Wow, it has been a while huh??

So, as you can guess, life has been a little busy. I know it has been a while since I have posted.

I will try to get everything caught up eventually I promise.

For now, I am off to bed to read a book. If it tells you how crazy life has been, I have a book on my night stand that is still open to page 174. Now, this book only has 250 pages. I used to stay up and read that in a night. It has taken me two weeks to get to 174. I REALLY need to finish it. I can't stand reading a book this long:0)

Lots to be thankful for, but lots of prayer requests too....

Where to start.... Sorry I haven't posted in a while. As most of you have been, it has been really crazy here. About a week and a half ago, Gareth had to have an area of skin removed on his back.

The first biopsy came back with "yucky cells". We went to the Dr. and I explained that he would prob. have a few stitches, but he would be fine. (like I know) They numbed his back, OK, 20 pricks with a needle, then took enough skin that he has 10 stitches. I couldn't believe it. I did get to watch the whole thing. REALLY NEAT! If you are squeamish, I wouldn't recommend it:0)

Anyway, his results came back yesterday, and they feel that they got all of the pre-cancerous cells, and they had not turned in to cancer yet! PRAISE GOD!! He will get his stitches out on Monday and then in a month or two, be re-checked all over again. HUGE PRAISE!!!

Liam was at the Dr. this past Monday. He is still having stomach/bowel issues. They have tested his blood for a few different things. He now has an appointment with a specialist at Children's. If this blood work comes back ok, I am not sure what will happen next. He was tested for lost when he came home, then tested again a few months later. Then, it was off to the allergist, and still no results. Please pray that God will open some doors in this department. We really need some answers!!

Alex had her first day of school Monday. She has had a great week!! Thank you Lord for wonderful teachers. Her teacher this year seems so nice and Alex loves her already.

On a final note, my friend Patty's dad died this past week. He had had surgery to remove part of his lung of cancer. He came out of the surgery ok, but then had some complications a few days later and went home to be with the Lord on Monday night. The funeral today was encouraging as he was a man who Loved and Lived for God. Please keep Patty, Dave and their kids as well as Patty's mom and family in your prayers.

Off for a night of dinner and a movie with my hubby now that the kids are asleep. I just love Saturday date nights at home. I just hope I can stay awake tonight:0)

GREAT NEWS!!!!

I know I haven't posted in a few days, and for that, I'm sorry. We are getting back in to the swing of things. I am pretty busy with PTA stuff, and Gareth is working a lot of hours!!

So the big news for today........

The boys received their US Citizenship!!!! WHOOHOO!!!!!

Praise God!! He is good!!

It took a while, (over a year) but it finally happened!!!!

First day home!!

The kids were all up in the night last night, but slept later than I thought they would. We ended up getting out of the house by 8 and heading to Chick-fil-a. From there we went to my parents to pick Charlie up. He was ever so excited to see us!! It was so much fun to watch the kids with him!

While I was away, my husband bought a new car. Yup, you read that right. He was having issues with his truck and never really got over the bad deal he got on it at purchase. Anyway, he is a wheeler and dealer, so he ended up trading his truck in for another Nissan. I don't mind as the payments are lower, and he got a GREAT DEAL, but it was quite a surprise. The other surprise is that it is a manual. I have no idea how to drive a manual. He knew this when he bought it, but since it cut a couple thousand off the price, he figured he could teach me. So.....this morning he took me out while the kids bonded with grandma. Believe it or not, it only took an hour and I was driving on the roads. It is actually a lot of fun. This evening we even went out with the kids in the car. I was def. nervous to do that, but Gareth said he was confident I could do it:0) Alex did laugh quite a bit when I stalled on a hill, but other than that, it was pretty uneventful!! Gareth was a very patient teacher. He will def. be teaching the kids how to drive when that time comes.

We did get 90% unpacked and then went to my parents house for the evening. It was good to see dad after 6 weeks, and mom had some women over for a jewelry party. Always nice!!

At the moment, everyone is asleep but me. (and charlie) Off to read a book and try to wind down. You would think I would be exhausted. Maybe it will hit tomorrow.

Home sweet home....with a little drama attached!!

There is always drama with the Jenkins travelers, right?? We stayed at my sister-n-law's for a few reasons Tuesday. One, my father-n-law was having surgery on his knee, so we were out of the way, and 2, we could take the tube from Sarah's straight to Heathrow airport. No changing from the train to the tube and then changing lines on the tube again with 3 kids and 5 suitcases. Once we got on the line at Sarah's it was an hour straight shot.

Is anything ever that easy with us???

We pull up to the tube station, everyone hops out. Thanks to Steve (Andy's brother) who came over to help out with his car. We head in, only to be told that the station and trains have closed. There was a robbery and they were chasing the criminals down the train line. YUP! nice. They then proceeded to tell us which station to go to next. We piled everyone in the car to drive to that station about 15 minutes away. Wouldn't you know it....."we have now closed this station".... Ok, one more try to another station. We get there....."a train has broken down. No activity at this station". You have got to be kidding me. It was then that Sarah and Steve offered to just drive us. Over here, that isn't a big deal, but the traffic over there is just awful to the airport most times. Thank you Lord for clearing our way. After over an hour of trying to get on the tube, we had clear sailing to the airport. Thank you also Sarah and Steven for taking an afternoon out to run us around.

The journey continues.......

We get to the airport, still in time. We go to do our computer check in only for the computer to tell us that they can't check us in, we need to see an attendant. Great!! We head over and hand the gentleman the print out that we were printed. He picks up a phone and makes a call to then tell us that the flight is overbooked. (Ok, not really our problem) He will see what he can do. Are you ready for this???? We ended up getting upgraded!! WHOO HOO!!! All 5 of us in the bulk head seating of World Traveler. (not first class where some sit backwards. I wouldn't feel right doing that with kids anyway. It was the one between first class and economy) What a difference it made for us!!! Although no one slept, I have never been more comfortable on a flight! Leg room, air hostesses that don't leave you alone. It is going to be hard going back to economy after that:0) We did hit quite a bit of yucky weather, so the flight took almost 9 hours, but we landed safe and sound!! Thanks to mom who picked us up at the airport. Liam did the same thing to her that he did to Gareth. Kinda gave her the cold shoulder, but I am sure that today, he will warm up:0) All of the kids fell asleep on the way home. Considering it was 3 in the morning according to their body clocks, I can't believe they lasted that long.

We are all up now, bright and early. We are headed to Chick-fil-a for breakfast and then over to get Charlie!! We have all missed that little dog!! All in all, great trip!!! We had a great time!! Now, unpacking and back to reality:0)

Terrific Tuesday!

Today was just gorgeous!!! This morning I packed and then we met our friend Nikki and her little boy Callum at the park. I ended up getting quite a bit of sun. It was supposed to be chilly and rainy....typical British weather, it was hot and sunny. Sarah (g's sister) and Andy(her husband) came to get us this afternoon. We are spending the night here for easier traveling tomorrow. Also, Joe had surgery on his knee today, so he was able to come home to a quiet house:0) Anyway, we came over here, the kids played really well before going off to bed, and then Sarah and I went out with about 8 of her friends. We had such a nice time. Tomorrow, we are on our way home. We will head out about noon our time. We arrive home about 8 est. I am not looking forward to the flight, but it comes with it huh??

