Let the insanity begin...

Long, long ago (well, a week ago)...
In a Georgia town far far away (but still not as far as Larne)...

We bought this pretty house, and finally closed on it (hurray!). And in the mean time, the movers have collected our shtuff from Mom and Dad's and OTHER movers have been arranging for our Ireland things to be delivered, and my poor hubby has been sleeping on an air mattress in a very very empty house. So, here's is a list of our progress...

1. Bought and had delivered a Refrigerator and a washer and dryer from Best Buy. They're pretty. They're new. I like that.

2. Ordered a bed for Brett and I and a sectional couch for the family room from Ikea (my love for Ikea is forever...) and the lovely Ikea strong men will be bringing it to our house in a little over a week.

3. I've been pinning on Pinterest every day trying to get mentally prepared for the week that we have with Mom to paint and organize. I think I have a game plan. We'll see how it goes. I'm signing on for the 31 days to Cheaply organize your home. See the little tag ----------->
but that won't start until we get there. so give me 10 days for that :)

Here are some of the ideas I have for our home. Tell me what you think...
A) I LOVE this bath color for the 1/2 bath... image from: Federal Home Improvement, Inc

I think I want to frame our mirror and replace our faucet and fixtures. The toilet may have to get replaced, too...one of these days...but this bathroom is so pretty, and with a few extra touches to our 1/2 bath...it could be mine! Thoughts?

Hi from Indiana!

Well, folks, as per usual, I have slacked on my blogging. Not really surprising, I know. Things you should know about us in the past x months...

• We tearfully left Northern Ireland, our beloved home of the past 4 years and moved to our equally loved United States the week before Christmas.
• We are moving (at least that's the rumor) to Fayetteville, GA.
  
• We found and have purchased (closed today on it, in fact!) a gorgeous home that needs a lot of TLC. But it's ours and I don't have to ask permission from anyone (other than the pocketbook) to give out the TLC to it. Thank you very much.
• We are back to being a 2 car family. This, also, is pretty profound.
  
• We tried to move to Georgia last week, but I'm pretty sure that our storage unit provider of the past 4 years and the fabulous bank that previously owned our home were in cahoots to prevent our moving as we found our entire storage unit covered in mold (it was icky) and the bank (not ours, thankfully) kept asking us to move back our closing date. So the kiddos and I are still taking over Mom and Dad's house. Hopefully, that will get remedied quickly.
• Due to the mold, I am now faced with the stressful task of repurchasing EVERYTHING we need to live in this pretty house we just bought. Furniture, appliances, pots/pans, dishes, cleaning stuff, linens, and the list goes on. That would be fun, if I didn't have a budget or so much to get. So I think I'm gonna use this as a place to keep my brain straight.
  

First must haves?

A Washer and Dryer. A Refrigerator.

Praise God that there are President's Day Sales on at Best Buy this weekend ;)

Howdy!

I know. It's been a while. But I apologize over and over, and, ya know, nothing changes, so what do ya do?

Anyway.

12 weeks tomorrow is M day (M for Moving, not Murder like the movie would lead you to believe).

Marina has been a blessing and helping me sort 4 years of stuff into go and stay piles. Right now the piles are fairly even, but the goal is to whittle it down more...

I've been sewing things with our old unwanted clothes and I wanted to show you what I made yesterday morning while Little Miss was at school....
This was an old shirt of Brett's. She's worn it since school was out yesterday, so the pictures are a little rough, but in person, it is by far the cutest thing. Now back to the sewing machine...

Me

I'm on a quest. For me.

I love how Emma Stone's character in Easy A puts it at the very beginning of the movie, Youtube it if you can't remember her monologue at the opening of the movie. RUN and see it if you haven't. It really really is a good movie. So I'm not going to try and reword it.

Basically she says the search for one-self isn't profound. Because, well, it isn't.

But I've decided that, at 32 years young, living in a different country, residing in a house that is hideously horribly decorated and (VERY THANKFULLY) not ours, with my entire wardrobe either handknitted or a super clearance special, I need to think about who I am.

What are my preferences?
What is my style?

So I am on a quest to figure that out. Hopefully I'll be able to come to some conclusion over the next couple weeks...

Science vs Faith

In my travels, last week, between Dublin and Indianapolis, very few things made it through the fog of stress I was carrying with me. I grabbed a bus, I walked what felt like 10 miles to my terminal, I decided food would be a good idea. I called home while in line at the tiny coffee shop next to my gate, talked with my sweethearts, then hung up the phone when it became my turn to purchase my meager breakfast.

