It's been a while………..Annual Christmas Newsletter

Well, Hello………………..

Yep, it's been a while and I need to get back in the habit of writing again.  I will try and fill in the blanks as time permits.

To get started, here is our annual newsletter which, for those of you who may not know, will explain the long absence from the blog.

                         MERRY CHRISTMAS 2014, HAPPY NEW YEAR 

                                         LOVE FROM SUE & BRYAN              

Bryan, Brenda, Ryan, Sue & Christina at Ryan & Christina's Wedding -  March 7th, 2014

Mum & Sue
Mum had written "Happiness" under this picture"

CoCo & Mum
Together again in Heaven

 Well, as many of you know, my beloved mum passed away in September and so this year has not been what we had hoped for at the beginning of the year.  However, we have still had good times and I (Sue) am very fortunate in that I got to spend some quality time with mum before she passed.

We also lost our Black lab/sharpei CoCo in January when she had to be put down due to numerous ailments. 

On to better news, Ryan & Christina got married on March 7^th and we flew to San Diego for that.  Shortly after that, on April 10^th he left on a six month deployment.  Welcome to Military Life & being a Navy Wife, Christina.

After starting the year in Pensacola, Florida we traveled further south spending time in Orlando.  Yes, near to Disneyworld but did not visit as we were watching the pennies.  We did do other touristy things and will leave the Disney parks until we go back and spend longer in the area. As residents we can get an annual pass and would like to take advantage of that when we know we will be there for two winters. From there we drove North mostly along the East coast.

Bryan got to fulfill one of his bucket list items when we stayed at the infield for the Daytona 500.  It was an amazing experience and we had a great 5 days.

We discovered that the East coast is vastly different to the West coast and similar to the UK in some ways.  The squares in Savannah were designed by James Oglethorpe, a British gentleman, and modeled on the squares of London, as were the ruins of a plantation that we visited. 

We decided to join the lighthouse society and visited many lighthouses as well, which we both enjoyed and helped us to get some exercise.

We were in North Carolina when I received the call from my mum on June 7^th that she had lung cancer and Bryan immediately told me I needed to be with her, even though at that time we did not know how long she would have or what treatment she might be offered.  We somehow knew that this was not good.  On June 11^th I was on a flight from Atlanta for London.  I was due to go in October and so I just changed the outgoing flight.

Bryan drove the motorhome and spent time with his mom in Louisiana, brother Pat, Karen & Taylor and Brenda, John, LeeAnn & Aimee in Texas before leaving the motorhome in storage in Georgetown, Texas and flying to London.

I really don’t know what I would have done without Bryan and our nightly conversations on Facebook as he talked me through so many different situations and emotions.  It became clear that I needed him with me and he arranged to get a flight over.  He arrived the morning of September 9^th to learn that mum had passed away in her sleep that morning.  She knew he was arriving and I would have someone to help me through everything. 

After the funeral we went on a coach trip to North Wales just to get away for a few days and for our anniversary.  We then visited Dave & Shelagh in Kettering, Sean & Caroline in Corby, and Stuart & Ros in Tetbury, before heading to Ian & Kris’s to stay for two weeks and spend time with them and Bailey & Kai. 

We paid a visit to Upper Heyford and had a tour of the old base where we first met, much of which is derelict now, and visited the houses we used to live in after we first met.  Quite a trip down memory lane. 

Ryan & Christina had arranged to visit mum in November and they still came over and we showed them the sights of London and the countryside.  Ray & Julie arranged an early Christmas dinner so we could have an early Christmas together. It was a busy but enjoyable week. 

I had booked tickets for the Tennis World Tour Final at the O2 when I knew I would be in London when it was on, and so Bryan & I went to that.  Roger Federer withdrew with an injury and so I got to see Andy Murray in an exhibition match.  Much better than Roger Federer, for me anyway!!!  I think mum was watching out for me and making me happy.  J

In the end we were ready to return home.  Many thanks to Ray & Julie for putting up with me and then us for so long and opening their home to us and also to mum for the last few years.

We returned to the States on November 25^th and have been visiting with our friends Johnnie & Kathy before going to Kingsville to spend Christmas with John, Brenda, LeeAnn & Aimee.  It is difficult getting back into our daily routine after 6 months but we are slowly getting there.

I apologize for not writing anything in the blog since I got that awful news back in June but I haven’t had the heart to write anything.  I will start again, hopefully very soon but at least at the beginning of the new year.  I hope to catch up with some of the events in the last 6 months of the year there as well and post some of the pictures we took in the UK.  I know mum would have wanted me to as she used to look forward to reading it. Follow along here http://lilypadtravels.blogspot.com.  There are more details there of our travels during the first part of the year.

Sorry, this is a little longer than normal but it has been a long year!!!

Merry Christmas and our Best Wishes for a Happy New Year.

Love  Sue & Bryan xxxxxxx