Can't Beat It

It's truly one of the greatest joys in life to watch your grandparents hold your baby girl and delicately touch her little fingers and poke her little cheeks. And how weird to think that one day I might have great grandchildren sitting on my knee too! (weird.) Here's a few pictures from the last week here in Edmonton--ones from our week in Rochester to come soon (once I find the right cord to get them off the other camera!).

Hello from Snowy Minnesota

It is so wonderful to finally be here! After leaving our apartment on Saturday, driving across Germany on Sunday and Monday, and hopping in the moving truck one last time to head to the airport on Tuesday, it’s SOOO nice to be able to unpack for more than a night. And especially at such a great place with family! But it's still so weird to think that we have actually MOVED here now and aren't going back to Dresden in a few weeks. I'm sure that will take awhile to get used to.

A blanket of snow is covering the ground outside but the dry, crisp climate feels much warmer to me than the “warmer” temperatures we left in humid Dresden. I am such a northern, dry-climate type of girl!

Thank you for every last prayer said on behalf of our move and flight—everything couldn’t have gone better. We were even pleasantly surprised a couple of times by the amazing cooperation of different people on our way—when does that happen?! And Caitlin could not have been a more flexible and easy-going traveler, not to mention us the unexpected blessing of being able to put her carseat on an empty seat next to us on the plane, which made things sooo much easier. The last of my US visa processing also went smoothly upon arriving in Chicago. Nine of our ten pieces of luggage came all the way through and the last one arrived this afternoon, and because we had so many extra pieces we ended up getting a kind of "VIP" treatment, with porters and airline workers helping us breeze through check in, security and what other would have been otherwise loooong lines. What blessings from the Lord!

We fell into bed last night around 11 pm Rochester time and slept wonderfully through till the morning, despite a brief interuption from the jet-lagged and hungry Caitlinbug. She has warmed up to everyone already, smiling and joyfully playing, soaking in every ounce of love that is being showered on her. Grady's sister Molly and I have even already made a quick trip to the nearby mall to check out the holiday sales. Fun!

Anyway, just a quick update and a few highlights of the last few days here with us. Wishing you all a delightful holiday season with your loved ones!

Still Alive and Kicking...

Wow, what a mix of emotions as we come around the corner to meet our departure from this beautiful and cultural (yet sometimes frustrating) land of Germany. Our apartment is being steadily emptied by friends extracting their few treasures and it makes me smile to think that when we come back to visit we will become reacquainted with each piece of furniture by just stopping by our friends' apartments. Nothing is truly "gone," just in the care of someone else! And what does stuff matter in the end anyway...more and more I long for heaven when all the people dear to me may finally be together in one place (at least more than is possible on earth-!). It has been a full last few days of friends and surprise visitors, heartfelt goodbyes and well-wishes, feeling close to being packed but then always finding more to do...

What joy to find my place here in this Maass family of three, with our own responsibilities and challenges and decisions, but our own. So looking forward to seeing family and relatives but in the meantime still having contentment because now I am home in this little family wherever we are. It's even more real with Caitlin around, reminding us that we have our special, irreplacable role as parents. What a blessing she is to us!

It's a gloomy, dreary, overcast and cold day in Dresden today and I find myself trying to enjoy everything to the last drop, taking special notice of the ringing church bells and cobblestone streets, the many Audis, VWs, and BMWs on the streets, the decorative buildings, and even speaking German. Please don't mind when I throw German words into my English in the next few weeks, I know it will happen!

We are so looking forward to seeing everyone where we're headed but can't deny the inevitability of leaving all our dear friends here. If you can, please pray for all the unknown transitions we'll be dealing with, God is so faithful and will get us through.

Goodbye Dresden, we have so many fond memories of life with you. And hello North America, we look forward to your root beer and beef steaks (among other things!). Bis spaeter!

Neat Effect