Year One

Sunday marks Eric and my 1-Year Wedding Anniversary!  Our wedding was my dream wedding (and Eric's too!)...I wouldn't change a single detail of that perfect day.

I can’t believe how fast time has gone by, but this has definitely been the best year of my life: full of love, incredible memories and zero regrets.  In the past 365 days we have had a lot of firsts, and a lot of moments we won't soon forget.  Here's what we've done:

August: Said “I do” on the Highlander Golf Course in Wenatchee (wasn’t our wedding just perfect?! Seriously!), Honeymooned in the Puget Sound

September: Moved to Tennessee, Got our first apartment, Bought our first car

October: Avoided Eric’s 2^nd deployment by choosing a job in Germany, Wore cowboy boots to the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville

November: Shared a whole pie on our 1st Thanksgiving together

December: Celebrated Christmas with our families, Snow-shoed at Mission Ridge

January: Rang in the New Year in Downtown Portland, Arrived in Germany 5 days later

February: Rooted for the US Olympic team from our hotel room in Grafenwohr, Lived in said hotel room for 1.5 months and without our car for 2.5 months

March: Spent Eric’s birthday together for the 1^st time ever

April: Saw our first dinosaur bones in Frankfurt, Toured castles in Munich, had pastries in Nuremberg on Easter weekend

May: Bridget chopped off most of her hair (Eric loved it!), We danced the night away at a club in Regensburg

June: Shopped countless flea markets across Bavaria, Eric got tatted up in Vilseck, Saw the sun setting on the river in Prague

July: Drank beer in Berlin on the 4^th of July, Cheered for Deutschland at a pub in Eschenbach during the World Cup, Spent Bridget’s birthday together for the 1^st time ever

August: Bought 2 small puppies that we clearly are obsessed with

So much else has happened: little moments & big moments.  And so much of it we couldn’t even have predicted.  Especially this move to Germany!  We’ve spent a total of 6 weeks apart during this year too, which is nothing compared to the TWO times we went a year without seeing each other, not including Eric’s Iraq deployment.  I feel like we’ve really taken advantage of this year together, although we’ve been far from family and friends 90% of the time.  But it's been so good for us.  At the risk of sounding like a braggart, I’d say we’ve shifted into married life really well.  Not that it should’ve been hard, but considering we had never spent more than a week or so together at a time, we transitioned into a partnership without a single significant hiccup.  We’ve had a lot of laughs, learned a lot of lessons, and mostly just fallen more in love with our lives, each other, and all the incredible experiences we’ve been given.  Eric and I both say that it seems like we’ve been married longer than a year.  Not in the bad way, just in the way that it’s hard to recall what it was like spending all of our days apart.  I remember counting down the weeks and days before I got to see Eric when we lived in separate states (which was pretty much nonstop), promising myself that I’d never take a moment with him for granted.  I still try not to and I can’t think of a single person I’d rather have waited for.

So excited to see what year 2 has to offer.  We’re thinking Italy.

Sleepy

Last week was super busy:  I have packets & packets of info to get filled out for my new job (lots of background checks etc.) and the boys had their first vet appointment.  That went pretty well, the women at the vet office totally showered them in love and attention and they behaved really well.  Peach weighs in at a whopping 6lbs and Rambo is a little closer to 7.  Eric's classes are going great too.  Luckily, he has the ability & time to do a lot of his assignments while he is at work.  He read for a couple hours while I worked on dinner last night too, but it's been really convenient so far.

Eric and I were looking forward to our long weekend to catch up on sleep and spend some time with the dogs.  Well our 4-day weekend is now gone and passed...and we have no idea how.  We overslept this morning so it's been a whirlwind day already and the thunderstorm outside really isn't helping anything.  Even the boys are restless and tired...let's hope the week goes by without too many hiccups.

