Adventures in Deutschland

Thanks to Mom & Dad (Anita & Ken), we got plane tickets to Chicago for a nice visit in May so that everyone (especially Great Grandma Mary and Great Grandpa Mel) could meet Greta and so that we could bring the dogs back to Germany with us. I was a bit anxious about how Greta would do on the trans Atlantic flight outside of the womb and how she'd adjust with jetlag and our busy schedule visiting as many friends and relatives in the Chicago area as possible, but I needn't have worried, as she was a champion world traveler. We were also worried about how the "boys" (dogs Buddy and Heinrich) would fare on the flight (especially sensitive worrier Bud), but they seemed to do well as well. It was just a bit harry for us at the airports with baby, luggage, dogs and their big crates!

It was very neat for everyone to meet Greta, including her Uncle Brett and Aunt Megan (plus many of Megan's family!), Great Aunt Arlette and Great "Aunt" Louise, Godparents Lindsay and Russell Jahnke, plus many other family and close friends, some of whom are in the pics. I'll have to add Mom's pics to a later blog as we were so busy at the open house Mom & Dad hosted for us, to which over 50 people came, that I wasn't able to properly photo document it!

We also loved doing typical American things that we'd previously taken for granted such as shopping at Target, eating at Cheeseburger in Paradise and Portillos, having Vito & Nick's pizza and watching TV...WITH A REMOTE (hopefully we'll eventually be able to do that here in Germany too).

I found readjusting to living in Germany after being in the States like going all the way back to square one when we first moved her in October. I was really missing family back home and went from being in a house with, at times, 8 other people, to just me and Greta. So, my caring husband found a cheap flight and my supportive Dad paid for it and Mom flew here on Monday and stays until June 12!!

The hardest part of living in Germany remains not being able to share Greta with family and friends back in the States. There's a reason for the saying "it takes a village to raise a child" and I've come to believe that babies are made for sharing with others. The biggest hurdle for me decide that it was ok for us to move to Germany was that I knew that Mom & Dad had waited a long time to become grandparents and when I told them I was pregnant, I'm sure we were all thinking that there would be at least weekly visits with the baby as we lived about 40 minutes from each other at the time. We thought we were so smart moving back to Chicgo from North Carolina before we had kids, and then the opportunity came up to move to Europe. How could we pass that up? So, it's hard, but the traveling is a wonderful opportunity, as well as Wayne's nice secure federal government job.

Also, we've had or are having so many visitors here that it's easy to forget that we live so far from everyone when we have loved ones in our home! So far, Mom & Dad (Anita & Ken) were here for the month of January (including Greta's birth and first month of life!) then Mom & Dad (Jackie & Fred) were here for a few weeks, then (Greta's) Aunt Susan spent her spring break with us. Now, Mom (Anita) is here again for about 3 weeks, then we will get to visit for the day with Fred & Jackie, Mike & Pat Del Guercio and Tony & Kathy Cavallo during a stop on their Rhine River Cruise. Then Fred, Jackie, and our nephew Kelley will visit for a few days. Then a few days after that my cousins Amy, Lloyd & their son Luke will visit for a few days. Then in mid-July, family friends Graham and Myra Jones will visit from England and in September Arlette and Louise will stay for a visit after their Rhine River Cruise, and hopefully in September Blaine Vajda will also visit. If you're reading this (and you got the blog address from us!) you're welcome to stay at Pension Victor too! Just let us know when you're thinking so we don't overbook or plan to travel during that time.