Spain...Heidi on her own!

Tyler stayed back for work and watched Lu along with my lovely neighbor Micci, while I went to Barcelona Spain to visit my old friend from college Charlie! We have a great time together!!! Charlie works for the W Hotel in San Fransisco and got us a room in Spain that was DIIIIIVINE!!! We saw a large Picasso exhibit, has some yummy tapa's, did the touristy Hop on Hop off bus tour and reminisced! At one of the tour bus stops we saw the Sagrada La Familia. A church that has been being built for the last hundred years all by private donations and is not to be done for another twenty years. What was done was amazing, the architect who is deceased now took all his inspiration from nature. the whole church was filled with organic shapes. Cones with berries, branches with doves, staircases in the circular shape of a shells, it was amazing. Thanks to Tyler for footing the bill on my trip while staying to watch the Moon. Thanks to Charlie for a great time and thanks to Lu for being good for our neighbor while I was gone! Success!!!!!

Spring Lunch in our Garden

Lucy and I made some butternut squash soup, sauteed up some purple cabbage and had our lunch in the cold but sunny garden attached to our flat. Notice the clothes on the line in the background, no dryers in these European Flats!

Grease!

Lucy got her face painted after the show. Here we are outside Grease in the theater District of Liecester Square London. We bought her the movie Grease and with a little hesitation let her watch it...we have see it fifty million times now!!!!

We went to Grease!

Lucy and Tyler saw their first big theater performance. We saw Grease and Lucy totally loved it!

Lucy's Stories

Lucy was crying in her sleep so I gently woke her. She told me she was having a sad dream: There was a family of little people living in a house this big (showing with her finger a teeny tiny circle) they were really small and they could get into their little house. One day the Big Daddy in the big house with a green face put the little people outside and they couldn't get back in. I told her that was sad, and that I was sorry that happened....I later told her Dad in front of her about her dream and she then added...but the Daddy let them back in and it was all ok.....

Kew Gardens

One of my friends from college, Carol had a friend who was also living in London temporarily. Our schedules didn't match up until right before she was heading back to the states but we were able to enjoy a lovely day at Kew Gardens together. The Tropical Extravaganza was going on while we were there. We were able to see so many beautiful tropical plants much of which were Orchids...not that exotic seeing as you can get them in all major grocery stores these days. Lucy really enjoyed the huge cat fish in one of the hot houses....watched in for quite a while! There was an indoor play area which Lucy loved as well.

Northern Ireland

Lucy getting her hair clipped with old fashion sheep sheers...it can't be worse then what she has already accomplished on her own with scissors!! Here is a link to the photo's from this trip: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/HeidiandLuLu/NorthernIreland#

Tyler took this photo of Lucy at Bishops Gate, on the coast of Northern Ireland. This is my favorite picture of Lucy ever!

As of now the BEST place on Earth (excluding OR...of course!)

From the minute our plane touched down in Belfast Tyler and I felt a sense of attachment for Ireland. After living in a concrete jungle on the outskirts of London through the coldest months of the year, Northern Ireland was a breath of fresh air. I got in the car and there was a steering wheel starting at me...Tyler got in on the left, key in hand and we just started laughing so hard! Once Tyler got the hang of driving on the opposite side of the road and we headed out of town the view from our car was breathtaking! We headed from Belfast to Omagh, a town which housed a living interpretive museum which tells the tale of how Irish lived at the turn of the century. It explains how life was and why they had no choice but to flee after the potato famine. Traveling with their families to major port towns to board what was called a "coffin ship" they played the odds. You either stayed in Ireland and your family starved to death or you sailed to a land of an uncertain future! It was a great museum and we learned so much! We kept thinking about the McKay clan and how hard life must have been for Tyler's distant relatives. After the museum we headed to a great B&B. You could see for four counties from the view at the B&B! And every morning we got served a hot breakfast...little did we know when they say they are going to serve you a "traditional Irish breakfast" it means the same thing everywhere, one egg, weird toast like bread, two sausages and TONS of ham/beacon, a half of a baked tomato (which is weird because they don't grow in Ireland) and whole baked mushrooms! We had that EXACT dish every morning at three different B&B's dispersed throughout Northern Ireland. The best part of the trip for all of us was the coast line in the North East corner. Old Castles, great beaches that made us feel at home and AMAZING countryside. The Irish are so friendly and we made more friends in four days then we have in the two months we have been in London! Tyler met a fellow Dad at a park while Lucy played with his daughter. He was a potato farmer and he says even still they have to spray for the fungus that ignited the potato famine every seven days!!! I met a massage therapist was was most interested in my information on traditional cooking methods so I gave her my email and some websites! What friendly folk! So all we need now is a little plot of land, some sheep, an orphaned red head, a brick house painted white, and two visa's!!!

