Changes... (Cue Tupac song)

WOW... I was doing so good there for a while.. then life hit the fan! : )

So I wanted to share a blog that kind of brings everything in our lives up to date.. Starting with the end of April.. Towards the end of April I began working a bunch again, and we went into full time house hunting mode in preparation for my visit home in May. So those last few weeks of April, first few weeks of May pretty much flew by!

Then on May 14th I was on a plane that was Kansas bound!! I got to spend 2 3 weeks in Kansas (my trip got extended a little due to what we'll just refer to as an over booked flight). While home, I hardly had time for anything but house hunting! It was looking pretty bleak at first... On the first day we went and saw 5 houses... and all I could say was.. eh... They were nice.. just not perfect! I was about ready to give up when we broadened our search a bit and chose our top 10 houses of the 87 new houses our realtor sent us. Of those 10 we I got to go see our most favorite 5. And surprisingly I loved 3 of those 5!! I invited my parents to come along to help with the decision, and we decided to move forward with Everett's favorite. If you go to this website you can read all about our new house and see some pictures: Our New House!! I call these pictures "before" pictures.. because I have LOTS of changes planned!! : )

So with the house found, we started getting paperwork together! And in a few short days we will officially be home owners!! (And I can officially cross one of my 30 before 30's off!!) On a home Everett has never even seen before!! Wow.. he's a trusting guy.. that's why I love him! : )

So, with a job acquired and a place to live under my belt, my only task is to finish packing up and figuring out how to get me and the dogs back to the states! I should be arriving on July 9th via military jet, and the pups should be coming around the 18th, but I'll have to go pick them up in Texas! So that means I only have 2 weeks and 1.5 days left in England.. SAD FACE!!!!!

I have really really enjoyed my time here, seriously one of the best experiences in my life!! Definitely got to check a lot of bucket list items off! I know that many of you are worried about how Everett and I will deal with the distance. Obviously it is not going to be easy, but we already have numerous trips planned back in forth for the year. For example I'm coming back to England for Christmas and next summer, and he's coming back to the states in September, October, and maybe sometime in the spring. I will be extremely busy as a Middle School teacher, and he has been and will be super busy finishing up his degree so he can move forward in his career!!

This next month will be bringing lots of changes for the Marshalls.. some we look forward to, others not so much! I plan to continue this blog sharing experiences I had overseas, including future ones!

XOXO : )

I Will Survive!

At first I was afraid, I was petrified. Kept thinking I could never live without you down the street, but then I spent so many nights thinking how you did me wrong and I grew strong; I learned how to get along!

Part Three: Surviving without Walmart

So, I'm obviously doing these posts in a very haphazard order... I just post what I'm feeling that day, and today I'm feeling Walmart (not literally, of course). Off subject, you can thank my Mom for the little ditty above, her ability to turn any mundane thing into a song throughout my youth has carried over to me. My students thank her every day I'm sure of it!

Back on subject.. Yes, I have lived the last 2 years without Walmart.. and I LOVED IT!! Do you realize how much extra money is spent in superstores such as that?!?! I didn't until I moved here! We are way old school here in England, like we still have butchers and bakers, and probably candlestick makers... And they all set up shop on High Street. The closest thing they have to Walmart here is called ASDA, and the closest one is about 30 mins away. Too far.

I'm not going to lie, this was one of my biggest fears of moving overseas. Yes, I was afraid of not having a Walmart within 1 mile of my house. Where in the world was I going to buy my shampoo at?! Luckily we do have the BX on base (that's the Base eXchange for all you non mil out there) where I buy most of my household goodies now. But it's just not convenient like Walmart. Because there are 3 bases within about 15 miles of each other over here, our BX is split up between the 3 bases which makes it way inconvenient. On RAF Mildenhall (where Everett works), we have sporting goods, pets, toys, gardening, and tools. On RAF Lakenheath (where I work), we have household goods, clothing, make up, and electronics. On RAF Feltwell, they have furniture. If I wanted pet food, a new desk, and a waffle iron, I'd have to go to THREE stores instead of just one. Oh, and don't even think about buying food there! You have to go to a commissary for that....

Obviously, though, I'm fairing much better than if we were to solely live off the economy (that means buying off base). I don't even know where I would purchase something like a waffle iron at here in England!

I promise I didn't intend for this post to sound like a huge rant. My point was to say, "Yes America, it is possible to live without Walmart!" Second, I'm truly scared of seeing my money saving skills go down the drain once I live closer to a Walmart again. Third, well... I don't have a third reason... Really I'm just bored and procrastinating on studying for an upcoming test...

On a last and final random note, I didn't really think about it until I was discussing this with friends the other day, but whenever us overseas folks go back home and enter a Walmart again for the first time it is extremely overwhelming to us. Because we don't have stores so large over here, it takes us a bit of time to get used to it again. So don't laugh when I'm home next and you take me to Walmart and I cower in the corner with pee dribbling down my leg... Just take my hand and let me know that everything's gonna be alright...

What's up, Your Majesty?!

Part Two: What is the likelihood of meeting royalty?

To give you a picture of your odds of meeting royalty, I will give you a few statistics... According to the 2010 Census, the population of Great Britain (to see what area of land is included refer to Part One) is 62,218,761 (google.com). The number of members of the Royal Family residing in Great Britain are approx. 25 (wikipedia.com). That means you have a .0000004% chance of seeing a Royal. Right? Eh.. whatever I'm not a statistician...

Now we all know that our chances are significantly increased when we attend a function where Royalty will be present. For example, the Queen holds the Royal Ascot races every summer in June and attends all 6 days of the races. She also does a Royal Parade before the races every day, so as long as you are there and paying attention, you will be able to see the Queen!

Picture I took of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh at the Royal Ascot 2011

  I did not get to meet her, but at least I can say that I've seen her!

So let's say for some odd reason, you actually get to meet the Queen... what do you do?!?! Here are a few tips taken from Hello, Your Majesty: Rules for Meeting the Royal Family:

Do rise when the queen walks into the room. The only person who was exempt from this particular rule was the Queen Mother, who passed away in 2002.
Don’t introduce yourself. Wait to be presented by a host or attaché.
Do bow or curtsy if you’re a British subject or a citizen of any part of the Commonwealth. Americans are under no obligation to show deference in this way (since they are not her subjects), but a small nod of the head or curtsy-like motion is still appropriate and appreciated.
Don’t make exaggerated displays of fealty, such as a Japanese-style bow from the waist or a low, sweeping curtsy. A low nod is the proper form for a bow, and a small, dainty curtsy is fine. However, if you happen to be particularly graceful or well-practiced in the art of the curtsy, it’s said that Her Majesty greatly appreciates the gesture.
Do feel free to make eye contact and smile.
Don’t offer your hand to be shaken or touch the queen in any way. Even after a first meeting, it’s a good rule of thumb to never attempt to touch any member of the royal family.
Do take her hand to shake if she offers it.
Don’t grasp tightly or shake vigorously.
Do refer to the queen as “Your Majesty” the first time you address her. After this first time, feel free to address her as “Ma’am.” The queen, since she is the monarch, is the only member of the royal family who should ever be referred to as “Majesty”; anyone else should be called “Your Royal Highness” on first meeting and “Sir” or “Ma’am” on subsequent meetings.
Don’t ever refer to any member of the royal family by his or her first name. Instead, refer to him or her by title. The queen should always be referred to as “Her Majesty,” and other members of the family should be referred to as The Prince of Wales or The Duchess of Cornwall instead of Prince Charles or Lady Camilla.
Do dress appropriately and conservatively to meet the queen. Modest sleeveless dresses are acceptable for ladies; if a woman chooses to wear gloves, it’s not necessary to remove them. It’s also not necessary for men to wear hats, but it is still appropriate. If a hat is worn, it should be removed before being presented to the queen.
Don’t ask the Queen or any member of the royal family any questions about their personal lives, political opinions, or anything even the least bit controversial. If you have even the slightest doubt about whether a question or comment is appropriate, skip it.
Do make polite conversation, following Her Majesty’s lead. Keep conversation general, impersonal, and suited to the occasion. There’s no need to be overly serious or formal, but it’s also not the time to crack jokes.
Don’t address any royal personage as “you.” Refer to whomever you’re speaking to in the third person. Rather than “Are you enjoying the weather?” ask, “Is Your Majesty enjoying the weather?”

