LISTS!

If you know much about me, you know I am an avid listmaker. WELL, imagine my excitement when I received the January Real Simple magazine and huge across the front it read: THE LIST ISSUE! with a notepad, pens, pencils, etc!! I flipped a little and marked some pages, but knew I'd be devoting some weekend time to this magazine.

Today I went through it, tearing out pages that I wanted to read, write on, save, etc. One of those pages was the "Now at RealSimple.com" page. It has...get this...50 checklists and forms for all occasions!!! So I head for the computer. At www.realsimple.com/lists you can find all kinds of premade lists that you might need. Many are devoted to wedding planning and things that involve kids, but also vacation packing lists, grocery lists, inventory of your home, etc! I saved quite a few of them.

Hope you can also benefit from the list extravaganza! :)

Today's list:
1. Crockpot chicken-check
2. Cookies-check
3. Read Real Simple magazine...CHECK!
4. Laundry-check
5. Dishes-check


the checks are the best part!

Did you see this?

160 days, 7 hrs, 49 mins, & 57 secs!--that's the countdown! Now, to be fair, it is set for July 10 because our ACTUAL moving date is August 9, 2009, I think. But you know by the month prior we should have our mover/shipper appts set, our car shipping plans made, and plane tickets! SO, we are almost there!!! I think I cause it to drag by counting days, marking off calendars, trying to plan when there is no info available. But I just can't help myself!

In other news...I never thought I'd see that day that temperatures like 28-38 degrees is "warm and almost nice!" weather. But after weeks in the 20s, these high 30s seem pretty decent. I'm hoping to see some 40s soon!!! I won't pack the winter clothes for a long time, though. I made that mistake last year!

Army Wives...Really?

Wow. I was going to post about this train wreck of a show that has grabbed my attention and that of many of my friends who ARE Army spouses. I knew I had written another post about it, so I went looking through the archives. It was well over a year ago! I had no idea it had been that long! Of course there was a few months where it wasn't on, so we haven't been watching it this whole time. We've seen 2 seasons.

Anyway...what I noticed last night (season finale):
1. People cry when people leave. I cry at the airport when we have visitors and I REALLY bawl when we go home and have to come back. And people are sad and they cry when friends they have made move. I have had several good friends move, and it's hard. Rebecca/Jack, CSM Seay, Bernadette and the White family, the Ramos family, Tammy, Marion, Catherine, Adrienne, Chris...to name a few. And more will go before we do. But it isn't as though we break down and run off weeping, "I can't DO THIS!" It's just not so dramatic/melodramatic!

2. VERY RARELY would someone find out TWO DAYS before a move. TWO DAYS? Really? I know he's the "post commander" and all, but just getting a transportation (movers/shipping) appointment in 2 days would be nothing short of a miracle! and you would not be getting in the car to go to the airport with boxes and dollies still in the house. That's gotta be all cleaned up and pass the housing inspection!

3. Soliders (idiot Soldiers) really do sometimes go AWOL to be with some girl/woman. I know of one, he is currently in prison. That's what happens.

4. I think what Pamela said on her radio show was dead on. She caught a lot of flack for saying that when you marry a Soldier your life, your career, your hopes and dreams and goals play second fiddle. It's just a fact. When Stephen and I got married, I knew I would be leaving my family, friends, job, and life that I had made for myself. I'd do it again and again. Because I would live in a box in Guam as long as I was with him. I know a Soldier, an older and more mature one, who was a chaplain in the reserves (I think) and was called up to active duty. His wife had just gotten her dream job, and he was being sent to Germany. She stayed behind, he took a 2 yr unaccompanied tour. It's how they worked it out, and there is nothing wrong with that. But thinking that you can stay by your Soldier's side and have your long term dream job (that isn't freelance/work at home type) is not reality. Cool if it happens, but don't plan on it.

5. The new "post commander" appointed his "good ol boy" buddy to be the deputy post command even though Joan (the other LTC) has been there longer and would have been in line for it. Maybe not the man always given the good position over the woman, but definitely good slots given to people who know people. I've seen this happen.

