This is our Christmas card - consider it mailed ;-) Merry Christmas to all my loyal blog followers. May you enjoy another year of blog stalking.

Another free ecard by Smilebox

Sunny and 75 in December...Yes Please

Oh Phoenix, how I adore you. With your hostility toward humidity which keeps my hair in place and your mesmerizing sunsets, I think I will love you for the next three years. Here are the highlights.

 

Making friends with the locals. I'm sure Will was embarrased to take the picture but I could have dressed up like a native american woman. What's more embarrasing?

Free entertainment at Westgate. Our new favorite hangout.

Look who learned how to take a great picture!

Gorgeous sunsets on base

Plane tails at sunset

Home sweet home! We even have a "Charlie Brown" palm tree in the front yard. He's a sad little guy. Maybe he just needs a little new homeowner love.

Stateside in a Week

Boss: "You're moving to Luke [Phoenix, AZ] in December. But don't pack up yet, we are trying to keep you until March. Ok you can go. No, you can't go. Maybe you can go."

Then two weeks of no news whatsoever.

Now, the movers are scheduled for Thursday. As in the day after tomorrow. And a one way flight from Italy to D.C. is booked and paid in full by the United States Air Force. Unbelievable. I really have to catch myself and realize what I'm saying when I say, "Will is coming home next week." For good. He's going to live in America for at least the next three and a half years. We were living in limbo for so long, not knowing for certain whether he would be moving home next week or in the spring for so long, that all of a sudden it's here and it's really happening. It's as if we've been holding our breath for the last month waiting to find out if some higher power was going to revoke the freedom we were so desperately counting on.

We told each other that it didn't really matter when he came back to the states because we would still be long distance until the summer, but I know that he is so excited to watch American television, have pizza delivered and learn how to use cell phones again. And of course I'm thrilled that he will be a much shorter flight away which means more visits this spring without the hassle of customs, immigration and keeping track of a passport.

Ding ding. You are now free to move about the country.

My nephew David turned ONE year old on Friday. Now I understand when all of my parents' friends say "you were only this big last time I saw you." Although, at this point, I would question their dedication to the friendship if they actually said that out loud. Thanks to the wonderful world of facebook and blogging, I can stalk my friends' babies throughout their childhood so I will never be surprised when I actually see them in person. But watching them grow up as a "grown up" myself comes with a completely different perspective than it did when I was a kid. I was there when David was born. I remember every second of the labor that would culminate with the birth of this tiny, perfect, little boy. At one minute shy of "full-term," he entered the world with an audience that could fill Oprah's studio. There couldn't be two more deserving parents of such a sweet child than Amy and Alex. From the moment he was born, they have looked at him with incredible love and adoration. Every second with him brings them unmeasured joy. It's heartwarming and inspiring to watch. And as his proud Aunt, I have treasured every milestone he makes. I cried when I saw him using a sippy cup for the first time. Real honest to goodness tears of pride. I nearly lost it when he (perhaps coincidentally) responded to me calling his first name out loud. And I couldn't stop showing everyone the photo message I received of David eating his birthday breakfast on Friday. I hope one day I can love my own kids half as much as I love this one.

 This is the look that must be on my face 80% of my day. I know David, it's a "what in the heck" kind of world.

 He hates it when we make him look silly

 I love this one. It looks like he is motioning the waiter for some birthday cake. How polite.

 And there he goes

The cake above was a "bug" cake from Aunt Lindsey. And the little one below was his personal "smash" cake

Time for presents. Cards first. He is so well-mannered.

More Pictures!

My camera's memory card was recovered! A tip of the hat to you, Photo Craft in Burke Centre. Venice, Villach, Salzburg, Florence, Pisa and Munich will now live on in pixels forever.

Drumroll Please

Will received his next Air Force assignment. We've been waiting forever. The suspense was almost too much to handle. After discussing possible options that would land us somewhere between Alaska and Portugal he finally got the official word on Friday. Drumroll please..........













We're going to Luke AFB in PHOENIX!!! And he's moving in December! I can't believe that he will be stateside in just over a month. Dry heat and good hair days here I come (not in December, but soon).

We are Live

We took a few video snippets while we were abroad...Here's what I have so far. Still waiting to find out if the first half of my trip will be recovered from the memory card :-/

Driving around Aviano Air Base

Riding up the Rodlebaun

Walking around Munich

Walking around Olympic Park in Munich

Random kid I caught on tape

The Gardens in Salzburg

Back from Europe

It's official. I'm back in town. In America, that is. Against my will, but home nonetheless. Will and I had an amazing time in Europe and the best part is, he is home safe and sound along with everyone else from Aviano. I knew that I wouldn't sleep on the plane going to see him, so my friend Belfy (code name) hooked me up with some xanax so that I could at least get a good night's sleep the day before. It worked like a charm. I don't know how anyone walks around on that stuff, but I digress. Will was waiting for me at the airport and after waiting for what seemed like hours for my luggage, we reunited after five long months. It was magical (Amy - get your bucket). And off we went into the sunset.....well almost. There were a few days of "reintegration" stuff that everyone on base had to go through and then we were free. Two weeks of traveling to Venice, Florence, Pisa, Villach Austria, Salzburg Austria and Munich, Germany.

We drove all over the Autostrada and Audobaun, stopping at the world's most luxurious rest stops along the way. Seriously, these places were Sheetz on steroids. We climbed to the top of the tallest tower in every city, conquering steep and narrow stairwells while dodging non-regulation size camera lenses and tourists with walkers and canes. Yes, they also attempted to summit the leaning tower of Pisa and San Marco tower. Their success is yet to be determined. We had an amazing time and feel so blessed that we were able to spend this time together. Here are the initial highlights...more to come!

 The Gardens in Salzburg

 The Salzburg fortress

 At the Hoffbrau House

 Girls in Dirndls

 We dance in public frequently

 The Olympic Pool in Munich

 A walk through the English Gardens in Munich

 Beer tables in the English Gardens

 Post Spa Day!

 The Mountains at Aviano

 Gardens in Salzburg

 My walking GPS. Give him a map and he's a happy man. And he can get me anywhere in any city