The packers have arrived

The packers arrived at 9am with huge quantities of boxes, packing materials and parcel tape. They quickly got to work putting things in boxes and wrapping our furniture in padded paper. I spent more of my time telling them what I didn't want packed yet and rescuing things before they vanished into a box! There's still a lot to sort through and organize, and things that we still need over the next few days. Suffice to say, after a long a tiring day, quite a lot has been packed and we're living in chaos.

Has somebody packed David?

David's Nerf "Mega Centurion" gun is too big for a box,
so it's been individually wrapped :D

We decided to put a few things on Gumtree, a free-ads website, and the response has been great. One couple came around to buy the fridge freezer, and ended up buying the washing machine, microwave and TV as well, and they'll collect it all next Wednesday. Maybe we will somehow manage to get this house empty after all!

Our house

Our original plan with our house was to rent it out until we find our feet in Texas. However, getting a buy-to-let mortgage on a house when you live overseas is tricky, especially if you would like to release some equity, so we decided to try and sell it. We put the property on the market just before we went on our familiarization visit to Fort Worth. A month later and the estate agents have messed up a couple of viewings, telling the wrong people they were having a viewing, turning down viewers and being late for appointments. We decided to change the estate agent and a whole new raft of photos were taken. We have had quite a lot of viewings over the last few weeks, which is great but has added a extra level of work keeping the house constantly spick and span at this crazily busy time. We have a viewing today, I'm cleaning the house when I should be sorting things out, the packers are arriving tomorrow.

Fisher farewell

We had a trip to Rob's parents house in Warwickshire today to say our goodbyes to his family. Rob's brother and his family were there too. It was lovely to see them all, and sad to say goodbye as we probably aren't going to them until we come back next summer. Rob's school friend, who shares the same surname (they were seated alphabetically at school) and his wife also popped around to see us.

Rob's Mum gave us a series of plates depicting the colonisation and settlement of north America, to take with us to Texas. They are a family heirloom that had belonged to Rob's paternal grandmother, and she thought they would be apt for our move. A lovely surprise, we will take good care of them.

I wonder what our first Thanksgiving will be like?

Cymru to Cow Town Picnic

We're never ones to do things quietly, so we couldn't leave without having some sort of get-together with our local friends. We decided to have a picnic at our village hall, with a Western/USA theme, so the costumes and the cowboy hats came out. We had a fantastic afternoon catching up with everyone, a few of whom we don't get to see very often, but most we see almost every day. Although missing a few faces, the people who mean the most to us, and who make Marshfield a special place to live, were there. We played baseball and football, and the kids enjoyed the playgrounds and messing around on the fields together. To top if all off, the weather was glorious.

Top fancy dress

Some of my favourite little people

Baseball

Football (oops, got to get used to calling it 'soccer')

Hanging out

And it's not even a night out in Cardiff!

Cowboy Dads

We managed to get a photo of (almost) all of us, one for a frame I think!

We were also surprised and overwhelmed with the wonderful leaving gifts and cards we received. Photographs of the Lads & Dad's camping and some classic Welsh souvenirs will be treasured, whilst we're looking forward to dining at Denny's or cooking ourselves a proper curry. Thank you all, you know who you are!

One special thank you has to go to a very talented friend who made us the most amazing teddy bear from Alice, David & Evan's old school uniform. Our perfect bear is especially poignant as they won't have to wear uniform at their new schools in Texas, check him out...

https://www.facebook.com/140501869426754/photos/a.148720398604901.44915.140501869426754/481742488636022/?type=1&theater

The end of an era

What a week! The last week at Marshfield Primary school for Alice, David and Evan (and me too as I have spent so much time there) has been emotionally, mentally and physically exhausting.
 

On Tuesday afternoon we had the summer music concert, in which all the children who play instruments get a chance to perform to an audience and show what they have learned. They all did really well. Alice plays the clarinet and joined in several group pieces as well as performing a solo.

