Member Spotlight: Kerry Johnson

Hi! My name is Kerry Johnson. I'm originally from a small town in Iowa called Seymour but
moved to Anchorage, Alaska when my sister joined the military so I call them both my
home! I met my husband, Todd, in high school; and yes I'm one of the few who married
my high school sweetheart and we have been going strong for almost 16 years! I've been
a military brat my entire life. I have enjoyed traveling around the world, meeting new
people and experiencing new cultures! It's still hard to believe my husband has been in the
Air Force for 16 years! We have been stationed at Tinker AFB, OK; Kadena AB, Japan;
Davis Monthan AFB, AZ; Elmendorf AFB, AK; USAF Academy, CO and now here in
Geilenkirchen NATO Air Base, Germany. We have two boys: Logan (8), Landon (4) and a
baby girl, who will be making her grand entrance this March! In my spare time, I love to
cook, make cards and catch up on my TV shows. I'm currently trying to finally finish my
degree in Accounting. I'm hoping to be done with school by the end of this year.
in Australia. It’s one of those things on my bucket list that I hope to cross off in the
near future.
climb to the top of Notre Dame Cathedral 5 1/2 months pregnant and walk all over
Paris for 10 hours! It was worth it! :)
1. Eat at Il Genio’s in Birgden (doesn’t help that it’s down the street from my house)
2. Shop at IKEA
3. Shop at Rewe (I always seem to find the coolest new food)
4. Roermond (because my kids love the Toys XL up there and what makes them happy,
makes me happy)
5. I love to just drive and get lost. I find that is the best way to orient yourself in new
surroundings! Sometimes it may surprise you what cool town or village you may
stumble upon! :) Just make sure to mark it on your GPS!

Spotlight on Kandi Hernandez

Hi, my name is Kandi Hernandez and I am from the great state of Texas! My husband and I met each other in middle school and dated in high school. We continued a long distance relationship during college and his first year in the Air Force. We have been married for 6 years and have two awesome little boys! Trey is three and Easton is one, they are full of love, hugs, and kisses. I am very blessed in life! Before coming to GK we were stationed at Tinker Air Force Base, OK. I love to read, exercise, shop, eat out, anything social and that keeps me busy. I love spending time with family and friends and I am thankful that I get the chance to do this often. In my spare time I would like to have more date nights with my hubby, travel more, and get a little more sleep.

Three things I need to be happy:
My Family
My College Roommates
Chocolate Chip Cookies
If I could be anywhere in the world, it would be...
The craziest thing I’ve ever done is...
The top 5 places I like to go or things I like to do around GK are...
Hi, my name is Kandi Hernandez and I am from the great state of Texas! My
husband and I met each other in middle school and dated in high school. We
continued a long distance relationship during college and his first year in the Air Force. We have been married for 6 years and have two awesome little boys! Trey is three and Easton is one, they are full of love, hugs, and kisses. I am very blessed in life! Before coming to GK we were stationed at Tinker Air Force Base, OK. I love to read, exercise, shop, eat out, anything social and that keeps me busy. I love
spending time with family and friends and I am thankful that I get the chance to do this often. In my spare time I would like to have more date nights with my hubby, travel more, and get a little more sleep.
here. I love the slow pace of life that gives me more time to spend with my husband and boys. I have more time to take care of myself spiritually and physically.
I have a long list but since I mentioned my college roommates I will tell one of those stories. My roommates and a few more friends decided that we would all dare each other to swim nude across the river that ran through a public park near our college in January. We had just had a nice snow and some ice so it just seemed perfect for our little outing! We all did it and had so much fun that we continued this ridiculous act every year until we graduated. It was even funnier one year when we got caught!
1. Sittard market
2. Shutterspark (we call it duck park so I am not sure that this is the real name)
3. TR&TA (good Sushi)
4. Aachen
5. the library

Spotlight On: Busy Lizzy (Liz Osheim)

Allow to me to introduce myself, my name is Elizabeth Osheim, my friends call me Liz. My husband Terry and I have been stationed in Geilenkirchen since July of 2008. It is hard to believe that our three year tour here in Germany is fast coming to a close. I am what people often refer to as an “Army brat”. My father was in the service and I grew up only knowing moving around, although I call the Seattle area home. My husband also comes from a military family; he has two brothers who are both active duty Air Force and his Father retired from the Air Force. I am one of ten children and grew up in a loud, fun, loving, warm and generous family. We have no children, but between us we have over 30 nieces and nephews, we enjoy being the (mostly) favorite Aunt and Uncle.

