Homeward Bound

After much deliberation, we have decided to make the trip back to the States six months early. This is due to another fact we haven't really shared with everyone that may read this blog. So, surprise! I'm now in my second trimester--pregnant, again! We're very excited about this baby, and this pregnancy has been MUCH different than the last one--as in, not as many cramps, but SICK, SICK, SICK. I didn't throw up all the time (four times the whole pregnancy thus far), but I was ill all the time, and could eat hardly anything at all. Graydon really stepped up to the plate and took things over for us--he's started early working to be a great dad! He's done everything now--cooking dinner, washing dishes, hanging up laundry, and even his least favorite thing: sorting the trash. :)

Anyhow, this is necessary to explain, in part, or reasons for coming home. It was a very hard decision. Our insurance right now covers everything--all I need to do is pay ten Euro every quarter. In comparison with the States, this is Manna from Heaven. We're looking toward very unsure waters right now, especially with rumors of budget cuts to the medicaid program. But we're putting our little family in the Lord's hands and he'll take care of us. Another reason that almost kept us back was our relationship (and responsibility towards) the people we've just met and our callings. Our family here, the Vogt's, were so excited to share the experience of the birth of our baby with us--we could actually see Gabi's heart breaking when we told her, and it killed me. I'm also working with a boy on his English, Ruben. We love spending time with he and his family, and I feel terrible that so short a time after we have started working with him (which was just in December) we have to leave him to the sharks, so-to-say. We've both just recently received callings in the church, and I feel like I was expected, and expected myself, to contribute more to my calling than just a few months will allow. But we're trying our hardest to accomplish as much as possible before the time comes to leave.

The reasons that finally convinced us it was time to come home were also many. Our cost of living every month in German consisted of 450 Euro for the apartment, 95 Euro for the utilities, 60 Euro for insurance (really not that bad--I'm sad we're leaving it...), and the killer was the 300 Euro it cost us to get Graydon to Heidelberg and back every day for school. All in total, and converted to dollars, we were losing between 12- and 1500 dollars every month. We tried to get Graydon transfered to Stuttgart for this upcoming semester, and when that didn't work out, we were bummed. To add to the pain is the fact that neither of us can find good jobs for the time we are here, due to our visa restrictions. 

In short, we decided to go home, work, and save, instead of stay and spend, spend, spend.

The other big reason we decided to come home was simply that the baby is due on July 23rd, plus or minus ten days. If it came on time and healthy, we would have had no problem at all getting back to the States in time for school to start. If there were complications, however, they would have kept all three of us back and made the prospect of the new school year quite bleak. We decided it was better to go home, find jobs and an apartment that we could be settled into when the baby came, instead of pushing the time limit, then coming home with a newborn and no money to speak of and trying to settle into somewhere. 

We're very excited to come home. Of course we are! It has been hard, very hard, though, to 'let down' the family and friends we were leaving behind. I think it was easier to leave Utah, because we knew we'd be seeing our family again in a year. When we leave Germany, we don't know when or even if we will ever see some or any of our friends again. I have no real attachment to the country, or the food, or the system. I have a real, strong attachment to the people we have become acquainted with and really fallen in love with. And it really kills to have to think about saying good-bye to them. 

Anyhow, Graydon posted a picture below of a few of us at Gabi's 70th birthday party. It was really great! I wish he'd taken a picture of the food/set-up, but we were afraid it would be considered rude. Now I still wish we'd done it. It was a very posh italian restaurant. When we walked into the dining area, I was taken aback at the three forks and three knives around each plate. I told Graydon, "I don't even know proper etiquette in the States all that well, what are we supposed to do here?!!??" It turns out it was really easy-Start from the outside and work in, and eat like a German. We did alright! That means, of course, that there were three courses. And dessert. :) The dessert was actually my least favorite part. It was also very drawn-out. We arrived at six, and got home at 5 to midnight. The only reason we got home so early is because the bishop gave us a ride, and we were really the first group to go. By 'we' I mean the mormons there. :) Everyone else was still dancing and partying it up. I'm so not up to that! 

Anyhow, a quick review of the courses:

Course 1: Sort of a meat sampler. There was ________ (that means I can't remember the name, but Graydon can). It is beef that is deep frozen and then cut very thin and served. Yes--raw meat. I was worried about the baby, but said a quick prayer and seem to have made it safely past the danger. The meat was under parmesan and...something else...a fresh spice of some sort. Then there was a tomato with wet mozzarella the Germans love, and a fresh basil leaf on top, then there was salami wrapped around olives (my favorite part) and then there was a pork or chicken or something that was under a sauce with another spice on top, and then there was a smoked meat--sort of like bacon. It looks uncooked (and probably really is), but it was okay. It was draped over a piece of cantaloupe. 

Course 2: It was a plate with three big pieces of triangular-ravioli things. My description doesn't do justice to the deliciousness. There was a light oil-spiced dressing that was over the top of it. It was really good. 

Course 3: A big piece of steak. The only real steak we've seen in Germany--Germans only have veal because they don't let the cattle get old enough before they slaughter it. Graydon things this cut was Filet Mignon. It was delicious, but medium-rare, and I couldn't eat all of it. Graydon and I traded plates.

Dessert: Weird gelatin stuff. Graydon will have to describe it. There were four different things per plate--a chocolate mousse that I thought was ice cream at first (okay, this may be the real reason I wasn't to impressed with it...:) ), then a lemon/citrus mousse, then a weird gelatin thing that was harder than jello and probably didn't need to be refrigerated to keep it's shape, and then the best part, whose name I can't remember. Sorry, everyone. Graydon knows the name. It one of his favorite desserts. 

Well, my time is up for now, I need to prepare a VT lesson and get ready for class at two. Know we love you, everyone!!