Torque's first day home

OMG....

Can I just say that I feel like I have Jet Lag x10? Not only is my body a little thrown off schedule, but the puppy woke me up about every 3 hours last night. That said I woke up with a nasty neck related migraine, and spent the first several hours of the morning throwing up while Torque whined from his kennel. I finally made it to the chiropractor which helped, but I'm still tired, and I can feel the tightness in my neck. I just hope that work this weekend is okay, and that Torque survives. Fortunately right now I'm sitting on the couch with Torque laying belly up next to me. After his immunizations this morning I think he is poop tired poor boy. Maybe I can catch some zzzzs with him too...well I'll post later, I'm off to attempt a nap!

Home again, home again!

After 16 days, and I don't even know how many hours we arrived home to the USA. I'm a bit tired, and I woke up this morning at 2am with my jet lag catching up with me since my body has been 6 hours ahead for the last two weeks. I am sorting through pictures, and spent all this morning running errands. I have to go get Torque this afternoon, WOOOT! So, things haven't stopped since my feet hit the ground. Hopefully soon I'll go through our whole trip on here, posting pictures, and talking about all that we saw and did. I can't wait for you guys to get to see some of what we did. It's so good to be home!!! When the Immigration officer stamped my passport and said "welcome home" yesterday as we went through customs I could have hugged him and cried...hahaha which on a second thought may have gotten me arrested...It was just so nice to be back to some normalcy. I promise I'll post more later!

Good news...and bad news

We'll first off there is some good news on the whole "escape from Dublin" project. We had to be at the American Airline's ticket counter at the airport this morning by 7:30 to check on our flight now that the skies have opened for flights.

Bad news. We only got it moved from the 29th to the 27th...so it's a good thing that the four of us girls like traveling with each other because we're stuck for another week. The other bad thing is that it is so expensive to travel here. It is worse in Ireland than it was in England or Scotland where the pound is currency. It's somewhere like 2-3 US dollars for 1 euro. For anyone not sure - that is a horrid rate...

Over all we're having fun though, and staying safe. I have a new and wonderful love/hate relationship with Europe, and many things about it I'll miss. However, I can't wait to be home! I can't wait to talk on the phone to my family, go to the grocery store and not have to pay for bags, take a shower and not have to pay for a towel, eat dinner for under 12 dollars, and sleep in my own bed. Sigh. It will be wonderful!

Until later - keep me in your prayers as I continue the journey home to the USA ;-)

Stuck in the UK

I finally got a minute to pop on here and update.

So when we left for London little did we know that this giant volcano was going to start erupting ash into the sky, which in turn would leave the skies over the UK strangely void of puffy white jet trails. The airports look like grave yards, with the scattered people still turning up to check on flights while most have relinquished the wait to more permanent accommodations. Crazy I know! God has watch over us though! Since we were here before the eruption started most of our trip has been unaffected by it all. This last part however has been a bit difficult, and yet we have always had the right person to help us at the right time - its really been awesome - thank you for your prayers!!

I don't think I could possibly do justice to all we've seen and done (I'll try to post pictures if we ever get back). It's been amazing! We have all gotten along, had fun, and seen so much. There definitely is a bit of a dark feeling here in general, but I still really love it, and my friend Stacey who is on the trip too have joked that we'll just move here. I know right - nutts ;-).

Mmm, we did get the chance to try some Haggis and Black Pudding, but I couldn't do it. The girls said the pudding was gross, but the haggis wasn't bad. I'll leave you all to look and see what they are if you don't know.....I've tried other stuff though, and I've drank enough tea and coffee to float me home! ;-)

Anyways, more later - enjoy the update - sorry no music for tomorrow! Instead leave me notes!!!! Love and miss you all!!!

Music Monday - See you in ten days!

I found some music that I think SFL won't stick in the Shlock category, but then again he always surprises me. I wanted to get in at least one Music Monday since I will miss it next week. When I get back though I will have to put a bunch of pictures up!! We leave this morning for Europe - I have that mix of nervous excitement. I'm all packed though, and I weighed my pack and it's only 10lbs, so I think we're good!! We can only carry 15kg on the Scotland to Ireland flight, so we had to keep on the light end of things. Stacey said that it's suppose to be 40-50 degrees out, but I hope she told me in Fahrenheit haha. I'll give the full update when we get back on the 21st. I hope that you all have a great week, and enjoy Music Monday!!!

