Flat-finding. House-hunting. Miracle-moving.

We arrived in Glasgow armed with a few pieces of information: we knew roughly where we wanted to live; how much money we would have per month; and that if we didn't find somewhere to live by July 23rd, we would literally be booted out of the city and have to go live in Edinburgh because of the Commonwealth Games. No pressure there, especially given the possibly fragile psyches of our yanked-around kiddos.

We spent a few nights compiling a list of ten or so properties that we found online that seemed doable location and price wise. Each listing required a call to a different letting company, which meant that on my first round of calls, I heard, "Oh, no, that property was taken ages ago," from ten different people. A little disheartening, to say the least. I was given a few more online sites to comb through though, and suddenly each evening was devoted to poring over hundreds of listings, and each morning I spent 30 or so minutes calling the various companies. Strike after strike. For three mornings, every listing was a no. We were starting to panic, and decided that if we ever got lucky enough to make it to a showing, we would just take the property in case we didn't get another chance.

Finally we got lucky. We had a showing booked. I threw the kids in a taxi, as I was still trying to figure out how to get around effectively and Thomas sprinted over from work. Much to our surprise, seven other groups were also at the showing. We were definitely the only ones with kids, and as we climbed the trash-strewn cement staircase two flights up, I started to have my doubts. Which were confirmed once we stepped foot in the flat. We were prepared for small; we were prepared for loads of Ikea furniture, but we were not prepared for a dump with dirty mattress, ripped-up carpets, couches with holes, etc.

So we panicked again, especially after the next two properties were even worse. Then a gleaming light arose as we were the first people to see a gorgeous flat in a killer downtown location. It was clean! There was a lift! A dishwasher! A full size fridge! We pounced and tried to put an offer in the next morning, with the puzzling result of the agency telling us that they couldn't reach the landlord, but that they would get back to us as soon as they did. Bummed but hopeful to hear something soon, we kept on trekking.

And with the July 23rd date looming ever closer, I started checking the real estate sites multiple times per day, and finally a good looking property right smack in the middle of the area we'd originally aimed at popped up. Apparently I was the first caller and even though the showing wasn't for another week, we were pretty stoked about this one.

When we showed up at the flat, the usual huddled groups of other potentials were there. And when the agent opened the door and I saw the little elevator at the back of the vestibule, I began to feel like a cheetah stalking a gazelle. We raced around the flat, inventorying things: one big bedroom, two single bedrooms (read: enough space for one twin bed and a dresser). A washer. A dryer (unheard of!). A dishwasher. Stairs to separate sleeping space from living space. Clean. Above a grocery store. Decent furniture. We were hooked. So, like the predatory, house-hunting animals we were, we split into two groups. We'd already mapped out the location of the letting agency, on a hunch that this was "the one" (thanks Holy Spirit!), so Thomas tucked Elliott into his chest and literally ran down the road so that we could beat out any of the other potentials from the showing. I threw Lillian into the stroller and rushed after them, and we all piled into the office like the circus we are. Another group from the showing also came in, and by the grace of God, the letting agency decided that they'd take our deposit instead of theirs. They told us it was because we called first, and they told the other group that "they couldn't get a hold of the landlord at that time." (At least we were on the other side of that excuse this time!)

We moved in on July 15, eight days before our big deadline, and other than a few quirks about living in an older building (example: if you want to throw away a trash bag bigger than a bathroom trashcan, you have to lug it down two flights of stairs, through a grocery store, into an alley, and into a locked room that you had to copy your neighbor's key to get into...), we absolutely love it. The kids have their own tiny rooms--originally we thought they'd have to share--and there is tons of closet space. The kitchen has great appliances. The furniture is kid-friendly yet nice.

AND THE LOCATION COULDN'T BE BETTER. Every day I am beyond grateful to be across the street from the library; half a block down from the Botanic Gardens, which is my favorite place in Glasgow; across the street from a soup and sandwich shop where they let Lillian climb on the counter and "help;" above a grocery store; close to good bus routes; a few blocks from the subway; walking distance to some of the best museums; etc.
We are so thankful that God made a way for us when it felt like there was no way. He met all of our needs (and beyond) with this flat, and we are excited about making this our home for the next year or so.
So, come visit! You can stay on the deluxe aero-bed we just purchased for visitors. Or you can cram into Lillian's twin with her on her carefully-selected pink sheets.

Here are some fairly random pictures from inside our home. I think only one of these is a repeat from social media:

The family room has lots of space for our almost-walking little guy. Ikea rug FTW.

As close to an "open-concept" plan as you can get in an older building

Still figuring out how to wash my face without scalding myself

Little man finally has a crib after six weeks of sleeping in a travel crib. More Ikea love. 

