Crazy times!!

I've just realized how rubbish i have been at keeping up with this blog!

Life has been soooooo busy over the last few months, that i have no idea where time has gone.

I cannot believe we are so near to Christmas, i am so unprepared. Luckily, my mum and Mick came out to stay with us for a while. Which helped get my bum into gear, and at least start thinking about presents for everyone!
We had an amazing time with them here, it was so nice to have an extra pair of hands with the boys. The amount of homework the kids are bringing home from school, is INSANE! Mum helped out with organizing them, and keeping Finn entertained! It went by so quick though!
Whilst they were here we took a mini holiday to Niagra Falls. Which was amazing to see, but i wasn't prepared for the blackpool feel of it. It was very touristy but we went at the best time of year as it wasn't too busy or cold.
Overall, the time was amazing with them, it doesn't get any easier saying goodbye. But you end up just having to deal with it.

Fitness has been going really well. I signed up to be a Beachbody Coach. I am still learning the ropes, but it ties in nicely with the fitness things i was already doing. Between going to the gym, doing bootcamp, and being a beach body coach. Life seems to be all about working out at the moment! But it isn't. I'm trying to get stronger, fitter and healthier. I have a target that i want to reach. This past year i have wanted to lose weight, i'm not there yet but i will be soon. I'm doing it because i want to feel confident when i look in the mirror. I have also decided that i want to become a personal trainer or at least learn how to be. I don't tend to make goals for myself, but it's been nice to stick to one this year. I've met some really lovely people along the way, which has made this whole move a lot easier. I've always loved to help people, so the beach body coaching ties in nicely and it's full of great people who give me some help and encouragement on the way. :)

The boys are doing amazing. They are growing up too quick - they're very excited to watch the Star Wars film next week  (almost as excited as dave)

Daves job is going well. He's still playing and coaching football. It has been interesting to see him get up at 7am to coach, and leave the house at 10pm to play! I'm not sure he's ever going to give that gig up!

But thats it! I will try to keep up with the blog more often!!!

Much love
xxxx

Something for me!

Seriously? I know we say it every year, but where has this year gone?! November 1st already?! UGH! 

My lovely mum and step dad are here for a while. They arrived a few days ago and it's been like a breath of fresh air in the house. Having that extra pair of hands around, to help control the manic toddler, or have a good old moan to if needed! 

Yesterday was my birthday, and of course Halloween now trumps any hope of a "relaxing" day :) But I was grateful for small mercies. Going to the supermarket with JUST DAVE! (YES it's got to THAT stage in life where you don't mind going shopping on your birthday..just to escape the kids!!) We got to go out in the evening as well so that made up for acting like an 80-year-old woman :)

Boys are all good, they are enjoying having their grandparents around. They are arguing over the littlest things at the moment. I know it's just a phase and they get on together MOST of the time. But recently it seems a constant battle. Finn is just in pure toddler mode. Climbing, reaching and learning all about his temper! 

So I’ve done something for me, for what feels like the first time in a while. I have set up my own business, all to do with fitness. Something that sounds so unlike me I know! But I figured, I have been doing well with my own weight loss and hitting the gym six times a week.. why not?! It took me a while to agree to it and I’m still learning! But its going to help me become less of a hermit and maybe meet some new friends on the way. I'm petrified but excited. It is nice to do something for myself though and it is certainly taking me out of my comfort zone! So we will see. You will just have to help me and get involved too! :)

We have potentially sold our house in the UK. Which is a bittersweet moment. We are waiting for the finalization of things, but crossing fingers that all goes ok. 

It is easy to forget what we have come from; to what we have now. It still doesn't seem real. 

Mum and Mick have brought over lots of goodies from the UK. Which is torturous! But as it was my birthday yesterday I relaxed a little. All the chocolates and sweets from Halloween, and all the goodies from the UK are going to be locked away. Tomorrow the three of us start a 21-day challenge. Which means no ice cream!!! Now THAT is my "kids have gone to bed treat" albeit the smallest bowl... but still...that is going to be hard for me! Wish us luck!!! 

