Goodbye to My Faithful Friend

Hercules

February 11, 2001 - April 23, 2008

It was one of those days that you wish you could just skip over. Today, a beautiful sunny Wednesday, Hercules left his failing body and this earth. We miss him terribly.

Hercules was a miracle dog from the start. He and his brothers and sisters were dumped behind a shelter and found wet, cold, and suffering from respiratory problems. We adopted him through a Rottweiler rescue that we had worked with and brought him home when he was about 8 weeks old. He was the cutest and sweetest puppy you had ever seen. He was just a black furball with lots of puppy kisses. At 3, Herc battled his first challenge when had to have two total hip replacements. That dog had 100% titanium hips! He recovered great and was a new dog. About a year later he got a strange viral infection that attacked his intestines and nearly killed him...but again he fought back stronger than ever. This last bout, we thought we were battling arthritis and joint pain. Not so...it appears that Herc most likely had the same disease that claimed his mother...bone cancer. Early this morning, Herc woke us up yelping. When we got to him, he wasn't using his leg and in a lot of pain. I knew it was bad. X-rays confirmed the worst...a huge break in his leg and the bone around it had deteriorated. A tumor had eaten away at the bone and most likely was raging through his other bones and body parts. He had so much life in him, but a body that was failing him. We did the only loving and selfless thing we could do for him...we let him go.

Herc was my constant companion. He stayed up late with me, loved to snuggle, and gave great kisses. His love was unconditional and I will forever miss his sweet face and gentle spirit. We were lucky to have 7 wonderful years with him.

Goodbye my sweet and faithful friend...you will forever be missed and loved. I'll meet you one day at the Rainbow Bridge...for now run free my sweet boy.

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

Author unknown...

Faithful in Prayer

I have a daily bible verse on a MySpace page...this was the verse for today...

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Romans 12:12

You know when you pray and pray for a miracle, and you try to hold out hope even though the situation seems hopeless and everyone around you is telling you it can't be done....guess what it can! We had major prayer answered this week...a true miracle. I feel like this verse was handpicked for me today. My ever doubting and sometimes cynical mind needed this boost this week. My heart always holds out hope...but those voices in my head sometimes say otherwise.

With a heart full of hope, patient, and prayer...
Your friend and prayer warrior

Spring

Ahhh...Spring! I have been longing for it....and not just in the physical sense. I've been craving an emotional, spiritual, and physical Spring in my life....and it's coming, I can just tell. Signs of Winter fade and the sun begins to unearth new growth and life. I can't tell you how many seasons I have gone through in my life...but it's more than 4 a year! The Spring brings new growth, life, and truth. The Summer you can bask in your new found glory and soak it all in. By Autumn, change once again has hit you. Something happened, whether or not you caused it, it changes things. Then the inevitable...Winter hits. At times it is beautiful and deceiving....but in reality it represents death. While it sounds morbid...it's not really. Then Spring arrives and brings life…something new and beautiful.

And everything that's new has bravely surfaced; teaching us to breathe.
And what was frozen through is newly purposed; turning all things green.
And so it is with you, and how you make me new with every season change.
And so it will be, as you are recreating me....Summer, Autumn, Winter, Spring.

Every Season - Nichole Nordeman

Okay...now hit pause on the music thats already playing on this page...turn up your sound and watch the video. Welcome Spring!

Holland Trip

This weekend I did a quick one day trip (without the family) to The Netherlands to see the tulips and a cheese & wooden shoe factory. It was a nice trip with a neat bunch of ladies. Riding on a bus for 6+ hours each way was a little brutal. We had to take the 2 seats directly behind the driver's seat....which I can only equate to riding in the front car of a roller coaster. For fear of my life, I tried to keep my eyes closed and sleep. However, it's hard to sleep when parts of your body start going numb. I was so excited to sleep in my own bed and stretch out once we got home!

The first part of the trip took us to Keukenhof (Lisse, The Netherlands), which is a huge park that has acre upon acres of perennial flowers...the most famous being the tulip. There are over 7 million bulbs planted each year at the park. We saw so many beautiful flowers, and I got some great pictures. The tour had us stay at Keukenhof for 6 hours, which was honestly too long. You can only see so many flowers, and then you are just ready to move on.

