That title sounds bad doesn’t it! We’ve been in Florida for 2 days. The IMN training is great. My brain hurts from being stretched through the different sessions and chats with people.

So far we’ve eaten thai food, indian, and subway! Breakfast in the hotel is great. I could definitely eat my way through the holiday! At the moment, we’re in our room having eaten lunch. Sam is gradually eating stuff after throwing up last night. I felt so sorry for him. Being ill on holiday is not fun. We’re watching the rain fall, causing steam to rise from the outdoor heated pool! It’s very cold outside but refuse to take my sandals off!!

This morning I woke up really early for the second morning running. That’ll be the jet lag. I took a picture at 6am form out of our window

Here’s a bird in the rain - just like home!

The fish in a tank in the Thai restaurant yesterday. Their faces look like they’re wondering what I’m doing!

I loved chatting with everyone and sharing stories and experiences

Hopefully I’ll be going shopping with Niza and we’ll go to Animal Kingdom or Sea World later in the week…..

Here’s to less sickness and less rain; more food, and friends and sunshine!!

Is it nearly Thursday?!! We fly to Orlando on Thursday morning and I’m soooo excited! I think I’m all packed. I could go right now. Just have to do two more days of work, then it’s time for holiday!!!!

I can’t wait to be on the plane watching way too many movies, I love airports and I’m hopeful that it’ll be warmer than it is here! We get to see friends new and old and future friends we have yet to meet, learn more, dream more….

Are we nearly there yet?!

I’ve never been the most sporty person in the world but recently we’ve got into watching the Sheffield Sharks basketball team. They’re one of the top teams nationally and I didn’t know a game could be so entertaining! Our friend Emily was dancing in the time out’s and we’ve got to know one of the players so we had a trip out! They were playing London United
Here’s some pictures of our evening…

The Hype dance company - Go Emily!! (she’s in the middle)

Sam and Ryan working up a sweat eating crisps!

Time out called by London United with 5 minutes to go ‘cos they were being badly beaten by the Sharks!

Half time shoot out for the kids. Oh, and Ryan (at the end of the line!)

All in all, a fun time.

It’s been a while…

since I stopped to look around and paused from my self-inflicted busyness

…since I reflected on what has been and what is yet to come

…since I talked with you about who I am, who you are, what we are

…since I reached out to hold on and feel the momentum that begins, the catalytic energy that invades my life and changes perspective, potential and atmosphere.

When my life is void of your energy, it is all about me.

My world shrinks, limiting what is possible

I want to live in a world that is full of you, full of others, abounding in infinite possibilities, where potential bursts from every pore of all that has been created; where ideas are limitless, love is authentic; where people are loved and souls can fly; where there is reason to celebrate and permission to be free, space to dream and not hope in vain.

This is the world I want to call home…

Phew! We’ve had a busy week of family and eating and celebrations!

Christmas takes quite a while to prepare for - and I wasn’t even cooking!- and goes so fast. I can’t believe it’s January already! Wow! We fly to Florida in 4 weeks and hopefully move house within the same time frame.

What a brilliant 2006 we’ve had. So many changes and exciting new adventures. A new community to build, so many new overseas friends, a job to get to grips with… I’ve learnt a lot - even through recovering from surgery and a car accident (I go back to work tomorrow on reduced hours). What will 2007 bring? More to learn, more friends to make, more places to see.

Here are my favourite photos from our festive period..

Santa comes to the Travelodge! Sam and my brother Russell

So many presents! Mum and my brother Oliver 

Christmas Day Dinner

Creating a Christmas Orchestra with the whistles in our crackers!

 Joshua and Abigail opening presents

Our brand new neice Freya

More food with Sam’s family 

Neice Elizabeth with her new playhouse! Everyone had to have a go in it! 

 Meeting up with old (high) school friends

Dancing at a family friend’s 21st birthday party 

Happy New Year debris! (And Sam’s feet)

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Looking forward to keeping up with what’s happening in the dwellings of the City of Voices……

Thank you Steve and Deana and Max for our exciting Christmas Package!! How exciting having a parcel from across the seas!

We opened it last night and were so excited. I’m enjoying the book and our angel decoration is beautiful! We went from that to Sam’s work Christmas ‘do’. So festive!
Today we went shopping for food. It was CRAZY! Everyone was doing their shopping. The queues for the checkouts went all the way down every aisle. So we got a few bits. Sam stayed in the queue and I ran back and forth getting stuff to make more mince pies. So we bought logs and coal (it’s now properly cold - finally!) and went home to light a fire…

Here are some pictures of our wonderful gifts and a snapshot of our day!

Our Christmas parcel surprise all the way from Colorado! 

Me and the Christmas angel 

The angel decided to go say hi to our other angel - they match!!

And then took pride of place at the top of our tree!

Sam’s work ‘do’

Christmas food shopping

..made easier by the festive music!

Our cosy fire!

It’s nearly Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hooray! Mosaic Sheffield hosted it’s first big event - a carol service in Starbucks. We just got home. I was concerned about how many people we’d get and if Starbucks would let us back in!

I had nothing to worry about. It was fantastic! Apparently we had 56 people - I’ve never seen Starbucks so packed! Most were people who wouldn’t normally go to a Carol Service in a church building and we had so much fun…

Here’s the flier

Helen and Chris opened with Jazz…

Ryan performed a great song..

Chantelle handed out goodie bags and song words!

We sang carols (spot me on the keyboard?!)

Sam gave a GREAT talk that resonated with loads of people

And people had lots and lots of fun and coffee. Oh, and we gave them colouring in to do at their tables! It couldn’t have gone better. Brilliant

Well done team!

On Monday I made mince pies. Very traditionally Christmassy. I got the mincemeat (made of raisins, fruit, nuts, suet and…gloopy jam type stuff!). You roll out shortcrust pastry, cut it with scone cutters, fill the pastry cases with mincemeat, cut out stars, put them on top…and cook for 15 minutes. Yum. I didn’t take any picture of the finished article. I’ll take a photo tonight!

Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without mince pies!

So here I am, off sick from work with car crash injuries. I could be miserable and annoyed by it all but Christmas is cheering me up! Today I went to see the Physiotherpist and got some exercises to do. I did them, then wrapped presents and admired our cute tree. I love looking at its sparkly lights. It makes our lounge very cosy.

Christmas is sooo close. What is everyone doing to prepare?  We’re away for Christmas so I have to make sure all the family presents are ready to go. Between both our families, we have 35 presents to buy, wrap and remember to take with us!

Here’s some pictures of our 4 foot high tree!

Happy Christmas preparations!

Last night we celebrated thanksgiving in style. Mosaic Sheffield hosted a party. Most of us didn’t know what we were celebrating but we had two Americans who hopefully did! Any excuse for party!

Our friend Em spent all day preparing food while we were all at work. We had a turkey the size of a small child, jalapeno mashed potato, candied yams, Bean casserole, nice carrots, cranberry relish (Amy from Washington’s Grandma’s recipe), cornbread, stuffing, sausage meat, Oreo cookies, Cheesecake Factory cheesecake, ice cream, brownies and sweet potato pie. Mmm!

I think for a bunch of mainly British people, we did a good job!

We took some pictures -

 Em’s thanksgiving pumpkins

 Carving the turkey

My plate of food!

Lots of eating!

The “What I’m thankful for” board..

What a lovely evening! I got to chat to new people, eat lots of food and think about how much I have to be thankful for - fantastic friends, an exciting, diverse growing community, a brilliant husband, a great family, a wonderful city to live in..the list is endless.

I hope everyone who celebrates thanksgiving had a fun time.