Time

How time flies! I can't believe how long it's been since I've written a blog! I guess a large part of the reason is that I've spent about 4 of the past 9 months working in New Orleans, so I haven't been traveling to exciting locations. Hopefully that will change early in 2010. In the mean time, I've been spending time with the most incredible 10 month old baby alive! My niece, Madeliene, has been my camera's focus during recent months, and it's for that reason that I've decided to post some pictures of her here today. This first picture is her first shopping trip with Aunt Lynette (last week). Looks like she enjoyed it!

Another thing about time. Have you noticed how Facebook eats up your time? If not, then you probably haven't been drawn in by Facebook. I think I was as taken with Facebook as I was with the Internet when it was new. And that is probably another reason why I have not been blogging. However, I've decided that it was absorbing time that could be spent on more productive things and things that I enjoy. I have recently read two of John Eldredge's books: Desire and Epic. Both were quite insightful. I'm so glad that I have chosen to spend less time on Facebook and more time reading and building relationships with those who are important to me!

Now, without further ado, more Madeliene pics...

I just love the picture on the left, which I took last Saturday. Aunt Ruby is getting some Maddy-love for the first time! The one on the right is one of my all-time favorites too. It was taken on Father's Day - Maddy with her dad. Look at him adoring her... and she's loving every minute of it!

A final word about time. As I grow older - approaching another birthday here - I understand more and more what those before me meant when they said that time passes faster the older you are. I wonder where the days, weeks, months go sometimes. It's been 1 1/2 yrs now since I've started to work as a Military & Family Life Consultant, traveling to different locations for short-term assignments, and the time just seems to have flown by in many respects. Ah well, I'll save the "getting older" blog for closer to my birthday!

Relationships

That's been the theme of this assignment. When you consider that relationships are my business, you'd think that should be the theme on most days for me. However, I have had the least amount of "business" on this assignment than I have on any previous assignment. The reason why I'm excited about relationships is that I have been able to visit with cousins who I haven't seen in quite a while. And, I'm not finished. I plan to visit others who I haven't seen in a couple of weeks. Besides the family visits, I've had the pleasure of making friends with some neat people who work here in Greenville, NC. They have really eased the burden of being away from home by providing friendship and inviting me on social outings.

Got
to
love
those

wonderful family dinners!

Jamie and Henry @

The Family Assistance Center

New Addition!

Well, I'm finally getting back to my blog and I just have to post some pictures of our family's newest miracle: Madeleine Noel. She's one week old today, and she is just perfect. I'm so excited about being an aunt & I can't wait to give her her first Christmas gifts from me! I got to spend 3 hours with her and my sister when she was just 3 days old. She slept on my chest, I got to feed her and even change a diaper. I could have stayed with her for the rest of the day! My sister is a wonderful mom so far and I know she will continue to grow into this new role. She seems completely content with Maddy and I just love seeing her so happy and fulfilled.

LOOK AT THAT FACE!! WHAT'S NOT TO LOVE???
(This pic was taken the day she went home from the hospital.)














On a little bit less joyful note, I was disappointed to learn that I am leaving on Jan 1st for my next assignment. I thought I was leaving on Jan 3rd, so this news threw me a bit. However, I have recovered and am grateful that I have had the entire month of December at home and will be able to celebrate Christmas with my family and New Year's Eve with Kevin.

Neuschwanstein & Munich

I took two day trips this week. On Tuesday (we were off for Veteran's Day), I drove 3 1/2 hours each way to see the most photographed castle in Germany - Neuschwanstein. It's also the castle that the Sleeping Beauty castle at Disney World is modeled after. It was quite nice. We hiked up to Marien Bruke (Mary's Bridge) for a better view of the castle and a nice soundtrack of the small waterfall below. The view from the bridge is definitely one of the best views of the castle. Unfortunately, this side of the castle is currently undergoing a 2 million Euro renovation, and is covered with construction.