Having been postponed once already due to the weather, sports day was scheduled for Wednesday, with infants in the morning and juniors in the afternoon. In true Welsh style, it was rained off after a couple of hours and only the infants got to compete. 

Under ominous skies, Evan's off...

It might be raining but at least we have tea and cake.

Thursday brought the Year 6 Leavers Assembly, which was excellent. The children did their own version of the "Family Fortunes" quiz show, the 'families' were Infant versus Junior teachers, who were played brilliantly by the children. The 'questions' allowed them to showcase the varied individual talents of the children in the year group, many of whom we have known since they were babies. There were some very funny lines and fantastic impersonations of the teachers, and, of course, lots of singing! As year 6 leaves Marshfield Primary School to move on to high school this summer it was very emotional for all the pupils, parents and teachers.

And so to the final day of school for the Fishers in the UK. The Year 6 leavers had a picnic and a fun afternoon planned. Fittingly for us, the entertainment was a rodeo bull. The children all ran round getting their school shirts signed and taking numerous 'selfies'.

Alice makes a good attempt on the bull.

The traditional end of the leavers afternoon is marked by the ringing of the old school bell. Each year 6 pupil is individually called through the front entrance of the school to ring the school bell and officially leave. At the end of the proceedings, David and Evan were allowed to ring the bell too.

Ringing the old school bell, they have officially left!

As if all that wasn't enough, the year 6's have a final leavers party with a buffet and disco at St. Mellons Hotel. The girls and boys dressed up to the nines and had a great evening. Alice was made an extra fuss of and received some fabulous welsh gifts and a notebook signed by all her friends to send her on her way to Texas, it was very touching.

We're not allowed to forget Wales!

Pet relocation

The question I have been asked the most is what happens to our dog when we move. We have a 3 year old Labradoodle called Bess, and she walks to school with us every day, so everyone knows her. Of course, she is coming with us to Fort Worth. We have a pet relocation company in charge of her move, and it’s much easier than you would think. She is fully vaccinated, including Rabies, has a pet passport and is microchipped, therefore no quarantine is required. The pet relocation company will collect her from our house in the UK, take her to the airport, have her checked by the vet and she will board overnight in kennels whilst we will be staying in a hotel near the airport. In the morning they will take her through customs and she will travel in a dog crate in a pressurised hold for the flight, she is on the same flight as us. When we land they will check her through US customs and deliver her to our house in Fort Worth. She won't be sedated at any point, but hopefully she will sleep in the 'white noise' of the plane's hold. She’s not going to like any of it very much, but at least it doesn’t take very long. Then she’ll just have a new house, garden, and baking heat to get used to.

The more uncomfortable it looks the happier she is,
so hopefully she will be fine on the plane!

Girls night in

Whilst Rob's away in Fort Worth, I thought I could have a girls night in with my first gang of local best friends. We originally bonded over tea and biscuits when we started going to local baby and toddler groups with our firstborns, and have remained good friends ever since. We've had some great days out and also have an annual camping weekend in Landshipping, Pembrokeshire. It helps that our kids all get on really well too. Suffice to say, over wine and nibbles, we had such a giggle, and Catherine made a fantastic cake, you're not making it easy to leave here guys!

The perfect Anglo-American combination; a Victoria sponge
under the stars and stripes, thank you Mrs. S, yum yum!

The field

One of the things I'm really going to miss when we move is living next door to a field. I love to watch the changes as the seasons roll by, the birds and the butterflies. Evan loves watching the tractors going in and out doing their various jobs, especially when they cut the grass and bale the hay. We go over the field in all weather, if it's raining the waterproofs go on and we get muddy. A drainage reen runs though the fields and the kids have what they call "The Den" in some of the bushes and trees over the reen. Many hours of fun have been had climbing trees and playing with their friends in the den. However, the member of the family who will miss it the most will be Bess, there is nothing better than a romp over the field chasing a ball or frisbee, sticking your face in cowpats, playing with other dogs and wading in the reen!