Freezing Snap

Colorado is at the moment experiencing a really cold snap. Temperatures have plummeted some places to below 0f and even here are down to just 4F (-16.6c). It is SO cold.

Being aware of the dangers again is so important. The dogs aren't getting walked as its just too dangerous for their feet. Even just going into the garden they some back limping and sore from the freeze. Last year in Colorado we didn't get these low temps and I can be honest and say its quite a shock for me.

The car has spare blankets and gloves, hats etc in just in case of a breakdown.

Today I am off to help Sara get some horses done at the Barn. I think we need to get in and get out as soon as we can, its not good for any of us to be that cold for that long!

Wish me luck y'all!

Goodbye Dear Ts...

This week I noticed we have said Goodbye to our beloved T...

Not the kind you can drink, the kind that should be a part of Ethans pronunciation. I have noticed that this is the first change in his accent. Some of the words still are pretty good, I can hear a clear T, usually in the words he uses less often and not so much at school. He still says Detour, Pretty etc. But, some of them are obviously American, Water, Basketball and so on. The pronunciation seems to be influenced by whomever he hears the word spoken by mostly, school friends, teachers or Nic or myself.

Next he is going to be telling me Cider is non alcoholic... ridiculous!

Christmas is coming...

It's on its way! Our first year in Highlands Ranch and the decorations are going up all around us. I am excited to see how nuts everyone goes, and yes, of course, the community association have a decorating competition in the neighborhood. The photos of each home, along with a map showing their locations will be available online so I will share some of the photos with you all to have a smile at!

We haven't put the decorations up yet, first weekend in December for us but I am excited too! The Christmas Cake is made and soaking in Brandy and of course, Mum is coming over! We haven't told Ethan so it will be a surprise for him. We also have a little treat planned for Mum while she's here.

Thanksgiving flew by last week, we had some time off and ate, hiked, visited with friends and ate again. Now veggies are on the menu until Christmas when we will yet again, over indulge!

Ethan has finally agreed to try a team sport and is signed up for Baseball in the New Year, that could be thoroughly entertaining...

The weather has changed now and most days have a really chill to the air, the snow jackets are out and wooly hats ready to go. We have also had our first dump of snow, last week and the week prior. Nothing to go crazy about, only an inch or so but preparation for the winter.

Oh and we had Christmas Cards made this year- yep, American style family photo and everything ha ha ha!

BFN xoxo

The Beginners Horse

I remember Jules telling me years ago, that kids didn't really ride ponies in the US, they went straight onto horses. I always found it an extremely odd concept and was interested to see how it works out here and if the height is a problem to the kids.

The long and short of it, is that generally the horses the kids get put on here, seem a lot more forgiving than the British ponies I knew. They seem happy that their life is now gamboling about with a little one on top and have much easier paces to sit to (or rise too) than some of the fast, choppy ponies.

Of course, there are some truly fantastic ponies in England, the pony club wouldn't be the same without them and most of the games played there need smaller ponies that kids can leap on or off.

The height here doesn't seem to bother the kids at all. Last week Ethan rode Buddy, he's about 16.2hh and has fairly big movement (relatively) but Ethan adored him. The size didn't bother him and he liked Buddys movement for learning to sit or post! Buddy of course loved it, no working on the bit, no nagging, just trotting around the arena or on the lunge with a little one bobbing around.

Of course, I am sure it has a lot to do with the lack of Native smalls here. I still love a good pony and adore riding them. I am super interested to see the progression of a very smart Buckskin dressage pony that has recently rocked up to PY (Posh Yard), that definitely isn't a kids pony, more a competition type.

I have had a great week of riding. I've had the chance to play on some truly amazing horses and am so thankful to their lovely owners for allowing me to do this. Their support honestly makes all the difference to me. (You know who you are)! I still have a long way to go, but the chance to ride such a variety of horses really helps me progress.

Politics

There are a few things I steer clear of on here which are bound to offend or upset someone, one is politics. I haven't posted much about the election on here for that very reason.

So, I'm not going to start now. I will just leave you with this poem.

When the spent sun throws up its rays on cloud 

And goes down burning into the gulf below, 

No voice in nature is heard to cry aloud 

At what has happened. Birds, at least must know 

It is the change to darkness in the sky. 

Murmuring something quiet in her breast, 

One bird begins to close a faded eye; 

Or overtaken too far from his nest, 

Hurrying low above the grove, some waif 

Swoops just in time to his remembered tree. 

At most he thinks or twitters softly, 'Safe! 

Now let the night be dark for all of me. 

Let the night bee too dark for me to see 

Into the future. Let what will be, be.'

by Robert Frost

Healthcare

I thought a post about healthcare here would be apt as I realized that yesterday when I posted about Ethan, that I didn't really touch on it.

So, for you UK buddies this is how it all worked...

We have private medical insurance here in the UK. We have Dental, Optical and Medical.

With our medical insurance we have a number we can call if we have questions, much like NHS Live. So, while worrying about Ethan we call this number, of course its never simple. We need to give across our insurance card details, then all our personal details, then employee details etc. After which we still pay $10 before the doctor will call us. An hour later we get a call and basically they advise us to go to Urgent Care.

