4th address in 9 months!

Last week we moved...again.  Yes, that makes 4 addresses in 9 months if you count the two week hotel stay when we first moved to this country (which  I do because I had to pack and repack there, too!!!).  We're so excited to be in a house.  We're just trying to get used to some more little nuances.  Like what?  Glad you asked!  Here's a few:  gas stove and oven that you have to light yourself, turn on/off the water heater in order to bathe or do the dishes (oh, and yes the dishwasher is aka ME for the most part), walk four flights of stairs to get to your washing machine (that's outside on the terrace), store food items in a teeny tiny refrigerator, lock your front gate with a heavy duty padlock (and the motorbike) at all times, bathe in an oh-so-tiny bathtub, and keep all your toiletries outside of the bathroom because there is NO storage (and you "shower" down the inside to clean it), no closets (just wardrobes), remembering turn off the "air con" each time you leave the room (no central heat/ac...like the apartment)...not bad, just different.  I'm currently looking for a megaphone (lol!!) so my lungs will not wear out from shouting up/down 4 levels of rooms.  On the more positive side...we are SO CLOSE to everything now that we regularly go and do!  Our new landlord has been wonderful, and in fact, just dropped by to deliver new "pretty and pink" duvet covers for the each of the girl's rooms (yes, I said EACH of the girls rooms...Abigail is so thrilled to have her own space again!).  Other nice things in this country that we've experienced is calling the water guy, cable guy,  internet guy, gas company (nicer than saying the "gas man" like I did earlier today!), and there arrive in 5 minutes (or less!!!).  None of this, "yes, I'll put you on the list and maybe we'll get to you in 6 weeks...lol!).  Oh, and as I type the "water guy" (not the water guy-as in "bottled drinking water guy") just rang the bell adn delivered our water bill.  Well, I'm assuming that's who he was!  He said, "water!" and handed me a bill!  Don't get that in America either : )

We moved here with 9 suitcases and 4 backpacks....We moved across the lake with ummmmm, a few more items!!!  Let's just say we had to borrow 3 more LARGE suitcases and that didn't include toys and bikes.

David and Abigail are off to get the key and take the first load early Thursday morning.

David, watcha thinkin'???

Awww...helping with a smile on his face, too! THANK YOU, Dejan, Chrissy and Michael for all your help.  We couldn't have done it without you!

 I'm so grateful for some of our friends and David's co-workers who loaded up the "Two Men and a Truck" and unloaded our loot at the new place!  The unloading included having to walk all the stuff down an alley (about 50 meters or so from the street.  Oh my!  Did I just talk metric!?!) because most alleys are too narrow for cars/trucks.  Pretty sad when your 7 month pregnant friend (in the background) is more mobile than I am!  She wouldn't listen to me about "go and sit down, young lady!!" You're awesome, Chrissy!

And.... we made it!

But we didn't sit for too long...had to go to "Kitchen Street" to get some pots-n-pans! 

Our helper told us to go away because she could get better prices if we weren't standing there with her (which is so true!).  So....off we went.  Love her!

 So...you wanna take a peak inside?
Note: still trying to unpack and not much to decorate with!

 Abigail likes to think we moved into this house just because of the number (remember, she just turned double digits)!

 Although this doesn't really show it, but we park the motorbike and 4 bicycles to the right of the steps.  The other 500 pairs of flip flops are inside : )

 First floor view from the stairs... I found these two awesome framed chinese calligraphy pieces outside on the roof terrace that were about to be thrown out!  of course, I called the owner and asked her if she'd save them for us so we could hang them : )

First floor view from the kitchen...looking at the front door (notice the helmet and rain pancho rack to the right?  Also, under the steps is our "catch all" shoe rack.  Don't quite have those two things back "home").

 SECOND FLOOR: school room...

and master bedroom.  We flip flopped the 2nd and 3rd floors so mamma bear wouldn't have to climb so many stairs every day!  I love these two rooms because our kind landlord let us choose the paint color.

THIRD FLOOR: Audrey An's room (still waiting for her wardrobe to be delivered so her clothes are ALL over the floor...not in view of camera!).

Abigail's room (which is actually the "real" master bedroom...it's huge!).  Excuse the mess on the floor of this tween!

All the bathrooms look like this.  They all have this teeny tiny tub.  Audrey An can barely lay (or is it lie (?) down in it...again, everything is x-small in this country- lol!)

FOURTH FLOOR is a small landing where the dryer, iron board, and all our suitcases will live.  Take a right through the door and you'll find...

the rooftop terrace!  Yes, that's our washing machine on the left and the neighbor's "unmentionables" on the next terrace over : )  The yellow building is an elementary school.  The girls and I open up our windows in the morning to hear the children giggling, singing and playing.  It truly is a sweet sound!

Look to the right of the terrace and you'll find a very inviting pool...which as of this afternoon I'm trying to twist the manager's arm to give us access to it.  Hey, it's all about who ya know, right???

 

So,  there ya go.  The grand tour!  We're so thankful for the opportunity to move into a larger place, but most of all that it's CLOSER to markets, parks, etc. for a sick mama bear and her cubs.  It feels great to hop on our bikes and within two minutes be at the park so the girls can ride their bikes and run around.  This morning they couldn't wipe the smiles off their faces because they spent probably two hours in the courtyard (and it's probably only a 4x10 area!) washing all of our bicycles and daddy's motorbike.  Fresh air does wonder for the soul!  "This is the day the Lord has made.  Let us REJOICE and be glad in it."