Last day in Bielefeld

We've been home for two and half weeks now, and I'm finally getting a chance to catch up on updating the journal with our adventures from our last few days in Germany. Looking at the pictures makes me tear up with nostalgia already - we had such an amazing time.
We swung by Heidi's office at the University to say goodbye.  She really helped make our stay wonderful - she lined up our apartment and made sure it was outfitted with high chairs, a crib, and changing table.  And she babysat the kids for my birthday, giving Dave and me a chance to go out.  We will miss her and her eager helpfulness.
Katie washing the dishes (in her swimsuit).  She begged to do it - who am I to refuse?
Dave took this picture from our bedroom window.  I am looking out one of the windows in Sam and Isaac's room.
This is a wing of the barn attached to the IBZ which we could see from our bedroom windows.
Yuma and Jagoda liked to hang out with Isaac.
Grace raring to go.
Isaac and Katie in the sunshine of the living room.
One last visit to the market square.
Last ride on the spinners outside the market.

Jagoda and Yuma watched Isaac while Dave and I were packing up the apartment.

The whole crew of kids (except Grace, who was taking a nap.)

Munching some of those delicious blueberries from the strawberry shack.

This is the morning we officially moved out.  Our train was leaving from the train station before the Stadtbahn lines were running (it was a Sunday morning.)  Our neighbor, Gregor (Jagoda's dad) was kind enough to give us all a drive to main train station.  Their family has a Skoda, which is a Czech-made car.  Since they have two kids, it was perfect - one car seat for a big kid and one car seat for a little kid.  But the car is only a four seater, so Gregor made two trips.  First he dropped off me and the boys at the train station, and then he came back to the apartment to pick up Dave and the girls. 

This picture shows Katie after I left with Sam and Isaac.  She didn't understand the plan, and was under the misunderstanding that we were leaving without them.  She cheered up when Dave explained that we were all meeting up at the train platform.

Here's Katie checking the mailbox one last time.