Christmas Chaos

       I hadn't been around little kids on christmas in a very long time. It was crazy and fun to be surrounded by all the anticipation and excitement of the kids.  Tracey, the mom, always hosts Christmas Day dinner. So on Christmas Eve we did some baking with the kids. It was a mess! The girls were so eager that they kept trying to open everything and add all the wrong ingredients, which resulted in a lot of spills. But the kids seemed to enjoy it and were very proud of what they helped with. 

         Tracey's mom recently moved into the house so she was already here Christmas Eve. Tracey's brother and his wife came over in the evening to spend the night so they would be here for Christmas morning. The kids put out milk and some treats that we had made that day out for santa and some carrots for the reindeer. I have never seen them so willing to go to bed.

Cameron waiting to open his gift

My stocking

Unfortunately I wasn't able to get to sleep until after three in the morning. Then at 5:30am I was woken up by the sound of the tv blaring on the main floor. I found the three boys up and watching a christmas movie, all sitting by their stockings.. Surprisingly none of the presents were open. 

When I walked into the living room I seriously could not believe my eyes. Their were so many presents it literally took up two rooms. The boys waited until after 7 to go wake up the rest of the house by singing Christmas carols. We started opening presents at 7:30 and finished around 11:30. The kids loved all of their presents and I loved being around all the screaming and joy. The Oliver's were very sweet and got me some amazing presents as well.

Kyla eating her chocolate santa

The missionaries came over in the afternoon for the Christmas feast, which was delicious. They also got to open their presents and talk to their families. After the Elders were done skyping, we brought out the many many desserts. That night Traceys brother and his wife stayed the night again. We all stayed up till midnight playing games. Then I got to talk to my whole family and see my adorable little nephew! It was a great Christmas here in Luxembourg and I am so grateful that I got to have this experience. I have always wanted to spend Christmas in Europe, and now I have.

Week One

My first week in Luxembourg I shadowed the old nanny, learning the daily routine. The three youngest kids had christmas programs at their school. It was fun to go and watch them sing in Luxembourgish and German. On Thursday their old nanny and I got off work early. She explained the bus system to me and then we took the bus down to the Gar. The Gar is the train station which is in a beautiful building.

       Then we walked through the town centre, and she showed me the Castle. It was dark and rainy, but it still looked beautiful. I am looking forward to going back sometime in the day. We also went to the Chocolate House which is right across from the castle. I had the most delicious chocolate cake ever! With all the people inside I could tell it was a very popular place. After we couldn't eat any more we met up with a couple people and walked through the Christmas Village. 

During the first week I noticed many differences between Luxembourg and the states. The more exploring I do, the more differences I see. The roads here are tiny, and so are the cars. The washers and dryers are smaller as well, most things seem to be a lot smaller. Even though things here are not at all what I am used to, I learn to love it more and more each day. 

Airplane, Airplane, Sorry I'm Late

With the woes of packing and saying goodbye to loved possessions behind me, I was ready to face the only thing worrying me. My 35 minute connection in Chicago. I upgraded my seat on my flight from SLC for $39 to be closer to the front. That way I could get off faster and book it to the next flight. As luck would have it, there was no room for my carry on in the overhead bin. So along with many others, my bag was gate checked. Then to add to it the plane took off late. 

I was one of the first off the plane, but one of the last to get my bag. Then I scurried to the other side of the airport, sending up prayers the entire way. Finally I arrived at the gate, just as they closed the door. Sweaty and breathless I asked "Is this the flight to Munich?" I was the last one on board and again had to have my bag checked, this time all the way to Luxembourg. This had me a bit worried because I had packed a weeks worth of clothing in my carry on, thinking my checked bag probably wouldn't make the connection. Now if my luggage was lost, I had nothing. 

It was a relief to get off the plane in Germany. I hadn't been able to sleep a wink and knew that in just a couple more hours I would get to meet my new home and family for the next year. The signs for my next gate were very confusing and I ended up circling around and around the Munich airport. After my third loop I decided to venture down an abandoned hallway, and that is where I found my way to the next gate. After passing through customs, I found my gate in no time. I went to board my final flight, and was told they couldn't find my luggage. While I hadn't been hoping for this, it wasn't too big of a surprise. Yet, I prayed that somehow my bags would make it.

When I got to Luxembourg I saw the baggage claim and felt that I should wait and see if my luggage came through. Lo and behold… it did!! I was so relieved to have both my bags and finally be done flying. It was a short drive from the airport to my new home. It was exciting to see it all for the first time and to meet everyone.