Urgent Care is kind of like the West Berks A&E. Don't go there its life and death, it isn't open all hours but generally less of a wait than A&E. It is also cheaper! So regardless of the fact that we have medical insurance, we still pay (co-pay) a part of the fee. We arrived at opening time 9am on the dot to Urgent Care. Now don't get me wrong, it was lovely there, leather seats, coffee machine, kids play room, TVs, fireplace etc but you pay! Luckily as we were about the second people there, we didn't wait long, we went from the waiting area to a private triage room where a lovely nurse checked Ethans vitals and took some notes. From there, we went to a private treatment room. They put the TV on for Ethan and  the doctor came and retook all vitals, went over what was wrong etc. They took a sample for testing for the suspected Strep throat and gave him a Ice Lolly (Popsicle) to sooth his throat. The test took five minutes to come back and the diagnosis was swift. Ethans prescription was emailed straight through to the nearest pharmacy where we would pick it up! The staff were amazing and so friendly and we payed a $50 copay for the wonderful services! After all this we swung to Walgreens pharmacy for Ethans antibiotics, again we have insurance for this but still paid $5 more.

So all in all, Ethans Strep (Pharyngitis) cost us $65 and thats with a good insurance plan. It makes you realise why so many people here don't seek medical help when they need it. We are lucky that we can afford a good healthcare plan and the extra fees associated with the medical issues but many can't. The cost for Urgent Care without the insurance would have been $228 without the tests and treatments.

The NHS may not be perfect, but when you add up medical costs in the UK, it really becomes something to be proud of.

Crazy Weekend

This weekend has been a very odd and emotional one.

Saturday we woke with excitement as Ethan had Taekwondo, then we were taking his friends with their Mum to have their first ever horse ride (& lesson) with Sara, after which we would let the kids play in the hot tub and have wine and dinner.

Ethan started complaining of a sore neck in the morning but as he had been on his iPad I assumed it was just from that and didn't think more about it. Everything started well and when we got to the barn, Ethans friend rode first, he was a little pale as he got off but seemed ok. Next thing I knew his Asthma had totally kicked off and he was turning blue and couldn't breathe. Leaving Ethan and the little boys sister at the barn riding we left. We started to rush to A&E but then got through to 911 and found out that the Ambulance was going to the fire station which was in the other direction. We swung around and by the time we got there he was in an awful state, hardly getting in any air. The firemen got him on Oxygen whilst the Ambulance arrived. They rushed him to A&E in time and he was stable quite quickly. He had gone into Anaphylactic shock just minutes after getting off. It was really scary and we were so pleased that he was ok. The boys face timed each other that evening as Ethan was so worried about him.

That evening Ethans neck pain got worse and his temperature spiked. I stayed with him and monitored him over night and his temp dropped, he slept fitfully but ok. The next morning he was still complaining of a sore neck, we know this can be signs of meningitis so took him to Urgent Care first thing Sunday morning. Urgent Care here is great, toys in the waiting room, refreshments, private treatment rooms with TVs which keeps the kids happy. After an examination and some tests we found out that he just has Strep throat which is much better. He has antibiotics and pain medication so  should be fine soon.

Sunday afternoon is about rest and care for our boy and hopefully all will be fine again soon!

Urgent Care Waiting Room

Fireworks Relief

So, poor UK, its that time of year when Fireworks are ridiculous. Our dogs used to get pretty scared and at times it sounded like a Nuclear war was going on.

Guy Fawkes however, hasn't caused that craziness over here. Each evening is peaceful as ever and bar the 4th July, the sky stays naturally lit.

I love fireworks, I have hugely find memories of going to organized displays with Mum and Dad when I was young (preceded by Sparklers at home). But, I don't miss the madness in the UK. I can't believe, after all the attacks, accidents and fireworks abuse, that the British Government hasn't banned the things for private sale/ use.

On the other edge of the coin, heres my little US rant...

So, its voting time. No I am not going to start a political post. This is about local ballot boxes.

On the way home from Ethans school is a park where I like to take the dogs after drop off. The car park has a one way system and a ballot box on the corner of one of the turns. Every morning I go there, people are dropping off ballot. BUT, of course, they can't park in an actual SPACE and walk to the ballot box. Oh No, instead they stop the car, blocking all traffic right next to the box to drop in their ballot paper. Really people, its a car park! Park and use your freaking legs! Gaaaaaaaaa!

Highlands Ranch Halloween

Last year in the USA, Nic took Ethan trick or treating in our old neighborhood. They had a fun time and came back with a decent amount of treats afterwards, I stayed home and handed out a few treats to some neighborhood kids.

This year myself and my friend took the boys around our new neighborhood. We expected a little more, but "Whoa" what an experience.

You know those movies, where in the USA there are kids all over the street, the houses are spooked, lit, pumpkined and blinged? Well thats here, the sun went down and the kids came out. The adults set up mini street parties with Chilli and Beer and there was enough Candy flowing to power a nuclear facility.

Well, of course the boys had a ball, the neighbors are so happy and friendly and we enjoyed seeing all the kids having fun and dressed up.

Just as quickly as it all started, it was over. One and a half hours of kids everywhere and then the neighborhood went respectfully quiet, no teens, no noise, just back to quiet suburbia.

What an experience, crazy, very american, but kind of sweet and lovely too.

Happy Halloween Y'all!

lientje schueler- dressage post, sorry!

I spent a day last week spectating a Lientje clinic at the barn. I say barn but its a little too fancy and beautiful to just refer to it as a barn really! I had a funny conversation with friends of ours the other week, we had all gone into the mountains for a trail ride. Our friends Rick and Sally hadn't ridden before so it was fun to be able to to take them somewhere safe and Ethan also got his first trail ride off the lead rein, anyway I digress. I was telling them all about the wonderful barn, people and horses that are there. The great owners, trainers, riders and the gorgeous dressage horses. I chatted about some of my favorite characters like Biente, Pensamento, Elisa and Piero etc. Nic piped up with a comment which was something like... "Of course, they all have fancy pretentious names, they couldn't just be called Bob, Spotty and Star could they!"

