Getting Settled

We've now been in the USA for 16 days. In that time we have gone to a Ranger's game, a wedding, orientation at school and orientation at work. We have been to see our new place and gotten a pretty good feel for what our job will be like. Now we are coming to the end of our Texas visit with my parents. I've been purposefully avoiding the computer because it seems a little overwhelming when I think of all we've done in the last few weeks. It's been nice to be able to have pockets of really busy time and still get some quiet time to just relax. I just thought I'd let everyone know we're still alive. We already miss everyone from Morley. We start work at the school next Friday so I'll have more of an idea what we'll really be doing then. Now it's of to a fish fry in Desdemona and then a summer concert in Stephenville with my folks.

3 more sleeps

Well it's that time already. I pulled the suitcases down yesterday and started gathering non-essentials. I don't think the fact that we are moving has really sunk in yet. I'm actually hoping for it to just wait till after Krystin's wedding next weekend to sink in. We've had a pretty good week aside from all the hours spent on the phone with utility companies. Jed kept trying to explain that they will not be getting more money from us after Thursday because we will have no more financial presence in the UK. You would think that most companies would jump when you say please take my money now, but no, it's not supposed to work that way.
On Wednesday we got to say goodbye to the school we've been volunteering at. We were the judges for their end-of-the-year talent show. It was really nice to get to spend a little time with everyone before we go. Friday night we went with Anne, Ian, and Sharon to the Balti house for a final curry. I do have to say that of all the things I will miss about living in the UK it will probably be the Indian food and the fish and chips that I miss the most.
It seems silly but I can't help but wake up every day wishing it would go faster just so everything would be finished. I'm not saying I can't wait to leave, as a matter of fact in a week I'll be wishing that everything had gone slower. It's just that I'd like to know that we've made it through without any complete breakdowns.
Anyway today is packing day (for me at least, Jed will probably wait till Tuesday night). Then tomorrow we will be going down to Mapelwell camp to say "hello" and "goodbye" to all of our friends there. Then Monday and Tuesday are just for reveling in everything English before we leave for the airport at 3am on Wednesday.

New Horizons

I can't believe it's been two years and a month since Jed and I first arrived in the UK. Now we're making plans to move back to the States and it's feeling more than a little surreal. When people here ask whether we are excited to be going home or not it's not the easiest question to answer. This has been the first home we've had together, so we will always have a special place in our hearts for Morley. I'm sure most of our friends from college will know what I'm talking about when I say that major life changes seem to become a way of life when you're between the ages of 18 and 30. In the last 7 years I graduated high school and moved 1,300 miles away from my "home" to go to college. Then I spent a semester abroad in Europe, got engaged, got married, graduated college, moved to England and somewhere in there my parents moved to Texas. Needless to say my definition of "home" has changed many times.
We have been very blessed to find a job in Tipton, Oklahoma. We will be working as relief house parents with the Tipton Home.. Knowing that we have a job to go back to has made our last few months here so much easier. It's been great to be able to focus on things here and not have to worry about what we will do in the US.
We will be flying into Dallas on July 27th so that we can make it to Oklahoma City in time for my sister in law, Krystin's, wedding on the 30th. Then we will be doing some visiting with my family in Texas and starting work in Tipton on August 16th. So if any of you will be in the area we would love to get together and share some stories.

We'll have a "right royal knees up"

Alright so maybe our Royal wedding party wasn't exactly that exciting but the food was good. On the menu:

Cucumber Sandwiches, Tuna Sandwiches, Cheese Sandwiches
Potato and Pea Tarts
Deviled Eggs
Sausage Rolls
and Crisps
Lemon Tarts - lightened up a bit by using filo pastry
Lemon Meringue Roulade

Still On Track

Lost 2.5 pounds this week. That's a total of 5.5 lbs in 3 weeks. Yay! Will start week 3 of couch to 5k this week. I stayed behind a week because I wasn't feeling well after last week. We're planning a royal wedding watch party for Friday and then Jed's sister gets here on Monday. I'm just a little bit worried about how my weight will be after a trip to London. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

This week's menu

I tried online grocery shopping this week for the first time and even though I took me hours to put together my menu I'm sure I will get faster at it as I get more familiar with my weight watchers recipes. If you'd like more information about anything just let me know and we can share.

Friday- Spicy tomato tortilla soup with quesadillas- 9propoints
Saturday- Jacket potatoes with salad -variable
Sunday- Mediterranean Bean Salad with bacon -5propoints
Monday- Goat's cheese, vegetable and pesto pizza- 11propoints
Tuesday- Creamy Chicken Curry- 12propoints
Wednesday- Sweet and Sour Chicken with Belgian Chocolate Cake Slices - 13propoints and 5propoints
Thursday- Jacket potatoes-variable
Friday- Chili with the fixin's

Week 2 is over

Well week two of running is now finished. Three sessions this week: Monday was ok, Wednesday was great and it was my first time to run while on vacation. Friday was another story, the run wasn't too bad, actually the first section of running was great (it could be because I was going down hill). The trouble was really getting the motivation to do it when I had a little bit of a head cold and then when I finished I was really achy. The good news is that I did it. Yay!
On the weight watchers front, on Monday I was excited to see a 3.5 pound loss. I was so proud :) and I really didn't feel like I'd struggled getting there. This week has been harder mainly because we we in Edinburgh with another couple from church from Tuesday to Thursday and although I was able to make some good choices we did wind up at a chinese buffet that was hard to find anything not fried in. We also stopped at a mexican restaurant where I shared a pretty cheesy enchilada with Jed. All in all it was pretty hard to tract those points. I've noticed that I tend to overestimate how much things like that "cost" then later I try to talk myself into why it really couldn't be that much. We're going to a wedding today and I will be having a bite or two of wedding cake but I'll be having baked potato and lots of fruit through the rest of the day. I'm really hoping for a .5 pound loss or a stay the same.
Oh, something I've found that I LOVE: Boot's sushi packs - not the best sushi I've ever had but for a quick lunch from a supermarket look for "sushi packs" the one from Boot's was only 4 points and I felt completely satisfied with that and a piece of fruit.