The City of Lights...

...Of which I did not see the lights. Having two little boys in tow makes it hard to wait until 10:30 at night when it gets dark and they turn on the lights, and we thought that the Metro might not be a safe place for the kids that late. Paris, however, lights or no lights is a spectacular city!

We thoroughly enjoyed every second we spent there! We'd definitely plan a return trip if we were staying in Germany a bit longer, and plan to one day re-visit Paris (without kids)! We packed in as much as we could in the three days we had. We of course saw all of the touristy "musts"...The Eiffel Tower, The Louvre, Champs Elysees, Arc de Triomphe, and Notre Dame. All of that was amazing, but I think the best part was the people. Parisians are superbly friendly, helpful, wonderful people. We truly loved this city and it's people! Oh, and the fresh pastries from the bakery just around the corner from our hotel...to die for!

Here are a few of my favorite pictures from our trip...

The Eiffel Tower (or Tour Eiffel) as the french would say.
We had to put B on a leash. :) He loved running around this park next to the Eiffel Tower.

Noah just sat in his stroller, a happy baby, taking in the view.

I love this picture. Brady kept climbing up on his bed and gazing out the window at the skyline.

The Mona Lisa. It's not nearly as big or impressive as I had imagined. She sits behind glass in the middle of a huge room, with a ridiculous crowd pushing and shoving to get a shot of her.

Here's the crazy crowd. I actually waded through it to get my picture...nuts, I know.

Oh, how I love this face.

I think Brady's favorite thing was feeding the pigeons outside the Louvre. At one point, I think we had every pigeon in Paris at our feet.

The Arc de Triomphe. Yes, I ran out into 8 lanes of traffic to get this picture...

Noah enjoyed helping Daddy read the map. :)

A shot of the Eiffel Tower from across the Seine.

Notre Dame. Not as big as I expected, but so beautiful. A peaceful haven in the middle of the city.

I just loved this shot.

But, my favorite picture from the trip...this one. This is the view I live for.

Makin' Progress

We're making progress on the house! This picture was taken about 3 weeks ago. Since then, the plumbing has been done, electric wired, and cabinets and granite ordered. This week the roofing will be done and it will possibly be bricked.

I'm just buzzing with excitement! I can't wait to see how it all comes together. Just 5 more weeks!!!

Normandy, Part 3: The Rest Of The Pictures

Here they are. The remaining pictures from our Normandy trip...Well, at least the one's I'm putting on blogger.

Day 3 was the actual D-Day anniversary. We first headed to Point du Hoc. In case you don't know the significance, this is the spot, just around the bend from Omaha beach where rangers from the 5th Ranger Regiment scaled the bluff to take out strategic German gun emplacements. In doing so they saved countless American lives. From here, the Germans had a birds-eye view of the waters and beaches littered with Allied forces. It was truly an amazing feat considering that the bluff is a vertical cliff. Before the invasion began Navy ships heavily bombed the coast line leaving enormous craters. It's hard to believe that anyone could have survived this initial bombing. Just to get an idea of the size of these things, I had Buck walk down into the bottom of one...and this one wasn't the biggest crater we saw!
Point du Hoc may have been the coolest place we saw. There were ruins of German bunkers and gun emplacements everywhere. Several of the bunkers were still in tact and we were able to go down inside of them. They were however very, very dark and even with the flash on I couldn't get a good picture inside.

Noah was just chillin'.

And Brady was playing with his "tickle" rocks...don't ask...I can't begin to understand the thinking of a two year old.

After lunch we headed over to Omaha beach. It is impossible to describe the overwhelming feeling of gratitude that flooded my emotions as I stood there on that hallowed ground.

It is so peaceful and beautiful. Impossible to fathom the carnage that once took place here, is it not?

Omaha beach was a much more difficult assault because of the bluffs that line the beach head. This picture was taken from a top a bluff. You can't really tell just how high or vertical they are unless you look closely. See those tiny black dots on the beach...well, they aren't dots, they're people. The invading troops had to make their way up those bluffs to capture the high ground and take out the German guns. It really is a miracle that they ever succeeded.

