...I am going to try to go to the US by myself with Jackson (well, with the amount of money it costs to fly from an overseas location to the states, there is no "trying" only "completely going"!). I was shakey the entire time I purchased the tickets (well, that was in part due to the fact that I was on a UK sight, purchasing tickets to the US, with a UK phone number and a US address...all went well). After I finally hit "complete purchase" I got excited...then anxious and nervous all at the same time. I actually think the nervousness is not for the flights themselves but making the connections and then having Jackson adjust, again, to new time zones. We will only be in two (well 3 if you count Scotland) this time verses the 3 or 4 or 5 or whatever it was last time, so that should make it easier. And this time, I know how to calm him so that I can at least lay down. Anyway, we are going to the states in May, and, when it all comes down to it, I'm more excited than anything else!!!
P.S. If anyone has any tips on how to carry a car seat, backpack, rolling suitcase, pack-n-play, stroller and a one year old all at the same time, let me know! I think I may have it figured out (car seat and back pack on my back and shoulder (we have a back carrier for the car seat), pack-n-play on top of rolly suitcase and one year old in stroller, whether he likes it or not), I'll take any and all suggestions/recommendations! :)
Friday, March 28, 2008
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
The Newest "Jacksonisms"
Jackson continues to amaze us every day with how much he is saying and understanding. Cody and I constantly look at each other with awe at something Jackson has said or a direction he has followed or at some spontaneous response he has made. Here are some of the things he's done lately that make us so incredibly proud of him!!
Conversation last weekend on the ski lift back down:
Me: Jackson, where do you live?
Jackson: Gocklan
Cody and I looked at each other with open mouths and then responded: That's right, Scotland!
Another conversation as we are pointing to him:
Me/Cody: Who's this?
Jackson: Datson (no more "Dax" as it was for a while...he's starting to get the whole name!)
His favorite toy is his orange puppy dog, which he has dearly given the name "Gup." Here's the phrase we hear often...especially when he has dropped him in the car or when Jackson realizes he has forgotten Gup in his bedroom:
Jackson: Uh oh, Gup! (followed often by pointing in the direction of where Gup can be found)
Quite often, now, he will say "Uh oh," followed by the name of the object that has either fallen accidentally or so cleverly been dropped on purpose!
The following conversation happened this evening, but just once, but Cody and I both heard it:
Cody getting ready to leave the house for a run
Me: Bye, have fun!
Jackson: Later!
Cody and Me: Uh...did he just say "later?"
His latest phrase:
Me or Cody: I love you!
Jackson: I lo lou!
Another question we asked him with an amazing answer:
Me: Jackson, what is the Bible about?
Jackson: Jesus (clear as day!!)
In the motor world...today, he put his tummy on a beach ball, his hands on the floor in front of him and lifted his feet up and scooted a few feet on the ball! I thought that was amazing...and hilarious!! Too bad I didn't have the video running!
In the food world:
We have discovered that Jackson's favorite foods include broccoli, crackers, applesauce, pineapple, rice (a product of living in Japan?? who knows?), and...I think he shares my love for sweets!
He is a walking/running and talking machine!! He loves being outside (yes, even in the cold) and now, understands the importance of wearing a coat and willingly puts it on (this was a hurdle for us initially!).
Just thought I'd share parts of his little world with you! We sure enjoy watching him learn, grow and just be a kiddo!
Conversation last weekend on the ski lift back down:
Me: Jackson, where do you live?
Jackson: Gocklan
Cody and I looked at each other with open mouths and then responded: That's right, Scotland!
Another conversation as we are pointing to him:
Me/Cody: Who's this?
Jackson: Datson (no more "Dax" as it was for a while...he's starting to get the whole name!)
His favorite toy is his orange puppy dog, which he has dearly given the name "Gup." Here's the phrase we hear often...especially when he has dropped him in the car or when Jackson realizes he has forgotten Gup in his bedroom:
Jackson: Uh oh, Gup! (followed often by pointing in the direction of where Gup can be found)
Quite often, now, he will say "Uh oh," followed by the name of the object that has either fallen accidentally or so cleverly been dropped on purpose!
