I spent the day playing Frisbee in the super-warm weather and making a railway with the boys. It was really fun! Sometimes, I love this Au Pair business! Also loving this amazingly warm weather and the beautiful views walking down the hill to uni in the morning! Stunning!
Tomorrow I am leaving to see my favourite French man in the sunny South - which involves taking the night-train. A first! I am VERY excited!!

Hope everyone is having a good week!

Au revoir ma cherie! ....and a catch up of some recent events!

On Friday, my best friend here, Betsy left Nancy. It was really sad. Her Mum and sister had been staying this last week too, which has been awesome, and they all went off together first to Italy where they are going to stay for a few days before flying back to The US together. 
Betsy is like a ray of sunshine. She has brought so much joy into a lot of people's lives here. She is such an amazing friend and I am sure that we will always be friends, but it was heart-wrenching to say goodbye. As I saw their night train pull out of Nancy at 10pm on Friday evening, I felt so strange, but I know we will see each other again, and we will continue to be friends, supporting each other and praying for each other, but conversing through skype across and ocean...until our reunion in Wisconsin summer 2012!




Last weekend of the long weekend, we spent some really good quality time with Betsy before her family came.


For the bank holiday weekend, the family went away with the kids, but I stayed here to make the most of my time with Mum and Dad, and with Betsy 

After saying goodbye to Mum and Dad about 3pm on Thursday, I went back to the apartment, booked my tickets home for the summer (2nd August for anyone who cares!) and went to sleep!
Later on, myself, Betsy, Matthias, Ian and Maria ended up going over to Francis's apartment that night. It was a really lovely evening. We chatted, ate pizza and played 'BANG'. I think we're all getting a bit hooked on that game! Maria and Ian left about midnight, but the rest of us, having nothing to do the next day, decided to play scrabble... goodness knows why! Seeing as it was in French, Betsy and I teamed up with a dictionary and the guys went solo! It was actually pretty fun and we did come second - sorry Francis!
We ended up getting home around 2:30am and the next day, I blissfully lay in until around midday! So nice not having the kids waking you up!
It was a really hot day, and after lazing around for a bit, I met up with Betsy and Krista and we went into town and did some shopping.
Then that evening, I had everyone over for dinner and Betsy taught us how to dance! It was a really fun evening! Even Krista and Jonathan came with Noelle!
After we had finished dancing, we decided it was too early for the night to be over and ended up playing scrabble again - but this time in English - till 3am... Serious party animals, us!! Actually, it was really fun and this time we all teamed up to help the French people!

The next day I slept in till midday again, and quickly cleaned up all trace of our soiree as the family were coming back that afternoon and I had neglected to inform them of my plans... not that they would've minded but I wanted to be on the safe side.
That afternoon, Krista, Jonathan and Betsy had organised a wedding shower for Ian and Maria. We all put on our summer frocks and cracked open the bubbly, played wedding showery games and generally had a really nice time! It was such a hot day, but being sensible North Americans, the Pletts have air conditioning which made it more bearable in their loft apartment! 

Betsy and I spent some time in prayer together before saying goodnight, and the next morning, she left early for Paris to meet her Mum and sister!
This last week has been pretty easy for work, and we have spent some nice time hanging out with Betsy's family. On Tuesday we had English bible study which was great, but it was also the evening the hot weather broke, and Ian, Maria and I walked back in the pouring rain and arrived home absolutely soaked!
Wednesday of the children went very well and in the evening, I went to a lovely soiree and BBQ chez Jeany, and with some other people from the church. I left early however to meet Betsy and family on the Place for a late Monaco which was really lovely!
Thursday, I joined the Pletts and the Boersma's for the evening and helped with the packing! And on friday, we had lunch together, and then tea and cake chez Ian to say goodbye. It was really very sad.
But she's going back to her home, and in a month or two, I'm going back to mine, and this time we've had here together will remain such an amazing memory.
Thank you for being such an amazing friend, for making me laugh, cutting my hair, always being up for singing and dancing and doing random last-minute things and for being there! You are the best!
Bon courage, keep smiling, and may God bless you in your final year of uni!

