The latest

Hey everyone,

Wow, too long since I’ve written right, and some of you have reminded me. The last 2 months have been filled with ups/downs, trips and work. So, lots to say. I probably should break this up but I am gonna write it all, and you guys can take a break and come back and finish. So, July 20 something, Heli and Debbie came for a visit (thank you so much). It was really nice to share what we see and do every day with family. We love Germany so much and want to share the wonderful opportunity with everyone.

So Debbie and Heli came, and we gave them a day of rest, but that was all they got. From that point on we were off to Trier, Cochem, Koblenz, exploring gem mines and I drug them to every beautiful cathedral I could find. We even saw the ruins of the Roman baths in Trier. Lots of fun, but I am pretty sure they wanted to kill us for dragging them everywhere.

There were so many places I wanted to go, but we ran out of time. We talked about going to Amsterdam and to Belgium, but as you know Buddy developed a cancer in his abdomen, and to avoid putting him through surgery and recovery only to have it come back again, we put him to sleep.

It took Jesse and I a few days to really accept it and of course that put a chink in a few of our travel plans. Eventually, however, we made all of the travel and stay arrangements in Finland and were off to the home land. And OH was it chilly there. None of us brought a lot of warm clothes but we made it work. The first night we landed in Tampere and stayed in a Hostel right out side of the city. It was like a half way house. This older lady had many rooms to rent, plus a sauna and pool. So that night after grabbing dinner we got our suits on and enjoyed it. The next morning the super nice lady cooked us breakfast and sent us on our way. We toured Tampere for half the day seeing the oldest building (a really cool old church), and fresh local market where we snagged some Mustika Pirraka (blue berry pie), yummy. That afternoon we set off to Rauma to see Jesse’s great-great aunt, and after a short visit we were off to Turku. There we stayed in a cool hotel that looked like a warehouse, but actually had really nice lodging. It was right off of the water, had a sauna, and internet. That night we went to a Viking restaurant, had awesome food and a crazy experience.

The next day we ran all over the city on a Sunday, not really finding a whole lot open, so we decided to make our way to Helsinki. On the way, Jesse decided to take a detour to the islands of Arpeggio. There we got to see a Finish beach and enjoy a weird kebab plate, and walk on the beautiful pier. It was awesome.

Once we got to Helsinki, we were really excited. What a beautiful city with so much history. I had been dying to do some local shopping. We saw beautiful architecture, cathedrals, government buildings and then hit the open markets. There were so many people there selling goods. I was on the prowl to find that perfect Finish souvenir. It was very important for Jesse and I both to see where his family came from. We enjoyed the fresh fish, a tour of the coast (beautiful and informative) and a fun night out on the town what a blast. Jesse and I left Heli and Debbie in Finland, and from there they went to Estonia. There they visited more family on Jesse’s grandfather’s side.

A week later Heli and Debbie made it back just in time for the end of the Wittlich Pig fest and Jesse and my 7^th anniversary. We enjoyed showing them around and sharing with them the German traditions. We ate the traditional pork dinner, indulged in Crepes made with chocolate or apple. We also had a fabulous ride on the Ferris wheel. You could see the whole city.

A few days later Heli and Debbie left, and Jesse and I started getting back in the swing of things. One thing good about vacation is watching movies, tons of site seeing and long walks and runs. Getting back to reality was good and bad. Heli had inspired me greatly to run often and far. She beat out the 3 ½ mile trail day and night while she was with us. Now Heli, I am proud to say I am able to run 2 miles and am now working on the 3^rd one. Thanks for the inspiration.

Jesse is working Mid shift now…5pm-5am and will be until January. I am going back and forth between swings and days. We’re working really hard to balance photography, jewelry sales (which are going very well), Jesse started another class for his Masters degree, and family and friends time. I am booked with jewelry parties, and Jesse has ordered back drops, lighting and props. He has turned our bedroom into a studio, and will be ready to practice portraits on our friends soon. Novermber 2oth or so he will have his first huge gig. He will be set up for portraits for the whole base to take advantage of; with me as his side kick taking orders. So lots going on this fall.

My test scores came in from the Air Force qualifying test. They were only mediocre, but it is a small part of the whole package I have to submit in December. Jesse and I are excited of all the possibilities if he or I were commissioned, but we will both be happy and continue as we are now if neither of us make it.

In short ( yeah right) we’re doing great. We really enjoyed the Summer and are sad to see it go. It is already in the 50’s and I have seen fall leaves already. The amount of sunshine we get is dwindling…

We love and miss you all. Tyler congratulations on making black belt. That is really amazing.