Our last update from Germany!

Well as you can all see this will be the last time we post from Germany since we leave for Alabama in ONE WEEK!!!

I know, we can't believe it either, three years has really flown by for us. Everyone wants to know how we feel about it, so here goes: we are very excited to be moving on and moving home, but we are also sad that we are leaving Germany behind - it has been our home for over three years and we are used to it here. But here are three important things that I learned that I hope I don't lose sight of: 1. That the way we do things isn't the only way, or even the best way, and that there are other ways of looking at the world. 2. I will never, ever, ever again lose patience with the foreigner in front of me in line, or on the phone, or wherever I may encounter them; struggling with English, slowing everyone up - because I have been that person. More than once. Struggling with the foreign money, the new language, the weird customs...and everyone in line behind tapping their feet and rolling their eyes. I hope I don't soon forget what it was like to be the one who was different. 3. There truly is no place like home.

And now moving on from philosophy and human nature...we have been busy this summer! I can't even begin to try to explain how busy we have been with this move. We would be busy anyway, but add a curious 14-month-old to that and we are swamped! If we are packing a suitcase, she is coming right along behind us and unpacking it, or unfolding laundry, or emptying a garbage can, tearing up a magazine, etc. etc. etc...there are just so many things to think of, and make sure we don't forget. The sheer amount of paperwork to handle could keep you busy for weeks - there is a lot of bureaucracy here in Germany. Things so far do seem to be rolling along well - the cars are sold, Todd is finished with work, most of our electronics are sold, the paperwork is finished, our accounts are cancelled, the movers come Monday...but more now on what we have been up to prior to moving.


The Reaves family in late June

Back to the beginning of May, this picture is the one we used in the Mobile Newspaper for Meredith's first birthday announcement.



They gang up on me together to get into trouble!


Meredith and her friend Joshua were see-sawing together


Mimi Reaves came to visit in May. Here we are on Mother's Day.

We went out to eat brunch at Maximilian, our favorite cafe in Speyer



Here is Meredith after her one-year check-up and shots - she doesn't look too upset. She still loves her walking toy and has gotten very skilled with it - I only wish I had gotten it earlier!


Meredith's real birthday was a Tuesday, and we went over to the Van Wagener's house to play. Meredith and Joshua had a lot of fun riding in the wagon.

Meredith and Mimi were having a snack.




She loves to look out the front door.



Nana Huff and Aunt Lauren also came to visit in May and we had everyone here for Meredith's birthday party. The day before the party all the girls went to Heidelberg to do a little bit of shopping and sightseeing.

Here are Meredith and Aunt Lauren about to ride up the cable car to the King's Chair (VERY high up - the highest point in Heidelberg).

Here we all are at the top - great views!




Meredith's birthday party was not too big - we didn't want to overwhelm her. We had about 10 adults and three other kids, including family. She did well for the most part, the only time she got upset was when everyone was singing "Happy Birthday" to her, she got kind of scared that everyone was looking at her and singing, and she started crying a little, but that was all. Other than that she had a great time. It was extremely hot that day, so Meredith didn't leave her nice dress on for long. She spent most of the party in her slip. Of course, here are pictures of the big moment - Meredith with her cake. She does not know what to think about it!


She is deciding maybe she likes it...


It's official - she likes cake!


Opening some presents. She was tired so we had to save most of them for later.


Eventually it got so hot we decided to forgo all her clothes completely. This is after her nap and after the guests left, opening presents.



A few days later when it cooled off, we took some more pictures in her beautiful birthday dress that Nana made for her.


Here she is in her pretty ice cream cone dress that Mimi got for her.



Meredith loves ice! We are shopping on base, the only place they have ice in Germany, and Meredith is getting her first taste.



Meanwhile, it is 100 degrees and Sunny is napping outside in the sun. Sunny left on June 25th to stay with my parents until the move is over. His trip went fairly smoothly. They did have some maintenance problems with the plane and they were late leaving Frankfurt, and he didn't make it through customs in time so he had to spend the night in the kennel in Atlanta. But otherwise things went fine. He is in dog heaven with Nana and Pop right now and following Rosie around.



I don't know what the fascination is, but Meredith's most recent favorite thing, in the bathtub and out, is to put a small rubber duck in her mouth.



We went swimming for the first time this summer two weekends ago. Here she is having a fit because she is getting sunscreen put on. But she looks cute in her Nemo bathing suit. She had a blast. She loved the kiddie pool, the sand pit, the adult pools, beach balls, fountains - everything. The picture beside it is after swimming, she is pretty tired.



She is so funny sleeping these days - she puts her hands behind her head every night. Then later on she curls into a ball.


She is finally holding her Cheerios bowl right side up without dumping it out - unbelievable. She has also had a tooth explosion recently. In the last month she has gotten six new teeth - all four one-year molars and the top two beside the middle teeth. It has not been much fun and she has been really out of sorts and not sleeping well, but she is feeling much better now. However, she is still 14 months old and is very challenging to deal with at times. She wants things done her way, right now, and she gets frustrated very easily. We have to take a deep breath and count to ten sometimes.


And finally - she is walking! She started taking steps two weeks ago, and she has improved a lot over the last two weeks. She still walks a little like Frankenstein (wobbly, arms out, very slow) and she does fall a lot, but she is doing it!


And that is all you will hear from us for a while! Our movers come Monday morning and our computer, and the rest of our house, will be packed up and put on a boat until at least the beginning of September, or possibly later. We are staying with some friends here while the house is being packed, and we leave August 5th for Atlanta and we will be staying with family in Alabama until we find a house. We will be available at the same e-mail address or the same pre-paid cell phone we had on our last trip home (e-mail me if you need the number). We hope everyone is doing well. We will let you know when we get settled and have new contact information. Wish us luck in the next two weeks with packing and moving - we'll need it - and we'll SEE everyone soon!