Moving Part 1: Packing up

I think we were packed up on a Thursday. I could always check, I suppose, but I don't feel like trying to track down my phone to look at the calendar right now. So, we'll go with Thursday, Thursday the 22nd of August (sounds about right to me). Though, it probably is not of very much importance anyhow as all the days leading up to us hopping on the airplane for Canada are in one very big blur. For that reason I am very grateful that I stopped to take a few photos while in the midst of that crazy blur.

I will be forever grateful that we picked a moving company who packed our things for us. With such a tight schedule I have no idea how I would have done it all on my own. I did pack quite a bit already and we sold several things, and I had to organize the lingering items that needed to be given/returned to others so that they didn't accidentally get packed. Once the movers arrived I had to give a run down of what went and what stayed then they got to work. The moving company was an absolute pleasure to deal with. Very pleasant. Very efficient. And gave their very best efforts to entertain the kids while in the process. They set up an elevator outside our bathroom window that went to the ground and sent up the boxes. Our apartment was being packed in no time.

The kids and I hung around for about an hour before things just got a little too crazy and we venture out for a walk. Milayla and Atticus did not want to leave. We made it as far as the Rossmann before I admitted defeat and we went back, with bakery goods in hand to give to the movers. We hung around outside and chatted as Atticus demanded to go upstairs and sit on the couch. The morning was not going well for us, or at least not for the kids and I. I would have loved to take them to the back yard area and let them climb the ladder or play on the swing but I couldn't as that had been torn out and the ground flattened in favour of putting in a dog-activity playground. I guess the irony of that serves me right because I often joked that it sometimes felt like people cared more about dogs than children in that city...maybe there is some truth to it after all. So in lieu of the back area, the kids and I headed for the park and stopped to get what would be their last german Brotchen on the way. Brotchen is awesome. It takes forever for the kids to gnaw through and they love it. 

Unfortunately, there was a downside to our pleasantly warm Bremen Summer - wasps. Lots of them. And those wasps love checking out food in any form. So we didn't last long before we headed back in time to see everything packed up and ready to head out the bathroom window and out the elevator. 

The kids were so fascinated by the elevator and were practically glued to the window in Milayla's room as everything went down to the truck. We did manage to get them to sit down long enough to give Grandma a call though. 

And before we knew it, our things were loaded into the truck and we were calling for the taxi to come take us to our hotel for the last of our time in Bremen. I've learned first hand, that empty apartments are way more fun for children to play in that full ones. 

I must say, getting the kids to sit in full 5-point harnesses after riding in booster seats in the taxi has been a battle, especially when they are used to just the little straps in the bakfiets. Safety first, of course, but I'll be interested to see what kind of fun we get ourselves into once winter gear enters the picture. 

By the time everything was sorted out at the hotel we were all pretty hungry and I really had to fight the urge to introduce our kids to McDonalds and we hopped on the tram and headed downtown to try a new restaurant that we had never been to. It was the best choice EVER. The restaurant was empty. The service was great. They had a ton of vegetarian options. And, the best part, a big play space for the kids to play while we waited for our food to arrive. Not to mention, it was nice being able to stroll downtown one last time because we knew the very full weekend ahead of us would not afford the time for another trip downtown. 

We barely made it back to the hotel before we all fell fast asleep. The weekend ahead of us was full of a lot of errands. Thankfully, we had some visits with friends in there as well, so even though it was a very full weekend it was also very nice to see so many people in our last days in Bremen. We had a visit with Charmaine; lunch with Caroline, Ian and Harry; dinner with the Wekerle Family (Michelle, Martin, Henry & Niko), and a lovely little summer/farewell party with our church congregation. I am so grateful to have so many wonderful people in our group of friends. Can't wait for our paths to cross again soon! 

The party at church had a large, inflatable slide for the kids and oh, how all the kids (and some adults!) loved that thing. The kids just adored this thing and would take turns taking Jason and I up it. Milayla insisted on going down the slide on her own. Her face is priceless. She has a very concerned look on her face as she is going down, then is all smiles as she reaches the bottom and is begging to go back up again.