The following conversation happened this evening, but just once, but Cody and I both heard it:
Cody getting ready to leave the house for a run
Me: Bye, have fun!
Jackson: Later!
Cody and Me: Uh...did he just say "later?"
His latest phrase:
Me or Cody: I love you!
Jackson: I lo lou!
Another question we asked him with an amazing answer:
Me: Jackson, what is the Bible about?
Jackson: Jesus (clear as day!!)
In the motor world...today, he put his tummy on a beach ball, his hands on the floor in front of him and lifted his feet up and scooted a few feet on the ball! I thought that was amazing...and hilarious!! Too bad I didn't have the video running!
In the food world:
We have discovered that Jackson's favorite foods include broccoli, crackers, applesauce, pineapple, rice (a product of living in Japan?? who knows?), and...I think he shares my love for sweets!
He is a walking/running and talking machine!! He loves being outside (yes, even in the cold) and now, understands the importance of wearing a coat and willingly puts it on (this was a hurdle for us initially!).
Just thought I'd share parts of his little world with you! We sure enjoy watching him learn, grow and just be a kiddo!
Too Good To Be True
Last Friday before we left for our vacation we got this exciting phone call...that our second shipment (the one with all the furniture, our bed, etc.) was scheduled to be delivered this Friday, March 28...YAY!! Well, yesterday, I got a message on my mobile phone that I just listened to. Our shipment was withdrawn for delivery and the phone call to us last Friday was made in error! The lady that is working on scheduling the shipment said that she would try and see if she couldn't get the shipment scheduled for delivery for next week sometime. Hmmmm...go figure. It really was too good to be true! So, alas, we will continue to imagine that we are sleeping on a bed or sitting on a couch!!
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
I'm Dreaming of a White...Easter!
Have I told you what a fantasy land we live in now?? We took a trip to the western shores of Scotland over the long holiday weekend (the British get off the Friday and Monday before and after Easter, as they are Bank holidays here and everyone gets them off. So, although Cody didn't get Presidents' Day off a couple of weeks ago, this made up for it!). We booked a hotel three hours before we arrived and had no idea what we were doing there...we had just heard it was a wonderful place to be. And, I will agree. We experienced a "White Easter"...every day it snowed while we were there...completely dreamy!! And, the best kind of snow, because it didn't stick, so it was still safe to drive! Anyway, here are some pictures from our trip...the ski resort, the castles, the scenery...all just beautiful!
McCaig's Tower (an imitation of the Roman Colisseum) in Oban, Scotland
Castle Stalker - recognize the scene?? It's from Monty Python!!
A picture of the three of us at Nevis Range, a ski resort in Ft. William, Scotland.
A view from the top of the ski resort.
My boys on the ski lift ride up!
Gup, of course, went with us on the vacation! Here he is on the ski lift!
Inverary Castle - home of the Duke and Duchess of Argyll.
The view from our hotel room in Connell, Scotland.
Our little man Easter egg hunting in the hotel room...he understood what to do and seemed to have a ball finding all the eggs!
We had a lovely time exploring Connell, Oban, Ft. William, Inverary and other tiny towns along the way. And to think, all this was only 3 hours away from us! God's breathtaking beauty at our "fingertips" again! We hope all of you had a blessed Easter!
McCaig's Tower (an imitation of the Roman Colisseum) in Oban, Scotland
Castle Stalker - recognize the scene?? It's from Monty Python!!
A picture of the three of us at Nevis Range, a ski resort in Ft. William, Scotland.
A view from the top of the ski resort.
My boys on the ski lift ride up!
Gup, of course, went with us on the vacation! Here he is on the ski lift!
Inverary Castle - home of the Duke and Duchess of Argyll.
The view from our hotel room in Connell, Scotland.
Our little man Easter egg hunting in the hotel room...he understood what to do and seemed to have a ball finding all the eggs!
