2 Weeks................

So maybe this is progress;)

We had a great time on our "Honeymoon Weekend"! Just to clarify things, we had intended to go to Bruges, but the rain just poured and poured:/ Since we had to go to Schinnen for supplies and mail run, we headed that way after saying goodbye to the boys. On the drive down Sheldon and I started talking about how much money we would be spending for a room where we would most likely spend most of our time with all the rain that Bruges was to get, and thought for a fraction of the cost we could just go to Ramstein and stay in a nice "cheap" room and shop:) Well, once we got our mail, it was like Christmas all over again because of everything that hadn't arrived by that time, and once we talked more we abandoned our Bruges plan and headed south instead. Of course we were given the ole, "we have no rooms available at this time" speech but felt that things would work out so we pushed on. The drive down was a little intimating since we had fog for more than half o the trip, but once at Ramstein we checked in at the Inn, got a suit, and proceeded to the anniversary dinner. Macaroni Grill:) It was nice not trying to figure out what to get and have something yummy. We then stopped for some snacks and breakfast and headed to the room. It was a nice suite with a comfortable bed, small fridge and microwave. We had left overs so it was great to pop it into the fridge. We had a nice, low keyed weekend with lot's of shopping, sleeping in and just doing whatever we felt like doing:) We signed up for massages and I even got my hair trimmed. It's been since CA, and I can't remember the last time there I got my hair trimmed:/ I was able to find things that both I and the boys have been needing, and looked at bed mattresses and other things that we are wanting to get. I just love that area!!!

Monday after our massages we bought the boys dinner at MAcaroni Grill and headed for home. The traffic wasn't too bad and we made good time. We were home in time for everyone to have their dinner then scoot off to bed.

Tuesday as I was surveying the bags I needed to go through and food stuffs that needed to be put away, I got a message forma family that is here TDY for a couple months asking if I was ready for their kids to come spend the night:o I had talked to them in December about watching three of their four kids while they flew over to London to go see the musical "Wicked". I was glad she reminded me;) We only had the kids here for just a little over a day, but the days they were here was pouring rain and yucky and I have to toys to speak of so we watched a LOT of Disney movies:/ I know it wasn't as much fun for them, but we got through it and they were so happy to see mommy and daddy:)

Sunday was my first day in Primary and boys do I have my work cut out for me:( The president wants me to start teaching the music his Sunday so we shall see how this goes. Teaching I have a translator, but it's hard to translate while trying to sing. I hope that I will be at a point where I will be able to "mimic" the words from the cd that I have. I really need to get working on that but I have also been trying to get organized for other things pertaining to to my calling. Well, i=we'll see how this goes;)

Ok, need to get some things done and get some rest tonight. I have not slept well for the past few nights and really need to get my act together and get things organized! It's a dream I have, so no one take that away from me;)

Welcome 2011

So by the look of things, I have not done very well with my blogging in 2010:/ So one of my New Year Resolutions will be to do better with informing other's of what we've been doing. Granted, not every day or week is an adventure, but living here in Europe has proved to be very "enlightening"? Enlightening about me, my family and how to really view our little "world" we are living right now;) I had served a mission in Australia so felt like I "knew" what living in a foreign country would be like, but I had forgotten that every foreign country is different, just like every state in the states is different and has it's own way of doing things. With that being said, there has beeeen ........ how to say this........... much GROWING..... living in a different country and dealing with the culture and attitude differences. I'm not saying that it's good or bad............ just saying it's different. I, on the other hand have to remember that I have a tendency to "pull inward" when I am feeling "out of sorts" and these the last few months, that is what I have been doing. With doing that, I don't communicate well with......... well.............. anyone. My family, my friends and just about any other associates. So with that being said, that is another thing I want to change for this new year.

We were excited this year to ring in the New Year with our good friends Monica and Jon Thiessen and they were accompanied with Monica's brother Kelly and his Wife Marlene Bird. They had gone on a Mediterranean cruise for Christmas and used our place as a "home base" of sorts as they flew to their "port of call" city Barcelona, Spain. Since we have Ryan Air that flies into the Eindhoven Airport and from here fly to Barcelona, they flew out and back from here after picking up the Bird's at the Frankfurt Airport in Germany. This also gave them the excuse to spend the New Years with us since we couldn't go on the cruise with them:/ It was a nice time having them here, Marlene quietly doing my laundry and washing my dishes every time someone ate, and I told her that she was always welcomed to come and stay with me for the year;) We played domino's, ate junk food along with some "good food" and rang in the new year with a BANG:) On the evening of New Year's Eve we also had the Van Eijk family Rob, Megan, Chris and Collin and Renanta and her daughter Angelique. Between all those who bought fireworks to "blow up", the men figured the total to be around 400-500 Euros, it was fun to be a part of the city celebration! Last year we didn't know anything about how European's celebrate the New Year and was pleasantly surprised by the "light show", so we told the boys that we would be a part of it and "blow things up" as they put it:) The night ended up being foggy so instead of seeing the city "all aglow" with the "light show" we were only privy to the neighborhood shows. It ended up that a neighborhood down the street had a pretty good show for the evening so it was a great night all in all. The boys enjoyed lighting their boxes and rockets and no one got hurt!

On Sunday I was released from the RS Presidency and put into the Primary Presidency. I could feel it was time for a change for me. I loved working with the sister's in the RS, but I guess the most frustrating thing was feeling like no matter what changes we tried, nobody here is really interested in doing anything:/ I did initiate a "book club" that some of the older sisters have really enjoyed and taken a liking too, but trying to get the RS evening activities (COSI) meetings going the way they should has really been hard, and a lot of the sisters don't seem really interested in helping others, just complaining that there's no one to help them. Some of the unrealistic "ideas" and how they expect the RS president or Bishop to change things is interesting. I'm not saying the whole ward is that way, we have a lot of people who go on their merry way never asking for help and keep within their own families or friends, but you know if you have a handful of people that are that way, they can can really put a strain on a ward:( It also gets frustrating because most of the "its always been done this way" and trying to change thing that thinking now and help them realize that it's not the ward's problem, well, they just don't seem to get it. I'm the kind of person that can only take so much before I just tell it like it is, and sometimes that can cause hard feelings. I don't want to be "mean" about it, but really, when do you become an adult and take charge of your life? So, I felt like broken record, counseling that if you allow people to continue they won't change, and you can only do that for so long before you just feel........... ineffective. Nancy, the RS president in this ward is an angel, and when people are rude and mean to her, she just loves them more. I hope to grow up to be like one day;) Alas, I'm not yet and might not ever be, but at least I have a role model to try and pattern myself after.

The new adventure will now be trying to work with children with no way to communicate:/ The Primary President is willing to try it so we will see how it goes;) I hope that I will be able to learn from her as well. We have a meeting on Thursday so it will be interesting to start this new adventure.

On Friday it will be Sheldon and mine's 22nd anniversary. We are going to spend 3 days in Bruges, Belgium. I have always wanted to see the place so we will go by ourselves because I don't think the boys are really interested about the lace shops and chocolate stores. We will hopefully take a canal cruise and other things while we are there too. It looks like the weather will be rainy, but we have umbrellas so we are good:) It'll be nice to get away. We want to do that more, and now that we only have about 18 more months before we are to leave here. The time will fly by! If we don't get order's to Germany then this might be our last time over here for a bit so we want to see as much as we can!