Okay I think I am in a little trouble since it has been soo long since I have written. My family came and went…and I have been meaning to write about it all but have been putting it off because of all the craziness.
My family showed up the day before my birthday (the 9th of Oct) and stayed the entire week. Josh and I had woken up early that morning to pick them up at the airport which is about a 1 ½ hour drive. That morning (it being a Friday) it took us a little over 2 hours because it was a working day so we got stuck in a lot of traffic. On top of it all, Josh and I both had to pee really bad so we pulled over at what they call a “WC” which stands for “Water Closet.” (Josh and I are not the greatest to be in a car for long road trips because we both drink A LOT of water...not sure whose worse). Note to self..never stop at a "WC", they are extremely disgusting and I begged Josh to keep driving so we could find a gas station. Before I knew it he was parked at a WC. I couldn’t watch him go and not me so I did so as well….however, I found I was more disgusted than ever…..no more stopping at the WC.
Once we got to the airport we found my parents right away. I was a happy camper…once again I forgot how exciting it is to see familiar faces. To make the day even better we stopped at Globus (my favorite market) on the way home to get appetizers and wine to have for lunch. We came home and chatted for awhile while my Dad and Josh drank Guiness and the girls had wine. The 3 travelers (my mother, father and sister) all took a nap and just as I was about to ask Josh if he wanted to run to the store with me I looked over and he too was passed out. Once everyone was rejuvenated we headed over to the Ota’s (one of the providers at the clinic) where she was having a birthday party for me….I even got 2 cakes…one made personally by Josh :)
The next day we were suppose to head to Brugge, Belgium with the Ota’s for two nights to eat some waffles, drink some Delirium beer (my favorite) and hang out. We woke up the next morning and got the car all packed up. Right before we took off Josh realized he didn’t have his phone…after looking for it for quite some time we were able to find it…but had seen that he had missed quite a few phone calls. It turned out that one of his soldiers had been in big trouble and he needed to stay in order to deal with it. So we planned to head out the next day and stay for one night. That night while he was taking care of his soldier and the issues he got ANOTHER phone call that stated ANOTHER one of his soldiers was in trouble (this never had happened before) so he had to report to the Military Police station the NEXT night which messed with our Brugge plans. So we decided instead to make day trips for those two days during the weekend. It wasn’t a completely failure because on my birthday my family and I went to Trier (a cute town an hour from Baumholder) where we did some shopping , sat at an irish pub and ate really good German food…(possible some of the best I’ve had so far). I told Josh later that his soldiers better sing me happy birthday…:). The next week Josh had his soldiers do an extra PT (physical training) sessions that started at 0500....after they completey there first session they started their original session at 0630-0800. So I guess they didn’t completely get off the hook.
The rest of the week we took day trips. We did a Rhine River cruise. We passed by 8 castles and the scenery was gorgeous. On the way home we drank some wine and played cards. I always thought that the River cruises were for old people but I think I was wrong…I would definitely do it again. Other day trips we took were to Idar-Oberstein, Trier and Ramstein.
The following weekend my family had to fly out early Sunday so my parents came up with the great idea to spend the weekend in Frankfurt (they call it the Manhattan of Germany). I had never been so I said that it sounded good to me. So Friday morning we took off for Frankfurt. When we got there I had no idea what I was walking into…my dad had picked the nicest hotel I had ever seen. Inside it had old antique cars that were completely cleaned up and displayed. The lobby was huge with a bar, a restaurant, cigar lounge and additional café. The rooms were amazing as well. We headed out to see the Old part of Frankfurt (the only part that survived during WWII). It was pretty cool because it was just a tiny square with a great big church in the middle. The more places I go the more I am amazed to find different places in Germany that were bombed with only a couple things and a church left standing. That church usually being the main church in that town.
Our weekend theme was the song “Brandi Alexander.” My sister asked me if I had ever had a Brandi Alexander and I had no idea what it even was. It turned out that the hotel had a Brandi Alexander so I had to try it….the song was correct about them (you all should listen to the song…it will make you curious).
Needless to say I had a great birthday with my family. I didn’t end up beating up any of Josh’s soldiers even though I was all talk at the time…in fact towards the end of the week I kinda felt bad for them for having to wake up so early…but more bad that Josh had to be the one doing it...it took a lot out of him..but he was a trooper.
After my family left, I got sad. Josh had to cheer me up but I think he was expecting it because the past visitors he had felt the same way….We were both just thankful to have people come see us…it was such an amazing time....thank you Mom, Dad and Meg!