Nearby, at a table, sat 2 gentleman. What they looked like didn't make it through the fog, though I think they both had dark hair, but that doesn't effect my story. What I did notice through my fog of sleeplessness and stress, was that one was leaning on a very thick and heavily used Bible. The other was slouched back in his chair the way a teenage boy might do when he's trying to seem disinterested. The briefest part of their conversation that I caught went like this...

Sloucher Man: "But I simply cannot grasp the concept of anything that I cannot touch or feel. And I know that's cliche, but it's how I feel."

Bible Man: "Do you believe in Gravity?"

SM: "Yes."

BM: "But you can't see or touch gravity."

SM: "But I can see and feel the effects of gravity."

Croissant and water bottle balanced in one hand, and dragging my carry-on suitcase with the other, I maneuvered my way to a seat in my gate and missed the rest of their conversation. It had me thinking, though.

Many of us Christians try to use the, "but you've never seen a million dollars and you know that exists." or the same gravity argument when discussing the existence of God with non-believers. We're grasping at whatever we can come up with to prove that just because you can't see or touch God, doesn't mean He isn't out there.

For thousands of years, countless numbers have followed God, trusted in God, and given their lives to doing what God and Jesus would want us to. Thousands of years, nothing has changed. The laws stay the same. They don't waver with the times and society's rules. They ask the exact same thing generation after generation. When God says He will be faithful and steadfast, He means it and has proven it century after century. I give my utmost faith in the existence of my Creator, Father, and Lord God Almighty, because I KNOW with all my soul He's up there.

That doesn't mean I don't question the basic concepts that are God. I do all the time, but that's what He wants, as it keeps Him forefront in our minds.

I do struggle with science, though. I dare you to find a scientific "fact" that hasn't changed or adapted itself to our "evolved" thinking over the past 2000 years. The world was flat. Oops. I mean round. You can't sleep laying down, you'll upset the humors and die. Oops. Tylenol is amazing. Oops, it can ruin your liver. Shall I go on? Have a headache? It's demons so let's drill. Pluto is a planet? Or maybe it's a dormant star. Nothing is ever faithful and steadfast in science. Scientists don't agree on much, but when it comes to praising God, regardless of your denomination, the premise is pretty much the same.

I've heard, "I'm a scientist, I need hard evidence that proves the existence of a deity."

My problem with that statement is that science tends to disprove itself constantly, so blaming your atheism or agnostic beliefs on science is just building your house on sand at the water's edge. Give it time and that science will pull your foundation right out from under your feet.

The Murtaugh List (FB Survey #2)

Just a little How I Met Your Mother inspired survey for your reading pleasure...

The question was, tell me what you're too old for once you've hit 30.
(thanks to Julie Newcamp, Patrick Johnson, and Theresa Crowell for your additions!)

1. To dress like we're 19, unless we make a living hooking.
2. Any hard core sporting that was tough at 17 years of age.
3. To Stay out all night drinking
4. For random piercings that aren't in the ears
5. To play that comparison game that all of us women do.
6. Everything on Ted Mosby's list (Thanks Eric!)
7. To wear anything hot pink (well, anything neon at all)
8. to ogle any star that wasn't old enough to have been in high school when we were in college, EVEN if they're "of age" now. (Zach Efron, Taylor Lautner, you get my point)
9. To determine your life or self worth by sponging off of the "glory days" from high school
   

It was a short turn out for this weeks survey, but it was really kind of a tough one!

You might be a parent if...

(the results of my facebook survey, thank you to Theresa Crowell, Jessica Bowden, Katy Horning, Judi Pingle, Zara McKie-Hastings, Julie Campbell, Kathy Duncan, Susan McGeown, and Kristen Orosz!)