Anyway. Toddler is now reaching for me, whilst the rest of the household are watching the football on the telly!!! :)

Much love!! 

lu xxx

"Normality" resumes!

For the first time in about two weeks we have seen clouds! It has been really uplifting to enjoy the nice weather whilst the kids are at school!
Our mad routine has started once again. With Lucas now starting and finishing an hour before Ollie, it's been an interesting adjustment.
The "soccer" season is back into full swing with early mornings and late evening kick offs. Dave is helping to coach both teams, it's not hard to imagine how revved up he gets!

The boys have done well getting back into the swing of things with school. Ollie is a ganet and eating any snack or school dinners that he can. Whereas Lucas is more conservative with his money :)
They have just joined a Karate group. I wanted them to have something other than Football...soccer..whatever! The boys love it. A chance to try and beat your brother up with adult permission - seems to be a "hit".

I'm still getting up at the crack of dawn and going to a bootcamp exercise class. I am on a six week challenge of clean eating.. i'm three weeks sober from cookie dough ice cream!! :) I'm still as much as a fussy eater as normal, but it's going ok. But leave the pizza or biscuits in front of me and all bets are off. :)

Finlay has decided that he likes to climb things, maybe take pictures off the wall. Even take the recycling rubbish out of the bins and walk around with it.. from the moment he wakes until he lays his head. He is relentless. This house is by no means toddler proof. It has been a shock to the system!
But he's happy and loves picking his brothers up from the bus stop. The tantrums are starting to appear, and if they are going to be anything like Ollies' were.. we are in for some trouble.

So we have been out here eighteen months! It's still unbelievable to me that we are here and living it. There are so many positives and a lot more opportunities than we ever thought, i miss the friends and family in the UK. .ESPECIALLY when i want to have a bit of space from my lovely children. Not having that family support for those kind of moments, has been hard. But Dave is pretty good at guessing!

Anyhoo..Finn has decided he's had enough of sleeping. Much love to everyone!!

xxx

17 months!!

I gave in yesterday and stopped being so stubborn, i had to visit the Chiropractor for my back! Whilst there i was asked how long i had been in the U.S.. I had to sit there and work it out!
(Never was any good at maths!) It dawned on me that we are near the 18 month mark and lets face it in a months time i'll probably forget!
After a months trip to the UK it still felt bittersweet to come back to the US. But it is the place i call home. We came back and had seen most of our friends within a few days and that felt good. It took the numbness away from leaving everyone in the UK again.
The flight home was LOOOONNGG. With an Eight our journey, Finn slept for one of those hours! Trying to entertain him and stop him from kicking the seat in front of us, was damn near impossible. Thankfully Dave was on hand a few rows away so i could swap with him every other hour!
It took us all a few days to get over the time change, Finn had gone from waking up at 9am to 4am. The older two were able to adapt quicker.

The trip home was amazing though. Although harder than i thought - mainly because you get used to having so much space over here. So when you go back with five of us, you can't help but notice how we just take up the whole space. :)
When i look back now, it feels like it was a dream. Life has returned to normal, the kids running around like headless chickens and you just have to get through the day!

I've been trying to entertain the kids for what seems the longest time, but in reality they've been really good. They have split their time between games, neighbours and the pool. I look at them and feel envious at the fun they're having. But then i stop being envious and enjoy the peace whilst they're busy :)

Football training starts again this week, premier league has started again.. i am a football widow for another year running. Although, it doesn't bother me as much as it used to..yet. Apparently now i have to follow an American Football team, i had to sign my allegiance with the Atlanta Falcons. The name on the paper said so.. we'll see.

So after (nearly) 18 months of being over here? How do i feel? Happy, Sad, Strong, Determined, Anxious, Excited, Proud. I'm really exited to start thinking about buying a house, it's the next thing on my list. I feel determined to make the most of this crazy adventure!

I want to say thank you to all the people who have said they like reading these silly little blogs. I know it's just nonsense and irrelevant to most people, but it's been uplifting to hear from friends and family that i'm doing ok at it.

