3 weeks in....

I have had a very nice couple days friends!! As seen in my last post, I was a bit overwhelmed with the move back to here and getting settled in.

Thursday the sky was BLUE with sunshine!!! I was mesmerized! And it wasn't so cold : ) I went and registered with my former teaching agency and saw that across the street is a new Jamie Oliver restaurant!!! I wonder how often he goes by there, if ever? I told le Rey we have to eat there sometime!! And I saw in the window some very nice canisters that I want (I'm obsessed with canisters right now).

 

Then my lovely husband (still feels funny to say that word!) called me to ask if he could pick anything up from the store that he stumbled across on his way home from work (we're still getting to know the area and where all the shops are)........what a sweetie and he came home with all kinds of baking supplies for me as I said I wanted some flour and sugar to bake some cookies.........yum yum can't wait to make my pumpkin-oatmeal-cranberry-walnut cookies!!

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/09/pumpkin-spiced-oatmeal-pecan-cookies.html

Anyway, yesterday le Rey got off work early which was a nice surprise--so we got a lot done! I have now joined his bank account and we booked our wedding venue!!!  It was a gorgeous walk from our flat here in Wimbledon, at a place called Cannizaro House.

we're not using the whole place....just one of the rooms and terrace if the weather allows : )

  

Then we walked around Wimbledon to get to know our new little town.........it was a very special time: le Rey and I were not talking about the wedding, things to buy for the flat, or food for the week.........just being in a romantic moment. It was a turning point for me to realize I am really here with le Rey and not just here on vacation. I feel a little more trusting (if that makes sense) that I can open my heart a little more. My heart had steadily grown a bit rigid over the course of our long-distance relationship.It is great to be together again.

Well hello--the above was from a week ago, I had saved it because I wasn't finished with what I was saying. Now I've forgotten the rest..........oh well.

Now where are things?

I feel different every hour.............sometimes I'm embracing life here, sometimes I long to just go back to Phoenix and have the convenient lifestyle I was used to. Don't get me wrong, I am SUPER happy to be back together with le Rey, that part is great!  But he is working 15 hour days (with commute) and I am still not working yet! I have to have 3 proofs of address to be able to teach (did I already mention that?) and the stupid bank here (seriously slow and inefficient) lost my paperwork to put me on the account which has now put me 2 weeks behind to start work (so dumb!)..........

Also since I never got the QTS status that overseas teachers have to get within 4 years of teaching here, I am seen as an UNQUALIFIED TEACHER. MASTERS DEGREE MEANS NOTHING HERE. Isn't that fun?

I have been very humbled friends. I can see that I need to eat my words with what I've said about Arizona. Sunshine, family, friends, banks and other things that run better than here. And I know schools would want me there!

So. you've caught me on a down moment. le Rey left for a night shift at 5:30 tonight and with his commute, he will not get back until 8:45 tomorrow morning. Not fun, I don't know how he does it. You would be very proud of me: I have been cooking and organizing much better than I predicted as I feel like it's the least I can do with all he does for me. Hope I can keep it up! He has been making me breakfast on his days off though-he's wonderful!

He also got me a short term membership at a superNICE gym in the area as I think he could sense that the gym and yoga classes would boost my mood.........I thought it was too expensive, so I call it a wedding present : )  It feels great to get back into it.

Alright gotta run............don't worry about me. Like I said, I'm adjusting, it's a bit overwhelming at times, but the best times are when le Rey and I get to spend time together.

I know I need to make the most of this lovely city since nothing is forever. Hope you are fully present in your life, living it to the fullest!

Love you all!

Kelli

               

England with my H-U-S-B-A-N-D!!

Hello!!

I'm so behind! But I have taken some pictures!  I've been here now for about 10 days, and I still have so much to do!

 

Let me begin by saying, if you didn't know, that yes le Rey and I are married! We got married at the courthouse in Arizona at the end of August, and our wedding will be here in London in mid-April. All very backwards, last minute and unconventional but hey.

 

SO. le Rey took off about 6 days when I first arrived, and so that was nice to catch up together, run errands, celebrate Valentine's Day, etc.  : ) We stayed at his friend's flat and then moved into our own flat in Wimbledon on Wednesday. It is a sweet little flat (apartment) that our church has generously let us rent until September. I cannot imagine looking for a place to live right now. Very happy we could move in already. Have seen several friends from church and had a great time with them on Saturday, as well as a great time with my friend who looked at a wedding venue with me. Thank you girls : )

 

 le Rey has a lot of disorganized stuff. It makes sense, as he has lived in the UK for many years, in several barracks without much room, and was away for much of the time. So we have a lot of things to go through (you would have to see it to believe it). He has been working since we moved in, and on his time off we've done some mopping, scrubbing,etc and a little bit of shopping. It's challenging to move into a new place because you just want to be settled in right away, don't you think?! I am trying to be patient and remember it all takes time (and extra time when you don't drive! and mark my words, I will never drive overseas! I would be so confused!)........but really I want everything to look like the IKEA catalog I'm currently browsing : (

this is only some of it

What else? I wrote down a bunch of things to write in here, but I can't find that paper. And now here it is, almost midnight-why do I pick this time to write?!

