We Made It

Just wanted to let everyone know that we made it safely to Minnesota! We had an ok flight from Iceland to Boston. David said it was his worst flight ever. It just seem extra long because of the little girl who cried the whole time and the seats were really small. We stated at the Hyatt in Boston. Very please with that hotel and the bed was so comfy, so we were happy about that. We ended up just eating dinner in our hotel because we were just so tired from our flight. We both had the samon and it was the best meal we both have had in a long time. Well worth the price we had to pay.

After we made our next two flights on Saturday we arrived around 2pm. Both my parents and David's parents picked us up at the airport. It was nice to see everyone. Straight from there we went out to eat at Bennigans. David's friend Mike and his girlfriend Suzy met us up there for our welcome home celebration. After dinner we all came back here for a few drinks. Everyone told stories, laughed and my dad told all his famous stories and brought out all his band signutares.

Sunday morning we went to IHOP for breakfast with my family and ran some errrons with David. David ordered a new pair of glasses. The ones he bought in Turkey are just not holding up the best.

And now it is already Monday. David is going snowboarding today with Mike and Luke. He had been so excited to go. He only got to go once in Iceland so far. My all important hair appointment got switch to Thursday, so I have plans to go out to eat with my aunties today and my sister.

Really glad to be home, will keep everyone updated. And please get ahold of us so we can make plans to get together!

All Packed

Were all packed and ready to go, so now we just have to wait for the time to pass until we leave for the airport. This morning we got up at 7am and went and got some breakfast. It was nice to start the day off early because we had some last minute things to do. We have a 6 hour flight to Boston and then we plan to see some sites in Boston for the night. Our next flight leaves Saturday morning around 8am, I think. Then, we fly to Chicago then to Minnesota!

Well, better check to make sure I didn't forget anything. See everyone very soon!

Where I Work

I started working at the Galleria at the end of August and work there 5 days a week from 11:00 to 6:00 on Tues - Thurs and 11:00 - 5:00 on Mon and Fri. My job here is to work the register and put out new items as they come, which is fun because I get to see what is new first. But also a long process because you have to enter everything into the computer one by one. Also, here I make brass plates for plaques. I pretty much hate making those, but I guess it come with my easy job. And we make t-shirts. Nothing to fancy, we just have this big iron on machine. Everything in the store I pretty much want. We didn't have any kind of store like this in Turkey, so I was soooo happy to see this store when I got here. Pretty much everything is at a fair price. I love buying my candles here, they are so cheap.
We are pretty empty right now because I just took down all the christmas stuff and we are waiting for a big shipment from the states.
We also sell Icelandic artwork here. Glass and Handmade Pottery is very popular here. It is so beautiful to see what they can make. But it is also expensive. Everything in Iceland is very expensive. We get COLA (Cost of Living Allowance) just for living here because of the cost of everything.

Also, in the building where I work we have a ceramic, stained glass and wood shop. I haven't taken any of those classes yet to learn any new hobbies.

Same old stuff with us. David has been playing his guitars and I haven't started any new scrapbook pages. Hopefully I will take a lot of pictures while we are home so I can get started up again.

Leaving for the States TOMORROW!!!

The Blue Lagoon

About the only neat place I have visited in Iceland so far has been the Blue Lagoon. We went there a few weekends ago with Blue and his family. David has been able to see way more of Iceland because of his job. Him and another guy he works with do this show called "On the Rocks" where they travel to places in Iceland you may want to visit while you are here and then they air on TV. We weren't able to see to much when we got here because we were with out a car for so long, so we are hoping to see a lot more this year.
Don't think I took these pictures and be impressed with me. We didn't even bring a camera because I am sure it would have gotten wet some how. I just thought it would be neat if you got to see what it looked like. It is hard to explain with out pictures, but basically it is like a big hot tub with black sand on the bottom. Also, it has salt water. They say the water has a postive effect of your skin and it "promotes harmony between body, mind and spirt and enables one to soak away the stresses of modern life."
It was a new experience for me to go there just because you have to shower before you go to the lagoon. I was nervous for like a week before. I was thinking open showers everywhere, but thankgoodness they do have a few private showers. But still after you don't have a changing room, so there were ladies just walking around naked. You don't know where to look sometimes. Ofcourse David was telling me this would be good for me...but I am still trying to figure that one out!

The day we went it was a little too windy for us, so we tried to stay by the rocks to block the wind and that is where the water seemed the warmest. Also, there was a lot of people there because it was during the Christmas/New Years break so this was the hot spot to go visit.

I am sure we will go back since it is only about a 15 minute drive from the base.

New Jeep

As many of you all ready know we sold the Jetta in October to get a 4x4 vechicle. David really wants to do alot of off roading here in Iceland, so it was best that we got one. David did many hours of research on what he wanted in the new car...I basically wanted something that looked cute. We had to buy the car from New Car Sales. That is the military car dealer ship. It is right on base and they give you a deal on your car, but basically you get to choose from a Jeep, Ford or Chevy.

