the colors were amazing
We are in Chicago right now. At the Hilton at O'Hare...waiting for our flight. We arrived last night and will spend today exercising the dogs as much as possible and organizing all of our stuff. We'll take the bags over first and then we'll take the dogs over at the last possible minute. We are flying from Chicago to Brussels, Belgium so we can buy a used car and then we'll drive down to our new home.
We came to Chicago via Michigan where my family is. I haven't been home in 2.5 years, since my Dad died. It wasn't a great trip back then. My Dad's funeral and a huge fight with my oldest sister made it a trip I'd like to forget. This time was different. Of course I stayed with my sister Anne (not the fighting sister), I always stay with her. She has a lovely Victorian house with a carriage house in the back. It's quiet and comfortable and I always sleep so good in the carriage house.
My mom (who is 82) and my oldest sister and my brother, his wife and their 14 year old son came over for dinner. There wasn't any tension, no fighting, just good food and family.
On Friday we went to the pumpkin patch/cider mill. We picked up 3 pumpkins that Bruce carved, some apples (for an apple crisp that I made that day) and we had some amazing fresh, warm doughnuts. Bruce actually ate 4 before we even left the parking lot.
my sister and niece (and me) at the pumpkin patch
On Saturday we went to my nephew's football game (he's 11). My niece is 8 and she cheers at the games. It wasn't hard to say goodbye to my Mom or brother or sister, because I haven't lived in Michigan in over 20 years and I know that I'll see them soon in France. But it was hard to say goodbye to my nephew Mathieu, we have a very special bond and he's very sensitive and cries when we leave. I know I'll see him in France, but it's always hard to say goodbye to him.
We keep pinching ourselves...is this really happening? Are we really moving to France? Somehow it doesn't feel real. We've done this before. Drove from LA to Chicago with the dogs, flew to France, lived there for a year. But we had to come home. This time it's not just for a year, we are embarking on our new life. I don't think it will hit us for a couple weeks when we start to settle in and realize that we don't have to go back to the U.S. our new life is in France.
3 comments:
All the best on your new life. Bon Voyage!
Couldn't you find a better photo of me... that one is terrible! Mathieu was so cute in the truck on the way home. He kept saying "the sweat keeps getting in my eyes and making me cry". Well, never before has the sweat gotten into his eyes after a game, he just was trying so hard to be a man and not cry. Marc told him it is OK to cry, it just shows that you truly care for them. Gigi was a bit sad too, and she went right upstairs and got Dashing Duke. She now sleeps with him at night and wanted to take him to school today.
It was great having you here with us. I know things will be great in France but remember that you always have a place to stay with us if you ever need it. Let's try to meet up in Barcelona in June, if not maybe we can come to France another time.
Couldn't you find a better photo of me... that one is terrible! Mathieu was so cute in the truck on the way home. He kept saying "the sweat keeps getting in my eyes and making me cry". Well, never before has the sweat gotten into his eyes after a game, he just was trying so hard to be a man and not cry. Marc told him it is OK to cry, it just shows that you truly care for them. Gigi was a bit sad too, and she went right upstairs and got Dashing Duke. She now sleeps with him at night and wanted to take him to school today.
It was great having you here with us. I know things will be great in France but remember that you always have a place to stay with us if you ever need it. Let's try to meet up in Barcelona in June, if not maybe we can come to France another time.
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