Trials and Blessings

On Monday I discovered my shirt was on backwards halfway into the day – after dropping the kids off to school, going out with a friend all morning, and eating out. I found out by stretching out my lower back and felt my hands slip through the fabric. Hmm….I wondered how many people had noticed, with that giant, hand-warming pocket thing on my back. It’s a silly thing, but I found it funny because it shows just how distracted my brain has been here. I hate to admit it, but my brain gets pretty distracted to begin with. Add pregnancy to that, and it becomes a lot worse. Add moving to a new country to that, and it’s pretty much a train wreck.

Ever since I arrived, my mind has been constantly darting from one thought to the next, as I frantically add tasks to my i-phone to-do list and events to my calendar. My brain has continued to shuffle through a filing cabinet of worries, adding a new submission each day. Only recently have I began to pull out those files, and one by one, mentally marking them “resolved”.

In fact, right now, I’m sitting here typing with a heart full of so much gratitude. I’m feeling more at peace than I have since I got here - for so many, many reasons. Where do I start? A myriad of random events have shaped the last few weeks and I’m not sure how to detail or connect them all. So instead of trying, I’ll just unload an info dump of stories and details in no particular order…

So, Mike has been gone on work trips almost nonstop the last three weeks. During this time, I can’t even tell you how many appointments we’ve had – doctor appointments for the kids, school appointments, baby appointments for me, shopping appointments, and on and on. Reasons why this has been so difficult: 1) I’ve had to drag three kids around without help. 2) There have been many kid tantrums, kids not listening to their mother, and kids wanting to be held by their mother. 3) I’m so dang pregnant, which means it hurts to walk, I can’t chase my kids down/and or hold them easily, and wherever we go, I have to corral everyone to a bathroom so I can pee every 30 minutes. 4) At every appointment, parking is almost nonexistent and we usually have to walk a long way to get to where we’re going.

Bottom line is that at this moment in time, doing anything here is a logistical nightmare for me. Take for example, incident #1: After an appointment at the consulate, I had to take the kids home on the bus. With the diaper bag on my back, my 2-year old daughter sleeping in my arms, and my big belly in the way, I ordered both my boys to hang on to my backpack straps as we all made the uncomfortable walk to the bus stop. Upon entering the packed bus, I was having difficulty maneuvering my sleeping daughter to the side of my belly so I could grab a hand hold in the throng of people, and before I could get my bearings, the driver proceeded to slam on the gas. This caused everyone to lunge forward, including my two boys, and also the woman next to me, who literally landed on top of me and pushed me inadvertently down several seat isles. Using every last footwork and balance ability in me to stay upright, I barely kept from falling on top of my sleeping baby (and my baby belly), which elicited dramatic gasps among the other passengers.  The good news is that after that, a whole crowd of people stood up and cleared the way for me. Two seats instantly opened up. A sweet little kid started speaking to me in German and I realized he was telling me my boys could also have his seat. The boys looked a little out of sorts, but were laughing as they told me excitedly, “We fell down Mom!”  For the rest of the bus ride home, the driver continued to slam on the gas and breaks with each stop and go. Every time he did, me and a woman across from me shook our heads at each other, bridging our language barrier by half laughing/half scorning at what a terrible driver was behind the wheels of this vehicle.

Probably the MOST difficult of these logistically-tricky moments happened on a Tuesday. I went to pick up my boys from school, which is always a hot mess anyway (picture a big, sweaty pregnant lady trying gather up a bunch of backpacks, jackets, and supplies, while yelling down the hall for my two-year-old not to push the elevator button and travel to who-knows-where, while also trying to get my two tired five-year-olds to put their art supplies away, shoes on, and follow me out the door).

So anyway, this was a particularly bad day and a certain boy of mine who has been so stressed since coming here with all the changes in his little life was having a melt-down of epic proportions. What resulted was me dragging a screaming, kicking, hitting, scratching child into the elevator in an attempt to keep all my kids together (while another mom looked on in open-mouthed stupor). To avoid being punched in the stomach, I wrapped up said child’s arms and did my best to get him and my other children from the elevator, out the door, through the playground, and into the car where we could work this out somewhere other than the middle of the school. With considerable effort, we did make it. Thankfully my other two kids were wise enough to listen when I told them to get into their seats and wait. Using my legs and arms, while avoiding my stomach, I basically wrapped my whole body as tightly as I had strength around my hysterical son and repeated over and over again as calmly as I could muster, “I will let go when you calm down. I will let go when you calm down.” 5-year old swear words must have been echoing through that parking lot for a good 15 minutes. I’ve never heard the words “Poopy, poopy, POOPY BUTT!” yelled with such furious fervor. Sweat was dripping down my back as I said a series of silent prayers. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, my exhausted little guy melted into my arms, resigning at last with a compliant hug. I knew at that moment, the fight was over and I could safely get us home, which thankfully, I did. 

