The Poop...

Well, this post has no pictures, but I just wanted to spell out the story of our crazy last few weeks (and especially the last few days...)

We knew Russ would probably end up deploying from here... we didn't know when or where but that it would more than likely happen since it has been several years since he last deployed. (Kosovo) When Russ had checked around, it turned out he was up for going on deployment in the spring so we put that into the backs of our heads and pressed on. A few weeks ago, Russ got a "by the way, you might end up going in the fall and not in the spring... just a heads up".

Ugh... okay, so that means we cancel some planned trips and just start to 'deal' a little earlier.

Then came a phone call... we found out a week ago that Russ' deployment paperwork had apparently been 'misplaced' but his report date was August 13 and that he had already missed some training... you see... typically you get a good 6 weeks notice, or even longer because it takes a long time to spin up for a deployment... you need to be poked and prodded, vaccinated for all sorts of crazy things, get new equipment, get tons of briefings, out process from one base and in process to another... not to mention the homestead stuff like beefing up your Power of Attorney and figuring out junk like that...the list goes on and on. So with only 3 weeks notice, we hit the ground running to catch up both physically and emotionally.

Now 4 days ago, Russ gets an e-mail from his training base (Russ will have to go to Fort Dix in New Jersey for a month before he heads to Iraq). "Major Driggers, just to confirm we have you arriving on 3 August for training"... WHAT??? It is 13 August not 3 August! Nope... It is 3 August.

So, needless to say the rug was pretty much pulled out from beneath us again, and we are spending this week cramming the 6 weeks of preparation into just 1 and dragging our hearts along the way.

He will be okay, I will be okay, the kids will be okay... I am not okay right now, but I know I will be so that helps it along. I have been through a deployment before, but he was flying then and the whole squadron was gone so everyone was in the same boat. Here Russ will not be flying this time around and I am solo... so it is a different ball game. Iraq is a much different ballgame, but I have made some friends and will pull through. March is when we are expecting him home.

So, I am really not sure who all reads this regularly, but I ask for prayers for safety, peace, comfort, and sanity. We bought a new camera for Russ just today so he will be able to post pictures as well (or e-mail them to me so that I post them).

God bless and I will start posting pictures again when we have some.

Rock climbing

Ramstein has just opened a new facility called the KMCC... they basically took most of the stores and helper offices on base (like the travel office and car rentals, stores etc...) and put them all in one location at a brand new 'mall' like facility.  It is opening in 3 phases and the first phase just opened.  The Outdoor Rec store, is the place where we can go to get 'outdoorsy' stuff and rent equipment and such... well the new store in the KMCC has a rock climbing wall that is pretty darned cool!

Emma is a natural climber... she scaled right on up... HIGH!

Leo did great too!  He sometimes had trouble reaching some of the footholds, but he was fearless!
Russ got in on the action as well...  It was a really great time!

another lego creation... and some more lost teeth!

As you my already know... Leo loves to have daddy draw things and then Leo makes with Legos what daddy has drawn... this time, he took it upon himself to make a F-15!

...and his other front tooth joined the one knocked out by the mail box!  

More pictures from PK's visit...

Paula and I took a trip into France for the day...  We stopped off first at the largest American Cemetary in Europe, in St. Avold - Lorraine France... it was beautiful, peaceful and very stirring.

This was a large tombstone for those whose remains are known only to God.

Then on to Metz France.  It was a wonderful little city... as you can see in this picture, there are 4 buildings which come together at an intersection... an artist painted stripes on each of the 4 buildings and you can see the optical illusion it creates...  totally looked like a cylinder of some sort, pretty cool.
This is the Cathedral of St. Etienne... which is French for St. Stephen!  It was beautiful.
So... does this look like France to you?  It felt like a little bit of Texas to me on our drive home...

The Rhine River Experience - Boats Trains & Automobiles...

So we take off for the Rhein River...  it is only about an hour away from us... incentive to come and visit huh?  The Rhein River is the major river in Germany and is the source of many of the vineyards of Germany and hence their wines...  mostly white Reislings, but many other grapes as well...

This is the ferry that took us across the Rhein, for those of you familiar with the ferry at Galveston/Bolivar peninsula, it is way different!  It takes only about 5 minutes to get across and each ferry holds about 15-20 cars.  It will also leave with only 2 or 3 cars on it!!!!  
We took a Gondola up to the top of a hill over many of the vineyards.  Nanny PK is visiting and she rode with Emma...


The vineyards below...

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at the top, we took in the sights of the Rhein below, there was also an Aviary which takes care of injured Birds of Prey such s Eagles and Owls.  They take care of injured birds until they are ready to be released back into the wild.

From the Gondola, there is about a 45 minute walk through the forest/vineyards which has several castle ruins.

Also along the way were wild Raspberries!  We picked them and ate them as we walked!

At the end of our trek, there was a deer park where we stopped and fed deer... most of them were fawns but there were a few with some pretty impressive new antlers!

Then we took a chair lift down from the hill to another village.

PK did brilliantly despite her fear of heights...  I did too... although, it was a bit scary for me as well...
Then we took a boat up the Rhein which is peppered on either side with vineyard and castle ruins.   I think there was a castle every 10 minutes!
Once we reached the end of the Rhein (or at least the section of it that we were on) we opted to come back by train, the boat would have taken almost 3 more hours where the train only took about 25 minutes...
on the train...   we ended up going to Mass in a German church before heading back home.  A wonderful (and tiring) day!!!

Emma's Girl Scout Day Camp

Emma is into Girl Scouts and the first week of summer was a day camp.  She earned several badges for her vest and even did an overnight!  

At the end of camp is the Ash Service.  Basically at every girl scout camp, the final campfire ashes are taken and distributed to the girl's present, then at their next camp, they share the ashes from previous camps... keeping the tradition going.

Last Day of School

I KNOW I haven't posted lately, sorry.  On the last day of school we met the kids off the bus and had a surprise party for the neighborhood kids with a bouncy castle and hot dogs... so there are no pictures of the bouncy castle because things got pretty busy... but here they are getting off the bus!

I had to throw this one in there...  it was Father's day so Leo's Kindergarten class made the daddy's hats and ties!