Parents for Christmas

Five months into this whole thing and we have just said goodbye to our first visitors from overseas. Mum and Dad came to stay for two whole weeks, covering Christmas and New Years. I was very happy to see them and very happy to host them too. They arrived with some idea of what they wanted to do, but not really having any firm plans other than seeing The Hobbit at a Drive-in. 

So two weeks has been a long and short time it seems. I've walked with them around Auburn and was sad that we couldn't walk into Jordan Hare Stadium, it's so huge from the outside. We weren't the only family trying to visit the stadium that Saturday. They've had Cracker Barrel, Toomer's Lemonade, Chick-fil-a, and driven a whole bunch of miles without really realising. 

We've been to Huntsville, Gadsden and Atlanta, they visited Montgomery, FDR's Little White House and a local park. We've been to Callaway Gardens and had a country Christmas (courtesy of Leigh and Brent's families.). They've tried 3 types of bbq and various amounts of cornbread, biscuits and attempted to get hot tea in many places (Cracker barrel was the best).

It's been great to have them over for two weeks. I'm looking forward to having more visitors. 

An Invitation To The Table.

My Anglican background is repeating on me right this second thinking about Thanksgiving and how our histories and experiences affect us.

The line that sticks out from the Holy Communion service is this

We do not presume to come to this your table, merciful Lord...
We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under your table.

There is something about being invited into a family, and a gathering for celebration that is very special to me. I think it's due to these lines, saying them every Sunday and knowing that I don't approach any table, other than my own, with any thought other than humility.

Its also a family thing, it doesn't take much to be invited in, but once you are respect is a must. My favourite memories and times with family are around a table, eating food, attempting to put the world right or make sure there is a running joke.

This is my first family thanksgiving. I'm not sure what to expect, but I know it'll be really good. I know that there will be a ton of people to see and lots of food. I'm excited for this day to arrive. I'm looking forward to creating memories and having happy things to think about.

I'm very thankful for my family worldwide. I'm thankful for my job and all the things we can have. It's been a busy year, and I think thanksgiving is a great time to look back and look forward to all the exciting things the next year brings!

Home; Sweet Home Alabama!

We are just 3.5 months into our lives in America and we are settled into a lovely apartment, easy jobs that fit us for now and great friends to be around.

I passed my driving test with ease and didn't have to sit around too long. So now I can drive in Alabama and all over America without having to take all my ID's with me. It also means that I get to drive a 15-seater minibus for an hour a day, collecting children from Opelika schools. That's definitely a good thing about each day.

It's really good to be working again and doing something that I really enjoy. I'm currently in a classroom with 9 under 12 month olds and 2 other teachers. We are rushed off our feet some times, but other times we just enjoy playing and hanging out with the babies. I love being a daycare teacher. My lovely Mother In Law was a daycare teacher and worked her way up to director, so we have a whole bunch to talk about now. It's amazing how similar and different a care profession can be in a couple of decades.

We are alive and well, happy and fed. It's good to be here.

Adapting

I've been thinking about what to call this for a while, unfortunately most of the titles I thought sounded too cheesy. But here I am and I'm writing, so that can't be a bad thing. I've got one really cheesy title saved up for later, any guesses?

We've been here for 2 months today, and so far everything is going pretty great. We're settled in Auburn, and have even been to a sporting fixture, which means we're here for a good while now. It was a ladies football match, like actual football, with a round ball. Auburn vs Missouri, not a particularly fast moving game and a few people shouting for the wrong type of thing, but good to be part of a crowd and at least know what I was watching.

This week I have to take my driving test to gain an Alabama State drivers license, in order to start work. It should be pretty easy, but then I've not had to drive at any standard for the last 9 years, so we'll see! Tomorrow is the day for that. Written and practical costing a total of $30, how much is a UK written and practical right now? Max 106GBP! Which is crazy! Then I'll be able to drive all over the country. Yeay!

So far, so good really. Nothing horrible to report, nothing untoward going on. It's just good to be in a place where we know we can unpack, relax and start to make friends properly.

...And We're Back (with pictures)

We've been in America 5 weeks today and we are pretty much settled.

We had a lovely two weeks at Piedmont with some of Robert's lovely young people and teachers. Then we returned and awaited the arrival of Abby (our first niece - Roberts brother Josh's baby). She arrived early on Monday morning before we drove down to Florida and had a week of working, sitting out storms and for me getting to know Roberts dad and youngest brother better.