((SIGH)) My dear kids. This move hasn’t been an easy adjustment for them. “I miss our blue house in Wyoming,” I hear them say all the time. In fact, just the other day, my son had me crying as he went through a list of things he missed from his “blue house”: the swing on the front porch, making rivers with the hose in the front yard, going on bike rides with his brother, swimming in the big lake, his old school – the little red one, and his teachers Mrs. Bradford and Mrs. Rich…

One of the most stressful parts of moving here is seeing my kids struggle to adjust to a whole new lifestyle. Everything is different here. No more yard to play in. No more spacious basement. No more open, quiet roads. The teaching and school style is quite different.  Most of their beloved toys and possessions haven’t arrived yet. So much comforting familiarity has been missing for them. As a result, there’s been a lot of acting out – which is frustrating, but I can’t really blame them; especially when Mom’s been acting out a lot too…tearful outbursts….angry rants…even a few of my own swear words here and there.

Speaking of angry rants. On that very same Tuesday, earlier that morning, here’s what happened:

We had been waiting for access to internet since we moved here. It was supposed to be installed the previous week. We were told to stay home all day since the internet people could come at any time, and if we missed them, it would take another week, so we went out of our way to do just that, only to have them cancel nonchalantly late in the afternoon.

Now I know internet is not a necessity, that not having it is a total first-world problem, and that I may sound spoiled and privileged to complain about it, BUT… With the amount of appointments, trying to find out  important information, making calls to the US (when they install the internet, we will also be able to call the US for free with a land-line), trying to obtain and send all sorts of medical records for me and the kids, submitting insurance reimbursements, getting the kids registered for school, wishing we could Skype Daddy while he’s gone, and the fact that my nursing license is expiring in December and  I’m trying to finish up the required continuing education before the baby is born…. I just want my dang internet!

So anyway, Tuesday was the day internet was coming. Yes! Woohoo! Celebration! I was so happy it was finally happening!  There was just one problem: The installation guys could come any time from 8-4pm. Mike was out of town and I had to take the kids to school. The earliest I could do so was 8. I’d be gone about 30 minutes. Out of all the hours in the day, there’s no way they would come in that itty bitty time frame right? After leaving a note on our doorbell that read: “TKS” (Name of the internet people), “I’ll be back at 8:30. Please don’t leave!! (Taking kids to school),”  I left as early as I could, dropped the kids off, rushed home, and as you probably guessed, I apparently missed the appointment.

We won’t go into detail how I reacted because I’m kind of ashamed of it looking back…

Now for one more Tuesday story (Yes, the SAME Tuesday…As if anything more unpleasant could happen on such a day)…I was met with an unexpected phone call from someone who I thought had well-meaning intentions toward us. After asking how we were doing living here so far, I responded honestly.  I said it’s been rough at times. It’s been crazy and stressful. I said I believe we will love it eventually, but it’s going to take time because right now we are still adjusting. Then the conversation switched and I realized this person wasn’t talking to me with the purpose of wishing me well at all, In fact just the opposite. By the end of it, this person was ridiculing the fact that it has been hard for us. In mean spirit and over-the-top sarcasm, I was told “Why would you move to a different country with three kids while you are pregnant? Duh it’s hard. I could’ve told you that… It sure sounds like you are just living your dreams Debbie. Hope it’s everything you hoped for.”

I’m sharing this conversation only because it made me think about my feelings of coming here and all that is going on since we got here. And the way I feel is exactly how I responded to those maliciously-intended words: I am not ashamed to admit that it’s been hard. In fact, I expected and knew it would be. And even though it hasn’t been easy, it was right for us to come here, so I know we are going to be okay.

