Germany Update

Not too much has happened here since the first Germany post...we aren't close to finding a house. Finally on Friday Leevi was able to meet with housing only for them to tell us that nothing was available for a field grade officer. He did convince them to give him a key to look at the ONE apartment that was vacant and he'd have to pull some strings if we really, really wanted to live there. We looked and it was what we expected...small, small, small. The on-post housing on Heidelberg is stairwell flats for all ranks enlisted and officer up to 05...about 1000 sq ft total! Ughh!!! We've been told that we need to live off post...it has it's pros and cons. Pros: bigger place, living surrounded by the German culture Cons: Most places require 2-3 months rent deposit (PLUS your 1st months rent), hard to find a place that allows dogs. We are going to a briefing on Monday for off-post living and then after the meeting we can look at a computer at listings and then a military agent drives us around to take a look. We'll see...we think we still have the option of living on the military Mannheim post and those houses are duplexes (3 stories...basement, living area/kitchen, and 4 bedrooms upstairs AND a carport) Huge difference...still relatively small but it doesn't have me breathing in a paper bag! So, we'll see....

We did get cell phones this weekend! iphones at that for only 2 euros! Still trying to figure out our calling features....plans are horrible here!!!! I've added the international calling feature to my line, but I can only call out and people not in Germany can't call in. Since it's an iphone we are hoping to find something that we can call or text with over the internet. Once we find a house we think our house phone will be something like Vonage with an American phone number.

Both girls are sick...horrible coughs and runny noses (probably from the plane and crazy sleep adjusting) Leevi and I are pounding green tea to hopefully avoid it...every morning I wake up thinking my throat is sore, but hopefully my body keeps fighting. This is a picture from Hailey yesterday....she was just lifeless...she napped from 10-12:30pm and then from 2:30-8:30pm! And this 2nd nap was in the room with all of us around talking and Kailee poking her every now and then....poor thing. But good news is that she woke up pretty refreshed and today seemed a lot better, so hopefully it's short lived because now Kailee has it too...today Kai was just a zombie!
Since we think we are going to be in lodging for awhile, I went to the commissary and stocked up on microwave meals and snacks for the girls. I'll be sick if I eat another french fry! The accommodations here are definitely liveable. We have two bedrooms, two bathrooms, two tall small fridges, free laundry down the hall, playground, library, shopette, bowling alley, putt-putt golf, two restaurants, and a coffee shop just outside our door!

Most of the dairy items are packaged in Europe and Hailey has stuck her nose up to most of the same staple things she'd eat back home...surprise, surprise...although neither of them are eating anything at all with this cold. Kailee wouldn't even eat a popsicle!!!!

One of the ways Kailee keeps herself busy!!! She loves stuffing this safe with various random things...

So happy yesterday....so miserable today!!! Here she was waddling around with this cat...sometimes it would fall down and other times she would intentionally squat and drop it out! :)

The weather has finally warmed up since the first days we were here (I got panicky because the only cold weather clothes I had for the girls were the ones we used on the plane ride!) Apparently it's pretty back and forth though...hopefully we've brought the Hawaiian sun to stay for awhile. Sunset this time of year isn't until 9:30pm!!! After Hailey got up from her all day nap, she and I took Leila for a walk. I had my sunglasses on at 9:00 at night! It was perfect out! This picture below is what is offered for the next step up above the stairwell flats for 06 officers...don't understand how in the world they can go from a 1000 sq ft apt to this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was drooling!!!!!!!!! Especially because there isn't anything like this even in Hawaii....one day!!!! This picture is a little blurry because I took it really fast before someone inquired why I was walking around the neighborhood with my camera! :) I did see one of the houses that was vacant...I asked Leevi "how can they say they have nothing to offer us?"

The bunnies were out last night....Hailey was in heaven!!!!! No wild bunnies in Hawaii!

The Lemon Lot is very close by too...we usually wander (stalk) the area for cars when we take Leila out. I don't know when our car is going to get here, but its not anytime soon. The public transportation is amazing here (and we've only used the military side of it so far), so the immediate rush for a second car isn't there, but hopefully we can get something for a few thousand to hold us over. Leevi's been eyeing this BMW wagon...I'm not sure I'm sold on it though!!! I feel like I'll look like a European nanny driving around! :)