Future teacher

Cody is back, a fact which is making me more and more thankful for each day I have with him. The distance was difficult, but I know that I benefited greatly both personally, and in regards to our marriage during the last 7 weeks apart. I expected that God had some big lessons in store for me, and he sure did. I've been trying hard to live each of these days with Cody very purposefully, holding onto the things I've learned, and seeking to implement them into life with my husband, instead of falling back into the ease of bad habits. So I'm enjoying these days, but very carefully.

In addition, being together again has helped me see all things I love about Cody so much more clearly. This picture of him giving a bunch of kids a nature lesson captures just one of those things.  Isn't that kid in the navy tee a cutie??!

Welcome home, honey.

To students yet to come

Ich fühle mich langsam Crash, wie wir nur wenige Tage von Cody Rückkehr sind. Die Jungs sind krank, und Bruno nicht verarbeitet Krankheit gut, anscheinend, obwohl ich froh, dass meine Erfahrung mit ihm krank ist begrenzt bin. Ich habe schon brachte ihn zu Bett zweimal an diesem Abend, so dass wir hängen an meine Eltern für eine kleine Weile, und ich dachte, ich würde meine Schwester Computer verwenden, um diese süßen Bilder Aufmachungen aus unserer Woche in Hillsdale. Ich nahm sie speziell für Cody, da dies Amphitheater war der Senior-Klasse Geschenk an die Hochschule das Jahr, dass er der Präsident der Senior-Klasse war. Ich habe immer über ihn lustig machen, wie stolz er ist es. Danach gingen wir zum Doc zu besuchen. Bevor wir in seinem Büro angekommen, erinnerte wir Sebastian, dass er nach ihm benannt wurde ... dass sein Name ist Sebastian THOMAS Webb Strecker ... und das ist, weil er auf Doc Geburtstag geboren wurde ... und sein Name ist Thomas! Sie erhalten das Bild. Nun weißt du nicht, dass Doc Sebastian fragte: "Wie ist dein Name?" Und Sebastian pflichtgemäß antwortete: "Sebastian Webb Strecker." Wah Wah ... nächste Mal, Seb.

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I feel myself beginning to crash, as we're mere days from Cody's return. The boys are sick, and Bruno does not handle sickness well, apparently, though I'm glad my experience with him being sick is limited. I've already put him to bed twice this evening, so we're hanging out at my parents for a little while, and I thought I'd use my sister's computer to put these darling pictures up from our week in Hillsdale. I took them specifically for Cody, as this amphitheater was the senior class gift to the college the year that he was the president of the senior class. I always make fun of him for how proud he is of it. Afterwards, we went to visit Doc. Before we arrived at his office, we reminded Sebastian that he was named after him... that his name is Sebastian THOMAS Webb Strecker... and that is because he was born on Doc's birthday... and his name is Thomas! You get the picture. Well don't you know that Doc asked Sebastian, "What's your name?" And Sebastian dutifully responded, "Sebastian Webb Strecker." Wah wah... next time, Seb. Oh this dear little boy of ours.

Surfacing

natural born prankster?

natural born photographer, too.

lots of "i love lucy" these days. also thinking it's a crime that we didn't name bruno orson instead. he looks just like orson welles, no?

likes to play "baby" a lot these days.

you just try to take this kid's blankie... 

standing like his mama.

"17 rocks"

Probleme mit meinem Computer haben sich weiter, so dass es fast unmöglich, meinen Blog zu aktualisieren. Es ist in Ordnung, obwohl gewesen, und ich habe Zeit genossen weg von meinem Computer-Bildschirm. Leben noch passiert und ist immer noch schön, auch wenn man nicht darüber bloggen.