1. You are unable to walk out of the house without some sort of snot, pee, poop, spit up, or whatever else comes out of the little buggers all over you; even when you think you are clean. You aren't.
2. You can't go the day without singing Dora, Phineas & Ferb, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, or Handy Manny.
3. You can't walk across your floor without picking up at least one Cheerio on your foot.
4. You consider chicken nuggets, Mac & Cheese, Fish crackers, graham crackers, and peanut butter (if kiddo isn't allergic) the 5 basic food groups.
5. You are wondering just how many of these you can come up with.
6. You can't remember the last time you went to the bathroom alone.
7. You can smell a dirty diaper from across the room, even when no one else smells anything.
8. You absolutely understand now what YOUR parents meant when they said, "You'll understand one day."
9. You've ever said some form of, "I'm not being mean, I'm keeping you SAFE."
10. You say things you swore you would never say, I.E. "Stop crying before I give you something to cry about." "You get what you get and don't throw a fit." "I can't hear you when you're whining."
11. You randomly hum the theme song to Sponge Bob Squarepants.
12. The last 5 movies you have seen have been cartoons.
13. 9pm is past your bedtime
14. You can function on 2 hours of sleep.
15. Your family pet doubles as a vacuum cleaner
16. You own stock in Spray & Wash and hand sanitizer
17. You carry baby wipes, crackers, & matchbox cars in your purse.
18. You can't remember your life before kids.
19. No matter how badly your kids misbehave, you thank God for blessing you with them.
20. You can actually make a valid argument for nose picking because sometimes you've just gotta get those boogies out of their tiny noses!
21. You reach over to wipe food, dirt, gunk, etc. off of the face of someone who is not your child, and not even necessarily related to you.
22. You've developed chronic shoulder/back pain from lugging around a 15lb. diaper bag, a purse large enough to hold the overflow, and the child for whom you are toting all this stuff!
23. Even if your child is ugly, you think he/she is the most beautiful child on Earth.
24. Everything they do is better and cuter than anyone else's child.
25. You would stay up all night making a blouse for a school presentation the next day because you only learned about it just before your child went to bed.
    
26. Warm tea/coffee is a luxury to you.
27. Every time you open your bag for your wallet, you have to remove a diaper (nappy), baby wipes, tylenol (calpol), and a zhu zhu pet just to see the bottom of the bag.
28. Your car smells permanently of sour milk and is knee deep in lollypop wrappers (papers).
29. You sky plus (TIVO) list consists entirely of children's shows.
30. Pampering yourself means you got a shower this week.
31. The very loud screaming and crying fit in the store doesn't bother you. Even after you realize it's your own child doing it.
32. It's normal to microwave a cup of tea/coffee about 5 times and still drink it cold!
33. You begin to like the smell of baby vomit.
34. You are having a conversation with your significant other or even another adult and you use words such as, "boo boo" or "yuckies."
35. Most of your adult conversations are about your kids.
36. Even though you potty trained your last child 8 years ago, you still refer to the bathroom as the potty and ask everyone (even your spouse) if they have to go before you leave the house.
37. You refer to your husband as "Daddy" so often that you begin to forget what his real name is...
    
    
    

A New Blog...

So, Sadly, Theresa and I have decided to stop the joint Knitters Without Sitters blog. I'm a horrible blogger and she's great, but has her family one to tend to, so we're going our separate ways blog-wise. (Best Friend-wise we're still BFFs, just in case you were worried).

Also, The Davis' stay in good ole Ireland will come to a close in a few months, so The Davis' Irish Style didn't seem a good title any more.

After thinking it through, I wanted a blog that described our day to day life from here out, and needed to add my knitting patterns, too.

Fact #1: I knit...A. Lot.

Fact #2: I knit everywhere we go. The car, the movies, etc.

Fact #3: We're never home, so I get lots of knitting opportunities. (yay!)

Fact #4: I think my family tries to keep their distance from me when I whip out the needles and yarn (but they do their best to hide their humiliation).

Here's hoping this blog entertains...someone other than me...

Lemming

I wanted this first post to be about why I'm moving our site...again...and why I titled it the way I did...and blah blah blah. But that'll have to be my next post. This topic is too important to ignore...

If it has "Knits" in the title, I feel it should be about knitting, too. But this story only begins with knitting.

Last night, at Knit Group (see told you...knitting), a discussion came about concerning God and everyone's beliefs or lack there of. A couple members admitted their belief that there is no God, or their feelings that they weren't sure. Others stayed silent. I, just couldn't let it go.

If they're able to voice their opinion that there's simply no God, then why can't I stand up and say, "I believe with all my heart that there is a God."? Why has it become so PC to shyly ignore your faith in The One who takes care of and loves you?

It was mentioned that they believed God to fall into the same category as Faeries and Greek Mythology. That reading the stories from The Bible was exactly the same as reading any other fictional collection of tales. My heart truly broke. For God. For them.

