Productive day!

It's been awhile since we've been home on a weekend, with me not working on a Saturday, to actually get things done!  It feels great when you can team work your way through a massive to-do list!

The house was cleaned, laundry was done, bathrooms cleaned down, spare room tidied, summer clothes officially put away and kitchen massively cleaned.  After the house was back up to par, we decided to tackle the to do list for "other" stuff.

It was off to the Dr. for bloodwork for me (routine lately!) and a follow up for Graham.  Then off to Costco to get Graham new glasses (finally) and out for lunch.  We then did some shopping for me (yay for better fitting maternity clothes...and man, there are some CUTE ones out there!) and ended the day with Shopper's Drug Mart.

It was a categorically productive day, which felt GREAT!  I unfortunately have to work tomorrow, so it usually takes a good chunk out of our day on Sunday...

I love being productive!  I love having a husband that supports me trying to get as much done as I can on days that I have energy to do so!

Life's changing...........

Today marks 6 months of being married.  We decided it would be fun to make life a little less about the two of us and enjoy the blessings that God has to offer instead!

Happy Anniversary to the most loving, kind, patient husband out there!

Dark mornings!

One of the big signs of the seasons changing for me, is waking up in the morning and the sun taking so long to rise. 

Graham was always used to driving to work, so I don't think he ever paid attention, where as I used to walk/take the streetcar/subway to work and coming out of the station, with it being pitch black still, was always something to get used to.

Now that I usually need to car to go to work and Graham walks to work (unless he's running late, or is tired, then I drive him), he is having a hard time adjusting to walking to work when it's still dark out!  He is lucky enough to see the sunrise by the time he gets to work every morning, which is usually a gorgeous sight, as we live off the lake.

I can only imagine how much of adjustment it will be when the time changes and it will be pitch black, his entire walk to work! 

Home sweet bed!

We arrived home, without a hitch today (unlike my flight out, which took 2 days in total!!!!), Graham flying from Heathrow and me flying from Gatwick (his was a business flight, mine was not, obviously); we randomly found a flight that left within 5 minutes of each other, landing exactly at the same time.  While the airline I always fly with, Air Transat, is a nightmare whenever you try to fly out of Canada, it's usually on time leaving England.  Thank goodness.

My flight home was MUCH better than the way out, with getting to watch a few movies on demand this time.  The food is ALWAYS horrible, so I stocked up before I flew out on some snacks, yogurt and a wrap.  I had a small nap and was so thankful to be back with Graham, on the ground and on our way home.

I don't know about you, but there is NOTHING more that I want when I get home...than my BED!  I find it hard when we go back to England, as the beds are tiny (we have a KING) and some too short, with our legs just sitting at the end of them.  We are fans of a firm mattress and it's felt like we've been sleeping on sugar lumps for a week now.

We tried to stay up as long as we could, but by 9:00, we were CRAVING our bed.  Does anyone else crave their bed?  Or is that weird?  As a non sleeper usually, it's a weird feeling for me!

So thankful for an amazing trip, but happy to be home!!!

My London Eye

Today, was our last day in London. Graham spent the entire day doing business, so I spent the day, being a tourist. I was determined to walk anywhere that I wanted to get and to make sure that I took lots of photos. Both of myself and tourist spots, but also as many artsy photos as I wished for. I wasn't really on a timeline (i had to meet Graham back at the hotel for 3pm), and I didn't have to worry about anyone else's agenda or wishes.

I got up early, had breakfast and headed out for the day at 8:30. I walked the 20 mins to start my day off at Buckingham Palace. I knew it would be an almost perfect time, as the amount of tourists there would be minimal and I could then walk through St. James's Park when it was close to empty. Both were fantastic.

After I walked around the park, I made my way to the Artillery grounds.

Onwards from there, was Picadilly Circus and Covent Garden.

I ended my afternoon/day around London with lunch at a delicious Latin restaurant along the Thames and some sightseeing at the London Eye, Big Ben and Westminster Abbey.

All in all, I walked over 10 miles and saw almost everything that we've missed in the last 3 days.

It's a strange thought knowing that we won't probably be back here again for awhile...

A written memory, so my husband won't forget...

