29 rue Mathias Birthon, Luxembourg

Our Home



Our new home is located in the village of Gasperich, which is really a little tiny neighborhood in the southwest corner of Luxembourg City.

It's a pink/peach attached row home of four homes. It is four bedrooms and 1.5 bathrooms. The main floor has a half bath. 

Upstairs, there is a separate toilet closet room and then the main bathroom has a bathtub/shower, two sinks, and a towel warmer. Other than the toilet closets both smelling like a New York City subway, I don't have any complaints. 

toilet closet

main bathroom

The home is made up of four levels (1) single car garage, two storage rooms and a laundry room (2) kitchen, dining, and living room (3) four bedrooms and bathrooms (4) loft. 

Otto calls our house here, "Luxembourg" and refers to our house in Pleasant Grove as our "other house". Whenever we are out and about he says "let's go back to Luxembourg now". 

We have lots of space, and I'm anxious for our shipment to arrive so I can fill it with something familiar. 

main staircase

There are three very steep staircases made of marble. We've been drilling it into Otto and Aksel's brains to be careful on the stairs, don't wear socks, walk slowly, not to run, etc. I already miss carpet and dread Ingrid learning to walk. I realize that all Luxembourg/European babies learn to crawl and walk without dying, but I have some serious doubts. 

Otto and Aksel slip and slide everywhere, and I'm in the seventh circle of hell until we acquire a vacuum.

The Smiths

When Ben came to Luxembourg last April, he met with another LDS PwC employee, Kodiak Smith. They spent the day together, and Ben had the opportunity to go to his home and see what things were like and get a feel for how life would be for our family. 

Since April, Ben and Kodiak kept in regular contact and two weeks before we arrived in Lux, Kodiak found out he was to be transferred back to his home office in Chicago. As a result, we were able to move into their home. The Smith family flew back to Chicago the morning we flew to Luxembourg. 

It was sad I was unable to meet and see Elise after spending so much time emailing and Facetiming back and forth in preparation for our move. I feel really indebted to Elise and all that she did to prepare me for the move. I was able to back exactly what we would need for the first few months, and be emotionally prepared for some of the bigger changes we were in for. 

snacks at the kitchen table (and Frozen)

Because the Smiths were selling most of their belongings and we were in need of similar items, we were able to buy beds, fans, a fridge/freezer, lamps, closets/wardrobes, a kitchen table, toys, and a few other household items from the Smiths. 

Additionally, they left behind some basic necessities for us such as toilet paper, converters, light bulbs, sheets, food, etc., so we didn't have rush to the store as soon as we arrived. 

I get choked up whenever I read an email from Elise or think about her. Every day, I see and feel small things she left behind, things she did to prepare for our arrival, or meet someone she sent to be kind to me. I tell Ben all the time that I wish there was a way to truly thank the Smiths. I feel an immense about of gratitude. I hope I'm able to pay it forward to another family when it's our time to leave.

Landlord 

The landlord, Fernand and his wife are very nice people. The wife is Russian (we think) and doesn’t speak English, so I still don't know her name, but she loves to hold Ingrid and watch the boys run around when they come over. 

Fernand grew up in this house and inherited it when his mother passed away seven years ago. It sat vacant for about five years and then he put 50,000€ worth of work into it, and rented it. 

The second week of July, the main bathroom was gutted and renovated -- ben and I both agree it's the nicest room in the house.

We are the second renters he's had. Fernand and his wife love to show up right at bedtime when the kids are a mess and show us how the dishwasher or washing machine works, inspect the newly remodeled bathroom, or make sure we are doing well. 

ringing the doorbell

Doors

All of the doors are big, white, and heavy, with latch handles. The front door doesn’t have a door handle (no front doors do). This was hard for me to get used to and remember to bring a key with me every time I stepped outside. Additionally, the front door is big, heavy, and made of transparent glass. I'm pretty sure all of our children will get their fingers smashed in it one day.

All homes here have blinds on the outside of windows. The best way to describe them are to picture those metal doors that stores in malls lower at closing time. They are used to keep the heat out or the heat in. Most people keep them shut all of the time. Otto loves to push the buttons that lower and raise them. 

The doorbells (or ringers) are more irritating to me here. The noise of the ringer continues as long as pressure is applied to the button. Otto and Aksel LOVE to push the ringer. 

