Surreal Reality.

Bryce and I have a little over 30 days until our life heads to a new chapter. In the past two weeks we have received my passport as well as booked our flights. We leave DIA at 8:30 am on August 7th. Wow. It seems real as I hold our flight schedule in my hands. On top of that amazing news, we will be vacating our apartment on August 1st. That leaves 6 nights left to see our family and friends. Wow. Our biggest problem as of this moment is our pets. What are we going to do? Well, Bubba, my turtle, Emily and Cholitha, the kitties, will be moving in with my mother. I am sad that we can't have them with us in Europe, but I know that they will enjoy the life of living in a big house. They will have fun. The pups, will be going with, will have to catch their own flight out, as our MAC flight from Baltimore to Germany is booked pet-wise. That is alright, though because United has many flights a month that are non-stop from DIA to Frankfurt, so my mom will be able to ship them out to us. It will definitely be weird not having them with us, but it may help when it comes to settling in. It will give us time to get accustomed before we have have to customize them to the time change and new place. Now, the list shows packing and preparing for the move as #1. Bryce and I are slowly getting all of our clothes freshly laundered before we pack 'um up. However, I am having the hardest time deciding what attire may be needed in Germany from August through September. It looks as though we will get our shipment in mid-September to the end of the month. Surprisingly, I will have a lot of space, about 150 lbs of luggage space not to count my " personal carry on." I should be set. Well, as thing progress into madness I will keep you posted on this adventure of our first PCS.

Less then 60!

Wow! I can't believe that I have less then 60 days left. Wow... There is just so much to do in the remaining time. I put in for my official passport a month ago, so hopefully in the next two weeks we get it back so we can book our flights. Which would help me plan the remaining of my summer...Haha! This move has thrown us a curve ball, the bank that our car loan is through said we were able to take our vehicle to Germany then when Bryce called to get the paperwork and they said no... Joy. Now we are in the situation of having to sell three vehicles. Fun Fun... We still have to get our tourist passports in as well as get the dogs micro-chipped       and kennels to travel. It is crunch time. If we don't start getting things done, when we are able to book our flights we will be over stressed. GaH!! On a positive we did receive our orders in May, so I am clear to go! Yay.

The clock will continue to tick.....

Things are slowly becoming more prominent in the journey to Germany. Lately we have been checking things off the "Do before we leave" list. our countdown in now at 85 days to report date. Wow. We receive his orders next week, the ones with my name included. I turned in my passport application, the one that will get me to the base. Now, all we have to do is sit and wait until it comes back.
  I have begun to look around and think about growing up here in Colorado Springs, I had always wanted to marry into the military, see something new.  Well, I knew it was a way to become comfortable with change. I never in a million years knew that I would and I would actually have to force myself into. I hate change... the slightest change to certain aspects of my life will just throw me off, not stuff like they discontinued my favorite Starbucks drink sort of things. I realize that in the years I talked with my best friend about wanting to leave CO and move somewhere new, somewhere different, That I have actually created a completely comfortable cave like life here in the Springs. I am terrified of having to say good-bye and begin to place roots elsewhere. The thing is that I know that I have to allow God to decide on where and how my family will grow. I know that what ever happens will be for the best. The question I face is " Have I gone too far to find sanctity in my dreams? Should Bryce and I have started with a simple move across a few states before completely diving into a new country?" I am nervous that once I arrive I wont actually reach out to find friends, I won't want to try to meet people. I am trying so hard to learn about all the family member opportunities on base so I won't have an excuse to not try but, will I go? I look at the time that is left here in the good 'ol USA, there is not much. We have to BE THERE in 85 days, which mean we could leave in 75 or 80. Wow, that is less then 3 months. If it was up to me I would stay until 4 days prior. That is not up to me. That is up to a man in Family Travel. A man that does not care if my best friend is getting married on the 3rd of August, a man that does not care that my birthday is the 5th of August, a man that does not care that my Grandmother would like to attend a family reunion at the end of July, a man that does not care when my Parent-in laws plan to return from vacation. He holds the unknown. His job... to get us there when the time is convenient for the Army. Will I be ok with that? I guess I don't have a choice. It is not that man's fault, how would he be getting anything done if he worked around everything that everyone wanted? I begin to teeter thoughts in my mind, how much will I miss in three years? Will my friends remember me, are they still  going to talk to me? What can change while I am gone? What will they miss? All I can do is thank God for the amazing people in my life her in Colorado Springs and pray that they, and me, will forever hold each to our friendship.
I guess that it is time for me to branch out, to truly become me. The U.S. Army has become my family, everyone learns to depend on each other, because only then we will make it through alive.
  I have begun to pick back up the amazing German language. The Army has provide an amazing learning program online, it is free and I can learn many languages. It might help to take a few units in each as Bryce and I want to travel. I actually remember a decent amount considering. The program is directed toward tourists, with important saying you should know. The challenge I believe in this situation will be getting Bryce to start taking it, I think he believes that I will be his translator. Nope, not going to happen. Haha. I defiantly will needing flash cards... The one I am struggling with is " das Amerikanische Konsulat" It is the american consulate, pronounced das Ameri-kaan-ish-a Con-sue-lot. Now try to say it 10x fast... haha.. Luckily, I had a teacher who taught us how to build sentences correctly.
  Well, that is all for today, I have to head back to the grindstone on this learning, and retaining, German thing...Tschuss!