The other day, a family member asked me if I regretted moving here. The answer is absolutely not! If we could do it all over again right in this moment, Mike and I have both agreed, we’d make the same decision. The alternate would be the regret – staying in Wyoming and never daring to take the chance – never knowing what would might have been… I’m just being honest and real when I talk about the struggles. Not because I’m trying to complain, but because they are really happening and I don’t want to sugar coat the truth. We are learning, stretching, and growing from our struggles and they are making us that much more appreciative of every blessing that’s come our way.

Speaking of blessings, remember how I said my heart is full of gratitude? Here’s some of the reasons why:

• Mike’s job has allowed him to stop travelling long distances and work close to home until the baby arrives. Just knowing he’s nearby while I’m now over 38 weeks pregnant has brought the greatest measure of peace to my heart. When he’s home, he’s been doing everything he can with the kids, laundry, garbage, dishes, and anything that requires lifting to relieve the burden on me.  It’s wonderful to have my husband! 

• After a third week in a row of trying to get internet installed to no avail, just last night, by some amazing miracle, Mike looked up how to install it on his own despite all the instructions being in German, and he figured it out! My hero. I know it’s a small thing, but instead of me having to drive my kids to a community library with Wi-fi to get important things done, I can now do it from my own home! Do you know how awesome and convenient that is?
• Laughter has returned to our home. I haven't heard it much since we moved into our new, permanent apartment (Have I mentioned yet that we moved into our new home??) But just the other day, the kids were running all over the house chasing each other in fits of giggles, and I knew it was a special milestone. They are feeling more comfortable and happy. I've also noticed them playing better together, laughing at silly things, playing games around the house...these little moments make me oh so happy!
• Mike and I got to go on our first date in Germany the other night. We rode the train downtown and had authentic German food at a cozy restaurant, which was super delicious. We also explored the nighttime shops and walked across a famous bridge over the Rhein River. It was romantic and fun and such a nice break from the craziness.

• So, in my previous post, I mentioned how a lot of our necessary household items aren’t coming until the end of November. These included clothes for our baby, a crib for our baby, winter clothes for the whole family, etc. Um yeah, WUPS! We didn’t realize it would take that long for our stuff to ship. For awhile there, this was extremely stressful since I didn’t want to buy all new stuff that we would just be getting in a month, and even if I did want to buy stuff, where were there good places to go shopping? And how would I find time to go shopping if Mike was gone all the time?  I’d have to take all the kids since they weren’t in school yet, which again, with parking and pregnant limitation logistics, was just a nightmare! (For the first few weeks here, we weren’t able to get the boys into school right away due to paperwork issues and German holidays). Meanwhile, the weather has been slowly turning colder and we needed warm clothes!

           THANKFULLY, several things came together to solve this conundrum.

           First, a wonderful friend I met at the consulate allowed me to borrow her kids’ extra coats until I figured out how to get more. (P.S. This same awesome friend had us over for dinner while Mike was gone, which was such a nice blessing not having to cook and clean up!)

           Next, my sweet American neighbor met with me for two hours and explained all the places I could go to shop for everything under the sun, including cheap clothes for kids. I took notes, went shopping on a weekend when Mike was home, and bought all the kids cheap winter clothes in their next size up so they could use them two years in a row.

          I also found out about a local thrift store as well as a consulate community exchange program open once a week where I could take used clothes and baby items for free if I needed them. It took a couple weeks to get out to these places, but over time, I made the trips and got most of what I needed, including a little baby crib for the first month or so.

         Lastly, two wonderful women from my church who I happened to meet on my very first week here threw me a little “baby celebration” the other night. Not only did they pick me out a slew of adorable baby clothes at a clothing swap I couldn’t attend since Mike was out of town, but get this: Their husbands watched all the kids (including feeding them dinner!) while they took me out on the town for pedicures. It was a MUCH needed girl’s night with how stressful everything has been.  (Plus my nails were looking significantly scary since I haven’t been able to reach them the last two months or so).  It seriously touches my heart how kind people are.  And now, thankfully, I have all that I need for baby girl to arrive. Peace at last!

• For some crazy reason, there is no requirement for me to be educated on German road laws before I can drive. And even if it was required, I don’t have time to attend a class before my baby arrives. Meanwhile, I’ve HAD to drive out of necessity to get kids to school and make appointments, etc, so I’ve just been pretty much winging it. Well, after a few moderately-alarming incidents behind the wheel, I realized that something needed to be done STAT. So, I contacted my church and the consulate for anyone that might have resources, knowledge, or experience that they could share with me to put my mind at ease.

