A Photo Essay- Images from the past Two Weeks...

Pictures from beautiful Germany!

Guten Tag friends and family around the world!

Thank you for being patient with our updates on our blogspot, and email/ phone contact. Zev and I are still searching for a place to live, but are enjoying exploring this beautiful city in the meantime. We have become some public transport-loving-folk!! The S-Bahn/ U-Bahn system (trains and streetcars) ROCKS here. Very safe, prompt and clean. We are very blessed to be involved in a culture immersion course this week where we have been learning basic words in German, as well as how to read a menu etc. One of our instructors was a young girl during World War II and had some amazing stories to share about her experiences living in Stuttgart during the war. Zev and I are enrolling in a German language class to learn German- we will be going to class twice a week so hopefully we will be up to speed by the time our guests come to visit! Last week we took (and passed!!) our German driving test. It was actually rather challenging as we had to remember the German road signs (in German!!) as well as some very detailed and unusual road rules! We are just awaiting arrival of our vehicle which was shipped over from the States so we can test drive it on the Autobahn. Last night we went out to dinner to a typical Swabian Gasthof (German Guesthouse/ Restaurant) and tried some of the local cuisine including Spatzle (German pasta) with this delicious wild mushroom sauce.....yum! This Friday we have actually decided to move out of our hotel and into this beautiful little Gasthof until we find a house to rent, just so that we can make some home cooked meals and enjoy somewhat "normal" life again. Although we love our travels and explorations, living out of a suitcase does get old after a while!! Luckily though, the local area has lots of well paved paths and trails through the forest (the Black Forest is very near!) so we have been running and walking as much as we can to work off this great German food! Tomorrow we head downtown for a field trip on how to use the public transportation system here (which is EXCELLENT but you MUST get the right ticket- very important to follow the rules!!) It just so happens that tomorrow is also the beginning of Stuttgart's Winefest- one of many festivals that will be held here until Christmas time (apparently the Christmas markets are truly beautiful). Zev and I discovered the Marketplatz and Markethall on the weekend- it was a total gourmet/ foodies delight with a whole plaza devoted to flowers, a whole plaza devoted to fresh vegetables, and a whole covered plaza devoted to deli meats and cheeses and breads. The setting was just beautiful too- surrounded by the Old Castle in downtown Stuttgart. We enjoyed trying unusual things such as dates stuffed with marzipan or wrapped in prosciutto or stuffed with walnuts, as well as gourmet cheese from around the world. Zev loved the miniature salami sausages that were spicy (and rather garlicky too!) The bread here is so fresh and delicious- we wish we could send you all some to try! You will just have to come and visit. Anyway, please enjoy the pictures and keep in touch! Love Zev and Fi xoxoxo

Pictures from our visit to lovely Canandaigua...

We were fortunate to have time in between our move from Louisiana to Germany to head up to Zev's hometown of Canandaigua in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York. We actually visited Fort Worth, Texas and Fi spent a week in Colorado for work, so we have been on the road for a while now!! Nevertheless, we really enjoyed spending quality time with our family and friends and just enjoying the beauty of upstate New York. We had dinner with family, went running on the hills, spent some glorious moments out on beautiful Cayuga Lake with Mike and Deanna (where Fi tried waterskiing for the very first time and Zev showed her how he can waterski on one ski!!) Zev even set up a target shooting afternoon out the back of his brother's property!!! And that was after he showed our niece Emily and our nephews, David and Will, how to hypnotize a chicken. How's that for a party trick? (Apparently there are three ways to hypnotize a chicken- according to Wikipedia). Wow. Not that we are rednecks from the South or anything!! We hope that our dear family and friends from New York as well as from Australia will be able to come visit us here in Europe so we can show them the sights and sounds of this gorgeous region. Thanks to everyone for hosting us. We love and miss you very much. Here are some pictures of our wonderful memories....

Guten Tag from Germany!

Guten Tag/ G'day/ Hey y'all from Stuttgart, Germany!!

It really is an international world isn't it! We just wanted to send greetings from our new home and let you all know that we are doing well and absolutely LOVING it here. Zev and I have hit the ground running and have already explored some neat German villages and castles, and have sampled the local cuisine. It's all good. The people are very friendly and helpful. I think this will be a great tour. I will post pictures as soon as we can download our pictures. Until next time, Fiona!

Off we go into the wild blue yonder...

As most of you probably know, those words are the first few words of the US Air Force song. By the time you read this we are probably on the road somewhere as we commence our travels and our move to Germany. It's hard to believe that it was only 4 short years ago that we were fixing (that's a new word I've picked up in the South, mum ;-)) to leave Sydney, Australia, and move to Sweet Home Alabama. Boy, we could not even have begun to imagine the amazing people and experiences that the Lord would bless us with, over the next four years. As we prepare to leave the United States (don't worry, we will be back eventually!), I (Fi) especilly feel sad to leave my adopted homeland, the country of my husband which is now my country too. If we didn't get a chance to give you a hug before we left Shreveport, please receive our "e-hug" now and know that we are thinking of you. A big thank you to all our wonderful friends and colleagues who threw us going away (not "goodbye"!!) parties, for all the gifts, cards and heartfelt words. I will get around to writing personal thank you cards to each of you; it just may take a little while along our travels. Until next time! Zev and Fi xoxo

Proud to be an American (still Aussie too!)

Meet America's newest citizen as of 2pm July 21st, 2008 (incidentally, Fi's brother Mario and his wonderful wife Gabby are the proud parents of a beautiful, healthy new baby boy born on July 21st! Congrats bro and Gabby, we wish we were there to meet your new bub). We traveled down to New Orleans on Sunday evening in order to attend the Naturalization Interview on Monday morning. We stayed the night in the French Quarter and had a brilliant time, walking the streets and taking pictures of beautiful and historic New Orleans. We ate out at a great Italian restaurant and really had a lovely experience all in all! Fi is proud to be an Australian-American. Fi's dearest friend Leslie threw her an "Americana" themed going away party in honor of her new citizenship back home in Shreveport. Boy, we are going to miss this wonderful state of Louisiana....

Goodbyes are not forever.

To all our dear Shreveport and Bossier friends and colleagues who threw us wonderful and heartfelt going away parties- THANK YOU so much, from the bottom of our hearts. Thank you for welcoming us into your community and your lives and for helping make our experience here so wonderful. We will miss you guys and look forward to catching up in Germany! Love, Zev and Fi xoxoxo

Goodbyes are not forever.

Goodbyes are not the end.

They simply mean I'll miss you

Until we meet again!

~Author Unknown

Farewell Barksdale

The Change of Command Ceremony was beautiful and heartfelt. Zev received the Meritorious Service Medal and officially handed over command of his squadron. He even remembered that my favorite flower is the Pink Oriental Tiger Lily. Thanks for the memories, 2nd LRS.