 Missing you so much already. Je t'aime, pour toujours!

Home: Part 3. (including a Royal Wedding!)

Friday:
The day Britain had been waiting for arrived! I woke up and lazily headed downstairs about 9am to find mum already glued to the television, a pain-au-raison in hand. I also noted the union jack bunting that she had her school children make then bring home for herself! Ha! After ribbing her for being so lame, I decided to grab myself some lovely coffee (another good thing about home - the coffee machine) and join her since I too wanted to see a bit of build-up!

We thought it would be fun to wear red, white and blue, seeing as by this point, we might as well go the whole hog with the festivities. Alice joined us, and soon after Grandma was here, also wearing our national colours and waving union jack flags! Hilarious. Mum made Pimms and some yummy snacks then Erin and Eddie turned up... not so lamely dressed us us, but bearing strawberries!!

We all sat down to watch. It was just completely amazing. I am sure you all watched it and know what I'm talking about, but it was just so moving, so genuine and down-to-earth amid all the pomp.
There were some really special moments:

Princes William and Harry turn up...

Kate and her Dad

It was great to see all the royal family, always love a glimpse of Prince Phillip - what a legend.

And the little bridesmaids and pageboys were so cute!

The service, although old-fashioned was meaningful. I think one of the things that stood out for me was when the bishop of London preached. His opening lines were:

“Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.” So said St Catherine of Siena whose festival day it is today. Marriage is intended to be a way in which man and woman help each other to become what God meant each one to be, their deepest and truest selves." (http://www.officialroyalwedding2011.org/blog/2011/April/29/The-Bishop-of-London-s-Sermon)

Amazing words. I was kind of proud to be British at this point. Watching two royal celebrities (let's be honest, they are), committing their lives to one another before God.

We cracked open some bubbly once the ceremony was over, and it was all very celebratory. We waited until the couple appeared on the balcony for the flypast. I thought how crazy it must have been for Kate's family. I am sure that never in a million years would they have believed that they would be in that situation!

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2011/04/the_royal_wedding.html

Well after it was all over (for TV viewers anyway) it all felt a bit flat. There were no street parties in our street... But it was a great occasion!

Later on, I went to meet a friend for a drink before coming back home for a family meal. Arthur and Rosanna were back and it was so nice to see them; it felt like old times again!

Later on we watched a bit of TV. I never much liked Friday night TV before, but it's amazing to watch a bit of British comedy chat after 3 months of French TV which is really shocking!

On Saturday, Arthur, Mum and I went to clanger wood with Brammy. It was so beautiful, and we saw a deer really close up and it stood there and watched us for ages! 

Later on, Dad, Mum and I went into Bath for a bit of shopping etc. We had a really nice lunch in the sun watching the amazing opera singer in Abbey square and just enjoyed the atmosphere. It really was packed with tourists there and it reminded me of when I used to live in Bath and popping into town for something was like doing battle with the tourists! Anyway, it was a really nice day, and later on, we had sausage and mash with onion gravy as I'd been craving it while I was in France...they just don't do sausages like in England! Lizzie came over and she stayed and I woke up in the morning and knew I had to go back to France and it was pretty horrible. But Lizzie, Alice and I went to Maranatha, and afterwards I said goodbye to Lizzie and then we went home and had some lunch and then Mum and Dad took me to the station and I had to leave them. It was so horrible leaving my family, but I know now that three months goes fast and Mum and Dad are coming out to visit in 4 weeks :)
The journey back went fine, except for a slightly scary trek through Gare du Nord area with my huge case. I arrived back at the apartment feeling totally surreal but not too awful and this week has gone well, although it's been full on. More of that in the next instalment.

Missing you,
Lucy xxx