Germany here we come...

Yes...it's true...we are moving to Germany! It is still hard for me to believe. I don't think it's really sunk in yet. Jason got assigned to Sembach Elementary School teaching mild to moderate learning impaired. Sembach Air Base is located about 1 hour southwest of Frankfurt not far from Ramstein Air Base. We are very close to France...which is exciting! (Check out the map below to see better details.) Another bonus is that our friends (who live behind us now) also got a transfer to a school which is very close to where we have been assigned. It will be more comforting having some familiar faces around...especially for the kids!
This was a major decision for our family that we prayed about for many nights before deciding. We LOVE it here in Okinawa, and have made friends that have become family. So that is the hardest part in leaving! I know that no matter where we go, or what life holds for us in the future we will always keep in touch with them. I have a pact with a good friend of mine that we will always see each other in the summer...hint, hint, Tritia! ;-)
So here is the plan...we will be leaving Okinawa the middle of June and heading to the States for our summer vacation as usual. Then about the beginning to middle of August we will fly to Germany where Jason would need to check in with his new administration. We will stay in the base hotel until we are able to find a house. Yes, of course we are going to live off-base! I am so excited about a new house. Some of the houses we have looked at are gorgeous! It will be interesting to see what we find when we get there. I plan on doing all I can to dive right into the community by keeping myself busy with the kids. I know that is the only way I will be able to handle this major transition for our family. It is so important to show them how fun and exciting a new place to live can be. Jackson is excited about going to new parks and riding the trains. He doesn't even know what he has coming for years to come.
Crazy to think that we are going to see four seasons. Spring, summer, fall, and best of all snow! I have never lived in a place that has snow like we are going to see. We are on the same latitude as Vancouver, Canada or maybe a little higher. But with that said, it will be VERY COLD! I imagine there will be many days ahead of playing in the snow with the kids. What a change for us. We have lived on this tiny, beautiful tropical island for the past 7 years, and now we are going to a huge country where we will experience new kinds of weather, culture, food and many more.
I will be sure to keep you updated on our moving progress in the coming months.
For right now, we are going to soak up every minute we have here in Okinawa because I know it is going to go by faster than we can keep up!