One Cold Cold Day in London

<----- Lucy's new home, Tower Castle Falling Down, Falling Down, Falling Down... Tyler and our Bratwurst at yet another great Farmers Market down the hill from London Bridge station!

The moon

Snow Snow Snow

Lucy and I built this Snow Cake in our backyard...and yes she is in a party dress and leg warmers. It's hard being a Diva but someone's gotta do it!

It Snowed in London...

Lucy and Tyler in Front of our House in Thornton Heath. This looks Pretty in the Dark, but it was too cold to stand outside and wait for the sun to go down. This is our neighbor boy Casper...he looks fierce but in reality Lucy wraps strings around him and calls him her Kitty Cat... And then he Meows!

Hang on to your daughters

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31Irc8CHK0c&feature=related Let it be known, this is one reason I fear Merk and vaccines!

Time to start acting like a Brit!

At the Farmer's Market there were beautiful pies..and not the savory kind! Mince meat pies. I decided that while I am here I am going to try my hand at British food...minus eel or faggots, which is pig heart and stomach...mmmmm! Who else should I turn to then Jamie Oliver for his recipe including Marmite and Worcestershire sauce! Lucy and I spent all afternoon in the kitchen and what came out of the oven pleased Tyler to no end after a cold two hour train ride! Come for visit and I will make you one!

Lucy's First Day of School in Thornton Heath

Lucy really wanted this pink dress with beads and butterflies on it. Every time we walked passed the charity shop (like goodwill back home) she would point to the dress. So I gave her three pounds and told her to go in and ask how much the dress was. She emerged with the dress and a pound to spare. I told her she could spend it however she wished...and then informed her that her Daddy and I don't spend our money on food that isn't good for us very often, and that it's better to save it for something you really want. The pound here is a coin no bigger the a quarter and the equivalency of a dollar and a half in the states. She put it is her pocket and it disappeared! :( She did however choose this outfit for her first day of school. Rainbow tights, the pink dress, and a long sleeve pink top under the dress at my request! She was quit proud... pictures of her school coming soon!

I love you Dad

Moon is learning to write letters. She asked me how to spell "I Love You" I wrote it down on a piece of paper and she then wrote it all on her own for the first time! She gave him this when he got home from work..her first love letter and it's to her Daddy!

Peace in Palastine

A protest of thousands gather in Trafalgar Square to voice their opinions about the War in Gaza. The Police were out in full force with their shields, face masks, canines and horse calvary. We watched for a while but as the sun set on the other side of the square we thought it was time for us to make haste! Later in the news we read that it got a little out of control with people kicking in store front window and stampeding Piccadilly Circus!

A true Portlander's Day in London

To date this was one of the best days in England. We found a Farmers Market in Nottinghill. I found great "real" milk, hand crafted spelt sourdough bread, beet juice, organic veggies and sweeties for Lucy, all local and clean! It's a jackpot for a localvore like me! Later in the day while a bit turned around near Kings Cross we came across the oldest British Brewery. Although it was only a little after one p.m., Tyler and I took one look at each other and we knew we had to at least try it out! Beer is a staple food in the Portland area, we take it seriously. The beer didn't hold a candle to our beloved Bridge Port Blue Heron. But Tyler's stout filled him up and my cider was very sweet and strong! The Pub was great...there was just one problem. The plumbing that is in place throughout London is the original plumbing from when they invented flush toilets! This being a building older then flush toilets you can just imagine what the plumb system might be like. As soon as "Lu" and I walked downstairs to the bathroom the most foul zoo like smell came over us! All part of living in one of the oldest civilized Cities in the world I suppose!

