Dec 25, 2014

Hyrum was sick. :( he didn't do much except lay around. He played some and was able to enjoy his toys, but he mostly rested. Poor guy.

Dec 26, 2014

Hyrum has a wild hair. It is SO him! But they are getting awfully wild so we'll have to trim or cut his hair. I hope his hair stays wavy/curly. I LOVE them!

Day 27: November 26, 2014

Today is Eric's birthday. 6 years ago today, Eric and I were new friends. Since he was away from home and so far from AZ, I took him out for his birthday. I told him we're going past BK, so he thought we were going to BK. I only gave him clues and eventually took him to our small town's Mexican restaurant. Eric said he missed Mexican food. But there's nothing in KS that's as good as real Mexican food. But I took him there. We communicated a lot through text, but we were still trying to figure out how to talk verbally. Eric was still trying to learn how I talk and how to move his lips.  We went to the Tuttle Creek dam, but it was so cold we decided to go to the mall and the library.  I gave Eric Harry Potter 1 book for his birthday because he never read it and I was a Harry Potter geek. I still am. We started to date about a week later. We have had Thanksgiving every single year (some of them late, but never more than a week late) since the year we met. Eric has been to my house for Thanksgiving haha. Then in 2009, I went to Arizona when he came home for R&R. Then in 2010, we had Thanksgiving together and made our first Turkey and made them for the missionaries. Then in 2011,  Thanksgiving in Colorado. Then in 2012, Thanksgiving a few days after,  about two days after he came home, in CO. In 2013 and this year in CO as well.


Anyways you get my point! In a way, Thanksgiving is our favorite holiday.

Today we celebrated Eric's birthday by going to Hubachi and then to the movies. Hyrum enjoyed it so much. I think he thinks it's his birthday.

Oh yeah and Hyrum climbed onto my lap and fell asleep on me. It RARELY happens! And after 3 long days, Eric finally turned in all his equipment. On Monday we will be officially done with Fort Carson and be able to PCS to Germany. We still have a few last minutes stuff to do like ship our unaccompanied luggage, buy Tigger traveling luggage, ship our car, and get him health inspection.  But other than that, we are ready. We are going home to KS. This is my first Christmas at home since I got married. My parents have never spent their Christmas with their grandkids so it's an exciting time. Until then,  adieu!

Day 25: New recipe

Alton Brown's Crepes

Ingredients
2 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1 cup flour  (I do half whole wheat and half white flour)
3 tablespoons melted butter
Butter, for coating the pan
Directions
In a blender, combine all of the ingredients and pulse for 10 seconds. Place the crepe batter in the refrigerator for 1 hour. This allows the bubbles to subside so the crepes will be less likely to tear during cooking. The batter will keep for up to 48 hours.

Heat a small non-stick pan. Add butter to coat. Pour 1 ounce of batter into the center of the pan and swirl to spread evenly. Cook for 30 seconds and flip. Cook for another 10 seconds and remove to the cutting board. Lay them out flat so they can cool. Continue until all batter is gone. After they have cooled you can stack them and store in sealable plastic bags in the refrigerator for several days or in the freezer for up to two months. When using frozen crepes, thaw on a rack before gently peeling apart.

*Savory Variation Add 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs, spinach or sun-dried tomatoes to the egg mixture.

*Sweet Variation Add 21/2 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 2 tablespoons of your favorite liqueur to the egg mixture.

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/crepes-recipe.html?oc=linkback


**** Note: Sometimes I added a little cinnamon and sometimes orange extract/peel. 

Oh my what a busy and a little horrible 5 months since we found out we were moving to Germany. Not only did the Army messed up Eric's plan to go to Ranger school, we had a horrible, bossy, pushy landlord and then we had no place to live. It's a very long story.

 We are back in Colorado, trying to out process. We quickly learned Fort Carson has a lot of rules and things have to be done in a certain way. Then we have workers who don't know what they are doing. No offense to on post civilian workers, but I'm so tired of dealing with them.

On side note, we have also become a Doctor Who fan. :)

Third time's a charm

Okay....it's going to be a long story and then I will TRY to start daily blog posts and pictures.

Last summer, well, Spring of 2013, we went home to Kansas and there spent time with my parents. Somehow we got into conversation into overseas moving. Eric and I want to move overseas. My dad was strongly encouraging us to ask for Germany and to basically carpe diem. As far as we know, a lot of bases are closing down in Germany. It seemed like a hopeless situation to be able to move to Germany, but we would try.

Then October 2013 finally came. We requested Germany and immediately was told there wasn't anything for us. After much thinking, we felt impressed to try to get out of the Army. We had a whole year to get ready.

