New Name, New Country, New Job

      Yes, yes. This is quite a long overdue blogpost.  With all this "new" I haven't found much time to sit and put together a little something to share.

      From the moment I landed in Stuttgart, Germany back in July, I've been putting myself to work. The first project was to job hunt.  By mid-August, I had a teaching job. Phew! I am totally not one who can be what they call a "housewife".  Besides the fact that I'd go insanely stir-crazy, I'm sure those of you reading this know me well enough to know that much of the time, I have a large amount of energy.  If it is not released through a job demanding that high energy...I'd most definitely explode. Get it?
Not to mention that teaching is one of my favorite things to do....

  Anyway, I teach at a tiny international christian school here in Stuttgart.  I only have 6 students. Just 6! Sounds like a breeze doesn't it? Here's the catch: 6 students....in 3 different grades.  So I teach 3rd, 4th and 5th grade, all in one class.  Basically I'm living Little House on the Prairie international style over here.  Let me tell you...my organizational skills have skyrocketed through the roof with this one. My energy is definitely put to use here.

     So we live in Stuttgart, Germany, which is in the German state of Baden-Wurttemberg, in the southwestern part of the country. We are a hop, skip, and jump away from Switzerland and France (which we have not been to... yet). Enough about the surrounding countries...there is SO much to see near and far from us right here in Germany.  

     Heidelberg is right around the corner from us.  One of our first adventures was a day trip to explore Heidelberg.

Here is a view of the castle from way down below in town.


So then we took the hike WAY up the hill to explore the castle grounds:

..one thing about Europe...there is a lot of climbing. If you want to explore...you will be climbing something.

 ....and, we made it to the top!

 Here is one of the favorite photos...like the tower just completely fell...

 And THIS is the largest wine barrel in the whole entire world. There is a dance floor on the top!

There are SO many sites to see within driving distance from us.  Once our car finally shipped to us in September, so many options opened up! So the weekend that we got our car, we drove about an hour away to the Hohenzollern Castle:

...and there are many many more castles to see on our list! 

Everything was put on hold in early October, when my very much loved and adored Pap passed away. Greg and I flew to Pennsylvania so I could spend the week with my family. My Pap was the life of every party, everyone knew Pap. Greg only met him one time (well, in person...I'm sure a few times over Skype), but I talk about my Pap so much that it's like Greg knew him too. All of my best stories are about my Pap. 

The last time that I saw Pap was in July right before I moved to Germany.  I was able to go to the beach for a few days with him.  He will never be replaced as my #1 karaoke partner.  We loved singing together.  Especially at the beach and on Christmas! I'm so happy that we could have one last karaoke session on a summer evening at the beach...where we sang "Somewhere Over the Rainbow"....which for some reason Pap thought was my favorite song ever! We always sang that one. ...and a slew of others. 

 Summer 2011...Pap watched me skydive at Kitty Hawk in North Carolina!

 Christmas 2012

 Summer 2009

 Spring 2008

 Christmas 2010

 College graduation, May 2012

 ....maybe somewhere around 1996?

Summer 2014

    Trust me, this isn't the end of Pap. He is a legend, and will be talked about and remembered fondly for the rest of my life.  Though he is gone and I am so sad that I will not see him when I am home in the states...I cannot help but to think how incredibly lucky I am to have had such a funny, smart, stylish, entertaining, talented, charismatic, and loving Pap pap.  He was just the best. 

       You only get one life. I want to see and do as much I can in mine! So upon our return to Stuttgart, we, the Hargraves', decided it was time to book our first honeymoon. First because I am certain to go on many while we live in Germany for these three years. 

      

       We chose to go to Cologne, Germany for a weekend. Cologne is known to have been a major city during the Roman Empire, and in fact still has original Roman roads that are still in the place they have always been! The other "big" thing in Cologne is the cathedral.  It is the fourth tallest cathedral in the world, but the number 1 tallest Roman Catholic cathedral in the world.

