Beehive Camp

This week Sammy went to Beehive Camp...

And I went with.

It was really fun, actually.

We slept in tents, cooked our own food, went on a night hike, went canoeing, made several crafts, sang songs, did an agility course, and met new friends.

We didn't get much sleep, but Sammy had a great time.

When we got home, Sammy took off her socks and we laughed about how dirty her legs were. Definitely a sign that she had some good "dirty" fun during the week.

Luckily she is washable.

Cheap thrills

All of our games and toys are on a ship on the ocean on their way to England.

So what do we do in the meantime to keep busy?

Play with balloons!

And this great pasttime is hardly limited to our own family. Tonight we had the Wilkinsons over for dinner and aferwards we spent at least a couple hours "playing balloon". Yeah, we're pretty exciting people, I know.

The record for number of hits is currently 98, but the goal is at least 100. So I suppose we will continue to play this game until we succeed...or until our stuff arrives.

A chilly trip to the beach

Today we headed up a bit north of where we are living to the coast. We hiked all around a beautiful cove. The rock formations were very pretty and it was a clear day - unusual, for England. Beautiful pictures. Some of the first ones I've taken since being here.

After walking around the cove, we headed to Bridlington North Beach and wandered up and down the promenade. The beach itself wasn't very busy as it was chilly and windy. I sure wish I had packed some jackets for us. But it was so nice to be out in the fresh air.

I hate it, I want to go home!

Confession time...
I have had a really bad attitude lately.
My mantra has truly been "I hate it, I want to go home!"

Everything feels so different here.
The apartment is ridiculously small. There are no closets. It rains almost every day. I miss my family and friends. I can't drive and with my poor sense of direction. I'm afraid to leave the apartment for fear that I'll get lost. So I feel trapped. I can't cook efficiently. Mike is working long hours so I'm lonely. The kids are bored and I have no idea what to do with them.

Worst of all, I can't seem to conquer the grocery store. I actually had a panic attack in Aldi because I couldn't find what I needed. Everything is located in unusual places. Or called something different. Or not available at all. It is all too overwhelming for me. Mike saved me the first time by taking over the shopping for the day, but eventually I will need to figure it out.

The truth is, I hate change. I am not very adaptable. I am not adventurous. I do not look forward to new experiences. I thrive on predictability and routine. And I don't have that right now. Eventually I will adjust...I hope. But for now, I've been pretty unhappy.

Now for the public goal:
I will begin to look at things in a more positive light.
I will start to be more cheerful.
I will leave the apartment and learn my way around.
I will try not to focus on how different everything is.
I will ask for help when I need it.
I will smile more often.
I will change my mantra to something less negative.

Free Range Eggs

“The waiter said, ‘All of our chicken is free-range.’ And I said, ‘He doesn’t look very free there on that plate.’” – Bob Joe Briggs, “We Are the Weird”

I baked Suzy Q's today.
Another adventure in baking.
But it was also mildly entertaining. Because when I opened up the carton of eggs, they were brown and were marked with a stamp identifying them as "free-range" eggs. I'll have to ask someone what makes these better than the eggs I am used to purchasing.

What I found even funnier was the egg carton's description of what makes their eggs better. I wish I had written it down. But "free-range” evokes a positive image of chickens living outdoors with plenty of fresh air, sunshine and open space to roam in. To me it also reminds me of the Bill Engvall bit where he talks about his wife buying "free-range" chicken.


A snippet from the comedy bit:
The other day my wife and I were at the store. She said, "Go get some chicken.” she's on this big chicken kick right now; she said it's healthier. Which, I grew up around chickens - it's not, trust me. They're yard birds, all right? I've seen chickens eat food out of their own poop. Tell me why that's good for me! But I ain't gonna win that argument, right? And so I get this package, grab a pack of chicken, throw it in the cart, and she goes "No, don't get that kind. Get free-range chicken." And I said, "What are you talking about?" And she goes, “You got cooped-up chicken.” And I said, “All chickens are cooped-up chickens. There's no such thing as a free-range chicken.” I said, "I studied history, I did real well in it. And I don't ever remember reading about the herds of chickens that used to roam this land. There was never the great chicken wars. Nobody hunts chickens - they're not wild."


