The reader

Scene::We are in the commissary check out both kids have been pretty vocal the entire trip so at this point they have been tuned out until a small noise reawakens my senses...
Jaime: (chuckle)
Me : what is it bear?
Jaime: "I only have ice for you!"
Me: "what?"
Jaime: "that sign over there"(points a few yards away to the ice box) "it says I only have ice for you, get it?"
Me: (wide eyed, jaw dropped)
Jaime: (big smile)
Me: OH MY GOODNESS, you read that way I've there all by yourself!?! Your amazing!!! What a great reader!!!
He has been reading a while now but lately he has been reading everything he can get his hands on, it just kind of hit me hard... I have a very COOL little reader!

Silly Billy

"stinky face Ada!"

My kiddoes are gearing up for a huge transition, thankfully God has blessed me with a wonderful little duo who are not only dealing with this situation but totally ROCKING it!!

I love seeing their blossoming relationship, they really are friends, and being able to hang out with them  while everything is going nuts around us has been so nice, they are such a HILAREOUS pair !

(pulling his hair...she is such a bruiser!) "Ja, ja!!" she thinks she's the boss...

(she finds out quickly bit brother will only take so much) "i'll be nice Ja-ja, I'll BE NICE!!!!"

She has gone back to the tried and true kissing of the nose (it gets a better response, she has been doing this since she was tiny, never on his mouth or cheek, ja-ja gets nose kisses)

haha, fake smile!

"I'm a hero"

BAHAHA!!!!  sorry this was just funny!

Helping mumma clean (no joke she took the rag from me)

SO glad I'm their mummy!

(oh and there will be two portriates this week, because i never got a chance to post last weeks, HERE)

My move: Part one the great purge!

So I move A LOT this will be my sixth move in five years I have moved across a neighborhood a country and soon an ocean, they are not really fun but they are an adventure and if you can find the bright side in having a new experience and like me love the challenge of decorating a new space (with things you already own that is , i can never understand the people who decorate FOR the house they live in, but i think this may just be culture shock on my part, having lived as a semi nomad my whole life) well then my friend you should be fine! I have a few tips and tricks that i use  to make my move as smooth as possible, keep in mind that we are a military family so we do have an option of professionals moving us, we also have an option of some one cleaning for the housing inspection, both options I take, as a mother of two young children I don't turn up my nose at the easy route and whatever I can do to make a move less stressful on my family I take advantage of! I will be sharing some of my tips and tricks in the next few weeks as  I go along, i am hardly an expert, but I hope some of these tims will be able to help someone on a future move.

 

(it's not all stress and chaos, some photos of calm moments)

 I have been busy, purging and sorting, tidying and un-tidying, oh you know, the moving business, Before i move anywhere I go through all of the "stuff" we have accumulated and get rid of the things we haven't used since we moved here. (did i mention our washer broke, its okay though because we can't use it in Germany anyways!! so laundry mat... i really need to get on an every-other day schedule so I can keep up cloth diapers) We never know what kind of house we will be living in when we move (if you are moving to overseas this lack of knowledge doubles it seems, i have quite a few moves in country under my belt but this will be my first out of country move!!) , so getting rid of things we don't need or use regularly is really important.
 In my experience it is better to purge before hand than waiting to do it after you get to your new home, unpacking is allot harder than packing so cutting out before will keep your unpacking stress to a minimum, we will be going from having a duplex style house with a yard to living in a flat in a city, so downsizing is SUPER important!