Prior to GK, we were in Charleston South Carolina. I love the motto of a favorite costal town, Folly Beach……."Where land ends and fun begins." I have enjoyed all the different places we’ve lived and although it is hard to leave friends behind I am always looking forward to the next adventure.

If I had one superpower it would be to have a never ending pot of delicious soup with the ablity to transport into any town at any time so I could feed all the hungry people………my name would be something catchy like Busy Lizzy, here she comes! Most people who meet me get to know me very quickly as I am talkative, full of optimism and quick to laugh. My hobbies include cooking and any attempt to craft…..this is the first time in my life that I haven’t had a job and yet I manage to keep very busy. I even write a blog for family and friends to keep up with my stories of "Life with Liz”. People may be surprised to realize that I worked at Kennedy Space Center, helping launch the Space Shuttle, for 8 years! That is where I met my husband, while he was visiting his father, whom I worked with at the time.

Spotlight On: Shannon Maris

Hi, I'm Shannon Maris. I'm from the East Coast originally, but being a Marine Corps brat we moved around a lot. I met my hubby in Fl right before our senior year of high school. We dated, fell in love and married two years later. We have two daughters, Emily is 8 and Autumn is 6. We just moved here to GK in May from Brooks City-Base in San Antonio, Texas. It was really hot there and I can't wait for it to be really cold here. In my spare time (when I have it), I like to read, watch movies, and just hang out with family and friends. I'm currently working on getting my Bachelors in Business Management so that takes up a lot of my time!

Living here in GK has had it's ups and downs...the second week we were here, I got really sick and was taken to the ER. I had a massive Kidney infection. I stayed in the hospital for 5 days while they poked me and took blood, and I had to take really nasty medicine. Then I developed allergies to Hay which gave me really bad sinus infections. So, I love Germany and all it's beauty, but I don't think Germany loves me!!

One fact that is not commonly known about me is I grew up loving Opera. I love playing the flute, and I love Opera and Classical music. I love anything and everything written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and The Phantom of the Opera is my all time fav!!

If I was a super hero, my name would be "SuperMOM" and my power would be multitasking and getting everything done that needed to regarding my girls. (With enough time to spare for a nice, quiet night with my hubby! )

Spotlight on Amber Hudock

My name is Amber Hudock and I have lived here in Germany for about 8 months. My husband, Patrick, and I are both from northern Virginia and grew up right around Washington D.C. We met in high school and then he attended the Naval Academy while I went to the University of Virginia to earn degrees in Anthropology and Archaeology. We began dating near the end of college and have now been married for 5 years and have a 2 year old son named Brennan. We also have two long-haired chihuahuas; Bexar and Rocky. We were lucky to have been stationed at beautiful Whidbey Island, WA for the last three years and have also been stationed in Texas and Florida (twice!). We are enjoying living in Europe and the time is already going by too quickly. My hobbies include reading, playing the French horn, and running.

Name 3 things you need to have to be happy.: books, music, peanut M&Ms
If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you be and why?: At Gere-a-Deli in Anacortes, WA because I am in sandwich withdrawal here and theirs are the best!