Panorama out of the family room windows. Right now (about 10 pm) I can hear people eating at cafes, someone busking below us, and generally just a hum of evening activity.

Our front door is TARDIS blue. Amazing. 

Little man

Baby boy stripes. Can't stop, won't stop. 

Love the classic dirty jean look here. 

I adore this almost one-year old of mine. I love the way he crawls right now (most of the time) and the way his eyes crinkle up when he smiles really big. 

so she IS listening

This morning we were at the Queen Street station, trying to figure out how to get to the lower platform so that we could find our train for Balloch/Loch Lomond.  After two straight weeks of city, we were ready to see some water and trees. We flagged down a train station worker, fumbling through our pronunciation of Balloch (the breathier, the better, as it turns out), and she kindly pointed us in the right direction, saying, "the elevator is over there."
Lillian takes one look at her, furrows her brow, and says: "you say LIFT, not e-we-va-tor!"
Thomas and I cracked up, and the surprised lady explained that she heard our accent and figured we'd do better with American terminology.
Considering that we ride elevators/lifts 5+ times per day, and discuss the terminology at least daily, it's not a quantum leap. But it is pretty neat to see her slight awareness of cultural differences, accents, etc, grow in such amusing ways.

Later that day--note the rain pinging off the water

Being abroad with kids, Part One

There are some obvious inconveniences to being abroad with children. Being trapped in your hotel room once your kids go to sleep at 7, for one. (Which is especially a bummer when the sun doesn't go down until 10:30.)  Getting around with a double stroller is challenging--I've had to awkwardly push by people more than once and have had to back out of a few stores because we just didn't fit. And noisy meltdowns, especially by a certain almost three-year old are commonplace (and just as embarrassing here, FYI).

However, there are some really awesome parts, too. A few things that I foresaw, and a few fun surprises.

1. Watching Lillian interact with a much wider variety of people and situations is awesome. Her little brain is pretty much exploding by the end of every day. She talks to the people we sit next to on the train; the people we encounter in coffee shops; workers standing around on breaks; other guests in the hotel; etc. And since I am doing minimal cleaning and cooking (CUE ANGELS SINGING), and we can only spend so many hours in the hotel every day (hotel suites, even nice ones, are definitely not designed for small children), we spend a lot of time outside going to various museums, parks and shops, so there are always new experiences to be had and new people to encounter. Elliott is obviously benefiting from these things, too; it's just a little harder to gauge.

2. . When I was abroad in college, I spent a lot of time trying to blend in. I figured out that the best way to do that was to keep talking and smiling to a minimum. Now that my #1 priority is keeping my kids safe and in control, I have no problem raising my voice and drawing attention to my American accent. Plus I can't help but (nor can most other people) smile at their antics and encourage the good behavior while reining in the bad. Which brings me to my next point:

3. Kids break the ice. Yesterday Lillian sat down next to a lady on the subway and after a few exchanged smiles, she asked her where she lives and if she has kids. The lady cheerfully answered both questions and we were able to have a nice conversation with her. If Lillian hadn't been there, our interchange would never have moved beyond nonverbal communication. This is just one example from a number of interactions, too.

4. Dragging kids around the city--particularly when I'm on my own--has shown me just how kind the Glaswegians are. People are constantly asking if they can help--whether it's helping us lug the stroller up and down the stairs into the subway, holding an elevator, smiling and talking to us in the street, etc. This morning at a coffee shop no fewer than three people leaped up to open the door for us, while telling me how lovely my  "wee boy and girl are" and asking how our day is going. This city is incredibly friendly, and I think that having Lillian and Elliott with me helps to bring that out in people.

5. Finding kid friendly activities is fun! Having a plethora of free museums to visit helps a lot, obviously, and I can't wait to see what all we will discover this year.

L adding her little house to the village created by other kids at the Gallery of Modern Art. 

Checking out the scene at the Botanic Garden yesterday. 

Glad to be in Glasgow

The last three months were...busy. Like I'm not sure I've ever been so busy before. I sat down to blog several times, but the posts were either whiny or wordy, and I never hit publish.

To quickly summarize May and June,
-We obtained UK visas after jumping through about 348984 hoops. It was WAY more work than we thought it was going to be! All's well that ends well though, and we are grateful to be here.
-We rented out our house to a sweet friend who gets to live there with her sister. Total answer to prayer for both of us.
-We found a great foster family for Sullivan. She has already sent us three emails, a picture and a video of Sullivan playing with his "foster sister" Maggie. We are so very thankful for this situation.
-We filled up a storage unit with our stuff (how do we have so much stuff??); sweet-talked our parents into taking our cars; and shipped everything else to Glasgow. We are looking forward to being reunited with those possessions (like the pants I desperately need, joke's on me!) since we are waiting until we have an address to receive them.
-We received tons of help from friends (I'm looking at you, KPro and Ellen!) and our families. My in-laws spent a week helping out while I did VBS at church, and the kiddos had a blast playing with Grandma and Pops. My parents filled in a lot of gaps and we definitely wouldn't have made it here without their help. Thanks to everyone who helped us get here, in big and small ways.
-We had a wonderful visit with my sister and her new baby, and enjoyed playing in the pool and doing lots of Charleston-things while she was here. Haylee is the sweetest niece ever!
-We managed to take care of the kiddos, and so far they appear pretty well-adjusted despite the complete chaos of the last few months.
-We said goodbye to family and friends in Charleston, hopped on a plane, and just like that, we were in Glasgow (actively working to repress how "fun" the plane rides were).

