We did have one pretty exciting event happen over the 4-day, however...
This perfect baby boy was born!
Our good friends Jae & Stacey welcomed their beautiful son into this world just the day before this picture was taken! Now, I have seen so many babies...but I am telling you, this is the most perfect little man I have ever held! And as a side note, I could have held him forever. Jason and I left the hospital not wanting a baby, but wanting that baby. :) Such an angel! They are the most adorable family of all time, and Jason and I could NOT be happier for them. Such a perfect gift and blessing.
Jason had an extremely busy work week coming off the long weekend, so I decided we'd try something new. He would be getting home late from work most nights, so I drove him to work in the mornings in order to have the car during the day. It's a little more driving then I'm used to (if you could come see just how far our tiny parking spot is from our house, you would understand!), but it ended up working great. I was able to get groceries, run errands, and most importantly get back into working out! Granted this is the only Army post gym I've ever been inside of, but I was pretty impressed. I'm SO excited to get back in that routine. My friend Heather and I started going together (even though she is going home this week for quite a while, too), it was so nice to have someone to go with for the time being! I'm still driving to Jason to work this week (so far, but it's only Monday ha), so I can work out with him at the end of the day. We'll see how long it takes me to get entirely sick of driving to and from post 3 times a day. :)
Another thing I took up last week was cooking more. It's just time to take on more responsibilities especially while I'm not working a real job! (Plus part of my Lent commitment this year is being a better, more thoughtful wife. I like the approach of not necessarily giving something up, but vowing to do more of something or something better.) I was so spoiled when I first moved over here - Jason cooked probably 5 out of 7 nights. I was so intimidated, and still am, but I'm getting less afraid to make mistakes and just trying out new things. The crock pot has been a freaking savior to us! I've made some pretty delicious meals in there so far...but my best meal last week was a copycat recipe of Alice Springs Chicken from Outback (grilled chicken, sauteed mushrooms, bacon, and cheese). It's so yummy! Especially the homemade honey mustard. I also made an orange chicken and rice dish, Butterfinger pie, and all kinds of typical breakfast stuff - eggs, bacon (my first time!), chocolate chip pancakes, etc. etc. I'm no top chef, but I have to admit - I run a mean microwave and crock pot a few nights a week.
This past weekend was a little more eventful. Friday, we had a "hail & farewell" dinner for several guys in Jason's unit. It's basically welcoming in the new guys and saying bye to the old ones. I wasn't feeling so hot all day long, so I only made it through dinner, while the rest of the boys went out afterwards. Luckily, Jason takes good care of me and came home early to make sure I was doing okay. I lucked out. I married an absolute stud.
Saturday was our big, one-month-early, St. Patrick's Day party at Jason's friend, Mike's, house. It did not disappoint. I'll consider it my warm-up for the real thing in Savannah in just a few weeks! Here's a pic of the group from the party:
Then to finish out the weekend, last night we had a dinner date with our friends Abram & Nena, who are getting married next month! I'm so happy Jason and I will both be here for the wedding. They are the cutest little American/German couple ever! We went to a restaurant Jason and I had never been to before. It's an Italian place right inside St. Michael's up on the hill. By the way, they have the best tiramisu in the world! Seriously. It was such a fun night.
We are so blessed with such great friends halfway across the world from all our best friends we've known for years and years. It's definitely a comforting feeling. They help make this home.
And as far as this week goes, well it's insanely bittersweet for me honestly. I am SO excited to be flying back stateside for the first time since November. But I am so incredibly sad about leaving Jason in Germany. Granted, he's going to be away training the entire time I am in the States (which is the only reason I am coming home), it just feels so weird leaving him behind at the airport. We only did that when I didn't live here! In the big picture, though, I know 3 weeks is nothing. I'll be back in Deutschland before I even know it. I guess I'm just that annoying girl still madly in love with her partner long after the newlywed phase has been conquered. (And let me just say, I know you are "newlyweds" for the first year - but you have to get a lot more comfortable a lot faster with one another when you move across the ocean together.) I can't wait to see his face in the Nuremberg airport at the end of the month. And then just 2 weeks after I fly back, we'll be turning right around and heading back to Knoxville for 10 days for his pre-deployment block leave. You probably think I am crazy for taking those trips so close to each other. And you're probably right. But we both agreed I wouldn't just stay in the States those 2 weeks, because it'd be 2 more weeks we'd have to spend apart. And we are pretty non-budging on time we can spend together...
So that's it! The boring stuff we've been up to lately. Just living really normal 20-something lives. I think everyone expects us to be doing all these cool things 100% of the time, and the good news is, you don't have to be jealous - we really don't! We do get to do a lot of cool things when time allows, but our weekdays are just like yours. He goes to work, and I am a housewife buried in laundry and dishes and running errands. The only difference is, when I leave the house I'm looking at thousand year old buildings and not understanding one word that's being spoken around me. I am reminded on a daily basis of this blessed life I am leading. I keep thinking one day I'll wake up in Knoxville and realize it was all a dream...
See you in FOUR DAYS people!!!!
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