Spotlight on Laura Valle

My name is Laura Valle and I cannot say I am from anywhere. My father was in the USAF all my life and we moved every 3-4 years. If I have to nail down a place I claim New York, where my father's family is from as my mother's father was also career USAF and her family is spread out throughout the United States. So, basically, I am a nomad. :-) Since this is all I know (and love!), I also married a man in the Air Force and we are currently residing in Germany after meeting, marrying and living on Tinker AFB in Oklahoma. We do not have children as of yet as we are trying to do and see all that we can before we settle down and have a family. We both love to travel and learn new languages, so in our free time, we visit as many places as we can in Europe. Now that we are on a countdown of having only 1 year left in Germany, we are trying to squeeze every thing in. We cannot believe how many places there are still to see. It seems like the list grows after each country we visit! Besides traveling and learning new languages, my other passions/interests are Ashtanga yoga, my dogs, cooking/baking, reading, organics, green living, integrative medicine, vegetarianism, meeting new people and helping others. Between travels, I can be found at home working on my Master's in Midwifery and providing birth support to those in the local Triborder area.

The 3 things I need to be happy are:
1. Coffee
2. My yoga mat
3. The internet - in order to keep in touch with great friends and family and do my homework!

If I could live anywhere in the world right now, where would I be and why?
I would be in Paris, France. Why? The food, the language, the people, the ambiance, the dear friends I have made there through yoga... It is my most favorite place to be at any time of year! I definitely wish I could live there year round.

The craziest thing I have ever done is...
Hmmm.... there are so many. Ha ha! Probably sky diving was the craziest thing I have ever done (and scariest!)

The top 5 places I like to go or things I like to do around GK are:
1. Walking our 2 dogs through the farm fields in Hongen
2. Going to Aachen for Starbucks and a casual stroll around town
3. Visiting Maastricht monthly for the Aveda salon, shopping and lunch/dinner
4. Shopping at the bioladen and DM in Gangelt (or the bio store in Maaseik, Belgium - it's a good one too!)
5. Finding vegetarian restaurants around Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. Our current favorite is an Ethiopian restaurant called House of Lalibela in Leuven, Belgium. It's beyond scrumptious!

Laura

Spotlight on Leah Hess

Leah Hess, from Houston, Texas. My husband and I met and married in Tennessee, so we call it "home" now. We came to GK from Tyndall AFB in Panama City, Florida, where we had been for a very sunny 18 months. We have a son, Wilson, who is 1 and are expecting our second child in May. I imagine if I had spare time I would make artwork (that is what my degree is in). But, in lieu of creating masterpieces I do manage to take photos, scrapbook, and send letters to family and friends (the real kind, on paper, in an envelope).

1. Three things I need to be happy are: Family, Friends, a church to call home
2. If I could be anywhere in the world I would be in: Florida, I miss it on these cold, rainy days!
3. The craziest thing I've ever done is: move to Germany
4. Five things I love to do around GK: take walks, work out with my hot Mama Hawcs!, eat doner durums, go to AWGK functions, and...hmmm... can I say "take walks" twice? There are just so many good places to walk around here!

Spotlight On: Erin Ferguson

Hello!!! I am Erin Ferguson and my home is the beautiful state of Colorado!! I love being outdoors and enjoy running, cycling, and skiing! We have lived in Germany for about 6 months now and are really enjoying all the travels and adventures that come with living overseas! Still need to hang pictures on the wall, but I have three years to do that- right!? We were in Panama City, Florida before we came to GK. We are kid free and hope to keep it that way for a while, although we have tons of nieces and nephews that we love to spoil! To keep myself busy over here I am work-ing on my MBA as well as having a job at Schinnen! I love to scrap book and make cards when I have the time! When I am not studying or working and Alec is home we love to go for long bike rides or take day trips to new places in the area!
I look forward to meeting each of you and getting to know you over the next three years!!!

Three things I need to be happy:
Running Shoes
Cards to write in and mail
Girlfriends/Family

If I could be anywhere in the world, it would be...

In Orlando, FL chasing my beautiful nephews around with my sister!!! Or in Colorado skiing with my dad!!

The craziest thing I’ve ever done is...

X-rated… Sorry!
[I have to say… now we’re all just curious and likely to ask you about it! :) ]

The top 5 places I like to go or things I like to do around GK are...

