Spangdahlem Open House Air show

Yes......we went beyond the "RED" line....it was inevitable..... we are just rebels :)  OK so we could.  I like the line...'use of weapons authorized' 

Big propeller

F 15 engines

looking down the barrels on a A 10

Ejection seat

survival raft

tepee

Playing Daddy at the Security Forces Booth

In the HumV

Yes they even got to go on top and be cool

Lets just say the boys were in heaven being able to be in the driver seats of all these big Trucks

Don't get swept up

Flight line sweeper

In the driver seat of a BIG loader

Bridger thinking he is running the sweeper

The F-16 at the show was awesome!!!  They showed us how he can bank and turn around while going so fast.  It was awesome!!!  I love the F16  Good times!   

Funnel Cloud in Spangdahlem

This is a picture I got off the Spangdahlem AB website but this is in my backyard practically adn I was 20 minutes away when it happened.  Typical......

The sky was getting a tint of green in it and beautiful clouds and dark and I was wondering if it would turn into a pretty good thunderstorm but it was so calm.  Then I went to Bitburg and cleaned the church and missed this.  Just thought I would document something cool happening here.  

July.....where did you go?!

So my title has 2 meanings....  July has flown by which I like because that just means time is closer to Joseph coming home and the second reason is......my tan I got in the states is fading fast because it has been nothing but clouds and rain since I got back and not very warm. :P

This is taking a side road from Gindorf on the way home from church.  Beautiful fields!

Going for a little hike on a detour home from Trier after I got four country chairs for $25.  I love them too!

Meet Little Dude

Meet Barnabie

These two little fun animals we are sitting for a couple in our ward and we have LOVED it.  Bridger LOVES little dude and carrys him everywhere and is so kind and gentle with him.  It is quite cute.  If we were not moving around and traveling a lot I would get him one.  

Little Dude checking things outside 

Gideon playing on the swing.  He stands on the lounge jumps onto the swing, does a little tarzan and then flops back onto the lounge.  It is pretty funny!

Picnic on the patio.  I found a tin lunch box and found another one today so that they have their own lunch boxes for all the recess and picnics we will be having.

At the park in Kaiserslautern for a pioneer day for our stake.  We went with some friends.

Bridger 

Gideon

Seth

Anna

and Caleb

The clouds on the way back home

Hanging out with little dude

Can you find Barnabie and little dude amongst the rest of the animals :)

So I redid a room.  Theme: Beach and surfing  purpose: Guest/reading/music room

I got the crib, bedding and futon on through thrift and most of it FREE because they didn't want to deal with it or they are really nice.  Gideon is really excited about starting guitar lessons that we will try out in a month.  This is the room we go to to practice guitar adn drums, sit on the couch and read stories, lounge, dress up and hang out.  I am planning on adding a lot more decor and make my own surf board decor on the walls. 

These are some flowers that were brought to my door step after a hard night.  I had mentioned on FB (facebook) that I was sad and the next morning I had these beautiful yellow flowers and a bag of bakery fresh goodies to make my day.  On the goodies bag was written, "this too shall pass".  Bless the soul who did that!!  The deployment was getting to me and I was really missing my husband and had a good cry.  I am grateful for tender mercies through the wonderful angels we have on this earth called Friends! 

 By the way, I am starting to decorate my kitchen and these will be my colors Blues, yellows and greens. with the theme of Country

For all who don't know I am homeschooling Gideon this Fall and we are so excited about it.  We got all organised and made a little classroom area that still needs a few things done to it but is getting there and the boys can't wait to start.  We are not starting till September 12 and then we will be counting down the days till Daddy comes home. :)  

I have a friend who's sister gave her a whole curriculum for her daughter and she doesn't want it and so I got it.  There is a ton of stuff and she said her sister paid thousands of $$$ on it.  And now it is mine.  It has a lot of the things I am wanting to teach and the meathods I like.  What a blessing that was!!  For FYI's I am doing K12, all about learning, IXL math website, Brain pop junior, discovery, along with other sites and my teaching methods.

Thigs are crazy busy around here but it feels good to start getting organised, simplifying and enhancing our minds with learning.  The boys and I started the magic tree house series and LOVE it.  We are on #4 and they love the stories of Jack and Annie and the places they go and adventures they have.  These are books that take 40-60 minutes to read (chapter books) and my boys sit through it anxious to get to the next chapter.  LOVE IT!    

Our "Adventure" Home........

I miss Idaho Already!!  We loved our visit!!!!

Friday evening at Grandma and Grandpa Jarvis' house enjoying the farm and sunshine.

I  LOVE these boys!

First Leg of Trip

On Friday the 8th at 9:30pm at night we started our journey to Tacoma Washington and said our good bye's to Family.   

It was so wonderful to be home and be with our family. 

 We were sad to see it end but anxious to get home too.

Sleeping in the car during a break at a rest stop.... Night one:  hours of sleep for me; 1/2 hour

At the rest stop you could see the beautiful mountains of Washington.