If you can't remember what to do, just do what comes naturally... Unless what comes naturally looks something like this:

Amsterdam and My 30 before 30 Page

Amsterdam
Ok, so the last few weeks have been... interesting.. I can't remember if I blogged about Amsterdam yet.. don't think I did, but it was fantastic! So far my favorite CITY in Europe. I feel like that was because I didn't go there with any real expectations on what it should be like, so I didn't set it up for failure! : ) As great as Paris and Rome were (ok Paris wasn't great.. it was yucky..).. I thought they would be these magical places, which they were not! Don't get me wrong, there are magical places INSIDE these cities, but the cities themselves were just.. well.. cities!

Back to Amsterdam... Everett took me as a birthday present and we went with another couple with whom we are great friends, Jonathan and Ashley Taylor!

Ashley and Jonathan Taylor

We didn't really DO much, but we SAW a lot! On the very first day we were there, we got to know just how much walking we would be doing, so on the second day we decided to rent bicycles for the remainder of the trip. At first, Ashley and I thought this idea was completely stupid as we were swerving in and out of traffic, that included large trams that did NOT stop! I, of course, haven't rode a non-stationary bike in about 10 years.. and considering my past track record, which may or may not include running into a parked vehicle, I started off on the bike very, very wobbly! By the second half of the day, I got my confidence and did much better! Although whenever I had to maneuver in tight spaces my wobbliness came back!

Me on the bike in front of our apartment!

Anyway, the bikes ended up being a brilliant idea. They allowed us to get to and from places quickly, which enabled us to see more! The downside was that I was unable to take pictures while riding, but I have a lot of mental images! : ) What we got to do was: go to both the Albert Cuyp market and the Flower market (Bloemenmarkt), the Heineken Brewery Experience, Anne Frank House, and the Red Light District. We didn't really DO the Red Light District, but we definitely spent a few evenings there people watching..

Everett and I in front of a windmill.

We stayed in a really cute apartment in a really nice part of town. Of course I forgot to take pictures of inside the apartment, but just trust me.. it was cute! The canals there were beautiful.. no pictures could ever do it justice! It was just a really great time with really great friends! We did not get to go out to the tulip fields, they were just beginning to bloom, and we were having so much fun in the city that we didn't want to take away our time by finding a way out into the country! I did get to see one little tulip blooming while I was riding my bike and that was enough for me!

Overall, I found Amsterdam to be a very interesting city, with plenty to do, wonderfully kind people who spoke English, beautiful sites to see, and a place I could actually see myself living! I can't say that about any of the larger cities I've visited thus far! If you would like to view more photos of my trip you can do that here!

30 before 30 Page

So I installed a new page to the blog called 30 before 30. It's just a page listing 30 goals I want to accomplish before I turn 30. Now I have 4 years to do this, but as I'm sure you have experienced, 4 years can FLY BY!! Some of the goals are serious, some are silly, but I hope to accomplish all within the next 4 years!

So really... What's the difference?

Sorry my blog has been down for a bit.. I have been trying to decide on whether I will keep it a private blog with invitation only or public. Also, I had a lot on my mind this week, and wasn't really in the blogging mood.. I was really disappointed that Everett was gone for the 2nd St. Patty's Day in a row due to his stupid airplane breaking down on a beautiful island in the Southern region of Europe... Poor him.... 

Anyways, I'm very excited about this week, and have decided to embark on Part 1 of sharing my England experiences with you all!

Part One: What exactly is the difference between the UK, England, Great Britain, etc.?

The best way for me to describe this to you is by showing you a video. So please watch!

So, as the video tells you, I live in the UK on the island of Great Britain, in the country of England. By the way, England's flag looks like this:

Most people (i.e. me before moving here), thought that the Union Jack was the flag of England. That is false, it is the flag of the United Kingdom, and is a combination of the flags of England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. If you don't believe me.. google it!

I hope this lesson has allowed you to learn some new information today!

Repurposing...

OK, do you believe me about my return to the blogging world yet? Well.. my husband says I only last a week when I get into something... I blame it on my self diagnosed Adult Onset ADHD...

Anyway.. Is it true that Rihanna and Chris Brown are back together??!!! I just heard this on the radio and was shocked...

Back to the real story at hand.. Since I've started this blog, it's gone through a few changes (once again blaming the ADHD)... The direction I'm going to head it towards now is my take on living in England. Most, well a lot, of my readers (all three of you) have never lived in England, or anywhere besides the great US of A, before and I'm always getting asked questions about what it's like. Well I've decided to take it topic by topic. I am going to list some of these topics here so I don't forget... (ADHD)

Things you get to look forward to reading about:

• The people
• The language
• British radio (believe me I have a lot to say on this one..)
• Driving
• Shopping
•  Restaurants
• What is the difference between Great Britain, England, Wales, ect.??
•  Housing
• Modes of transportation
• Likelihood of meeting Royalty
• Likelihood of becoming Royalty
• Beer
• Surprisingly, yes, there are other cities in England besides London..
• London
• The "Traveling Community" or as I lovingly, not derogatorily (yup that's a word), refer to them.. Gypsies..
• Why you should come visit me
•  Castles
• Fashion
• Surviving without Walmart
• No I haven't seen Harry Potter yet... But I do giggle when I see people walking around in dress robes in Cambridge.. 
• Owning pets
• Being a minority 

That's all I can think of at the moment. If you have questions for me, I'd be more than happy to give you an answer.. or maybe even your own post!

More Thankful.. Less Whining...

While perusing the travel pins on Pinterest this morning, I began to realize how many wonderful opportunities this life has afforded me in my 25 and 11/12 years. I can be a pretty big whiner and complainer when things don't go my way, which I'm fairly certain my husband takes as some of my more charming qualities... but sometimes things catch me and I have to stop and be thankful for what I do have...

One of the biggest things I complain about on a daily basis is living in England.. The weather isn't warm enough, the people think I'm an over-emotional, rude American (what??), I'm thousands of miles away from the people who love me, they talk funny and I can't always understand them (the English.. not my family), my husband is always gone, blah blah blah..

What I seem to forget is that holy crap.. I LIVE IN ENGLAND!! That's like a huge bucket list item for at least 80% of Americans right? Well.. maybe not living in England specifically, but definitely packing up and moving to a pretty cool international destination for a few years! And as much as I miss the convenience that America offers, I know without a doubt that I will miss what England has been offering me these last 20 or so odd months way more! I'll miss knowing that when I have to make a right turn (the one that's across traffic in these neck of the woods), it's almost 100% guaranteed that if there's tons of traffic, the car that has the right of way will stop to let me go.. yeah.. they are that nice here.. And I will miss speaking in a "British" accent during Mass so that I don't get stared at.. (that's in quotation marks because I still haven't perfected that accent.. but I have gotten significantly less stares..) And I will miss knowing that I can figure out how to get Road Tax while my husband is gone or navigate around letting agencies who refuse to fix your moldy ceiling for 2+ months or listening to your neighbors have an all out fight in their backyard at 3am because it's the middle of summer and your windows are open because you don't have air conditioning.

No doubt it does suck being what seems like millions of miles away from my family during holidays or other special events, but I can't forget that I have a new family that I made with my wonderful friends here.. Friends who DO in fact love me or else they wouldn't put up with my crap! And it does suck that I wish I could get a full time teaching job here since that's what I worked my butt off for 4.5 years in college to do, but I can't forget the amazing people I'm meeting and the new classroom experiences/techniques/ideas that I am getting from Lakenheath Elementary. And it does suck that my husband has deployed more here than he did at McConnell (at least that's how it feels..), but I can't forget all the cool places I've gotten to visit because of his deployments.. not many people have been to Iceland before!!

Life might not always be what you pictured it to be, but it is probably better that way! If I had my way when I was 16, I'd already have like a 5 year old now... And not that I don't want kids.. but I wouldn't be who I was and have the experiences that I do if I would have locked down at such an early age..

You may be asking yourself.. what in the world does this have to do with the Travel pins on Pinterest? Well.. when you realize that those are probably the top destinations that people want to go see.. and you have already been to quite  a few of them.. it humbles you a bit..

