Moving at the speed of Europe

We've been here now a little over three weeks, and probably the first lesson that we've had to learn is that of patience. So many things here are slower and just take more time, we've got some pretty good examples. Please see below:

1. When we arrived we discussed with the relocation consultant various items that we wanted, one of which was the Internet. We actually stunned her when we said we didn't want cable, but we really just wanted the internet to communicate etc... Much to our surprise we were told that it would be a minimum of 3-4 weeks to get the Internet installed in our house. One of my co-workers had it take over 7 weeks because the Internet company wouldn't install their Internet until the phone line was installed, and they refused to do the phone line and the Internet at the same time.

2. We also wanted to have cell phone while we're here. We had brought over our iPhone from the US so that we didn't need to sign a contract here, and went into the store to get a phone. Well, after much discussion with the cell phone clerk we were finally able to get a SIM card for K's phone. We installed the card in the store and it said no service. We asked why and we're told that it takes 3-4 days for the paperwork we signed to be mailed to the central office for their review and approval. Wow! We were stunned, it may sound a little crazy, but seriously who mails papers into an office for approval anymore, isn't everything electronic?

3. K went to work on the first day and took the usual glamor shot photo ID pictures. He stood at the counter waiting for his ID badge but instead was given this orange color blank badge and was told that he would get his final badge in 3-4 weeks.

Overall, we've been able to just sit back and appreciate a different pace of life, its been nice to simply look at each other, laugh and say OK, whenever we're told 3-4 weeks. In the end, we really love the experience so far, and the time that we've spent waiting for all the technology and "necessities" of life, have really given us a chance to take pause and reflect on what is really important in life. We're really grateful for all our family and friends and how we know if in the end we needed you, you wouldn't tell us to wait 3-4 weeks.

Love You All!

Location:Luxembourg, Luxembourg

Miss A & The Tooth Fairy

A few weeks ago we noticed that Miss A's mouth looked like this...




She had a tooth growing in behind the baby tooth. After much research by a very trusted source - Google, we decided that this is pretty common and that it was nothing to be too concerned about. After a few weeks A's tooth got looser and then...




As the French say, and they really do say, viola!




A pair of pliers and a few tears later and she had lost her first tooth! She was a trooper and luckily the Tooth Fairy had our forwarding address here in Luxembourg, because she was able to deliver a nice 2€ coin under A's pillow.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Luxembourg, Luxembourg

Our First Castle

We felt like we needed to take a break from the stress of moving into the new house, as well as give the kids a break from being dragged everywhere. So, we took a trip to a famous castle here in Luxembourg. It's called Vianden and ironically it's located in the village of Vianden.





It is the biggest castle in Luxembourg, which we learned this weekend has over 30 castles within its small borders. Anyways, the castle was hosting its annual medieval festival while we were there, so it was a really fun experience to see some other exhibits and demonstrations. For example:




A drum band made up of really young kids who knew how to do things with flags that we've never dreamed of...




A sword fighting play which was pretty comical...







We were pretty amazed at how close they would get to the crowd with their swords and flames. A couple of moms had to leave with their kids because the guys scared them...



In the end everyone died, but L really enjoyed it, go figure.




They also had a ton of different types of medieval birds on display. The kids felt like they were in Harry Potter...







Overall it was just fun to hang out in the castle and it was cool to feel a part of something so old and historic. It was actually occupied by the Nazis during WWII.



Miss A getting her medieval pose on.











We've come to appreciate that Johnsonville sausage really doesn't have a leg to stand on when compared to sausage here. We had lunch here and then washed down our sausages with some waffles which are kind of a snack food here.




L's face in this pic is a good one, he didn't want to share :)

At the end of the day we let the kids all pick out a toy to take home, A & L picked out little wooden swords and Miss H, well let's just say the executioner in her came out... Don't worry- it's made out of wood. Not as dangerous as it looks!




