We're Baaaaack...(Kind Of)

Well, howdy folks! Did you miss me? I have sincerely anticipated my return to the blogosphere with bated breath. Sadly, it has taken me much longer that I ever dreamed it would to get in front of this screen for a follow-up posting. Something like a year and a half has passed, and there is no way on God's green earth that I can attempt to recap all that has happened in that timespan. But, my new year's resolution for 2014 was to wrap a nice big bow around my Cambridge blog posts. It is beyond time to finish documenting the saga that was the Cambridge portion of our lives. Then, from here on out, I'll be able to rest soundly knowing that I actually completed the task I meant to complete months ago.

Anywho, the Okies have still been migrating around, albeit on shorter and more temporary trips. We've visited Puerto Rico, Massachusetts, Florida (a few times!), and even the U.S. Virgin Islands for a variety of familial functions. But most importantly in regards to the UK, we managed a return expedition to Cambridge for Matthew's graduation! (More on that in a second...)

San Juan, Puerto Rico is GORGEOUS, even in December! Such a fun melding of cultures, languages, foods, and sunshine!

A month later, our trip to Massachusetts was equally as beautiful, just on the opposite end of the weather spectrum. 

It's no secret that my family is a Disney one. We've only been there 3 times since moving back from England.

St. Thomas was a welcome paradise during our most recent Christmas vacation.

We've also passed a few personal milestones along the way. I can confidently say the Lord has blessed me with my dream job! *Shameless plug alert* I'm now a junior designer with the prestigious Marie Flanigan Interiors firm. Going to work every day feels like hanging out with my best friends who happen to be extremely talented and creative. I'm constantly challenged to learn new skills (i.e. Photoshop and AutoCAD), and I finally feel content with where I am professionally.

This dining room is one of the latest projects that I've had the privilege of working on. 

Not only has my career path been evolving, but Matthew's journey through medical school has also been progressing. Can you believe he has already completed the classroom portion of his training? He has just started his first round of clinical rotations and will spend the next two and a half years driving us further into student loan debt... I mean, learning the basics of the various medical specialities. And helping people.

What else? My baby sister is now married (which blows me away because in my mind she will forever be 12 years old.)

Not the sharpest photo, but isn't she just the loveliest bride?!?

Our beloved puppy is 4 years old (which means he is 32 in dog years.)

Bullitt has fully adjusted to his new home, and he is quite fond of the beach that is only about 45 minutes from our doorstep.

And finally, Matthew and I are legally Texans! GASP!

If that ain't Texan, I don't know what is. Yes, we attended a western-themed birthday party last year, complete with a saloon setting and square dancing. And special guest - Matt's fu manchu facial hair.

Ok, so now that you have gotten the bird's eye view of life as we currently know it, let's rewind a bit. As I mentioned earlier, Matthew and I were able to make the journey back to Cambridge for his graduation ceremony last July. (For those of you that have lost track, that means he went back a full year after leaving in order to participate in the graduation festivities. Unlike American graduations, you are allowed a lapse of several weeks or several years between completion of your coursework and participation in the ceremony. It's up to you when or whether you want to don the "Harry Potter robe" once again.) Once landed in London, we spent a fair amount of time revisiting some of our favorite haunts.

Portobello Road flower stalls and quaint little shops were just as wonderful as I remembered.

How quickly I was reminded that one man's trash is another man's highly inflated "antique."

And of course, views like this never got old.

As lovely as the monuments and places were, by far the best part of going back was reuniting with old friends! In my heart of hearts, I had always hoped that I would see these people again, but life is unpredictable, so you never know. Fortunately, we were able to travel a bit with Xenia, spend a few nights with Paola, share meals with some of Matt's former classmates, and generally relive the glory days! I was even able to make a blubbering fool of myself at Holy Trinity where we sat behind John and Jenny Cooper!!!

Ahh...such a breath of fresh air! Melting into Paola's hugs (and home-cooked meals!) was divine. Simply heavenly.

Not everyone can count a multi-lingual Russian spy supermodel as a friend, but I can! We fell so easily back into sync amongst our former stomping grounds.

Harsh and Joe, two of Matt's classmates, decided they liked the ex-pat lifestyle enough to move to Cambridge permanently. I vote the next reunion happens stateside!

Ever accommodating Stephen and Anna drove such a long way to meet us for and treat us to dinner. To top it all off, they gave us a tour of Eton. I should say to really top it all off, they were so gracious to do all of the aforementioned while expecting a beautiful baby girl!!! The precious bundle has since been welcomed to the world, and I know she is blessed by having these two as parents.

And while we are on the subject of babies, I would be amiss if I neglected to mention that Prince George Alexander Louis was born while we were in England! Though Matthew was afraid I would join the throngs of reporters camping out on the stairs of Kate's hospital ward, I refrained. 

But I did get manage to sneak a photo with her before I left. Finally! Mission accomplished. Oh, and can I please say that I can't believe Prince William decided to wait until this year to attend Cambridge University?!? What was he doing in 2011? Surely it couldn't have been as important as meeting me and becoming my bestie. 

Ok, so back to graduation. The ceremony itself is swollen with pomp, circumstance, and Latin. It is held in the Senate House (a building usually kept off-limits), and photography is strictly prohibited. Each student kneels while his or her degree is literally blessed upon their heads. It is a process unparalleled by anything I've ever experienced in the States, and I enjoyed its reverential nature. Afterward, we were herded outside on the lawn for bazillions of pictures, which was definitely my husband's favorite part.

Girton College threw a luncheon for the graduates and their families. It was so bizarre to go through a line in that cafeteria again.

