{this moment}

A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

inspired by @purpleamethyst76

(hubby at Home Depot)

finally...

I feel so bad...I haven't updated you all since we got back to the states. and YES! we arrived in the states on Valentine's Day...after an 8-hour flight (that I threw up on--because of turbulence) Hubby had less than an hour to get over to the dock to pick up our BMW we had shipped before we left...I waited at the Baltimore Airport USO for 2 hours...but we got in the car and headed off to our hotel. We had just enough time to drop off our bags. Our plane was 2-hours late...and we were supposed to go and eat dinner at a friend's house...so, needless to say, even after a long day, we drove the almost 2 hours to their house and had dinner...and me having such an unsettled stomach...I could not eat the chicken fajitas they served. I ate a piece of toast and drank water. We got back to the hotel around midnight and crashed...We got up in the morning (my stomach had settled enough to eat biscuits and gravy and a bowl of cereal) and left for Washington D.C. I had never been to Washington D.C., so that was pretty cool. We kind of just walked up to the Washington Memorial and looked down to the Lincoln Memorial...but, they were doing construction down that way--so the reflection pool didn't even have water in it...

We left D.C. to drive the 8 hours on to Cincinnati. But, our first lunch we ate was Chik-Fil-A...you don't know how much you miss that when you can't have it for 4 years! It was wonderful. I drove about 5.5 of the hours to Cincy, because John was feeling under the weather.

We arrived at our destination. Seeing my cousin Sydney for the first time in four years, knowing I was taller than her when we left---and seeing that she was now almost a foot taller than me, was a shock!

It was amazing getting to see family in Ohio. I also got to spend time with some of my girlfriends from college...they arranged a party for me, and we ate pizza and played Phase 10 till we laughed so hard our sides hurt...it was just like college hadn't ended 7 years ago...

My birthday rolled around...I am now 29...really gotta get used to saying that...and I got a pint of Black Raspberry Chip ice cream from Graeter's (great ice cream place there in Cincy).

skip ahead to today...

We had been house hunting like crazy last week. Yesterday, we signed the contract and put an offer in on the house that we want. We have yet to hear if the sellers accepted the offer or not...I just hope that they accept it, and we can get out of this hotel...we will be living here till around April 12th (when closing should happen)...it is a long time to live in a hotel...

here is the house we want...

Please pray that we get the house...because we really like it...and when we were looking at other houses, we would always compare it to this one...

New Year--Fresh Start...

So far, I have lived up to two of my New Year's resolutions...yeah, I know, it's only the 2nd day, but gimme some credit!

I have started reading my Bible every morning...great to start my day reading a book that I used to read all the time when I was in college, but got out of the habit...it will help with my mood in the mornings...and it is good for me to keep reading God's word, even when I don't have to study it...well, I guess I could study it if I wanted to---which I should.

I have also stopped bad language from leaving my mouth. It got really bad at one point, but I will be trying to keep my language as clean as I can. I never swear in front of the kids at work, obviously...but I need to clean up my language everywhere else I go...I do kind of blame it on the military, because a lot of people swear around here, and it seems like no big deal...I used to get offended if I heard it...now it is so common place that I don't even notice it. But, needless to say, it shouldn't be coming out of my mouth at all...so for the last two days, I have had a clean mouth...

I still need to get my snacking under wraps, and my portion sizes need to be under control, but other than that, I am doing pretty good...I will be walking a lot this week (to and from work--total of about a mile there and back...4 times a day---2 miles a day...sounds good to me...)

Merry CHRISTmas

Happy Birthday Jesus! He is the reason for the Season!

But, I can't help but be disappointed with this Christmas...there is no snow, I have no presents to unwrap, and I am in Germany away from family...

Our presents this year were the new BMW for my hubby, and all the nice solid wood German Furniture that will go into our house in Arkansas...yeah...

I miss everyone in the states.

I really can't wait to get back where I know people.

I have gotten to know a LOT of people here in Germany (which is going to make it very hard to leave).

I know leaving will be hard, but I know that seeing people again after 4+ years will be awesome!!!

Big News!!!

on December 4th, 2011 at 4:07 AM (Central Standard Time) in Minnesota...

My nephew, Jesse Darrel Stanley was born...

He weighed in at 5 lbs. 13oz.

He was 18.5 inches long.

My mom with her first grandbaby...