He is Risen

He is Risen. He is Risen Indeed! 

Yesterday, Josh and I celebrated our first Easter together away from our families.  I was a little sad at first, thinking about the fact that we were missing Easter church service with our family, dinner at our Gramma's house, and Easter baskets from Mom and Dad.  But then I realized that because we are here in the UK, we are also missing having to drive from one family's house to another family's house.  Practically missing dinner at every place.  Spending almost as much time in the car as we were at each house.  And being so busy that there is hardly even a chance to focus on the real reason for the day, Jesus' death on the cross in order to save us all from our sins and His resurrection three days later. 

So yesterday, Josh and I enjoyed a very pleasant Easter Sunday in Newcastle upon Tyne, where the weather was so perfect it could only have been planned by God and where there was only one stop for Easter dinner....our flat, with our good friends here that have truly become our family.

Growing up in the Fairman household, Easter baskets were a must.  Even last year (with four kids over the age of 18), Mom and Dad littered the Fairman floors with candy and goodies for us to collect on Easter morning.  I didn't make Josh hunt for candy and Easter eggs (though that would have been much more fun), but I did make us some Easter baskets, because honestly, Easter's not really complete without them.  And also, I have LOADS of time on my hands for fun crafts.

My little Easter Bunny Hubby

On Easter morning, Josh and I ventured down to St. George's Church (coincidence...I think not.) in Jesmond.  St. George's Church is Anglican, which is from what I can tell, some type of reformed Catholicism.  Josh and I aren't Catholic or Anglican for that matter.  At home, we regularly attend a Southern Baptist church, but here in the UK, Baptist churches are nearly impossible to find and in my opinion, whether you are Catholic or Anglican, Baptist or Mennonite, we are all worshiping the same God and so on Easter Sunday, Josh and I worshiped with the Anglicans, in what was probably the oldest and most beautiful church I have ever attended.  I really wanted to take pictures inside, but I figured that might be a little inappropriate.

St. George's Church

After the service, we headed back to our flat to finish the last minute preparations for our Easter lunch.  I finished cleaning up the house and preparing my additions to our potluck. 

My Easter table

Our friends Kevin, Julie, Kris, Tarrah, Ryan, Allison, and Austin came over to enjoy Easter lunch with us.  The afternoon began with an Easter egg hunt in our front yard for Austin.  He is just over one and a half and this was his first real Easter egg hunt.  He picked up the point of it surprisingly fast and after only a couple of minutes, he was running all over the yard collecting candy filled eggs.  It was soooo cute.

Josh and I

After stuffing our faces with lots of good food, including some amazing ham that Allison made and the best macaroni and cheese ever by Julie, we decided that before we could eat Kris's homemade lemon meringue pie, we needed to go for a stroll through Jesmond Dene.  It was such a perfect day for walking in the park.  We took a couple blankets out there, some drinks, and the football and spent an hour or so basking in the sunshine and enjoying the day.

When we returned to the flat, we indulged in pie, brownies, cupcakes, ice cream, and candy.  Not my best diet day by any means, but it was a great Easter Sunday with our friends.  We are so thankful for each and every one of them.



Our Newcastle Family



Boot Camp

As my last post indicated, the weather in Newcastle as of late has just been fantastic.  There really are no other ways to describe it.  So today, instead of my normal routine at the gym (elliptical, some running, and some weight training), Julie and I decided to go out to Jesmond Dene and design our own boot camp!  We put on our gym clothes and our tennis shoes, packed our lunches, and headed down to the Dene for a workout in the sunshine.

Josh mocked me as I was walking out the door saying that all Julie and I can really accomplish when we are together is talking, talking, and more talking.  But I was determined to prove him wrong.  We set up 7 stations for exercising. 

Station 1:  Sprints
Station 2: Push-ups
Station 3: Walking Lunges
Station 4: Sit-ups
Station 5: Squats
Station 6: Planks
Station 7: Jumping Jacks

We did each station for one minute and then rotated and we completed the entire cycle five times.  By the end of it, we were sweating and we were worn out!  It might not sound that challenging at first glance, but I dare you to try it and then tell me it's not hard.  Have you ever done push-ups for one minute straight?!?  My arms are gonna be sore for days!  Our goal is to do this boot camp a couple of times a week together.  We'll probably switch up the stations, add more, do different ones, but it's so fun to workout outside with a friend.  It helps me stay motivated to workout when I can change up my workout routine. 

