Across the Pond...: June 2012

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Father's Day Weekend

It was a fun, relaxing Father's Day weekend around here (since John is a fan of relaxing, it worked out well)! We kicked off the weekend with movie night, then John took the kids to football on Saturday morning. Ryan got the "Player of the Day" award and he was so proud! On Saturday, I got the energetic boy out of the house so that John and Lane (who was feeling under the weather) could just hang out and watch movies. After our Sunday waffles (John's gift was a waffle iron) and church, John and I headed to London on a double date with the Fletchers (who were in town). A trip into the city is so different without the kids... It was a beautiful evening and even felt a bit like summer, so we walked the mile or so from Paddingington Station to the restaurant. As we getting ready to leave London, we saw our train on the platform and made a run for it, hopping on unsure if we were even on the right train! We LOVE our children, but I also love when our dates feel like we are dating again! ;)

Player of the Day

Mmmm.... Waffles!

Playing with a new photo app while we wait for the train...

Dinner with the Fletchers in London

Monday, June 11, 2012

The Post Office

The local Post Offices are a little different around here. They are more like small convenience stores - with a counter at the back where you can send mail. I love our Post Office (and the couple of stores right next door to it - a butcher and another small grocery store). Apparently, it is "award winning." Today, with the kids back in school and the rain coming down, I was finishing up my "making our house a home" projects and needed green thread to hem my diningroom curtains. So, I threw on my wellies and walked over to the Post Office. And, there it was... the exact shade of green thread that I needed. I was just telling John last night... the location of our house - in this quiet village, with lovely neighbors, a big backyard, a little green right on our cul-de-sac and small pubs & shops - is one of my favorite things about living here.

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Making Our House a Home

It's hard to believe, but we are coming up on six months here in the UK. The plan is to only be here 2-3 years, which means time is flying! So, by July 3, it is my goal to be done "settling in" here at the house. I've painted my kitchen wall (yea!), have all of the furniture that we need (and finished painting the corner unit I got on freecycle - see the photo below!), and am about done with the decorating. Still left to go on the list...

- Find curtains for our kitchen. (Our kitchen IS our pantry, with all of our dry goods out on shelves for the world to see... need to get a curtain rod and some curtains.)

- Replace curtains in the diningroom. (These are already purchased... I just need to hem & iron them and get them up!)

- Replace curtains in Ryan's room. (You'd think I'd have this done by now, but finding something simple and navy blue - trying to keep it dark as possible - has been easier said than done!)

- Hang/display photos. We have just one box still sitting in our conservatory to be unpacked. It's mostly photos and I just need to walk around the house with hammer and nails!

Corner Unit in Our Diningroom - Before & After

Kitchen Wall - Before

Kitchen Wall - After

Saturday, June 9, 2012

Edinburgh

Last weekend was the beginning of the half-term break (and also the Queen's Jubilee Celebration), so we took advantage of John's extra days off and drove up to Edinburgh. The kids loved the double decker tour bus and taking audio tours of the sites. We had nice, relatively-clear days (better than the rain they had in London!) and beautiful scenery along our drives. We do, however, note that these excursions are "family trips" - not "vacations." (The days were busy and full!)