I took a picture from the window of the castle. Imagine having this view from the window of your home!

On Saturday, we took a 2 hour train ride into Munich. Munich is so busy - so many people! There was plenty to see, but I thought the two highlights were the Maienplatz (Mary's Square) and the Hofbrauhaus, one of Munich's oldest breweries.

Mary's Square is so named, because there's a gold statue of the Virgin Mary at it's center. On the Square is Munich's Neurathaus (New Town Hall), which houses the famous chiming clock - figures come out and dance around when the clock chimes.

The Hofbrauhaus serves a beer recipe that has been brewed since the 1300's, so of course I had to have some, even though I'm not a beer drinker. This is the most famous beer cellar in the world.

A Glimpse Into My Heart

Several people have asked what I do when I’m at these different locations working. In a nutshell, I'm a Military & Family Life Consultant. We provide "solution-focused consultations". This often means one meeting with an individual or couple, where we are able to teach them a skill or give them some information that is helpful in solving their problem. Sometimes, we see people more than once, even several times. It’s not meant to be ongoing therapy. It’s interesting because what we do is completely confidential, we don’t have to take names, we don’t write notes and we don’t have to report to anyone who we are seeing. This is a big deal in the military because frequently all of their information is available to superiors and others, which causes them to avoid seeking help. We do some other things too, like marketing the program, presentations about various topics, and providing support (by our presence) at events. I’m loving this assignment. It’s my first one like this. During my other two assignments, I worked in the child and youth programs, providing support and consultations there, but this assignment is quite different. I'm liking it so much that I probably won't go back to they child/youth assignments.

The military installation where I’m working is pretty cool too. It’s a “multinational training facility”, which means that it’s used for training not only U.S. troops, but also troops from other countries. I think this is pretty neat that I get to see soldiers from various other countries walking around or eating lunch or working out. I haven't seen any female soldiers from other countries. That just occurred to me. I wonder if they have them.

There are two things that almost always cause me to cry or at least tear up: My feelings of patriotism & those moments when I recognize the grace of God. So, the past few days have been somewhat emotional for me…

On Friday, there was a parade on post followed by a ceremony, celebrating Veteran’s Day. I attended, of course, because it’s part of my job. But, what I didn’t expect was the tears that I experienced when the elementary school choir sang “Thank a Vet”, during which they held up signs that they had made displaying their soldiers’ names, and when they sang the National Anthem and when we all said The Pledge of Allegiance together. The fact that I have the opportunity to work with our military and to function in their context for a while is very exciting for me. I absolutely love working with these people. And to my friends who are service members: Thank you for serving and thanks for the invaluable insights that you've provided me!

And then this morning, I attended the protestant chapel service on post. This is the first time I’ve attended one of their worship services, and I have to admit, I was curious, because I had no idea what to expect. Well, it was great. It was a small congregation, and I had met several of the people who were there during the past week, including a guy who works at the office with me and the chaplain who delivered the message today. I truly enjoyed the service and felt right at home there. Of course, I cried and cried again during the service. It was such a sweet time and reminded me of the smaller churches that I’ve attended. (A note to the Hackman family: We sang the Doxology, so you know that if I wasn’t already crying, I would have started then!)

Regensburg & The Danube

Today, I went to Regensburg, a town on the Danube River, about 30 miles from where I’m staying and working. There have been inhabitants in this city since the 1st Century! Incredible!

I checked out the Stone Bridge, which was built in the 12th Century, and is considered a marvel of Medieval architecture.

The Cathedral of St. Peter was built in the 13th Century and is another amazing structure. I am constantly amazed at the incredible stained glass in these cathedrals, and all of the carving and intricate detail just keeps me in awe. It was interesting that when I walked into this cathedral, it smelled old. I guess one of the things that is exciting to me about this Medieval architecture is that I’ve been reading World Without End, Ken Follet’s more recent follow up to his Pillars of the Earth. Well, for those of you who haven’t read them, the first book is about the building of the cathedral at Kingsbridge, England in the early Middle Ages. The second is about the building of the bridge in the same location a couple hundred years later. It’s so exciting for me to be able to picture these structures, to be able to better visualize what I’m reading because I have seen them. Anyway, this is one area of Germany that has not been destroyed by war since Napoleon, so much of it’s Medieval charm is still evident.