A reflective me...

And on the drive back home, I got a great preview of Paris...our next planned trip!

The Love Of A Boy

It seems that with each passing day, my precious little boys do something else to capture my heart. It may be a huge gummy grin or sweet sound from Noah when he first sees me upon waking in the morning, or an unexpected hug or kiss from Brady. But, tonight, my B did something that will forever live in my most precious memories.

Buck was dressing him for bed after his bath. I walked into the room and when he saw me, he squealed with excitement. I walked up to his changing table, and he wrapped his little arms around me. He knew that it was time for bed.

He began humming a song to me as he patted my back and rocked me. Then he began to sing the words. It took me a second to figure out what he was singing. When I realized, tears began to roll down my cheeks. Buck stood there watching with tears in his eyes too.

From the time he was born, I have rocked him and sang the same songs to him, in the same order. After I put him in bed, I sing those songs to him. The first one I sing is one that my mother sang to me as a baby and young girl. She made up the words and the melody. I have never forgotten how comforting it was to be in her warm embrace, listening to the sweet sound of her voice, singing me to sleep with these words:

Buttons and bows,
And pretty blue eyes,
Sunshine and happy times,
Flowers growing wild,
I love my little [Brady],
I love my little [boy],
Always and forever,
My baby you will be.

My sweet little boy sang every word to me, just as I have to him every night now for 29 months. He patted my back, just as I have patted his little bottom each time. It was absolutely the most poignant moment I have ever shared with him. Perhaps, the most poignant moment of my now 30 years. I was stunned. Dumbfounded. Humbled. I have never felt more loved and adored. Never more aware of how my actions, my words, are absorbed and impact the lives of my children.

It was the perfect birthday gift. He couldn't have timed it better if he had tried.

The innocent love of a child, wrapped up in one sweet song.

As I put him in bed, I began to sing the song to him. This time, he sang along with me. As I began to sing the next song, "How Great Thou Art", he again matched me word for word.

As I lay there next to him, gazing at his precious face, listening to that sweet little voice, my heart was as full as it's ever been. I didn't want to leave him. I lingered as long as I could before the cries of another precious boy called me away.

What was this morning day that I didn't want to see come (as I realize that I'm 10 years from 40 and that they're coming faster than ever), turned out to be a day that I don't ever want to forget...all because of the love of a boy.

Normandy, Part 2: The Pictures

Like I said in my last post, our trip to Normandy for the 66th anniversary of D-Day was the trip of a lifetime for me! I'm a big history buff, (perhaps a little unknown fact to some of you), especially military history. It's no wonder I married someone in the Army! When we moved to Germany, I told Buck that there were two places I absolutely had to see while we were here: Normandy and Rome. Now, I've crossed them both of my list!

We spent 3 days in Normandy, which is a region in France, not a city. It was amazing! The tiny little coastal towns that were the sights of the invasion, like Saint Marie du Mont, Vierville, Saint Mere Eglise, Carentan...have changed very little in the last 66 years. It was like stepping back in time.

There were "re-enactor" dressed in period uniforms everywhere, military vehicles driving down the roads, and American flags flying side-by-side the French flag, waving proudly from nearly every window.

I was expecting to see more of the veterans who fought their way through those streets and towns, but I suppose that the trip is becoming to much for most of them, who now are most likely in their 80's. We did however see a few, and I couldn't help but to stare and wonder what their eyes had seen.

That's enough rambling I suppose. Here are some of my favorite pic's from the trip...

It was a long drive, 8.5 hours, split into 2 days, and it didn't take long for B to rack out.
As usual, Noah was all grins...pretty much the entire trip. Both of our boys are awesome little travelers.