We had a lovely time exploring Connell, Oban, Ft. William, Inverary and other tiny towns along the way. And to think, all this was only 3 hours away from us! God's breathtaking beauty at our "fingertips" again! We hope all of you had a blessed Easter!
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Never a Dull Moment
OK...quick post before I lose the internet connection...yes, lose the internet connection. We are having constant internet difficulties, of which the company finally sent out and engineer who ended the visit by saying, "Well, I am confused. It must be your router. That is strange that it would work and then just quit on you, but that is the only thing I can think that it would be because I show your house is receiving the broadband through the phone line. I'm sorry I cannot help." You know, my thoughts were, "Not so strange...after all we're the Blakes!" God has blessed us with an internet connection tonight, so here I am again...blogging, because I have not done so in two weeks (I probably should be doing something more productive with my quick connection, but alas...).
It has come to my attention that I believe from now on, we will not go through a week without some sort of "drama." I place "drama" in quotes, because really, it is probably not drama at all, but just a small, insignificant situation that my mind creates into a huge amount of drama. So, as you read, our's last week was the lost internet and an inability for our second shipment of household goods to be located. But, God never fails to hear our prayers. He has blessed us with this connection tonight and has located our shipment (it is in the country and going through customs...so we should have it soon!).
We are heading for a trip to the Northwest part of Scotland tomorrow. In true Blake style, we don't know when we are leaving (except sometime in the morning) and we have no place to stay, as of now. But, we are getting away and are together as a family. It's only a three hour drive, so if we cannot find a hotel/b and b, we'll drive back tomorrow night. Hmmmm...maybe I should think about packing a bag for all three of us...
HAVE A BLESSED EASTER...FOR CHRIST HAS RISEN!!
It has come to my attention that I believe from now on, we will not go through a week without some sort of "drama." I place "drama" in quotes, because really, it is probably not drama at all, but just a small, insignificant situation that my mind creates into a huge amount of drama. So, as you read, our's last week was the lost internet and an inability for our second shipment of household goods to be located. But, God never fails to hear our prayers. He has blessed us with this connection tonight and has located our shipment (it is in the country and going through customs...so we should have it soon!).
We are heading for a trip to the Northwest part of Scotland tomorrow. In true Blake style, we don't know when we are leaving (except sometime in the morning) and we have no place to stay, as of now. But, we are getting away and are together as a family. It's only a three hour drive, so if we cannot find a hotel/b and b, we'll drive back tomorrow night. Hmmmm...maybe I should think about packing a bag for all three of us...
HAVE A BLESSED EASTER...FOR CHRIST HAS RISEN!!
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Saturday in Edinburgh
Cody has been home the last two weekends, which has been wonderful! He is off again to London for his last "off site" training for a while...whew! I think that both of us are glad that the rest of his training is here at Leuchars. This time, he will only be gone 3 days, so that is good. Anyway, yesterday, we decided to venture into Edinburgh on the train. Although Cody has taken the train to many places, this was Jackson and my first time here in the U.K. to take the train. It was fun! When we arrived in Edinburgh (which is the capital of Scotland), it was pouring rain!! Oh well, we found a mall and ran in to shop and eat. Then, it was absolutely beautiful weather! It rained (and snow flurried) off and on during the day, but we were able to time everything perfectly and enjoyed our day in Edinburgh. We toured the castle, which was amazing, and popped into a few other cool places. Here are some pictures from our adventure!
Friday, March 7, 2008
Funny Photos
Here are some funny pictures of Jackson:
He enjoys trying to put our shoes on our feet...and trying to put them on his feet! I helped him with Daddy's slippers, and then thought he looked so cute!
This one was taken after a day of shopping. He fell asleep in the car and then didn't move one bit when we took him out and laid him on his playroom floor. We thought it was a Kodak moment!
Hope they made you smile today...they made me smile when I loaded them onto the computer (of course, I guess he's my son, so I guess I'm partial!).
He enjoys trying to put our shoes on our feet...and trying to put them on his feet! I helped him with Daddy's slippers, and then thought he looked so cute!