Now, back to the clinic. Some of the information from Lientje to the riders in the clinic is simply not relevant. Im just not good enough to use that information in my own riding, but its amazing to see the transformation in the horses as she uses small tips to help the pairings along their path. However, I did manage to snatch a few little gems during the session. The usual rule applies, FORWARD. Then when you think you have enough, a little more usually! I also picked up a great tip for a inside flexion  and some tips on contact and seat that I run through in my head during the lesson. At some point I would love to get a space on Lientjes clinic, Its myself I need to get over and not worry about the fact she's an immensely talented

rider and Im such a Novice still. She genuinely doesn't care what level you are and is not in the least judgmental.

This week has been ups and downs of riding, generally I feel like Ive really stepped up with my ability and understanding of contact, bend and roundness which is amazing. I also am getting the opportunity to ride bigger moving horses which sometimes goes well, and other times is a little hairy ha ha!

Dressage truly is a love and hate thing, but I do love the bling!

Dressage Speedhump... or is it?

So the last few weeks have been challenging in my path towards my dressage goals. We have begun the task of pulling apart each section of my riding to better improve me in the long term.

I remember starting off with Jules a few years ago and wanting to get it all right. Of course, this was an impossible task to ask of myself and Jules. It takes time to develop any form of balance or seat needed to begin the intricate parts of dressage and all I wanted to do was to be able to canter with our zooming diagonally off the rail.

A few years on and much has changed, I am a rider now, or thereabouts anyway. Enough so to look like I nearly have a clue.

But....

Now we begin the task of improving my seat, being able to sit the trot properly and use seats, legs and hands all independently.

In doing so we have managed to fit in a few lunge lessons, these are incredibly helpful in improving my seat and I feel like i need about a hundred more. I have a tendency to use my thighs to keep me on, which in turn actually lifts me out of the saddle, so my seat mantra right now is, thighs off, flatten back and really allow my hips to move with the horses back legs.

The other part, that is my current weeks struggle, is the outside rein. I think its a typical issue that many riders use too much inside rein. From the mouth of Sara, is the mantra "your inside rein will not save you". If I feel the horse drifting to the outside I have a tendency to use too much inside rein which instantly affects the whole balance and picture. This week I had to let go of that rein totally and just use my outside aids. We had a few hairy moments but I started to get a feel of what I need to do by the end of the lesson.

Before this week I felt like I was starting to get the horse to work on the bit correctly, but the feel of true engagement over a false outline is very different and has not only a huge affect on the overall picture but on the horses mental and physical health too. The feeling of the horse taking the contact our and forward and lifting over their back as opposed to the tight neck and body when they are just holding themselves in.

But I have a mountain to climb. Just when I feel like I am gaining ground, I slip back down to a different ledge that I didn't even know existed. At best it is frustrating and demoralizing but the feeling when its going right is worth it all. Thank you to my ever patient instructor/s and the horses that are teaching me.

Signing off this week as Dressage Diva... well a girl can dream can't she? xoxo

Gymkhana

This past weekend I helped with a small Gymkhana at the riding school. I love helping out with the kids and seeing them get to spend a few hours with the horses there.

For most of them it's the first chance they get to spend more than 30/ 45 minutes on a horse, they go into an arena alone and have nerves and slightly excited horses to deal with.

Its fun to watch them do everything from barrels, to flags and more. The kids did so well, they mostly kept at walk or trot with the odd canter too. The instructors made sure they thought about their horses and what the consequences of different choices could be.

There are also a few older girls there who raced in the games with their own horses, quite a stark contrast to the riding school kids- there were some pretty crazy and hairy moments!

I know Western staff and particularly barrel racing stuff just isn't my thing. I always worry about the horses and the big bits and spurs don't help. Of course, I realise people do that in dressage too but usually you stick with snaffle bits and a dressage whip until you are ready for the next bit of kit. Some of the Western riders seem to go long shanks and big spurs straight off.

Anyhow, life clicks on here. We have given the garage a huge tidy out, so that we could fit both of Nics cars in there for the winter. He has Chuck (Camaro), so called after Chuck Norris because he is badass and white. He has also kept Jason the Jeep (named by Ethan - think chainsaw massacre, he has a jason metal decal on the back tailgate). The garage is now finally neat and tidy which is a huge relief, I can't stand the mess that was in there!

My riding is still limited as my knee is still fixing after a fall off a young horse. Its been about six weeks now, but still isn't right, lateral motion is the killer but day by day it is getting better. I am hopefully seeing a chiro this week which I hope will help.

Finally, with the colder weather comes the dry air, static is building up and my hands are dry and sore. Colorado is pretty unforgiving with winter and static hair and sore hands are just the norm!

Anyhoooo, before I bore you any more, I will say Farewell- speak soon!

xoxo

Hello Fall

There is a definite chill to the air when each morning, and fall has swiftly arrived here in Colorado. We have had an incredibly busy few weeks so I wanted to pop them on here for your perusal!

The Patio has continued to demand a big chunk of our time, it is done now (phew) and I will post photos etc tomorrow.

In other news I have started as a working student at least one day a week with my fantastic dressage instructor. She trains out of two gorgeous barns so we will flit between the two.  The main barn purely dressage and have boarding horses and Sales Horses. There are some brilliant Amateur and Professional Riders here and horses that are upto GP level. Some of the sales (and boarders) horses are imported from Europe so its always interesting to watch them progress. The second barn is a gorgeous Hunter Jumper Facility and again, has some incredibly talented and gorgeous horses and riders.  Both barns are very friendly and run professionally and by some great people. The job is mostly, grooming, tacking, untacking and sometimes warming up/ cooling down the safer horses too. I learn a huge amount from my trainer and love working around these amazing horses. Im never going to be able to afford horses like these myself so its a great way of getting a fix!

