I think it's time for an update!

Our newly painted and decorated apartment

I've been trying to update this blog for about four days now because something always happens in between the time I sit down to write and when I'm done.....the dog needs to go out, dinner needs fixin', or Cameron is coming and going.  Today is Monday and Cameron just left for the field again (training), this time for about three weeks.  I've been trying to think of some fun things to do while he's gone to keep me busy.  Everyone always says, "read!", but I'm not a reader...at least not of substantial things.  I like celebrity gossip, oops, ha.  With all this down time, though, I tend to start thinking of how my life will be in just a few short months when Cameron leaves for his deployment.  Some days I think, "eh, no big deal, we'll get through it just fine," and other days I freak out inside.  I try to stay positive for his sake and make him believe I am strong enough for this, and I think I am getting stronger, but sometimes it is difficult.  My thoughts just begin to snowball..."what happens if" flashes across my mind a lot.  But I've learned from this lifestyle that you simply cannot think about "what happens if."  You'll drive yourself crazy.  I need to just sit back and let life happen, and know that we can make it through anything.  We don't have the greatest luck with things but that has made us find the humor in things.  Right before Christmas (two days before, actually), our car broke down about 2 hours from home.  We were pissed and embarrassed, but we were still able to laugh.  Its moments like that that make me appreciate my husband even more.  People were right when they said we'll have to rely on each other more than we've ever had to, which has definitely made our relationship grow, proving to me that we are ready for this challenge in June.

The Old City Hall, Altes Rathaus,
in Bamberg

Now, on to the fun part!  A LOT has happened since I last updated.  It's been about a month and you'd be surprised at all the things that go on in this unemployed, stay-at-home-wife's life!  We had our first visitors--Cameron's parents--who stayed for a very quick ten days.  I finished painting our apartment, colored my hair, decorated our little home, discovered our town, and grew closer to Cameron!  While they were here, we traveled, we ate, and we saw things I never thought I'd see!  Lemme try to recap it all...its been a while and I've had a glass of wine or two since then, ha!  I think they got here on a Friday so after they caught up on sleep, we went to Bamberg on Saturday.   We've sort of been to Bamberg, but at night, so seeing in the day time was fun!  We got to see the famous Old City Hall building that is in the middle of the river and this gorgeous cathedral!  We also had lunch at this cute place and found this little beer hall that is famous for their smoked beer.  I did not have any of that, ha.  

eating lunch in Bamberg, yummy!

Inside the cathedral.  I like this shot.

Sunday was a lazy day.  We went on a walk with Riley and found a couple of frozen ponds to spin him around on, then I cooked dinner for everyone!  Gasp!  Monday, while Cameron was a work, his parents and I went to visit their old friends, Christa and Josef (who only know German).  It was much easier to talk to them with Kelley there instead of Cameron...she knows so much more, ha.  We went shopping and ate more than I care to remember.  Everythingisjustsogood!  Tuesday was Valentine's Day so we all went out for a nice little dinner in our town.  On Wednesday, while Cameron was at work, his parents and I drove to where they used to live when they were stationed here.  It was fun letting them relive their memories :].

Spinning on the frozen pond, ha.  The video is funnier!

Dinner!  BBQ Meatloaf!

Thursday began our weekend adventure!  There was a pie-in-the-face event at work for Cameron that morning, so after that we all drove back to Christa's to visit again.  Even though I can't return conversation I'm beginning to be able to understand the words, and they just make it so easy to have a good time that you forget that you don't know what they're saying half the time, ha.  Friday, after a teary goodbye for Kelley and Christa, we drove down to Austria!  We stopped in Salzburg.  If you know anything about Salzburg, you know that this is where (most of) The Sound Of Music was filmed.  And if you know anything about me, you know that I adore that movie and that I freaked out when I saw The Fountain (from "I Have Confidence"), The GAZEBO, and THE VON TRAPP HOUSE!!!!!!!!!!!!  I hope the exclamation points are an indication to you as to how excited I was.  The rest of the group tho....eh, not so much, haha.  Although I did make Jack watch the Sound of Music before we left!  After Salzburg, we drove and drove and drove, through the mountains, and stayed at a random guesthouse where we ate our weight in schnitzel and french fries!  Saturday, we drove to Innsbruck (where they had the '64 and '76 Winter Olympics).  We discovered that Italy was just a short drive to the south (about 40 min) so we decided to go have lunch...Italian food in Italy!  After 2 hours of sitting in traffic on the side of a mountain we were a little more than hungry!  There were great views tho!

All in all it was a really great visit, and we were not ready for them to leave!  We can't wait for our next visitors!  We also went on another trip as a couple to Ramstein, Luxembourg, and France!  But I'll write about that later!

THE FOUNTAIN!

It was boarded up for winter....I was a little more than disappointed.

This is for my mom and sisters.  I'm in my drapes!

"Tripping" like Maria does outside the Von Trapp house, bahaha.

Just chillin' in The Alps!  NBD!

Having a beer at a 400-something-year old brewery!

Italian food in Italy!