November 2018

It was amazing how quickly we settled into life in our new home, although we couldn´t get our minds around the idea that it was actually ours. We kept thinking we were house-sitting for family and would soon be moving back to our apartment.  Kristian and I spent many an evening just walking around the house feeling very amazed and very blessed. 

A week into November and we had our first guests for dinner. It was Kristian´s colleagues. We had 10 people here for dinner on a Friday evening after work. We had a great evening together with them. 

The weekend after we had our friends Line and Tonni here for coffee and cake. It was great catching up with them.  Then the weekend after that we had yet again people for dinner. It was Kristian´s friend Keld and his wife. Just before they came Kristian´s brother rang to see if we were home, they were in the area and wanted to see where we lived so we told them just to come to dinner along with our friends. We were 9 people for dinner. Luckily I had made a load of Beef Bourguignon in the slow cooker so there was enough food for all. 

We also moved house for Andrew in the middle of November. He had gotten himself a wee apartment near were he would study in the new year. The apartment is so cosy and the monthly rental is cheap. The only down side - it is an hour and a half drive from us. 

I had a few days off work at the end of November. I started my mini holiday by heading to Copenhagen for an afternoon and evening with my friend. We met up after work, had a massage and then went for dinner. The best thing was to come home and know that I didn´t have to get up for work the next day. 

I spent a few days relaxing at home watching films and reading. 

Leah and I went Christmas shopping on Black Friday and got a load of Christmas pressies at bargain prices. We literally walked miles and had a great time doing it! 

The last weekend in November and we were entertaining again. This time my old neighbour and good friend Laura was coming along for dinner with some of our other old neighbours and friends. We were holding Thanksgiving together. Once again we had people around the table. (we were 8 this time) The food was delicious and the company just wonderful. We all felt that we had so much to be thankful for. It's good to take time out to count your blessings from time to time. 

 

October 2018

The month we had been waiting for finally arrived. This month we would get the keys to our dream. We had for years dreamed of owning our own home but because the area in which we lived was an expensive area we were always just a little short of what we needed to buy a house there. ( I was also more interested in being at home with the kids than having a career and working long hours, so we prioritised that.) Now that the kids were grown, we felt that we could move to an area that was not as expensive. 

We would be moving about a 30 to 35 minutes drive from where we had lived for 18 years and we could hardly wait. The only downside was that I was leaving behind my great neighbour and friend - Laura.  It had been wonderful being her neighbour for 6 of those 18 years. (She, however, was also about to move - she too had bought a house in another town.)

Saturday 13th October we got the keys to our new home.

We could hardly believe that this was ours. We felt so grateful, thankful and blessed. 

A few weeks before we moved I posted the photos of our coming home on Facebook. A friend wrote to me to say that the house we bought was just across from where his good friends lived and they were  Christians. I thought that was pretty awesome - we had Christian neighbours. Then another message came from him. He said the girl actually came from Ireland! WHAT!!!!

So a few hours after we got the keys and were cleaning away in the house, someone knocked on our door. When I opened there was a couple dressed up in wigs and false teeth. They put their hands out to shake hands and said "hello we are your new neighbours" in Danish with a Ballymena accent haha

 I wish I had taken a photo! 

I was so excited to meet these neighbours, I was dying to know if the girl came from the South of Ireland or the North. Well, she came from the North, just outside of Belfast!! I could not believe it!!! A Christian and from my homeland - now only God could work that one out!! 

Now that we had the keys we spent the first few days working away on the house getting it cleaned and painted, ready for the furniture. Kristian and I both had the week off work.

Leah and Andrew were a great help too - Sara not so much haha (Sara was also moving that week to an apartment in the middle of the city so she had enough to see to.)

Before long we had the place cleaned and painted and ready for the furniture. 

We worked like crazy and before long we were arranging furniture and seeing what looked good where. 

This was beginning to feel a lot like home  

July, August and September 2018

We were on holiday on the other side of Denmark when the offer on our dream home was accepted. We were so shocked, excited and happy that we just decided to cut our holiday short and get back home so we could sign the papers. 

 In the middle of July, we signed the papers and the house was ours. We spent the rest of our holidays at home going on trips with the kids, with friends and sometimes just Kristian and me. 

August came and it was back to work again after a wonderful summer holiday. 

One of the first weekends in August found Leah and I driving to the island of Fyn to babysit for the weekend. Our old neighbours from years back, their daughter was getting married, and since all the family were going to the wedding she needed someone to look after her little son. I said I would do it and took Leah along for support. 

I must admit I was a little nervous. The wee boy had only turned one and he had never seen me in his life. He was going to be staying with me for the weekend and I was feeling for him. I was mentally prepared for a sleepless, hard weekend. I couldn´t have been more wrong.

He took to us like a duck to water. He was as happy as anything and even when his mum walked down the aisle at the church, there was no crying. He just stayed sitting on my knee.  We ended up having a great weekend with him. 

In August we also started to pack. We would get the keys to our new place in the middle of October and we could hardly wait.  

 I started sorting out all our DVDs and photos. We found some precious old photos as we cleared up and packed things away. It felt good to get organised.

                        An old photo of all of Kristian´s brothers and sisters with their wives or husbands.

 We cleared out a lot of stuff that month. 

September came around rather quickly. We had our 28th wedding anniversary on 1st September. It´s so hard to believe that we have been married for so long. It has gone by so fast and what a blast it has been. I would do it all over again with him Kristian - he is just the best! To celebrate Kristian had arranged an evening out. We had the most delicious dinner and walk. 

 We have loads of birthdays in September too and so between birthdays and packing, the month just flew by. 

                              Kristian was the first to hold a birthday.

 Then it was Leah´s turn. She had invited some friends for brunch.

 Sara had a birthday at the end of September but since she lives 4 hours away, we didn´t get to celebrate her face to face. 

The packing really started to come along...

By the end of September, we had pretty much packed most of the house.