Miller Country, Cheese Nation & Brats

What else could one ask for? Answer...week with the family with all of the above. That is exactly what Scott and I did for the last week in Wisconsin.

Growing up a regular summer included a trip to Lake Holcombe, Wisconsin which is about 30min from where my dad grew up. My grandparents used to have a house on the lake which was sold back in the 80's but it is where I learned to waterski as a kid, knee board, eat lots of cheese curds, learn that I didn't really like brats, learn to play a dice game called 'Pinkie', get taken down to the 'Pink Store' for sweets by my grandma and ice skate on the lake in winter. Over the years that passed after they sold the house, we all would go up to stay at a new resort that had opened on the lake and this had become an annual summer vacation and over these years the family has expanded. My dad's three siblings all now have 2 kids (well mostly adults now) and are all married. As most things in life as you grow up there are other things that come up and other things to see so this trip has now become an every other year event. This being the year of the trip everyone gets hyped up for the week at the lake. One of my cousins, Michael just graduated high school and was given the choice to come to Wisconsin for the week or to Hawaii for the week for graduation gift....decision...WISCONSIN! The day has finally come to make the flight back home to Miller Country.

After a 7 hour plane ride to NJ, one day in NJ or running errands, an early rise on Saturday morning we were on another plane to Minneapolis and a 2 hour drive to the lake. We stopped and the Leinie Lodge prior to arriving at the lake for a taste of one of the finest beers in Wisconsin. There are 20 of us in all who are there for the week and it is great getting to see all of my cousins growing up and getting to reunite with my aunts and uncles and of course getting to see my family again. There is one interesting fact about the 'Flaten Crew' that I think is not that common these days in families and it is that we all get along and like being with each other for the week vacation. Is that normal or is it just us Norwegians from Wisconsin?

You ask, "What do you do for the week at the lake?". Let me tell you....we eat, drink, sleep, get sun tanned, talk and lounge in the water. Good enough?

Here are some pictures of the relaxation and the lake.

Now for the family:

In order of appearance (top left to right):

1st picture: Uncle Paul, Aunt Vicky and Uncle Dave (Dad's Siblings)

2nd Picture: Cousin Katie and Cousin Kayla playing Polish Golf

3rd Picture: (front row) Aunt Mary Ann, Aunt Vicky

(2nd Row) My Mom, Libby, Brad (Dad's Cousin)

(3rd Row) My Dad, Uncle Dave

(4th Row) Cousin Maddy, Aunt Sharon, Cousin Abby, Uncle Paul

4th Picture: Brother Chris, John (Brother's best friend), Scott, Uncle Bob, Uncle Dave, Cousin Ryan, Cousin Michael

5th Picture: Mary Ann, Abby, Maddy, Kayla, Vicky

6th Picture: Mary Ann, Vicky, Dave and Bob's head

7th Picture: Ryan and Chris

8th Picture: Ryan and Kayla (brother and sister)

9th Picture: Mary Ann and Chris

10th Picture: Vicky and Abby (Mother and Daughter)

11th Picture: Ryan and Michael

12th Picture: Ryan and Michael (loading up the beer again)

13th Picture: Stephanie and her daughter Katie

14th Picture: Me (drinking a Miller High Life), Vicky, Mary Ann, Mom, Maddy

Some key facts about the week:

1. What was on tap?

a. Miller High Life Light (The Champagne of Beers)

b. Miller Lite

c. Leinenkugel's Honey Weiss

d. Miller Genuine Draft Light

e. Leinenkugel's Light

f. Coors Light

g. Corona Light

2. To eat:

a. Cheese Curds (Fried and fresh squeekers)

b. Brats

c. Hot Dogs

d. Burgers

e. Pizza

f. Fish Fry (Walleye)

g. 4.4lbs of Cadbury Chocolate

h. Smores

3. Activities:

a. Relaxing

b. Jet Skiing

c. Pontooning

d. Volleyball

e. Polish Golf

f. Golf

g. Dock Raming

h. Floating on rafts

i. Drinking

j. Beer Pong

4. If Polish Golf ever becomes an Olympic Event, watch out for my cousin Abby. She is a ringer!

5. Never stand in the way of Katie's serve in Volleyball. My team couldn't seem to stop her serves.

After consuming mass amounts of beer, cheese, burgers, brats, chips, smores, playing golf, playing polish golf, playing volleyball, relaxing in the lake and seeing Moose swim for the first time it was time to pack up and head home.