Our weekend was actually pretty nice:  Friday at home, Saturday at the lake with the pups (this time they did so much better!) then a movie.  We saw Inception and it seriously was so good!  Sunday was full of errands and house-cleaning, then we went bowling in the evening.  I did as terrible as ever (45 points!! haha), and Eric totally rocked me, but it was a lot of fun.

Monday we bought the boys a new home to sleep in.  We've been going back and forth about how/where they sleep at night and finally found a workable solution.  Before we bought them, they spent their nights in separate kennels.  We tried that their first night then just felt too guilty about it to follow through.  After that, we let them have free roam in the kitchen (with a baby gate blocking them in) but although they enjoyed that, we woke up each morning to a giant mess.  We kept going back and forth with the pros and cons of kennels at night.  Main Pro: they don't have potty accidents in them.  Main Con: they are separated and have no room for toys or water.  So, we went to the PX and found a great compromise: a big open crate that just fits their bed (which they cuddle in together at night--so cute!!) and their water dish.  Last night was our test run, and after about 10 minutes of whining they settled down and slept all night.  Best of all: no messes!  We're just keeping it in the living room right now, but it looks pretty ugly so I'm contemplating alternative placement/camouflaging.  We'll see.

Some photos of the past few days:

The pups are great at acting pathetic.  Above: Them being sad that we are downstairs (they refuse to go on them).  Below: Them being sad that we tied up their leashes for about 2 minutes before we put them in the car.  We took them into town that day to pick up some pastries for breakfast and they got lots of attention!

Above: Their new night-time home!  Below: My Prague souvenirs finally arranged and displayed (plus my new GurglePot that Eric's sister Tiffanie got me for my birthday!)

No Longer Jobless

I'm employed!!!!!!!  And not a minute too soon!!!  I just found out earlier this afternoon and boy-o-boy am I thrilled!  It's been such an ordeal and I'm just hugely relieved to finally have something to do!

The application & hiring process on a military post is confusing, to say the least.  First, you have to bring your resume, sponsor's orders (Eric's paperwork saying I'm allowed to be in Germany with him), and a few other things to the Employment Office.  There, they help you find which jobs on post would be the best fit for you.  You then fill out all applications and return them to that office.  I pretty much applied for each and every job at Elementary Schools, the Middle School, and the Child Development Center...then crossed my fingers!  The woman at the Employment Office told me it could take 1 week to 6 months to find out if I had an interview, so to be patient.  

I had an interview back in June for the Child Development Center and got the position, but ended up passing on it.  The hours were terrible, it was 100% on-call, and it sounded more like daycare than a position I'd be interested in.  I then had an interview a few weeks later for the Child & Youth Center.  This was only a summer position and obviously since I didn't hear back immediately I figured it was a no-go...but wasn't too disappointed because I knew I had my name out in other places.  Brent & April soon arrived for a few weeks, so I was secretly grateful to have nothing on my plate while they were here.

Then these past 2 weeks got crazy.  I had an interview at Grafenwohr Elementary School for a Teaching Assistant position.  This position would be about 5 hours per day working with select Special-Needs children throughout the school.  The interview went REALLY well, and at the end of it the Principal told me that she "guaranteed" I would either get that position or one as a Substitute Teacher (you don't need a degree to be a sub here).  So I left feeling just great…but also with a GIANT packet of information to fill out and return (like I said: lengthy process).  

If you get selected for a job, the place that hires you refers your name to Human Resources, and they contact you that you've been accepted...and there's really no telling when you will find out.  While I was waiting, I got called to have an interview this past Wednesday at Netzaberg Elementary School.  (Netzaberg is enclosed government housing area between Eschenbach and the main post.)  This was for another Teaching Assistant position, but a little different than the one before.  Here, I would be working full-time in the Kindergarten level paired with the official teacher.  The principal told me it's more of a team-teach position and requires a special person.  I would have the same schedule, and similar responsibilities, as the Kindergarten teacher and would be paired with them for the full school year.  Honestly this job sounded so perfect to me.  I told her how my goal was to become a teacher after I earn my degree and how this would be the best stepping-stone to that goal.  What's nice about getting a job on post is that they understand that we are here no longer than 2.5-3 years, so they don't/can't expect this to be a permanent job for you.  The principal really seemed to like me and definitely hinted that I should "make my dentist appointments now" to make sure my schedule is free once the school year started.  So I left in high spirits!

