Another Wheels Up Adventure...Nurmberg Christmas Market

Our wheels up adventures are becoming EPIC everyone loves commenting on the way too many photos I take. This day trip adventure was interesting that is for sure and the story is still getting laughs from family and friends. We decided to go check out the Nurmberg Christmas Market now we knew we needed new tires but the weather was good so we set out to experience a real German Christmas Market. Lets see our trips seem to grow in group size this time it was my bestie Kelly B & John, Nick & Autumn R and their baby, Ashlie & Peo P, our daughter Kate and of course my boys Gillymore & Hall.
After following John and Kelly B to Nurmberg we got stuck at a red light ugh after some round and round driving and some cell phone conferring Kelly B and I managed to find each other again. Now this is what happens when the lead car has the GPS and you lose them. Once we managed to get back together we made it to the Christmas Market we had an awesome parking spot close to the market square. I personally didn't think the weather was bad but Pachenko was cold and our friends Nick and Autumn R brought their son along so it was a little chilly for him. We wandered the lanes of Christmas booths it was awesome I loved it from chocolate covered fruit booths, to Christmas ornaments to hat and mitten booth and coolest of all this awesome minatures booth.

We then decided on an inside sit down restaurant to warm up the baby but that turned into a 3 hour drawn out waste of time and euro..the food took an hour for some of us 2 hours for others then we all dropped way too much euro next time we decided we are eating at a booth getting a giant weiner or brat.
The original plan was to wander the Christmas market for a couple hours then head over to Graf well after wasting all the time at the restaurant John & Kelly B headed home and the rest of us decided to go on to Graf I was in search of a strapless bra for the upcoming ball. Now as I mentioned John & Kelly B left which means we are now without a GPS ugh well after an hour or more of driving off and on the autobahn, missing exits, over shooting and back peddling we finally made it to Graf with about 2 hours until closing. So we all split up in search of good deals I snagged my bra and then it was time to hit taco bell since that is what lured Pachenko there in the first place. We noticed it started to snow it was about 6PM so we decided to call it a night and get back on the road...and boy this is where the fun begins
The snow was coming down it was decided we were going to try to get to the autobahn since that road you would assume would be the clearest well after driving through the woods like we were little red riding hood headed to grand mothers house we finally made it to the Autobahn which OH LORD is not cleared needless to say we were going 20mph on the Autobahn ugh not cool I know.
At some point we are closer to home and get off the autobahn cars are slipping and sliding as well as ours too now snow is great, driving through yellow lanterend, cobble stoned, snow covered idyllic villages is beautiful however when the roads are iffy and you need new tires it makes for a stressful ride. At one point we had no traction to get up a big hill so the van slid sideways so Pachenko turned the van into the right turn lane luckily no one else was around at that point. The boys Charlie H and Thomas G decided to hop out and ride up on the Nick and Autumns car which needed some traction too..after getting the cars realigned the boys rode up on the hood of our van while Peo P and Nick R pushed the car up the hill...it was a sight to be seen that is for sure...Once we hit some traction the boys stayed on the hood until we made it to the top then they ran down the hill to do the same for Nick and Autumn R car...
All I can say is the Germans driving by probably were laughing their butts off at the "crazy American antics" I think all in all the 2 hour trip took 4 hours all the way home Pachenko was saying no more road trips until spring but low and behold after letting him have this past weekend off we are already for our next wheels up adventure Rothenberg Christmas Market and I can't wait.

Epic Thanksgiving Army Style...

Family, Friendship, togetherness, laughter to me those are the things that come to mind when I think of the perfect Thanksgiving. I will admit this years Thanksgiving Pot Luck was all of the above the only thing missing was our daughter Julianna but she will be here next year. I couldn't stop myself from inviting the people who we share our lives with some single soldiers far away from home, some married couples, some with kids, some without the guest list just grew wild I honestly have no idea how many people we actually had most likely 30...some were there start to finish, some were there in time to eat then were off to visit other friends and some came later to end the night with some laughs. According to the boys it was Epic.
Thanksgiving was boisterous and full of laughter I laughed so hard at times I swear I strained some abdominal muscles. I was asked that night if we could do it again so Christmas Eve seemed like I good chance to get together again. I can honestly say I loved every second of it there was no running around rushing to get ready, no spending all day in the kitchen cooking and since it was pot luck I wasn't burdened with a giant grocery bill.
We had 2 turkeys 20 & a 25lb one, stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, baked beans , a 1000 dinner rolls, cranberry sauce, deviled eggs, salad,  pumpkin pies, cheesecakes and yummy gooey creamy ball salad ..which is a grape salad which our friend Kelly B makes. Our friends are all different they all have interesting personalities they all bring something unique to each get together...Someone said to me the other day you and your friends are always laughing and having so much fun I think I need to be your friend too..I say if you aren't enjoying life, family and friends then take a step back and figure out what needs fixed...because life is suppose to be full of laughter and happiness.
A major reminder was given to us in November with the loss of a battle buddy, a friend, a neighbor..His unexpected death is a giant blaring billboard that says to me life is short, laugh, smile, love, skip the dishes and cuddle your family, go window shopping with the girls, have random dinners with friends, don't put off life and always tell the people you love that you love them...
As we move into preparations for EPIC Christmas Eve Pot Luck I am relaxed, excited and looking forward to spending the day with my family and friends. It will be full of laughter, good food, funny stories, Kodak Moments I will take too many photos, eggnog will be passed around, Christmas Carols will be sung off key, they will rock band, do some call of duty, maybe a little EPIC sledding, the kids will complain that Santa is taking too long and then the night will end....but for weeks we will still be talking about it and debating on what the next big holiday will be that we open our haus to an EPIC family and friend event.

