Being back......

We have now been back for two months and finally I can sit down and write.  What is it like being back?  It is no where near as good as travelling!  There is endless cleaning and cooking and laundry, homework and youth groups, meetings and work.   This is normal life.  I know that.  But when I compare this 'normal life' to being together ALL THE TIME and doing everything TOGETHER, normal life isn't as nice.  The first few weeks that we were back almost everyone that I saw asked, "So, have you arrived yet in normal life?".   After being back for three weeks I'd heard it enough.  It is hard to say, 'Of course we have 'arrived' and we just have to accept how life is, but we still miss our time together'.   Some people were worried that I, the Canadian, would miss North America too badly having been back and would want to move over again.  No worries there.  It was great to be back and to see friends, but we are used to being in Europe.  Now, if God called us to move to England then that might be another story! ;-)

So, the flight back was fairly uneventful.  We had SO much baggage.  But the people at Air France were lovely and let us check some of our carry-on baggage.  That made it much easier. Jonathan, Josiah and I sat together and again I had a cot for Josiah to sleep in. The most memorable part of the flight came at the end when the man across the aisle from us was found to have stolen about 6 little bottles of wine and had drunk them all.  This was just before landing and the man essentially passed out, or was in a drunken stupor, didn't have his seat belt done up and was rocking then forwards and back when we were descending and landing.  Once he even went head-first into the seat in front of him!  The girls sitting beside him were a bit worried at first and then we all saw the humour in it. After landing the stewards let the girls off first (which were beside him) and then everyone else de-planed.  Finally they hauled him out and off of the plane, depositing the man beside the bathrooms at the gate.  What a lesson for Jonathan, who was sitting near him, on the wisdom of not over-indulging- if he remembers this when he is old enough to indulge!

My brother-in-law picked us up in Vienna and we made our was back to our flat where we had friends waiting to welcome us.  Heather and Günther and their two girls had come the day before from Germany to enjoy the snow and to have a New Year's party with us.  It was so wonderful to come in to a warm flat with a full fridge and friendly faces all around.  We had a nap and then celebrated!  So, our New Year's time was good. We weren't entirely on our own and were kept busy, catching up with everyone over the next few days.  It was good to have a week to get settled and over the jet-lag before school and kindergarten began.

Since then it has been great getting to see friends again and to meet a new family at the Schloss.
Their children and ours have since been playing together a lot and we are really pleased to have them as friends.
Jeremiah started at the kindergarten for the first time, leaving Josiah and I alone at home. After being together all the time for five months this was a big change for Josiah. At first he really didn't know what to do with himself when I had to clean or cook. Now he plays on his own or 'helps' me with laundry or cooking. Jeremiah loves his time in his group at kindy. At first he was unhappy that he isn't in Elena's group, but now he has his own friends and has adjusted. One big change for him was
language. We realised towards the end of our time in Canada that Jeremiah had forgotten how
to say some things in German, but this was much more apparent when he started kindergarten with
teachers who speak only German. Apparently Elena had to do some translation for him! Jeremiah had no trouble understanding what everyone else said because Dominik had spoken German with him throughout our trip. Now, however, he is back to normal! We haven't had this happen before with any of the others but then we had never spent so much time in the States or Canada before. Anyway, it is interesting to see how language develops in children when they have more than one language to learn.

In January we travelled up to Vienna one weekend to visit some good friends and to go to a
suprise birthday party for another. The Birthday Boy and his family live in Ireland but his wife was bringing him back to Austria for a party for him and a couple of other friends who were turning 40. He had no idea that he was going anywhere that weekend until she drove with him to the airport in Dublin! It was so good to see them again!  After we left the party, we headed out into the snowy streets of Vienna with Steve and Ria to find their car. Steve had dropped us off at the party and had then parked, something which can take time in Vienna. Well, we walked and walked and yet found no car. Steve had saved the name of the street on the navi on his mobile but then something
happened that he couldn't find the street name. In the end Dominik, Ria and I waited in a
sheltered garage entrance until Steve found the car. He finally did and we headed back to their
house, figuring that by this time Josiah would be up and crying. Miraculously he had slept the entire time that we had been away and didn't wake to be fed until 2am!  I was amazed, and still am as that was the only time he has done it yet!

January was a time of tests for the Jonathan and Rebecca and the rest of their classmates.  The semester marks are then sent out to the school of choice of the 4th years (Jonathan's class).  We were a bit stressed then because he needed really good marks to get into the school that we prefer (one that is located in a very old monastary, just for interest!)  It was founded in 1355!!!  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schlierbach_Abbey).  We prayed about it and I tried to relax, I just don't like any of the other options, and then we found out that he is accepted.  He has to keep his marks high, which they should be if he isn't sloppy.  Next year he will be going to school by train.  This is a normal European concept but is really foreign for North Americans.  Anyway....

Apart from school and work keeping us busy, we have also been through the local village ski race.  Every year Dominik has competed and all the children have also competed since around 3.5-4 years of age.  Whenever they could steer and stop on their skiis.  Dominik starts them skiing when they are two and the ski race is a family highlight for us.  Even if we don't have winners we have always enjoyed a day out on the mountain, including myself and whatever little baby is in tow.  This year was no exception. Steve and Ria and family were visiting and snow boarding and my father-in-law came to ski with the kids as well.  It was a good year for us and they all placed:  Jeremiah- 2nd, Elena- 1st, Rebecca- 2nd, Jonathan- 1st, and Dominik was first in his age category as well as being this year's village champion!  It is all in good fun and we had a beautiful day out.

So, on goes life....  I will try to be more regular with writing as I really enjoy our little blog.  I enjoy seeing who's reading it too!  But sometimes it is hard to get motivated, when I think back on the lovely time that we had, compared with the work that we have now.  Still, there is always something going on, including planning our next adventure!  This summer we will take our holiday in England!  Two friends and one young boy will be travelling with us and I'm in the middle of sorting out where we can stay, with whom and for how long.  Then we will move on to what to see and do.  I used to live in England and so it is familiar to me, planning isn't hard.  Well, except that there is more to see and do than we will have time for.  But!  We have already bought tickets to go and see Highclere Castle, the set of Downton Abbey!  I am so excited about that!  No, NOT Dominik ;-).  The two girls coming with us and myself, the Downton fans, we'll go.  This will leave Dominik with 6 children but we will reward him.  Let's see what else I can plan!