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)