Wir sind am 7. Wochen auseinander von Cody los und sind enorm aufgeregt, um ihn nach Hause zu begrüßen späten Donnerstagabend. Ich kann es kaum glauben, wir haben es geschafft, aber froh, dass wir aufhören können "es" bald. Ich bin damit beschäftigt, Listen und abgehakt, und haben versucht, jeden Aspekt unseres Umzug nach Deutschland auf dem 26. dieses Monats zu skizzieren. Es ist bald und vollständig bittersüß. Wir sind begeistert, dieses neue Kapitel beginnt, und wieder beigelegt werden, aber das fühlt sich an wie zu Hause jetzt auch, und wir werden unser Leben hier vermissen über dem Melkstand. Das Leben in Deutschland wird ein harter, wenn auch spannend, Anpassung für uns alle.

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Troubles with my computer have continued (although I'll finally have it back in a couple days!), making it nearly impossible to update my blog. It's been alright though, and I've enjoyed time away from my computer screen. Life still happens and is still lovely even when you can't blog about it.

We are going on 7 weeks apart from Cody, and are tremendously excited to welcome him home late Thursday night. I can hardly believe we've made it, but glad we can stop "making it" soon. I am busy getting lists made and checked off, and have been trying to outline every aspect of our move to Germany on the 26th of this month. It's coming quickly, and is completely bittersweet. We are thrilled to be starting this new chapter, and to be settled again, but this feels like home now, too, and we'll miss our lives here above the milking parlor. Life in Germany will be a tough, albeit exciting, adjustment for all of us.

Hillsdale this week

Mittagspause mit Bekah ... Bruno Lesen Sie die Anweisungen, um Ameisen in der Hose ... Fische, die aussehen wie Bruno .... Sebastian in "seinem Büro" ... cookie monster Leckerbissen auf Coneys and Swirls ... Bruno Reiten Seb big boy Fahrrad ... Sebastian pinting eine Schüssel mit Toasted Mud ....

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Lunch break with Bekah... Bruno reading the directions to Ants in the Pants... Fish that look like Bruno.... Sebastian in "his office"... cookie monster treat at Coneys and Swirls... Bruno riding Seb's big boy bike... Sebastian pinting a bowl at Toasted Mud....

Where we've been/Where we're going

Hier hatte ich die besten Absichten mit diesem Blog von mir-das Ziel der 3 Beiträge jede Woche und dann ist mein Computer hat die Möwe anfangen, mir Mühe. Glücklicherweise ist mein Vater-in-law ein Senkrechtstarter mit Computern und hat freundlicherweise kostenlos von mir gemacht und tut sein Bestes, um es in seinen einstigen Glanz wiederherzustellen. Ich kann nicht sagen, wie schön es ist, nicht, um es herauszufinden, auf meine eigene ist!

So ein kleines Update: Es war etwas mehr als 3 Wochen, seit Cody verlassen, und es ist gleichzeitig besser geworden und härter. Ich wusste nie, dass diese kurze eine Zeitspanne könnte ziehen so langsam. Versteh mich nicht falsch, wir sind mit einem schönen Sommer, und die Zeit Ziehen hat nichts mit alles andere als Cody Abwesenheit tun. Wir haben wirklich die beste Hilfe, und Set-up hier in diesem gemütlichen kleinen Wohnung. Meine Schwester-in-law, hat Anna gnädig zu Besuch kommen uns die beiden letzten Mittwoch. Es war eine Freude, sie um sich zu haben und die Jungen

An diesem Wochenende nahmen meine Eltern und meine Geschwister zu uns Amish Country in Holmes County Ohio. Meine Kindheit war mit Wochenende Urlaub zu diesem Platz gefüllt, Besuch Amish Freunde meiner Eltern traf, bevor ich überhaupt geboren wurde, so dass es Spaß zurück zu gehen und nehmen meine Kinder da war.

