I'm baaaccckkk!!

Hello there!! I am back from my 3 week trip home to England to see family and friends, and to visit a nutritionist that specialises in Endo. I had such a wonderful time, and got to catch up with so many old friends- but gotta tell ya, I think I need a holiday to recover from that holiday, wow I was busy! Here's a quick run down of my adventures:

I landed in London on the Sunday and met up with one of my old school friends who lives down there and she was kind enough to take me out to a yummy restaurant for some good English grub (steak and ale pie!!) and then give up her bed to me for the night- thanks Bec!!!

Here we are at Liverpool St station, before we said goodbye and I headed off to my next stop....

On Monday, I had my appointment with Dian Shepperson-Mills. She is a nutritionist who specialises in healing endometriosis through diet and supplements. I found out about her through her book Endometriosis: A Key to Healing through Nutrition and had been wanting to be able to see her in person so I could get a plan from her set up just for me and my symptoms. I was really happy to be able to get an appointment with her while I was back, and it was well worth it. She had endo herself, and so completely understood when I was trying to describe or explain symptoms and pains I had experienced- I have always struggled to put some of it in to words so others could understand it, and she gave me the words- it was wonderful! Anyway, without going into too much detail, we went over all my issues and developed a supplement and diet plan that  I am to follow for a month, and then I will have regular appointments with her on Skype where we'll discuss my progress and tweak the plan as needed. I have to admit to a shaky start to it though- I have to avoid wheat and cow's dairy, and well I was on holiday, in England near Christmas..... there were a lot of tempting treats I just couldn't resist. Now I'm home though, I am back on track and taking this really seriously. I really want to get off all my meds and be able to control this disease on my own, so I have to put the work in.

So, after London I got the train up to Norfolk on Monday evening and headed back to Mum and Dad's house. The next few days were filled with visiting family, shopping in Norwich, and just relaxing and catching up with my parents. Then on the Saturday, I headed up to the Midlands to stay with my best friend Dawn, and her husband and baby for a few days. Her baby, Madeleine, was christened on the Sunday, so we had lots to get done, making food for the party afterwards and getting everything set up. I was honoured to be asked to be Madeleine's Godmother, so Sunday was a very proud day for me, and I was so thankful I was able to make the trip and actually be there for her special day. Here's a pic of my little princess during the service, isn't she just adorable!

It was sooo cold in that church!!! The service was lovely though, as it was a christingle service also, and we sang Oh Little Town of Bethlehem at the end, which really got me in the Christmas spirit!! After the service we had a little reception/party at the village hall. Our other good friends, who I haven't seen since Dawn's wedding last year were there, and it was lovely to catch up with them. It's funny how I am apart from them for so long, and we really don't have that much contact when I'm at home here, but as soon as I am back with them in England, it's like no time has passed at all- we were chatting away like we'd only seen eachother yesterday!

Once the Christening was all over, I had another 2 days to spend with Dawn and Madeleine before I had to head back to Norfolk. We had a lovely time, taking Maddie to her swimming group, walking the dogs, going out for lunch, and having lots of baby play and cuddles. I fell in love with my little God Daughter so much in those 2 days, she's just such a happy little thing, but wow I did not realise how much hard work a baby is lol!!! If and when it does finally happen for us, we definately have a huge life change coming lol!!

Once I was back in Norfolk, I got to catch up with some more friends, had a lovely lunch with my friend Jo who was so sweet and had gone out to get stuff that fitted in my new meal plan and made me a lovely bacon and potato soup, using goats milk!! It was yuummmmy- and I would even go as far to say it rivalled Panera Bread's soup, it was that good!! I also got to go out for a meal with the friends in the pic above in Norwich, we went for a yuuummmmy carvery at a pub in a village just outside the city. We had so much fun there, I don't think I have laughed that much in ages!! I stayed at my friend Debbie's house that night and the next morning took her adorable puppy, Marley, out for a long walk in the woods, and then had a quick shopping trip before she took me home to Mum and Dad's.

On the Sunday, Mum put on an Early Christmas!! We had my grandparents over and had a lovely Christmas dinner, with christmas music playing in the background, followed by Christmas pudding and games! I really do miss not having christmas with family now we live out here, so it was so special to have that lovely day. On the Tuesday, I got to have a nice lunch and chat with my godmother, and then we met her husband, and Mum and Dad for a lovely meal in the evening. Then of course Mum and I had to fit in a trip to the new Hobbycraft store that just opened in Norwich!!! That night we had lots of fun drinking wine and making cards- I taught her some of the techniques I've learned the past couple of months and she loved it!!

Hard at work!!!

 A glass of White Zinfandel, and card making= heaven!!

Mum was very proud of the card I helped her make to put the Starbucks giftcard in that she is giving her friends for Christmas!!

I had such a lovely time with my family and friends, and I'm so thankful I was able to take the trip, and that hubby didn't mind being left at home working for 3 weeks while I was off playing :)

Gotta tell ya though, I was so happy when I landed back in LA and got to see my hubby and come home to my furry babies!!! California is truly home for me now, which just makes my heart smile :)

I have a busy few days ahead of me now, getting unpacked and set up for Christmas- so in case I don't get to post again before..... Merry Christmas to you all and your families xxxxx

PS- Hubby's got me the new Hero Arts catalogue as one of my pressies... can't wait to snuggle up in front of the tree on Christmas day and look at all the scrummy new stamps and inspiration from the designers, eeek!!!