Whew! That was tough. (Part I)

To sum it up: We made it! (And that's what matters.)

Our driver, Mahmoud, arrived promptly at 11:30. Dave and I were frantically trying to get things cleaned up and put away because finishing packing and preparing the house for our long absence just didn't seem like it was ever going to happen. I woke up at 7:30 that morning to get stuff done, and the time just flew. At least when the driver arrived, it was time to go, and what we had completed would just have to be good enough.

Mahmoud was a dear man. He loaded all of the suitcases into the van, and THEN he loaded all of the car seats into the van and did it properly (I checked). We didn't drive away until a few minutes after twelve, and I'm pretty sure that Mr. Mahmoud was relieved to find out that our flight wasn't until 5:20. He was an interesting man who knew a lot of interesting facts about the most various things. He was quite comfortable driving to Dulles, and I was comfortable to have him do it. The kids were all good in the van and had a lot of energetic excitement, but they fell asleep since they hadn't been sleeping as much over the past week or more with all the changes and activities going on.

Thanks to the Fly America Act, we flew United. In spite of the bad press, they checked us in very smoothly. A woman guided us through the process as though she were our personal assistant. Many people mentioned to us how good the kids were behaving, and it was true. They were being very good. Getting through security and all the way to the gate was uneventful, although Daddy mentioned that Livvy was having an episode at one point when he took her to the restroom. She locked it down quickly enough, though, because I didn't even know about it until later.

I thought we might have had a ridiculous amount of extra time to wait since we left the house so early, but it turned out that we only had about 50 minutes before boarding once we got to the gate. So we got the kids pretzels and got ourselves some burgers. There was just enough time to eat them before boarding.

I checked my ticket for the row number (45, second row from the back in the 777), and set up two harnesses for the girls, one which I bought for Lilly and one which was given to me from a good friend (THANK YOU!). But then I learned a lesson that I should have checked the seats while checking in to make sure that they were actually the seats reserved. Somehow 5 of us had been assigned in 1 row (row 44), and I was assigned in row 45. That would mean that Dave would be able to sit with the boys, but I would not be able to sit with the girls. That clearly wouldn't work! Fortunately, a gracious grandma (self-professed) choreographed a rearrangement of seats that involved multiple people so that I could sit with the girls. I reset the special buckles to row 44, buckled the girls back in, and shortly after that, Lilly fell asleep. I snapped some pictures just for YOU (below, of course), and at last, we were ready to fly away.

Daddy psyching himself up for the long flight

Baby girl with her special FAA-approved belt adjuster

Boys were excited

Livvy was excited and cheerful

Admin and a small blessing

Okay, so here's the admin:

I'm not going to always post to Facebook when I write a new blog. So if you're tracking these on FB and you want to continue tracking, you can: 1) Follow me on Google + since I'm using Google's Blogger, 2) Download the Blogger app or 3) download some other RSS reader (such as Feedly, which is what I use to follow blogs that I follow). That's it. Easy enough, right? Of course, when we do something particularly interesting, I will most likely add a post to Facebook, but that might not be for a while after this. We fly out Sunday (can't believe it's actually here), and it will probably take a little while for me to get brave enough with public transportation to bring the whole family along. We'll see.

Here's a small blessing:

Normally I am quite a stickler for the kids' bedtime, but we have been running out of time so quickly that the past couple of weeks, I have not. Last night they went swimming in a pool starting at around 8:30 at night. A little while later, Dave called to tell me that Alex had a tick in his head. I hate those freaking things. (Who doesn't?) I know too many people with Lyme disease and I really do NOT want to see my kids with it. I pray about it specifically. So Dave packed up the kids from the pool (with Grandma, of course!) and brought them back over. I never got a tick out so easily. It must have very recently burrowed and Alex was such a big boy about it. We probably wouldn't have seen it for another 20 hours if the kids hadn't gone swimming. Thank God, that went very well.

Please pray for us on Sunday and Monday! Germany is 6 hours ahead of the East Coast, in case you didn't already know that. Here's a page I particularly like: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/gm.html

Auf Wiedersehen!

the BIG move

I feel like I could cry.

Keep it together.  Keep it together.  Keep it together.

