Stonehenge, Big Ben and an announcement.

How is that for a loaded post? 

I went to London for two weeks because my dear friend, Dasha was expecting a baby.  She is currently living in Bulgaria, but decided to have her baby in London. I happily volunteered to come help to make sure that her girls were taken care of when she and her husband went to the hospital.  You know, I am just so magnanimous.  Or I really wanted to see Dasha and go to London.

Anyway. We had a great time, and one weekend we even had Kelly cross the English Channel with her two girls, and so for that entire weekend it was EIGHT girlies and Dasha's poor husband, Matt. He might not have had a great time, there may have been a vomit incident in the car where his daughter barfed on his FACE- GROSS. BUT the girls did.  We went to Stonehenge, saw Frozen, and just had a great girls weekend. 

The rest of the trip we went shopping, walking, went to the parks, drank hot chocolate, had Chipotle, ate soup. It was so much fun to hang out with Dasha and her family. 

I was able to see Big Ben and pay tribute to my own darling husband, with the same name. *wink wink*

AND the best part was little baby girl Sonia came while I was there! 

NOW for the announcement part of this post. 

Have I told you our next assignment?  You know, where we are moving this summer? No, well, we are going to 

GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA 

USA

To answer some questions:

Yes, this is with Ben's current job. He works for the State Department in Diplomatic Security, and they have offices all over the United States, and Greensboro is one of them. 

Yes, we are excited.

AND we are not that far from Washington DC, so we are hoping for a few road trips up there. 

Or perhaps you would like to come to NC for some beach time?  Yes?!?!  North Carolina is A LOT closer to almost all of our friends than Sri Lanka, just sayin'.

All the girls. 

So much different from the two boys I have at home, but SO MUCH FUN!!!!

Emma (Dasha's oldest daughter) and me in front of Big Ben.  We were there right when it struck 12, which was pretty sweet.

The other side of a perfect vacation.

I love the anticipation for vacation.  It's not only exciting, but gives me something to plan and to look forward to.  I never know if the vacation is going to be anywhere near as good as I expect it to be, but I don't care-anticipation is awesome.

And this time, our vacation this summer was perfect.  Absolutely perfect.  

Now the vacation is over, and we are back into real life.  

And I am having a hard time adjusting to real life.

Before we left, Sri Lanka was awesome.  I loved almost everything about it.  I had a great routine, the boys had a great routine, and our life here was nearly perfect.  I had grown accustom to life here, and really enjoyed it.

Sri Lanka hasn't changed.  Life here is pretty much the same as it has always been, but I keep comparing here to there.  Everyday conveniences and people that I miss.  

I need to remember how much I love it here.  

It is awesome here.  We have great friends, we have an awesome house, and as of Monday we have another helper in our home.  

Hopefully soon, I will get over this funk and life will be back to the way it was before the perfect vacation.  

I think I need something to plan.  Perhaps a birthday party for yours truly, or a weekend trip to the beach.  I think that will help.  Yes, I think it will.  

See, things are looking up already.

Preparing to Fly with Kids.

My current project is airplane activities for our upcoming trip to Utah.

I am hoping that I won't have to use them.  You know, the boys will sleep the entire time, or they will just chill and relax (chillax as the cool kids say). 

However, there is the SLIGHT possibility that they are going to demand to be entertained the entire time.  Or until the last fifteen minutes of the flight when they decide it's time to sleep (no, not my kids).

In order to plan for the unlikely event they need to be entertained, I have been searching Pinterest, you know the go-to website for ideas of all kinds.  I have found some gems, including a list of fifty ideas to keep your kid entertained on flights.  However, I found this list was kind of ridiculous, as some of the ideas included some noisy, albeit entertaining ideas.  The list also included toys with small parts that can easily roll off the tray-table-in-front-of-you.  So I am coming up with my own list.  It is still a work in progress, but here is a preview of what I am working on:

Personalized coloring pages. Here is the link for the tutorial.

How cute are these boys?  Seriously cute.  

I made one of the entire family, and it is definitely not as cute. Kids can make anything look cute, not so much with adults.

Also, the other thing I suggest, call the airline, or use the website if you can, and request kids meals.  They still might not like the food, but there is a higher chance there will be something they like.

