SO...I have taken a break from my weekly updates. I will be back in action in the coming weeks but it was just too much to blog when I was home in the states. Lets go back in time for a moment and I will give you a very brief...well at least I will try and be brief, update of the past month or two.
Chicago bound...
Week 1:
The first thing we did when we got to Chicago is say goodbye to grandma. She had pasted away at the end of May and we were fortunate enough to be able to make in home in time for her memorial service. She would have been beaming, grinning from ear to ear, at what was said about her at the service. I had the opportunity to speak and was grateful to do gma justice. She would have loved how much Jesus was talked about and well it just was a good day...sad of course, but really glorifying to the Lord which is what counts the most. Mark and I did a BUNCH of shopping that first week as well which was way over due for me. I feel like I got a years worth of shopping done in 3 days lol. At the end of week one I got to go to a good friends wedding (Keller) with Mark and we had a blast!
Week 2:
Ate so much food that the thought of eating again made me almost sick. While I loved every minute of it the amount that we ate is what I think most people would call gluttony. But mmmmmm it was good. Mark and I went downtown and looked around and just really had a good time chilling out with my family. Had a Duffy's night out downtown which is well a story in and of itself...if you haven't heard you prob. don't want to. Lets just say both Mark and I were shaking our heads and repeated the phrase..."we are too old for this!"
Week 3:
Mark left mid week. It was strange to say bye in the airport, like we had done so many times before, but this time he was going home to our home...and well if we are both honest we both were excited to have some "alone" time. Don't get me wrong we both missed each other...but time with our respective girl/guy friends is priceless to us both and so it was good to catch up. I got to hang out with old high school friends and also got to go to another wedding (Ellison) at Brookfield zoo. A bit on the warm side but cool to see a kid I babysat for get married. Crazy!
Week 4:
A blur...I saw so many friends it seriously was a blur. Got to see old camp friends...amazing, school friends...brilliant, and just about everybody in-between. It is sooo good to know I have life long friends and that it doesn't matter where in the world I am...they will always be there for me. You have no idea how wickedly awesome that is! Thanks to all of you who made time to hang out with me...it meant the world to me!
Week 5:
My friends Katie and Dave, with son Matty, and Rebecca came in from Cali to see me. Plus I got the bonus of Marcy coming up from Florida to chill too. Ahh....life was good. Hung out downtown with the girls, and again saw so many more people. Becca stayed with me at my parents house which was great cause we got to have some amazing girl talk. Nothing like a best friend chat...it is good for the soul. And with that I was off again. Flew back to England after being in the states for 5 full weeks. The time went by crazy fast but I will say it was good to come back to my house and my stuff and do things my way. Lol.
Mark picked me up from the airport...and ready....are you sitting down for this....he brought me flowers! This is a first out of all the times I have flown over the pond to see him. It caught me totally by surprise. In fact I think I might have been speechless for a few seconds! Imagine that! That was a for sure sign he missed me and for that I felt like the queen of my castle. While I know he appreciates all that I do in the house and for him while he is at work...I think he REALLY appreciates it now. You never know just how good it is until it is gone for a week...or in this case 2 1/2. My fav. line was....and I quote, "This house is just so big when you are gone, and man I make a mess." Ahhhhh music to my ears. It is nice to know you are needed and well...I missed him too.
Since being back I have restored the garden to its former beauty. 5 weeks gone will give you just a FEW (million) weeds. I have cleaned the house...bless him he tried to do it while I was gone...but yeah...just not the same. I have applied for like 15 different store jobs...something to get me out of the house and money in the bank. And well...that is really about it. I have done better at adjusting back to life in England than I thought I was going to and honestly I think it was exactly the right amount of time to be gone. My daily amusement is the peacocks here. They had babies while I was gone. While there is only one left...he sure is cute! They scared me today...literally sitting at my back door when I opened it to go hang laundry up...about had a heart attack but regained composure. Only to walk up my stairs to see they had moved to the top of the garage/ perch of my front door. Again thought...are you trying to kill me here birds...but got some really great pics of the happy family of 3. So cool...who would have thought peacocks...so yeah.
Enough rambling...I am sure there are some spelling mistakes mom...so deal...and grammar too but I can't bother to read through it so sorry if that annoys you readers but I got errands to run. Hope you all are well and thank you for making coming home so amazing. I feel truly blessed to have friends and family...yes even you my crazy mama to come home too. Love to you all...
