You know your live overseas when...

You do all of your Black Friday shopping online from the comfort of your very own couch and in the PJ's (ok at least in my case today) Which by the way is FREAKING AWESOME!

Well let me start from the beginning. We got up at 4:30 this morning to take Ma and Pa to the airport. We are very sad to see them go and we all (including Luke and Leia) wish they could have stayed longer. Ok back to the point, got up a 4:30 left the house by 5:00. We made pretty good time driving the airport. Oh did I mention that the drive from Lakenheath Village to London's Heathrow Airport is my least favorite drive in the whole wide world. We got to the airport got them checked in and had a nice breakfast. We watched them walk through security and then headed home, which by the way seemed to take much less time. We walked in the door just as their flight was taking off.

After a two hour nap (don't judge do you remember the whole 4:30 wake up time this morning and we all know how much I love my sleep) it was time to start shopping. First stop OLD NAVY! They had some AWESOME deals on oh so many of my favorite things. I got some stuff for Aussie and for me, but sadly nothing for the pups they didn't have many doggie items online. Then is was off to one of my favorite stores for black Friday shopping BATH & BODY WORKS! There I found a bunch of stuff I wanted, but I limited myself to some oils for our warmers and of course pretty much anything Twisted Peppermint I could buy! Except my favorite thing the little anti-bacteria pocket packs. Oh well life goes on right.

Needless to say my black Friday shopping was successful, not stressful in the slightest, and my favorite NO CROWDS!!! I do hate crowds and will avoid them at all costs. Now just waiting for the packages to get here. I do love getting stuff in the mail.

Tomorrow is time to decorate so everyone keep your eye out for pictures!

Loves and Hugs!

My 2nd English Thanksgiving

This marks the second Thanksgiving that I have spent in England. Last Thanksgiving I spent without Austin here as he was back in the states for a training. But dont worry I wasn't alone for Thanksgiving I was spent it with my dear friend Sara, her husband, and our friend Dooley. The day started with me heading over bright and early to start cooking. Sara and I are some of the best Thanksgiving cooks I know and I know she will agree with me. The pictures below are some of many taken on my 1st English Thanksgiving.

Me and Sara getting started to cooking

I had some issues making my dad's shortbread, oh well everything's a learning experience right?

Don't worry everyone the Shortbread turned out amazing and there weren't any leftovers

My 1st English Thanksgiving was amazing with lots of great food and great friends. Sara and I even managed to cook an amazing turkey in our turkey fryer.

This year Thanksgiving is a little different then last. Austin is home this year which is always a blessing. Even more so because his grandparents Ma and Pa are also here this year. The morning has started off normal enough. Coffee (always a must), and a quick look outside to see that there is no snow. Although I had hoped I figured that we wouldn't have any snow. But a girl can dream right? I have already started my cooking which includes brownies, french dip sandwiches (for lunch), green bean casserole, and chocolate chip peanut butter cookies. We are having two thanksgivings today. One with the most of our England family which includes : Austin, Me, Carley, Ma and Pa, Tommy, Jake and Scott. We are missing my England Bestie Jenna and her husband John. Then tonight we are going to Erin's house to have Thanksgiving with my work family!

I always wonder what it would be like if we were in Alaska. My family used to always go out and spend the whole weekend at the cabin. There would be lots of food, family, friends, game, and of course SNOW. They haven't gone for a couple of years but its always my favorite memories of being back home. What I wouldn't give to open up the window and see snow falling outside.... Nope nothing there.

Well I guess I better get back to cooking. A very Happy Thanksgiving to all of my friends and family near and far. I'm so blessed to have such a wonderful group friends and family here in England that make our time here in the this amazing country so special.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Luke and Leia take on England

So today was the day, after a very long 6 months of waiting for Luke and Leia to be able to enter the United Kingdom. It's an extremely expensive and lengthy process but it was more then worth it when I saw the dogs today!

So in getting ready I got them all new food and water bowls but they looked a little plain for me for I used some puffy paint and added the little dots and stripes to them. I think they turned out really cute and give them a little bit of uniqueness.