What has worked for you?

One year later.

On the last flight before landing in Sri Lanka.

 

 

We have been here a year, and what a year it has been!

When we first arrived here, and we were adjusting to everything- you know, the heat, the bugs, and other creatures -Ben gave us all some words of wisdom.

"All of these things have been in Sri Lanka long before we arrived, and they will be here long after we leave."

I have gone back to this many times. Every time I get frustrated, I realize that I two options, try to change Sri Lanka, or I can adapt.

I have to tell you that I have found it is easier to change myself.

 

One year later.

 

We love it here, and think it is a fabulous place to live! We have created a great life here, and we are excited for our adventures in the next year.

 

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Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Traveling Pants.

I love reading books about women/girls that are BFF. Especially ones that have grown up together and share everything, including a magical pair of pants. I am always a little jealous of these stories of lifelong friendships, as moving around my entire life has not really produced this type of life story. Don't get me wrong, I have friends from when I was 12 (Happy Belated Birthday, Lindsey!), that even though we don't see each other very often, I still consider to be good friends. I have been blessed with some of the most amazing friends in my life and for that I am grateful.  However, the thousands of miles makes it hard to get together. 

When the opportunity came up to see two of my best friends, I jumped at the chance. Both Kelly and Dasha are part of the Foreign Service community, and so not only are we good friends, we are able to share stories that few people understand. 

Of all the good about getting together with friends, my favorite part is that we are totally able to be ourselves around each other, and know that despite our many imperfections, we will be loved. 

It was one of the best weeks ever. We spent most of our time in Paris (where Kelly currently lives) and a few days in Ireland. We laughed, and ate, and took pictures and walked and took pictures and ate and laughed. 

I give you some of the highlights of our trip. The first two pictures are courtesy of Kelly.

 

 Kelly, Dasha, and yours truly in front of Blarney Castle. 

I have now kissed the Blarney Stone, and according to tradition will now have the gift of eloquence. Just watch out.

What do I want you to take away from this post?

1. Paris is awesome!

2. Ireland is enchanting, and everyone should go. 

(I would suggest staying with Kelly's aunt, she is the best hostess EVER.)

3. Girlfriends are awesome.

4. A girls trip at least once a year is a must.

5. I have been incredibly blessed with amazing friends.

6. Sri Lanka is a great destination for a girls trip, I'm just saying- any takers?

7. Ben is an awesome husband. The day I got home, Ben went to the doctor and found out he had pneumonia, but I never heard him complain at all that I was gone and he was watching the kids.

Preparation vs. Reality: Finding Make-up that Doesn't Melt.

Before moving here one of my concerns was what kind of make-up to wear in the heat and humidity that is Sri Lankan weather. I asked everyone I could, and everyone was extremely helpful, but the answers were pretty different depending on who I was asking. The answers I received told me I was going to have to figure it out for myself.

So here is what I figured out.

I keep my routine pretty simple, and this is how it usually goes. I don't feel like putting makeup on, but I need to put on sunscreen. I think, if I am already putting on sunscreen, I might as well put on tinted moisturizer. If I put on tinted moisturizer, I might as well put a little color on my checks, and lips. Then I think, I have already gone this far, a little eyeliner would be perfect. That's how it goes most days. Sometimes, I really do stop after the tinted moisturizer and head out the door.

These are the products that I have found work well for me.

1. Urban Decay eye primer. Love it.

2. Garnier eye puff roller. I love this, especially on long flights. My eyes instantly feel better.

3. Garnier BB cream. Apparently it is tinted moisturizer 2.0. I haven't really noticed, but it stays on and provides coverage, so I am happy.

4. Stila lip/cheek stain- coconut crush. This multi-tasker is fantastic. The color lasts all day and I can use it on my checks and lips. Oh, and it smells good.

5. This is my favorite lip gloss. I usually put this on on top of the stain for a little shine. This one is Make Up Forever I don't know the name, but the color number is S2.

6. The Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer in a creamy powder. I just have a sample, but it is awesome. I don't know if it has a SPF, but the coverage is AMAZING.

7. Last, but not least, pot of eyeliner and brush. I have tried all sorts of eyeliners, including waterproof, and they left me with terrible circles under my eyes. This one I bought at Target in the Boots section.

