We have a Home in Germany!

It's official. We found our new home! We signed the rental contract today. I won't go into details about what all that involved! Let me just say "Thank God for Khan at Housing." He called the German Landlord multiple times and worked things out with him in German. A few times, the  conversation seemed to get heated at which point I turned to Mark and said "They sound angry. But then again, all Germans sound angry ~ so I think we are OK." All is well that ends well!

For all of our friends who are coming soon:  

We were told today by Housing that starting June 1, all Officers will be required to live off-post. Enlisted will live on-post and there is not enough housing for Officers too so they will be directed to find housing off-post. PCS season is here so there will be housing off-post coming available but it goes quickly.

 

We are feeling very fortunate to find a home so quickly! This area is known for being tough to find housing. We arrived on a Wednesday and went to dinner with our sponsors Friday night. Monica came up and introduced herself and went on to tell me they were leaving for the US May 14 and that her home was for rent. I asked when we could see it. We saw it immediately, met with the Landlords, and signed the lease. Good Karma!!

 

The home is off -post in a good-sized town called Sindelfingen in Boblingen in the Stuttgart area. We decided to live off-post for a number of reasons.  We felt it would give us more of a cultural experience here and allow us (especially Mark) to get away from his work environment and have a place that was just for our family. Plus, it will force us to explore our area and get to know the foods, language and all of the other wonderful things Germany has to offer.

 

Sindelfingen has a great Marketplace with tons of restaurants and shops. There are sidewalks and squares and lots to see and do, just minutes from the posts where Mark works (Panzer Kaserne) and the one where the kids attend school (Patch) . The bus stop is on the corner and the train station is within walking distance. There is a German Waldorf school/kindergarten one block away that has a nice playground for Luke. 

 

Sindelfingen is known for its automotive industry (the Mercedes plant is here) and it is close to the Stutgart Airport for all of our friends who are coming to visit us! It has about 60,000 people and is around 1,500 feet above sea level (a big change from the Carolinas).We hear there are a few American families living nearby but mostly German families.  We picked out the paint colors today ~ they are painting the entire inside for us. The yard has beautiful gardens too which I will thoroughly enjoy. Will post pics soon!

 

 

My First Mother's Day German Style

Happy Mothers Day to my Mother, Mother in Law, Sister and all my wonderful friends who inspire me everyday!

We had a wonderful day! We had brunch together as a family. Then we decided to partake in our first German festival, Fruhlingsfest (Spring Festival). It has been going on for a week but yesterday was the last day. We walked to the train station and went to Stuttgart where the huge carnival was set up. We rode rides, shopped, ate, drank beer, and people-watched like it was cool. At one point, a cloud came up and it started to rain. Then out of nowhere, it started hailing. Everyone crowded under the tents and drank beer. Then it stopped and everyone wandered out again.

Mark and I rode the Transformer. You are strapped to chairs in a circle, then the floor drops out and the thing starts to spin and flip. It went on forever. I tried to scream but no sound came out! For the rest of the day, our heads felt funny (or as Mark called it, "my eggs are scrambled"). We had headaches when we got off the train, so we took a taxi home.

I am such a lucky lady to be blessed to be the mom of two amazing boys and two stepchildren. Oh, and an awesome husband too!! Being a mom is the hardest job ~ and the most rewarding job. Definitely the most impressive thing I have ever done.

To my kids: I love you with all my heart and want the very best life has to offer you!! Every day with you is my gift!!

Housing in Germany

We got a lead on a home for rent which is in Sindelfingen, a couple blocks from The Marriott where we are staying. We went to look at the home which has been rented by an active duty Marine from Mark's shop. They are leaving May 14 and the home will be available on or before June 1. The great thing is that it is about 10 minutes to both bases, Patch and Panzer. The home is 4 bedrooms with a lot of space ~ 3 floors. We had to interview with the Landlord and they approved us (our kids were on their best behavior, lucky us). The lease has to be approved by housing and then we can make plans to move in. It has a beautiful garden (with a small patch of grass, but mostly plants and amazing flowers). There is a balcony all around the main floor and a terrace for our table and grill. We can entertain there and the kids will have lots of room. There are schools with playgrounds down the street and the Marketplace is within 15 minutes walk. 

The Marriott is nice but gets old quickly. Housing is difficult to find here. When you go to the Housing Office, they say "we have no houses available." When you ask when one will be available, they say "We don't know." NICE! We were very lucky and found a nice gentleman in housing to help us (is he the only nice person there?). Never underestimate good karma!

The decision to live on or off post is a personal one, one we have discussed over and over. There are clearly advantages to each. Mark and I decided we would live off base if we could find a 4 bedroom that was nice and clean, in a good neighborhood close to town, large enough for us, and near work and schools. Once you find that, I think you have to jump on it. So we are... Will post photos as soon as it is finalized!! Very exciting!!

Getting Settled in Germany

It has been a very busy week since we arrived. Recovering from jetlag and getting all our admin stuff done has been challenging. All this and no vehicle. Suzie and Brian have been our taxi drivers and we are soooo appreciative.

We got our IDs approved for entry into the gate. It is 100% ID check for all adults, everyday, all day. No exceptions. They even look inside your car to make sure you aren't smuggling someone or some illegal contraband into the base!

We got our Tricare switched to overseas. This had to be done before we could make the medical appts for shots for the boys ~ which had to be done before they could be enrolled in school. Logan is now registered at Patch American High School and Luke is registered at the CDC. We get 16 hours of free care for Luke which I know we will be using!

Our sponsor got a call from a friend of hers yesterday saying that a gold Ford Explorer with SC tags arrived in the vehicle lot. Hmmm, is that what living on base is like?? Sounds a lot like Lejeune! I am not sure how I feel about that...

I really miss my phone! I was holding my Droid in my hands at the airport when we arrived. I said "My Precious" as I rubbed it with a sad look on my face. An American man who flew over with us said Is it a dog or a cat?" I said "Oh no, it's my Droid." LOL. Apparently Germans don't have the same "appreciation" (Read: addiction) to their phones that we Americans do. The contract plans are expensive! We got 3 pay-as-you-go phones but I know eventually I will cave and get another Droid or Iphone... That is one thing I will probably not be able to compromise on. I got to talk with my Mother, Mark's Mom and Rebecca today so that should hold me over for a while!

I better get cracking on this driver's license test! I hear it's a real whammy. I have to pass it or someone else on base will be driving around my Explorer with the SC tags!