Our house is stuffed to the gills right now; our household goods finally showed up this morning. I have never been so excited to sit on a sofa!

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Today was a special day because our pup became an American. Since Charlie was born and raised in Germany, we have been joking since we got home that we should officially make him a citizen. So we chose today to have his naturalization ceremony. He raised his right hand and swore an oath of citizenship, which was uproariously funny at the time.

And because it was such a special day for him, we let him eat with us. Charlie got to eat a waffle and a hamburger! What a day...

And then this evening my husband and I did the most American thing we know: we went to a baseball game. The Blowfish played a great game, and then they had fireworks over the stadium. I know we had fireworks on post in Germany, but these were close enough to smell! And it just felt so good to be in a stadium full of people wearing red, white, and blue and listening to Lee Greenwood. I couldn't wipe the stupid smile off my face the whole fireworks display.

It's so good to be home...

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This is my first 4th of July in the United States in three years. I thought I'd write something this morning about how it feels, but I think I'd rather write at the end of the day. We have big plans to do the most American things we can...

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I wish our household goods were here so I could post my favorite photo of my dad. But it will have to wait until the end of the month for his birthday (our stuff better be here by then!) He said if the weather was nice he'd go fishing but if it rained he'd go to the office. Hope he went fishing...

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When we got married, we had extra space in the back of our wedding album, so we decided to take an anniversary photo every year to keep the album going throughout our marriage. Our four years include moving into our new house in Germany, being apart during Iraq, getting a new puppy, and sitting in an empty apartment waiting for our household goods. Have we aged at all? I don't think so, but I can't wait to look back on these four photos in about 20 years!

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The best decision I ever made was to tell that boy across the hall from me that I had a crush on him. If I hadn't, I probably wouldn't have been standing across from him four years ago today. And then we wouldn't have added that silly puppy to our family one year ago!

We're celebrating our anniversary by going to the port and picking up our car, which has made its way across the Atlantic. And hopefully we can stop at The Bell along the way.

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1 Congratulations and happy anniversary! Welcome back to the States.

Posted by: piercello at June 15, 2006 02:42 AM (6HxBf)

2 HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!!! Congrats! Have fun getting your car and enjoying a chalupa! My advice, get your car aligned the minute it gets off the boat!

Posted by: Farrah at June 15, 2006 05:22 AM (cCnDt)

3 Happy Anniversary... I'll never forget what The Husband said when you guys were defining your relationship early on: "Well, it's not like I'm going to marry you or anything." Heh. I couldn't imagine either of you with anyone else. You suit each other perfectly. And eat lots of fatty-nastiness at The Bell. It sounds super.

Posted by: Erin at June 15, 2006 09:20 AM (2IOh+)

4 HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to you both. I hope your car travels half as well as your marriage has.

Posted by: Jim - PRS at June 15, 2006 05:12 PM (VPbK+)

5 Happy Anniversary! You DO make the perfect couple and the longer Russ is in our family the more I realize you are perfect for each other. It was fun seeing your wedding picture. I still have people tell me that it was the best wedding they've ever attended--guys in khakis and polo shirts and girls in sundresses and sandals, beautiful weather, delicious food (thank goodness it was catered!), a one-of-a-kind ceremony that made me cry and all of your friends and family there to celebrate! What more could one ask for!?! I love you both. Mama

Posted by: Nancy at June 15, 2006 07:28 PM (Dbnx3)

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The blog is due for a pupdate! I haven't written about Charlie's experiences in the US yet...

I was concerned that Charlie might be overwhelmed by flying alone and staying at my in-laws' house without us. We thought he'd be overjoyed to see us, but when we got there, he gave us a cursory lick and then ran back outside. He loved their doggie door and playing with their dog and two cats. He wrestled one cat constantly, which was hilarious. And he learned about chasing birds and squirrels too.

He then made the trip from Kansas City to Illinois via the new Busch stadium, which he christened with a big fat dump on the sidewalk. He did fine at my parents' house too, except for the fact that my parents' dog didn't really want to have anything to do with him. He spent the two weeks baiting their dog, pushing him with his nose and pouncing, hoping he'd want to play back.