How could you not look at your children and see God in every cell? They have the perfect hair color, cheeks that you can't resist kissing, eyelashes that reach Heaven. They delight in everything and fear nothing. They want only to be loved and praised. Every adult looks at a happy child and thinks, "I wish I could go back to when things were that simple." or "I wish I got tickled over the small things."

How can you watch a child and sincerely think that little person, in all that they are, is just a result of "coincidence," "evolution"?

I've heard people talk about Christians being "naive" and "gullible." I have to say with absolute certainty that it's the opposite.

One of the girl's quoted last night (from who I can't remember or seem to find on Google) that without Religion, there would be no war.

SERIOUSLY????

That's the equivalent of thinking that if a high school girl had better clothes/hair/body, or a boy was smarter/more athletic/handsomer, they wouldn't get bullied. Get real.
Kids will find something else to ridicule each other over. It's reality. So's the fact that war would happen whether or not religion existed. People have differences, some people have less tolerance for those differences. War would ensue. That, my friends, is also reality. Religion is just a scapegoat.

And my last pet peeve about non-Christians. WHY DO YOU CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS/EASTER IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE IN CHRIST?????? The 2 biggest Christian holidays of the year. Christmas = Christ's Birth. Argue over when Christ was actually born all you want, but December 25, CHRISTMAS, is when JESUS CHRIST'S BIRTH is celebrated. That's what Christmas is. Easter is the celebration of Christ rising from the grave, saving all of mankind from sin and death. It's not about Santa or the Easter bunny, gifts or treats. Why on earth would you celebrate that if you didn't believe? Christmas is the one time of year when prices are highest. Why on earth would you celebrate the birth of Christ, just to spend more money? Makes sense to me.

When I posed this question to the group last night, the response was basically because everyone else is doing it, and we're just following the masses.

What are we? Lemmings?

In a generation that is so determined to strive for individuality and non-conformity, following the masses sounds a little hypocritical, doesn't it?

I'm proud to be a follower of Christ, a child of God. I want my kids to know how important praising God is.

I can't wait to get out of a war-torn country, where the war still rages between religions. It's a drag to hear how many people have given up...

It's been a long year...

And it's only mid February!

Bubby's had one thing right after another since early January. Now he's on the tail end of a cold.

Hazel? She woke up this morning with a fever of 104. Thankfully, we've done the whole ibuprofen and acetaminophen and cold bath thing and her temp is going down.

I feel blessed that this is all we're dealing with, because I'm very aware that things could get much much worse. However, I'm hoping the rest of the year goes quick and smooth.

I'm ok with getting all the crap out in the first 2 months :)

Glad He knows me so well...

Does God test us to show us our limits? Right now, that seems really the only logical explanation for any trials and tribulations. He knows our limits. He knows what we're capable of. He knows exactly who we are, what we can do, what we're made of.

I'm glad He knows.

Right now I'm struggling with my own strength...

Fuzz...

It's what my brain feels like. There's only about 10 billion things going through my brain right now and it's making me sleepy just trying to organize any of them.

I need to sew Hazel's reclaimed dress. It's cut out and ready to go, I just need to get the lead out and sew it up. But that requires me to break out the sewing machine, which I may do tonight.

I need to finish the back of my sweater I started last week so I can have my #8 needles back and finish my hat :)

I need to re-pack the suitcases so I can take 2 back with me...as well as the 2 kids and their carseats/strollers. I'm pretty sure I can make this trip back to NI with them alone. We're going to go with, "YES! I CAN make that trip alone." Just so I don't have an anxiety attack between now and then. (But I really do think I can completely do it alone. Seriously, we'll be A-Ok).

I need to get my driver's license renewed for the good ole US of A.

Get Bubby to the doctor again on Thursday to make sure his ear infection is cleared up before we head out on Saturday.

I can't believe we've only 1 week left for this trip. I can't believe we aren't here for good. 11 months will go really really fast, right?

One Year Later...

A lot has gone on in the months that have followed my last post.

We're still in Northern Ireland. And will be for another year.

We've had a gorgeous baby boy named, Callum Elijah.
He's perfect, and amazing, and literally everything I could have ever asked God to bless me with (just like his big sis)....

I flew to London in September.

Hazel turned 3 in September.

and started school 1 week later....

We visited Rome in October.


don't ask about the picture...I'm still angry about the pictures (I got duped out of 20 Euro).