Windows

No screens. Lots of bugs. And when it's hot and humid, it can be miserable. But when it's not, it's nice. We have our windows open almost all of the time, and sleeping with fans on is a must. We haven't been in one building that has air conditioning, including the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which shocked Ben. Apparently the mormons in Africa even have AC.

Having your windows open all of the time and living within close proximity of lots of people means I get to hear all sorts of special sounds and smell all sorts of special smells. Here are my favorites so far: 

wood burning for someone's personal sauna
a family talking (presumably) naked inside the aforementioned sauna
a family barbecuing salmon
the ghetto blaster of a group of young men who participate in some sort of cross fit routine every wednesday at 5 pm in the park across the street
a motorcycle gang having a smoke at 5:30 a.m.
747s thundering across the sky every few hours, 24 hours a day

My favorite part of the windows here are the blinds located on the outside of the house. They raise and lower with a button (or manually) and they are meant to keep the heat out or in, depending on the season. Most people keep them shut all day long. They remind Ben and I of the doors people pull down in New York City on the outside of shops and restaurants after they've closed. Classy.

Car & Garage

We have a single car garage on the bottom level (underneath) of our home. Our driveway has a steep descent into the garage and as a result we are unable to park our car in the garage. So, we park on the street (as does everyone else).

PwC was kind enough to provide us with a Volkswagen Golf four days after our arrival. We were unable to fit three car seats in the back seat (obviously), so Otto just flip flopped around in the back seat between Aksel and Ingrid's car seat (we only drove to church). One week later, we were given a BMW 320D. All three car seats do fit in the back seat of this vehicle, but getting all three children in and out is a real chore. I think about Ellen any time I go anywhere in the car. She's a saint. 

I'm hoping there's a minivan with my name on it in their fleet of cars, but of course, we won't be able to sort this out until the person in charge of cars returns from their holiday at the end of August. 

Luckily, Ben has access to vans at PwC to transport furniture and to rent for use when people come into town. We've already utilized the empty one to move a rocking chair to the house and reserved the other for Karen and George's visit at the end of August.

Recycling & Trash

The recycling and trash program here is super ridiculous. And I'm from Oregon. 

There is a hobbit-sized brown trash can (bin) that can be filled with green waste, food scraps, lawn clippings, debris, etc. This is put on the curb on Monday. 

There is a blue plastic bag -- very specific, provided by the Luxembourg government -- that can be filled with plastics. This should be placed on the curb every other Thursday. Luckily, there is no limit to the amount of blue plastic-filled bags you can place on the curb. 

Glass, newspaper, and cardboard must be recycled at the main Luxembourg city center. Most people fill their cellars with this recycling and then once a month drive all their glass to the city center. On one of my runs, I found a public recycling container for glass, newspaper, and cardboard behind a church and so Ben just fills our trunk and drives it six blocks away when it's needed. 

Then there is a hobbit-sized black trash can (bin) that is trash. This can be filled with anything I can put in the aforementioned places/bins. When it's all said and done, it's basically filled with diapers. This is put on the curb on Tuesdays. 

I had to set up several reminders on my phone just to master all of these rules and days. 

Kitchen

arts & crafts in the kitchen

The kitchen is great. Appliances are small, but so far it hasn't been a problem. I use my iPhone to convert temperatures and other information, and I've successfully made cookies, muffins, and roast. We're a little limited on what we can do and make until our shipment arrives, but we're eating lots of sandwiches and cereal and no one seems to mind.

The fridge is small, but I'm used to that and we have a spare fridge/freezer in the storage room. The only appliance I struggle using is the microwave... I can't figure it out but neither can Ben, so I don't feel too badly about it. 

There's a big second-hand market here among ex-pats and I've been watching the classifieds for a mixers, toaster, and blender. 

We bought a counter and bar stools from the Smiths to keep in the kitchen and that's where Otto and Aksel eat breakfast, do puzzles, and help me with projects. 

kitchen

kitchen

entryway

off entry way

dining room

dining & living room

our room

our room until our bed arrives

Ingrid's room

the loft

Otto & Aksel's room

Overall, we are really happy with the house. With a few trips to Ikea for some rugs (or to Turkey, according to Ben), we'll be much more comfortable and safe. 

