Our Trip to Italy - Part 1

We are moving home...

So I am trying to process our new information – we are moving home! 

I knew the day was coming, we were never going to live in Germany forever, but it came faster then I expected and my reaction was also not what I expected.  I’m sad.  I am happy about the important stuff like being back with family and friends, but I’m sad about so many things. 

Four years have gone by!  FOUR!  Some days dragged on forever, but I feel like it wasn’t that long ago when we arrived.  I remember thinking when we agreed to come, “Wow!  Ali will be 9 years old when we leave.  I can’t picture her at 9!  And Landon will be 5 ready to start kindergarten.”  And here it is.  They are 9 and 5.  When did I blink?

I’m sad because I really only just got the hang of it; living here that is.  I got the schools, the doctors, the dance class.  I know where to go to get what we need.  I’ve become an expert taxi-mom.  You should see me parallel park!  I want to relax a little after all of my training.

I’m sad because I love the lifestyle.  We spend so much time outdoors!  It might rain a lot and summer never really comes, but we are outside anyway.  Hiking, skating, biking, skiing…the list goes on.  And the kids are outside a lot, even at school!  And then there are the vacations!  Europeans love vacations!!  They understand vacations and no one makes you feel guilty at work about taking a vacation.  They encourage you to have a great time and not to worry.  They won’t do your work or anything for you, but they will make sure the pile is nice and neat when you return.  And you can be guilt free for 3 to 4 weeks at a time!!  They get on average 6 weeks of vacation a year and often take at least 2 weeks at a time.  Some even get an extra month’s salary to pay for said vacations! (that we didn’t get L)

I am sad because I will miss driving 100+ miles per hour on the Autobahn.  I will miss seeing the A1 finally finished.  I will miss the fields of yellow rapes and the piles of sugar beets on the side of the road.  I will miss spargel and strawberry season.  I will miss walking out my door and through my garden to the fruit and veggie stand to buy fresh produce and amazing fresh eggs.  I will miss hearing he horses neigh at the stable next door and of course the church bells across the street.  I will miss walking to the playground, the butcher and the bakery.  I will miss walking to restaurants and ice cream shops.  I will miss hiking in the vineyards and skiing in the Alps.  I will miss Paris in the spring and the Eifel in the fall.  I will miss all of the traditions from St. Martin’s to Carnival.  I will miss my friends and the friends of my children.

Life is changing.  A chapter is coming to an end and new one is about to begin.  I’m sure it will be amazing in it’s own way. 

Catching up the last couple of months

So it's been a while since my post. I wish I was better at typing on my phone, because I would probably post more. But sadly, I hate the tiny keyboard.

What is happening in the Groth household? Thanks for asking. We had a very busy and fun Christmas season. My parents came to visit and we actually stayed in our house for Christmas! It was a nice and welcomed change. We ate well, drank good wine and played fun games with the kids. We also had plenty of opportunities to enjoy the Christmas markets.

It's hard to believe it is already February! January is just a blur. I have to say it was a rather dull month as the sun went into hiding and it rained and rained and rained. We did have a nice time when we went to Wuppertal to visit our friend Sarah. She used towatch the kids when we first moved here. Now she has her own place and invited us over to see it and eat waffles! We also got out one night (adults only!) for a curry party. Yummy!

Last weekend, in order to cure our cabin fever, we headed out and over to Brussels. We were hoping for a relaxing weekend with kids swimming a little and us sight seeing a little. In the end it was just an okay weekend away. After a few trips to Belgium, we have concluded we just don't care much for the country. It is so dirty and run down. I was told it isn't because they are broke, but because their government can't agree on anything (hmm, that sounds familiar). I was so surprised and disappointed by how dirty and unkept the streets and parks were.

But we made the best of it.

So that's it for now. Hopefully February will offer something exciting to post. Since I am leaving for Vienna in 6 hours, I'm guessing that will be my next post.

How are you and how is your German?

I really don't understand why strangers are so interested in how my German is coming along. I am now annoyed with the question. I went for a follow-up visit today to see the dermatologist or Hautartz. I had been to this office once before for my initial check-up and was now returning 6 months later to follow-up on a suspicious looking mole. I'll save the initial check-up and the Germans love of being naked for another post.

Anyway, the doctor walks in says hello and ask me how I am doing and why am I here. I remind her, in English of course, that we need to look at a suspicious mole. Instead of asking me about the mole and if I have noticed any changes, her next question is, "So how is your German coming along?" Really? I didn't realize your were Dr. Berlitz! Caught off guard I simply relpy, "It's fine thank you."

Dr.-"Then we can speak German now?"

Me-"We could, but we wouldn't get anywhere."

Dr.-"Why is it so hard for you to learn German?"

Ok, this is where I bit my tongue and almost needed stitches. WHY? Let's see... It's a fricking crazy language for starters! There are words longer then our English alphabet. And don't get me started with Der, Die, Das. It's THE! Simple one word, no gender needed! And why do you break up verbs and split them in a sentence? And only one of them? How do you know which one? Uggh! Too many rules and then too many exceptions to the rules. But I digress. Back to the doctor.

Me-"Do you really want to know? Really?"

Dr.-"Is it that everyone speaks English to you? It is isn't it? I would really like to know."

Now I understand that every family has it's challenges and I am by no means complaining how hard I have it compared to any other mom. I am very fortunate and blessed, but like everyone, life can be a bit overwhelming. So here was my response.