Nic has also got a new car, much to my initial disagreement. We knew he would need one at some point but he kinda snuck this past me sooner rather than later. It is however gorgeous and Nic loves it.  We went to a few dealerships looking at options and the Corvette was the best deal and by far the nicest in our price range. He has, much to his discomfort, allowed me to drive it once. It is stupidly fast but easy to drive. It was odd driving a manual car in the US though, I kept looking for the gear shift on the wrong side!

We have had a visitor from the UK for the weekend and through this week (a work friend of Nics) and have done some incredible fall drives and hikes. This really is the most stunning time of year in Colorado and is cool enough to be able to take the dogs with us to most places. We hit Garden of the Gods and Guanella Pass over the weekend and got some amazing photos and had an absolute ball.

We have a few weeks that are pretty full of work/ school stuff etc so don't expect any exciting updates. Anyway, all is well with us and the woofs, off to volunteer at Ethans school in a mo!

Garden of the Gods

Hiking path Garden of the Gods

Love!

Guanella Pass

Guanella Pass/ Geneva Pass Rd

Our House, in the middle of our street.

I have been very lucky lately to spy around a few houses in Colorado. Obviously we had our home search, I got to spy on houses within a normal kind of bracket over here (<$460k) which is around £350k.

For that you get probably around 2,000- 2,500 square feet in a good neighborhood and maybe a property that needs some attention but not major work. Pretty good huh? Compared to UK standards or at least Southern UK standards that is pretty good.

Our house is lovely, or in my humble opinion it is. More than big enough for the three of us plus the dogs and has some character about it.

The interesting thing in Colorado, is that more money generally just buys you more space. In the UK you pay more for location which varies hugely, more for victorian or historic style property and so forth. Now don't get me wrong, location costs more here too but not in such a big way. You can live in a great location for not much more money than in a lesser area. But here the houses get huge. Four or five thousand square feet isn't uncommon for our friends and acquaintances out here. For a two/ three or four member family that is just immense. I mean lose yourself, rattle around in type size. Now don't get me wrong, the homes are beautiful and special and I appreciate what they are. But, there is definitely a slight emptiness to some of them  (not all may I hasten to add). I am trying to figure out if there is a jealous aspect from myself here and for once I don't think there is. Yes we would like an extra bedroom and maybe some updating or a 'view' from the back garden but more space? More Cleaning? More furniture? No Thank you very much, I have more than enough to deal with here!

Here are some stats for you all, just in case you care!
The median sales price for homes in Highlands Ranch for Jun 15 to Sep 14 was $430,000 based on 530 home sales. Price Per Square Ft.
Average price per square foot for Highlands Ranch was $221, an increase of 6% compared to the same period last year.

Berkshire, with an overall average price of £390,654, was similar in terms of sold prices to nearby Oxfordshire (£383,746) and Buckinghamshire (£377,594), but was more expensive than Hampshire (£294,045). Average price per square foot is around £325.

Average Price Highlands Ranch House

Average Price Berkshire (Reading) House

Highlands Ranch Backcountry

As one of the benefits of living in Highlands Ranch, we get private access to the Highlands Ranch Backcountry. It is 8700 acres of Wilderness area and less than ten minutes away from home. It's quite there and a great hike with the dogs.

I headed up there this morning, there was a slight chill this morning and I actually had to wear long sleeves for the first half hour or so of the hike. I took Boo and Detour along and got there early. I love to hike with friends and family but there is something special about just being alone with my guys. Boo is coping well with the hikes still, he is a clever old boy and keeps an eye on me while we are out hiking as he seems to realise he can't hear me properly anymore. He always was a sensible dog which makes my life easier and allows him some freedom. We hiked for about an hour and a half and saw tons of gorgeous birds and views. It was one of those special mornings and I so love making time for my dogs and me.

Of Course, when I got home I did some more work on the back garden/ patio area. This week I have moved a few tones of flagstone, laid new turf/ sod, planted, dug, flattened and a lot more. It has been a full time job for me at the moment but it edges closer to being done every day. This weekend Nic will have his work cut out with a huge amount of tiling work and hopefully finishing touches during next week!

I also see that parts of the UK were ht by huge storms last night- so this is to wish all my friends and family well out there. Stay safe guys xoxo

Too Long- a long post!

Its been way too long since I have blogged. We have had people over to visit from the UK and have had a big project we are working on.

Firstly, I haven't really known what to blog. The longer I live in the US the less I notice the differences, the odd things become normal and the British get odder and odder!

Over a year here and I can honestly say it is feeling like home. We have some great friendships, a beautiful home and the most amazing climate. To have sunshine day after day, really does lift you. Living in the UK you don't realise how wearing the rain can get at times (although I hear the UK did eventually get some sunshine). I haven't worn trousers really since I got back from my 'summer' UK holiday and to wake up every morning to sunshine streaming through the window is quite special.

The dogs are all great, they love life here. Hiking in the mountains, free run of the house and garden and lots of attention from all of us. Boo still manages some great mountain hikes on the cooler days and with fall approaching, as does the best hiking season in Colorado. Autumn is beautiful here, the Aspens turn gold and the weather is a little less scorching. I cant wait to get out with the camera for some fall hikes.

Having our friends Katie and Tom to stay was just incredible. They are the nicest couple and happily came along to lots of crazy ideas. We went on a tough and long hike at Gennesse Park, Western Riding in the Mountains,  Golf in Evergreen, White Water Rafting at Browns Canyon in freezing water, Off Road Driving in Rainbow Falls, Burger Meals, Steak Meals and so on. We had a great time, we hiked, ate, fell, laughed, ached like hell and really enjoyed Colorado. I hope they come back again one day.