So my advice to all my followers is don't be in a rush this Holiday or for that matter any day take your time the holiday should be enjoyable not a stressed out day have a potluck or make cooking the meal a family event have your kids join in...just remember to laugh and enjoy that time together those out the memories your family and friends will always remember.

A Sad Fairwell............

I wasn't sure if I was going to blog about this or not but I think to not blog about it would be to deny it happened to deny Blazers impact on his family, his friends, his Co, his neighbors and his community. It was not an average day on our Post...
When Command put the word out that Sgt Blazer had died in an accident while hiking on a marriage retreat  like every one else I had instant disbelief. He was young, healthy, friendly and cute no way I just talked to him the other morning we joked about it being too cold, too early to be out with dogs joking about dog poop and our dogs that was our last conversation...but I will forever be grateful that I have that memory of him laughing and busting jokes...
The first time since the accident that I saw his wife Denise was 2 days after the accident I brought dinner over to her ..
never in my life have I stood at the commissary praying to make the right dinner decision what do you make someone for dinner who just lost their husband in such a tragedy..I stood there wondering if I make this will it upset her, does she hate this food, what does she like, will this remind her of her husband in some way the last thing I wanted to do is hurt or upset her.
I made a pot of beef stew I'll admit I high fived myself when I later heard she actually ate it and loved it..later I did a shift on the care team and what I learned in my few hours there with her was that she actually made me feel better how so you might wonder well one she told many stories of life with her husband, she laughed, joked and just made things easy.
One of my biggest things was the holidays coming up the truth is after the death of a loved one life does go on with Thanksgiving fast approaching I had guilt over the idea of her being hurt by people celebrating around her it was a wasted thought..she talked about the previous holidays and how much fun they had.
Command had a memorial service here on Post at the battalions hanger it was rough I saw many of our friends struggling to hold back tears, the video photos were wonderful but roll call crushed me as we walked up front to pay our respects I left my double interlocking heart earring on top of the dozens of name tags left by the soldiers..to me the one sole earring I have will be a constant reminder of their love and to live each day to the fullest, to savor moments with my husband, my girls and my friends..
Denise was able to get Blazer back to the states during the week of Thanksgiving which I know was a relief to her and the rest of his family now he is home in his final resting place.
Thanksgiving came we had a huge group about 30 people most of them guys from Blazers Co I will tell you this never in my life have I been so impressed it was a great holiday and the guys who knew Blazer shared some stories..
Christmas is right around the corner I still have the nagging guilt that celebrating will bother her but I know Denise would say thanks for the thoughts but knock it off and celebrate Christmas like you are meant too..
I am proud to call her my friend she truly has been an inspiration to me and to many of our friends. She has a strength that astounds me and I pray if I ever were in her shoes to be half as strong as her.
What I hope people take away from this is what Denise said to me right before I walked out the door..Live life, don't put things off, Love, tell people you love them, Laugh, have fun, hug.. you never know what could happen the next minute or right around the next corner...
So I say to you I love you..pass it on to the people you love....

A Saturday at our post ....a night in with family & friends...

I have never been the type of person who has to go..go..go all the time I am perfectly content staying at home spending time with my family or having friends over for dinner and some laughs. Don't get me wrong we love to go out and explore but sometimes it's nice to just have a quiet stay at home weekend. The perfect example this weekend was sort of a blend of out n about and quiet night in. After finding out our good friends the BeSexys have never gone to any of the German stores I felt obligated to introduce them to the uber awesome Kauflands the produce is wonderful, the meat department well stocked, the cashiers are nice and well it's German so they have all the German food staples so it's the place to go to try new foods..So of course we loaded up the van at lunch time and made a doner run an amazing Turkish delight..We took our twins along for the ride and as you can see they LOVED the Doner :D

After eating savory Doners from the best Doner stand in Germany which is located in Bad Windsheim we
then went to Kauflands. Kauflands is like a walmart groceries and everything else it is just wunderbar we picked up the fixings for a good Jaeger Schnitzel dinner, Giant tangerine size mushrooms to make the Jaeger sauce, fresh pork which we tenderize, bread and fry to make the Schnitzel and of course my husband Pachenkos favorite Red sauerkraut which also has apple in it...the store is just awesome if you haven't gone definitely check it out..

not too surprising I forgot to get a photo of it all done and assembled ...everyone just dug in too fast maybe next time lol
One of the biggest things I try to get out there to people following my blog is that there is a lot to do here be it walking around quaint little towns, visiting concentrations camps, little German shops or having some friends over to share a meal and some good times with. None of those things have to cost a bundle of money in fact some are free, some cheap and some not that costly at all. I am already planning our next little friendly get together we might actually get to the point where we break out the board games as opposed to sitting, talking and laughing for 4 hours ..
Now to plan on what we are cooking...

