Bring back summer!!!!

Last week i was shopping and all i heard was "Happy Holidays" even a "Merry Christmas". I didn't realise that over here, the holiday season is a month long from Thanksgiving until New Years!
It's been amazing to see everyone putting their lights on around their huge houses, and their festive spirit!
We always put ours up the first of December, this year we had to start again! New tree, decorations and a new tradition! It's a mixed bag of emotion. Our first Christmas with snow, a lovely house, room for a lot more than what we used to have. But it's harder as we can't see our family or friends that we're used to seeing. Rita is coming out and then my mum and Mick afterwards, so we will see them and i can't wait! But it  still doesn't feel the same.
I have nearly completed all the Christmas presents. We wanted to spoil them a little as it won't be the same as what normally happens. Lucas walked down yesterday whilst i was in the middle of wrapping up some. Luckily Dave and i spoke to him and he still believes in it all.. for now!

We had a wonderful thanksgiving, Dave and Lucas went to their first American Football game, and now aswell as "soccer" we have "football" on the telly too!!
We have been very social over the last month and it has been wonderful. Friends are becoming closer and i no longer feel embarrassed to invite people over!
The boys have got so much homework and tests at the moment, it has been really hard to keep track but they are coping. I am trying to do it with them as soon as they walk in the door. Which believe me, is a battle!

The weather is cold, but the snow has gone..for now! We have moved the rooms around so we are in front of the fireplace, which makes it a lot more cosy.

We've been so busy with football at the weekends, we haven't ventured out much! It's going by far too quickly, 9 months we have been out here and i think the furthest we have visited is about an hours drive!
I know we will get out more and take stock, but you forget how life just gets in the way of adventure!

Finlay is starting to do solid food, i've been trying to puree my own for cost purposes, but i'm not doing it everyday. Must try harder.. story of my life! He's getting really big and is chatting away, he's nearly sitting up.. although he likes to do a backwards shuffle more!

I still feel very overwhelmed by everything. The washing loads are driving me nuts. Keeping a big house clean is really hard, especially when everything is pure white! I love it and couldn't ask for any more. But OMG i could really use that housework fairy every now and again!

Anyhoo, nothing exciting to report this time! All is well with the Wallace clan and we are as busy as ever.

Lots of love to all.. and as it' all i have been hearing for the last few weeks....


HAPPY HOLIDAYS.............eugh!!!!

Much love xxxxxxx

And Breathe!

For the first time in a while i have managed to sit down with a cuppa and write! Finn has got to the stage, where if i leave the room, he cries! I put him in any one of his playthings.. he cries.. no wind, no full  just cries! As soon as anyone of us pays him attention, there are big smiles and a sense of achievement from him!
I love having a baby around the house again, seeing all the smiles and the pure innocent nature he has.. and then i remember the terrible two's..threes...:) Crossing fingers and toes that he is more like Lucas in more ways than one!

Weather is starting to turn cold, maybe chilly is a better word for now! The leaves are all on the ground and the wind is bitter. The temperature this week is dropping by quite a bit and i dread to think what it will be like over the coming months! March was bad enough and that was the end of their worst winter!! When you walk around Costco and they have ski shoes and ski trousers everywhere, there comes a point where you have to take the hint and realise it's not timid weather!

Thank goodness the boys have started indoor football! I don't think Finn and i would have coped any more in the cold! They are on the same teams and loving every minute! They've made some firm friends (as have we) and it is no longer a chore!

We had parents evening the other week, both boys are at the top of their class, even though they are a year younger than anyone in their grade. Ollie is doing really well but is getting lazy! His teacher sent home a note saying it took him 50 minutes to do a task and Ollie was just staring into space.. not quite sure what she expects me to do about it! Can't very well do anything whilst he's at school, and talking to him about it is rather pointless! After being at school for 8 hours, his brain is kaput!
Lucas is doing really well, we had a few issues with certain friends, but thankfully all sorted now. I had to reassure him England will not be bombing Michigan!

Finn is doing well, he had more injections this week :( As expected he had a little bit of a temperature afterwards, and was generally moody with everyone! But he did well. It's noticeably different over here, no weekly check ups, no midwives or health visitors checking in. He will be seen again in two months and i can email the doctor directly if there are any concerns. Test results come back the same day and there's no wait to have an appointment. Guess that's the difference when you have to pay for it and it isn't cheap!!

I've been on a high for the last few weeks. I had a really good birthday, Dave spoiled me rotten. We had a lovely posh lunch, a family day out and he threw me a surprise party! Felt very loved and very emotional! This week with a teething baby, a few sleepless nights and the cold weather, the natural high has gone and normal chaos resumes!
I even managed to start Christmas shopping this week! Which made me feel sad! Not being around the usual people for Christmas will be hard, but i will make it work! I have to make it as good as every year for the kids, i can't make it noticeably different. The snow will help with that i'm sure! Especially as 40 minutes from us, you can get the bus to a ski resort and learn to ski at the weekends!! I'm so unprepared!!!

Dave and Lucas are off to see a  American Football game  on Thanksgiving! Lucas has been bugging us for a while to go, and our lovely friend has offered him and Dave a ticket! I'm excited to embrace thanksgiving, although getting the kids to eat any roast dinners will be stressful! Makes a good excuse to have a nice roast each weekend to get them to eat it!

Right on cue, Finn has finished his cat nap! Time to go!

Much love and thanks to everyone for the birthday love, gifts and cards!

xxx

Teething begins!

These past two days, Finn has been constantly wailing! As soon as he has his fingers or dummy in his mouth he is comforted. It has certainly been a jump back to reality! He has been sooo calm up until now!

I was a little more on edge as Dave had to visit Canada for two nights, which didn't help my stress levels. Thankfully the older two were brilliant and they even came down and made their own breakfast! Which has been a long time coming!
With Daves' travelling, a teething baby, two hyper children and a ridiculous amount of homework, it made me miss mum and my family! Don't get me wrong, i know i can turn to the great friends that i have made out here, but nothing beats a mummy cuddle when it's needed!
We made it through and i'm so relived its Friday and the pressure is off!

The temperature over the last few days has dropped really quick! The trees are ever changing their colour and it really is beautiful! What filled me with dread was a man coming to the door, offering his services to help get rid of the snow on the driveway when it arrives! It's definitely going to be a shock to the system.

Boys are doing well with school, they are getting so much homework, but thankfully we are managing it..so far! Football is going well, although frustrating at times it is nice to see them make proper friends again.