Lets get this ball rolling!!!

Wow! We have 91 days until our report date in Wiesbaden, Deutschland! Yay! I have completed my EFMP appointment last week, which means that I am going to have my NAME on Bryce's orders! Let's see him try to leave me behind now?! Haha, joking! The next step in our extraordinary long process is a OFFICIAL passport for me. I could wait until I have a appointment on June 5th, for a free photo, then wait till possibly July to receive my passport and then have one month to book flights, with the thought we might not get a good one with our pups.I was thinking, however, I can pay for one now and get it about 3 weeks sooner. That would opt better for us, especially since we will be busy in July shipping out our car and household goods.  Wow. that leaves about 3 months left to figure out everything. This seems like it is not yet a reality, but I know it is because as we complete all these things I become frustrated and anxious that nothing will go right and something will go wrong. I think that Bryce is on the fence about this whole Germany thing, still. He doesn't want to have to leave all of his BOY TOYS behind. That is ok, I think that everything will be more worth it once we have our feet on German soil. I am still completely thrilled about going, but I sometimes have trouble fathoming that thought of having to create a new life and say good bye to this one. Wait! What am I saying... I refuse to say GOOD- BYE. I will only let myself to look at this as a "See Ya Lata" event. I know what your thinking, it will be like a move while your a child. You know, the kind where you best friend moves to Kentucky or something like that and she keeps in touch for like a month and then its as though you never knew each other. I refuse to let myself do that. It will be a fight, but I WILL keep in touch with my closest and dearest friends. I have to. Well that is it for now!

Realization has not quite set in

Slowly things are coming to a checkpoint. our countdown for Germany is now at 119 days. That is barely 17 weeks. Wow!! Bryce and I have been still slowly been preparing ourselves for this move. We still have to do our EFMP appointment and passports. That is our plan for next week. Until we leave we are trying to live it up with fun and travel with the family. This week we are in spending time in Moab and Grand Junction with his family. The cold windy weather has seemed to follow us out to Moab. However, the trails on the atvs are fun, sandy and beautiful. It is very red though and amazing, definitely one of God's best works. Bryce had a amazing hunting trip planed for this week, but do to the rains and tornados down in Texas, it was cancelled because of flooding. We have a few more trips that we want to do before we take off in August. Hopefully things will continue to drag a bit. My family is still sliding by with the death of my granddaddy. We have made it through our first major holiday, Easter. It was a harsh realization of how he was gone, but he is in a better place. I am still feeling a little bad about leaving this year, and I just continue to tell myself I can't stay for comfort and push my dreams off as though they hold nothing. I know Germany will be well worth it.i think it will give me a chance to figure out exactly who I am, I won't have anyone, but Bryce to depend on. I think that is a good thing. We can make our marriage stronger.bryce is still not thrilled about going. He has to leave behind the things he loves, his camper, atv and hunting. I know it will be hard to go from being a extreme outdoor life to having to experience it in a different way. I think it will be fun to have to find a different way to satisfy our need for the adventure. I am looking forward to all the traveling and history that Europe holds, and on top of that we are extremely close to my brother- in law, sister- in law and nephew. So it won't be as we are completely alone. We will be able to visit decently often; plane tickets through Europe are extremely affordable. I will however miss the open, beautiful landscapes of the good 'ol USA.

Days go by quicker.

Well, the Countdown is now at about 139 days. Wow. It is coming all too quick. I still need to do my EFMP appointment so I can get on Bryce's orders. The weeks are few. Only about 19 left. I am so excited to live in Germany, even if we are on a base, but it will definitely be rough leaving Colorado Springs. I have always hoped to leave and see somewhere new, I can't believe it will be a different country. With The end of February being a rocky time with the passing of one of the greatest man, my grandfather, everything seems to be in a fuzzy blur. I know that I can't leave my dreams and my future in hindsight just so I don't have to fear missing a beat around here. Things will be different, but I think it will be a good thing to get away from the normal, and truly find out who I am. Anyways, I have been looking at housing, I think as long as we get an apt with a balcony we will be fine. How big are they though?! We really need to e- mail our sponsor. Well, until we check more of our list. Good-bye for now.

Only time will tell!

Here we go. The countdown is now at about 153 days. Wow. We have been slowly prepping for our BIG move in 5 months. We have attended the Levy briefing as well as a interduction to Germany and Overseas class. So much info, but I am still super excited . Bryce is starting to really look forward to the move. I think that the fact Europe is big on airsofting is getting him to that point. I have slowly been working on picking up Deutsch, however I need to start digging in deep. We have found out that we are only able to bring 2 pets. So the cats will be be living with my mom. They will enjoy living in a house where the can run around and cause mischief. Once I have been through my EFMP appointment I will be placed on Bryce's orders, and then we head to passports. This is going to be a very interesting move. We have to leave at least half of our appliances do to the possibility that our housing won't have the adjustment to 110. That is ok. It gives us more leeway with our weight allowance. Well, only time can tell how the adventure is to unfold. All I know is that this summer will have to be the one to remember as we might not be home for 3 years. Wow.