As the month of May comes to a close, so does this blog. It has been a great way for us to document our time and amazing experiences as expatriates in Germany. We have only been back for a couple months, but we have found ourselves missing our life and our travels in Europe. Although its good to be home, we will forever have a special place in our hearts for our life in Germnay. It is impossible to explain how much we loved living there and can only hope that we may have a similar opportunity in the future. Not many people can say they spent the first year and a half of their marriage living and traveling around Europe with the one they love, and for this we are extremely grateful.
I would like to say a special thanks to those friends and family members who took the time and invested in visiting us there. You all helped make our experience in Germany that much better. Also, thank you to my readers and followers of this blog. Some of you I have known all my life, and some of you I have never met, but I appreciate the time you took to share our experiences. Finally, I would like to thank the many friends we met in Germany and abroad. You all are unforgettable! All the best to everyone, and for the last time...Auf Wiedersehen!
Monday, May 31, 2010
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Georgia House Pictures!
It has been about two months since we closed on the Watervale house and now we are almost finished. We still have to gut and remodel our bathroom that still resides in the 80's and finish the backyard, but it is finally finished enough to show the before and afters. I hadn't looked at the befores in a long time and I can easily say that I am proud of TJ and my work (with the help of a few others too...special thanks to Kenny)!
Our Hilton Head style home sure needed a little curb appeal and the process has certainly began with some help from my parents. The door color isn't right yet, but we are on the right track as they planted some pretty stuff and seeded the near inexistent grass.
Before...
Almost after (not the best photo)...
We have a side entry garage, and if you come in through it the first room you hit is the laundry room.
Before...
After...
The kitchen is next and needed the least amount of work...just some new lighting, appliances, and paint.
Between the kitchen and front entry was the dining room, which we converted into our office since the kitchen has a large eating space. It was awful! It still needs wall decor and french doors, but she has come a long way.
Our Hilton Head style home sure needed a little curb appeal and the process has certainly began with some help from my parents. The door color isn't right yet, but we are on the right track as they planted some pretty stuff and seeded the near inexistent grass.
Before...
Almost after (not the best photo)...
We have a side entry garage, and if you come in through it the first room you hit is the laundry room.
Before...
After...
The kitchen is next and needed the least amount of work...just some new lighting, appliances, and paint.
Before...
After...
Between the kitchen and front entry was the dining room, which we converted into our office since the kitchen has a large eating space. It was awful! It still needs wall decor and french doors, but she has come a long way.
Before...
I think the most amazing transformation is that of the living/family room. It was probably the most ugly and dated room I had seen in a long, long time. It took a lot of primer and paint, new carpeting, new shades and new lighting to change this room. We still need a piece of art for above the fireplace (large black and white photograph), but she is almost finished.
After...
From the living room is the hall to the bedrooms and bathrooms. It is a three bedroom home with two and a half baths.
After...
The powder room has new lighting, hardware, paint, and a new mirror.
After...
I think the most amazing transformation is that of the living/family room. It was probably the most ugly and dated room I had seen in a long, long time. It took a lot of primer and paint, new carpeting, new shades and new lighting to change this room. We still need a piece of art for above the fireplace (large black and white photograph), but she is almost finished.
Before...
After...
From the living room is the hall to the bedrooms and bathrooms. It is a three bedroom home with two and a half baths.
Before...
After...
The powder room has new lighting, hardware, paint, and a new mirror.
Before...
After...
The smaller guest bedroom needed a little help too. Just paint, carpeting, lighting, hardware and blinds. Sorry the pictures are at different angles.
After...
The smaller guest bedroom needed a little help too. Just paint, carpeting, lighting, hardware and blinds. Sorry the pictures are at different angles.
Before...
After...
The Jack and Jill bathroom literally hurt my eyes and my heart with its nasty wallpaper. She was a doosie, but looks much better now with paint, lighting, and hardware. The tile is a little dated, but its white and in great condition so it stays! I like this bath because it is two seperate areas, so you can get ready while another showers.
After...
The Jack and Jill bathroom literally hurt my eyes and my heart with its nasty wallpaper. She was a doosie, but looks much better now with paint, lighting, and hardware. The tile is a little dated, but its white and in great condition so it stays! I like this bath because it is two seperate areas, so you can get ready while another showers.
Before...
After...
The back guest room needed the same work as the last.
After...
The back guest room needed the same work as the last.
Before...
After...
The last finished room is the master bedroom. We actually kept the fan...shocker! Everything else got the same treatment as the last two bedrooms.
After...
The last finished room is the master bedroom. We actually kept the fan...shocker! Everything else got the same treatment as the last two bedrooms.
Before...
After...
We still have our master bath to deal with, but mama needs a break! It has great space, but has a hideous shower and tub...and the wallpaper...ewwwwww! But here it is:
Our backyard is a dream, but currently doesn't have any grass. We took out seven trees so that we might have a chance at growing some now...we just need some sod. I do like the back deck a lot, and in the lower area we plan to put a firepit.
After...
We still have our master bath to deal with, but mama needs a break! It has great space, but has a hideous shower and tub...and the wallpaper...ewwwwww! But here it is:
Our backyard is a dream, but currently doesn't have any grass. We took out seven trees so that we might have a chance at growing some now...we just need some sod. I do like the back deck a lot, and in the lower area we plan to put a firepit.
Clearly we have been busy! In addition to what was mentioned above, we have had the ceilings redone and all the hinges, door handles, switches, and recipticals replaced. And we have painted evey square inch of this place except for the master bath. There have been times when I thought it wasn't worth it, but now the work has seemed to have paid off. We are home now.