Blue Lagoon in Iceland.. Oh how I wanna go back!

And now a post with pictures...

My Current Dilemma: 

Or

Disclaimer: All pictures have been stolen off Google Images. Thank you.

On a side note.. I google searched "hot female body". Only after I clicked enter did I realize the types of pictures that might show up... (Surprisingly there were NOT any pornographic pictures much to my relief!) It is pretty sad to note that NONE of the hundreds of pictures that did show up were my idea of a hot female body. They were either steroid muscle builders or anorexic "models". That makes me really sad! I had to specifically search for this picture of what my husband considers a "hot female body". On the other hand, googling "cake" brought up tons of pictures of cakes that I would be more than happy to eat! : )

My Facebook Fast... and my return to blogging?

Hello again world! It's been a LOOONG time!

So much has changed since my last post, but I feel like with all the other social media(s) (is that word pluralized??) out there you already know what's been going on! So, I don't really feel the need to update you on the past, but instead the present and future!

So a few weeks ago I decided that I had had enough with Facebook. It has always been a source of annoyance for Everett ("Why are you so OBSESSED with Facebook??" Let's face it.. it got annoying just hearing that everyday..), so with Lent coming up I decided to give it up. Now I knew better than to completed delete my account.. I have been on it since 2004, the beginning of college, and I feel like it's been a great chronicle of my adulthood. Yes, I AM one of those people who reminisces of the "gold ol' days" on Facebook, where the only colleges, I repeat COLLEGES, that had access to Facebook were Harvard and the University of Kansas.. OK and maybe a few other.. COLLEGES. It made networking and making friends at my new school so much easier. But then things started to change.. first they let colleges like Missouri join.. Mistake #1. Then they let students in high school join.. Mistake #2. THEN, the cherry on top of that cake o' mistakes, they let anyone join. And that is when Facebook fell apart.

A lot of people are embarrassed by the fact that their parents are on Facebook. I can't say that because my mom joined back when it was only for college students.. because she WAS in college. My biggest problem is all of those people out there who use Facebook for what it was not intended, and after my few week hiatus I want to share what I have discovered.

THINGS FACEBOOK IS NOT FOR:
1. Making inappropriate announcements on Facebook: Please don't immediately get on Facebook to announce the death of someone or that someone, like my grandma, is in the hospital. It is very troublesome for those of us not in immediate contact with family... Make sure everyone knows about it before posting it all over the internet.

2. Talking to Facebook directly: Facebook is not a person, don't tell it good morning.. It won't respond back... I promise.

3. Airing your dirty laundry: Do I really want to hear that your baby daddy isn't paying child support? Not really.. It only makes me talk crap about you behind your back... Which is my reason for why it was appropriate to give up for Lent- It makes me become judgmental...

4. Telling your "friends" about your day.. step.. by.. step..: Again, I promise, we don't care how many grapes your child ate for snack. We don't care that you had to pee as soon as you woke up. We don't care that you are bored or tired or any other mundane thing you have to say about your day. If you would like to share step by step let me give you two other places to air that information: invent your own blog or go to twitter. *I may have previously broken this rule, but it has since stopped.

5. Using Facebook as your personal therapist: What really gets me going are these people who complain NONSTOP about their problems.. no not the occasional bad day.. I'm talking every day they want to tell us their problems. I'm fairly certain most of your Facebook friends are not licensed therapists. If you "want a boyfriend", get off Facebook and find one. If you are "sad and lonely", get off Facebook and find some friends. Hey.. it's what we're all thinking..

6. Using Facebook to repeatedly promote something: Once a day is fine. When you post something once an hour I consider you spam.. and will report you.

7. Only using Facebook to play the lame games: Ok, once again I may have broken this one in the past. But I have been off the games for at least a year.

8. Your only means of communication to your friends: Let's face it, if you don't talk to them outside of Facebook, then they aren't your friend. Thus the reason I plan on deleting a BUNCH of people as soon as I return.

I'm pretty sure I could come up with more but that's all I have for now.

THINGS FACEBOOK SHOULD BE USED FOR:
1. Posting APPROPRIATE pictures of events, trips, etc.: My definition of appropriate has changed over the years. I noticed this when I went back to some of the pictures I had on here from my early days and was horrified by what I saw. They were deleted or hidden from the world.

2. Keeping in touch with people that have been separated from you due to circumstances beyond your control: i.e. your husband's job forcing you to move to England.

3. Sending your friends something you found on the internet that you felt they needed to see: Because not everyone is on Pinterest yet...

4. Making important announcements to the masses: Because it's easier than sending out 100 text messages. By the way- Congrats to all those who are announcing any pregnancies or pending nuptials that have recently announced via Facebook. It has actually been refreshing getting to be excited for these people face to face so they can see my very excited reaction!

5. Inviting people to events: Because it's easier than sending out 100 text messages and a more organized way of getting RSVPs.

6. Having important groups that give helpful information: Remember the days when groups on Facebook were titled "70s Rock Club Party" and that's really what it was about. A group of people who were attending a fake 70's Rock Club Party. (No... I NEVER added myself to one of those groups...........) Anyway.. those are not the ones I'm talking about. I'm talking about groups for a class reunion for example, or a spouse group for my husbands squadron. They are places where I can get helpful information that has to do with the real world. Although I did enjoy convincing people to make me an admin and give me a cool title. I wish I could remember my title from the Rock Club Party that I was never in...

Now I'm not posting this to tell everyone how to use Facebook (or am I??), I'm just letting you know how I will proceed to use Facebook in the future. And if you don't want to follow by my rules, then I'll have to come up with some other form of communication to get in touch with you if necessary.

By this point I know many of you are thinking, if she has this many issues, why doesn't she just block all those people. Well... the point of Facebook is not to block all of your friends who annoy you. (Which if they annoy you they probably aren't your friend and should be deleted.) So, no.. I will not block them because if they do have something important to say.. some day.. I want to know about it.

After my Facebook fast is over, I can't wait to get back on and delete my non-friends. Just think about how much more exciting my high school reunion will be when I don't know who married whom, or that person is that other person's baby daddy. Or she married HIM? Or wow their kid is ugly/adorable. It will be so much more entertaining than already knowing!





ANY WAY, I made a huge space because I'm segmenting into another topic: My return to blogging. Now it isn't official until I actually start, but my Facebook fast has helped me realize how much I feel I need to tell the world. So maybe venting on an appropriate social media where only the people who are actually interested in what I have to say will read it would be a nice change for me.

With that said, did you hear that Jan is in the hospital? Have a great day, Facebook! Ugh.. I wish Everett would stop leaving is dirty underwear on the floor. I'm off to the gym, after that I'm going to do a Jillian Michaels workout video, eat some dinner, play with my puppies, and eventually go to bed. I'm so depressed that my husband had to work today and has to go to school tonight... I'm so lonely...  (HEY.. it's my blog I can do what I want!!)

We have a map!

So while I was home, I picked up a Flat Stanley from my former coworkers at St. Francis to take to England to show their students what fun things I get to do while I'm here. After some some deep contemplation, I thought what a cute idea to start a Flat Stanley abroad website/blog written in a kid friendly tone that Everett and I can maybe someday turn into a book for our kids! I decided I wanted to try my hand at wordpress.com instead of blogger as I have been using. I designed the website, upoaded my pictures, and got the brilliant idea that I should add a map to the website to show where he's been. After an hour of searching for a good host... yes it took me that long... I created my map and was super proud of it... I went to put it into my blog.... and it won't work.

To make it work, I would have to actually download the wordpress software, learn html code, be super smart at computers/website creating, buy a website, etc etc... you get the point... I'm not computer savvy enough to do it.. So I decided to try and put it on this blog just to see if it would work.. and it did right away... SOOOO... even though I like the layouts of wordpress better... I'm going to have to do my Stanley blog at blogger.com instead (unless someone can figure out how to put my map into wordpress... HINT HINT!)

Lucky for you though, you can see my Stanley map if you scroll down to the bottom of this page! It is interactive, so zoom in, zoom out, click on the icons, look at the pictures, and read the descriptions!