She didn't want to put it down, and fell asleep with it in the car. People were commenting the whole walk down, probably on how bad of parents we are, but hey we couldn't understand them, so no harm no foul.

Overall, it was a great experience and a very cool opportunity to see such an old piece of Luxembourgish history.










See ya Vianden!

-K & E

Location:Vianden, Luxembourg

Bon Appetit!

We've definitely begun to settle in to life here in Luxembourg. Crossing our fingers we sign the lease for our home on Thursday at 1:30pm and we move in on July 31st! We'll write more about our house later, once its official and we've got good pictures!

One of the first things that we've really learned to love here is the food! As bad as that may sound, we had to go to a Dr. today for an immigration physical and E and I had lost about 10 pounds each! We've been walking a lot and eating pretty decent meals. But, back to the food...

The first Monday that we were here we went grocery shopping and bought some fruits and vegetables from the store. We were somewhat shocked with the price, but had no other choice so we took a bunch home. Man are we glad we did! The produce here is awesome!

Check out these raspberries! They were huge and delicious.




We also bought some strawberries imported from the Netherlands and they were the best strawberries we've ever had. The cool thing about the produce and other items like honey, milk, etc... is that you know the source of the food. Our honey jar has the phone number and address of the beekeeper who produced the honey.

This Saturday on our way into the grocery store, we noticed this shack where everyone was standing ordering stuff. Of course, I wanted whatever they wanted, so we went over and order 3 sausage things. We're not sure what they were made out of, two were brownish pinkish, and the other was white. They were good! Even Miss H got on the sausage train.




For those of you who are familiar with Miss H's feeding habits, or lack thereof, you know how hard it is to get her to eat. The first couple days here were challenging with her, but know she definitely is enjoying the food. Tonight we had spaghetti, broccoli and cantaloupe (from France) and we couldn't give Miss H enough food.




We all agreed that the cantaloupe was the best we've ever had!

We've made it a few times a week ritual to walk to a local square nearby and eat ice cream after dinner.




The square has a ton of food places, and some awesome ice cream stores. They do a lot of fun things with the ice cream and the kids love it. They made a bumblebee for L and a Pinocchio for A.







E and I enjoyed some great sundaes, mine was Kiwi and it was delicious...




Overall, we're loving life here in Luxembourg. It's been an easier transition that we initially expected. We're sure that there will be tough spots ahead of us, but we have each other and that's why we're here, so that we can grow together and grow closer. As you can see below, the kids have begun growing closer, their favorite pastime is now to dump small rocks on each other's heads. Oh well, luckily they've got some pretty hard heads!




Until next time! À bien tôt

-K &E

Location:Luxembourg, Luxembourg

Marvelous Park

As this was our first Saturday in Luxembourg and we had absolutely nothing planned, we took the advice of our relocation consultant and took the kids to the Marvelous Park (that's it's name, but think French). We didn't quite know what to expect, mainly because we can't read the pamphlet. But the pictures in the pamphlet were pretty and it had free parking so how could we say no...




We've only been here for a week but, K always seems to find the weird words that are very similar to English words if you just read them as they're pronounced if they were English. Take this sign for example:




Now A & L haven't started school yet, so we're not sure of the exact Luxemborgish (yes, they have they're own language here) pronunciation, but it does take just 1 Fahrt to right the "Poney Express". Yes, K is a child sometimes, but we have to learn to laugh at somethings right now, because there is a whole lot that we could be crying about!

Potty humor aside, the park was a nice retreat, as we flew into Luxembourg we were amazed with how green it was, and the park was in the middle of one of the forests, so it was nice to sit in the middle of so many trees.







The park had a lot of different things for the kids to do, there was a small zoo, a bunch of different play grounds, and a lot of just random things for the kids to climb on. Case in point, Mr. Sleeping Elf:




The kids had a blast on him, and it was fun to see them enjoy something very simple and use their imaginations while running around on him.