The second half of the trip took us down the road to the Clara Maria Farm, which makes its own cheese and wooden shoes. It was a little stinky, with the cows being right there, but a wonderful stop. The farm has been passed down from generation to generation, and is now being run by a Dutch man and his American wife. They had such a cute story. They met and fell in love when she was on a tour coming through the farm. All of their children worked in the farm, and they all spoke perfect English...such a nice change for someone who struggles with language barriers everyday! We saw them make wooden shoes, and then they showed us how they made their cheese fresh. The cows are on site and milked 2 times per day. I have to say that I love cheese and eat quite a bit of it. This was some of the best cheese I have ever had. I ended up taking 3 different cheeses home.

The token windmill…I thought these were all over in Holland. I only saw two.

Beautiful Tulips

The DaisiesPretty flowers everywhere!
Rows upon rows of perfect flowers
Fun bunch of ladies
Orchids...amazing display of these
These flowers were just fun and whimsical
Me in the wooden shoes
Kees showing us how to make the shoes

Poland Trip

At the end of February, 5 other ladies and I did the big trip to Poland for the famous Polish Pottery. If you haven't experienced Polish Pottery before...you probably shouldn't. While I've never been a drug addict...I'm pretty sure it could be compared to crack. You get one piece, and it's just not enough...after a while, you realize you can never have enough!!!

We drove 2 big SUV's, and might as well had a sign that said "Stupid Americans" attached to each car. In all seriousness, the Polish depend on Americans to buy the pottery. Most Germans don't like it, so tourists and Americans totally fuel this industry. We drove about 8 hours each way in horrible weather and a bad stau (traffic jam) or two. Our trip took us to the very place they make the stuff....Boleslawiec, Poland. We stayed at an awesome little hotel that had great shopping, authentic and delicious Polish food, and cozy rooms. It's called Hotel Protea. Boleslawiec is kind of a rough area in parts. Poverty is high and therefore crime is high. American's are obviously a huge target. Luckily our hotel was very safe and had gated parking to keep our vehicles safe.

While out shopping the stores and factories for the pottery, many times you will want to pay the children to watch your car. If you come out and the car is good...you give them a few bucks...they go crazy. It's kind of sad, but it totally makes their day. I had one kid that literally followed me from store to store....I guess I paid well! Deb gave him candy which was also a hit. At one store, they proceeded to wash all my windows and most of the car with paper towels and something that I assume was Windex. What a sweet gesture, even if it was pouring rain. I rewarded them for their efforts, and I'm sure they had tummy aches from all the candy and their pockets full of money.

The pottery stores were amazing. It was seriously overwhelming. For those of you not familiar with Polish pottery, it is great. It is dishwasher, oven, freezer, and microwave safe...virtually indestructible (with the exception of my tile kitchen floor). Each piece is potted by hand, hand painted, glazed, and fired. Each piece is a one of a kind piece of art. The patterns and colors are many and almost everyone can find something they like...goodness knows I did!

I don't have many pictures of Poland...because there wasn't much to look at. I have included pictures of my haul for the trip.

Here is a picture outside a pottery shop. It's like pottery on steroids...they have these all over the city since this is what Boleslawiec is famous for.

Here is the Christmas stuff I picked up. All of it is made in Poland except for the nesting Santa, which was made in Russia. All items are hand painted, hand carved, etc... Pretty amazing when you see some of the detail in these things.

Here are the Russian nesting Santa's. The kids love these things.

These are also from Russia. These dolls are extremely rare and hard to find. They are made of lime wood and every amazing detail on them was done by hand. I fell in loves with this little girl in her pink dress. The box is also hand carved. The small cuts and detail were unlike anything I had seen. I had to have it!

These are my end of the year teacher gifts. They are crocks that can be used to hold kitchen utensils, flowers, or you can even cook in it. I think I'm going to fill it with some yellow flowers when I give them.

How cute is this guy??? They had tons of different kinds...but I fell in love with the cowboy. He holds a bottle of wine and makes for a neat conversation piece.

I love crosses. I bought these three to add around the house.

These bakers are amazing! They are even painted inside! The glaze makes Pam and sticking a thing of the past. They cook so well and clean up so easy. I love them!