We also began the refurbishment of our back yard. It was a mishmash of poorly laid flagstone/ grass and concrete and wasn't much of a useable space. We started by having the old concrete and some flagstone ripped out and a huge new concrete deck laid. Upon the deck we have begun tiling with Travertine and have installed a brilliant hot tub and brick fire pit with brick bench. From design to end it will be all our work (bar the concrete laying) but its been hugely physically demanding, we have hauled tons and tons of brick, flagstone and tile between the two of us (with some help from the Durnfords when they were here too). Its taken up a lot of weekends so far and there are still more to come, but when its done it will give us a wonderful outdoor space to use and relax in... just in time for the snow ha ha!

Anyway, I am signing off now to go and do some MORE work on the patio. Love to you all!!! xxxx

Yeah Baby!

The Rock that Tom Durnford jumped off at Browns!

The Mishmash Patio

Our house...

We have been in our new house for two weeks now, but it feels like home and that we've been here for much longer.

Poor Ethan has been dragged around Home Depot (US version of B&Q) day after day. Its a HUGE store and has everything the new homeowner could want or need. The service there is fantastic and choice amazing- I love it but Ethans not quite so keen!

We still do not have a lot of items, one of them being a lawnmower. However, here its pretty common to have a lawn service. Once a week, a neighborhood guy comes by and mows the front and back lawn, its pretty inexpensive and of course hassle free! I don't remember it happening much in the UK but maybe I am wrong- do any of my UK friends use one?

This week Ethan has day camp all week which will just be amazing for him, friends, food and crazy running around. I think he will be happy and it gives me a bit of time to get some chores done and also to help with pony camp for a little while.

This time of year is always a bit nuts for us, Nics Birthday, our anniversary and then Ethans Birthday. Its crazy but fun and I love the bustle of it all. Oh on top of which we have visitors and plans to build a patio- ha never a dull moment!

Settling in

I can't quite believe how much we have got done in the past few days. We are in the house and a good way through unpacking everything already. The house is everything we hoped it would be and we love the open feel it has, the dogs are enjoying the space too and really loving rolling on Nics brand new carpets ha ha!

The house has had lots done prior to our moving in, new gutters, new roof, furnace repairs and so on. It makes me feel happy as I know we are warm and secure in the house. We do have a lot to do, repainting inside, new patio, new windows, basement conversion and so forth, but over time it will get there and will be quite special by the time we are done I think.

Sometimes its overwhelming thinking about all the improvements that we want to get done, but I have to remind myself that there is no rush, the house is gorgeous as is and we will attack things as and when we can.

It is lovely to have some spare time to sit and blog, with my cup of PG Tips close by. We are off soon to get some items from Home Depot (like Homebase/ B&Q) and also a Costco trip which is always fun!

I will get Ethan to do the official 'house tour' for you all soon, love to you all!

Gem x

The new roof! I love it!

And GO!

Moving is pretty stress free in the US. That is until a moving company screws up...

Our move was booked in for the Sunday with a company called Youmoveme they had already delivered boxes and wrapping and we had begun the packing process, they were supposed to do a large amount of the packing but luckily my amazing hubby had already begun the process and done a huge amount.

Saturday morning I woke up and realized that since the confirmation email I hadn't heard from them to check addresses or anything else. I called them first thing and began to worry when I sat on hold for ten minutes. They came back on the phone and advised that there had been a clerical error and our move had been cancelled! We left it to them to try to fix it but a few hours later they basically advised us that there is nothing they can do. Panic stations! Nic then called around and found a company who could move us, it was a different service so we had a day of manic packing, but at least we had found someone.

We had already hired a trailer so that we could move the garage stuff ourselves so we hauled about five loads over to the new house and managed to get the kitchen unpacked too.

Today we are aching and tired but just starting the move really! The movers should be here within a few hours and away we will go!

Almost time

It's my last night here and we have had the best time in the UK.

It's been quite a few weeks. Since we landed, the UK have left Europe, lost a prime minister and gained a new one. We have had rain, sun, wind: usual English weather really. We have seen more friends than I can remember and hugged, laughed and cried time after time.

I feel hopeful tonight, amidst sadness that we have to say farewell again, is a ray of exciting end about our future. So tonight I'm not thinking about goodbyes but instead and happy and thankful for the amazing time we have had here.

Love all my family and friends so very much.

Here's a memory of Ethan watching the London Olympic parade four years ago. Great memories :)

Crazy, busy weeks

Well, it has been nuts so far!

I feel like we are just rushing around like crazy but what fun it's been.

This week I got to spend a few nights with my friend Neill and her boyfriend Henry. We had a very busy few days drinking our body weights in champagne and partying at Henley Festival. We went to watch Elton John and started the night with a tailgate party for over 40 guests, then into Henley and we managed to lose each other. This ended up ok, as I stood right in the front row, touching distance from the stage and a prime view of Elton, I danced until my feet felt like they were falling off and met some lovely people that evening. It was great to spend time with my American friend in England!

Then fly back to Surrey to pick up Ethan, onto visits in Berkshire with Evie, Dave and the cutest baby. After that swing by to see my lovely friend Caroline and Arthur who's a dear friend of Ethans, they took about two seconds to get back to their usual crazy carnage, just adorable!

Finally we swung over to Beckys which will be our home for the next few days until we swing back to my mums for a night before we leave... Phew!

This morning we ran to Newbury and then over to Ethans old school for hellos and hugs. It is still the most special and wonderful place and they were over the moon to see Ethan and myself.

We are really pretty exhausted already and still have so many visits to do. I just hope we can fit them all in.

