What do you say?

Well, it has been an interesting 2 weeks.  On Mother's Day (in the states that is...) grandma fell.  Mom had always told her one more fall and it could be the point of no return.  And that was exactly it.  Gma fell and well her body just couldn't cope.  She hung on for a week and a bit but on Tuesday got to meet the man of her dreams....Jesus.  While it is sad that she isn't here anymore, it is so amazing to know that she is with the Lord singing her little lungs out for Him.  It has made me really thankful to come from such a great line of Christian woman.  You don't really think about that when you are growing up...but how lucky was I.  While at times it was embarrassing to have gma tell random people "Jesus loves you" or hear her pray or give her faith story...what an example!  She was a simple woman but she knew what mattered most...Jesus!  And she wasn't about to let anyone she knew go away not knowing she loved Him and that they should too!  I am so thankful to be able to say she was MY grandma!  I have more to say about her...but that is for my bit at the memorial service.

The rest of life has continued on....We had a great weekend celebrating our friend Gemma's 32nd birthday.  Met some fabulous new friends and really enjoyed our time down at Marham.  (That is the old base Mark use to be on when we first met.)  This week Gemma came up to help me clean out my closet...in other words to try and get all of my American size closet fit in my new WAY smaller British closet.  lol  It was nice to have her here when gma did pass...and even got to give my faith story to her which was really special to me.  The window fitters have been here and at the end of today Mark and I will have all new windows and doors.  Very nice!  So that is what is going on here.  Hope all of you are well.  As gma would say....Jesus loves you... and so do I.

Banging around...

So it has been an interesting week or so.  I am excited that the end result will be better, new, safe and secure windows and doors to our house and a new gutter system...however...the process ANNOYING!  They have been drilling our house, banging and really who knows what for the past week!  It is like living inside a construction site!  I hate it.  The t.v./ Internet goes out every other minute not to mention the power.  So frustrating....but like I said we will have nice new windows and doors when it is done so I guess I can't complain too much.  There will be pictures attached at the end.  Other than that I have been doing the usual...not much, yet staying busy.  This weeks grocery store shop was much more successful than the last...pin number remembered and all is well.  Driving is going well too.  I love my new found freedom.  Although last week I was used as a taxi service to take the boys in to work.  They had been out all night for one of their co-workers leaving party.  Lets just say I am glad I drove them in and that they didn't get behind the wheel of a car to go to work Friday morning.  It was amusing to say the least...funny enough they were all named Mark.  3 Marks and 1 Shara.  I got the good wife of the day title and was treated to a nice dinner later on...so hey...I can be a taxi service anyway if I get good food cooked for me at the end!

 This past weekend Mark along with his friend, the best man at our wedding, Daz and another guy he works with Zac, did a HUGE bike ride.  They were signed up to do 75 miles but the course got changed last minute so they only wound up doing 63miles.  I say "only" cause it makes Mark go crazy "...only...only...you do 63 miles..."that is his response lol.  Makes me giggle.  Anyways...they had a good time and finished which is the main thing!  Gemma, Daz's wife, came down and so we hung out in town while the boys were riding.  Much more my idea of a nice Saturday afternoon, ya know, sitting at Starbucks rather than pedaling but to each their own.  Gemma is the best!  She is someone I feel like I have known my entire life but haven't.  It is so nice to find a couple where I like Gemma as much as Mark enjoys Darren's company.  We are really so much alike...so it is nice to just spend time with them and laugh at each other.  Good times!

 Daz (Darren), Mark in middle, Zac in all black.

The most important news I have is that I will be home in less than a MONTH!!! 

