Happy Easter!

Chloe has been asking who will pick us up at the airport. After a few days of trying to figure out what she meant by this, she finally came out with, "mommy, when are we going back to my country in California?" Hmmm, how do we explain? Although Chloe is very happy at her new "butter house" and her Academy, she is starting to miss home. It is unbelievable how resilient kids are though.

Joaquin will be two next week, I can't believe two years have gone by. He reminds me more and more of my brother Logan everyday...he has really figured out how to drive Chloe crazy. He got his first real haircut in a 100 year old barn turned salon and everyday asks to go to town and get a shreet (I believe this is treat and sweet mashed together). Almost everyday someone slips him a pound for his sweeties. Chloe taught him how to cover his mouth and giggle like a girl. He basically does everything she asks him to.

Carlos and I had our first informal young adults meeting at our house and got a good lesson in Northern Irish slang. Do you know what Chav, Naf, Bok, or Banjaxed mean? Well I do. University students are pretty much the same around the world and we love them. Carlos and I are putting on a Good Friday service at First Saintfield called Way of the Cross. Most of you will probably recognize the name. It has been an interesting process and we have learned a lot about the culture here. Carlos and I are meeting incredible people and are having a lot of incredible conversations. We are excited to see how Good Friday impacts the community.

Easter will be our first big holiday here in Northern Ireland. It is fun learning about different traditions like rolling hard boiled eggs down a hill. There aren't Easter egg hunts like we would have in the US. The Fernandez family will miss the hunt at Newport Dunes and fighting over the prize eggs. If you ask for an Easter egg here, you will get an enormous Cadbury hollow chocolate shell with a pack of sweeties inside. Our kids receive them about every other day from someone and they are in love with eggs now. I'm trying to figure out how to dye our eggs because I have yet to find white ones here. Anyone know if brown eggs can be dyed?

Happy Easter to all from our family...He is risen indeed.

NORN IRON

Today will mark three weeks since we arrived in our wee village. We almost instantly felt at home when we walked through the doors of our new house. The kids went crazy and sprinted through the house jumping on all of the beds and exploring their new environment. It took about a week for them to actually sleep in their new rooms, partly jet lag and partly scared of the unfamiliar.

Chloe has since started full blown school all day long in a real classroom (they start young here). I think she has brought a bit of "life" to the class. She gets dressed in her full uniform, including a tie every morning and she and daddy walk to the Academy. She is already starting to pick up the new lingo and accent. One morning she asked me if she looked "prim and proper" and "mum can you roll up my trousers"

Joaquin enjoys his new back yard (garden) and yells SHEEP at the top of his lungs whenever we go by one, which is often. People often tell me how cute my little girls are (maybe its time for a hair cut Joaquin). Almost no one can say his name and it doesn't help when they ask how we spell it.

Some things have been easier and some will be harder than we anticipated, but it is starting to feel like a community we are going to love.

We miss everyone in the states and hope you know that you are all invited to our new home (not at all at once please).

The time has come, for one and all, to gather round and play ay ay ball!

It has almost been a year since the beginning of this journey. Our family will get on the plane next Wednesday to create a new life in Northern Ireland. How do you prepare for a move of a family of four overseas? We have no idea, but for now everything is going in totes...shoes, clothing, bedding, peanut butter, pancake mix (because we were told you can't get it there), mexican food spices, and lot's of toys to help with transition. It is going to look pretty awesome when we get to the airport....1 mom, 1 dad, 2 kids, 7 totes, 3 suitcases, 2 carseats, 1 stroller, and 1 hot pink Trunkie. The amazing thing is, we have a house waiting for us when we get there, fully furnished down to the silverware and brand new beds! It will feel so good to finally not be living in transition which is probably the most difficult way of living with a toddler and 4 year old. Our next post will be from our home in Northern Ireland!

A resounding THANK YOU to all of you who have helped us get to this point. We are so grateful for your support and can't wait to share with you the great things God has in store.