It's zuruck nach Israel gehen wir!

Hello everyone...With the "problems" in Israel and circumstances beyond our control, Rich is being pulled back to Israel!! They need a GSO who can speak Hebrew and Rich is the only one available; so Goodbye Switzerland- hello "again" Israel.





                 "APRIL FOOLS"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wondering..

With all the cold rainy weather today, I found myself  relaxing most of the day. Even-though I could have spent the time a bit more wisely; we still have thing's to do for the move. Then I realized that if we are going to fly on the 11th, we only have two weeks left in country! Rich did a quick research to make sure Mickey was good to go and all his paperwork was in order. Now we wait....

A Visit

Today was spent on a little shopping for me and a Paintball game for Rich and Corey. Speaking of Corey, he and his friends are out tonight celebrating his 24th Birthday. I know it's past but his friends were able to get together tonight' so off they went. His friend Phillip even made it down from New Jersey.
Richard's Sister Robin and her family came today for a visit. It's always such a pleasure...we love having them stay! They were able to do Mt.Vernon today- and will leave for Colonial Williamsburg tomorrow . "Vacations are so nice" We're already looking forward to their visit to Switzerland! And no, we still have no-word; Rich is hopeing to hear something by Tuesday. "I'll not hold my breath"...

Chris called....

It was so nice to hear Chris's voice on the phone tonight, It was full with excitement as he told us about his First week on the job. And he had a busy one at that! While dealing with the "best people" society has to offer.. my son was spat on, someone wet their pants, said bad things about his Mother- and he had to pull his gun for the first time in an armed robbery! After listening to the details of his week, I gave a prayer of thanks for his safety as he told his Dad and I how happy he was with his chosen career. If my Mother were here she would tell me "sweetie, you've got to let go someday" and my reply would be what I've always said: N-E-V-E-R!!

A great dessert

I have to warn you....this is Delicious! And you might have a hard time to "stop" eating.

                                                             Cream Puff Dessert
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter
1 cup flour
4 eggs

Filling:
1 8oz pkg cream cheese
3 1/2 cups milk
2 pkg {3.9oz each} Instant chocolate pudding mix

Topping:
1 8oz tub of frozen whipped topping, thawed
1/4 cup chocolate ice cream topping
1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping
1/3 cup chopped almonds "optional"

                        In a large saucepan, bring water and butter to a boil. Add flour all at once and stir until a smooth ball forms. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 min. Add eggs one at a time- beating well after each addition. Beat until smooth.
 Spread into a greased 13x9x2 baking dish. Bake at 400 for 30-35 min. or until puffed and golden brown. Cool completely.

                       Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, milk and pudding mix until smooth. Spread over puff and refrigerate for 20 min. Spread with whipped cream and drizzle with chocolate and caramel toppings; sprinkle with chopped almonds if desired. Keep refrigerated.
                        Don't say I didn't warn you!

Good Day

We had another beautiful day here in DC, Rich was home early and cleaned the back yard. So it's now ready for B'BQ! Although I'm still not sure how long we'll be here to enjoy it.
Tomorrow morning the couple who will be renting this house next are coming to look at it, they have four children and a large dog so it should suit them fine. Too-bad I won't be able to give them a move-out date; but like I've said in the past- I think it's going to be a sneak attack! If we have to stay until June- we will move to another corporate apartment so the new family will be able to move-in and get settled. School begins for the kid's at the end of July here. 
I hope everyone is enjoying the beginning of Spring, and for my European Friend's...remember to set your clocks ahead 1 hour before going to bed Saturday.