We have had such a wonderful summer!!! i am so happy that we decided to bring the kids. i think that they have all enjoyed their time here and really gotten to know their relatives and their father's culture. On a side note, fashion. It tends to be that whatever happens here, happens at home about 6 months to a year later. Fluorescent colors...coming back in. Yup, all I have seen is a lot of bright orange, pink and green. I couldn't bring myself to buy Alex any, but I am sure she will want it soon. Also, saw lots of men in Capri's. Not saying any more on that, just stating the facts.

Please keep us in your prayers tomorrow as we travel. I would appreciate it!!!

Monday!

Sorry that I am just doing Monday's post. It has been a little crazy:0) Monday......Gareth and Alex took a trip with Joe down to Bex Hill to see nanny Russell. They were gone most of the day. The boys stayed home with Nanny. They both still have head colds. I spent the morning finishing our Christmas shopping and wrapping presents for family over here. Yes, I know i am crazy, but I am usually done by this time of year. By being over here and delivering them already, we have saved on a bunch of postage. I also had more options on what I could buy people. Normally it has to be smaller b/c of having to mail it. Not this year. At the end of the day, I was tired, but really enjoyed myself. Last night, Gareth and I went out for a bite to eat after the kids were asleep. It was really nice!!! I will post a bit later about the rest of today!I can't believe that we are down to 1 day left!!

Sunny Sunday to go with the Sunny Saturday!!

We ended up skipping church this morning. Liam was up in the night. He and Callum both now have pretty bad coughs. I can't tell if they are colds or allergies.
The weather was gorgeous today!! Not a single drop of rain! Beautiful, 70 and no humidity!!
We had a wonderful Sunday roast, and then G took the kids to a train museum with his dad. This evening, G's Uncle Dave and Auntie Gill, invited us over. We took the kids to the park, and then just had a nice visit. The kids are just off to sleep. I am going to wind down and then try and sleep myself. G, and mum and Joe are already out, so I am having a little quiet time. Tomorrow is going to be a pretty busy day!!

Sunny Saturday!!

It didn't rain at all!!! Mum and I went to a craft fair while G took the kids down to his dad's allotment. They dug in the mud and had a great time!! This afternoon, G, Joe, Alex and Callum went to Welling United, the local soccer team's game. Mum and I hung out with Liam. We fed the kids dinner, got them a bath and then watch ~total wipeout~. An absolutely funny show where people try and complete obstacles. I wish we had it in the U.S. after putting the kids to bed, we treated to an Indian take away! YUM!!! Nice adult night. We chatted and just hung out. It was really nice!! I can't believe that our summer is almost over. My sister and her kiddos go back to school Monday. The time has just flown!! I am excited to go home, but getting a little sad that we have to leave too:0)

not a nice title:0)

I had a title prepared that i am not going to use!! We took the kids out for a "night out" at the london zoo. They only do this once a year, so we thought that it should be a nice night and good treat!! The zoo costs money over here, so we figured that we would pay to go to this rather than a normal day at the zoo. It was from 6:30-10, so even though we knew it would be a late night, we figured the kids would enjoy it! We arrived after an hour and a half train, tube and bus journey. We stood in a line that we were told to get in to. G asked 3 times if we should go on through b/c we already had tickets. no, no, stand here we were told. 20 minutes later, and a bit fed up, G walks all the way to the front to then be told, if you have a ticket, come on thru. Could the evening have started out worse?? They were supposed to have feeding times and talks through out the zoo. We would get to an area 5-10 minutes ahead, and no one would be able to tell us where the feedings were happening. after this happened a few times, we finally said, fine lets just go look at the animals. It was 8:15, and we walk up to the giraffe's, only to be told they are now going to bed. Same thing happened with the reptiles, and the penguins. Needless to say, we got home after midnight, we tired and disappointed kids. At least we had some family time and if this was the only bad day we have had this whole trip, we really can't complain too much:0)

Torrential rain Thursday!!

Did i spell that right??? Can't really think tonight, but I wanted to post before the day ended.

We went in to central London today and spent the day with G's sister and the kids cousin's. We started out at some museum's. Fun, but b/c it is the school holiday over here now, they were packed!!! We then went over to the south bank, and the kids played on the play ground, and we watched some street performers. We treated to ice cream, and then decided to head to the Princess Diana memorial. By the time we took the underground there, it was pouring! I don't mean just raining, I mean pouring!!! We waited it out, and then decided to catch a bus to Oxford St. We were meeting G's dad for dinner and that is where his office is. We had a nice meal, the kids behaved, and this was the first time that G's dad had all 5 of his grandchildren together at one time. As we were leaving the restaurant, it was 7:30, and we had been out since 9:30am, again.......rain. Torrential rain!! We waited it out a little, then just had to go for it. WE GOT SOAKED!!! We took the tube to the train station, and after an hour journey, we walked home to get SOAKED again!!! The kids had fun and it was fun to watch them, but it was after 9 by the time we walked in the door. That meant hot baths and settling down for everyone. They are just getting off to sleep at 10:30, so we will see what kind of a night we have.

I know I am rambling on a bit. I am still a bit under the weather, but trying to push through. I am going to take a little break tomorrow while G goes out with the kids in the morning. Maybe that will be enough to get me back on my feet 100%. Right now, I feel like I could sleep for days!!! On a side note, I am sorry that I haven't been posting on anyone's blog's. I am trying to keep up, but this computer seems to freeze everytime I try and post on blogger!!

Beautiful day in Brussels!

Well, even though I didn't sleep last night, (up coughing all night) we headed out this morning at 6 to catch the train to Brussels. I was not about to let a cough and head cold stop us!

It took about an hour and 45 minutes to get there by train. (the euro star) We had a wonderful day! The weather was beautiful, although a bit hot compared to English weather these days. We really had no idea what to expect. We did have a travel guide, but of course, we didn't pull it out until we got on the train:0) I will post pics when I get home. I will say that my favorite parts were the National Cathedral, but in the 12th century and the Royal Palace. I was very surprised at how spread out the tourist things are. We walked a lot, but wouldn't have seen everything we did without getting a tour bus. I am gonna get off to bed now, but once I have pics, I will tell you more about our day.

I will say that I am thankful to my husband for his wonderful sense of direction and the fact that he can speak french. I was totally reliant on him today and I appreciate everything he did to make today go smooth!!! Thanks also to my in-laws who watched the kids today so that G and I could have a day out. I know it was exhausting, and we really appreciate it!! It is after 11, so I am off.

Melissa, let Anna know that Alex misses her as well! She has asked a few times if she could call, but with the time difference, it gets a bit difficult. Every time we are home to do it, you guys would still be in bed asleep:0)

Misery!!

Dont' feel well at all! Horrible head a chest cold. Didn't end up doing much today. Tomorrow is off to Brussels. Hoping that I am feeling better then. Will fill you in.......

Mudchute!