This was in our hotel room in Reims, our half-way stopping point. We had to pull out my computer for B to watch Little Einsteins (thank heavens for iTunes), since all of the programming was in French and had no cartoons! And, after seeing this picture, there's no denying that those two are brothers!

Some of the British vets who fought in Saint Mere Eglise. We saw more of these guys than American vets. I suppose it's a much easier trip for them. I loved these guys! They were the same 20 year olds who fought through those streets 66 years before, only trapped in an 80 year old body! Aren't they adorable?!?

One of the actual jeeps used by American forces. It's been restored, obviously.

This was one of the actual planes that dropped American paratroopers in on D-Day. It also pulled a glider plane in on the 7th.

Utah beach. In the background is the museum. And, of course that's B, running after his daddy, in the foreground.

Stay tuned for pics of Point-du-Hoc and Omaha beach.

Normandy, Part 1

Step back in time with me if you will.

June 6, 1944. D-Day. The coastline of France has transformed into hell on earth.

The sounds of machine gun fire, mortars, and the biggest guns you can imagine exploding on the shore next to you are deafening. Paralyzing. Almost as loud as the cries for help coming from your buddy, your best friend, who is dying right before your eyes.

The smell is of fear, death, metal and smoke from blazing guns.

The water through which you wade is littered with bodies, red with the blood of your brothers.

You wonder if you will make it through this day, or even survive the next seconds, let alone minutes or hours. You wish you could jump back in the boat or on the plane, turn around and go home.

Even though you're surrounded by thousands, you've never felt so alone.

Fast forward 66 years.

That same coastline, peaceful, tranquil, quiet, breathtakingly beautiful.

Families now lie on the beach soaking up the sun and enjoying a picnic.

Kids splash in the water.

The only sounds are those of laughter, gulls and peaceful waves washing ashore.

I wonder why anyone is allowed to splash in that water. It seems to me that this place should be a silent memorial to the men who died in that sand.

I feel frustrated with their seemingly short memory, angered by their disrespect and overwhelmed by the sacrifice of the greatest generation all at the same time. Tears fill my eyes.

I realize more than ever that life is short. I'm more thankful than ever that by God's grace I'm an American child and that my children are too.

I want to go back in time and kiss my grandfathers face and thank him (all of them really) for the sacrifice he made 66 years ago to keep this world free.

Then I realize something else. That if those men who fought there and died there were standing next to me they'd probably say, "Let them play. Let them laugh. The louder the better." After all, that's what they fought for. To liberate a continent from tyranny, evil. For freedom. The freedom to play and to laugh and to enjoy all that life has to offer.

They really were the Greatest Generation, you know?

After walking those beaches, and getting a feel for what they faced on that day, to what must seem just a few years ago to them, I am humbled and honored to have traced their footsteps.

It was an experience that I will never forget. A lifelong dream fulfilled. #1 on my bucket list now crossed off.

I only wish that my boys could have understood. But, I'll be sure that one day they do.

No...Freedom, isn't free.

This flag flies overlooking the shore at Utah Beach.

A Hobby With Rewards!

So. By now you know that I do a lot of digital scrapbooking. Over the last few weeks, I began uploading my LO's (layouts) to a digital scrap gallery. Much to my surprise, one night, I had a message from one of the designers asking me to apply for her CT (creative team). ***On a side note, I'm learning that digital scrapbooking has as many acronyms as the Army!*** I did, and two days later I was on her team!

I'm thrilled about this new venture! Not only is it nice to be recognized for doing something you REALLY enjoy, but it's even awesomer (I know that's not really a word. I'm just in a quirky mood. :)) when you get to do it with and for some FANTASTIC other women!

I'm designing for Stolen Moments Designs. When you digi-scrappers get a chance head over to her store at Scrap Matters. You'll find lots of amazing goodies!

Here's one of my favorite LO's that I've done, titled "I Love You". It was created using SMD's (Stolen Moments Designs) Into The Night Kit. And, just so you don't think I'm being biased in my choice, I created this one before I became part of the team!