A few more photo's

I have a few more pictures I want to Post from Chris's Graduation:
        This is a close-up of his Award:

A

Craig, Trista, Shealynn and Brady:

 I can-not BELIEVE how tall Shealynn is! She only just turned 7. I think she will be taller than her Mom and Dad.
The "after party" took place at one of California's Hotel's:

Chris and Marissa:

Craig and Trista:










And Brady say's.......ya,ya, I'm cool, see-ya:

 

Lesson Learned

Before leaving for Ca. I went shopping for a few gifts to take. Of course the Grandchildren were easy, for my Daughter-In-Laws I settled on two Easter candles which were placed in a cute ceramic candle holder; one had bunnies and the other had spring chicks. Very cute! I also purchased two Easter towels- so I could roll each one before placing it in my luggage. I packed just a weekend bag so I could carry it on the plane and wouldn't have to mess with luggage pick-up. Now as much as I travel, one would think I'd be all over it...."however" when my bag went through x-ray, all that showed up was some wire and a couple of wicks.....Guess what happened to me then!? I was whisked away quickly along with my bag!
I can tell everyone from First hand experience; "America's Homeland Security is still running along strong!" And as for me.... A Lesson learned.

We're Back!

What an experience we had! Unfortunately Corey wasn't able to make the trip with us due to his tight schedule, and we all missed him dearly.
Chris's graduation from the Academy was amazing, Rich and I both felt very lucky to have been able to attend. 

 Chris is front and center as they make their way into the Auditorium.

 A pause for weapon inspection.

 Chris received a "special award" for not only knowing...but LIVING Everyday as an example of perfection. His class said that he was the one person they would go to if they had a problem. Also Chris was the only Police Officer to receive a "Standing Ovation".....We were all so proud. Words just fall short in how I felt at that very moment. I can tell you that there were tears!

C

Chris and his new boss "The Police Chief of  Mont Clair Police Dept."

 His Badge and number.

 Chris and Marissa...such a cute couple...A

And this is Chris with proud Niece and Nephew...Shealynn wants to take Uncle Fish to School for show and tell! LOL
 Good luck Chris, and may God walk with you everyday. "Stay Safe"

Quick Trip

Tomorrow afternoon Rich and I will be flying out to California for a couple of days. This trip is going to be incredibly short but necessary. Our Son Chris is Graduating from the Police Academy on Friday! He has worked very hard at his career, and has even had to make a detour by serving our country in Iraq last year. We are so proud of Chris for all of his accomplishments, and we all know how much Marissa helped to get him where he is today. They are quite the team!
I'll be taking lots of pictures- so you can look forward to the next posting! Our son Craig and his family will be there as well, so I'll even have pictures of our Grandchildren!! It will be such a blessing to be able to see everyone one-more-time before moving to Switzerland. And before I get in trouble with Craig and Corey...Dad and I are very proud of you too. {but you know that}

Shopping

Today I was able to get some shopping done for our move. I can now cross Towel Sets and Sheets off my list! The towel sets were on sale at Costco, so if you need them- now is a good time to buy. I just love thick and plush! 
I hope everyone remembers to set their clocks ahead one hour tonight before going to bed. The Winter season passed through quickly this year...Spring will soon be here and all will be shiny and new; but for now I'll enjoy the rain- knowing what it will bring with the sunshine. Unfortunately, now that all the snow is gone the yard is very visible again, so on the very next nice day I'll need to spend some time "cleaning up" from the storms. I've been getting a lot of mail asking about our move....sorry everyone, the Embassy is closed on the weekend so the soonest we'd hear anything would be Tuesday. As soon as we know-you'll know.

Still moving on

Another beautiful day here in the State's with lot's of sunshine and sweet smelling air. We have some rather intense rain coming in later tonight that will go on through the weekend, but I expect within a few weeks the trees will be in bloom along with various flowers and such. I'm enjoying the Spring here in DC, there's a lot to see and do. If anyone would like to visit the area; I would suggest this time of year or in the Fall. Summer is just too hot and crowded- which can make waiting in lines and walking around outside a bit uncomfortable.
I'm beginning to see the end of my appointments, so many things to accomplish in order to receive a Medical clearance. But all necessary to this lifestyle- We should also be receiving our Diplomatic Passports soon. We're still waiting for word from Bern on our official reporting date. "Inquiring minds want to know"

Un-believable..