1. Going on bike rides around Tuddern with my hubby
2. Eating at Dolly Dimples in Sittard
3. Going out in Maastricht on the weekends
4. SnoWorld
5. Going to Kik to see what I can get for €1

Spotlight On: Vanessa Carroll

Hello Everyone! My name is Vanessa Carroll and I just arrived to GK in May. I am originally from CA. I met my husband while we were in college; we met our second semester of college. I have a degree in Criminally specializing in Victimology and one in Psychology. At Tinker, our first station, I worked at the DA’s office as a victims advocate. I worked on the special victims cases dealing with rape, molestation and child abuse. Our last station was at Eglin in FL and there I didn’t work- I just had babies. While we were at Eglin my husband was deployed to Iraq 3 times. We have two little boys: Aidan who will be two in September (he is a before deployment baby) and Gavin who is 7 months old (he is an after deployment baby). Since the boys are so close together I don’t have a lot of spare time. I use to love to go dancing and go to the movies, but that doesn’t really happen anymore. The only time I dance now is when I am dancing with the kids. I do love to read and I still find time to do that. I am looking forward to traveling around Europe while we are here. I am a little nervous about doing it with two kids.

Three things I need to be happy:
My family
Chocolate
Books

If I could be anywhere in the world, it would be…
I would be in CA so I could be close to my family. I want my kids to be close to their extended family and I would love them to be best friends with their cousins.

The craziest thing I’ve ever done is…
I rode all of the roller coasters at Magic Mountain Six Flags in one day. The reason this is crazy is because I get motion sickness, and let me tell you I was sick at the end of the day on the way home. I know it’s not that crazy but is all I can think of; I tend to play it safe.

The top 5 places I like to go or things I like to do around GK are…
I haven’t really gotten to explore the area yet so I don’t have 5 places yet. I do love to go shopping in Sittard.

Spotlight ON: Stephanie "100 percent" Mittuch

My name is Stephanie Mittuch, and I am the advisor for AWGK. Although February is my birthday month, I’m not real thrilled with all the gray hairs on my head that are a testimony to the passing years. I keep telling myself that I’m like a fine French wine, I get better with age! My life is a never ending river leading through places where I meet the most interesting people and do the most incredible things. Since joining the military many years ago, my family has been stationed more than nine different places. I look forward to every move because there’s always something or somebody new and interesting to discover. I guess I like change and seek it out. I have two wonderful teenage boys--at least they’re wonderful today! My husband astounds me by loving this flawed creature that I am. I love to read, quilt, teach, chat with friends, explore, and live in our wondrous world!


Secondly, here are just a few more silly questions we would like for you to answer.

1.(Finish the sentence) Living here in GK has been…a joy. I have met the most wonderful people!

2.Name one fact that is not commonly known about you. I write poetry. . .

3.If you were a superhero, what would your name be and what type of power would you have? I’m not sure what name I would pick, but my special ability would be that I would have enough time and energy to do everything I want/need to do and do it very well. So, I could give one hundred percent to all aspects of my life—family, work, self, friends, etc. That would make me more than the mere humble human than I am today.

Spotlight ON: Karen "Time Turner" Abernathy

Spotlight Questionnaire

You have been chosen to be in the AWGK spotlight!
The Spotlight section of the AWGK Newsletter and the AWGK website is to allow the person in the spotlight to introduce themselves to other AWGK members. Hopefully with this questionnaire, other AWGK members will get a little insight of who you are. This is also your chance to let others know something interesting about you that they may not have known before. You’re in the spotlight! This is your chance to shine!
First, I would like for you to introduce yourself…Just a paragraph about YOU.

Where are you from?

My father was in the Army, so I grew up moving around. I was born in Hawaii, and have lived in Washington, Georgia, North Carolina, Florida, Virginia, and most recently California. I also spent several years in Berlin. Most of our extended family is now in Georgia, so that is kind of "home"
My husband and I both attended the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, which is where we met. I graduated with both my BS and MS in Civil Engineering. I worked for a while doing roadway and airport design, before leaving to get married.

Where you were stationed before GK?