So enjoy some miscellaneous photos from our weekend in Cologne:

We climbed all the way to the top of this cathedral (see..didn't I say earlier the thing about always climbing in Europe....).
It took about 15 minutes of continuous spiral incline.

On Saturday night, we went on a dinner cruise down the Rhein River. I think the cathedral looks so beautiful at night!

These super shades belonged to my Pap. He loved to buy cheap sunglasses at any and every thrift store around....leaving him with quite a collection.  I like to think that these sunglasses give me thrifty superpowers when I wear them. :p

    So, "how is married life", you ask? Well, it is the same as single life, but now I live with a grown up dishes-creatin', nerd-show-watchin', cooked-meals-needin', dirty-clothes-in-the-corner-throwin' child! :p

JUST KIDDING GREGGINGTON! I LOVE YOU!

   But really, we both have our quarks, which makes life fun! 

I know zilch about anything technological compared to Greg. 

And Greg knows zilch when it comes to things as simple as...colors. 

But thats what the other one is there for right? To fill in all the blanks for you! 

We were trying to decide what curtains to use in our living when we first moved here. 

I said "How about we do a maroon!"

Greg: "...yeah maybe. Or how about a dark red!"

see.....zilch about colors. 

Now this instance I'm telling you next, happened about an hour ago:

Greg: (on some computer game that suddenly started to run realllllly slow): "What the heck!? Why is my ping so low!?!

(...note: ping has something to do with how fast your computer runs, and if a lot people are using the same internet then it is going to run slower.)

Greg: "Gina, are you like downloading something big right now?!"

Gina: Nope, I don't know, my computer just got really slow too."

Greg: "Ugh, seriously....the ping is up to 1000 now! 

Gina: Yeah, I don't know. All I'm doing is uploading pictures to my blog". 

..............piercing stare ensued. 

Apparently according to Greg, uploading is the same as downloading, and my pictures were what made the ping thing so low.

so see....zilch about technology. 

That's all I have for now! Greg and I are taking German lessons these days, so maybe next time I'll post all in German! (yeah when pigs fly....)

Anyway, goodnight and thanks for reading!

-Gina

You Didn't Know We Were Getting Married Last Friday?

...neither did we. 

Until last Tuesday.

If you told me in August when I moved to Raleigh that I'd be leaving as a married woman in less than a year, I'd totally have laughed in your face.  Heck, if you'd have told me that fact two weeks and one day ago from this very date that I am writing...I'd totally have laughed in your face.  Up until a couple weeks ago, Greg and I had a very content, no rush or worries type of relationship.

Life is full of surprises people.
No, Greg is not pregnant.
And neither am I.
But here's the scoop, I'll start at the beginning.

So Greg and I had a trip booked and planned to go to the Netherlands and Belgium in late June.  I mean, I even had the itinerary typed, printed, and enclosed with a pretty border.  We were all set!
Then we had a few wrenches thrown at us.
We found out a few weeks ago that there was a chance that Greg was going to be deployed and have to leave in the next 16 days....for four months.  That would mean I'd have to reorganize the whole trip we had planned to Europe for myself.  I had it in my mind that somehow, he'd have to get out of that pickle. It's impossible that he would be deployed, we already had a whole trip set, right?! (I'm adjusting to the fact that if there is one thing I cannot control, it is the US military).  Here is the timeline from then on:

May 19 (Monday): We learned that Greg might not be deployed within the next 16 days. Instead he might be stationed in Stuttgart, Germany.  For two-three years.  We'd be finding out that week.
Of course I was upset.  So I called my go-to crowd for when I'm having a freak-out: Mom and dad.  My mom was asleep, so my dad said "Yeah, well, you know.  The military is tough.  Grandpa was in the air force, and it was hard, we were always moving around.  But they sent Grandma and she could go with him because they were married.  Well, that's too bad about you and Greg."
And so the marriage idea was planted in my head.
Really though, I didn't sleep that night.  I stayed up making cancellations for our once perfectly planned trip to Europe, and analyzing every single option, at every single angle, with every single outcome for our situation at hand.  