This is week two of bad weeks for us. The household goods (aka the BIG move) shipment started on Monday.  The mover who won the contract (who is in CA) subcontracted the move to a local company.  The contract winner emailed me two weeks ago that my move date would be this Thursday and Friday. Although that late date stressed me out, it also worked out quite well because I could have company almost all week and still have our beds. Then the subcontractor called me this past Thursday and said they were coming out Monday through Wednesday. To make a long story short, there was a lot of miscommunication that ended in me thinking that it would be later when it was indeed earlier. So the movers showed up at about 11:15 on Monday. They worked until 11:20 p.m. and told me they would be back the next day. They drove off Monday night with almost everything I own, and left me no documentation whatsoever.

Not only did they not show up as promised (timeframe), they didn't show up at all on Tuesday. Of course I made all of the phone calls (contractor, subcontractor, my government POC) I could make, but pretty much got the runaround, until I reached "the boss". He ensured me that they would be here today when I wanted them to be here. They were, more or less, but when it came time to do the inventory, they were missing SO MUCH. They also had sealed the crates out of my presence, showed up with a different truck today than on Monday, scratched up my new hardwood floor that Dave had labored over last year, and were overall pretty terrible. I told my government POC that if this is the way they do their business for actual uniformed people, it is a disservice to the country.

It's not all bad, of course. The lightning bugs are out! We got to catch a couple before the movers (in spite of my warnings) packed up the bug container (that had 5 lightning bugs in it--poor things). Fortunately, Grandmaw came to the rescue and bought some mason jars, so we will be at it again tonight. Did you know that the firefly is PA's state insect, and that it can make light in all of its life stages? http://www.psu.edu/dept/nkbiology/naturetrail/speciespages/firefly.html. Sadly, there are no lightning bugs in Germany, so we are trying to maximize our lightning bug catching time before we leave. That means the kids might be up until 9:30 at night, which is probably a bad idea for them, but I can't help it. It is an absolute joy of childhood that I will likely never forget, and therefore need to pass on to my kids.

This morning on my way to work, I did my trick that I started in high school and sang out loud:

I will enter His gates with thanksgiving in my heart.

I will enter His courts with praise.

I will say this is the day that the Lord has made

I will rejoice, for He has made me glad.

It remains true no matter my situation. My family is beautiful. My job is great and is probably going to be even better over the next two years. And these stressful weeks will pass ever so quickly, and we will enjoy our expatriate experience just as we should. God willing, of course.

These kids love each other

the BIG move

Livvy in action

Three kids catching lightning bugs (Sorry about Griffy's eyes)

Oh "no!" for two.

Does anybody really know how much I HATE pumping gas?  Okay, hate is a strong word, I know, but I realllly dislike it.  I dislike it so much that I run the tank on my Jeep until 10 miles after the gas light comes on.  I dislike it so much that I fill it up as full as possible every time I pump.  I dislike it so much that I get just a little bit angry with Dave every time I have to pump because I think he should be doing it!*

So on the morning I had to ship the minivan, I told myself about 15 times to put only $10 in it.  It was empty, but I needed to only have 1/4 of a tank in order to have it accepted.  Didn't really want to drive around for hours burning up gas (= money) unnecessarily.

Mom came down to follow me to the vehicle processing center (VPC), which is near Baltimore.  We stopped at the gas station.  I loaded the gas pump into the van.  I walked over to pay for Mom's gas.  I came back to the van.  BOOM.  15 gallons in the van. No kidding. Usually I lament how slow the gas pumps are.

I had added a bit of extra time into the trip and went to Napa to buy a siphoning kit. They had only a hand pump with about 6 inches of air. I could clearly see that it wasn't going to work.  I stared dumbly at the wall where the 1 siphon kit hung.

And then a mechanic, who happened to be paying a bill at the time, told me that I could follow him to his garage because he thought he could help me out. Providence smiles at me. It turns out that this man is the very same mechanic who used to live across from me. He seldom goes into Napa. He paid almost all his bills late last week. But the $3 he owed to Napa was nagging at him. So I follow him to his garage, thank the very good Lord.