Most of the neighbourhood has their pumpkins out and all their Halloween decorations ready! I think we the only ones who haven't done anything yet.

Life certainly seems to be returning to a normal state, it has certainly taken a while to stop comparing things to the UK. Missing having decent crisps and chocolate but i can "make do"! :~)

Nothing major to report! Just plodding on as usual!

Love to all
xxx

Life begins at 30!

So here i am, cooking the boys dinner at 4.12pm. Because they get off their bus at 4.30, have to get changed into their football kit, and out the door for 5.15. We aren't back until 8pm as both of them have training within half an hour of each other, at different locations! 
Finn is fast asleep on the sofa, after a mammoth screaming session for the last hour, only to be relieved by one almighty belch! 
All of a sudden, it dawns on me, in about 43 days i will no longer be in my twenties!! It feels ok though, i'm quite looking forward to no longer apologizing to my friends that i am indeed younger than them! 
Time has gone so quick, i'm not even sure how i've gotten here! I was a write off at school because they didn't diagnose my dyslexia, so apart from making some good friends, i didn't really enjoy the experience. Cadets was my escape from school and as much as i was a shy, naive teenager, I loved it! I have lots of regrets about how i handled some things during my teenage years, but as the saying goes. I wouldn't be who i am without that. 
Introducing myself over here and talking about me, travelling to Nepal and climbing the Himalayas, getting a gliding scholarship, having a baby and getting married so young... it doesn't feel like i've accomplished all of that.  But it feels really good that i have.
Ten years ago Dave and i first met, it's absolutely insane! He's my everything. I have blinked and all of a sudden we are in America, with three kids under my belt! Sorry but huh?! I still think i'm 17 and carefree! 
I would say, i would go back and tell myself stuff that i should have done differently but, whats the point?! I'm not perfect, i'm just me. I wish i stopped trying to please everyone and just felt confident in myself to be friends with people, but i didn't. Today, i'm just me! I like to look after people, i love listening to people! That was such a perk about being a waitress, i could indulge on my thrill of people watching!
Watching the boys grow up, i get worried that Lucas especially is going to be like me, a worrier! Which he is, but he's also a boy, with a lot less problems than a girls emotions! 
So, dinner is burning, the bus is arriving and i'm sitting here procrastinating! Time to be a grown up! 

Love to all 
xx

Six months in!

At this exact moment six months ago, the four of us were sitting on a plane! I was balling my eyes out and the boys were entranced with the films being shown.
When i look back and think of how much we had to do in order to get here, i'm amazed we managed it. It's a weird feeling, we've have settled into a routine again, but it still doesn't feel like home.
Having Finlay here keeps me busy and summer was so manic with people coming over and getting through the ten week holiday, whereas now it's just me and him!
So i bumped into a woman in a local shop and noticed she had an English accent! It's funny how you get a little kick in your stomach just for hearing a English accent!! She had come over with her three children one week ago, her husband was American! I found myself giving her advice on where to go and what to look at, which felt really strange considering i have only just come over! I gave my details if she ever wanted to get in touch, but nothing heard yet.
So i'm finding myself indulging in any British things that are in the stores, Bisto at $5 a pop, or ginger nut biscuits at $2! I am playing Radio 1 on my phone just to listen to some music that i am used to! But i have embraced the nachos, copious amounts of burgers and ribs, and cookie dough ice cream!!
We have made some great friends over here aswell, our lovely neighbours have been such a help over the summer, the boys have played with their two boys every single day! Our friends from the bus stop  for school have introduced Dave to a Saturday night gaming night! Socially we are doing well! We can't replace our friends over in the UK but we can certainly add to them! I don't feel embarrassed to invite people over to my house, which was always the issue in the UK. If it wasn't for blimmin football every weekend i think we would have a lot more people over!

This year is going to be very strange for Christmas. We can't afford to come home so we are staying here. I'm looking forward to seeing some snow, but dreading it at the same time! I'm hoping it isn't going to be as bad as last years one. We arrived at the end of winter where it was slightly warmer it was still snowing, but not as cold! I'm really really dreading it!
The weather this summer has been lovely, we have had a lot of warm days and got a nice tan! The temperature has now dropped a bit and is starting to get a bit stormy.
The school has only just opened today after it being off for four days, We luckily had our power back on Saturday but there is still lots of people without!

The boys have been doing really well at football. They struggled initially with the different terminology, but have got to grips with it. They have training twice a week and matches at the weekend. Dave plays on a Sunday, so i really have become a full time soccer mum! I've even got my own cooler and camping chair to sit on!!

Finlay is doing well, he's got really big and is cooing a lot now. His smiles can melt anyones heart, but he has started crying when i leave the room!
I was livid at the weekend as i was told at the gym i couldn't watch Ollie in his swimming lessons, because i had Finn with me. He is three months old but has to be a member of the gym in order to watch his brother swim! I also couldn't put him in the creche' for the same reason!! Needless to say we are looking for another gym as i refuse to pay and extra $20 a month for Finn to join a gym, even though he can't walk, talk, or even feed himself!!!

Anyway, everything is fine! Plodding on as usual!

Love to everyone
xxx

Nachos are evil!

Ten years ago around this time, i had started working at The hogs head, trying desperately to earn a little bit extra cash and get out of the rut i was in!
Living in a shared house on Shaw Road, full of Polish people! Little did i know that whilst working there i would meet this guy called Dave, who would sing "louie louie" to me everytime i worked with him!!
When i look back and realise quite what has happened in the last ten years, i'm still quite shocked! I still can't believe that we are over here, trying to fit in and work out what the hell we are doing!

This week i've found it quite hard being out here. The emotions are getting to me a little and i'm missing friends and family. I think seeing photos and videos of the 3 weddings we have missed, has bought it back to us and it's gutted us a little.
It was really nice having my father in law out here, to spend time with the boys and Dave. We were all really sad when he had to leave, even after the drama of him having a kidney stone! The boys were really upset when he left for the airport and i felt so guilty that i was putting them through that! My mother in law is still here for a few more weeks, and that is helpful. Just having a extra pair of hands around the place, so it means i can spend more time with the older boys!
They both have 3 weeks left, so i am trying to make the most of it!

We have spent the last few weeks mooching around the place. Trying to show daves parents the area, and making the most of the time they are here.
Dave and i went out for drinks in a nearby town, it was all going really well until we couldn't get in anywhere because i forgot my ID! We ended up at a sports bar near our house, having a dessert and then going home!
We went out again on Friday to a "posh" restaurant and you could tell from the cars parked, that we were a little out of place. There were 4 ferraris, 2 Lamborghinis and a couple of porches! It was nice though and sadly the last time for a while where it will be just the two of us!