This past week has been craziness for Josh. I told him the other day that it was crazy because I was going to bed before him and he was waking up before me…which would be around 0400 some mornings. This morning he had to be out of the house by 0445 because he will be at the shooting range all day..he told me that I should expect him home around 0200 in the morning….so last night I packed him 6 sandwiches for the day…I guess that seems like a lot but at least it will help him survive in the cold and avoid eating the MRE (meals ready to eat)…they don’t taste very good...and aren't very healthy.
I know this email is getting long but I have to tell you all the most exciting news of all. Two days ago I bought us train tickets to go to Paris for Thanksgiving! We get to go for four days and the train tickets weren’t too bad at all…plus the train ride is only 2 ½ hours!
I will most likely be writing before thanksgiving but incase I didn’t get to I wanted to spread the word because it will be hard for Josh and I to not be around family for the holidays.
Hope everyone is doing well…we miss you all!
Love,
Gretchen (and Josh too):)
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Battle with the Big H :)
On Tuesday night, Jim and Shaeffer (Josh’s two friends visiting for the week) took a train to Trier and were meant to get in about 7:30 PM..just in time to grill out. So I got everything ready while Josh went to pick them up. After about an hour we found out that the boys had boarded the wrong train…so they wouldn’t be in till 10 pm or so. So Josh came home and we decided to grill everything inside and they could at least have left overs.
While Josh and I were eating dinner, I could tell that he was disappointed that the guys weren’t going to be back till later. Josh wasn't saying much so once our conversation became me, myself and I, I blurted out “what is your problem" and he was like "nothing, I was just going to ask you to lay on the couch with me." I said "Oh." Then he was like, "so do you want to" and I said "no, there is no point in doing that." (Not sure why in my mind there wasn't a point to laying down). Then he went and laid down on the couch and I started crying... (I’m pretty unbelievable-I know).…so he looked over and said..."are you really crying" and I was like "yeah, but I don't know why" and of course started crying more. Then I told him how he is a boy so he doesn’t understand how girls work and that a girl would understand me. He started laughing and then once I listened to what I had said and I started laughing also. I looked over at the early birthday package Joelle had sent me and I had received that day and cried more. At this point Josh was finding this more humorous than anything because I couldn’t stop laughing or crying. Eventually I chilled out but couldn't believe how awesome Mr. Big H (aka...hormones) was being....and I am going to blame this episode 100% on them. Josh puts up with quite the load sometimes.
Last night we all four went out to dinner at Zumstern...one of my favorite German restuarants across from my Clinic. The guys had taken our car to Bingen and Rudesheim for the day. They said they had a blast and Shaeffer was happy because they saw some pretty ladies. When we got back from dinner we decided to start a game of hearts. We ended up staying up pretty late and playing but it was well worth the late night because the last hand Josh gave me the Queen and was soo happy with himself. So I had no hope but to shoot for the moon….I somehow ended up successful and then rubbed it that I was the winner and made them all loosers….shouldn’t mess with the best (k- I’m now done being cocky). :)
The guys are taking the train today to Munich to see Dachau concentration camp. (We went there with Josh’s parents and after about 30 mins I became physically sick to my stomach…it was good to see but I don’t want to ever see another one again.) So Josh will take the train on Friday morning to Munich to join them for fun Octoberfest festivities. Jim states they are sleeping on a park bench tonight because they don’t have a hotel reservation.
I work tomorrow and then have train tickets to head out on Saturday morning (with a couple friends) to catch Octoberfest for 24 hours…I will let you all know how it goes.
Hope everyone has a great weekend! And I hope this blog finds you having a happy Thursday!
Love, love, love,
Gretchen
While Josh and I were eating dinner, I could tell that he was disappointed that the guys weren’t going to be back till later. Josh wasn't saying much so once our conversation became me, myself and I, I blurted out “what is your problem" and he was like "nothing, I was just going to ask you to lay on the couch with me." I said "Oh." Then he was like, "so do you want to" and I said "no, there is no point in doing that." (Not sure why in my mind there wasn't a point to laying down). Then he went and laid down on the couch and I started crying... (I’m pretty unbelievable-I know).…so he looked over and said..."are you really crying" and I was like "yeah, but I don't know why" and of course started crying more. Then I told him how he is a boy so he doesn’t understand how girls work and that a girl would understand me. He started laughing and then once I listened to what I had said and I started laughing also. I looked over at the early birthday package Joelle had sent me and I had received that day and cried more. At this point Josh was finding this more humorous than anything because I couldn’t stop laughing or crying. Eventually I chilled out but couldn't believe how awesome Mr. Big H (aka...hormones) was being....and I am going to blame this episode 100% on them. Josh puts up with quite the load sometimes.
