Where are the pictures?

We've gotten some e-mails wondering where the pictures of Zaylee are and why they are not posted on our blog, and I have explained this to a few people, so if you've already heard this disregard. If not and you are wondering why we are not posting pictures of us online please read on.

Technology is great, it's a speedy way to share, but just as an identity can be stolen with a simple credit card number, a picture can be a dangerous thing in the hands of the wrong person. Our blog is public, and can be found with a simple google search. I do not wish to display pictures of my daughter for just anyone to see as there have been numerous cases of stalkers, kidnappers, etc. that have found their victims from the internet. I realize that some will read this and be upset because I'm just being "paranoid" but I know from experience that this can happen. That is why I posted the previous blog stating that I promise to update 1-2 a month here and send a picture once a month to once every other month via e-mail. We will still post pictures here, but they will not be of us, just places we visit. Thanks!

Jan. Update

I'm not really sure what to write, but I know people want to know what's going on with us.

Zaylee Ann is big, she rolls, and has two teeth. She does what any baby does all day, baby things. She loves being outside, and has grown some hair, today I noticed how much she is looking like me, and how her eyes still are the ever unchanging blue color that is exact to my sister's color. It will be interesting if they stay that dark, as Brian's eyes are so light. She has a favorite book, and loves the new sheep skin I bought her for sleeping, and now it is an essential for naps too. Her attitude towards people is a bit more relaxed, but she still gets tense when other people fiddle with her, but that is not very often as the British are not the type of people to ask to hold a baby, or even touch a baby. Sometimes they will put out a finger and Zaylee will grab it but that's about it.

Brian does what airmen do - airmen things. He goes to work, he does paperwork, he does what the military tells him. Thankfully he has a job where he doesn't have to keep EVERYTHING a secret from me. While I'm not allowed to know a bunch of stuff most of it is trivial to me really, and I at least get to hear the basics of his day. He will be going back to school soon, and once that is over get back to work. He is also looking forward to the time he can go on tdy (it's like a deployment and can be anywhere from 2 days - whenever the AirForce tells him to come back lol), but like anyone in the military that is expected.

I called my mom a few weeks ago as I was in need of some things, at first she didn't realize it was me and thought I maybe had the wrong number lol. Thankfully my parents gave me a phone card when I was in the hospital with Zaylee Ann and for some reason I ended up keeping it, it's come in handy when I've had to call the states. I called Ashley to check on our car, she says they have yet to sell it but that Steve is going to put it in Auto Trader to get it sold. So YAYE for that.

I gave myself a second degree burn yesterday by accidentally pouring boiling water on myself while making soap. Brian insisted we go to the pharmacy, which in the end I'm glad we did, whatever they gave me to put on the burn caused the blisters to almost disappear, which will hopefully mean minimal scaring. I had to stop the soap making process because of the burn, but I got back to it this morning and was able to get the fat lye and water mixed and the soap is settling in Zaylee's room.

My mom found some pajamas for Zaylee and sent them to me - so that is exciting. She also sent me enough cereal to last until she is no longer eating it, or at least until she is done with rice cereal.

We explore everyday we can, but we aren't like doing touristy stuff really so there isn't much to say. We walk alot, and drive to nearby towns, and have fun exploring wherever we go, but we tend to not go to big like "attractions" we just go to wherever we feel like.

Also FYI - I plan on trying to update the blog 1-2 times a month now that we are setlled, and sending out an e-mail every month to every other month that has a picture of Brian and Zaylee Ann. You can either e-mail me with your e-mail address, or you can ask Don and Nona to forward the e-mail on to you. I'm sure Brian will update the blog as well, and there may be times when we update alot, but I will be putting up a least one blog a month.

Thanks!

Cookies, Butter, and Sewing Machine

Brian likes sweets and such on a semi-regular basis, and I thought well I will make cookies, easy, quick, and I have a new recipe I want to try. So I begin to find pans and such that I can use to mix the dough, (We don't have anything here yet) and I realize I have like 1/2 the ingredients I need to make this specific type of cookie, and I really didn't feel like making a different recipe. So I didn't use a recipe at all, I put my cookie book away, and grabbed whatever I thought would make a good cookie, skipping the measurements - because I have no tools of measurement anyway - I made one delicious cookie - which has been dubbed "snuggle cookies".