Yesterday we went to a funfair and it was strange, the people there didn't look like the english gypsies you normally see!! They were in a proper uniform, smiling and being kind, even letting the kids win prizes for once! It was a lovely day out and nice to see big grins on the kids faces.

Finlay is getting massive. Or MaHOOSIVE as Ollie likes to say. There are some smiles coming out now and he is much more alert. Time is going so quick again! I felt like a rotter again when he went for his injections, it never gets any easier!

The weather is a little warmer than the UK right now, a few more thunderstorms going on, but the humidity is still here!

All is good though and manic as always!

Much love to everyone
xxx  

5 months in!

6.58am at this very minute as i'm writing this! Dave, his mum, dad and Lucas are off golfing! Lucas is so excited, he hasn't seen this time of day for ages! They have both been going to bed late and getting up late thankfully! Even Finn isn't up yet, not exactly sure why i haven't stayed in bed? More fool me!

Five months ago we made this trip, we were in a hotel for two weeks and it was just coming out of the polar vortex! Apparently we have had another one according to the weather, luckily i can deal with a cooler summer than a cooler winter, but it is starting to fill me with dread about how we will cope during the winter!
We have been basing our activities around what we can do outside, so yesterday i had my first experience of going on a mountain bike trail! The boys including Dave went whizzing off, me... i was at the back squealing like a little girl as it's been about 15 years since cycling off road, through woods! (Now THAT makes me feel REALLY old!) It was really fun though, but Ollie nearly went head first into a tree on the floor, he went down quite a steep hill at speed, and went over a tree stump, he managed to brake hard enough and cried. When asked why he was crying, he said his hands hurt from braking so hard! I didn't want to explain the outcome would have been a lot worse and tears would be for a different reason!
We came across this one american couple who were racers, and everyone must have heard them from the beginning of the woods when they shouted at us for going the wrong way, they made every effort to tell this one guy who wasn't even on our trail that we were going the wrong way and she has told us!

We are still getting the "i love your accent, where are you from Australia?" or "i have a friend of a friend who lives somewhere in England" i feel like making sure we are all wearing Union Jacks on our t-shirts everytime we go somewhere just to avoid the question! It's so nice to have Rita and Mick here even just to hear an English accent! Luckily we have started watching Dr.Who with Lucas so we get our "fix".

Rita and Mick brought all the goodies from England, two massive bars of Galaxy, strawberry laces, monster much and chewits! Needless to say they haven't lasted very long! The crisps over here.. sorry.."chips" are Lays and they don't have cheese and onion flavour! Shocking!! Funny what you miss from home and how nice it is to indulge when you have it!
They are enjoying their time here, as are we enjoying them being here. It's going to be hard saying goodbye to Mick on Monday. The two weeks he has been here has flown and not without drama! I won't go into it too much but lets just say he is waiting for a kidney stone to pass! :(

Finlay today has got his injections! I hate this part! Third time of doing it and it never gets easier! He's started going six hours at night time now and it feels lovely! All of a sudden i don't quite feel like a zombie and we can function properly!
I have been getting into a good routine with the gym and going when he's had his early morning bottle. I've been wanting to train with a personal trainer again but they want $90 an hour! They've since tried to get me to do a class with them and its $150 a month! It's frustrating because it's just money wasted! I would rather have it to do a family activity than just use for myself! But, trying to remember what i did a year ago with a PT is really hard and not quite getting the results i want! Perhaps thats the cookie dough ice cream though?!

Everything is still feeling good though, we are missing friends and family. It's hard to miss out on the fun that is going on over there! We have made some good friends over here though, including the boys. We have been having BBQ's most weekends and embracing the American way! Wish i could just pick up everyone from home and bring them over here! Then maybe i would start calling this home, instead of England!

Anyway, time is up. Finn is strirring!

Miss you all and big hugs from sunny Michigan!

xxxxxx

Addicted to Cookie dough ice cream!!!!

Nearly four weeks into the summer holidays and another six to go! The shops are full of back to school material and the adverts on the radio brag about how little they have left?! I don't know what i was worrying about in the UK with six week of holidays, because ten weeks is a lot more stress!!!
The boys are doing ok, they are doing their usual daily bicker and then playing well together! I think i'm the one who's struggling to keep them constantly entertained!

I finally got around to getting some photos printed of friends and family and placing them in frames. It made me really emotional though! Today i have caught up with a few friends as i'm feeling a little lonely without my regular crew, and i'm missing mum and mick being here! The reality of not being there for hen do's or weddings, or even just going around to see friends has hit us a little this week. As good as facebook and facetime is for contacting people, it's not the same. The boys have been talking loads about their friends in the UK too, a little song they were singing in the car today about who is going to marry who, and they reeled off all the girls names from their school in Andover. I think Ollie is starting to forget certain people, but Lucas can remember them all.

The weather here has started to get really hot, it went up to 84 today, and is meant to be getting warmer. It's the humidity that hits you and makes you want to stay inside! Nice to have a decent tan, but really hard to keep the boys cool enough! All i can say is thank goodness for the countless amounts of ice cream shops around- especially the cookie dough flavour.. that's now impossible to turn away from!

At the weekend we went to a founders fair in our local town, it was really sweet and felt a lot nicer than the normal fairs we went to in the UK. Boys went swimming in the lake again today, there were some baby ducks in the water this time, and of course the boys just kept on chasing them!

Dave and i have both been on a diet for the last few weeks, we finally caved into some carbs the other night and had a really nice pizza!! I wanted to sign up for a personal trainer again, as it worked so well last time, but they want $90 per hour! So having to look elsewhere! Not quite the same money i paid with my lovely gym friend back home!!

Finlay is doing well, he is soooo long! He has found his temper a little more now and is a lot more awake during the day. In some of the faces he pulls, it reminds me of Lucas as a baby! Will be interesting to see how he looks later on!

Apart from that, we are all good. We have got daves parents out from next week so that will be helpful, and i'm soo looking forward to the treats they are bringing with them!! Sod the diet, give me the galaxy and strawberry laces!! :)

Anyhoo, dinner won't cook itself!

Cheerio!!
xxx

Back to reality with a bump!