It's really cold, although it could be colder so I shouldn't complain...........but come on, I'm from the desert! I can't wait till it gets warmer!! I have now learned not to leave the house without gloves, yuck. I think I really really hate the cold. But don't we all hate it when it's cold, and then in the summer we hate it when it's so hot. eh.

 

I have not started teaching again yet. The schools were all off last week, and I think my teaching agency probably was too, as I called them twice and there was no answer. I will call a couple agencies tomorrow so I can get back to work! I'm not in that big of a rush at this point since I really want to get a few more things settled in the flat first (like a bed! there is a single, but that is obviously too small)............anyway, that's where I'm at. Trying to get settled, trying to enjoy le Rey...... it's such a shame that at the moment it's all towels, vaccums, and food talk. Hoping to get some sort of routine going soon (although he's starting a couple weeks of night shifts, so that will be difficult).

 

favorite-sticky toffee pudding

So we shall see how things go! I already said to le Rey the first week "So how long do you want to live here?".......I must seriously have a  problem. Maybe I need to face the fact that

a) Sun and heat make me really happy

b) I forgot what it's like to drink tea and coffee 5 times a day

c) perhaps I will only feel settled/at home in Arizona?

d) I need to get back to the gym/yoga

d) I am a lost and confused individual

I cannot believe le Rey is happy to go on this crazy life journey with me! Bless him : )  Here's to hoping I win this battle with my mind and try to get settled into being a wife and living in England again. 

Anyone out there feel settled and content? Please let me know your secret.

Love you and miss you all,

Kelli

Can you believe I'm finally leaving???!!

Well, I am moving to England tomorrow.to join le Rey. to really try this husband and wife thing.for reals. I will not believe it until he picks me up from the airport!!!! I really can't believe it!

I am feeling a mix of many emotions. I am having a very hard time leaving friends, family and sunshine......more than I thought I would be. Maybe because it's a bit more permanent this time.

le Rey has always said he would live here if I want, so I will remember that when I go to the airport tomorrow.

I like to trick myself any way I can so I that I don't do the ugly cry and get super emotional.

So far, my goodbyes have not been too bad. I told le Rey that I think the secret to this is to never say goodbye at the AIRPORT! This makes it all very real and final and not great.

So my advice: avoid the airport goodbyes if you can.

I had a great blog post in my head yesterday, all ready and witty....but now it's so late and I must get to bed...........but I had to do a goodbye post because then my next post will be something like "I'm in England with my husband!" so gotta do this now.

I have learned so much in the past 13 months of living back in Arizona again: finished the Masters degree, got deeper into my business, went to yoga with my sister a lot, enjoyed hiking, got valuable time with friends and family, had interesting teaching jobs and most of all.......learned how to gain (a little bit) more patience in many aspects of my life.

If I didn't know it before, I know now to strive to LIVE IN THE MOMENT. I am trying not to worry about the future, although living in Sun City with retired people has made me look that direction way too much!  The older I get, the more I realize the power of being truly happy yourself, and then you can navigate nearly everything.

So here's to living in the moment and enjoying life! I am humbled by all of you-your kindness, friendship, thoughts, prayers, time, I could go on and on! I truly cherish your part in my journey of life.....and I look forward to you coming along with me on this next chapter!

I will miss you all so much.....

Love you!!

Kelli

Just a word of warning: I'm in a lot of these photos......or maybe all of them. Seemed sortof vain. Whatevs. It's a goodbye post.

the freakin' visa!!!

The Latest...

Warning:  This post became extremely, extremely long.  Get a cup of coffee and a muffin for this one, or skip to the bottom for a SUMMARY. for real.

Hmmmm. Can't sleep. Haven't written on this thing for many weeks. Thought it was time for an update.

I know people are wondering what in the world is the status for le Rey and I getting together. Like starting our life together. In the same country.

Or maybe you're not.

I mean, it has been years now.

Years of being apart. Years of waiting. Years of things in the way that had to get done first (UK citizenship for le Rey, deployments, getting out of the military, now my visa).

I am trying not to complain here. 

I mean, really, each day that I've had here since I moved back last December has been extra time with my family and friends here in AZ.

This is something I will not have when I move to England.

That is part of the "living abroad" experience--I can't have all my loved ones from around the world with me.

Unfortunately.

So I am trying to make the most of my time here in Arizona while I can. 

