Our summer break was filled with fun. Camping trips, swimming, being with cousins, riding bikes, seeing movies, it was a great summer. Now we are in our new place, school has started, and life is back to somewhat normal.
We are still without internet access or phone here at our house. It can be a very frustrating thing but we survived without it years ago, so we can now, although, the boys will differ with me on that point.
Creed moved into our new house on the 7th of August and the shipment came the same day. The kids and I arrived here in Germany on the 11th of August and Creed had the beds all made and the kitchen put together enough so we could at least eat. The kids and I worked all day, everyday, trying to get things put together and sorted out and after a week, we just about had the house put together and the pictures put up. I was so happy to not see boxes anymore. I don’t like living in that kind of a mess very much. Even after sorting through everything in Jakarta and selling and giving a lot away before the move, we found out after we arrived here that we have too much stuff. We got rid of a lot more things and stored a lot in the attic. Our furniture barely fits with some rooms being a bit too crowded for my taste, but oh well, at least we didn’t have to sell more, which was what I thought we were going to have to do. All the same, it’s very comfy and we love the house and the area.
The boys have really enjoyed exploring all around us. Our yard is large and they spend a good part of the day playing out there, riding their bikes through the forests around or going on the trails. They have also had fun going to the strawberry fields behind our house and picking fresh strawberries whenever they feel like it. It’s very quiet here and we love that!
The weather has also been surprisingly cool. We thought we still had a few weeks of shorts and t-shirt weather, but no. I don’t know that it’s reached above 80 degrees more than a couple of days since we’ve been here. That’s okay with me. It’s nice to wear cold-weather clothes after the heat we lived in for three years in Jakarta. We’re all enjoying the change.
The boys’ school is good -- small, but good. Everyone seems friendly enough. The boys really miss their friends in Jakarta and it’s been a rough start for them having to start all over making friends and understanding how things work at the new school, but they will fit in soon. It’s hard for them, I’m sure, but they seem to be making the best of it.
We really are very happy here, and we’re all quite content. I told Creed that I could live here a very long time. Creed’s German is as good as it ever was. He will argue with me on that but really, he speaks well. I understand nearly everything, but I get so nervous when I speak that I feel like a dork and say ridiculous things which crack me up after I’ve said them. I’m sure in time; I will feel more comfortable with it. The boys are learning it quite quickly at school. I’m glad the school takes it so seriously. I think they will be speaking German pretty well by the end of the school year. Mallory walks around the house acting like she’s speaking it and asks all the time ‘How do you say…in German?’
We hope you all had a great summer and are ready for the fall. We are thrilled to be able to enjoy fall colors and take that all in again. We’d love visitors anytime!