Love y'all... Have a nice day..

xxx

So here i am in (surprisingly) sunny England! The boys and i have been here for two weeks and it has flown.
We have indulged in all of our favorite foods, met lots of friends and relaxed in the glorious sunshine. There are still a few weeks left of our trip, so we are no where NEAR done! But it has felt very good to catch up and to introduce Finn to the rest of the world. It felt strange hearing English accents again, everyone for a while just had a cockney accent, the boys were noticing the TV adverts weren't "Americanish" as Ollie called it.

The flight over here was a little stressful and i am quite a nervous flier, which is really hard to show in front of the boys. It's more of the chaos that comes with the flight rather than having to sit in the plane. The boys were amazing,  perhaps a little overwhelmed.  Finlay was very good, and mostly slept. He nearly stretched across the three of us, let alone just me!

The first few days were just a blur, the boys were having to be woken up each morning, otherwise i'm pretty sure they would have slept in all day. But a good old fry up and a home cooked roast managed to keep me on the straight and narrow.

It has felt a little like an alternate universe - in the sense that we've met loads of friends and family in a short space of time. Normally if we were living over here, we probably wouldn't have seen or spoken as much. But i'm so lucky to have great friends here who, make it feel like you only saw each other recently. Then you realise what you have missed, supporting your friends through things, weddings, babies, life! The guilt prangs at you because it dawns on you, that maybe more could have been done. Guess that's just the way it goes.

We have managed to pop into the boys' old school and said hello. There were twenty million questions asked about how America was and they both handled it brilliantly. Talking with the boys after - they felt a little shell shocked and you could see they were reflecting on things.

My nan and the boys went to (what can only be described as) a builders cafe, Right on the outskirts of Slough. My earliest memory is being in that cafe with my nan, when i was around seven years old.  I would eat the sugar cube meant for her tea, and then put sugar in my can of coke!  It was very surreal walking in there again with my amazing nan and my three dweebs. I was a little disappointed there were no sugar cubes to eat. However, an all day breakfast never tasted sooo good.

Today was mummy and daughter time. We went to get pampered and to have some time with each other. It was nice to take a break from the chaos and enjoy some quality time together. Even if the chaos resumes when you return, it certainly took the edge off things.

I have mastered the skill of driving over here again, i've only got in the wrong side of the car twice and only driven on the wrong side when coming out of a car park ONCE. Now that, for me.. is impressive.  I may not be so good going back though!!

Anyhoo it's now getting cold and i don't think i can dribble on much longer, So i'll see you on the flip side!

:) xxxx

Summer has arrived again!

For the first time since the sun started rising early, Ollie has finally slept in! We had to move his bed as every morning without fail he would be down at 6.30am watch tv as he couldn't sleep!
They have two weeks left at school, it only feels like they have been back five minutes. Lucas will be changing schools, so he has a new adventure starting in September. He is really excited about it, but a little sad too. These will be the last few weeks of them riding the bus together until they are at high school :( Lucas spends two years at upper elementary and then onto middle school for another two years, and then to high school, so it is a lot different in comparison to what we are used to in the UK.

I have been getting my ass kicked every morning at a bootcamp. I go with my neighbour at five o'clock in the morning, FIVE days a week! To have a woman shout at me...but i really enjoy it. Just means that i'm crap in the evenings and fall asleep at nine! I've been doing well with fitness, i finished a twelve week program that was really hard, but i've seen some good results. I have found a new hobby, which is a rarity. But it's nice to drop Finn off and have some time to just be me.
Everything has been so busy over the last few months, it's nice to switch off when i go to the gym or bootcamp. Weird as that sounds!

So in less than a month we will be back in the UK. I'm dreading the flight and hoping for an easy time with the kids, but i know the inlaws will be there to help. Eight hours on a plane, with a fidgety one year old won't be easy! Very excited to be seeing everyone, and having all the "normal" food. Although, i'm not sure that's going to help with my fitness! :)
The boys are looking forward to coming back, the first thing they are doing when they get off the plane is buying wotsits (They have to get past me first though)
All i have been dreaming about at the moment is walking around London, or saying goodbye to family at the airport...not just a couple though... every bloody night. It's like yes ok i get it.. move on already :)

Summer seems to have arrived over here, although i'm constantly being told it's still too cool. 30c for me is a summers day! The humidity is crazy. My naive husband of mine sent us all out with jumpers and jeans the other day it was "only" 25c..go figure

Apart from our UK trip thats about it! It's going to feel weird coming back and seeing everything in a different light. Funny how you quickly adjust to the surroundings and culture.

