On blogging...

As part of one of my courses, we were instructed to keep a blog. For simplicity's sake I am using this one. I figured I'd share why I blog! I started this blog as a way to keep family and friends up to date on what's going on with us. Being in Germany puts us 6 hours ahead of eastern time, so it's pretty difficult to keep up with family, especially family that works. I also thought it would be a good place to get "out of my head" on our journey of trying to expand our family. It's not easy,and the journey can be very isolating. I blog because it's fun for me! I blog because it helps me keep up with my Army Spouse friends.  Blogging, however, isn't for everyone. It's been hard to keep up with (as evidenced my long spaces between posts..), but it's worth it for me. So many people in my course are saying that they don't enjoy it, which I can understand. If you're more private, then blogging definitely isn't for you.  Why do you blog?

Sunday Slowdown

I love Sundays.
It's one day of the week that I strive to really slow down, not rush through things and just enjoy the day with the husband and the animals. We go to Church, we might eat lunch out, or we might just come home and do laundry and hold the couch down.
Believe me, after this week-this slow down  was MUCH needed. Nothing was overwhelmingly bad, just seemed like we had a hard time getting things to break our way. 
Of course, it's also much easier to slow down when you have a cold and the Mr. has Arkham Origins to keep him occupied.
What's your Sunday ritual? Are you a slow down person, or do you keep running?

         

I remember....

I remember when the Mr. first told me he wanted to join the Army. I was 19, and after he told me I cried. You see, I was dating a goofy theatre kid and I never thought the military would be a plan (I should've...serving in the military goes way back on both sides of his family). I cried because I didn't know what that meant. I cried because I knew at the least we were a country at war and that meant he was going to be deployed.

He had just busted out of his cocoon and is now a beautiful butterfly.

I cried because I was a drama queen. (Seriously. Pulled my Gbig aside to ask her advice and cried at meeting. Drama queen).
Then that Summer he dumped me. I remember sitting in my sorority sister's apartment and watching chick flicks and talking about how he'd be back and he's just a dumb boy.
Then that fall he realized he's really dumb sometimes, and we got back together.
I remember doing pretty horribly on an assignment right after he left for OSUT (basic Training). I remember that professor pulling me aside. He'd never had me in class, but said that it didn't seem like me. I cried to him and told him my boyfriend had just left. He patted me on the shoulder and said his son had left too, but it gets better.  I remember that extension of grace. (And I remember that I was yet again, a drama queen)

Photo from Ciulla Photography

I remember after we got married, that I was so excited in April because he was done with school, I was about to be done with school, and we were going to be able to be done with long distance! (I can hear my veteran spouse friends laughing...). I remember him holding me when he told me that he'd be deploying the following month. 
I remember the joy of buying our house, and getting a puppy.

She's grown just a tiny bit...

I remember crying when the rumors of the next deployment came up.   I remember crying the nights before he left, but not at the parade field...which garnered me criticism. (Seriously).
I remember crying with relief to hold him in my arms again both times.   I remember the blast we've had on marriage retreats, at balls, and at Hail/Farewells. 

I remember falling apart on the drive away from our first base, our first home.   I remember crying on the plane to Germany. 
Why post this? (Other than to illustrate that I'm a pro-level crier/drama queen)
So often as military spouses we tear our fellow spouses down... whether it's that she's crying over him being in the field, or NOT crying during the deployment. That our civilian friends couldn't possibly understand what it's like to live through a deployment, and how stupid they are for thinking that a business trip is in any way equal to one. (For the record, most know it's nothing alike. They're just trying to connect on the premise of missing their person). What if we remembered how it was when we first started out? When that first week of him gone felt like walking through hell? The time we learned to turn off the news when he's gone? 
I have a feeling we'd be much kinder to each other. And in a life like this-where we are often uprooted away from family and friends, and expected to do it all with minimal resources- shouldn't we be more focused on helping one another, instead of laughing at or criticising someone who is just starting out, sad and scared? When will we, as a community, realize that our war stories are very rarely helpful?
I remember...the day I decided to start living in and extending the grace and understanding afforded to me many times over by many people.

Shipping your pet to Germany, pt. 2- The cost.

Phew-what a 2 weeks this has been! Before we got too far out and I forget everything that's happened, I wanted to update on the costs and realities of getting your pet to Germany.