I am trying to come up with more clever titles for my daily blogs. Today, we went to Mudchute farm. The kids had a great time! Alex fed horses by hand and loved it. Eventually Callum did it as well. Liam finally walked up did pet them, a little, but it was bit to overwhelming for him:0) It was amazing how friendly they were. They were in the fields and would just come up and see you. They were beautiful. From there we went to St. Paul's Cathedral. We walked to Covent garden again to see some street performers, and then had a ice cream break before heading home.

Once we were back in SE London, we headed to dinner with some friends. What a lovely time we had. Nicki, and Rich, Gareth's friends from school, and when they were 8 came to dinner. Nicki's little boy Callum who is 6 months older than Alex came as well. It was so nice to see them together. They get on so well, and were great at dinner. Yes, Nicki's Callum is where we got our Callum's name. So tonight, it was big Callum and little Callum. After dinner, we had a trip to the park to let the kids let off some steam. We must have walked about 5-6 miles again today. It is 10pm and the kids have finally wound down and gone to bed. My head is pounding at the moment, so if this doesn't make sense, sorry. I am off to try and sleep it off!!

August 2!! Happy Birthday Callum!!!

Today was Callum's 5th birthday!! How amazing that he is 5!!! Gareth flew in this morning, and I maneuvered London enough to go meet him at the airport. His flight landed 30 min. early, so I ended up getting there just in time. When we got home, the kids were thrilled. Well, all but Liam. It took about 2 hours before he would go up to daddy and the rest of the day he was still a little reserved. Kind of surprised me, but he was really tired as well. By tomorrow, he will be himself again:0)

My sister-n-law came over and brought Ben and Tom along for the party. We had a pirate theme, with green cupcakes, I know, you are thinking...yum!! Anyway, I was able to find balloons with Callums name on them. I was also able to find candles that spelled his name. We had green jello shaped like a bunny, played pass the parcel, and pin the tail on the donkey. All in all Callum said, "I am 5 and I had a great day". I am so glad that we have him to celebrate over. He is such an amazing little boy and has really come so far. His smile just lights the room and he can be such a character. I can not wait to see what the years hold for him and what God has in store. Callum, we are so proud of you. We love you and we are so thankful that you are our son!!!

Happy birthday to my friend Reba too. Sorry I didn't get a chance to post on facebook until now. Wait, although I am getting ready for bed, it is only 2 or 3 o'clock there, so maybe i am still ok:0)

Happy Anniversary to D and D too! Hope you had a great day!!!

August 1!!

Today was a pretty laid back day. It started with the sun shinning, and it look to be beautiful out. I did some laundry and put it out to dry. We then cleaned the house and organized everything to make room for Gareth.
I then decided that the kids needed a treat, and since my in-laws won't be back until late tonight, I told them that we were going to head up to the shops and get lunch out! I was a little too tired to walk all the way today, so we attempted to catch a bus. We usually walk, so we had never caught a bus from this spot, but I figured we could try. We waited for about 5-7 minutes and then told the kids that if we wanted lunch anytime today, we should just go ahead and walk. So, off we went. A few minutes later, I hear Liam, who is very independent these days and wants to "walk by himself" everywhere, say "mommy bus". "our bus". Now i really didn't think too much of it, but I turned around and sure enough, it was our bus. He puts his hand out like he was going to stop it and I just laughed. Sure enough, the driver pulled over and after a little running, we were able to catch our bus and save some walking. The driver said, "it was too cute, I couldn't not stop". It was so funny!!
d
Anyway, we headed to the shops, ate at a most popular place for the kids, but that i can't stand, and then we walked around. I had a few last minute things to get for a little boy's 5th birthday tomorrow, so it worked out really well!

So, I have fed the kids, bathed the kids, done 2 more loads of laundry and trying to find somewhere for them to dry as it is now raining out, then we are all off to bed. Gareth catches his flight over in a few hours. I am sooooo excited. I have butterflies in my stomach. I am headed out by myself in the morning to meet him. Please pray that he has a safe flight, and that I can navigate the trains and tube by myself tomorrow. Sorry if I seem to be rambling tonight, but the kiddos are a bit wild at the moment. Off to calm them down:0)

On a side note, today would have been my grandmother's 97th birthday! Grandma, you are still in our hearts and thoughts!!!

London Dome Day!!

Today, I took the kids off to the London Dome. my in-laws are gone for 2 days, so it was just us. We ended up taking the bus to Greenwich. Usually the kids enjoy the bus. Today, we were to take the same bus from up the road, straight to the Dome. about 3 stops away, the bus stopped and said b/c of road work, it couldn't go any further. Great!! The driver told us to go around the corner and try to catch another bus. Luckily, there was another couple going to the same place, and after 15 minutes, we were able to find a bus that took us where we needed to go. What an adventure.

We ended up having a nice lunch in the Dome and then i took the kids to see G-force the movie. It was cute, and the kids were really good. I am really tired, and really looking forward to seeing my hubby in two days time!!

Please be in prayer for his trip. He flies out tomorrow night and will be here Sunday morning!!! I can't wait!!!!

July 30th, my b-day!

Today was my b-day. It started out great with my youngest getting up at 7:45. Everyone else slept in a little later. Couldn't have asked for a nicer start to the morning. (considering I didn't get to sleep until after 2, it was a double treat)

My husband, sweet man that he is, got up at 4am his time just to call and wish me a happy birthday as my day was getting started. I got treated to cards from my kiddos and in-laws, and a beautiful cake that Alex helped make. I treated myself to a pedicure this afternoon, and also got flowers from my wonderful husband!! This evening, Alex and I went to a play outside one of the Tudor houses locally. It was 12th night by a Shakespearean company. It was good and Alex did so well paying attention. The temp. did drop and we got quite cold, but it was worth it!

I was able to talk to my mom, missed a call from my sister, and got various emails wishing me a happy birthday. Today, I did wake up a bit home sick, but all of the caring communications really helped, so thank you!! Another year older, and I thank the Lord for it!!!

Day 23!

Today, Alex and I got to go to Danson house. It was built in 1766, and for the past 12 years, I have gotten to see it from the outside. You see, this house is on the property that the park is on that I take the kids to. It is also one of the first places that Gareth and I walked when we were first dating and he brought me here. They have been restoring it, and it is now it is finally open to the public.

I was so excited, as I have researched it and could have told you tons about it before even going in. We got an individual tour, yeah me with the zeal and American accent. Alex was thrilled to see the servants steps, and secret hallways that the servants would have used.

We ended up having lunch at the "stables" restaurant. Yes, that used to be the stables for the house that is now been converted in to a restaurant. All in all, Alex and I had a good afternoon out!!

This evening was a bit rough. As we were playing out back, the boys collided and Liam got a huge bump on his head. OUCH! The kids were a bit difficult to get to bed as well, so I am a bit wound up and moody this evening. Not too bad if this is the first time this month that this has happened I guess. I will survive:0) I am off to read a book and try and get some shut eye!!

Tomorrow is still up in the air, I just hope that the rain stays away!!! It has been so cold and rainy here. That may have something to do with my mood today too;0)

Day 22!