Mount Rainier

Mount Adams

Saturday morning the 9th of July

 Yeah!!  We made it to Tacoma, Washington around 8am and went and checked out the Puget sound bay area.  There were a lot of scuba diving classes going on while we were there.  The boys enjoyed the time out of the car and playing in the sand. 

Love you Mom and Dad!!  Thanks for taking us to Washington!!  Your the Best!

Second Leg of Trip

We were able to get on the flight I was hoping to catch to take us to the East coast

 Military Flight From Tacoma Washington to Dover Delaware.  The Flight was 5 hours.

Hours of sleep for me: 1 hour 

Third Leg of our trip............

We got to Dover AFB Saturday at 11:30pm and found out there is NO lodging anywhere.  It is Guard weekend and a convention in town and everything was booked, so we spent the night in the terminal.  It was a surprise to find my Friend Elaina who came to the US with me and she was headed back to Germany as well.  She had been at this terminal waiting for 3 days.  Lets just say when she saw me it was a bit of a break down on her part and after spending the night there I understood why.....

These are my boys sleeping under chairs in the Terminal.  The Terminal was very strict on "sleeping" so all of us moms put our kids in a play room to sleep and of course we can't turn the lights out.  There were 10 kids in there.  No one could sleep in the Terminal and there were over 50 people there all trying to get to Germany

Yeah, I didn't get a lick of sleep this night :P

Sunday morning I got a taxi out of there and my friend Elaina and another girl we met decided to make "our own plans".  All of the Space A termianls were full to capacity and it was really "who knows when" we could get back to Germany.  So we found a hotel to check into Sunday afternoon and got settled in and took a nap.  

Hours of sleep for me 1 1/2 hours

We then went swimming at the pool and had a great time.  The boys love swimming and Gideon floated on his back all by himself.  Good Job Bud!!  Bridger had his first breakdown since daddy has been gone.  I think it was from all the traveling but on the way back to our motel room he stepped on something and hurt his foot and for 30 minutes just cried for his daddy.  Poor little guy.  I am glad he was ok after that but since then every time he gets an owey he just wants his daddy.  It will be nice when that can happen again.

Then we went out for Pizza......I guess Bridger decided to take a date ( ;) )......Sweet Alyssa (Elaina's Daughter)

It was really good Pizza. 

That night my boys experienced Fire fly's for the first time.  It was so fun to see them and see the boys reactions.  They loved them and tried to catch them but I told them just to follow them around the hotel instead :) 

My amazing husband tracked me down and was able to call the hotel and talk to me.  I loved it and it was so good to hear his voice on this journey of mine.  He interupted some much needed sleep since it was 12:30 when he called but I didn't mind :)  I love you Joseph!!  Sunday night I got 5 hours of sleep...Maybe

Fourth leg of trip

Monday Morning the 11th of July.  This is the crew minus Elaina and I.  This is Leanna who joined us who was trying to get home to Mannheim which is pretty close to where we live.  She was a great help on the trip and a fun new friend.

We rented a mini van and drove from Dover Delaware up through the New Jersey Turn pike, into New york Stanton island Expressway and across Verrazano Narrows Bridge that overlooked New York City and then onto JFK airport to catch a flight (it was way too smoggy to get a good picture of New York City but I did see the statue of Liberty from a distance)

The Gideonator

Catching up on much needed sleep

Crossing one of the many Bridges on our trip  We spent around $14 in Tolls to reach our destination.

Verrazano Narrows Bridge In New York

The boys getting stoked about their first train ride at the JFK Airport.  This train took you around to all the terminals......Yeah, it was that big :)

Hanging out in the terminal with "Overpriced" food waiting to check in for our flight to Berlin

Fifth Leg of Trip

We booked a flight on BerlinAir and were waiting to board.  They were very accommodating and it was a really good 8 hour flight.  Hours of sleep 0  My boys switch on and off with Sleep.  So I didn't get any :)

Gideon awake while......

Bridger Slept

Bridger awake while Gideon slept.....

Flying into Berlin Germany

We had a 5 1/2 hour lay over in Berlin and I was soooo tired.  We found a little room off of some offices that we let the kids play in while we hung out.  I think I got about 20 minutes of shut eye on a cement floor.

Sixth Leg of Trip

1 1/2 hour flight to Frankfurt

Then flying into Frankfurt Germany

Flying into Frankfurt I almost lost it emotionally.  Both of my boys crashed and would not wake up.  I had all of our carry-ons and my boys and no help.  I was just about to break down when Leanna took my small carry-ons so I could hold my big carry-on and Bridger and I made Gideon practically sleep walk off the plane.    

We had made it to Frankfurt and had miss-communications with our ride and waited around for another 2 1/2 hours looking for her.

Seventh leg of Trip

We then drove for 2 more hours home.  We were so glad to be home when we drove in On Tuesday night at 7pm.

We bathed ourselves and hopped into bed.......

At this point I had received 8 hours and 20 minutes of sleep over a 4 day period.  Me and my boys crashed Tuesday night.  I slept 12 hours, Gideon 13 and Bridger 14.  It felt soooo Good!!

It was an adventure and not one I would like to do again but none the less it was an adventure.  The boys were amazing and did so well.  I am so proud of them.  It is good to be Home. :)