The last two weeks have had TONS of wonderful adventures, but they’ve also been some of the hardest times so far. I don’t really get how that works, but there it is.
Let’s see, we started last week with a little get together and hot chocolate with a few friends from the ward. It was good to get out and get to know them a little better, but poor Rachel was not happy to be driving around. She gets carsick almost every time we ride in the car with someone! (I’ll be honest, I get carsick too. Driving out here is very stop and go with the traffic, despite having roundabouts, and none of the roads are straight. Plus, almost all the cars out here are manual, so the gear changes jerk you around too.) Anyway, we survived, but Paul was at home all day feeling ill. Bummer. He pulled it together enough to help me get to the store, though.
For FHE, we learned about King Benjamin, and Rachel did an epic re-enactment. She now runs around the house yelling “Choose the right! Be like Jesus!”
Wednesday, Alice had her “jabs”/”injections”/shots. In America, they had me put Rachel on the table, then pick her up when she was done, but they make you hold them the whole time here. I don’t like it. It makes me think she might associate that pain with being held by mommy. I’m sure it’s fine, but it just made me uncomfortable. Also the nurses weren’t very nice, so that made me feel weird too. Luckily, Carol was with us, and we went to Tesco afterward which cheered me right up!
We had Sister Carter and Sister Stewart over for dinner, and I tried a new recipe for chili and cornbread. It was a huge success! Rachel loves the missionaries and kept asking when they would come back. Funny story: I went to the store that day to get a few ingredients, but I was having trouble finding everything I needed. I asked a worker if they carry Tomato Paste. He gave me a really confused look. I did a quick translation in my head, then in my best British accent, I asked “Do you carry toe-mAH-toe puree?” “Oh yes, of course!” he said. Then off we went to find it. Haha! Glad I’m finally learning how to communicate with these people!
Thursday was crazy. Playgroup was fun-always a highlight of the week for us.
Paul had tickets to go see a show at the RSC with his cohort in the evening, so he left right after school. We weren’t expecting him until late, and Becky Mace was supposed to come over and keep me company. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out for Becky, and Paul forgot his phone. Well, half way through the show, he borrowed a phone to call and check on me, but I didn’t hear it as I was playing with the girls upstairs. He took it as a sign that something terrible had happened, and he left to come save me! I’m glad he did, because he still didn’t get home until about 11:00. It was a long day without him. I was fine, but I was definitely ready for him to be home.
Friday morning, Paul doesn’t have class until 2! Hurray!!! He went out on exchanges with the zone leaders, and Jen Poulton came to take us girls to the Thinktank Museum! It was a lot of fun! It reminds me of the Museum of Creativity that just opened in Utah. They have a fun play area for kids where they can do water activities, dressing up like doctors or dentists, going shopping, building roads, and more. I think Rachel’s favorite part was climbing in and out of the big lockers. Ha! She and Mia played hide and go seek. We loved looking at the dinosaur exhibit, but there were entire floors of exhibits we didn’t even get to see! I think I’ll have to buy a pass and go back. And the museum is connected to the Birmingham School of Acting, so we can always use it as an excuse to go see Paul!
Saturday we had another DATE!!! YAY! Liz and her kids came over and played with our girls. It was so nice to know they were safe and having a blast. Rachel about died of laughter, and Alice took a bottle for Liz! That’s a first. Paul and I did some shopping-first time I’ve been in a dressing room since January 2014 when I got pregnant with Alice. And we found an AMAZING sushi place called “Sushi Passion” in the arcades. Oh. My. Word. We ate so much sushi! We used to go to Tsunami in Cottonwood Heights every now and then on a nice night out, so we’re glad to have a pretty close substitute over here in England! We sat on the floor and had fun planning our future and just being a couple again. For the first time since we moved here, I didn’t mind waiting for the bus. I got to just sit by my man and hold his hand for a few quiet minutes, and we got to sit on the top of the bus. I know it doesn’t exciting, but I always have to stay on the bottom with the girls and the stroller. The world looks a little brighter when you can see out of the big front window, and you’re not stressed out about your crying babies or people tripping over your stroller. I just needed the fresh air.
That was the 24th. We went to church on the 25th, and then I pretty much didn’t leave the house all week. Alice caught a cold or something, and she’s terribly congested. (She’s such a good baby, it hasn’t affected her sleeping or eating too much, but I can hear a little death rattle with every breath!) I came down with a sore throat and fever, and I’ve now completely lost my voice. And Rachel has pink eye (conjunctivitis) and an ear infection. We mustered our strength to go to the doctor on Wednesday to get some antibiotics for Rachel, but there’s not much we can do for me or Alice. Poor Rachel HATED the doctor and the eye drops, but the pink and goop are pretty much gone, and her appetite is making a comeback.
Needless to say, it was not our best week. I started going a little mental from literally staring at the walls all day. No matter how much I scrub or dust or clean, I can’t get rid of all the germs. It’s so damp here, it’s like living in a giant petrie dish-we’re just destined to be sick. Rachel hardly ever got sick in America, and now I can’t keep her well for 2 seconds! I know I just have to pull an Elsa and “let it go”, but it’s just bugging me. Ugh.
Poor Paul is worried about me being OCD and paranoid, but I know I’m crazy. As long as you know you’re crazy, you’re not totally crazy… yet. He’s about to break with all of his schoolwork, memorizing, and his calling. I don’t know how he keeps it together. He stays up till all hours, because he can’t do homework with the kids around. And we don’t put the kids down till late so he can spend a few hours with them. Then, I usually stay up with him for a bit… I don’t know how he manages on so few hours of sleep. He’s amazing!
A few good things worth mentioning:
1. I cut Paul's hair and it looks reasonably good. No mullet.
2. I spent hours attempting to plan our London and Scotland trips. I didn't get a whole lot nailed down, but it was fun to look forward to and read about!
3. I got to FaceTime with my mom a lot.
4. Alice learned how to laugh. It's the best.
5. Rachel drew a hot dog.
6. Becky and Jonathan Mace came for a quick visit
7. We went out for ice cream with the Golden's and Ward's on Friday. There's a cute little shop that just opened, and it has a fun little play area for kids! I loved getting out and seeing Rachel have such a great time with her friends.
8.. We had a miracle last week, as I was feeling especially sorry for myself. I got some amazing cards and gifts in the mail from both sets of grandparents! Not only was it a reminder that they love and support us, but it helped me put some things in perspective. Grandpa McKay wrote a letter including a few excerpts from his journal. He told us a bit about the Christmas he spent serving as a soldier in Korea! I've never really asked him much about it, but I absolutely loved hearing about his experience. It was cold and lonely and pretty miserable, but Grandpa made the best of things. He and the other soldiers broke the rules to share their Christmas dinner with the starving little Korean children that gathered at the fence. He specifically wrote of the warm socks his mother sent and how much he needed them. Paul and I each received some bright colored warm socks to keep us warm and to remind us of our blessings. I always have cold toes, and I've worn holes in the bottom of several of my socks, so it was more than a miracle to receive such a perfect gift! I sure love my grandparents and the example they've set. And I'm so grateful for warm toes!
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