Closing the chapter on Germany-Welcome back to North Carolina

Our adventure in Germany was amazing. I must say that it was sad to leave, as being in Europe provided us with a chance to explore all Europe has to offer, but there is a chance we may head back there one day. We explored many areas and of course there were many we wanted to explore and never did. We loved Switzerland, Belgium, England and the areas within Germany we saw, like Heidelberg, Neuschwanstein castle and Garmish. I know I will miss the picturesque countryside that we saw all around the area we lived in.

We also made some great friends that we will miss and the kids will miss their friends. I think every stop you make in your life is a cherished memory, has you make connections, grow from them and then reap the benefits from the experiences you made. We have been truly blessed to have experienced living overseas over the past 4.5 years. Thank you to all who contributed to the very precious memories we will never forget.

Saying goodbye to Mark was a very emotional time. It was quick, at the airport and then he was gone. The kids and I were on our way to North Carolina, to America. The long 8 hour flight was not as bad as I thought it could be with just me, and no Mark to help. Brenne had her moments, but the kids were great overall. It was nice that the transition to arrive at the next gate was long, but not too long, as it never gave Brenne a chane to 'wander' around the gate waiting area the way she likes to.

We finally arrived at Raleigh airport and were picked up by my Mom. The kids were sooo excited to see her, as was I. We really enjoyed our time staying over at my parents house. Grammy and Grampy were just as excited to be able to enjoy special moments with each grandchild. We went to the NC State Fair with my sister, Lisha, and her two kids, as well as my Dad, and visited my Mom, since she was working at the Fair. Liam and Evan loved being able to play with each other again. All the kids enjoyed riding on the rides at the fair and playing a game or two. Thanks Lisha for coming out to Raleigh to see us.

Now, we are settled over in Mark's parents place with Loreen and Warren. Gramma and Papa were thrilled to see Layne, Liam, and Brenne and so far we are making progress with getting settled. The kids have really enjoyed all this time with the grandparents. We have seen Mark several times already via the internet and keeping in touch with him has helped with our separation. He has gotten settled over there in Qatar and has been adjusting to his new work schedule.

We start a new adventure. For now, we know that for a least a year we will be here in NC. We pray that Mark will remain safe while he is away from us and enjoy the times when he can travel out here to see us. We will pray for our time here in North Carolina with our family and friends, knowing that they are here to support us and ease our separation from Mark. Thank you to all who have acknowledged our current situation and have been praying for our family.

Liam's 5th Birthday

Although this post about his birthday is about a month old, I am amazed at how Liam has changed in 5 years.

Liam shared his birthday with a classmate at the very popular indoor play place at Yabadoo in Germany. His favorite tv show and character right now is Ben 10. The boys, Liam and Jack, did great sharing the day together and playing with their friends. Jack was into GI Joe. I made both boys a separate birthday cake and they were both very excited. It was great to divide the party prep in half and spend Liam's birthday at a place that we thoroughly enjoyed playing at while in Germany.

Liam appreciated all of his presents, especially with the fact that since we were packing up and moving, they were the only toys he could play with at that time.

Currently, Liam is really enjoying his kindergarten class. I was soooo glad that the public elementary school accepted him. The cutoff date in North Carolina to be 5 for kindergarten is August 31st. Since Liam was attending a public, accredited Kindergarten at C&K Children's house in Germany (the montessori school), the principal allowed Liam to attend. What a wonderful prayer answered. It works out great that Liam and Layne can go to school together. He was very cute the first day he came off the bus (because he had not riden on one before), "The bus is the best."

Thanks to all who provided birthday wishes and happiness to Liam.

Neuschwanstein Castle and Garmish

We had a wonderful weekend trip to Southeast Germany, as we finally went to see the famous Neuschwanstein Castle and very popular town of Garmish.

The Hohenschwangau Castle was right next to the Neuschwanstein castle and we captured some photos of that castle as well. There were three modes of transportation to get to the top of Neuschwanstein. You could walk the entire way which was a 30min walk. Take a horse and carriage ride, which was a little more euros. We took the bus up to the bus stop and then walked the rest of the way up. It was a slightly overcast day, so the images weren't crystal clear. There was a bridge view of the castle which was a little scary to be on, especially with the amount of people on the bridge. The castle is currently under restoration, so that was what we saw, bridge view.

We took the English tour, but our guide was difficult to understand. No photos were allowed in the castle, but we were able to take photos from the windows for the outside scenery. There were many steps to take, up and then back down. It was more of a tour to say, 'hey we have been inside the Neuschwanstein castle.', and gain some history of King Ludwig and his life and interests. The castle was the inspiration to the Walt Disney castle in Walt Disney World.