I was excited that the sun was out and skies were clear today. This is only the second time since I’ve been here that it hasn’t been overcast and foggy all day. When I talk to people who live here about it, they say, “That’s November weather.” I guess this is what I have to look forward to. Although I do hope it snows while I’m here, I’m a bit nervous about driving this stick shift car on the curvy, two-lane roads through the mountains. Snow could put a damper on my travel plans!

Traveling Woes...

Well, today has been quite a day. Four of us missed our train this morning, because they changed the track that it was coming on and we didn’t know it. Funny thing is that we were standing on the platform but waiting for the train on the opposite side. So, the train stopped right next to us and then took off and we never knew it. We ended up taking a later train. After I traveled 2½ hours on this train, I had to drag my 4 bags down a flight of stairs and an escalator and onto the subway, for a 20 minute ride to the local airport, where I met the co-worker who will be orienting me for the next two days. I picked up my rental car, which happens to look exactly the same as the car that I had last time I was in Germany – a silver Ford station wagon. There is one difference though. This one has a standard transmission. I had a minor internal freak out when I learned that getting an automatic wasn’t an option, as I haven’t driven a standard in years. But my dad was right. It is like riding a bike. We’ll see what happens in the ice/snow. The town where I’ll be working is an hour drive from the airport. This means that I had a full day of traveling today, arrived at my hotel around 3pm, finally had lunch/dinner and then took a nap. I feel like I dragged that luggage so many places today! But, I feel good about it. Empowered, like I can do anything or get anywhere. I didn't even have to ask anyone about how to get to/on the subway and get myself to the airport today!

I start work tomorrow! The current consultant told me that she has stayed quite busy and has not done much fun stuff on the weekends because she's been tired from working. I’m excited about an assignment where I will feel a bit more useful, so I’m glad about this, but I am hoping to have at least one good weekend trip. I'd like to make it to Munich and maybe to Prague.

Frankfurt

After 7 hours of orientation yesterday, I took a nap and then went to dinner with some of the other consultants, who will be going to various locations. We took the train into downtown Frankfurt and ate at a traditional German restaurant called Adolphe Wagner. The food was so delicious! They were out of the day’s special, Goulash & a salad, which sounded wonderful to me, so I went with good ol’ wiener schnitzel, fried potatoes and salad. It was very good, maybe the best I’ve had. The hotel concierge made the reservation for us and it was definitely worth the train ride and walk. After getting off of the train, we walked about ½ mile, including walking the bridge over the Main River, to the restaurant. It was a cool evening, so the weather was perfect for such a stroll. Plus, I felt a bit better about the dinner I ate, since we did walk a bit. The hostess at the restaurant told us that they had been booked for weeks, so I’m glad we got to experience the place. When we sat down, the waiter offered us a pitcher of apple wine. It was so good! It tasted like a cross between a dry wine and beer.


I'm posting a picture I took at the restaurant. I think this guy at the bar thought I was taking his picture!

Now it’s almost 7am, and I’m preparing to catch an 8am train to Nuremberg this morning. I’m excited about taking the train. I didn’t venture into the train system the last time I was here, because the idea of doing so intimidated me. Well, this time I have no choice. That’s how the company decided to get me down to where I’m going. Hopefully, I will have the courage to take the train to other places once I’m a bit more settled.

I will spend the night in Nuremberg, because I can’t get an ID to get onto the base until Monday. So, I guess I won’t be really settled for a couple more days. On the bright side, I do think that getting out last night and taking that walk has helped to counter the jet lag. I’m feeling pretty good!