Last night we all four went out to dinner at Zumstern...one of my favorite German restuarants across from my Clinic. The guys had taken our car to Bingen and Rudesheim for the day. They said they had a blast and Shaeffer was happy because they saw some pretty ladies. When we got back from dinner we decided to start a game of hearts. We ended up staying up pretty late and playing but it was well worth the late night because the last hand Josh gave me the Queen and was soo happy with himself. So I had no hope but to shoot for the moon….I somehow ended up successful and then rubbed it that I was the winner and made them all loosers….shouldn’t mess with the best (k- I’m now done being cocky). :)
The guys are taking the train today to Munich to see Dachau concentration camp. (We went there with Josh’s parents and after about 30 mins I became physically sick to my stomach…it was good to see but I don’t want to ever see another one again.) So Josh will take the train on Friday morning to Munich to join them for fun Octoberfest festivities. Jim states they are sleeping on a park bench tonight because they don’t have a hotel reservation.
I work tomorrow and then have train tickets to head out on Saturday morning (with a couple friends) to catch Octoberfest for 24 hours…I will let you all know how it goes.
Hope everyone has a great weekend! And I hope this blog finds you having a happy Thursday!
Love, love, love,
Gretchen
Friday, September 18, 2009
Another happy Friday :)
I called Joelle last Friday and caught her on her way to Ames, Iowa (where Dane went to College) and were Joelle and I spent many weekends hanging out and listening to Damon Dotson (one of our favorite bands). Before I graduated from college I officially made Ames one of my most favorite places in America…don’t judge until you go there. J Needless to say, I got really sad while I was talking to Joelle and said that I wanted to be in the car with them. We both kinda laughed about how silly we are about missing each other and then I let her go. (The worse part about being sad about this incident is that no one else understand except for Joelle because we were the only ones to make the trip. Josh never made it to Ames so it is hard for him to get what was soo great about Ames.) Once I hung up the phone the tears started rolling. Josh was already asleep so I ran into bed and told him I was sad and HAD to wake up to make me feel better. He tried to wake up but just couldn’t so I told him he would be in trouble and then laid there thinking. When I woke up in the morning Josh had no recollection of me coming to bed…he knows what to say to get out of trouble :).
We picked up one of Jim’s (Josh’s best man) friend, Johnny, from the train station last night. He is coming in for a couple nights to see Jim who we are picking up on Saturday to be here for a week. Jim and Johnny met while studying abroad in Spain. Michael, another one of Josh’s friends from Officer Training Course is coming in on Saturday to visit also for a week. Both Josh and I have to work but the two of them (Jim and Michael) are going to travel around via Train. Next weekend Josh is taking Friday off to head to Munich for Octoberfest with his guys. I was told this was strictly a Man’s event so I agreed to stay back. A week later I got an email from a couple neighbors saying they were heading there so I jumped on the idea and bought own my train ticket to Munich. We are only heading up for one day but it should be pretty fantastic. Josh will take the train back with me while his Friends will head to the airport….this week is going to go by fast.
Tonight I have to bake Jim a b-day cake. His birthday is tomorrow and we are picking him up so I have to make it as special as possible. Mary Jo if you have any tips send them my way. I will update you all after the man’s week adventure. I am happy because I get to ask unlimited questions to the boys about life and love. :)
Sorry this blog was short. I was trying to think of what to write and couldn’t really think of too much. All I could think to write about was work, eat and sleep….I need to become more exciting. :)
Talk to you all soon. Love and much missing from Germany.
Gretchen
We picked up one of Jim’s (Josh’s best man) friend, Johnny, from the train station last night. He is coming in for a couple nights to see Jim who we are picking up on Saturday to be here for a week. Jim and Johnny met while studying abroad in Spain. Michael, another one of Josh’s friends from Officer Training Course is coming in on Saturday to visit also for a week. Both Josh and I have to work but the two of them (Jim and Michael) are going to travel around via Train. Next weekend Josh is taking Friday off to head to Munich for Octoberfest with his guys. I was told this was strictly a Man’s event so I agreed to stay back. A week later I got an email from a couple neighbors saying they were heading there so I jumped on the idea and bought own my train ticket to Munich. We are only heading up for one day but it should be pretty fantastic. Josh will take the train back with me while his Friends will head to the airport….this week is going to go by fast.