Before GK, we were stationed at Point Mugu in southern California. The base is home to the west coast E-2C Hawkeye squadrons. It is a beautiful area, just north of Los Angeles and just south of Santa Barbara's fabulous wine country.

How many kids do you have?

I have two daughters. Amelia is 5 and Alice is 3.

What do you do in your spare time? Or what you would like to do in your spare time?

I enjoy reading and spend way too much time at the Brunssum library. (Feel free to say Hi next time you are there, I am probably lurking in a corner somewhere...;) I also enjoy traveling and I am trying to get as much in as possible while we are here. I really like getting the "local" experience and tend to find some out of the way places, not just the main tourist stops.
Feel free to put your personality in there.

Secondly, here are just a few more silly questions we would like for you to answer.

(Finish the sentence)

Living here in GK has been…

wonderful. Since my husband is in the Navy, this is a very off the beaten path tour for us. We really enjoy getting out and seeing as much as we can.

Name one fact that is not commonly known about you.

My high school boyfriend is now a professional Ultimate Fighter. Yeah, it shocks me too:)

If you were a superhero, what would your name be and what type of power would you have?

I would be a time turner. I would be able to manipulate time so that I could go back and have more time in the great times, and be able to fast forward through the bad.

SPOTLIGHT ON: Amber "MOMSAVER" Cotrell

SPOTLIGHT ON: Amber Cottrell

Your AWGK Vice President was born and raised in North East Texas … Pittsburg to be exact.
“It’s a small town, about 4500, and home of Bo Pilgrim. He is the founder of Pilgrims Pride
Chicken. I guess that would be Pittsburg’s claim to fame in addition to the Ezekial Airship, which
apparently flew before the Wright Brothers. There is a replica in a museum in town. I attended Tyler Junior College and got a degree in Dental Hygiene. I met my husband Chuck at the beginning of my last year of college. We spent the first 7 years of our marriage at Whiteman AFB in Missouri. In 2004, Steph and Jenna, my step-daughters moved in with us and 2 years later we were blessed with little Tate. Before Tate was born, we got orders here to GK. This was my
first PCS and it was quite a change. 2008 was a great year for us because Chuck saw his career dream come true when he was selected for Chief. We have loved being stationed here and have had a great time seeing as much of Europe as we can. We will soon find out where the military will send us next. I will be sad to leave here but will carry some very fond memories of the wonderful people I have met and the friendships I have formed. Living here in GK has been … “a true blessing for our family. We have met many wonderful people. I am not saying that at times it hasn’t been hard with the language barrier and a longing for all things U.S. But overall, it has opened my eyes to new and exciting things!”

Name one fact that is not commonly known about you.

“I met my husband online. I always say it was by chance, but God always has a plan and we believe He brought us to each other. We will be married 10 years on May 20th.

If you were a superhero, what would your name be and what type of power would you have?

“Wow! To be a superhero with any power … hmm … I would be MOMSAVER … saving Moms from disorganization and timecrunch. With the snap of my fingers I could have everything
clean and in its rightful place. Then Moms everywhere would have more time for other fun things, like playing with their kids.”

Check out the AWGK Website for more members in the
Spotlight!
http://americanwomenofgk.blogspot.com/

SPOTLIGHT ON: Susan "NOT working in a window" Roberts

My name is Susan Roberts. My dad was in the Air Force, so home is where?? Falmouth, Massachusetts on beautiful Cape Cod is where I have lived the longest, so I guess that is where I am from. It is a conversation we frequently have at our home! I have two children. Sarah, 19, is a sophomore at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida. Matthew, 17, is senior here at AF North. I work a couple of days a week for Hallmark at the Shoppette at Schinnen.

My main hobby would be quilting. I love to quilt! For the last year, I have been making Patriotic lap quilts for the wounded soldiers at Landstuhl hospital. Not nearly as many as I hoped to make, I am hoping to make a lot more in the New Year. I am the Treasurer of the Booster Club for AF North High School. I try to volunteer for MOPPS. So some of you might have seen me with your adorable babies.

