Pegasus Bridge

 

I just realized when I made the collage it cut off some parts of the pictures. We really did a better job of taking pictures!

I will have to ask Zach more about this to make sure I am right, but I believe this bridge was kind of the start of the invasion. Gliders landed and paratroopers too and the first house liberated is a coffee house across the water. The orignal bridge was removed at some point not too far away so a museum could be built. There are tanks and a glider there as well. We lucked out and got to see the bridge open for a boat to get through. It was really cool to watch! There is a little trail that has little memorials for the gliders that landed. One hit the water and the pilot drowned. The first death of the invasion took place here on the bridge too I believe. I'll ask Zach to be sure.

Canadian Cemetery

This is a Candadian cemetery we had on our list of things to see. We actually had planned to see it the next day, but our GPS was really good at taking us off the beaten path! In the process of trying to get back to where we knew we came across it! Each grave marker has the maple leaf on it and there were maple trees planted around the cemetery. It was small, but still a nice place to honor those from Canada that lost their lives in the invasion.

German Cemetery

 

This was a German Cemetery we had on our list to visit. It has over 20,000 burried and approx 13,000 are unknown graves. Dog tags were used to identify soldiers, but the Germans didn't put two tags on each chain like the Americans and other countries. So they would pull off the tag to notify family, but then the body was left unidentified. In a way this is very sad. Each grave marker has two names on it as well and then there are lines of trees with names of soldiers whose remains were not found. It was very humbling to visit this cemetery and see that those who died even on the German side are still being cared for today. The Germans do not provide funding for the upkeep of their cemeteries so it is not uncommon to see school children cleaning and caring for the flowers and grass. Donations by locals are used to pay for things so it is done very differently. Still these dead are honored and it was something I am glad we didn't miss.

Pointe du Hoc

This is a little slide show I put together for Pointe du Hoc. Zach was telling me some of the story. I guess there were rather large guns on top of this cliff that needed to be taken out. The 2nd Ranger Battalion had the task of scaling the 100 foot cliffs while under fire to take out the guns. Once on top they found the guns had been moved further back, but were still met with a number of Germans not willing to give up the spot. The ground is still scarred and wavy from the bombings and attacks that took place. It was amazing to look out and wonder what it was like to climb to the top while be shot at! The view is breath taking, but to think so many lives were lost it is also very sad.

Aromanches and Gold Beach

I was going to try and put the pictures in order of how we saw things, but it's getting too complicated and I am losing my mind! So I am now just trying to make sure I get something from each place instead! This is in the town of Aromanches that lies along Gold beach. After storming the beaches they had to get more equipment on land so built these docks. When the tide is out you can walk up to the ones closest to land, but unfortunately we hit it during high tide!

Normandy American Cemetery and Omaha Beach

 

This is a beautiful cemetery! It has 9,387 military who died during the D-Day invasion. It sits on a cliff overlooking Omaha Beach and the English Channel. There are also 1,557 names enscribed on a memorial for those that remains were not found to be burried. President Theodore Rooselvelt has two sons burried here as well. Clinton Roosevelt was a pilot killed in WWI. His brother Theodore Roosevelt Jr was a Brigadere General killed in WWII. They brought Clinton from a WWI cemetery to lay next to his brother. There are also two brothers that died a day apart that lay side by side. The mother was notified on the same day of their deaths. A third son was captured and later released. A fourth son was sent home. These were the brothers that inspired the movie Saving Private Ryan although their last name was Niland.

The beach has some old German bunkers you can explore. There are some memorials and trails you can take up to the cemetery. The boys had fun playing in the water....well Tyler and Ryan did. I am not sure Cody did. The beaches were not his favorite thing. We collected a bottle of sand and some shells. We did this for each beach.

Home away from home

I am trying to mix this up a bit so it's not collage after collage or slide show after slide show! We did so much in this short trip and I want to share as many pictures as I can so it will take me a few days to get it all organized. These are the only two pictures we have of our humble abode. We have stayed in these little mobil homes before, but this was the smallest one. Still it is better to have than just a plain hotel room with a tiny fridge. The kids love the bunk beds when we stay in these and always want to stay longer. We got to swim once, the other days we were just too busy and the pool closed by the time we got back. This was after the first day so you can see we learned to be better with our sunblock!

Meuse Argonne American Cemetery

We started our journey not planning to see anything along the way, but the closer we got to the Meuse Argonne the more antsy Zach got so I knew we had to stop. He has been trying to get to this cemetery not far over the boarder of France for some time now. This cemetery was establised in October of 1918 so this is a WWI cemetery. There are 14, 246 buried here with 954 names on a wall that bodies were never recovered to burry. This is the largest American cemetery in Europe. It is beautiful!

Conversation with Cody

While in Normandy Cody was not up for going into every place and we kept the dog with us because we were worried about the heat. So Zach and I traded a lot. While sitting with Cody this conversation took place:

Cody "You have to keep it in your mind and your heart" as he points to his head and chest.

Me "You have to keep what in your mind and heart? Was this from your primary lesson Sunday?"

Cody "That is what Brother Jensen said at church mom. You have to keep it in your mind and your heart. Your mind is next to your brain in your head."

Me "Oh did Brother Jensen teach you that?"

Cody "yes. Your brain is for thinking."

Me "We do use our brains to think. What about our minds?"

Cody "Oh it just sits there." said very matter of factly!

I am trying not to die of laughter at this point. Then he says "And your heart keeps your blood in you. That is what Brother Jensen tells me."