On the whole, we LOVE being here. The people are incredibly friendly; the buildings are old and cool (there's lots of HEY WE LIVE IN EUROPE! moments); and mostly we are so busy making a living (Thomas) or trying to make the transition as seamless as possible for the kiddos (Ashley)  that we feel contented and settled. Or as settled as you can feel when you are living in a hotel and spending all of your free time looking for a flat, all while trying to explore the city and make it feel like home. Flat-hunting is a whole post in itself, but suffice it to say, being on House Hunters International as so many suggested is starting to look a lot more fun...We are confident that God has a place for us, though, and hopefully we are honing in on one that isn't too shabby, too expensive, or too small.
The kids are doing awesome. They quickly adapted to the time change--much faster than we did--and haven't seemed to mind that we are living in a two-bedroom suite in a hotel. Lillian has charmed the desk staff, and they give her 2-3 apples from their bowl every time we walk in and out. Needless to say, Thomas and I have eaten our body weight in apples this week. Malcolm is her favorite, and she screams "my favorite man is here!" every time he is working, much to his delight. She also loves all of the city accouterments. There is always a button to push, an escalator or lift to ride, a bus or taxi to spot, a pigeon to chase, a busker to watch, a train/subway car to board, etc. When she's in a really good mood, she runs down the sidewalks screaming some combination of songs from Frozen, Rio or various nursery rhymes. People seem to enjoy her vivacity, and her Southern drawl is mostly decipherable to them. We are marveling at the fact that she will be 3 at the end of next month.
Elliott continues to be a rockstar little guy. He started out the move with a nasty double ear infection, quickly catapulting us into the NHS world--free doctor's visit and free medicine, even out of hours! Huzzah! He is cutting his second tooth; cruising around all the furniture; and eating everything in sight. We call him Mr. Chubbs because he loves all food. Last night at dinner, Lillian was messing around as usual, not really eating, and we all looked over to see that Elliott had grabbed her plate and was cramming her sandwich into his mouth. He is a champion stroller (pram) rider, which is good since he is logging quite a bit of time in our behemoth of a vehicle. His other nickname is "Mr. Congeniality" because that pretty much sums up his take on life thus far. His birthday is also next month (SERIOUSLY HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?!)
Thomas and I are doing quite well, too. His new office is small but really cool, for lack of a better word, and he is enjoying the work he's beginning here. He continues to balance work and home life really well, which I am thankful for. I am having fun figuring out how to "do life" in a completely new environment without the built in support of family and friends, and with certain challenges like not having a car or a nest just yet. It's so nice at night to just hang out and relax after the incredible busyness of the last few months. Scouring the real estate pages for new lettings (rentals) and laughing at the absurd number of quiz shows that the British watch are two of our new favorite pastimes. We are thankful for God's abundant grace in getting us here, and for giving us this opportunity.

More to come from Glasgow soon. If you read all of that, I am impressed. Here are some pictures as a reward. And I'm pretty proud to say that none of these are Instagram or Facebook repeats. Mostly we just take a lot of pictures.

Accidentally stumbled upon a 4,000+ person parade on Saturday. You can see that this flag-bearer is opposed to Scotland's independence referendum, which will be voted on in September.

Lillian sewing her book at the Gallery of Modern Art last week. All of the museums in Glasgow are free, and most are kid-friendly. WINNING.

Elliott's contribution to her book at the GOMA

Master of mischief, perhaps. How hilarious is this label?

Watching some buskers on a nearby street. She told me, very seriously, at the end that "he's not Papa" since my dad also rocks out on the guitar. 

I am starting to understand why there are so many indoor play places in Scotland.

#reallife #lifeinahotelroom

Pretty typical street scene--chill E, up-to-something L, rain

Playing, aka eating a crayon on the floor of Wagamama

Pure delight on the subway

When all four of us are together, the subway is the way to go (I can't do it by myself with the kids and the stroller).

A "beach" in front of the Riverside Transport Museum. Just like home! Minus the long sleeves and pants, of course

Selfies on the subway in our gold "spawkles"