SHUT THE FRONT DOOR!.....So I was casually checking out at the commissary when I all of a sudden a restriction box popped up when I scanned my coffee, asking me to wait for the cashier to assist. Say what? I have a ration card for coffee! I may not always drink responsibly and I have been known to drink and drive (frequently) but it is a necessity! I know I can go off base to buy coffee (expensive), but that's not the point.  Hopefully I will stay under the allotted 21-lbs per month.....Okay, so it's not that bad and I'm done venting!

We are on information overload! Alan has had in-processing meetings everyday. They also had a spouse meeting that was supposed to be informative and give the DL on Germany. I walked away from that meeting feeling more overwhelmed then ever. I was told the way I great people and eat can be considered rude. Before getting here, I learned a few phrases that I thought would be important for interacting and building relationships with locals. One phrase was "Wie geht es dir" which means "how are you," well apparently it can be considered rude to ask that to someone you hardly know. Also, table manners are quiet different, as well as restaurant norms. Did you know that refills aren't free, neither is water? It is not encouraged to bring children out to dinner with you, but don't worry you can bring your dog lol.  I'm not saying all of this to complain or to say I don't like it, it's just an adjustment. I think it is important to respect the different social norms, there is good reason behind each tradition. For example, you are to place both wrists on the table while eating, even if you are not using one. Back in the day, setting your hand on your lap was a sign of mistrust and you could be concealing a weapon. The reason for waitresses not coming to your table frequently to ask if you need anything, is not because she's a bad waitress, rather she doesn't want to interrupt your conversation. You are to hand the tip to your waitress verses just setting it on the table, that way you can personally say thank you. The reason you don't ask how you are doing is because in the US it usually is an empty question and you really don't want to know the answer. In Germany, when you ask how you are doing, it should be because you genuinely care and want to hear in detail how their day is and you wouldn't ask a stranger that. I also think small talk isn't as popular here. Every custom has something different it is known for, there is a good reason for this and I find that it is because in general, the Germans value tradition and relationships above all.


We have had little time to explore and only just got a van yesterday. Saturday we did drive into Queidersbach to look at a house and check out the village. We got there early afternoon, which is not the best time, most places to eat were closed between 1-5pm. We got a little lost walking around trying to find a place to eat, only to walk 2 miles to find that everything was closed that we could see. Not sure if that is normal or just the bakery and restaurant we wanted. We did find a nice little trail into the forest and found some goats for the girls to pet. After that, we drove to Landstuhl to eat at a cute cafe and bakery. The ladies that worked there were lovely. Now that we understand a little better about eating out, we know why the table next to us stared at us and the waitress never brought us refills or the check:-P. Lunch was delicious, but the cakes and pastries from the bakery were absolutely scrumptious!

We have looked at several houses and many of them had amazing views of rolling hills and the forest. One house had a winter garden, it was great, but the house was very dated and if the piles of dead bugs in the windows weren't a turn off, the dead mouse was. Though, I would not mind having the landlord, he was so sweet! Our favorite house at this point is a cabin style home, called the 'organic house', though I am pretty sure it is not organic:-P  I really like that house, it has so much character, but it is a little bit of a drive to base and older so higher utilities. There is another one that we are highly considering and Alan's favorite, that is newer and really close to base. It is a little more then we want to pay, but I think we would save on gas and utilities. We have one more house to look at tomorrow and then I think we are going to make a decision. I really want a house soon, we are getting tired of TLF, literally, because Eloise isn't sleeping well and Maddy is a drifter from room to room.  Holy Smokes house hunting is stressful, especially when half your landlords don't speak the same language as you. We spend every free moment surfing websites and every other moment visiting houses. The on going debate here is cuteness over practicality....We will see which one wins over the other!

Overall, the girls are doing great, I can watch them growing closer together everyday with the way they play and talk to each other. Today they were coloring a pumpkin and they kept saying how beautiful each others were and how proud dad was going to be of them. There are moments when you can tell being in a small space gets to them and I know its time to go to the park. Alan is tired and is working really hard to make sure he gets everything done that he needs to. There are so many details he needs to take care of. As for me, I think my biggest stress is the housing situation, I'm worried about finding the right one and not getting stuck in one that's going to eat our money. I also really just want a house so that we can start exploring Germany outside of base more and start our life here.

Prayer requests for our little family are: that we find a house that is a good fit for us and in a nice village. Pray that the girls get back on a good sleep schedule and that they are able to meet some friends soon. Pray that we can get back into school and incorporating learning from this great opportunity we have being surrounded by history. Pray that Alan is able to prioritize and get done everything that he needs to, with minimal stress, quickly and efficiently as possible. I also want prayer that we find a great church family and friends that will be a positive influence on us. 

We miss you all and send our love!

Guten Tag or Guten Morgen depending where you live:)