Tuesday, July 28, 2015

KissingerHaus

Welcome to our new home for the next three years!  I apologize in advance for all the pictures...it's basically like a Skype tour through the townhouse.  It's all very exciting for us after living in a one-bedroom basement apartment our first year of marriage, and a two-bedroom apartment with Ellie the past two years.  We're very grateful to be living here!  (The captions below go from top left to top right, then bottom left to bottom right).

(1) The front of our townhouse; (2) The view toward the Kartause - where Brian works; (3) The view directly in front of our townhouse; (4) The view looking up the road in front of the townhouse
(1) Entering the townhouse is an "exercise room"; (2) To the left is the garage/wood storage; (3) A place to park the stroller - I no longer have to keep it in my trunk - yay!! - and the stairs going upstairs

(1) Bathroom; (2) Small front room to the left - hopefully a good place to pray with an amazing view; (3) View from the small room into the kitchen

(1) Kitchen - the "cabinet" on the left side is the refrigerator and freezer; (2) Sink and dishwasher

(1) Kitchen has an opening in the wall out to the dining room - complete with 8 chairs (v. our 2 back home) and a china cabinet; (2) Living room is next to the dining room; (3) Desk in dining room - there is also a big cabinet filled with board games & puzzles; (4) Door off of the dining room leading to our backyard

(1) View of our backyard - there are six University townhouses and all of the backyards are connected - the kids share the space; (2) Back of our townhouse; (3) View from our backyard toward the Kartause

(1) & (2) Stairs continuing upstairs; (3) The dresser we're currently using as a baby gate at night - thankfully Ellie is really good at going up and down the stairs -- and the dryer; (4) Bathroom/shower; (5) Washing machine in the bathroom; (6) Toilet

(1) Our bedroom and BF's crib and a couch for nursing - room faces back; (2) Ellie's room - chair positioned to keep her in her first big girl bed - which she loves! - room faces back; (3) Guest room - faces front; (4) THE VIEW FROM THE GUEST ROOM - COME VISIT!!

Sunday, July 26, 2015

We Made It.



The unbridled pre-trip optimism

We're here. In Austria. After 2 months of insanity, paperwork, packing, moving, and living out of suitcases, we've arrived in Gaming.
    Courtney and I (just to be clear: this is Brian writing, not one of the children) spent Monday through Thursday in Steubenville. It was a great chance to hang out with my side of the family, and we ate as much American food as possible to gear up for the chicken wing shortage we'd soon be facing. 
     We left my parents' house on Thursday around 12:30pm to head to the Pittsburgh airport. After a short layover in Washington, we arrived in Vienna at 8:00am the following morning, and made it to our new home in Gaming around 11am. 
   In every aspect of this move, from the big picture of picking up and moving our family overseas to the endless checklists and logistics to figure out, God's provision has been so evident. I know we believe that God always provides for us, but sometimes He makes it abundantly clear. Here are some of the hlighlights so far:

 -We brought 6 checked bags, and we had a rough estimate of how much they weighed, but weren't really sure until we brought them to the airline counter. The total weight was exactly on target and there was just enough room to shift things around to even out the weight distribution.
-We only had 3 tickets for the flight from DC to Vienna, but a very kind Austrian Air employee gave us an extra middle seat for the baby. We were able to keep him in his carseat throughout the 8 hour flight, and he slept like a champ for most of it. Ellie even slept the whole flight.
-We arrived safely, with all of our bags and most of our sanity, to Gaming.

Sleeping Ellie: sponsored in part by the makers of Melatonin

As a lover of movies, I was excited to stay awake for 8 hours. I got to watch a Liam Neeson movie. It doesn't matter which one, since they all involved a loving father on a killing spree to prevent someone from hurting his grown (but also grown distant) child. And Courtney finally watched the Sound of Music. So yes, we're ready for life in Europe.

    Our first day in Gaming was great. We were greeted by several of the faculty and staff families in Gaming, who helped us unpack and get settled into our townhouse. We walked the kids in the stroller to dinner, and they had both fallen asleep by the time we got there. So far, so good.
    
Can't wait to see what the next few weeks bring. Stay tuned for updates. My next post will include the story of yesterday's alcohol-related injury, but don't get too excited. It doesn't involve anyone drinking.

Dinner in Gaming. Before my sober, but alcohol-related, injury.


Saturday, July 18, 2015

Preparing for Austria



The hills are alive with the sound of...the Kissingers coming!

Two months ago, we learned that our family will be moving to Gaming, Austria at the end of July.  At the time we found out Brian will be the Director of Student Life for Franciscan University's study abroad program, our son was three weeks old.  To say the last several weeks (with little sleep and travel plans that took us from our home in Virginia to California, Ohio, and Iowa) have been a whirlwind - is an understatement.

Our family of 4 (we also have a 2 year old daughter) will leave for Austria this coming Thursday.  We have six suit cases, two car seats, a double-stroller and 4 boxes of clothes and miscellaneous items (including a few familiar toys and books) that we'll be bringing with us.  

Sadly, we won't be starring on HGTV's House Hunters International.  We'll move into a furnished townhouse provided by the University.  I've never seen a picture of it.  I asked my husband to take a few when we was over there a month ago acquiring his work visa - but instead he sent me a picture taken in front of the townhouse looking forward - at a undeniably beautiful view (see below!) - but not what I wanted to help me envision our new home.  He did bring me a very large Milka chocolate bar though, so that kind of made up for it.



They speak German in Austria.  We do not currently know any German.  But we do have Rosetta Stone and DinoLingo German for kids.  I've been watching a lot of DingoLingo lately...and all I've really learned is baby and zebra.  I hope there are a lot of baby zebras where we're going.

Pray for us on this new adventure!
AMDG,
the Kissingers