We decided on 2006 Jeep Liberty 4x4 Renegade and we are very happy with it! We got very lucky because we had never seen it before or had never driven one before. I just drove it in the snow yesterday and I loved having the 4-wheel drive.
I am sure this doesn't look like a beach, but it is. This the beach where David was the extra in the movie "Flags of our Fathers." For you who don't know he got to play a soldier in this Clint Eastwood Film. They had casting calls at the base and he got called back, so hopefully we will be able to see him when the movie comes out this summer.

This weekend we met a new family who just few into Iceland. I am sure we will become great friend with them. There names are Sarah, Kevin and they have a 2 year - old Atticus. Kevin will work with David at AFN. Hopefully soon I can get some pictures up of our friends so you know who I am talking about.

Be in the Minnesota in 5 days!!!

Please pass my blog address onto anyone who you think would be interested on knowing how we are doing....thanks!

Happy Late New Year!

Sorry these pictures are not the best, our camera was not meant to be taking these kind of pictures. But atleast you can get some idea of the fireworks.

This is Greg "Blue" his wife Jessica and there son Collin. We all went to watch the fireworks together.


Same picture...sorry

What an amazing site the fireworks were to see here in Iceland. I can't even describe them or even show them to you in a picture.

Each Icelander family collects fireworks all year round just for New Years. Each household shoots them off from there house, so the whole sky is full of fireworks. But even before the fireworks start there are these huge bonfires spread out through Reykjavik you can just go and sit at. You can see these bonfires from miles away.


Where we were watching the fireworks at, it was over looking the whole city of Reykjavik. It was a very popular spot to watch the fireworks, so it was a good thing we go there early. We got there around 9:00 and there was already a few fireworks here and there. But at 11:00 the sky started to turn so bright with fireworks and by 11:30 you didn't even know where to look. The sky was just full of fireworks, you can't even describe how beautiful it was. No other firework show will ever compaire to it.

Can't wait to see you all next week...XOXO

Some Pictures

Sorry the lighting isn't the best, but we have a walk out patio from our living room too. Which we haven't used once because it is too windy here.





My crafting corner
This is David's area of the room and those are David's two favorite things....
His Guitars!

Sorry it took so long to get pictures out to everyone of our new place. In our new building we have great neighbors the Slater's and our great friend Blue, from Turkey, just moved in down stairs with his family, so we got very lucky.

I will keep the pictures coming and we will see everyone next week.

XOXO

We'll call it Home Sweet Home for NOW...

I thought I would start about telling you about our house, well apartment in Iceland. It actually is pretty nice, we have carpet! You might be thinking so but, if you saw what we were working with in Turkey you would be pretty happy too. In Turkey we had some thin piece of paper they taped over the floor. Our kitchen is pretty big, we have a lot of counter and cabinet space. Which is nice for David because he does most of the cooking, but I am learning I must say. You would think I would be a pretty good cook since I worked in a restuarant for almost 8 years and almost everyone else in my family can cook but, I must say I make a mean Lean Pocket! Oh and we have a dishwasher...in Turkey we were the dishwasher. It wasn't so bad for David because in his last apartment he didn't have one, but for me I thought I was going to die!

Our Kitchen looks out into our dinning area and living room. It is a pretty small area, but it works for David and I. This is a lot smaller then our house in Turkey, since these two areas have to share now. Our furniture is pretty special to us because we were able to design it our self and it is all handmade it Turkey. It is something we will be able to treasure forever and look back on all of our travels. We had our table and chairs, armore, end tables and coffee table all handmade. Also our couches were bought in Turkey.

There are two bedrooms in our apartment. In the spare bedroom we put the computer and the spare bed, but after a few months of being a spare room it turned into David's music studio. He practices his guitar everyday because he is in a band now. But then I moved in, so now it is David's music studio/ Sara's scrapbooking room. For my area I just put up 3 TV trays in the corner and set up shop. I guess it is working for now.

I will attach some pictures of our place so you can see it. But first I have to figure it out...I may have to go to david for that part!

XOXO...

Should have started sooner...

I finally thought I would start something so everyone would be able to keep up on what was going on with David and I. Who knows how interesting our life will be to write about, but we have done some traveling that I will be able to share with you. Also, this will be a great way to finally get out the pictures I have wanting to share with everyone. Please be patient with me while I set up my blog, david has the computer smarts in the family.

We are getting very excited to see everyone next saturday. Please try to get ahold of us so we can set up a time to see everyone, it is so hard to see everyone in the short time we are home. I am so thrilled just to be able to go shopping, I have some christmas money I want to spend. And I have a hair appointment with Holly...my hair is looking really bad.

We only have 3 years left in the Airforce! We HOPE to get out in Aug '08...So this will be a great thing to look back on when we finally do get out.

Oh yeah... in August '08....I hope to have a HUGE welcome home party and Birthday Party!

Love and Miss you all!!!! XOXO