Right next to the Elf was this Rooster statue which Miss H kept calling Pee-Wee, (the name of E's parent's dog) "Hi, Wee-wee", and barking at it,we got a kick out of it, and we think a few Luxembourger's suspicions about Americans were further solidified.










In the end we enjoyed ourselves and were once again amazed with how all the banned playground toys of our childhood are here in Europe. It was fun to show the kids a merry-go-round, and the kids teeter-totter swings that we used to always play on:










So Marvelous park, we bid thee farewell for awhile, and hope to return in the future to further bask in your Marvelous wonders, and hopefully be able to read your pamphlet next time. The only thing that we'd like to have changed next time is the ending, it rained on our parade... But that's how it goes here in Luxembourg, that's why its soo green!




-K & E

Location:Bettemburg, Luxembourg

The First Few Days

The first few days here have been a roller coaster ride! We feel like we go from the highs to the lows in just a few minutes sometimes. There are just so many things that are different than we're used to, of course. K and I both worried a lot about finding a place to live that would have everything on our "must have" list. We think we've already got that taken care of.....more on that another time. Just figuring all the logistics of life (ex: transferring money between American and Luxembourgish banks, finding food that's recognizable and restaurants that are open, etc.) has been a little more difficult than we imagined.

All that aside though, we're already having lots of fun! We already feel like we're coming closer together as a family because each other is all we've got. Plus, it's such a testimony builder to see how Heavenly Father is so involved in the small details of our lives, no matter where we are or what we need.

On our first day here we found " Pirate Ship Park". It's called that because it has an enormous ship as part of the playground. I have to laugh every time I see a park here because they are so different. Most of the equipment would be totally outlawed in the U.S. Here is Miss A on a tire swing.


All the swings are arranged in a circle so that the kids all swing towards each other into the center. I've seen a few come pretty close to taking each other out.



Here's the giant pirate ship- totally made of wood. I don't think there are many wooden playgrounds left in the U.S.



Check out this slide- it is seriously like three stories tall at least. And totally made of metal. The kids LOVE it! Mr. L flies out of the end so fast it scared me the first time. But he jumped up and flashed a big smile!







We all were kind of hungry the first couple days. We hadn't figured out how to eat yet- or even where to find the food. The kids were ecstatic when we stumbled upon McDonald's on Tuesday night. And I have to admit that K and I didn't exactly argue when they wanted to eat there.


Miss H is the pickiest eater we've had yet. She didn't eat much of anything the first two days. She loves peanut butter and pretty much survived on it before we left. Peanut butter is not so easy to find here (I did have a bunch shipped here in our sea shipment, but we won't get all that stuff for another week or two). Needless to say, she's discovered Nutella and thinks its a perfectly fine substitute.



While we were enjoying our McDonald's feast in an outside courtyard, there was this street performer that the kids were mesmerized by. He would hold really still, like a statue, then start making bird calls and moving around, startling everyone walking by.



After we finished eating, we went over to put some money in his cup and he plopped his hat on Miss A's head and pulled the kids in for a picture. Can you see the cigarette in his hand? I don't think clean air laws exist here either........



When we read the description of our hotel before we got here we were excited because it said there was an outdoor garden attached to one of the rooms. We were thrilled because the kids love being outside. Turns out the "garden" is in fact a bed of rocks surrounded by trees. I love how creative and adaptable kids are though because they've spent hours playing outside in that rock pile. They even have pet rocks now. We just keep telling ourself this is a temporary situation :)




Miss H is always on the phone these days because, to her, just about anything is a phone!


Miss A just being silly while playing outside. She's gotten used to the glasses and wears them like a champ! She asks for them every morning and puts them away every evening. No nagging or reminding!



There's not a day that goes by that this little boy's big brown eyes don't melt my heart. He's a handful right now, but he sure is cute!



Bottom line- despite the highs and lows so far, we already love being here! We know you would too! We found a house with plenty of space for visitors, so anyone who comes to visit can have free lodging for their European vacation! Who wants to be first???


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Luxembourg, Luxembourg