got a 1 night rest from his FTX and gets to spend the evening at home! We all got to go to Outback and celebrate Spencer's birthday together as a family (Oy!). We then got to go home and sing happy birthday to Spencer where he blew out candles with colored flames on a cake he decorated himself!

Overall it was very much different than what we're used to, but Spencer still has a smile on his face and that makes us happy!

What's With The Bum Leg?

2007-07-16T19:48:00.000-07:00

So, Stacey went to the doctor this morning to get his ankle/foot x-rayed. It turns out he fractured his left foot on the fifth somethin'r'uther. He is now having to skooch around with a boot and a pair of crutches for the next 6 weeks. It kind of sucks for him more than normal because he is on his field training exercise. So, instead of walking around in the woods with a paint gun, he has to park his gimpy self at a table and run the radios with some other gimpy fella. :o) It is going to be a long two weeks for him! Please keep him in your prayers...first that his foot heals quickly...and second that he doesn't lose his mind out there!

Wish Him Luck!

2007-07-15T09:17:00.000-07:00

It's here! The time has come for Stacey to participate in his Field Training Exercise (FTX). He will be gone for 2 weeks performing missions in "live scenarios" (don't worry, no real bullets...only paint balls!) Stacey was prepping yesterday and accidentally twisted his ankle really bad. He had an appointment this morning as is now sporting two crutches until they can get it x-rayed tomorrow. Not a great start to the next couple of weeks. Apparently the Drill Sergeant indicated that the theme of this FTX is "Sleep Deprivation", so we'll See how our man holds strong!

Pray for me as well as I don't do very well without Stacey here. I am working during the day & part of the evening, so perhaps time will go by a little smoother. Stacey is also missing both of the kids' birthdays (on the 19th & 24th), so we'll be celebrating without him! Keep us all in your prayers!

Tombstone . . . Yee Haw!

2007-06-30T18:09:00.000-07:00

We went to the city of Tombstone today! Emily and I had gone for a Girl Scout function a month or two ago and we thought the boys would really enjoy it! We first went to Boothill Graveyard where the victims of the famous Tombstone shootout with the Earp brothers are buried. We got a kick out of a few of the headstones (not sure how "original" some of these are). Some of them were plain with just a name and year of death, while others had a little more of a description...John Henry, Shot by a Chinaman...or something to that effect.

From there we went to the historic Tombstone courthouse. There were 7 lynchings at that courthouse and we got a kick out of Emily trying to explain the lynching device to Spencer who was in shock! :o) We got to see the courtroom as well as where the jails were kept. It was built in 1882 and it was just a treat to see all the artifacts and listen to all the creaking.

We then went to downtown Tombstone which is a bustling little street that has horse drawn wagons and stagecoaches and old wooden "sidewalks". There are lots of little gift shops, leather shops and old tyme photos.

We had a blast! Our time was only spoiled by the 100 degree heat...we all got a little cranky! If you get a chance and you are down here, I do recommend you see it, you'll be glad you did!

Oregon Or Bust! - Day 8

2007-06-08T17:24:00.000-07:00

Friday, June 1, 2007

We had not planned anything for today for a reason. I needed a day to just do whatever. Whatever is usually the stuff you meant to plan on but forgot to plan enough days, etc. We went to see my brother Tom's grave in Cornelius. I had run out of time before we left at Christmas and it felt good to get back there. We had a little time for birthday shopping and lunch at our old favorite Chinese restaurant and went and saw Shrek The Third (Don't waste your money...). Afterward, we went and picked up Emily's best bud Alyssa for a sleepover. We rented about a million movies, loaded up on pizza and gummy worms and headed home. The girls stayed up longer than I could as I crashed at about 11:00 PM and they were up until 12:30 AM (According to Emily, that it). The girls had fun seeing each other and watching movies and playing games. I haven't seen Emily that happy in a long time, so that's great news!

I flew out on Saturday evening after making about a billion fruit Kabobs for Aydia's 2nd birthday Luau...I must say, Tanya can make ANYTHING fun! Who would think making kabobs would be fun?

Now the kids are off to South Dakota with Grandma & Grandpa for a family reunion. It has been really quiet around here, and no we don't like it. Strange, huh? Anyhoo, they will be back on Tuesday full of some great stories!

Oregon Or Bust! - Day 7

2007-06-08T17:10:00.001-07:00

Thursday, May 31, 2007

Today we went out the kids' old babysitter's Tricia, (No, she's not old, I guess I meant previous!) who lives out in Columbia City for lunch and to see her new place. We enjoyed small talk over sandwiches (Yum! Did I mention I was fed well on my trip?).

From Tricia's we drove over to Warrenton to see Mom's grave. Someone from the plot next door stole Mom's bird feeder, so I stole it back (I know, someone call the FBI!). From there we drove on to Seaside where I ran in to my cousin Nancy (who looks fabulous by the way!). We let the kids go play at the beach. We buried Spencer in the sand, tossed a velcro ball around, watched the kids play in the water and flew a kite. Lots of fun!