So. We bought 2 crates (PetMate SkyKennel). We got the cat the small size, and JB the Giant Size. It cost us $240 for both crates. $200 of that was JB's. Yes...it's Expensive. Yes, I would've preferred it to be cheaper. But... we really lucked out later.

You have to get health certificates. It's only good for 10 days, so wait as much as you can! You can get it at your post vet. If you don't have an on-post vet, you'll have to get it from a USDA certified Vet, and hope they have room! We were able to be seen on post, where the screening for health certificates is free, so long as you have a copy of orders. SO- Vet Exam: $0


Since JB had such a large crate, we had to have it disassembled untill we got to the airport. Well, as luck would have it at BWI, pets have to be in crates to go in the terminal. So C and I got to assemble that giant thing in the vestibule between outside and inside. Luckily, at this rate we're like a NASCAR crew with that thing. Once assembled, we got her inside.

Ready for the next bonus? If you are a family with kids or pets, you get to cut the line! I was so thankful for that-we had 4 checked bags, 2 crates, and 4 carry-ons, so we needed the cut.

At check in, the agents gave the animals a quick once over, weighed them in crates (as well as our bags), and then we paid. It was about $350. WHAT?! so much cheaper than I was expecting. Then we had to wait... we checked in right around 7:30 PM, our flight left at Midnight. We couldn't drop the pets off till 10:00 PM. So, we had 2.5 hrs to kill without going through security. We ate, took the pets to the pet relief area a couple times, and talked with family and friends.

Finally, 10 rolled around and we dropped the girls off back at the check in desk. I won't lie-I cried a little. (Story of my life! ha...I'm a cryer). I told JB and Adi that nothing bad could happen to them because if it did I'd lose my sh!t and that's a bad first impression. ;)

It was a quick walk through security, then onto the plane! We got little slips once seated that let us know that our babies had been successfully loaded onto the plane.

That's not where the pet story ends- See, in Germany the pets are examined once more to make sure that they're healthy and not bringing in any crazy illnesses. That cost 55 EUR.That was the end of our costs! Our sponsor picked us up, thankfully in a minivan, so We were able to keep them in their crates till we got to the hotel.

So, when all is said and done, it cost $590 to get them to Germany. Once in Germany, it cost us about 55 EUR for the exams, then probably another $80 in supplies we had shipped ahead of time (Thanks Amazon!).

All totaled- $670. (about $750, once you convert the Euro!) It was extra time. It was money we didn't necessarily want to spend. But these are our babies, so there was no way that we weren't going to find a way to make this work!

Random notes- Our agents didn't care if there was food/water in the crates, or if all attaching hardware was metal. We didn't have to have anything crazy, just the normal paperwork for them and we paid for them as "excess bags".

Please, if you have any questions (or know someone who does) about bring pets over to Germany-especially giants-send them my way! We've met so many families missing their big babies and I'd love to help however I can.

Xo,
Jess

The Odyssey to Germany, pt 2

Good gravy--y'all came back for more?! ;)

So, last I left off we were about to land in Germany.

We landed around 1 PM German time, so it was about 7 AM EST. Again, deplaning was done in sections. High ranking officials, people folllowing on (Our flight was making further stops in Turkey and Manas), and lastly people stopping in Germany. Once off the flight, we were directed to get rid of meat products, so I had to dump a TON of slim jim's that C had bought, which he was sad about. He was instructed to stay in a room to fill out some paperwork, while I got to go ahead and get in line to have my passport checked. A quick question about where we were headed and we were through to baggage claim!

Baggage claim at a military passenger terminal is pretty much nothing like baggage claim at a regular airport. You walk in and bags are everywhere! You just have to grab yours and arrange them. Our girls were also at baggage claim! Both a little mad, but okay otherwise. ;) We had to have them checked out, pay a fee, and then loaded our bags onto the carrier they were already on, and got herded into a different waiting room. This one had wifi and it seemed like things were going to go easier-more people to help us out. ;)

Here's where we hit a hiccup. See, we thought our sponsor was picking us up. The reception desk said he hadn't checked in, so we had to take the bus. We walked out, and a very enthusiastic man took my bags and loaded me on the bus telling C to wait...only for our sponsor to arrive shortly thereafter. After a few more pieces of paperwork, we then loaded everything up in our sponsor's van and headed out!