This week has been tough!! Not only did we have to say goodbye to Mm and Mick, but it was the first week Dave had to be back in the office every day!
The boys and i had gone from having three extra adults around the house to help, to it just being me!!
What made it worse was that the lovely neighbours who Lucas and Ollie play with constantly had gone on holiday for the week!!
So the boys were bored and restless, every five minutes they kept asking me for things, on top of that Finlay found his lungs a lot more and became very restless!!
Needless to say, it was thoroughly relieving to have Dave off for independence day! He is off for the rest of next week too so it is a lot less pressure to deal with.

The independence parade we went to yesterday was nice, i really like the town where we saw it. Amazing to see how patriotic the Americans are. We went to a BBQ afterwards and we were asked if we had anything similar. The only thing i could compare it to was St Georges' day, but without a parade or without a "holiday". I mentioned about the poppy day and how we have parades for that. But they didn't understand why we didn't celebrate our country! I explained the only real time the flags come out is when the national team play football, and then quickly take them down again after we lose!
They asked me if England would ever get rid of the royal family. Even Lucas' friend doesn't believe there is a queen. She thinks the president is the leader of the world!

The weather is lovely, hot and humid. The boys including Dave have got a nice tan. It's quite hard keeping Finlay cool whilst he is in the pushchair. Or should i say stroller!
Gizmo has started crying at night, so we have put him in with Lucas and both seem content! Not sure how long that will last though!

Finlay is doing well, he is eating loads and is so long! He's more aware of things and starting to stay awake more during the day. It's been quite hard to deal with the crying every time i leave the room or when his dummy comes out, so i've started the tough love and leaving him for a few minutes! It was especially hard when the Lucas and Ollie wanted something from me, and i was dealing with Finn! They seem to be adjusting though!

I've started doing my "diet" and exercise thing again, i'm surprised as i've not put on as much as i thought i would. So it will hopefully come off quicker. Although being surrounded by dunkin donuts and nachos isn't helping! I've persuaded Dave to do a little with me aswell, so will see who looses it first! I enjoyed doing a few runs this week, Lucas even joined me for part of it and that was really nice.

All in all, everything is fine! Missing my weekly catch ups with my friends from the UK! But am loving my lovely galaxy chocolate being sent to me! So thankyou to everyone that has sent that! I have to put it in the fridge for a while now though as its all melted after being transported for 2 weeks!! :)

Anyway much love! Time is up!!

xx

A week to remember..

A week ago today we were sat by the outside pool, watching the kids go down the water slides in the baking hot sun. I had a very big pregnant belly and mum and mick were settling down for the night at nanas house, before their big flight.
I couldn't get to sleep as i was so excited to see mum and mick. I was clock watching and going through the motions of what needed to be done that day, take gizmo to the groomers, tidy the house, go shopping, pick them up from airport.
4.30am our time, (9.30am UK) time, mum and mick boarded the plane and my contractions started! I sent a little text to mum (knowing she wouldn't receive the message until she landed) saying "just to let you know, i've been having some twinges. Nothing major and is manageable. See you soon." The next text i sent was to to one of my best friends Carly and a message to my other lovely friend who first knew about the pregnancy Charlie! By 7.30am the pain was getting worse but i still had to make the packed lunches and get the boys breakfast, so the pain would just have to go away!!
8.30am the boys were on the school bus, and i was screaming in pain. I was adamant that i wasn't going to hospital until the afternoon when mum arrived. By 8.45 i caved in and said to dave "ok, ok i'll go, but it will be a waste of time, they will just send me home"
After stopping at the petrol station to fill up the tank, we arrived at the massive hospital where i was wheeled in on a wheelchair by the valet ,through the centre of the hospital (in front of everyone!!)
We arrived on the ward to be checked out by the nurse at 9.30am, who asked what pain relief i wanted, either an IV Drip or a epidural. I said i would like gas and air, which she was confused by. They don't do gas and air!!! So i said the IV drip! She then checked me over and said  you are having the baby right now. 9.46am Finlay David Wallace was born, the room was full of random people and after he was born they put the IV drip in!!! I was completely stumped that i had just had a baby! The next thought was that mum and mick were still in the air!!!
Throughout all of this, i was able to keep in touch with my girls back in England, and it was so relieving to be able to have them with me through it all. But it made me miss them more too!
After staying on the ward for 2 hours and dave going to the airport to fetch mum, i went into a private room with a sofa bed, a tv and own private bathroom.

During my pregnancy, over here they diagnosed me with gestational diabetes. So when Finlay was born they prodded him with lots of different tests to make sure he was ok. I also was diagnosed with a blood condition called dysfibrinogenemia which is a blood clotting problem, that put me at high risk. Thankfully, there were no problems with it and all the worry during the pregnancy was gone!
Overall, the staff were pleasant, the room was good, and they had amazing pancakes for breakfast. They needlessly kept me in for a second night as they were worried about Finlays slight jaundice, but it certainly was a new experience.
Mum found out about Finlay when she landed, she looked for my location on an app and sussed straight away! It was so nice to see them come through the door!

It was a natural high that day. Until i read on facebook about a lovely friend that had passed away that same day. Lindsay was my old boss at natwest who, was ridiculously tall and full of energy that i could never possess. We were pregnant with our two at the same time, and it was heartbreaking. Especially as it was the same day Finlay came into the world. It made me reflect on everything and during my most emotional time it set me off!

This week has flown, after getting home on Wednesday it's felt like i've missed a few days. Having mum and mick here is amazing and i don't know how i could cope without them!
Finlay is as cool as a cucumber, super chilled and just goes with the flow! I'm waiting for that to change, but i'm crossing my fingers that it doesn't!
The boys have been amazing with him and are so excited every time Finn opens his eyes. I can't wait to see what the bond will be like.

This is the last week of freedom before the boys break up for 10 weeks! It feels quite scary but, i'm excited to have a proper summer and go explore everywhere.

Overall we are all fine, coping well and although a little sleep deprived. Love having a baby in the house.

If this week has taught me anything, its to embrace the new and tell your loved ones how special they are.


Thanks for all the messages, i'm sorry if i didn't reply to you! But your love is gratefully received!

Lots of love

xxx

No time to stand still!

A year ago this week, Dave and I were sunning it up in Cyprus celebrating a friends wedding. We treated ourselves to a nice hotel, glorifying how nice it was to be just us two without any kids around us for the week! If you told me, a year on we would be living in America and expecting our third child i would have laughed in your face!
I've had moments this week of "OMG We're actually here or we're having a real live baby"! All of a sudden the gravity of it all has hit me!
A common question this week, when i've introduced myself to other parents, is how am i finding the transition? I've answered honestly and said i don't know! The house is amazing, the garden for the kids is amazing, the weather is so lovely it has been a total surprise!  But being away from family, friends, having familiar surroundings.. that's what makes it hard. It's still only been around 80 days since we moved over, so it's still really early days and i know it will get easier. I think with the impending birth and the excitement of mum and mick coming over, it's become a little more overwhelming.