There are very few people that Milayla warmed up to enough to let them help her out with things (particularly during those points when she didn't really need the help), Megan is one of those people she seemed to warm up to quite well.

It was fun getting time to spend with everyone.

We also managed to squeeze in a hefty final clean of the apartment as well. We aren't exactly messy people, but there was definitely some dust to clean up after everything was packed and loaded. Thankfully, we had some very enthusiastic helpers; some friends and the sister missionaries. It was lovely to have some extra hands to help out.

Sunday wasn't exactly the day of rest that we were used to. We were able to say goodbye to those that were there and it was really nice. Atticus was sad when he realized that his Primary teacher wouldn't be his teacher in Montreal (though he has really warmed up to his great teacher here, as well!). I'm a little sad that the picture I have is blurry, but you can still see them all - Atticus, Maria and Zoey.

I'm so glad that we grabbed a picture with Sofia as well. It isn't the greatest picture of us, but we are all there and I will have a picture to show the kiddos. Sofia is one of the sweetest, most thoughtful people that I know. She was also nursery leader to both the kids in the time that we were in Bremen. She was also a great friend; she reached out to me when we first moved into the ward and was always checking in. We loved having her over for visits, especially for Christmas and other holidays. We will definitely miss seeing her smiling face every Sunday at church.

After church, it was final wrap up time. We hunted down some food which led us to the parking lot which reminded us of the very first time we came to Bremen and got lost and ended up in this very parking lot. The kids didn't quite understand why I was taking a picture of them in a parking lot, but it even has the Messe in the background.

I snagged a picture of the library as we were passing it because I still can't get over the beautiful building that the kids and I got to go to every week to take out books. 

And then it was on to the longest apartment handover in history - 2.5 hours. Yeah... after all that effort to clean the place the agent didn't even remark on the cleanliness. Instead we got charged for 2 missing keys (which were missing before we moved in, but in our naivety we didn't realize that was something we needed to put in the contract...ugh...hindsight.). Anyhow, our landlord had no qualms about the place and thankfully, the kids held up pretty well.

As we closed up the apartment to head downstairs, thinking we were done, we had one last picture. Milayla was exhausted and Atticus was so happy to finally be leaving that he couldn't even hold still..

Then it was still some time more downstairs before everything was actually done. The kids and I enjoyed the sunshine outside while we waited.

It was a packed weekend. Thankfully, despite pretty massive exhaustion, we were mostly all in good spirits. Though, after so many days in a row without naps the kids were prone to more melt downs than usual. I felt terrible as we had to just push through to get things done and those little ones just wanted a little bit of down time. Thankfully, it's done now! And we made it through! Yay!!!

Pieces of August

I know...I'm way behind. I'm hoping to finish all the Bremen photos in the next week or so and then I will get to all the Montreal photos - there are a lot!

August was a crazy month for us as everything ramped up for the move so we enjoyed the bits of downtime that we had at home as much as we could. 

Since we weren't taking our bed with us (and awkward size in North America if we should ever like to buy new linens for it..) and it sold before we moved, Jason and I had the pleasure of sleeping on our pull out sofa for over 3 weeks. I don't recommend sleeping on a pull out sofa for more than a week - 2 weeks max. It loses it's comfort quickly. That said, the kids loved coming into the living room in the morning and crawling up into bed with us. Considering that the pull out sofa was bigger than our old bed, it was extra spacious for morning books.

Let's get a close up of that smile.

We had some great weather so we did our best to tie in some play dates at the park, homemade popsicles, homemade lemonade, and bicycle rides (before they got packed up) to really try to relax and enjoy our final weeks in Bremen.

As our things started getting packed up, the kids and I were getting a little more creative with how we played as it needed to be with smaller things that were either coming in our suitcases, or weren't coming with us at all. It's a good thing that the kids have taken a liking to lego - so easy to fit into the suitcase and it's been a big hit at our hotel and now in our furnished apartment while we wait for our things to arrive.