A walk through History ..Dachau Concentration Camp

Sometimes I can just be walking down our posts cobble stone main street and I am just amazed that my family has been given this amazing opportunity.  We are surrounded by so much history and wonderful places to visit either as a couple or as a family. One of the places we chose to visit was Dachau Concentration Camp when you walk through the entrance you are just taken back by the sight. Amazingly some of the buildings are still standing and are used as a living museum where you get a glimpse of history. 

This is a model of Dachau Camp it was interesting to see what it looked like when the buildings were still standing. Strolling through the main building which houses the museum you see everything from where the prisoners were brought when they first arrived giving the Nazis there names and information, you see what their uniforms looked like, their food bowls and where they bathed. There are hanging wall displays with the history of Dachau a time line from start to finish.

Walking through Dachau you start to think about what life was like back then for the prisoners, for the Nazis as well as just regular people who lived in the community outside of Dachau. I wasn't bothered too much by the barracks where the prisoners slept pretty much was like a bunk house or Army barracks.

I thought the bathroom area was primitive a little disgusting but still that didn't bother me much either...

I think personally when I really started to be bothered by the place was when we walked to the disinfection chamber

After the Disinfection chamber they would then bring the prisoners to the waiting room

After the waiting room they were ushered into a room that they were told was a shower in reality it was the Gas Chamber

After leaving the gas chamber the prisoners bodies were then taken over to the Krematorium

The last thing that I found disturbing while walking the grounds of the concentration camp was something hidden off the beaten path it was over grown and if you didn't take the time to read the plaque you would completely over look it.

The prisoners were lined up against the wall and shot repeatedly you can see the bullet holes in the wall.

Dachau Concentration Camp offers walking tours for a fee but you can walk through Dachau and the buildings reading the signs and history for free. My personal advice as a parent not really a place for small children with the big open spaces they will have the desire to run. My thoughts are out of respect for people who have lost family or who themselves were prisoners of a concentration camp only bring older children who understand it is a somber place. I would definitely suggest visiting Dachau it is an enlightening educating experience one that I will always remember.

The Real Oktoberfest Munich Germany...how many people can say that

October is my favorite month the seasons change, my favorite colors are in abundance, the wind picks up, the air gets a little chill to it, leaves fall to the ground making a crackly sound when you step on them. It's my moms birthday, it's my anniversary, it's Halloween, no excuses not to eat candy, oh candy corn and green apple caramel lollipops how I look forward to you.  Another wonderful event that happens is Oktoberfest churches do them, communities do them how awesome is it to have a little bit of German culture in hometown USA bring on the kielbasa, kraut and beer yes what an awesome experience for people who can't experience the real Oktoberfest.
Ahhh which brings me to our experience at the real Oktoberfest in Munich Germany. I admit when my husband got orders to Germany I was jumping for joy my funny 13 yr old daughter loves to tell her friends how her mom went running around the house squealing " OMG we are going to Germany, guess where we are going? OMG we are going to Germany" it is true I was beyond excited I was already making plans for all the places here I wanted to see and things I wanted to do..oh what an opportunity..I said to my husband, girls and friends I am going to be in Germany for the real Oktoberfest.
As you can see I was and am still very excited lol so we are really tame people so leaving here at 4AM to line up at a beer tent wasn't a priority for us we just wanted to go for the experience and so I could take alot of photos. Being as we are adventurous we drove our own car so we could control our comings and goings I like having my own wheels ..people had told us we wouldn't be able to find parking but we easily found parking less then a block away in a parking garage..could be we just got lucky but so did about 50 other people who came in before us and after us :D
Now as I have mentioned before life here is so much better when you have friends to hang out with who enjoy the same things so in this case we traveled with our awesome friends the BeSexys. We arrived around 10AM found parking, then followed the huge crowd of people figuring they were headed to Oktoberfest luckily our guess was right lol we entered under the big Oktoberfest sign

and strolled the boardwalk which was jam packed with people pushing and shouldering their way through no leisurely strolling for anyone people were boisterous and for the most part in good spirits...A trip to the ladies room was a learning experience Kelly B and I joined an upside down V shaped line of drunk women all converging on one tiny little door with a little entrance. It was a sight to see  a mass of drunk women shoving the ladies in front of them towards the door the ladies coming out were practically trampled. At one point Kelly and I were squished so hard that I said I am pretty sure we are going to die here lol amazingly we made it into the tiny entrance and coming out we had the same experience being stampeded by other ladies in a rush to the toilet. lesson learned  probably should try to go to the bathroom prior to entering Oktoberfest or use the bathroom by the entrance since there are less people there.

