On Getting Older and other Mindless Chatter...

Things here at the Flattley house are boring and horrible beginning of the week.  The weather isn't playing fair at all and FINALLY today for a few minutes here and there the sun has decided to stop making us miserable and showing itself - accompanied with high winds - but sun, none the less.
Everytime the seasons begin to change here it takes quite a while to get used to it.  My mind tells me that Autumn brings with it cooler weather and quite a bit of rain but, I tend to forget and then when it comes it takes quite a while to get used to.
Today I found them, hiding , mixed in with the others and EXTREMELY defiant.  I am only 27 but after doing my research I have found that they happen because of stress and genetics - but give me a break TWO gray eyebrow hairs?!?!!?  TWO on the same eyebrow at the same time?  If stress does this to me, makes me older, I will have a walker by the time I get back to America!  Please someone else my age tell me you've found some too... please...
Chris and I are starting on his Visa this week.... America here we come, we have a place to live (thanks to an amazing friend) but we will also need a car (any will do - have you seen our old car Bella??) and we, of course will need jobs...  keep your eyes and ears open for me please :)
On a serious note:  Chris and I are struggling to stay above water here in England - we are both looking for jobs and searching for a solution but any thoughts or prayers from our "support" back home would be very appreciated!

On a much, much happier, lovely note:
Today is one of my favourite peoples birthdays... my dad. 
This last time at the temple I was taking pictures of the lovely flowers and I stopped and turned to Chris and said, "taking pictures of flowers?  I am turning into my dad!"
And then I thought to myself, I cant think of many other people I would love to be like.
I miss him like crazy - his influence on my life for good cannot be measured.  When they speak of "spiritual giants" he is mine, and many other peoples as well.
He is a good example to so many around him and I cant wait to get home and just spend time with him...
I love you dad!!!  Happy Birthday!!!
P.S. Dad, your oldest daughter is getting gray hair... you're not old enough to have a daughter with gray hair... are you???

I Wasn't Slacking, I was Away

Last Monday morning Chris and I were sitting in the front room and I turned to him and said, "Should we go to the temple?" and before I finished my sentence he was on the phone with the accommodation centre and booked us a room for the evening.  Here in England the closest temple is 2 1/2 hours away so they offer an accommodation centre so that you can spend the night instead of having to drive back and forth in one day (although LOTS of people do it in one day).  The accommodation centres are really nice and you have a choice of several different kinds of rooms with kitchens, bathrooms, single beds, double beds - really anything.  We were out of March within an hour and on our way down.  It is a hard drive to me because I am so used to single lane roads with slow speed limits not motorways with a national speed limits of 70 mph.  On the way to the temple we have to go over a HUGE bridge.  If anyone knows me they know that bridges are my #1 fear... here are a few pictures...


If you could see my little finger you could see that it was white because I was gripping so hard, and yes I was only going 25 mph and that was fast for me, I was in the slow lane and I am sure if the big trucks could have passed me - some of them would have.  Here is a pic off the Internet of the bridge:


Dartford Bridge, London
We also saw this sign on the bridge:

Chris and I thought that "escape lane" looked an awful lot like a shredder.
We finally got to the temple.  We settled in our room and since it was Monday the temple was closed so we just got to relax and walk around the temple here are some pictures:

It was HOT so we went out at night.
The next day we got to go to the temple and it was well worth the drive.  As Chris and I were sitting there we decided that instead of going home that night, we'd say til Friday afternoon.  Here are some more pictures:

Sunburn from the drive...                              In Crawley we found Air...

The lovely grounds...                                             The temple...

The temple grounds are on the Gatwick       Chris LONG eyelashes - and my camera work..
flight path that equals LOUD, low planes.
Come Friday Chris and I both didn't want to come back to March.  We had spent a week without computer, phones, TV, or anything.  We knew once we left the peace of the temple that we'd have to go back to the "real world".
On the way home we were stuck in traffic for at least an hour at the entrance to the Dartford Tunnel - much better than the bridge.  English drivers are crazy and we saw a lot of close calls as cars swerved in and out of traffic.

The rest of the ride home was uneventful - we did take a wrong turn, at which point Chris and I both said we didn't know where we were... we just turned around and found the high street to get out.  All the while, watching for elderly people... lol like the sign above shows.
We got home on Friday and then on Saturday went to the sea side with Chris friend, David and his girlfriend Clair - we went to Sandringham as well (pictures and post to follow).  We had a great time, despite the rain.
Sunday we went to church and have been moping around all week.  We had a great time away last week, but I guess it is back to reality.
More posting to come.