Tonight I have to bake Jim a b-day cake. His birthday is tomorrow and we are picking him up so I have to make it as special as possible. Mary Jo if you have any tips send them my way. I will update you all after the man’s week adventure. I am happy because I get to ask unlimited questions to the boys about life and love. :)
Sorry this blog was short. I was trying to think of what to write and couldn’t really think of too much. All I could think to write about was work, eat and sleep….I need to become more exciting. :)
Talk to you all soon. Love and much missing from Germany.
Gretchen
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Happy September 1st!
Josh drove his fam to the airport yesterday morning. They were visiting for 2 wks and 2 days and I am not going to lie I thought that it would not be nearly as fantastic as it was having them here. Right before they came, I have to admit that I was having a hard time imagining now sleeping in my bed….even though it had just as soft of blankets….does that make me high maintanence? I also had to give myself little pep talks that it would be “okay” if the house wasn’t always spotless. For the record though I told Josh the last night that I was really starting to like the guest bed.
The Saturday they came in I begged Josh to let me come to the airport too. (It was going to be a very tight squeeze fitting 6 people into the highlander with luggage.) But I woke up trying to reason with him that I would sit on the floor. He gave in after a couple of hours…so I was very happy! When we picked them up we had a 6 pack of Belgium beer waiting for them. When we got back, we grilled out and just caught up.
The first week they were here Josh had time off so he got to travel with them and just hang out. They were able to go to BernKastle-Keus, Idar-Oberstein, Ramstein (to see how an Air Force base compares to Army….really no comparison) Belgium (I am spacing the name of it) and Luxumbourg. I am sure they went a couple more places but I can't remember them. The next weekend I took Friday and Monday off so we flew to Cinque Terre, Italy. This is a place in Italy that has five small villages scattered throughout this cliff. To get to each village you can either travel by train or hike village to village. We spent most of Friday traveling but ended up getting there and heading straight to the water to swim. Afterwards we had a late night Italian dinner….I am obsessed with Italian food. The next day we got going early in plans to hike until we couldn’t take it anymore. (We were staying in the farthest town, Monterosso). The first hike took a little under 2 hours to complete. Joelle had warned me how beautiful it was but no words could really explain how unbelievable it really was. At times, we were walking right along the edge of the cliff with only 2 ft of walking path….the key to survival was Josh carrying a backpack of 3 Nalgeen water bottles for us. Without the water we would have all passed out…no exaggeration. When we made it into the 2nd town around noon we went right for the beach. After cooling down, we had some lunch and the kids hiked one more town. The rest of the weekend was filled with eating, relaxing and more site seeing….too much fun!
When we got back to Germany, Josh had one day off while I went back to work. Each night we either grilled out, made dinner or went out to eat. Josh’s fam got to meet all our favorite friends. J Once Josh started going back to work, things changed a little bit. He started getting more tired and the first night he came to bed and got really quiet. I asked him what was up and he said he just really liked his family. I smiled and agreed with him. I told him he should go hang out with them more so he got right out of bed to go read his book in the living room. Each night after that he expressed at least 1 time how much he really liked them. After awhile I got sad too.
So Josh’s family came and went….at times I got tired but the fact that I had so many people to ask questions to made it all worth it. Being so far away, Josh and I both agreed that we get caught up in work and Germany that we forget how much we really love and need our friends and family back home.
Today I got told that I get to go TDY (temporary duty) to a conference for 4 days in the beginning of October. The best part is that it is in Garmisch, a gorgeous place in the German ALPS. (When Joelle and her sisters came to visit we went there and it quickly turned into Joelle’s favorite place of all.) Also, I found out that most of the providers are going as well as myself and another nurse….so it should be good hang out times. Josh said he is going to turn the place into a bachelor’s pad for a week.
Well I should go now. I wish you all a happy 1st of September. Miss and love you all!
Love,
Gretchen
The Saturday they came in I begged Josh to let me come to the airport too. (It was going to be a very tight squeeze fitting 6 people into the highlander with luggage.) But I woke up trying to reason with him that I would sit on the floor. He gave in after a couple of hours…so I was very happy! When we picked them up we had a 6 pack of Belgium beer waiting for them. When we got back, we grilled out and just caught up.
