Erkaeltung II

Yep, still have it. I've been through almost a whole box of tissues over the weekend, and have had two bloody noses because all of the runny nose stuff has made my nose so dry. I'm on the second one right now.

Another story: This weekend is daylight savings time! "Fall-back, Spring-forward," as we would say it. NOT IN GERMANY! Here it's "Fall-forward, Spring back!" So we set our clocks like Americans. Gabi called us last night to remind us so we "didn't come an hour early", and so we would be happy that we would get "an extra hour of sleep." We didn't catch those BIG, OBVIOUS hints, and still set our clocks like Americans. We slept in, woke up exhausted (but Graydon was happy that his team that we stayed up late to listen about won), and barely missed the train that would get us to church on time. And we waited half an hour, and it's COLD here. And right before we got on the train, we realized the clock said 6:56, and not 7:56.

So we didn't come to church one hour early. We came two hours early.

Then we came back home. And I was cold. And we tried to get under blankets, and I still felt cold under the blankets. And I stayed home from church today. Graydon went for both of us.

I will have to e-mail my Hall family for those tips on dealing with colds.

On Friday we went to eat dinner at our friend Markus's house. He reminds me of one of mom's friends. He also reminds me of mom. Tell me if this is not a mom thing: After dinner, he pulls Graydon into the back and massages all of his back muscles because Graydon's too tense. And Graydon didn't even scream from pain! (I guess that isn't like mom. :) Love you, mom!) Markus is a body therapist.

But I am getting ahead of myself. Before this he made us DE-LICIOUS dinner! First we had pumpkin soup and cabbage-pie, then salad and cheesy noodles. Then we had ice cream sundays! Wow. We were stuffed. It was amazing.

So after, he dropped us off at the train station. It was about 12:30. The last train, we come to find, left at 12:16. So we called Markus back and he dropped us off at home. Patrick McGaffin, a guy that served in Graydon's mission and is now studying abroad in Stuttgart, was with us. He lived pretty far away from where we were, so he just crashed on our couch. It was cool. Then he and Graydon talked half of Saturday away about their missions. It was cool to hear, and I think it was good for both of them. :D

I think that's really all for now. Know we love you all!

Erkaeltung

Erkaeltung=Cold. I think we are both out our second one. That's why I'm awake at 1:22. I should do homework for my online class, but it's late! And I don't want to! Thus, a quick note to drop by, letting everyone know we're still alive!

Loves!

We Have Internet!

Yeah! Everyone, I expect a big applause! The Technician came yesterday, and I thought he would set the whole thing up, but he just plugged things in and made sure the right lights were flashing. Graydon and I had to actually set the thing up. And all of our instruction manuals were in German. But we did it! We now have a phone that is working, as well as internet that is working, as well as two pre-paid cell phones. :) Happy face.

Classes started a while back for Graydon, and are starting just this week for me. He is lucky and has just one language class that is five days a week, three hours per day. Maybe that isn't so lucky. :) I have five classes, one chemistry class in English and 4 German classes in German. Three of the classes are above my speaking level, so we will see if I can get by with them. I actually have no choice, I have to have at least 12 SWS credits to keep my scholarship here, even though only 6 of the credits are on my level. They don't cater much to kids who aren't already 100% fluent in the language, let's just say that. 

1 SWS credit: Study Hours/ week. One SWS = 45 min class/per week. 1 SWS = 1.5 ECTS credits, which is, I believe, what we run on in the states. At least that's what my packet told me!

Well, I will post pictures now, so this is short, but oh, well. We will be able to write more often now, anyways! Loves!

Still waiting for stuff....

Hello, our friends and family! Just letting you know how grateful we are for all the e-mails, facebook messages, and posts on the blog. A quick update:

We still don't have phone or internet at home. About a week and a half ago, we signed a two year contract for a landline and internet. 25 Euro/month, plus a 50 Euro cancellation fee. Not too shabby--especially because we will be able to have DSL 6000, free calls to any landline in Germany, AND free calls to the US! We've already received the two introductory letters and the modem from the company, and we have an 'appointment' on the 21st, where the guy will come and finish setting everything else up. So, after the 21st we will have everything! Another plus--fall break in Utah! So Graydon and I don't have any homework due until right around the 21st! Yeah! Such a happy thing.

Right now we have two other sources of internet: First, we sometimes can go up to our wonderful neighbor upstairs, Thomas, and he will let us use his computer. Many times, however, he is not home, so we had to find another source. It is Coffee Fellows at the Hauptbahnhof in Stuttgart. We buy a bagel or two, and the wireless is free! So we try to make it here every morning, and sometimes at night.

We also were offered a pre-paid phone yesterday to borrow. We have been giving people the phone number so they can call us--there are not any minutes on the phone right now, but at least people have a way to get in contact with US! 

What else, what else, what else. We are hopefully going to buy pillows today. The couch hasn't come yet, or the table or chairs, because it has been so hard to get in touch with us crazies. We are supposed to be going to a ballet tonight, but haven't been able to get in contact with Dieter and Gabi. Hopefully they can call sometime today, before the ballet. Dieter loves to go to those things and be cultured, as well as culture all his friends. And I love them already! Stuttgart is VERY well known for their ballet, so it will be great! We just don't know what we will wear.

