Happy New Year 2009

Heléna is 9 months old today. Natalia will turn 6 in less than two weeks. Lately I've been acutely aware of the rapid passage of time. How could it be that we've lived in the UK for 2+ years already? Has it really been 18 months since I've visited my home in Seattle? Monte is there now, on a two-week business trip, which makes me miss home more than ever!

We had a (mostly) lovely Christmas/New Year holiday in the States with both of our families. It was wonderful to see everyone again, all in the same place. It was heartwarming to watch all the cousins playing together. It was a treat partaking of all the comfort foods of home, such as real Nebraska beef, cheesy potatoes, Swedish pancakes, and Grandma Iliene's peanut-butter-chocolate balls. It was terribly cold when we arrived (like unbelievably frigid, like how on earth did we ever survive childhood in such bitterly cold temperatures?!) and half the family got the stomach flu, but aside from that ...

A highlight of our 10 days in Nebraska was dedicating our sweet Baby H at my family's church, five years to the day after we did the same for Natalia. Heléna wore my baptismal gown, which my own mother made from her wedding gown, 30-something years ago. Our entire family was present for the ceremony on Dec. 28, which was performed by the same pastor who married us and who dedicated Natalia. We hosted a catered lunch following the service, and the food was fantastic. Lots of photos are posted on my Flickr site; see links above left.

Another highlight (at least for Natalia and Grandpa Doyle) was going sledding, Nebraska-style. When Monte announced that Natalia needed to bundle up in warmer clothes because they were going sledding, I silently wondered, "on which hill?" (There basically aren't any hills in Nebraska.) However ... who needs a hill when you've got a fancy farm-issue four-wheeler to provide the power, and a discarded old rusty car hood to use as a sled? Don't get me wrong -- the girl had a BALL zinging around behind that four-wheeler. Her mother, on the other hand, watched from behind the curtains inside the house, praying fervently for her safety! (She fell off only once, and thankfully found it quite funny.)

We had rather long (four-hour) layovers in Chicago on our way to/from Nebraska. The girls were champion travelers both ways. Baby H gawked at the surroundings or napped in her buggy as we wandered the airport. Natalia had lots of books and toys to keep her busy, as usual. Monte and I still laugh about the level of customer service we encountered at the Chili's restaurant at O'Hare. No fewer than three people approached us at the door, asking if we needed a table for four, and promising that it would be no more than a few minutes' wait. I left Monte to wait for the table, and by the time I returned from the ladies' room with the girls, he was already seated at a large table (big enough to accommodate the buggy) with a beer and a glass of wine. Yahoo! America!! (You'll understand our outright glee if you've ever lived abroad and/or experienced the absolute lowest level of customer service imaginable.)

On the way back from Chicago to London, we were unexpectedly upgraded from coach to business class, which made for a very enjoyable trek across the Atlantic. (There are benefits to having an extremely frequent flier for a husband.) To say thank you, Monte bought the ladies at the United counter some Frappuccinos; we're still hoping they didn't get in trouble for accepting gifts from us. ;-)

So ... now we're back in the UK and settling into our old routines. A virulent flu bug has been raging through The Vineyard School, so Natalia was home with a fever last Friday, and again this Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. She's sporting an ear infection and spiking 104-degree fevers. With Monte out of the country for two weeks, this trio of girls is feeling pretty lonely and cooped up at the moment! I'm hoping Natalia feels well enough to visit some friends on Sunday so we can get out of the house.

We plan to celebrate Natalia's sixth birthday (1/28/09) with three local families on the 31st. We're excited about entertaining guests in our new house (which, after three months, shouldn't feel as new as it does ... it has taken much longer than I had hoped to feel "settled" here on Sheen Road). The house itself is lovely, but we're still adjusting to the location, and missing our nice quiet row house on Onslow Avenue.

Stay tuned for a birthday update ...