a european deployment and cooking for two.

There are many opportunities Europe has to offer. One of my most celebrated conveniences is the quality of the food. There is a wondrous abundance of culture here, which provides many completely different styles of cuisine. One thing they all have in common is freshness. GMO's are banned in the EU and believe me when I tell you, you can absolutely taste the difference. Organic food here is not only affordable but even readily available in most grocery stores here in Germany. The foods we might buy only on a special occasion in America are abundant and economical (for example, a fine cheese, wine or meat.)

Since Marius deployed almost two months ago, I have had to re-learn how to prepare meals for Iris and myself. I don't use recipes or meal plans at all, as I find that much more freeing to eat what my body needs on any given day. Earlier this year, our family decided to lean into a Paleo-style diet. We now eat very little gluten, if any at all. Marius is a bit more strict with it than I am, as I can barely live without my two teaspoons of sugar in my tea in the morning, or far more importantly, cheese.

Since it's summertime and I would rather not heat up the non-air-conditioned house any more than necessary, I've ended up making the simplest healthy dishes that occur to my mind. I am currently eating about five small meals a day, most of which consist of chopped raw vegetables, fruit, meat and olives. I thought I might share some of the meals we have been eating since Marius left, and hope he isn't too envious considering his chow hall is less than appetizing!

A lunch of olive oil baked eggplant eaten with a big piece of goat cheese and a side of grapes and carrots.

An easy ginger stir fry with chicken, eggplant, carrots, edamame, and red peppers.

Iris' most requested breakfast - warm oatmeal with honey and strawberries.

A healthier way to eat cheese is on thin slices of apple!

A lunch plate of quesadilla for Iris with veggies, aged gouda, kalamata olives and caper berries to share.

Paleo pomegranate chicken salad where instead of mayo, I use a simple guacamole - mashed avocado with some salt, cilantro, scallions and  lime juice.

A lunch of sushi rice with furikake and a side of avocado.

A throw together dinner of salmon marinated in Maggi-Würze, garlic and ginger with rice and ginger spinach.

A lunch plate of salami and cheeses from Belgium and Holland.

My friend and I made this big plate of sushi. Iris and I love sushi so much, we eat it at least four times a week!

Homemade gluten-free pizza with orange bell pepper, artichokes, eggplant and kalamata olives.

the cherry tree.

When we first moved into our home, our landlady told us we had an apple, plum and cherry tree in our yard. She said they only bear a great harvest every two or three years. Boy, was she right! Last year, our cherry tree was slim picking, and by the time we realized the cherries were fully ripe, the birds had stolen much of the fruit. 

This year, however, it was impossible not to notice the cherries. They are bright fire-engine red and there are TONS of them. Together with our friends, we have been picking buckets full and snacking on them for three days and there is still no shortage! We also have wild strawberries peppering our yard - a delicious treat! 

Here are the pictures I took of Iris picking cherries last year!

another deployment.

Our little family has been adjusting to life without Marius at home. This past Monday, Marius left for a six month deployment to Kosovo. Iris is adapting very well so far. I told her that when Papa gets home she will be much bigger and taller, which gave her something positive to reflect on. Since he left, she often cries out with a bright smile, "Mama! My head is bigger! And my nose a little and my feet! I'm THIS tall! And Papa will see me!" She snuggles her Papa doll every night and she understands about how Papa has gone to work for a very long time.

The last time Marius deployed was about two and a half years ago, when Iris was little more than a baby. See how little she was?? It has only been a few days, but I am still impressed with how well she is adapting. I've started implementing a new daily schedule for the two of us, which includes daily homeschooling and working out and weekly movie or out-to-dinner night together. 

Our location makes my living without driving very simple. We are able to shop, go to a park, go hiking, go out to dinner, and take a train - all with just a walk down the road. Along with the support of our wonderful friends here, I feel this deployment will be the easiest yet.

Any friends or family who would like Marius' current address, please let one of us know!

home.

Marius came home to us on Tuesday of this week!

Iris was a little bit nervous at first, but that didn't last long. Even before we left the airport, she was already reaching for his hand and asking for his kisses. By the time we got home, she was sitting in his lap and hugging him. There is no doubt that she remembers her Papa and greatly missed him while he was away.