OOOOOOO I am so excited!  Officially 29 days now but who is counting....oh yeah that's right me! lol  Looking forward to seeing a lot of you whether it be at church or some other event!  You might want to start making reservations at your local restaurants since I think I might be hitting one up every night I am home.  Oh...American food how I have missed you!  So just a heads up...Jimmy John's get your #4 sandwiches ready, Portillo's your beef, Panera your half Cesar salad half french onion soup, and Starbucks your ICETEA!  Cause I am coming!!! LOL Just a bit excited.  So that is that.  Hope to see you all soon!  Over and Out x

OH!  I almost forgot...the Peacock!  So we come home from town Sunday with Gemma and Darren and this is what we have in our drive.  A PEACOCK!  What on earth!  Literally was like less than 5 feet away from it.  Went to feed it some bread and it ruffled its feathers and kind of lunged forward.  I screamed and ran in the house. lol  But of all the things...a peacock on our drive.  Only in England...

But I know it in the states!!!

Ahhhh....So I had the most embarrassing, awful, wanted to run away screaming experience this past week.  Let me first say that Tuesday was a big day for me.  You see, I finally had the car to myself.  Mark had rode his pedal bike to work and I was left with the car to go grocery shopping and then out for coffee with a girl friend.  I was super pumped because this meant the return of my freedom.  Not like Mark has had me locked in the house...lol...but to be able to drive by myself and be self sufficient FINALLY is a huge deal to me!  So...day begins great.  I go for a good workout, I shower and am ready to go.  List in hand, I take my time, filling the cart to the brink cause it has been almost 2 weeks since we last went grocery shopping.  As I am unloading our goods on to the conveyor belt thingy I think....what is my pin?  You see over here in order to use a debit card you also have to enter your pin number.  So with no pin coming to mind I start to freak out.  I figure it will come to me with the keypad in front of me.  Well it didn't!  I try 3 times to get the number right with no success!  I go bright red, and break out into a full on sweat.  I tell the cashier I can't remember it.  She says do you have anything else to pay with?  I say no.  I don't have a credit card here and all my US ones are back at the house.  Meanwhile all the little old ladies who are behind me in line are giving me evil looks.  The things they must have thought...yeah right she has the money, foreigner  probably stole that card, you're holding up the line...shaking their heads.  So I panic...seriously freak out.  The cashier says, "Do you have anyone here you can call?"  I say, "I have no friends here...and my husband rode his bike to work so he can't even come help me!"  She gives me the pity look.  I say then..."But I know my pin in the states!"  Not much help here though...so I had to leave my groceries behind.  So embarrassing....absolutely mortified!  I found the humor later though.

The best part is I call the bank cause my card was then blocked.  The guy says he has to ask a few security questions.  Sure I say...he asks 1.  How much was deposited into your account yesterday?  I respond, "I don't know...it was my husbands paycheck."  2.  When did you open this account?  I say,
"Well I got here Sept. 30 so a week or 2 after that...but if you are asking when my husband did, since it is a joint account...I don't know...he was a teenager."  3.  How many accounts do you have here?  I say, "Well we have a checking, savings, and a credit card...but do you count the credit card?"  He says, "I need a number miss."  Me, "Ummm....3?"  Him, "I am sorry but you have not answered enough security questions right."  I freak out on the phone....saying things like... but I can tell you when my hubby was born, and our id number and password.  He responds calmly to my rant....just call again miss.

So I call again.  This time the person asks different questions...and so I am getting a new pin sent to my house.  I know there was a 7, a 5, and a 2 in my old pin...one of the numbers was used twice...don't know which....and I have not the slightest clue in what order they go in.  O well...that is what happens when you move countries when you are too old to be trying to memorize new things.  We had a good laugh about it when Mark came in.  I had called him numerous times panicked...he said he did all he could not to laugh....good thing he didn't laugh till I was laughing too.  Even though we have the same account our pin numbers are different...go figure.  So that was my entertainment for the day!

On another note...we are in a drought here.  Funny cause it has rained everyday for the last...well since before my parents came.  I also find it funny that the past April was the rainiest April in recorded history here in England.  Yet we still have a watering ban.  Not that any one needs to water...since it comes from the sky everyday but humorous non the less.

So yep.  Off to get the house ready for our weekend house guests, the Tetchner's.  Hope you all are well and can enjoy the humor of my recent story.  Only me...I swear!  Happy May!