So the whole time I'm making the Suzy Q's I'm picturing chickens running wild across the plains.
Good thing I was alone in the apartment as I was giggling to myself, which could have made me look silly, right?

An adventure in cooking

For the first few days in England, Mike was sweet enough to take us out to eat for each of our meals. This was not only sweet, but necessary as we had not done any grocery shopping. This luxury could not last forever, however, since eating out in England is pretty pricey. So I went shopping. I actually felt like I had a personal shopper with me because Mike arranged for Cheryl Wilkinson to take me to several stores to help me find what I needed. I was pretty proud of myself because I was able to get what I needed for two meals for about 10 pounds!

Fast forward to tonight.
The plan was to make baked chicken and mashed potatoes and rolls.
Well, the rolls turned out great (purchased for the store). The rest was less wonderful.

I got out the chicken and went to preheat the oven. Okay, it's in Celsius. Now what?
Jonathan was great. He remembered the formula for converting Fahrenheit to Celsius. Okay.
There were no words on the oven, only pictures. And I couldn't for the life of me decipher what they meant. So I called Mike. He didn't know either. Fine then, I'll fry up the chicken instead.

Time to make the potatoes. The instant, easy to make potatoes. Except that the directions were in liters, not cups or ounces! I had no idea how to convert that. I was close to calling it quits when I discovered that one of the pans I was using has liter markings inside of it! I was saved!

What an adventure. One I prefer not to repeat.
Who knew trying to cook dinner here would be my downfall?

A jump across the pond

Well, we're here.
In England. Finally.

We boarded the plane in Indianapolis, Indiana on Saturday, July 4. A little ironic that we flew out of the USA on the day our forefathers declared their independence from British rule. Hmmmmm. Something to think about.

Our first flight was short - only about an hour and a half - to Newark, New Jersey. Not out of the country yet. This airport was so huge (and kinda dirty). WE had a three hour layover so we found a place to get a bite to eat. Our last meal in the states. We did get to see some fireworks outside of the airport windows before leaving.

So that was our July 4th.

We boarded the plane around 10pm, already exhausted and ready for the trip to be over. The next flight was much longer - six and a half hours - although this was shorter than expected. Not because we fell into the ocean or had to make an emergency landing somewhere. We just made good time, I guess. No air traffic jams? It was actually kind of fun on the plane at first. We each had our own personal TV screen and headphones to watch whatever we wanted. Gone are the days of the whole plane watching the same movie together. We had "on demand" and choices galore. Sammy had fun watching Hannah Montana: The Movie. Jonathan listened to some Beetles music. We had food and snacks and drinks. Sammy used the airplane restroom - an experience, for sure. Finally Sammy was able to to get some sleep, although I don't think anyone else was successful in taking more than a short catnap.

We arrived in Manchester, England around 11am on Sunday morning. Mike had arranged for a gentleman from the ward to pick us up at the airport. I was surprised he was able to fit everything into the back of his little car. We had a ton of luggage. Everyone except Mike fell right to sleep in the car. Finally.

So we are indeed here.
In England.
Until further notice.

Moving Day

For the past two days, we have had movers in our house packing up our things. Everything. In fact, Sammy discovered on the first day that they packed her bubble gum too! She was not happy about that, I can assure you.

This morning, which also happens to be my birthday, the movers showed up with "reinforcements" and a HUGE moving truck. They took a quick tour through the house and got immediately to work.
I was amazed! They were so efficient...and strong!
One of the men tied a box to his back with heavy straps and then carried another one as he headed down the stairs. Using only a dolly, they were able to load our large pieces of furniture without any trouble. I kept telling them how surprised I was at how quick and easy it seemed to be for them. They just smiled and said, "That's because we know what we're doing."

I must admit that after this moving experience I would recommend anyone who is moving to use a moving service. What a lot of headaches and backaches they saved us by doing the heard work for us!

So, despite watching all of my belongings being loaded on the truck and feeling a little sad about that, it was a day where much was accomplished. And that was a blessing.

Waiting

You know what I hate?
Waiting.
For anything.

No one has ever accused me of being a patient person, I know. But this is getting ridiculous. I sit around my house for hours at a time waiting for something to happen.

I wait for friends to call.
I wait for the mail.
I wait for Mike to email.
I wait for Sammy to get ready.
I wait for Jon's martial arts class to end.
I wait for my Bed, Bath & Beyond gift cards to arrive.
I wait for the UPS truck to arrive with our approved (hopefully) visas.
I wait for the movers to come.

