Time for T-Ball

This was Miles' 2nd week of T-ball. He just loves it as you can see with the huge smile on his face. I only wish Brad could be here to see his boy play so well. I can't wait until a few years down the line when we have the real games.

Pics

Just realized it's been a while since I posted any pictures. We've been pretty busy here with our upcoming move and I've also been struck with horrible morning sickness (all day sickness really). It's been going on for 3 weeks now and it's been one of the biggest physical struggles of my life! The vomiting is usually anywhere from 3-5 times a day and food/smells seems to be my worst enemy. I am only 9 weeks now so I am hoping, PRAYING that I've only got 3 weeks to go. Poor Miles has taken a back seat to life. This is where it sucks to live thousands of miles from Grandma.

Anyway, here are just a few pics from this week.

Choo-choo trains are awesome when it's 30 degrees out!

We put up our tree this weekend. I know it's early but we figured we'll be tearing it down way before Christmas. :(
Last weekend was freaky weather-wise. It was 60 degrees. We went down to where the Christmas market is going to be set up and watced them build. Brad and Miles also helped themselves to some bratwurst. :)

It's time..

It's official. The ball is now in motion and can not be stopped. We have less than 90 days left in Germany. In case you're curious on what's involved in an overseas move...here is a small preview on the big things.

- Give our landlady a notice (who speaks no English and us no German)

-Ship the first bulk of our household goods to the US

- Get temporary furniture to live on for 6 weeks

-Ship the first car to the US

-Pick up our new XC60

-Get cats vaccinated and ready for re-entry to the States

-Ship the cats to my parents

-Ship the second bulk of household goods to the US

-Disconnect phone/cable/internet

-Turn in our refrigerator and washer/dryer to the Army

-Check out of our apartment and get deposit back

-Move into a hotel

-Ship the second car back to the US

-Find out the sex of our baby (Yay!)

-Fly back to the US!

Wish us luck!

The book of funny

When I was in MOPS last week, I learned of a great idea and thought I would share. A speaker brought in an old ratty journal and on the front it was called "The Book of Funny." This mother of 3 has been writing down everything that has made her laugh for the past 15 years. Everything from her friends, to family, to work. It's so true that the chaos of life can just totally consume you and you forget all the small and hilarious things of life. Kids say and do so many funny things. Miles has me cracking up all the time but it's crazy how many times I find myself trying to remember what it was. I forget in a matter of days! So, we started our own 'Book of Funny' and I have 2 entries so far.

The first is Miles. Whenever we change him for bed he points to his nipples and calls them "minkles." It makes me smile every time because I have no idea where he learned this. He is so excited to see his minkles and he even has to count them.

The second took place at the pool today between friends.

Me: Dawn, why don't you not wear contacts next time we come and we can do the huge slide?

Dawn: You don't understand I am legally blind without them! I'm so thankful I wasn't born in the Bible times or the 1800's because I would be a beggar on the street.

Brad: Yah, because the Bible was written in the 1800's.

Me: You mean you are like LEGALLY legally blind??

Brad: It doesn't make it any more legally if you add a second legally.

Dawn: Katy, I would need one of those canes.

Aaron (Dawn's husband): You should see her in the morning with the alarm clock. She holds it this close to see the time. (He holds it an inch from his eyeball while squinting).

Happy Veteran's Day!

Think we have a future Veteran on our hands?

Morning sickness...

is the devil!

I don't know how people have survived this, especially with toddlers.

That being said... Thanks be to God who gave us this little miracle.

change

I've been feeling so weird lately. I think I am having somewhat of an identity crises. I just hate change and I feel like a rug has been ripped out from under me and pieces are just falling everywhere where they didn't originally belong.

I know this world doesn't revolve around me and many worse things are happening out there. So feel free to just not read this because it's nothing compared to what other people have experienced. I'm just taking some time to write out my thoughts, a little blog therapy.

There are somethings in my childhood that have been constants all the way up until recently. It seems like all at once these things have disappeared and it just leaves me kind of empty. The funny thing is that none of these things have anything to do with me, but the fact that they are disappearing has me very upset, in tears actually, and sometimes I can see how silly it is and other times I can't.

The first one is my parent's cookie store. They've had this franchise since I was 10 years old. (So 16 years now). Sadly, they were victims of the economic crises and my parents lost their job as Cookies By Design owners. Every time I call my mom she is selling the store equipment and I hate it. I feel like a piece of me has died with that dumb cookie store. I have so many memories growing up and decorating cookies, pulling bows, deliveries and it's sad to see it die. I also worry about my parents and how they will make their living. I want them to be ok...

The second is my brother and sister-n-law. They've been together since I was 11 years old and have recently decided to divorce. I can't dish out too much here because I don't want to get myself in trouble but there are so many things that don't make sense to me. I don't understand why. I looked up to them as beating the odds. They were supposed to be together forever. They took vows! They may have had some bumps thrown their way but they were always so in love. I don't even know how to not picture them together. I just don't understand this at all.

Finally, my childhood cat died yesterday. This I'm sure will ease after a few weeks but it's still painful. We got him when I was in 6th grade and he had more lives than any cat out there. I also thought he was going to be around forever. I'm starting to notice a trend here...

Of course Brad and I have some big changes coming up and I'm sure that is triggering why I am a big teary mess right now. I'm sad to be leaving Germany, all the friends we've made, and move from the only house Brad and I spent more than a year at. Miles has so many firsts here and sometimes I wish we could just pick one spot and stay. I'm sad to get into deployment mode again and have to deal with the change of not having my husband for 7 months at a time.

I think God is trying to get my attention right now with all of this. I get so dependent on other things and people and I take comfort when things stay the same and everyone is happy. It's like God has turned my little cushion world upside down so I'll depend on him and not everyone else. I know all the above things sound so petty. But, each one of those things means so much to me. It's time for me to do some serious thinking.