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Flossenburg Concentration Camp

We took Peggy to the Flossenburg Concentration Camp just an hour from our home. Not many building remain, but there are placards posted which show photos of how the place looked originally. A huge book catalogs the names of the people that were sent to die there. Grave markers show how many Russians, Poles, Spaniards, Brits, Americans, etc. died in the camp. The numbers are astronomical. One of the guard towers has been converted into a memorial chapel known as Jesus in the Dungeon.

Yellow Flowers Blooming

In the morning I put my bike in the trunk of the car and drove for a short time until I found myself in a scenic town that I have not been in before. With my camera in easy reach I took many photos of the yellow flowers blooming in the fields and the quaint town with people beginning to come out into their yards for the work of the day.

A Visit to the Weiden Hospital

We attended a tour of the German hospital to prepare women and families for what to expect during delivery. Many people told us that the Germans do not have anything for you, so you must bring your own bath towel, soap, shampoo, etc. This, any many other false reports, unraveled as soon as our tour started. We met with the doctor who answered all of our questions. One question posed was, “How is German formula different than American?” The doctor brushed the question away quickly, “Its just formula.” As if German formula is specially made to make tall blonde haired blue eyed males for the Youth Brigade. Both Tricia and I can eat anything we want in the hospital right up until the actual birth. That beats snacking on ice chips. Germans do not swab the umbilical chord daily with alcohol, though we will need to bring the baby to the clinic on Grafenwohr to have him circumcised. We all feel much more prepared for this special event and anticipate the arrival of our bean.

Mom's Visit to Germany

Mom's first week of visiting Germany has been pretty eventful. With the recital last Saturday we spent the first few days finishing costumes and getting ready for the recital. This week we've taken it a little easier, visited the supermarket...which isn't so super...more like a minimarket and we even saw some snails (a first for me too!) We've got a quilt that we're going to make this week, and tonight is the hospital tour and other than that we're just waiting patiently (or impatiently) for the baby to decide he's ready to come. We posted more pictures on Ringo!

The recital...which made me very tired!

So I'm done with dance for now. I'm so tired and I was so ready for a break that I think I forgot to enjoy the recital. That and my feet were so swollen I could barely bend my ankles.

Since Tuesday (Mom came in on Thursday, very early in the morning) I've been rushing around getting things finalized for the recital on Saturday. I had so little time to rest and even when I did rest I was worried about something. Thankfully Saturday finally arrived and we just had to worry about the backdrop and getting the theater ready. We worked from 9:00 until 11:30 and then I had to take a break and get some lunch before the recital. As soon as the girls started coming in it was a blur of handing out capes, fixing costumes and capes last minute and making sure everyone knew their dances. Not to mention everyone bringing up their last minute problems and the girls who just wanted to talk.

Then the recital started and I was going from side to side of the stage making sure dancers got on and off on their marks and helping on the side of the stage for those who needed the help. They all did great, there were a few bumps, a few nervous girls who couldn't remember what they were supposed to do next, but all in all it went very well. The costumes all looked awesome! I was so busy I didn't get a chance to take very many pictures at all. I have one of me and my two favorite dancers that I'll post later.

But I'm on vacation now, just resting and enjoying having my mom here!

Leaders Reaction Course

The leaders reaction course is always one of the best days of the entire 30 day cycle. We have access to 15 events in which the students are given an obstacle, a task and a variety of tools to use. When the clock begins to tick they must think fast and work as a team to determine how to use their own bodies and given equipment to go over, under or through an obstacle. This is also one of my best days to get action photos of my students and see how well they really work together.

Map Reading and Land Navigation

Land navigation is one of the fun blocks of instruction at WLC because of all the good interaction that you get with the students. For the majority of the classes we teach in the classroom we simply hope that the information will be useful back in their home unit, but with map reading and land navigation they cannot graduate until they show proficiency in its use. To obtain a go, each student must negotiate the Grafenwohr terrain to find at least three out of four points which they plot on their map. With accurate plotting, a precise azimuth and a reliable pace count, the event can be quite simple. Students must also use their land navigation skills during the situational training exercise when they must negotiate their squad from the forward operating base to the site where their mission will be conducted.

