The Path from Omaha to Einhausen

Day One

First off…we are heading to Germany!!! What? This is so cool. I get to hang out with my favorite person for 12 days in GERMANY! Pinch me, what a lucky girl! Did you catch that? I’m going to Germany!

Here we are on plane number two because the first plane out of Omaha might have been too small to take a picture in. Ha  A friend asked if we were flying first class, I guess she doesn’t know as much about the Raabes (after 11 years of friendship) as I thought she did  ;)

So Sharon with American Airlines is pretty darn awesome!! I forgot to request my GF meal until I was boarding my first flight. In Dallas I called AA for help, they said too bad you had to do that 24 hrs in advance. Then I went to the desk at the gate, she also told me too bad. Once I boarded our flight from Dallas to Frankfurt (9 hour flight) I explained to Sharon, our flight attendant that I messed up but if there is an extra of the GF meals or snacks I would love to be considered. She said, you bet and if I forget ask me again. She came through!! Thank you for your exceptional customer service Sharon! 

Do you ever just stop and realize that the small things are big? I would have survived without this meal and I was my fault but I was taken care of. Thank you God for another provision, I feel so cared for.

We landed in a very dreary and rainy Frankfurt. Our plan to tour the city on foot with Liv seemed like a bad idea so we picked up our rental car and drove to Bensheim to see our girl. I wish I had a picture of that first hug, words can’t convey my joy! After being awake for 20 hours I needed that boost to give me the energy to make it another 12 before going to bed..oh and the coffee helped too

Mel-cortado, Chris-black coffee and Liv-chai latte. 

We ate lunch at a food stand in the Christmas market. It was really good. I’m not sure what it was, some kind of meat on a fantastic bun (yes, even the bun was delicious, because in Germany the bread is fantastic!) We were deliriously tired, very hungry and beyond excited to see our daughter in a foreign country. Was the food really good? I’m still going to say yes!

Our next stop was Heppenheim, this is where Olivia takes her language classes. We walked all through the city and of course had another cup of coffee. 

We finally made it to Einhausen around 3pm. We took a walk through her sweet village that she now calls home. There are working farms in the middle of town right next to contemporary new built homes. Fresh air was good but we also had to keep our minds busy. As we worked hard to stay awake she took advantage of our foggy brains and played games with us that we couldn’t possibly win. 

Soon the family was home from school, work and volunteering. We had a delightful vegetarian dinner, drinks and fell into bed. It had been only some 30+ hours since the last time we saw a bed.  

Already, this trip has been amazing! What a blessing it is to see our girl. Hug her and know she is thriving. Thank you Jesus! 

Let’s Celebrate!

I love my birthday! 

Dinner at Blackstone Meatball 

with everyone but Emma and Joe

My free birthday treat that I couldn’t even eat

Lunch with Emma and Joe at Ancho and Agave

My favorite GF strawberry wedding cake from Wheatfield 

with our Bible study friends 

Lunch from Kinaara with the office 

Love this danty cross necklace from my family

I’m not going to lie, I can’t wait to share my birthday 

month with sweet baby Willow.

 

Months SEVEN & EIGHT

J U L Y   2 6

A u g u s t   1 6 

I just can't believe I am going to be a Mimi, aka grandma.

I can't wait!!

Emma has dealt with so much illness through out this pregnancy. Being a mama is hard, she's already rocking it! She makes me proud!

 

Moms Day 2023

Mom and her friend Shirley was in town a little before Mother’s Day

The annual flower planting

Celebrating Nana

 

Half Century

T H I S. I S. F I F T Y

I woke early on Sunday the 23rd. We were in Madison Wisconsin for what should have been Reagan’s last regular season Husker soccer game. I’ll address that in a different post. In order to keep the blues away I put on my jogging shoes and headed to the park near our hotel. It was a beautiful morning for late October in Wisconsin, t-shirt weather and the leaves were turning. I managed to get lost which ensured I got 3.5 miles in. Hmm, first signs of old age. Ha ha. 