Finn will be turning one next week, i'm still in shock about how quickly it has gone. He is such a happy baby, eats anything and everything. He is very close to walking, but likes to tease. It's lovely to see how the boys are around him, pure love from all of them..even if the elder two struggle to hold him for more than a minute :) It'll be nice to introduce him to the family. It's been a while since a baby was in the family, and he's definitely more of a toddler now.
I completely forgot how much effort it is to have a toddler, nowhere is safe :)

Anyhoo, time to wake the boys and start my day!

Love to all.. see u soonly

xx

SOS Send Supplies!!!!

OK so, i may be at least twenty-five years late to the party.. but this week I've discovered a food i like.. who knew cheese on toast would so be scrummy!!!!
I've also discovered oat and banana pancakes.. which i am slightly addicted to! I think its safe to say I'm a wimp when it comes to food, and I'm only just getting brave enough to try stuff! Needless to say Dave is willing to kick my ass for being such a fool! :)
Talking of food..you know it's bad when you dream that you're in a pet store looking for dog things and you see the worlds biggest pack of Roast Beef Monster Munch hanging from the ceiling.. and getting so disappointed it's only a model and not edible.. yep.. desperate for some roast beef monster munch!!! Lu the loser.. that's me!!! :s

After two days of glorious sunshine, we have been hit by wind and rain..and today SNOW! I'm so ready for summer, it has felt the longest time since we have had some decent weather. When the snow melted, i have never seen the boys so excited to see GRASS. When they saw the weather today they weren't happy!

Dave is off here, there, and everywhere next week. So it's me vs three children and a dog - I'm not entirely sure that my good mood will last throughout the duration so best take stock now!!
It's getting easier to handle when he goes away, but i dread it. By day two I'm beat, especially with all the running around we have to do for the kids! But hey, that's the deal. What i signed up for i guess!
It's going to test me though as Dave will be in the UK for some of the time, going to a friends wedding :( He's going to be on his jolly and I'm going to be sobbing on the sofa with my bucket of ice cream!

All in all, everything is well. I'm trying so hard on a diet and fitness routine that I've put a little strain on my back, I phoned the chiropractor i normally go to and they've moved 10 miles away! So got to find another one and go through all that rigmarole! Boring stuff!

Lucas has signed up for some music things at his next school, that he starts in September. He wants to play the saxophone. I love the sound of a saxophone, but i love it when it's played properly.. I'm not convinced about the whole thing to be honest! But i have to be the abiding parent and let him discover new things! ..I think I'll need some ear plugs though!

Anyhoo, my smoothie is no longer smooth and just looks like a pile of lumpy shite! Time to get on before the little "darlings" come home!

Ta ra...

xxxx

Hopping mad

Time seems to be running away from me this month,  It's gone so quickly i can't even recall a moment that stood out!
The boys have got the week off for Easter, it's been a little shock to the system to have them home all the time. With them being at school all the time, you forget the chaos that they create! Snacks, arguments, and pure energy. Now don't get me wrong, it's nice to spend some time with them ..but i haven't been as organised as i would like to be, so we are depending on the weather and all the video games!
I had some one-on-one time with Lucas the other day which was really nice. We are trying to have separate times with them each month, to get some space between them. I don't know what it is about when you only have the one of them with you, it feels a lot calmer and easier! Until you are their only entertainment that is.

Finlay has decided to show me how this house is toddler un-friendly. The drawers have been opened and emptied, he's even figured how to get the magic lights to work on the dishwasher.. he stands on his tip toes in his baby walker, decides to rip the paperwork the boys have brought home from school and thinks it's hilarious! For all the luxury it is to have a bigger house, it's a lot harder to contain a roaming 10 month old in a Ferrari!