Until next time, BYE!
Saturday, May 29, 2010
On to Normandy
After our stay in Paris, we moved onto Normandy for the beauty of the French countryside and some amazing US WWII history. Some of you may have thought that I was traveling there to stalk David Sedaris, but unfortunately he doesn't live where we were headed!
TJ found us this great little Maison to stay in near St. Mere Igles. It was so charming and we quickly fell in love with the proprietor, Paschal, and his very social cats.
The next day we headed into St. Mere Igles where our tour began. It is home to the church where a paratrooper from the 82nd Airbourne fell to suspend himself in the middle of the square that the Nazi's occupied. Luckily he survived as many of his brothers fell to their deaths.
St. Mere Igles honors D-Day and those that fought and lost their lives here in many ways and has a really great museum with artifacts from the war.
We visited many D-Day hotspots including a few beaches. We first visited Utah Beach the first night without even really knowing it. Here is a look at it and the English Channel present day...so hard to believe all that happened here...
And another view. Good thing I brought my personal photographer with me again this trip! TJ and I have a deal...he takes the pictures (because he is amazing at it) and I listen to the guide and fill him in on what he misses. Its a pretty good deal. I love this one.
The next day with our crazy but awesome guide, Elwood, we went to the main area of the invasion at Utah Beach. Flags and monuments stand to honor the invasion and those who lost their lives.
After our stop at Utah, we moved onto Omaha Beach, the site of an American slaughter on D-Day. We suffered the most casualties here...if you have seen the movie Saving Private Ryan, the first 15 minutes of the movie is supposed to reinact the invasion at Omaha Beach. So sad. It looks a lot different now.
The sloping beach line was important here, because those Americans that survived moving up the beach had to throw themselves against it in order to survive as it was the only cover available.
The Nazis were ready and picked them off through the cover of their pill boxes above the beach. As you can see, some of the ruins remain.
We then moved on to Pointe du Hoc, or the High Point where Army Rangers scaled this point to destroy an important Nazi defensive site. It was home to giant cannons and huge concrete bunkers filled with Nazi soldiers. They could hit either beach with these cannons, it was important to take them out. This is the point where they scaled the 100 meter cliff.
There were many casualties as the invasion did not go exactly as planned, but overall it was a success! The ruins of this area remain, and the views off the point are simply beautiful.
Some of the ruins at Pointe du Hoc are still safe enough to tour. We went inside a creepy Nazi bunker...it was pretty cool.
Here we are inside where many Nazi soldiers called home.
Probably one of the most emotional and beautiful places we visited was the Normandy American Cemetary and Memorial. It is the site where many fallen Americans rest.
We were there at the end of the day and witnessed the lowering of the flags.
TJ found us this great little Maison to stay in near St. Mere Igles. It was so charming and we quickly fell in love with the proprietor, Paschal, and his very social cats.
The next day we headed into St. Mere Igles where our tour began. It is home to the church where a paratrooper from the 82nd Airbourne fell to suspend himself in the middle of the square that the Nazi's occupied. Luckily he survived as many of his brothers fell to their deaths.
St. Mere Igles honors D-Day and those that fought and lost their lives here in many ways and has a really great museum with artifacts from the war.
We visited many D-Day hotspots including a few beaches. We first visited Utah Beach the first night without even really knowing it. Here is a look at it and the English Channel present day...so hard to believe all that happened here...
And another view. Good thing I brought my personal photographer with me again this trip! TJ and I have a deal...he takes the pictures (because he is amazing at it) and I listen to the guide and fill him in on what he misses. Its a pretty good deal. I love this one.
The next day with our crazy but awesome guide, Elwood, we went to the main area of the invasion at Utah Beach. Flags and monuments stand to honor the invasion and those who lost their lives.
After our stop at Utah, we moved onto Omaha Beach, the site of an American slaughter on D-Day. We suffered the most casualties here...if you have seen the movie Saving Private Ryan, the first 15 minutes of the movie is supposed to reinact the invasion at Omaha Beach. So sad. It looks a lot different now.
The sloping beach line was important here, because those Americans that survived moving up the beach had to throw themselves against it in order to survive as it was the only cover available.
The Nazis were ready and picked them off through the cover of their pill boxes above the beach. As you can see, some of the ruins remain.
We then moved on to Pointe du Hoc, or the High Point where Army Rangers scaled this point to destroy an important Nazi defensive site. It was home to giant cannons and huge concrete bunkers filled with Nazi soldiers. They could hit either beach with these cannons, it was important to take them out. This is the point where they scaled the 100 meter cliff.
There were many casualties as the invasion did not go exactly as planned, but overall it was a success! The ruins of this area remain, and the views off the point are simply beautiful.
Some of the ruins at Pointe du Hoc are still safe enough to tour. We went inside a creepy Nazi bunker...it was pretty cool.
Here we are inside where many Nazi soldiers called home.
Probably one of the most emotional and beautiful places we visited was the Normandy American Cemetary and Memorial. It is the site where many fallen Americans rest.
We were there at the end of the day and witnessed the lowering of the flags.
There was an American WWII veteran and his family present and he folded the flags and wept. It was so emotional. Who knows how many of his friends he visited before the ceremony...
The cemetary is located on a high point overlooking a Normandy Beach and the English Channel. It is a really beautiful place.
I can easily say that I enjoyed Normandy more than Paris. It is seeping with American history and is a stunning place to visit. The weather was much better too. I really loved our trip to Berlin and other WWII historical places in the last year and found this to make my WWII learning experience in Europe complete.
If you are ever in the neighborhood, you shouldn't miss this place!
Auf Wiedersehen!
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