Sunday 31 January 2010

Blizzard.

No, not the kind from Dairy Queen. A Blizzard for real. In North Carolina. The day AFTER I got here!

At 4:00 Friday afternoon, Mom and I were out shopping (yay for Target and Ross) and there was nothing coming down at all. By 5:15, we were on our way home (after Nicole met us at TJ Maxx) and we slid ALL the way home! By 8:00 that night, there was 5 inches accumulated on the back porch... so, that's over an inch per hour!!!

This is about 6pm Friday night!
We decided to go for a walk at about 10:00 and walked from Mom's house to the end of the neighborhood to see the main road. We stopped along the way and made snow angels and just enjoyed the pure, majesty of the quiet beauty of the snow. It literally was so quiet you could hear the snow falling.




When we woke up on Saturday, there was about a foot of snow on the ground! We suited up and headed out to play in the snow! Bonnie LOVED it! She refused to go inside... she kept getting stuck though...it was hilarious!

We're all definitely snowed in. There is NO getting out of Mom's driveway, let alone getting out of the neighborhood, so Nicole is in for the long haul...lol. We've been holed up playing card games and eating yummy food, so its all good! Although, as gorgeous as the snow is, it can go on ahead an melt now... I've got things to do (like more shopping and eating good 'ol North Carolina food) and people to see and being stuck in the house is making all that pretty difficult!

Monday 18 January 2010

Sherwood Forest!



Today we ventured up to Nottingham to see Sherwood Forest... okay, okay I'll be honest, we went because we found a place called "Ginza Sushi" that had a sushi menu that looked a lot like an American one we've been missing so much. Seriously. We drove an hour and a half for sushi. Laugh all you want, it was amazing.



Walking into the forest... we were further up north, so there was still ice and snow on the trail. Which made it interesting to walk around...lol
Christopher and the Robin Hood statue


The Major Oak. Estimated at over 1000 years old, this is the tree that they say Robin Hood and his Merry men would have hidden from the Sheriff of Nottingham in! They think it weighs about 23 tons with a "waistline" of 33 feet and a canopy of 92 feet! It was, in a word, HUGE. The legend of Robin Hood has been around since Richard "the Lionhearts" rule in the 11oo's. Tales of Robin Hood range from him being an ordinary thief, an Earl, or even the mythical green man. There's no real evidence that the Robin Hood we know and love actually existed, but the legend of he and his Merry Men run rampant in Nottingham. It's definitely easy to see how they could have hidden in Sherwood Forest. Even now, its a sprawling place, but then it covered most of the country; so its plausible that thieves or mythical green men could have stayed well hidden in and among the trees.
Up close of the trunk

Christopher and the Major Oak
Me! :)
Us in front of the Major Oak
:)

Also... happy 5 year Anniversary to Christopher and the Navy! I cant believe that 5 years ago today, Christopher was going through his first day of boot camp! Congratulations to my wonderful husband and what has so far been a pretty amazing Naval career! I'm so proud of him and everything he's accomplished!!! :)


Thursday 7 January 2010

Happy England Anniversary!

Well, this time last year, Christopher and I were packing our bags in Mom K's van to head down to the Charlotte Airport to get on a plane to come to England! Seriously? We've been here a year already?!?! It definitely does NOT seem like its been a year... although looking back, we've seen and done so much. We managed (including the States) to see 5 different countries in 1 year! Pretty awesome if you ask me! I think we're going for 6 this year...lol

Hope everyone is doing well!

Friday 1 January 2010

What a Year!

Its officially 2010 in England! Happy New Year to all our friends and Family! Just like with Christmas, our New Year was a little different. I had to work the night shift. Which means from Midnight-8am. So, Christopher came with me to work and we got here a little early and the girl who got off at Midnight, her husband was there too, along with our friend Jenn who comes and hangs out at work with us. So, we rang in the new year in the Hotel Lobby while watching the Fireworks in London on TV. I got my New Years kiss from Christopher (which makes 2 years in a row! A record since he's been in the Navy!).

As one decade ends I realize how much my life has changed in 10 years. I've started dating Christopher, graduated high school, gotten married, Christopher's joined the Navy, we moved to California, decided to try and start a family (and dealt with infertility), then to England, we've traveled the world, met some amazing people, made friends, lost friends, and have grown up into what I think are pretty awesome people...lol

In the past year alone we've moved to England, been to Paris, Scotland, Germany, had people visit, decided to try IVF and donate my eggs, made friends, lost friends, learned how to be a "normal married couple" (i.e. actually living together all year)--which was been an interesting change from our normal routine, I've finished the first draft of my first manuscript and started on a second one, and got a job. All in all, one hell of a busy year!

I dont do resolutions, because I dont ever keep them, but my goals for 2010 are:
*To get pregnant! *hopefully...lol
*Travel more... we want to see Belgium, France again, Austria, and Italy this year (and Ireland if Aaron and Kellea come visit!)
*Finish working on my first book and look into having it published
*Finish my second book and look into having it published
*Write like its my job (but a job I love)
*Go to church regularly
*Eat less junk food
*cook/bake more
*save more money

I think those are some pretty decent goals to have! Here's to 2010, may it be as amazing as this past year has been!!! I hope each and every one of you have a year blessed with happiness, love, and hope!