I liked it so much that I have decided to create one for just Everett and I, but might not get that one up for a while so you will have to make due with Stanley!

Spring Update

Dang it... I'm sorry!! I told myself when I was going to start this that I was going to be really good about posting.. but alas.. I have failed!! I guess the reason is that I don't want to bore you with the mundane details of my every day life... Living in England, one would expect it to be somewhat glamourous... but it really isn't... I cook, I clean, and I take care of my dogs... pretty much the same thing you do, just half way around the world!!

Spring has been pretty good to us. Since my last post, I have had my 25th birthday! Spent it surrounded by great friends! I also got to come home for Easter as a birthday surprise for my Dad. I had a great time, but I spent it with those who read this, so I don't really have to update you on what I did while I was there!! Haha!

I did get the results back from the test I took while I was home, and I passed with flying colors!! I officially get to add the ESOL endorsement to my license as soon as I send in my $39 fee... boo...

The beginning of May has been great. Everett and I have been trying to spend as much time together as we can before he has to leave for France for a few months. We found out a few weeks ago that he was getting deployed there from the end of May to the beginning of July. Unfortunately that means that he won't be here for when my parents are here. He was extremely disappointed. But then again, he will be in the South of France swimming at beautiful beaches in the warm sunshine.. so he can't be TOO disappointed right?!

Also in the time that I have been back in the surprisingly sunny (but not warm) England, I think I have figured out my job situation for next year. The day after I got back, I had a school visit with another British school. This time they actually knew I was American! The principal was out for the day, so I was shown around by the vice principal. She was so wonderful and helpful as she attempted to compare the British school to the American school so I could have a better idea of what I would be dealing with. I met the staff and they were friendly and inviting. On the way out the vice principal gave me some important points to bring up if I were to get an interview, so I thought my chances were looking great. But... I never got a phone call...

My confidence as a teacher was at an all time low at this point, but a few days later I received a phone call from the middle school on the base here requesting an interview for an aide position. After much thought and contemplation, I decided to decline. I have had bad experiences with middle school, and the school is 45 mins from my house, so with the price of gas as it is, I wouldn't be making much money. Then 2 days after that I got called by the elementary school on base for an interview as an special education aide. I was so excited, but as a backup plan I decided to finally finish my 30 page application to sub there as well. I went in for the interview, thinking it was with the SPED lady, but it was actually with the principal! I wasn't fully prepared for that one! She was really nice and the interview was just a basic conversation about the job. The bad part was that the job was nothing like I was expecting. Since it was an aide position, I assumed that I would be working with students... but you know what they say about those that assume............. In reality, I would be a secretary for SPED, working with parents and administration, very rarely working with students. I took the weekend to think about it. The hours weren't fabulous, and as a teacher, I obviously feel more comfortable working in a classroom than an office. I ended up being offered the position, but I declined and asked just to sub. I'm hoping the subbing pans out though... I can't seem to get a hold of the lady in charge! She was sick all last week when I was supposed to finish up my paperwork, and she hasn't returned any of my phone calls or emails this week! I'll keep you posted!

Everett has been busy with his football. He has played in two games so far, one loss and one win. We got to go to Oxford for his game this weekend which is 2.5 hours away. The weather would have been perfect, except for the 50mph winds blowing in my face! He got to play pretty much the whole game because he was playing offense AND defense! He scored a touch down and had a lot of great plays! Way to go babe!

We have also been playing intramural volleyball since I got back. We play for his squadron's team and because of the crazy flying schedule these guys have had to deal with, you never know how many would show up! We played with anywhere from 5 to 10 people! Our championship game was yesterday, and so of course there were tons of people there, but at least they came when it counted!! We ended up losing the first game due to too many substitutions, we just couldn't get a rhythm going. For the second game, we had a lot just sit out, and even though it ended up being a very close match we won! So it came down to a 3rd game... once again very close, but because of Everett's amazing spikes yesterday we won!! He pounded down a good 4 or 5... and no one could return them! So... we were the league champs and have a shirt to prove it!!

Everett was supposed to leave today for France, but due to the lovely volcano eruption, and his jet breaking down, I might have a few more days with him! Sometimes things like that work out for the better!! During his time away I plan on losing weight (we'll see how that goes......) and traveling!! Mom, Dad, Steph, and Haley will get here on the 4th, pending the volcano considering they have a layover in Iceland : ( We have lots of fun things planned including trips to Dublin and Paris.. and of course London! Can't wait to have them on this side of the pond! I'm also hoping to make a trip to visit Everett while he is deployed with a few of the wives here whose husbands are there as well. On top of that, two of my good friends over here have birthdays coming up so we have fun things planned for that too!! Hopefully Everett will be home around the same time that Renae and Renee will be coming over... Such a busy summer planned! I'm sure it will go fast and August will be here before we know it and we will be seeing all of you again!!

Whew.. I'm tired just thinking about my summer.... Alright.. It is time for me to sign off...

Love you all and see you soon!!!

I've got the job hunting blues....

So as some of you know, my lastest and greatest adventure in England has been trying to find a job. I really want to teach, since it's kind of my favorite thing to do, but I haven't had any luck with the school system on base. It is extremely competitive and very rarely are there any openings. All along Everett has been asking me why I'm not looking into the British school system, and every time I tell him that I'm not qualified and have no idea how to get qualified...

Well.. last week I was bored so I thought.. hmm... maybe I should find out how to get qualified to teach over here.. my chances of getting a job would probably increase.. I thought why not.... So how does one find this information?! I couldn't think of anything so I just googled it.... and to my delighted surprise all the websites were telling me that I was qualified to teach in England as long as I had a license from another country! Awesome right??!!

Straight away (as they say here) I began looking for a website that listed vacancies. Their school systems work a lot differently here, there is no "unified school district".. it's each to their own run by a board of governors... at least that's what I've gathered so far... I finally found a website that listed all the vacancies in our county and to my even more delighted surprise, there was an opening for a Year 4 (or 3rd grade) teacher at the school that is less than half a mile from our house! I couldn't believe it! I had to go pick up the application at the school, so I did that the very next day...

After learning more about the school, I got really excited about the job... I liked what the school stood for, and it seemed like it would mesh well with my own teaching philosophies.. so I began to fill out the application when I ran into my first problem.. it kept asking me to list all of these random numbers that I had no clue what they were. I emailed the secretary of the school and asked her what they were, and if I could just put my license number from the States there (thinking it was the UK version of a license number)... well she emails me back and explains that if I do not have these numbers already, then I am not registered as a teacher here in the UK and that I must do that before I can be considered for a position.... oh...... so maybe there WERE a few more hoops that I had to jump through before I can teach here... thanks google for letting me down....

The secretary gave me a website to find out how to register and all that good stuff... then a friend of mine who worked in England asked if I had my National Insurance (NI) number yet... that I had to have one of those too before I could be hired to work here.. of course I don't have one of those...

So for the last week I have been trying to get all of that stuff done.. I have to have an NI number before I can register as a teacher, but I have to go to an interview before I can get an NI number.. so my interview is on the 29th, and my registration will be sent in that day.. takes about a month to process... so I should be officially a registered UK teacher by the end of April! Woohoo!!! The one thing I think is funny about registering as a teacher is that they only require to see your passport/visa... they don't even ask to see your license! So I guess any Joe Schmoe could say he has a license from somewhere else and he can register as a teacher! Oh... only in the UK....

So me being me.. I still submitted my application to the school after explaining my situation, and I had a meeting with the head teacher (principal) and the other applicants today to get a tour of the school. It was very eye opening to witness the differences between this school and our schools in America... And I shall try to explain as follows:

• They do all year school here.. there are 3 terms each lasting approximately 3 months, with a month break in between terms and a week off for half term (like a spring break). 
• The primary schools are VERY small.. each only having one classroom per grade level with approximately 30 students in a classroom. (This could be different in other areas in the country.. but that's how it is here..) Each classroom also has a full time teachers aide for just that classroom which is a huge plus!
• The classroom teacher is in charge of ALL subjects.. including, but not limited to Art, Music, PE, Non-denominational religion, Technology, Sex Education (even in primary....), Health, and British History, along with all of your typical subjects.
• They have an hour off for lunch, in which parents may pick up their students to take them home for the hour... 
• The school day begins at 9:15 and ends at 3:30
• Since you are in charge of your own specials, you may be wondering when the teacher gets plan time, well that would be when the principal takes over your class for you.......
• The interview process is an all day affair, first you have a formal interview with the board of governors, then they take you on a tour of the school, you have a buffet lunch, and then you are handed an envelope with a lesson that you must present to a group of students with the board of governors watching.... with no prep time at all..... (That part terrifies me.. not because I'm not good at coming up with stuff last minute... I consider myself a pro at that one... it's the fact that I'm terrified I'm going to get a subject that I know nothing about such as.. say.. British history......)

