Next Stop...Mum and Dad

Last Sunday we flew across the pond and landed here in London...tomorrow we are heading on to Spain.  This week was lovely, and I truly do love England, but I need to see my parents - days feel a lot longer when I am away from home because we don't speak as much.  It's silly when I think about it, as we are actually closer geographically (a fact that made Mum happy), but because we don't have the same internet connections, communication is sporadic and that leaves an emptiness.  Sooooo, tonight mission impossible was achieved!!!  I managed to pack our things for Spain (including my son's birthday presents, magazines for Mum, crafting supplies to use with Mum, all of our clothes, and books for her to sign for the kids' graduation) INTO HAND LUGGAGE!  We are the proud owners of 3 little bags, and an empty big bag ready to fill and bring back with various things from Mum and Dad's house.  They are currently going through everything (especially Mum's rather large stash of crafting supplies) and either finding a new home for things, or throwing them out.  This will hopefully remove some of the stress from Dad after Mum is gone.  Now my husband is not a fan of lots of extra "things", so he had to remind Mum that she doesn't get to empty her house in to ours!  Hence ONE empty bag!! Anyway, going back this week has been tiring.  We have had little time to ourselves, and spent the week running from place to place visiting old friends.  I guess when you've lived somewhere for 10 years you have a few people to catch up with.  I didn't get to see everyone I'd hoped to, or spend enough time with some people, but we got most.  I did talk a little about Mum, and shed a few tears with closer friends, but generally kept it swept under the carpet still.  That's the ONE blessing of living further away - you mostly get to carry on as if nothing is happening.  Mum has said the lump under the carpet would be too big in their case, so they don't have that luxury.  Next week however will be hard.  I have managed to screw myself up royally worrying about how she will be, and how much time we have left.  Just today Mum and I sadly agreed that we are worried that our time together will go too quickly  (I have tears running down my face as I type).  I guess I address this whole situation behind closed doors, where I don't need to explain myself to anyone...it's too hard in person, so I generally don't.  Those of you who have gone through something similar perhaps felt the same way?  It's funny because at first I didn't want to talk at all...couldn't think of anything worse.  Then a day later, I wanted to talk (A  LOT) to some of my closest friends, and now I don't again.  I think it's because then it becomes all too real again?! Well we have a 5am start tomorrow so I will sign off and get some sleep.  I will find some time to add photos and write more posts whilst I'm with Mum & Dad - with our new camera I might add!  We just bought it tonight as a late anniversary present...My amazing husband and I celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary 34,000 feet in the air.  Yes, we were on the plane for our anniversary, but it was either that or on our son's 6th Birthday, so we opted to miss our day not his!  We will be celebrating our little guy's big day with Grandma and Grandpa by his side...that's both kids' birthdays Mum has been present for this year - God always has a plan!