And Atticus has loved helping Milayla with her tracing exercises.

I think the biggest hit of my 'all the toys and rain gear are packed and it's raining outside' creativeness was breaking out the glow sticks. Non stop fun. Seriously. The kids were pretty proud of how neat the pictures looked and I even got to make it educational and help them learn about light and movement. Yay for teaching moments!

We had an anniversary/family birthday, which I will post more about later, but in the mean time here is the tasty dinner that Jason made for us while we waited for an opportunity to go out together. It was so good! I love it when he cooks. Because I don't let him take over the cooking very often, he really enjoys himself and sets apart a big chunk of time to make something that I typically wouldn't have the time to make so it is always a nice treat.

And we did our best to plan get togethers with some friends before we headed off. As much as I tried to bring my camera with me every time we met up with some friends I had a really hard time remembering to actually bring the camera out of the purse and take a picture! At least I did get some photos, though they were usually when we were at home and the camera was sitting on the desk for me not to forget... *sigh*

It was a very full month. September is proving to not be much different, which isn't so terrible, though I would like to feel like we have some normalcy and our feet on some solid ground. The house hunt and car hunt continues but Jason has accepted a job offer so we are one step closer to settling in. The adventure continues!

5 Years - Our family birthday & anniversary

We celebrated our 5 Year Family Birthday just before we packed up our things in Germany. We seem to have a knack for big events happening around that time of year (we've been moving or traveling every year). That always seems to make it difficult to plan something, especially when we are in the middle of the move. So we did our best! 

Since we want our anniversary to have a family aspect we try to celebrate similarly to how we would celebrate one of our birthdays. Naturally, we start the day with pancakes. Jason makes awesome buckwheat pancakes. He has a knack for breakfast foods for which I am very grateful, as are the kiddos.

Then Jason and I got to get a little sentimental as we talked about when we got married in the temple and the importance of that event with the kids, particularly the part about being a forever family. I love seeing the kids' eyes light up as talk about the temple. 

And then it was off for an adventure. We went for a row boat ride through Burgerpark. Perfect pick. We weren't sure how the kids would take to it, and they were a little hesitant to get on the boat, but they loved it. It was beautiful. I think the kids' favorite part was getting to be right next to the ducks. I just loved getting to experience something new and to be in such beauty with my family. 

The kids were quite attached to me for the first half of the trip, but by the second half they had demagnetized and Milayla was even walking around the boat.

It really was a beautiful little boat ride.

Milayla watching the ducks.

And after a picnic lunch (and dealing with a flat tire) we went for our last bike ride out to Snutenlecker (the organic farm with fresh ice cream!) to enjoy a treat. We sure will miss that place. Such a great spot.

We really were blessed with great weather. The rain held back right until we got home. And that was including Jason having to venture back to the farm to retrieve a lost backpack. And once we were all cleaned up and had everything ready for Sunday some friends of ours came to stay the night so that Jason and I could have a little getaway (thanks again, Alex and Shaylin!!). It was nothing crazy, just dinner and a big comfy hotel bed. But that big comfy hotel bed felt like heaven when we had been sleeping on our pull out sofa for the few weeks prior. Any guesses where we went??

It was lovely. And while the kids were a little sad about the fact that they didn't get to come with us, all was well again when we came home the next morning to take them off to church. So glad that we got to celebrate our family birthday all together and that Jason and I were able to get a little bit of time away from the craziness of moving. I feel pretty blessed with this little family. So much love - they're awesome.

Bremen Goodbyes

Because our apartment looked like this at the end of August:

life has been a tad unpredictable as we try to get everything into it's new order. So my photos and the order they get posted in are also going to be a tad out of order, but when I came across this photo below I wanted to make sure it got posted.

 This is family Spöring. They lived in our building and were the sweetest neighbours we could have asked for. They were always thinking of the kids; bringing cards and small gifts on birthdays and holidays and loved getting to see the kids on their bikes. While we were living there, Hr. Spöring had a really bad fall and was in the hospital for a few weeks and I still remember how worried the kids were that he wasn't home anymore to wave them off from his window each day as we set out on our tasks for that day. Get well cards were made, visits were had and the kids were very happy when he returned home. The Spörings truly are a family who simply exude kindness. So glad to have had them as neighbours, as examples to our children and as friends. 