And THEN, his 3 siphoning kits (air and battery powered, nothing wimpy like a hand pump) fail to reach any gas.  Apparently, Dodge has engineered the gas tank and lines so that it cannot be siphoned. Great. Guess I'll be able to drive during the Apocalypse. The good man puts the van on a lift and does some voodoo near the gas filter and siphons the gas. My goodness, even on the lift, it was slow. I call the VPC and they say it's okay that I'll be two hours late, as long as I only have a 1/4 tank of gas and meet the other requirements. After about an hour with him, Mom and I drive off again.

Fast forward about an hour, and I realize with dismay that I did not have the mechanic take out enough gas. Mom and I drive around for an extra half hour. As I'm making a left turn on a left turn arrow, a different car in the opposite lane decides to go straight, and almost hits me. I mean, evasive maneuvers had to happen. Thank God that we didn't get hit.

When it finally hits 1/4 tank, I go to the very busy VPC. Line up to have the van inspected. The man opens the door, takes a quick look, and says it's too dirty. I will need to have it detailed.

I can't say I'm too surprised. The website and papers said it would have to be very clean. It wasn't. I can't deny it, even though I tried. But I wish they would have just said to have it detailed. Fortunately, the guy who did the inspection recommended a detailer about 10 minutes away. The detailer is willing to drop it off. Of course, for almost $300!

Mom and I have a nice lunch at Bertucci's, but I am emotionally drained and not looking forward to the drive back, so I'm sure I wasn't very good company. (Sorry, Mom. You know how much I love you.) We make it back safely.

The next day, the kids have a morning activity camp and I decide to take them to Busch Gardens after it is over, around noon. Mom, Alex, Griffy, Livvy and I load up in my Jeep and head down, after checking the weather. During the four hour drive, I check the operating hours and see that they close at 7:00. We'd be there a little after four, and that's okay because the little kids don't have much more stamina than that, anyway. We get there and I pay $90 for my ticket. I had bought one at the Army MWR but Mom would use that. We go in. No rides are open due to thunderstorms. No shows are running. The water play area is closed. I buy sympathy gelato for $30. We're all tired and disappointed, but the kids are so good. I can't even believe how good they are. We drive home. Three and a half hours.

I told Mom we were 0 for 2. I had a shipment coming on Thursday, and I was getting a little worried that I was going to see a pattern. But the shipment went fine on Thursday. And the van got accepted yesterday. There is some confusion about the last shipment next week, but it will all work out. God takes care of us. (Same thing I tell my kids all the time.)

Is it Saturday today?! 8 more days. We already said some sad goodbyes, and I don't even want to talk about it.  Maybe later.

* Logically, I know this is completely unfair to him. He seldom drives my Jeep and if I ever ask him to take it on his trip to the store and fill it up for me, he does. So, my bad, Dave. You know how much I love you.

Texture

It's difficult for me to write tonight.  I've been trying to write another post for almost a week now, but I'm finding it very difficult. It's hard to write about the emotional...what?..emotional trauma? That seems too strong of a word, but it's close. So, it's hard to write about the emotional trauma that Dave and I essentially volunteered us for.

I said my first tearful goodbye this weekend. Wow, it was difficult. I think I've learned from my time in the Navy that it's always easier to leave than to be left. This weekend, I wasn't sure I still believe that. It was goodbye to my friend from middle school (or so?) and her 15-year-old daughter. We all started crying and my kids didn't understand why. We tried to explain that we're going to miss each other while we're in Germany, but how do you explain a 2-year-long absence to a 5-year-old and 3-year-olds? In addition to saying goodbye, it was hard for me to watch the kids not understand that they would not get to see Nikki and Riley for a long time, possibly two years. How will it be when that understanding comes for them?

Thank God for Skype.

I had a nice lunch with my friend and boss (not sure which came first) today. I told her about the hard goodbye over the weekend and how I question our decision to do this. We also discussed diversity in schools, tiles in European housing, the future of our careers, little kids and raising them, and whatever else might have come up in the past couple of weeks since we last really saw each other. Then we got back around to Germany.