In other kitchen news, I made butter today. Much to Brian's surprise. (I think he had little faith in me.) He helped, and the finished product is cooling in the fridge. At the rate we use butter I may just make it, as it would probably be cheaper. I will have to see after the milk man delivers next week and I can see how much butter I can make from the fresh milk he brings. Brian just interjected that he did in fact have faith in me, he just didn't know how butter was made. To me that is strange as I've made butter quite often, or at least I did as a child, but I often forget not every child learned how to make bread with just their hands and a bowl, butter from scratch, candles from tallow, soap from lye, and so forth. I guess I never thought of my childhood as all that different from others.

I have a sewing machine again, I bought it off ebay for 15 gbp, roughly $22. It's beautiful and I already have a pile of clothes to mend or hem. Some of Brian's pants are going to become shorts, and some of my clothes have holes. Brian drove all the way to London to pick it up for me, he got lost, but he eventually made it there and back, and he spent a good hour just playing with the machine, much to my dismay...the sound is rather annoying when there is no fabric going through the machine. I wish I could find a fabric store - but I have searched to no avail, and beyond that fabric is RIDICULOUSLY expensive here...at 5gbp a meter for cheap stuff! UG! I think I may have to order fabric online and have it shipped from the states. Although I hope I will soon come across a fabric store in a nearby town.

Pictures Of places and stuff here in england

This was the Thetford Priory in Thetford. It was torn down in the 1500's when the Great Reformation began and Henry VIII declared himself the head of church in all england and started the church of england. there are many monestaries and priories and abbeys all over england almost every town has an old church or cathedral. There is and abbey in Bury St Edmunds only 12 miles away from our house we went to it last weekend but didn't have the camera becase we were ust driving around when we saw it and decided to stop and look bu in the next few weeks or so we will have pictures from the Abbey of St Edmund

There were some swans at the riverwalk nearby our house. It is a short walk on the footpaths to get to the river we walked all the way down the walk that day it was a nice 2 mile walk. we often go out on walks mostly because Zaylee loves to get out of the house and be in the fresh cool air outside. we also bundle her up nice and warm and that helps her to sleep too.

Update

It snowed, it's been a little cold, and the Air Force gave our reimbursment money to the wrong people - so poo on them. All in all things are going well, we are alive and Zaylee Ann and Brian are doing well.

Here we are ...and a wish list

So we are here in England, and I've realized there are a few things I would like from the states - so IF and I truly do mean IF you come across any of these items while you are visiting sales and such they would be greatly appreciated. Please don't run out and just buy them, because I never do that lol - in short these are things I can only get stateside, and should be around thrift sales and the like.

Childrens Books: A Magical Day with Matise; In the Garden with Van Gogh; A Picnic with Monet; Dancing with Degas; Sharing with Renoir - this is a series of books that introduces are and poetry - I have one, Zaylee loves it, and would like the rest. I got the first one for like $3 at a sale somewhere.

Ok this one is a little hard to explain...but here goes. So the baby gowns, there are ones that button down, and then there are ones that button down but have the option of buttoning into a little pajama jumpsuit as well as a gown. I have one of these and I adore the every loving crud out of it because it makes keeping Zaylee's legs warm and nightime pottying a flipping breeze. This is the one item I've been having a hard time finding even stateside. 6 months and up.

England is beautiful, I love it so much, and have no desire to live stateside anytime soon in ever. I would live here forever if we could. Since that's not going to happen there has been talk of volunteering to be stationed in Korea - that might be fun :) Who knows - for the moment I'm going to enjoy where we are. Our house is lovely, the town is great, church is fun, people are friendly - and if anyone comes to visit there is a cute b&b down the block...(b&b is like all they have here).

Oh and I just bought a sewing machine for 15 pounds...it's a singer...an antique, and Brian will have to go pick it up (yaye ebay). I'm quite excited because my sewing machine is stateside...and it may not even work here anyway and sewing machines are expensive. So an old rusty iron maiden singer will do fine, at least I know the thing will sew through anything...including fingers, it will make my stiches more precise.