On a side note, there were some young kids (probably no older than 10 years) who were out throwing a ball around and were purposefully pegging us with it.  They kept saying "Sorry!" after they did it.  Finally, I said "You're not sorry.  You keep doing it."  The kid grabbed his ball and ran away yelling "Yeah! I'm not sorry cause you're AMERICAN!!"  What are parents teaching their children!?!?!?!

Oh well, Julie and I enjoyed the sun and a picnic lunch after our workout and then we were able to do just as Josh said "talk, talk, talk." 

Spring has arrived and so have the Douglas Men.

Well, it's official.  Spring has arrived. And. It. Is. Beautiful.  Being a Bakersfield, California girl, I am really only used to two different seasons, winter and summer.  We might get a few weeks some years where there is a hint of spring.  But it is nothing like what Josh and I are getting to experience here in Newcastle upon Tyne.  In the last couple of weeks, the sun has shown more than the clouds, the flowers are blooming bright yellows, purples, and reds, the bare naked branches of trees have sprouted leprechaun green leaves, the insects are buzzing from bush to bush, and the birds can be heard chirping their merry little tunes all day long.  I am in love with Spring.  I have always said that summer is my most favorite time of the year, but if I could have Springs like this in Bakersfield, I think I might change my mind.

These trees had NOTHING on them until about two weeks ago.

April hath put a spirit of youth in everything.

-William Shakespeare

Just last week, after coming home from the gym, I decided to take my lunch outside to our tiny front lawn for a picnic and some reading in the sunshine.  Oh happy day!

Josh sneakily took this photo from his "Man Cave" window.

And what perfect timing for Spring to arrive right when we are going to have more visitors!  Scott and Andrew arrived at Newcastle International Airport on Thursday evening and we were so glad to see them.  The most challenging part about living here (minus the whole medical school thing) is having our family so far away from us.  Luckily, we have had quite a few family members visit in the past 8 months.

Scott headed up to St. Andrew's golf course in Scotland yesterday (and he got to golf!) and so Josh and I took Andrew to Jesmond Dene for some football throwing.  Jesmond Dene is gorgeous all the time, but right now, when the breeze picks up and the sun is out, you see the little flower petals from the trees falling, and it is breathtaking.

Josh and his little bro Andrew.

Today, Mother Nature again provided us with another beautiful day and some fabulous sunshine.  I even went running for the first time outside post knee surgery!  Three miles baby!  Scott and Andrew traveled to the coast for the afternoon and when they got back, the four of us headed back to Jesmond Dene for more football.

Andrew, Scott, and Joshua

We are so happy to have them here and you can all look forward to more blog posts about their time spent here.  They are staying until Saturday. 

I know Spring can't last forever, so I am going to soak up as much of it as I can while it does last.  Especially since I have no idea when I will ever live in another place where I truly get to experience it. 

So Long, Farewell, Aufwiedersehn, Goodnight

The time had to come when all the siblings would leave Newcastle. And I know, I'm quite a bit behind as they left a week ago today.  But I had to finish up my blog posts about our adventures in the UK.  They went off to Dublin, Ireland after being in London while I took the train back to Newcastle by myself.   I would have loved to have gone to Dublin with them, but I had literally just been the weekend before they arrived and felt that it was unnecessary to go there again, my money could be better spent on new and different adventures. The sibs spent two nights in Dublin and arrived back in Newcastle on Thursday morning.

They had a couple of days to spend some time in Newcastle before they flew back to LA, so I took them to my most favorite place in Newcastle that I've blogged about quite a few times, Jesmond Dene.  We strolled through the park, near the river, and enjoyed yet another sunny day in Newcastle.  It was great.

Bert, Rach, and Anna at Jesmond Dene

At the old well.

On their last night in Newcastle, we went to our favorite restaurant here in Newcastle, Francescas which is right down the street from our flat.  Kris, Tarrah, Julie, and Kevin all joined us for the evening and we had a lot of fun eating, drinking, and enjoying each others company. 

The Four Fairman Siblings

The four medical school students.

Me and the Hubs

The Whole Gang

Our buddy at the bar.

It was so much fun to have all my siblings here in the UK.  I don't think that many people get to do what we did.  Four siblings, all basically over the age of twenty, with different schedules, jobs, schools, marriage, it's amazing that we got to travel in Europe together.  I love them all so very much and I am so thankful to have the best siblings in the world.  Bert, Rachel, and Anna, I love you to death and I am so glad you guys came to visit Josh and I.  These are adventures and memories that we will talk and laugh about over holiday dinners with the family for the rest of our life.

