Hello and goodbye

When I left last June, I wasn't sure how long it would be until I got to see my friends Nikki and Riley again. I had to face the sad possibility that I might not get to see them until I returned. How could I go two years without seeing her and her sweet daughter?!

Thank God, I did not have to. They came to visit me for five wonderful days this month. It was so great to enjoy their company. While they were here, the Bible app I use had a verse that talked about friendship:

A friend is always loyal... --Proverbs 17:17

I have known Nikki since middle school! That's a pretty good show of loyalty. She has always made the greater effort to stay in touch with me. When I disappeared for the Navy, she was always willing to see me when I came around. And every time we get together, it's like we were never really apart. She's a true friend and a good example for her daughter. I'm so happy I got to see them. We took some lovely day trips, and in general, I just enjoyed spending time with them. It was refreshing for me to be able to visit with them.

Good-bye was very hard. I was so grateful for my time with them, but greedily wanted more. At least now I know I'm on the lesser side of time between visits. It had been over a year this time. God willing, I'll see them again in less than a year from now. And even though I get sad with good-byes, God, in His usual way, takes care of me.

This week, I got a gift from my Rodan and Fields sponsor that was pretty special. Then, I got a text from somebody who is a blast from my past. How exciting that I might get to visit a friend of mine from my first job with the Army! And then, also this week that was otherwise going to be sad, I got another email that one of my friends in MD might be coming to Germany for work, and might swing by my house for a little visit! And to top it off, I'm picking up my one (and only) friend from college on Sunday. God is so good to me!!!

No, it doesn't end there. Because this week, work got even more interesting for me. I've been supporting exercises almost exclusively, but this week things changed, and I get to see new things and take on new projects.

All of this is God's doing. He is so good to me.

Cloudy day on the Rhein.  It was beautiful.

Mainz Cathedral

St Stephen's in Mainz

Wiesbaden Church

At the Weinfest

The In Between

All of those posts about my/our travel with my sister STILL don't cover everything we did together. In between all of that, we also went to Frankfurt, Wiesbaden, Mainz, Burg Eltz, and Opelbad (an outdoor swimming pool with a schnelle slide and a nice view of Wiesbaden).  We also had a birthday, got a mohawk, went to a birthday party, went to a festival, and just in general had a really enjoyable month.

I finally got to go to Wiesbaden when the Protestant church was open. St. Stephen's church in Mainz is still high among my favorites, and Römer plaza is always lovely, especially on a bright day.  I was disappointed with Burg Eltz for a few reasons: it was far away and a pain to get to, you weren't allowed to take pictures inside, and you only got to see about a third of the castle, if that.  The birthday party that Livvy attended was an invite from a friend in her class, where I learned that in Germany, you only invite the kids who you want to come, not everybody in the class, which makes my life much easier when the twins' birthday comes around.  The swimming pool was fabulous and has made me want to visit other similar pools nearby.  Alex is adorable in his mohawk, yet at the same time, getting to be such a boy, as opposed to a little boy.  Soon he will be 7!  The festival we attended was the German-American Friendship Fest, which we had attended last year.  So for me, that really hit home that we have been here a year (now more).  That was a pretty big milestone for me.

Summer is going by so quickly! But I'm happy with the sights I've seen so far and what I have planned (or tentatively planned). It's been a good year, and I'm anticipating more goodness. God willing. He has certainly blessed us so far!

Can't wait until my friends Nikki and Riley come next week!! But I do hope it cools down a little bit. It's been in the mid-nineties for a few weeks now, with no air conditioning (except for me at work and the window unit we put in our bedroom)! Ugh! So much for the weather being milder than Pennsylvania!

Birthday girl turned 2!

I told Michelle this is one of my favorites, and she said something to the effect of, "Too bad it's cracked."

I told her to take a closer look.  This is the window in the Mainz Cathedral.

Our little buddy had been asking for a haircut for a while.

Think he likes it?

St. Stephen's Church in Mainz.  I need to bring my monopod the next time I come.

The Protestant Church in Wiesbaden.  

Stained glass at the church in Wiesbaden.