I know many who are reading this have never seen an episode. Sorry for boring you with all the gory details. :)

My Scrap-called life...

I'm proud of this because I put the page protectors in upside down so that the map could fold down. :)

Mainly because I am tired of the beans being the most recent post, here is a look at some pages of the most recent scrapbooking I've done. It's of the Prague trip, and there are more. I'm about 1/2 way through the trip.

I am planning to take a digital scrapbooking class very soon...I am SO excited! But you know I had to paper scrapbook the last big trip of our European tour. Otherwise, there would not be order in my world. And you know we can't have that!

I'm no Medium Rare...but...

I made these beans...and they are AWESOME!!


1. Have craving for weeks for some good ol beans-n-cornbread!
2. Go to commissary, look for salt pork, get a ham hock instead. Get rest of stuff...bag of beans and box of cornbread.
3. Finally get around to actually making them. Soak 2 bags, one of kidney and one of pinto beans after asking husband "should I do just one? or two?" He says two.

4. After soaking, they look so pretty. Swollen with the water and ready to go.



I decided I wanted them for lunch Saturday, so didn't want to start the cooking until EARLY in the morning. So,

5. Get up at the crack of dawn and begin...




6. Gather from cabinets and refrigerator, black and red pepper, some chicken broth (I know, it's not from a chicken I brothed myself!) and some refrigerator garlic. and chop some onion.


7. Put it all in the crockpot.

8. Remember you forgot to take a picture of the ham hock, take one and then bury it back under the beans.

9. Pour a little more water w/ the spices over the top w/ the onion, cover and go back to bed!

10. Wake up to a taste of home. :)

11. Beans ain't beans without cornbread, though. So whip some up...

12. Bake it in your Polish pottery, smile with satisfaction, and eat a bowl!

US Airways Flight 1549 crash-landed in the Hudson River

and we heard very near when it happened. But we get all the shows a little delayed. Our Letterman that was on yesterday was from Jan 15 evening. So we got the news and this type picture:

but, we are just now really seeing interviews with people and the whole thing kind of unfolding. At noon today (Jan 17) we are seeing the O'Reilly from yesterday in the states. --Just giving you some background. So, while we are ahead 7 hours on the clock, we are behind as many on our incoming news stories. Feeds/internet info, etc, is all same time, but you are looking for it and reading it. Some videos, too, but I'm never looking. Just usually KC, is sending me something she's seen.

ANYWAY...my point is. wow. how incredible. I cannot believe no one panicked. I cannot believe everyone survived. incredible. Bill O'Reilly, who I do not love, but watch because SB likes the show, interviewed a couple whose husband was on the plane and texted his wife as the plane was going down. "plane on fire. I love you and the girls." I told SB...if you did that, just put I love you. You know she was 12 kinds of freaking out until she found out he was okay! anyway, it was very touching. She was fighting tears for a lot of it, and lost that battle near the end of the interview. I'd be crying for a month because my mind would race constantly with the what ifs.

They talked about how this really makes you rethink your priorities and what you value and how blessed you are to have what you have in your life (in their case their marriage and children). Thank God for the opportunity to do that!

New Years Eve Reception

Mannheim hosts a New Year's Eve Reception each year. We were missed on the invite list the first year, but went last year and this. It was a good time. Here are a couple of pictures.


My current boss, COL B, and my former boss Dan Z.



Me and SB


LTC and Mrs. Fletcher. This is SB's boss, and his lovely wife, Patricia.

SO PROUD!!

Stephen just received this coin yesterday from COL Malcom from American Forces Network. He was giving training to the Soldiers there, and COL Malcom was SO impressed. It was one hour of training and the COL just went on and on about how it was the best training he had ever received! Then, at the New Years Reception last night he bragged all about Stephen to me! He said that what is normally an hour that drags on and is torture, was fun, entertaining and engaging. I was gracious and thanked him for sharing the praise with me, but was thinking to myself, "he is fun, entertaining and engaging with me all the time!" :) yaye, Stephen.