Heute Nachmittag, mein Bruder und seine Familie zum Mittagessen kommen, mein Freund, ist Kate für den Nachmittag kommen, und dann wir morgen auf den Weg noch einmal für eine Woche in Hillsdale, MI. Freunde, wir kommen!
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Here I had the best of intentions with this blog of mine—the goal of 3 posts each week—and then my computer has the gull to  start giving me trouble. Fortunately, my father-in-law is a whiz with computers and has kindly taken charge of mine and is doing his best to restore it to it’s former glory. I can’t tell you how nice it is to not have to figure it out on my own!

So a little update: It has been just over 3 weeks since Cody left, and it’s simultaneously gotten better and harder. I never knew that this short a period of time could drag on so slowly.  Don’t misunderstand me, we are having a great summer, and the time dragging has nothing to do with anything other than Cody’s absence. We really have the best help, and set-up here in this cozy little apartment. My sister-in-law, Anna has graciously come to visit us the last two Wednesdays. It's been a delight to have her around, and the boys always have loads of fun with her. She is just like Cody, and the rest of their family, in that she is so good at interacting with children on their level. It's such an amazing thing. I'm not that way at all, so I'm very thankful that so much of our family is. Basically, everyone is bending over backward to make this an enjoyable and peaceful summer for us, and I couldn't be more grateful for all the hard work everyone is putting into taking care of us.

This weekend my parents took my siblings and us to Amish Country in Holmes County Ohio.  My childhood was filled with weekend vacations to this place, visiting Amish friends my parents met before I was even born, so it was fun to go back and take my kids there.

This afternoon, my brother and his family are coming for lunch, my friend, Kate is coming for the afternoon, and then tomorrow we hit the road once more for a week in Hillsdale, MI. Friends, here we come!

Home | Changes and slow days

I have a lot of catching up to do on this poor neglected blog of mine, but since I despise blogging just to catch up (because I simply force myself to do it and write as little as possible, which always turns out poorly anyway) I’m going to share a bit about today, and yesterday.

The four of us went to the airport yesterday and only three of us came back. Cody jumped on a flight to Vermont, where he’ll stay for the next seven weeks. (How melodramatic do I sound right now?) Seven weeks is kind of long, but not really. It depends on who you ask I suppose. It seems long to me sometimes, and then short other times. Regardless, he'll be back, and then eleven definitely short days later, we'll move to Germany.

I am trying to work on things right now to prepare for our move to Germany, but also I’m attempting to enjoy these slow, peaceful days. After all, we did just move from North Carolina to Ohio! The boys and I are nestled in this heavily windowed, albeit tiny space mere yards from my childhood home. My only complaint is that the disc drive on my computer doesn’t work, which means I can’t watch horribly cheesy/girly movies in the evenings while I attempt to knit. Worse things have happened, I’m quite aware. So all in all, we’re taking it slow, and we're having loads of fun living near our families for a time. For Sebastian and Bruno, that means lots of time spent milking the cows and jumping on the trampoline. For me, that means, for today at least, a trip to Goodwill with my mom, two of my sisters, and the boys. They were have a 50% sale! My #1 treasured find will have to appear in another post, as it’s currently hanging in our bedroom where Sebastian is sound asleep.

Oh Sebastian, he misses his daddy. At breakfast, I asked him if he wanted to try to call daddy, to which he promptly responded, “I want to Facetime on daddy!” I am so thankful that we live during a time when this separation doesn’t mean my children can’t see their daddy, and talk with him, even though he’s miles away. 

What about Bruno, you ask. All you need to know about Bruno is that, at the ripe old age of one, he has red hair, is trying desperately to walk, and loves dogs and cats more than anyone I know. Oh this kid is a force, I tell you! I can't get enough of him.

As for Cody, if any of you would like to send him awesome doodles or pictures, since he can’t read, speak, or write anything but German starting tomorrow evening, let me know. I would be happy to pass his address along to you. 

Contact me at strecker dot me at gmail dot com.

P.S. Don'tcha love my knitting?? This is the beginnings of my first attempt at following a pattern. Methinks I need a longer needle? Also, calling all you lovely knitters: What are your favorite needles, patterns, yarns, etc.??