The first week they were here Josh had time off so he got to travel with them and just hang out. They were able to go to BernKastle-Keus, Idar-Oberstein, Ramstein (to see how an Air Force base compares to Army….really no comparison) Belgium (I am spacing the name of it) and Luxumbourg. I am sure they went a couple more places but I can't remember them. The next weekend I took Friday and Monday off so we flew to Cinque Terre, Italy. This is a place in Italy that has five small villages scattered throughout this cliff. To get to each village you can either travel by train or hike village to village. We spent most of Friday traveling but ended up getting there and heading straight to the water to swim. Afterwards we had a late night Italian dinner….I am obsessed with Italian food. The next day we got going early in plans to hike until we couldn’t take it anymore. (We were staying in the farthest town, Monterosso). The first hike took a little under 2 hours to complete. Joelle had warned me how beautiful it was but no words could really explain how unbelievable it really was. At times, we were walking right along the edge of the cliff with only 2 ft of walking path….the key to survival was Josh carrying a backpack of 3 Nalgeen water bottles for us. Without the water we would have all passed out…no exaggeration. When we made it into the 2nd town around noon we went right for the beach. After cooling down, we had some lunch and the kids hiked one more town. The rest of the weekend was filled with eating, relaxing and more site seeing….too much fun!
When we got back to Germany, Josh had one day off while I went back to work. Each night we either grilled out, made dinner or went out to eat. Josh’s fam got to meet all our favorite friends. J Once Josh started going back to work, things changed a little bit. He started getting more tired and the first night he came to bed and got really quiet. I asked him what was up and he said he just really liked his family. I smiled and agreed with him. I told him he should go hang out with them more so he got right out of bed to go read his book in the living room. Each night after that he expressed at least 1 time how much he really liked them. After awhile I got sad too.
So Josh’s family came and went….at times I got tired but the fact that I had so many people to ask questions to made it all worth it. Being so far away, Josh and I both agreed that we get caught up in work and Germany that we forget how much we really love and need our friends and family back home.
Today I got told that I get to go TDY (temporary duty) to a conference for 4 days in the beginning of October. The best part is that it is in Garmisch, a gorgeous place in the German ALPS. (When Joelle and her sisters came to visit we went there and it quickly turned into Joelle’s favorite place of all.) Also, I found out that most of the providers are going as well as myself and another nurse….so it should be good hang out times. Josh said he is going to turn the place into a bachelor’s pad for a week.
Well I should go now. I wish you all a happy 1st of September. Miss and love you all!
Love,
Gretchen
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Happy Tuesday! :)
Josh and I sent Harvey, our temporary pup, back to his owners on Saturday. We spent all of Sunday cleaning to carpet and house (well Josh did) and then last night we babysat for Josh’s Platoon Sargent’s two girls. Last night when I climbed into bed at 10 pm (1 hour later than normal- you can say it, I’m a loser) I was EXHAUSTED. So when Josh came in later and turned on the light and wanted to talk and hang out, I was not a happy camper.
And then this morning my bad karma turned on me because about 0545 I was stung by my first hornet. I was minding my own manners running on the treadmill at the gym when all of a sudden I felt shooting pain in my arm. I went over to Josh and asked if I had a bite….sure enough I did, the hornet ended up on my shirt where I swung it to the floor, got scared and ran. I made Josh go kill it on the floor…even though it already dead. He picked the hornet up and stated that the hornet was whispering to him that he was sorry. Since Josh has returned from deployment he has this thing with insects. Every time I see a bug in our house I ask him to come kill it and EVERY TIME he tells me that the bugs are our friends and were created by God so we should let them live. Unbelievable.
I’m not sure if you guys remember my blog from February when I was really excited because we had ordered our coaches for our house. After a huge ordeal they told us it could take up to 6 months to deliver. 6 months down the road still no furniture. So this past Saturday Josh and I went to Volgeweh (where we bought it) to look for new one so we could cancel the order. We found nothing that we liked so we turned around and walked out with the decision to just wait till our order comes….they said no later than the end of August. We then decided to walk into Volgeweh’s Powerzone to look around….shortly after Josh was looking at Mountain bikes and decided he was just going to get one. I have been telling him over and over again he needs to just get it but he always wants to find the best deals and research the features of each bike. He found 2 he really liked but decided we should go to Ramstein (another Air Force base nearby) to make sure they didn’t have any. When we walked into the Outdoor Reaction store this cute little bike mountain bike kept staring at me. I told Josh that I really loved it. He of coarse supported me getting one as well in order to avoid grief giving per me for going biking after work….so today after work Josh and I get to go pick up my cute little pink mountain bike :).