We will try and post pictures as soon as we can, thought it might be sometime after the 21st. We love you all!

Well everything is going good here in Germany. We are halfway moved into our apartment and we are enjoying the area we are in. We have no internet, so I am writting this from the Institute. We will try to update everyone as soon as we get a connection. So if you don't hear from us for a while we still love you!

Happy address for all who are searching!

Okay, all, the reason we haven't told you our new address before now is simple: We haven't known it before now. Pretty easy to explain, eh? But I just googled it, and now we know. Here it goes, (drumroll, please?):

Hegaustrasse 9

70469 Stuttgart

GERMANY

The picture on the right is the living room with the nice, new laminate floor that we really have to worship for a year. Graydon liked it the best--it's the only room he took a picture of! 

A quick word: In Germany they don't use checks. I think if we showed them a check they would laugh in our faces! Dieter said they haven't used them for about ten years. So, if you would like to send/give us money, please send it to Roger, Graydon's dad in Provo. He is part of our account and can just deposit the money right in! But we'd also like to hear from you! Because we love you! 

Let's see what else there is we can say about this week. I had a beautiful birthday party! Graydon missed his one day that he could miss so I didn't have to sleep all morning alone, and then we went downstairs and there were Gabi and Dieter eating breakfast, and my place at the table was all nicely lined with ivy vines and a beautiful rose! It was so special! They also had a present for me of chocolates, which Dieter said they chose because we could eat them and then be done, and we wouldn't have to pack them around everywhere. :)

Graydon also bought me an AWESOME basket that can accompany grandma's bag for when I go shopping! People use it for everything around here. And by everything, I mean EVERYTHING! They even fill it for church, for over-nighters, etc! And I wanted one so bad, so when I opened that  up it was awesome!

I've also been appeasing my deep desire for literature, and bought two books from the big Barnes and Noble here, entitled WITTWER, with the money that has been deposited by my wonderful Provo et al. family! Thank you! 

On Thursday night we went to IKEA! In Germany they pronounce it "ee-kay-uh," so at first I had a hard time figuring out what they were talking about, but it's great! We bought some carpets for the apartment, as well as two little tables and a small-tiny bookshelf for our books. We bought some couch pillows and a couple cheep blankets. We spent about 129 Euro, a lot better than we thought it would be! So now we're set (as far as we can tell), and can start moving in on Monday, if we can get the bed!

Graydon says, "We love you guys! Everybody get Skype so you can talk to us!" 

And we do love you! So much! Have a great weekend!

WOHNUNG!!!

Wohnung: Apartment!

And we have one! 

It all happened last week, and I just haven't been able to write about it since then. We went to one apartment to look at, which was really nice but a bit of a walk from the train station, so Graydon wasn't very excited about it. Then the son and daughter of the family we're staying with called and let us know that they had a friend that was living above a flat that had been empty for a long time! He had called the landlady and she was willing to rent! So, we met with her on Wednesday(the same day we had to call the other really nice guy back by), and we loved it! 

There are many kinds of trains in Germany. The one we've been using primarily is the S-bahn, but there is another one called the U-bahn that does basically the same thing except for in different directions and with more stops. So, to go to church we have to ride the S-bahn from Weil der Stadt to Feuerbach, then get off the S-bahn and onto the U-bahn, and then we get off the U-bahn and walk to the church. 

So, guess where the apartment is that we have decided on? FEUERBACH! It's two or three stops away from where we get off for church, goes to the Hauptbahnhof (and cuts about half and hour off of Graydon's travel time to Heidelberg), and is only one train stop away from another member family that is in our ward! She found out and told us we would have to trade phone numbers and addresses, and then if we needed anything we could always, call, and said that it would be so nice to have "a neighbor!" Hahaha. We're pretty happy about all this.

The only thing is that it is unfurnished, but we have talked to a few people that have really helped us when we first got here, and they sent a message out to the international (military) ward, and we have had, since then, a million offers for people to give us things. We have bought a microwave and a couch, for a total of 90 Euro, but it also is accompanied by two chairs, a kitchen table and chairs, a toaster and water heater, a knife set, kitchenware, and glasses. Then from Gabi's daughter in law's family, silverware and china (which I hope is just normal plates, or else I will feel guilty eating off them). We also have been offered a bed by Gabi and Dieter's friend Thomas and his wife Helga. AMAZING! I am truly astounded by the generosity that runs rampant here! I have really learned a lot. 

So now all we need is to pick up a few cheap carpets from IKEA, as well as bedding and a clothes rack (and of course other random things that pop up), as well as a washing machine from wherever we can get it, and then we'll be set!

The Lord is really providing for us. We just had to be patient for a while, wait for his time, and the blessings have just been pouring out. It was a rough start, but I think we're (overall) better off for it. We're so grateful!

WE LOVE YOU ALL!!!