Trick or Treat

Well, I made it to Frankfurt, and I’m happy to report that I feel GREAT! This trip was very different from the last one. The 8½ hour flight seemed to go by much more quickly. Of course, the plane wasn’t full and there were no crying babies this time. Also, the donut-shaped neck pillow is incredible. I recommend investing in one of these if you’re taking a long trip where you have to sleep sitting up. That thing definitely helped me sleep comfortably.

While on the plane, I began to read the new book that I bought just for this trip, Ken Follett’s World Without End. I’ve been waiting for it to come out in paperback and so when I saw it, I knew it was the perfect book for this 30 day assignment. It’s a 1000 page book, and I’m already almost 100 pages in. It’s so good. To any readers out there who are looking for a good book: I recommend its prequel, The Pillars of the Earth. I’ll probably be recommending World Without End when I’m finished too.

The first thing I did when I got to the hotel was – get this – go to the gym. That’s right! After about 8 weeks of no exercise, I actually got myself there today. A friend had told me that she finds that getting to the gym as soon as possible helps to reset her internal clock. Other friends told me to just stay awake until 9-10pm (Germany time) to get myself on the different time schedule. I sort of took their advice. I did take a 3 hour nap after the gym, but made myself get up and will stay up till 9 or 10. All I have to say is that I feel so much better right now than I did last time upon arriving here. I think it’s a combination of being able to sleep on the plane and getting the workout. Anyway, after 40 minutes on the elliptical machine, I got on the floor to do some crunches, but while resting after that first set, I almost fell asleep, so I decided crunches were not in the plan for me today. Maybe tomorrow…

Speaking of tomorrow – That’s when my 8 hour orientation happens. I’m not really looking forward to it. What the heck are they going to tell us in 8 hours?? I do know that they are serving breakfast and lunch, so I will be grateful, because the cost of food at this hotel is outrageous. Speaking of food & this hotel: I don’t know how I missed this the last time, but they have a coffee shop in the lobby! Maybe it was closed the last time I was here, or maybe I was just so out of it from the flight that I didn’t see it. Anyway, I was pleased to be able to sit in the lobby with a well-made cappuccino (They do cappuccinos right in Europe!!) and enjoy the ½ hour of free internet that the hotel provides to guests every day. (This is new since the last time I was here too.) I am such a junkie, though. A half hour of internet access flew by for me.

I’m beginning to get more excited about this assignment. I think that a big part of my problem was that I was not looking forward to the jet lag. Last time, I had it for the whole first week I was here and then I was sick while I was here and when I got home. I'm hoping that doesn't happen again. I'll keep you posted.

Monday Mayhem

Today, I stood in line at the court house for 4 1/2 hours, so that I could vote early. Can you believe it? I still cannot believe it took that long! I am so glad that's over. I guess that was a small price to pay to exercise my right to vote.


As you probably guessed, I voted early because I will be in Germany on 11/4. I leave on Thursday - 2 1/2 short days from now. I'm a little bit more excited that I was last week, especially since I found out where I will be going. I'll be in Hohenfels for 30 days. Hohenfels is in the eastern part of the country, 1 1/2 hours north of Munich. I'm excited about going to a different part of Germany. I also learned that I'll be staying in the hotel on the Army base where I'll be working. A little bit disappointed about that, but I'm sure it will have it's benefits too.



On a different note, we had a great time at Fara's shower on Saturday. So many wonderful friends and family members drove a distance to show up and gift Fara! I was pleased with the party. I have to post at least one picture but will spare you and not post all 75 that were taken. The darling gifts have only caused me to feel more excited about my soon-to-be-born niece or nephew. The baby is due just 2 days after I get back from Germany. I'm hoping he or she doesn't decide to enter this world early. I'm sure Fara would disagree with me on that ;)

And, since this is my blog, I had to post the pic of Fara holding up the bear I brought the baby from Luxembourg (notice the Luxembourg flag on it's scarf).