Friday 31 August 2012

Bye Eamont...Hello Abbey Road...again!

So here we are, another move. It seems like we do it every two years and each time we tell ourselves that this is the last time! But we're super excited to be in this new, great flat back on Abbey Road. I haven't been as nostalgic as I thought I would be, true there are times when I'm packing or watching Amelia play when the feelings of nostalgia hit me.

This is a flat where so many amazing things happened,and some not so amazing things. We've grown so much as a family in this place. This is the only home Amelia knows. When she thinks of home, this is the place that pops into her mind. We have our routes that we always take to walk to the store, park, zoo and church. She loves her little path which sometimes means running on a certain strip of grass, or walking along the sidewalk that gives us the deepest puddles after it has rained. She knows every detail about this flat, like at the end of the work day, we can hear the lift (elevator) being called and can tell whether it's Dad coming home or not before he's even put his key in the door. She loves her room and her bed. She loves standing on a stool and looking out the window at all the people below. I love the location, we're close to the zoo, Regent's Park and only a block and a half away from her school. And the transport links and store are so much closer. Also we've recently had several people in our ward move into the buildings next to us, we'll miss having neighbors (including Amelia's best friend Perry) just right across the street.

This flat is were Amelia learned to walk, talk, sing, count and play. Countless hours of playing with Daddy in her room, talking to her 'friends' and jumping off the furniture. She's made her first friends and enemies here. We have a table here that we use to measure how much she's grown. Often Matt and I comment on how she used to be so much shorter than the table's edge...now she's at least a head taller than it. Here are the best photos I could find to illustrate it. The first picture was taken a month or so after we moved in:
And this second one was in June:
We do have so many memories that we're taking away, but we're also looking very much to going back to Abbey Road. We have high hopes moving into this new flat. It'll be the nicest place we've ever lived as a family and we're very much looking forward to the new space, the thick walls (and ceilings and floors) and all the possibilities that exist. We will miss Eamont Court, but both Matt and I are certainly looking forward to going back to where we started! Now if we can only get Amelia on board for it...she's feeling very nostalgic, it could be a bit of an adjustment for her. Also we'll be without internet access for a couple of weeks, so we'll post again when we have it up and running!

Saturday 18 August 2012

Tiger Talking...

Here's a fun video I was able to get of Amelia while playing one day. When she's speaking for 'tiger' she always uses this really funny voice. But I've never been able to catch it on video in all its glory. Well, finally, one day I got it. Here's a little taste of what life with Amelia is like. Please don't mind the PJ's or her crazy hair. We were in the middle of our Olympic binge and on Saturdays, it took us longer than usual to get going for the day! Also I don't know why it only shows in the middle of the screen, sorry!

Sunday 12 August 2012

Olympics!

Womens Football Final: USA vs Japan
Welcome back to Wembley!
Teams taking the pitch
Kick off
2nd Half
Team USA win the gold medal!
Carli Lloyd & Hope Solo celebrate
Medalists
BRONZE: Canada
SILVER: Japan
GOLD: USA

Friday 10 August 2012

Olympic football!

Womens football semi final: Japan v France

Wednesday 8 August 2012

And more Olympics!

Early morning start, breakfast on the way to Olympic Park.
BBC interviewing Team GB medal winners
Visiting the shops before the match
Excited to see the hockey
Match 1: NZ v Netherlands
Match 2: USA v South Africa - US Penalty
Goal SA!
Dark clouds over Team USA
Outside Olympic stadium - the Bolt arms!

Saturday 4 August 2012

More Olympics!

Womens Basketball: Czech Republic v Turkey
Outside the basketball arena
Olympic Park viewing area - basketball arena and cycling dome in the background
Wenlock and Mandeville
Back at Wembley! Womens Football: Team GB v Brazil
Penalty....
....saved!
Farewell Wembley