Let the Packing Begin!

Well April has arrived, this month we'll be moving to Finland! It's finally drawing very close and all becoming very real indeed.

Crossing the border from Wales to England.

A couple of weekends ago, Miska and I travelled to Herefordshire to meet up with my family for a weekend away. We were staying in a house that was a converted barn on a working farm, complete with loads of sheep and baby lambs and many cows. It was a lovely chance to spend time with my Mum and Dad, my sister and her family and my brother and his family. We had a lovely weekend, ate lots of food and had a nice time together as a family. Though reality hit home especially on saying goodbye to my nephews who are aged one and five, not knowing when I will see them again and knowing how quickly they change at such a young age is at times hard to come to terms with.  Fortunately there is Skype and many other forms of communication open to us these days and I believe sometimes when your far apart you make more of an effort to keep in touch than if you lived in same country.

Visiting a local town, Ludlow.

Lambs, only a few days old - so cute :-)

Archie and Miska ready to battle with swords :-)

Another big change that occurred was my last shift as a nurse on 28th March. It is with mixed feelings that I leave the job. I thoroughly enjoyed working with with all my colleagues on the ward and I will miss them loads. I enjoyed nursing on the whole, the ward at times is highly stressful and both physically and mentally demanding, too much paperwork and not enough staff to look after patients and I do hope that minimum staffing levels will roll out in the very near future. The ward I worked on is a medical ward, mainly with elderly patients, there are many challenges but also rewards and I have learnt alot in my two years there. The end of my shift marks also an uncertain future in regards to nursing for me, I am unable to work in America as the nursing degree does not transfer (and also my visa doesn't allow me to work) and although my degree transfers to Finland, there is the matter of being proficient enough in Finnish. On top of this, my registration will likely lapse if I don't practice in three years meaning I would need to do a return to practice course back in the UK. I am thankful though that I have the profession there to fall back on, when and if I need it - I know it is all in God's hands. I know too, that even if I am not working as a nurse, I am still a nurse by a profession and the skills gained I will use throughout my life.

After my last shift working as a nurse

So April is here, we are busy packing, selling and throwing things out, trying our best to get organised and get other small projects done. Then also comes the sad goodbyes - which to be honest I am not good with - although I can be pretty good at hiding it! Reality is beginning to hit home, but I am not sure it will be fully realised until we are in Finland or even America.

However, I am still looking forward to what lies ahead. I am already enjoying being a full time housewife, I can actually wash up after each meal for a start ;-) Seriously though, I am thankful for the opportunity to be at home and for the opportunities this will afford me. I look forward to being in Finland, to catching up with family and friends and also to having a few months experience of being in the church as I feel this will be invaluable for when we are, Lord willing, there full-time in a few years time. Also, I am also eagerly anticipating our time in Los Angeles and especially being able deepen my own personal relationship with God.

That's all for now, my Mum is coming today to visit for a few days, I am looking forward to this and also her organisational influence :-)