A Halloween Creation

Sophie loves crafts! Her recent creation, with a little help from mom was this Halloween graveyard. With only one minor burn on my finger from the glue gun, we accomplished this in under an hour!

The View from my Front Office..

I am loving the house...now that we are getting settled in we are enjoying it...

This is my view until a house is built across the street...

We have wild turkeys, lots of bunnies, some big bucks, and even coyotes behind our house in the wooded area. The highlights of our day are seeing an animal, we don't have the usual London foot traffic walking by our house everyday so we are entertained by the animals. It is quite the change.

Sophie's Preschool

Sophie's first day of preschool went well in September, two weeks after we got back state side. She has bonded well with a few kids at school, her favorite a little girl named Madison. Since the preschool is a coop, each family is required to volunteer one week of each term. I volunteered the third week of school, which was fun. I like the teachers, the schedule, the other kids, and the facility. Overall, I am happy with our selection and Sophie is transitioning nicely.

The preschool had it's first fieldtrip of the year a week ago at a local farm. A hay ride, corn maze and scavenger hunt, stories, and animals. Sophie loved it!

Since I don't know any of the other parents I also initiated a parents coffee which was a success and we plan to meet bi-weekly. It is nice to start meeting people in get in a groove again...

A Taste of England

My mission was to get settled in September and spend October socializing...well I have socialized a little in October.

I had my first social at the new house by inviting a few women from my mom's club over to sample a bit of England. We started with English Cheddar and water tablet crackers to ease into the more serious stuff. Next, we moved onto a Lancashire melted on some bread and British ale. Then came the Cheshire with apples, more bread and ale. Finally, we moved onto the stilton served with port and toasted walnuts. I also attempted to make some Nottingham Coffee Biscuits which were okay, the Derbyshire Chocolate Cake was a disaster and unservable (tasted good, but stuck to the pan and was unable to be pried out!). We had a few other European goodies and some great conversation which I have been missing!

One Big Update, and Yes Totally Tardy!

Okay, I know it has taken me almost 3 weeks to create a new post, but since we did move internationally, closed on a new house, moved into the new house, shopped and purchased furniture for 3 rooms, I was without husband for 10 days, just got Sophie started at preschool today and spent a weekend away in Wisconsin with friends, you can give me a little break...right?

Yes, we made it to Minnesota from London on Wednesday, August 23rd. The day we left London things were not looking good when Sophie vomited in the car on the way to the airport, then we got evacuated 5 minutes after we sat down in the executive lounge (the one and only time I have been in such a place) due to a fire alarm, luckily we still made our flight and the rest was a piece of cake.

We did the walk through on the house on Thursday morning, but we were up at 4 am anyway so a 2-hour drive to the cities from Superior Wisconsin was nothing. And, thankfully we got the truck to the new house without any fines (we drove it with expired tabs, 2 years expired!) and two state troopers drove right by us...we were lucky! We closed on the house in the afternoon and then went shopping to see in person items we viewed online which was fun.

Friday was moving day. Thank god we had professional movers, it would have killed us! Two huge trucks delivered all of our goods from two years of storage. Overall it went well, a few things completely busted/broken, a couch is still MIA, lots of knicks and dings on our furniture, but we have insurance, just have to complete all the forms which will be some work.

We spent all weekend working like crazy people until we crashed each night, usually around 9 pm for me and a bit later for Jeremy. One night I was so tired, I managed to get pjs on, but couldn't get my contacts out, teeth brushed, or even turn off the lights...So glad Sophie spent the week with her grandparents and cousins.

On Thursday, August 30 Sophie arrived at the new house with her Grandma Rehl and 15 minutes later Jeremy left for his elk trip to Colorado with his uncle and brother-in-law. The weather was too warm and he did not get an elk, so the big freezer in the garage sits empty, just waiting to be plugged in and keep some poor animal meat frozen. Bow hunting for deer had begun though and then it will be gun season and then ice fishing...

Sophie loved her new room and having some space to run around and play in. She keeps randomly yelling and stomping her feet saying, "I don't have flat neighbors to be quiet for anymore! YEAH! No more quiet toes right mommy?"

I have had so many people around finishing this, fixing that, today was the windows guy, Friday the irrigation guy, last week painters, the builder, it goes on and on...one day we will have full peace.

Adjusting back to life in the US has been interesting and tougher than we thought it would be. The one word I would use to explain it for me is "confusion". I never even drove in England, but yet I found myself on the opposite side of the street as I pulled up to a stop sign from a parking lot! And, the day before I forgot to buckle the seat belt for Sophie's car seat! Terrible! I couldn't remember at the bank if I could deposit money into the ATM and I can't remember by US password to get cash out of my account. I called my flat in London an apartment and am screwing up term usage left and right...I thought I was over jet lag, but maybe not. How long can I use that excuse? Another week or so?

I have had lots of requests for photos of the house, so finally today I took some...they are on our Shutterfly account for more! I promise I will update the blog with the regular frequency you are used to in time...I promise! Cheers--Chris

New Blog Starting after August 22

The Welsand's will be back in the good 'ole U. S. of A. on August 22. We close on our new house on August 23. The movers bring all our stuff from storage on August 24. After that we will unpack, unpack, unpack and get settled as soon as possible. Jeremy leaves a week after we arrive to go elk hunting for 10 days. After a two year hiatus from hunting I will forgive this abrupt exit on his part. It will be my turn soon enough, maybe a scrapbook weekend, girls weekend, or a trip with some frequent flyer miles...I can think of something I am sure...

Check back soon! We will update with photos and news of the move as soon as we get the computer plugged in...Cheers!