A popular beer garden the lines out side of the tents are crazy I do suggest if you want to get into a beer garden to arrive early but always be prepared to wait.
Another popular attraction at Oktoberfest is the amusement rides there are a ton of them they do cost money so be prepared for that extra expense..

One of the coolest things we saw was Germans dressed in traditional attire

Now you might notice that giant Kielbasa wiener in  his hand well after seeing people walking around with them we searched out the booth selling them and I have to say it was absolutely delicious...we had to take a photo of ours so we could show it to people..

ok so if you are like us you probably will stroll Oktoberfest, eat, ride some rides, buy some souvenirs the beer steins are awesome and inexpensive then you are wandering towards the exit so you are in Munich its early in the day you can stroll the streets of Munich or other near by attractions.
I guess my biggest advice on Oktoberfest as a parent I would never bring my young children there maybe my teenager but definitely not a place for impressionable kids it's crowded, rowdy and not kid friendly..I do know they have kid day but I haven't seen how that goes so I can't speak about it..

There is more to Germany then Beer..Get off the stool & go for a stroll

One of the things I hate hearing from people stationed in Germany is there is nothing to do but go to pubs and drink well that is not entirely true. Germany is full of history, culture and good food so be adventurous get off the stool and go for a stroll.  One of the first places we ventured to was Rothenburg ob der Tauber here is a little history lesson for you  the name "Rothenburg ob der Tauber" means, in German "Red fortress above the Tauber". This is so because the town is located on a plateau overlooking the Tauber river. As to the name "Rothenburg", some say it comes from the German words Rot (Red) and Burg (burg, medieval fortified town), referring to the red color of the roofs of the houses which overlook the river. The name may also refer to the process of retting ("rotten" in German) flax for linen production. Now my husband Pachenko was excited because it's old and surrounded by a wall (that you can walk on) from the wall you can look out over the town.

As you can see in this Photo the roofs are red and it is an impressive sight 

This photo shows  the walk way as you can see it is narrow in spots ...so watch your step

Once you are done walking the wall you can stroll through the cobble stone streets enjoying the little shops along the way I highly suggest a visit to the Teddy Bear shop which is exactly what it sounds like little teddy bears, medium teddy bears and huge teddy bears, teddy bear clothes, teddy bear ornaments there is something there for all your teddy bear needs...
http://www.teddyland.de/gesch_e.php
Another favorite place we stumbled across was  Käthe Wohlfahrt Christmas shop yes I said it a store all about Christmas it was like walking into the North Pole ornaments, advents, villages, stockings, table runners and incense holders yes I was in heaven I highly suggest that you stop in and stroll through the shop it's like 3 stories so make sure you go upstairs the shop also house coo coo clocks like I said this shop is wonderful...maybe not the best place for little children lol
http://www.wohlfahrt.com/
   I know it's a little scary to go into a shop or cafe you might be scared of not being able to understand the sales people or server from my experience the touristy areas have lots of English speaking employees and we have never had a hard time purchasing items or ordering food. When in doubt when ordering food go with Schnitzel, spatzle or mashed potatoes and a cola you can't go wrong Jaeger Schnitzel is delicious too it's schnitzel covered in a amazing mushroom gravy :D it's so good we have learned to make this at home..

As most of you know I am adventurous so it makes life a little less scary for me I just charge in and blaze my own trail I love new experience, going to new places and meeting new people. I think it's important to make good friends and to be open to new things ....I think it will make families experiences in Germany more pleasant

Our New Post and Home Illesheim Germany

Hope that y'all enjoy some photos of our post and a few shots of our new home prior to our hhg taken over the place..once we are all up and decorated I will add more photos :D 

This is our Commissary it's small by other Posts standards but at least we have one :D

This is our super play ground your children will love it

Community....

Living room

Kitchen

DINING ROOM

My new community...It's a beautiful day in this neighborhood

Hey y'all it's been awhile so I thought I would share how I have been feeling lately. I have been calling our new Post Illesheim Germany home now for almost 3 months and I love it here Mr. Roger's had the right Idea...
It's a beautiful day in this neighborhood, A beautiful day for a neighbor, Would you be mine? Could you be mine? It's a neighborly day in this beautywood,  A neighborly day for a beauty, Would you be mine? Could you be mine? I have always wanted to have a neighbor just like you, I've always wanted to live in a neighborhood with you.
So let's make the most of this beautiful day, Since we're together, we might as well say, Would you be mine? Could you be mine? Won't you be my neighbor? Won't you please, Won't you please, Please won't you be my neighbor?
When I first got here I was disappointed by my lack of neighbors the lack community.  I moved into a practically empty stairwell apartment on a ghost town post thanks to returning soldiers coming back from deployment and new families PCS-ing in our stairwell is finally full. Now some people might think that an empty stairwell is great no noise, no neighbors to worry about disturbing, no kids running over head well I can honestly say that I was uber excited the minute I heard pitter patter little feet wearing a path on the floor above me...even as my husband looks up at the ceiling and says "that is going to get old real fast"  I laugh and say "now I know what the neighbors below us hear".
Having neighbors is great it's nice knowing someone else is a stone toss away, that the kids all travel to school in a pack, that we all look out for each other,  rides to work or the store for families without a car, a baby shower for a soldier getting ready to bring a new baby into the world, watching someones kids so they can get away for a much needed adult only date night  and early morning visits from the nice new soldier whose wife and children just arrived and he needs milk because he didn't know that our commissary is closed on Wednesdays.
In this Army life it is up to each of us to create the neighborhood community we want to live in I am choosing to have a good experience and enjoy my new community. If things in your neighborhood are not good work on fixing them there are probably other families who feel the same way as you. When we first arrived here the basement in our building was disgusting after the Army sent in soldiers to remove large oversize items we were left with the filth and small trash to take care of.  The building coordinator  called a meeting and we all had to go clean up the trash from previous tenants it was dirty and not fun but we worked together and got it done. We have a beautiful Super Playground that some kids like to use as a big trash can including shattering glass beer bottles it's alot cleaner now but it takes a community effort to make sure it stays that way.
At some point we all are the new family on post think about what would of helped you out or what you would of liked someone to do for you and pay it forward to the next new family that comes to your neighborhood, community or your soldiers company there is nothing better then a warm welcome to a new place to make you feel at home. Keep your community clean and welcoming be a good neighbor..