Tonight I'm out with the girls for a night in Newbury! I can't wait to see them all again and eat great food and maybe stretch to a glass or two of wine as well 😸 

Oh and apologies for the lack of photos, my iPhone died so I am running on a cheap temporary which doesn't take any shots, life never runs smoothly does it? 

Embracing life

Today I realised, that although I have enjoyed my last year is the US, I haven't truly embraced it. I have found myself comparing things there to the UK, and inevitably, finding it coming up short on most things. Not because it's worse, but, because like for like, its so very different.

I have realised today that maybe I need to stop comparing the two, and instead see them as two different places that both offer totally different things. Neither being better of worse necessarily, both just being different ffrom the other. Each country has great things about it, and each country has frustrating aspects too. 

I am having a great time visiting in England, my week with Dad is coming to an end, and tomorrow I am off for two days with my close friend Neill, followed by awhile with Becky, Martyn and the twins. I am having a fantastic time, but missing my hubby, the dogs and gorgeous Colorado.

So, an incredibly exciting week planned with lots of friends catch ups! Yay

Old Blighty!

It's great to be back visitng the UK. England is still England and of course nothings changed. It still rains, people still talk about the weather all the time, and my family is as wonderful as ever.

We had great flights and landed ahead of schedule on Tuesday morning, my mum met us at the airport and got there two hours early just in case, she is so funny! Flying over London was quite an view, it looked like a Lego City from above. England seems tiny and pretty, like a doll house village! Incredibly the first day here was sunny and warm, we didn't do a huge amount but had a nice day just wandering around, catching up and walking the dogs at the farm. Next morning was overcast, but with a dry day forecast, we decided to head to the farm. We had the best time the, ethan cuddled, ran and ate, me and mum even got silly on the pedal cars and raced ethan around the track. We walked around the farm and had an amazing view of box hill at the top of the land. English countryside at its best. At the end of the day we headed home, tired but really happy. 

England is different from how I remember it. It's less prim and more shaggy, the hedgerows spilling wildflowers and brambles over the roads and the houses tumbling, squashed and imperfect. England is slightly messy but full of charecter. 

So many fun things planned ahead, here's hoping the current rain lets up soon!

Told you it was Stepford Wives...

This week we have the inspection of the property booked, this means that we will hear about any potential problems or weaknesses and be able to progress (hopefully) with the purchase of the house.

As we go along, we have been looking at the HOA (Homeowners Assosiation) information about things and wondered if we needed permission to put up a shed. We most certainly do, we need committee approval for a shed, not only that but it cannot be metal or plastic, MUST match the house, mustn't obstruct any views, cannot be over 10 x 8ft and so on. It isn't a problem at all as its what we have done anyway but it made me giggle.

In fact you have to get approval for everything from repainting to landscaping and so on. The idea of course is to keep the area pretty and make sure that your neighbors house isn't spoiling your enjoyment of living there. I kind of like it to be honest but it really does make me laugh, I surprised we didn't have to submit family photos for committee approval before we were allowed to buy in the neighborhood! Ha ha ha!!!!

Progress

Today I had to fly back from the barn to pay the cheque into a Land Title office. This 'shows commitment' for the seller for the property. It was a pretty easy system and took no more than five minutes to sort.

The next stage is the property investigation and then, we are almost there!

I noticed today that Ethan has more and more little Americanisms appearing, he was talking about Vy-tamins today... VITAMINS!

Crazy Days- it's a long one.

There has been a sudden and crazy rush in the Hanekom household. As always, we find ourselves in a predicament that needs sorting pretty darn quickly. But, we operate best under pressure!

We had looked into buying in Denver before now, both to allow us to invest in property out here and to have a place to call our own, regardless of whether we end up staying here longer or moving back to the UK and renting it out. We had complications with Visas and so forth so didn't think we could buy here for the time being. A few weeks ago, after having a long chat with a Mortgage Advisor out here we figured a budget and a way to be able to purchase a property in Colorado.

Our house lease runs out at the end of June and we were hoping that we could extend that on a monthly basis to allow us to find and secure somewhere perfect. Of course, the path of any river doesn't run true and the last week, the agent advised us that the best they could do was extend us until the end of July or we would have to sign another full years lease. This would stop us from being able to invest for another whole year which we really didn't want to do.

So, of course a panic ensues and we start frantically house hunting. We had a list of criteria that we really wanted from our house...

1/ The opportunity to make improvements to the property.

2/ Good sized garden.

3/ Garage for Nic

4/ Space for the dogs

5/ Good area; close access to Nics work/ Ethans School and hiking/ biking trails.

6/ A good house for Nerf wars (Ethans caveat)

7/ Family kitchen.

8/ 3 bedrooms minimum

9/ Within Budget- obviously.

Now, the US house buying process is flipping amazing in comparison to the UK. In England there's no way the timeframes would have been possible, but as typical in the US, everything can be drive through fast. Obviously there needs to be time for closing, approval blah blah blah so basically we were left with a week to find a house. Huh! Oh and I go to England next week for three weeks, just to make life easier ha ha!

We spent a frantic few days online shopping for houses, creating lists and meeting with a Real Estate Agent. Here you have an Agent. That agent works with you for every house viewing and puts the offer in, deals with all that side for you. Its great as allows you to build a relationship with them and you can be totally blunt if a house isn't suitable. Our agent Julie is a friend of mine who moved to Colorado from Manchester a long time ago, she is just amazing. She said House Hunting is like Online dating, you swipe left if you don't like it, and click on possibilities. But, it all ends up on a feeling and sometimes you just know.

