we moved to england

so the week before christmas, we packed up our stuff & got on a plane to go to england.  we flew from the east coast to the west coast & then hopped on a plane from seattle to amsterdam.  thanks to the air force & the PCS (permanent change of station) hub being seattle, we had to turn an easy 7 or 8 hour flight to europe into one than resembles flying from the states to guam.  but we made it & it'll always be a shorter flight from here on out.
so we got to england the week before christmas & got settled into our temporary apartment.  i ate fish & chips the 1st meal in england.  & i got sick in the middle of the night & haven't tried fish & chips again since.  we all came down with a super nasty bug (apparently everyone gets it when you 1st get here - it's called the yorkshire crud - it is not fun).  so we all were sick.  in england.  on christmas.
but despite all these issues, we really really liked england right away.  yep, it's cold.  & rainy.  & grey.  oh & it gets dark at 4pm & the sun isn't up until 9am.  but it is so damn charming.  the town harrogate where we live is so nice.  so old.  & despite the weather everyone walks everywhere.  feels like a bustling little city.
we rented a car & were super nervous about driving.  well, jeff was not as nervous as i was.  but once i did drive it wasn't as bad as i thought.  & now it feels normal to be on the left side.  i still clip the curb some but haven't done any major damage.  ;)
so now, we're still getting things sorted out, our house, waiting on our car, finding new things to do with lena.....  haven't met anyone her age yet.  we really miss my sis & her kids & our friends from guam, but they will come visit us!!  so that keeps us excited (that & having a new iphone & instagram where we can see pics of our good friends & cousins almost every day)
next post will be about the house!!  we found the perfect place & were approved to move in - will happen hopefully sometime next week!!

somewhere over kansas?  for the 2nd time?

street where we're staying - tight squeeze

lena sized milk

christmas present from grandma & grandpa

santa found us 

british cat

knaresborough (a 15 minute drive from harrogate)

knaresborough castle

hot cocoa pit stop

many celebrations

*written 12/15 - published 12/ 25
so we've been in virginia visiting family now since the beginning of november.  it's been so nice.  we've seen all of lena's grandparents, spent a lot of time playing with her cousins (& my sis), celebrated caleb (my nephew), jeff, lena & this week my sister's birthdays, my mom got married & we found out she is now cancer free!!  it's been an amazing visit!!!!
it still feels exactly like that... a visit.  like soon we'll be on a plane back to guam.  i know that plane is actually stopping in england, but it doesn't feel real.  i guess because we don't know that place yet.  i miss guam.  i mostly miss our best friends from there.  i think it will really sink in once we get to england & realize this is our new life.  it'll be cool, but i'm sure really different & there will be some major adjustments i'm sure.  but it is what it is.....
lena just turned 2, which blows my mind!  time is too fast!  she is amazing, talking a lot, curious, funny, loving, energetic, inquisitive, friendly (she waves at EVERYONE)  we're having a lot of fun!
it's nutcracker season & of course my facebook is all a buzz with nutcracker pics & videos.  i miss it.  i wish i was still dancing.  i think i miss it most around this time of year.  i do look forward to taking lena to see nutcracker one year!  & then maybe she'll be a little mouse & then one day sugar plum herself....  we'll see.  i promise not to be a crazy stage mom.  i hope!  ;)

lena enjoying her birthday cake

what can i say, she loves "soccer guy game"

blurry, but my cutie in daddy's shoes

lots of stockings

my mom's beautiful tree

our little florist helping with the arrangements for mom's wedding

the happy couple

the day we found out my mom is free of cancer - we were able to celebrate with jeff's parents while they were in town 

lena on the train with grandma

with grandma

watching tv with grammy & papa bill

getting into grammy's make-up

throwing leaves into the creek with grandpa & granny ann

with my dad

coloring with grandpa

grandpa & granny ann

with papa denning - who i hadn't seen in 12 years!

tokyo

so on our way out of guam, we did a mini vacay stop in tokyo.  we only had a day & a half, which wasn't nearly enough.  but we did as much as we could (with a toddler) while we were there. 

we stayed in the hiroo area & found it to be a cute, posh part of the city....  lots of little bistro cafes & strangely quiet for a city.  the japanese seem to be very considerate & super aware of space, so no one honks, people are respectful of their impact of others in such a small space....  no one shouting into their cell phone while standing right next to you.
ok, so besides everything being quiet & the japanese people being super nice....  everything is so well thought out.  easier than at first glance.  i was so nervous when i googled tokyo subway & ran across this map before our trip.  i thought... "um, yeah right, no way"....  but we managed it & it really was easy.  if not crowded.  so crowded.  like sardines.  but that was only in the morning, the rest of the day the trains weren't as packed.

we went to asakusa to see one of the more popular temples.  we got some fried chicken sticks & some yakisoba from a vendor & ate in the park with lena running around chasing pigeons.

we went to shabuya & crossed the crazy crosswalk like in the movie lost in translation.  we went to h&m, starbucks, books stores, chopstick stores.  got sushi from another road side vendor.
we had a lot of fun.  wish we could have stayed longer.  definitely a place we'd love to visit again!

1st night walking around trying to find dinner & we may or may not have eaten at burger mania (hey, it wasn't golden arches.  in fact it was a hip little place that had super delicious burgers)  

she fell asleep like that before we could even get jammies on her

before the 1st subway ride

little commuter

no posing, only action shots

checking out the koi

i think that says yakisoba

on the crosswalk.....  i'm the white lady pushing the stroller ;)

& of course we rode the escalators for at least a good 30 minutes. 

snuggling a little bear outside a kid store

lady we bought sushi from

at the airport, trying to play it out before a long flight