My life in Germany & more advice..

Hallo!
Change and the unknown don't scare me I embrace change I see change as a new adventure so right now I am in my element...I say bring it on Army.  I don't feel comfortable talking about life on just "any Post in Germany" since I am only familiar with life on Illesheim so I will be sharing my advice, tips and observations on living on my new post.
we are adapting well to our new home today is day 11 in Illesheim Germany.
Miss Maddie Belle still refers to our new home as the hotel even if we correct her she just looks at us like "you people are crazy" at times I think I might be.
I admit it is different going from living in a single family home to stairwell apartments in reality calling it an apartment doesn't do it justice more like a suite.  I can see where Maddie could mistake our place for a hotel it's big, spacious, sweet bathrooms the tub is to die for, shiny new wood floors and furniture that is not ours I can see how that could confuse a 3 yr old at times I feel confused. 

Some things that really stick out in my mind that I think newcomers should know.

* Store hours are different here
Be prepared to be living on an Army post that pretty much follows German customs holidays and work hours.
Everything is closed on Sunday except the library however the Library is closed on Friday and Saturday seriously why have a library a learning center closed on days when people more then likely will be able to go to the library it's the weekend craziness and the shopette which is a convenience store so if you run out of TP be prepared to pay $3.00 or more for a 4 pack of toilet paper.
To German Sunday is a quiet family day you are not suppose to be "seen" doing chores in public now I don't know about y'all but an excuse to not do yard work or wash windows outside sounds lovely to me lol however living in stairwell housing you really don't have a yard so skip cleaning balconies or windows. So I would say living on Post we observe this Sunday quiet day more by being quiet hence not letting your kids outside at 9AM to run around and have fun...plus suffering from no retail therapy.
The commissary is closed on Sunday and Wednesday so you have to make sure that you have enough food on hand to keep your family fed during the week even though Illesheim is a small post it's a little jot to the commissary and I will admit it is hotter then hell here right now so it makes for a long hot sweaty walk back if your carrying a bunch of groceries trust me I have done this way too much in the past 11 days..

* Money $$$ be prepared to have to restock your pantry & household items...My advice before moving overseas hit the store and buy your favorite shampoo, conditioner, hair products, deodorant, tooth paste, tooth brushes, makeups, bath products double bag them and use a large flat rate USPS shipping box for $12.50 you can mail this to your CRM box at your new post...WHY?? well because 1 there is no guarantee that your favorite shampoo is at the PX or better yet you don't want to be me put off buying a new bottle of cover girl liquid cover up  and end up living on a Army post that's PX doesn't carry make up yep you read that right NO MAKE UP AT ALL ok so let me also for warn you the PX at Illesheim also does not carry clothes, shoes, socks, underwear, purses or Jewelry ok so you get the picture right? lol so come prepared with the above items either pack them and bring them on the plane or mail them prior to coming..since you will have to leave the Post to get these items either on the economy or at another Army Post.
MO' Money..
ugh well in all honesty it's expensive when you first get here especially if you are unlucky like our family and your soldier didn't get to finance until the middle of week 2 of you being here. So currently we are living off base pay & single rate cola which is ummm difficult since you have to restock your pantry and refrigerator so my advice is have some money set aside and maybe have a ride lined up to help you transport the groceries.

*Car~Less
Being car less is not fun...living over in Germany means you are in the middle of everywhere so plan on traveling once your car arrives if you don't have little children to tote around traveling by train is not that difficult for me personally I'd prefer traveling by my POV the kids would be more comfortable.

