Overdue...

Um yes, yes...it has been a loooong time since I've updated a little something about us...but that can only mean one thing...life has been hectic to say the least!


As you know we made our trek to America this past October...and arrived at the most beautiful time of the year in Atlanta...where the fall colors were so bright that you could literally see a gold reflection through the windows. This picture does not do it justice but in my half stupor of walking up our first morning in America...I had enough wits about me to take this photo.


Then after only a short day of rest...we did a big no no...we took our "list" to Wal-Mart and spent the next 3 hours bewildered by the shear mass of the store and the overwhelming selection of things. Towards the end poor honey even had a manager come to him and ask if he was okay!  We must have looked a mess and by the time we left...we were headed home to take a nap. I know...lightweights.



After our big fiasco in Wally world...we decided we needed to slow things down a bit and took it easy for a few days.  I loved being able to sit out on the porch with my bare feet...soaking in the sunshine...all the while we are in the month of November!

The hubs quite enjoyed himself out on the deck as well.










Then it was time to head to church...oh how amazing it was to spend time with our church family again.

Our friends have really blessed us as well...by throwing us a re entry shower to replace some of the things we had to leave behind in England.  We also had a lovely couple donate a couch to us!

However...it was quite the show to fit it upstairs in our apartment.  But the finished product was worth it!


Then it was time for my favorite American holiday...Thanksgiving. We have a lot to be thankful for this year...in particularly...reuniting with family. They have blessed us by allowing us to stay in a one room flat in their home.

It was great to have 3 generations in the kitchen again!

Then it was time for a freakish event that comes only once per year...called BLACK FRIDAY.  Its a one day mega sale for all the retail shops across America. For that one day only...stores open at crazy hours...like 12am...and for only a few short hours you can get crazy deals on items.

For example...Best Buy...an electronics shop...had HDTVs 42" for 50% off!  But this was the line..yes those are people actually camping out 2 days prior to doors opening to ensure they got the deal.  Crazy!







So we did get one Black Friday deal...but chose to do it on line instead of waiting in the insane lines.  Honey got a battery drill 50% off and then we had a gift card from our re entry shower that we used...which brought the drill to over 80% off!  Talk about a deal! Now if we only had our own home to use it on...





Then it was onto other matters...we had been in the country for over 4 weeks at this point...and STILL hadn't been able to get our cell phones sorted.  My parents also were waiting on us to get home...because mom wanted herself an iPhone!  Yes that's right...my little mommy is a proud owner of one...and I am so proud of her how quickly she has learned to use it.  She's so cute!

Then we were just trying to get back into the swing of things living in a new country.  But had to chuckle when we came across adds like these...

Or even better...just seeing the massive difference in size of things available here verses in England or Holland.  Like this...












As overwhelmed as we were at the time...J received a letter from the US Government that helped us feel a bit more settled....it was his Permanent Residency Card.  Woo Hoo! He can now legally live and work in the States.  Now to just find a job...













After some meetings and doctor appointments here and there...it was off to a time of rest and relaxation to a small town called Slapout Alabama...as we were going to visit one of our supporting churches and good friends.





The town gets its name from the local town grocer who back in the day when asked if he had a certain food item...would famously say "I'm slap out of that!".
















We were staying in a cabin on the lake that the sweet church provided for us.  It was so peaceful.  We loved waking up every morning to this...

We also enjoyed taking walks on a country mile road...nothing better.  J really enjoyed just the peace and quite.  I loved the sunshine...one thing I had terribly missed 

while living in England...sunshine year round!

We also spent some time catching up with good friends and were able to take some sweet family pictures. We just love this little family!

Here we took some shots at an old abandoned farm house. Made for a very cool vintage backdrop...don't you think?

Then it was time to make our way back to Atlanta...and to celebrate a Dutch holiday...Sinterklass.  Its a dutch tradition where kids fill their wooden shoes with hay and carrots for the horse that Sinterklass rides in on and in return he fills the shoes with candy...if they have been good.

That catches us up to date..and as I type this...the song that I am listening to sums this time up..."Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas"...MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

The One with the "Stuff"...

Hello friends and family...is it time already for another week in review?  Wow.  Time is flying for us now as we prepare to move to the States in only 4 days!