Josh’s family will be arriving in Germany this Saturday for 15 days or so. Josh and I are both looking VERY forward to seeing them. I, myself have to learn (very quickly) to conquer the work hard, party hard attitude. Lately I have just been a work and sleep kinda gal…Josh was even teasing me last night because one of my favorite things of all is crawling into my bed at night and get all snuggled in. Josh says I demand too much sleep…not true.
Josh has been on a role lately making jokes about when his parents and two sisters arrive. He has even stated that wanted to create an agenda for his family…his main point of the spreadsheet was to get across the idea that woman will clean and cook while the men enjoy their vacation. I told him it was forbidden but he continued to have waay too much fun with ideas for the Excel spreadsheet. I will admit that he even had me laughing a few times at his jokes. Mary, Danielle and Britt please come prepared and bring your feistiness.
So I should get back to work…although it’s been a slow day I should go find something to do! Hope you are all having a great week thus far.
Love you all and miss you guys!
Love,
Gretchen
And then this morning my bad karma turned on me because about 0545 I was stung by my first hornet. I was minding my own manners running on the treadmill at the gym when all of a sudden I felt shooting pain in my arm. I went over to Josh and asked if I had a bite….sure enough I did, the hornet ended up on my shirt where I swung it to the floor, got scared and ran. I made Josh go kill it on the floor…even though it already dead. He picked the hornet up and stated that the hornet was whispering to him that he was sorry. Since Josh has returned from deployment he has this thing with insects. Every time I see a bug in our house I ask him to come kill it and EVERY TIME he tells me that the bugs are our friends and were created by God so we should let them live. Unbelievable.
I’m not sure if you guys remember my blog from February when I was really excited because we had ordered our coaches for our house. After a huge ordeal they told us it could take up to 6 months to deliver. 6 months down the road still no furniture. So this past Saturday Josh and I went to Volgeweh (where we bought it) to look for new one so we could cancel the order. We found nothing that we liked so we turned around and walked out with the decision to just wait till our order comes….they said no later than the end of August. We then decided to walk into Volgeweh’s Powerzone to look around….shortly after Josh was looking at Mountain bikes and decided he was just going to get one. I have been telling him over and over again he needs to just get it but he always wants to find the best deals and research the features of each bike. He found 2 he really liked but decided we should go to Ramstein (another Air Force base nearby) to make sure they didn’t have any. When we walked into the Outdoor Reaction store this cute little bike mountain bike kept staring at me. I told Josh that I really loved it. He of coarse supported me getting one as well in order to avoid grief giving per me for going biking after work….so today after work Josh and I get to go pick up my cute little pink mountain bike :).
Josh’s family will be arriving in Germany this Saturday for 15 days or so. Josh and I are both looking VERY forward to seeing them. I, myself have to learn (very quickly) to conquer the work hard, party hard attitude. Lately I have just been a work and sleep kinda gal…Josh was even teasing me last night because one of my favorite things of all is crawling into my bed at night and get all snuggled in. Josh says I demand too much sleep…not true.
Josh has been on a role lately making jokes about when his parents and two sisters arrive. He has even stated that wanted to create an agenda for his family…his main point of the spreadsheet was to get across the idea that woman will clean and cook while the men enjoy their vacation. I told him it was forbidden but he continued to have waay too much fun with ideas for the Excel spreadsheet. I will admit that he even had me laughing a few times at his jokes. Mary, Danielle and Britt please come prepared and bring your feistiness.
So I should get back to work…although it’s been a slow day I should go find something to do! Hope you are all having a great week thus far.
Love you all and miss you guys!
Love,
Gretchen
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Only a babe
So I guess after my emotional night my immune system decided to crash on me. It started as a horrible sore throat that switched to a lot of nasal congestion accompanied by pounding headaches. I came home from work at lunch on Friday and decided to clean all the dog hair from our floor…Josh and I went to town and even bought a vacuum….that kept us pretty busy for the afternoon. That night I didn’t feel like doing much so I made us wine with coke blended with ice. For those of you who don’t know, it is a drink that the Cressman girls (Joelle, Jen and Jessica) brought back from their adventures in Europe. In Spain they put wine with coke and it is called calimocho. I wanted something cold for my throat and since it was a Friday night I figured that a glass of wine couldn’t hurt. Josh stayed in with me and we hung out….I was in bed early.
