You may have noticed a break in transmission in the last 7 weeks or so. I didn’t even finish telling you about our adventures in Arizona (I will do that…). The girls and I have had a little break from our Long American Holiday whilst we went back to the UK to escape the humidity of a Houston Summer, only to be met with a heat wave in the UK which saw temperatures equal Houston on a few days (though fortunately the humidity was far lower…)
So, what did we do? It has been a very busy time and we still didn’t do all that we thought we would.
We had a fortnight with My Lovely Husband in our house, I caught up with some work (being in the same time zone makes that a whole load easier!) and managed to see some friends, as well as moving my mother in law into our UK house.
The girls and I spent a few relaxing in days in France with my Dad, with highlights for the girls being their first woodwork lesson (at their request), making obstacle courses in the garden, being pushed round the garden at high speed on an 80 year old wooden barrow by their uncle, giggling with their little cousin and my Dad reading us an hour long bedtime story every night, (something which my Dad has kept doing since we’ve been back, sending us a new chapter (or 3!) every day or so.
First woodwork lesson
My Lovely Husband and I had our first night away from the girls on a 2 day cruise (thank you Mum for having them!) and met some very interesting characters. We realised that it is very nice to spend some time as just the two of us and perhaps waiting nearly 7 years before doing it was too long!
The girls had their first riding lessons and loved it. They are now making plans to buy a small farm so they can have horses…
It’s been an animal focused holiday with 2 dogs and a parrot moving into our house with my mother in law, my Mum getting a new puppy and my little sister doing the same. The girls have loved the puppies and the girls Skype my Mum to see Bertie the puppy as often as to tell my Mum something!
We’ve caught up with friends, which has meant real conversations and some shared time (normal visits home are more like Army exercises, with no time for stopping or long conversations). Also, the Big One hosted her first sleep over with her two best friends from home, which was lovely and far less stressful than I expected (thank goodness!) They even got some sleep!
For me, I have really enjoyed being part of family life at home again. I’ve missed my family a huge amount and just being able to hang out with them and chat, whilst watching the girls play with their cousins has been so nice. We also took my Mum away for a lovely long weekend in Camber to relax, spend time on the beach in the sun, eat ice creams and fish and chips. Bliss! Bertie the puppy came for his first holiday too and the girls enjoyed introducing him to the sea and watching him have his first swim.
Bertie and the girls on the beach at Camber
Now we’re on the plane on our way back to Houston. The Little One is ill (bad cough, temperature, no sleep last night, sick in the car on the way to the airport as she was coughing up so much muck – yuck!) and I feel exhausted. Despite all this and the lovely time we’ve had at home, we’re counting down the hours until we get to Houston and see my Lovely Husband. This has been the longest we’ve ever been apart and it has been far too long.
Fingers crossed the Houston immigration queue is kind to us today…
