Summer 2014

Every time I have a free moment to sit down and "catch up" on my blogging I realize that it has been way to long since my last post. Well it seems like this time it really has been WAY too long! 4 months have passed since I have sat down with the computer long enough to put in writing what has been happening in our crazy England lives. That being said, I will do my best to catch you all up and now that the kids are both in school I will try (but cannot promise) to write on here more often. So lets catch you up month by month shall we? Here goes, a summer in a nut shell!


In May AL, along with her cheer team had a fundraising event at the Aintree Race course in Liverpool. There were several dance teams and other performances from all ages at the event. We were so proud of our little Cheerleader as she went on stage in her uniform for the first time and stunted in front of hundreds of people. She even spoke in the microphone to tell everyone that she was from America and asked them all, "How y'all doin'?"  To which everyone in the crowd did the "aawwwww!!"

 

(our little Cheerleader)

 

We also spent a few Saturday's at the horse races and lots of time outside as May began the nice season for us and E had a trip to China for work, which ended up great for me and the girls as when he came home he showered us with LOTS of gifts including some really nice noise cancelling headphones for us to take on the airplane for our trip home in June!

June consisted of our trip Stateside. Which meant a VERY long flight home for the girls and I that was made even longer because the flight was delayed by 2 hours. When we finally made it to Chicago the girls and I were exhausted but we still had a 3 1/2 hour car ride home! On the way to Dubuque my dad stopped at the Belvedere Oasis and I walked the place in search of Pepsi products (I couldn't wait to get my hands on a Mt. Dew!) I think the lady that I purchased it from thought I was strange, but oh man did that fountain Mt. Dew taste AMAZING! When we arrived to Dubuque we stopped to see E's mom and dad for a bit (by this time it was about 8pm CST or 2am England time!) then it was off to eat some dinner and go right to bed!

We had a wonderful time at home! We spent a weekend in the Wisconsin Dells, E got some racing in, we were blessed with a Nephew, attended a wonderful family wedding, had a crawfish boil (eeewwww!) for Father's day, we got to see almost all of our family and friends (including family from Florida!) Spent AJ's birthday with those we love and eat LOTS AND LOTS of American food that we miss SO much! We were even able to spend the 4th of July at home so the girls got to see lots of fireworks!

(nasty, smelly little things!)

(4th of July, photo taken by me!)

 

June came and went way to quickly and before we knew it we were back home in England, AL finished preschool (mommy cried). We visited Liverpool for E's work picnic and I was finally able to walk Mathew Street and see the Cavern Club! After school ended on the 21st the girls and I spent as much time as we could outside in the back garden soaking up the sun that we didn't get while we were in the States (we ended up taking the rain to Iowa with us). And July ended with me passing part 1 of my British drivers test.



August was brilliant! We started the month by surprising my Grandad (with the help of Grandma B) with a trip over here for the entire month! Once he arrived we drove to Edinburgh, Scotland where we took in the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo and many of the Edinburgh sights. E and I even went on a ghost tour which ended up making me have a panic attack so during the part where everyone went into the crypt of the Mackenzie Poltergeist I stayed out, by myself, in the middle of what is supposed to be the most haunted graveyard in Edinburgh!!

Now that September is here BOTH of my girlies have started school, E hired and raced our friends BriSCA F1 car this past weekend which led to him being asked, and accepting, to race in the BriSCA F1 World Final on the 19th/20th of this month as the USA representative, and I am back to crafting for another holiday season that is right around the corner!

We have done so much this summer I cannot even begin to put it all into words. We have become friends with some wonderful people and have had many BBQ's and nights out with many more to come. AL has cheerleading try outs on October 4th and if she makes one of the competition teams we will be traveling in March to Disneyland Paris for the competition! The kids are more settled in than ever and now that school has started again, I am beginning to get nervous about the next year. Our time here at the beginning seemed to move so slowly and now that we are settled in and have friends here uprooting everything next year to move back home is going to be harder than I ever imagined.

Oh and did I mention we are heading home in 100 days for Christmas?!