Leaving HOME

We have moved so many times during R's military career that "home" has been many, many different places.  While we have enjoyed some duty stations more than others, we have always been able to create a sense of "home" for our family wherever we were.  "Home" was our safe place, when we felt far from family & friends, and new friends didn't come as quickly as we had hoped.  "Home" was our safe place, when Daddy was gone and in harm's way.  "Home" was where our church was...where we could hear the word of God and be reassured that we were in His hands, no matter what we were going through.  Sometimes "home" was a tiny apartment, where we didn't know a single neighbor; sometimes it was military housing with a wonderful community of people just like us.  Sometimes home was a great house, full of friends, with great neighbors.  Sometimes "home" was a little empty because Daddy was gone, but still full of love and a sense of security.

But in all of our adventures, "home" was in the United States.  Sometimes we were far from family, but we always knew that if we wanted to, we could travel to see them.  Or if we had a family emergency, or a death in the family, we could be there.  That ended for us on August 17th, when we boarded a plane to leave our "home".  The country that R is so proud to serve, where all of our children were born, where WE were born! We flew into a new country, full of new languages, new customs, and a whole new way of life.  I can't say that we were happy about leaving, but we are excited to see what God has in store for us over here in our new "home".  

 Little R was a little unsure...

 T was a lot unsure!

 A tried to hold it together and be strong!

 5-hour layover in Newark...

 Great views of NYC from the airport!

 Very symbolic...Lady Liberty right after takeoff...

 GREAT views of NYC from the air..

 Getting farther away...

 Central Park?  Can't wait to visit someday...

"Home" can no longer be seen...after an 8-hr flight we would land in our new "home".

I'm not sure another country will ever feel like "home", but I am determined to make our house feel like home for our family; a safe place for all of us, in this very different world we are now calling HOME!  In this "home" our little man will start kindergarten, our A will start middle school and become a teenager, our T will graduate high school, and be preparing for college!  All huge milestones for our family, and times we will remember forever!  I don't know what the next four years holds for us in Germany, but I do know that we will leave here very different than we came.  And I hope that Germany is a bit different when we leave too, so we can leave knowing we left our mark somehow!!