 This baby is due in 5 days! Dave is now bored of waiting and trying to tap my stomach like the bottom of a ketchup bottle to get it out.. helpful as always :) The boys are asking questions about how this baby is coming out and what are we going to do if it's actually an elephant.. I've been going to the hospital 3 times a week to have different things done, the doctor i saw last week had me in tears. Telling me that i should have a c-section because of the size of the baby..this baby is due to be around 8lbs. Lucas was 8.13lbs and Ollie was 7.11lbs. Got over that the next day after speaking with dave and deciding that ultimately they are just after a scheduled birth and money! So everything is as it should be, they are keen to induce by the end of next week, which i don't want to happen, but it's out of my hands! As long as it doesn't come before Monday afternoon when mum and mick get here we will be fine!
I'm so excited to see them! Show off the house and enjoy some lay ins whilst they sort all the boys out....lol..sorry mum you're not here for a actual holiday are you?! :)

So after the whole chaos of getting a dog license, i braved it and went to the "local" dog park to get Gizmo used to other dogs again and have a run around off the lead. Needless to say, i probably won't be going back! The park was 20 mins away and the dogs that were in there started on giz so i had to (at 8 months pregnant) jump in and stop them from biting him! I'm sure there will be another day to go on where there won't be problems, but it put me right off!!
Miss taking him to the big park near us in Andover where he could run around a lot more, but shouldn't complain really, he's got a lot more of a garden to play with here!

It's certainly going to be a busy few week, with mum and baby, then the kids finishing for the summer holidays in less than 3 weeks i'm not sure how i'm going to catch a breath! But it's so nice knowing we are actually going to have a summer. The weather is hot now, let alone what it's going to be like come July and August! 10 WEEKS OF KIDS ON HOLIDAY FROM SCHOOL! WITH A NEWBORN BABY!! Ah man!!!!!

Anyhoo, the dishwasher isn't going to load itself and i need to catch some rays before i become a hermit once again!

Love to everyone!
xxx

2 weeks today! That's my due date! Can anyone tell me how this date has come around so quick?! But 2 weeks yesterday is when mum and mick are coming over!! Which i'm so excited about! Don't get me wrong, i'm excited about looking after a new baby too.. but i also then remember how the baby comes out and everything afterwards! No sleep, poop patrol and baby sick!
As you can imagine the appointments to see people over here have gone a bit nuts, i have to visit the hospital three times a week for stress tests and measurements etc. Because my insurance doesn't cover for midwifery care its a OBGYN and i'm having to tell them not to worry about the predicted size of the baby! It's projected to be around 7.12lb which they are in a bit of a panic about, now considering Lucas was 8.13lbs and Ollie was 7.11lbs.. i'm not worried in the slightest. ..serves me right for marrying a 6'2 lanky git i guess!

Talking of 6'2 lanky gits, dear old hubby got into some trouble at the weekend. Surprise surprise all about a game of bloody football! The ref in Lucas' game was shocking, there were some terrible fouls going on, kids dropping like flies and the ref was doing nothing about it! That is until Lucas was fouled and injured, but instead of blowing his whistle and doing something about it, he walked away! Dave decided it was about that time to give him some "constructive criticism" which lead to the ref walking off the pitch.. and getting his supervisor to take over! Coach in the meantime came over and said, maybe next time let the coaches talk to the ref not you! Which is fair enough, but they weren't exactly doing anything about it either! Needless to say us as parents were sulking about the game more than the kids were! I don't think i've ever sworn so much in my life especially at a kids football game!

So, we've noticed over here what we took for granted in the UK. Number one being the roads! There are so many pot hols over here because of the bad winter, secondly is that everything is done with chip and pin in the UK no probs, whereas here it's very few and far between. What makes me laugh is there isn't many roundabouts over here, but when you get to one obviously its trained in dave and i to indicate etc, we must be the only ones over here that actually do it!

The weather is getting really warm, but the next day is thunderstorms that are so loud, the blinds in the living room vibrate! It is very humid over here though, so it feels warmer than it actually is. I am refusing to buy maternity shorts with 2 weeks to go!

Finally seem to be getting to grips with the food, and where to get the best deals. It's still very difficult but adopting a new routine isn't so bad now.
Boys are doing well with school, Lucas had his first friend over the other day, i made the effort to introduce myself to his mum and pass my number on for future dates. What made me laugh as the first question that came out of her mouth was "do you have any guns in the house?" which stumped me! Never had to think like that in the UK obviously, so after reassuring her that wasn't the case, he came over. To my surprise she said it was the first time she had ever left him on his own with a friend.  He was nice enough though, and was really good to see lucas play properly.
Lucas has been missing his school friends, has been talking about them a lot, hard to hear about sometimes as start to feel guilty!

That's it really, we have brought some baby stuff as a "just in case" I can't quite believe it's only 2 weeks to go!!

Ta ra for now
xx

another countdown..

Last week this squirrel decides to run away from us up a tree whilst we are going in the front door. There was a moment where it stopped and peeked around the tree to see where Lucas was. Lucas in turn peeked around the tree at the same time, in the same direction to see it. It felt like ages, but it was a split second, i wish i had my camera. Certainly something that wouldn't happen again, but it was quite magical, (i then thought i best get him away from the said squirrel as it could jump onto his head and try and eat him!)
At the beginning of this week, the said squirrel was as flat as a pancake on the little bit of road outside our house, from the tree he had climbed. Now this could have been a different squirrel and probably not the same one at all, but i burst into tears! This poor squirrel was deaded, the one that "bonded" for a mili-second with my eldest, was deaded! I'm putting it down to pregnancy hormones, because all Lucas had to say about it was that he could see his tongue poking out!

Time seems to be flying by at the moment, we are now on another countdown, which is for the baby to arrive. We have put a bet on that, it will be here before mum and mick arrive and dave will have to contend with an airport pick up and a baby being born at the same time! We have 4 weeks exactly until it's scheduled appearance! We have got the bottles and sterilizer, with the pushchair ..or should i say "stroller" on order to be delivered within the next few days. We still haven't got a name, we are back and forth on some, the boys (including dave) are just reeling off Star Wars characters.. i don't think chewbacca wallace has a very good ring to it, but Ollie doesn't agree!
It still doesn't feel real, this pregnancy has taken a back seat since we found out about America, it's starting to dawn on us that we aren't going to sleep for the next year or so and that nappies will become part of our outgoings once more, but it hasn't really sunk in fully!