The next night Josh had an Army party and so he went out while I stayed in….at that point I was really not doing too great and couldn’t imagine going out for a night. He called me at 11:30 to come pick him up and when I got there at midnight he wanted me to come in with my pajamas to say hello to everyone. After I convinced him that we needed to just go home and that I didn’t feel well his talkative self fell asleep in the car. :) He’s only a babe.
So the rest of the weekend was a lot of laying low. I slept A LOT and it seems no matter how much sleep I get I still wake up feeling like I’ve been hit by a big bulldozing truck. Last night Josh and I got invited to dinner and I told Josh that I wasn’t in. He decided to stay back to take care of me and when he was on the phone telling the LT that he was going to pass I ran into the kitchen telling him that he was the greatest. He smiled and told me that he thinks he has perfected the art of “reading woman.”
Josh has started to get very invested (time and money) in watching the TV series “The unit.” It is about the Special Forces and their missions…there are a few love stories here and there with the families at all so occasionally I will keep my eyes open to watch some of the show. When I have to go to the bathroom he always offers to pause the show. I tell him that he doesn’t have to he just has to pause it if the show skips back to the love part with wives. J. The past couple nights he has watched 2-3 episodes a night on the labtop. I try not to watch them because I tell him it doesn’t make me very excited knowing what they do. He tells me it is fake and not how SF works. I disagree. Nonetheless he loves the show.
So this weekend we will be around. It is our last weekend of watching the pup, Harvey. And it is already the weekend after that that Josh’s family is coming to visit for 2 wks….very excited!!! Josh has been threating his poor mother that we are going to drink all the Belgium beer we bought (for when they come) before they make it over. He said he talked to his mother last night and she said that's all she thinks about during the day is coming over here. I said "oh sad" and he replied with "yeah and pretty pathetic too." We both got a good laugh in...Mary, we love you! :)
Hope everyone is doing great! Miss you all lots!
Ps. Meg, I was just informed that they are hiring a chiropractor at our clinic. You should really think about it…free healthcare, Germany, meeting your future Army husband..and most importantly unlimited time with your sister!!
The next night Josh had an Army party and so he went out while I stayed in….at that point I was really not doing too great and couldn’t imagine going out for a night. He called me at 11:30 to come pick him up and when I got there at midnight he wanted me to come in with my pajamas to say hello to everyone. After I convinced him that we needed to just go home and that I didn’t feel well his talkative self fell asleep in the car. :) He’s only a babe.
So the rest of the weekend was a lot of laying low. I slept A LOT and it seems no matter how much sleep I get I still wake up feeling like I’ve been hit by a big bulldozing truck. Last night Josh and I got invited to dinner and I told Josh that I wasn’t in. He decided to stay back to take care of me and when he was on the phone telling the LT that he was going to pass I ran into the kitchen telling him that he was the greatest. He smiled and told me that he thinks he has perfected the art of “reading woman.”
Josh has started to get very invested (time and money) in watching the TV series “The unit.” It is about the Special Forces and their missions…there are a few love stories here and there with the families at all so occasionally I will keep my eyes open to watch some of the show. When I have to go to the bathroom he always offers to pause the show. I tell him that he doesn’t have to he just has to pause it if the show skips back to the love part with wives. J. The past couple nights he has watched 2-3 episodes a night on the labtop. I try not to watch them because I tell him it doesn’t make me very excited knowing what they do. He tells me it is fake and not how SF works. I disagree. Nonetheless he loves the show.
So this weekend we will be around. It is our last weekend of watching the pup, Harvey. And it is already the weekend after that that Josh’s family is coming to visit for 2 wks….very excited!!! Josh has been threating his poor mother that we are going to drink all the Belgium beer we bought (for when they come) before they make it over. He said he talked to his mother last night and she said that's all she thinks about during the day is coming over here. I said "oh sad" and he replied with "yeah and pretty pathetic too." We both got a good laugh in...Mary, we love you! :)
Hope everyone is doing great! Miss you all lots!
Ps. Meg, I was just informed that they are hiring a chiropractor at our clinic. You should really think about it…free healthcare, Germany, meeting your future Army husband..and most importantly unlimited time with your sister!!
