Deutschland!

Our lives, it seems, are incapable of proceeding without excitement. As many of you know, we've recently been on a quest to renew our visas here. Last week was the big day, when the agency told us that we could finally pick up our invitations, with which we could then go out of the country and apply for our new visas, and return.

Only one problem. When I went in to get the promised invitations, I told the lady I had four to pick up. "I only have three for you," she said. We were officially minus one invitation. Aaaaaah!

To make a long story short, having a baby in the middle of a permit application process is apparently not a recipe for success. Somehow, we had not gotten the word that the scans we sent over of his paperwork after he was born needed to be followed up with originals, and so the agency had simply not processed our youngest.

I may look like I'm happy with this cute little bundle of joy, but inside I'm secretly seething with rage over how much money and frustration he's going to cause me over all this!

So, you're wondering, what does this mean? Surely it's just a simple matter or applying for another invitation for the little one and then getting the visas as planned? Unfortunately, it couldn't be that simple. Due to the vagaries of the type of visa we're getting, no such action is possible. Instead, we have to go to Germany as planned (we already have non-refundable airline tickets, so that part was an easy decision), and get the three visas we can. Then, I'll return here alone, get myself registered, and then invite my son as my family member to come join me. Once I've received his processed invitation, I'll then fly back to Germany, get his visa, and then the Wandering Family will return home, never to wander again.

Well, OK, so that last clause isn't true (we are the Wandering Family, after all, and have been consistently forced to do so all throughout our adult lives for one reason or another), but we'll come home, anyway. Hopefully, B won't be stuck in Germany with the boys for more than a couple of weeks while I'm back here sorting things out, but suffice it to say that it will be an interesting time.

Fortunately, we have friends and family to stay with there, so we won't be totally stranded, but it's sure to be a strain. We'd really appreciate your thoughts as we enter the next month which is so full of unknowns. Hopefully, at the end, we'll emerge with a year-long visa and it will all be worth it. Please be lifting us up throughout the month, though, since it will undoubtedly be one full of ups and downs. We really, really, appreciate that.

OK, just so this isn't all depressing, we'll throw in a picture or two. Here's Steven, wearing the tights that children here wear that we mocked for their sissiness when we first arrived. Now, we're avid fans. They're incredibly warm and convenient, and if you buy the right brand of diapers, you get a free pair!

And yes, we finally did get a picture of the whole family! And we almost got both children to look at the camera at the same time (OK, not quite, but you have to be lenient with babies!).