Moving appeared to be a maturing process; we were able to leave him out of the crate most of the time because he had other animals to occupy him. He had one ridiculous lapse in judgement that nearly got him strangled though: on the last night at my parents' house he ate my brand new $27 hank of beautiful wool. It was sitting next to a $2 skein that I had gotten on sale, but naturally he didn't want that one. Other than that near-fatal mistake, he was very good on his vacation.

He made the 15-hour car ride with us out to our new post. He did surprisingly well in his crate the whole way, until we got about two hours out. At that point, he completely wigged out and started banging his head on the bars and yelping. I let him sit in my lap the rest of the way.

He did fine in the Army hotel, considering we were in the "pet section" and there were barking dogs all around us. He didn't like the constant come-and-go of the cleaning crew, but overall he did OK. He's been pretty good in the new apartment as well. It's funny that none of our furniture is here, and we have tan carpet and walls; I can never find him because he camouflages so well into his surroundings! He took up a fascination last night with those springy door stop things: he constantly boings it, and he's already eaten the rubber stopper off.

But most of the time he's content right here at the patio door.

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I took this photo before we left my parents' house. My collection of cookbooks doubled when I hit the ground a month ago...

It's a wonder we fit everything in the car...now we just have to fit it all in 500 less square feet!

We made it. The place is nice, if just a tad small. But we'll live for six months. We're still getting settled; our unaccompanied baggage gets delivered on Tuesday, so we should be on the internet within a day or two. Can't wait to be connected again.

And can't wait to start cooking!

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Today my family went to one of the oldest cemeteries in our city. There's a section called Soldier's Hill that is the resting place for veterans as far back as the War of 1812. It was humbling to be there today.

As we were driving towards the gates, my mother's eagle eye spotted a lone marker at the edge of the cemetery. Out of the thousands of gravestones in that cemetery, I was honored to have found this one...

Chip Chan went to my high school. I barely knew him, but like everyone else I heard the news that he had been working for Cantor Fitzgerald in the WTC and was lost on September 11. I was so touched that we found his beautiful gravestone today.

We'll grill out tonight like everyone else does, but I'm glad we spent our Memorial Day the way it really should be spent.

Tomorrow morning we pile into the car and make our way across half of the country. By the time we finally get there, our brand new car will already have 3000 miles on it. But we're ready for the adventure...

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We saw X-Men today. Some of the dialogue was cheesy, but you know I'm a sucker for anything Marvel. Now I just can't wait for Superman...

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Tonight I went to see my old track coach. I graduated from high school ten years ago yesterday, so I wondered what it would be like to be hanging out with him at 28 instead of at 18. But he's still the same wonderful man I remember.

Actually, many at my high school would debate the "wonderful" part. He was rough, the Bobby Knight of high school girls track. He yelled, turned red, and kicked girls off the team. But he was fair too: if you gave track your all, he'd support you to the end. He ran our team a lot like the military, with a strict hierarchy, rigid uniform requirements, and a lot of yelling. That man put so much energy into track that he collapsed at last year's state meet. He's retired now and is just back helping for fun. He's a lot more relaxed now, but I wouldn't have traded what his previous intensity taught me. He taught me dedication and commitment to your team and to your goals. He taught me a lasting respect for my elders. And he taught me to push when I thought I didn't have anything left. And I love him for it.

While I was out on the field talking to my coach, my husband ran into my cousin; she had run track for another high school a few years behind me. She asked what on earth he was doing at a track meet, and he said that I was back visiting my old coach. My cousin was flabbergasted: "That man is a psycho!" Yes, he is, but he's my psycho.

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OK, so here's the deal. We got to my parents' house on Tuesday, only to find that their internet provider can't read mu.nu blogs. My mom has been telling me for months that she can't access my site, and I've been rolling my eyes and thinking that she just doesn't know how to use a computer. But it's actually true! I contacted Pixy Misa and he said that for whatever reason, Insight Broadband can't read anything mu.nu. So I can't post anything or read any of my comments. Needless to say, it's been frustrating. And I'm at my parents' for another ten days...

But right now we're in Des Moines visiting an old friend from college. He was my husband's friend first and mine by default, but he's a really great guy. He's Indian, and it's been interesting hearing the way the pending immigration bill affects his life. He's in the last stages of getting his green card, and if anyone deserves it, it's this guy. Last night my husband threw out some random joke about John Snow, and our buddy not only knew he was the Secretary of Treasury, but also knew who the previous one was! It's wonderful to watch my husband meet his match in global awareness. I wish these two could spend more time together.

