Maybe I'm a little different and some helpful websites

The other day I was thinking about other potential LDS military bloggers/searchers and realized I am probably a little different than most of them.

Me being a little different at work in a Hazmat suit

I haven't met a whole lot that grew up like I did.  My mom was telling me about one that gets published in Utah and how she goes on and on about the foreign country she lives in (Germany).  We snickered about that!  Germany doesn't seem that foreign to us and almost everyone there speaks some english.
I was also talking to a girl at work that same day and she was telling me how her parents watch her children for her when they get home from school.  Many of the people I work with talk about growing up here.  That whole concept strikes me as weird.  I have no relation to it.  How do you stay put in one place your whole life, stay here for college and then stay after you are finished with college?  How do you find someone to marry in the same place you grew up and settle down and have children there.  Ok, I understand how, it just strikes me as weird.  But of course, that is probably far from weird.  It's probably completely normal.  But once again, I really don't know, I have no concept of it.  Maybe that is something I really missed out on.  I don't miss it, but maybe other people look at me with sympathy.  Knowing your cousins and Aunts and Uncles- that might have been cool.  Living closer to parents now, so they could come to soccer and football games and baptisms would be really nice.  I do realize at those time that I have missed out a little.
Maybe writing blogs about military life won't be that easy for me, because it's pretty much normal for me.  Of course my Dad was a civil servant and in the reserve, not active duty and there are definitely a few things different- mainly learning about rank and position.  Time for biggest mistake to date story:
When Rob came back in the military, he had been made a Captain and he kept telling me that this was his command time and he had to get a command.  When he got a command it was with a weird organization- weird as in military make-up weird, but otherwise a fantastic organization!  He was the Company Commander of the HHC group, but was asked to do things for the entire organization.  There were something like 5 different areas that had their own LTC over each of them.  Rob did all the parties and watched everyone's weight, etc, etc.  Anyway, since he was the Company Commander I was expected at the General's Wife's house every month for FRG meetings.  One day we got a new LTC's wife in and she was introduced all around.  Later I saw her at the Px and she asked me who my husband was and what group he was in command over.  I told her that he was in command over the entire thing.  She gave me a very confused look and that ended the conversation.  When I talked to Rob that night, he was mortified and explained things a little bit better to me- telling me that I had just told the lady that I was the General's wife.    I didn't realize that there was more than one "command time."  I thought she would know that if he was "in command" that he was a Captain.  I talked to her later at the formal and introduced Rob to her.

See the cutie-patootie at my feet- that's Joseph

I am sure she and all the other LTC wife's had a great laugh over that one!
So here I am now, a LTC wife.  I've learned a little.  Maybe I can laugh at a few Captain and Lieutenants'  wives!
I have done a little research for our move to Germany (yes, I know it's forever away still) and have found a few


Helpful websites:
Military.com (Stuttgart part)
information on Stuttgart military installations.  I am sure you can find almost any installation here if you start on the home page and just do a search.

military duty station blog
military stuff in general

Life Lessons of a Military Wife
This lady has lived all over Europe and has some great basic, as well as not so basic information.
I liked this one about TV:
http://lifelessonsmilitarywife.com/?p=1173
and this one about recycling:
http://lifelessonsmilitarywife.com/?p=471
besides all of her blog round ups which have some great articles that she has found from all over the web.

Learning German:
BBC Languages
haven't tried it yet, but heard it's great
Deutschkurse
took the test and past the level A1, but am still doing things from the beginning.  I started with Mission Berlin and have been through the first scenario and done all the worksheets and stuff for it.  So far, I am enjoying it, but don't know if it will help me learn German.
Hennings Haus
this one has both Hennings house and chez Mimi.  Hennings house is the one to learn German on.  It has some really cute games.  I have tried out the shopping one so far and really liked it.  It would be great for kids.
Also there is the Headstart program that you can find on AKO.  They used to do Rosetta stone, but not anymore.  I don't know what happened there, but I haven't heard great things about Rosetta stone from the reviews I read, so I have stuck with the free stuff, so far.