Great weekends make the world go round

Another quiet week, but followed this time by a great weekend! Friday night we met with some friends, Paul and Danielle, and had dinner at their house followed by games and soaked with wine. So much wine.
It was a great night, and even though when I entered their home, I'd only met them once at the wedding, I left feeling like I'd known them for a very long time. And that's a very good feeling.
It made me feel like definitely, soon, this place will be home. Plans were made and we got into a cab feeling jolly, and in my case, rather wobbly.

We tumbled in the door (well I did, Mick was sober) at 3am and collapsed into bed while I rambled on about God knows what and finally fell into a spiny sleep.

Yesterday I woke up with quite the hangover, but after some water and toast, I started to become myself again. Mick and I had a quiet day of watching films and Friends while house sitting for his dad, and my sister in law stopped by in the afternoon for a visit. Today is another quiet, lazy day. We all need those :)

Have some photos. And a lovely Sunday!

Halloween Party!

Yesterday afternoon Mick and I hopped on the train to a little village called Aylesham. It's an eerily quiet little place with not much to do, as was made evident by the three young boys walking around with planks of wood, angrily slapping the grass. Hmm!
The reason for our trip was to spend the night at our friends' house. Rachael and Josh have a cute little house that was decorated very carefully for a good night. Even the giraffe statues by the fireplace had costumes, and the Audrey Hepburn portrait had vampire fangs. So with a great atmosphere and even better company, we consumed beer and sangria and had a cheerful night.
In case you're wondering what Mr. White and I went as, well, we played it safe and stuck to an American classic- cow folk.
It's looking beautifully autumny in Kent. As we left Mick's dad's house yesterday I couldn't help but be mesmerised by the dance of leaves falling from branches in a spray of feathery flames. It's beautiful, and the air has that thick, earthy and smoky scent that I've always associated with this time of year. To me, autumn is one last brilliant show of what mother nature is capable of before the cold and stillness of winter. One last display of gorgeous color and the power of secrets we humans can only begin to understand.
I am infatuated with it.

A very yellow tree in King's Hill

Yee-haw :)

The hair band and the rings

On the morning of June 23rd, 2010, I was a bundle of nerves. I woke up in my best friend of 22 years' spare bedroom near Los Angeles. Tabatha was going to take me to the airport that day so that I could fly to England to meet the man (unbeknownst at the time) who would be my husband. We rushed around the house, kind of re-packing my suitcases. I was trying to do my hair and makeup in a way that would last 16 hours of travel (hah). As we talked about all the what-ifs and hopes and dreams, Tabatha said she wanted to give me something for good luck, but she didn't know what. After rummaging through he jewellery box, she pulled out a purple and teal hair band. "I just feel like I should give you something to keep with you through this." It went on my left wrist and stayed there through the whole month I was in England. I wore it for a while after I got back to America, but it started to stretch out and went into my makeup bag to live for a while. I've switched makeup bags a few times but never lost it. Seeing it now and then, peeking out from underneath a tube of mascara makes me happy. The other day I noticed it again and glanced at my left wrist, where it used to live. Traveling further down my arm and onto my had led my eyes to my wedding and engagement rings. I had to smile and felt a nice little warm feeling in my heart. I took the hair band out of my makeup bag and put it back on my left wrist. The past, present and future.
It's a good reminder of a few things: a good friend's love, the power of hope, and the love we all search for. And the love I found.

Things I Miss...

Before I left America I made a list about the things I would miss about living in the Southwest. While some of these things have stayed the same, a lot of it has changed. I don't think you know how you're really going to feel about something before it happens, no matter how much preparation time you may have. I had time to think about this and prepare for it ( a little bit of time). I thought a lot about how hard it would be, yet how exciting. I tried to anticipate the things that would be difficult for me so that when the events occurred, I would be able to sit back and think "hey, it's okay, you knew this was coming." And for the most part, I have been able to do this without too much difficulty. However, there have been some things that I really miss that sort of surprised me.

-Commercialization. As silly as that sounds, it's true. I really miss how much we hyped everything up in America. Halloween, for instance. I loved how ABC family played family Halloween movies all through October, and how lots of people decorated with luminaries (I think that's what they're called?), scarecrows, pumpkins, witches, and all that stuff. It's just not that big of a deal here. They do have candy and costumes and a few decorative items in super markets and stuff like that, but it's just not the same.