If it weren't for her, I wouldn't be going. I found the position on my own (with God's push, of course). I think her first reaction when I asked was to say no.  After all, the position couldn't be back-filled since I am coming back to it, and the team needs me. But something changed her mind and she said yes! Perhaps it was uncouth to reveal my doubts about leaving to her, but as I said she is also a friend, and I'm glad I did because of something she said to me today.  She told me that this kind of experience will "add texture to my life."

Yes, texture. Texture is good. Sometimes it can be coarse and cause friction to slow us down a little. Sometimes it is slick and speeds us up. Sometimes it is smooth and soft and helps us to soothe others. Sometimes the textures are unrecognizable and make us question where we are and what we're doing. A change in texture often results in a change in position or direction. And usually, I think, whether seen as good or bad initially, some good ultimately results from the addition of texture to one's life, whether intentional as in my case or accidental as so often occurs. (Romans 8:28)

I think, hope, and pray that this addition of texture is God's will for us and that it will not only be fun but also make us better Christians and better people overall.

Less than a month!

I got my orders, and this month there will be a whirlwind of activity getting ready to leave. Our ticket reservations are for June 25th. We will be getting picked up at 11:30 for a Dulles departure at 5:20. I know, I was being a bit paranoid, but I just can't stress myself out by getting there too late for whatever dumb reason would pop up. The biggest thing is getting on the plane on time. After that, we will buy or borrow whatever we need from wherever or whomever we can.

Are we really doing this?!

As we prepare to leave, we are cramming in as many visits with friends and family as we can. My mom left today after a long visit, and I was more sad to see her go than usual. I am USUALLY sad to see her go, but this time even more so. I know that this is going to be a great opportunity and a great adventure, but the closer it gets, the sadder I get.

But I am still enjoying life! Tomorrow I am taking Livvy (and ONLY Livvy) to Busch Gardens as a reward for getting potty trained (FINALLY), and I am going to go back in a couple of days to take Griffin (as his reward, even though he was trained much sooner) and Alex (because Griffy WANTS Alex to come along with him on his special day). And that will be fun for all of us (except Dave and Lilly, of course). Thank you, hubby.  :-)

These next 24 days are going to be busy, but I am going to try to enjoy my last couple of weeks in these beautiful States as much as possible.

Do you think the fireflies (aka lightning bugs) will come out before we leave?

A Step of Faith

Do you think I have a lot to do?  

Our orders came in on Thursday, which means I can actually start doing what I need to do: three different household shipments, ship the minivan, cancel utilities, pass a driving test for Germany, tell the post office, the banks, the utilities I'm not canceling, get shot records, passports (on the way), a short-term place to live over there until Gary vacates his house, turn my projects over at work, clean the house, buy suitcases for the kids...

Endless.

Sometimes I wonder in what way people are judging me about this. I'm pretty sure my family is tentatively happy for us. Tentative, of course, because everyone will miss us (especially the children) for two years. But I can't help but wonder if some people think I'm crazy for doing this.

Move my family out of the country for two years?! Why? I'm not a missionary who NEEDS to travel. I'm not getting paid an inordinate sum of money to do this. Sure there will be some benefits for the family, but the risk. The risk!

Honestly, when I think too hard about doing this, I get a little bit sick to my stomach. My stomach does flip-flops and I feel the need to push some panic down fast. That causes me a little bit of shame because, as a friend from my past (and possibly future?) wrote in her blog recently (https://ourisraeladventuresite.wordpress.com/ in "Panic at the Airport"), as a Christian, I should trust God to take care of us.

He always does! I think of Hebrews 11 which basically tells us to remember our history. I think of all of the care that God has provided for me in the past, and I can't deny His faithfulness. I KNOW that He'll take care of us in Germany. I KNOW that whatever we end up going through while we're over there or traveling, we won't be going through alone. He has "proven" Himself to me over and over again.  But every once in a while, worry steps in. I'm not completely foolish, after all, and I understand what a big deal this is.

So it's a step of faith. I feel like I haven't stepped out in my faith in a while. Of course not! I've been busy having kids and building a family and doing things that are "safe." Who could blame me? But as I said in my first post, I've prayed and prayed about this and feel it is in God's will. So now it's time to get some work done.