Today, after he attended business's meetings and I spent the day shopping, eating and exploring London...mostly by foot (man, they hurt any the end of the day, when you keep deciding that walking takes just as long as the tube), we met one of his old flatmates and friends from Uni (University).

We haven't seen Paul in over 3 years...maybe closer to 4 actually. There were many stories, hours of reminiscing, moments of laughter and contemplation on how things can and might not change, depending on the person.

We went to Cafe Pacifico, our favorite Mexican restaurant in London (ask Graham or I sometime about our adventure with too many margaritas there, when we took Mom and Dad!!!), as Graham cannot come here, without drinking one too many margaritas...not the blended kind, the real, straight up, on the rocks kind!

We had a nice long, yummy dinner, followed by sopapillas, a dessert, that I had not had since living in Oklahoma for school, and some delicious drinks.

We ventured our way back to the hotel bar after, to have coffees and finish catching up, before Paul made the 2 hour trek back home. It meant so much to Graham (and I), for him to come down to see us and I know that Graham was very thankful to catch up and relive old times.

It's fun to see a different side of my husband. It makes me remember what he was like when we first met and what he was like before we met. It also makes me realize how blessed we are and how far we've come along together!

Mum's birthday surprise 100% success!!!

Back in August, we found out that Graham would be attending a conference in England in October!!! It was something that we thought might be a 10% chance, but we quickly found out, it was going to happen and I was more than welcome to go with (on our own dime of course).

As Graham had not been back since he emigrated on Oct 22, 2009, it was perfect timing to go back. I have not been back in almost 3 years, so we were hoping a that I could attend as well!

I found a flight for $650 and things started getting exciting from there! We let Graham's brother, Tom in on the secret, as well as his Auntie and Uncle. It would be Mum's birthday while we were there, so we decided to keep it a secret and plan for a surprise birthday lunch to top it off!

A few hiccups here and there, made it a bit of a challenge at times, but we pulled it off, without her ever getting any idea of a what was going on!

The plan:

Meet in London for lunch for Mum's birthday.

Those attending:

Graham, myself, Jill, Tom, Auntie Sue and Uncle Martin.

Those she knew about:

Tom

Place:

Unknown to her, but Veeraswamy's, an Indian restaurant in London. Little did we know, she's been wanting to eat there since 1978!!!!

Tom took Mum there for our reservation time, they arrived and the restaurant confirmed a 6 person table. OOPS! She figured out that Sue and Martin would be there, but ignored who the other two could be, with her mind NEVER leaning towards us!

We arrived 20 mins after Tom and Mum, entering from the elevator and walking right into the bar, her staring in disbelief right at us. There was shock, lots of tears and huge hugs all around. Once it finally settled in, she could not believe that we pulled it off and were all together again, on her birthday!! We were happy to videotape the entrance and capture that moment forever!

Thanks to Tom for helping us pull off what will surely be one of Mum's most memorable birthday's that she might ever have!

It was a great meal, a great time with family and well worth all of the planning and excitement that led up to it!

Family.

I'm a BIG family person.  I used to not be, at times...but I am now.  I don't know if it was doing all of the travelling that I did, moving away to go to school, being a pain in the butt teenager, or just because I truly wasn't mature enough to appreciate it.  Graham tends to think that sometimes it was because I am stubborn, independent and a people pleaser.  Either way, I have come to REALLY appreciate family, not just mine either.

I can honestly say that BOTH Graham and I feel very blessed to have the families that we do.  We feel very supported, loved and "together".  Graham has said ON MANY OCCASIONS, "I love your family.  It just feels right.  Your parents are my parents, when they're too far away to be here".  I am a very lucky woman to have a husband who loves my family and they love him.  I am even more lucky that he calls my parents "friends" and trusts them implicitly.

It is a strange feeling when you only have one family near to you.  Graham and I talk about this on occasion and wonder what it would ever feel like, if we had all three sets of our parents close by.  Most people try to tell us that especially when it comes to holidays, "it's easier and we are lucky not to have to arrange/figure out when to be somewhere and if you can't make it to one house or the other, who's that will be".  What they don't realize, if they have never been in this situation, is it can be just as hard, if not harder at times.

