On Thursday we finally got the keys to our new home!  It was, again, a completely new experience.  We met the “old” home owner at our new house.  After some handshakes & pleasantries we all trooped into the not-so-empty house.  We bought the house fully-furnished. A win for us, after six kids, and countless military moves, our own furniture is dead-on-its-feet; and a win for the home sellers, moving is very expensive in Germany.  Plus, they were down-sizing and needing different-sized furniture for their new home.

I’d anticipated a half hour of chatting, getting the keys, and signing off.  Instead it was a 3-hour lesson on how our new house works.  Plus we flushed toilets, turned faucets off & on and flipped light switches inside & out.  We also went through a full box of documents belonging to the house; including building plans, permits, specifications and insurances.  We also have the contact information from everyone to the glass replacer guy, the electrical company and even the local chimney sweeper.  I feel the house is better documented than my own kids!

Tess & Dane gave up an hour into the live-action presentation.  Thankfully the house is fully furnished, and they were able to crash out on our “new” couches.  Added bonus, for the first time in three years we have tv!  Not only do we have tv, but we have cable.  After happily flipping through 300+ channels they settled on KIKA, our favorite back in our hotel days.  I’m impatiently waiting for Bernd das Brot to come on once again.  There’s nothing like a depressed slice of toast to put a smile on my face.