-Being able to drive. Now, that's not a cultural difference. It's just that Mick is still working on getting his driver's license, and I can't afford to drive here because insurance is really ridiculously disgustingly expensive. Once I get a job I will take some lessons just so I can get used to driving on the other side of the road, and the other side of the car, and with the shifter on my left side. And round-abouts and narrow roads. All of that. But for the time being, if we can't get somewhere without walking, taking the bus, or getting a lift, we just don't do it. It definitely limits our activities, so I'm looking forward to Mick being done with all his lessons and tests and stuff.

-Family. I knew this one was going to be the hardest. Apart from the day to day stuff that I miss (having lunch with mom, catching a movie with dad, going to Stone Brewery with my brother and his wife, going shopping with my sister, or playing boardgames with my brother in law and niece) there are also the big things. Being so far away meant that the only family that could make it to my wedding were my parents. My sister qualified for a huge riding competition in Mexico this month and because we're so far away, Mick and I won't be able to make it and the rest of the family is going. That's been a bummer- I'm really proud of my sister and wish so much that I could be there to root for her. This family stuff has been the hardest thing. Most days it's totally fine, I talk to my mom on skype a few times a week and we facebook chat often, I talk to my dad once a week and to my brother and sister when I can. But there have been those moments that hit me like a train and I realize- "oh wow. this is permanent." And I'm left with this really scared and sad feeling. But it always goes away.

-Having a job. Now, of course everybody wishes they could just get money and not have a job. But I do miss working. I miss getting up and having somewhere to be, getting a paycheck and interacting with colleagues. Some days I even miss my students. But I'm hoping my visa will go through soon and then I'll be able to work and get going there.

-Yuma. Now, it's not so much Yuma itself that I miss. I just miss certain things about it. The sunsets, my parents' house. Kneaders and Buffalo Wild Wings. Going to visit Outback where I worked for so long. Target! Oh man, I miss Target so much! And Barnes & Nobles, too! Juliana's Cafe. How American Starbucks do Pumpkin Spice lattes. I've checked at one Starbucks around here and there was no Pumpkin Spice Latte :( I know these things aren't all unique to Yuma, but it all made up the whole. Oh and sushi! As far as I can tell sushi isn't that big of a deal here and I miss it so much!

-Friends. This one hasn't been quite as hard as family, but it's still rough. I do get lonely here, but I know once I get a job I'll make some friends, though they'll never replace the ones back home. Like Tabatha, Brittany, Celeste. The ones who've been through it all with me. I hope they can all come visit me soon. Because I miss them loads.


And as far as the picture goes... that's what they say, isn't it? "Home is where the heart is." I can't predict the future, but I have a feeling that Arizona/California will always be home. And because such a big part of my life was there, and so many people I love are still there, part of my heart will always be there. But England is starting to feel a bit like home, as well. And as more things fill my heart here- friends, a house, children- it will become home, too. And at the end of the day, that's two homes. Two sets of friends, two families, two places I love. How much luckier can a girl get?