My day didn't start until 7 today! whoo hoo!!! I couldn't believe when I heard Liam and looked at the clock. I got 6 straight hours of sleep. It was wonderful!! Great way to start the day!!

Today we headed to Greenwich. We went to the Observatory. That is where the Prime Meridian is. I had the kids stand in both hemisphere's and got there picture. (sort of a tradition). We had a nice picnic lunch outside the Maritime Museum and we walked through the "Queen's House".
We then walked through the town. Funny enough, walked past Graham Webb, where Gareth did his training, and saw one the man that transferred G to the US. Funny as he only stops by that location a few times a year. We treated ourselves to ice cream, brought the train back and had a lovely evening playing in the back garden. Alex and nanny finished Charlie's sweater. It is very cute. I think they are going to start a new project tomorrow. I am very proud of Alex. She really put her mind to it and off she went.

The kids were exhausted and after a bath and 2 books, fell straight asleep. I was able to talk to my mom tonight for the first time in a month. I also just got off the computer with Gareth. He is doing well and I can't wait to see him this weekend!!! I am off to read and settle down for the night. Not sure what we are doing tomorrow yet, but I am sure it will be filled with adventure!!!

Day 21!

Today started out with showers. We had plans, but canceled them because of the weather. Instead, we just hung out this morning. I got to talk to Gareth and we made some plans for while he is over. After lunch, we headed up to the shops. I was on a mission for Callum's little birthday party that we are having for him over here. His birthday is Sunday and he has requested a spider man theme. That has seemed impossible. After looking at every shop that I could walk to, I finally convinced him to have a pirate theme. He was fine with that, so I am happy. I did find balloons with his name on it, and candles too. You wouldn't find that at home, but his name is pretty popular over here at the moment, so that was exciting!!

We had a nice dinner and then a badminton (have no idea if that is how you spell it) tournament in the back garden. Needless to say, I am not as athletic as I used to be, and I didn't win, but we all had a great time. Alex and nanny have just about finished Charlie's sweater that they have been knitting. I think that the final touches will happen tomorrow. I am going to attempt to get off to bed soon. Alex and Callum have both snuck in to my bed and are sound asleep, so I am not sure where I am sleeping now:0) I guess I am off to figure it out!

Day 20!

Each day seems to be starting earlier and earlier. Liam was up at 5:15 this morning. There was no getting him back to sleep after that. We ended up going to church this morning. To be honest, I could have skipped being as tired as I was, but Alex was insistent that we go. I love that!! It was a nice service and at the end, Alex and one of her new little friends presented a banner that they decorated during children's church. Funny story..... I got called out during the sermon to change Liam. Callum came along and while I was in the middle of changing his "nappy", I hear a buzzing sound. I turn around to ask Callum what he has done. Of course, I get the cute, "what did I do?" smile. Turns out that he pulled the help rope for emergencies, in case you have fallen or something. Oh my, how embarrassing. Luckily, no police or ambulance showed up and I was able to reset it before it became too big of a deal, but still......

We spent the afternoon playing in the back yard, had a wonderful Sunday roast for lunch, and then I got to go out!! I headed in to London with some women from the church. We went to a Sunday night service at a church down town. It was great!! I really enjoyed the sermon and the music!! The church was a Church of England church and very much international. It was so wonderful to sit and worship around other believers from all over the globe!! I had a great time and the kids were very well behaved for my in-laws. Thanks mum and Joe for looking after the kids!!

Day 19!

Liam was the first up today. He then woke Tom up, but they played really well together and let the other kids sleep in.

Sarah and I took the kids to the movies. We say Ice Age 3, Dawn of the dinosaurs. The kids were great, the movie was cute, and we got sweet popcorn. It's like kettle corn. you have a choice here between salt and sweet. it was sooooo good!!! We got home and then ran them to the park. It was gorgeous this afternoon. We came home for a bar-b-que which was delicious.

We are getting ready to head out the door and back to my in-laws. We have had a great visit at my sister-n-law's and the kids had a wonderful time. I am so glad that we were able to come here. We will see them again in a week, but I think staying here really helped the kids to get to know each other.

The plan is to have the kids fall asleep on the way home. We will pass Olympic park which is really neat!! It really is massive. Off we go!! Hopefully we will make good time home and get enough rest that we can make it to church in the morning.

mom and dad, glad you made it home safely and had a good time!! Shelly, Chris and kids, it was great to skype with you!!!

Day 18!

Today once again started early. Liam and Tom were both up at 6:15. YUCK! We tried to entertain the kids inside all morning because every time we tried to go somewhere, it started to pour down with rain. We would no sooner get every one's shoes on, open the door, and there it was again....rain. Finally, after letting them swim in the little paddling pool while the rain was coming down, playing play dough, painting and playing with cars and trains, we just decided to go for it!

We headed out to the train station to go one stop up. We wanted to take the kids to a row of pet stores so that they could see all the animals. We made it about half way to the train and then wouldn't you know it.....a black cloud appears out of no where and we got drenched!!!! It was fun all the while though and the kids had fun. I will say that life would be a little easier over here if i could drive. Oh well, maybe next time!

Tonight, we went to a farm that was having an "open house". It was brilliant!! It had an indoor soft play with massive slides, which were loads of fun, horse races, sheep races, and the kids all got to hold a guinea pig. On the way out they each got a balloon and stuffed pony. Tonight made up for the lousy day!!

On a side note, my kids are all now saying, buggy for stroller, nappy for diaper, boot for trunk, and biscuit for cookie. I am sure there are more, but that is what i can remember at this point in time. It is amazing how quickly they just adapt to a new culture. I knew this and recognized it from bringing the boys home, but even today, my sister n law Sarah asked Liam if he wanted water. Liam repeated he did and said "water" with a British accent. too cute!! off to bed now. I am praying that i get to sleep in a bit later in the morning, but i doubt it:0)

Day 17!

We had another great day today. We are hanging out with my sister-n-law and her husband. The kids are enjoying hanging out with their cousins. i was a bit worried about the different sleeping arrangements last night and being in a different house, but they all did great!

The kids slept in today until 8. That was a first since we have been here. We headed in to the town, (we are in the north of London now) and took the kids to the big park here. It was beautiful when we left the house. The sun was shining and I was a little warm. The walk took us about a half an hour. As we were walking, we saw a grey cloud in the distance. We no sooner got to the play ground, before the sky opened. We ended up having a picnic under one of the play stations, and as quickly as the storm came, it was gone. It did cool off a bit though. I am amazed with this country's weather. One minute you are hot, the next freezing.

We spent 3 hours at the park, walked around the shops and then headed back home. Alex then tagged along to Ben's last swimming lesson. I hung out at the house with Tom, Callum and Liam. The kids were exhausted and went to bed great for us. Sarah and I then snuck out, thanks to Andy who stayed home. We went to IKEA. It is the first time that I have ever been there and not bought anything. We had a great time walking around though. This is only the second time (the first being when my in-law took the kids to the park for an hour the other day) I have been away from my kiddos since we have been here. It was a much needed break.

Not sure what we are going to do tomorrow. It all depends on the weather. it is supposed to rain, but hopefully, it will miss us!!!