From the beach, we went to dinner at Norma's. Now, if you've never had the clam chowder at Norma's, you are missing out! Our church used to have a clam chowder feed and I would remember eating 3 or more bowls of the stuff at a young age! Yum! Spencer decided he liked clam strips. So, maybe there is hope for him and his picky eating habits yet! Overall, it was a great day!

Oregon Or Bust! - Day 6

2007-06-08T16:46:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Okay, fellas . . . this is your warning! Girly stuff below, but it must be said! ;o)

We got to have a slow start on Wednesday too (thank God because I was getting tired by then!). We didn't get out until 11:00. We went and had lunch with my best friend Tammi at her place. It was great to just sit and catch up on things over a simple meal. Tammi's husband EJ started a new job and it was exciting to hear about how things are going with it! Tammi & EJ have a daughter named Tori. She just turned 1. It is strange to see little babies after being away. We've only been gone 6 months, but it really hits home how long that is after you see a little baby grow a bunch!

Warning, girly stuff starts now! :o)

When we returned, we headed out to a bra fitting at Macy's at the Washington Square Mall. I know what you're thinking . . . big deal, right? Well since my mom never showed me how to buy a good fitting bra, I was overly happy to get a fitting. Ladies, if you haven't had one done, get to it! I can't believe the difference it's made! I was sad to find out my size and that many styles don't come big enough (Boys, if you're still reading, don't get excited...it's not the GOOD kind of big). I think I may have to diet when I get home so I can shop at Victoria's Secret! :o) After the fitting, we wandered the mall (something I haven't done in a while and yet truly enjoyed!). We ended the evening by going to dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. Sorry to say, we were too full for cheesecake, but the chicken taco thingies I had were to die for!

Oregon Or Bust! - Day 5

2007-06-08T16:25:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

We got to have a slow start to the day today. We went and had lunch with Kathy from where I used to work. The kids stayed home with Grandma and I met Kathy at Chipotle to catch up on all the good gossip. Yum! I had forgotten how good that place was!

After I got back from lunch, Dennis, Avis and I along with the kids all hopped in the car and went for a visit with Granny & Poppa B and Stacey's Aunt Gwen & Uncle Ken. We always have great conversations and learn so much about Stacey's heritage. We got information on Dennis' great uncle as well as contacts to find out about Austin's 300 club, which the Blasingame heritage belongs to. If you're wondering about what the club is the name "Old Three Hundred" refers to the settlers who received land grants in Stephen F. Austin's first colony in Mexico (the area is now known as Austin, Texas). I'm hoping to find a way to get Granny B's information and get the certificate she wants for the club. At the end of our visit, Poppa B gave the kids a ride on his electric chair. They started out building a train with 2 old radio flyer wagons (that was a hilarious sight!) and ended up each getting their own ride. What a great visit!

Oregon Or Bust! - Day 4

2007-06-08T16:17:00.000-07:00

Monday, May 28, 2007

Since it was Memorial Day weekend, Tanya's kids had off at school. Tanya, Randall and I took the kids...all six of them (Nikki, Kylee, Trevor, Aydia, Emily & Spencer) hiking at Triple falls. It was a great hike, 5 miles round trip. We got some great pictures and the kids seem like they had a blast! I know Tanya and I had a lot of fun to as we made fun of each other putting ourselves down about how big our butts have gotten! :o)

When we got back to Tanya's, we had dinner. She had put a roast in her crock-pot in the morning and let it simmer all day. It was so tasty! The kids also got to go swimming for a bit (where they found the energy after a 5 mile hike I'll never know!). It was definitely a day for the books! Lots of fun, family and food! What can I say?

Oregon Or Bust! - Day 3

2007-06-08T16:09:00.000-07:00

Sunday, May 27, 2007

Church day was a day I dreaded. I never know how people will react when they see us for the first time in a while. It was nice though, because everyone was so welcoming and warming. We even stayed at church for the coffee hour, which we never did in the past. It was such a spirit lifter to see everyone again!

After church, I took the kids to see Pirates of the Caribbean 3. They loved it, of course. I didn't much like it and it was really very much too long. Stacey saw it here at home without us and I suppose it will give the kids something to talk about when they get back. That's about all I have to say about that . . .

After the movie we went over to Tanya's for dinner. Randall made his infamous Jalapeno Bacon Wraps. I definitely have to get that recipe (hint, hint Tanya)...they are FANTASTIC! Tanya and I shot the poo for a couple of hours and decided to end the night with enough time that the kids could get a good night sleep for the next day. That is a whole other blog in itself! :o)

Oregon Or Bust! - Day 2

2007-06-08T15:54:00.000-07:00

Saturday, May 26, 2007

Saturday was a great day too! Stacey's cousin Jennifer Kutilek married Shane Jenkins. It was a beautiful ceremony and a great reception. It was nice seeing everyone again, especially Grandma Rose!

Weddings in general are stressful for me. I've never been sure as to why, but at this one in particular, I was thinking about Emily's wedding day. I know, she's only 8, but the fear of it all is just too much to handle! I snapped a couple of great photos...hey, the kids looked great! Can't a momma brag?