Then....we tried to get ready to get out. I wasn't ready for it. Neither was Eric. There was so much to do! The worst part is Eric tried to get education the last 4 years, but training and deployment took a lot of time. And the Army isn't that supportive about him getting an education as they like to say haha. We are realizing more and more that a lot of places require a college degree. So we got to thinking about staying in the Army and focusing on getting education...somehow.

Then April rolled around. We visited a friend and talked to them. We found out they were stationed at Germany. After hearing their stories, my heart yearned for Germany.

I grew up hearing my mom and dad talk fondly of Germany. To them, it was the greatest adventure (probably after parenting, though). They LOVED living in Germany. It was truly their best 4 years. My family has a very strong German tie. After all, my mom's original maiden name is Koerber. So I have always wanted to go to Germany.

Then in 2009, I had to stay behind since I had school and absolutely no money when I watched my sister go to Germany and she took my parents with them. Then they came back with even more German stories. Just seeing them recall Germany with fondness is enough to make my heart explode.Not in a jealous way, just a deep yearning.

So when we left the friend's house, I told Eric, "Let's ask one more time." He agreed and said he wanted Germany badly too. Then there was silence as we looked ahead sadly, thinking we will never get Germany. But we had to try....just in case. So that's what we did.

After a while, he told me he put in request for Germany. I nodded and said, "Okay." I didn't think we would get it, but I was still hopeful. That was in late April.

After two long weeks, Eric came home, gave Hyrum a hug and then looked at me. He said, "Well....we got slots for Germany!" I was about to say, "Really??? But...." because he didn't say "We GOT Germany." He said that my EFMP has to go through first. I got really worried. I know a lot of people with deafness didn't get to go to Germany.

A week later, I got the answer from Eric.

We didn't get Germany.

I was so heartbroken. I really was. I'll admit I cried a little. I was hating myself, my deafness, and was just so heartbroken. Then Eric came home and said it wasn't all hopeless like he thought. He had explained that the EFMP looked at my expiration date and said it needed to be updated. Mine expires in April 2015. So we can give up and try for Fort Benning, Georgia or we can go ahead and try to update my EFMP.

Here's the problem: the slots are only available until someone snatches it. So we had to hurry. And here's another problem. Fort Carson Evans Hospital is the WORST Army hospital I have ever been to. I HATE it there!!!! It's a disaster.

We tried booking same day appointment. We tried talking to many different people. I booked an appointment three weeks later just in case. During this 3 weeks, we fought to get an appointment sooner. By the time my appointment was coming up, we had no choice but wait a few days. I am working on it, but I'm still so mad they are incompetent, so uneducated, and don't know how to do their job! We received 10 different information and we demanded to be seen sooner. We tried calling through the phone and we tried booking appointment online. I have to say getting up at 6 am, waiting for a LONG time for someone to answer, only to be told to call another line at 9, and then calling that line, only to be told they can't do anything was the worst. Ahh that was the most frustrating month! It just made me hate Evans even more. I  miss my Fort Riley where they were amazing.

So I saw my PCM. He worked with me and then he said he'll have it ready on Tuesday. It was Memorial Day weekend. On Tuesday, he had it ready and then Eric submitted it to EFMP. He told them he was in a hurry and this time, someone FINALLY listened. This person put a note that we are trying to get Germany.

A week later, we were told my EFMP was updated. So we waited.

After we submitted my EFMP on May 26, a week later we submitted the request again (since the other one was no longer available), it wasn't until June 18 we got the news....by then Eric and I were ready to give up and just ask for Georgia haha. We waited for THREE weeks to hear the news! And we started it in April. It had been almost 2 months of nightmare.

Eric surprised me and came home about an hour before lunchtime started. Hyrum ran to him so he went ahead and picked him up. While holding Hyrum, he handed me a small piece of paper.

I looked at him confused and looked at it.

Nothing was making sense.

Until I read "Camp Vilseck."

I knew it was a place in Germany. I looked at him and said, "We got Germany?????"

He smiled and said yes.

I screamed, then said, "Are you sure? Absolutely sure? Nothing else we have to do????" He kept saying yes, yes, yes I'm sure, etc.

I don't think anyone was more surprised than I was. Partly because I'm deaf and I thought they wouldn't allow it. And how many people get to move to Germany????

I'm so thrilled. So thankful. So excited!!!!!!!

Two weeks later and I'm still in shock. We will get to move to Germany for SIX years! YES!


We report to Vilseck, Germany in early 2015. We are so thrilled and grateful for this opportunities, and for prayers.

We went to Arizona and it was a very very very busy week after we got back from AZ. I took pics with the phone, so I will try to catch up......and see if I can remember day to day events haha! I'll try catching up sometime tomorrow if we have time. Or tonight...

Day 24: June 8, 2014

Today was a good Sabbath day. 

