As emotional as the scene was at the airport a few minutes after this photo was taken by a fellow police officer, I think the three of us are at peace with the way things played out.  We talked at length with Nadine about her early return during the three days notice we had to deal with it and came away impressed with both her father’s desire to reunite the family in a time of crisis as well as Nadine’s ability to leave in God’s hands what is only God’s business.

By the time I author this post, Nadine is safely home.  We’ve spoken to her on the phone.  She’s unpacked, surrounded by loved ones and close friends, and is happy to be back after a long period away from Germany.  She loved her time in the U.S., but think about what it feels like when you’re at the end of a tiring vacation and finally arrive at home base; now magnify that x 10 months.

Here at our place, things are  quieter.  We miss Nadine at the dinner table.  Denise surely misses her companionship and competitiveness in playing the marbles game the girls enjoyed so much.  I miss having someone else around to make fun of Gracie, our dog, when she does something weird like eating her own poop.

I’ve decided in the midst of all these competing thoughts, memories and emotions, it’s not the end per se; Nadine’s return home represents new beginnings for both Nadine, and Denise and I.

We never experienced what it’s like to bring children into the world (not for a lack of trying mind you), so it’s pretty cool to know we have a beautiful daughter out there, a solid international citizen of untold future promise, who we helped raise.

We love you, kid.

Jeff & Denise

The culmination of 10 months’ hard work and studiousness was realized in one special night, Wednesday, May 20, 2009 at Omaha’s Civic Auditorium.  Nadine graduated from Burke High School in 4th year senior standing – with honors.

To say we are proud of Nadine for her academic accomplishment is to also give thanks and convey admiration to Andreas and Beate as well, because students like Nadine don’t randomly fall off trees.  In fact, young women like Nadine are exceedingly rare and it’s been a treat for all of us to watch her mature this year.

We’re about at the end, but I prefer to view this as the closing of one volume in our blended family’s life and the opening of another.

Epilogue forthcoming.  Stay tuned.

Last night, Denise and I had the pleasure of attending the Burke High Honors Night for exemplary students.  Some of the academic achievements kids at Burke have managed this year are beyond belief.

Nadine was one of a few students who was singled out for academic excellent for carrying better than a 3.5 GPA the entire year (they actually set the bar too low for Nadine, because she was for all intents and purposes a perfect 4.0 student all year long).

We’re quite proud of Nadine and all she’s accomplished during her school year in the States.  We can hardly believe graduation night is Wednesday!

Apologizes for the lousy photography.  It was a dark auditorium and I was working sans tripod and with a grainy digital zoom at the maximum.

Nadine looked beautiful tonight as she ventured to Burke’s prom with a group of fellow students and friends.  Denise, as she did before homecoming, worked her magic and Nadine looked like a million bucks before she left the house for the night.

Note: word got out early in the school year that Nadine’s host dad was a 235 pound police sergeant.  I think I scared most of the boys away this year, and with Nadine looking radiant, I’m glad I did!

Obviously, I don’t post to the blog as regularly as I used to and traffic is down some despite the total number of hits in the aggregate remains impressive.

Who would have thought after all these months that we’re actually winding down to the last few weeks of sharing our lives with Nadine?

Her folks will be here in about three weeks. She departs for home a month from this coming Saturday.

I almost don’t remember what life was like when it was just Denise and I. Reckon that’s a good sign.

The easy way to interpret the radar map below: red = bad.

Nadine went blond again.  She’ll probably be mortified that I’m posting about her recent highlights and lowlights (ahem, all good host dads should know the vernacular!), but Denise and I think she’s simply too cute not to share.

In other news, Nadine began training for Track and Field at Burke last week.  She’s planning on competing in Long Jump and 400 Meter, but some of that is to be schussed out by the coaches.

Weather’s getting nicer in Omaha all the time, we think we’ve got Old Man Winter beat!  Stop back for updates soon!

Bye for now..

As mentioned in a previous post, our Nadine got to go to Hawaii on an eight day trip which ended this morning with her arrival back ‘home’ in Omaha just this morning!

Click HERE to see a list of activities Nadine and nearly 100 other exchange students who participated in the Hawaiian excursion did the week they were there.

For those readers who’ve not been to Hawaii, it’s a story better told in photos.  Enjoy!

Back from taking in the vampire film Twilight (Nadine is officially in love), the gals embarked upon a riveting best of three series of after dinner gaming.  Nadine tells me the German name for this is “Mensch Aergere Dich Nicht” (roughly translated in English as “don’t get too angry”).  Everyone in my family -save for me- calls it Marbles (I call it Excruciatingly Boring but I won’t mention that here so as to prevent acrimony on the domestic front).

We’re hunkered down after another big snowfall this past Friday. Omaha public schools let the kids off the hook due to the weather, so Nadine is enjoying a five day weekend due to the President’s Day Holiday today and another day off tomorrow.

The big news is, Nadine’s plans for her eight day trip to Hawaii are firmed up and she’s chomping at the bit to board the airliner a week from Wednesday; Denise and I will get an early taste of the empty nest brought about when Nadine goes home in June.  My, how this year has flown.

G’night, all.

Opening Nadine’s report cards is akin to Groundhog Day; nothing seems to change except our level of appreciation and respect for how studious Nadine is.

During a time in life where many (maybe most?) kids are challenging authority, experimenting with illict drugs, disrespecting their parents and avoiding their studies, Nadine hammers out perfect marks – again!

Kudos to Our German Daughter for the excellent work and knowing where to put her energy.  What she knows that too many other kids and parents forget is this: commitment now, during her school years, will pay big dividends the rest of her life.