Whirlwind

We just got back from a three week trip to the U.S. It was amazing!

My Daddy Doug paid for our tickets, which was so incredibly generous of him. And he picked me and the kids up from the airport, too. The kids did so well with the trip over, only losing it when our flight in Charlotte was delayed by two hours. They were so tired, and there were tears involved. But all in all, they were real troopers!

We spent our first week without Martin, who had to work. We got to hang out with Grandpa Doug, and meet his new girlfriend. Her name is Michelle, and she is very lovely. We got to have a Bowcutt family BBQ. We got to do some shopping. We saw all of the Cook family during that first week. Dylan got to eat several Jr. Bacon Cheeseburgers from Wendy's.

Martin arrived just shy of a week after we did. His flight was WAY more enjoyable than mine! It was so nice to see him. Being away from each other for so long always reminds me how much I love my husband. He's my best friend in the whole world, and I'm crazy about him.

Anyway, I won't bore anyone with all the details. I will just say that we had a magical time, filled with family, friends, and fun. And it was really hard to come back to England.

Before we left, I was toying with the idea of giving up on my dream of moving back to Utah. I was debating (with myself) the merits of raising my kids there or staying here. And after spending time back with my family, I have decided that Utah is definitely where I want to be. I am so much happier there. And not just because we were on holiday, either. I was doing pretty much what I would have been doing if we had been back in England, with the kids off school and me off work. I was so much happier because my family was there.

I remember one night just sitting around talking to all my sisters, brother, and brothers-in-law. The kids were running around like maniacs. It was absolute chaos, which I normally don't like at all. But I looked around the room and just soaked up all the love that was there. And I realized that THIS is what I've been missing. My family aren't perfect. There's noise and drama, just like any other family. But they are MINE! I miss them so much that it actually hurts.

And can I take a moment to talk about my older brothers, Justin and Chris? And their wives, Nikki and Melanie? I didn't know them growing up, but I am loving the chance I've had to spend more time with them, too. They are great people, and I want to continue developing my relationship with them.

Oh, and my new niece and nephews--they are a great addition to the family. And my adorable niece that I met for the first time on this trip. ALL of my nieces and nephews, really.

Sometimes, I look around at my siblings and parents and wonder how I got so lucky. They are so amazing!

So we are back in sleepy little Barton-upon-Humber now. And I have come home with a renewed desire to sell our house and move back to Utah. Also, my sisters' homes have inspired me. So this means, of course, that I am extra motivated to do more DIY projects. And with that aim, I have gone to work...

Painting the tiles in the bathroom white (the walls are next, after I finish the second coat of tile paint.

Painting the top bedroom and having Martin draw up plans for some built in storage (including a window seat--how fun is that?) so we can move the kids up there. Also needs a second coat!

Buying the paint to refresh the third bedroom, which we will be turning into a guest bedroom/reading room. It's going to be really super nice!

And work continues on my double wedding ring quilt. I'm almost ready to sew the blocks together. Then it's just binding and quilting, which I intend to do by hand. GREAT winter project, huh? I want to do another patchwork quilt after this one, too. It would seem I've caught the quilting bug. Oh no!

Oh, and speaking of sewing...Martin picked me up a sewing machine off the side of the road. It was out next to somebody's bins for our rubbish collection. It had a small problem which was easily fixed, and I have started using it. It's a much more basic model than my mother-in-law's machine that I'd been borrowing, but it's a Singer, and it is much more pleasant to sew on. In fact, I was working on my quilt on my lunch break. Because it's fun, and it's like Mormon housewife crack!

As soon as I get my busted phone repaired, I will be posting photos on the blog, facebook, and my newly acquired instagram account.

Now, it's back to work.