Reaching the other side

Yesterday went by in a blur of last minute jobs and yet more sad farewells...

...and finally a drive to Boston ending with... a flight.

Somewhere over the Atlantic, America just seemed to fall away.

When we landed this morning the flight attendant announced, "To those of you returning to the UK, welcome home."

That's us, and so that is that - Albaniana has left the building. 

However, this blog is not quite over.  The Girl has been busy preparing a treat which we will share with you soon.

On the brink

Today has been too long, and yet too short, and full of too many boxes (now loaded onto a container and gone ahead of us, to catch up with us again much later), and far too many goodbyes with people we will dearly miss.

Tonight we are on a whole family sleepover with some very good friends who have fed us and given us refuge in their basement room.

Tomorrow will be our last day in America.

Boxing Day (2)

I'm drafting my post early today as I'm stuck at home with strangely little to do, even though there is activity going on all around me.

Here's the story (which most of you reading this know already, seeing as you are probably related to me):  we're moving.  Not just out of town or state, but out of the country, back to the UK. Although we have very much enjoyed living here, we never planned to stay in the USA forever, and for various reasons (principally, timing for the kids' schooling) this seems like the right year to go back.  So the house is in the process of being packed up as I write, and boxes are stacked at every turn.

We're excited to be going home, and at the same time full of regrets about leaving our friends and our life out here.  The last few days have been particularly hard, saying so many goodbyes.  As leaving day (Thursday) approaches, it's only going to get harder.  And meanwhile there is so much to do! Except for right now, when there's nothing much for me to do at all except watch the boxes stack higher and higher and wonder how we come to have so much stuff.

Without being asked, the removal men are kindly making use of some of our blog names:

 

 

Unexpectedly, tonight the whole family had another "last" night swim (in pouring rain) 

 

Labor Day...

...no kidding:  I have laboured all day and now I am bug-eyed and can't quite remember my own name. 

So much for it being an official holiday.

The Man adds...I managed to make it this evening to Saratoga Springs for dinner with work colleagues at Druthers.  The city and the bar were pleasantly busy on a beautiful evening.  The food was good and I'm told the beer is excellent (but, as you might guess, they do not offer a non-alcoholic beer at all).

Final night swim

Despite the drizzly weather and the freezing water, the Boy took the opportunity for one last night swim.  He'll be out at another sleepover tomorrow evening, and we're having the pool closed on Tuesday.

 

Party

Here we are, approaching bedtime after an exceptionally long and busy day. I was up early to bake for a party.  Cleaned the house.  Went to the farmers' market.  Cleaned some more.  Shopped.  Started welcoming guests shortly after 4pm and entertained fairly solidly for the next six hours. 

It was fun.

The Boy, coming off the back of a sleepover with multiple friends last night, looked about ready to drop by the time the last guests left.  An hour later, I feel much the same.

No time like the Crescent

A few more photos from Sunday, our last day in Maine, spent mostly on Crescent Beach.  Here are various kids braving the sea, Exile #3's beautiful paved sandcastle, and some hungry children anticipating their lunch.