- Remember the time when we were in Newcastle on St. Patrick's Day and we met "Mark," or "Allen," or "Ellen," or whatever his name was.
- Remember the time when we went on Edinburgh's haunted vault tour and we thought we might all pass out from the scariness of it all.
- Remember the time when we went to the whiskey factory in Edinburgh and we all took shots on the video camera and we made those hilarious faces in front of serious whiskey drinkers.
- Remember the time when we met James Buchanan on the train ride home from Scotland and he offered the girls chocolate and Bert took it and then he couldn't believe Bert's name was "Bert."
- Remember the time when we were on the train to London and we played "F*** the Dealer" without alcohol and we said the loser had to get x amount of noogies, wedgies, and credit cards as their punishment.
- Remember the time when we were walking through St. James Park and Rachel said "I can't control my bowel movements and desires." :)
- Remember the time when the server at The Shakespeare Bar in London brought Anna a "Merry Berry" aka cranberry juice after she ordered a "Bloody Mary."
- Remember the time when we walked the entire length of Hyde Park only to find a playground and all of our feet were hurting and I didn't even want to walk 3 feet to the park gate let alone to the Knotting Hill gate.
- Remember the time when all three of you came to Newcastle to visit me, and we had so much FUN together.


Let's always remember the time spent here.  Because it really was amazing.

What I'll miss the most...

With Josh taking his Term 2 midterms this week, it has really brought to the forefront of my mind the reality that we will be leaving Newcastle in just a couple short months.  I've been thinking a lot about all the things that I will really miss once we leave the UK in May.  But first, how about some of the things that I WON'T miss.

• The Rainy Weather:  I don't even know if half the time you can really call it rain.  Most days it is just this gross drizzle that isn't enough to actually make you sopping wet, but is just enough to make you miserable.
• The Bitter COLD:  This. Place. Is. Seriously. Freezing.  I'm not kidding.  This has to have been the longest winter of my life.  When we arrived in August, I was wearing pants and jackets. And now I am still wearing pants and jackets along with sweatshirts, scarves, gloves, beanies, long socks, and boots.  I am told it will be cold even when we leave in May.  Where is the summer?  Where are the months of flip flops, bathing suits, and tank tops?!?  I seriously think that the administrators at SGU Googled "Places where the weather is the exact opposite of Grenada," and the UK popped up as the number 1 spot.  Then they thought, why not put a sister campus there? 
• No Car:  Now I am a big fan of getting your daily dose of exercise, but seriously, I am sick of walking everywhere, for everything.  And public transport here is definitely a great means of getting around, but I long for the days where I can just jump in my car, head to Starbucks and get myself a Tall Skinny Vanilla Latte whenever I want without having to bundle up and make the 15 minute walk to the shopping area.
• Mexican Food:  No...NOT Spanish food, Mexican food.  They don't have it here.  Not really at all, unless you count the canned refried beans and the small bottle of guacamole you can get at Tesco.
• Miniature Fridges:  I have only recently mastered getting optimal space usage out of our dorm size fridge.  It will be nice when I can buy more than one gallon of milk without worrying "Will I have space for this in my fridge?"

This list could probably go on and on, but considering the UK was recently voted one of the most depressing places to live in in Europe, I don't think I need to rag on them much more.  Now for the things I WILL miss.

• Our Flat:  Not only do I love getting to say that we live in a "flat,"  I also just really love our flat.  It's big, cozy, warm, and I've made it feel like home. It's the first place that Josh and I have lived together and I hope that someday I can bring our future children to Newcastle and take them to 24 Grosvenor Place and show them that this is where Mom and Dad made their first home as newlyweds.
• Hot Tea:  Now I know you can get this pretty much anywhere on the earth, but for some reason, drinking hot tea from my big cozy chair, while looking out my large bay window as it drizzles outside is the best thing ever.  I know it just won't be the same anywhere else.
• English Accents:  Though I still sometimes have difficulty understanding every word, I will always love listening to people speak with English Accents.  They just sound so formal and proper and the children are the best.  I feel like they are straight out of a Harry Potter movie.

However, the thing that I will miss the absolute most when I leave Newcastle will be beautiful Jesmond Dene, the park that sits practically right behind our flat.  I would literally walk through the park everyday if the weather was nice.  As it is, I walk at least two times a week.  To me, it is like stepping out of the big city and into an enchanted forest.  Something out of a Disney fairytale.  I love it.  Just yesterday, Julie and I wandered through, taking pictures because it was such a beautiful sunny day.



Yup, I don't think these pictures need anymore of an explanation.  They show you exactly what I mean without me having to say it.  Jesmond Dene definitely takes first place prize for the thing I will miss most about Newcastle.....But I have to say, having my groceries delievered to my front door is a close second.