           As a result, I received a brochure and booklet explaining the road signs and laws, which I’ve been studying carefully. I also talked with someone who has recently completed the German driving test and in our conversation, I learned a few small and simple things that have already made the BIGGEST difference in my driving experience! ((THANK YOU!)) And THEN, the other day, another woman from my church who has taken the test took time out of her day to drive with me. We spent three hours driving all over the place, talking about various signs and right-of-ways, and where different places were located in the city. It was amazing. (Plus, she took me out to lunch at a delicious Thai place, even though I should’ve taken her out for all that she did for me…Ps. Just so you know, this was the backwards shirt day, hehehe).  Anyway, now I feel so much more confident on the road and am just so incredibly grateful for all the sweet, wonderful, kind people who have been willing to help me! They have been the biggest blessing!

• I am now officially registered for my hospital. My hospital bag is packed, including a giant sign that reads: NOTFALL, FRAU IM KREISSSAAL, which means: “EMERGENCY, Woman in the delivery room”. I have been informed that when I come to the hospital to have my baby, I can simply put this sign in my car window, park in front of the hospital in a taxi space, and I won’t get a ticket for up to 10 hours. I’m going to need the sign because there is absolutely no parking at the hospital – A HOSPITAL with no parking you ask?? Nein. The small parking lot they did have at one point is under construction at the moment. When I went there for my registration appointment, I had to circle around and around until I finally found a spot probably a half-mile away on a business lawn next to an extremely busy street. Other cars had parked the same way, so whether it was illegal or not, it’s where I parked. (I’m finding that people park illegally all over the place here and it’s apparently all good, so I’ve been following suit). Anyway, it feels good knowing I’m registered to have my baby! I was able to take a tour after my registration appointment and talk to one of the doctors there about what to expect. I think it’ll be a little different than my previous experiences, but I’m trusting that everything is going to be just fine…and thankfully I have a guaranteed taxi spot with my hand-written sign, no matter what!

• The boys have officially started school and while it’s been a little rough on and off, they seem to  be adjusting more and more. Most days, the teachers tell me they are doing better than the day before. This has been SUCH a relief for both Mike and I. I see that they are making friends in their class, and having fun with art projects, and learning German.  Even coming to pick them up each day has been less and less crazy as they’ve gotten used to the new routine. Thank goodness. 

Whew. What else has been going on here? I’m starting to get used to a new normal. Such as never leaving the house without a key since the door automatically locks and we don’t have a spare,  separating all our garbage into regular trash, plastics, and paper, not having a garbage disposal (I was told Germans don’t believe in them), taking the bus and train, taking several ID’s and double checking I have everything I need before going anywhere, shopping much more frequently due to lack of fridge space, buying shelf milk, backing out of tiny driveways and parallel parking (also illegal parking wherever I can like I said earlier), when I make appointments, remembering to ask businesses if they have parking nearby, emptying a water tub from the dryer each cycle, doing laundry more frequently due to our tiny washer and dryer, stopping at parks on the way home from school since we don’t have a yard, and dozens more little adjustments.

We’ve definitely had good days and bad days – A good day was last Friday when Daddy came home early from his 5-day trip and we all walked through a beautiful trail lined with pink and yellow trees, not knowing where it would lead. It went through a community garden that smelled like firewood and led to  a big beautiful park next to a forest where the kids laughed and played and leaves blew off the trees in the Fall wind. All of us were together. The air smelled wonderful. The woods were beautiful. The kids were happy. I think I cried a few happy tears just taking it all in. We then continued to walk the trail up and around the forest, through a series of other trails with beautiful scenery. It was wonderful!

