A New Year Has Begun...

This past week I kept looking back to the many happenings of 2011 for the Webb family... We were excited to have Christian home for most of the year (he re-deployed in October 2011) and then excited his deployment ended early and he was back with us for the holidays! Erin finished out the second grade at Vogelweh Elementary School and is now full-swing into the third grade. It is amazing how much she has grown just over the last six months - it seems that each day she becomes more of a little lady and less of a little girl. It kind of makes this mommy's heart sad.

Then...after two "clean" biopsies in March/April, I went in to have the right lobe of my thyroid removed due to four large growths. Unfortunately, one week after my surgery, I received the call that the growths removed were cancerous and I was immediately sent back to the operating table. After nearly one week in ICU (did you know that you have your own private nurse sitting at your door in the ICU??!!) I went home to recuperate and wait on my treatment schedule. Needless to say, 2011 has been filled with clinic visits for me, taking LOTS of medications and very carefully watching my calcium levels, but I am so thankful that I had the "good cancer," and that my life was able to stay as normal as possible during treatment.

While we all tend to look back at the past year, the Webb family is anxiously looking forward to 2012! There are many exciting things going on in our home, including: moving back to the U.S. (this is a HUGE task!), me getting a new job, Erin starting a new school in a new town and finally...preparations will begin for a family addition! While leaving Europe will be bittersweet (I have to admit that the travel is marvelous!), we are looking forward to spending holidays in the U.S. - hopefully closer to our families. Christian is looking forward to going to a new base - you know that you are made for the military when you can't stay in one job/area for any length of time before getting the "itch!"

Christian, Erin and I wish you joy, peace of LOTS OF FUN in 2012 and we hope that our paths cross soon! We'd love to see you!

Keely

A Very Merry Christmas!

We have had a wonderful Christmas season so far! Christian's dad flew in on Friday, 23 December and it has been great having him in for a visit. Last night we carried on a tradition of having Erin go on a scavenger hunt for a gift, which ended up in one gift from mom and dad and another surprise gift from grandpa!

This morning Erin was soooo excited about the gifts under the tree that she woke up at 0100, 0300, 0500 and finally convinced the adults to get out of bed around 0630! Needless to say, I think we will all be down for a nap this afternoon. After we get some beauty sleep, we plan to sit down for a bowl (or two!) of my great grandmother's tasty spareribs spaghetti.

We plan on relaxing this afternoon, eating, watching Christmas movies and who knows what else! Of course, in German tradition, we will have to go on a walk through the village!

We wish each of you a very merry Christmas and hope our paths cross sometime in 2012!

With love,
Christian, Keely and Erin

St. Nicholas/Nikolaus Day 2011

Today is one of Erin's favorite German holidays - St. Nikolaus Day!

St. Nikolaus Day, or Eve, is celebrated on December 6. This is the favorite holiday of all children - it's a gift-giving day. When evening comes, St. Nikolaus, a reverend gray-haired figure with flowing beard, wearing gorgeous bishop's garments, gold embroidered cope, mitre and pastoral staff, knocks on doors and enquires about the behavior of the children. The custom of examining the children, where they will cite a verse, sing, or otherwise show their skills, is still widespread in German-speaking countries. Each little one gets a gift for his performance.



So...tonight, Erin put her slipper outside her door in hopes that St. Nikolaus will visit our house! I took the liberty of taking some pictures for your viewing pleasure. Naturally, this is a special treat for Erin because the gift-giving happens twice in one month.



Last week one of our German neighbors, Marion, gave Erin an advent calendar. Inside each box of the calendar is a special treat picked especially by Marion for Erin. Because these two are close (Erin and Libby spend spring, summer and fall evenings at Marion's house), each gift is perfect and fits Erin's personality. Well...this morning, Erin realized that this will be our last Christmas in Germany. She became quite sad as this truly is home for her - she doesn't remember living in the U.S. So, while this is an exciting time for Erin, she is also sad because she knows we will be moving next year:-(

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

One of my favorite things about Germany is hopping in the car (or on a train) and going to the Christmas markets. This past weekend, we drove to Heidelberg for our first market of the season! Since this is our last Christmas in Germany, I want to make sure it make it to my most favorite markets one more time.

Heidelberg is a beautiful city with an even more beautiful castle, especially at night. While there, Erin got to go ice skating, which she thoroughly enjoyed - and, I was suckered into putting on a pair of skates, also! Christian played guard duty - he guarded the mugs, shoes, purse, etc. I knew he was good for something:-)

Enjoy the pictures and check back for more Christmas market stories!

5, 4, 3, 2, 1....The Countdown Has Begun!

It is hard to believe that we are in the last year of our European tour! This has been, by far, the hardest, most fun and best learning experience of our lives. We are grateful that God set aside this assignment for us - our family has grown so much in the past 3+ years while living here in Germany.

Erin started Kindergarten as soon as we moved here and we will PCS (permanent change of station) as she begins her life as a fourth grader. Christian has learned more about his career, including what he wants and does not want at our next assignment. And, I was ecstatic to go back to work! But, probably the biggest change is our appreciation for living in the U.S.! You know the saying, "you don't know what you have till it's gone..."...well, we can definitely attest to that. Christian and I will go back to the U.S. with a newfound appreciation for the greatness of our country and knowing that if we need to go see family, we can hop in the car and drive and not have to pay several thousands of dollars and pray there is an international flight available.

While we are excited about moving back and seeing what God has next in store for us, we are most excited about this: we are adopting! Many of you may know this, but with each day, the time is getting closer for us to begin the process. For several years I have felt that God has called us to adopt - trick was this: getting Christian on board with the idea! So, after several years of praying, the time will soon come when we will begin our "pregnancy adoption!" I can't wait to update you more on this process!!

For now, we will wind down our time here in Europe with some exciting trips planned and LOTS of "getting rid of" to do. If you have ever wanted to visit Germany, come visit us at the Webbhouse Inn - we would love to see you!

Ciao for now!