Our Bremen Home

We lived in Bremen for just shy of 2 years. And in that 2 years I had every intention of taking pictures of our home after it was all decorated and making sure to show the before pictures. Well, I remembered to take the before pictures (which seem to have gone missing in the last 2 years) but I forgot to take the after pictures. Part of that is due to the fact that I never finished decorating. I kept 2 unpacked boxes behind Milayla's bedroom door for 2 whole years. Try as I might I couldn't get into the mind set of decorating the place entirely because I couldn't get into the mind set that we would be there long enough to make it matter. Besides that, buying all of our furniture was a big enough task on it's own for me. I love beautiful homes but picking out just the right pieces to fill the spaces and walls is a tedious task for me filled with hard to make decisions. I probably stress about those decisions way more than I should, though that is a point for another day. 

Today's point is that the day before the movers were coming to pack all of our things I realized that I never took pictures of our apartment in Bremen. Yes, it is in the background of several photos on this blog, but with no pictures of the actual space it is difficult to get an idea of what the back drop of those photos actually looked like. And, well, I would like to go back and show the kids just what their childhood homes looked like so that the little pieces they remember in their minds can be expanded by the photos they see here. 

I did not however think to grab pictures of everything. I missed a lot. Like our view, our table, our kitchen, the bathroom etc, but I think the essence of the apartment is there anyhow despite several things having already been packed. Our bedroom, for example, only had the curtains and the wardrobes left and a whole slew of boxes and pictures that had already been packed up and taken off the wall. The essence is still there though. It's not pinterest worthy or anything, but it's our home and it served its' purpose well for us as our gathering place, our growing place and our learning place. So without further ado - our apartment in Bremen. 

Our living room. Which used to have this dark blue, severely stained, diamond patterned flat carpet. It was time to go. The coffee table was rarely in the centre of the room as we often pushed it off to the side towards the windows to have dance parties on the carpet, build forts, or just bask in the winter sunshine that bathed our floor in the early afternoon hours. We held family home evenings here. Many a game night. Stubbed several toes and bruised far too many knees. We squeezed on the couch to watch movies and general conference as a family. And the kids often climbed into the chair to read together while I was making dinner. It was a gathering place for us. It was also a play room filled with endless giggles and lots of creative messes. Endless train tracks. And cooking lessons. The balcony out the window was the backdrop for many birthday photos, science experiments, bubble blowing and summer popsicles. And in one little corner we had our piano where Jason and I would practice away while the kids drifted off to sleep. If we ended before they had fallen asleep, Atticus would tip toe down the hallway to ask for "just one more" and Milaya would call out for "more!" from her crib. They always oozed with sweetness when they said it :). 

And then there was the table around the corner that we loved to fill with guests, that was the surface for many playdoh and paint sessions, birthday pancakes, perogy making and christmas sugar cookies. The same table where we all cheered triumphantly when Milayla demonstrated her love for indian food and drank through a straw for the first time thus ending the need for her feeding tube. We were so happy - I cried..

Mine and Jason's bedroom.

There isn't much left to look at here; just curtains, one wardrobe and lots and lots of packed boxes. When we moved in the carpet was brown and the walls were mint green. It was all topped off with bamboo roller curtains. Not my taste. New carpet. White walls (one was a really soft grey which was my attempt at venturing outside of white. Ha!). Large wardrobes. Airy curtains. Antique stained bed (thanks, Ikea!) with cream and fluffy white linens. We never got around to adding nightstands or lamps or pictures. But it still was a nice little oasis. Crisp, clean and calming. Weekend mornings, as well as saturday afternoons, this room was quite the gathering place we would all climb into the bed and read books together and take little naps. It also seemed to be the kids' favorite bed to jump on, the best bed to hide under for hide and seek and always seemed to have a couple of Jason's shirts draped over the footboard. I do miss the comfort of my own bed, I don't miss the shirts waiting to be ironed at the end of the bed..