That's about as much as I can remember... I thought it was very interesting that my competition for the job were present for the tour. I'm up against a greasy haired guy about my age who was bragging about knowing Portuguese.. and a new teacher who was extremely enthusiastic about EVERYTHING.. it should be interesting... I'm not going to be surprised if I don't get called for an interview considering I'm not even qualified to teach here yet..  But I was glad to at least have an insight at what I will have the pleasure (if I get hired somewhere) to deal with.. She said that most schools begin hiring in late April when the 3rd term begins. So by then I will have been registered and can seriously apply for jobs.

So with that, all I ask is for some prayers that I find the right school for me, because I really do miss teaching!!

What?! The British actually TRUST their people????!!!!!

So I've decided to do a take a new approach to this blog... Since I talk to most of you enough for you to know all of the big events taking place, I have decided to not only include those large events in this blog, but the small and every day ones as well... I have finally come to realize that it's not all those adventures I get to go on BECAUSE I live in England that make this time exciting.. Just living abroad is an adventure all on it's own! Heck.. I still have to remind myself about every other day that I really am living in England and not some place in the States that just happens to be heavily populated with British people!

I'm only going to assume that most of my dear readers have never lived abroad, so I'm going to let you in on what life is like... As with everything.. there are pros and cons to it all.. I'm not going to do this as one long post, just whenever I come to realize a difference.. I'll let you in on it!

But before I can begin that.. we have one event I want to talk about... Everett's Birthday!!!! Since March 1st has come and gone, I hope you guys got the chance to wish him a happy birthday in the various forms available... and if not, then I can tell him for you! From what I can tell it was a good birthday for him.. he certainly was busy!! He of course had to work, which was a bummer, but he picked me up on his lunch break so that I could get some things done on base during the second half of the day.. One which included actually buying him a birthday present... I'm terrible at keeping secrets from him so it's safer to have little amount of time between the purchase of a gift and the giving of a gift! As soon as I picked him up from the class he had to teach, we zipped over to RAF Lakenheath (where I got to watch a few F-15s take off which is always a good time) to go to the grocery store to pick up some essentials I didn't have to make his "cake". Then it was time to go home where I prepared some Chicken Parmesan (he is on a chicken and salad only diet until his PT test later this month..) and a cherry cheesecake. He had to quickly eat dinner before running off to his basketball game, which they lost : ( By the time he got home, all we had time to do was blow out the candles, open presents, and eat cheesecake before going to bed! He refused to allow me to put 27 candles into his cheesecake, so I made him compromise with a 2 and 7 candle.. which of course didn't actually stay in the cake.. So he had to hold them up while holding the cake up for the picture... Fire hazard?? Nah.... I made sure to give him as many spankings as I could get in for the day.. but I believe my count was only up to about 12... Overall a good but busy day!!

Ok... back to life in England...

I reserved a copy of the 7th Harry Potter book at the Newmarket Library.. and have been waiting a few days to go get it since I have been without a car.. I decided that through hell and high water I was going to get this book today because I have been so excited to read it, so I made the 3 mile roundtrip journey to downtown Newmarket and back to get it. This 45 minute walk gave me WAAAAYYYYY too much thinking time, so now I get to share with you what I thought about/experienced..

When borrowing books from a library in the states, it always requires a short visit with a librarian in order to check out books especially if you have reserved one. So, when walking into a library in England, who do I head straight for? Yes.. you guessed correct... the librarian... well... I guess that was my first mistake...

While waiting in line for the librarian to become available, I noticed a sign that said "Checkpoint for reservations" over two computers... Right as I noticed the sign, the librarian asked me what I needed, so I confirmed that I was supposed to be over by the sign... she said yes.... that all reservations were on the shelf in order by surname... STILL thinking I had to have some sort of permission to get my book off a reservation shelf, I go to the computer, scan my library card, and sure enough... It tells me my reservation is there.. to go pick it up... I hesitantly walked over to the shelf, feeling extremely guilty for getting into the reservation shelf, grab my book, then wonder what the heck I do next!! So I sit there and watch a man who just grabbed a book as well to see what he did. He walked up to those computers, scanned his card, scanned his book, and walked out the door... So.. I gave it a try.. scanned my card, scanned my book, printed out a receipt for good measure.. then looked around for someone to give me an OK that I could go... After a few seconds, I realized this wasn't going to happen, so I sneakily left... still uncertain about whether or not I had just stolen a library book...

Now most of you are probably thinking "Cool! A 'self checkout' at the library.. sounds convenient!!" But that's not what I thought.... I was thinking... Why would they do that at the library?? People could steal books and they would never know!! But then I have to take a step back and realize... this is England.. where people are held accountable for their own actions, and 95% are responsible for themselves.... Let's think about America... is there probably a reason why we don't have a self checkout at the library?? Could it be because most Americans aren't even responsible enough to borrow from the library and actually return their books?! Not to go on a rant against Americans.. I just think it's sad that we aren't raised to be more responsible! Although I'm sure everyone reading this does not apply.... : )

And this isn't the only time I have witnessed how the British allow their citizens to be held accountable for their actions, or just trust each other.. Here are a few other examples:

• While waiting in the long line for the librarian, the young man in front of me who was probably my age or a few years younger was returning a late book. He told the lady that he knew it was late, but didn't have any money on him to pay the fee. Would there be any way he could come back tomorrow with the money? She said of course, and he was off without any other questions... Come to find out he only owed 12 pence which isn't even a quarter, and if I had change on me I would have paid it for him! But the fact that she had no problem letting him leave, no condescending look or rude tone of voice... I just thought it was nice!
• On the roads here they have speed cameras placed randomly. Instead of having cops hid out on the road to speed trap people, they use these. The cameras measure how fast you are going based on the time it takes you to cross these little lines in the road. If you are going too fast, it takes a picture of your license plate and you get a ticket in the mail... Much similar to the Running a Red Light cameras they have been putting up in the States. The best part about these speed cameras, is that there are SIGNS telling you when you are about to get to one... They give you all the warning in the world to slow down! So, if you don't, it really is your fault and you do deserve the ticket! I just think it's such a nicer thing that sneaky cops wanting to catch you doing bad... Once again.. they are giving their citizen's a chance to be held accountable for their own actions..

Really I could go on all day with this, but I don't really want to bore you! My point is... It's nice to live in a place where you are trusted to do the right thing... I just wish America could be more like that... instead of having all those people who are out to cheat the system or take advantage of anything...

Well.. Before I get onto something else, I guess I better get off this!! Until next time!!

The Super Blog: Our First British Winter

Sorry.. no clever title to this one.. it's ALLLLL business!! I have been meaning to blog since.. ummm... well the middle of December, but with the holidays and our cruise.. time just went by too fast!! Then after it died down, I was so overwhelmed that I have just been putting it off! No excuse... I know...... Instead of doing a million singular blogs, I'm just going to do one big super blog.. subtitles included!! Here goes nothing!

Christmas

As many of you know, I was a little bummed about being away for my very first Christmas, so we decided to cheer ourselves up by making it an exciting one! On Christmas Eve morning, we woke up bright and early, and headed for the closest Tube station. We began our hour long journey into the center of London, and went to the Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park. It is basically a Christmas themed carnival/Renaissance festival.. some of my very favorite things! We started off the day with the hard work: Ice skating!

After we worked our behinds off at ice skating, it was time to explore the Christmas markets there and EAT!! The markets were filled with all sorts of interesting things... from fake snow to wooden ties! Everett decided he couldn't resist the opportunity to purchase a wooden tie.. here he is modeling it for you--------------------->

I decided I didn't need any of the goods they had available.. instead I went straight for the food! I had a Christmas tree shaped waffle.. it was very very delicious!