Without letting the fact that I miss le Rey so much hinder my time here with loved ones.

Oh, yea........update: le Rey has a job and a flat (apartment) for us (part of the long list of requirements for my visa for the UK). But it could still still take a bit of time for ALL of the paperwork to be submitted and processed.

Maybe sometime in January.

Luckily, I was not holding my breath to be in England for Christmas.

I think my expectations for things and wishing and hoping went out a loooong time ago. Now when things happen, I'm pleasantly surprised. I like it better that way. This brings less disappointment, and a higher frequency of happier days. I prefer to be happy as often as possible. Which is a choice. And a manipulation of the mind at times.

Also extra luckily (well, blessing actually), le Rey's brother and sister-in-law are living in Paris this year for work, so le Rey will have family to spend Christmas with.

I cannot imagine if le Rey was in London alone for Christmas. That would seriously break my heart.

Since we have been flying to see each other for years now in this long-distance relationship, money is sortof running out for too many flights.

Money is sortof going towards visa costs, rent for upcoming apartment in England, and student loans (mine).

And money for our wedding which I tried to switch from June to April to have slightly cheaper rates for flights and accommodation and not be so close to the Olympics.

But who am I kidding? Planning a wedding in an international city that I still don't have a visa for? I really have no desire to attempt to plan it, coordinate dates and times for everyone, etc.

I really just want to get to England, set up our place to live,

get a job and eat dinners together and dance in our living              

room barefoot. every.night.

I would like to hold hands with le Rey, snuggle on the couch,

go to church together again, kiss each other good morning,

at night, and for any reason in between. I would like to share

daily life with le Rey again.

How the crap have I (and le Rey) waited SO long? And why?

Surely this has crossed your mind.

We must look like a pair of fools.

I have for sure asked le Rey, more than once........"Are we sure this is meant to be? Why is it taking so long if it is? Why have there been so many obstacles?"

Who knows? Will the waiting make it all that much sweeter? Will we appreciate each other more than the average couple because of all this? Will we adore each other passionately until we're 90?

Only time will tell, but I know I do not have crazy, romantic, on a pedestal type of ideas about marriage. It will be tough and we will have to work at it. Everyday with the same person. For years (hopefully many, many years). But surely we will get sick of each other. There must be so many highs and lows.

But, I love le Rey deeply for a million reasons and cannot imagine taking on the massive committment of marriage with anyone but him. That is why I waited (and continue to now wait for the freakin' visa!). I have always felt that it's him. He's the one. We may not have had a lot of time together the last couple years.....but we were still there for each other emotionally the best we could. New jobs. Deployments. Family stuff. The agony of waiting. Supporting each other with kind words and prayer from afar with the intention of being husband and wife someday.

Sorry if this sound a bit dismal.....I blame it on the fact that I can't sleep and it's extremely late.

But I am doing well!! A lot better since the last time I blogged.

I can see now, more than ever, the importance of living in the moment and not waiting until __________ happens before "your life can begin". If I would've thought that, I shudder to think what my mental state would be right now or what risks I may not have taken.

I hate when people say to me, "Why are you doing that now? I'll do that when I retire" or "My life didn't begin until I had a baby" etc. This is not a dress rehearsal people! Today could be your last day!!

So, while I miss le Rey and have a hard time sometimes (especially without an end date in sight!)...I think I'm human and a pretty darn happy person, trying to make the most out of my life!

I have also recently been given the enormous blessing of a long-term assignment at a super nice school (in second grade).

I mean, really. No behavior problems. Kids working hard. I am compliamenting them ALL THE TIME they are just so sweet and diligent! I make sure I appreciate this class every day because these are seriously the groups that you have to remember when you have a really bad day in a challenging class (or when you have a challenging year).

You would have to see it to believe it.

I can hardly believe how smoothly each day is. Day after day.

Anyway, it goes until Christmas.

So wow. That was long enough.

Perhaps I should edit this.

Or try to sleep.

SUMMARY:

Visa: le Rey has worked very hard to get many things done for it and we are getting closer.  And I'm really OK. I have a lot to be thankful for.

Wedding plans: pppppffffffffff.

My portfolio business: no new sales, but I've been spending a.lot.of.time posting on my teacher blog (which is a strange, strange blog world) and uploading documents that will eventually lead to me uploading documents on Teachers-Pay-Teachers, etc websites to generate more business (hopefully).

With all this time spent on the teacher blog, and my new favorite place in the world (PINTEREST) and finding facebook to strangely not give me updates on very many people (problem in my settings?)......I am trying to delete my facebook. But I still need to write down everyone's email address from my inbox.

OK.

Love you all,

Kelli

I promise my next update will be Christmas cookies and sleigh bells and wreaths and Chevy Chase Christmas Vacation kindof of fun!!!