Then we headed home for Christmas about 3 weeks ago. I still can't believe we've been here for 3 weeks already, but time flies when you're runnin' about havin' fun, huh??

I promised myself this year wasn't going to start off with resolutions that I wouldn't keep. I've never really done it in years past, but I really don't think I should start now, either.

But I have decided to do things to make this year fly by as completely fast as possible. I get to move home in 11 months, and I have decided to approach this year as time I get to prepare for our return home. Knit until my fingers fall off, sew all I can while I have access to my sewing machine, start a FYI book for Adam and Lindsay for their move to St. Andrews, Scotland in August.

I may not be Martha Stewart. But darn it, I'm gonna do my best.

I'm wondering at what point my kids will get sick of my blow-through-the-year-at-lightning-speed attitude?

Where to begin?

We have been informed that 11 weeks from last night we absolutely have to be where we are going to be. I will be 28 weeks pregnant and of the 2 OBs I'm currently under (here and in America) neither of them will give me the written permission I need to travel during my 3rd trimester. Period. This, I have been informed, is non-negotiable.

That being said, we have zero idea where we are going and as fun as that is for single people and couples without kids, it's almost more fun to have a root canal when you're trying to move a family at last moment (I've done both. Atleast you get general anesthesia with the root canal).

But I'm straying from the original thought I had when posting this. I could go on for days about how I think businesses would be more...well, EVERYTHING positive...if they worked a little harder on their time management, but that's not where I'm going with this, and so I'll get on with it.

Where do I begin to get ready to go home??!!!??

I think I'm dragging my feet because I don't want to pack what we're taking home and sell/donate the rest if everyone's going to change their mind.

I've decided to pack what we aren't using that we KNOW is going home. That includes Hazel clothes that she's outgrown, books we've read, things I can't wear in my pregnancy.

Then we have to hold a Car boot sale to get rid of stuff. That'll consume one of the 11 Saturdays we have left.

Then I have to clean a house that never stays clean because I have a 2 year old. Anyone who thinks that will take a weekend is dillusional and should avoid ever having children.

10 weeks. 69 days. 1656 hours.

11 Saturdays.
-1 for Brett
-1 for Hazel
-1 for Me
-1 for Carboot sale
-3 for family outtings (which we are NOT giving up...don't even mention it or you'll quickly regret it, I promise I will not hold back and you'll wish you'd kept it to yourself)
= 4 Saturdays to get our affairs in order

Combine this stress with Pregnancy hormones (which, unfortunately, are not the happy-go-lucky hormones I had with Hazel), I'm a pretty mean human right now.

So as I sit and stare at my messy living room, all I can think is, where do I begin?

Why Can't I pick when I get to have energy?

Yesterday was planned out to be super productive. I had my plans set and I was feeling good, motivated, and set to make my plans happen.

But they didn't happen as I wanted them to, but that's a whole other story we won't get into.

Anyway, my kitchen is now full of mounds of laundry. My bedroom is barely showing hints at having a wood floor in it. Hazel's room is nice and tidy, bed is made. I feel accomplished in that and the amount of laundry I have succeeded in doing up to this point, but there's a long way to go, and as we're not exhibitionists, we dirty up more laundry every day, so unless i buckle down and stay on top of laundry that requires 2-3 hours a load, it'll never get done...but DARN IT, I am determined. It will absolutely happen.

Hazel and I are stayng home from mom and tots to get stuff done, but today I am exhausted, and although I've had a shower, she's had a bath, we've done a load of laundry, folded another and put it away, I still need to do so much more and can't muster the energy. Hazel's clearly worn out from the past couple days b/c she's so mellow and having a good time watching TV, and building with her blocks, that I feel guilty pushing us too hard today.

In other news, Little Miss has decided that being potty trained sounds great, although it's only at her discression and when she wants a gummy bear. Otherwise she's in no hurry and really has no interest in actually BEING potty trained. Suppose to wait until we move home in April anyway, so I'm not too worried. She's wearing a large 3T, but 4T in most things, plus she's got this enormous vocabulary and comprehension skills, so we tend to forget that she is only 2 years and 4 months, not 4. There's no rush. It'll happen. She's proven she can do it, so it's just a matter of waiting until she's ready and willing.

