It's been soooooo long

What a massive month and a bit we have had - so much to say - so little inclination to say it (all) so heres the highlighted version - taking out the boring bits and leaving the ever so funny, cutzy, annoying, happy and confusing sections:

1. Ok so we went back to the UK and we felt a bit like pop stars (in these respects - we had food and drink provided for us wherever we went, everyone seemed happy to see us and we had a gruelling schedule) and we felt like us too (in respect to being able to pick up where we left off with our mates and Jack was able to have sleep over after sleep over with all his little buddies, there was so much that was familiar and yet we were being tourists in our own backyards.)

2. It was definately a pick me up to see everyone just getting on with life, that if we went back, we wouldn't be shunned or rejected outright cos Jack has a slight Aussie accent - I must stress slight here!!!!

3. And to spend time with our families too - families are always trickier I guess - there is never as much give and take - but it was lovely so see everyone face to face - skype is great (everyone get it please) and handy to see people rather than just on the phone but sometimes it is good just to be able to give people a hug. I do and will always miss that.

4. The scenery highlights - definately Edinburgh - and the train trip from Edinburgh to Skipton - that is astonishingly beautiful (get a family railcard it brilliant saved a fortune and got to see lots), the tourist bus around Dublin - visiting and seeing places that I (meaning Aud) hadn't seen since being a kid. Jack particularly enjoyed Viking World.

5. The wedding - Danielle and Steve looked beautiful of course- horse and carraige and a lovely service, but I can't help but remember seeing Jack in his page boy suit, it just shocked me how grown up he looked - he did so very well and we were very proud.

6. The flights - Korean Air - the stay over in a 5 star hotel in Korea was lovely - and the flights were ok - but with the choice of bimibap (rice) or beef (esp as we dont eat beef) it did get a bit much after 21 hours - same menu all the time, there and back - so yep but at least they beat Ryanair hands down - we couldn't get over how rude, spiteful and down right sneeky - more money for suitcases and luggage, 50c for a plastic bag for tolietrees - honestly - never again.

7. Coming back -mixed emotions - time went so quickly. Jim ready to just put the house on the market over here and not go back -said only part in jest. I was looking forward to going back, planning where in Australia we want to visit - but ok with coming back to the UK sometime in the future and Jack bless him, exhausted, overwrought - not sure whether he wanted to leave Australia and now not wanting to leave the UK, he had a particular plan to live with Natalie and Adam with Marnie and Christian, of course and I don't think they were totally opposed to the idea - especially as it just stayed an idea :-)

8. So we are back - it was kind of nice not to pack and unpack every few days, to settle back into the time zone and to get back to our lives here but with a fresh perspective on whats important to us - so we have bought a GPS (Peggy) so that we can start exploring properly, Jim starts a new job in a new company today, Jack is happy to be back in his school routine and I am only just catching up on my workload from while I was away, and we are planning for my parents visiting at Christmas and we are hoping to see maybe a few more people coming our way.

So it could be a while before we are back, now that the Olympics are over and we dont have the whinging Aussies going on about how the UK got most of their medals sitting on their bottom, we can enjoy being here - fulfil what we want to get out of this move - travelling, experiencing, paying off mortgage, trying new things before we come back again to the UK in a year or three - and perhaps this time it might be for good.