We should be pulling up here in about 24 hours

Can't wait to see Deldon's family home in sight after a LONG LONG plane journey. I found these aerial shots of the home whilst packing up. I understand it started as a tiny house (the part with the air conditioning unit on top) and has grown periodically from there. I love the wide open space around it. Deldon literally grew up worlds apart from me! Valley Quail Drive here we come for a much need few days rest and fun before real life kicks in again.

Crazy Days

cannot began to describe the past few days - maybe this photo might gave you an idea! Deldon forgot his coat and you don't want to go outside in Ireland in the morning without your coat - come to think about it, anytime really. So here he is with this tv shawl I found in the bedroom at my mum's house. It belonged to my late Auntie Kitty. Desperate times call for desperate measures!!! I'm typing this at 12:45 at night and we are due to leave for the airport in about 4 1/2 hours. Our entire life is packed into 7 (heavy) suitcases. I have no idea what kind of emotions I will experience in the coming days and weeks, even months. Just hope there is more happy times than sad and lonely ones, and I do know that time will heal the pain of leaving those nearest and dearest to us and the kids. Just hope that time passes quick.

Bye Bye Saturday Morning Football

Deldon loves his Saturday morning football even though is has been the only regular married guy with kids there. Maybe hanging out with all the YSA fellas makes him feel youthful :) He hasn't been there for a month now with all the car boot sales, but they were playing today as everyone is off work and school for Easter Monday. I took the kids down to feed the ducks and have a chinwag with the girlies. We will really miss our friendships with the youth and YSA, they are a breath of fresh air to be around.

Our feasting weekend

This is what arrives when Feds cooks for 4 (I LOVE IT)!!! I have to stuff my face really really fast, so I can eat a few plate loads before my body's "I'm full" feeling kicks in. (The photo doesn't even include the multiple desserts on offer too). We are going to miss our feasting with Feds and Alistair.

It's been a good weekend - Friday was an Abbathon for our ward activity. We sang Waterloo with my extended family. OUr ward sang a cute goodbye song to us at the end to the tune of "Thank you for the Music." I was really proud of myself keeping my emotions very much in check and totally under control, even though inside I wanted to fall apart. I need to see if anyone took any pics. I had someone take a video, but it didn't actually record - bummer! Here's a photo of the "Lowry Clan" in our ward for any of you reading this blog that knows them. I thought they looked fab in all their gear. (Excuse the uncropped photo with the back of my daughter's nogging in it.)

This morning Deldon and I got up at 6:30 a.m. and headed off to our 3rd car boot sale (OK my 1st, his 3rd). By lunchtime we'd pretty much sold all we could. It's a strange, but kinda cool feeling to think that this time next week, we'll own nothing but the clothes on our back, photos, a few ornaments, and toys. Samantha was in tears again yesterday as we started taking the toy box and her wooden toy organiser out of her room to sell. I was explaining to her that they are only "things" and what is most important is that we stay together as a family, we can always replace "things," but never our wee family. She agreed, and the tears gave way to smiles.

I want to wish everyone a Happy Easter. It's been great to be able to explain to Samantha a little bit more this year about the meaning of Easter beyond her chocolate eggs. Her little mind continues to expand and absorb so much everyday, I love it. Grateful to have the blessing of accessing the Atonement in my own life as I struggle to make good choices, and live as I know I should. Tomorrow will be another feasting day as a turkey dinner is on the menu, but more importantly I hope it will be a spiritual feast as we worship at Church and attend a Stake Easter Musical Evening. My Sister and I have been asked to sing. I've been thinking that it will most likely the last time we'll ever sing together in any formal setting again :). But once again - Happy Easter

Easter chocolate has made an appearance already

Well at least I held off until Good Friday. I needed a chocolate fix after our really healthy lunch of batter sausages and chips, smothered in a southern fried chicken gravy sauce. So I decided the girls could eat "Molly the Cow" and "Lucy Lamb" ( I swear there will be no chocolate eggs until Sunday.) Deldon and I have been "helping" them to eat their chocolate. Since taking this picture about 10 mins ago, Sophie's entire face is smeared in chocolate from top to bottom, with Daddy sitting obliviously beside her.

All cropped off

Don't know what processed me, but I decided the hair was going before we moved. I think it's going to take a little getting used to. Deldon is "missing" my hair and Samantha told me I look funny and like a lion - not such positive responses. I'm not so keen on it myself, but it was a good exercise in bravery, and it will grow back eventually.

Comfort food

I (We) have a terrible bad habit of eating "2 dinners". If I don't enjoy what I cook for dinner on any given night, I feel like I have the right to get a "takeout" after the kids go to bed. It's so weird, it's like I've been cheated if I don't enjoy my dinner. Tonight was one of those nights, and with the stress of moving I just feel like I have the additional right to eat as much Chinese (my favourite takeout here) and as much chocolate as I can stomach. There is nothing like a 1/2 and 1/2 fried rice and chips smothered in curry sauce followed by Cadbury's chocolate to soothe my soul. (Okay folks, I know of way better things I could do - especially on a spiritual level to TRUELY soothe my soul) but right now all I have the energy to do is eat, eat, and eat some more. Deldon doesn't cry about joining in on the action haha. His latest craving is Singapore noodles - they would burn the mouth off ya, but I have to say they are delicious to the taste, just not "comforting" like my curry.