We spent Friday morning looking at houses. The black gloom began to settle in as nothing sat right. We didn't walk into anything that really excited us and the compromises just seemed to get bigger and bigger. We found two that were possibilities and booked to go back for a second viewing the next day. At home we all felt pretty low, I spent a few hours browsing and booking to go see more homes online. One included a Highlands Ranch house. When I showed Nic the listings later, he began to get more positive as we looked through the Highlands Ranch listing. We had ruled the area out before as it was a bit too 'Suburbia' for Nic, a tad ' Stepford Wives if I'm honest. However, the more we looked at it the more it started to worm into my head. We had booked to view 8 houses after 3pm the next day. I went to sleep thinking about the house and woke up thinking about the house. It was the first house that I had felt drawn to just from looking at the photos.

I messaged Julie Saturday morning to suggest that we start with the Highlands Ranch house that afternoon as we were quite excited about it. She got straight back to me and said that we could slot in a quick viewing in about an hours time! We flew up to Highlands Ranch feeling excited for the first time and finally pulled up in front of something that just sung to me. Looking round was almost cursory as I just knew it had that feel. It was the right place for us, ticked all the boxes and just felt like home. It needs some modernization in areas and the basement is an unfinished space just waiting for us to do. It felt like a happy home. We cancelled all other viewing there and then and arranged for an offer to go in on the house.

Then we waited, all day and evening to hear something back biting our nails and jumping on each buzz or blip of our phones. We knew another couple were heading back that afternoon for a second viewing which meant they were probably keen too. Showing her commitment to us, Julie called at 7.15pm to confirm that it's ours! The contracts were electronically signed online by both parties straight away and job done.

Next stage is the Earnest money downpayment which shows our commitment to the property and the survey on the house. We are keeping our fingers firmly crossed that nothing awful comes up.

If all is well, the house will be ours from July the 20th. Which means our lovely friends Katie and Tom will be the first people to come stay in the new house.

For now, we are keeping everything crossed and will have a busy and stressful few weeks ahead.

Eeeeeeek!

Scorchio!

Seriously, seriously hot here at the moment! Temperatures are set to hit 94f tomorrow (34c) and most of the week has been around 29c with the odd afternoon thunderstorm. I love watching the thunderstorms roll in but boy are they big. Huge lightning blots, hail and downpours which can be pretty scary if you happen to be rolling along the highway at the time.

I have had a great week with Ethan, we have spent some fun times together and he has been pottering up to the barn to help with the pony camps, there is usually someone for him to go off and play with which is just fantastic.

Ruffcutt is rehabbing well on the lunge and finally is starting to have an actual trot rather than his pokey kind of shuffle trot. He is also starting to be able to pickup and hold some canter, it's taking time and I am not pushing him but he is getting there. Well he is getting there on the left lead, the right is still somewhat tricky for him but as he probably mostly did left circles at the track, its no great surprise.

We also have lots going on in the Hanekom household behind the scenes. So watch this space for more news!

Busy Bee

The last few weeks have been pretty busy for me. Finalising details for our UK trip, wrapping up school work and helping at a pony camp!

Our UK trip is looming and I can't wait to see you all! Just a few weeks left now and we will be flying over the Atlantic on our way to be loved by family and friends. I spend time wondering how we will feel coming back to England after a year away and even more, how we will feel about leaving it again after our trip.

Ethan has now broken up for his almost twelve week break from school. He has had a super year and absolutely loves it there. How many kids cry on the way home from breaking up because they are going to miss their teacher and friends? However, we are going to make the most of the time off and already stayed up until midnight last night with movies and a TV Basement Campout. We had fun and ate junk food all night. Having a kid is a great excuse to behave badly yourself!

Oh, and super proud but Ethan made the Honor Roll at school this year, which means he scored consistently high across all subjects. Good kid!

I have also been helping out the past week at a Kids pony club camp. They have two sessions a day. Riding Camp for kids 8 years and over, and Picnic with the Ponies camp for younger tots. It has been great fun seeing the little ones ride, some for the first ever time. Generally its gone really well, I think there has been a few mishaps, as there always is with kids and ponies but lots of smiles all round.

Oh and to top it all off, the weather is absolutely stonking! Sunshine day after day. Nice!

Beautiful backdrop for camp!

Colorado Extremes

We had a lovely weekend with Ethans Taekwondo belt test on Saturday morning. They hold it once a year at a big park and follow the testing with a instructor demo and picnic. The weather was perfect and I am proud to say that Ethan passed and is now a green belt.

In the afternoon, Ethan had a party at IFLY which is a Indoor Skydiving centre, I had an inkling that he might be nervous but it wasn't until he saw the wind tunnel that he had a mini freak out. To say he was scared is an understatement, he was utterly terrified. He was bawling his eyes out and just didn't want to do it. I chatted him through a few things and then he went into the briefing with his buddies. When they came out he went straight over and started getting suited up! He was hugely scared the whole time he watched his buddies go in, but eventually, with some support from the instructor he went in! He did so well and got over his fear, going in twice and doing his absolute best. What a dude.

Sunday I went to watch a dressage clinic with Lientje Schueler at a gorgeous venue near Sedalia. Ethan got to go to the main house to play with some other kids and I got to watch some pretty mega horses and their riders in the clinic. It's completely out of my league but wonderful to watch nonetheless.

Throughout the winter and Spring here in Colorado we have had extreme weather, feet of snow, winter storms and hail.

The summer weather is just starting and we have had the most stunning weekend of sunshine, properly hot, Bikini hot! But, I forgot the ferocity of thunderstorms. Last night around midnight a thunderstorm came through, the strength and noise that it made was deafening and we had probably ten minutes of thunder, lightening, , high winds, torrential rain and hail. I usually sleep through most things now, but not a chance with these storms. Today, is back to normal with sunny skies and a bit of a breeze. Crazy Colorado huh!

