Team Counts Duesseldorf No More

Very sad for us. 16 checked bags, plus 2 carseats, plus 2 strollers (kinderwagens), plus a cat, all with 3 adults (my Mom came to help out), a 2 year old, and a 3 month old. That sums it up. We have left Duesseldorf, Germany. Our time living there is over. I can hardly believe it. AND, I had barely believe that I'm sad about leaving. I cried myself to sleep the entire first week we moved to Germany. I could not believe what a crazy thing we were doing. Now, I'm so sad. Not just to leave our great great great friends we made at IBCD, and not just our FANTASTIC youth group, InsideOut, and not just the soul-filling bible study on Fridays, and not just the stress outlet 'football' on Tuesdays...but also the German lifestyle, believe it or not. I miss the buses and the strassenbahns and the trains. I miss walking to the store. I miss being able to play right outside the apartment. I miss our GIANT master bedroom (but NOT that terrible pink wallpaper). Zach grew up there...all of my Zachy memories are there, in that miserably furnished apartment. I miss the Germans saying that it is "fresh" outside when really it's COLD. I miss brotchen. I miss those tiny shopping carts at Extra that Zach could push around. I miss Strawberry Lady who lived in the next apt building and who almost cried when I let her hold Wyatt. I miss my cute back porch. I miss rollatos - what a great idea! I really really miss being so close to Holland and getting to see Annemieke and the rest of our family every other month. I have a little hole in my heart b/c I don't know when I'll be back in Utrecht again. I miss NOT seeing plastic water bottles everywhere, and I miss NOT seeing millions of plastic bags at Walmart and Target and such. I miss affordable BIO (read: organic) food. Now don't get me wrong, there are TONS of stuff I don't miss, but why dwell on the bad stuff?? I guess my point is that it was such a wonderful experience, even the bad stuff (read: laundry and walking to the tram in the RAIN). It has changed my view of America and my world view, and for that I am grateful. It has made me a stronger, and I think, better person. My faith has been strengthened and grown. I could really go on for days and fill up my entire Blogger space with all I learned and enjoyed and hated and tolerated. Alas, I won't, but just know that Duesseldorf and IBCD will always have a large portion of my heart. Even my son, Wyatt, has a middle name (Carsten) to honor our time in Germany.

This is the only picture, sadly, that I have of our transition. My three guys asleep on the plane. We were in the bulkhead row with 4 seats for us. Wyatt was asleep in the bassinet on the wall, Art asleep sitting up, and Zach sprawled out in the excellent 2 seats that he had for himself.