-Lots of time hanging out with Mom
-Repeating "I can't believe we are doing this" and "Are we nuts for doing this" to each other daily
-Consistently feeling like the whole move was not actually happening and nothing felt real
-Our going-away party, which was fun until I went a little overboard with the wine and started crying and finally put myself to bed. So, basically, I missed the last hours of my own party because 2Buck Chuck snuck up on me!
-Getting to see my stepmother again and meet her boyfriend, who I highly approve of! ;)
(Long story short, I cut off my father and kept my stepmom after their divorce. I definitely kept the best one!)
-US Daylights Savings Time (AKA, TimeChange #1)
-More time with Mom for last minute shopping
-The movers came! Three guys packed our entire house in 7 hours (and that was with a lunch break)
(I may never move again without professional movers)
-Moved into the Holiday Inn in Talladega
-Found out that hotels and toddlers don't really mix
-Hired two teenage boys the last day we were in town to help us... and quickly decided we should have hired them MUCH sooner. Those young men could WORK. And they were fast and polite and we paid them much more than agreed on just because they saved our tired old backs hours on the heating pads.
-Had a moment with Chris when we were leaving 4030 for the last time. While we never LOVED loved the actual house, we loved what all we experienced as a couple, then a family there. We came home from Vegas to start our lives together to that house. We conceived our son in that house ('sup, TMI?). We brought P home from the hospital to that house. P learned to sit up, crawl, walk, talk, EVERYTHING in that house. And after our little renovation last year, I really started falling in love with the downstairs and it started to feel so much more open and airy. So, yes, I cried when we locked the door for the last time.
-Spent our last night in Talladega having dinner with Mom and my in-laws. Mom made my favorite meal and dessert and it was perfect.
-Got up Sunday the 20th and headed out to meet everyone at Mom's, get last minute haircuts, finish packing, then caravan to the airport.
-Stopped to eat in Oxford and I ran into a friend, which was extra nice!
-The Airport: Guys.... the whole airport/flight station was nothing but drama, stress, and tears. And, no, I'm not just talking about P. I cried multiple times at the airport (sadness and stress) and on the plane (stress and extreme exhaustion). I also want to mention that we never would have survived checking in and the luggage without our parents (who all went to drop us off). That time spent with them in our last few hours in the States was a blessing!
(We couldn't have done it without the grandmothers!)
-The Flight with a toddler: Want my advice on flying overseas with a toddler? DON'T DO IT. Seriously. I'm looking into trans-Atlantic cruises for any trips home in the near future (I'm only half-way joking). However, on the positive side, the employees at the Atlanta International Terminal and the Lufthansa Airline were so incredibly kind and helpful. The flight attendants were genuinely thoughtful and courteous people and the people sitting around us were polite and understanding! We actually didn't get a dirty look until the end when we were sitting in our seats, waiting on everyone else to get off the plane before we even stood up. I'll take that as a humanity win!
(ME: "Let's take a selfie to remind us to NEVER DO THIS AGAIN.")
-The Arrival: I've never been happier to see a stranger in my life than when we meet Chris's sponsor at the airport. We have been so blessed by our sponsor and his wife, as well as previous co-worker of Chris's who works here now. He and his wife have become our friends and been such a help to us!
-At the time of our arrivial, Germany was 6 hours ahead of Alabama (Time Change #2)
-The Lodge: It's a hotel, but with a small bedroom, so it was an improvement over the Holiday Inn! We are able to put P down in the crib housekeeping brought us (it's on wheels and it's perfect for our situation) and shut the door until he falls asleep, then at night, we can wheel him into the living room area so we can go to sleep.
-This past Sunday, Germany had their Daylights Saving Time and sprang forward (Time Change #3). Y'all...we're tired.
-Chris's co-worker and his family took us downtown and we loved walking in the pedestrian area! The buildings are so beautiful and ornate. We loved the vibe from downtown and have decided to look for an apartment in the city center! We both agree that while the suburbs would have more space, we lived that lifestyle back home and we want to experience new environments while we're here. We have three places lined up to go see and we're very excited to see what happens!
And now, because this blog post is long and rambling, I will end on that note and post again soon!
(One happy family... even when cabin fever strikes!)
No comments:
Post a Comment