May 20 (Tuesday): My bags were packed and prepared to spend every evening after work at Fort Bragg until I know exactly what is going on.  After work I headed down.  I found out that Greg will be stationed in Germany for two-three years, and has to report on July 10.  We discussed our options for this situation, and completely on the same page, both concluded "let's get married, and I'll move to Germany too." You know this is a decision that just a week before making it, Greg and I were talking about how insane it would be to do something just like this.  I called my dad to give him a heads up, so not to be totally blind-sided when Greg would call asking "Can I marry your daughter next week? And take her to Germany for three years?"

May 21-23 (Wednesday-Friday): Anxiety has been relieved. I have a pretty normal week teaching my students.  Though when I start to take posters down because the school year is ending, my kids ask "Why are you taking those down? Are you going to another classroom?"  No, actually, I am going to another country. At some point during this week I found out that I've been accepted into graduate school at North Carolina State University...however grad school will need to be temporarily postponed.

May 24 (Saturday): Greg and I had lunch with our friends; Jeff and Ashley.  After lunch, we looked at each and said "What do you want to do today?" "I don't know. Do you want to go get our rings?" "ok".
So we went to the Crabtree Valley Mall in Cary, NC, and walked into the first diamond ring store we saw: Helzberg Diamonds.  In we go.  I have absolutely NO clue what in the heck I am looking for.  Ask Greg, rarely do I ever get nervous. But my hands were shaking so much that all those potential rings were flinging off my hand left and right.  I'm going to have this thing forever....I better make a good pick! In the end, I did find a bit of a unique one, which I loved. Afterwards Greg got himself a new shirt and tie at Express. Since he got new clothes for this very soon, but still undated makeshift wedding of ours, I decided I should get myself a new dress for the event.  JCPenney was having a Memorial Day weekend sale, so there we go.  I got myself a white sundress on sale for 25 dollars, and boom! We were just about ready.  Except we had no idea when or where to get married.  We researched that the only places to get married on an upcoming weekend, would be at a detention center.  Perfect.  Isn't that what all girls DREAM of since childhood?!

May 25-26 (Sunday-Monday): We did a lot on Saturday. It was time to relax for a minute, and do nothing for these two days. Except on Monday, we went to Kohl's because I had coupons. I bought some jewelry and shoes to match my dress.      

May 27 (Tuesday): We decided we will take work off on Friday, and get married at the Wake County Courthouse in Raleigh.  I cancelled all of my bookings including the flight to Europe that was scheduled for us in the end of June, and told my principal what was going on, and that I will not be returning next school year.

May 28-29 (Wednesday-Thursday): I tried to call as many close friends and family as I could in those two days to tell them what was going down on Friday.  My mom and dad headed down to Raleigh on Thursday, all the while, making phone calls as well.  I went to get my nails done that night, and came home to a beautiful bouquet of flowers at my door...a gift from my awesome in-laws!

May 30 (Friday): I woke up about 7am and got ready to get married. Greg came over at about 8am, and my mom and dad finished their drive and arrived around 8:30.  Upon her arrival, my mom wrapped some roses from my in-laws in ribbon, so I could have flowers to hold..you know, like a normal bride.

The four of us headed to the courthouse in Raleigh, hoping the line to get married wasn't too long.  No one likes waiting in lines.
We were one of about 4 couples getting married...and we were in fact, the first ones to arrive at the courtroom.
So picture this: four couples, plus some friends and family...all happy and carrying on as we waited for the judge to get the show on the road. When suddenly, the side door opens, we are all shushed, and in walks a fine fellow in handcuffs. No, he wasn't meeting his bride in that room.
How nice, there was a pre-show to our ceremonies! We all got to sit through this guys trial, listened as he argued how he can't make it on his next court date, and in the end...witnessed him being sentenced to jail. So romantic. <3
They shipped that guy away, and then it was our turn! When the judge (who actually was complete with a jumbo size soda from Bojangles on his desk...again, so romantic <3) asked who was getting married first, I made sure to jump up before anyone else. I didn't want the parking meter to run out before we were married.
So in about 1.5 minutes...we were Mrs. and Mr. Hargraves. People, it's THAT easy.

