It Has Been Forever

OK so when I started this blog I was really hoping to be on top of it and post once a week. Ya well reality set in and life started up again and that did not happen as you can see. But a new year a new home and hopefully a new schedule. So in the time that has past we have moved on base from living in a small village. The commute is much shorter. 3 minutes versus the 30 it used to take us. The kid's school is a five minute walk down the street and the commissary is next to the school and the BX is right next to that. So everything we need is just a few minutes away. On the down side our 3rd story apartment is about a third of the size of our old house. So no more of the infamous Shafer dinner parties! The kids love it because there are tons of kids in the area and a park right in back of our building. They are not used to living so close to American children that they can talk with while they play! Our neighbors are great and I think that makes or breaks if you like living on base. So now I have to finish unpacking and getting my scrapbook room under control!

Weekend Woes

Another great weekend is coming to a close and I find myself NOT looking forward to work tomorrow. I keep telling Meg that any time she is ready to trade places with me she can take the wheel and I will stay home (especially now that the kids all go to school during the day). Anyway, it was a relatively calm weekend as one of our good friends came back from a three month stay in the states. On Saturday we all went to the restaurant called Big Emma where the food portions where about the only good thing that came out of the meal. I suppose I can't complain though, we fed the family with relatively little spending. I have posted a picture of the size of snitzel that we had just for lunch, then leftovers for dinner, and then another meal! I finally went to the pool with the kids this week. I was relieved to find out that the water temperature had risen a little since the family last swam. I didn't go last time but I heard that the water temp was really cold. Laine kept jumping in the water(the deep end) and all the time keeping her big eyes open under the water. She looked so cute and she is so fearless in the water. Remington is the complete opposite however. I tried to teach him to swim but he insisted on clinging on to my arm with a death grip that suggested he thought he might not make it to his 8th birthday. Megan is running full force with a number of new activities now that she has a little more freedom during the day. She has started to work out with a personal trainer and after just week one it is hard to tell how much help it has been. She is also booking a lot of her Lia Sophia shows so that we can pay for our trip in December. I am completing my OTS (officer training package) so that I can submit it in December and see if I have what the Air Force is looking for this next year. I am the Elders Quorum secretary and since our ward is so transient we are having to update the home teaching list on a weekly basis. It is a lot of work and since we are all so geographically separated we have an even harder time trying to match up people with places and families, ect. Anyway I think that is all for now but I will have more to come as life goes by.

Laine's 1st day of German Kindergarten

Today was Laine's first day of kindergarten! Since today was an American holiday there were no Americans there and her class is made up of mostly Americans. There were a few boys who recognized her as Ethan's little sister especially one little boy who loved to play with her when she was a baby and we would go pick up Ethan. Today he followed her around the entire day. When I went to drop her off she did not want to stay and was really shy. But we took her in and showed her where everything was. We went around the room and played with some of the toys together. When we got to the play house part she let go of my hand and started to make dinner for Marcus(her little German boy). I slowly inched my self away and soon she had no idea that I was no where near her. When I went to pick her up she did not want to leave at all! She already has all the teachers wrapped around her finger. They seem to be fascinated with her bows in her hair. When Ethan went there I would take Laine with me to drop him off and pick him up and Laine was so little. At the time she had hardly any hair at all but I would scrape it all together on top of her head and stick a bow on it. The Nuns really got a kick out of it! So that is how they all remember her. Today she only went for a few hours tomorrow we will try a half a day and see how it goes. Laine is growing up really fast it just amazes me.

Camping

Well we just got back from out ward family campout. I can not really remember the last time I have gone camping so I was reluctant to go. Not only did Bryce get back from the States after being TDY for a week, but we had a week from hell here. So packing up and going out into the woods did not appeal to me at all. But Bryce really wanted to go and it was the first year it did not rain so we did it. Bryce did most of the work though. I had a Lia Sophia show that night and since the camp site was really close I just went after the show. By the time I got there Bryce had everything under control. We sat around the camp fire singing camp songs and roast hotdogs and making smore's. The kids had a blast, since our ward is a young ward there are tons of kids. I think they all had a good time. I did remember why I don't like camping, out air matress went flat in the middle of the night and I do not like sleeping on the ground at all!!

We had a great breakfast with the Priesthood making pancakes and saugages, with a little guidence from the Sisters:) And after that we had a great time playing family fear factor. Our group came in second to last but we still had a great time and the kids loved eating things without their hands and throwing things at Mom. So next time I am bringing a really nice airmattress and we will give this another shot!

All By My Self

Remington and Ethan started school this last Monday. Remington is in second grade and Ethan is in first. They seem to be enjoying it so far. Ethan was really up set at first because his "girlfriend" Emma was not in his class this year. He did not even want to go at first. But they get to eat lunch together and also get to play at recess together. So I guess it is all right now. Remington has a great teacher this year and I think it is going to be a great year for him. Laine is all signed up and ready to start school on Monday. There will be a few of other Americans in her class two are a set of twins that live up the street from us. She is good friends with them so they will help get her adjusted.
I do not know what I will be able to do all day now. I still am taking piano lessons and I have enough scrapbooking to keep me busy for a year or two!!! But I am looking forward to starting collage classes and going to the gym. But I know that I will miss not having Laine with me. We want them to grow up and when they do we miss the days of them being younger.