Day 16!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALEX!!!

Today was a wonderful day!! Alex woke up early as she was so excited that she is now 8!!!!
We spent the morning relaxing. She received a few cards in the post and enjoyed opening them.
After lunch, we headed over to my sister and brother-n-law's house, Sarah and Andy. We were so excited to get to their house before the kids cousin Ben got out of school. We were able to surprise him!!!

This afternoon, Sarah was so wonderful and threw Alex a birthday party!! We had pizza, sandwiches, lots of yummy snacks and a great cake. We played games, and then the kids played outside. Liam and Tom hung around the sand box while the others played soccer. What a wonderful day. Thank you Sarah for being such a great Aunt to my children. Alex was a little bummed that she didn't get to talk to her aunt Shelly and cousins, but have worked that out for tomorrow. My parents are out of town, so even with the time difference, we couldn't call them, but she ended up getting a card from them so she was thrilled about that. She did get to talk to her daddy on the computer, so she was very happy about that. As for my in-laws, they still don't have power. What a challenge it has been, but hopefully by tomorrow, everything will be back to normal.

I can't believe that Alex is 8!! Where has the time gone? She is such an amazing girl! She is strong willed and knows her own mind. She is so bright, and smart and boy does she like basketball. She loves the Lord and never hesitates to share that with anyone. she is amazing. I can not wait to see what the Lord has in store for her in the upcoming years!! Happy birthday Alex!! We love you!!!!

Day 15!

Still without power other than a few hours a day. They (the power company) has a rotation going. At the moment, we will have power for another hour, and then not again until morning. We are getting it every 6-7 hours for an hour to 2 before it goes off again. Last night, i read a whole book by candle light.

Today, we had a visit from Gareth's uncle Dave and Auntie Gill. This afternoon, we popped over to visit with Nanny Jenkins, the kids other great-grandmother. We have built a fort in the front room, and the kids did some school work. Good things do happen when you don't have power:0) I am about to bathe them and get them ready for bed before the power goes back out.

Tomorrow the kids and I are heading to my sister-n-laws house for a few days. I am looking forward to the cousins getting to spend time together!!!

I will try and catch up on every one's blogs while I am over there. I am a bit behind, especially now that we haven't had power. Missing you all and will write again soon!!!

Day 14!

I am actually posting this on day 15. We have been without power for 18 hours now. A power generator underground caught fire yesterday and most of SE London is affected. It is back on for an hour or two and then will go back off. I guess they are trying to give people power in shifts. Once it goes out again, we aren't sure how long it will be off again. They are saying it could be another 36 hours.

Yesterday, we were going to go to the zoo, and then decided against it. (so gareth, we will want to go on the 7th. just wanted to let you know:0) ) We then thought to go on the train to a palace park in London, and decided to stay local. Thank the Lord we did. By 1:00, the power was gone and people had a very hard time getting home from London the rest of the day! We hung out, played outside, made a fort, made a band with pots and pans, and last night, we played cards by candle light. It has been an experience to say the least:0) I pray that not all of the food in the fridge goes bad.

We are heading out to my sister-n-laws tomorrow. I hope that the power is back on by then, but it has proven to us that we can survive without it. The worst part was not being able to call Gareth and let him know what was going on.

Day 13!

Nothing too exciting going on today! All of the kids slept through the night, but Liam is like an alarm clock. The keeps getting up at 6:45. I won't complain though. I am getting 6 hours of straight sleep.

This morning we headed out to church. there was children's church for the kids, but they aren't pulled out until half way through the service. The kids did better this week before heading off to their class. The service was really nice. We walked home with a neighbor Jill, who grew up with gareth. She ended up taking Alex for a little while this afternoon. I took the boys up to the shops to by a few things for Alex b-day on Wed. Her taking Alex really helped. They made some cup cakes.

The rest of the afternoon, we spent playing in the yard and praying that the rain would hold off until my clothes hanging on the line were dry.

We had a wonderful Sunday roast, (with Alex's cupcakes for desert) and now we are getting ready to head off to bed. Lovely relaxing Sunday!! I am missing home a bit today. Not that I don't every day, but today it just seems more than usual. I am sure by tomorrow, we will be busy as ever, and I will be better:0) I hope you are all well and will speak to you soon!!

Day 12!

Great night last night!! Everyone slept through the night and I got a full 6 hours of sleep!! yeah!!!!

Today, we headed up to London. Mum and Joe had a prior commitment, so the kids and I met up with the kids Auntie Esther, and uncle Dominic. We met in London, so I got us to the train, on the right train and to the center of London on time without getting lost. (kinda proud of myself)

Once we met up with D and E, we headed over to the Natural History museum. We had a blast. It was packed, but fun. Unfort. Liam fell asleep on the walk there, so he missed most of the dinosaur exhibit, but Alex and Callum loved it. We had a wonderful picnic lunch outside in the beautiful weather, and then walked to the South Bank. That is across from Big Ben and where the London Eye is. We ate ice cream, and just let the kids run and play. There are also street performers there. I wish I could post pics b/c Alex and Callum both ended up performing with one man, and boy did they draw a crowd. He was doing the robot to some funky music, and Alex was in her element. He pointed for her to join him, so of course she did. He gave her a pair of sunglasses, and away she went. When she was done, Callum just had to have a go. They both received big applause! I bet that they tripled the guy's audience! It was great. Maybe I should have asked for a cut?? (just kidding)

It was such a lovely day!! Thanks Uncle Dom (as Callum says) and Auntie Esther for joining us today. We had so much fun!!!

Day 11!

Today we took a trip to Bex-Hill-on-sea to visit with the children's great-grandmother. It was an interesting day. We debated going the whole morning b/c the forecast kept saying torrential rain. By 9, we figured we should just go for it!!

The journey down was great! We visited in her flat for a while and then went walking around the town. We had lunch and then I took the kids to walk on the beach. Here, the beach doesn't really have sand, it has rocks. The red flags were up saying it was too dangerous to be out. We were the only ones walking around, the wind was blowing very hard, but the kids had a blast. They collected a whole bag of rocks and a few sea shells. We then walked the town again and back to nanny R's house. The funny thing is, it barely rained at all. It was def. windy, but we had a great day!!!

It took over 2 hours to travel back, and most of it was the last 27 miles. Gotta love that London traffic.

Day 10!

Today started out a bit rough. Liam waking up at 5:30, then Alex waking up at 6:30. She then decided that her brother, the one still asleep, would like to hear a book, so she went and woke him up! Now, I am not a morning person, but I am just learning to roll with it.

It did turn in to a lovely day. We had great weather. We ended up taking a boat from Greenwich to tower bridge. We had a picnic lunch at tower bridge outside the tower of London. We then walked around and took in the sites. We ended the afternoon with an ice cream. It was great!! The kids loved the boat and the day couldn't have been better.

Tomorrow, it is supposed to rain all day. We have some things planned, so hopefully it won't!!

Day 9!

