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! :)
I was out walking Leila so I didn't know about this and didn't see this adorable picture until I uploaded pics to the computer this morning! :) 
And yes, Kailee is still afraid of those fake finger bugs. She will go to the toy closet and see one laying on the shelf and scream "a bug a bug!" or if one is left lying on the floor she won't pass by that area and call for help! :) Of course I won't let Hailey tease her with the bugs, but if I do it....
An early start to a Sunday morning...
The monkey showing off for her Uncle...my brother was able to fly in from LA for a quick weekend before we moved
And these are from the hotel this week...
We go to this park every afternoon. Poor Kailee was still so sick in this picture (but the girls were driving me batty in the hotel room!) We went out for a bit and Kailee was so lifeless. The poor thing didn't crack a smile for 3 days!!!!!!! I think the antibiotics have finally kicked in and she has had moments of being herself...she's been so crabby and irritable, but Leevi and I know how she feels because we both have the same cold too (headache, sore throat, runny nose, cough) and Kailee got an ear infection and has had a fever on top of all that. She woke up grumpy from her nap yesterday and snapped at Hailey. Hailey said to her, "Kailee, we are sisters. We are supposed to love each other, remember?!" awwwww! 
With the lack of toys in the hotel, the girls make do with what they have! :) Here Hailey is pretending to lick water out of the bowl. 
Hailey tried to get Leila to go inside too, but Leila looked at her like she was out of her ever lovin mind!!! :) We probably couldn't even get her to go in there for a treat! 
The finger bugs she bought with the tickets she won from the games...Kailee is scared of them! If she wasn't sick, I'd tease her and record it but I'm not that mean!!
Pretty neat Putt-Putt course (and it was only $7 for all of us!)...it was so nice to have it to ourselves! (And I should add that the bowling was only $6!)
And a video of bowling and putt-putt...
Thankfully, after holding the washcloth for about 5 minutes, she was fine. She didn't complain about it at all for the rest of the day until I gave her a wipie to clean her face after dinner...guess the alcohol burned! Hopefully she learned her lesson and one day when she's old enough to watch A Christmas Story she can add her sympathy story! :) 
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! :) 
Crashed out at KoOlina...Leevi and I were up packing until after midnight and had to get up at 3:15am for our 6:30am flight! 
She slept most of the 4 hr layover in San Fransisco...here we were hanging with Leila in the dog relief area at the airport!
The girls were ridiculous...Kailee slept about 7 hours and Hailey about 8-9 hrs of the second flight (They slept great on the 1st flight too). We had even landed and Hailey was still asleep. Leevi finally said, "We're in Germany!" and she popped her head up!
They loved the moving walkways...
How cute are they?!
Waiting for Leevi to find out how to get all of our stuff from the airport across the street to the hotel...8 checked bags, 8 carry ons, 4 people, 1 dog plus crate, 2 carseats and a double stroller!
We stayed the night at the Sheraton and then took a tour bus the next morning to Heidelberg
All of the junk (tried to get airport signs in background) The girls fell asleep in the hotel that morning and stay asleep for the 1 1/2 bus ride to Heidelberg...perfect!!!
O....M....G Hailey is in heaven!!!! This is right out the door of our lodging on Heidelberg!
"Look Ma...no hands! "
The three girls crashed out...I should be sleeping instead of blogging....they went to bed before 6pm....bet I'll be regretting this later!
Can't believe we finally had to say goodbye to the Stampfers (not goodbye...until we meet again!!) These two have been together since birth...in the weeks leading up to our departure, Hailey told Colin that they are going to get married at KoOlina (like the Japanese weddings at the lagoons!) If they do, we'll have a ridiculous wedding video montage! 
The girls loved these fish at the entrance to the hotel
A vacation breakfast of champions! Anyone else have the urge to eat a chocolate donut like that?!
We told Hailey we'd rent one of these floats before we left...
That last day was spent entirely at the beach and pool (with amazing friends!!) 
Relaxing in the pool 
Hailey had been swimming in our hot tub but when it came to bigger open water her confidence wasn't quite there until this week at Ko'Olina! She was able to doggie paddle in short bursts. She could go pretty far if someone was in the water to swim to. We don't know how she didn't sink in this video because at this point she had been going strong since 9am! 