Manna to my soul

My empty chocolate wrappings (Deldon had a snickers bar and a new peanut butter kitkat) I know, it's awful, one chocolate bar isn't enough now we have to have 2 each!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I wonder what my comfort foods will be when we live in America? I know before almost every test I took at the BYU testing center I would order Nacho's Bel Grande (can't remember the exact name) from Taco bell at the Cougareat, maybe I'll be resorting to those again, time will tell.

Love is in the air

What a bitter sweet day today. Trish has lived around the corner from us for the past 2 1/2 years and I have enjoyed having her kids over to entertain my wee rascals many times. I say bitter because I said my first real "goodbye" - next time I set eyes on Trish again she will hopefully have the pitter patter of tiny feet inside her, on running around her, who knows! Sweet, because this beautiful girl found a great man, worthy enough to take her to the Temple to be sealed for Time and all Eternity. Her and the kids deserve nothing less! Her dad told us how she had told him she'd offered a million prayers that she would find a man like Dave. I'm so happy Heavenly Father answered those prayers. I have been so impressed with how Trish lives her life, and how well she has taught her kids. It can not have been easy doing it on her own. Her deepest, darkest hours of divorce and sadness are a thing of the past and now a bright and beautiful eternity awaits. So glad I was able to see her married before we left.

Trying to get any photos at any wedding is near impossible with 3 kids, this is no not the best photo of Dave, but it's the only one I was able to scramble this morning.

Beautiful Bride

It might have been a beautiful sunny day, but the wind still knows how to keep us cool here

Goodbyes already

I went out for dinner this week with some friends as we figured it was now or never. Trish got married today and will be on her honeymoon in the Holy Land when I leave. Brenda is very prego so hopefully will either be in labour or have just popped as we depart, and Kylie will have just arrived back from a lovely holiday to Orlando, Florida. I will definitely miss our "girly nights" hope this will not be the last one, and that we'll have many more to come over the years when I return home to visit.

Our adorable 3 month old

Oh yes he is tooooooooooo good for words. Thank goodness for little boys like Bryce. He'll be 15 weeks this Monday, and has blessed us with a full nights of sleep since he was about 7 weeks old. He has brought a much needed balance to our wee family. We couldn't be happier to have him with us. He is starting to really enjoy toys and is so alert and aware of everything around him now.

Bryce's Great Uncle Derek came to visit us fron London recently and gave us a really good laugh. My mum's siblings are hilerous, I love listening and chatting to them all.

Big eyes

Watching some T.V. at Auntie Rachaels

Isn't that a stern look

This him just yesterday, he's getting so grown up looking already

Space Fairy

We are so not in to dressing up in this country. So for the primary fun day when they said it was a space theme and the kids could dress up if they wanted, I just took Samantha's tinkerbell outfit and turned her in to a space fairy - so not creative, I know, but hey only one other kid was dressed up. I told you, we don't do costumes!!! (btw thanks Grandma for the tinkerbell outfit, it sure came in handy.)

Sophie's latest place to take a sneeky nap

I think she's done this at least 3 times this week. She could lie there for hours too, I don't understand how or why, as it can't be that comfortable on a hard floor?

You've gotta love the Spring

This is our favourite song in this household right now. Spring is in the air and we LOVE it!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/presenters/music/spring.shtml

WAY TO GO SOPHIE!

I couldn't decide whether I should wait to potty train her once in the USA or do it now before we left. So about 3 weeks ago I randomly decided to give it a go and we haven't looked back since! She has only had one accident from the day after we started - amazing!!!! (Having said that she does not quite believe in doing #2's in the potty yet, but we'll get there soon, at least I hope). It's so nice to not have to buy soooooo many nappies and wipes. The best was when she used her potty then stood up, took a bow, and said "Thank you" - priceless! It feels great to be back to having just one child in nappies.

Especially for you Kerri

My cousin Kerri came down to Lisburn have lunch with us the other day and she was reminding me I hadn't written on my blog for a while. I am so all consumed with this move, I just have had no time, desire, or energy to update this...but I have some photos to post, so I promise to try and do that soon. We are on the count down now, with under 3 weeks to go. We have a renter for our house which is great, but it is no joke trying to "finish" our life here - so many phonecalls and paperwork to take care of, never mind selling, packing and clearing out a house. Once I have that done then we have the enormous task of setting up a new life and all the phonecalls and paperwork that entails. I've done this once before, but somehow it seemed much more simple - I guess we didn't have 3 kids and a house then.