Our Trip To The USA

It has been a long time since I have posted on our blog because it has been a long time since I have had any time to myself. There's too much to write to get caught up so I will just briefly summarize our 5 week trip.  

Fist we went to CA where we stayed for 4 days with Garrett's dad and step mom.  We were then planning to go to UT as a family for a few weeks before Garrett left for Adelaide, AU and the kids and I went back to CA to have Thanksgiving with a lot of Garrett's family and then head to our new home in AU. 

From the moment we got to the states things were busy and difficult and they got progressively worse for the first 3 weeks we were there.  After being in the states for 2 days we found out that Garrett would have to leave us and we would be without him for the next 5 weeks. We were sad. Then we went to UT and on the way home from the airport there we received very bad news about my grandpa being unexpectedly in the hospital for surgery with only a 25% chance of living.  He made it through the surgery but died in the night.  So the first few days of my being there with my family were spent figuring out araingements for who was going to the memorial service and who wasn't and what needed to be done. I was very blessed though to have been somewhat prepared for everything before we left NZ. I had a premonition that something like this would happen and I felt very blessed to have been able to be there to love and support my family during this hard time. 

I spent two days in TX for the service and an entire day trying to get back to my kids in UT on a buddy pass from my cousin who was so wonderful to help my mom and I out last minute to get there.  Tickets that last minute would have cost us $400+ each person each way and she hooked us up with the buddy passes for free. Thank you cuz! When in TX we stayed at the home of a dear dear friend whom I hadn't seen in a year and a half and that was really wonderful.  I also saw my wonderful big sister and her five almost six kids that I wouldn't have seen if I hadn't been able to come.  I saw aunts and uncles and cousins and my sweet Grandma who was a pillar of strength through it all.  she really is the glue to my family and everyone adores her so much because she is one of the kindest and most unselfish people we have ever met. 

Back in UT I got  to spend time with my siblings before going to spend four days with my mother-in-law. My sister Dorothy is pregnant with her first baby and it was so fun to see her pregnant and spend time with her and her husband Craig. Craig was such a great help with my boys. He stepped in and filled Garrett's shoes very nicely with my children. They wrestled him and played fun games with him, and he even reminded them to behave and to obey their mother.   They adored being with him and it helped them to miss their own dad less.  

We had a wonderful but busy and stressful time with my mother-in-law.  I found out that the company in Sydney wanted me to get Enoch and Ezra new passports since theirs would expire six moths after we got to AU.  Sounds easy right? NOPE! Guess again-
I had to have Garrett fill out paperwork and have it Notarized in AU and then send it ASAP to the states with their birth certificates (at a premium cost of course), then I had to fill out the paperwork and get their pictures taken. There were some issues with Garrett Not being there because you are to have both parents to get passports for minor. And the minors have to be there in person. So we went in and turned in a stack of stuff for each child and paid all the fees including expediting fees and overnighting fees.  Then we relaxed just a little and prayed it would all come through quickly so that we could be with Garrett after the 5 weeks and not longer.  Ideally love my MIL and we had a great time with her when we weren't stressing over passport stuff. Sorry Edwina that we spent so much time on all of that. We really enjoyed you though.

While we were at my mother-in-laws we got to see my dear friend Mandi and her kiddos whom we became friends with in NZ. They now live in UT but had been living in NZ when we moved there. We had missed them so so much and really enjoyed seeing them again. Mandi is one of those kindred spirits that are rare and that you don't want to loose when you find them.  I am blessed with several of those in my life and I thank my Father in Heaven for them.

Next we went back to my parents when my mom returned home from TX and spent time with her and my siblings and friends. We had a lovely time sewing and playing games and visiting between running errands and trying to do things that needed to be done before we left. I really enjoyed my sibling time and sewing with my mom. We made a nightgown and some PJs for Ethne and embroidered two shirts for each child-6 in total. Not bad for the week we did it in while doing all of our other responsibilities. I learned some about sewing buttons and button holes and using the embroidery machine. Thanks mom!

We went back to CA on the 19th of Nov. and spent the rest of our time there at Garrett's dads. We got to see Aunts and Uncles and cousins that we hadn't seen in a long long time and it was wonderful.  The passports came back and I had to go through the process of notarization and copying and scanning and faxing etc... To get the new passports connected to the visas to AU instead of  the old passports. This all had to be done twice since the first time things didn't work out. Anyway it all worked out and we made it through all the stress and hard times and we had a great time in spite of them which I would say made the whole thing a huge success :)

We are tremendously grateful to everyone who came to see us or who housed us and fed us and helped us. You are all wonderful and we love you and miss you and wish we could repay you for all you have done.  Every time I think about the people in my life both family and friends I feel so so blessed.  Some of you that came to visit us aren't mentioned specifically here and I want you to know that I  love you too :) and was so happy to spend time with you.  We look forward to our AU adventures,UT also to being reunited with all of you again at some point in then future. Remember us, keep us in your thoughts and prayers and we will do the same for you. 

"God be with you till we meet again"
Love Garrett, Ashley, Enoch, Ezra and Ethne