I told Ben that I think the biggest difference between homes in Europe and homes in America is comfort. Everything is very utilitarian here. Everything is built to fit into a space allotted, not to provide people with lavishness and comfort. I'd give anything to stretch out on freshly vacuumed carpet or to hear Aksel slide on his tummy down our staircase... but we'll get used to it. And the kids won't know any different, soon enough. 

Salt Lake City to Luxembourg

We flew to Luxembourg on Saturday, July 19, 2014. We checked 11 pieces of luggage and walked through the airport with three car seats, a double stroller, three kids, and five carry-ons. 

We flew non-stop, on a 10-hour flight from Salt Lake City to Paris; and then took a one-hour flight from Paris to Luxembourg. 

some of our luggage

Otto did amazing. He stayed in his seat, he told us when he needed to use the bathroom, he ate snacks, drank water, and at about 11 pm told me he was ready to go to sleep. He turned off his screen, handed me his headphones, I tucked a blanket around him, and he slept until we landed in Paris.

Ingrid did great, as well. We were lucky enough to sit in the bulkhead, so the flight attendants attached a cradle to the wall where I could lay her down once she was asleep. She was content, happily ate dinner rolls, and fell asleep on and off for the duration of the flight. 

Aksel, not so much. He cried and cried to get out of his car seat. He didn’t eat much. He didn’t drink much. If I was sitting by him, he cried for dad. If dad was sitting by him, he cried for me. He refused to sleep until Ben walked up and down the aisle with him. After getting him to sleep, Ben transferred him to his car seat and he slept for an hour. Then he was awake for the duration of the flight. Pure misery. He cried. He fussed. He tossed. He turned. He was a hot, sweaty, inconsolable mess. I swear to never fly with another child under the age of three ever again. 

When we landed in Paris, we struggled to get off of the airplane, get our car seats, stroller, bags, and family together. This was the hardest leg of the journey. The Charles De Gaulle airport is big and we needed to wait for a bus to take us to another terminal. Ben and I hadn't slept, Otto had actually slept enough to be acting human, but Aksel and Ingrid were fussy and impossible to soothe or control. 

I struggled to get all three children safely onto the bus while Ben struggled to get the bags, car seats and stroller onto the bus. Then we struggled through customs and security. People were not pleased with the behavior of our children (neither were we, but what could we do?!). 

After the hardest 1.5 hours of our life, we realized we had another 45 minutes until our plane’s departure to Luxembourg. A gate had not yet been assigned, so we walked the boys around in the stroller, fed them snacks, nursed Ingrid, and tried not to get irritated with one another. 

Once the gate had been announced, we rushed to the gate, struggled to get the boys through the doorway, onto the tarmac, up the stairs, and onto the plane. 

Otto sat right down, buckled his seat belt and started telling me over and over again that the airplane needed to take off. 

Aksel immediately melted down and became hysterical about having to be on another airplane. Ben tried calming him down. I tried calming him down and he just got worse. As I held him and looked down at him I felt terrible for him. I knew he was exhausted having only slept an hour or so. It was hot. He was sweaty and on the verge of a fever and throwing up. He couldn’t understand what we were doing or why he wasn’t in his bed and I began to cry. Ingrid, who was being held by Ben, started to cry and I knew she need to nurse and go to sleep. We switched children and I nursed Ingrid to sleep during take off. Ben, by the grace of God, was able to get Aksel to sleep during take off and I think the entire plane was grateful. 

The flight attendant passed out water and chocolate bars and Otto and I chatted for the duration of the flight about chocolate, the airplane, and our new house in Luxembourg. 

I offered many prayers on our trip. For safety. For peace. For our children’s ears not to hurt. For Ben and I to be able to survive. For our children to not melt down. For our plane not to crash. But mostly for gratitude that we had made it. That even though it had been incredibly hard, we were surviving and the journey was almost over. 

After the airplane landed, Aksel continued to sleep and we put him into the stroller, still asleep. I carried Ingrid and held Otto’s hand as we made our way down the stairs, across the tarmac and into the small Luxembourg airport. 

