First Day of School!

Well... we now have a first grader and a third grader!

The line up for classes was a little chaotic but we finally found their teachers! Leo Michael is still at the Elementary School with Mrs. Marksberry!

Then we walk across the street to the Intermediate School for Emma! She has Mrs. Shaver and is in the same class as her good friend Hannah!

We were so glad Daddy could be here for their first day!

The kids rode the bus home like champs!

Both of the kids really liked their new teachers and made a few new friends today!

The Vineyard, The Visit, and the Nice Surprise...

Janet's parents came out for a nice visit at the end of August... which corresponds wonderfully with the culmination of Wine season in Germany. We took a day trip out to the Mosul River Valley and spent the day at the Weingut Sebastiani Vineyards. Alfons Sebastiani is the owner of the vineyard and it has been in his family for generations...

You can see miles and miles of vineyards in the background. The vineyards are only planted on the Southern slopes to maximize the sun.

We sat down with the owners and they let us taste a number of the wines and talked to us about the process of making wine and all the little nuances that go into it.

Then we went down in the cellars where they ferment and bottle everything! So cool!

Alfons and Norman

Well, you can take the Texan out of Texas but you can't take it out of this guy! Pop took the smoked salmon at a restaurant and mashed it all up... but he ate it! :-)

The best part was that Russ was able to fly back through Germany on his way to Iraq. We went to Frankfurt to pick him up on Friday... then spent the night because Sandra and Norman were flying out Saturday morning....

Yeah!!!!! Daddy's home for 5 days!!!!!

It was a fantastic visit topped off by a sweet visit from Russ! What a fantastic week!

Prep and Farewell...

We had a little neighborhood farewell at the local 'Burgerhaus' for Russ. It was a great mix of old friends (Candy and Jello Pravecek who we have been friends with since England) and newly met people in our neighborhood!

Russ and Jello
The Santoyos, the Palmas, Jay Winslow and his pole (Cassie was still out of town) and me.

The gals... Candy, Lisa, me Elise and Esther
The guys... Jello (Lawrence is his real name), Russ, Miro, Anthony and Jason

Russ starting to lay out all the stuff he has to pack...

it looks like camouflage threw up all over our living room!

all into 4 tidy little bags! We leave for the airport tomorrow morning. He will be at Fort Dix for a month then (yeah... we just found out...) that he will travel back through Ramstein on his way to Iraq so we will get to see him for a few days at the end of August!

Another Nanny Visit

Deanna came out for a few days to see us and get a little taste of 'little America'...

We went to the new Macaroni Grill that just opened here on the base... Leo had a little fun with straws being everything from a Walrus to Wolverine!

It was a great visit!