The weather has finally taken a turn and has got past the 10c mark! Although now it is grey and murky, there is a few thunderstorms on the way - if they are anything like last year the sirens will be going off and we will be cowering in the corner!
The outdoor season for football starts soon, so we can either sit and bathe in the wonderful weather or run to the cars as quickly as possible!
It's been really nice to have a football season inside though, we were very naive when we arrived last year and didn't understand where everyone was playing as the fields don't open until the end of April.

We managed to book our flights home for the summer. Really looking forward to seeing mum and Mick,  aswell as the rest of the family..and friends of course! The hardest part of being over here is not being able to hug your mum when you need it, or even just drop the kids off with them and run off waving! It is constant. There's no let up, i love it but it does get really hard sometimes. I'm especially looking forward to PROPER crisps! I have a feeling all this work I've been doing to lose some weight, will all go to pop in the summer!

Apart from the craziness of three children, life is OK! Dave has a busy month with work, which is good. We have a few months until Rita and Mick come over for a little break, and then we will be back in the UK. Once one thing has ended, another event comes up. It's great to have something to look forward to, but it seems a long time ago we just went with the flow of things!

It's now 8am, I've had my five minutes of freedom. The kids are now here, demanding breakfast. Time to switch into mummy mode!

Much love to everyone
xxx

NO MORE PUKE!!! HOORAH!!!

These last few weeks have been insane! Firstly we had Dave away - leaving me for sunnier skies, whilst i held down the fort. We then ventured to the waterpark and upon our return from there, everyone came down with a sickness bug (or stomach flu as they call it here..)
It feels like an age since i sat and just had five minutes to myself!

The waterpark was really good. It was so busy to begin with, but eventually all the people that just came for the day left, and the boys (including Dave) managed to get on some slides without queuing for too long.
We went with our neighbours which was lovely, it seemed less chaotic with them there and meant we could just leave the boys to it.
Once we returned, the first person to come down with the sickness was Finlay. He had it for a good old five days. It didn't disappear properly until this last Monday though. It was really hard to not panic and trust that we were doing everything right. Ollie came down with it at the end of last week and got over it pretty quick. But i have never been surrounded by so much puke or washing! We are still catching up now, (all clean of course) but it's taunting me to be put away. I figured if i leave it long enough, it will be reused and someone else will do it.. hmm.. maybe not!

So Lucas came home announcing that he has been reading a book at school that he ACTUALLY liked. It concerned me a little and scared me because  it is a series for kids based on real life events. The titles are "I survived.. " now there are a few titles but the one he's reading is "i survived the twin towers" So i asked him to tell me about it, and he described how many people died, and what happened. But he didn't know why it happened. My heart was in my mouth as he was telling me. How do i wake him up to that kind of world? Without scaring him. We have always done our best to protect him, or maybe even hide him.. from the current events in the world, but when he comes in telling us about it. It's a whole new level of parenthood. We did our best to explain, and i didn't want to go into more detail. I asked him to read the book and come to me afterwards.. i'm hoping it will wash over him and he will go onto another book and not think too much about it.. but Lucas is a worrier! Will have to wait and see!

We are FIVE days away from being out here a year!!!!!! It has gone soooooo quickly, and life has been soo busy that i barely feel like i have touched the ground.
Our family have been amazing through it and we are so lucky that we have gotten to see them inbetween. I couldn't be more prouder of the boys, i was so scared about the adjustment.. (mainly for them) but they have proved me wrong. They have taken to it better than i have, that is for sure.

Life is carrying on as normal, now the puke is out the way, we can continue on! The clocks change this weekend so we are really starting to hope for spring.. the snow is still on the ground but the temperatures are starting to warm up.. it may even get above 0c this week!!!!

Anyway, much love.
xxxxxxxxxxxx

walking talking zombie...