We then left for Garmish-Partenkirchen, to stay at Edelweiss, the military lodge and resort. The cloud coverage was very thick, so we were not able to view the largest mountain, Zugspitze, in Germany. We explored the Eibsee lake and were able to view one of the smaller mountains. We were planning on taking the boat tour, so we could see the Zugspitze, but the weather was a bit windy. I think the kids we more fascinated by the ducks, thus playing with them was all the fun they needed.

As we explored the town of Garmish and other close towns, we saw some adorable lodging homes, which resembled bed and breakfast places in the States. We walked around the shopping streets and I loved all the artwork, flower displays, and sidings of the buildings. It was even more windy by early evening, so our stroll down the streets was just long enough to see everything and head back to the resort. We finished off our stay by swimming in the hotel pool. Generally, the hotel pool is always a highlight with kids.

Overall, we all had a wonderful mini-vacation exploring a part of Germany that was highly recommended to see while living in Germany. It would have been fun to have explored many more areas of Garmish, so maybe sometime in the future we may venture back to this picturesque spot in Germany.

The Official News

Okay. I said I would state some news on Friday, but the news was made official today.

We have taken a new job contract and are moving away from Germany. Mark has taken a job contract in Qatar and will be there for a year. It was a difficult decision to make, but Qatar is a safe place, the contract will provide him with the work experience he needs to further his career, and will support our financial needs.

The kids and I will be going back to America (or the States, as I like to call them while living abroad). We will be living with Mark's parents and making frequent visits to my parent's house which is about 20 minutes away. The families and other close relatives are excited about this news, but the adjustment to make with Mark being away for a year is going to have its difficulties. It will be nice to have 'grandparents' help out and be around the kids. We plan on having many web camera internet phone calls while he is away. Plus, Mark will be making trips back to NC for some visits.

Things have been moving quickly and currently we are looking to be back in the States the weekend of the 24th. This will give us some time to transition back to State time and routines before getting the kids back into school mode in November.

Right now, I just would appreciate your prayers for our transition and separation from Mark. We have a lot of people who are supporting us and we love and thank you all.

So, again bear with me and my posting, as I have much on my plate at the moment. I hope to be blogging again soon.

Blog Comments

Thank you my family and friends for leaving me comments. I realize that just knowing you come to my site and check out my updates is more important than receiving comments. It is good to know that I have caring and loving friends out there. I appreciate all your comments.

I haven't been posting for awhile, as I have been very busy. Bear with me and new posts will be coming up shortly.

Just a sneak peek:
Brenne updates-following cats and speaking words.
A weekend trip to Neuschwanstein Castle and Garmish.
A birthday party Layne attended at the roller skating rink.
A birthday party for Liam. He turned 5.
Some exciting news with a twist of sadness. (If you know the news, please don't comment about it). I will be posting the news on Friday.

Blog Followers--Where are you?

Hello all blog followers. I have done some 'blog' searching and realized, that although I thought I was blogging enough about the happenings of my family, I am not doing it in a way that is attracting many followers. Either that or people just don't come to my blog frequently or come and leave without posting a comment. I think I am having comment envy (is that bad?) and would really appreciate some comments on my blog site. The blog world is busy, (so many friends to keep up with), as well as our general worlds with kids and other happenings, but if you happen to stop by and find an update interesting, please don't leave the site without leaving me a small comment, if you feel inclined. I would really appreciate it.

Thanks to all who have viewed my blogspot.

Homework-Aaagh or Wanting More?

School IS back in session. Homework has come in a big batch for my second-grader, Layne, and she is not liking it. She received homework sheets for the whole entire week, to be done 2-3 sheets per night and this is just "too much" for her. So, I have to come up with some clever ideas to not make it feel like sooo much work. Friday is here and she didn't finish it all.

On the other hand, my kindergartner, Liam, doesn't have any homework and feels left out, so he gets one sheet of either math work or writing work. The first night of homework, Liam asked to try one of Layne's math sheets. I made a copy for him and he was off counting numbers to solve the addition problems. When he was all done, he said, "Mom, I want more, that was easy." I checked all his answers and he got all of them right, except two (there were a little larger in numbers).

I am sure that when he gets to 2nd grade, he will be saying "AAGH!, I have too much homework", just like Layne, but I will cherish the moment of him liking it now.

So what does Brenne do when all of this is going on. She doesn't want to feel left out either. Brenne, now 21 months, scribbles with much concentration.