Today is the first day I’ve had a chance to sit and collect my thoughts. Paul is at work, the girls are at school, and the boys are both napping at the same time! It’s nice to have a breather!
My initial thoughts are ones of thankfulness and praise to God. We have had so many amazing provisions, that they could only come from a God who has gone before us and provided for us. We felt called to come over here, and it has been hard, but God has been there in obvious ways.
1. We found the girls’ Wellington boots the very afternoon of the flood, when their tights got wet.
2. A note was put on our door from some girls across the street offering to baby-sit for us. We haven’t yet needed baby-sitters, but when we do, have a place to start.
3. The very first mom that I met on the first day of school has turned out to be an amazing resource for toddler groups, and she’s been very friendly. (Most of the women keep to themselves. How great that the one I chatted with has offered so much help!
4. I have had no driving accidents!!!!!
5. So far, with 75% of our boxes unpacked, we have not had a SINGLE ITEM lost, broken or damaged in any way – down to the smallest little swarovsky 3 pc train set that Paul gave to me when Andrew was born, to our lampshades, lego pieces, dining room cystal and furniture.
6. The day I was completely and totally lost, I drove right by the hotel!
7. The ease at which the girls have adapted.
8. Andrew is settling in more and sleeping longer at night – no more 5:30am awakenings, that have been going on for MONTHS!
9. John suddenly wants table foods – something he wouldn’t even eat on our last day in America! And he’s looking more roly poly!!!
10. The Mexican (unusual in itself) pub that Paul stumbled across turns out to be a GREAT place for kids! They have toys up front and supposedly outside play things for when it’s nice weather (unusual for pubs or restaurants in Britain).
11. The pub recommended by our neighbor, Tracy, for Paul’s birthday celebration reminds us so much of our favorite Austin restaurant.
And, in a true fallen state, still I daydream about the ease of life in the U.S
1. I can’t seem to find all of our weekly groceries at one store, and can’t seem to find some basic ingredients at all (tomato sauce, enchilada sauce, goldfish, frozen waffles to name a few).
2. There doesn’t seem to be a concept of a “weekly grocery shopping trip”. Most foods last a day or two.
3. When I finally find a brand that we like, I find that it’s not always readily available (“not today I’m afraid” is the answer I get to “do you have any XXX?”)
4. Running the big, American washer is 1 ½ hours here for some reason.
5. The dryer has to be emptied of water after each run, and so far I have been unable to get it to dry the clothes completely – they need to be put in the airing cupboard at the end of the drying cycle.
6. There is no disposal in the sink (I don’t think the U.K. has disposals – the dishwasher doesn’t have a food grinder or disposal either). Food has to be scraped into a tiny trashcan under the sink, and emptied daily.
7. Paper and plastic have to go in a separate trash collector that is either in plain sight (no cupboard space for it) or in the garage (multiple trips to/from the garage).
8. The trash collection system is a complete disaster – more on that later!
Over all, God is very good and the things I dislike can be overcome –with both my attitude adjustment and our adjustment to living here. The provision of our house, which fits so much more than we hoped for, and the welcome we’ve received so far, and a promising church home, and the kids fantastic adjustment, and the privilege of living in a foreign country, and being able to travel around and be a light in the community – those are so much more important than the daily things that are harder and to which we will adjust. It just shows how fallen I am to covet those things.
My initial thoughts are ones of thankfulness and praise to God. We have had so many amazing provisions, that they could only come from a God who has gone before us and provided for us. We felt called to come over here, and it has been hard, but God has been there in obvious ways.
1. We found the girls’ Wellington boots the very afternoon of the flood, when their tights got wet.
2. A note was put on our door from some girls across the street offering to baby-sit for us. We haven’t yet needed baby-sitters, but when we do, have a place to start.
3. The very first mom that I met on the first day of school has turned out to be an amazing resource for toddler groups, and she’s been very friendly. (Most of the women keep to themselves. How great that the one I chatted with has offered so much help!
4. I have had no driving accidents!!!!!
5. So far, with 75% of our boxes unpacked, we have not had a SINGLE ITEM lost, broken or damaged in any way – down to the smallest little swarovsky 3 pc train set that Paul gave to me when Andrew was born, to our lampshades, lego pieces, dining room cystal and furniture.
6. The day I was completely and totally lost, I drove right by the hotel!
7. The ease at which the girls have adapted.
8. Andrew is settling in more and sleeping longer at night – no more 5:30am awakenings, that have been going on for MONTHS!
9. John suddenly wants table foods – something he wouldn’t even eat on our last day in America! And he’s looking more roly poly!!!
10. The Mexican (unusual in itself) pub that Paul stumbled across turns out to be a GREAT place for kids! They have toys up front and supposedly outside play things for when it’s nice weather (unusual for pubs or restaurants in Britain).
11. The pub recommended by our neighbor, Tracy, for Paul’s birthday celebration reminds us so much of our favorite Austin restaurant.
And, in a true fallen state, still I daydream about the ease of life in the U.S
1. I can’t seem to find all of our weekly groceries at one store, and can’t seem to find some basic ingredients at all (tomato sauce, enchilada sauce, goldfish, frozen waffles to name a few).
2. There doesn’t seem to be a concept of a “weekly grocery shopping trip”. Most foods last a day or two.
3. When I finally find a brand that we like, I find that it’s not always readily available (“not today I’m afraid” is the answer I get to “do you have any XXX?”)
4. Running the big, American washer is 1 ½ hours here for some reason.
5. The dryer has to be emptied of water after each run, and so far I have been unable to get it to dry the clothes completely – they need to be put in the airing cupboard at the end of the drying cycle.
6. There is no disposal in the sink (I don’t think the U.K. has disposals – the dishwasher doesn’t have a food grinder or disposal either). Food has to be scraped into a tiny trashcan under the sink, and emptied daily.
7. Paper and plastic have to go in a separate trash collector that is either in plain sight (no cupboard space for it) or in the garage (multiple trips to/from the garage).
8. The trash collection system is a complete disaster – more on that later!
Over all, God is very good and the things I dislike can be overcome –with both my attitude adjustment and our adjustment to living here. The provision of our house, which fits so much more than we hoped for, and the welcome we’ve received so far, and a promising church home, and the kids fantastic adjustment, and the privilege of living in a foreign country, and being able to travel around and be a light in the community – those are so much more important than the daily things that are harder and to which we will adjust. It just shows how fallen I am to covet those things.
1 comment:
Hi Sue! I'm reading your blogs and am so happy that you're settling into your UK life. Give the kids & Paul a big hug from the Bermudez family....
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