Initially when we realized we'd be moving to Germany, we weren't quite sure the best way to do it. J's company gave us a "removal fee" budget as part of their relocation package but we didn't have a clue as to what that covered. Would that be 40 boxes? Could we send our bikes?
Eventually we looked into estimates for example: shipping 40 boxes and a crate of bikes would cost x amount of dollars . . . and then we looked into a shipping container which was only slightly more. But we could send sooooo much more stuff. And we wouldn't have to buy that stuff when we got over there! Savings (especially because the company paid for the shipping) and they wouldn't have paid for all new "stuff".
We still sold off quite a bit of things. We also opted to store a few special things as well. Both in a mini storage unit and then we'll store some things at my mom's and my grandma's.
But the shipping container itself was 8' x 8' x 20' . . . basically a one car garage. That's not too shabby. The fun part was that we had two hours to load it in (or pay financial penalties) AND . . . best part: it was 4.5 feet off the ground! Without a ramp!
As today was a Monday, everyone was at work. It was just me and J on our own. All 3 kids at home.
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Phil 4:13
I can tell you it was absolutely not through our own strength that we were able to get that accomplished this morning. 2 hours? 4.5 feet off the ground? Just me and J? But we did it. In exactly the 2 hour window.
When I heard myself telling people what was in store it sounded ridiculous to my ears. And clearly to theirs as well based on the looks on their faces. But God saw us through . . . like soooo very many other things on this here journey, there is nothing but green light, green light, green light with Him clearly working behind the scenes.
We did do our part: we marked off the area of the container in our garage and then staged the area:
We kept the Xbox hooked up for the kids to keep them occupied and hopefully a little more out of the way. We picked up breakfast for them. And then we got to work!
We would carry something to the edge...hoist it up to our shoulders. One of us would then balance it from the ground while the other climbed up the step ladder, then that person would balance it while the other climbed the step ladder and then we'd locate the heavy item in the container. For two hours.
The guy that drove the truck just sat in his truck. Mostly. We heard him on his phone. He spot cleaned a few areas on the outside of the truck, used our bathroom, that sort of thing.
But we got it all loaded...this was with 2 minutes to spare:
And this was after the guy (who couldn't actually help) mentioned how much it's all gonna slide around so we moved the mattress for a better buffer and added a couple of bungies and hoped for the best.
He locked it up at 11:00 on the nose and drove it all away!
And so it's 37 day journey begins. First the truck is taking "her" to a train, then the train is taking her somewhere that makes very little sense (like L.A. when, um, I think we're heading east), then she'll get loaded onto a boat and begins her overseas voyage. Jason's got a guitar on there and I think this oversea journey has got him a little nervous. :)
The fun is going to be when we receive the container in Berlin. Our first temporary apartment (3 months) is only about 1000 square feet and it's already furnished. Where's it all gonna go!?!?
With our furniture either on it's way to Germany or sold off to fund buying new stuff in Berlin, we moved in with my mom starting tonight. Jason and I miss sleeping in a bed! The kids all had mattresses till this morning, at least, but Jason and I spent the previous two nights like this after selling our bed frame earlier this month and our mattresses on Saturday:
There is still a ton to do up at the house but I know it'll happen. I'm not even stressing about it. Well, not really. ;)
But there we go! A major hurdle out of the way and divine intervention getting us through once again!
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