Some boxes have shipped..

If you ever want to find out what's really valuable in your life, what you really cherish, and what's really worth keeping, move to another country. As I go drawer by drawer and cupboard by cupboard, that's exactly what i'm doing, weighing the value of each and every thing. Because the more we ship, the more we spend. Those shirts that I thought I would always have that just collect dust in the back of the closet, have now found their way to the donations box, I'm not paying to bring them  back. And the jeans I've been keeping for years now, thinking that some day I just MIGHT fit into, gone.... In all seriousness there have been some hard decisions to make about some items though and it's made the packing process even harder than I thought it would be. So yes, if you've been wondering if we have packed anything, we have. We have nine boxes packed so far, and four of them are on their way to the USA right now. That was a weird feeling, and strange to think that I will next open them in Michigan, not in another flat here in Switzerland. It took a while to get those nine boxes packed though. It was usually interrupted with feedings, diaper changes, naps, or just life. And of course spending way to long looking at something to see if I really wanted to keep it. OH, and there is that fashion show I had with my daughter. I should have taken pictures of the many outfit changes. I never enjoyed playing with dolls growing up (hoping Mayla doesn't either), but I was laughing at myself as I treated her like she was one! Bless her happy little heart and putting up with me that day! 

So, you may be wondering, are we taking it all, white crib, toilet seat and kitchen sink? No, we are not packing and shipping everything. We were planning on a container, but after hearing the cheapest we could get it all over to the US was 7,500, we decided to sell as much as we can and start fresh. The thought of getting all new kitchen stuff does rather excite me though:) I feel like we should have another wedding party like we just got married and need all the basics to start life:) So we have almost everything listed for sale on two different websites and it's not going as fast as we had hoped it would and trying to keep it all organized is a full time job in its self. Trying to remember-organize who wants what and when and who is second for what has given us both headaches. It sounds easy, but it's rather complicated. Then trying to organize either meet up times and places or when they come to our place is also a bit much. Some days I just want to dump it on the street with a sign that says, 'free'. We had one big day when we lost our tv, tv stand, and dining room table, that combined with packed boxes and a house turned upside down made the move feel real for the first time! 

What's Mayla been up to with all this we her parents have going on? She's been just great. She has been so helpful, and by that I mean, content and happy to be playing by herself. We haven't even accidentally put her in a moving box...yet! I make sure that I spend some quality time with her during this whole process though as I don't want her to feel abandoned or left out.  Her happy little laughs and bright big smile let me know that it's all right in her world though. 

Christmas was nice this year, but different.  It was both of our first Christmas EVER away from family. Even though we had a tree, and decorations, we realized that half the 'feeling' of Christmas is the family time that surrounds this time of year and we really missed that this year. I keep looking at the tree we have up thinking I should be listening to Christmas music still and getting prepared to celebrate Jesus' birthday. We will be celebrating with family when we get back and I'm sure that event, being celebrated in the middle of January, will play some mind games on me. We might have to have another New Year's Eve celebration as well so that I can get my 'mind'/internal clock ticking again and get up to speed. The 'warmer' than usual weather in Switzerland is not helping the case either. 

Mayla's first bike. Yeah, probably a little premature but it's soo cute and she will love riding it with Daddy. It's even the Swiss anniversary addition with special "graphics" and matching gloves. Too bad we couldn't find Lycra in her size.

What's our plan???same as last update...get on a plane January 18th, pray during the whole flight that we are not 'those people with the screaming infant' the whole flight, land in Michigan, and enjoy family and friends. Beyond that we don't know. Will has only heard back from two jobs out of about twenty that he has applied for. So whether that means some places are still considering him, or they threw his application away with not even a glance, we have no idea, but that's okay with us! It's out of our control and we continue to trust and seek the Lord each day and realize that He has the perfect plan for us. We hold fast to Jeremiah 29:11, 'For I know the plans I have for you declares The Lord.' We also know that His timing is perfect and it may be hard at times, but we wait for Him. 

And while i'm writing, I think it's time for another reflection of SO GLAD/SO SAD! Today Will went snowboarding with some buddies (so sad for me, so glad for him, but that's not really the so sad/so glad i'm writing about). So that left me and sweet baby Mayla home alone. Well if you were in Switzerland today, you know it was a BEAUTIFUL day, and I wanted to take advantage of it.  I bundled up my joy, put her in the stroller and we cruised the lake side path. It was dusk and as I was walking along the beautiful lake, looking at the lights shimmering on the water from the houses across the way, I thought to myself how safe I felt walking all alone with her, at night. Switzerland has always felt 'safe' to me. I remember when I first moved here I was out late and no trams were running by the time I needed to get home, so I walked the 15 minutes from the train station at 1:30 in the morning. This is coming from the girl who is scared to go to her mailbox in the dark back in the states. I will for sure be so sad to leave this behind.

And as I was going down the MANY stairs tonight to get to the stroller, carrying the munchkin in her car seat, I thought to myself, 'I'm so glad I won't have to do these steps any more'. There are 37 of them outside our flat and about 15 of them inside our flat and Mayla's little, but she is putting on some poundage. I like the work out, but if you have ever carried a car seat, you know how awkward they are, and even more so bouncing up and down steps. I'm sure little Miss M&M will miss it though, those steps and that bouncing has put her to sleep many times in her short life!

TTFN! More to come as we get closer. We do want to wish you all a belated Merry Christmas and pray it was a wonderful time with your family. We also wish you a great start to 2013...can you believe it's 2013 already?

On the left is the first photo I took of our palm tree, the day we bought it. On the right is the last photo I took of our palm tree, the day we sold it (super sad about that too). Notice how good and lush the tree looks when we sold it. I certainly don't have a green thumb, but I did a darn good job of not killing it...first time ever keeping a plant alive:)