The things I think about Germany.

Yeah...I haven't finished blogging from Nicole and Kirsti's trip....I'll have to finish that, I don't know, waaaay later.  My computer has been packed up, loaded up, and shipped off (along with all of our other possesions) to America.  Our time is coming to an end in Germany and every time I start thinking about leaving I start having, hmmm I don't know, a panic attack?  My chest and throat feel tight and I I have a hard time breathing.  Is that a panic attack?  I think so. 

I'm not really sure why I feel this way.  There's no question that we have loved living here and of course we'll miss it...but we've also really missed America.  I guess there are a lot of unknowns in our future and it makes me feel a little stressed.  New home (that we need to find....correction...that Matt needs to find and I need to approve), new school for the kids (Chase will be starting KINDERGARTEN! Can you believe it?), new church (well, same church, new congregation), new van (that we have purchased but have yet to see), new brother in law (that I still haven't met, but am excited to meet), new country (well old country, made new again), new everything. 

I'm really excited to start living a "normal" life.  I think.  We've loved all the traveling and wouldn't take it back for one second, but I'm also really tired of all the traveling and I'm excited to just be home and put away the suitcases for a little while.  After this summer that is.

Wondering about our summer plans?  Well let me fill you in:
We fly from Germany (THIS FRIDAY!! AHHH) to Los Angeles, where my Dad will be picking us up in our new Honda Odyssey (new to us anyways). I'm really excited for my new van.  We will be there together for the weekend, then Matt flys to Oklahoma the following Monday.  Matt is going to Oklahoma with no where to live....but he does have a tent, and he IS an eagle scout.  So he should be ok.  His job is to get settled in and start house hunting, house hunting, house hunting.  Once he's narrowed it down to a select few, I'll fly out to take a look.  While he is in Oklahoma we'll be in California focusing on getting my sister Mary married.  After she gets married (june 16th), the kids and I will be driving up to Utah to spend some time with family and friends.  We're staying with Lara and plan to do nothing but play for a few weeks (or longer, or shorter...pretty much as long as Lara can tolerate us).  After that, we're thinking of driving to Northern Cali to play with Becca for a bit (depending on how her pregnancy is going).  After that, I don't know....maybe back to HB?  We'll just have to see how Matt is coming with the house hunting.  My deadline for being in Oklahoma is pretty much just getting there before school starts.

Until we leave on Friday we are saying goodbye after goodbye to good friends.  Friends who have been there for us through some hard times and some really happy times.  Friends who have stepped in to fill the hole where our families would have been (were they not on the other side of the world).  I'll miss them and I'm so grateful to them.  I know there are more good friends waiting to be met in Oklahoma. 

So my blogging may be sporatic for the next few months.....maybe even non existant.  Just know we're somewhere in America having a blast and there will always be a place in our hearts for Germany, and a big fat bratwurst.