2013...The Year of Change

Happy New Year!  While I am so super-excited that 2013 is here, I'm still left wondering where the hell 2012 went.  Is it just me or did last year fly by?  2012 was a great year for Kevin and me...we have no complaints.  But with the arrival of 2013, we also have the arrival of Baby Reiter.

Having Baby Reiter is going to change a lot...obviously.  No more sleeping until 10 am for me or napping when I want.  Kevin is going to have to get over his weak gag-reflex or at least learn how to deal with it.  Otherwise, diaper duty for the hubby will be real interesting. 

Besides diving into parenting, we have to make some serious decisions on where we will be living and working.  It was acceptable for Kevin and me to live apart in the summers when we were dating and it was tolerable when we were married (as long as we had frequent visits).  But bunking up with our respective parents in the summer (10 hours apart) with a baby in the mix isn't an option. 

Will 2013 mark the year we permanently check out of the hockey world?  Or will we just be checking back into the US hockey world?  Will I finally go back to teaching?  Or will I decide that teaching isn't in my future?  And what city, state, and country will we call home?  Stay tuned to find out.  Believe me, I'm as curious as you are.  

Busy Little Bee!

I know it has been forever since I last posted on the blog, but things have been hectic since Kevin and I got back to the States.  We had a pretty uneventful travel day and everything went smoothly with passport control at the airport.  Since I had overstayed my 90 days, they questioned me a little longer than I would have liked, but since I had all the paperwork showing we've been going through the visa process since August, they let me go through without any problems. 

I was only able to stay in Pittsburgh for a few days because I had to get back to Springfield quickly.  Luckily, I got to spend some good quality time with Kevin's parents and our niece and nephew.  Since I didn't get to see everyone I wanted to on this visit, I'm trying to find time in the near future to get down there to see them soon.

My rush back to Springfield was due to the fact that my grandfather was going to a nursing home.  I wanted to see him, in his house, one last time before he went.  He has dementia and has progressively gotten worse over the last few years.  My family had to make this decisions since he now requires full-time care.  Luckily, he is really dealing with the transition well.  My mom and I were able to drive down there Friday and we were very happy with his accommodations, nurses, and the care he was receiving.  My mom and my aunt also went down a few days ago and he had already made friends and really seemed happy.  Of course, this makes him being there a lot easier.

Grandpa and I enjoying some time together Friday.  I love this man!  

This Saturday I drove down to St. Louis for my cousin's bachelorette party.  It was such an amazing time and I was so happy to see her and everyone else there.  We attended a Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre at the Lemp Mansion.  Then we headed out for a night on the town.  Feeling like garbage the next day was totally worth it. 

The beautiful bachelorette, Steph. 

Sig Kap Girls! 

Yesterday, I got together with the family I will be working for this summer.  Two summers ago I worked with the three kids and I am so happy to be a part of their summer again.  My first day is on Monday and I can't wait. 

Today is Kevin and my first wedding anniversary.  It seems crazy that we've been married a year already.  "Normal" couples would spend this day together and eat their cake, but we don't play by the same rules as "normal" couples.  Due to my hectic schedule and Kevin starting work, we are apart, but we will see each other in a few weeks and celebrate then. 

One year of wedding bliss, many more to go!

    

Easter Is What You Make It

Last year for Easter, Kevin had an away game so a few of us girls made plans to go to church and then have a little get together that night for some food and drinks. This year, I really didn't think about making plans or anything. I figured we'd go about our day the same as we usually do. Then Saturday night at about 10:00pm, Debbie and I decided we would just wing a Easter dinner. Luckily, Kevin and I had just gone shopping in Innsbruck and had a pretty full house.

By chance, we had a ham in our fridge. They were on offer this week and since Kevin never remembers which one he likes the best and can't make a decision, I told him just to buy one of each...so he got three. We had also just picked up two LARGE tubs of German potato salad while we were in Innsbruck. We can only find the brand we like at this organic/bio store so we always stock up when we are there. I was also able to toss together a salad with the veggies I had on hand and we had a package of dinner rolls at the house. For dessert, I looked through my Pinterest recipes and considered what I had here and decided to make Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Cookies...and I might add that they were delicious and fat free. Okay, the fat free part is a lie, but that is what I'm going to tell myself as I devour the leftover cookies today.

Our last minute, thrown together Easter dinner was perfect. It was definitely nothing fancy or elaborate, but it was a great time with great friends. The way I see it, we could have been eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and it still would have been an amazing time because Easter is what you make it.

The End of Another Season

Across Europe, playoffs are well under way and in the States, most leagues are finishing up their regular seasons. The 2011-2012 hockey season is about to wrap up across the world. Bags are being packed and players and their families are making the long (or short) journey home. The end of a season is almost always bittersweet. While you are excited to be seeing your family and friends back home, at the same time, you are sad to say farewell to the friends you have made that year, who have become your family, without ever knowing if your paths will cross again.

The off-season for individuals in the "hockey world" is just as busy as the season. Families have to get insurance, decide where to live (if they don't have a house), and find jobs. Players have to find a place to work out and skate so they stay in hockey shape. And then comes the daunting task of deciding where to play the next season or, maybe, deciding whether or not to play.

Making a decision on where or whether to play is a family affair. Kevin and I have always approached it together. We always weigh our options, make our pros/cons list, and go over contracts together. When Kevin decided he wanted to retire from playing, I supported him 100% and when he decided he wanted to get into coaching, I again, was behind him all the way. We work as a team and always do what we feel is best for both of us. When/if he decides it's time to get out of the "hockey world" as a coach, I will support his decision and I know, that if at some point, I'm ready to be done with the "hockey world," he'll understand.

When I explain our lifestyle to people, I am met with mixed reviews. Some people think it is great, while others look disturbed that we move constantly and live out of suitcases (in a sense). I truly believe that no one can understand the "hockey world" unless they have lived in it. Every summer, family and friends ask us why we don't just settle down and get "real jobs." We don't expect people to understand the "hockey world" and its lifestyle, but we do ask that they accept that this is the decision that we have made.

While the pro season here in Vipiteno is over and all the imports have gone home, we will be here until mid-May while Kevin coaches the youth teams. Since we do not have our own house, we most likely will be living with our respective parents for the summer (600 miles apart). Kevin will work his hockey schools and I will nanny. And we will decide, together, what to do for the 2012-2013 season.

Instead of dreading the 2/3 months I'll be living apart from my husband (we will still visit each other), I'm excited for the summer. I'm looking forward to getting back to Springfield to go shopping with my Dad and then hiding our purchases from my mom. I'm counting down the days until I get to lay on the back porch with my Mom while we work on our tans. I can't wait to get snuggled off the couch by two pit bulls on a daily basis. And I'm so excited to be standing up as a bridesmaid in my cousin's wedding. Summer 2012 looks promising and regardless of what Kevin and I decide for the 2012-2013 hockey season, I'm sure it will be the right decision.