A little bit of a rough day! Started at 5:30 with Liam waking up and not wanting to settle back down. The kids seemed really ratty today. We were going to go to the zoo, but a little in to the morning, I stopped that idea. We ended up hanging out at home, and doing laundry. Alex helped me to hang all of the clothes on the line in the bright sun shine, and then 20 minutes later it started to rain and we had to rush to take it back down. (quite an experience) After lunch, i walked them to the shops. After dinner, we played soccer in the garden and then to give mum and joe a break, I took them for a walk to find a new park. We never did find the park, but I sure did wear them out:0)

We did get to speak to my parents today. They are leaving on a cruise Thursday, so please be in prayer for their safety and my dad's health. We got to talk to daddy on the computer today, so maybe that will help with the behavior we had today. Can't really complain since this was the first bad day, but it was draining. Will pray for a better day tomorrow!!!

Day 8 and Happy Gottcha Day LIAM!!!!

Yup, a year ago today, we got Liam!! I can't decide whether it has been a quick year or not.

Today started out with us just hanging out. Nanny and grandad took the kids up to the candy shop and they got rained on coming back. Grandad bought a pin ball game at the shop up the road, so while they all played that, nanny and I made a cake. We had a nice sit down lunch, the kids gave Liam a card, and then we had cake to celebrate this special day! We then took them on a double decker bus and head out to Blue Water. (the big mall) We walked part of the mall, got a bite to eat, let the kids play and then headed back home on another double decker. The kids have had their bath and are winding down for bed.

On to Liam.....

A year ago today, I was able to hold my little boy for the first time!! It was truly amazing. By day 2, he was calling me mama and wouldn't let me put him down. He is an amazing little boy. He is sweet and smart. He is an observer. He likes to watch things and then it usually only takes him one try to do it. He has really become a little boy lately and moved out of the toddler stage. He is now talking in sentences all of the sudden. Guess he has to to get a word in with the rest of us:0) I love to hear what he has to say. Like just now, they are watching a show, winding down. They are supposed to be sitting quietly. He came in a whispered, "where is nanny?" and I told him she was out. He then whispered, "oh, OK" smiled his brilliant smile and out he went. How funny that he whispered it!!

I am so amazed that the Lord has placed this little boy in our family. We are so blessed to have him. We love him so much and can not wait to see what the God has planned. Liam, we love you!!!!

Day 7!!

We had a glorious day today. 70 degrees and sunny. Not one drop of rain. Alex and I even got a little bit of sun!

We took the train in to London today. We started out at Covent Garden. There is a market there and shops. (this is where I wanted to go) There are also street performers there, so I thought the kids would enjoy that. Halfway through our stroll there, we decided that we needed to feed the kids. Finding some where was a little harder than we thought. We ended up at a restaurant/pub. Alex was excited when she saw Shepard's pie on the children's menu, but not excited when it came out. It is not like Nannies, or daddy's and she didn't like it at all! She did eventually eat it, but not with out telling us that Nannies was better. Since we were a little further away from Covent garden than we wanted to be, we changed directions and ended up going all over London. We went to Whitehall to see the soldiers and horses. Callum really enjoyed that. From there we went to 10 Downing Street, the Primes Minister's house. Then it was off to the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. Too funny, but having a cousin named Ben, Callum really didn't get the whole "Big Ben" thing. I thing that we have now convinced him that it is a clock too!! From there we walked through St. Jame's park Buckingham Palace. The queen was in residence but a little too busy to see us today! :0) That led us down the Mall that leads from Buckingham Palace to Clarence house which used to be the residence of the Queen Mum. Then we headed to Trafalgar Square, had some ice cream that we promised the kids, and then back to Covent garden so that I could finish looking around. By then it was after 7 so we got the kids dinner to eat on the train and we headed back home. Whew! My hands hurt from just typing it!!! We estimated that we walked over 7 miles today. The kids were good as gold. They never complained that they were tired, although understandably, they argued over the stroller a little. The kids have finally settled down to sleep, (had 2 out of the 3 up last night) but I am thinking that they will all sleep so soundly tonight that I will have to wake them up in the morning. Hope everyone is having a great week so far!!

p.s. Reba, I walked by a Chinese/Thai restaurant today. It wasn't the Wok and Roll, but it looked so much like it that I thought of you!!
Helena, we also saw an "authenthic Canadian Pub" don't know how authentic it was, but that was the name of it:0)

Day 6!!

Today we were up and out the door by 9:30 headed to a church service that started at 10! That was great for us considering that Liam was up from 2-4 last night and Callum was up at 6. Anyway, we went to the next door neighbors J and T church. It is a Baptist church a town over that Gareth used to go to when he was younger.

Today was a family service, so no children's church. That was a little tough and half way through, I ended up having to leave. My kiddos can not sit for over an hour yet. It was a great service though. The new Vicar is so nice a energetic. There is no Sunday night service so they all head up to a big Church in London. I was invited and will try and go next week!! Last time we were at this church, there were only 3 kids there and 2 were mine. Today, there must have been 13, and the church was full. Praise God for that!! I am looking forward to going again next week!!!

After our walk home, Gareth's sister came over with the kids cousins. It was so nice to see the 5 of them playing together. They played out back most of the afternoon. The collected snails and had a snail race, and then to give nanny and grandad a break, she and I headed out to the park with the kids. It was a wonderful day!! We did get rained on in the typical London shower, but not as bad as the other day. We came home to a wonderful Sunday roast. YUM!!! It was such a nice day!! The only thing missing was my hubby!!!

It is now time to put the kiddos to bed. Please pray that they all sleep through the night!! I could really use it!!!

Day 5!

Praise the Lord, everyone slept through the night last night!!! It was wonderful!! We spent the morning just playing and hanging out! This afternoon, we went to Hall place and gardens. It was were my mother-n-law used to work after she retired. They have renovated it since we were here last, and added a new little tea shop and store. Alex and I toured the Tudor style mansion that was built in the late 1500's. It looks so nice!! Mum and the boys played outside in the vast acreage. It was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed seeing Alex ingest the information like a sponge. She read just about everything and we had a great discussion about it again tonight!! I am off to get the kids to bed. Hopefully they will stay there tonight:0)

Day 4!

This morning started off a little earlier than I would have liked. Liam was up at 5:30, which then woke Callum up at 5:32. At 6am, Callum told me that he was going back to bed, but instead, went and woke his sister up. Thankfully, at 6am, cartoons started and I was able to keep them some what quiet, so as not to wake my in-laws:0)

Alex went up to London today with my in-laws to collect money to go towards the training of seeing eye dogs. She was good as gold and had a great time!! That left me and the boys for a fun day! We ended up walking up to the Broadway, (the shops) Callum did great. It is quite a ways, but he walked the whole thing and not once complained. I treated them to McDonald's for lunch, which they really enjoyed, prob. b/c they never get it, and then we just walked around. Quite a few shops have closed in the last few years. Sorry Gareth, but right now, the Charlton shop up the Broadway is closed.

