Will Catch up Soon

I know it's been several weeks since I've blogged, but I haven't had much to talk about. After I get back home (SOON), I will be sure to catch you up. Plus, while being on the farm, I'll have lots to talk about! I can't wait to see my family and friends again! It feels like it's been a long time! And a few weeks after I get home, JAY WILL BE THERE!! His R&R is quickly approaching! The time will never go quick enough! Then time can slow down once he's there!! That would be nice!

This is the last fun thing I have done in awhile. Gunnar's mommy and daddy went south for the weekend, so we got to hang out! I have fallen in love with this lil' dude! He makes me want a little boy, but I'll be patient!

Gunnar spent most of his time behind my chair. This was his favorite place to play. I would have gone for the carpet where all the toys were, but he found it fun back there.

I'll be finishing packing up and then headed out! See you on the flip side!

Beach Break

I spent the past week in Italy with 400 middle schoolers for Club Beyond's Beach Break. We had a blast down there, enjoying the water, the heat, and the love of God.

We left last Monday morning at 1:00. It took us 17 hours to get down to Camp Darby. This is a military base close to Pisa. It was a long and very hot trip down. The back of the bus didn't have any air conditioning and we were all dripping in sweat. As soon as we got there, we got all cleaned up, had supper, club, and went to bed. Everyone was quite tired. The next day we headed to the beach. There is an American Beach right on the Mediterranean sea. It was absolutely beautiful. The sand was perfect, the water was a good temp, and it was just a great place to be.

The next day we traveled to a water park. It was another great day to be in the water because it was so hot outside. I had fun chatting with the girls in the pools and going down several water slides.

That's me on the left and Kyle on the right.

That evening after Club, we had a hoe down and a county fair. We had country music playing and had lots of activities going on. The kids were to go to different booths and earn a token from doing the activity. After earning three tokens, they could take them up front and do one of two things. They could either pie their leader in the face or "shave" their leader. Shaving their leader meant they would coat their face in shaving cream and then take it off with a water gun. I was pied with a plate full of whipped cream.

On Thursday, we went to Cinque Terra. This is five small towns that lie right on the water's edge. They are all within close distant. We started out at the fifth city and did lots of shopping. I made a big purchase of my 2 euro thimble. I could have spent a lot more as there were lots of nice things. We then took a train to the fourth city. This is the best place to get gelato (Italian's form of ice cream). It was absolutely delicious. I could have eaten lots more!!! The girls spent some time playing on a beach while I sat in the shade. It was a toasty day to be out in the sun.

On Friday, our last day of traveling, we went to Pisa to see the leaning tower. The tower was neat to see as it definitely is leaning, but there isn't anything else to look at. There are tons of vendors trying to sell junk, but that's wasn't appealing to me.

After spending a few hours at Pisa, we took the bus back to the American beach. We spent the rest of the day and the evening there. We had club and our small groups at the beach which was absolutely amazing. We were able to watch the sunset on the water. I wish I could have frozen that evening. I could have sat there forever. Such a great way to see God's creation.

On Saturday, we got cleaned and packed up and were on the bus by 1:00. Another 17 hours and we were home! We arrived back in Schweinfurt at 6:00 in the morning.
It was an amazing trip. I wish I could have brought my girls closer to having a relationship with Christ, but it's all in God's timing. He has them questioning what it means to have a relationship, which is the first step. I hope to walk beside them for the next year, answering questions, and hoping they find God. This is just the start.

Volunteers of the Year

USAG Schweinfurt recently celebrated it's volunteers. I was invited to the celebration as one of the volunteers of the year.

Volunteering is something I really enjoy! With Jay being gone, spending my time helping others makes the time go by much faster. My favorite activities to do is coach with CYS. This year I coached basketball, softball, and track. I love building relationships with the kids and being someone they can trust.

During our 191 Days Down Celebration, I received a Heart of Victory Award from Victory Corps. I didn't know anything about this, but was quite surprised when I was called up during the events. Here is the write up that was turned in for my nomination...

The 1st Squadron 91st US Cavalry is proud to nominate Gina Feldt for the V Corp Heart of Victory Award. Gina is most deserving of this recognition not only for her selfless service to the 1-91 CAV families, but also for her outstanding service to our entire Schweinfurt community.

Gina is a member of B Troop and initially was the interim B Troop FRG leader back in 2008, even though she was a new wife and new to the Army. Since then Gina has volunteered as the B Troop Treasurer, as well as attending all B Troop sponsored events. At a Squadron level, Gina is part of our Steering Committee as the Events Coordinator. She researches, plans, and executes all the Squadron level events such as the Christmas Party, Easter Party, Ladies Dining-In, etc. Within our Squadron, Gina has not once, not twice, but three times provided emergency childcare for a spouse who has to be hospitalized and the children needed to be cared for at a moment's notice. Gina opens her home and her heart to our most precious 1-91 CAV families by providing care to their little ones in the time of need. The best part is that she does it with a smile and with a caring spirit that we can all see and only hope to emulate.

Beyond our CAV family, Gina is a beacon of light within our Schweinfurt community. She is a 4th grade teacher at our elementary school and volunteers at all the PTA events (Bingo, Harvest Party, Fundraisers). But she doesn't stop there. Gina also volunteers at the Middle School Student Council Events (dances, fundraisers, etc.) Gina coaches with CYS in basketball, softball, and track... again, giving back to our community with her time. For the soldiers, Gina volunteers to tutor them, helping with CLEP exams or working towards their GED. Gina is an active member of our PWOC and through the church, Gina volunteers weekly with the Club Beyond program, working with middle school and high school children. These volunteer hours are not a one time event, Gina volunteers for all of these organizations weekly and often times even daily.

Gina Feldt touches the lives of our children, our teenages, our spouses, and our soldiers through her amazing non-stop volunteering. Gina Feldt is well-known in this community as having a warm smile and a willingness to help. She uses all her talents and abilities to make our CAV family better, to make our community better. There was never a more deserving recipient of the V Corps Heart of Victory Award. Gina Feldt doesn't just have a Heart of Victory, she has a heart of gold.

I am very grateful to have received this award. It is very special and I really appreciate it. But getting awards is not the reason I volunteer. I do it because I love to be a light of God's love. There are many people in this community that need love shown to them and I do what I can to make that happen. If there were no coaches, what would these kids have to do after school. If there were no tutors, how would students and soldiers become any better than they already are. If there were no babysitters, parents would go nuts trying to handle everything that is thrown at them. All that I do is simply in kindness.