Nothing else as exciting as cockfighting to report. I've been spending my time buying yarn and cookbooks. Both stashes have doubled since we arrived. Now I'm starting to panic because we have to fit everything in the car and we've wasted so much space buying warm clothes! Luckily the weather has turned in the Midwest (knock on wood) and we can at least venture into short sleeves.

Forgive me if I can't blog for a while. It's not that I'm holding back! Maybe if something good comes up I can have Erin post it for me again. I think I'll try to call Insight's tech support and see if I can get to the bottom of this mess.

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Right before we left Germany, we ate at a new Chinese restaurant near post. The food was really good, but two entrees and drinks was $30. We just got to Kirksville and ate at our favorite all-you-can-eat buffet for ten bucks. Man, I love this country.

Our college looks pretty much the same. The students all look like they did before, except they're all talking on cell phones. Husband and I never owned a cell until we got married! But everyone here is gabbing up a storm while they walk through campus.

It's good to hear that the local ROTC program is going strong. We got to say hi to our favorite Major. And now we're off to see our old Iranian neighbors. It'll be interesting to hear what they think of old crazy pants.

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Last night we went to a very exciting KC Royals baseball game. They have a fabulous military deal: free admission for the soldier and three family members. We had great seats and a heck of a game.

We've been back to Walmart too.

My mother-in-law also told a good story. My husband and I were out yesterday and she ran out to the drugstore. She was chatting in line when she suddenly remembered that she hadn't put Charlie in his crate. She said out loud, "Oh no, I left Charlie in the backyard! He's only one, but he should be OK since I haven't been gone very long." The store manager almost called the cops until she realized that Charlie was a puppy and not a kid!

Tomorrow we're traveling to Kirksville for the day to visit our alma mater. It'll be interesting to see how it's changed.

And I'm dying to buy a cell phone. This ringtone thing is out of control. I've already got my sights on the Dallas theme song...

Posted by: Sarah at 03:33 AM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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1 Isn't being home just great! The first thing we did before we even had a house was buy 2 cell phones! I don't even know why I have one. I never use it. I guess I just feel cool since everyone else has one.

Posted by: Angie at May 10, 2006 04:37 AM (ec43W)

2 LOL!! I love the story about Charlie!

Posted by: Erin at May 10, 2006 07:52 AM (OEHKU)

3 We did the same thing after one week on the ground. We were walking in the mall in Dallas and wandered into Sprint and walked out with two phones. I use mine, but D rarely uses his. Soon his won't be used at all until 2007. Why are we drawn to cell phones? BTW, I went old school with the ringtone, Planet Rock. Makes me wanna break dance everytime it rings!

Posted by: Vonn at May 10, 2006 05:01 PM (aiiwQ)

4 If you take I-70 out there, overshoot your exit a little bit and run by Kingdom City. There is a truck stop restaurant out there called Gasper's that is really good, or used to be.

Posted by: Pericles at May 10, 2006 11:50 PM (eKf5G)

5 I'm laughing at Angie's comment...I think owning a cell phone is a pre-requisite for "being cool" in the US. Sometimes I wonder how I survived for almost 3 years in Germany without one...then again, I don't remember missing it that much!

Posted by: Nicole at May 11, 2006 05:17 PM (ot21y)

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We made it!

Our flight was long, but it was impossible to feel bummed when we knew we were on a one-way ticket! Even when our little headrest TV screens didn't work, nothing could get us down. I managed to knit most of a sock on the way back. At one point I thought the stewardess was going to reprimand me, and I was all set to pull out the FAA regs and then narc on the lady crocheting behind me, but then I realized all the stewardess had said was "Is that a sock or a glove?"

Within 24 hours of being on the ground, we bought a car. My husband had been doing months of research, and we knew exactly what we wanted. As long as it was close to what we imagined it would be, we knew we'd be happy. A test drive later, my husband was ready to talk business. And now we're the proud owners of a Mazda5.

I've adjusted my sleeping schedule fairly well, but my husband is still waking up at an ungodly hour. Light switches seem weird and I keep forgetting how to dial the phone. Charlie is having the time of his life chasing squirrels and birds in my in-laws' backyard. He barely missed us.