Boys are doing well with school, cops and robbers, and tag seem to be the games they play a lot at the moment. Ollie startled me the other day when we were in the car. "mummy..here you go..here's some trash" - i asked him who he thought he was talking to.. and then changed trash to "garbage"..
Lucas struggled with his first game on his football team, he didn't know what scrimmage was or even offence.. so scrimmage is a friendly match and offence is attack..
He was much better this week, he scored 5 goals and the team won 10-1. Ollie scored his first 2 goals for his team and they drew. Dave and i were so surprised at how messy the teams were, instead of 5 a side like we have been used to, its a 10 a side, on the same sized pitches as what we use for the 5 a side in the UK. Ollie's team were especially messy, it was like watching them as toddlers again all going after the same ball! It was a little better this week, and dave was shouting from the sidelines to both of the boys telling them where to go etc, but it's something we are going to have to get used to!

Mum and Mick are coming over in less than a month, and i cannot wait! It's the longest time we have been away from each other, and although we facetime a lot, it's not the same thing! It'll be nice to have a mummy cup of tea!!

Tomorrow i have a dog park orientation meeting.. there are only certain areas over here that you can take the dog for a walk, and one of those places is a dog park. So, i have to go sit in a meeting and listen to how my dog should  behave when in this park, then apply for a license and then get a ID for him to visit one!

The weather is improving! It is going to be 25 tomorrow! All the neighbours have been out doing their lawn.. i say they have..they've got gardeners with the massive sit on mowers to do it for them! We have had a few thunderstorms over the last few weeks and apparently they can get very big!

All in all, nothing has really happened! Just plodding on as usual!

Much love
xx

Yes..i have an accent..NO i'm not from Scotland....

No matter what shop i go in, whatever doctor i see the conversation starts as follows
"Oh you don't sound as if you are from around here" -" No. We moved here from the UK a month ago"
"Ah i have never been to the UK are you from Scotland?" "No. We are from the south of the UK."
"I know a friend of a friend who lived in the UK, near London.. it was a town with a nice bridge...."
- bang. head. against. wall!!!!!!

Having been here for 6 weeks now, it's starting to feel a little more comfy. The weather over the past few days have been really nice and warm. It's been amazing to watch the kids and the dog run around in a nice garden and actually have a good time.
They have made good friends with the neighbours children, who are of the same age. I have to call them in every night as they could spend all night playing with them if they could. The neighbour also has a dog, which Gizmo is very happy about. Although, this dog is 6 months old, still on a lead, and gizmo is taking full advantage of that!
He has settled in well, the first night it was like having a puppy again, he took ages to settle and was wandering around the house getting used to all the smells. I think he also had a bit of jetlag after stopping over in Chicago for 7 hours. It was quite stressful for him, but he is so content now, it is a big relief.

Easter weekend i was a grump! I was really conscious of what normal activities we do, easter egg hunt and a nice easter meal with mum. I felt really emotional all weekend because i was out of normal routine. So, we made up a new routine. We did a massive easter egg hunt around the house and garden and went for a lovely walk. We had a lovely roast on Saturday night, and a full fatty Mcdonalds at lunch!
The kids didn't notice that they didn't have their 20 eggs each, they were too busy trying to find the ones i hid. It made me realize i was over thinking it as i always do! Although, i did have to dash to the supermarket and buy MORE easter eggs as the ones i had spent $35 on.. i STUPIDLY put in a cupboard above the microwave.. and when it came to getting them out on Saturday night.. they were all melted!!! Of course the easter bunny got the blame for that one when i told the kids the next day.. not silly mummy.... :)

I had a few emotional days last week where i was missing things in the UK. Not enough to warrant the tears that's for sure. But this week, with Gizmo here and me feeling able to go somewhere and not get lost, it's starting to feel a lot easier. The days are going quicker! I'm missing my friends that i saw on a weekly basis, the banter at the pub, and mum and mick. But i know i also know i have just got to get on with it and things will get better as they go along. Which they are. I have made a few friends with the neighbours and invited some over. I just have to get out of my comfort zone and not be afraid to ask!

Kids are getting on fine at school, Lucas is learning about the area and diameter of shapes... which i just leave to dave to sort.. Ollie is doing really well with his spelling and maths. It's a little too easy for him but he is also quite lazy so it works out fine!
Dave is getting busier at work, going off to see customers all suited and booted, makes me feel proud of how far he has come since when i met him he was a engineer who didn't want to get out of bed in the morning.. actually.. not everything has changed there!! :)

Bump is getting bigger, i am 34 weeks this week! We have yet to purchase any baby things!! Or decide on a name! Been completely rubbish this time around, but we are aiming to get some things within the next few weeks!

Anyway, nothing new has happened really, except we have more sun than you!! so :p

Ta-ra for now!
xxx

Normality returns..sort of

Last week was manic! The car insurance company wanted $3.5k for 6 months, just for me to drive around in our new car on my UK license! So in order to get me insured for a much more reasonable price, i had to get a social security number and take a driving test to get my US license!
Sitting around in the social security office for 2 hours was painful enough, but when it came to taking my theory i was number 15 in the line and they are on number 50, (it goes back to 1 after 99)! Thankfully dave had done this the previous week and told me to meet him for lunch and go back in a hour!
Last time i did my theory in the UK they had just introduced the hazard perception test, so here i was thinking it was going to be similar.NOPE! You get handed a piece of paper with 4 sheets, and they are all multiple choice questions! Some of them were common sense, others were pure guess work!
Thankfully i only got 10 wrong, and they still passed me! I then had to book in for a road test... i was really nervous! I've always said if i were to have my test again i wouldn't pass, after 12 years of driving, obviously going to pick up bad habits! I had been driving around a little over here, but the roads completely freak me out. A shared left lane between both sides of the road to move into, turning right on red is the normal, and the cars are huge! Theres' very few single lanes here, so its all wider! Anyway, when it came to my test. The woman i had was treating me like i had never driven before.. granted my parallel park was awful.. but she did not do my confidence any good! Needless to say she failed me! I was distraught! What made me laugh was even though i failed, you still get to drive yourself home after! So i got on the phone to dave, cried my eyes out, and then plucked up the courage and booked another test with the person dave had the previous week.. and booked it for friday!! ..Oh yea.. on top of all this... for the test i wasn't allowed to drive our new car as i wasn't insured.. so twice we had to pay for a hire car!!