Family celebration 

Soup and great conversation 

Vala’s Pumpkin patch with my fav guy

Celebrating with our soccer family 

My Birthday in Wisconsin at a soccer game

Our girl on crutches

Flowers at the office

Dinner and hot tub with the OGs

I believe in celebrating all month long. I had a couple lunches and coffee dates with girlfriends, a 4 mile walk with another friend, gorgeous flowers from Emma and the cutest hat from my girls. Seriously, it’s been a great way to bring in my 50th. 

Time to reflect: I have been blessed! Life is not always easy to live, but the opportunity to do so is a blessing beyond comprehension. We don’t always have everything we want but we have more than we need. I get lost in the game of comparison from time to time and then realize I am the lucky one. I am rich in love, friendship and scrapbook supplies. What more can a girl ask for?

Thank you Lord for the people who love me and may I learn to distance myself from those who don’t. May I live more like Jesus each day. I have only one life on earth may it glorify Him. Amen

What I Learned Calling 37 local High Schools

I replied to a request from Olivia's HS youth pastor. Who wouldn't offer to make a few phone calls? We belong to a church of several thousand people, of course there will multiple people offer to help. RIGHT??? To be honest, I didn't even entertain the thought I would be THE ONLY volunteer.

Well, I was!

Omaha isn't that big. How many high schools could we really have? We have 37. Ok, so that won't take too long to make 37 phone calls, right? This week I called all the high schools to obtain permission to use their school logo and request a vector file of that logo. This is all about helping kids find other students from their school at this event. That's it, nothing more.

I did what any rational person would do...I started with a spreadsheet. I love spreadsheets! They make me happy. They are orderly. It's a tidy list with space to make notes, check off items, highlight items and easily editable. Spreadsheets are my friend! :)

So here's the deal. You have to...

- look up the number and call each school

- look up the AD (activities director) and their email

- hopefully talk to the AD but probably leave a voice mail or message with the administrative assistant

- send an email to the AD (usually the AD, maybe the comm team or administration office)

- wait for a response

- download the file, half of them are not the format I asked for but I will take them anyway

- contact the church comm team. "what do I do with these vector files?"

- realize I use to have Dropbox and now how do I find that username and password

- upload to Dropbox

- figure out how to use dropbox

- keep track who I called and emailed, who gave permission, who sent the file

This took exceptionally longer than I anticipated. As of tonight, I still have 8 more schools to contact. Of the 28 schools I have reached, only 17 have sent files. 

These high schools are all so different. 

SIZE: The big public schools are about 2500 students. The small public schools are about 700-800. And the parochial schools range from class A 2500 students down to class C 300 students. 

AUTHORITY: Some secretaries have the authority to send what I need. Some ADs have the authority. And then some of the schools I had to speak with someone at the district office. Some acted like they had no idea where to even find a file of the school logo while others offered 3 different versions. 

WEBSITES: And then there's the websites. Holy Buckets! Some schools have a horrific web presence. Finding information on staff was like pulling teeth while others I could simply google school name and athletic director and everything I ever needed was right in there in black and white.

PERMISSION: Almost every person I have spoken to has been super helpful and excited that our church is doing a citywide gathering for youth. Only Bell East, so far, was concerned about the unintended endorsement they would be giving by allowing us to use their logo. Funny thing is the other school in that district, Bell West, had no problem giving us permission. And our largest district in town, Omaha Public Schools just doesn't have the time to respond to me. 

This has been interesting, kind of fun but much more involved than I expected. 

One more side note: several ADs asked me if I was related to Chris Raabe. Gosh, my husband is famous. 

(a post that is of very little significance to anyone but what I have been up to this week)

Mom's Day 2022

 

Oh how these 3 young women have my heart! God’s gracious gift of motherhood is more than I deserve. Exactly twenty four years ago a new life was formed and she changed my life forever…for the better. 

Funny story about the flowers Reagan brought home. 

