The Wilson's: August 2013

       Four years ago this past March, Micah came home from a 30 day deployment to Afghanistan. He went straight to work to check back in and when he checked his e-mails I received a phone call. I was in Kentucky with the boys for a visit. We got orders. I was already excited and I didn't even know where we were headed. How do you feel about going to Germany? I was thrilled. This was the hardest thing I've ever had to tell my parents. I knew they would be devastated, we already lived in Dover, DE and they weren't seeing their grand kids enough as it was.
       When I told my family and cousins we were moving the reactions and questions I received were all similar. They all had pained, concerned looks on their faces. Do you want to go to Germany? Wow, that's far away. Your poor parents. I LOVE to travel. For me this was a dream. As a matter of fact if it weren't for my children I probably would never have come back to visit in the four years we were here. Not because I don't miss home, but I would rather spend my money traveling around Europe than spending the money to go back home. Home will always be there.
       When I got my first chance to come home my family members were all pretty curious about Germany. Have you learned German? Do you like it? Are you home sick? I have learned very little German. I can read quite a bit, order food, ask a few questions, but I'm not fluent. I LOVE it. It's beautiful. We don't stay in Germany all the time, we get out and travel all over Europe and it's one of those experiences that, without the military, I never would have had the opportunity to do. I get home sick during Christmas. Not so much home sick as guilt tripped by the parents who wish to spend holidays with their grand kids.
       A couple of months ago we received orders again. This time to Dyess, TX. Our tentative departure date is October 1, 2013, two months from today. With the softball season not quite over and very few weekends left I find myself getting overwhelmed and a bit sad that we are getting ready to leave. We have made great friends here. My kids started school here. Luke lost his first tooth here. The boys learned to ride their bikes and ski/snowboard here. I know nobody back home understands, but this is home. So many family members keep saying, you must be ready to get back to the states. People don't understand the life we live and my dad especially can't fathom why I'd rather spend my last summer here playing softball, traveling and hanging out with friends than at his house in Kentucky. It's going to be very hard to leave this place and these people.
       Before we ever moved to Germany or even knew we would be living here I had a "Bucket List." I've always had a list of places I've wanted to visit. My list included: London, Ireland, Normandy, Paris, Athens, Switzerland, St. Petersburg, Russia, Pompeii, Rome, Castle church. Obviously each place had specific places I wanted to visit. I always hoped one day I'd visit all of these places, but until them I was quite content reading about them and watching the history channel and discovery channel. After we got to Germany my bucket list got bigger. I visited places I didn't even know I wanted to see. I didn't get to see everything on my bucket list, I'm still pretty agitated I never made it to Ireland. (That was one of my top places I wanted to visit.) So where did we go? Here are photos of some of my favorites!