Thursday night about 11pm, Ollie decides to be sick.. all night long.. Thankfully dave can work from home, so i didn't need to cancel the test or the hire car. But the weather was awful! It was foggy and raining cats and dogs! With no sleep and horrible conditions on the road.. it felt like i had no chance! The instructor was much nicer, a lot more relaxed and even told me i was better than dave.. :D He passed me and all of a sudden the weight lifted from my shoulders! So then had to return to the Secretary of State office and get my license!!
All in all a long and hard process but we are sorted. We have got everything in order, and have even started the process to bring the dog over!

The weekend we went exploring and found some lovely walks. Sunday night i came down with the tummy bug and now Dave has it! Crossing fingers Lucas won't get it, but highly doubtful!

We are getting sorted with the house and routines. We have found a really nice area to take the kids for swimming and other sports activities. Dave has signed himself up for football...soccer..whatever!
Bump is coming along, 32 weeks this week! It certainly didn't appreciate me being sick! Made me miss being around my normal surroundings when i was poorly though!

Aside from the sickness, we are all good. The boys only have a week off, so going to venture out to see what is around! Might even buy a english easter egg that they are selling for $15!

Ta ra
xx

Something to call home...

We're in!! Friday we got the keys to the house! After going through the lease with the estate agent (realtor) and the property manager we excitedly drove to our new place called home!

When we got in, the boys were running all over the place, with dave and i going through all the rooms! 

So downstairs has a living room, a family room, a dining room, kitchen/diner, a laundry room, a garage and of course a basement! (Which the boys love as it has batman painted on the wall, with some other characters too!)

Upstairs has 4 bedrooms with lots of space, and ours has a walk in closet and a en-suite! Certainly feels crazy compared to our house in Andover. 

The garden is lovely and big, with the boys being so excited that it has a play area on there! 

Over all it is a lovely house, and we are really lucky to be in this position. It's giving us ideas of what we want when we come around to buying. 

The weekend was spent trying to furnish the place! We have got the bare essentials.. well i say that.. dave couldn't open his beer on Sunday as he hadn't got a beer opener! Needless to say that was brought the very next day!

On our first night we had cottage pie! Just to show we were brits living in our own house!!  And i was disappointed no neighbours came around to bring pie, like they do on the movies!

The boys have settled well into the house, and are still running around like apes! It's so nice to see them have plenty of room to do stuff, it makes it easier to transition that is for sure. 

We managed to get our car sorted, which was a big priority! Nice 8 seater so that we can have plenty of space for dog, and baby stuff when it arrives! What's funny is the price of fuel over here is really cheap, but you are only getting 20mpg! One car we looked at did 11mpg!!! But it was a beast! 

Over the past few days we have been taking it easy whilst dave settles in to work, its been frustrating but so much better than staying in a hotel! The down side to it all is that i can't invite any of you guys over for tea! It's hit me hard this week being away from friends. Missing the normal mundane routine of activities etc, but thank goodness for facebook and email! It certainly makes it easier just being able to say hi every now and again. 

Mum and i have been in contact pretty much every day, which is no different than normal! Just not getting the hugs! Counting the weeks down until i can! 

So, when you think about it, in 16 days we have got a house, a car, dave has got his social security number, a bank account, the boys in school, and a half furnished house! I certainly didn't expect it all to happen and it has! It's happened very quickly but we have got the big parts done!

The boys started school today, after an initial mess up of which school they would be going to, i managed to sort it pretty quickly. 

They both had butterflies in their stomach this morning, and were doing their normal nervous things. But i know the school will look after them and they will quickly make friends. I did shed a tear for them when i left. As much as its been really hard to do all this, having the boys as a distraction has been good. Its been really nice to have some quality time with them. There won't be many times like that again before baby comes along to disturb the peace! I'm so proud of them. I cannot fault them at all. 

I cannot wait until they get off the bus and tell me what happened at school. 

So, i'm here! All on my own! Having to sort out grown up stuff for me now! Hospitals, and banks etc! no more excuses! 

In less than 3 weeks we have managed to sort things out here, in 10 weeks there will be a new baby to deal with! When you break it all down, it goes so quickly! 

But, the best thing. And i mean the best thing that happened this week.. is that i found.. cadburys creme egg AND CUSTARD CREAMS!!!!!!

One thing for sure, i won't be buying ready made gravy! I will pay $6 for the bisto granuals!! 

Now we are just waiting to get some more furniture and for my lovely dog to come out! With the boys in school, the pressure is off a bit! Until the following week when they break up for spring break!!! 

Anyway, missing my lovely catch ups with friends! But will speak soonly!! 

xxx

One Step forward...two steps back...

I'm not quite sure where the last week has gone! We were so busy looking at houses last week, on Friday we saw 10 in 7 hours!
We put an application in for a house, but missed out at the last hurdle! We were both gutted as it was a lovely house! But we took it on the chin and used it as a baseline.
Friday came along and we found two that we liked. Well.. i liked it more than dave!
The kids were amazing, you can imagine how full of energy they are because they are cooped up in a small hotel room with no where to play. You can then imagine what they would be like when they are in a big empty house looking around and how much running they could do.. especially when they found the basements!!
We put a application on a house and found out on Saturday that it had been accepted, pending confirmation from daves work that he was who he says!
It wasn't until yesterday afternoon that we found out we got it! Weight has been lifted from our shoulders, we are getting very cooped up in this hotel room, but the boys have been amazing! Thank goodness for xbox games! Hopefully by the weekend we will be moving into it, with no furniture.... lol

Dave has been going into the office, so i've had to get used to driving on my own and getting to know the area! I did a lulu panic yesterday when i drove to the supermarket and ended up on a freeway! Luckily i was going the right way but my heart was in my mouth!!
We have found a car that we like, we can't lease it or do anything until we have a permanent address or a state license! But the dealership are so desperate for the sale they have just given us the car to drive around until we can sort it! Its huge!!!! Its an 8 seater toyota sienna. Automatic doors, comfy seats! Soccer mum in the making!! Its a far cry from my first car the blue metro!! Once the lease on the house is signed we can then sort out the license etc! Can't do anything until then, apart from not crash into things!!
Weirdest thing about driving is i can't get used to the middle lane when turning, is a shared lane. It looks like i'm going on their side! Also turning right on a red light is hard to get used to, but makes perfect sense! They are getting used to having a roundabout in the state too! Although its not called a roundabout, but a traffic circle!!

