Fab 5 Friday...

A big, huge thank you to everyone who commented or sent me a message on my "A to Z's of Moving Abroad" post. I honestly wrote it because I needed to remind myself that things will get better and that eventually this will feel like home. But, virtual hugs and a lot of sharing from those of you who have felt this way about a location just confirmed it.

So this week has been a rather blah week. Somehow on Wednesday evening I did a major number on my upper back. Yeah, my upper back! That never happens! Anyways, let's just say that it is making any sort of movement painful and I look like some 95 year old woman. Hoping to see some improvement soon!

And, what we thought would be a super smooth purchase of a lake house has turned into a complete pain in the ass. It's now in the hands of the lawyers and we're hoping we can come to an agreement quickly and close before the end of the year. I guess I should just be thankful that this is not a house that we "need" per se.

But, you're here for Fab 5 and that's what I will provide!

1. First Birthday Party Invitation. There's something about your child receiving his/her first party invitation after a big move that let's you know that they are settled in and making friends and that everything is right in their little world. Caleb received first one this week and I could not help but breathe a little sigh of relief. I don't know why this is just one of the signs for me, but it is. So he'll be helping his friend, Bruno, celebrate his birthday with a little paintball this weekend.

2. Soccer and Basketball. So our weekends have now officially been taken over by sports - currently soccer and basketball. While my children are far from sports phenoms, it is fun to see them play. Soccer has been a challenge with both boys' teams suffering losses on Saturday. It's definitely a much more aggressive game here and we spent Saturday afternoon teaching Caleb that he's going to have to step it up. I'm sure our neighbors wondered why we were pushing our children around in the backyard and why they were pushing us back, all while trying to maintain control of the soccer ball, but...let's just call it a little extra practice.

Caleb during Saturday's match

Grayson playing soccer on Saturday

Caleb and the Warriors celebrating a win

3. Chili. After spending two years living in KL, chili is now back on the Blackburn menu. It seems so funny, but we never made it in Malaysia because it was just too damn hot. So Blaine whipped up a batch over the weekend and we could not help but remark on how much we had missed it! So that's why it makes the Fab 5 this week.

4. Wilanow Palace. I had an opportunity to tour the Wilanow Palace yesterday with the American Friends of Warsaw (AFW). It was a gorgeous day and we had a guided tour of both the interior of the palace and the gardens outside. While I could go on and on and tell you about King So-and-So and all the mythology and architecture we learned about...I will spare you. You can read more by clicking here.

5. FC Inter Milano vs. Juventus. Yes, we scored tickets to see a great soccer match while in Milan in October. It may have been one of the most frustrating ticket buying experiences ever (every card we used got flagged because each credit card company thought it was a case of fraud), but Blaine got 'em purchased. So we will surprise the boys and take them to a match!

Enjoy the weekend folks! I see some college football watching in my future! And, of course soccer!