They Came; They Packed; They Marked My Boxes in Turkish

And then they left! All in one day. It was incredible and stressful and bizarre. Amazing to see your whole material life packed and wrapped and crated and gone.

It took half the neighborhood to watch the kids and keep an eye on the many movers to make sure they didn't get too creative with their packing. (I tell you Vicki D is the woman you want on your side--she watches movers like a hawk!)

Ten doener and pommes later, I was standing in my empty, filthy house surrounded by an exhausted family.

Today we cleaned, and then I was standing in my empty, clean house surrounded by an exhausted family.

This last week here in Germany is proceeding in an amazing manner. I can't bear to tell you about it all right now, but I am taking pictures and making memories and crying left and right. I really can't bear to be in my empty house because it is like a giant ghost. Today I cried uncontrollably for three or four minutes with my head and half my torso deep in the belly of a kitchen cabinet I was cleaning. I just couldn't stop thinking about the hours I spent in that kitchen in the company of incredible friends. Sometimes we solved the problems of the world sitting around the kitchen table, sometimes we just solved the problems of the moment.

More soon, friends, more soon. We four are now sharing a hotel room, and tomorrow we retrieve the dogs from the kennel and it will be "we six" sharing a hotel room for two more nights.

So Many Blessings

“At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.”
—Albert Schweitzer (1875-1965); theologian, philosopher, physician

Woopsie

Anxiety levels are mounting around here. I dented the Gutsy Dad's new car so badly that we cannot get it fixed before the move because we have to replace the whole door. Great. The movers called on Friday to tell us they were overbooked, so they are coming four days later than planned. Awesome. This means we have no wiggle room left in our pre-flight plans. Jillson is waking with night terrors. I think she can sense the stress in the house.

But nobody is freaking out more than Zephie. We went out to dinner the other night and she did this:



That's right. She unpacked the Gutsy Dad's suitcase to make some room for herself in it.

God love her.

The Amazing Kris

That's right, Kris with a K. For a little over a year now, my friend Kris has been taking pics of the Gutsy Family. How lucky we were to stumble upon such a talented and fun photographer right in our neck of the woods (sort of). And, how sad I am that she won't be in our neck of the woods anymore. She's moving, too, but not near us. (Seriously, is it in any way fair for a woman to have to give up an amazing photographer, an awesome hairstylist, and a stupendous OB/GYN IN ADDITION to her friends and fairytale neighborhood? I THINK NOT!)

But I digress. It all started in April 2008, when the Gutsy Dad was home on vacation. Kris did this (you can click on the pictures to see them in all their larger glory):

Then, in December 2008, she did this:

And this:

Kris always makes all of us feel comfortable, as evidenced by the fact that she draped me organza and linen and got me to expose the BELLY without my feeling like a moron. Love her.

And so, of course, we had to have one more shoot since we now have one more daughter. And this time, the WHOLE family got to play. Right in our big back yard. (Again, feel free to click to see the photos larger.)

You especially might want to click on these, as I accidentally posted them in small size instead of large.

Thank you, Kris. We are really going to miss you.

Herzlichen Glueckwunsch

Yesterday I made these cards (times sixteen) and the holder (times two) for an Abschiedsgeschenk for Jillsie's two amazing kindergarten teachers. (Thanks to Tresa Black for the card holder measurements and tutorial!)















Edited to add materials list (thanks for asking):
All materials by Close to My Heart.
Cardstock in the following colors: colonial white, tulip, juniper, creme brulee, sorbet
Patterned paper: Perfect Day
Ink pads in the following colors: tulip, juniper, creme brulee, sorbet
Stamp sets: Key to My Heart, Tickled Pink, For Every Occasion
Embellishments: taffy brads, tulip bitty brads, colonial white twill ribbon, designer brads (Emporium), colonial white waxy flax, Perfect Day Stickease

The Long Break Up

Okay, people, I am freaking out here. I hate moving more than any other activity on the planet, and I've got a big one coming up. I am in some serious denial about this. But, no matter what I do, a week from today, they will come and start taking our stuff away. A week from tomorrow we will move into a hotel for our final week here. I hate this. Did I mention I hate this? I have to live for a week in a hotel in a different town, no where near my dear friends, and I am dreading it. Why? Because, as you have certainly guessed by now, I am a sentimental freak. If we're still here in Germany, I want to be in my house with everything as it should be, with all my neighbors and friends and routines in place. Then, someone else would pack our bags. We'd just drive off to the airport, and we wouldn't have to witness or be a part of the gradual trickling away of what was our happy little world here.

As I type this, a friend down the street is moving her stuff out. I've had to drive by the moving truck twice and each time I start crying.

I had no idea it would be like this when I married my husband. I wanted nothing to do with the women who had married guys who do the same thing my husband does. Little did I know.

Now I feel as though I am going through a perpetual break-up with these incredible women (and also with Germany itself). Each time a friend moves out it wrenches my heart in two. And there's no end in sight, not until we ourselves bite the bullet and tschuss on out of here.

Ugh. Sorry for the depressing post. I actually logged on to share with you some photographs of the cute gifts I made for Jillsie's kindergarten teachers. I also want to share with you the amazing photography of my friend Kris. But these things will have to wait until a cheerier post. And I need to go hop in the shower and get ready to be seen in public.

Feeling like a total sop,
The Gutsy Mom

Note to Self

It is not my responsibility to eat every pastry in Germany before we move.

Four Months Already

I'm not sure where the time is going (or why I am posting so frequently after just writing that I wasn't going to), but here's a photographic update for the Maddie Moo.

Kitchen Table Photo Shoot





Seriously. Don't you want to eat them?


At the Bayrisch Irish


With Meme at the Goldener Greif


Sleeping soundly.


Madelyn at 4 months, for comparison.


Jillson at 4 Months, for comparison.

Especially for Jim & Dave

Renovated!

With Petra at the Baekerei Schuller

Mozartringe

Let the Craziness Begin

It's officially less than a month until the Big Move takes place and the Summer of Fun begins. I believe we are about to be engulfed in major craziness, so don't be surprised if the posts are few and far between and a little sentimental. At the moment, I am trying to hold my own, I'm working my Day-Timer to death (Lord knows I love my Wite-Out tape runner pen thing), and I'm crying only three times a day. I always learn to love the new place when I get there, but I've never left a place as cool as the one I am about to leave. I'm going to have to "dig a notch deeper" (as one of my favorite acting teachers used to say) into my reserve of guts to get through this one, folks.