After we had all our fun at Winter Wonderland, we headed off to go to Christmas Mass at St. Paul's Cathedral. We arrived over an hour early in hopes of getting a seat inside, but as soon as we walked up and joined the queue we were informed that all of the seats inside had been filled.. However, in the square next to the church they had a large screen in which they were broadcasting the Mass. By the time Mass started, the square was filled with tons of people, which was nice because then we kept warm! It was a carol Mass, and my first experience with the Anglican church, and here is how I interpreted it: Sing a carol, an important person says a reading, rinse and repeat oh about 10 times.. Then the Arch Bishop of London says a few words and Mass is over! The choir was an all boys choir which I have never seen before in person, so that was really cool... They were extremely talented, and we got to see them as they paraded out front after the Mass. I didn't know many of the carols, but the ones I did know I was sure to sing!

Trafalgar Square at night

After the Mass was over, our friends Jonathan and Ashley Taylor met up with us for some touring and dinner. We first headed to Trafalgar Square to see this big Christmas tree that is said to rival the one in NYC.. Well it was only decorated in white lights, so in my opinion... not as great! We also went and looked at some of the streets that were supposed to be heavily decorated, but once again we were disappointed. Cold, tired, and hungry, we headed off to our dinner reservations at the only restaurant in the city of London that seemed to be open... and I tell you what.. It was definitely no substitute for Grandma Gerstenkorn's Christmas Eve meal, but it was really really delicious! After dinner, Ashley and I were presented with roses from the owner, and we once again headed off to Winter Wonderland so that Ashley and Jonathan could see what it was all about. After a quick walk through, we decided to go visit Kensington Palace, which is also in Hyde Park... but after walking around 3 of the 4 corners of Hyde Park (no easy feat considering the size of Hyde Park) without finding it, we gave up and found the closest Tube station back to our cars... Ashley and Jonathan looked it up the next day and found out that if we would have walked in the opposite direction to begin with.. we would have walked right into it.. WHOOPS!!


On our way home, around midnight, when I should have been enjoying Grandpa and Grandpa Cooley's company, our luck had apparently run its course for the day as Everett noticed some sparks flying up in the rear view mirror. Fortunately, the Taylors were following us and pulled up behind us. Using their headlights, because we didn't have a flashlight and the high ways here are very poorly lit.. and by poorly lit I mean not lit at all, Everett discovered that our muffler had fallen down from its correct position. Unfortunately, the only tools in the car we had to fix it were a screwdriver and a paperclip. After about 15 minutes, Everett successfully Macgyvered it and we were on our way home to get a good night's rest before our busy Christmas day!

We woke up around noon on Christmas day.. yes the perks of being without children and opened our presents shortly after. I had gotten the dogs some treat filled stockings, and being the crazy dog lady that I am, I made my dogs run down the stairs towards the Christmas tree for a photo op... After 20 attempts I finally got a decent shot.. and they got their treats! Everett and I were very excited about all of our presents, but we didn't get a chance to play with them before we had to be over at Everett's coworkers house for Christmas lunch!

We were joined there with about 10 other coworkers and spouses, enjoyed some really really delicious food, although it wasn't the same as being at Grandma and Grandpa Slusser's house!! We did a gift exchange, we got some really cool presents, and then Everett settled down to a 3 hour long game of Monopoly. This being my least favorite game in all the world, I was not too excited about that. I was really ready to go home to enjoy my Christmas presents!! On our way home, the Taylor's invited us over to their house to end the night with a bit of drinking. My only request was that I could bring over my Christmas presents so I could enjoy them! They agreed, which turned the night into one large dance/karoke party... It was a LOT of fun!

Overall, we had a great first Christmas together. Although I was sad not to be home doing our normal Christmas traditions, it was still a good Christmas!!

To see the entire album of our Christmas, please go here:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2540891&id=16800957&l=2a2d54e602

New Year's 2011

New Year's this year was a bit of a mixed up mess. We really wanted to go do it big in a really cool location, but planning that only a few days in advance was not such a great idea. In the end, we just decided to do a party at our house, and then go to a club on High Street to ring it in. This plan was further complicated when Everett got called to go fly, and as typical Air Force business goes, his plane broke and he was delayed with a possibility of not being home on New Year's Eve. But, the Air Force came through for once and he landed at about 6pm, when our guests were scheduled to arrive around 8. 

As hectic as it was, we still had a lot of fun, although pretty uneventful!

Our Cruise/Quick Visit Home

Only a few days after New Years, we were scheduled to come home for our cruise!! We decided to take the military route home in order to save some money, but that ended up being yet another fiasco! Normally, there is a direct plane going from our base to the base in Wichita once a week. However, due to wintry weather conditions, this plane did not come to England, and went to Spain instead. So with no other choice, we decided to take a hop over to the base in Germany and see if we could get a flight into the US from there. Little did we know, our flight from England to Germany would be the last of our luck for the ENTIRE trip!

We wanted to get into Wichita a few days early so we could spend some time with the family. This, however, did not occur because of the huge mess that is Ramstein AFB in Germany. We arrived at approximately 8am on Tuesday morning, thinking we were definitely early enough to catch any flight back to the US no matter where it went. We had done a little research on where it would be easiest and cheapest to get to Wichita from, but beggers can't be choosers so we were open to anything. However, we decided that we would ask anyway if we could get onto this flight going to Balitmore. Since it was flying into an actual airport instead of a base, we could just hop onto the next flight to Wichita once we got there, instead of having to rent a car or taxi to take us from a base to an airport.

Well.... Things apparently don't work that way at Ramstein...... Since most of you are not in the military, you most likely have never flown Space A before, so let me explain how it works before I move on in my story. First, you have to put your name on a list saying you want a seat (or two in our case)... check.... Next, you have to show up and once again, your name is put on a list... check... While you are putting your name on the list, generally you tell them which aircraft heading towards a specific base you want to be on (for example, if I want to come back home I would tell them I want the McConnell jet)..... well in this case... no check.... but in general, you get the plane you want, they figure out priority, such as rank and importance, then you get notified that you are on the plane.. or not...

Back to the story, we got in line to tell them we were here, and that we wanted the flight to Baltimore. At that point they pretty much laughed in our faces and said that we don't get to chose which airplane we get to take back into the states, we just get to chose to GO to the states. Our name gets put on this super long list, it was long because of the wintry weather mentioned before, and once an aircraft for the states is ready to board, they take the first however many seats are available off the list. If your name gets called.. you're in.. if it doesn't.. you wait for the next plane... Great...........

So since we were approximately 100 people down on the list, we knew it could be a while. The first gets called.. 40 seats going to McGuire in New Jersey... Our name doesn't get called... Second plane gets called.. 40 seats going to Baltimore (the jet we wanted on)... Our name doesn't get called.... then, by a stroke of luck... a bunch of people hadn't shown up so they were calling additional names... 10 names go by.... then 5 more... we knew at this point we were getting close! It was announced that there were 2 seats left, and only 3 more names needed to be called before it was our turn! Two names were called... and then it was announced that there was only one seat left, so at this point we knew we weren't going to be on that jet.

Our hearts sank a little, but now we were at the top of the list, with 3 more flights leaving that day.. One to Charleston, one to New Jersey, and one to Travis AFB in California. Sure enough, we were one of the first people called for the Charleston flight. We got our tickets, and went over and checked our bags. (For a time check, this was about 3pm.) About an hour later, we were called down to come get our bags back because the flight was being canceled. Not to worry though, there were still those other two flights! So New Jersey was next, we got called, checked our bags, and went over to the Mall to get some food as it was about 5pm now.

