Welcome to the family Zeke!

We welcomed our Alaskan Malamute into our home just a few weeks ago. He's the fluffiest, cutest thing you've ever seen. We're doing great potty training and he loves his crate! Our biggest challenge has been his timid nature. He is very wary of other dogs and is scared around strangers. I hope with a little more time and a little socialization work he'll warm up to new visitors. He's only 10 weeks old so we have a lot of time! In true Malamute form he's a talker. He sasses me when I tell him to come inside from playing, grumbles when he's unsure of someone new, and speaks up when I'm not giving him enough attention. It cracks me up and I must admit I don't feel as crazy talking to a dog when he talks back to me. ;) 

2013: A Year in Review

My birthday month, January, began in Charlotte, NC where I rang in the New Year with Courtney and watched the Tigers pulled out a win over LSU. In February I flew back to Germany because in March Ross came home from deployment.  Best. Day. EVER. We didn't wait long to make up for lost time and traveled to Austria for a skiing/snowboarding trip. What an amazing experience to ski in the Alps. April brought Block Leave and back to the States we went to visit family and go on a Caribbean cruise. We fit in a Redeployment Ball, wedding anniversary, and trip to Amsterdam all in the month of May. We craved the sun and sand so Barcelona, Spain was the obvious choice in June. Another visit to a coastal city was in order in July where we lounged on Tirrenia's beaches and saw the Leaning Tower of Pisa. In August we said goodbye to our German apartment in Geldersheim and moved to our new home 2 hours away. With our new duty station being so close to the Czech border we ventured to Prague in September. I also went back to South Carolina that month to visit with family. I am so thankful I was able to spend time with my growing nephew and watch my youngest brother play in his senior year of football. We celebrated Ross' birthday in November and also flew to London where we ate plenty of fish & chips and tried tea & crumpets. They were delicious! December was full of Christmas markets, holiday parties, and family visits. We also got to meet our Alaskan Malamute, Zeke! We will be able to pick him up in just a few short weeks. With a new puppy on our hands and more countries to visit 2014 is going to be quite the adventure. :)

A Quick Update

It's hard to believe, but we've been in Grafenwoehr for over 3 months now. Our first weekend we had record highs and the temperature rose to the high 90s. Now we're in the middle fall and winter is (unfortunately) just around the corner. The trees and a looking a little more bare and more & more frost/ice is appearing on car windshields in the morning. This winter will be an interesting experience as it will be the first full winter in Germany for both us. I'm praying God has mercy on us poor Southerners. Actually, I'm asking God sends extra mercy to me because RC claims that he is "made for the cold weather". So he doesn't need it. :)

Since our move I've traveled to Poland and we've traveled to Munich (again), Prague, and London.

RC's birthday was this weekend. The big 2-4. I love these few months where we are the same age. Doesn't make me feel so old. :) The last bit of big news is we've been talking with a breeder in the Czech Republic and we are on a waiting list for an Alaskan Malamute puppy. The liter is due in just a few weeks and depending on the number of puppies we could have our very own Mal come mid-January. We are both really excited about this possible new member of our family. :)