Decorating!!

This is Michael's favorite time of year. It's mine too, but he loves Christmas. The weather is definitely not Christmasy at all here. The sun's shining and the temp is warm. I understand it's the same in Jersey. Anyway, we got 2 boxes of Christmas decorations from my parents yesterday. Candles, stockings, stocking holders, placemats, napkins (cloth and paper), and another runner. I'd post pics of them, but the camera chip is getting some pics developed for our Christmas cards (watch for it people!). Also Karen Chamberlain sent us this adorable snowman welcome hanging. Thanks Karen!! It's hanging on our front door. It made Michael smile when he came home yesterday to see it hanging up.

So we're getting there with the decorating. Michael hung up another pic of ours. I'm having a baby shower here on Saturday for my friend Patty, so we needed to get the places spruced up a bit anyway. Michael has a formation at 6pm tonight so I'm just waiting for the call to go pick him up and then we can have something for dinner.

That's about all the excitement here. Patty and I are doing some ceramic shopping tomorrow and errands for her shower.

Hope all is well with each of you. Missing you all during the holidays. Only 2o more days until vacation!!! We so need it right now.

We're getting there...

We're getting there on the decorations for Christmas in our apartment. Michael took back the lights, but unfortunately for me I didn't get the colored lights. We went to a market yesterday and were able to pick up a few decorations. Michael thought the moose candles were adorable, so of course he had to buy them. So that's our coffeetable with the runner my mom made me a few years ago.

Michael has a full work week this week and is really busy. He is jumping or being the jumpmaster tomorrow and Wednesday. So he'll be hom really late those days. I've got Bible study tomorrow and will hit the gym in the afternoon. Hope all is well with each of you.

Love you all!!!

A few interesting pictures...

This is for my dad. Michael thought he'd get him and dad a motorcycle!! We thought he'd like to see it through the window. Anyway, this shop in Venice carred all things that were made out of wood. It was a very interesting store and a nice try on the motorcycle for Michael and dad.

So Michael and I went to Venice yesterday and walked through a fish market. I'm not a big fish lover, but Michael loved it. There were things still moving. So here's an octopus which is a big delicacy here. The picture above made me laugh because the fish looks like he's sticking out his tongue.

Could you imagine getting all your packages from UPS this way??? I took this for my uncle since he used to work for UPS. I'm sure my uncle would've loved to have driven a boat instead of jumping out of a truck!!!

We bought our Christmas tree yesterday at an Italian Walmart-like store. As of right now this is what it looks like, so thanks to Aunt Carolyn for sending Michael a few things last year for Christmas that look great on a tree!! We bought lights for it today, but realized that when we got home, they were white wires instead of green. So maybe that means i'll be able to get the multi-colored lights anyway!!! A big disagreement there on the proper color of Christmas lights! My dad always says you have to have multi-colored lights for Christmas, the white ones remind him of the dreaded snow!!!

Anyway, hope all is well with you. We did our Christmas card picture while we were in Venice. Keep your eyes peeled for it people!!!

Love you all!!

GOBBLE, GOBBLE, GOBBLE

Happy Thanksgiving!!! We are going to meet up with some friends today to celebrate. I've made 2 chocolate creme pies and garlic mashed potatoes. Tomorrow we are off to Venice because the weather seems to be nice today and tomorrow. Hopefully we'll be able to do our Christmas picture there.

Wish we could celebrate with you all today, but we are with you in spirit. Will post some pictures of our festivities tomorrow. Love you all!!!

How Stinkin Cute

So I had to wash my slippers today since they were absolutely filthy and I pulled these cute little things out of a travel kit that was given to me by Stephanie and Cindy at my bridal shower. These things are absolutely adorable. They've got these little anti-slippy things on the bottom. I had to post a picuture of them just so you could see what they look like. So mom you could get me another pair of these for Christmas at Target if you like. I know I've given you a ton of ideas, but these are so cute and comfy.

If anyone talks to Stephanie and/or Cindy tell them I love these things!! Anyway, because I've been so lazy the past few days, our apartment got a much needed cleaning today. Michael went to work and I stayed home, unfortunately it is one of those days where it's better to be in bed, so I didn't get out of bed until 1030. I know, being lazy, but I haven't been sleeping all that great. So the house is clean, the ground turkey is defrosting for chili, and I'm watching Opera. Caryn, I so need to watch Grey's Anatomy. She's interviewing the cast and I feel like I'm missing something. Will have to look at the rental place on post for it.

Hope all is well with each of you. Tomorrow's Bible study in the morning and then the gym after lunch with my friend Patty.