I’ll just say the roses were purchased at a store, the white tulips were acquired 

“Quality Time” and “Gifts” (in that order) are my love languages. Chris claims it’s actually QUANTITY time, he probably isn’t wrong. This Mother’s Day I was honored with both time and gifts. I’m a lucky mama! 

What a great day!

We Finally Got a B O Y!

Happy Engagement Day 

Joe & Emma

This guy is a planner! Joe wanted today to be special for his bride-to-be and he did just that! 

First, Emma had NO idea what was happening! I love this piece of his plan. Somehow there were 30+ of us waiting at the coffee shop to witness the big proposal. How did we all manage to keep this secret from Em? 

Second, Emma showed up hair, make up and nails ready and in cute clothes. Joe had a plan to make this all happen. 

Third, Joe ordered the ring with lots of time to spare (thankfully) because it arrived 14 days late. He was nervous! Reagan got to be part of picking out the ring. This ring is gorgeous! 

I wouldn’t call Joe a traditionalist but I love that he asked Chris on March 28th for his daughter’s hand in marriage. Aw, so much respect for his father-in-law to be. 

I started praying for Emma’s spouse while I was pregnant. I prayed that he would love God above all else and second love and cherish our baby girl. Joe, is a man who loves the Lord, loves our daughter and loves people. Last but not least he even like us! We are thrilled to be on this new journey and thankful God gave us Joe. 

Love at the Coffee Shop

Molly, Queen of the family

Our growing family

That ring tho!

Several people asked Em about a date. She said, “well, I just found out about this within the hour, I need some time”

I am so excited to participate with the kids to explore, plan and create a fun wedding day experience. 

Daniels Davids Esthers and Peters

This isn’t original with me but well worth the read. I don’t want to forget it so I wrote it in my journal tonight and writing it here for safe keeping and easy access. 

Blessings to you my friends, family and fellow blog readers. 

+++++++++++++++

“Don't feel sorry for or fear for your kids because the world they are going to grow up in is not what it used to be. God created them and called them for the exact moment in time that they're in. Their life wasn't a coincidence or an accident. Raise them up to know the power they walk in as children of God. Train them up in the authority of His Word. Teach them to walk in faith knowing that God is in control. Empower them to know they can change the world. Don't teach them to be fearful and disheartened by the state of the world but hopeful that they can do something about it. Every person in all of history has been placed in the time that they were in because of God's sovereign plan. He knew Daniel could handle the lions den. He knew David could handle Goliath. He knew Esther could handle Haman. He knew Peter could handle persecution. He knows that your child can handle whatever challenge they face in their life. He created them specifically for it! Don't be scared for your children, but be honored that God chose you to parent the generation that is facing the biggest challenges of our lifetime. Rise up to the challenge. Raise Daniels, Davids, Esthers and Peters! God isn't scratching His head wondering what He's going to do with this mess of a world. He has an army He's raising up to drive back the darkness and make Him known all over the earth. Don't let your fear steal the greatness God placed on them. I know it's hard to imagine them as anything besides our sweet little babies, and we just want to protect them from anything that could ever be hard on them, but they were born for such a time as this.”

-Alex Cravens, refers to himself as “just a dad”

Bucket List Item: Half Marathon

6:30am Friday: Fly to North Carolina

10:30am Friday: Drive to South Carolina

4:30pm Friday: Great Dinner in Lexington 

8:00pm Friday: Early to bed

7:30am Saturday: The fast people start

7:40ish am Saturday: Us slow people start

13.1 miles, one potty break and rock in shoe x2

2 hours 53 min later: I FINISH

2:30pm Saturday: Drive back to North Carolina (our “travel agent” may not have realized which state were were running in...Lexington, N.C. or Lexington, S.C. Yikes!)

