Busy, busy week
We have been running around this and last week getting things done like applying for Devin's and Shilda's passports, getting Shilda a German visa, taking care of the German re-adoption stuff, applying for Shilda's American Citizenship, trying to get a 10 year Green Card for me, dentist appointments, and looking for a house in Bavaria. All such fun things (especially USCIS are the funniest) in 100 degree weather. Yeah, the weather is something....the hottest summer since 1891 in Germany! The real killer is the humidity and not having air conditioning.

Devin didn't have any school today, so the kids and I played some games, went to the doctor (they both have pinkeye) and met Christian after he got off work at the PX. He is going for a couple of months starting in September to America to school, and he needed a laptop for it. So he finally got one today.
After dinner we went with our friends to an italien ice cream place. Their 4 and our 2 kids had a sugar high so we had to leave quite fast when things got a little out of hand. The sweeties are sleeping now, Christian the sweetie is playing with his new toy (laptop) and my sweet self will walk the sweet dogs now.

Shilda has been home for 6 months!!

Wow! Can you believe it?! To us it seems sometimes like yesterday when we picked Barbara and Shilda up from the airport, but some days it seems like she has been with us since day 1. Christian and I sat out on the porch last night watching her play and he said to me:"Dana, isn't it amazing what a happy child she is and that it seemed so clear to her that we are her family right from the beginning". Yes, it is totally amazing! She adjusted so well and quickly and brings so much happieness in this family! When we saw her on video's and pictures in the orphanage in Haiti we imagined her so different. She was almost always serious, didn't play, just sat somewhere looking sad. NOW, she is full of life and THE PARTY herself!
She has come a looong way. When she first got here in January she could walk, but was still unsure (you know, the airplane walk; both arms out to balance), now she runs, jumps off chouches, stairs, dances (I try to pick up some moves from her, but my butt and hipps just don't want to swing like hers). She also understands and speaks most everything in German and some in English. She is potty trained, feeds herself and likes to dress herself (which I still try to do as much as I am allowed, because my baby is just too independent sometimes:).
Don't give me wrong, she is still very delayed in some areas, but has learned sooo much already. She will be starting school in September. Devin is thrilled to have her in "his" school and they both can't wait.

Well, it's a two days later now, so this post was meant to be there 2 days ago....it already starts with me, right!? But you'll get a pic we took of Shilda today.

Well, I hear our neighbors yelling and screeming. I guess they are watching the final world cup game. I am still so dissappointed that Germany is out, but I hope now that Portugal is going to win.
We went to the town of Giessen today and got some stuff for our veggie garden at the "farmers market". We stayed most of the day in the town and had lunch at our favorite Turkish place and took the kids to a little festival. They loved it!
Before Devin and Shilda went to bed we let them help in the garden. Oh, we are so proud of our first GARDEN! We have strawberries, tomatos, cucumbers, celery, kohlrabi, different kind of lettuce, rubahrb, zucchini, radishes, kiwi, blueberries, rasberries, blackberries, apples, hazelnuts, grapes and lots of different kind of herbs. We may not win any blue ribbons at the county fair, but we certainly will be eating healthy this year.

As a few of you were asking about our website which we haven't updated in months I thought I would start blogging and try to keep you better updated on our lives here in Germany. Most of you know that I am not very good about writing, but I promise I will try hard. I will also make one for our German family and friends...
Ok, let's see what we did the last few days...
Last week we went down to Bavaria (about 4 hours south of here) to look at houses. Oh, maybe I should mention that we are thinking about buying a house closer to my family. There is a good chance that Christian gets stationed down there after this caserne closes next year. We are sooo ready to have at least a home base. Depending on where the Military wants to send us, the kids and I might just stay in Bavaria while Christian does a (2 year?) tour. But we are still open to anything...we will deceide when the time comes and do whatever is best for our family.
Also, we finally were able to start Shilda's German Re-adoption yesterday. The lawyer was a little lost with our case being a German-American-Haitian family but we are positive it'll work out somehow.
Afterward we took the children to the strawberry field. You bring your own container which they weigh before you pick the strawberries; but since they didn't weigh Shilda before we paid for the strawberries we got the 3 pounds she ate for free.
Well, it's 1 am and I am VERY sleepy....