This week started with final packing of our bits...and oh my word...how did we get so much stuff?  I'm pretty sure that if we were moving our house in a truck...it would look like this.  I love the cat in the picture...can you find it?





Speaking of a cat...Bella the cat has been doing well...thanks to our good friend and vet Laura.  She has been given a mild...all natural calming supplement that we sprinkle over her food in the mornings.  I've seriously thought about taking some of it myself at times!

Like...

...when I became a little...how shall we put this..."upset" when I handed over my slow cooker to its new owner.  I'm pretty sure I looked like this...

So after a few "it will be okay honey" from the hubs...I came back to my senses and was reminded it was only "stuff".  After getting rid of most of our "stuff"...we began to pack what was left.  Mainly our bare necessities we would need for the next possible 6 months to a year (our stuff when it arrives in the States will be going directly into a storage until we are able to get our own place).




And get this...we ONLY USED 4 BAGS for ALL of our stuff. So needless to say I thought it would be impossible to fit it all but we we were pushing and shoving to make it all fit. I'm pretty sure we looked something like this...

Then it was off to finish more things which included...collecting final medical records...closing accounts...cleaning...going to this appointment then that appointment...etc etc.  By the end of each day I am pretty sure I was looking like this...

And I'm pretty sure I could have used a Starbucks injection like this in place of my chemo treatments.  Wonder if the Docs would have gone for that?

Then it was on to say our goodbyes.  We had a lovely send off with our office full with cakes and goodies...they must know me really well!  We also had a great send off from our home church here in England.  It was such a sweet time of the entire church praying over us!


Speaking of...their prayers and your prayers must be working! The very next day we heard our final report from our docs here in England.  My inflammation rate is down from 31 to 9! (Keep in mind a healthy person is considered to be at 5).  WOW.  I have noticed a bit more energy...which has been such a God send with all that has been going on with the move.  So needless to say we are over the moon right now!

Then it was on to say goodbye to neighbors, who many of you will get to meet when they come to the ATL sometime next year!  He is from England and she is from Hong Kong...so we both have a lot in common
with the whole living in a country that is not your own thing.

They took us out for a final British meal complete with roast beef, roasted potatoes, carrots, and cabbage.  It was so yummy.  We love them and our little neighborhood...which...

...reminded me of when we first came here. It was around Easter of 2010...pictured above we are just out front of our house...

Here we are again with our first meal in our home.  Sniff Sniff...I am going to miss it and have been told by many who have been married much longer than we have...that you will never forget your first place together.  Sniff Sniff...

So many people have asked us just in recent weeks "How have you grown in your walk with the Lord throughout this journey with my illness.

The biggest thing has to be our level of TRUST with Him!  Oh my word...I've

never been so stretched in my life...but He has shown me that if I just TRUST Him...He has a good plan.  His plans are perfect and full of peace no matter the storm that is surrounding you.

 And one more in particularly for me...I've learned to "LET GO"!  Something this planner by heart never thought she could do.  I've had to just sit back and watch Him unfold what all was going to happen.

Now it doesn't mean that I did nothing. I read something this week that sums it up..."Work as if everything depends on you.  Pray as if everything depends on Him!" Enough said.








 So many of you have also asked what we will do once we get to the States?  Well...the first week or two...

A-B-S-O-L-U-T-L-Y nothing!  Oh yes...I see some relaxation in both J man's and my future.

Soon after arriving in the States, however, we will begin our transition re-entry time with OM. This will last until the end of January 2012.  During this time we will be re-acclimating to life in the States, debriefing with OM, finding permanent work for J, and getting me sorted with new Doctors.  I'm sure it will keep us VERY busy!

Well that's about it for now.  Hope to see you all very soon.  We will, Lord willing, be home after October 31st.  We'll see you a couple of weeks after that.

America...here we come!

The One With the U.S. Embassy

Well hello there friends and family.  Welcome to another MOJO week in review.  One HUGE praise happened this week...ready...drumroll....

J got approved for Permanent Residence Status to the United States of America!!!!!  Whooo Hooo!  After six long months of agonizing and seeming endless paperwork and red tape...we made it.  Needless to say this was a huge relief to us so thank you for your prayers!