A bad day was the week before when my two-year-old daughter got hit by a bike and my son lost his glasses all in the same day. The bike incident was me and two of my kids walking down the road when I heard a bike bell ringing close behind me to the right and a woman screaming for me to “Watch out!” I glanced over my right shoulder where I saw the woman in my periphery, and quickly grabbed my son, who was also on my right and moved him out of the way just in time to see my daughter, who was on my LEFT, get ran right into by a girl about 8 or 9 riding her bike. UGH!!!!!!!!! I guess the woman was yelling on behalf of the girl, (Dang, Dang, Dang IT, that made me so mad, probably because I wasn’t able to stop it from happening =( ...Luckily, my sweet girl didn't get seriously injured and she is just fine now, thank goodness!) The glasses incident was just this mysterious disappearance of my son’s glasses after we had all come home from a walk one day. Mike was 90% sure he took them off to cut my son’s hair, but then, they were nowhere to be found. My guess is that the two-year-old found them and put them somewhere we haven’t been able to find yet. Anyway, we tried to get him into a local pediatric eye doctor, but they can’t see him for two whole months, so I was able to order him new ones from back home, which we are patiently waiting for and praying they’ll come soon.

…So yeah, good and bad days. Blessings and trials. That’s what life’s all about right? The trials are extremely frustrating and make us worry and cry (and sometimes curse) and then the good times are more sweet than ever before, making us reflect in gratitude and appreciation of every little blessing.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly ID Badge

Our first week here, I was driving us back to our apartment thinking about everything that just happened.

About 45 minutes earlier, our whole family piled in the car to accompany Mom in her quest to locate a local gym. I had heard about the gym from a community support liaison. Apparently, it was really affordable, had childcare, and offered a variety of classes for adults and kids. Anyone who knows me well knows that one thing I need in order to thrive wherever I live is a gym with childcare. Sure, it was only our first week here. Sure, I was almost 8 months pregnant and could barely walk at times. Sure, there were probably a dozen other things that probably were of greater priority, but I was determined to drag Mike (and by default the kids) with me to scope out where this gym was at and sign up for a membership as soon as I could - that way at least something in my life would feel routine and familiar. I needed Mike for emotional support if I had no idea what to do when faced with a mysterious traffic signal. Once I knew what to expect, I would feel more comfortable driving myself in the future.

As I drove deeper into the bustling downtown, Mike gripped his arm rest tighter and tighter while my heart pounded faster and faster. None of the road signs made sense and all of them seemed to warn of impending danger – X’s with lightening across the middle, X’s with arrows, bikes with X’s through them. What’s with all these X’s????

There were trolleys and trains and buses and cars crissing and crossing every which way, dotted lines on the road, solid lines on the road, and what do you know? X’s on the road, oddly enough, crossing out lines on the road. Lines, signs, symbols, lights. Why are there so many instructions EVERYWHERE?

I tried to stay calm as I followed my GPS into a busy business strip, scattered with scores of people eating dinner at their outside tables, and an endless row of parked cars on either side of me.  Bikers weaved up and down the sidewalks. As I slowly inched forward amid the chaos, one of those bikers, coming straight at me on the road, halted dramatically, looked at me sternly, and with a swift wave of her hand ordered me to move over. I put my hands up – move over where? There were parked cars “over” and I would hit them!

Nevertheless, fearing the rebuke of her scorn-filled scowl, I reluctantly edged to the right and continued forward.

After holding our breath for two or three more tightly-squeezed blocks, Mike pointed out the window, “there it is!” A building wedged amidst businesses which bore the sign of the long-sought-after gym at last.

“Do you see parking?” I asked.

“There is no parking,” came the reply, “There’s bike parking.”

I kept on driving. One block, two blocks, three blocks. Cars back to back and wall to wall. Absolutely no parking, whatsoever.

“Should I try to circle around?”

“Are you kidding? Let’s go home.”

“But I almost died getting here! I don’t want to waste this death trip!”

*Me looking for more parking and knowing it is was a sad, futile pursuit.

Me again, resigning to defeat: “Okay let’s get the heck out of here.”

So there I was - back to driving us all home. I was thinking about how completely out of my comfort zone I was. How different everything felt – how things that used to be so routine and easy, now seemed impossible, even just getting to the gym.

Then I felt a drop of insight that made me feel consoled somehow. “You know,” I told Mike, “I am totally out of my element here – like, I’m like super uncomfortable, and I would never choose to feel this way…but I don’t think there’s any other way to grow. I think living here is definitely going to make me stronger in ways I never would be, unless I was forced into it.”

Back in Wyoming, when we were trying to decide if we were going to take this job, there were so many unknowns. I really had no idea what this experience was going to be like exactly, but there was one thing I WAS sure of: It was going to be hard. God made that known to me in a lot of different ways – the message I felt over and over again was, “It’s not going to be easy, but it’s going to make you grow, and I will be with you.”  