The autobahn was terrifying to me. I'm fairly certain I will not be driving here, or at least not on the autobahn. It too us about an hour to get to Wiesbaden. Now, at this point it's about 1430 (2:30 PM). Last time we ate was around midnight, or 6 AM German time. We're starving, but exhausted. All I wanted at this point was to go to the hotel...but apparently there was a form that needed to be signed. So we spent some time driving around to find him... to give up and go to the hotel, and find the guy there. Typical Army, right?

It's probably around 4 by the time we got in our room, with the animals. C took JB out as soon as we got there, I went straight to the room with Adi to set her up.  We decided to rest, and then C would go get food at the bowling alley (less than 5 min walking from the hotel). Well, by the time that happened I was exhausted and starving...so nauseous. C picked up on that and grabbed me some plain food, plus some things he knew I loved (Pizza with hot sauce). We had been napping on/off for most of the afternoon, and fell asleep still almost right after we finished eating.

Since then, it's been a flurry of activity! We've set up an apartment and our phone/internet/cable/etc. We're working on cell phones, and trying to keep our heads above water.

More to come on the pets, our apartment, and Germany in general!
J

Final Countdown

Well, in less than a week, we leave AZ! I am truly glad to be leaving this post behind. It is pretty, but there isn't much here, the weather is crazy, and I didn't really have the opportunity to make friends. We were here for 6 months, and I was the only person without kids in Cody's class soo that doesn't really help.

It's crazy to think we're leaving this chapter behind. I've left a few other things here... 4 to be exact. I had my wisdom teeth taken out yesterday. Mine were uncomplicated-they had already broken through the gums. They took all four out, and I feel fine. I was so scared to have them done-so many people tell you their horror stories about how they took weeks to feel better. I felt fine yesterday, i feel fine today. It hurts, of course, but not that bad. It's not the worst pain I've ever felt, that's for sure. It's annoying, but not life ending.

Because of the above, Cody has confined me to bed, and set two bed guards on me... JB and Adi hardly let me up. I'm taking it easy, taking antibiotics and using my mouthwash. Of course I'm me and bored so I'm doing homework, blogging, and watching lots of Grey's Anatomy.

I got as much done as I could prior to Yesterday for the move, and I have put Cody to doing the rest. I have most of my clothes together, even in a bag! I need to get a backpack and travel bag together...I am taking all my schoolbooks with me, since I don't know how long it'll be till I have all of our household things. I really don't want to be packing it all in the backpack...the Computer Science book alone would kill me!

In amazing news- We are closing on the house next Wednesday. After changing realtors, our former buyers got their confirmation letter. So, our new realtor being the amazing person he is, was able to make everything come together! So the house will be off our hands on Wednesday, the day we drive out of Arizona. Poetic Justice, no?

That's about all I can handle for now-more Anatomy & Physiology await me. :)

Jess

Taking your pets to Germany, pt.1

Receiving orders to Germany was followed by a ton of "oh gosh,.. What now?" Moments for my husband and me. What do you do with the car, the stuff, everything. One thing was a non-negotiable for us, and that was taking our pets.

Now, we knew at the outset that this would be expensive and time consuming. See, we have a giant breed dog. Our JB is a Great Dane. She is small for a Dane, weighing in at right around 95 lbs. This limits any travel/pcs plans we ever have. She can't fly on most commercial aircraft- her plus a crate is easily over 100 lbs. Luckily, as a military family we can take (and are urged to take) the Patriot Express, which is a military operated flight. Their weight limit is 150 lbs, which we will be skirting awfully close to.  As I've done my research, I've found there aren't many options for those of us with big babies. :) there's not much out there, so I'm compilining all I know into this post, in hopes to help someone in the future!

First- you have options. Know that no matter what, it will be expensive. There is no such thing as shipping a pet OCONUS for cheap.

Option 1- using a service like pet flight. We got a quote from them. For both of our pets (we also have a cat), they wanted over $3,000. This took care of a lot of the things for us- they'd handle the crates, make sure we have the right paperwork, etc. They'd fly the pets into Frankfurt, and we could pick them up there.  You are definitely paying for convenience. If you have kids to wrangle or you just don't want to deal with the red tape, this is definitely a good way to go.