Marius will soon have two weeks off from work to spend time with us and to relax after his deployment. I've breathed so many sighs of relief since he returned happy, healthy and as much my loving husband as ever. 

Our family is whole again. 

news.

I got some wonderful news from Marius last night... he should be coming home in a fortnight! 

I am so overjoyed to know that he will be home so soon; I've been positively giddy. 

When I told Iris this morning, she grinned and pointed to her Papa doll and squealed, "Papa!" 

She also gave his picture many kisses today!

We can hardly wait to see him again after these long months apart.

sugar and spice.

Another post where I admit to being absent, as of late! Iris and I have been going through a bit of a rough adjustment period, where she is asserting her new independence and creating boundaries for herself. She will now say the word, "no" to me, has become very picky about food, is determined to stand and run along the couch, pull dvds off the shelves, and becomes extremely emotional about every little thing. It has been hard for both of us, especially on me since I am very much alone, most of the time. Marius' internet has also been very unreliable lately, which tends to add to the heaviness of missing him which I always seem to feel in my chest. Sometimes it can take hours for our skype messages to go through to each other, and we very rarely get to see each other's faces. We still don't know when he will be coming home from his deployment, but we are hoping for within a month or two.

Things are going well, aside from the changes and difficulties. I am readying our home for our impending move to Germany this spring, which means sorting through all of our belongings, organizing them and minimizing as much as possible. I've already made one huge donation of old baby clothes, toys and various kitchenware to a local shelter and have another one almost ready to go. I have started reading again and practicing a bit of yoga, both of which are much needed.

I have also recently made a huge change to my lifestyle in terms of cutting most sugar out of my diet. I now use one teaspoon of agave in my coffee or tea and have no candy, chocolate, or much of any processed food. I have also stopped eating any kind of products containing eggs (due to my allergy), and I feel worlds better after both of these adjustments. It's really amazing how addictive sugar is and how it finds it's way into almost all of our food these days. After a week of eating no more than 10g of sugar a day, I tried to eat a sweet potato for lunch and found myself disgusted at how sweet it tasted, even with nothing on it! Did you know that the average American eats 150lbs of sugar each year? That's one teaspoon of sugar for every hour of every day!

Anyway, here is the only picture I have available to me right now, as I still haven't bought a new camera card. I took this for Marius to show him just how big Iris has really gotten. We had both recently woken up and were still in our jammies, looking sleepy. Speaking of which, I am exhausted. I hope to soon have more time and energy to devote to my blog.

loving Papa.

Iris' Papa Doll finally arrived today. 

This photo perfectly captures her reaction.

She's been carrying him around all day since.

We miss you, Love.

times they are a-changin'...

My love.

My love; my best friend; my husband has deployed to Iraq. 

He left on Tuesday for six months. 

We are all doing alright, but life is very different. 

Iris with her Papa's American Flag hat, which they both love so well.

Before he left, we celebrated Iris' early birthday party.
We spent lots of time together as a family and I hardly spent any time online.
We prepared physically and emotionally for his departure.

We also received orders to Germany!
We've both been to Europe already and have been hoping for this for years.
We'll be moving there when he gets home in the spring.

It's been pretty lonely around here without him, but we have friends here who have made the transition so much easier. Iris has had a few play dates already, and we've gone out to lunch a few times and to Trader Joe's and Hobby Lobby. I spent about 12 hours hand sewing a stuffed kitty for Iris. I'm going to keep busy with crafts, learning German, getting our things ready for moving to Europe and of course, raising the cutest little baby in the world. I'm so grateful that we have the internet and phones to be able to stay in touch with Marius. When I'm feeling sad, I just think about how not long ago he would have gone off to war and I'd have heard nothing from him for years, save a couple of letters. It really puts things into perspective and makes me realize how lucky we are to have this technology. I miss him, but we are still together no matter how far apart.

This is no longer only my personal blog to write about Iris and my life, but Marius' way of watching his baby girl grow up for the next six months. Our family; our love is strong, and so we shall remain.