We woke up around 7-8, and today was Stake Conference. But we never checked the time and we still had to get the kids ready and get ready for church. But since we have been going to church at 1, we are not used to it. :/ We have a lot to work on on Sundays. 

I  made some blueberry muffins and then we had a late brunch. Then naptime. Then I woke up and started to pack for our trip to Arizona. Then made some yummy Chicken and Gnocchi soup. I have started to collect great recipes of soup. :) We have been having some rain on and off all day, so it was a good day to have some soup. There was a moment of severe Tornado warning, but it didn't last long. The whole people of Colorado is worried about the storm, but to me this is so normal. I would take a good rain over snow any day!

After dinner, we went for a walk/bike riding. Eric rode his bike with Hyrum in the back and I walked with Anna in the jogging stroller. When we started, it was cool and nice. But towards the end, it got REALLY windy. Anna was trying to breathe and smile at the same time. She didn't cry and was such a trooper. So we ended up trying to get home.

After, we had some ice cream. Every Sunday we have some dessert. Today we had some chocolate ice cream with Reeses Peanut Butter Cups and nuts. Yum!!!!

After dinner, we try to do family prayer and scripture study. I also give Hyrum some milk, in hope that he would drink his milk and stay calm....tonight he was pretty calm. But when he has his milk, and when we're about to pray, oftentimes he folds his arms over the milk, like in the picture below haha. :) Enjoy the pictures!!!!

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Day 23: June 7th

Today was a busy, busy, busy day!!! This morning we cleaned the chapel, then went to McDonald's. Growing up, I hated cleaning the church, but it was always a good feeling knowing you helped clean the church, and at the same time eating McDonald's for breakfast. I really do not like McDonald's, but I LOVE their breakfast foods. So I was excited to pass the tradition to my kids. It was also a tradition to stop at McDonald's for breakfast on the first day of vacation.  And to stop at Denny's for dinner.

Today, Eric told me when he took Anna in her carseat (he is a gentleman and decided to carry the carseat around so I can just focus on cleaning without lugging her around) and went into the other room, Hyrum decided he wanted to be with Eric. Eric said that a cute little girl who will be 2 in July and who loves babies noticed Anna and came to see her. Hyrum saw her and I guess he got protective so he went to her and pushed her aside. I have never seen Hyrum so protective so this surprised me. I guess, as I quote my mom, "Anna really belongs to Hyrum now!" I hope that means he will take care of her and protect her. And that they will have a special bond. 

Then we went to get Hyrum a haircut. I have been debating whether to take him to get a haircut or not.  I LOVE his wild, crazy long hair. Not really long, but just not like military cut. 😜

Hyrum hated it. We went to a special place designed to cut hair for little kids called Kiddie Kutter. We tried lollipop, movie in a Netflix, having him try the driving the car, toys, etc. But he still hated it and moved around. Eventually we managed to cut his hair without killing anyone. The hairstylist DID cut her hand while trying to trim Hyrum's hair. Oops!

Then it was naptime and pedicure for me! Then we went to Sam's Club and decided to try their tire replacement. Eric (unknown to me ) asked Midas last year for the most expensive tires. We used the tires to go to Maryland and back.  Eric checked the tires often and they were still in excellent shape. I don't know if it matters what tires you get, but we were impressed the tires lasted a long time.  So we're trying an experiment to see if my Dad's theory is true ;) 

We had a good dinner at Sam's club. Today about 5 people have complimented me about Anna and Hyrum, about how beautiful/cute they are. 

Oh and another thing happened. After a few months of thinking, and researching as well as talking to friends, I have decided to pierce Anna's ears.  The most compelling reason was, surprisingly,  I have found a lot of people had problems when they were older. More infections. Either they were lazy, messed with the earrings a lot- usually a kid or someone older like in HS. If it's not messing, they dealt with ear lobe infection a lot. 

Along with that, my thinking was why is it okay to wear bracelet, necklace, etc but not earrings? If it has something to do with holes, I don't think it's a very compelling argument. I find it ironic while vaccination is medically necessary,  it still causes pain. While circumcision happens,  it's still not as major as circumcision. And on and on. 

And I know in Eric's family it's a tradition to do it on babies. But on my side, we wait until 16. We have told both side we'd wait, and both have not pressured us one way or the other. But I have decided to honor both traditions by allowing Anna to get her ears pierced, but she will only wear simple earrings until 16. She will not wear dangles or loop- only a very simple earring. And she won't wear makeup until 16. I feel it's a good compromise for both sides.  

So that's what is going to happen. Anyways, enjoy a few "phone photos." 

Anna's 3 month photoshoot from Twig and Fig photography

The theme was Vintage style. I think I will stick to vintage style outfit and photoshoot for the rest of her 1st year photoshoots.