A photo from the road

I took these last week and I'm just getting around to posting them. Fancy truck, huh?

and look, more evidence of Spring!! :)

Candids of Us!

More candid pics are coming from friends...will add here...

Candace and me (this one and next two courtesy of Candace)

Us.

Me with LT Hudak

Us.

Julie came through with a picture of us from the ball! :)

couldn't stand it.

so I took a picture of the picture the photographer took of us. :)

7th Tactical Theater Signal Brigade Ball!

For the past couple of months I have worked with our committee to organize a ball celebrating the reunion of our brigade. We welcomed home the 44th Expeditionary Signal Battalion from a 15 month deployment to Iraq, and many Soldiers of the 72d Expeditionary Signal Battalion back from missions to Bulgaria, Isreal, the Republic of Georgia, Romania and Bosnia. In the same event, we wished well to those leaving Germany, those of 72d ESB preparing to deploy to Iraq, those in 7th TTSB Headquarters Company preparing to deploy to Afghanistan, and the 44th ESB begin relocating the battalion to Schweinfurt, Germany. It was bittersweet for many, and I think a good time for all. :)

SFC Burnett and Sven of the Mannheim Flower Shop!

Foyer decor

Ballroom

Fallen Comrade Table***(see note at bottom)

The small table set for one that is off on its own is reserved to honour our fallen comrades in arms. This symbolizes that they are with us, here in spirit. We should never forget the brave men and women who answered our nation's call [to serve] and served the cause of freedom in a special way. We are ever mindful that the sweetness of enduring peace has always been tainted by the bitterness of personal sacrifice. We are compelled to never forget that while we enjoy our daily pleasures, there are others who have endured the agonies of pain, deprivation and death.
I would like to explain the meaning of the items on this special table.
The table is round -- to show our everlasting concern for our fallen comrades.
The tablecloth is white -- symbolizing the purity of their motives when answering the call to duty.
The single red rose, displayed in a vase, reminds us of the life of each of our fallen comrades, and the loved ones and friends of these comrades who keep the faith.
The vase is tied with a red ribbon, symbol of our continued determination to remember our fallen comrades.
A slice of lemon on the bread plate is to remind us of the bitter fate of those who will never return.
A pinch of salt symbolizes the tears endured by the families of those who have sacrificed all.
The Bible represents the strength gained through faith to sustain those lost from our country under God.
The glass is inverted, they cannot toast with us at this time.
The chair is empty -- they are no longer with us.
Let us remember - and never forget their sacrifice.
May God forever watch over them and protect them and their families.

VIP table set up

Receiving line

72d ESB Color Guard

Me and Christy H

Me and Renee Q

Mrs. and CPT Vanhanehan, me, 1SG and Mrs. Close

72d ESB Color Guard

MAJ Olivia Bierman and me

Elizabeth and me

Elizabeth, Julie, Myriam, Heather

BG Jeffrey Smith

CSM Farmer, BG Smith, COL Bland, LT Hudak

MAJ and Mrs. Peters, Mrs. and SFC Barthelme

Brown, Stringer, Short and Moore! Great ladies!!

The majority of the committee. WE DID IT!!! :)

Me and COL Bland

Stephen and Elizabeth

Me with Mrs. Voncile Farmer

Somehow I ended the night with NO pictures of Stephen and me together. :( We got one taken by the photographer, and I will scan that one. Look for it to be the pic of the month soon!

***I realize there are discrepancies in the script for the fallen comrade table. It seems that if you look for it, different memorial symbols are explained in each.

Cheat scrappin!

Okay, so you know how I'm all about the digital scrapbooking now? Well...I found these AWESOME quick pages at Raspberry Road. This lady (who I will contact soon to let her know) is an INCREDIBLE designer! I love her stuff! Soon I will buy some stuff. It's only fair since I've been using her freebies!

Look what I did this weekend!!

Stephen and the 4 star

Stephen met 4 star General Ham when he accepted an award for Combined Federal Campaign Overseas. He's hangin' with the big wigs! :-)

SUGARLAND!

Last night we went to Ramstein Air Base (about an hour from our house) to see SUGARLAND! I love Sugarland, listen to their cds at work all the time, and probably would rate them in my top 10-15 country music artists. How awesome that they played a free concert for Soldiers and their families?! It was pretty crowded, and there were a lot of kids (one who was sitting on the same bench, next to Stephen, literally about jumping up and down. Bless his heart, I have the best husband going. :)

Here is a recap:

This must be some garrison commander or something at Ramstein. He was introducing each act. Kind of a dork.

Waiting...

17-year-old Country music prodigy, Katie Rae Davis (katieraedavis.com). Ms Davis is the winner of the 2008 Texas Music Association "Rising Star" Award. (copied from the internet)

The second opening act, be Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers, is fronted by an amazing singer songwriter whose talent has led him to be compared to Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty and Bob Dylan. Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers (http://www.stephenkellogg.com/). (more from the internet)

This guy was just too funny to NOT take a picture of. He just finished tapping the youngster in front of him to tell him to sit down. Everyone stood up for this band because they were a bit more rockin'. And they sang "Time of my Life" and did the Dirty Dancing lift at the end. It was funny. Even funnier when Jennifer of Sugarland said she thought it was funny and expects one day he'll get scared to do the lift and will do the thumbs out move that Jennifer Gray does in the movie when they do that show where the Schumaker lady takes the wallet. ANYWAY...SB and I just looked at each other. I said, "K, when you are that old, I'm not letting you have your pants legs that high." He said, "well, my pants aren't going to be GUESS jeans, either!" :)

And then...SUGARLAND!!

Kristian grabbed someone's camera to take a close up of Jennifer and himself, and then gave it back. How cool is that?!

Me, after the show!

couple videos...