During that decision time, I prayed A LOT, and turned to scriptures and religious sermons available through my church. One sermon that I happened to stumble upon was called “Do We Trust Him? Hard is Good” by Stanley G. Ellis. It ended up being one of the most important insights into helping me move forward in faith. Here are a couple short excerpts:

“Looking back, I learned some of the best lessons during the hardest times…”

“It seems clear that hard is good!...”

“Hard makes us stronger, humbles us, and gives us a chance to prove ourselves…”

“Hard is part of the gospel plan. One of the purposes of this life is for us to be proven.”

We are just beginning on this new adventure. We’ve been here only about three weeks, with a whole two years ahead. I don’t know what the future will bring, but in this short time, I can definitely see already that yes, we will face “hard” things. But I can also see how it’s going to be good for us. I feel an excitement of the ways that we are going to grow. I can see that I’ll have the opportunity to personally grow in ways I’ve always known I needed to, but would never subject myself to the uncomfortable price to gain it on my own.

The last couple weeks have probably been some of the most chaotic and stressful weeks of our married lives (The first couple months after we had the twins still reigns at the top). There have been countless appointments, phone calls, bus rides, and shopping trips as we have scrambled to get our kids registered for school, obtain necessary ID’s, stock up on groceries and household essentials, move for the third time in 2 months to our (finally!) permanent home, find me an OB, register me with a hospital, get to important doctor appointments, set up important doctor appointments (which many times result in automated messages in German which I don’t understand- am I leaving a message? Is this a wrong number?), find childcare during important doctor appointments, get the kids’ necessary immunizations, open up a German bank account, learn survival German sayings, figure out what’s where, and how to get there, and so on.

But what’s good is that I’ve learned so much already. And I do know that calmer seas are on the horizon. We are going to feel settled at a future date. If we can just get this sweet baby girl here safe and sound, get through the initial month or two, get all our home stuff delivered, and so on, everything will get a little more manageable one step at a time.

I also have to say, we’ve already enjoyed some really fun trips and activities. I’m so grateful we’ve been able to venture out amidst the chaos and begin to explore…So keeping the “hard” and the “good” in mind, here’s a summary of the last two weeks’ trials AND triumphs:

• We made it to Bad Homberg, a nearby city with some old castle grounds. Aside from checking out the remaining castle tower and the peaceful garden courtyard, we walked to the beautiful cathedral next door. When we entered and quietly admired the thousands of shining gold mosaic tiles along the walls and ceiling, the intricate stone work, vaulted ceilings, and stained-glass artwork, a sudden flood of haunting music began to echo through the church. It started slow and at first, I wasn’t sure what it was. But then, as it increased and filled the room, I turned around to see the organ pipes behind us. Someone happened to begin their practice just after we arrived. It was SO powerful and beautiful (and a little scary) that we all had goosebumps… Also I may have cried a little.



 

 

 