This was Milayla's room:

Another 'work-in-progress' that never really quite made it 'there'. I had some pretty grand plans for her room, but things were never felt permanent enough in Bremen to push them all forward. So I put my crocheting skills to use (the ones that I learned solely to make Milayla a headband for her blessing) and made her a mobile out of several Amigurumi balls of varying sizes in deep jewel tones. My mom made her a beautiful quilt that she absolutely adores and I made her some pictures for the wall (she has an anagram for her name on the wall as well). And there was her picture of Jesus and her temple picture that she loved pointing out to us every morning and night just to make sure we knew what they were. The pictures never found frames because I never found the right ones, but the kids both loved playing in that room regardless. The kids often used the crib as a tunnel. Atticus would climb into the crib and join Milayla post nap time because he was so excited about her being up. Jason and I would take turns getting to read Milayla a bed time book in the chair. And before tucking everyone into bed we would all lay down on the carpet (which was not particularly soft) and sing our favorite primary songs as we looked up at the stars (that were shining from Milayla's lady bug). It was definitely a favorite moment that we all looked forward to and that we still continue...just somewhere else now. It was a well loved room. It was also the room that we hung out in as all our things were being packed up, loaded out the window and taken down the elevator to leave for Canada.

And then there was Atticus' room. Which used to be entirely pink. All the walls and ceiling. Very, very pink. That went first.

He was so proud of his room. So much so that when we were having new guests over, who had yet to see his room, he would talk me through all the things that he was going to show them. There was the bed that was his first big boy bed. The bed that he barely filled when he first went in it. The bed that he insisted was big enough for all of us because he didn't need that much space in it.

There was the quilt made by grandma (with Grandpa's expert opinion!) that rarely left the bed except to be washed or for the purposes of making a fort (and even then, he was hesitant to take it from his bed). There were the two pictures on the wall that I made for him that he enjoyed putting his opinion in on to make them perfect for his room. And then he picked out the frames.

He oozed with pride over his picture of Jesus and the Frankfurt Temple. There are the dressers that I never got around to finishing just like the ones I had pinned on pinterest... the chair with his sock monkey (from Aunt Keely) with Douglas (from Grandma and Grandpa Sayers) and Lion (from Oliver and Mareen) on the bed. There is the shoe rack that he took apart and put back together multiple times when he should have been sleeping. The Lion that nearly got confiscated in Turkey when we took it through security because the music box inside looked suspicious on the scanner (SO glad they let us keep it!). And then there was the car mat which served for hours and hours of fun on rainy days as Atticus, Milayla and I raced around the track seeing which cars were the fastest. Atticus also managed to take apart the light switch, the picture frames and part of his clock. He was a very busy boy! And I cannot forget to mention all the books that were read with Mommy and Daddy in that big 'ol bed or the bedtime lullabies with mommy that he would beg for more of.

I could go on and on about the memories of this place. We loved it. We loved the neighborhood. We loved coming home. And we loved inviting others into our home. These pictures ooze with memories, with giggles, with sweetness, laughter and lots and lots of love.

While we quite enjoyed the decor of our home it was how we spent our time within the walls of our home that made it special for us. Remembering that point; that it is our little family and how we spent our time there that made that home special; is especially important for me to remember right now because as I am typing this we have yet to find a new home and my heart has been aching for a little bit of stable ground beneath my feet.

That said, it has been interesting to see that with each hotel room, and each furnished rental that we have been to our children have very quickly referred to it as home; not because we've been in beautiful, spacious, perfect places but because we are all there together  - making memories. And sometimes, dare I say it, those memories have been creatively crowned by the spontaneity and quirkiness of the broken door knobs that trap us in our rooms, the squeaky floor boards that wake us from our slumbers, and lots and lots of laughter. So the next time we are all squished into Atticus' bed (in our current apartment) to read bedtime books or sing songs and I am silently praying that it doesn't break on us (because it HAS!) I will try my best to remember to be grateful for the love, the laughter and the memories. Though I am still praying and searching for a slightly more permanent home that we'll be making memories in soon!

