oh happy day!

SUCH a fun and beautiful day in Nuremberg! In spite of the pouring rain and grey sky, there was a lightness and energy in each of us, which helped erase some of the homesickness.

It all started with FAB sleep for the girls last night – thank goodness! Thanks to all of you for your prayers and good wishes on the sleep front – having the girls well-rested was a huge blessing and made today so much more manageable. Things were getting a little dicey the past couple of days, so it was such a relief to see their big, beautiful smiles and their infectious laughter. So sweet, my girls.

We started the day in a neighboring town, Erlanger, where we met our Relocation Consultant, Barbara, to finalize my work permit. We signed papers quickly, and then grabbed a latte in a darling cafe in the center of town. This town is adorable – we can’t wait to go back when it’s not raining to spend a bit more time in the city center. Cute shops & cafes, a beautiful park. Weather permitting, we may visit it this weekend to do a little more exploring.

On the way back to Nuremberg, we had once again fallen into the “everyone is starving and must eat NOW” scenario. After a handful of meals that have been a bit unfamiliar, we knew we just wanted & needed a little taste of home. We quickly plugged “McDonalds” into the GPS, and 5 minutes later we were in front of the cutest McD’s that was built into a historic building in Erlanger. 1 hilarious pantomime where I tried to explain “no pickles” to the cashier who spoke NO english (which clearly didn’t work!) + 2 Happy Meals + an array of stuff for Wen = a very happy Maxey family. We certainly want to do our best to immerse ourselves into the life & culture of Germany, but sometimes you just need a freaking cheeseburger.

After nap time we decided to make a quick trip to IKEA – I’m quickly losing my patience with living out of suitcases, so we wanted to see if there was anything we could get that will help us organize our current flat, but that will also be useful in our longer term apartment. After spending so much time in our teeny flat, the girls were dying over all of the open space, and ran & played & laughed their way through the store. Meatballs (for Wen) and ice cream (for the Maxey girls) rounded out the trip . Perfection!

I’m amazed at what a difference 24 hours and some good sleep can make. I’m so grateful. Thanks for the prayers and support and encouragement that you’ve passed along.  Oh, happy day!

i heart you, coke light from mcdonalds