This one was taken after a day of shopping. He fell asleep in the car and then didn't move one bit when we took him out and laid him on his playroom floor. We thought it was a Kodak moment!
Hope they made you smile today...they made me smile when I loaded them onto the computer (of course, I guess he's my son, so I guess I'm partial!).
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Out of the Pessimistic Pit
Alright, it has occurred to me that my post yesterday was extremely pessimistic...so my apologies to all of my readers. I must learn not to immediately go to my blogspot when something has gone wrong but to give myself time to think and reflect (although, maybe that's what a blog is for???). In retrospect, this flat tire is "no big deal" and there have been things that have gone right in this country...actually, a lot of things. I thought I'd list them in hopes to pull my blog out of the "Pessimistic Pit!" So, here are the positive things:
1. My husband is home at 4:00pm...and this will be a normal thing I am told!!
2. Our son is walking, smiling, playing and talking up a storm.
3. We have a coffee pot that works (after all, this is a very important thing in my day!)
4. We live in a beautiful country, with breathtaking views, and nice people.
5. We have a place to call home, food to eat, our health and a place to lay our heads at night.
6. Although material, our household goods have all been located and are on their way...with our small shipment already here in our home.
7. We are looking forward to a day trip to Edinburgh, Scotland this weekend...YAY!
8. We have lots of phones to contact friends and family whenever we want.
9. We are only an airplane ride away from friends and family.
10. We are making new friends.
11. We have two cars (thus, making it much easier to have one in the shop right now).
12. We have a new church home.
13. We have gas, electricity, water, internet, phone, television and bank accounts to pay them all!!
14. And most importantly, we have God to lead us and keep us protected. That is the one I am most grateful for!
I know that I could go on with the praises that God has blessed us with, but I will stop. I hope that this has redeemed my blogspot and taken it out of the "Pessimistic Pit."
And, forever the other day, I was searching for this Bible verse. I came across it just now and thought I would share it with you.
James 1:2-4
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."
I close this entry reminded of all of the things that I have to be thankful for, again, including all of the trials we have faced in this move to a new country. (Which, it occurred to me the other day that we have now lived in Scotland for 2 months...WOW...the time has flown by!)
1. My husband is home at 4:00pm...and this will be a normal thing I am told!!
2. Our son is walking, smiling, playing and talking up a storm.
3. We have a coffee pot that works (after all, this is a very important thing in my day!)
4. We live in a beautiful country, with breathtaking views, and nice people.
5. We have a place to call home, food to eat, our health and a place to lay our heads at night.
6. Although material, our household goods have all been located and are on their way...with our small shipment already here in our home.
7. We are looking forward to a day trip to Edinburgh, Scotland this weekend...YAY!
8. We have lots of phones to contact friends and family whenever we want.
9. We are only an airplane ride away from friends and family.
10. We are making new friends.
11. We have two cars (thus, making it much easier to have one in the shop right now).
12. We have a new church home.
13. We have gas, electricity, water, internet, phone, television and bank accounts to pay them all!!
14. And most importantly, we have God to lead us and keep us protected. That is the one I am most grateful for!
I know that I could go on with the praises that God has blessed us with, but I will stop. I hope that this has redeemed my blogspot and taken it out of the "Pessimistic Pit."
And, forever the other day, I was searching for this Bible verse. I came across it just now and thought I would share it with you.
James 1:2-4
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."
I close this entry reminded of all of the things that I have to be thankful for, again, including all of the trials we have faced in this move to a new country. (Which, it occurred to me the other day that we have now lived in Scotland for 2 months...WOW...the time has flown by!)
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Mountains...