What a great weekend it was, especially since it was a three day weekend. I decided to catch up on some of the games that Chris let me borrow and one that he gave me as a present. I am also spent some time this week catching up with some of the responsibilities with my calling as an Elders Quorum Secretary. Our ward is so transient that my job entails keeping track of a lot of things like: who just left the ward, who just moved in, who just left to deploy/TDY (tour of duty usually a small stay of anywhere from three weeks to 2 months), who just got back from deployment/TDY: updating a list of people with membership records and those without; the list goes on. Megs Lia Sofia venture has been a great opportunity. She gets all the jewelry that she ever wanted and she even makes showing off her cool stuff. It’s good for me because now I don’t have to worry so much about what kind of jewelry I will get her. Anyway, she didn’t seem to like that sentiment at all. I am in the course of finishing up my package (my resume for OTS or officer training school) so I can submit it this December. I will find out for sure if I am selected by no later than April or May. Anyway, I wanted to thank those who have contributed to our blog. I need to log onto Renee’s blog and see all the stuff she has posted on hers now. The kids start school next week (YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!) and Megan is very excited to have her space during the week day again. Laine will be going to school here soon enough. 40 dollars a month and she goes all day, what a deal!! Well, that’s all for now but I will have more later on as the week progresses. I think we are trying to do this at least each Sunday so expect more to come hopefully on a weekly basis. I have included a picture of the time we went to Vulcanburg Holland last year during Christmas. Its a big Christmas market in an underground cave and most importantly where I got my wallet (or my man-purse as Meg would say since its so huge).

Bryce

Cousins

This summer the kids where able to meet and spend time with there cousins. The last time we saw them was in February 2003. The boys really enjoyed playing with Paxton, he is only a couple of weeks younger than Ethan. They have love to do the same things and get into the same trouble that little boys get into.

My Mom took all the kids to Silverwood and that was a day of extreme fun for them. We spent most of the day at the water park and then took in some rides. Paxton and the boys stayed together almost the whole day.

While we were in the States we were also able to get our pictures done. One picture that was great to do was one of all the grand kids. My sister Jessica has two, Sierra, 7 and Sean, 4. Amanda has just one Paxton, 6. And the baby of our family AJ has a four month old. It was nice to see all of their kids since I had only met Sierra and Paxton before. It was been great for the kids to meet and connect with their cousins.

Getting Ready For School

So fall is approaching and once again school will start. We are all getting ready for that big day. For me it will be the first time that all the kids will be going to school or pre-school, so maybe I will have time to finish those scrapbooks! The boys are excited they have there new backpacks and shoes. I have all there school supplies together and ready to be put in the backpack. Next week we find out who there teachers are and who will be in there class. Being on a military base the turnover rate is so great that there are more new kids than old at the schools. Remington is going to be in 2nd grade and Ethan in 1st. It is hard to believe that Remi is going to be 8 this coming year. And even Laine gets to go to school. She will be going to the German Kinder School down the street as soon as we get this whole potty training thing done. I think we are almost there. We are having more successes than accidents right now. Laine can go to school every day until 2 but I think we will start off a little slower with 3 days a week and going until noon. We can always go longer as she gets used to it. I think we are all excited for school Mom's vacation will start soon!

Busy Life

So when we got married I though "once we get married life will calm down." Well it didn't instead we got pregnant and I thought that once Remi came that we would get into a routine and "life will calm down." Well then we joined the Air Force and we also got pregnant again. Well then everything was up in the air. After settling in San Antonio and having Ethan I thought we would finally get into that routine thing and then "life would calm down." Well after a busy year and a half in San Antonio is was off to Germany for us and now after 5 years of living the life overseas I have finally come to accept that life will only calm down when I die. Just when we pass all of the big events and we think we have nothing ahead new ones pop up. So every time I think that things will calm down and I can finally get the scrapbooks up to date I find I have not time at all. So please if you know a way to make life a little less hectic let me know because I think that I need a break!!!

No more time off

Well, we were used to having such hot weather that when we arrived in Germany to the cold (60') in our shorts and tee's, we knew we were back. It has been really hot here the past couple of weeks though. Perhaps it is part of the three week summer we get every year. I loved our time in the states, it was nice to see everyone. I got to all my family and friends. Chris and I had our game time and a great bar-B-Q that included some friends that we hadn't seen since we left Spokane in 2001. By the time we left I think that kids had met/inherited over 20 uncles and aunts, 20 grandmas and grandpas and even some Japanese people that just wanted their picture with Laine for some reason. Thanks to everyone that made our trip such a wonderful success. I hope we can convince some of our friends to come and visit us now.
Bryce

Back Home

Well we are all finally getting back into the swing of things back here in Germany. After 21 days in the States it was nice to sit and do nothing for a day or two. We had a great time visiting this year. After being there for so long I kind of long to go home. Though we kind of don't know where home is in the States now. We have lived more of our married lives overseas than in the States. The kids keep asking if we can move to Park City, UT. Of everything we did this I guess this was their favorite. Grandma and Grandpa Goodman did good while we waited in line for an hour for the zip-line. Ethan keeps talking about climbing the wall and Remi keeps saying how cool it all was. I personally had a great time at the Outlet Mall!!!!

The trip to Spokane and Coeur D Alene was great also. We met up with a lot of our friends and I know that Bryce really enjoyed spending time with Chris. We were also able to get together with some really close friends from Germany who PCS back to the States about a year ago. We had a great time at Silverwood with my family, the Mercers and Katie and Eric.

Going back really made Bryce and I look at how far we have come as a married couple from the time we left 7 years ago. I think we love each other more now than we did the day we got married.

Once again though life has picked up. Bryce is back to work and the kids want to be entertained. Laine starts German Kinder School on Monday. The Family History Center is demanding all of my extra time and Lia Sophia has kept my weekend busy. But that is the way we like it. Hope all of you are doing well and we will try and write at least once a week.

Megan

Hello

Hello to all, after much persuasion from friends and family we are starting a family blog on the Shafer's! After 5 years in Europe I guess it is time to keep those of you in the states up to date with our daily lives. Bryce and I will take turns jotting down our thoughts. Hope you all enjoy our ramblings!

Meg