Alright everyone...listen to this one!! As of today our arrival to Bern Switzerland has been extended from "10 April to 2 June!" Welcome to my life......is this a Government run Department- or what!? {bet I'll get a 1-800-spank-me for that statement} Today I'm frustrated, tomorrow I'll be fine. 
The GOOD NEWS is: I'm way ahead of schedule right now, so yeah for me! Now of course this can change again at any given moment or it will stay the same {anyone want to play a game of Guess?} I think this will be Chapter Two: "How to ride the rollercoaster- and not fall off" Anyway, I think tomorrow I'll continue with the preparations "just-in-case" and if the date stay's the same I'll have very little to do in May. Either way, I'll be ready!

Sunny and warm

Today was so beautiful and warm, I decided to take a day off. Now of course I did routine housework, and was able to accomplish the laundry but other than that it was just nice. I was able to make my appointment with the Dentist- so my teeth are all clean, with no-cavities! "another check off my list".
Now, you know how fresh the air is this time of year with just a hint of sweetness.? While on my way into the Dental office today I had to pass through the worst mass of cigarette smoke...there was just no-way to walk around it. Why do people have to smoke at entrances?? It doesn't matter where I'm going, shopping, the mall, movie theaters, restaurants, Dr's. Offices....no-place is off limits! I absolutely despise smelling like cigarette smoke. Yuck-- I wish we could make them pay to have our clothes cleaned. Anyway, I'm sure that I'm not alone in my thinking.
Tomorrow we have some rain coming in so it will be a good day to go through some more of the "little things".

It's the little things...

It's Monday and I'm still going through things. Now keep in mind that we're renting a fully furnished house, however that never stopped me from shopping for little thing's to personalize the place to make it a little more "homey" a bit more me. However now that it's time to move I find that I have a lot of the "little things" from shopping. A German Christmas tin, candles, a coffee pot, rice cooker, books, And make-up, an assortment of hair supplies, lotions etc..... I find myself in the 'ol take or toss routine. Something that I'm not good at! At the same time I'm working on a list of things to have before our pack-out day- sheets and towel sets are first on my list. But not to worry I have four whole weeks to accomplish everything. It wont be until after I step on the plane that I'll be able to take a deep breath and rest.

Present/Future

I was able to pick Rich up this evening after a rather long week of German immersion. It was good to see him and nice to have him "home" again. 
We continue to prepare for our move along with our up-coming trip to Ca. for Chris's Graduation from the Police Academy. I still can't seem to get my mind around my son being a Police Officer! I'm proud of him but at the same time I wish he would have chosen something safer to do!! {for all of you younger parents out there....the worrying never stops} And in some cases get's a bit worse. We're looking forward to seeing the West coast Fisher's, it will be the last time before leaving for Switzerland. I'm already looking forward to their visits, and of course the Fisher Family Vacation. Hummm...there I go again...I need to try harder to focus on getting things done now, and save the future for later.

Crazy day

Well, It's been an interesting day. There was a shooting at the Pentagon Metro Station and I passed a very bad accident on the interstate this afternoon. It made me wonder....people are always talking about what they want to do when...{they have time, can save enough money, maybe next week or next year, or "someday"} But none of us are guaranteed "tomorrow" or even one minute from now. Sure we all make plans, but will we be here to do them? I hope I can live each day- to do the thing's that matter most, I hope you will too. I was reminded of the quote.."In the end what we regret most are the chances we never took" Hopefully our regrets will be few and our memory's will be many.

Planner

Can you believe it's March already?! Time is on a slide right now, it seems the more I have to accomplish the quicker it goes! But it's alright...I can keep-up. Rich was able to get the Diplomatic Passports going before he left for the week, and I've been working on Medical clearance, dental, and eye appointments. So far there are six appointments, two dinners and a night at the opera. Plus by next weekend I'll be loosing an hour with DST. :daylight savings time"
One of these days I'll have to write a book on how to move- State-State, Country-Country.