This is a mini tea set that I got for Caleigh for next Christmas...maybe. I may have to save it until she's old enough not to break it into a million pieces.

I love these two serving pieces. So elegant with scalloped edges. I haven't used them yet...but I can't wait! The blue, green, and cream looks great with my everyday dishes.

This tea set was one thing I definitely wanted to get. I love it! The pitcher, I'll use for water or tea, and I had to get the matching platter too. The bottom of the tea pot holds a tea light to keep your tea warm as you serve it.

Here is the same pitcher and platter, but with my new latte mugs. We used them for soup the other day too, and they were the perfect size.

Here are some random serving pieces I got. Good thing I like to entertain! I have already used most of these!

I found this pot, which I loved. I also found these blown eggs that were hand painted, and just amazing. The eggs are real, and since I have tried making real blown eggs myself...they are a pain...I was amazed by the detail and beauty of the designs on them. I don't love the ficus they are on...maybe next year I will get a bare branch and paint it white to hang the eggs from...but I didn't have time this year.

I found these painted wooden eggs. I just loved the bright colors. I don't know why I took a picture of them in this bowl...but in a glass bowl, they looked really cute.

This was one of my best finds. This is an authentic and antique Polish bread or dough bowl. They used to knead the bread in these large wooden bowls. I haven't found the perfect spot or way to display it in the house...but I'm working on it. Any suggestions??? The store I bought this in was crazy. They had all kinds of Nazi helmets and gear. Kind of odd seeing that stuff. Sometimes I find it hard to believe that we are living in a country which we at war with a few decades ago. The Nazi memorabilia kind of creeped me out.

Well that's it! Now I need a new piece of furniture to hold all my new stuff! Actually, I have most of my pieces out on baker's rack and above my cabinets on display. I love the color they provide. Even though I brought home plenty of stuff...I hope I get to go back once or twice before I leave Germany. Great experience, great fun, with great friends!

Weinnacht Market - Heidelberg

John and I were able to get away one day and see one of the famous Christmas markets in the area. There are held outdoors with a ton of vendors and food. So much to see and do. There are gluhwein stands all over to help keep you warm. You can keep the unique mug that the gluhwein comes in. The gluhwein is a seasonal wine that the Germans make and sell. It's like a spiced wine served warm. It really does help brave the cold of the outdoor markets.

Heidelberg is just gorgeous. The walkplatz (the area in the center of town that is pedestrian traffic only, it is filled with shops, restaurants, etc..) is surrounded by old churches, a castle, and a famous bridge. But the most exciting stop on the trip was here! If you know John and I...you know that we are dying with no Starbucks close by. We hit the jackpot that day...two venti mochas bitte!

Here is a view of the walkplatz shooting back toward the castle on the hill. The actual castle is hidden behind the buildings.

This picture is of the most famous church in Heidelberg. It is called the Church of the Holy Spirit. You can read about the history of if by clicking on the link. It was constructed in the 1400's The inside of the churches is amazing. Unfortunately you must come see for yourself since no photography is allowed inside. The churches still have congregations and as you tour them, you will still see people worshiping inside.

This is another old church on the walkplatz. It is Roman Catholic and I wasn't able to find out much on the Internet about it. The inside was amazing.

The Germans are famous for these windmill type Christmas decorations that spin when the candles are lit. Here is a huge replica in the Heidelberg walkplatz. Below it is another gluhwein stand...you see one about every 100 ft.

Recap of Christmas 2007

So I promised to go back and fill in our holidays and trips with pictures...so here they are! Only 4 months later!!!

Caden loves Santa. This was his first year to actually wanting to see Santa from a distance of closer than 500 ft. He was so excited to tell Santa all that he wanted and really gave Santa #1 an earful at the squadron Christmas party. Santa came in on a C-21 and the kids thought that was so cool! Caleigh did not think Santa was cool...she had her head buried in Dad's shoulder the whole time Santa was around...maybe next year!

Here is Caden at his school Christmas party. Santa #2 showed up and Caden took the opportunity to tell Santa what he wanted again...just in case he didn't get it the first time.

Then the crisis happened! Caden realized he had forgotten to tell Santa that he had to have High School Musical 2!!! We hit the commissary that afternoon, and guess who happened to be there? Santa #3!!! Whew...crisis averted. By the way...this is the best looking Santa of them all!