 I try to give away as much as possible, keeping only what is necessary and well loved, I really hate to be overwhelmed with boxes in a small space or things that you really arent in love with, and its to nice to move in without any clutter, it really keeps thing going smoothly and you dont waste time finding a place for that thing thet you may use again in ten years!
 I always start my purging out side in the shed, yard or garage, that's usually where the bulk of the unused things are.  The second place is  the closets, yours may be immaculate but ours are usually stuffed with outgrown shoes and clothes. Third is the toy room or whatever room the toys are housed  (do this when the kids are asleep they will always say "I PLAY WITH THAT" and then guilt you in their new found love for this toy they don't need and never use but that you brought back to their attention, DO  let them know what be doing and why "I'm getting rid of the stuff you don't play with so that you can find your favorite things easier" is a generalized statement and is better received with little or no trauma. Let them know that you will find the toys a good home, it helps if you are handing them down or giving them to charity, Jaime loves to know his less loved things will be loved either by a little friend or by kids who don't have any toys, don't be sneaky  and get rid of things without telling them, it will bit you in the buns later!!), Lastly I go through  the bedrooms and living rooms re-evaluating and  talking over  with my husband what we can get rid of... this is not always easy I know, but it makes a huge difference in the hardest part of setting up a new home especially with kids, they really will not want to part with things once they are in a new place trying to settle so getting this out of the way before is important. Honestly if your lucky and end up in a bigger space the only problem you will have is extra storage, thats not really a problem is it !??

I didn't know where I was going so I just started to ride...

I'm glad I know I'll always end up here.

An honest moment

Taken by Jaims

After weeks of unsurity, germany, i thought with this close a call to when we would need to be there LOGICALLY(I should know better by now 26 years as a dependent )Georgia would be where we were headed.

HA!

 It has hit me but at the same time it hasn't I am a jumble of emotions, I know once I get going on things I'll be ecstatic, bit right now I'm still a bit uneasy, excited, scared, very sad...
I havent told Jaime that Saiorse wont be there, he hasnt asked yet, he just keeps saying that when he grows up he is going to mary her "everyone is invited but the Afids because there will be lots of flowers and we dont want them eating everything".
  I have honestly wept over the babies that have been and will be born while we are away, the ones I wont be able to hold and kiss or rock to sleep or smell their sweet baby skin. The shear fact that we cant afford to visit home before we leave, that my daughter hasn't met her great grandmothers yet and probably wont for a long time. The wedding of a first friend, it will only happen once.
 Oh yes, dear ones, I'm leaving allot.
I've had a few decent weeps (on my own, Jaime has no clue, I've kept it sunshine and rainbows for him!) as I packed up Adeline's baby clothes to go meet their new little owner, they still smell of MY baby, that baby that is running around to house who is trying to talk, who thinks her grandparents are the best thing about electronics. I hugged on to them tight as tight as I would have held my sweet little Niece who is due on Addie's birthday. It is hard to leave dreams behind for new adventures, I am unsure of absolutely EVERYTHING, everything but one, I am meant to be where God sends me, In my weakness he is made stronger, I depend on him and less on my strength,  I have none left... oh how this psalm touched my heart and brought me peace.

Psalm 84^[a]

¹ How lovely is your dwelling place,
    Lord Almighty!
² My soul yearns, even faints,
    for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh cry out
    for the living God.
³ Even the sparrow has found a home,
    and the swallow a nest for herself,
    where she may have her young—
a place near your altar,
    Lord Almighty, my King and my God.
⁴ Blessed are those who dwell in your house;
    they are ever praising you.^[c]

⁵ Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
    whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.
⁶ As they pass through the Valley of Baka,
    they make it a place of springs;
    the autumn rains also cover it with pools.^[d]
7 They go from strength to strength,    till each appears before God in Zion.

⁸ Hear my prayer, Lord God Almighty;
    listen to me, God of Jacob.
⁹ Look on our shield,^[e] O God;
    look with favor on your anointed one.

¹⁰ Better is one day in your courts
    than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
    than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
¹¹ For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
    the Lord bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold
    from those whose walk is blameless.

¹² Lord Almighty,
    blessed is the one who trusts in you.

Germany

Hey Germany, are you ready for us!??? We can't wait to meet you! Jake and my first time across the Atlantic since we left years ago as wee babes coming to the states for the first time, what an adventure I can hardly believe it!

Moments:: Riding, riding on my bike...

A solo Bike ride all for me!!