We had a wonderful time at the lake and it is hard to imagine when we said goodbye to everyone that it will be two years till we see most of them again. My parents and us packed up our rental car and headed back to the airport to hop on our flights. We parted ways in NJ again and after a few tears shed Scott and I were back on the plane to London.

Love to all the family and it was a fantastic week spent with you all! See you all in June next year in a warm European Destination!!!

Thought the Day Would Never Come

that we would be going home for a vacation to the states and in the midst of packing for vacation also packing the suitcases to the brim with items to bring home to the US for good.

I moved over to the UK officially on January 5, 2006 but had started coming over in November 2005 after we had already signed our lease. My first few trips over to the UK, when we knew we were moving here, I had vacuum packed loads of clothes, comforters, towels, sheets, toiletries, shoes, etc. to settle in to some sort of life until the movers came with the rest. It felt like my life was in a suitcase (well a few for that matter). I remember the first day walking in to the flat on my own and it had this "cold" feeling, no not just the temperature, but it just wasn't "home". I remember sitting on the couch trying to find a good show to watch, staying up till 1-2am every night so that I could talk to Scott, my family and friends. I remember crying the first few nights saying that I hated it here and that I can't believe I was actually doing this and doing this on my own. I remember when I would go home to plan our wedding that I didn't want to fly back to the UK knowing I was getting on the plane by myself. Lastly, I remember the first time that Scott and I actually were on a flight together and he was officially moving here on his British Passport. That was the easiest day to fly since I knew life was going to be much better.

So now after living in the UK for 2 years 7 months and 6 days, it is time to start doing the reverse. It is an odd feeling since the first year of living in the UK I was on my own due to Scott not being able to move over since we weren't married and we hadn't lived with each other for 3 years to support that we were a couple. Now when I walk around our flat with our stuff in it and our pictures hanging on the wall our 4 legged daughter Bailey following us around it is starting to feel like "home" all in the nick of time to move back to the US. We have made some great friends here that we will keep in touch with, renewed a friendship from a former high school classmate and her fiance and "met" lots of lovely International Nesties that I will be sorry to have to say "bye" to.

Don't get me wrong, with under 150 days to go until we move home for good, it is what we have been waiting for. This experience has been a fantastic Chapter in our lives and undoubtebly opened our eyes up to some amazing experiences. This is our last trip home prior to moving home for good in December. Therefore it is time to jam pack the suitcases with everything that we need to have the day we move home or for Christmas in case the movers can't get our stuff to us prior to the Holidays. It is amazing to see what we have accumulated over in the UK, and have started our listing of items to sell before we move home, items to give to goodwill (charity), or items just to chuck in the trash. With that, I wish the Virgin check-in agent to be generous when it comes to weight limits of our luggage for this trip home!

Happy Anniversary!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY MOM & DAD!

Yesterday my parents celebrated their 37th Wedding Anniversary! 2 years ago my brother and I threw my parents a Surprise Anniversary Party in Wisconsin and had about 50 people attend! Pretty good considering none of their friends from NJ came!

I am fortunate to have such wonderful, loving parents whom raised my brother and I with their unconditional love. They have always supported us in what we do and maybe when we were making wrong choices they let us figure that out ourselves as a "live and learn". We got to travel all over the US for vacations since they were big on getting us to see the 50 states while growing up. We were taught that if you couldn't say anything nice then don't say it at all. I couldn't ask for better parents and I just hope when my time comes to be a mom that I can be as good of a parent as they have been for us.

Here are my parents on their wedding day 37 years ago!

Lots of Love to you Both! See you in 8 days!

House Renovations

Our little Cape Cod style house back home is going to be getting some renovations prior to our Maiden Voyage back to the US in December.

Here is the house as it looked when we bought it:

This is the view of our house from the street. For all of those whom are not familiar with a Cape Cod house, the 2nd story was traditionally used for storage so therefore the upstairs is not as large as the bottom (note where the upstairs windows and roof line are).

This next picture would be the front room on the right (as soon as you walk in the front door):

Kitchen when we moved in: Kitchen after we renovated it:

Upstairs currently: (first picture is the stairs which are in the middle of the house, second is a picture of one of the 2 upstairs bedrooms- considered tandom since the one is not private, 3rd picture is the 2nd bedroom which was used as a nursery-hence the clouds by the previous owners).

We have been working with an architect and these are the plans for the renovated/addition to the 1st and 2nd floor. The big changes are the moving of the stairs (to accomodate a better layout upstairs), the full addition on the back (where the kitchen and dining room end is where the house currently ends today), adding 2 bathrooms upstairs where there were not any and making the downstairs a half bath.

Please make any suggestions/comments you have!