An Overdue Update

So, I am trying to play catch up with the blog. The summer has been so crazy and it seems to have gone by way too quickly! The weather here has been cool and rainy for the past month or so, so needless to say...we didn't have much of a summer (all the more reason for friends and family to come visit!). The last blog I wrote was about our awesome trip to Normandy at the end of May. After Brandon got back from training, we headed off the Iceland! Iceland has been one of our favorite trips so far. Iceland is fascinating! It has it all....lakes, mountains, hills,volcanos, lava fields, glaciers, thermal springs....we loved it. Our first day there consisted of the Blue Lagoon, which is one of the things Iceland is famous for. It is sort of like a big hot tub, except for the fact that it is heated by the lava from underground and is filled with natual minerals that are very good for your skin. Many Icelanders go to the Blue Lagoon if they have skin disorders. The water is a natural blue (because of the minerals that make up the water) and is always aroun 100 degrees year round. So even with snow on the ground, Icelanders and tourists go to the Blue Lagoon to relax. I have never felt more relaxed...it was our favorite part of the trip!
After our trip to Iceland, I headed back to Houston for a marriage and family conference for work and Brandon headed back home. It was really nice being back in the States, especially Texas! I was able to spend time with my mom and one of my sisters, as well as my mother in law and Brandon's grandpa and aunt. I wished, however, that I had had more time to visit and see more people. But, I knew that I would get to see those people when I came back in October.
Not long after I returned from the States, we took a weekend trip to Brussels, Begluim. Brandon had been 2 or 3 times before for work (NATO headquaters is in Brussels), but I had not yet been and we wanted to travel and visit places that were closer to the area we are in now before we moved (will talk more about this later). Anyway, we had a wonderful weekend in Brussels. The beer, chocolate, and waffles were amazing of course.
At the end of July and the beginning of August, Brandon left for 2 weeks..leaving the house to just Benson and I. Thankfully, those two weeks flew by, as I was able to spend quality time with a few of my girlfriends over here. My friend Jen and I went to visit the Frankenstein castle one weekend and then took a weekend trip to Baden-Baden, Germany the next weekend! Which, by the way, I can't wait for Brandon and I to go back to Baden-Baden. I loved that town. It's an old spa town, so they have Roman-Irish baths, as well as modern baths that you can bath in! What a really neat experience. I also went to see a movie with abother girlfriend during those two weeks. So, needless to say, the two weeks went by quickly!
After Brandon came home, we officially recieved paperwork saying that our report date to Vilseck, Germany is 6 September. Brandon will be the next company commander for Bavaria MEDDAC HHC on Rose Barracks (part of the Grafenwour Army Garrison). I am super excited for him and for the move as well. We will get the chance to live in another part of Germany and will be very close to the Czech border and 2 hours away from Prague! While this will be a very exciting time for the both of us, we will definitely miss our German neighbors here in Landstuhl. They are two of the sweetest people and have helped us so much. We have had so much fun getting together with them and have some of the best memories with this couple. They always have beer or wine and some sausage ready for us whenever we go over there. :) I know that I will also miss the girlfriends I have made in this area. I remember first getting here and feeling lonely because I knew noone, but now I can't imagine my life without these girls. I guess that is part of military life, though...it's never "Goodbye"...it's always "See you later." I won't have to see goodbye as quickly, however, because I am staying here until the end of October. The job I have is a "temporary position" that lasts no later then 1 year. So, I have decided to work until my position expires and then move to our new home in the Vilseck area.I will be staying with a friend/coworker until then, and Benson will go with Brandon. I have hired a dogsitter for Benson until I get there, so Brandon doesn't have to worry about coming home during the day to let him out! I am going to miss them both a lot! I probably won't go to visit them every weekend, but I am fortunate that the drive isn't too long (3 1/2 hours) so I will go as often as I can. We are nervous about my car driving for that long..so we shall see.
So....right now we are in the process of packing up as much as we can, eating what we can from our pantry, and cleaning the house for the next renters. The movers come on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Well, I know this was a lot of information slipped into one blog. I promise to keep up with this more..things should start to settle down again after the big move to Bavaria! :) Miss everyone! Looking foward to seeing some of you in October! :)