Otto announced he needed to use the bathroom, so the three of us made our way into a strange bathroom with a giant sliding door. I wasn't paying close enough attention to what he was doing because he began peeing all over the floor, wall, his clothes and toilet. It was kind of hysterical that we had made it that far without any major incidents and not that we were in the Luxembourg Airport, Otto had made the biggest pee mess I'd ever seen. I cleaned everything up as best I could and then we walked away. 

leaving the Lux airport

Our luggage immediately appeared on the carousel and Ben unloaded 11 bags and bins, three car seats, and five carry-on bags. I stayed by the luggage while Ben went and got luggage carts. He started loading and hauling our luggage out of the airport where the Stake President, Carlos Rodriguez, and Benelux car service were waiting. The car service was blown away by the amount of luggage we had. We put all of the luggage into Carlos’ van and the carseats and ourselves went in the car service. 

We drove about 15 minutes and pulled up to our new home. A pink row home in a neighborhood called Gasperich. Carlos began unloading luggage. Our landlord, Fernand, and his wife were waiting for us, and we began the process of touring the house and trying to remember everything Fernand was trying to tell us when all we wanted to do was collapse in a bed. 

After what felt like an eternity, we found a pack-n-play, and I put Ingrid to sleep. Ben began to make dinner and the boys ran around. We ate taco soup (we brought from Utah), and snacks. 

We forced ourselves to stay awake until 7 pm and then we put everyone to bed. 

I told Ben I wished we had taken more pictures during our journey here. It obviously wasn't high among our priorities during that time, but I wish it still the same. Ben said he doesn't need photos -- that the pain has been seared into his eyelids and he can see it whenever he shuts his eyes. I laughed for a long time about that.

Packing Up

the moving truck

Today, the shippers came to pack up and ship our belongings to Luxembourg. We've sent everything we don't think we'll need for two to three months (that's how long it will take, at a minimum to arrive in Luxembourg).

PwC provided a moving allowance of 5,500 euros, which worked out to be about next to nothing.

Shipped: 

our queen bed
nightstand
winter clothes
books
personal belongings
home decorations
christmas decorations
toys
supplies such as wipes, dryer sheets, soaps, deodorants, lotions, razors, makeup, etc.
dishes, bowls, utensils, pots, pans, and other kitchen items
laundry and cleaning items
towels and linens
apple tv
computer monitors
tools and other items from the garage

the shipper

In preparation, we've also sold or given away: 

the John Deere riding lawn mower
the Honda Accord
the GMC Sierra
bookshelves
dressers
beds

We've put in storage: 

butcher block
couch
piano
kitchen supplies
anything with a plug
baby gear
clothes
rocking chair
decorations
personal belongings
pretty much everything and anything we thought we could live without for two years

playing in bins before packing

And we will pack the rest in bags and bins to make the flight with us.

We've allocated one bin for kitchen, linens, bathroom, toys, and shoes. Clothes and miscellaneous will be packed in dufflel bags.

We tried our best to figure out what we can live without for two months and live as minimally as possible -- one plate, cup, bowl, fork, spoon and knife for each of us. About two-weeks of clothing, except for Ben and Ingrid. We packed the majority of Ben's work clothes and Ingrid will be growing out of sizes and needing new clothes before the shipment arrives.

We packed a few toys, books, games, and puzzles for entertainment. Pillows, sheets, blankets and towels took up the most space.

We bought a scale and carefully measured and labeled each bag and bin as we packed them so there wouldn't be an issue with weight at the airport. Ben drilled holes and secured each bin with zip ties. Additionally, he put a ziplock bag of zip ties taped to the inside of each bin lid in case security searched the bins and they needed a way to secure them again.

It was harder than I thought to divide up and decide what should be shipped, what should be packed, and what should be forgotten about for two years. Neither Ben nor I really know what to expect or what we'll wish we had packed, so I feel pretty unsettled about it all.

Additionally, this process made me realize how much value I've foolishly placed in material things. I sobbed the day we sold the John Deere. And I felt equally sad the day we sold the truck. I'm not sure why. Maybe some of our things are more than possessions -- it's symbolic of our life in Pleasant Grove, or our time together, or our young family, or of how hard we've worked to be where we are.

I feel like we are going backward and that can be a bitter pill to swallow as I feel like I've restarted my adult life over now three times. But, I trust Ben, and I trust the Lord. And life is more than couches, tractors, and trucks.

Heaven help us as we live out of five bins for the next three months.