Me-"Let's see. I have two kids that go to two different school 1 hour apart. So I spend 4 to 5 hours a day driving someone somewhere. One kid has special needs and I take him to therapy 3 times a week. Then I have to work with him at home, everyday. My daughter has piano and dance. Oh, yeah and they both have school work. My husband is always working and last time I checked, I do not have a driver, nanny, maid, tutor or any family support here. Somewhere in between being taxi mommy and care giver, I also need to grocery shop, clean my house and do all the other things to run a household. And no, not everyone speaks English to me, which makes the above mentioned take, I don't know, 20 times longer! I would LOVE to speak German! More then you know! But when you look at the big picture, my kids are doing great, everyone is fed, my house has not been taken over by dust bunnies and mold, and I even managed to make this appointment and get here on time. I'd say my German is pretty damn good!!"

Dr.- "Okay, so let's have a look at the mole..."

Our Thanksgiving

We were fortunate enough this year to celebrate Thanksgiving twice. Of course neither of the celebrations happened on the actual day, but let's not be picky.

Our first celebration was in the states and we called it Thanksoweenie as we celebrated both Halloween and Thanksgiving together. It was actually one of the best Thanksgivings ever. The kids ate in their Halloween costumes and we went to the cider mill, ate carmel apples, went bobbing for apples and the like. My sister had her house all decked out for Halloween and we ate our turkey with our spider friend looking over us!

Our 2nd Thanksgiving celebration was celebrated with our friends Anna, Felix and Kyle. This was Anna and Felix's first Thanksgiving and first ever pumpkin pie! Anna and I had a little trouble finding the right size turkey (we could only find a 17 lb. one!) so we opted for 2 smaller turkey breasts we named Wolfgang and Helmut. Since they were skinless and we wanted gravy, I decided to try something at my mom's suggestion. Using cheese cloth like skin, I covered the turkey with a herb paste and then covered it with the cheese cloth that had been soaked in butter and herbs. It turned out great! I'm thinking of writing a cookbook for how to improvise as an expat in Germany! I was able to put together a yummy dinner without all the normal Thanksgiving necessities. But no matter how much improvising I was able to do, Wolfgang became our problem child and refused to cook! He was only 4 lbs. but he took all of 4 hours to cook! Luckily Helmut made us proud and we ate him while Wolfgang continued to cook.

In the end we've had a great Thanksgiving season and as always, so much to be thankful for. We are a very blessed family and we try to remember that every day, not just once a year.

If I can just get him to 5...

Ever since Landon was a baby I would tell Larry, "If I can just keep him alive until he's 5 I'll be amazed!" He was always putting things in his mouth, climbing on things and somehow always putting himself in some sort of danger. Every time I tucked him into to bed I would thank God for keeping him safe one more day. So now that 5 has arrived, I can rest a little easier? Not if Landon has his way! He continues to challenge his guardian angel and keep me on my toes. My little guy is full of energy, loving and caring, funny and a blessing. Every year that passes he continues to surprise and amaze me.

This past weekend we had his 5th birthday party. It was a great day and by far his best birthday yet! We were joined by two other families (Landon's 2 best friends) and spent the day at the Glessener Mühlenhof. We started with brunch and since 5 year olds don't sit long, we quickly moved outside. Pony rides, zip line, Kettler cars, hay stakes and underground tunnels, kept the boy entertained for hours! Yes, hours. For 4 hours they laughed and chased each other around only briefly stopping for birthday cake. The boys cried as we left because they didn't want the day to end.

So Happy Birthday to my sweet Landon! May the Lord bless and protect you for yet another year and I pray your guardian angel never takes a vacation!

3 years to the day

3 years ago today we embarked on our German adventure. Our contract was to end today and we would be moving back to the USA. But because we are a.) a little crazy b.) enjoying ourselves c.) not finished with Larry's work assignment, we have agreed to stay for one more year.

We are happy to be staying, although missing our families makes staying a lot less fun. But we will be going home for a visit in the fall and some of our family will be visiting us. We are trying to make the most of our last year here. There are still many places on our "to see" list. We still won't make them all, but it nice to know we have another year to see some.

3 years into our adventure and it's interesting to look back at how the three years went by. The first year was getting our feet wet. Learning our way around, learning the language and customs, making friends and just plain figuring it all out. It was exhausting. The second year we were settled, but not rooted. Ford started sending people home early and for the longest time we didn't know if and when it would be our turn. Then half way through the second year we were evicted from our home and for 3 months we were in a temporary living space and even more unsure with what would happen next. Then the 3rd year began and we quickly went from talking about moving home to possibly extending our stay. That went on until May. So now finally it is our 4th and final year and hopefully we can just relax for a least the first 6 months, because I am sure that after Christmas we will have to start planning for our move home.

I have to say I am a little scared about moving back home. While I still don't feel rooted here, there is a comfort level here. I dread the thought of buying a house and the stresses that go with it. Then finding one fast enough to get the kids into school on time. School alone is a scary idea. While I'm sure bullying happens here, it doesn't to the extent of what it seems to be in the US. Reading the news about US schools would turn off any parent. And then all of the economic cuts happening in the schools. We are so blessed here with our schools and all of the accompanying programs. Then there is getting Landon situated once again with new therapists and all of the insurance worries that go along with that processes. I'm stressing out just writing about all of it!

So where will we go this year? Northern Italy this summer, Michigan this fall, hopefully family will come here for Christmas and we still need to figure out our one last hurrah before we leave. In between we will have short car trips including one to see a Woman's World Cup Soccer match.

So that's it for now. I did ask Larry to post some of his thoughts about the past 3 years, so stay tuned for his post.