For the first time since we have been over here, Dave and i have got a week apart! It is really strange to not have him around, but what's most bizarre is that all of a sudden i've blitzed the house because he's not here!! Not sure why i can't do it as much when he IS here..but hey! At least it's easier to clean up ;)

Finns' routine has now changed, he is sleeping less and eating more.. but the 3am cries are starting to take its toll! I think it's because he's teething, but oh man have i got used to the 6 hours sleep! Now we are barely getting 4 and it's making me feel and look like a zombie!
Talking of zombies.. i went to a salon the other day with my little groupon deal to get my hair done.. and i must have looked like a dead sea monster walking in! This salon was full of beautiful women just casually getting their make up done, and having their hair all fluffed up..i have never felt as out of place as that day! Tons of women paying $75 just to have their make up done.. for a dinner date!!! When he finished on my hair i looked like i was wearing a wig, or at least like one of those women from the film Hairspray! What happened to a good old blow dry and straighten?! I've obviously missed the boat on that one!

It's going a bit insane for valentines day over here, "holiday weekend" and cards for the dog.. we don't do a lot for valentines, a nice dinner and a card will do me fine! I sometimes wish i was a little more demanding.. but he's lucky if i even brush my hair or put make up on!! I'm far too lazy and it's far too much effort!

So this week i've been to a work out class every day and tried a new workout routine! I've never felt so achey in my life! I am determined to be fitter and slimmer, i'm fed up of feeling so crap about myself.. but then i guess i should brush my hair and put make up on?! .hmm need to re-think that one!
But i've started so i shall carry on, i'm actually quite proud of myself as i am sooooo addicted to sugar.. it's my downfall in life.I used to have three sugars in my tea, and would have around four cups a day. Now i've gone down to one tea a day, and half a spoon of sugar! I guess it helps not having the normal biscuits around too, otherwise that would be me done!

We have a few things coming up over the next couple of weeks, which i'm looking forward to. It's still very cold and the snow isn't going anywhere though! I cannot wait for summer! Not just for the weather but we are planning on coming back to England for a short time, so i can get my Full English breakfast fill!! Simple things! :)

Anyway love to all!!
xxx

It's game time!

This time last year i was starting to sort out our house. I distinctly remember as i couldn't sleep so, stayed up to watch part of the super bowl. A year later, the coverage has already began and the everyone is getting hyped up for it. You can certainly understand how everyone gets ready for it, coverage began at 12pm yet kick off isn't until 6!

 The snow is dropping very quickly and they have already called it a snow day for school tomorrow. We are expecting a inch every hour until 9am tomorrow. The snow started at 11am this morning and with it not stopping until tomorrow- it looks beautiful. 

Lucas hosted his first sleepover last night, and today we are all feeling it. I had to go in at 2am as they were still up, and demanded them to go to sleep!! They still got up at 7am this morning though.. He is excited to finally have his birthday. He has constantly reminded us that he is now the only one who hasn't had a birthday out here! We are planning on visiting an indoor water park as a birthday treat so it makes the birthday last longer!

The last few weeks have been manic. We were so lucky and had our glorious family over. Between them they were here for five weeks. Finn took a while to get used to the different faces and having other people in the house, but he got there in the end. 

It took us a while to adjust back to the normal routine too, and we had a few days of feeling quite sad too. But we have made some really good friends over here, so we have been catching up with them aswell as keeping ourselves busy with the kids activities! 

Life in general is still good though, we are coming up to our year anniversary of being out here. It certainly doesn't feel like a year already. I'm certainly hoping for a much quieter year this year. 

The boys are doing well at school and have settled back into it after Christmas. Certainly with the amount of homework they are bringing home, they seem to be doing ok!

I've had a couple of dumb lulu moments recently, certainly nothing new there. I got the timings wrong on a few things and queuing for 40 minutes, then being told i am in the wrong place entirely! Story of my life so far :)

Finn is doing good, he had some injections again so it was the normal 24 hours of restlessness. He has a good weight on him and is starting to try and crawl. Time has gone way to quick with him. He has got two teeth and is still happy. 

Anyway, time to watch some funny adverts and try to understand what the super bowl is all about!

Much love 

xx

It's all white!