You know that saying, "Stop making mountains out of molehills?" (or something like that...I tend to mess these sayings up...anyway, you catch my drift), well, I was trying so hard not to make a huge deal out of this flat tire...but...a HUGE DEAL it has become. To save you the pain of hearing the entire story, I'll just recap today's adventures with the "never-ending flat tire." So, Cody drove to work, did his sim...in the mean time, I call this "we come to you" tire service. Nice guy...meets Cody and attempts to remove the locking wheel bolt (see yesterday's blog if you are confused at this point) by chizeling it away (which is what anywhere else was going to do, just not on site). Uh, Cody calls me, the nice guy has broken the locking bolt in half and now, there is no way to get it out with a simple chizeling action. Soooooooooooooooooo, yes, we will now tow the car to a garage where, I'm sure they will spend a couple of days trying to remove the flat tire and put the spare on. Remember my blog from yesterday?? I FEAR FLAT TIRES! This situation has just compounded my utter fear of flat tires. And now, my "flat tires are no big deal, right??" comment...well, THAT IS COMPLETELY WRONG in my mind now! My closing comment to Cody on the phone, "I just want something to go right in this country!"
Oh, and the kitchen sink...the guy is supposed to be coming out this afternoon to look at it but says it sounds like he might need to replace the entire sink. Uh, so now, we will be awaiting a replacement stovetop and sink. At the rate we're going, by the time we're done with our time here, it will be a brand new house with all brand new appliances! UGH!!
Oh, and the kitchen sink...the guy is supposed to be coming out this afternoon to look at it but says it sounds like he might need to replace the entire sink. Uh, so now, we will be awaiting a replacement stovetop and sink. At the rate we're going, by the time we're done with our time here, it will be a brand new house with all brand new appliances! UGH!!
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Is This Day Over Yet??
So, no words on the car yet...but, now, our kitchen faucet that was fixed a month ago doesn't turn on again. At least there's a faucet in the laundry room next to the kitchen. Is this day over yet??
Missing Parts...
The following information is necessary to know prior to reading this post:
One of my greatest fears of driving is getting a flat tire. I don't know why, I guess I just don't want to be stuck in the middle of nowhere with a flat tire. O.K., so maybe I do know why: I don't like that you have to trust a mini-jack to hold up an entire car while you change a flat; I don't like being stuck on a road changing a flat; I don't like trying to get the lug nuts off, especially after the car has been for a tune-up or tire rotation; I don't like the idea of traveling on a "donut" (I mean, donuts are something you eat, not something you trust to get you from point A to point B); I just don't like it.
O.K., now...for the post:
There are benefits to buying a used car...cheaper, already "broken in", someone knows about the car...and, then, there are the downsides...already "broken in", you are trusting someone to GIVE YOU ALL THE PARTS to change a flat tire. That's right...as I was driving to base today, I started hearing a strange sound, knowing that the oil needs to be changed more frequently, I noted..."check oil when I get home," and then, the all embarrasing thing, some kind citizen flashed their lights and told me to pull over. My sign...SOMETHING IS VISIBLY WRONG!! Yup, flat tire. No big deal, right?? I was right outside of base at this point (probably have shredded the tire and ruined the rim...that's to be decided later)...so, I am truly grateful to God at this point, that my husband is not flying and I know he is on base. So, I call him (I'm also thankful for cell/mobile phones!). He gladly meets me to change the tire. Again, no big deal, right?? What should have been a quick job, just was not. Once removing all the lug nuts, there was the locking nut...or something like that. Here's where the fun starts...we were never given the part in the "used car exchange" with the couple we bought it from to get this nut off to change the tire (of course, we didn't know that until now)!! Another blessing in all of this, the guard shack here is super great. They quickly dispatched someone from the base to come help us. They don't have the part so they go with Cody back to our house in their car to look around the house for it (as we had some other odds and ends from this "car/household goods exchange"). No luck. So, being the super nice people they are, they knew they had a tire guy coming out to base this afternoon. As we stand now, the flat tired car is parked on some side street awaiting a look from the tire guy to see if he has the locking nut key thingy (I'm sure there's a technical term for it, I just don't know it). In the mean time, I've located the closest Volvo dealer to try and go buy the part, because, in my semi-negative state right now, I believe we may have to go find the part...JUST TO CHANGE A FLAT TIRE!! I guess the other good thing from all of this, is that I was forced into driving the Explorer home after dropping Cody back off at work. You see, it is our American car that was shipped over and specs changed (see previous post from January), so the steering wheel is on the opposite side as the Volvo (and all of the cars we drove in Japan). I must say, it didn't really feel all that different. I kinda liked being back in my Explorer...especially with four non-flat wheels!!