A Bend in the Fence

Children's' laughter wafts into our postage stamp living room. Lucy's loneliness has strengthened her perception and she immediately sniffs out the voices of children. Running for her easy on pink cow girl boots I assess that I too will have some part in braving the cold snap and following the laughter of a child. Clad in cotton P.J. bottoms and morning hair at 3 a.m. Lucy's little "hello" reaches none of the joy coming from the garden which I have a small glimpse of, due to a bowing stretch of fence. Our landlord's negligence to prop up their privacy has left a wedge, our necks outstretched to the possibility that our thorny bit of yard cannot offer. Hello I beg to to them. A friendly child and his Aunt come over and offer up the names and ages of the children and promise to pass on our plea to the mother of the house. Days later, still in the cotton P.J. bottoms with so many hours still left in the day to entertain a four year old, someone rings our flat. I know not a single person in the whole of this country, was that a buzz to our house? Did Tyler come home mid day for some strange reason? With Lucy at my feet we open the door to no greater gift then we could have asked for. Her name was Micci and she was not an Angel. With bits of spit up on her woolen button up and arms filled with two young children she was glowing with everything a mom finds comforting in a fellow mom. She came in without reservation or judgmental glances of our nominal flat or my cotton bottoms! Plopping on my sofa she opened her mouth to all my unanswered Momma questions about life here. I had been scouring the internet which can be a mothers best friend. You can find anything you need, right there at home, without dragging kids all over town to find out dates, times, locations, health advice etc.! But the familiar woes of a motherhood spoken face to face, while almost rhythmically interrupted by offspring, far out weights the cyber chat groups or thousands spent on therapy. And the beautiful part about motherhood is that it's a universal language. While on the tube last week a young Indian boy struggles to free himself from his stroller, fussing and carrying on. I send a familiar glance to his mother, it speaks louder then words. Words which she might not understand, or hear as the tube is packed with people. In my single glance I assure her that I am not judging her, that I too have been in her position and offered up my bit of empathy. As mothers we need the support from other mothers more then anything. Micci left my flat that day leaving me an open invitation to come next door for tea. And I sprung to life with hope, after days of second guessing our whole move to London. She and I became fast friends, speaking mainly the language of motherhood. She would later help me get Lucy in school, let me borrow everything in her house that would n't fit in my suitcase and offer friendship to me and my family. And that day I learned a lesson. Not that I didn't practice mother to mother kindness faithfully, but I learned the profound effect it can have on the mother, her children and even her Husband. "If Momma aint' happy, ain't nobody happy"

Much needed R+R for Moon and Me

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

The First Little Bit of London

We are here in London and life has been a little rough at the start. Tyler arrived in London three weeks before Christmas with two goals in mind., find work and find housing! He managed to secure both before Lucy and I arrived. Lucy and I flew out of Portland on Christmas day, after two hours delay in Portland we were on our way! Until we got to Salt Lake and had to wait for a plane to JFK for nine hours! Finally at JFK I ran with bags and Lucy to my gate only to find the plane pulling away. Thirteen hours later Lucy and I made it to London, but were stopped at Customs..."What are you going to do without a job for six months?" the woman asks me? After a half hour of questions and Tyler waiting out front she put Lucy and I and all our bags in a little room so she could speak with her higher up's. She then called Tyler and asked all the same questions she had asked me. We waited another hour in that little room, Lucy curled up on my lap. She came back and this is what she said... " You have been flagged, if you get a job we will know. If you apply for benefits, we will find out. And we have ways to find out these things. I sure would like to be able to go to the U.S for six months but that could never happen." She whacked down a stamp on my passport and let me in the country. Finally at our New home that Tyler picked out we were beyond tired, we had left on Christmas Day and finally arrived two and half days later. We are living in a 350 sq ft flat. We have a sweet little kitchen and a set of doors to a backyard covered in blackberries. What we have discovered is that we have several little foxes that use our yard as their home, and they are not shy to prance around right in front of the door. It is quite entertaining! The borough we are living in is called Thorton Heath, which is a twenty minute train ride to the heart of London. Life here was slow to start. With little money and Tyler at work all day and then a two hour commute each way there were several hours for Lucy and I to fill. It was too cold to go walking around and too expensive to go on the train or turn up the heat! I thought to myself...what have we done?