* Internet / telephone less
here is my major angst I could live without alot of comforts from my old home, my comfy bed, my perfect pillow, my snuggily blanket, my couch, my kitchen stuff all this means nothing what I am missing horribly is internet ugh ok so here is another thing to be prepared to drop $$ money on TKS which is the internet/ cell/home phone and cable provider has a store on Post..you can get an Iphone for 1 euro with a contract only thing you need to do is set up a bank account with the on post bank...this is for cell phone service however if you want internet/home phone/cable then it is a $$50.00 deposit plus you have to buy the modem which is $$50.00 as you can see it adds up so this is something else you will want to have money for or have your soldier have set up prior to you arriving..trust me in this isolated area you are going to want to have your internet to keep you sane .

* Time Differences
Big one my friends back in the USA are going to sleep when I wake up it's weird and makes for quick mathematical calculations every time you go to call a friend back in the USA  6 hours to the East Coast, 7 Central, 8 Mountain and 9 Pacific ...

* GHOST TOWN ok if it weren't for all the kids on the playground you would think that you were the only wife/mother on the post I don't know where all the wives are hiding but don't be surprised if you hardly see them my first day here it was like the Children of the Corn movies where there are no adults in the town lol ok well on day 2 I did catch a glimpse of a woman walking a dog lol
So other then meeting the nice wife who I had been corresponding with to get our new puppy snazzy,1 couple from my husbands unit had us over for a BBQ on my 2nd weekend here, 1 other guy from my husbands unit, the 2 ladies at ACS and the cashier at the PX I have had no other adult contact not one wife has stopped by asked if I needed anything, welcomed me or just said HI...so lack of manners?, rudeness?, disinterest?, shyness? I don't know but I plan on changing things around here...there isn't a facebook page for Illesheim wives but I will get one up and running as soon as I have internet there is a page called What's going on in Illesheim that list activities and stuff but I think newcomers should be getting a warm welcome and that means forming friendships before arriving so new families know someone and feel like they already fit in...so if you are reading this and headed to Illesheim let me know I would love to meet you...

What Illesheim has....that I have seen so far wink wink..will keep adding as I find more places

* There is a thrift store on Post it's open on Tuesday and Thursdays 12-5PM
* A movie theater
* A Bowling Alley
* A gym
* A Bank
* A Commissary
* A PX & A PXtra
* A Shopette
* A Chapel
* A Library
* A Subway
* A Pizza Place
* A awesome playground
* A Elementary School
* A Train stop right outside Post
* A CYSS for teen program
* A Do it yourself Auto place to work on your car

* NO POOL


Auf Wiedersehen

My Advice on.....

For a list making, multi~tasking planner like me the inability to plan for the unseeable future events that the Army has a way of throwing at us is like trying to squeeze an apple and make apple juice it's just not going to happen. With my PCS to Germany in the near future everyone was commenting on how excited I admit that finally being reunited with Pachenko and living together as a family is always the ideal goal I was dreading the process of getting from Montana to Germany even keeping the end goal in sight I knew the process would be trying.

So once again I turn to blogging as a way to help my fellow Army wives meander there way through the BS that comes with a PCS oversease..what I learned along the way, what I would of changed, brought or not brought and anything else I think might give y'all an edge I wish I would of had before I began our journey just consider me a virtual sponsor lol which is a joke since we are suppose to have a sponsor assigned to us from our gaining posts to "help" us with any questions we might have....so here is the tale of my journey to Illesheim Germany..

 I think I will start with I did this all on my own with my daughters my husband Pachenko had already reported to Illesheim not by his choice but due to screw ups at his AIT which left me to handle everything alone including clearing out of our house in Montana.

My advice on PCS-ing
Don't waste your time packing...sit back on the couch and facebook or blog you will miss that when you are without internet for awhile lol
next have your soldier get advance travel pay from finance it sucks trying to pay normal bills and have to worry about travel costs..
Hopefully y'all won't have the calamity of events I had the last week I was in our rental...first the laundry room door fell off and landed on the doll house popping a hole in the cheap wood luckily I had a friends husband fix it, next we had a kitchen fire yep damage to the microwave hood, stove, floor as well as smoke damage to the ceiling...was not pretty at all then we have all the last minute expences that occur when you are moving out carpet cleaning for an entire house and any unpaid bills...then of course unexpected car repairs had to have 2 belts in the car replaced luckily my friends husband handled that too..
ok then when the movers come and take your HHG ummm yep you are left with empty cupboards to feed your family until you leave in our case it was 5 days in an empty house eating out of the fridge and freezer pretty rough at the end..
Now I am going to do more research on this subject but our closest port to drop off our POV was Tacoma Washington so I had to drive 10 hours with 5 kids to Washington from Montana now I love road trips so that wasn't all bad however I think that the Army should be a little bit more helpful in this department 1 pick our cars up at our homes and not make us drive to another state where I had to stay in a hotel for 2 nights in a strange city being stuck in a hotel room with 5 kids can be trying at times thank god for the disney channel.
P.S just last night I had time to go over the movers inventory sheets and they are a calamity of a mess not in order at all plus missing from the list are the xbox and my husbands electric guitar better yet my brand new schwinn bike trailer/stroller is listed as W which is worn well it's brand new used once and other then the fact that it's out of the box which it was sitting next to in the garage it is definitely NOT WORN ..so hopefully the xbox, electric guitar made it ok as well as my bike trailer..so my advice even if you don't have time or are exhausted take a minute and check the inventory sheets prior to the movers leaving check for the expensive items and important items that you don't want misplaced..