*I only put eyeliner on the top lid, it is the only way- if I don't want raccoon eyes. I sweat too much.*

 

If I feel like being fancy, here is how I add to my routine.

1. Mascara. I don't have a favorite, I just use whatever I have. This one is Cover Girl, has an awesome brush, and works well.

2. Nars bronzer/blush duo. This one is Angelika and Laguna.

3. Eyeshadow duo. I have a few of these and it makes it easier to know what colors to put together.

4. Erase paste by Benefit. I use it as an under eye cream and concealer. Oh how I love this, but I don't wear it everyday because it melts quite easily. However, if I am going somewhere fancy that will have air conditioning, I wear it.

There you have it. My humidity friendly make-up routine. I hope this helps if you are coming to visit :) or just looking for something new to try.





Do you have any favorite products that you don't want to live without?

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Jinxing the bucket.

Do you have a bucket list?  You know, a list of things to do before "kicking the bucket".  At one point in my life, I had a list of things to do before I die, but I have lost it, and can't remember what was on that list.  I could try to recreate this list, but I don't really want to.  I have made bucket lists of things to do before I move from someplace.  However, something out of my control usually happens, and I am unable to accomplish the wish list.  You see, I feel like as soon as I express my desire to accomplish something that is really important to me, the universe conspires against me.  Yes, friends, I am important enough that the ENTIRE universe conspires against me.  For real.  You probably are too, either that, or the universe likes you a lot more.

Even though I don't have an official "bucket" list, I have come up with two things I want to do before we leave here.

1.  Run a half marathon.
2.  Stay in a hotel where the rooms are huts over the water.

I have already registered for a half marathon in November.  I have started my training, and I am glad I have that long, because I am going to need it.  This was almost thwarted the other day when I was nearly hit by a car, crossing the street.  As in, Ben was worried that I had, in fact, been hit by a car.  It was a close one.  So, as long as I stay in one piece, and don't contract some strange disease between now and then, I should be okay.  I hope.

What can I say about number two?  I really want it to happen.  Even if it is only for one night.

There you have it.  My "bucket" list.

I have probably jinxed myself now that I have told you about my list.  However, I also need some accountability, especially with number one.  You see the week that I registered for the race, I lost all desire to run...and have been working on it ever since.  I have made some adjustments to my training, and so far things are going better.  I hope it will continue.



Do you have a bucket list?  What is on it?

Day two: traveling

Today was spent on a plane. Well actually two planes. It was a long day, and night full of transfers and tears and wild boys and tired parents. It ended when we landed in Colombo. We were finally home.

Preparation: Not thinking about it.

Moving is hard.  No matter how many times you do it, there are always some challenges.  Not to mention leaving awesome friends, not knowing when you will see them again.

This move is no different.

In order to take my mind off the frustrations and the sadness, I find as many things I can to take my mind off moving.

This time I have several things:

1. Christmas.  Nothing like buying more stuff to pack up to take my mind off of moving.
2. Going on home leave.  We get about a month to go "home" and spend time with family and friends. This time, for part of our "leave", we get to go to Seattle to see my parents.  Neither Ben or I have been to the area, and we are so excited!
3. On our road trip across the USA, we are going to be able to see my sister and her new baby!
4. We have a few months of training, and we are going to try to make it up to New Jersey to see all of our Jersey friends.  That, and some time in NYC!
5. This is the best one:  there is a good chance that we will be able to go to Paris on our way out to Sri Lanka!

Ben and I have wanted to go to Paris together since Jack and I went (without Ben- because he was in training).  Paris.  Even if just for a day, it is something to look forward too.  Even if we are all jet-lagged and tired.  Even if we only get a few hours.  That is all we need to go to a few spots, take some pictures and eat some good food.

Now if we can figure out a way to have a babysitter in Paris...

Pictures from the trip Jack and I took to Paris in 2007.  

We went with my parents, one brother, and two sisters.  

It was an awesome trip, and I am excited to go back.
(Can you believe how little Jack is? ) 

The great thing about looking forward to something is even if it doesn't work out the way I have it in my mind (which is almost certain), it is getting me through the next few weeks.  

For right now, that is what I need.