It's going to be a rough 6 weeks until we get there, and then rough until 6 weeks after we move into our more permanent housing. But we'll get through it. And God will be faithful. We'll work hard, but at the same time, we'll try to enjoy these last few weeks in the States as the weather starts getting good. We're going to visit with my family and friends and see the people we love. I look forward to it.

And for this blog, I'm going to try to be real. I'm going to try not to only paint a pretty picture all the time. It's going to be over two years long, and I can't keep up a front for that long, anyway. So, here goes. Stick with me!

Happy Baby

Alex the Knight

Watching Celtic Cloggers

Livvy the Tiger

Little Scots

Hurry up and wait!

Hurry up and wait is an all-too-familiar saying for people in the military, and although I'm no longer in uniform, I find myself here again. I still don't have orders. Nothing is moving except that my report date is getting closer and closer, and I can't do anything to get ready!

That isn't exactly true, of course. We have our passports on the way and I've probably found a property manager. We're getting doctor's appointments out of the way that we have deferred for years (David!). And I've done as much as I can do WITHOUT my orders.  But I can't do everything, and I need those orders!

God has already proven faithful to us, as I'm sure He will continue to do.  He has provided us with housing already (we think--it isn't completely firmed up, but it can't be just yet). Oddly enough (some might say coincidentally, I would not), Dave has an acquaintance from high school who is working as a federal employee in Wiesbaden Army Garrison. He has been there for over a decade but has been told that he must work in the United States for two years. He owns a five-bedroom house, and his timing is probably going to match up almost exactly with my timing. We are planning to rent from him, and that makes that part of our lives so much easier, considering we think we know where we will live, it's partly furnished, near kindergarten, grocery stores, and everything we will really need. Knowing what to expect on that front is very helpful.

I am eager to get our plane tickets because (another blessing) my wonderful sister, Michelle, is willing (perhaps even eager) to help us out during our travel day. If the tickets are at all affordable, she is planning to fly with us and help us travel with the kids. I can't tell you how much I am not looking forward to the day that we fly. Being stuck on an airplane with a baby, two toddlers, and a preschooler for 6 or 8 hours sounds like...well, you know. Please pray for us because we'll need it. If Michelle can fly with us, that will really change the adult to kid ratio for us. Our kids are good, but we'll be tired, they'll be tired, and we'll be outnumbered. I know it will be temporary and we'll get it done, but it just sounds like a dreadful day to me.

But this is what I signed up for, isn't it?  (And so did Dave!)

Germany, here we come! (Or do we?)

As everyone knows, I have gotten an assignment for 25 months in Wiesbaden, Germany. I am still waiting for orders and am starting to wonder how much longer they will be. I am getting antsy since I have been asked to report for work on June 26th.  That is only 12 weeks away, and there is so much to do!  

I am hoping that we will fly out of here on June 19, 2017.  And let me tell you what: I am certain that this is going to be a great opportunity for me and the family, and I'm as certain as I can be that it is in God's will, but we are going to miss you SOOOO much while we are gone.  Two years is a long time to be away, and I recognize that and the sacrifice that everyone else is making because we decided to accept this position.  The kids will miss all of their grandparents and their aunts and uncles (even the non-biological type), our friends who are really family, and the comforts of knowing you're only a short (relatively) car drive away.  Dave and I will miss you, too.

But I hope that you will come visit us!  We're hoping and planning to get a house big enough to accommodate guests.  And although I won't be able to take a lot of time off of work while I'm there, I'll be able to enjoy the weekends like normal and take some days here and there.  So come visit!  Let's go to Berlin.  Or Paris.  Or Venice.  Or the Alps.  Or anywhere you would like!  I'm hoping to see as much of Europe as is reasonably possible with 4 little kids in tow.  We can do it!

Please pray for us while we prepare for and implement this HUGE transition.  It will have its rewards, but it is going to be difficult.  I know that and am praying about it myself continually.  And thank you so much for your support.  I know it isn't easy for you to say goodbye to us for two years, but I am grateful for all of you and I love you very much.  It will go by quickly and we'll be home in no time.

In the meantime, I promise to update this blog frequently and to Skype regularly with anyone who wants to.  I'll take tons of pictures so stay tuned!

Germany, HERE WE COME!! (I think!)