Welcome to the family

Today I got to go pick my puppy!!! This will be Leo/Torque - and he is/was the yellow puppy in the litter. He is a super sweet boy, and I got to hang with all the boys and Molly the breeder for about two hours. We played and Molly and I talked over all things dogs and showing. I can't wait, and in about three weeks we'll have a new family member!

Celery Ice!

It only took Kristin and I about 2 hours to get the entire dining room painted, and I don't think that it's going to take another coat. Now I'm going to start decorating. I've already got some pictures hung today, which amazingly makes it feel so much more like my house. I love it!!!! I also got some pumpkin spice color (a dark orange) to try out on the book shelves.

The pale green we put on the walls really open up the space and just brings so much brightness in. I really want to copy-cat a picture display idea from my friend Flo. She got an old abandoned window with peeling white paint, and centered pictures in each pane of glass. It looked so neat, and I need something big in the living room on the back wall. I think it could be great with some flower close ups that I've done, and then change it out each season....now to find an old window...unfortunately I'd be arrested for taking a window out of an occupied house, darn...

I need to get packing, and print out all my documents and conformations. It's hard to believe that Monday is around the corner!!!! I get to see the puppies tomorrow, and then I'll work Friday and Saturday. I got off Sunday so I had a little extra time. Hopefully I'll know what puppy I'm getting, have all my stuff packed, and be ready to go by Monday.

I wanted to get all my flowers for outside, but with the heat I was afraid that 10 days would kill them if they didn't get water while I was on my trip. Sis isn't the best about keeping up with stuff like that - heck I'm just hoping she'll remember to feed the cats ;-).

Mmm did I tell you guys that they took the for sale sign down for the house? I know right - so exciting!! Maybe I'll at least get another year or two out of the lease. Anyways I'm sorry I've been a little scattered today. I need to stop procrastinating!!! Okay - more later!

Back to Music Monday!

I know this is a bit cliche, but it's a beautiful day, and I wanted a fun and sunny song! If you think about it, the song is a great reminder. I love the part where the lyrics talk about seizing the day because tomorrow things might not be the same. How true is that! Every action has an equal or greater reaction, so why not make an action in someone else's life even if it's a simple as letting them over on the highway. I hope that your Monday is amazing, and you make waves around you ;-).

P.S. If I get more puppy pictures, I'll post them later today!!

It's My Birthday! April Fools!!

No really.

I do turn a quarter of a century old today...

I couldn't have asked for a nicer birthday! Today it's suppose to be 80 degrees outside, and I'm having breakfast with my sis and her friend then lunch in the park with one of the girls I work with. All in all I think it should be a very fun day! There are almost to many people wanting to do stuff with me. If only they wanted to do things on days that I'm bored! ;-)

It is really strange to look back at this year. I can't really believe that its been that long already, I kind of feel like it flew by!! Last year I had just been through the worst winter ever, and was truly hoping that Spring would make a difference. Standing on this end of things now, I am just glad to be alive, well, and finally a little more sane! This year is going to bring so many family weddings, and with the puppy I know that the summer and Fall are going to fly by.

I don't know about you but every year for my birthday I always like to jot down thoughts about the past year, and look ahead to the next. I guess by now it's just a habit. I see birthdays a little like the pillars of stone that in old times were erected to commemorate something important. (I'm sure SFL will make something with this analogy...)

On a slightly different note, I always liked how close my birthday was to Easter. Although I pretty much love all the holidays, Easter is something special. I love how the earth is coming alive! The grass is growing and green again; flowers and trees are blooming, and their smell is amazing; birds are back and singing in full force. Everything about Spring screams rebirth and new starts. I think that while Christmas is full of joy and wonder as Jesus came to live among us, there is such a growth and maturity of love that is expressed at the cross. Not that God's love somehow changed, but more so how the expression of that love was displayed. Easter is about the ultimate sacrifice of that love in death. That then destroyed the chains that held us. Over the years there have been so many analogies relating to this. You see it in books, movies, and songs. The idea that there is an unexpected love so strong and powerful that it not only looks past our failings and weaknesses, but that is wipes them away, and we find who we were meant to be. A love that shouldn't exist, a love that is not even separated by death. It's the stuff stories are made of - it is the ultimate story. It is what we are all looking for, and can't find in anything or anyone. There is a reason that Jesus describes himself as the Bridegroom, if only we realized that more.

Okay, enough of my babble! ;-) Thank you again guys for loving me, and reading my wacky blog!! I love you all! I hope that you enjoy the 1st of April, and can enjoy the wonderful Easter Weekend ahead.

P.S. Enjoy the baby pictures I included!