Skitter Scatter

We can now count the days until we finally move to Indiana, and more importantly join the love of my life and the father of my children, Mark Pederson!

(OK, technically we could always count them, but it would have be depressing if we had started much sooner.)  

It's less than 4 weeks away. 

Only 21 days and we'll be together again - ALL THE TIME!

We are learning afresh how God has designed the family to have a Dad and a Mom, and for the Dad, Mom and kids to be together. 

I cannot complain one bit.  We have modern technology.  Mark and I can send e-mails, call and can talk for hours letting the kids say good-night to Dad several times a week, but it just isn't the same as being together for all of life.

I am gaining a great appreciation for our military families who accept year-long separations from their husband and dad to serve our country.  Tough.  I'll pray more for them now.

In the midst of this time of skitter - scatter (meaning our life feels like it skittered and scattered all over the place with no real home), we are dealing with closing down ties to France. 

Just so you can appreciate how wonderful America is, I am going to share two stories from our attempts to exit France logistically.

School Lunch Account Story:

The first example I will share is our trying to pay our school lunch bill.  Todd and Ryan ate lunch one day in March during the last week that we were in France.  It was a Tuesday. 

In France, you go to the mayor's office to pay for things like school lunches.  So, Mark went on Wednesday or Thursday of our last week and attempted to pay our bill. 

We like to leave countries knowing that we don't have any outstanding bills. 

Well, leave it to France to thwart that plan!

Mark was able to pay our February school lunch bill, but was NOT ALLOWED to pay the March bill.  INTERDIT!  (This word means forbidden, not allowed, and I believe it is their favorite word.)

No matter what Mark tried, they would NOT allow Mark to pay for the lunches Todd & Ryan ate at school in March.  The cost was 3 euros and some centime.  Mark offered to pay cash.  Could they just hold the money?  NO!!!  No. No. No. No. No.  There was no way for us to pay our bill until April.  Period.

So, in the midst of all of our life transition.  We had to make sure we paid our 3 euro and some centime bill in April...so as not to be late and get a charge added to our account!

Can you say with me:  NUTS!!!!!

French Taxes Story:

In April, we had a feeling that life could get very busy in May.  We were waiting to hear back from Indiana Wesleyan University, as to whether they would offer the job to Mark, and we had a good feeling that they might.  If so, May would be a very busy month.

So, while it was still April and things were not especially crazy yet, we thought it would be a good idea to get our French taxes done.  Taxes are due in France in May - the 24th, I believe.

Before we left France, Mark went to the tax office and explained our situation.  He learned that we do need to file taxes in France for 2011, but not 2012 since we would be living in France for less than 3 months (YEAH!!!!!). 

Mark asked for the forms to file.  The response was simple.  The man gave Mark his business card and said, "E-mail me when you get to America, and I will tell you what to do."

When we got back, Mark e-mailed him and asked what to do.  He replied by giving Mark a website address where he could get the forms to file taxes. 

Mark went to the website.  The forms were for 2011.  Mind you, these e-mails were being sent around the 2nd week of April, and 60,000 French people have to file taxes by the end of May.

Mark got an e-mail back from the tax guy explaining that the 2012 tax forms would not be available until the 1st week of May. 

Can you believe it!?!!?!?!  I marvel!

And, so, we still need to file taxes.  Only now, Mark is swamped with learning a new job and trying to manage life alone in Indiana while trying to buy a house, get a driver's license and figure out how and where to do everything in a new city (granted, it's not that big, but it's still all new).

All I can say, is NUTS!!!

I love, love, love how efficient and logical America is.  Yes, we have our quirks and we might run into the occasional unfriendly or unhelpful customer service person, but for the most part, America is a dream!

I could go on, but I won't.  We are still trying to get a deposit back from renting a violin for Lena this year, close two bank accounts, and move funds from France to the USA (even while they gave us a once a week ATM restriction).  One day, it will be all taken care of.  But, it will take several months still, I fear.

"France, you are a wonderful country and we love your people, but we do not love your bureaucracy!"