Many of you have asked if this means J will be a US Citizen and the answer is no...not yet.  This Permanent Residency Status simply allows J to live and work in the States indefinitely.  We will, however start the road to citizenship for J man just after coming to America...but the entire process will take about 3 years time.  One thing we have learned with dealing with the government and visas...it takes a long time so you must be patient!



This picture was taken just as we were leaving the Embassy...oops...don't think they liked us doing that as we were escorted off the property by men wearing suits...meaning business!

We also used this time of being in London to reunite with two of my besties... Leena & Andrea.  We all lived together at one time in Ireland as housemates and have made it our goal to reunite every few years...no matter where we all are.  I just love these two girls and their heart for God!

J and I were exhausted from the Embassy interview so the girls continued on in the city site seeing (it was Andrea's first time there)...while J and I took a train back to rest for a bit.  We had been up since 4am at that point!

So just as we were about to board our train we saw a glorious sign...a sign that said Krispy Kreme!  If you are an American living abroad...this is a BIG deal...and you would stop for one as well.


 We were good and only had one each...and score...they were giving away free hot drinks that day to go along with it!  They were oh so yummy...and we both had to laugh as all we could think of while we ate it were the words of Christian Comedian Tim Hawkins when he refers to them as "little baby angels melting in your mouth."  Oh yeah...that's about true!

Then later on in the evening we all gathered back together at an Irish Pub for dinner...and met up with our friend Orla and her fiance and little precious baby boy.

Orla was our neighbor in Ireland...who lovingly took us "immigrants" in and showed us the ropes of living abroad.  Without her we would have been lost and certainly would have never learned how to make a proper "cuppa" (cup of tea)!  We love you Orla!

 Then it was back to reality only a day later as me and the hubs started the final stages of us departing...PACKING!  Oh my word.  Although we are taking as much as we can with us...there is still so much we are having to leave behind...mostly electrical items since they won't work in America.

But God is good and our sweet friends Kerri and Michael back in Atlanta will be hosting a "re entry" couple's shower for J and I to replace some of the things we had to leave behind.

It is going to be an amazing blessing and we are looking forward to it.  Plus it is the first time we as a couple have actually registered somewhere...so we felt like newlyweds again!

We are having many mixed emotions now with getting so close to the end of our time here in England.  Only 15 more days to go!  So to offset what we will miss...we have been talking about what we are looking forward to in moving to one of the greatest cities in the world.

Where is that you may ask?  ATLANTA!!!!!!




Our first stop will be here...Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson Airport.  Home of Delta Airlines and one of the word's busiest airports.






This will be us in only a couple of weeks as we are herded like livestock into the immigration lines.  Although we don't mind...I am thinking tears of joy will be rolling down both our cheeks as we hear "Welcome to the United States of America."





Now back to Atlanta...many of you may not be familiar with this great city so let me tell you a few things about it.  Atlanta is the home of CNN Headquarters...here is a picture of the CNN building.  People work, eat, shop, live, and even park their cars in this one building...it is huge!

 Atlanta is also the home of the Coca Cola Headquarters.  The hubs has not yet visited the World of Coke Museum...pictured here...so I have a feeling we will be making a visit soon to taste the over 100 different flavors of coke!  Well J will be tasting them considering I haven't had a coke in almost 2 years!

And we will of course have to stop at a Chick Fil A!  Can I get a witness.  Oh my...my mouth is watering just thinking about this.  Again...if you are an American...in particularly a southern American living abroad...you know what I am talking about.

Can't you just taste that juicy chicken sandwich right now?  So sorry to all my American friends living overseas who have looked at this picture and started salivating only to realize there is no Chck Fil A in site!  :(

And finally...what we are looking forward to the most is to be reunited with our family and friends at our home church in America...First Baptist Church Woodstock.

Oh how we long to be there.  And don't be surprised that in the first few Sundays you see me and J man just busting it out in song...we've really missed the praise and worship team who do such an amazing job in leading us to worship Him.

But until then...we will wait for Him here a little longer and just enjoy our last 15 days in England.  Great...there I go crying again...oh what an emotional time this is.  Pray for us...and send loads of kleenex our way! :)



How was your week?