(On a related note: We have applied for yet another apartment and are really hoping that we get this one and are able to move in before the end of the week. If you could send your prayers, positive thinking, tucked thumbs, fingers crossed, love, hugs, and any other lovely things our way that would be great! THANKS!!)

Montreal Lately

What a grand adventure we have been having here in Montreal. A grand adventure in deed. Our days have been packed full with apartment and car hunting while trips to the park and the swimming pool have been added to maintain family togetherness and cooperation. The kids have eaten more Peanut Butter and Banana sandwiches than I could ever quantify as we are usually in route to another apartment when lunch time rolls around. The kids have been troopers and have enjoyed all these new places to explore, but I think we are all ready to find a place and move on in!

So we did find a place; it wasn't perfect, but the location was fantastic and the apartment was clean. We'll try to forget the tiny little rooms, but with a shared yard, garage and a park down the street we were pretty content...until the land lady called us to tell us the place was sold and the new owner would be living in it (we were supposed to be moving in in 2 days).

We found a great vehicle and joked about how weird it is to own a vehicle seeing that neither of us have had one in over 5 years and that we keep forgetting that we even have one - until we got a parking ticket within a few hours of having the vehicle - feels pretty legit now. Note to self: pay close attention to the street signs for when it is okay to park where - they are different EVERYWHERE.

Otherwise, someone has tried to pick pocket me - twice. We were far too trusting and are now minus a large sum of money. And I'm pretty sure that our downstairs neighbours are nocturnal and like to entertain guests from 11pm onwards every night.

The funny thing is; I still love Montreal. No views have been tainted of this beautiful city. While things have been frustrating I feel oddly optimistic. A 'no' merely opens the possibilities for many other great options. And every time I find myself getting frustrated I remember all the things that are really great. The things that make me open my eyes a little wider and smile inside. Like when I go for a run past the several parks and playgrounds where the leaves are just beginning to change into bright autumn colours. Or when I play with the kids at the playground that I never knew they could love so much, the playground that is clean, the playground that is so wonderfully diverse with children. Or when we walk down streets lined with large, mature trees and brick buildings. Or are serenaded in our grocery store with live italian opera. Or the fact there are musical swings in the middle of downtown. Or all the museums and the Botanical Gardens. Or that they have cleanest Metro I have yet to be on. Or the views of the river.

Or that our kids have become fish right before our eyes at the beautiful swimming pool that offers swim time free to residents. Or that I get to see my children's eyes sparkle as they talk about their new friends in the neighbourhood and at church and how they speak french and they think that is beyond fascinating. Or how both kids have really adapted and grown so well with this change; I am so very impressed and proud of them. Or, my absolute favourite, getting to take the children to the "small" library and taking them to the children's room and when they ask "Mommy, which shelf has books for us?" and getting to tell them "ALL of them". Oh man, I nearly cried at that last one. I wish I could describe the happiness on their face at that library when they learned that all the books were children's books in English or French. After devouring every book on the little 'new arrivals' shelf I think the kids felt overwhelmed by the rows and rows still available so they picked out books and chairs and got started at flipping through the pages. It's funny, I always thought the library we had in Bremen was quite lovely with a great kids' area, but despite us always reading books in German to the kids they always preferred English books (despite the very limited selection of one little box) and just enjoyed the library for the great play areas and singing time there. And now they seem quite excited about french and english books so it's been fun.

I could go on, but the hour is getting late and I am not sure how sensical any of this has actually been. And, really, at the end of the day it's all just extra to the fact that we are here all together, healthy, happy and making the most of it. We have had some unexpected turns, but we are trying to make the most of them and keep smiling. There are so many good things all around us there is no sense in letting a few bad things spoil the rest. And besides, those noisy neighbours just seem to be helping us all learn to sleep a little bit sounder. Being positive. Being grateful. Enjoying the moment. And looking forward.