Oh yeah, important note: Matt's parents went with us on this trip! We rarely managed to get a photograph of the four of us altogether.

Clearly, there is a threshold one must cross after so much seriousness. We can only be somber for so long. 

Ta-dah! Master of Philosophy in Bioscience Enterprise.

Another fun reunion occurred when we met up with the Allen Scholars of past and present. Renee helped forge the way for Matt and Chad to attend Cambridge by completing a master's degree in 2011. She had coincidentally come back for her graduation ceremony as well.

Go Pokes! 

We did Pembroke brunch and toured colleges with current Allen Scholars Mark and Nick. It was oddly comforting to see the next generation of Okies fully settled in to the same type of life we had left behind.

Walking streets that were so familiar and yet so much changed was more surreal than I can describe. Passing our old flat felt as if we were just coming home from a trip to Sainsbury's; while on the other hand, I couldn't imagine myself showering in its moldy bathroom or sitting on its superbly uncomfortable couch. I'm not sure which was stronger, my nostalgia or my relief... maybe relief is the wrong word. I wanted very badly to reside once again in the cold and rain, but simultaneously, I couldn't wait to get back home. I felt like an observer of the local lifestyle on this trip rather than a participant.

Ah, Pembroke. Ever luscious.  

Selwyn College, where my friend Xenia lived, had some of the best ivy-covered walls in all of Cambridge. They were even prettier in the autumn months.

Trinity Lane wins for best chimneys.

This is the same street from the opposite end. Yep, still winning.

I was struck by how many of the shops were the same and how many new ones had emerged since we left. Guess that means we will have to return in the future for new discoveries!

With a strange sense of emotional tension, it was time to wave goodbye to Cambridge and get a bit of countryside sightseeing done. Though we had previously lived in the UK for nine months, we had seen very little of the nation outside of London. Thus, we took full advantage of three and a half days to circulate through as many villages in the Cotswolds as possible. It was quintessential moss-covered cottages and winding roads all the way. Picturesque indeed.

I feel so guilty that I can't even remember the name of the little village in which this magnificent manor was located. I bet it was something adorable like Bibury, Burford, Stow-on-the-Wold, Evesham, or Chipping Camden. (Those were real town names by the way.)

I'm also unsure as to the name of these flowers (Matt claims that they are called foxgloves), but they were everywhere in every color, and I loved them!

This was Shakespeare's birthplace, Stratford-Upon-Avon. 

And, during dinner in Stratford, we actually experienced a thunder storm! Never had I ever experienced lightning in the UK. I don't think this swan knew what to make of it either when his reflection was illuminated in the river.

Look at the thatched roof and chubby trees! There were so many snapshot-worthy cottages that I ended up taking action shots through the car windshield instead of stopping for all of them. And let me just take a moment to give props to my man who drove a manual Hyundai on the "wrong" side of the car while on the "wrong" side of the road. His performance was virtually flawless after a short warm up in the rental parking lot.  

Rolling hills. Slight mist. That's English countryside for sure!

I do remember that these cottages were in Upper and Lower Slaughter. Not the nicest names, but definitely some of the nicest scenery. 

There are those flowers again! 

If you Google search "Cotswolds," more than likely you will find a similar photo of these particular homes which are referred to as Arlington Row. It will also pop up as "the place where Hobbits live." 

And I just couldn't resist taking a second to appreciate this front door. Maybe not the safest or most functional locking mechanism, but that mail slot more than makes up for it.

We criss-crossed so many whimsical towns, that I lost track of all time. But alas, we did have to return to the real world.

And by "real world", I mean that our trip culminated in a day spent at the pinnacle of British perfection - HIGHCLERE CASTLE!!! That's right, Downton Abbey fans. Eat your heart out.

I could hear the theme music as soon as we pulled up to the driveway. I was nervous that we wouldn't get in because the online tour tickets were completely sold out. However, luck was on our side, and the butler of the house sold us our admittance tickets! Hallelujah! 

The weather was perfect, the grounds were immaculate, and I felt as if I had died and gone to English aristocratic heaven.

The inside is almost exactly as portrayed on television. Though photography was strictly prohibited, my rebel of a husband snuck a few shots for me. The atrium is just glorious, and I half expected to see one of the cast members walking around the corner.

On the show, this is Lady Sybil's bedroom (may she rest in peace.) In reality, it is called the Portico Bedroom. 

Excuse the blurriness, but this is the infamous staircase. So grand. So intricately carved. It's hard not to feel regal when gliding down or up it. 

One fun fact we learned about the wallcoverings in the main entry - they are made of leather! I believe they were from the 16th or 17th century and are currently covered in plexiglass to protect them in their delicate and wrinkly state. 

Back outside we toured the extensive gardens, took a nap under a giant tree, and sipped tea on the lawn. It was beyond relaxing and blissful. 

Matthew kept laughing at me because I was just over the moon with excitement and couldn't stop smiling.  

Finally, despite the fact that there was no grand send-off party or long line of servants to wish us smooth travels at the end of the day, we were as close to nobility as we will ever be.

I suppose that just about covers it. Well, not really. Doesn't even scratch the surface. But that will have to do for now. Signing off, I want to again express my sincerest gratitude to those who have made this portion of our lives beyond special. It's hard to believe anything could be more of an adventure. That we could meet more intriguing people. Or experience more spellbinding places. But to quote one of my all-time favorite authors, I'd like to close with this: "There are far, far better things ahead than any that we leave behind." - C.S. Lewis

Looks like we already have something (or should I say someone) to look forward to! Baby Grant is due to arrive October 28th, 2014!!! Here's to new beginnings!