Friday, July 31, 2009
An emotional night :)
Last night Josh and I went out to Mexican. On our way home, we decided to swing by the movie store and get a movie. I stated that I was just going to fall asleep so he could pick out the movie. It turns out that whenever I go into a movie store I always want to get one quick and get out. I hate looking around for a really long time. I tried to be patient but after a little while I told Josh that I was going to go wait in the car…he said he wasn’t going to be much longer so I waited. As I was standing there I saw this movie that I had remembered someone telling me about. It was called “Bridewar” and I then remembered Joelle telling me that she watched it one night and it reminded her of me. I went up to Josh and said, “This movie reminds Joelle of me, so we have to watch it sometime.” He said “okay, lets get it.” I was in a little shock but said “okay!”. In line he stated, “And this is why you don’t bring your wife into the movie store with you.” :)
So we started watching the movie. It is about two best friends who grow up together, get engaged around the same time and end up breaking apart during the planning of the wedding. The day of the wedding comes around they run into each other again right before they are going into their chapels to get married. They both look at each other and smile. One of the girls decides that she isn’t ready to get married and calls it off. She goes over to the other girl and tells her how sorry she is and how much she has missed her. The 2nd to last scene in the movie is the two girls meeting up 1 year later and breaking the news to each other that that they were BOTH pregnant and ironically had the exact same due date. The final part of the movie states how important companionship is and how many times the most important companionship is the friends that you grew up with.
Of course I started crying and told Josh that I was sad and that I left my friend that I grew up with back in Minnesota. At first he just smiled at me but after I started crying a little more he escorted me to the bedroom and told me to lay down with him. I went on about how Joelle and I always said that we would have babies together and that sometimes I thought about how that wasn’t going to happen because the Army wasn’t going to allow us to be in the same place again. He then said, “You find out where Joelle is going to be, tell her that you would like it to be near an Army base and we will go there.” I then asked well what if Joelle and Dane have babies before we get to the next station. He said, “When Joelle has a baby, we can have one.” I said, “So if Joelle gets pregnant tomorrow, we can too? “He smiled and said “yes.” Josh was going to stay up late but crawled into bed with his clothes all on to try to put me to sleep.
This morning I woke up and started thinking about last night. I came to the conclusion that the Lord has blessed me in all the areas of life. I may be pretty dramatic and emotional at times but somehow the people I love most know how to deal with me best.
I wanted to write this blog for you Jojo….one day we can play again friend.
On top of that I miss you ALL a lot a lot! Josh deals with a lot from me being so far away from friends and family so you can all ask him how much I miss you guys!
Hope you all have a great weekend!
Love you,
Gretchen
So we started watching the movie. It is about two best friends who grow up together, get engaged around the same time and end up breaking apart during the planning of the wedding. The day of the wedding comes around they run into each other again right before they are going into their chapels to get married. They both look at each other and smile. One of the girls decides that she isn’t ready to get married and calls it off. She goes over to the other girl and tells her how sorry she is and how much she has missed her. The 2nd to last scene in the movie is the two girls meeting up 1 year later and breaking the news to each other that that they were BOTH pregnant and ironically had the exact same due date. The final part of the movie states how important companionship is and how many times the most important companionship is the friends that you grew up with.
Of course I started crying and told Josh that I was sad and that I left my friend that I grew up with back in Minnesota. At first he just smiled at me but after I started crying a little more he escorted me to the bedroom and told me to lay down with him. I went on about how Joelle and I always said that we would have babies together and that sometimes I thought about how that wasn’t going to happen because the Army wasn’t going to allow us to be in the same place again. He then said, “You find out where Joelle is going to be, tell her that you would like it to be near an Army base and we will go there.” I then asked well what if Joelle and Dane have babies before we get to the next station. He said, “When Joelle has a baby, we can have one.” I said, “So if Joelle gets pregnant tomorrow, we can too? “He smiled and said “yes.” Josh was going to stay up late but crawled into bed with his clothes all on to try to put me to sleep.
This morning I woke up and started thinking about last night. I came to the conclusion that the Lord has blessed me in all the areas of life. I may be pretty dramatic and emotional at times but somehow the people I love most know how to deal with me best.
I wanted to write this blog for you Jojo….one day we can play again friend.
On top of that I miss you ALL a lot a lot! Josh deals with a lot from me being so far away from friends and family so you can all ask him how much I miss you guys!
Hope you all have a great weekend!
Love you,
Gretchen
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