We returned to Georgia and waved DJ off to College/Missions school in Nashville, TN. All the while seeing Abby, family and friends. So week 4 stated with a rest, and then travelling to Auburn, Alabama to find an apartment or house to rent. We moved in, papers signed and delivered on Friday (a week ago). It's so nice to be in our own space.

So here we are, fully internet'ed up and set up mostly apartment-wise. We are working our way through the local eateries as well as finally being able to cook and eat what we want when we want (late night chocolate and cheesy bread). We have made our bed and are delighted to lie in it and have lie-ins without worrying that we are missing someone who is visiting. Bed hopping for 4 weeks makes me tired and achy. But I have loved seeing all the different people and places.

For those of you who don't know, Auburn is a University town, and an American football one at that. Saturdays during football season and home games see an extra 100,000 added to a town of 50,000 or so. We are very close to everything, big shops like Wal-Mart, Sears and McDonalds and then little shops too. We have some good local restaurants, bbq, burgers, chinese, sandwich places. We'll be here for 2 years so I'm sure we'll discover our favourite soon.

I have plenty of things to say about America and my experience so far, the first is the people are great. I have only really dealt with nice people. Sometimes they don't understand me and think that I'm some sort of alien. I've had some very funny looks. Secondly the inability of others to drive is universal. Thirdly, though I am not at what I still regard to be home, I am 'home'. I've got myself confused a couple of times, referring to America as England. I guess I've just got used to being in England. I'm learning a different way to speak and attitude to have. It's all pretty good fun.

Robert and I at Panama City Beach, FL

Abby Kathleen Litton

View from our apartment

The truck Robert drove with our stuff in that was about a third full, for very cheap!

Immigration and first few days

Well, here we are. I'm currently sat in Piedmont, AL, wondering how we're finally here and reflecting on the past few days. One thing I can say is that it is hot and in America we only complain about the heat when its 100% humidity, and like 100 degrees Fahrenheit. It's currently only 93F (34C) at 7pm. Sitting on a leather car seat is horrendous!

So no complaining about the heat. It's actually causing half the country to declare drought and crops are being sold off because they are not producing food.

Anyway, as you now know, we are safe and well. We've had a few days of acclimation and adjusting. I am currently waking up at 6am thinking it's normal. Hopefully I'll get over that and be back to sleeping til 9/10am easily!

Immigration was surprisingly easy. We arrived at Philadelphia after the shortest 7.5 hour flight in a while. I really enjoyed The Hunger Games movie, and if anyone wants to send me the first book then I'll probably snap it up in a minute! When you arrive you go through secondary screening, which is basically handing over the papers that the Embassy has on you to the government in America and they process the papers, and tell you to be on you merry way, which we did.

We arrived in Atlanta a little late due to queuing on the runway and storms over Washington D.C. That was a good flight. Tiny 6 across plane, but no stomach churning turbulence.


The last few days have been a blur of family and friends, old students and just now, new excited students wondering where y'all lived and stopping rumors that we have a child/ren.


We are happy, we are getting settled.

As a side, I'm watching my husband do the thing he loves the most, and you couldn't wipe the smile off my face!

And so we leave...

We are leaving for the States on Friday.

We've been in this process for a year now, from talking and thinking, to paperwork and money spent, interview and queues, more paperwork and a wait for the post to arrive. A whole year of life changing things have happened, leaving St Hugh's, moving home, and various other things that are family based. I'm most excited about all the babies that will be arriving over the next few months. None of which are mine, it's not that kind of blog post!

So here it is, my horrible visa photo.

I don't photograph well went I can't smile, at least that's my excuse.

We shall get on a plane and leave just days before the Olympics makes living in London hard and will have to watch any British success via buffering BBC world.

I'm most excited about arriving with no fixed leaving date, settling in and knowing that I have a permanent English-American translator by my side, who has sat and listened while I have been scared about leaving my family.

L-R Nan, Mike, Jess, Robert, Me, Liz, Andy, Mum and Dad & Brody in front.

Everyone on Mum's side (minus 4)

Boys - Dad, Robert, Mike, Adam, Graham, Andy 

Girls - Me, Mum, Jess, Liz, Joy, Tasha, Kerrie.

Every one on Dad's side of the family.

We've all grown up so much, and now we say goodbye. But not forever and with trips planned.