March

I love that it is almost the middle of March! Spring is my favorite, and I've loved seeing the temperatures start to rise and the sun shining a little bit more. We went on a walk one beautiful morning a couple weeks ago, and it was my favorite. We even saw little baby lambs!

Things are still pretty wet and soggy around here, but there are signs of spring everywhere. I hear this was an unusually mild winter (we never got any snow) and I definitely wasn't missing winters of my past in Utah and New York! I have a feeling this spring and summer is going to fly by, so I'm hoping to enjoy every bit of it that I can!

We got a trampoline from some neighbors that are moving, and it has been the absolute best thing ever. Matthew and Anna are out there rain or shine, while I watch from inside our cozy, warm house. :)

Blenheim Palace

On Monday we spent the morning at Blenheim Palace. It is not far from our home, and I was excited to finally go visit. The palace was amazing - so ornate and fancy and HUGE! We only saw a small part of it before the kids were ready to head outside to run around.

The grounds were also incredible. The gardens were so interesting and pretty, even in winter. We can't wait to see them in the spring and summer! There was an awesome hedge maze that Matthew led us through, and a fun little train ride from the palace to some of the gardens.


We got an annual pass, so we are definitely looking forward to our next visit! There is a whole lot more to see, so we'll be back soon!

Six Months

Next week we will have been here in England for six months! It actually feels like a lot longer than that for some reason, but the last couple of months have really flown by. I'm really looking forward to the spring when everything starts growing and blooming again. The countryside will be gorgeous!

We live in a neighborhood on the edge of a small-ish town. It has most everything we need, but just not a whole lot of options. We also do a lot of our shopping on base in our tiny commissary. We are about 30 minutes away from some bigger towns that have malls, Ikea, and other stores we sometimes need.

We still love visiting the small villages that are all around. We went on a nice muddy walk on a footpath in Kidlington over Christmas break. It feels so good to get outside when it is sunny, since a good part of every day is rainy and overcast. All the fields are flooded and the ground is so saturated with water I don't think it will ever dry out! :)

I was nervous about driving when we first got here, but surprisingly I got used to it pretty quick. The roads are really narrow and winding, and there are no shoulders. I used to feel like my car wouldn't even fit in the lane and I'd grip the wheel in fear every time someone came the other direction! There are also TONS of roundabouts - they use them at every intersection instead of traffic lights. They were a little intimidating at first, but now I don't mind them (at least the small ones). Driving at night is not my favorite, since there are no street lights anywhere and it is pitch black.

We are really happy with our home and schools and the base. Things definitely are different here, and sometimes I feel like we stick out like a sore thumb. But everyone is always so friendly and we've really had a great experience so far. Here's to the next six months!!

Home

We still have a few boxes hanging around, and most rooms don't have anything up on the walls, but we are slowly getting there. Here are a few peeks at some of my favorite spots around our house. January is always a nice time for projects and organization since it seems like time slows down so much after the holidays. Our winter hasn't been too cold, but it has definitely been wet so we still spend most of our time inside!


And Legos, of course I had to include the Legos that are always spread all over the floor. :)

Baby

Last week seems like a bad dream. At my 13 week appointment, the doctor was not able to find a heartbeat or blood flow to the baby. We were completely shocked and devastated. I had surgery a few days later, and finally feel like I have a minute to wrap my head around everything. We have had much help and love from friends here, and have felt a lot of peace and hope. It has been very hard, but I know that we will be okay. I am grateful for Matthew and Anna and their steady faith. I'm grateful for people that become our family when our real family is so far away. I am grateful for the things I know and feel that carry me through hard times like this. We feel much joy and hope for the future.

Happy New Year and Happy News!

Happy New Year! 2013 was pretty exciting with our big move to England, but it looks like 2014 has it's own excitement in store. We've been waiting patiently (and sometimes not-so-patiently) for quite a long time for another baby to join our family, and we are thrilled to announce that a little one will be arriving in July!!

Matthew and Anna are excited and have promised to be big helpers. I get a little nervous sometimes since we are definitely out of baby-mode. I haven't changed a diaper in almost two years, we have no binkys, sippy cups, or high chairs laying around our house. Our kids sleep through the night, dress themselves, and feed themselves. It definitely feels like we are starting over! But I can't wait for a lot of one-on-one time with this little babe since both Matthew and Anna will be in school soon after it is born.

One of the best things about this is that my sister, Robin, is due with her first baby on EXACTLY THE SAME DAY. We are so excited for them, too!