By the time we made it back over to the terminal, our newly found friends let us know that our flight was delayed due to maintenance issues. 30 minutes later, it was announced that the flight would be delayed until the next day. Since there was still a chance at the California flight, we marched over to the bag check and asked for our bags back. We canceled our tickets, and waited for the California flight to be announced. Sure enough, we were on the plane, checked our bags, and did some more waiting (8pm)... About 2 hours later, it was announced that we were delayed once again, and didn't need to show back up until 3am. At this point, we got our bags back from the bag check (3rd time in one day), and headed for the hotel. After a few hours of sleep, we made our way back to the terminal for day 2. Our flight was still scheduled to go, so we checked our bags, and headed to some chairs for a little nap. Apparently we slept through our boarding call because it was announced that the Marshall's needed to make their way to Gate 2... We hurried off, making our way through security and immigration, and onto the plane. It was 5am, take off was supposed to be at 6am... We spread out on the plane, waiting for take off... and waiting.... and waiting... and waiting.... we did not end up taking off  until 8am.. so yes.. for exactly 24 hours we were stuck at the Ramstein AFB terminal......

The good thing was that we did actually take off, and about 2 hours into the flight they announced that we were no longer gong to California, but instead we would be landing in Dover, Delaware... Awesome, thought Everett and I, they are dropping us off in the only state that does NOT have an airport..... wonderful! So, once we landed, we got a rental car, traveled an hour to get the the Philadelphia airport, went straight to the ticket counter and asked for the first plane leaving to Wichita (I totally felt like I was on the Amazing Race). We knew there was one leaving in 35 minutes and asked if there was any way we could get on it. Sure enough he got us on it, we rushed through security, and made it to the gate just as they were finishing boarding.

From there, we had a pretty smooth flight, nice little 45 minute lay over in Atlanta, and we arrive in Wichita around 11pm. Almost exactly 48 hours after we left England.... What a journey that was.... UGH!!!!

Since it was 11pm on Wednesday when we landed, and we were planning on leaving Thursday afternoon, we did not get to see ANYONE in Wichita.... I was super bummed, but figured we would catch them on our way back. We had a great time in Texas. We got to visit both of Everett's Grandmas, most of his family, and of course we got to see Zach for a little bit!

Sunday morning bright and early, we left the Dallas/Ft. Worth area to make our way to Galveston for our cruise. We had our friends Charlie and Bethany with us who were going on the cruise too! Since we got there a little early, we decided to check out the NASA area, although there wasn't much to see. So we headed further down and dropped Charlie and Bethany off at the port so they could check in early while we met up with Grandpa and Grandpa Slusser, Rita and Jim, and Renae and Jacquelyn at the hotel to park the car. I was really excited to see all of them, and shortly after we got there, it was our turn to get on the shuttle to get to the port!

We made our way through the line, we were some of the last passengers there. Unfortunately, halfway through the line we spotted Charlie and Bethany being pulled off to the side. Apparently they did not accept Bethany's birth certificate, so they were waiting for her Mom to find the correct one and fax it in. So we kept on going, got checked in, took our picture, and made our way on to the boat. About an hour later, we found out that since they couldn't find Bethany's birth certificate, they would not be allowed on the boat. We were really bummed since we were looking forward to spending time with them... plus Charlie had plans to propose during the cruise.. it was a real let down : (

Cruise Day 1: We left the port, had a really great dinner, and began our Cruise Bingo game! Socks with sandals? Check! Speedo? Check! Home grown sweater? Check check!!

Cruise Day 2: We had our first day at sea! The weather was beautiful and the sun was out, so we laid out and got our tans started! We also participated in a few events, Rita even judged the Hairiest Chest competition!!

Cruise Day 3: Our second day at sea, laying out and getting a tan! Once more we participated in the ship events... Failed miserably at the photo scavenger hunt and I'm pretty sure I ate my weight in ice cream!!

Cruise Day 4: Our first port... Jamaica!! Jim, Renae, Jacquelyn, Everett, and I participated in some zip lining through the forests! The guides taught us a little Jamaican... in which I practiced on the other guides. At one point, after saying "What's Up?" (in jamaican of course) to one of the guides, he shouted out, "Oh my gosh... we have J'Americans with us today!!" We had a lot of fun, wish we could have done a few more zip lines, but we thoroughly enjoyed the 4-wheel drive jeep tour on our way to and from some zip lines... The theme.. "Drive it like you stole it!" And they did... Renae almost fell out because of it! Once back at the port, none of us really needed any souvenirs so we made our way back on the ship. Everett and Jim participated in a corn hole competition while us "Gold Card Members" (Renae, Jacquelyn, Gma, Gpa, and I) got to drink as much as we could in an hour at the Past Guest Party... Needless to say we got VERY close to our waitress Sylvia!

Cruise Day 5: We woke up to a VERY rocky boat, and some really terrible rumors that we weren't going to be making it to our next port: Grand Cayman. Since we needed tenders for to get to the port, regardless of the rumors, we made our way to get into line so if we DID get to go, we would be on the first tender out. 10 minutes into waiting, the announcement was made that the waves were too big for the tenders to safely take us to shore, so we would be moving on to our next port early... And we would use this day as our 3rd day at sea. We immediately went back to bed, to sleep in little. To make up for the disappointment, a few members of our party decided that it would be their goal to be drunk by noon... which most of us achieved! We spent the day laying by the pool with no sun : ( and once again participating in ship events. Renae and I accidentally took 2nd place in the corn hole competition! We were pretty excited to receive our medals!

Cruise Day 6: Cozumel-Since we made it to port very early, and our SCUBA diving wasn't until later, we decided to sleep in a bit. Once we woke up and went up for breakfast, we overheard rumors that all water activities were being canceled due to high waves. We went to the guest services desk to check, and sure enough... yet another excursion canceled..... So... once again.. how do we make up for the disappointment?? We drink!!! I personally love Mexico, especially their margaritas, so we headed downtown to find a good restaurant.... and boy did we! We got 2 for $5 margaritas.. and as always they were delicious! After two rounds, Everett, Jacquelyn and I decided to make our way back to the port since there wasn't much we could do downtown.. Once at the port, we decided we weren't done drinking just yet, and got a couple yards at Fat Tuesdays, and as luck would have it Renae, who had spent the day with the rest of our party, found us and began to drink with us too! A few yards later we were feeling REEEEEAAAALLLLYYY good and it was time to get back on the ship! We got to watch the sunset from the pier and that was about the end of our day considering we all took a very long nap once we were back in our cabins!

Cruise Day 7: Our 4th fun day at sea, we decided to end the trip with a bang and participate and medal in every competition we could.. including the build a boat competition in which Renae and Everett were the only two competitors they had.... in the last few months!! By the end of the day, as a group, we had won 10 medals, 7 ships, and 1 bottle of champagne. What a success!!

Cruise Day 8: Back at port in Galveston! We were pretty ready to get off the boat considering it had been an EXTREMELY rocky ride since day 4. After waiting over an hour for our shuttle to pick us up, we met Charlie and Bethany back at the hotel where they announced that they had gotten engaged!!! We were so excited for them, and happy they made the best of their failed trip by spending some quality time in the Houston area. We drove straight home that day.. and ended up getting back at the house around 1 or 2 in the morning.

As much as I tried to talk Everett into letting me stay an extra week to see everyone, he reminded me that I had left the paperwork necessary for me to travel by myself back home in England, so there was no way. All I had was Monday to see as many people as I could.. Of course.. Grandparents were of highest importance, so they were the only ones I got to see... besides Kelly, Ben, Paige, and Kate who made a surprise appearance at the house! I was so happy I got to see them, since I probably won't see Kate again until after she is 1!!

After a busy Monday, Tuesday rolled around and it was time go to McConnell to get on our jet back to England... After another 7-8 hour wait in the terminal there due to maintenance issues... we took off and made it home early Wednesday morning! Although it wasn't the trip we were hoping for, we were glad we got a little bit of a vacation!!

To see all of our cruise pictures, please click here:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2550750&id=16800957&l=b76dd0a4e2

February

In late January, we celebrated the puppies' very first half birthday, and our 6 month wedding anniversary... As always, time has flown by.. including February!! I can't believe it's almost March!! February has been kind of a lazy month. We have been trying to change our diet around a little bit and working out some more... we are still working on that.. haha!! Also, after a horrific experience in taking the puppies to the vet by myself, we enlisted the help of a trainer to teach them a few things. I have been trying to work on it with them.. Kacee is my smart girl, very quick learner!! And Dallas... well... as the trainer put it, he's my "special" child... Haha!! He tries hard, but has more brawn than brain!! And boy... are they GROWING!! Dallas is quickly approaching 80 pounds, while Kacee is trailing behind at about 60 pounds.

