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