But that was now one full week ago, and I was definitely beginning to feel like a complete reject.  I got another call last night to interview today at Netzaberg Middle School, but it was for a Lunchroom Supervisor and really didn't appeal to me whatsoever.  I wanted to be a good sport so accepted the interview and awaited my fate.  Well this morning I woke up, still feeling totally depressed that I hadn't heard anything--and assumed I had been passed up by somebody else.  (Did I mention this has been the first time I have ever NOT gotten a job I have interviewed for?!!)  I decided to get some courage, call Netzaberg Elementary and tell them that although I assumed I had not been offered the job, I wanted to make sure all my eggs weren't in one basket before I interviewed at the Middle School.  To my COMPLETE surprise, they were shocked.  She told me that they had notified HR that they wanted to hire me, but Grafenwohr Elementary School had already claimed me and they had "dibs".  I said that that was news to me--since this was obviously the first I was hearing of it, and that I honestly would've preferred the Netzaberg position (Kindergarten) if it was still available.  They said it was, and that they had been scrambling all morning as to how to find somebody else to hire, and that they would call HR and figure it all out then return my call.


They called about an hour later with the details of both positions: finalizing pay, hours, benefits, etc.  They said I could choose either the assistant in Grafenwohr or the co-teaching spot in Netzaberg.  I took the Netzaberg position and it still sounds perfect!  I have about 2+ weeks of paperwork and background checks ahead of me, but if that all goes well then it will be official.  

I had never been more relieved!!!  I immediately called Eric and told him the great news.  I had been very mopey last night and had a miniature "poor me" speech so he was laughing at me pretty hard.  He said he knew I was going to get one of them and that I obviously should've relaxed.  But it had been soooo long!!! 

Gosh I am just so happy and proud of myself.  I start work the end of this month and I am ready to jump in with both feet.  It will definitely be a big adjustment for me (and us) schedule-wise, but it's worth it.  This year has been the longest, by far, that I've ever gone without work or school...and I've felt totally useless lately.  It feels so good to have something like this to look forward to and I'm beyond ready.

Thanks for reading my rant and letting me brag for a bit!  What a great way to start the day!  Eric has a 4-day weekend this weekend so it will be so nice to not have anything hanging over my head.

Real quick: speaking of Eric, he's started his online courses (in Criminal Justice) and he absolutely loves them.  He has Criminal Justice 101 & Sociology: Social Deviance, and he comes home full of stories and facts...it’s pretty great.  He's super smart and I know he's going to breeze through these courses.  Thanks to the Army, it's all free too.  This isn't even including his GI Bill--which he'll still have completely left to use when we get out in a few years.


I'm just feeling great about our lives right now.  God knows we haven't always done things the "right" way but I feel like things have come together our way, and that's what matters most.

Ignore My Giggling

...but enjoy the puppies.

They absolutely love running around on that hill next to our house.  We are lucky we have so much space around us for them to play in.

And they were so happy when Eric came home!

Life With 3 Boys

We've been strangely busy/tired all week...I think getting used to the pups' schedule threw us off a bit and was especially rough for Eric when he has to already wake up so early for work. When Eric came home Friday, all three of the boys took a long nap on the couch...which was actually a good time for me to pick up the kitchen without worrying if something was being chewed on in the other room, haha.

This picture, below, is of Peach & Rambo when Eric came home from work.  They both were wagging their tales soooooo fast.  They just love him!

