8 days

We are 8 days away from leaving the States. I have lots of mixed feelings…I am anxious and excited to begin this new adventure, but I am also increasingly sad as it sinks in that we will be leaving our amazing friends and awesome church.

Last week was really crazy and I still feel like I am trying to recuperate! We shipped out our things last Wednesday, and now most of our belongings are somewhere on the Atlantic Ocean. This week is easy compared to last week; we’ve gotten the hardest part finished (moving our things), and now we just need to wait for our visas to finish processing, book our hotels (on the list today), contact a realtor in Cambridgeshire to help us find a place ASAP once we arrive, sell our car and a few other items, and start making the packing list (which is fairly simple…everything that didn’t go on the boat goes in our bags…as long as it fits, haha!).

So, this week we are spending a lot of time with friends. It’ll be a whirlwind, but I am so thankful for the friends we have, and hope that I can slow down and truly enjoy some final time with our dears.

Last week Rafe and I went to Frying Pan Farm with our good friends Kristin and her daughter Natalie. The littles went on their first carousel ride! Here are a few photos from our trip:

peacock

rocks in his hands

more fun with rocks!

driving a tractor

it’s serious business!

smile!

first carousel ride!

Steel cut oats with pumpkin and cinnamon apple

Yesterday morning I made this after a chilly long run. It is healthy, easy, and is also a fantastic fall breakfast. Need I say more? Note: This recipe is for one portion, but you can easily double/triple/quadruple it if you want.

Ingredients

1 cup water

1/4 cup steel cut oats

2 tbsp pumpkin puree

1 tsp agave (or brown sugar)

1 apple, chopped into cubes

pumpkin pie seasoning, to taste

cinnamon, to taste

about 1/8 to 1/4 cup milk (according to preference)

Directions

Make the oats according to the directions on the label (mine is 1 cup of water for a 1/4 cup oats).

While the oats are simmering on your stove, chop one apple into 1/2 inch cubes and place in a bowl with a bit of water (about 1/4 cup). Microwave for approximately 3 minutes, or until the apples are soft. Once cooked, strain out the water and set aside.

Once the oats are ready (typically after 20-30 minutes simmering on the stove), add in pumpkin puree, agave (or brown sugar), pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, apples, and milk. Stir together, and enjoy!

It’s officially official: We’re moving to England!

The news and information that we’ve been waiting for came through this week, so it is now officially official that we are moving to the UK!

Here are the details for those interested:

• John was offered a job in Cambridgeshire about 1 hr 1/2 drive (45 minute train ride) north of London (which he accepted)
• We will be flying out on October 3 (that is just shy of 3 weeks)
• We’ll be there for at least one year, but potentially up to 3.5 years
• We’ve known since late July we were moving, we just didn’t know the timeframe. Our house is sold, our things are in storage, and we’ve been living with my parents since then.
• The move is quick, but it actually feels like we’ve been waiting forever (it was our original understanding the start date was in mid-August, so we’ve been ready to ship out for over a month now)

We are excited, a little apprehensive, but mostly just looking forward to this adventure! We know there will be ups and downs, but we feel confident this is the path the Lord has for us, and we know that He will provide all we need over there (a church body, a place to live, a car to drive, etc.). I have plans to keep up with the blog, so for those who want to keep tabs on what we’re up to across the pond, check in here regularly or just follow my blog for updates.

Cheers!