The boys wanted very much to catch a doubledecker bus back from the shops. They behaved so well, that i wasn't about to tell them no, I just had to figure out which one would take us where we needed to go. I was told to take the B15, but I didn't see any of those. After a while, I bit the bullet and asked an off duty bus driver. He pointed me to a different bus, and although it didn't take me where I intended originally, I still got us home safe and sound. Unfort. Liam fell asleep right before we got on the bus, so he missed out and I coudn't take Callum to the top of the bus b/c I would have had to carry the whole stroller with Liam asleep in it. Oh, well. there is plenty of time to do it again:0)

The evening consisted of the kids playing in the back yard, and with some kids from down the road. They had a great time. Everyone went off to bed pretty well tonight. I am praying for a full night of sleep. We were going to head to see the kids Great-grandmother tomorrow, but she is quite ill at the moment with the stomach bug. She just turned 94, so please say some prayers that she gets her strength back quickly!!! Hopefully, we will be able to see her some time next week!!!

Day 3!!

Last night wasn't fun!! I got the kids off to bed around 8. We did have a surprise visit from D and E, which are my brother n law and his wife. That was fun, and really nice. It was the after's that wasn't fun!!! Anyway, the kids were asleep, so I got to visit for a little bit. Around 10, the kids started to wake up. I ended up being up with them until after 2 am. I think that maybe their little bodies just thought that they needed a nap. They were WIDE awake. Eventually, we all got back to sleep at around 2:30, in my mother n laws front room, (big slumber party), and we did so without waking my in-laws up...thank goodness.

This morning, I woke everyone up pretty early. We had a nice breakfast then headed up to London on the train. We spent the day at Crystal Palace Park. It was a beautiful day today. 65 and sunny. I have realized that i didn't pack enough warm clothes for the kids, but they aren't really complaining. Anyway, Crystal Palace Park has life size dinosaurs all over it! The kids thought that was great. We had a picnic lunch, and then let them play for a while as we waited for the petting zoo to open. The kids loved that too, Although Liam was frightened of the pigs!! We ended the afternoon with an ice cream and then headed back to the train for our trip home. Did I mention that this was during rush hour, with two very sleepy boys that I was trying to keep awake? Other than poor Callum having a horrible melt down, that i will blame on jet lag, we had a wonderful day!! We came home, had dinner and i did some school work with the kids. Alex did explain to me on several occasions that it is summer, and she didn't feel that she should have to do school work, but that didn't stop me:0) We should have nice weather again tomorrow, but the weekend isn't looking so good!! Hope everyone is having a great week!! I wish that I could post pics, but I don't have my camera cord!! Sorry!!

Day 2!

Believe it or not, we all slept until about 11am this morning. It was much needed. We had breakfast and then played in the back garden for a while. We made a picnic lunch and planned on going to Danson Park, and wouldn't you know it.....it started to rain. We ended up having a picnic lunch on a blanket in the front room:0) After the rain ended, we headed out to the park. The kids had a great time!! After about an hour and a half of playing, we went to feed the ducks. On the way back, we got absolutely drenched due to a down pour!! We sat out the rain under a huge tree, but the damage was done. Once the rain stopped, we headed home over a "train bridge". The kids waved to the driver and he honked his horn Very loud. I think that we will end up taking that route a lot. Alex is now in the middle of her first knitting lesson with nanny. They decided to knit a sweater for charlie. I am taking a break from playing cars with the boys. It is almost their bed time and then Mum, Joe and I are going to have a take away!! (Indian I think, yum!!) I hope by tomorrow, we will be on the right time. The kids have done GREAT considering!!! Have a great night!!!

We arrived safely!!

We made it! After almost an hour delay, we boarded the plane and headed out on our trip. The kids were great on the plane. They had a few melt down moments, but that is to be expected on such a long journey. We made it through immigration and customs just fine, and all of our luggage arrived. (whoo hoo) The kids made t-shirts a few weeks back to wear today, so we put those on and went to meet my in-laws. Today is my father n laws b-day, so when we met them at the airport, they were greeted with ;happy birthday grandad; shirts. He was thrilled.
We took the tube to the train on the way to their house, seeing all of the wonderful London sights on the way. We arrived at their house about 12:30. The kids went strong all day. They each had at least 4 hours of sleep on the plane, so all day, we waited for melt down. It never came. We made Joe a b-day cake for dessert after dinner. Liam did fall asleep around 6:30 while we were sitting at the dinner table. Alex and Callum are both now out. It is 8:45 our time and I am starting to settle a little. I did attempt to take a nap today, but in the 45 minutes that I layed down, Callum came in about 4 times to tell me something and then we had a horrible thunder/hail storm. So, we just figured that I am on about 32 hours with no sleep:0) (That's my excuse if this post is a little out of sorts) I hate to admit that I have gotten a little bit of a second wind at the moment.

The plan for tonight is to get a good night sleep, and then tomorrow, just take it easy. We may go to the park and the kids will prob. play in the back garden. We are so excited and glad to be here. Thanks for following along and I hope that you are all having a great summer!!

This time tomorrow......

This time tomorrow, we (all but Gareth) will be on a plane headed to England for the rest of the summer. I am so excited. I think that I have done everything that needs to be done. If not, then it is a little too late now:0) I am trying to wind down now to make an early night of it, knowing that I won't get any sleep tomorrow night. I am used to being up until 2am every night, so I am not worried on that end. I do hope the kids behave on the plane. If not, "oh well", (right kelley?) Not much I can do about it:0)

Please pray that we have a safe and uneventful trip. Also for the time we will be spending there. Pray for Gareth back home. I will try to post and keep updates going. I don't think I will be able to post pics, but I should be able to blog!!

And as we say when we go on a road trip,

Let's Roll........

Happy 4th of July!!

I hope that everyone had a great Independence Day!!! We had a good day. We (or I) spent most of the morning getting packed. We then spent the afternoon and evening at our annual picnic hosted by our friend K and M. Thanks guys for having us over again this year!! They kids went swimming, and then we all went for fireworks. Here are a few pics from the day! It was a lovely day spent with lots of friends!!

Family Reunion

Had to post this one!! Too cute!
Family!
Me with my cousin on his bike!


Last weekend, we went to PA for a family reunion. We realized driving up that we hadn't been to the farm in 12 years. Boy how time flies. I have posted some pics. Not sure if they will be in order or not. We had a great time. The kids camped out with Gareth. I, spoiled self that I am, slept inside:0) We had chickens cooked on the open fire. We all took turns on the 4 wheeler, my cousin took me out on his bike, and we just hung out. I think there was about 50 of us there for the chicken roast. We had such a wonderful time and I really hope that it will become a yearly tradition!!

Week in Review!

All week has revolved around Alex going to camp at church. She is having a blast. Her final performance night is tonight. Tuesday night we went to the park for a picnic for dinner and then flew kites It was a lot of fun. Callum kept his in the air for 40 minutes. Yesterday, the boys and I went on a road trip to visit with a friend and her kids. We had a great time. We finished off the night at a baseball game. Today, I am cleaning and packing. The time seems to be flying by!!

On a side note, please pray for Liam. It seems that he has had a little flair up in his allergy/health issues. I won't go in to details, but it looks as though we may have to take him to a different specialist. We won't be able to do that now until August. Please pray that his health is ok on our trip and that the doctors are able to figure out what is going on!!!

