A year in

So, we have been here a year.  I can't quite believe it.  I have spent most of this week looking through photos for our frames we got for Christmas, and rereading my blog.  Wow, what a lot we have done.

I was going to give a big old speech, but the more i think about it, I would have too much to say.  Instead, I have spent the past couple of nights putting together a little snapshot of out lives in the last 12 months.  I hope y'all enjoy whats below.  There are links below each picture relating to what is in the photo.

I am so proud of what we have achieved here this year.  I don't want to brag, I just want everyone to enjoy what we have done.  I have fun writing this blog, even if it does seem like a chore at times...

Happy reading, and I look forward to you all keeping up with us in our upcoming adventures:

NASCAR race

Trip back to the UK

Many birthdays

France next summer......

And plenty more in between

Free photo collage made with Smilebox

More details here

This digital collage made with Smilebox

More details here

This free collage personalized with Smilebox

More details here

Digital collage generated with Smilebox

More details here

Personalize a photo collage

More details here

Create your own digital collage

More details here

Picture collage customized with Smilebox

More details here

Personalize a picture collage

More details here

A free picture collage by Smilebox

More details here

Free picture collage created with Smilebox

More details here

Free digital collage created with Smilebox

More details here

Collage personalized with Smilebox

More details here

Personalize a collage

More details here

This picture collage created with Smilebox

More details here

This picture collage made with Smilebox

More details here

Another photo collage by Smilebox

More details here

Customize a free collage

More details here

This picture collage customized with Smilebox

More details here

More details here

More details here

More details here

More details here

More details here

More details here

More details here

More details here

More details here

More details here 

*******************************************************************************************************************

NOTE ABOUT THE PHOTO COLLAGES

I originally began collaging these photos on my iPad, using my last 1000 photos.  That took me back to Florida (can you believe we have taken 5000+ photos in the last year?  the joys of iPhones).  I used Smilebox to collage them.  When I downloaded the same app to the Mac, it was a pain in the a**e to use, quite a hassle, though the choice is better.  I just hope the slide show thingy-me-bobbies come out ok.

Oh, and I am becoming a bit intrigued as to who actually reads my blog.  When I see my friends and ask them if they have, they normally have not!  I don't mind that.  At the end of the day, I do this for my own sanity as much as anyone else's.  I am just intrigues, thats all.....

So if you are reading this, please comment/message on the source you found it, being Facebook, Twitter, Expat Blogs, BlogExpat,  Pinterest, Google and anywhere else that shares this blog.  Will help me to market it in the future.....

Parks

Hellooooooo

Sorry these are becoming so infrequent.  I have a re-sit exam coming up next month, and what with the visitors about to descend on us, we have been quite busy.

So what have we been up to????  Well I survived Oliver's Spring break, with a lot of help from meeting up with friends.  We did the zoo, which he actually really enjoyed, had our neighbors over, again another success, and met up with friends in the park on another couple of days.

The park..... It wasn't just one park.  On the monday we went to Simpsonville City Park.  This is about 5 minutes drive from our house.  It has a wonderfully fenced in play park (important when there is a Seb roaming around), and also a baseball diamond, fitness route and basketball court.
Cleveland Park is by the zoo, we nearly always go there after the zoo, cos the kids just aren't tired enough already....  This has 2 separate play areas, both under cover, yet they both have some play equipment in full sun ( thats gonna be fun in July).  The only major problem with this park is the complete lack of fences.
We did Gary Pittman Park on thursday.  This has another play area, with good equipment, a walking trail, and many many football pitches.  Good for the kids to blow off some steam.

First Ice cream of the season

Friday we did Heritage Park.  This one is also in Simpsonville, and is huge.  It has a good set of play equipment, all fenced into an area inside a minature train track.  This is opening to the public again soon.  It also has a walking trail, and is the home to Simpsonville Little League.  The amphitheater is just at the other end of the park.  We are going to see the Black Keys play there in July.  I am so excited!!!!

The best thing about all the parks I have come across here???  They all have toilets conveniently located to the play parks.  No more wee-ing in bushes!!!!!  It is so nice.  The amount of times i have been caught short, particularly by Isaac, I am most grateful to have good, clean, safe facilities at all the parks we have attended so far.

These are just the parks we went to last week.  The first 2 we do quite regularly.  The other 2 not so often.  As we progress further into Spring/Summer, we will be going to more and more, particularly the ones with water parks.  I cant wait.  It has been really nice over here for the last few days.  After we did Heritage Park, we went for an ice cream, and sat outside to eat it.  The ice cream station in Simpsonville is always busy, and at their prices, I am not surprised.

Isaac doing his Ronnie O'Sullivan pose

Over the weekend we went shopping, ate out, purchased some garden furniture.  I dug over the veggie patch, which is currently getting a good soaking, as it is chucking it down tonight.  We had some friends over for lunch yesterday, which turned into the whole afternoon, which was lovely.

Got a call from Oliver's Little League coach last night.  He has his first practice on tuesday.  He is really looking forward to it.  He has mastered putting the glove on, and his catching with it is improving.  He wants to do the Reedy River Run next year, I have said I will do it with him.  So far I have managed to put off going running with him, but it is only a matter of time.  It would probably do me some good anyway, prove to me how old and achey my joints are really becoming....

Tony arrives this week!!!!  We are all looking forward to our first visitor, and showing him this wonderful little life we have here.


Almost forgot to mention Paris Mountain State Park.  We took a drive up there last sunday.  It is $2 per adult to get in, and it is amazing.  We ended up walking along the Sulphur Springs Trail to an amazing waterfall and reservoir.  So pretty.  You can swim in one of the lakes there in the summer.  We didn't even go near the play park, we just let the boys roam free.  They loved it, and brought back loads of 'gold' to clean.  We will be back here a lot