I am glad he listens at church! Now I just have to find out what he is keeping in his mind and heart!

The Babysitting Solution

Check out my newest solution to watching little ones! I haven't had a small energetic one in quite some time so it can be hard for me to keep up! Add some snacks, a few books and toys, favorite blankie and you are good to go!

Now that half of you are runing to the phone to call social services and the other half is rethinking me watching your children in the future let me tell you how this photo came to be! Saturday we had the Terry's over for dinner and fun. The kids were having a good time. It was loud, but happy loud so all was good. Then we hear Valery scream! Melinda (Valery's mom) rushed into the living and thought that Cody had locked Valery in the dog kennel. So she rescues her little girl! What followed was not happy sounds of gratitude, but more screaming. She put her down and Valery immediately goes back in the kennel. It seems Cody may have been disturbing her in her new found play area! She had a book in there with her and closed the door behind her! So of course who could resist a picture of that!

Graduation and Luisenpark

 

It's finally official! I graduated college, well at least the first part of what I am working towards! It was a great day and I am so glad that our friends the Terry's could make it out to Mannheim for the graduation and then some fun at Luisenpark. We are sure going to miss them when we move! I won't have "my girls" anymore and poor Bryce won't have his boy escape to our house. I feel his pain since I am outnumbered in my house as well! So now that I have completed phase one of my school goals I am anxiously awaiting to find out where we are headed next so I can keep furthering my education!

I know I am not a doctor, but do you?

You know when something very frustrating happens you often look back and just laugh about it! In the moment it is not funny and you just want to go through the phone and ring the person's neck! So yesterday I had my very detailed list of things to do starting with the million appointments I needed to make for the boys now that school is out and I am not working. I first called about Cody's meds because that was a priority. All I needed was to put in a phone consult to get more refills and to see if we could get a refill early since we are going to be in Normandy when the bottle we have will start running low. I must have gotten the one person that works at central appointments that felt they were better educated then the doctors we have been working with! She actually argued that maybe Cody didn't need to be on the meds as long so that is why we didn't get more refills. She then spouted off the dosage and said according to that we were using up bottles too fast! I told her if she read further she would see we had to slowly introduce the medicaiton into his system and that was the starting dose. I then told her the ending dose. She insisted I was giving him too much! It says right on the bottle how much I am to give him for crying out loud! I just felt like saying "You know I didn't go to medical school so therefore am not a doctor, but did you!" She was being such a pain, but in the end I got the phone consult and they are going to see what they can do. Most likely we will have to be referred back to the neurologist so he can straighten it all out. I am laughing about it all now, but at the time I was furious she would accuse me of overdosing my child, question a doctors orders for Cody to be on the meds for two years and try to give me her medical opinion! The nurse that called me back seemed less educated than the lady that makes appointments, but she said she would check with the doctor and get back to me! WHat is this world coming to!

2009 Spring School Photos

Cody Havel, Preschool, 4 yrs. old


Ryan Havel, 2nd Grade, 8 yrs. old


Tyler Havel, 4th Grade, 10 yrs. old

My boys clean up pretty good sometimes! I had a hard time getting used to Ryan with glasses, but now I think he looks pretty sharp. He got them in December. Tyler wears glasses when they aren't lost! He has managed to lose two pairs since he got them about a year and half ago. He only uses them for reading so it is easy to misplace them at school. Ryan is moving onto third grade, Tyler to 5th and Cody still has another year of preschool as long as we can find one when we move.

Proof! I still can't believe it!

Ealier in the week we started hearing about the President coming to Ramstein. The bases were going to be shut down and he was going to visit troops at the hospital. Well living by it has it's perks! We knew the aprox time he would come on base so went for a family walk. We saw the entourage come on base. We then decided what the heck lets go to the other side of the hospital where we thought he was visiting. After an hour security says "when the convoy leave there are to be no pictures taken" Okay I didn't have a camera so no biggie. Then not five minutes later he says if everyone will get in a single file line we will clear you. Next thing I know we are being wanded down and shaking hands with the president! It was awesome! He said hi to everone and to Cody he said "looks like you've been eating something good" Afterwards I was bummed I didn't have a camera, but oh well. Then a lady comes up and says "hey I have a picture of you and the boys would you like me to email it to you!" She did! I was so excited and still am so just had to post it right away!

Just a quick update....

Minot finally rejected us yesterday! Okay it is really called being denied our assignment, but to say rejected brings a little comedy into this whole mess of a move! How many times in my life will I actually look forward to being rejected! Not many I hope! So anyway Zach is going to do the paperwork today to officially cancel our assignment to Minot, ND. He will then start new paperwork to apply for a new assignment. It is killing me not being able to be there with him and ask my hundred questions so I gave him a few......okay maybe more than a few, but I pleaded with him to please ask and get as much info as possible! When it comes to things like this I am definately better, but he has really stepped up this move and gotten past the whole "I have to talk to people I don't know" phase so I am proud of him for that. So now we are in the waiting period again. Don't know how long this one will be, but at least we are at step two! Cross your fingers we get somewhere closer to family!

My newest nephew.....Derrek Steven Fitzpatrick!

Just over a week ago I found out my little nephew was born and I waited and waited for pictures. Having three of my own I should have been more patient, but I have to admit I wasn't! I was so excited to see what he looked like! Finally I got an email with pictures so I just had to post some for everyone to see! He is pretty darn cute I must say and I can see my brother in him already. The hardest part of being away is missing out seeing my neices and nephews so I can't wait to be back in the states so we can visit more!