I'll try to write more soon. However, my in-laws only have dial-up, so I don't imagine I'll be online much for a while. And having more than eight TV channels is still too overwhelming for me at this point.

Life is good.

Posted by: Sarah at 08:28 AM | Comments (12) | Add Comment
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1 Welcome home, Sarah. To you and your husband. We appreciate the sacrifices you have made for this nation, and hope that you settle in nice and comfy like!

Posted by: Dave at May 04, 2006 09:36 AM (6GFTi)

2 Welcome back to America! Home of the brave and the free!

Posted by: Vonn at May 04, 2006 10:16 AM (dEgRi)

3 Glad you had a safe and uneventful trip. It's nice to "hear" your voice again. TheJewelryLady

Posted by: Sue at May 04, 2006 10:50 AM (g8xza)

4 Glad you had a safe trip, I will look forward to keeping up to date with you through your blog!

Posted by: Stephanie at May 04, 2006 03:01 PM (hEdhS)

5 I am so glad that you guys got the car and that it lived up to everything that you thought! I forgat about the knitting on the plane and I am glad that all went well considering your screens were broken...Well think of me while you are in Walmart. I miss you tons already Love ya , Kelly

Posted by: Kelly at May 04, 2006 04:18 PM (fydBf)

6 Yay. I already knew all that (lucky me!), but it was fun to read it anyway. I still look for your car when I drive by your house. Sad.

Posted by: Erin at May 04, 2006 06:41 PM (/vUGb)

7 Welcome home.

Posted by: Kathleen A at May 04, 2006 08:49 PM (7qm8p)

8 Yay! You made it! Welcome back. I'm so glad that the flight went well and the new car was ready to fall in your lap. *grin*

Posted by: Teresa at May 04, 2006 11:54 PM (FZwDL)

9 It sure was nice to hear your voice and know that you were in just another state instead of another country! Looking forward to seeing the new car, but most of all, looking forward to seeing you and Russ in a couple of weeks. Love you both, Mama

Posted by: Nancy at May 05, 2006 12:05 AM (OeioM)

10 Mazda5...awesome car. Enjoy.

Posted by: Curtis at May 05, 2006 07:17 AM (Ws5uG)

11 Welcome Home!

Posted by: MargeinMI at May 05, 2006 07:31 AM (Rx/UC)

12 I'm glad you are home safe. You are already missed by many here at your "old" home.

Posted by: Jennifer at May 07, 2006 03:00 AM (p1jKh)

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Note to those who are moving: When they say that your unaccompanied baggage will be picked up any time between 0700 and 2100, they ain't lyin'. Nothing like giving you a 14 hour time window to sit in an empty house. Our guys showed up at 1800.

Second note to those who are moving: The vehicle registration office closes at noon the last business day of the month for inventory. That info would've been nice to know when we set up our car shipping appointment for the last business day of the month. They're also closed on German holidays (Monday's Communism Day, I mean May Day), so if we hadn't raced to get there at 1120, we would've been out of luck for clearing.

Third note to those who are moving: Don't get a billeting room with a kitchen when you're outprocessing. Your TLA is double! Woo-hoo. That will offset the money my husband had to shell out to CIF.

Thank goodness this week is over.

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Well, the house is packed. The movers said they had never spent four hours packing a kitchen before. I guess fourteen boxes of dishes and kitchen stuff is a bit much. Our household goods are mostly dishes, yarn, and books.

I noticed one thing today. You'd think that people who design military housing would make it conducive to moving. Since people are always moving in and out, maybe twisty staircases and right angles in the hallways are not a good idea. I watched the movers bang my stuff a million times while they were trying to maneuver out the front door and down the huge step. These houses should have ramps!

Posted by: Sarah at 11:59 AM | Comments (9) | Add Comment
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Charlie Puppy made it off OK this morning. I think. He was crying up a storm when we had to leave him, but I think he was only crying slightly harder than I was. He still has another 11 hours until he gets to the Midwest.

We're getting ready to take apart the computer. It goes in unaccompanied baggage, along with ma games and trophies. (There's a little AFN humor for ya.) We're staying with Erin for two nights, so I might find the time to hop online at some point before we go.