Adoption March on Capital Hill!

Wednesday, the kids and I marched on Capital Hill for the children in Guatemala that are still sitting in limbo waiting to be adopted.  There are almost 900 children whose processes have started, and were supposed to be grandfathered through, but that hasn't happened.  We walked about 2 miles, and the kids did a great job!  I was so proud of them. We are always trying to instill in them to put others first, and yesterday was the prime example of us doing something to try and help others.  The march was successful and we did get a few things accomplished and people took notice.  We had over 100 marchers and my friend Lori and her children joined me.  (thanks, DC buddy)  Please continue to pray for these children.  They are the ones truly suffering. Every child deserves a home and we just pray that our government and others will remember that it is about the children first!!! 

Tuesday Adventures!

Tuesday, we went blueberry picking for the first time.  We had a beautiful day for it!  The kids did a great job, and really enjoyed themselves.  We tried raspberry picking too, but it was a little too messy for the boys. :0)
 

More Tuesday Adventures!!

Tuesday Adventures

Alex's Surprise!

Yesterday, I took Alex to a basketball clinic at the University of Maryland. It was an early b-day present from my parents, and Gareth and I thought she really deserved it b/c of how well she did in school this year!  It was hosted by their Women's basketball team.  Boy, did she have a blast!!  Anyone that knows us at all, knows that she has become very passionate about basketball in the last two years.  Now, this is not our doing. Neither Gareth nor myself have ever played basketball a day in our lives.  Needless to say, she started playing in first grade, and it has stuck ever since.  These are just a few shots from the day.  We were able to have pics taken with the  head coach and assistant coaches, as well as some of the players.  (I didn't feel right posting those pics)

Anyway, it was a fun filled day.  The stations were run by the players and the coaches.  She learned a lot, got a free basketball, (that she bounced until 10 last night) and have lots of fun!

Today and Tomorrow...last days of school!

Today was Callum's last day of Pre-K.  I am not sure that he gets it, as he was talking about something Charlie did tonight and said that he was going to share it with his teachers next week.  Guess we will see what happens next week:0) 

He had a great year this year.  He is a different boy than he was this time last year.  We are so proud of how far he has come.  He is so very special with a little bit of stubborn that just makes him him.  I can't imagine our life without him and can't wait to have a fun filled summer with him.  A few people have bets going to see if he comes home with a British accent after our trip.  It will be interesting to see......

Alex's last day of school is tomorrow.  She is excited but has stressed that she will miss her teacher and friends very much.  We have a surprise lined up for her on Saturday, so stay tuned for that!!

Great Weekend!

Hope everyone has had a great weekend.  Friday night was fun.  We ended up with 20 girls. 19 stayed the night.  The last girl finally fell asleep around 3:30-3:45.  Although I am feeling it a little today, we did have a fun night!  Yesterday was pretty uneventful.  Alex and I recovered from our lock in while Gareth worked.  Today, we spent time with friends after church.  It was a much needed, relaxing day!  

This week is the last week of school.  I can't believe how the time has flown by.  Alex is excited but will miss her teachers and friends over the summer.  Callum doesn't really have a clue yet, and since he will be in the same class next year, with the same teachers, he isn't really bothered by summer break.   I have lots on my list to get done this week to prepare for them being home all summer. I don't want to have to spend lots of time doing, "house stuff", so my goal is to get it done this week so we can play all summer.  Hopefully that will happen:0)

fun night planned!

Headed out tonight for a GA's lock in at church.  That would be me, my co-teacher and about 25 1st through 6th grade girls.  Alex is thrilled.  She was up pretty early this morning reminding me what today was, just in case I had forgotten:0)   Please pray that we have an uneventful night and that we do get 'some' sleep.  (am I dreaming there?)  Gareth will be home with the boys and Callum keeps talking about a boys night.  I think they will have lots of fun playing cars all night!!

Can we say "poor dog"?

Alex and one of her friends figured out recently that the clothes that they have for their Build a Bear fit Charlie. He is such a good dog, he sits there and lets them do it.  These pics were taken a few weeks ago during his first "fashion show".  

Wow, so we have been a bit busy.  Last week, we went down town for the Memorial Day parade. Although it was hot, we had a great time!

Callum has been having a lot of allergy issues lately to the point where his eyes swell shut.   We have taken him to the Dr. multiple times and tried different meds, but nothing has been working. On Monday, we got a call from one of his teachers. She said that he looked just miserable and that his right eye was almost swollen shut.  I called the Dr. and they were able to get him in within a few hours.  They went ahead and referred us to the same allergist that Liam went to.

I was dreading that a bit, and also knew that it usually takes weeks to get in to a specialist. 

Tuesday morning, I spent the morning on the phone trying to get through to the allergist.  When I finally did at 10:15,  the receptionist says, "we just had our 11:15 call and cancel. Can you be here by then?"  Are you kidding me??  All I could say was , "Thank you Jesus!!!"  

Callum was an angel at the appointment. He was very inquisitive, but barely cried while they poked his back.  When the doc came in 15 minutes later, he said that he had never seen such severe allergies in a 4 year old before.  (I did take a picture of his back to show Gareth, but I haven't figured out how to get it from my phone to the computer yet)  His back was one big welt!!! Praise the Lord, he is not allergic to any foods!!!  His severe allergies are to every type of tree and tree pollen, every type of grass and grass pollen, dust, dust mites, and cats!  

He is now on a regimen of 5 meds, but will be weaned down in the next few weeks.  After 24 hours on the meds, his eyes already look so much better.    

I have been pretty busy trying to get the house in order and organized so that when I go to pack in a few weeks, it will be done.  Did I mention that the kids and i are going to England for 5 weeks this summer?  If I didn't, we are.  We are all very excited.  Gareth will be joining us for part of the trip too, so that makes it even better.   There is only a week and 2 days left of school, and half of those are half days.  I can;t believe how quickly the second half of the school year has gone.

Hope everyone is doing well!!! I will try to keep the blog update a bit better from now on:0)

ok, so a quick update on the last few weeks......

Lets see..... we booked our tickets to England for the summer.  Very excited about that.  The same night, our washing machine broke.  (typical) So, we have spent the last two weeks searching for the best deal on washing machines.  I ran for PTA president and won:0)  Very excited about that.

Gareth and Alex went to a father daughter dance and had a blast. She looked so pretty and actually let me do her hair.  (will post pics later).   We had our last MOPS meeting.  After 6 years of helping run it, I stepped down.  A little sad, but I needed to move on.  We had our mother/daughter banquet at church.  I was very nervous, (my 2nd year in charge) but it seemed to go over well.  Now I am helping plan for our women's night in next week.  

That is our two week wrap up.   I will post more later.  At the moment, I am organizing the kids rooms and going through clothes.  don't enjoy that at all.  Alex has grown so much that I can't get another season out of her clothes.  Callum is doing ok for the summer clothes, but Liam is in between sizes.  Looks like he will be wearing shorts that come down to his shins:0)  Hopefully the end of the week will slow down a bit and i will post some pics.  Hope everyone is having a GREAT week!!!!