6:25pm Saturday: Fly to Nebraska

Melanie . Linda Boden . April Binder . Kim Weeks

Why did I do this you ask? It’s been a bucket list item for me since I tore my hamstrings off the bone back in 2017. My goal was to train and run the whole thing. Along comes my long time crazy Marathon running friend April, who basically begged me to go on this trip, promising me that it’s ok if I have to walk some. My fitness level did not allow me to run the full 13.1 miles. Plan to succeed they say, so my plan was to run .75 of each mile and walk .25. It was a good plan and for the most part that’s what I did...until Mile 11. At 10:13am I was ready to throw in the towel. That’s when some serious soul searching and total reliance on God kicked in. I made it up the last hill, down the straightaway to the baseball field and then the finish line was in sight. I wanted to stop but the desire to finish was stronger. April crossed the finish line 1 hour and 2 minutes before me. As I made my way under the arch, there she stood proudly cheering on her best friend. 

My face doesn’t show it but I was sooo nervous! 

My face doesn’t show it but my feet might fall off

Heaviest medal I have ever lifted

Got home to this precious girl and sign

Will I do it again? Not sure, but if I do I want to run it all!

 “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭12:9‬ ‭NIV‬‬

College Kid #2

!!GO BIG RED!!

We have been talking about, planning and waiting for this moment since she was a sophomore in high school. We actually started planning on that first college visit in early August 2016 before her first day of high school. So with that much thought this shouldn't have been a big deal. but of coarse it was. We were sending baby bird #2 out of the nest to make her way in the wild. 

Literally, a college campus is "THE WILD." 

Reagan spent every possible moment of Christmas break with her friends until they all had to go back to school on January 6th. At that point, she had to start packing. How was she going to wrap her brain around putting all of her belongings in to boxes and hauling them 45 minutes west on I-80 to a college dorm room? It wasn't just the packing, she was stuck on all the unknowns. 

The roommate

The teammates

The campus

The expectations

The food

The study time

Was she good enough

Was she smart enough

Would she be lonely

I completely understood her concerns but I also knew she would be fine. Don't get me wrong, I was praying for God to show up in all those areas. Guess what? He did! So even though I had some concerns I knew it would all work out. 

Remember when Emma moved to college I was stuck in an immobilizer on the couch for 6 weeks. I cried from the time they left the house until Chris got back home. So as hard as it is to scoot the baby birds out of the nest it is also exhilarating to see them move on in their journey. This process was a joy.

The process of packing is messy!

 The process of unpacking is messy as well!

Saturday, January 11th we loaded up my Prius and Chris' Escape with all the things a college freshman needs in a dorm room and three of her family members. An hour later we were unloading boxes, bags, rugs, decorations and snacks with 4 of her new soccer teammates. Reagan's unknown roommate had never responded to her emails and DMs which left us curious about who she was and if she was even going to show up for the semester. The moment of truth was upon us as Reagan inserted the key card into the locked door. What would we find? We found a smelly dirty room. Dirty clothes in her drawers. Trash and food from last semester under Reagan's bed. A fridge covered in opened food packages. And dust bunnies the size of my Prius. It all makes me laugh now.

The girls may not be close friends but they will be fine for the next 4.5 months.

That day 4 strangers in Husker Soccer apparel carried boxes and gave us helpful tips. Kinzie, Riss, Carly and Alicia are now Reagan's people. That first night they went out for dinner and watched movies. The next morning they all went to church together. WOW! So many answered prayers! 

In general, the soccer team has been overwhelmingly helpful. Each girl has touched Reagan's life in one way or another to help her transition into college life. Only 4 days into Reagan's college experience she told me, "mom, this is the best decision I have ever made!" Since that day, she has repeated that sentiment in various ways. It brings me such great joy to see my child so happy.

Classes are going well too. If it were up to Regs, she would just play soccer. HA!! Maybe one day that dream will become a reality. 

 Reagan, you are going to surprise yourself.

You are BRAVER than you believe

You are STRONGER than your seem

You are SMARTER than you think 

and LOVED more than you know!

I am the one right behind you, cheering you on and if you slip along the way 

I will also be the one helping you up. One last important message below

DON'T FORGET TO...

 AND