And THAT's why...

people in cold/snowy climates have mud rooms.

It is really way worse than it looks!

The Final Seven!

and now, all of our deployed battalion has come home! :)

Military Coins

Saw this on tv today. I have about 4 of these. :)


**edit**
There was a video here from NBC Nightly News w/ Brian Williams. It was messed up and when I went to re do it, it didn't work out. Sorry**

Help a Soldier Out!

For the first time in almost 2 years, the battalions of 7th Signal Brigade will join together to celebrate completed missions, comraderie in their unit, and
common bonds. This will, in all likelihood, be the last time they will have this opportunity to be a whole unit, as one will deploy this summer and the other will move to a new base a few hours away.

Please consider sponsoring a solider or donating what you can to defray costs of the March 2009 7th Signal Brigade Homecoming Ball.

Send check made payable to "7th Signal Brigade Homecoming Ball" to:

7th Signal Brigade
Attn Heather Barthelme, FRSA
Unit 29959
APO AE 09086

Thank you so much for supporting these men and women who serve their country so courageously.

Unacceptable!

It is TWELVE degrees outside. The car won't start and I'm already up, showered, dressed, lunch packed, ready for work. :( Now I have to get a ride from SB, and our schedules aren't necessarily lined up for today. ugh.

I think the car is fine, it tries to turn over, but just can't quite get there. Its like it is pushing the snooze again and again. I know that feeling...I'll try it again this evening when it's "warmer" (?) like 20. ugh, I say, ugh again!

The lasts...

I think I may have mentioned a time or two that we are in our LAST year here. I got a funny look when (back in June 08) I told Stephen that we had purchased our last box of fabric softener. We get the big box of 250 sheets, and I knew we weren't going to need to buy more.
Yesterday, I talked to my friend, Marisa, whose family will move in June. She mentioned to me that she had just replaced the baking soda in her refrigerator, and had purchased the last box of it in Germany! I smiled knowing that feeling! It seems kind of strange, but you look for those things when you are excited about a move!
I also mentioned to my friend Patricia that my countdown says 180 days. She and her husband are due to move in August as well. She paused for a moment and said "wait, when are you counting down to?" and at the same time, we both said "JUNE!" and laughed. Because you don't really have to count those last two months because by then you are shipping your car and packing the house and making appointments, reservations,plans and taking leave!

Here are some other lasts and so many mores that I've been thinking of:
2 more EO Observances for Stephen
? more events for me--maybe 4
5 more cans of coffee
0 more body washes
0 more lotions
3 (ish) more months of winter
1 more trip (if we don't make other spur of the moment ones)
3 or 4 more Community Information Forums
2 more town halls

I guess that's enough for now. I don't want to get ahead of myself! :)

Baby Tour 08

After almost a year-long wait, we finally meet all the babies!!

A few days in Austin...

It was a whirlwind, but it was great to see those we could in our short visit. I was going to be all trying to put these in order, but I'm just not. :)

Hickory and Oak BBQ place in Friendswood, the night before we left to return to Germany.


Visit with the Crafts

Heather and Bets

Bs and Cs

Bs & Bs

Playin with the boys

BEE EFF EFFs!

All Smiles


SBW and the motherlys

Gormet cupcake place. They were closed. It is on the list for next visit!

Full of Herbert's Tacos and love!

KC and Amy at Amy's.

At Rudy's. It looks funny, but that sunlight felt so good on my head!

Visit with old friends from old job.

Places we ate! YUM! Not pictured: Sonic, Whataburger, Chick-fil-A (SB), Wendy's (HB), Baby A's, Herbert's Tacos, Las Rosas, Oak something BBQ, and a family owned reasonably priced mexican food place in Pearland!

Fuddruckers

A most special visit with a most special little boy.

Lil T...not so little anymore!

cheeeeese

His amazing mom!

Too cool.

Hehehe!

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just for fun!

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