first day of school

Well Miss Emma Sue started FIRST grade today!  She is actually in a combined 1st/2nd classroom which we think is fantastic!  She loved being one of the 'big' kids in the school and not in a 'baby' class anymore, her words!  First graders are allowed on the big playground at recess and can take bathroom breaks alone, big stuff!  As always, it is absolutely wonderful getting to see Emma at school all day and occasionally work in her classroom.  I included a picture from last year's first day of school to compare how much this princess has grown!!!

about that....

I realize that I basically just left you all with no explanation or reason.  At first, there wasn't one really.  I was really busy with visitors, which I LOVED, and school, work, kids, laundry, etc.  I've used that excuse many times as you know!  Soon after my sister arrived here in Germany, our unit and small aviation community had two losses in Afghanistan.  These suck big time, but when you personally know those involved it tends to rip your heart out.  I'm pretty sure I checkout out of most online socializing after that.  We grow, learn and get through tough times though.  Ours were just starting it seemed.  Almost a week after the crash, Dave text me out of the blue with notice that he was at a hospital in Afghanistan.  A lump/mass was detected during his yearly flight physical and they wanted a better understanding of it.  At first we thought he would be seen and sent back to his unit that same day, which turned into being sent to better medical facility, which then turned into being medivaced out of country to Germany.  I don't remember ever freaking out really.  Even as I drove the 3 hours to Landstuhl and navigated their crazy hallway system to find him.  When I walked into the dining room where he was being briefed, my heart skipped a beat.  He was right in front of me and looked perfectly healthy.  The poor guy didn't even see me coming, even with the neon pink tank top I was wearing!  Our reunion was quiet and small being as I interrupted the very important brief they were receiving.  From there Dave hit the ground running, he was in back to back appointments for the next 7 hours.  I hated his surgeon for being so blunt (I'm happy for that now) telling us this was probably cancer and he would need some sort of treatment after the surgery.  Surgery?  Oh yeah, less than 24 hrs after arriving from Afghanistan Dave was in the OR having the mass removed.  The hospital was amazing and nothing but catering to us while we spent the week with them.  Luckily, Chelsea was able to watch the kids at home so they wouldn't have to try and understand the details surrounding Dave's return.  We were sent home from the hospital with instructions to return a week or two later to receive the pathology results.  It was a long wait!  As Dave's surgeon read the results to us, I remember my face becoming hot and flushed.  He must have noticed because he stood up to retrieve a box of tissues for me.  I think I made Dave upset with my emotions, but this entire time I had been telling myself that it wasn't cancerous and all would be fine.  He was labeled as Stage 2 since the cancer spread into his belly and would start radiation soon.  Have I overloaded you yet?  I promise sunshine and rainbows soon.  Dave did his radiation treatment for almost 3 weeks straight, every day except for weekends.  It was so hard on him.  The radiation made him sick, weak and just all over yucky.  But he made it through and his oncologist has a painted a bright future for him.  He has deemed Dave 'cancer free' but I need proof, which we won't see until he repeats his next CT scan in December.  So....now that you are all caught up on the lovely happenings of our family, I'll give you sunshine!  We left for a lovely Greek vacation right after his treatment wrapped up.  It was amazing and well deserved.  We loved Greece so much that we are booking a cruise so we can visit mainland Greece and other islands!  I can't say enough good about that place, well they do have their money issues.  Emma starts FIRST GRADE on Monday and Mason is starting his last year at the German school.  Very sad that my babies are growing up!  I also moved to full-time at the elementary school and will be done with my graduate coursework in the Spring!  Hopefully next Fall I will be accepted for an internship on post through behavioral health.  Things are looking very sunny and beautiful for our little family and I could not be happier!  I also would like to thank all of those who kept our family in your thoughts and prayers during these hard times, we appreciate your love and thoughtfulness!

march...

Completely out of order, but I'm sure grandparents don't mind... :)

Daddy got Mason an awesomely HUGE Apache for his birthday!

Little man studying his goods...

I simply refuse to believe that he is almost FOUR!

We celebrated Mason's birthday early so Grandma could be here with us!

Emma getting a reading award from Garrison Commander, Colonel Lawler

No trip to Munich is complete without a trip to the world famous, Hofbrauhaus!

A piece from the Crown Jewels of Munich tour

These two loved their audio guides!

White church in the meadow, they say a miracle occurred here...

downtown Rothenburg

hugging the dirty Steiff teddy bear...

Waiting for Grandma to arrive in Frankfurt!

Emma's leprechaun trap for school

Lastly, Emma's tap performance during the Spring Bazaar