Thanksgiving and more

December 1, 2014

So many good things happening these days!

The best news: Paul finishes class this week!!!! Only 3 more days really! I can’t believe it! Really. There were some LOOOONG hard days in there, but these last 10 weeks have gone by pretty darn quick. I’m so excited to have him with me 24/7 for the next FIVE WEEKS! We get to explore together, run errands, maybe even go on a date… and I can get some alone time! I might even leave the house-WITHOUT a giant stroller and diaper bag. Ha! Maybe…

Other good news: Thanksgiving was just lovely. I was so worried about being homesick and missing that week of fun and family, but we managed to stay THANKFUL for what we do have, and it helped us feel cheerful. We have been blessed with some wonderful friends here, and we have a nice warm house and food on the table. We managed to have TWO Thanksgiving feasts! We went to the church building on Saturday evening with a few American families from the ward and a few American friends we found. It was so fun to see the kids running around, everyone had good food in their bellies. It was heaven. And we had Paul’s cohort over on Sunday evening for Friendsgiving/Fakesgiving/Expatgiving round 2! Paul was so cute and excited to introduce me to his friends, and he cleaned the whole house and did the food. I honestly didn’t do a thing. Everyone brought such great food, and it was fun to get to know everyone. (Samia made some mac n cheese, and I’m pretty sure that’s going to become a tradition for the Cartwright family now. It tasted soooo good, but it was more like a big hug from America. I loved it! Also on our list to adopt-Amelia’s chicken puffs and Liz’s Ritz-Crackers-and-Peanut-Butter-Covered-In-White-Chocolate-And-Sprinkles. Oh yes. I am a fan.)

Sidenote: I made my traditional “Raspberry Fluff”-usually made with Raspberry Jello, Vanilla and Tapioca Pudding, Cool Whip, and Frozen Fruit… I had frozen fruit here, but that was the only original ingredient. Ha! It was such an adventure, but it turned out pretty well! We did add about ½ cup sugar to the finished product. Bless England, they don’t have added sugars in anything-great for health, bad for American taste buds.

We had THE BEST time at playgroup last week! We went to THE GERMAN MARKET and shopped around. There are so many fun things to eat and buy. I was good and only bought Rachel some mitts, and we shared a giant chocolate covered marshmallow. We took a ride on the carousel too! Rachel was excited, but when it started moving, she was definitely nervous. By the end of the ride, she was in heaven, and when we had to leave, she cried the biggest crocodile tears I’ve ever seen. It literally broke my heart. I promised I’d bring her back with Dada to ride the horsey.

For the last two weeks, we rode the bus to playgroup, and I’ve managed pretty well! I only got lost once, and it wasn’t too scary. We wanted to make the most of our bus pass, so I took the girls to visit Dad on his lunch break! It makes the day so much brighter when we get to see him-even for just a minute.

Carol took us on an EPIC adventure two weeks ago. It started as a typical Friday afternoon… Carol brought Rebecca with her, picked us up, and all 5 of us girls drove to Marks & Spencer’s. (A department store-like a Macy’s or JC Penny, but it also has food and a café.) Paul and I got a 100 pound voucher to M&S when we signed up for our wifi here, so I wanted to use it on Christmas or something fun. Anyway, the Friday afternoon/evening traffic was at a RIDICULOUS standstill, so a 20 minute drive turned into an hour and 40 minutes or something like that. We finally made it to the store, and I rushed in to find a mother’s room to nurse Alice. Rebecca and Carol played with Rachel while I nursed. We shopped around for a minute, then Rachel needed a nappy/diaper change. We shopped some more, drank some hot chocolate from the café, then sent Carol to change Alice’s nappy while I picked out some food. We told Paul we would bring home some dinner, and I wanted to buy a bunch of groceries anyway since M&S has some of the best food we’ve had in this country. Well, half way through grocery shopping, Carol and I had to use the restroom, so we left Becca with the babies and shopping cart. Then, as we were about to check out, I had an upset tummy and had to RUN to the restroom again. Carol was on the phone and chasing Rachel. Becca was holding Alice and pushing the cart. I came back to find that Carol had paid for my groceries and we forgot to use the voucher-the whole reason we came to M&S in the first place! Also, it was time to feed Alice again. So we sat in the parking lot for a good 30 minutes before heading home. It was after 9 by the time we got back, so we shoved some food in Rachel and sent her to bed. Poor Paul had eaten an entire tube of cookies while waiting for us to bring him food, so he wasn’t even hungry by the time we got there. Becca and Carol ate with me then had to drive over an hour to get home! Bless them. It was a 9 potty trip adventure. That’s gotta be a record of some kind!

Personal note: My brother, Jacob, left on a two-year mission last Wednesday. We got to facetime before he went into the Missionary Training Center (MTC), and I was so glad I got to tell him how proud I am of his decision and preparation to serve. He is going to Cincinnati, OH where he will be inviting people to learn more about and become more like Jesus Christ. I realized this week that I am the only one of my siblings that did not serve a full-time mission. (excluding Caleb who is too young) I am so grateful I was able to serve a Church Service Mission! I know I would have loved serving a full-time mission, and sometimes I am tempted to regret not going. I wonder how my life might be different… I think this experience in England is a lot like a mission, and I am learning a lot of the same things-I’m just wearing a different name tag. I am on a mission to better myself and help those around me. I get to serve Jesus Christ by serving two little girls and a handsome husband. I’m challenging myself to make new friends and not shy away from sharing. So, while Jacob is gone for two years, I’ve committed to spend the same two years becoming a better me.

RACHEL’S CORNER:
-ALMOST knows how to sing Jingle Bells by herself
-loves to wear her pink rain boots and can put them on all by herself
-learning to use her “happy voice” instead of her “sad voice”-aka no whining
-loves to dance with Murphy Bear
-her new favorite activity is “rescuing” Tigger and Murphy Bear from the floor
-obsessed with hot chocolate

ABOUT ALICE:
-I finally figured out how to come her hair!
-started smiling last week!
-loves to be held by Dada
-weighs 12 pounds and wears 3-6 month outfits!

(Alice held by our new friend Lydia)