As Jackson and I arrived safely home, and before lunch, we prayed for God to help the nice men find the correct tool to fix the tire. I know God will answer the prayer...He already has answered many this morning...we are all protected, safe and blessed, we have food, we have a beautiful day, and we have been given this trial.
1 Thessalonians 5:18: "...give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
And one I tell Jackson in the mornings: Psalm 118:24: "This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."
Praise God for trials, no matter how big or small, in my days, for this is when I am reminded to rely on Him always.
One of my greatest fears of driving is getting a flat tire. I don't know why, I guess I just don't want to be stuck in the middle of nowhere with a flat tire. O.K., so maybe I do know why: I don't like that you have to trust a mini-jack to hold up an entire car while you change a flat; I don't like being stuck on a road changing a flat; I don't like trying to get the lug nuts off, especially after the car has been for a tune-up or tire rotation; I don't like the idea of traveling on a "donut" (I mean, donuts are something you eat, not something you trust to get you from point A to point B); I just don't like it.
O.K., now...for the post:
There are benefits to buying a used car...cheaper, already "broken in", someone knows about the car...and, then, there are the downsides...already "broken in", you are trusting someone to GIVE YOU ALL THE PARTS to change a flat tire. That's right...as I was driving to base today, I started hearing a strange sound, knowing that the oil needs to be changed more frequently, I noted..."check oil when I get home," and then, the all embarrasing thing, some kind citizen flashed their lights and told me to pull over. My sign...SOMETHING IS VISIBLY WRONG!! Yup, flat tire. No big deal, right?? I was right outside of base at this point (probably have shredded the tire and ruined the rim...that's to be decided later)...so, I am truly grateful to God at this point, that my husband is not flying and I know he is on base. So, I call him (I'm also thankful for cell/mobile phones!). He gladly meets me to change the tire. Again, no big deal, right?? What should have been a quick job, just was not. Once removing all the lug nuts, there was the locking nut...or something like that. Here's where the fun starts...we were never given the part in the "used car exchange" with the couple we bought it from to get this nut off to change the tire (of course, we didn't know that until now)!! Another blessing in all of this, the guard shack here is super great. They quickly dispatched someone from the base to come help us. They don't have the part so they go with Cody back to our house in their car to look around the house for it (as we had some other odds and ends from this "car/household goods exchange"). No luck. So, being the super nice people they are, they knew they had a tire guy coming out to base this afternoon. As we stand now, the flat tired car is parked on some side street awaiting a look from the tire guy to see if he has the locking nut key thingy (I'm sure there's a technical term for it, I just don't know it). In the mean time, I've located the closest Volvo dealer to try and go buy the part, because, in my semi-negative state right now, I believe we may have to go find the part...JUST TO CHANGE A FLAT TIRE!! I guess the other good thing from all of this, is that I was forced into driving the Explorer home after dropping Cody back off at work. You see, it is our American car that was shipped over and specs changed (see previous post from January), so the steering wheel is on the opposite side as the Volvo (and all of the cars we drove in Japan). I must say, it didn't really feel all that different. I kinda liked being back in my Explorer...especially with four non-flat wheels!!
As Jackson and I arrived safely home, and before lunch, we prayed for God to help the nice men find the correct tool to fix the tire. I know God will answer the prayer...He already has answered many this morning...we are all protected, safe and blessed, we have food, we have a beautiful day, and we have been given this trial.
1 Thessalonians 5:18: "...give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
And one I tell Jackson in the mornings: Psalm 118:24: "This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."
Praise God for trials, no matter how big or small, in my days, for this is when I am reminded to rely on Him always.
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