I'm tired of all this waiting.

Street Signs

Pop quiz...
Do you know what this street sign means?
The other day we were driving and Sammy pointed out the window at this sign and asked, "Mommy, does that mean you can't go pee there?" I laughed so hard! Now it has become a family joke. I love her interpretation of the world. Always uniquely Sammy.

Access denied

Bad news.
Our visas were denied today.
This means we have to reapply.
This involves...
(1) getting our fingerprints scanned in Indianapolis again
(2) collecting the appropriate documents
(3) sending everything via UPS
(4) paying another $1200
(5) waiting to be approved (hopefully)
How frustrating.
I keep telling myself that there must be some reason that our applications were denied. Like perhaps someone is ready to buy our house and I need to be here to take care of that. Who knows? All I know is that we won't be leaving for England as planned.
It's just a waiting game now.

T-shirt Quilt

A sneak peek for Dad of the quilt I created for him out of old Harley Davidson t-shirts.
Can you believe how many shirts he had that he was willing to part with? and he still had another 15 or so in the closet!
I love how it turned out.
Warm and memorable...
The perfect combination.

They make me smile...

I love these plates.

They make me smile when I serve meals using them.

They are so cheerful and fun.

I am so excited that I own them.

Although purchasing an entire set for 8 was more challenging that you might think...

I ended up buying pieces at five different stores across the country.

I bought 8 dinner plates, 6 salad plates and 4 bowls in Woodbridge, Virginia.

I bought 2 salad plates and 2 bowls in Richmond, Virginia.

I bought 2 bowls at a random mall in Ohio.

I bought 6 mugs in Greenwood, Indiana.

And finally, I bought 2 mugs in Bloomington, Indiana.

You might think this was a lot to go through to buy a set of dishes.

It was.

But I love them and they make me smile, so it was worth the effort!

Hair today, gone tomorrow...

Many years ago, gosh I can't remember how long ago, my brother, Paul, decided to grow his hair into dredlocks. I looked everywhere for a good picture of his hair, but this was the best I had. And it's mostly covered up with the bandana.

Over the years they got longer and longer and kind of became his signature look. When dad called me and told me that Paul had cut his hair, I couldn't picture his new look. What fun it was getting to see him (and his new haircut) when we visited in Virginia this week. Check out his new look.

I love this photo of the kids with their Uncle Paul. We had such a great time hanging out and being silly. He was a regular riot and the kids loved every bit of it. Thanks, Paul, for teaching my kids to goof-off in public...

Motorcycle rides

It's been a tradition for as long as I can remember.
Grandpa takes the kids for rides on his Harley when we come to visit.
This visit was no different. Despite the extreme heat and blazing sun, he humored the kids and took them for motorcycle rides today.
When they were younger, Dad would just take them around the block a couple times. Now that the kids are older, they could be taken all over town. Sammy had so much fun that she said, "I think we should have motorcycle rides every day!"

Fantasy Park

When the kids were little we used to spend hours at the park playing on the equipment. One of our favorite parks is Fantasy Park in Virginia, so when we went to visit we took a trip to the park to play.

Something occurred to me today while we were at the park.

Things have changed.

Most of the kids at the park were under two feet tall.

Most of the kids there were toddlers with their parents.

Most of the kids there were still in diapers.

My kids walked into the park looking like giants. They didn't run all over the place playing on the equipment like they used to. Sammy found a shady spot and started sorting out "pretty rocks" off the ground. Jonathan posed for some pictures for me and climbed on top of the playground. He's such a monkey. We only lasted about 30 minutes.

Things sure have changed.

Saying goodbye

I love my Civic.

I think it's because I was the one who researched the car, made all of the decisions and most of the payments. So I have a greater attachment to it.

I know it's silly, but I really love my Civic.

So today was a sad day for me.

Today was the day that someone bought my Civic.

I am going to miss how easy it was to park.

I am going to miss the sunroof.

I am going to miss the great gas mileage it got.

I am going to miss everything about my car.

I just hope the new owner loves it as much as I have.

Things we will miss

Things we will miss about Bloomington...

(1) The beautiful fall colors.

(2) Our friends from school and church.

(3) The location - not too far from family.