My advice on POV ports...
So lets talk POV Port I was told or read that they have a car wash on sight to wash off the dirt prior to turning it in well I assumed incorrectly that they had a CAR WASH like with a vaccuum that I could clean out the car my mistake in relaity they have some guy who washes your car for $5.00 what I learned is one vaccuum your car wherever you can because 1 they don't have a vaccuum cleaner and 2 they sent me out into a metropolis looking for a vaccuum cleaner 5 gas stations later I found a car detailing place called the pink elephant where I had to pay some teenage girl $10.00 vaccuum my disgusting car..of course after sucking choclate out of the cupholders I tipped her an additional $5.00 ugh it adds up
As for the actually POV paperwork part it was pretty fast I think they should however offer some sort of shuttle service for people since it costs like $50.00 to take a cab back to the hotel luckily I had made an Army wife friend in the Area who offered to pick me and the girls up at the Port advice make Army wife friends every where and don't be afraid to ask for help or better yet offer to help I say pay it forward...it's the only way to live
P.S SAVE YOUR RECEIPTS FOR EVERYTHING your soldier can turn them into finance and you will be reimbursed ...


I'm leaving on a jet plane don't know when I'll be back again...
love that song but this is the first time I can sing it and actually mean it. Up until my husband was in AIT I was deathly afraid to fly have been since I was a child...I have always had this knowledge that if I got in a plane I would die no waivering on this issue at all when my husband got orders to Germany I entertained the Idea of sailing over ;) lol anyways I came tot he decision that if I wanted to be with my husband I was going to have to fly and if I am going to die I am going to die so I don't have much control over it..plus I trusted in God

My advice on Airports is...
Airports alone are enough reason to drive someone insane and a huge reason why the Army should make it a point to have your spouse there to help you or pay for another adult to assist you..My daughters are well behaved no yelling, running or wandering off however traveling through a busy Airport with a train line of children is difficult at one point an elevator was broken so we had to use an escalator where one of my 3 yr old twins got flipped head over heels and it was only me being able to grab her by her feet and holding her that way until we reached the top that kept her from having her scalp ripped off or at the top when her twin and my 5 year old all came to a tumbling heap yeah escalotors are not for children..
P.S. that guy who shows up with a rolling rack expects a tip I was cashless without an ATM in sight so I had to write the guy a check. Also some of those rolling car racks don't accept ATM cards so have cash available..preferabily $1 bills
Airlines...
Lufthansa is not Army PCS-ing friendly when it comes to checked bags the weight limit is the weight limit I had a suitcase 3lbs over so they actually made me unpack it and move the stuff to another lighter suitcase ummm seriously so anyone who has heard they give PCSing Army families a break when it comes to luggage it's not true at least not at the Sea-Tac location.

My advice on packing luggage and Carry ons...
I thought packing a back pack for each kid as a carry on was a good idea turns out the light back packs were too much for my 4 youngest daughters and my 12 year old and I looked like pack mules by the time we trudged through the Frankfurt Airport to board our 30 minute flight to Nurenberg..So even though you get a carry on for each person as well as a check bag if you can't carry it or pull it all then go without it now that I have actually lived it take my advice utilize the discount on the USPS flat rate large boxes and mail as much clothes and necessities as you think you will need..So pack your bags with everything you want to take then mail 90% of it lol
P.S. USPS large size flat rate sent to an APO is $12.50

My advice for getting through security as FAST & PAINLESS as possible...
FLIPFLOPS also put any non-essential jewelry in your carry on, skip belts...also don't jam alot of stuff in your laptop bag that it makes it difficult to get your laptop out of the bag or being able to put it back in ..it's a pain in the butt..

My advice on snacks for flight...
after security be prepared to hit the over priced store to purchase snackies especially if you have awhile to wait for your flight just be prepared to drop $30 bucks on cheeze its and a bottle of water or two lol...as for snacking on the plane on my 10 hour flight they served a drink and snack not too long after take off, dinner not too long after that then next thing I knew it was breakfeast all mixed in with the drink cart going buy...which completely spoiled my 7 yr old Helen because when we switched planes to our 30 minute flight to Nurenberg Helen proceeded to call the stewardess Miss Miss I am ready for the drink cart lol ....yep
P.S. SAVE RECEIPTS


My advice on entertaining your kids for a long flight...
I spent a ton of money buying activity items for the girls to keep them busy on the flight so they wouldn't disturb the other passengers...ok well they watched movies on the airplanes built in personal tv players and when they weren't watching movies they were watching the very cool option of watching your own flight on a map with flight details but don't worry all those activity items come in handy when you get to your new home and the kids are toyless...unless you move to Illesheim and have a super playground in your yard..so as for lugging activity items, books, pillows on the flight...
P.S.one book each would be plenty and the airlines provide a blanket and pillow on each seat ;D so mail mail mail these things to yourself at your new home..