Love and miss you all!! :)

Lazy Day

Today has been a lazy day. Michael got new gear yesterday, so he dumped it all out this morning and has now - at 645 pm - put it all away or back in the bag. We got to pick up Michael's car today. The radiator went this week, so now it's got a new one which will help us sell it better. That's about all of the excitement here.

Tomorrow we're going to a vineyard with some friends. And then to Nove on Saturday to do some Christmas shopping. Hopefully we're going to Venice next weekend for a day. I promise when there's some excitement, I'll fill you in.

Ever have one of those days??

I thought that today would be a horrible day. We got a phone call at 1130 pm last night from Michael's company stating that they needed him to be at post at 300am for a road march that they needed a medic at. Now for those of you who know me, I don't stay up all that late. We had been asleep for about 2 hours when the call came. Anyway, Michael woke me at 220 am so that he could get to post, and I could drive the car home to get some sleep. So that's how our day started. I just thought it would get worse after that. But the Lord seems to always know how you feel. He sent an awesome blessing at Bible study this morning. My group leader is a woman named Kellie who has the personality of Carole Bate - which is an awesome thing. She was sitting in front of me during the opening of the time and I just felt God all around. So we had our group time, which had a time of communion at the end. You see we've just finished a study called "Too Busy Not to Pray", and Kellie thought it would be appropriate to have communion. I didn't participate in it, but I did spend some quiet time reflecting and praying. Mom, if your reading this please close your mouth that has just fallen open! Anyway, it was just a blessing that was so needed. After Bible study I approached the PWOC president with the offer of helping with our chapter newsletter. They've been looking for someone to take over this, but no one has stepped forward. So I am now the newsletter chairperson for our chapter. The thing is, I just felt like I needed to do something, to involve myself in this wonderful group of women that have just blessed me over the past 6 weeks. Before I left the chapel Kellie again turns to me and says "Next year you'll be leading a group". I looked at her and said that the Lord has to bash me over the head and light up a big neon sign to tell me that. She then said, "If He did that, would you follow?". And I said of course, if that's what He wants me to do. Kellie said, "Next year you'll be leading a group". I just wanted to say, OK Carole, you can stop now. It's amazing the people He uses in your life to send you down a completely different path then you thought you'd go on.

The day got better. Michael and I had lunch with a bunch of friends and talked about plans for Thanksgiving. There's about 8 of us getting together at a friends house to spend it together. I went to check-in with my friend Tammy and chat with her a bit. And then we finally made the trek home. I got an email from this lady that I met that is the recruiter for University of Pheonix last week, and then I saw her on post. It was an email that she sent to 4 people to take over her position. It's a part-time position, but the greatest benefit is working on your Masters for free!! Yes, Mom, I said free!!! So I emailed another lady who is conducting the interviews my resume and I will be meeting her tomorrow just so that she can put a name with a face. Hopefully she will let me know about an interview for next week. There have been so many doors closed, I'd rather say slammed, on my face for jobs here. It's been so very frustrating. But I just keep praying the the Lord will open something up for me. If it's this opportunity, then great - even with the MBA benefits. If not, I know He has something else in mind. Yes, I keep repeating Jeremiah 29:11 in my head people!!!

So that's my epistle for now. I have to attend a PWOC leadership meeting tomorrow morning. Was hoping to spend the day at home, but there's bigger things to do. Please know that you all are in my prayers on a daily basis. And Carole, don't be offended about what I've said about you....you'd love Kellie - kindred spirits in a sense.

Love to you all!!! :)

Michael has a blog...

If you click on Michael's name to the right, he set up a blog tonight. Hope all is well with each of you. I know this is a short one, but it's 10pm here and I'm exhausted. For those of you who actually want to know, we found a church service that we both enjoy. We went to the morning Protestant service and enjoyed it. Almost like TSA but without the band and songsters. Are there any officers out there that would love to do some overseas service in Northern Italy???? I'd be glad to help/work at the corps for you!!! It's beautiful here, if that helps!!!!!

Love you all!!!!

Where's Michael??

Can you find Michael??

So I didn't take too many pictures. They were coming out dark and I wasn't sure how appropriate it was to take them. Anyway, here's part of the company Michael was with. There were about 340 soldiers attending this school. So imagine hearing 340 soldiers yell "Hooah" in a gym. The ceremony lasted about a 1/2 hour - so I drove 7 hours for a 1/2 hour ceremony. It's ok though - I got to be at one of this functions. He's lost a bit of weight and his legs are killing him, but all in all he's doing great. He's happy to be home and not have to do anything.