Click here to see updated pictures of the puppies:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2526367&id=16800957&l=0ba088e7cf

Everett has been flying a lot this month. He switched jobs at work so he is no longer at a desk job. This allows him to fly more often.. usually at least 3 times a week! He has been out of town the last two weekends doing different missions.. I sure do miss him!! Especially since he will be leaving soon to spend almost two months in Spain for work... the only good news on that is that I get to visit him!!! Kind of like Iceland!! When he's not flying, he has been playing on a tackle football team here called the Cambridgeshire Cats. Their games start this spring and they will be playing all over England! I'm excited to get to watch him out on the field!!

As for me, I have been my good ol' procrastinating self... Two of my good friends and I have joined the Newmarket Leisure Center (the gym) and have been swimming 3 mornings a week... and by mornings I mean 7am.... VERY early for me!! It has been a great way for me to get in shape, and I have been improving every week!! The first day I swam only 6 laps in 30 minutes. Now I am up to almost 20 in 30 mins!!  I also received my military passport while we were on our cruise, and as soon as we got back I applied for my Visa. I should be getting it back this next week so I can start looking for a job finally!!! I will keep you updated on that one!

Valentine's Day wasn't much for us! Everett was in Germany, and didn't get home until 11pm that day. He woke me up when he got home by stuffing the flowers he bought me in my face... Thanks honey....... We didn't really do much celebrating.. I just cooked him a really yummy dinner the next day! Good enough for us, especially since our birthdays are quickly approaching!!!

Whew.... I think I'm done!! All caught up!! I will TRY not to put these off any more!

Miss you and love ALL of you!!

Busy Bees!!

Holy cow! I just realized that my last post was in October.. and its already the end of November!! That must mean we have been busy doing something right??

Well.. as many of you know... well actually probably all of you that read this.. we have had an intensely busy November. We started off the month by packing up our entire home and putting it into the storage rooms of two of Everett's buddies (THANK YOU!!) while we went home for a couple of weeks!

LUCKILY everything worked out that I was able to take SpaceA (military flight) back home on Monday, November 8th. I almost didn't think it was going to happen because when I walked in, the terminal was PACKED and they generally only let 10 people go. Well as luck would have it, there was not 1 but 2 jets going to Wichita that day so I got a seat! It was a pretty long flight home, but I hadn't slept the night before, so I slept the entire flight back home. My dad got to pick me up off the flight line.. not gunna lie I kind of felt like I was getting back from a deployment... weird feeling!! Everett finally arrive on a commercial flight on Thursday.. the goofus accidentally bought a plane ticket for that Wednesday, and missed that flight (because he didn't want that one.. he wanted a Thursday flight), but luckily the company gave him a full reimbursement and then upgraded him to 1st class on his second flight home, but that was because it was Veteran's Day!

We had a great visit home and I felt like I got to see almost everyone! There were a few friends that I did not get to see, but I'm hoping I will when I come back in January!! Everett spent most of his days back hunting with family and friends. I was very lucky to be able to go to my friend Mikki's wedding reception and see all my close high school friends! Oh and I got to go on my family's yearly shopping trip.. so overall a very successful trip back home!!

Now you might be wondering.. where were your dogs at this whole time?! Once again, God came through and some friends of ours offered to dog sit while we were gone... I don't think they realized what they got themselves into! HAHA!! We were soooo thankful that they were the best dog sitters EVER!! Not only did they save us from having to kennel the dogs, but they also trained them into well behaved dogs while we were gone! I was so surprised at how much they had grown while we were gone.. I barely recognized them! Not only that, but they now know how to sit and shake, and they go right to the kennel when we have to leave or its bed time! I told you--best dog sitters EVER!! Thanks again Jami and Travis! We owe you!!

So we sadly had to end our visit back to Wichita on Monday, November 22nd. Everett was planning on flying back commercially as he came, and I was going to go SpaceA, but Everett decided to just fly back with me. This almost became a decision he regretted when we walked into the passenger terminal at McConnell... Once again filled with at least 30 people... and only 1 jet leaving this time. Shortly after we arrived we found out that the only people on the jet will be crew members which means they will have more space for passengers. This made us feel a little better, but then we ended up being numbers 5 and 6 on the list to go home, so we didn't have anything to worry about in the first place! In the end, all 26 of us got to go back to Mildenhall on a VERY packed jet!

I forgot to mention that on my flight back to Wichita, I rode with a nice older couple who's last name was also Marshall (side note: the guy sounded like Christopher Walken and it always made me giggle when he talked). This was really confusing for the crew and for the customs lady because they kept wanting to put us in the same family. Well they ended up being on the same flight back to England with us too! Once again.. they got us all mixed up!

So after yet another long flight, this time not sleeping as well as the first flight, we landed in Mildenhall early Tuesday morning, UK time. Our car was waiting for us in the parking lot, and after a brief freak out because everett thought he left the keys to this car in Cambridge about an hour drive away, we found the keys and made our way straight over to the Realtor office to sign the last papers and pick up the keys to our new house! We stopped for Everett to eat a little something and then headed "home". That's where the insanity began... from the time we arrived at the house, around noon, until 6am the next morning we were very busy moving our stuff from its various storage places and into our new home, only stopping to eat and pick up our puppies. By the time our heads hit the pillows we were out cold until the next afternoon, where we did it all over again!

On Wednesday, we had visits from the cable/internet guy and from the movers! MY MOVERS!!! I was so excited to see my stuff that had been in storage for months now--including our wedding gifts! Once the movers left, I began unpacking all of that stuff.. and it was like unwrapping the gifts for a second time! Ha!

The movers back in Wichita were some strange ones though.. instead of packing all of my stuff in boxes, they wrapped it up in a brown wrapping paper.. So for two hours straight, I sat up in a bedroom unwrapping things.. it was like some sort of Christmas Morning from Hell... I was so tired of unwrapping things by the time I was finished! On top of that.. there was so much wrapping paper that I was able to make a column from the floor to the ceiling.. I'm not even exaggerating! I wish I would have taken a picture of it, but the dogs made a makeshift leaf pile out of it and spread it all over the landing. I definitely felt like I should be planting a small forest of trees somewhere to make up for the wasted paper! But I did get to recycle all of it so that made me feel better!!

Needless to say, by Thursday, TURKEY DAY!!, we were ready for a break from the unpacking. We spent our holiday with some of Everett's work friends. I got to play a little wii with one of his friend's daughter. We ate, talked, and drank delicious margaritas!! My fav!! Then we came home and began cooking our own Thanksgiving feast which we have been feasting on since then!! See we were not very smart and went to the Commissary (our on base grocery store) on Wednesday... yes.. the day before Thanksgiving..... As I'm sure you have already assumed or possibly witnessed.. it was pretty chaotic! They were running out of everything!! Luckily we got all of our necessities, but Everett had to get the last turkey that they had left.. which just so happened to be 24 pounds.. just for the two of us.... Haha.. So we will be eating on it for a while!! Tomorrow's dinner... Turkey and Noodles! Tuesday... Turkey Enchiladas! Wednesday... Turkey Surprise! I think you get the idea...

After Thanksgiving, we were slowly losing our motivation to unpack things... I decided it would be a great time to start on the Christmas decorations, so I did that.. and Everett decided it would be a great idea to get the entertainment room set up.. so he did! Saturday we bought our Christmas tree and put that up.. no lights on it yet.. haven't found the motivation for it! We also have been playing a little too much of our PlayStation3 Move!! It is SO much fun... we LOVE sand volleyball!! But my arms are extremely sore from it!

That leads us on to today.. in which we got one more load in from Cambridge storage, and put away all of the boxes that were sitting in our dining room.. So NOW it looks more like a house and less like tornado valley! I plan on cleaning it up tomorrow.. and then we will be ready for guests! And I can do more than just unpack all day!! Maybe then I will find the motivation to put up Christmas lights?? We shall see...

I know many of you are asking for pictures... I haven't taken any yet because it was a huge mess.. but as soon as it looks picture worthy.. I will be sure to post!!

Until then.. Cheers!