Proud to be Married to this Man

It was no small feat when Tyler walked across the stage receiving his masters in Social Work. Being in and out of the system himself as a child, and abandoned by his mom at thirteen Tyler would learn to take care of himself from that point on, bouncing around from ranch to ranch working their land for room and board. At seventeen he moved into the bunk house of a local ranch Family. Teri and Robert Fretwell showed him love and welcomed into their family. After graduation his teachers encouraged him to learn a trade. He received a one year welding certificate from Treasure Valley Community College. After completion he felt confident to go on for his associates. After becoming president of his community college and receiving his associates he set his sites on a bachelors. He moved to Monmouth where he earned a bachelors degree in psychology. Completing his Masters was quit the accomplishment, when you've got a family to support and want to be with! During grad school he saw an advertisement for Social Workers needed in the U.K. After months of paper work we chucked all our belongings aside from my kitchen aid, grain grinder and warm clothes and set out across the pond! That brings us to our current residents...London England. Where Tyler is now a "locum" social worker. His job is to meet with clients in their residents, hear their story and assess what services they need. There is more to this job which I do not fully understand! He has more clients then he could ever have time for and after two months they are giving him high risk cases. Social Workers are quit poplar in the media here...and not for good reason. Several young children have fallen through the cracks and the abuse they received from their parents has resulted in their deaths, with the blame falling on the social worker in charge of their cases. The most famous case was that of "Baby P"http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article5140511.ece. After "Baby P" there have been a sting of similar cases just in the short time we have been here. Tyler says that heat is on in his office with a lot of pressure to cover your basis. Yet how are the social workers able to do their job when they are overloaded with cases and allocated new one daily? The system here is broken, similar to the U.S. For Tyler's first professional Social Work job out of grad school this has made for quit an experience to say the least! Last night Tyler said, he wouldn't last a full year at his current position due to the chaos and mismanagement among other things!

Moon and her Daddy with what's left of a Glacier in Alaska

Heading North...to Alaska!

Soon after we were married Tyler made the decision to go back to school so he could better provide for our new little family. Graduate school was another uphill battle, Tyler was going to school by day and working residential treatment by night. I found myself neck deep in two little girls and a sink that never cease to have a mountain of dishes in it! Tyler worked hard. While I stayed home and learned how to cook. I discovered the Weston A. Price Foundation and became deeply involved in nourishing my family through whole foods. Come Christmas 2006 Tyler and I started to talk about how this was no way to live! We never got to see each other and our brand new marriage was in real danger. The stress of life was beginning to bear down on us. We decided to make change! We planned out a trip to Alaska, a place we both longed to go. On July 2nd with a thousand dollars in our pockets, and an I.O.U. on a half paid 1985 camper we headed North . To save money I would make homemade rolled oats and soak beans for soups and dips. Make chickens in our little over and then make stock from the bones which I used for soups or to cure the sniffles! These prairie techniques have proven to be the most healthy and economical. Tyler knew enough about cars that he managed any problem our camper presented him with!To make money he helped build a cabin in the deep woods and a boardwalk down to a shallow fishing hole. He created some amazing tile stairs for a wealthy family that took us in and offered great hospitality. We saw the most amazing scenery and met so many different Folks! It was a beautiful drive. Tyler and I learned to have civil discussions over maps and loving conversations over campfires. Lucy began to like her little "mobile" home and loved having her Mom and Dad's undivided attention day in and day out! Alaska mended our marriage, and taught us a lot about who we were as a couple without the chaos of the day to day. Alaska would also give us hope for our future as a family. It taught us that anythings in possible, not matter how much you have in the bank! With the love and support of our family back home, new friendships and amazing hospitality anything can be achieved!

Finding our way together

Tyler and I would spend the next two years working opposite hours. He was working residential treatment, treating teenagers who were emotionally and physiologically abused. I worked as a full time Nanny watching a little girl named Cassidy who would become like my own child. Motherhood was something I found harder then anything I had ever done. I was giving my everything to Lucy, my bed, my body, my family and every minute of every day. I left nothing for myself. I leaned hard on Tyler for all my needs. After leaving a twelve hour shift with emotional teenagers, to come home to a lonely new Mom and her crying baby made us all vulnerable and weak. It would prove to be one of the most difficult times in our lives to date. Through sheer blind love for each other and our daughter we made our way to the end of a tunnel. We emerged not as boyfriend and girlfriend but as a hard working Father and Mother and more like a Husband and Wife. On Mothers day 2005, one hand clutching Jacks leash, the other wrapped tightly around Lucy on bended knee they all looked up at me as Tyler asked me to be his wife. We were married under a hand crafted arbor Tyler had built for us.

Our Story Begins.....

Our Story begins with two new grads. They were living in Boise Idaho. Tyler working hard to stack money in the bank, to buy a vehicle to travel the world. Heidi compiling her peace core application and dreaming of Alaska. On Christmas eve 2003 all this changed. Tyler and Heidi were going to be parents come August! Sure enough Baby Lucy Lynn McKay was born August 26th 2004. Things were being done a little out of order, but that was no reason to throw our hands up in surrender. We were parents now, responsible for not just ourselves. With one look into those big blue/green eyes we committed our everything to her. So Tyler worked day and night (literally) so that Lucy would not ever have to be put in day care. I became a mother, giving my body and soul to this new life.