Next weekend should be fun as its Memorial Day weekend, a long weekend off with a braai planned and maybe Off Roading or Hiking, we shall see.

School Holidays

We are on the countdown now to Ethans school summer break. He has two weeks left and then the summer is ours!

To be honest I don't love how the school breaks are structured here.

In England he had decent breaks throughout the year. Usually about 7 weeks for the summer, two weeks in October, Three Weeks Christmas, Two weeks for Easter and a few other weeks here and there.

The holidays are much more lumped here. He gets 3 days off in October for Thanksgiving, Two weeks for Christmas and two weeks for Easter then a whopping eleven and a half weeks over the summer!

Maybe I am just fussy but I preferred having his holiday time spilt over the year instead of this one, big thumping holiday.

Having said that we are so looking forward to it. Firstly we are helping out at a kids pony camp through the summer when we can which will be lots of fun I think. We have our UK holiday booked and simply cannot WAIT to see some of you and mostly of course my lovely family. Finally we have our dear friends Katie and Tom booked to come here for their holiday, we have lots of fun things planned for when they are here too!

Roll On Summer- yippee!

Spring has (finally) Sprung!

This morning after dropping Ethan at school I took Boo and Hoax off for a long hike. The sun was shining already and I was so ready for some peace and quiet with my woofs.

I headed over to Daniels Park which is part of the Rocky Mountain Parks system, after driving through and finding what seemed to be a parking lot, we backpacked up and tried following some footpaths, which all ended up dead ending at picnic tables. Slightly frustrated we jumped back into the car and instead pulled up at a lot which I had passed a few miles prior to Daniels Park.

On the edge of Highlands Ranch development is the 'Backcountry' areas. A few miles of trail loops which were well mapped and marked. We set off again and the first half a mile or so was pretty boring. A Standard track with a lot of foot traffic which didn't inspire me to hike for long. However the first trail off the main track appeared and we set off down it. The various trails had these great, quirky American names; I took Buck Snort trail to Tenderfoot, then right on Giddy Up to finally finish along Longhorn Ledge! Once I left the main path, I didn't see a single other person for the whole hike until we hit back onto the main path. The trail was pretty easy to hike and the wildlife was out enjoying the Spring Weather too. I took my Bear Spray this time but didn't need it of course.

It was an amazing hike. We walked for over five miles, stopping for water breaks for the dogs and I often as it was pretty hot (first shorts day)! Boo and Hoax did really well and loved getting out with just me. Most of the paths were good footing but there was the odd muddy patch from the weekends snow, we spotted tons of animal footprints in the recently dried mud, it was incredible as the path was literally covered with them but I didn't see a single Elk.

On a day like today, I am not sure theres any other place that I would rather be.

Overlook on Longhorn Ledge

Watch out!

Spring!

Me and My Guys x 

This Way!

Elk Footprint

Cactus

Rocky Mountain Backdrop

Amazing Blue Skies today

Say What?

One of the things that takes some getting used to is the different words for food items here. Obviously there are the basic ones like Fries (UK Chips), Cookie (Biscuit) and Candy (Sweets).

Then you start confusing things a little more...

A biscuit here not the round crunch item we know, it is more like a scone type item.

Chips are called fries and Crisps are called Chips.

A Flapjack isn't made of golden syrup and oats- its more like a pancake.

Basil is pronouced BayZil

Cider is generally NOT alcoholic

You won't find Coriander anywhere.... they call it Cilantro

A Doner Kebab is called a Gyro

Lemonade is NOT fizzy

They also have Scallions, zucchini, Jell-O, Popsicles, Oatmeal and so on.

More than enough to confuse any died in the wool Brit on their first few trips round the Supermarket. Oh and you can't buy 'proper' alcohol in them and you have to slap tax on top of all the prices you see on the shelves!

Finally I am starting to get used to it all and even caught myself calling some sweets 'Candy' a few days ago- Waaaaaaaa!

Drains- yes really!

Yes, it really is a post about drains. I realise this may be incredibly boring but I found the differences in the drainage from the UK to Colorado kind of interesting. 

As you know, we had a huge snow dump this past weekend and now it's all melting. I walked the dogs locally today and was again impressed at how well the water drains there. Firstly the roads are well cambered,this means the water is diverted quickly to the edges of the road.

Next the roads are on the same direction hill/ angle so the water has a direction to run.

At intersections they have channels cut in to keep the water on the same path and to stop it spreading out.

Finally where all the water meets, the drains are huge and open and swallow the water faster than it can arrive.

Poor England is mostly still trying to use Victorian drainage and sometimes it just can't cope!

Crazy Mad Spring

It is spring in Colorado which means total weather extremes. As per my last post, I was in T-Shirt and Shorts on Thursday.

By Friday night rain set in followed by snow, then more snow, and more lasting until midday Sunday. This isn't the usual, fluffy light Champagne powder that Colorado sees, this was wet, heavy, slushy snow. The snow was persistent and heavy, in fact way too heavy for the snow blower which meant myself and Ethan shoveled. FOUR times. Fun and Games!

We did make it through the snow storm to the cinema which was probably a totally stupid idea. The car was being blown around and the visibility was horrendous, however, as the snow was wet the roads were mostly wet and slushy so not much slipping around! BUT it was great to set out and watch the incredible #TheJungleBook. The cinema has reclining seats and food service at your chair; blue cheese burger, fries and a great movie- pure heaven!

On a good note we live somewhere that got hit by only about 10" (not how much fell as it melted and compressed, but how much stayed). Some areas got over 45- 50" (nearly 4ft)!!!

Now the snow has stopped and is melting at great speed. By tomorrow evening most areas should be fairly clear again bar the snow banks and shaded spots.

Enough snow already... we want sunshine and BBQs!