Over the past few weeks I have been so nervous thinking that something would go wrong with the dogs coming over here.

Today was the days after a long time they were on their. Although it didn't go perfect nothing that we couldn't handle.

Austin has to work so I went with my friend Wendy to go and pick them up. I would have been WAY to nervous to drive by myself. So after a long two hour car ride we got to the animal reception center. I told the woman my name and she went to find out how far along they were in the process. She came back staying she had the papers and they were cleared. She just needed to find out where they were and she would bring them out... So after more waiting I turned around and there they were! I was sooooo excited I got all teary eyed.

So after getting the crates loaded into Wendy's car we were on the road! It felt so weird having them with us in the car. We arrived home after over 3 hours(stupid London traffic) we were home just in time to show them their brand new back yard. Much bigger then the one we had at Laughlin. Then Austin got home, they were WAY more excited to see him then they were to me, or at least I think.

But after a REALLY long 6 months the dogs are here in there new home in England! It's gonna make the next 2.5 or more years so much better.

Scooter or Tokya or something

The May's have a new member of the family! His name was Tokyo, but we really dont think that suits him very much. He is a year old Cockateil that another Military member was giving away because he just didn't have time for him.

(Right out the cage he sat on my head)

(Giving Kisses)

(He is a really pretty bird)

We are so happy to have his as a member of our family. I think he will make a great addition to our family. It's going to be interesting to see how he does with the dogs and the dogs do with him.

Tomorrow we are gonna go to a couple of the pet stores in the area to get him some new toys and stuff to warm up his cage.

London Apartment

So we spent the last weekend in London for the Britney Spears concert. We stayed in a really AWESOME hotel. We had our own apartment that we shared with another couple we came to the concert with. It's great it was a two bedroom apartment with two bathrooms. It wasn't in the heart of London but we got a great deal 90 GB pounds per night. It's about 160 dollars, which in London is a GREAT deal. Trust me. It had a really nice view

(The view from one of the windows in the in the living area of the apartment)
(The view out the kitchen window in the apartment)
(The living "area")

It was a really great hotel and we are already planning our next trip to London because we just didn't have time to see everything or nearly everything we wanted to. We plan to stay at the same place even if it just hubby and me. Over all our London apartment ROCKED!!!

My First "TDY"

So I'm going on my first TDY for work if you can really call it a TDY. We are having a remote clinic at RAF Alconbury this thursday for work. It is only a day trip but I still feel special because it's like a TDY and I haven't even gotten to go on one.

I have been really busy getting prepared for it though pulling all the files and getting everything prepared so that it's easy as possible to get everything going. We leave really early to on Thursday we have to be at work at 645 which is like almost two hours before we normally would. I think it will be a great experence and hopfully I get to go on alot more!

Make that Number Two

So I'm now surviving my second TDY since we got here to England. Austin went to Sweden for the week and left me home! But oh well you gotta live with it. I'm trying to stay busy while he is gone, which seems to be going very well. The day that Austin left I had work and about half way through the day I started getting a sore throat. I made it through the day but crashed as soon as I got home.

Saturday I woke up feeling pretty crap but knew I had alot to do that day. I started with going to the bank, then took my car to get it's MOT done. MOT is a compulsory annual test of older motor vehicles for safety and exhaust fumes(pulled definiction off the net). Needless to say it didn't pass, they say I need new brake disks, and a couple light bulbs are out but those are the easy fix. So needless to say my very first paycheck from work is going to getting my car fixed. But we got a really good deal on the car so I guess this makes up for it. By the time I had finished the MOT I felt horrible and just wanted to go back to bed, but I didn't. Instead I went to Jess' baby shower, she is a really sweet girl I met at work who expecting a little girl in September. Once I got home from that I was really tired so I got into my PJ's and just hung out around the house.

Sunday I slept in for the first time since I started work. I woke up this morning feeling alot better but decided to just kinda hang out around the house and rest so that I was feeling good for my week. I did go and put gas in my car and get some grocerys for the week that hubby is gone.

Now I'm watching TV and getting the house straightened up for the next week. I always feel better about starting my week with a clean house and having all the dishes and laundry done. I'm ready to start my week!