We have been at GK for 3 years now. Prior to that we lived in Lisbon, Portugal. I also love the beach and to travel. I met my husband in Amsterdam 22 years ago. And, no, I was NOT working in a window when I met him!! We have been traveling around the world together since. Christmas Day is when I celebrate my birthday. My husband always makes sure I don't miss out on Birthday gifts. The question asked was, "If I was a superhero who would I be?" I can't imagine being a superhero, but if I was I am sure I would have a quilted cape!!

SPOTLIGHT ON: Randi "Travelocity Woman" Chambers

Hi I'm Randi Chambers. I grew up on a Ranch outside a little town in South Dakota. When I say little I mean little the postal town has a population of 8 people and the bigger town has only about 700! I spent most of my summers on the back of a horse riding around the Badlands with my older sister Jonnie. Because we lived so far out I went to a Christian boarding school for high school.

I was a nanny in Oklahoma to four kids, which is where I met my wonderful husband John. We got engaged in January of 2007 the night before he left to come here. We were married in July of 2007 and I came back here with him.
John and I just had our first son, Brenden John, on October 2nd of this year. It has been so much fun watching how fast he is growing! I can't wait to see what else is in store for us while we are here.
In my spare time, which I don't have much of lately, I love to be with friends. I love playing sports and I really miss riding horses. I would love to do alot more traveling and see as many places as I can while I'm here.

(Finish the sentence) Living here in GK has been…
Hard at times but I'm getting used to being in a different country.

Name one fact that is not commonly known about you.
I haven't lived in my parents house since I was 14, but that is just because I went to a boarding school.

If you were a superhero, what would your name be and what type of power would you have?
I don't know what my name would be because I'm not good a coming up with witty names but I'd want to have the power to snap my fingers and be anywhere I wanted to. That would definitely cut down on the expensive plane tickets.

SPOTLIGHT ON LAURA "TIMELESS WOMAN" VALLE

My name is Laura Valle and oddly enough I am not really from anywhere. My father was career Air Force and I moved every 3 to 4 years of my life. I went to 4 different high schools and lived in 4 different States – Oklahoma twice and Alaska for 8 years at both Eielson and Elmendorf Air Force Bases. My grandfather, a navigator, was also career Air Force, and now my husband is also career Air Force making for 3 generations of family serving our country - all in AWACS. We were stationed at Tinker AFB prior to coming to Geilenkirchen, and in fact, my husband was in the same squadron my grandfather was in 24 years ago. We have been married since July 2005, and do not have any children as of yet. We do have two wonderful pups though, Asia – a Manchester terrier mix and Cuba – a short haired Border collie mix. Both dogs were rescued from the OKC shelter; Cuba a day before D-day. In my spare time I love to travel Europe, go to Paris as often as possible and practice and teach Ashtanga Yoga in Sittard. During the day I work as the New Parent Support Nurse and Home Visitor for the Triborder Community, helping new parents prepare for labor, delivery and parenthood in a foreign country.

(Finish the sentence) Living here in GK has been…

quite an amazing experience. I love the proximity to so many great locations, cultures, languages and people from a variety of backgrounds and all walks of life. I love the fresh, seasonal food and open markets, the European clothing and just all of the opportunities living in Europe has afforded me. I’ve been able to take both German and French languages, become a certified Ashtanga yoga teacher in Paris, travel extensively and make friends from many different countries. I am completely smitten with living abroad!

Name one fact that is not commonly known about you.
Hmmm… I am a pretty open book with my close friends, but commonly I do not think most people know that I am a vegetarian, or that my grandmother is Mexican and that I’ve lived and went to university in Mexico.

If you were a superhero, what would your name be and what type of power would you have?