As we left the courtroom, I noticed my dad was not behind us. Turns out, the next lady getting hitched was down one witness.  Well not if Mitch Wagner had anything to do with it! Yes, my dad was an official witness for a complete stranger.  His name will forever be on their marriage certificate.

I printed and framed a few photos of some family and close friends that could not make it on that short of notice.

We had a few hours to kill before we could go back to the courthouse to pick up our certificate. So we went to lunch, and to the Life and Science Museum, which is where Greg and I had our first date in August.

Greg and I went to the ring store to see if my ring was in yet. It wasn't...so some might say that we were married before we were engaged. 

For dinner, my parents took us to a restaurant in downtown Raleigh called "Second Empire".  If ever you are around Raleigh, this restaurant is a MUST. It is inside a gorgeous old historical home, and the food is delicious.  

 We never had time to hire a cameraman.  Hence the reason the left side of the photo is cropped oddly because someone put their finger in it. (mom)

 
In conclusion, stay tuned for future posts on our upcoming travels as we move to Germany, and explore all around!
And do not act like this whole thing surprises you about me. I did blindly move to Russia, all by myself a couple years ago.

-Gina



May 31 (Saturday): Because of the "snow" days we had this past winter, Saturday was a snow make-up day. Yes, Saturday school does exist. Mr. Hargraves came to visit my class this day.  As he walked down the hall, my students said things like :
"Who is that kid?!"
"That's not a kid, that's a firefighter!"
"No, it's Miss Wagner's dad! It's her dad!"

They were shocked when I told them that this guy is my husband.  They just discovered I had a boyfriend about 3 weeks ago. So then I heard comments like this:
"Well what about your boyfriend??"
"How do you get married?"
"Did you eat cake?"
"He's in middle school, right?" Miss Wagner: No, he is in the military. "Did you survive?"
"Are you a teenager Miss Wagner?"
"So and so (child in the class) is married too!" Miss Wagner: No, no she is not.

Mr. Hargraves came to recess with us.  I told the kids that he likes bugs, because he does. Just about all of them spent recess catching bugs for Greg to see.  Greg even had the privilege of naming a few of these "pet" bugs.
The students can't really wrap their heads around my new name. Every time they say "Mrs. Hargraves", they giggle. "Mr. Hargraves" rolls right off tongues! They've been asking where he is everyday since they've met him!

Boogers, Bills, and Boyfriend

I know, I know. It's been awhile. 

I've been quite busy. 

Anyone who is a first year first grade teacher can tell you that I don't even have time to pee, let alone sit down and write a whole blog post.
This Christmas break has given me some newfound free time. I've pretty much forgotten how to watch a television program or movie without falling asleep or talking the whole time...so with this free time, I opted to work on a very past due blog post.

Let's see...last I wrote was around July, when I briefly talked about some summer travels, and coming back to America. I'll speed through what has happened since then:

- I hung out in Pittsburgh for a few weeks:

-Went to Ocean City with some family:

*Attention: If ever you have the urge to go to Ocean City, Maryland, do not go with a vertical ID. Here's the story: When I was carded as I was purchasing a bottle of wine at a certain establishment, my vertical Pennsylvania license was denied and accused of being a fake. In all the time I spent in Russia, not once (maybe just once though) was I ever carded, let alone denied a bottle of wine.
Don't worry, I did e-mail the mayor after this terrible injustice. And I did receive an apologetic phone call the following morning.
Moral of the story: Do not go to Ocean City.