Have you spent 3 Thanksgivings away from your family?  Did you have to choose between one OR the other (not the actual day with one or the other, but being there at all)?  Have you ever had to tell your Mom, "Sorry, I know we were hoping to be there, but we won't see you at Christmas again this year"?  Or, "I know I've missed your birthday for the last 3 years, but you'll have to do dinner without us, we'll make sure we call though".

The sheer heartbreak when you are close to your family (families), is a hard thing to adjust to, no matter how many life events you miss.  Making that phone call or seeing them in person, to tell them, "Sorry, we just can't be there", is something that we hate.  From the heartbreak, to the look on each other's faces, to sometimes the tears that comes with it.

Both of our families, have always been VERY understanding.  If one of us or both of us are away, we either celebrate the holiday early, or late (it's not the same, but we are SO grateful that they accommodate  us), or sometimes, not at all.  It's strange.  I have a very understanding husband, who knows that the day we can afford to fly to England or Crete for Christmas, is going to have to deal with one VERY excited person, but also one who's heart will break being away from her family.

I can still vividly remember the first time I was away from my family at Christmas and how alone I felt.  I was sitting in church, in Scotland, with the family that I was an Au Pair for, crying, holding onto one of the children in my arms.  I was grateful that I had A FAMILY to celebrate with, but it was my first time away from my own, and I was heartbroken.  I spent the afternoon eating Christmas dinner with them, and the evening with 4 other Au Pairs at a cafe, reminiscing till the wee hours of Boxing Day morning.

So this weekend, it's Thanksgiving.  One of my favourite family holidays (mostly because it's my one time per year to have REALLY good food, home cooked and eat turkey and way too much mashed potatoes and gravy).  While we don't always celebrate it together on the actual day, the day that does end up working out, is one of my favourite days of the year.

This weekend, I am thankful for my families.  Both near and far.  I am thankful for the "extra" families that I have as well, friends families that have always welcomed me/us with open arms (whether it's because we were abroad or are just loved that much).

What are you thankful for this year?

Home is whenever I'm with you???

Do you ever wonder where home is? Have you moved a lot, travelled a lot or been "on your own" for awhile ( as in living away from your parents)?

Graham and I often discuss where "home" is. Is it where we grew up? Is it England? Is it Canada in general? Is it our current place that we live in?

We have come to realize over the years, that home is wherever we are...sometimes it's "our" house, sometimes it's Mom and Dad's (well, for me anyways), sometimes it's still England and sometimes for Graham, it's still his old family home that he grew up in in Dorking.

Oddly enough, we also often talk about where "home" will be down the road. We talk of moving back to Europe one day, maybe after we have kids and they are old enough to take in the culture of it all, maybe one day we will have to move somewhere unexpected? It's more an industry thing for Graham, as at some point in his career, we might have to move to wherever his skills would be most valuable.

For now though, we both agree that "home" is wherever we are an wherever we feel most comfortable and happy. For us, that tends to either be in our house or at Mom and Dad's, the 2nd place that we spend the most time at.

One thing that we feel very lucky about, is that we have had some very amazing places to call "home" along the way!!!

Schedules...

I am a BIG fan of organization and schedules. I am a bigger fan of being on time. Maybe it's a Dutch thing, maybe it's something I picked up from Dad, maybe it's just my human nature. Either way, I tend to work around schedules, not have schedules work around me. What type of person are you?

Don't get me wrong, I love throwing the schedule out and flying by the seat of my pants, but not when it comes to deadlines, needing to be somewhere for something specific, or to meet someone. I find being late annoying and an inconvenience. Who doesn't? Do you like being delayed on a bus, train, plane or in a car? I hate it. Yes, strong word, but boy, i do!

Last night I had a Hiccup in my schedule that put off being somewhere till a ridiculous time in the morning today. When I arrived where I needed to be, I arrived only to find out that there is a further issue and I will have to wait an extra 5 hours. COME ON! I can be patient, but i get intolerant when it's just due to someone else's incompetence.

Needless to say, I am bored and waiting to just get on with the rest of my day. I have a feeling that it's going to be one heck of a long one at this rate...

Argh!

Cheesecake

I used to LOVE cheesecake. I think the key here is USED TO...

Last night I had what I was hoping would be a glorious dessert. Strawberry, double chocolate and creme brûlée cheesecake. All mini sized, thank goodness, but I had high hopes none the less...

