2007 +: A Year and a Bit in Review

2007 is nearly gone so I thought that I'd join in the fun of reviewing my year, plus a little bit more.

I will actually start Dec of 2006 because that was the start of one of the hugest changes in my life, second only to becoming a mother. I moved from the USA to Birmingham England to get married to the love of my life. After a bazillion months of waiting for M to be able to move to the States, and for us to get married legally according to the 187465108435081760435618645 laws on immigration to the USA, we found out that it would be quicker and a bit "easier" for me to move to the UK and get married here. We planned on later on, after everything was settled and L had finished her Kindergarten year at her private Christian school (She was doing supremely well and thriving in her 4 student classroom) that we'd have her move here. So November 30th, I said farewell to all that I knew in the USA, and landed December 1st in the UK, my new temporary home. M and I scheduled our wedding day AS SOON AS LEGALLY POSSIBLE--December 29th, 2006. It was a very small quiet affair, that you may as well call it eloping. There were only six people total; M, his Mum and Dad, the Registrar (official) and her assistant, and myself. We went out to a posh chinese restaurant afterwards and then on to the new In-Law's for Chocolate cake, champagne, and presents. We didn't have a honeymoon anywhere. Just things plain and simple, basically keeping in mind that one of the reasons I came over was to save up enough money to move back to the States. I do have to admit that M and I started working on the newest generation right away :)

Fast forward to April 17th, because Jan, Feb, and March were dull drab and sad homesickness months. That day, M had the day off and we were going grocery shopping, and for purely practical purposes, I took a pregnancy test just to see if we needed to pick up monthly supplies for me----Uhhh The test came back PREGNANT!!! I was shocked and stunned because during the time that should have been conception time, both of us were ill, and I just didn't "feel" like it worked--boy was I WRONG!!! I came out of the bathroom, bawling and holding on to the test stick, and cried at M saying "We did it!!!" M didn't understand right away because he didn't see the stick, so he came over to me, saw what I had in my hand, took a look at it, and quite litterally his knees buckled and slid down the wall. Tee hee! WE DID IT!!!

May and June were a flurry of preparing for a 2 week trip back to the States to visit friends and family.

End of June, specifically my birthday, we left for Iowa, Missouri, and Minnesota, to see family and friends. We spent the first 2 weeks of July in the USA and M got to experience a real hometown 4th of July, parade, candy, fireworks, beer and all. I got to meet my eldest brother's TFG (The Fabulous Girlfriend) Diana and her son Hayden and her Angel daughter, Hannah was there too. M got to finally meet my both of my brothers and I think that they all got on supremely well (it is great when ALL of the in-laws get along, with the added bonus of liking each other) We then went on to Missouri to visit friends there--oy it was HOT HOT HOT there! We shot guns and played with bows and arrows. We laughed and talked and melted in the heat. We then popped back in with my folks for a day of rest and then went to see my Grandpa and Grandma Evans for a day at the Evan's family farm. We had a great visit as well as lots of joyriding on their 4-wheeler (I think that the 4-wheeler rides were one of the top highlights to Z, L and M's entire trip!) Our last stop was my friends in Minnesota, and M got to finally meet Tonya, Freddy and crew. We went swimming and Mark and I camped out in a tent in their backyard and Freddy entertained us with bon fires. M, the kids and I had such a great time that we didn't want to leave.

The rest of July and a good part of August was again drab and sad because of the homesickness and missing the kids. We found out that we had done things backwards about having L move with us, as she she should have come over initially with me, and that if we brought her over now, that it would be super expensive, and we might as well plan on making the UK our permanent place of residence. My folks enroled her back in her school and (hopefully, happily) are raising her for another school year for me.

End of August-September Z and L start school. Z is now an official middle-schooler. He started band, and through try-outs of insturments, Z and his band teacher picked out the clarinet. He is still involved in the Gifted and Talented program. So it was the start of a lot of new school things for Z, but still retaining the same familiarity of the same school system and school friends that Z has had for 6-7 years. (The longest that I got to enjoy that kind of same school stability was 10th through 12th grade) L got to go back to her school and same teacher that she had in Kindergarten for which she was THRILLED!! She loves loves loves her teacher and friends--in fact her best friend's name is Love!

Fast forwards to the end of October, my favorite holiday, Halloween! We had our first (and turns out only) birthing class. I dressed up as a horny pregnant lady--Ha! I did find the atmosphere here in the UK surrounding Halloween depressing as most people hide out in their homes with all of their lights turned out because kids will egg and TP homes and bully people into giving them candy or money on Halloween. It is flirting with danger of being robbed or beat up to go out at night on Halloween, unless you are a kid in a hoodie gang. ...nice... Complete opposite to the small town midwest USA halloweens that I am used to, and feels safe and happy. There are a few cases of malicious behaviors, but it isn't the norm, like it is here.

November bring a peculiar celebration here-Guy Fawkes Night--where between Halloween and the 5th of November (officially GF Night) people all over set off fireworks. It is a celebration of a failure! way way way way back, like in the 1600's, this dude named Guy tried to blow up Parliment with a bazillion kegs of black gun powder and his plot was foiled and he was hung, drawn, quartered, and his body parts were displayed all over England (If you have seen Braveheart, then you kind of understand the mode of death that Guy had) So they blow up fireworks in rememberance of a failed dead guy.

The rest of November went quickly, as we celebrated M's birthday, and watched my ever expanding belly grow and grow. We did have a hiccup healthwise. I came down with a sudden chest infection, that had me struggling to breathe, and the concern of a Pulmonary Embolism was brought up. I had a 2 night stay in the hellspital....er hospital..while they ran tests to see if I did have a PE. It was ruled out. It did however, make me more determined to have a homebirth with this baby like i had wanted to do all the way back when i was pregnant with L. There were a few good people at the hellspital, but I had far too many nurse Ratchets in there whilst being stuck in a room with 4 other people separated by only curtains, and having one old geezer yelling out in the middle of the night "Yes! I'll 'ave that bacon sandwich!" and another spitting in his emisis basin every other minute then dumping the contents out in the handwashing sink in the room--don't worry--no one ever washed their hands anyway-EVER! No wonder nosocomial infections (hospital bugs) can spread like wildfire! M and I were so happy to hear that a PE was ruled out and that we could go home, that he hugged the doc, much to her surprise.

December-busy busy fast fast fast with growing baby and shopping. Because baby WAS due the 23rd, we kept Christmas day pretty low key, especially since I had been in and out of false labor since the 19th. False labor is an insidious thing, I tells ya! M and I have been so anxious, happy, excited, depressed, worried, blah, sad, and generally annoyed these past few weeks it is just unreal. WE JUST WANT TO HURRY UP AND MEET THIS BABY!!!!! But we wait, and wait, and wait, and wait some more.

Yesterday, the 29th, was our first anniversary. We had a bit of a baby scare, because Baby wasn't very active in the morning, so we ended up with an non-stress test being done--basically a monitoring strip done. First anniversaries' gifts are paper---well M got to see that piece of paper and we both had peace of mind, because as soon as the monitors were strapped on, Baby got busy in there, and even gave us a case of the hiccups. So we came home and ate Chinese and looked at our wedding photos. Awww--What a year!

My wedding band has this inscribed in it "Le mo ghrasa mise agus Liomsa mo ghra" It is Gaelic and roughly translated "I am my Beloved's. My Beloved is mine." Throughout all the years happenings, M and my love has grown stronger and more precious. We are so happy and in love with each other, and we look forwards to many more years of love! I truely am my Beloved's and my Beloved is truely mine!!!

Happy New Year to you all, I wish you many blessings!



....and, no, the baby isn't here yet....