Thankfully it's been nice weather so Peach and Rambo can spend lots of time out back. We've been making a habit of letting them run around with us on the field by our house. They absolutely love all the smells and we love it because it wears them out quick!

(It started to rain while we were out....can you tell?)

Saturday morning we took them out in the field for a good run (and potty break) before we headed to the gym and ran a few errands. We came back to play some more and spent the afternoon watching hardcore puppy-wrestling matches throughout the living room. We even took them on a mini-roadtrip since I am "house-sitting" for my friend while her and her husband are away for a year. They seem pretty used to car rides now, which is nice...but do insist on sitting on Eric's lap while I drive. Him and I then went out on a quick "date" in town then came back for brownies and a movie with the boys. We have a little baby gate set up in the kitchen with their beds and toys so they are fine in there while we're out...and we don't feel as guilty since they have each other.

Sunday was pretty much the same: gym, field, wrestling. That evening we decided to take them on a walk by the lakes to give them some exercise and also get them more used to new people/places. They did surprisingly well too! We didn't take the leashes, but they stayed within a few feet of us the whole time, following us and never straying too far behind. I think they were slightly nervous, which actually was a good thing because then they weren't too adventurous. When people tried to pet them (and there were lots who tried) they got so shy that they would just lay down and squeak...it was so cute! Rambo, who is usually a tough guy and doesn't like to cuddle--unlike Peach, who cuddles all the time--got a little freaked out when some bicyclists rode by. He sprinted to Eric and was then held, baby-style, the rest of the walk. It was a big step for him, he won't even lay on my lap on the couch! He must have been pretty freaked out and known that Eric was quite a bit of security. Near the end of our walk it started to rain, so we carried them both all the way back to the car. Very funny and very adorable evening.

(Evidence that Rambo turned into a baby, incase he tries to deny it later.)

It was a fairly mellow weekend, but a good one. We just love our pups so much and they are nonstop entertainment. It's about 9am here and they are both passed out on the floor after hours of wrestling and fighting. I'm setting them up with their vet this week and they'll be groomed pretty soon too. We're anxious to see what they look like under all those curls!!

Slime

Imagine a slug.

Imagine a slug in a dog's mouth.

Imagine being kissed by said dog.

All in all, last night was completely disgusting.  But Peach is now totally cleaned up and back to being our adorable baby.

We are definitely buying slug killer tomorrow though.

Twins

Remember those two little puppies we watched a couple months ago?  Well....now that they are about 9 weeks old, they have a new home.

Our home!!!

We picked them up Saturday morning and are still completely head-over-heels in love.  They haven't had any accidents in the house, and we set up a little fenced-in area in our backyard...which they love!!  It's nice that they have each other because when we DO leave them we feel good knowing they still have a playmate.

So without any further delay...introducing:

Peach and Rambo!
(You can probably guess who named who, right?)

 

 

(Rambo's on the left and Peach is on the right....both looking very guilty.)

They are just the sweetest little pups ever!!  Peach is definitely my baby and a big-time cuddler.  Rambo is super rambunctious and loves fighting Eric, Peach, and myself at all times.  They both are kennel-trained and on their way to be fully house-broken.  They love being outside most of the time but at night we set up their beds and toys in the kitchen with a little baby-gate just in case they have accidents.  

Right now I am watching them have a huge wrestling match out back, they are nonstop entertainment!  Eric and I are trying not to spoil them too much but are definitely planning on having them well-trained.  We took them to Volksfest (a big carnival/fair for the Germans & Americans) and they were treated like celebrities.  Sooo many people (most of which didn't even speak English) ran up to us to shower the puppies in love and kisses.  They behaved really well, letting any and everyone hold them and play with them--even falling asleep in strangers' laps!  Sunday we took them on a walk into town, but ended up carrying them most of the way, and they seemed to really enjoy it.  We want them to be really socialized while they're young so they can join us on our many adventures.

Yup, it's true love.