The snow has arrived again! Yesterday about 5 inches worth fell on top of the snow that was already there. I woke up thinking the boys would be having another snow day. Thankfully off they went, covered in their snow trousers and snow boots.
They had a snow day last week because the temperatures dropped to -16c. But the windchill took it another ten degrees lower! We have not felt a chill like that ever before and i fear this is only the beginning!
Luckily it isn't as cold today but it's expected to come back with a vengeance tomorrow.

So Christmas and New Year has come and gone. I wasn't feeling very Christmassy at all. It felt strange at first, i'm not very good at change.. go figure.. lol. But after we got everything up from santas grotto (the basement!!Counted our blessings for that helpful area!) It looked and felt a lot better. We went way to far in spoiling them. But considering a year ago we didn't get them too much because of coming over here, we had to warrant a little extra. I never thought i would say this in a month of sundays.. but oh man do i miss the usefulness of the One Pound Shop...(THIS AMERICAN KEYBOARD HAS NO POUND SIGN!!!!!!!!!!!!) Anyhoo.. you cannot get a lot for a $ over here.. see.. that's where the POUND sign normally is..but instead its a $ $ $...grrr"" So ..The countless stocking fillers.. were a lot more than normal. For THE SAME TAT!
Rita was here to help with the craziness, and i think she was quite overwhelmed by the amount the boys had. It took us 8 hours to get through all the presents, with a cooked breakfast and copious amounts of tea.. we did it. I was cooking the dinner in stages so that when it came to 4pm we were ready to go. The only thing we should have done (to add to the tradition) was streamed the Queens' speech.. :)
Boxing day isn't really celebrated over here, so the next day we lounged around in our pyjamas and tried to organise their new stuff.
Over the course of time whilst Rita was here, Dave and i had a couple of date nights. One to see Hunger Games (FINALLY) and the other to get completely wasted with our not so innocent neighbours. We were the most drunk we have ever been in a LONG time! The dirty Mcdonalds at 3am certainly didn't help. But it was so much fun and it was the first time since being out here that we got drunk together with a lovely bunch of friends. Needless to say Dave suffered the next day and i was fine :)
The same day Rita flew out, mum and Mick flew in. It's funny how you get used to only seeing people a few weeks at a time. Mum and i used to see each other at least twice a week, whereas now it is a lot longer inbetween. It's been so nice having family over. Seeing the boys giggling and conversing with each of them, it is so lovely to watch, but it always makes me feel guilty to have taken the boys away from them. Now they are stuck with us boring lot and don't get me wrong, they are completely spoilt, it's just they can't see why.
No sooner had the boys gone back to school, Ollie came home sick the second day in! He came down with another tummy bug. Thankfully it only lasted 12 hours and he was right as rain the next day. Crossing fingers and toes that we aren't hit too hard this winter!

The boys have been wonderful. It has been amazing to see the transformation of Finlay in the last few months, i'm struggling to keep up with the demands for home made baby food! Time to introduce the steaks i think :) Lucas and Ollie are their usual selves, all about the video games, football and playing with the neighbours.

So aside from the dirty Martinis', family flying in, Christmas, New Year and sickness.. it's been a quiet month..?!
In less than a month Lucas will be having his first American birthday and yes he has been reminding us constantly that he is the only one who hasn't had his birthday out here! We will then be closer to living out here for 12 months come March.
It has been a really challenging year, lots of tears, frustrations and arguments. But lots of laughs, giggles and new friends made. I am really hoping that this year will be less dramatic and more relaxing. But with 4 kids (including Dave) i know my feet won't sit still and i'll be nailing my 10,000 steps on my step tracker!

So now, Lucas and Ollie have convinced me to join some game called Clash of clans.. apparently i'm late to the program on that one.. and they are going to teach me how to play it.. even mum is playing it.. so i've definitely lost cool mum points!!!

Anyhoo Finlay beckons and i need to eat more Wotsits and monster munch before the boys get back from school.

Thankyou to everyone that sent things for Christmas. I haven't yet figured the postal system, but once i do you'll be hearing from me :)

Much love to you all

xxxxxx