I guess it all started when I was a kid. I am not a big cake lover, but I loved cheesecake growing up. Mom used to always make me a cherry non bake cheesecake for my birthday (at my request), and I loved it to the last bite. I don't know what or why my taste for it has changed, but it has...

Last night i realized why...it's just never consistent. The strawberry one was so cream cheesy, with NO crust! Just cheese and fake strawberry sauce. The chocolate, which is never my fave anyway, was just too rich. The creme brûlée wasn't even edible, with the amount of caramel (or what you'd think might be caramel) on it and lack of flavor all together. Grr.

It made me long for the BEST cheesecake I've ever had...the first dessert Graham and in ever made together. It was the fall of '06 and it was the most divine dessert I have still tasted to this day! It was a fresh vanilla bean cheesecake with a rhubarb compote. It was H.E.A.V.E.N.

The first time we had it, we just about died from calorie overload, but it was amazing. The problem, it was reproducible. We realized by the second time that we made it, that we messed the recipe up so much the first time, that we'd never be able to have it the same way again. Isn't that annoying?

We are probably better off, but some days, I really miss it. I think more just for the memory of it!

So, I am giving up on cheesecake, that is...unless you have a killer recipe you just must share!

What a gorgeous day!!!

The sun was shining through the windows at work today!  It was SO nice!  I had no idea how gorgeous it was outside until I finished my shift and walked out!  It really puts you in such a good mood, well, at least it puts me in such a good mood!

I got home, got changed and then walked for a bit.  The colours are finally starting to change on the trees (at least the ones that haven't lost them all already!) and everyone who was out seemed to have some pep in their step that I haven't seen in weeks.

I am a big fan of living in a neighbourhood and seeing the kids play outside, all giddy and happy.  Lately, all that we've been seeing through their windows (we're not stalking, they're just big and leave their blinds open), is kids watching TV or playing video games.  Today, for the first time in ages, I was reminded of my childhood, as there were kids out playing street hockey and kicking a soccer ball around.  I miss those days.  I miss them alot.

So, thank you God for this wonderful day, I was starting to feel a bit grey, rainy and blue!

Christmas is EVERYWHERE!

So, Christmas seems to be EVERYWHERE.  The stores are now filling up with Christmas stuff, I heard my first Christmas song in a store yesterday and we are stacking up Christmas supplies at work, to be put out after Halloween.

I have ALWAYS loved Christmas and everything about it.  Getting dressed up and going to church as a family (or now, with Mom and Dad most Christmases).  Playing games, having drinks, eating good food, great time with the family, shopping for that perfect gift.  Just everything!

Since starting to work in retail, it has made me feel a little bit different about Christmas.  I was never a big fan of Christmas "starting" before Thanksgiving (Canadian Thanksgiving) or Halloween...but now that we have to stock, see and smell Christmas smells this early, it's a bit of a change of mind.  It doesn't make me love it any less, but it sure makes me not feel as excited.  SAD.

I can't wait for October to pass, so that I can get on the Christmas bandwagon!  But for now, I am going to ignore anything Christmas that I hear, see or smell.

So, I'm a BIG fan of fall...

I LOVE the fall (or Autumn as Graham calls it)!  The colours, the mix of cooler and warmer days and usually the most perfect temperature for walks...just EVERYTHING!  One of the things that I missed the most, living in England, was the lack of reds, purples, oranges and yellows on the leaves.  It really signals the end of summer to me and TRUE BEAUTY.

Lately, Graham and I have been noticing, that the leaves are falling off of the trees before they even get to change colour.  It has been COLD here for the past 4 days, with morning and evening temperatures hovering between 6-10 degrees.  During the day, it at times warms up to between 12-20, but the last two days, we have NOT been so lucky.

Today, it has been what Graham calls, "an English type of day...like English winter".  It has been rainy, grey and COLD.  Not my most favourite.  I really am hoping that either our "Indian Summer" arrives, or we get to experience some of the gorgeous colours...but for today, we have to live with this!

I will dream of this sight anyday now, instead!

Working...

In the last 24 hours, I have worked 16 of them!  It's been a CRAZY weekend.  A weekend full of sales, boxes, people and lack of time with my husband.  So this will be short and sweet,