A giftless wedding....



Let's get married!!



Is our hope, as we have a ton of stuff to move accross the world from Redditch to California already we would love it if anyone planning on buying us a gift could do it from Bed, Bath and Beyond here http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/regGiftRegistry.asp?wrn=-1622898411 and then we can just get the things delivered undamaged to our new home in California (once we get one)

We are doing everything else traditionally, but this is one way modern technology can help our lives easier, in a way it kind of blows my mind that this can happen. Must be a sign of getting old. Please don't foget the Mike n Ikes, gotta have some jelly beans in our new place too. It is also a big bonus for the Brits out there in that the pound is so stong compared to the $ at the moment.

So yesterday after my rant on here we headed to the beach to take wedding pictures (See attached) Thanks to maid of honour extrodonaire J-Weezy for cameratographing and we walked Blue on the beach, he is currently sleeping it all off lay next to me, whilst clearing my head of all the hurtful things said about the Blues on bookface. I am 3000 miles from home and people still abuse me for my football teams performances (not a wonder of modern technology that one). we got to hang out with the Kleins too, cool kids.
I should probably start my FINAL University assignment now, boo!
Liam and Blue x x x

I'm a Seattle Sounders Fan.....

Today saw me refusing to go to the beach until the Blues game was over at 1pm ET. Wish I hadn't bothered now. I also think I will join my Dad's hate Alex McLeish mob too. Who really plays 4-5-1 and has 2 shots on goal in a game we need to win for 90 million pounds?
Playing for a draw was never good enough in the Premier League, I'd rather have gone down fighting like Blackpool than the whimper the blues made of today. You have to score goals to win games Mr Eck. Even with 20 minutes to go and being 1-0 down he brings on Matt 2 goals in a season Derbyshire when there are 2 really good youngsters, unknowns, on the bench in Redmond (England Under 17s, man of the match in his only prem game so far)  and Asante (5 goals in one game against Arsenal under 18s). Get the ginger idiot and his backroom staff out apart from Dave Watson, goalkeeping coach and bring in someone who knows how to attack. I'll take anyone at this point, bring back Barry Fry! Start next season by geting rid of Larsson and Fahey as well as all the other over paid, under performing loan "stars" and bring let the youngsters play in the championship.

On the other hand, the Sounders beat Kansas City Wizards last night, 1-0. Result.

Back in the U.S.S.R

A little over 2 weeks and a 5000 word essay after leaving I am back in Maryland after 12 hours traveling and 2 hours in customs (long line, no trouble) for my last visit to Aelisa before the big day. Time has flown by since I got down on one knee two chrsitmases ago. It is begining to feel real that it is going to happen and I'm moving to California now :)

It's 8am, I've been awake for 2 hours, stupid body clock. Aelisa snoozing to my left and everyone's favourite Beagle (not Snoopy, BLUE) on my right snoring. It's good to be back though. Off to Dover, Delaware today so Aelisa can do her thing then a nice relaxing weekend with my little family. Next weekend is a national holiday here in the USA so we are heading to see our friends Cara and Toff at Cara's parent lake house in Bumpass, Virginia for a few days, let's hope it's sunny so we can go swimming. cara blogs, check her out on this page.

There will be photos from this trip and more blogs I am sure (Aelisa works a lot, so I am left to fend for myself)

Liam

They're ponderings...not feelings

Hey yall.

I'm home from work, it's Monday evening. I have a bit of cleaning to get done before Liam's arrival in 2 days. Even though he just left from a month-long visit, I'm still beyond excited about seeing him again! :)

As of right now I'm watching a little SNL with buddies Tay-Tay Klein, and Azul el Beagle de Mexico. Gonna run out for some Chinese food and have a nice evening in with my sick friend.

In wedding related news, I have decided what I'm going to get Liam as a wedding gift. I've always been under the impression that the bride and groom exchange gifts with each other, but Liam says he's not heard of such goings-ons. Am I mistaken?

Also, I'm getting excited about my "hens" weekend. I'm hoping that we can get a few more people going than we do now as it's only 4 of us (for sure) so far. Still waiting to hear from a few people tho. We're going to St Davids, Wales from the 18th to the 20th, so if you're going to be around, we'd love to have you come with us. I don't know exactly what's been planned by my awesome Maid of Honor, but I'm still looking for ideas to make the most of our time, while also adjusting from jetlag. Let me know any thoughts?

Right now, I'm going to go get my sick roomate some soup, myself some other tasty goodness, and get back home for a little R&R...and laundry.

Happy trails yall! x

Dover Downs...

...and I don't mean the casino.

So I'm stuck in Dover, DE for another night, only this time, I'm alone. I have to say, it sucks a lot. It's become painfully clear how important it is to have people I'm close with around to help take the edge off and have fun, joke around, and to help me stop thinking about the real reason I'm here.

Piggy-backing off of what Liam was talking about eariler, I feel like death can be a very sensitive topic...unless it's your profession. In my case, I see death first hand on a very regular basis. Not just a body in a casket, but a body as it's found in the field...down range. We learn to cope (everyone has their own way), but it still takes it's toll at some point. My own personal way is to socialize. I like being around people. Being alone...no bueno. Alone is exactly what I am now. I'm going to try to find someone I know, but I'm not holding my breath.

As for right now, I'm watching an NCIS marathon, about to go out for a possible drink, and contemplating what I'm going to see tomorrow. Goodnight all. x

Death, dying and why we don't talk about it....