36 Weeks!!

I am 36 weeks as of today and feeling every day of it! I had a doctor's appointment this morning and thought I'd give you all the update. They did the fetal monitoring to measure baby's heartrate and any contractions I was having (though they didn't measure the contractions today, but I've been having lots of fake ones). Baby's heartrate is strong which is good.

He also did the ultrasound to make sure he was still facing the right way. He is, which is also good. He's apparently listening to his mommy and is going to come head first. Though he does NOT listen to his mommy at 3:00 in the morning when she's trying to sleep and he's doing his kickboxing routine.

I asked the doctor if he could guess how big he was. He measured his leg bone (which measures 37 weeks and a few days -- ahead of what he is) and his head (which measured 39 weeks) and said the baby weighs 3000 grams. Which is 6.61 pounds according to google. With 4 more weeks of .5 lbs+ per week he will be a healthy sized baby. He also asked if I had a girl's name picked out and I said we did just in case, but said he's 99.9 percent sure it'll be a boy.

We're getting everything ready for baby, washing all his clothes (which he has lots of now) and his blankets (which he has even more of) and setting up his room (which Grandma Brown will occupy for the next two months). There are still a few big things we need to get but we're checking things off our list steadily.

My dancer's have their spring recital next Saturday. I'm crazy for planning it this close to baby. I'm hoping it will turn out just fine and that they will all do well, but you never can tell. We'll have to send pictures of it afterwards.

This is Just a test.

Easter with Friends

The Davis family invited us with other friends to their home for an Easter dinner in the afternoon. Once everyone arrived, Sam gave the kids a short lesson about the purpose of the Easter celebration and then we enjoyed a wonderful meal together. Veronica and Annika Davis are Irish dance students of Tricia and showed off one of their dances after dinner. While the kids waited in the house the adults hid eggs filled with candy in the yard. This was a fun way to celebrate the day with good friends.

Retreat

Once each cycle we can expect to retreat the flag at the JMTC head quarters building. This provided an opportunity for us to place the students in charge of something. Once those that are interested identify themselves they rehearse each evening until the day of the event. At 1645, the German flag is lowers and at 1700 Retreat and To the Color plays over the loud speakers while the students lower and fold the American flag.

A Shower for Baby

Yesterday was my baby shower. It'll be the only one I have since I'm here in Germany and one of the ladies in the ward who is also a dance mom volunteered to throw me a baby shower. They invited all of the dancers and their moms and the ladies from the ward. It was so much fun and we got lots and lots of good things for baby!!

I'm 35 weeks and I think I look huge, but everyone says I'm small, tell that to the baby who's always in my ribs and poking me.

It was a cute rubber ducky theme and this was my diaper cake! Functional and cute!

5 weeks to go!!

JMTC NCO of the Quarter

Two days ago in the evening, I received a phone call from our operations NCO informing me that today was to be the JMTC NCO of the Quarter competition. I had anticipated going to this competition for a long time, but had no idea until the phone call that it was to be today. Fortunately, my Class A uniform was together from my DA Photo last week.

My 1SG and I met with three other candidates and their sponsors at the third floor of the Tower Classrooms located on post near our home. It is said that Hitler had the tower constructed so that he could watch the training of his troops. I was the last to enter the boardroom and receive the grilling from a panel of CSM asking me questions about this, that and the other thing. When it was all said and done, I took it home for the team and received this coin to commemorate my selection as the JMTC NCO of the Quarter. Now I need to focus on preparing myself for the JMTC NCO of the Year competition

Back to School

While at ANCOC I noted that many of the NCO in the course with me were also working on college classes. Although I found my self the youngest in the class, I also found out that many of the NCO in class with me had completed an associates degree and were moving on further. I had to ask myself, "why am I not in college if so many others are?" SFC Volz talked to me about his experience in college and over a plate of chicken nuggets in the dining facilty I was sold on the idea of getting back to college.

I picked out Axia College of the University of Phoenix as having a cirriculm and teaching method that is right for me. After going through the initial process being guieded over the phone by an admissions counselor I find myself having completed my first day of online distance learning working toward an information technology/visual communications degree.

It is a good thing that I have a rich uncle to pay for my college. I am taking two classes at a time and each costs $750. the GI Bill takes care of all of that. I am only left to pay for books, which is $120 for both classes, but that is a lot less that the $1,500 it would have cost on my own. Thank you Uncle Sam.