(4) The small town feel but with the conveniences of a big city.

(5) Our home, when it sells.

(6) The kids' teachers.

(7) Our backyard and the wildlife we see there.

(8) Target - nope, they have no Target in England.

(9) The proximity to State Parks - we love to go exploring.

(10) Clear Creek Trail.

The end of an era

Sammy graduated from 6th grade today.

It was an emotional day.

Sammy did a great job and was so excited to be moving on to the next great thing, but I couldn't help but be sad. It's hard to have Sammy grow up. She's my baby (although she hates when I say that). It's hard to believe that time has passed so quickly. Also, I am really going to miss her fabulous elementary teachers, Mr. Gallagher and Ms. Reinier.

They are truly the best teachers that I have ever met. They are 100% committed to helping children develop a love of learning. They support students throughout the many stages of their lives. They have helped to raise my kids during the seven years they have taught them. I can't express enough how grateful I am to have known them and benefited from their dedication. Just one more thing we will miss when we move.

A quick visit

It was great to have Mom and Stan come down from Rockford for a quick visit. We are really going to miss them when we move to England! We tried so hard to get a good picture of them with the kids before they left today, but the sun was really bright. Jonathan's eyes were closed in every picture except this one, and Sammy was not cooperating for this shot (so I cropped her out - thank you very much, Photoshop).

Campus Photo Shoot

Over the years we have conducted many a photo shoot on the IU campus.
Today was a pretty day, so I thought we would take advantage of the unique buildings around town and get a few pictures of the kids. Most turned out okay, but this was my favorite. I love the old door in the background and Jonathan's peaceful expression. It looks great in black and white too!

Happy Mother's Day

I have had a headache since last Wednesday and a stomachache since yesterday. I woke up this morning and decided that I was too sick to make it to church. Jonathan went to church with the Andersons (thank you very much) and Sammy decided to stay home and "take care of" me. (translation: watch TV and play on the computer while mom slept)

After church, Jonathan informed me that he got to help pass out candy to all the mothers.
It figures...
Every other year it's flowers that I promptly kill (without meaning to) and the one year I miss church they decided to give out chocolate!

Sometimes life isn't fair.

Feeling sick.
Feeling grumpy.
Feeling sorry for myself.
But also feeling grateful for my two wonderful children who spent the afternoon entertaining themselves so that I could rest and try to feel better in time for school tomorrow.

This is not a paid advertisement

Jonathan is pretty creative.
This quality was always appreciated and supported when he was in the Gallagher/Reinier multiage classroom for elementary school. Since being in middle school has been such a huge change (with different teachers and expectations) Jonathan has not had many chances to truly display his most creative work. He felt sort of "stuck" as he completed various read and respond assignments.

When he was given an assignment to create an advertisement for a health product, he saw it as his chance to do something more out of the ordinary (similar to the focus study presentations he had done in elementary school). Together we started brainstorming ideas, and by the end of the night he had written a script, come up with a product name, and recorded a short commercial. (see below)



Because they had been learning about how people are influenced and the types of media messages often used, Jonathan was required to include at least three advertising methods. It really turned out cute - especially considering we got it done in two days (writing, filming, and editing included).

In case you missed some of the more subtle "jokes" in the film...
(1) Take a closer look at the names of each of the experts - obviously all the same doctor.
(2) Listen to the great offer at the end - to double your bottle size AND your pill size.
(3) The medication is called "i.b.quiet" (similar to ibuprofen but pronounced "I BE QUIET").
(4) The medicine quiets the voices in your head - did you see the phone number?
(5) An excellent price, but how about that shipping and handling!?!
(6) What's that song playing in the background of the video? It was chosen for its lyrics.

The latest pictures of the kids

I haven't done a great photo shoot of the kids in a while. I guess I've just been lazy. Or busy. Or unmotivated. But Sunday they were both in cooperative moods and it was lovely outside so I tried it. Here are a couple of the best shots...

Maybe it's the braids, but I love that Sammy still looks "younger" in this picture. I'm adjusting to Jonathan getting older, but it's harder for me to let go of Sammy. Perhaps because she's the youngest?

Sad faces

This picture was Sammy's idea.

She decided that we needed to take a "sad picture" to send to Mike since we missed him so much. Cute idea. Cute picture. Cute kids.