Option 2- travel with them. This is the option we chose. In the long run, it is cheaper, plus they'll be on the plane with us. We chose to fly them both in cargo. Our cat could technically fly in the cabin with us, but she is typically not a good traveler. (Read: she mews every 5 seconds in the car) I didn't want to find out in the midst of a 9 hr flight that she wasn't good in planes either. Our crate costs are probably right around $300. $260 of that is the dogs crate. We got them both petmate sky kennels. They come with all the stickers and bowls they need to fly.  It is costing us to rent a car, though we got a great deal from USAA on that! The post vet does the required checks and paperwork for free, so we save there. There will be "excess baggage" fees for both of them, and a mandatory veterinary examination upon landing in Germany. We don't know what that bottom line looks like yet, but I am keeping a running total. I will share that information once we have it!

There is a third option. You could rehome your pets for the duration of your overseas tour. Some send their pets to live with their grandparents or trusted friends. If they are up for that, it's a great option! I imagine it would be tough to be without your pet for so long, but you know that they are being taken care of and that they are very loved. Plus, you can get them when you go back to the states.The other option is to rehome them in other ways- Craigslist, rescues, local shelters, etc. if this is the route you take, you are giving up what I believe to be a family member. I recommend this only as an absolute last resort.

I'll keep you all apprised of what happens from here on out! Our next step is the girls' appointment for our pre-screen and health certificates for the flight!

Armyed, part 2.

Answer to the situation below was actually D, none of the above.

Our flight was moved to 2 September, which is C's report date. They are amending his orders to allow us to arrive a day later. We will be flying out of Baltimore, so we are driving over there. We could still fly commercially to Baltimore, but the Army will not cover costs for the Girls so we are taking it upon ourselves to cut costs a bit. We will hopefully be shipping the car earlier, so we will rent a car and do that drive, potentially stopping in with family along the way.

On the bright side- I am no longer worried about my passport not getting here in time, or not having enough time to pack and declutter and sell stuff.  I have more time to study German and the German driving laws too.

I'm a little sad to have to push everything back, because now we are using up Cody's leave, and he doesn't have that much to begin with. Plus I was actually looking forward to getting there and getting things figured out. Oh well!

Cody's class social got cancelled, I guess the commander didn't like them having it at a winery. So the plan for the weekend is to hang out and relax Friday night, then drive up Saturday and spend some time with my Grandpa and his companion.

The only constant in life is change. :)
Jess

Armyed

Have you watched How I Met Your Mother? It's one of my favorite shows. Marshall gets in a habit of saying "Lawyered" after winning arguments, as evidenced here:

Well, today, we got Armyed. Cody and I were so excited to have official paper orders, and get things scheduled! We had no problem scheduling the pick up of our belongings, the transportation agent said we shouldn't have any troubles getting a flight with our girls, everything was looking pretty good and by the weekend we'd be able to circle our departure date on the calendar.

Then, we were Armyed.

Turns out, there is no space for the pets on the flight to Germany we were scheduled on. And the flight out of San Diego they put us on can't handle a dog as big of JB.  The agent would look into other flights, and we were to talk to United (currently has the Gov't contract..) and a pet shipment company. Luckily, our agent understands that our pets are more than just pets for us. They are not LIKE children, they are the closest thing we have to children. This agent gets that-and her priority is getting us on a flight with the girls, whether it's on a military flight or commercial. So here's our options, as of right now:

Option A: Change our military flight (Baltimore---> Air base in Germany) to a different date, fly and ship our car out of Los Angeles instead of San Diego.

Option B: Fly Commericially from Los Angeles to Frankfurt Airport, take a bus to inprocess at the Air Base, take a bus back to our post (20 minutes outside of Frankfurt, for those keeping track).

Option C: Keep all of our flights (Starting in San Diego), but ship the girls via PetAir, who will fly them into Frankfurt. We'd fly directly into the air base in Germany, then take a bus ride and pick the girls up after arriving at our post.

Cody has the feeling that we will be going with Option B, and I wouldn't be opposed to that... the 4 extra hours of travel feel like a little much for me, but if that's what we have to do, that's what we have to do.


Armyed.
-Jess