Caden had a school program where they all sang a few Christmas songs. It was cute...but none of the pictures of him on stage turned out. Here are Caden and Caleigh at the program.

Here's Caleigh at the children's Christmas party put on by John's squadron.

Here a family picture from the party.

We went to the Christmas market in downtown Kaiserslautern with Caden's class for a field trip. The have these carnival type rides for the kids. The kids loved them even though they looked fairly unsafe!

This was at the K-Town Christmas market and I thought it was gorgeous. It's a hand carved nativity scene that was huge. I'm not sure the picture does it justice.

Here is goofy Caden at his Christmas party for school.

This was Caleigh's haul at Christmas. It consisted of mostly Bitty Baby stuff. The girl loves her dolls and princesses!

Caden wanted a drum set so bad! Luckily for Mom & Dad...Santa found an electronic set with headphones!!!

Here is Caleigh on Christmas morning...wild hair and all! She pushed around that stroller for hours...she still does. I bet the thing has logged 100 miles since then!

My Legacy

Long time no post!!! Life got crazy as usual, and I decided to ditch the computer for a while. It was a nice break...but time to come back.

Look for a brain dump in the next week or so of all my trips, family goings on, and more! Lots of pictures...I promise Mom!

But here's what's been on my mind this week...my legacy. Anyone who knows me, knows that I find comfort, solace, and meaning in music. Thankfully there are talented songwriters who are able to give a voice to some of the things I have flooding my mind on a daily basis. I only wish I was so eloquent to find such perfect words and melodies. Some may find the play list on my site annoying...but for me, this site wouldn't be complete without it. I promise to update it more to reflect my thoughts at the time. This weeks selections are Legacy by Nichole Nordeman, World by Five for Fighting, and Waitin on the World to Change by John Mayer.

So I'm reading a book by Robin McGraw called Inside My Heart, and she asks two questions in the beginning....Who are you? & What is your purpose? Do you have an answer? I had to put the book down and think for a while. I got through the first question pretty fast. I am a wife, mother, daughter, sister, aunt, niece, granddaughter, friend, child of God, etc... These are things that we can't necessary change or have much control over. They are our roles in life. I suppose you could get really deep in discovery of who you are...but for me, these define me best. I knew the second question might be deep...so I'll keep answer one simple.

So what is your purpose? Do you have any idea? In order to answer that question, I had to ask another question to myself. What do you want your legacy to be? Wow! Thought about that lately? If you die tomorrow...what will others say about you? What would you want them to say about you? Thank you Nichole for finding words that seem all to trapped inside, but are screaming to get out. I hope people say that I was a good person who loved God and her family with all her heart. But that's a given...for me anyway. But then it hit me...my legacy and purpose here on this ever cynical and crazy earth is to serve other people. I thought it was going to be deep and lengthy...but my legacy and purpose is servanthood. Now for how I got to such a simple answer...

I think we all feel at times that we are only one person and cannot make a difference in such a big and crazy world...but I've thrown that notion out the window and have decided that I AM one person and I can do a lot. Most of the things I have been busy with lately are volunteer opportunities that I have been pursing over here. Most are military by nature...since my German still pretty much stinks! I'll touch more on those ventures in the upcoming posts. But my point it this....what if we all found something or some cause we were passionate about? What if we tried to make a difference? What if every one on this earth put other's needs above their own and focused on goodwill? I know...now I'm just being silly. But I refuse to raise my children and teach them that situations are hopeless and they cannot bring about change. While at points in my life, I do have thoughts that we are all just wasting our time, I honestly do not believe that!

So do it!!! Find your purpose, your passion, your legacy! Then go create change. Get others excited about what you are doing. You may be only one person, but you are one person who can bring good and make change! A life lived without purpose and passion, isn't much of a life to live.

So in the wonderful words of Nichole...
"I want to leave a legacy.
How will they remember me?
Did I choose to love?
Did I point to You enough to make a mark on things?"
I sure hope so...

"What kind of world do you want?
Think anything!!!
Let's start at the start.
Build a masterpiece.
Be careful what you wish for...history starts now!"
-World by Five for Fighting