I've recently (as in 2 months ago) discovered Bakerella. If you've never seen or heard of this blog, run as fast as your web browser will let you and just spend 1/2 hour skimming. You'll never be the same, I swear. Go to the Brownies section and try the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies. Brett's addicted, they're sinfully simple and you can mix and match the cookie dough in it. I used the Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie mix once...fantastic. Then, if you're daring and don't mind a little mess, try the Cake Balls. Oh my goodness, will life at your house never be the same. Bakerella rocks my socks off.

Now, I'm a die hard fan of The Yarn Harlot, as many of you know, but I'm slowly being won over by the dear lady who gives us free baking recipes and tips....sorry, Stephanie, you'll never be replaced, but you're quickly having to share a spot in my heart....

Scrambled Eggs**

**please be aware that this post contains gross child related content. those of you with weak tummys...just be prepared...

Yesterday started out as every Sunday does. Brett got up, then Hazel, then they had to con Mommy out of bed. Sunday mornings in America were always Church then Brunch at Bob Evans. Well, Hazel and I have attempted church 2ce here. The first time was a disaster. The 2nd was no less a disaster, but it was for a friend's baptism, so we endured. The thing about church here is that they don't have nursery's during the service. So I wrestle a antsy 2 year old, then take her to the narthex so she doesn't interrupt other parishoners, so I don't hear any of the sermon. Not worth it. I don't go to church for Bonus Points or to look good. I go to learn and be closer to God, and as that doesn't happen with a 2 year old and no nursery, we just don't go. Grill me all you want, but if you expect me to go when I can't be there for the proper purpose of going to church, then maybe YOU aren't going for the right reasons. End of story.

Anyway, back to my story...

Sunday mornings are dedicated to our family since we can't go to church, and we do our best to get to Breakfast between 9 and 10:30. Ulster Fry (google pics, it's a big heart attack on a plate) is Brett's fave meal over here, and Cafe Spice has the best we've found up to this point, so we get dressed and go!

We get there, get settled at our "usual" table, and I go order our breakfast. Brett's never changes, and Hazel's always varies between Eggs and Peem Peems (Pancakes...ask Brett), and mine is never the same now that I'm preggo and can't have fried eggs (I want runny yolks, none of this cooked all the way through business), so after figuring out what H wants, I go up and order for us.

Yesterday she wanted eggs, so I got her scrambled eggs.

Now, let me preface by saying that scrambled eggs over here...regardless of where you get them...are gross. As in, really really nasty, think really bad hospital/airplane scrambled eggs. I don't know what the collective masses over here do to their scrambled eggs, but they're either insanely watery (not under done watery, like soaked in water watery) or feta cheese dry. Both are equally nasty. But I digress...

She got her eggs, I got my bagel, and Brett got his fry.

We were happy.

We were together.

Life was good.

We were almost done with breakfast and Hazel got a very strange look on her face, then proceeded to let out this enormous belch. She giggled, we tried not to laugh (twas impossible) and let her know she should say, "excuse me," and then the funny look returned.

Without warning, scrambled eggs projectiled out and down. All down her front, all over the place.

And it smelled.

to this pregnant woman, it smelled so bad that Brett had to clean it up as I couldn't even be near the table (have I mentioned what an incredible hubby and daddy Brett is? Not lately? Oh, let me tell you he is by far the best and most amazing...hey, he cleaned up scrambled egg puke and didn't complain).

Breakfast was over. That fast.

Need a quick exit for a meal? Take a 2 year old and encourage her to vomit. Will do the trick every time.

All the way home she complained of her tummy hurting. We got home, got her some water, changed her into Jammies and she laid on the couch watching Tinkerbell for about 45 minutes, just being mellow. Near naptime, she acted better, and post naptime she was great.

We decided to end our Sunday with a family movie. It was our first family movie and it went great. Hazel inhaled a large popcorn, which was amusing, and luckily didn't end in a tummy ache. We watched Alvin and The Chipmunks 2, which, in it's defense was the perfect movie out for Hazel and was significantly better than the first. Worth taking your kids to.

That was our Sunday. Interesting, but memorable.

That's all I ask for any day of the week...

It's a Rather Blustery Day

Wind. And lots of it. It's blowing over the chimney, making it sound like there's an air raid going on above our house. It's doing it's best to break in through the patio doors in the dining/toy room. It's cutting out our Satellite so that every so often while I was giving Hazel a "tubby" I would hear Brett cry out as it was interrupting his Rugby match (go Ulster!).

It's windy outside.