Now from my experience the flight part was a breeze...would of loved a hand with the Airports part and luggage..the thing that we had the most trouble with was...arriving

My advice on first Arriving...
When we landed at Nurenberg my daughters were hot, tired and very thirsty...my advice is once you get off the plane gather your luggage find your ride then get your kids a drink or something to eat...my girls were dressed in light sundresses but the soliders who picked us up with my husband were driving an Army van BMW but the Air Conditioning didn't work they had the front windows down but it was hotter then haddes in the back of the van also they had drinks they had obviously bought on the way to get us..which just added to my daughters misery it would of been thoughtful of my husband or the guys with him to bring a little cooler or had stopped to grab some water bottles or something..when we stopped for gas I did ask the one guy driving us if they sold drinks inside but I had no euros and by then we were 5 minutes from our new home..so my advice get your kids a drink let them go to the bathroom if they need it and don't feel bad for making the soldiers picking you up wait they rather have happy refreshed kids riding in the van then kids screaming their heads off because they are hot and thirsty..
P.S. tell your soldier to have drinks or Euros to stop and get drinks ready for when you arrive..

My Advice to you to pass on to your husbands prior to you arriving...
My husband moved into our new home about 3 weeks before I arrived however he had been out in the filed for the week prior to us landing so he was pretty much just sleeping at our place and eating at the DFAC...my advice is have your husband go to ACS to the lending closet get pots, dishes, bowls, cups, pitcher, silverware,can opener, coffee pot, toaster, Iron, Ironing board whatever you might need to be comfortable....
next we arrived on a holiday weekend added in that in Germany 1 you celebrate American holidays, German holidays...as well as offices/stores have weird hours and are closed on certain days...So tell your husband to hit the commisary to get the basics milk, bread, butter, cereal obviously... but tell him to get things for lunch and dinner for a few days..without a car it's a pain to lug groceries back home while dealing with dragging your kids along..here at Illesheim the post is relatively small but if your carrying a bunch of groceries the bags are heavy and it makes for a long hot walk..having your soldier picking stuff up prior to your arrival lessen the last minute rush or the having to figure out what is for dinner or what to use to make dinner.....in our case my husband had tuna fish sandwiches planned for lunch however he negelcted getting a can opener he ended up using a knife...soldier skills come in handy lol
P.S. Have money set aside for groceries at new home...

I have added important little P.S. reminders above like save receipts, check your inventory sheets before signing them, have cash handy for tips and carts, have your husband get Euros ..

* it is important to also be prepared for the wait for finance to reimburse you for your travel and for your pay to reflect you being over here...

* it takes some getting use to not having a car my advice is if you can send your car ASAP before you leave do it...that way you have less of a wait once you get over here..however you can survive without a car just bring comfy walking shoes

* if you don't have kids or one kid it is easier to go explore off post via the train if you have alot of kids you might prefer to wait until your car arrives..

* A little taste of Illesheim I was disappointed when I arrived to find out that our post PX does not carry clothes, shoes, socks or makeup...you either have to go out on economy for these items, have a family memeber mail them to you or purchase online my advice make sure you hav enough of the above items prior to arriving so getting out into the economy can be a pain without a car..

* Illesheim has a thrift store hidden next to the car registration, POV &  Auto Clinic..it has a mixture of random items..

*TKS is the home phone, cell phone, internet  and cable service...they have offices on Post
you have to open up a bank account on Post to beable to get service with them though..

*Advantage of living on Post you can send your kids outside to play without having to constantly worry about them..military kids are better quality of kids they are use to being the new kid, they don't bully, they are friendly and less judgemental..my girls all have made new friends and have already been invited out bowling..which is right here on post so they can walk..another great thing about living on Post is you can pretty much be complelely entertained here movie therater, bowling, stores, pizza place, library and gym...

* While you are out walking and exploring your new post you will cross paths with other wives make eye contact, smile and say hello...even if you don't stop to chat...and if you have a question just ask her she might be your new best friend....

one of my biggest challenges so far has been my lack of internet I am full of ideas, knowledge, info I need to share, blog...I have things I need to research and friends I need to poke


I am enjoying my new adventure in Germany...I wake up each day in Awe of the fact that I am living in Germany it just amazes me I love my new home I traded in a huge 4 bedroom, 2 bath, living room, family room, dining room, huge kitchen with a 2 car garage for a second floor 4 bedroom, 2 bath stairwell apartment and I couldn't be happier lol...which is sorta funny because I love Montana the mountains, the air, the crystal clear lakes I loved my life there, my friends there...but being me I see an adventure in every new opportunity I am now fascinated with the old buildings, the rows of stairwell apt housing, the cobble stone paths, the super playground,the fact that the school is right across the road and I can watch the girls walk to school from the comfort of my living room, the built in closets that would make a shopaholic green with envy, my kitchen door that traps heat in the kitchen when the ovens on, the frosted glass door to the hallway that shuts off the sleeping area, the giant windows in the living room and dining room ohhh and the uber awesome giant tub in my bathroom that is heavenly...amazingly I haven't even ventured off post yet...there is so much excitement out there just waiting for me to see