The ride up to Germany was absolutely breathtaking. I was glad that I had left at noon though - the Dolomite Mountain passes are ridiculous. Driving through Austria was gorgeous. Seeing snow and all these little villages was beautiful. I so wanted to take a picture but I couldn't because I was driving. It was dark all through Germany. I got lost once I left the highway. I still have no idea how I found the base in Vilseck. I had a hard time sleeping due to the canons or tanks going off in the distance. They do training until 10:30 pm and then they start again at 5:30 am. So I awoke to the sound of a plane (i think) and tanks going off. The graduation was nice - short and to the point. It had rained before the graduation so all of their stuff sat outside in the rain. We got home around 9 pm last night - had to go back to post to pick up his stuff. So now we're taking it easy. Michael's going through his pile of mail, unpacking, doing laundry, and trying to stay awake - wait that's me.

Thanks for the prayers for both of us. He's leaving again in 3 weeks to play out in the snow for 2 weeks in Germany. Other than that - we made it home safe and sound. Love you all!!!

I guess I can tell you...

I can tell you now where I'm going today. I was planning on surprising Michael by showing up at his graduation tomorrow in Germany, but when I was talking to him last night he said that he was putting his stuff on the bus before graduation. So I told him that I was driving up tonight and will be there tomorrow for his graduation. He was in a state of shock!!! So at around 1pm my time, 7am for you in the east, I will be driving to Vilsick, Germany to stay at a hotel, and then around 10am tomorrow I will drive to Graf for his graduation. So pray for me as I hit the autostrada, which I've never driven on, go through some mountain passes in Austria, and make it to Germany. I'm taking the new car so that will help me out a bit.

I'm so excited just to see him tomorrow. So that was why I was being mysterious. I wasn't sure if Michael was going to be able to get to a computer and I didn't want to ruin the surprise, but it got ruined anyway. He still considers it a surprise. I'm telling you, if you could here the shock in his voice last night, it would've made you laugh. He didn't know what to say, he thought I was fooling around with him because I had told him ahead of time that I wasn't going to come. I've been planning this for a week. HA HA HA!!!!

Love you all!! Will post some pics on Thursday or Friday of the graduation!!!

Pray for me

I'm asking for prayer for tomorrow. I'm going on a trip, I don't want to say where I'm going until Thursday. Just pray for travelling mercies for me. I'm going to be driving alone and I have to trust in the directions that were given to me.

I hope all is well with each of you. Had a great time at Bible study today. We had a program day - it was a brunch and then a white elephant exchange. I came home with Brittany Spears make-up - watch out Carole you may get it for Christmas for one of the girls!!!! My friend Patty cut my hair today and it look great.

Michael comes home on Thursday! I was able to talk to him last night and he said that it snowed while he was in the field. I'll have to let him post something when he gets back.

Until next time. All our love!!!

Weekend Update

Well this weekend was supposed to be spent shopping in Milan, but unfortunately we both ended up sleeping in. So Saturday I went with my friend Tammy to a friend's house for dinner. It was nice just to be out and doing stuff. Sunday I went to our friend Patty and Josh's to work on baby shower invitations for Patty's baby shower. And I just got back from going to Nove with my neighbor Michelle.

That's about all i've been doing. I'm hoping to be able to talk to Michael tonight. Haven't talked to him in almost a week. He comes home in 3 days!! I'm ready for him to come home. I think I did pretty well with him being gone a month. He'll be home for about 3 weeks and then he's back to Germany for another 2 weeks. He has the whole weekend off, so we'll be able to go and see a few places. I'd like to go back to Venice, but we'll have to see what's going on.

Hope all is well with each of you guys. Missing you guys!!!

Love you loads!!! :)

New addition to the family!!

Let me introduce you to our new family member. It's not a baby or a pet!!! Don't get your hopes up people. Michael and I have been talking about getting a new car and we actually found one right before he left. So I did all the leg work with the lady on post, and found out that we really couldn't afford the one that Michael really wanted. So instead I found a 2007 Ford Escape. I picked it up yesterday and I love it. It's a red color and an automatic!!!! So here she is! I took these outside our building. Michael hasn't even seen it yet.

Silent Witness Program

These are the cutouts I've been working on. The shields have stories of people killed by domestic violence.

This is General Helmick speaking to the people in attendance. He is the General of our installation.

So my silent witnesses are finally done and handed out to different buildings on post. They will be displayed for the month of November. Now Tammy is ready to start working on Sexual Assault Awareness Month for March. Hopefully it won't include me cutting out more things.