-Straight after Ocean City in early August, I packed up and moved to North Carolina.

I've been on "GO" mode ever since. I literally laugh at myself when I think that I chose to live in my apartment complex because it has a fitness center and a pool. HA...like I have time to even acknowledge their existence.

In a nutshell, I've been busy with:


1. Boogers.

I've got 20 six and seven year old munchkins in my first grade classroom.  There are surprises everyday (as in unexpected situations and tattles, not presents.)

When I first arrived to my classroom in August, it looked like this:

I busted my rear end for a whole week, until it looked like this for open house:

Being that it is now December, you better believe the arrangement of my classroom has changed about ten times. No matter how well I thought I was prepared...once I met my students, everything changed. 

"So and so can't be near so and so", "Let me seat them with others on their reading levels", "Reading levels change weekly", "Math levels?", "Those change too", "AH!". 

Planning for, keeping track of, and conducting every move 20 children make five days a week can be a little exhausting. 

(And at times frustrating: 

Miss Wagner: So we know that 8 + 2 = 10. So 2 + what = 10? 

Student: uhhhhh....16?)

Absolutely not.

BUT. It is the moments like when that student can finally tell me that the answer is "8", and can tell/show me why it is eight, or when a student moves up a reading level, or when they remember their silent "e", or when they remember to not capitalize letters in the middle of a word, or remember to sneeze into their sleeve instead of the whole wide everywhere....it's those moments, that make me love my job!

All of this work I lug home everyday when I leave work at 5, is totally worth it when a student has the urge in the middle of a math lesson to raise their hand and tell me "Miss Wagner your hair is beautiful like a garden".
They are all about "filling up my ego bucket".

I always receive lovely notes like this:

And of course, how can my ego not be boosted when I am presented with an oh-so-beautiful student drawn portrait of myself:

Another thing I just can't get over about my 6 and 7 year olds, is their creativity and originality.
During the holiday season we had a "snowman elf" in the room who watched us, took notes, and reported back to Santa information that he needed when making the nice/naughty lists.
Here are the names my students suggested for our snowman:

Also, their memories are impeccable.
No matter how many times I tell them otherwise, they all still think I am married and have my own kids.

Student: Miss Wagner, did you read this story to your kids?
Miss Wagner: No, I do not have children of my own.

*A WEEK LATER*
Student: Miss Wagner, are you gonna give the leftover popcorn to your kids?
Miss Wagner: No, I do not have children of my own.

*ANOTHER WEEK LATER*
Student: Miss Wagner, do your kids like playing this game too?
Miss Wagner: No, I do not have children of my own.


Their whole perspective of the world around them is so spot on. Especially when they ask me questions like:
"Miss Wagner, do you have a job?"
"Are you in the high school?"
"Are you 35? Because my mom is 35."
"You live in Russia right now?"
"I'm real sick, can I hold your hand?"
"I'm real sick. Can you call my mom?"
"I'm allergic to peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, so I should just eat my ice cream for lunch, right?"
....didn't seem to be allergic yesterday...I'm no detective, BUT......

And if you ever need life advice, talk to a 6 year old:
Miss Wagner: So I told the delivery guy NOT to leave my sofa on the front porch. He did it anyway, and I had to haul that sofa into my house all by myself!
Student: Why didn't you wait for your husband to come home and do it?
Miss Wagner: Well, because I do not have a husband.
Student: Well why don't you get married first, and THEN get  a sofa?

...duh, why didn't I think of that?

According to a 6 year old, if you aren't married, you're sitting on the floor.

We went to the Life and Science Museum on a field trip...the kids were just as floored to ride the escalator as they were to see this whale skeleton.
...God bless any soul who decided to take a relaxing stroll through the museum on that day....

We wrote what we would do if we were snowmen. It was such a coincidence because nearly everyone wrote about how they would build a roller coaster out of snow to ride all day.
Not one person admitted that they go that idea from my example either...
But with each one read to me I listened with SURPRISE.