I tried to sort out hospitals and appointments yesterday, but i can't until have the insurance details. Was very irritating as that is now the top priority! Baby is proper kicking me now, its the whole alien in your stomach thing where the belly is moving and looks weird!
Emotions are high i think, keeping as calm as i can with the kids, but when i think of home i well up, i can't look at photos on my phone without welling up, and i'm really missing my normal food!
I have this weird anxiety when it comes to new food, i am a stubborn cow where if i don't like the look or taste of it, i will just refuse to eat. anything! It's been really hard going shopping trying to find things that i think i will like, and then telling the boys.. just try it and if you don't like it don't worry! There are a few british items over here, but expensive! Will have to see how we get on!
But the one good thing is the burgers and pizzas are amazing!! Just not for everyday consumption! It's been hard to cook in the hotel, there's a kitchen with 2 hobs and a microwave. So trying to adjust to that has not been easy! But we are getting there!

Tomorrow we are looking at the school where the boys will be going, they are pretty nervous about it. But keeping them as calm as possible and trying to keep it all positive!

Today is raining, the snow is melting and the sky is grey! I'm now looking forward to making a home for ourselves and getting out of this hotel! Its been nice to spend the time with the boys, but you don't realise just quite how much energy they use up at school!
But they are happy and that is what is most important! They are in contact with some friends and it's nice to see the excitement on their face when they hear from them.

Anyhoo, back to reality! This time next week we will be in our new house.. a very bare house!!!

Much love
xxxx

It's all WHITE!

Not entirely sure where the last few days have gone. Monday was certainly a blur, yesterday was very overwhelming but starting to feel normal. Today is a whiteout!
Saturday and Sunday flew by with getting the house ready for a little gathering of our friends and family. It was really emotional and very surreal.
Hardly slept a wink on Sunday night as head was spinning.
Our flight was Monday morning at 9am. Meaning we had to leave mums house at 5.45. I got up at 4 and woke the kids at 5. From then on, it all happened so quickly!
The only thing that was slow motion about that whole morning was saying goodbye to mum and mick, and daves parents. Tears were flowing everywhere including Lucas, and it was one of the hardest things we have ever gone through.
Once we were on the plane (after getting through security were my handbag strap snapped!!) Ollie then started saying he missed his friends.
I was a wreck. Every time i thought of home, i just wanted to turn back around and give mum more cuddles. Trying to hide tears from a 8 year old is very very hard! Not only that, but i was the only one out of the four of us who's inflight tv wasn't working!! So they were all content with watching films and playing on the games, but there i was a quivering wreck with nothing to distract me!
The kids were amazing. It was such a long flight, but we managed it!
Flying into Detroit and seeing the snow made the kids beam! All of a sudden i had to switch the emotions off and concentrate on getting through the other side.
We were at the arrivals being asked questions when we overheard the people across from us who were a band, they were South by South West? We recognised the name but couldn't remember any songs! We also saw a band who very very very much looked like Black Eyed Peas, or at least their lookalikes!

Getting the hire car was funny, its a huge people carrier with automatic doors and enough for 8 of us to sit in! Kids loved it. Seeing dave trying to drive it and keep calm after a long flight was very impressive.

So we are at this hotel for the next 12 days. The kids are sharing a double bed. First night Lucas moaned about my snoring!! That was inbetween Ollie being sick 4 times over the night. All over the bedding and floor!
Yesterday we went to see some houses and there were 2 amazing ones. One was on a lake, which if there wasn't a dog and kids to factor in, we would have signed the dotted line! Another one we saw was huge and you could fit just our little house in Andover into the basement! Fingers crossed we will be going to that one, but we shall see.

Today is a bit of a nothing day. The snow is coming down fast, and we have to change the rental car. Dave has gone into the office for the first time, so we are cooped up in the hotel for the morning. Which is fine. kind of!!

Kids seem happy, think they are a little homesick, Lucas is missing his best friend and Ollie has written a email to his teacher with his first words being i miss you.

Once we are in a house it will all be fine and we can get our routine again. Just a case of waiting at the moment! And we aren't a patient family!

Anyways, hopefully soon i will have some more news about a house etc. In the meantime it's now trying to work out kids friendly tv!!

Much love
xxxx

So after five months of discussions, organising, and waiting around we are FINALLY moving to the USA! 

For the last five months my lovely friends have had their ears chewed off with all my nerves, excitement and vents!! It doesn't actually feel real that we will be living in another country next week! 

This week has been emotionally draining, which was expected, but still hard. Packing up all our belongings and emptying the house we have lived in for the last 7 years caused a lot of tears! The boys have handled it as well as they can, but you can tell they feel a little out of sorts. It's been hard to watch and the guilt trickles in. 

Sitting here now, knowing that the bags are nearly packed, things are in boxes in the loft or been dumped, makes you realise quite how much rubbish you store! 

This is the biggest thing either of us have done in our whole lives. It's exciting, nerve wracking, emotional, hard, and damn scary. But if we don't do it, we would regret it! 

It has certainly been made harder by being pregnant at the same time of trying to re organise our life! It has shown me that i am stronger than i think, and i can just switch off the emotions when i need to. But i know i wouldn't be able to be this strong without Dave being as cool as a cucumber and our family being so helpful. 

Telling the kids was hard, but i tried to break it into them when we first knew about it. As it all happened around the same sort of time of me finding out about the pregnancy and the move, i would do little conversations in the car like "wouldn't it be funny to have another child in the house" or "wouldn't it be good to live in America?" This seemed to help when we sat them down and said about it. At first we thought it would be our eldest who would be most affected, but it's actually knocked the youngest confidence a little. Seeing them get used to the idea over the last few weeks has been encouraging though. They don't understand the gravity of it at the moment, they just see all the chaos and have dealt with it well. 

Their last day at school was more emotional for me than them, saying goodbye to mums that i have gotten to know and their children. Really hard! 

Leaving work was hard, i loved working in the pub i was in, and felt like i had a second family there! 

Tomorrow is the last hurrah, Then we have one more night before we enter a country we have only ever been tourists in. We are so nervous, but so excited at the same time. It's certainly been emotional, and will continue to be for a long time yet! 

So even though i have said goodbye to most of my friends this week, i want to say thank you and that i am going to miss you all! it's been a very overwhelming week, and i certainly wouldn't be here feeling confident about the move without all your input. 

Hoping to update this page a little more regularly from now! 

CIAO for now!!