I'd never experienced real wind until we moved here. "Gale force" is such a mild sounding name for the insanity going on outside. Used to be that it would make me very nervous as, in the Midwest, if you get this kind of wind, you better be prepared for whatever season appropriate weather was blowing in. Now, it's just annoying to have to turn up the TV to hear. It's hard to ignore when you're trying to fall asleep and hear nothing but the banshees SCREAMING outside your walls. And all of it is just wind...for no reason!

I, personally, prefer Thunder. At least it has an almost symphonic resonance to it...

Another Crazy Year Ahead

Hi Everyone!

Welcome to 2010!!!

Sorry it's been over a month, but what an insane month. Traveling home is wonderful, but doing so over the holidays is exhausting. We ran pretty much from the moment we left our house in Larne until 2 days ago when I dropped Matt and Eric off at the airport. It was a whirlwind, but it was fantastic. We saw lots of family and only a couple friends, but we weren't worried as we're moving back to the states in April! YAY!!! We SHOULD be able to catch up with all then :)

Matt and his friend Eric came back with us and did a very speedy visit of Northern Ireland...even made the trip to the Republic to see Dublin for one day. It was a lot of fun to have them here. We were all really really tired, but it was worth it. I, personally, think the coolest thing they did was sneak into Cairndhu house. They both took some cool pictures and Matt even got a little video. I'm so jealous. I am not, however, going to climb through an old derilict house while preggo. Things that aren't safe for someone who's not pregnant, is a major no-no for those who are, ya know? But they were sweet enough to bring me back a roof shingle...a shale tile. Too fantastic. It needs scrubbing.

I told Brett I was taking this week to recover from the past month, and then, on my honor, I am going to tackle this house. We have 13 weeks to divide everything up into "sell it", "ship it", or "recycle it". Marina and I are going to have a couple of carboot (think, TRUNK...brits call it the boot) sale to try to get something out of some of this stuff. It seems ridiculous to think that we moved over here with 4 suitcases full of stuff. It's grown a bit.

We are mid-cataloging our movies to start the organization process and just going through Brett's DVD case (H and I have one each, too) and NOT counting all the individual DVDs within seasons of different shows, he has 282. That being said, there's 3 DVDs unaccounted for in Little Britain, 25 DVDs not accounted for in Knight Rider, then there's the entire BSG series and miniseries, 2 seasons of Big Bang Theory, 4 seasons of Star Trek Enterprise, and well, you get the point. Tonight we have to go through Hazel and my cases and then we have a whole case in America. It's an illness, I swear.

Well, not much other to report, just taking it easy while we're here. Supposed to go to Emma's house today but we haven't heard anything from them and I suddenly have about 10 phone calls to make to America, so we'll see what happens!

Big hugs!

Christmas at Glenarm...

I'll be pretty quick with this post...

Took Hazel to the Christmas evening at Glenarm Castle tonight. We went last year and it was the best Christmas celebration. Live manger scene, live reindeer, she gets to see Santa and recieves a really nice present from him, then afterwards we all get a plate of snacks and she gets juice while Daddy and I get mulled wine or tea and coffee.

They added a few things and re-arranged everything, but it was essentially the same and just as wonderful!

Here are a few pics...

Writing Santa a letter...Posting the letter...In Santa's sleigh with Mommy...with Daddy...Snacks and warm food afterwards!

Hazel's first Christmas present for 2009...

A little update....

Brett's contract is up in June of 2010. Hazel and I are moving home in April (hopefully Brett will be, too), and that leaves a short 14 weeks of life here in Northern Ireland once we're home from Christmas.

Due to those facts alone, Brett and I have decided that we won't do a whole lot by way of Presents for Hazel for Christmas. We'll be bringing the bare minimum back from our Holiday trip home, so stuff for the little miss will simply be left there and that's just not fair to her, epecially when she's too little to know whether she's getting much or not.

We decided, as one of her "presents" this year, that it would be fun for her to get a mini-pedicure this morning while I was getting my manicure for the FG Wilson christmas party tonight. It's not something I would normally do for a 2 year old, but it's not an everyday occasion and it's fun everyonce in a while to have a girls day out at the spa.

She's just thrilled about everything. "Sparkwie pink, mama." We had to show daddy right away (he was at home). It was a great morning.Diane taking off Hazel's shoes...Bare Tootsies...Toes seperated...Now for the left foot...

"This one, peeze."Letting our tootsers dry...This is the color I got, Mommy...Pretty "sparkwie pink" toes...A pampered girl....