A little late...2013

Since I last updated this, 2013 proved to be an awesome year. 

 

Black Forest with Alicia

 

London with the Styskals

 

Palma de Mallorca, Spain

 

Family meets Madelyn

 

 

Germany Tour with the Gross Family

 

Paris

 

Brussels' Beer Fest

Wine Fest with the Bristow's

Munich Oktoberfest

Garmisch

Belagio, Italy

Madelyn's 1!

Home for the Holidays

 

This past year reflects how amazing our time here in Europe has been with blessings of kids, careers, family and friends, and unforgettable travel experiences.    In December 2003, Paula and I boarded a train in Maastricht, Netherlands to begin our departure back to the US at the end of our study abroad program.  Since that time, our ultimate life goal was to somehow find a job that would get us back to Europe and introduce the world to our future kids.   We're here.  We're living our dream...now what?  Paula's commitment with the Air Force ends August 2015, a mere year and a half away.   We're at a roadblock as we are faced to figure out the future that God has planned for our family. 

As much as I'd like to say 2013 was perfect, it definitely had challenges for some of those around us.  We weren't put in Germany to live the good life, but to also reach out to those who were battling sickness, enduring  long military deployments, and prison sentences.  We learned so much from these families how they handled these situations and happy to have been part of their journey.

We had the opportunity to go back home to St. Louis for the Holidays.   Work brought me back to Germany and Paula to Alabama in January.    We made the decision to leave Carter and Madelyn in St. Louis for 5 weeks.    They would spend the weekdays at Grandma Stepp's and weekends at Grandma Schu Schu's.   As crazy as people thought we were, I wouldn't change our decision.  Our international kids know their cousins, aunts and uncles, grandparents, and family friends more than just a picture on the wall.  Not to mention the amount of American greatness of Grandma's cookies, hockey games, endless amounts of ketchup, TELEVISION, and non-existent bedtimes.   For all you did for Carter and Madelyn those 5 weeks, thank you.   

On Valentine's Day weekend, the Schomaker's met Paula in Nashville, TN to drop the kids off.  They all spend the weekend in Nashville with Paula bringing the kids back to Alabama. 

Looking back at 9 weeks without my family-  I completed two 10-day training classes for work, showed my friends the great college life in Maastricht, almost broke my neck on 2 incredible ski trips in the Swiss Alps, a red wine trip to France, and drank too much Belgian beer.   All seems selfish; who chooses a break from their family?  In spite of all the fun I had, I'm now basically counting down the hours until their return to Germany this weekend.    This time alone has given me opportunity to back away from just being a dad these past few years, to ensuring I'm back on the right path with God and our marriage- both of which allow me the best dad I can possibly be.  Paula is an incredible wife.  I am in love with her now as much as was when I proposed to her in Europe 11 years ago.  'No matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love.'   Can't wait to have you home: 2 days, 8 hours, 49 minutes….