Bits and bobs

This is getting ridiculous. I am leaving Yuma a week from this coming Monday. Not forever, but in the sense that I'm moving. Moving. And how much have I done to prepare for that. Hah. Not much, really. I did do a bit of work last night, but, as I said, ridiculous. I have no motivation to go through 14 years of Stuff. So much Stuff. And it doesn't help that when I get home, mentally psyched up to get in there and do some work, Mick's always like "oh I want to go do this and this and this." Duuuude. So I've recruited a very strict friend to come over tonight and force me to do it while Mick watches her child. I'm hoping to finish under my bed and the window seat. And that just leaves the dreaded closet for tomorrow. My room is a disaster, though. I've always hated that, you know? That in-between stage when you are honestly cleaning, but there are stacks of Keep, Trash, and Donate and big black garbage bags. And so it looks dirtier than when you started. But I'm not embarrassed to have people over, because I have a good excuse for my mess.
Moving on. I'm so glad it's the weekend. Work is quickly just becoming a fight for survival at this point. Trying to keep the kids from going completely bonkers is quite a task. Next week is full of activities, though- we're finally going to watch The Diary of Anne Frank, which we finished reading a few weeks ago. There's an 8th grade pool party and BBQ, and then promotion is on Friday, as well as an end of the year luncheon. Then my brother and his wife are coming for the weekend, and Mick and I leave for the Grand Canyon and Vegas the following Monday. So there's lots going on, and this is why I need to get my butt in gear with the packing thing!
Today is mother daughter day. I'm really feeling the time limitations when I think of how I want to spend time with people before I go. So mom and I are going to go see Bridesmaids and have lunch and do some shopping. It's really weird and it occurred to me last night. You always start getting closer/getting along with people better when one of you is leaving. I also noticed this when I was 10 and moved from California to Arizona. I made so many new friends in the few months before I left, which made it harder to leave. Lately, my mom has been making me really laugh, and I'm noticing things in my dad that I'm really going to miss. Even my sister, who is ten years older than me, and I are finding all sorts of things that we have in common. I'm trying not to let this make me sad, though. I'm trying to think of it as a good thing, something that will help us all stay close when I'm living far, far away. But everything family related is really getting to me. I was picking out a Father's Day card yesterday at Target and just about every one of them made me want to burst into tears.
It's also happening with friends. Last night I went out with Brittany and Jake and some friends of theirs. I haven't seen them in possibly months, and of course all our best memories and laughs resurfaced. So, yeah, I'm basically in a mad scramble to spend as much time with everyone as possible.

And that's where we are this weekend. Hope everyone is having a great start to summer activities!

Memorial Day Weekend

What an awesome weekend! Mick and I just returned from my sister's home in Southern California. We left Friday after I got off work and just got back here a bit ago. It was a fun-filled weekend.
Saturday we slept in a bit (something I treasure!) and played with my niece who gets smarter every time I see her. She is three and at the "why?" stage. After I finally got out of my pajamas, Mick went with me to the cemetery where my maternal grandparents are buried. My mom had asked us to go and put flowers on their graves. It was set up beautifully for Memorial Day with flags on the graves of everyone who served in the armed forces, and so my grandparents both had a flag. It was emotional, telling grandma all of the changes in my life since I last saw her. Meeting Mick and getting engaged, getting ready to move away. But that's all sad talk, let's move on... Then we went and met my best friend, Tabatha, and her husband Remy for Hangover 2 and sushi. It was a very fun night.

My wedding band.

Sunday we spent hours at the mall. We had lunch at Johnny Rockets then wandered around, mostly looking for a wedding band for me. We didn't really find anything that worked great with my engagement ring or that I just had to have. So we headed back to the house. Then I was whisked away by my sister BACK to the mall for a marathon shopping trip to find a dress for the engagement party she and my mom are throwing for me and Mick the weekend before we fly out to England. My sister is an awesome person to shop with. She grabs EVERYTHING and just makes you try it on, even if you don't like it. I ended up getting a very cute pink, satin dress that I never would have tried on if she hadn't made me. We also looked at wedding bands at Macy's and found one I liked. Then we had dinner at Taco Bell and headed back to the house where we found Mick and my brother in law playing a third round of The Lady Bug Game with my niece. She wanted to play more after, so I played a game with her. She's so, so smart and I want to spend as much time with her as I can before I leave.
This morning I drug Mick back to Macy's so he could see the ring. We ended up getting it. The photo on top is the one we ended up getting, more or less. I couldn't find a photo of it on Macy's site so I had to find a similar one somewhere else. The second is a photo of it with my engagement ring. I'm still working on figuring how to move photos in a post so be patient with me please!

My band and engagement ring.

After the jewelery store we headed back to the house for a shower and to pack up our stuff. When we walked in the door I got a big hug from my niece and she told me she was going to miss me when we left for Yuma. I told her we'd be back in a few weeks for five whole days, which made her very happy. I haven't had the heart yet to tell her that after that I won't see her until next spring. My sister's boss was having a Memorial Day BBQ so we headed over to their house for about a half hour to just say hello before we hit the road. We grabbed some lunch and off we went! After 6 hours, an accidental detour, spilling gas on my foot and making the car smell we made it home! Not quite ready to start the work week, but it's a busy week with appointments and packing and cleaning, so I might as well get it all started!
Hope you all had a great holiday weekend :)