Week 6 Summary

This felt like a really long week...

The highlights were having Ahmed and the missionaries over for dinner, getting our TB tests, meeting with an important business partner, getting a small cold, sending the kids to the Frankfurt temple to do baptisms for the dead, NOT going to Switzerland to go skiing, seeing a car crash in front of the church and finding out we spent waaaay too much money this month.  Oh and by the way, we have another pet.

With our visa approval letter in hand our goal this week was to get registered in the commune of Kehlen, get our doctor visit scheduled and next week get our social security number so that we can start getting paid, get on the state health insurance and buy a car.

Registering at the commune went OK.  At one point they said that the barn was not a separate residence so we couldn't register, but after a phone call we got approved.

I rode the bus back and forth to work all week.  I average between 20 and 30 minutes each way.  It is good productive time to study french or get some work done.  One day it took 40 minutes, but there was some kind of traffic problem.

On Thursday we had Ahmed and the missionaries over again.  We taught Ahmed all about the priesthood and the duties of deacons, teachers and priests.  The boys did a really good job describing those duties and then the girls did a great job describing why the priesthood is important to them.  Ahmed is so happy to have found the church and takes his priesthood seriously.  He received his first calling this week as a ward missionary.  He was pretty stoked.  He also taught the High Priests group today.  I wasn't there as I'm an Elder and the prospective Elders go with the High priests, but he said it went well.

It is a little more work getting them all out to Kehlen, but it is a really good opportunity for the kids to see the gospel and missionary work in action.

We watched two "maritime" movies this weekend through iTunes on our computer.  The first about the ship that was hijacked by Somali pirates and eventually saved by the Navy Seals.  The kids loved it and were impressed at the deadly accuracy of the Seals.  The second one, the kids didn't like as much, but I really enjoyed it.  All is Lost is about a sailer that hits cargo box and then details his attempt to get rescued.  There literally is almost one word and it was a bad one in the whole movie.  But I must say it was appropriate and probably better than I would have done placed in similar situations.

Spoiler alert: For me the show meant a lot being here and struggling with everything from the house, to schooling, to funding, to TB shots, to registering, finding a car, etc. etc. etc.  This experience has been very difficult, but I hope in the end it will be worth it.  Feels like a microcosm of life.  It is very, very difficult and in the end we have to reach up and hope it is going to be OK.  You'll have to see the movie to understand.

With the move to Kehlen, Ashton had to get rid of Hammy.  So right on cue he started pestering Kim and I non-stop for his next pet.  He is one persistent kid.  Anyway, the new pet is a Grecian Turtle.  Pretty cute little girl that doesn't get too big like our African Sulcatta, week-week.  The new turtle's name is t-turtle.  I'm not sure how Ashton comes up with these names.  But one thing is for sure.  He loves creatures.

Kim, Ashton and I went to IKEA to get some final household items like soap dishes, garbage cans, etc.  We needed another bridal shower coming to Luxembourg to get all of the basics!  You forget how much crap we've accumulated at home when you only come with a couple suitcases.

The weather has been rainy and windy all week.  It hasn't really snowed, except for an inch a couple of weeks ago.  It is an unusually warm winter here.  I guess it can get much, much colder.  It looks like it is going to rain most of the upcoming week as well.

We didn't play soccer this week as the kids were gone.  It was a good thing for me because I pulled my calf muscle and have been nursing it back to health this week.

We wanted to go to Chamonix France this weekend to go snowboarding, but a late meeting with a business partner on Friday put an end to that.  Chamonix is about 7 hours away and is supposed to be totally radical.  This was a huge bummer because the next two weekends the locals have winter break, so the resorts will be packed.  We'll head down there near the end of Feburary and then to Zermatt, Switzerland to board near the Matterhorn the 1st or 2nd week of March.

During church two cars got in a head on collision right in front of the church.  Spencer went running out with a fire extinguisher as the airbags made it look like it was on fire.  Luckily no one was seriously hurt, but a lady had a pretty good impact with an airbag.  Cars are so scary and it makes me glad my kids can't drive yet.  They have to be 18 here to drive.

Finally, Emilee helped me type in all of our receipts from the past month.  We went waaaay over budget due to our rent being more expensive than we had hoped in the temporary location and the fact that we have to rent a car from Hertz until we get our visa and can buy one.  We also spent about 1500 euros on food, but hopefully that will go down now that we have the basics.  If not, we won't be doing much traveling!  :(

Click here for the photos from week 6.  As you can see, the kids have been doing more studying than picture taking this week.  Online school is still taking them 8-10 hours a day.  They are really hoping that that time can come down a bit...

This is the temple where Grandma and Grandpa Saunders will be close to for the next couple of years!  The kids baptized some relatives that Grandma Cahoon provided from the Hendricks side of the family.  Pretty cool stuff!

Jake claims he went 180 mph in this on the way to the Frankfurt temple on the autobahn.  I was skeptical, but the stats from the TopGear website say the car can go 186 mph.  Lucky dog!  I'm glad he's OK!!!!  He won't forget that trip to the temple!

Porsche 911 Carrera 4 GTS
The numbers 
3800cc, flat-six, 4WD, 408bhp, 309lb ft, 26.9mpg, 247g/km CO2, 0-62 in 4.4secs, 186mph, 1565kg

One last thing...  For those afraid of the slender man, we found him in Luxembourg and he is about 1/2 as tall as a building!  Watch out!!!!