Back in Sunny Sweden........

July 12-20, 2014

SATURDAY AND SUNDAY

These were our last two days in the USA. We hung out with the cousins and did some last minute visits to our favorite stores. Tried to organize some activities for the kids but they were tired after all the traveling and just wanted to hang with their cousins.

My usual problem with having too many pieces of luggage going back did not happen this time. We didn’t buy enough stuff to warrant excess baggage. That is a first!

I am feeling tired but not exhausted. It is sad to leave Mike and Nicole’s house and not know the next time we will see them.

MONDAY

We woke up early to say goodbye to the cousins. It has been a great time. The packing the car after closing the suitcases and weighing them is always the most stressful step of leaving the house.

I am like a crazy camp counselor and no one should get in my way. The only difference now is that I am visibly tired and less tolerant to any delays. Once we have checked in our luggage, I can usually relax a little bit. 

After check-in off our luggage, we say goodbye to Peter who was flying later on that day directly to London. Our flight to Sweden via Chicago went well. The boys are seasoned travelers and SAS has games and movies in the seat backs so they are pre-occupied with that. The trip East is always harder to make because it is not as easy to sleep on those flights. So, effectively we lose nights sleep. Not so good in my case.

TUESDAY

Arrive early morning to Stockholm. Get the car from long-term parking and drive home. Feeling tired, as it is actually the middle of the night in the USA.

Got home and told the kids – ok we are only going to sleep for a max of 2 hours…yes-6 hours later I woke up. JETLAG makes our days longer and stranger.

Don’t feel like doing anything today except sleeping even though the suitcases are strewn all over the floor and it is an obstacle course to get from one room to another. I dislike when things are not in their place.

WEDNESDAY

Today we got Marcus Swedish passport renewed, ate lunch, went past the storage unit to pick up some stuff, and went past Gunilla’s house to pick up our mail and back to the summerhouse.

Forced to unpack the suitcases as best I could and make some food for the kids. Then none of us could sleep until after 2 a.m.

THURSDAY

The fun task of going through all the mail and paying all the bills that keep accumulating. It took the whole day to go through the mail and get everything sorted. Not one of my favorite tasks.  

Yes, the kids still need to eat. Good thing they are happy to get any type of food and let it be a break from their screen time.

FRIDAY

A little sad today cause I lost track of the days and thought it was still Thursday. We should have been going to Gotland this weekend to visit Ann and Hans but my strength was just not there to make the trip. I wish I could have teleported myself there and really taken advantage of living in the here and now.

Instead, I had more unpacking and laundry to do. It has been a hassle to get the kids up this week. Marcus sleeps until lunchtime unless his cousin has come over to wake him up and spend some time with him and his Grandfather on the boat. Glad they are getting out a little bit.

Eric was to play with his best friend and we decided to make it a good time and eat dinner at their house and then when Peter arrived from London he would drive us all home. Stina and Alex are two good friends that we really appreciate. We sure do laugh a lot. I can’t wait for them to visit us in London.

We had a great time at dinner but Peter kept calling from the airport and updating us on how delayed the plane was and finally how it was delayed until Saturday morning.  A bummer.  (Especially cause I couldn’t drink now that I had to drive home)

SATURDAY

Woke up and got a text from Peter that he was at the airport early and was booked on a flight that would get him home around 3 pm.   Well, just two hours later he calls and says the flight is cancelled and I needed to book him on another flight.

OF COURSE, I can. I booked him on a 1 pm flight from Heathrow so he enjoyed his taxi ride from Gatwick to Heathrow. Of course, that flight was also delayed so he finally made it home around 6:30 pm- almost 24 hours after he should have been here. Felt bad for him, as he is only home for less than 24 hours.

Stina and Alex were here to pick up Ville and eat dinner with Peter and me. It ended up being good that we could enjoy a few hours of their company and the kids had a great time.  SO FUN THEY WERE HERE.

SUNDAY

Peter slept late and then had the enviable task of mowing the lawn after it has grown for a month. Not the easiest and quickest task. He did it well and then he showered just in time for his parents visit for lunch to say goodbye to him.

We enjoyed their company and then it was time for him to pack his bag and head back to the airport.  

There was not enough time to get everything done, but that seems to be the common thread here for the last six or seven months.

WHEN WILL WE HAVE TIME? 

I have begun to realize that time is what you make of it, and I can only do so much.  It is frustrating but I am trying not to use the the little energy I have on being down but just concentrating on getting something done every day and being happy with that.

We drove him so we could have more time with him. He is really excited that we are coming next week. This has been his last weekend of commuting and it will be easier on all of us to be together.

So only a few days left here to get as much done as possible. I am pacing myself and due to chemo brain will probably not worry too much about it cause I can’t keep so many things in my head at the same time.

Ready for the next step and just need to get through this week and enjoy it at the same time.

Still LOVED, GRATEFUL, APPRECIATIVE and HAPPY.