Delivery day!

When I signed my name on about ten different sheets...six of them inventory lists and the other four consent forms, back in Cary in mid-January...it was my understanding that we probably wouldn't see any of the belongings that had been packed away until at least the end of February. And that would be the soonest. Steven and I had pretty much resigned ourselves to waiting until the first of March.

Sometimes things happen quicker than you think they will.

We don't know the name of the ship our stuff sailed over the Atlantic on, but what we do know is that on the  afternoon of January 12th, the truck pulling our container drove from Cary, NC to Savannah, GA. On January 22nd, it was loaded onto a cargo ship and set sail for its ocean journey. On February 5th, it arrived in Bremerhaven, Germany, and on Monday, February 6th, we received a phone call asking if a next day delivery would be convenient. To which we both replied, "Yes!"

Early morning, Tuesday, we all climbed into the BMW and went over to the customs office where Steven presented all sorts of paperwork for both the Audi and our other belongings. It was a cold, cold, cold day...the temp hovering at zero. It had snowed about two weeks before, but the temperature had never gotten high enough to melt any of it off and the streets were icy and snow packed. Scott was excited. He'd missed the Audi and was raring to go when I woke him up. Maya...not so much. A warm house, tucked into a warm bed sounded much better than freezing and sliding around on the ice...but my powers of persuasion are strong. (Okay, maybe not. She just relented. What other choice did she have?)

Once we watched them break the seal of the container and open the doors to reveal the Audi's nose, Steven and I breathed a sigh of relief. The container had made it and we were all in the same country once again.

Before the four of us had gotten back in the car, the truck was heading off towards our house in Linden. We live in a small village with small streets...and speed trees. :) We were worried about the truck being able to get to our house but these guys are professionals, used to small villages and small streets...and apparently speed trees, too. The movers came in two vans, scouting out the route and guiding the truck. The driver backed his rig and our container all the way up Hirtenstrasse. Impressive.

The kids weren't nearly as impressed as Steven and I were. They opted for warmth, books, television and the computer. 

Did I mention that it was icy? Did I mention that it was cold?

While we waited for the tow truck to come and free the Audi, Steven drove over to our backerei and bought a bunch of pastries and coffees for the movers and the truck driver. That's just the kind of sweet, thoughtful guy I married.

It was a tight fit, the rig and the tow truck. Like I said...they're professionals. 

Steven didn't get to see this in Cary so it was kind of fun to watch the whole process. It sure was warmer on the other end of things though, back in North Carolina.

The Audi is finally home! Whew.

Steven put on his work gloves and dug into the truck with the other guys, helping them haul and move our stuff into the house while I stood just inside the door, pencil in hand, marking off all the things they brought in  and directing boxes and furniture to the correct rooms. 

It was about a three hour process and my feet were frozen by the time it was all done. I was so excited to see all of our things. Look! Stamps! In their own little room!

Here's our school room.

This is Steven's office/work out room/storage area. Right now, it looks a lot more like the storage area. These armoires were already there when we moved in. Helpful, considering there are no closets in the entire house. We have to organize down here so Steven has a place for his desk. All in good time. The house is a mess.

Scott says, "Are we done yet?"

Dining room chairs....in the dining room! It's a novel idea. 

It has been interesting, unpacking all of these boxes. It's the first time we've ever moved where I didn't do the packing. I open a box and am always surprised to see what's inside. The packers did some odd stuff...like wrapping each individual tupperware lid in two huge sheets of paper and layering huge boxes with books, dishes and other odd assortments. While Steven was bringing boxes in, he was grumbling about how heavy things were. I shook my head and said, "I didn't pack them. Blame the movers." First time I've been able to say that.

Slowly but surely our house is coming together. We have all the kitchen boxes unpacked, but the counter is littered with things I need to find space for. Scott and I put the dining room table up last night and for the first time in a long time, we are going to eat dinner as a family around the table tonight.

Today, we are tackling the kids' rooms. No small feat. 

As soon as I can clear the waist high mounds of packing paper and countless boxes, I'll take some more pictures. Until then, I'm off to do some more unpacking.