Now I'm off to organize our school clothes, and maybe a winter coat.

Posted by: Sarah at 10:52 AM | Comments (8) | Add Comment
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1 We got a big kick out of this

Posted by: The Girl at April 24, 2006 01:55 PM (HqRyY)

2 I remember our last night in our on-post housing. We were only qualified to have four nights in the Krystall Inn so we "roughed" it for two nights on our own...only the army bed in the guest bedroom with one blanket and pillows...thank goodness it was the beginning of August and we didn't have to worry about staying warm! We caved in through and eventually went across the street to the Boggianos...yeah, we're babies!

Posted by: Nicole at April 24, 2006 07:49 PM (CpOyu)

3 Safe travels Charlie Boy! (oh and happy belated birthday..)

Posted by: MaryIndiana at April 25, 2006 12:50 AM (YwdKL)

4 Godspeed on your travels Sarah! Oh and for Charlie too! I am sure he arrived in style and complete comtempt from being stuck in the belly of a plane, I'm mean come on according to him he should have been lounging in first class! We just sent our puppy Bella back two weeks ago and I cried while the dog gave me this pathetic look. Bella arrived fine and I am sure Charlie will too! HH6

Posted by: Household6 at April 25, 2006 01:14 AM (Gj0PV)

5 I'm guessing my grandpuppy should be in Kansas City by now. I'm sure the airlines took good care of him, even though he probably was wondering what in the world was going on and where are my Mommy and Daddy? Good luck with the movers on Tues. and I will talk to you soon. Love you both, Mama

Posted by: Nancy at April 25, 2006 03:01 AM (5taAd)

6 Less than a week! LESS THAN A WEEK! That last night goes on forever. You can't sleep. I sure couldn't. The tacos, they are calling your name.

Posted by: Jason at April 25, 2006 10:04 AM (vPhtz)

7 Just a note. Charlie is doing fine and loves the backyard. He can not decide which animal to chase or smell. The only bad thing is that he brought cold and rainy weather with him from Germany. I guess it might help with the transition. Love, KC Mom

Posted by: ME at April 25, 2006 06:44 PM (g1qn0)

8 Maryellen, I've been thinking about Charlie and wondering how he did with the flight and adjusting to new surroundings. He's probably in heaven with his new playmates and the backyard. Have fun! Nancy

Posted by: Nancy at April 27, 2006 02:09 AM (OeioM)

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Charlie just loves that big bear that his friend Lewis gave him. He drags it around everywhere with him, apparently even when he has to pee. Just a minute ago I heard my husband downstairs say, "Charlie, you cannot take that thing outside."

Tomorrow starts the big moving process. We take Charlie to the airport at the crack of dawn on Monday. Our phone and internet gets shut off on Tuesday, which is when the movers come, so I will probably be out of the blogging loop for a while.

Only nine more days until Dairy Queen.

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Yesterday was Charlie's first birthday. He invited six of his closest friends over to the house. They had Beef Bacon Cheddar cake and Charlie got lots of toys and treats as gifts. And all his friends went home with party favors as well.

The party went much better than you might expect for inviting multiple dogs into your home. We videotaped the event, and this was the one screen shot where we could get all seven dogs in the picture. So here's Charlie being the center of attention...

And here's Charlie, worn out at the end of the night, playing with his new birthday bear...

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1 While my irrational fear of dogs (above knee level) would have sent me through the roof, the party looks like a success. It almost looks as if Charlie is giving everyone his "Thank you for coming" speech.

Posted by: Vonn at April 19, 2006 09:11 AM (dEgRi)

2 You girls are just tooo funny! I love it! As much as I love Toby, I never thought to have a birthday party for him! And party favors too! Wow! Wish I could have been there! Your mama

Posted by: Nancy at April 19, 2006 11:28 AM (6s7Zq)

3 It is so cute to see those "tired eyes" in our dogs. When we keep ours up to late she just looks at us like please, please let me go to sleep. Charlie had a big day!.

Posted by: Ruth H at April 19, 2006 11:35 AM (uZYtv)

4 Sarah, I love how your husband is corralling Lewis while MY husband is just sitting there...

Posted by: Erin at April 20, 2006 04:01 AM (z9os7)

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