I have been so stressed planning this trip, or maybe the better description is nervous, I just wanted it all to be perfect. But so far everything has gone to plan and we have woken up to a beautiful day at the beach and I finally feel like I can relax!
So Excited!
I already seem to be having a fairly good week, not long till schools out, getting on top of all my work, whole life challenge has me feeling energised AND then I find this master piece hanging on my wall!
A big huge thanks to Kate Giles who has captured Lola's sophistication and beauty in this fantastic painting. Her husband put it on my wall and I was so shocked to see it there while I was working away at my desk. I almost broke into tears, I just love it soooo much!
The theme of this weekend was definitely picnic and BBQ's, which also helped me try new recipes :)
Saturday was a beautiful day...
...for a picnic in the park with Betsy and Roman.
I made some yummy salads and fish (there is some sort of reason we are wearing matching shirts)This is about ten minutes before the heavens opened and we got caught in a huge thunderstorm. You just never know with Quito.
Saturday night Jodi and me combined dinner parties. Clearly this was not my contribution!
A winning BBQ, full of games and food.
What a great wine night, the theme wine and spices. The food was amazing, and as they are on team Cotofoxy, it was Whole Life Challenge compliant. The night was just fabulous and a game at the end which was fairly hilarious.
Thank you Ginia and Vanessa for a great night!
This whole life challenge basically has you on the Paleo way of eating, eliminating any processed food. No grains or sugar (well except in fruit), bye bye white rice (which I started eating loads) and the kicker for me, diet coke. Three weeks in and I have become a new person, well in the kitchen anyways. Being part of a team during this competition has been great and I have been totally inspired by all they do in the kitchen so have tried a few different things myself.
This is the latest bread attempt, using coconut oil and flour. This one was really good, and you can eat loads with out the same full feeling of eating loads of bread.
And last night, I made a Thai coconut prawn soup and it was actually super yummy! I am definitely a convert, I have a few more new recipes to try this week, who knows soon I may be good enough to have people to dinner and not cook Mexican!
In a recent previous post I talked about my homes and how many I feel I have. I came back to Quito feeling pretty sad.
I miss my friends, my extended family (the Hopkins) and most of all my sister.
I have been trying to catch up in sleep, missed work and the sadness of not being with Nicola (my sis). So may have arrived back in Quito slightly grumpy (to say the least!).
But then I remembered (without forgetting the rest) the amazing friends I have here too. After little sleep, loads of work to catch up on they organised a couple hours for me to relax.
Thank you ladies, for hot tub Tuesday.
And a big shout out to the man who made it possible (looking after his son so the ladies can hot tub)! No offense Brian but I believe your son stole the show!
Back in Quito, slept a million hours and back to regular routines. Of course, this is very different routine from a few weeks ago, as two weeks ago I started the Whole Life Challenge (https://www.wholelifechallenge.com).
And I must say I have done amazingly well, exercising loads, completing the weekly challenges and cutting out grains, sugar and processed food. Yesterday, I had my first baking day, I was going to say using almond and coconut products but actually my first baking day ever as an adult. It was pretty much a disaster, inedible chocolate muffins, zucchini muffins that never set and finally ones that were ever slightly stomach-able.
Lola would not even eat these.
Making my first batch of zucchini bread. Disaster. Although the second batch tasted much better, I am determined to make amazing things (like Jodi bakes using all the same ingredients). I have enjoyed the Challenge so far, gaining points and supporting my team and I feel much better with a no sugar diet.
So from now on, I am not going to do the right thing. Whatever, I think is the right thing to do is, I am going to do the opposite, that is my new plan. When my Mum died, I left Canada too early, from pressure from work and went back to Barbados and when I returned there was not much to do anyways. I should have just stayed and been with my Dad and sister and quite honestly have never really forgiven myself for that. Although, this time is thankfully way different, I still should have planned to stay longer with my sister rather than feel guilty and racing back to Quito for a day or two of work. But this is what I chose as felt it was the right thing to do (as Nicola, thankfully, is back on the road to recovery). And as it happens my flight got cancelled yesterday, so wasted an entire day at airport and now back here this morning waiting on flight this afternoon. I feel like the universe is trying to tell me 'Amanda, open your eyes, family comes first, family is what matters, you twat'.
So this time I have gotten the message. And also been reminded (not that I need it all) how lucky I am to have the Hopkins as once again they came to the rescue and Pippa came and got me for a dinner out in Windsor.
We called on the Queen to join but think she is busy with baby Charlotte
Maybe next time
Got my Indian in, yummy yum. Windsor is a lovely town, I really just love the UK so much.
But I am now desperate to get home, ready for a few cuddles and looking forward to taking my girl for a long long walk.
Well tomorrow I leave the UK, but unlike most times when I leave with a very heavy heart, this time I leave obviously sad but so happy to see my sister on the mend. The last nine days have been some of the most worrying of my life. Funny you never really give up role of being big sister, I feel so protective of my sister, to see her in pain kills me. But we she is back on track, so now I can go back to Quito and know she is on the road to a full recovery :)
Only time broken Whole Life challenge, had to, no decent Thai in Quito
Love these peeps (Shelly and Dave) and had a great meal with them before I head on out tomorrow.
Home is something I always struggle with, in fact I really hate when people ask me where home is. I guess because I struggle with the answer and everyone always seems to only want one. But the reality is home is where the heart is, and as my heart is in many places, I have many homes and I am happy right now to be in one of these, the beautiful United Kingdom. I wish I was here under better circumstances but then again would not want to be anywhere else than here to support my beautiful strong sister.
A beautiful day, and even a more beautiful day spent with my sister.
I am staying in my English home on the River Thames and these Canadian geese from another home came to say hi.
The British pub, the place I love to spend a day with my brilliant friends.
Heron Lodge, with the Hopkins, possibly the nicest, kindest, most generous family. My sister and myself are so lucky to have them in our lives.
There are sometimes that an email, phone call, skype session or anything else will just not do, there are sometimes when a hug is the only thing that is going to cut it. I am very excited to be starting my journey to see the bravest, most intelligent, kindest girl I know, my sister. It is going to be quite the hug, and I cannot wait.
Power to the hug and sisters!
Sadly the time has come to make the journey back to Quito, beach weekend is coming to an end. It was a lovely restful break, the place we stayed was just what the doctor ordered. I am now ready to push through the last 7 weeks of school.
Sunshine, laughs, camp fire tacos, games I was rubbish at and Lola wave jumping fun!
Myself and seven other foxy ladies from Cotopaxi have signed up to do the 'Whole Life Challenge' for 56 days starting today. This is an online challenge looking at all aspects of your life, body and mind. You get points every day, for eating well, drinking fluids, stretching, exercise, it is going to be great, I love things where I can earn points!! So day one started with a run on the beach, a ten minute stretch and now heading for a healthy omelet and fruit. Bye bye beer, diet coke, white rice! Hello, water, brown rice, veg and possible still some wine and soda ;)
Go girls, we can do this!!
There was some debate on what to do on May Day long weekend. Why, I am not sure, why would you not go to the coast!
In the end most made the right decision and came to the beach. Let the relaxing commence.