Today was another long day sat at my computer researching death. It got me thinking. Why are we so scared to talk about it? It will happen to us all one day, why not tell everyone how you want to go and be original with it. I mean, my Dad's in the death business and yet I still do not know what he wants funeral wise. So what would I do? I think it would be only natural in that situation to follow the status quo, do what everyone else does, because that's the right thing, right? People tend to spend, spend, spend in a time of grief because they cannot cope. This can probably account for all the odd things I saw at gravesides today, like balloons, teddy bears and wind chimes used to remember loved ones.

Whilst walking around the graveyard there were some graves, particularly those of children, that simply looked untidy, messy, cluttered and often very similar to the grave next door. People today seem to see one person do one thing for a memorial and simply copy it. Why are we not capable of an original thought even in a time of such importance?

So here's my chance, when I pass away I would like to be cremated and my ashes scattered. I don't mind where, as long as it's a quiet spot and not in a city. Maybe I will find a space I like during the next few years. I want Masterplan by Oasis played at my funeral and no prayers.

How to reference the Bible correctly and being confirmed a teacher at ECS this summer....

Today has been a very productive day. I have written another 1000 words for my Religious Studies assignment entitled

'Different monotheistic faiths traditions surrounding death and how living in a modern day United Kingdom affects these traditions.'

It makes for interesting reading but 5000 words to be written by next Tuesday is an interesting target for perhaps the most important assignment I will ever write. Doing it raised the question, who is the author of the bible? for my reference list....answers on a postcard. 

In other news <--- Look at what I learnt to do! I also got confirmed as being a teacher of English to little foreign children this summer. It should be a fun time, gotta get paid before the big day after all. 

So what makes a good blog? It seems that all people do is write, as I have done, about what they do. I always feel like I need to write more imaginatively, deeper, on here. 

Liam x   

I'd rather blog than....

think about Science.

It is currently 2 and a half hours until the deadline for this assignment, it is eerily quiet at University. I have been to the library, and founf nothing apart from a book about the suprising amount of people living and working below the poverty line in modern America, sat and read Jez's assignment and thought about how rubbish mine is and now printed aformentioned assignment ready to go in. But suprisingly, as long as it gets 40 and I pass and never have to think about it again I am happy. Mum always said I was too laid back.

Right now I cannot stop thinking of getting away from England, eventhough the weather is fantastic for a change. I've never used this word before but I 'long' for September, married life and California.

On a more positive note I am booked onto planes to Washington D.C fopr next wednesday, just 2 weeks after returning home. Gotta love University holdays. But before then, and my next project is a 5000 word assignment on death, different religious views of and how living in modern day England affects these. In a week (plus 2 and a half hours). Ready, steady, GO.

A Few Blurbs From the Bride...

Hello!!

So Liam informed me of the blog you are currently reading while I was at work, and only just now did I get a chance to read it. He's asked me to give a little addition of my own for our viewers reading pleasure, so here I am.

I share Liam's excitement and enthusiam about all of the things that are going on this summer with the wedding and the big move. California was the ONE place I wanted to get stationed (if I was going to have to stay stateside), so I'm very happy with the Air Force's choice to send us there.

 As for the wedding, I'm speechless. It's all coming together so nicely, and everyone has been so helpful (and stress-free) that it's really shaping up to be a dream wedding. I've had nothing to worry about apart from the little details, which doesn't bother me one bit. The hardest part for me has been this looong wait. While the groom has been busy with school and wedding plans (i.e. meetings with the church, pubs, payments, etc), I've just been waiting around and dreaming of the day it all finally happens. It will, undoubtedly Liam, be the specialest, most breath-taking, perfect day of my life and I could NOT be ANY more excited about the day to come that I say "I do!" to the man of my dreams, the love of my life, and my best friend (and then lay a big ol' smooch on him for everyone to see)....Liam. x

Anyways, I'm about to get some dinner going as I have yet to eat anything since about 9AM. It's been real yall.

Blogging, Blogging, Blogging

So here begins a great friendship between myself and keyboard. Or maybe another fad that will fade like England's World Cup hopes.

I have decided that as the next few months are going to be filled with the most important things we could ever do with our lives to record, thoughts, feelings, photographs etc of the experiences we have. After 3 long years of a long distance relationship and 40,000 air miles later we are almost there, our goal and I can see the finishing line.

I finish University in June (should be writing assignments as we speak) and then begin the last bits of preperation for entertaining a few very special guests in Redditch and our lovely weding in the UK on August 27th 2011. I hope to make it the happiest day of a certain lady's life, as I know it will be mine. I do truly love you Aelisa, my best friend.

You could be forgiven for thinking it stops there, a marriage is a big enough step for one summer, stop there and take a breath ready for the next steps. But for anyone who knows us you will already know that isn't our style! Not 5 days after tying the knot we fly to Washington D.C. to pick up a certain four legged creature and all of Aelisa's worldly belongings before embarking upon a honeymoon of sorts, driving from the Eastern time zone to our new home on the Pacific coast, some 3000 miles away at Travis AFB in Fairfiled, California.

This blog is intended to charter the progress of all of the above events and keep the people we love up to date with our whereabouts, wellbeing and adventures.

It has been a sunny day here in the UK today and it has me donned in board shorts, tee shirt and flip flops. Been stuck inside trying to write for university has me thinking of the future, longing for my summer to begin and that California sunshine which awaits us in Spetember.
For now, it's back to the grindstone, Constructivism and Assessment for Learning in Primary Science. Hmph!

Liam x