2. Bills.
Two things told me that I'm a "grown up".

One was when a high school student rear-ended my car, I asked him for his parents phone number for insurance, and on the phone his father said "I'm sorry about this ma'am...you know young people these days...."

Another are those things received in the mail. At first its so cool to open your mail box and see that "WOW, I have MAIL! This is so COOL!"
But that wow factor wore off quick when I realized that mail was not a load of friendly snail-mailed letters....they were BILLS....and almost even worse...ADVERTISEMENTS.
(How do all the pizza joints in the greater Raleigh area even know my address?)

Living all by myself, I quickly learned:
Anything that needs paid, I am the one to pay it.
Anything that needs fixed, I am the one to call maintenance.
Anything that needs cleaned, I am the one to clean it.
Anything that needs cooked, I am the one to cook it.
Anything that goes right OR (and more often than not) wrong, I am the reason.

If there is a wild animal blocking my entrance, I am the one who has to fight it.
The list really goes on.

During the first couple months or so of being on my own, I also learned:
1. Do not put over sized comforters in the washing machine.
2. Do not put cast-iron pans in the dishwasher.
3. Do not spill nail polish remover on wooden tables.
4. The dishwasher needs to be turned on from a light switch in order to use it.
5. Being of a slightly warmer/humid climate than PA..North Carolina has more bugs like cockroaches.
6. When I find those roaches, I am the one who has to get rid of them.
7. Bug killing spray is a household necessity.
8. Dead light bulbs do not magically become alive again, I need to switch them.
9. Throw pumpkins away before they rot.

10. Do not buy sofas online from Target.

...kicked this one out really quick! 

11. Big Lots is the place to buy nice/cheap furniture. I nearly furnished my whole apartment with Big Lots. 

(They saved me with a bigger and better and cheaper sofa)

12. Kohls has a lot of deals when you open a charge card with them.
13. If the power is out in Walmart, you aren't buying groceries that day.
14. As far as I have witnessed, North Carolinians fear heavy wind, rain, gray skies, and temperature below 45 fahrenheit.
15. The dial on the stove indicating the burner on the top left part of the stove, does not operate the burner on the bottom right. Double check to make sure food is on the correct burner.
16. Slight rain in the morning indicates that there will be a minor fender bender blocking the road to work in the morning...sending me on an alternate route all over God's green earth middle of North Carolina country/farmland.

17. Raleigh is nice little city, that literally just pops out of nowhere as you are driving with all sorts of trees on either side of you.

(North Carolina State Capitol building)

18. Hog racing is a thing at the North Carolina State Fair. The State Fair, is where I found this sign:

19. The city where I live, Cary (right outside of Raleigh), is an acronym for "Central Area for Relocated Yankees". 

I wish I could think of 1 more, making this an even "20 things I have learned". 19 is such a weird number. 

3. Boyfriend.

In late October, my boyfriend (Greg) and I found a weekend to take a trip to Asheville, NC. 

Asheville is a mountain-y city located about 4 hours west of Raleigh. 

Around the Vanderbilt's hay-day, it was meant be a sort of "mini NYC"...leaving it with streets such as "Broadway", and "Wall Street". 

Speaking of the Vanderbilts, Asheville is home to the Vanderbilt family's "house for entertaining", and largest house in American: The Biltmore. 

We spent a day touring the mansion built in the 1800s. 

George Washington Vanderbilt had this mansion built to live in, and entertain guests during the summer months or holidays. He was inspired by European architecture and design, so he traveled throughout to gather ideas. 

The movie "Richie Rich" was filmed here! 

All in all it was an eventful and relaxing trip. We were only in Asheville for a couple of days, but did as much as we could...including a "haunted Asheville" tour, where we learned a lot of it's history! 

That is all pretty much what has been going on since I last posted! Needless to say, I have not had very many boring moments in the past four months.

-Gina