If I were a superhero, my name would be Timeless Woman – I would never age, I could fly, be invisible and I would never need sleep. ;-)

SPOTLIGHT ON: LISA "SuperMOM" CERRITO

(From Lisa to Jennifer Jackson)

Hi Jennifer,

I would like to state for the record that I am not good at this sort of thing. Please feel free to go through this and tweak as you may. I kept putting it off thinking it would all come to me. But, it didn't. I am just not good at writing about myself and always go on and on about my family. I think I may have done it again. haha. Thanks for the opportunity to introduce myself to the group (even though I've been here for two years already!) Also, thank you for the early birthday wishes. The anwer is yes I have amazing plans...we are going to Venice, Italy for the week!! Yeah! Here's the stuff about me....


I was born in Delaware but raised right outside of Philadelphia, Pa. I am the oldest daughter in a family of 8 children. I have two older brothers, two younger brothers and 3 younger sisters. I love being a part of a big crazy family. I was often given lots of responsiblity from a very early age. This made me a bit of a natural leader as well as a person that likes to be in control. Not always a good thing, but not always bad. It also made me grow up quickly. I have always been the mature, responsible "mom." I'm a nurturer by heart and always looking out for everyone. My parents are still together after 37 years and my mother is my hero. I love talking with her and hanging out with her. Learning from her. I am the person I am today because of the women in my life. My mother, my Nana, my sisters and my best friends.

While growing up I did a lot of the typical things. I ran track, I danced ballet, I worked. I always had a lot of things to do and a lot of things expected of me. I was given much responsibilty from an early age. I often had to help with the care of siblings and of course, the chore list was very long. I always had my parents trust, but it wasn't until I graduated from high school, in 1992, that I really tasted my first bit of freedom. I went to Temple University for two years and between my classes and working I realized I hated it. So, I joined the Air Force.
I met my husband, John while we were both stationed at McGuire AFB, NJ. He was in the hospital and a friend we had in common asked me to join her in visiting him. I did and the rest is history. We were married only a few short months later. We have gone from McGuire to The Azores Islands, to Oklahoma, to Bolling AFB, DC. Now we are here for another two years. Along the way I left the military to be the stereotypical stay at home, military spouse. John and I have three children now. Victoria is 12, Michael is 10 and William is 6. They are my life. I love being their mom and am thankful I was able to stay home with them. I recently returned to work part time with my youngest starting school. I've enjoyed the extra freedom but still revolve my life around my children. I wouldn't choose it any other way. Of all the things I've done, being a wife and mother is my favorite, and the thing I believe I do best.

While John and I have been stationed here we have really enjoyed the travel and exploration of new places. We love taking our children and showing them our world. They don't always get as excited about it as I am but by the time we leave a new place they have grown some sort of appreciation for it. We have many more trips planned for the next two years. I am looking forward to them all. When we leave Geilenkirchen we will have one year left in the states until John retires. I am anxious for this and still not wishing my current days away. I cherish each and every day knowing they make us who we are. It will be so nice to plant our roots and stay still for a little while. Victoria will start high school that year and it will be good for her and the boys to finish school in one spot. That was our goal and something I am so thrilled about.

As far as hobbies and things I enjoy, I don't really know how to answer that. I like almost anything. I enjoy trying everything. I am an all-around kind of person. I love traveling and exploring new places. I do really enjoy reading too, and when I start a book I can't put it down until I'm done. I also enjoy coffee,quiet nights, and talking with friends. Of course, I can always trade the coffee in for a nice glass (or bottle) of wine. I am fortunate to have 3 best friends at this point in my life. I have learned that without good, strong women in our lives to support us, life is quite hard and not as fulfilling.


Here are your other questions:

Living here in GK has been a blessing. We took the assignment as a special duty because we felt John would be safe from deploying since he is now part of NATO. Past assignments have been revolving doors for John. The second he returned he was leaving again. On top of that he was finishing his education and worked crazy shifts. It is really nice to have him on regular shifts with no TDY's so we can take full advantage of all the wonderful things to see and do here in Europe.

One fact that is not commonly known about me is that my mother home schooled me. I was home schooled until 11th grade.

If I was a superhero I would want to be called supermom. I would like to be able to fly and help all the children that are suffering. I know, I know, it sounds so corny, but it's true. I collect nieces and nephews left and right!

Thanks again,
Lisa Cerrito

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