• After the gym trip debacle, I tried to find it once again, this time by bus while Mike watched the kids. It was MUCH easier than driving. While I was at it, I met a friend downtown. We checked out the gym together and I got super excited to join because they do offer tons of kids and adult classes, childcare, swimming pool access, and gym privileges for the whole family, all for an amazing price. Yes! On the way home, my friend and I stopped at an outdoor café for some Italian ice cream, which was lovely!
• Before church last Sunday, we decided to ride the train downtown to check out how long it would take to get the boys to school via U-Bahn if necessary. An elderly lady started chastising me and the boys in German, then laughing, then mumbling. I soon realized she was confused (poor lady). I also realized she was now following us off the train and all around the station as we politely tried to “lose” her. On a positive note,
  I did get the chance to practice a saying I learned last week: "Ich verstehe nicht!"
• I got my hair cut and bought shampoo and conditioner conducive to the hard water here- we all know that’s a big deal.  I also went to a Zumba class with friends.  That was really fun!
• A wonderful woman from my church watched my kids while I went to a last-minute doctor appointment. People are so kind!
• We met up with great friends who we knew from when we lived in DC years ago. They are currently living in Brussels, and it was so fun to catch up with them. They offered to babysit our kids so we could go shopping together. It was so nice being able to get things we needed, without the help of little ones 😊. People really are so kind!
• We made a quick, but fantastic trip to Brussels, visiting the same friends above.  It was WONDERFUL hanging out with them seeing the beautiful city where they live. We shopped, explored one of the first-ever-built indoor malls, ate chocolate, tried Belgian waffles, ate more chocolate, saw the famous "Manneken Pis", walked through the town square, admired beautiful architecture, listened to bells from inside the cathedral, toured a magical train museum, ate a delicious lunch, stopped at a chocolate factory where we ate MORE chocolate, and truly enjoyed our time with great friends!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Mike left on his first two work trips. I survived! (And without Wifi I should point out).  While he was gone, I:
• Took all the kids on a giant shopping/errand trip. We picked up bus passes, drove to the base to pick up house supplies and groceries, I took them all out to eat and we even sat down inside (Why am I mentioning this you ask? Because the old Debbie had the luxury of having her husband home all the time and would NEVER attempt to sit inside a restaurant with all the kids by herself - MUCH too risky for tantrums or embarrassing food-throwing incidents. But this was the new Debbie whose husband travels a lot and she’s going to do a lot of things by herself now).  4 ½ hours later, I managed to get the mountain of groceries AND all three kids up the stairs and into our apartment after a couple trips of loading the stroller and two little boys willing to hold the door open for me.
• Received our air shipment of home goods, unpacked all but two of the boxes, and discovered that we had packed VERY little of what we actually need right now. During this process I became more and more angry as I pulled out not one, not two, not three, but FOUR flower vases from the kitchen box. What the --- were we thinking? We didn’t pack warm coats for the boys, but darn it, we got plenty of vases in case we need to put flowers in them. Seriously though, we really messed up with the packing. See, our stuff comes in shipments. The next one will arrive in about 2 months, so the air shipment was SUPPOSED to contain the stuff we REALLY need. Let’s just say that in the hastiness of moving out of Wyoming, we really dropped the ball and didn’t plan so good. On a positive note, we can borrow (thanks to really nice friends here) or buy cheaply everything we’ll need to get by. Live and learn I suppose…
• Drove our kids back and forth to their new school all week. I’m feeling much more comfortable driving here, hooray! But I do worry on a daily basis how it’s all going to change when my giant mini-van arrives in a couple months and we have to hand over our more compact rental car – I’m starting to really love those proximity sensors it has that alert me when I get too close to anything.
• Parked our car inside the teeny, tiny parking garage we’ve been assigned here after circling our block and finding no street parking available. It was a nail-biting experience. I don’t think Mike has ever been more impressed by something I’ve done than the moment I told him I got inside without hitting anything. (A few days earlier when we saw it together, he didn’t even attempt getting the car inside since it appeared it would be impossible).
• Figured out how to get a taxi here, which I used last minute in a time of need. It was so easy and no big deal. Okay, so I know there’s thousands of people who would be like, “well DUH it’s no big deal,” but I’ve never ordered a taxi before - I’m not a city person, so for me, it felt like some sort of milestone.
• The most exciting (not) thing to have happened the last couple weeks was losing my purse in the city, only to realize this 5 hours later. What followed was one of the most agonizing 3 hours ever, where I sobbed thinking about all the highly-important documents that allowed me to travel and do anything here, credit cards, and 160 euros that were no longer in my possession. I also prayed my heart out. What happened next was the greatest miracle of miracles. When Mike went to the police station to report the incident, he discovered that an angel had found the purse and turned it in UN.TOUCHED. The police officer was stunned. “This NEVER happens,” he told Mike, “At the VERY least, people take the cash before turning in a purse.” Not one thing was missing. Not even my watermelon-flavored tic tac gum. Really, truly, people are kind…And so is God.

On a humorous note, I think I’ll end this post with a timeline of all the ID pictures I’ve had to take since we arrived. ID’s are required for pretty much everything we do here, so there have been a lot of photograph appointments. As you will observe (and don't even ask me why or how these pictures look the way they do), it’s interesting to note the slow decline of quality in my appearance as the pictures progress. I think this might be symbolic to our journey so far: Excited and happy at the prospect of living in Europe…getting to Europe and feeling slightly stunned to find out it’s more of a culture shock than expected…and finally…unraveling at times into a disheveled and disgruntled frazzle...😂 😂