OUR LIFE IN BOXES

Disclaimer: While I am, most of the time, the type of person to try to look at the positive in a situation, please allow me to do a bit of wallowing in this post. I do know the great experience Germany will be. But, if you'll allow, I feel the need for a moment to be a bit sad.

Look what showed up at our house Friday morning! These are the crates that all of our STUFF was loaded in to be shipped by boat on its way to Germany. Ya, don't get your hopes up...it didn't all fit in these four crates. They had to fill these boxes and then bring a whole other load. We have a lot of crap.

This is our life in boxes...pretty cool, eh? I'm just happy we didn't have to pack it ourselves.

It was quite funny because the shipment was scheduled for Wednesday thru Friday. The main "packing" would be done the first two days and then on Friday they would finish up and then load the boxes. In Brian's experience, the moving companies would send at least three guys to pack up his one bedroom apartment. So, we slaved and slaved a few days before separating and cleaning in anticipation of a whole crew of guys showing up.

First thing Wednesday morning, we get a knock on the door...from one worker. Poor guy was wrapping (cuz when it goes overseas EVERYTHING has to be wrapped) for the whole day and only got one room done. There was no way the company was going to finish by Friday.

See, even our plastic totes had to be wrapped (see below). The couches were wrapped in the shape of couches. The chairs were wrapped in the shapes of chairs.

They did end up getting it done. Luckily, on Friday when the truck showed up, so did 7 more workers. I think they were also nervous that they wouldn't get it done by the contracted date.

They took almost everything. Everything except the liquids, flammables and the Smarties candies in the kitchen drawer. (Not only did I not KNOW there were random Smarties candies in our drawer, but why the heck did they leave THOSE of all things.) Oh ya, they also drank my whole case of bottled water without asking. That's just the unforgivable. Anyway, they also took the massive, giant sized platform bed of ours and even the piano. It's going to be fun seeing how the guys in Germany are going to get all of our oversized "American" standard items in a multilevel house. "Stupid Americans" is what they're going to be calling us the whole time. hehe.

It's been pretty interesting. We're now sleeping on the "man couch" and an air mattress, as well as living out of four suitcases. Actually, as organized as we were, we neglected to remember for our first night without beds to grab the air mattress from our storage unit. So we BOTH slept on the couch. I had "such a crick in the neck" the next day. (Anyone know what movie that's from?) Anyway! It's a good thing Randi has been taking care of us while we've been nomads. She's given us dishes, pans, food, dinner every night, an air mattress, sheets/blankets/pillows, toys for Spencer, love, kindness and her first born child. You rock Randi!

It's been kind of bittersweet. While they were loading, I was sort of unemotional...just sort of doing my own thing. And even for the couple of weeks before the movers came, I was unemotional about it as well. Just, you know, crossing things off my "To Do List" of what needed to be done.

But we're now living in an empty house.

It's getting harder day by day to suppress the anticipation of what's coming. And even though I'm excited for our new life in Germany, I can't help but acknowledge the sadness that will soon come.

I definitely try not to think about it too much because I know that in the past I have always had a hard time saying goodbye to a home. I don't know why that is. Maybe it's the memories. And then having to say goodbye to them. Or maybe it's knowing you have to accept change...which is always hard for everyone in their own way.

But as I reminisce on the memories in this house, I think they are going to be a lot harder to say goodbye to than any of my houses before. I'm anticipating a very heavy heart when we leave. Probably because I know that in this house, my memories were the happiest they've ever been in my adult life...

I've made one of the best friends ever and it's going to be hard to say goodbye to her, especially since I've never had a "best friend" in the other places I've lived. Always great friends, but not a kindred spirit like I've found with her.

It's also the first house of mine and Brian's marriage.

The girls' lives have been the most stable while living in this home.

And we welcomed a brand new member to our family while here as well.

We've had good memories, and bad memories. We've made lots of new friends, and seen a lot of friends go (especially living in a military town). But most of all, we've been a completed happy family.

Yes, it's going to be hard to say goodbye.