We Are Still Here

Just in case you had started to wonder if we had disappeared off the face of the earth...we have not. Things have been so crazy, I will give you a tiny example.

7 Dec - The husband goes into the field for a week.
9 Dec - The kids and I drive the van six hours to the base to get the inspection and registration settled so we can drive legally. We check into the hotel and drop off the car, then walk back to the hotel. it is cold.
10-11 Dec - The kids and I run errands on foot all over the base to get things like our "ration card" for buying alcohol or liquor, driver's liscense for base, etc. We settle all sorts of loose ends and are completely exhausted by the end of the days.
12 Dec - get the car, take it to a different place to get an inspection, take it all back to the office to turn in the paperwork, go to the px and commissary to get necessary supplies. Then drive back 6 hours home. The kids are destroyed and super duper luper cranky.
13 Dec - Dad home
14 Dec - go to pick up the keys to the new house. We can not pick up the keys because the computer system at the realtors will not accept American credit cardsas we were told they would. (the grocery store accepts american credit cards!)
-It takes 7-10 days to transfer the money.
-The UK will not accept wire transfers.
-Our only option is to withdraw the max amount on our atm cards everyday and deposit the cash in the UK account until we have enough to pay the rent, security deposit, etc.
-Our shipment was set to be delivered on the 15th. It has to be cancelled because we do not have our house.
-The lease contract has to be rewritten because the date is the 14th.
-The realtors want to charge us 50 pounds to change the date on the contract.
-We insist the fee is OUTRAGEOUS to simply change the dates.
-We have to change our hotel reservations so we will not be checked out that evening and be foreced to live in the car. :)
-We have to unpack the car and all the luggage we had packed to leave the apartment as we will be staying.

--18 Dec - Finally sort everything out and pick up the keys and move into the new house.
--We check out of the apartment and the Little Bean actually hugs the apartment to say goodbye.
--We have no furniture as the new delivery date is set to 22 Dec.
--It is an old house and SUPER DUPER cold. Hardwood floors make it even colder with no furniture.
--The heating has been turned off for a few weeks and it is freezing. We start up the radiators and build fires in both the fireplaces and wait.

--We sit on blankets on the floor in front of the fireplace.
--We are going through wood like crazy and realize that we will need to start splitting some of the large logs soon if we don't want to freeze. (the fact that the house is old means that the radiators are only located in a few of the rooms, the other rooms are COLD!
--We realize our mobile internet is intermittant out at our new house.
--We begin the process of getting cable, internet, and landline - spend over an hour on the phone to find out that the TV can be turned on Christmas Eve, the phone has to wait two weeks, then another two weeks to get the internet. It is just the system here. wierd.
--Trying to put bills in our names we realize that EVERYTHING is done by direct debit from bank accounts. We are uncomfortable with this and prefer more control over our bills. Are treated as though we are crazy when we insist on being billed either by mail or by email.
--Discover the husband's motorcycle will not fit into the shed. The husband stresses out everytime he sees his bike parked in the back all wet and frozen.
--Have not received the registration for the car yet and have determined that we will not be going to Germany until after Christmas. We will either miss the Christmas markets all together or get some seriously good deals on afterChristmas sale. We will see.


Good Stuff
--It snowed!
--We got a few bird feeders and are enjoying watching the birds from the conservatory, or sunroom as us Americans call it.
--I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE the kitchen but the floor is icy and I will be needing to buy some houseshoes!
--Went hiking up on the moors to take a break from the crazy and the snow was WONDERFUL! Everyone enjoyed the hike, the fresh air, and the snow, not to mention the super hairy cattle, green spotted sheep, and wild Dartmoor ponies.
--The Little Bean LOVES her room. Her father and I installed two rods in her closet at her level so she can hang her dresses up all by herself. She was beside herself with excitment.
--Our sweet neighbor gave us a tiny Christmas Tree with tiny ornaments to put up since we don't have any of our stuff yet. She just dropped it at the doorstep. Too sweet.
--Our little pond out front is frozen and the Little Bean and I spent WAY too much time breaking the ice and poking around in it. fun fun fun.
--We are really enjoying being able to "skate" in our socks on the hardwood floors.
--We really love the house and the area and all the pain in the butt stuff is just what it is. Can't wait to slow down a little and enjoy everything. Looking forward to more hiking, horseback riding, and seeing more of the countryside.