Welcome Home

We went back to my Grandma’s and spent the night there. We went out for dinner at Gusto’s which is my Grandma’s favourite restaurant. (On Tuesday morning my Grandma died very quickly. My heart is broken and I am also devastated that my lady is no longer with us. At least I can be grateful for the memories and that she got to meet my Husband and beautiful baby girl💖 Shine bright Grand Mama🌟)
The next day we went home. Paul settled into our family home very quickly and it was so good to see. Then along came the rest of the tribe. My Niece screamed (petrified by him🙈) and my Nephew was his best bud already. Out came the handshakes. Wow! How must he be feeling. So overwhelming. I promised myself and Paul that I would always look after him. He adapted to the British life very well. He made new friends, met my friends and even joined the local Rugby Union Team, Moresby RUFC. He started the gym and had an informal chat about a job which he could start once his visitor visa was over and on a spouse. Everything was looking very hopeful and he was very happy. All we had to do next was meet our baby😬 I was told I was having a HUGE baby and needed extra scans. Baby was off the growth scale!! Scary times. OUCH! Paul hasn’t been to a scan with me since I was 13weeks so I was so excited for him! At 36 weeks I had another. They took loads of photos and were obsessed cause you could see baby’s hair and Tongan nose! Wow, just amazing. Paul was thrilled. I said “WE DON’T WANT TO KNOW THE SEX SO PLEASE STAY CLEAR OF DOWN THERE!” They did absolutely that.
We had some great days out. I booked us a surprise night away near Keswick. It was so cute. Keswick is my favourite place and now Paul’s💚 We took our Niece and Nephew out a lot as they loved their “New Uncle Pauly.”

Paul's first Hartleys ice cream.

Walks to Longlands

Ashely's 30th Birthday (4 days before I went into labour)

The day he got to Cumbria.

Longlands Lake.

Cogra Moss.

Zest with some friends.

Gustos

Santon Bridge Tearoom

A very pregnant me making some mash.

On our rowing boat on Bassenthwaite Lake

My last walk before I went into labour.

💙

That pregnant the life jacket wouldn't fasten.

Off out on a quadruple date.

When Darcy met Pail💙

Proud as punch in his Moresby top.

Very swollen, tired, pregnant me.

Santon Bridge Tea Room.

Calderbridge River

Looking for wild pig apparently.

Nicola and Tyces Wedding.

Games with Jacob💙

The most delicious fish and chips at Keswick.

The boat ride on Windermere lake.

Whitehaven Harbour.

Having a rest after bowling.

Reunited

Todays the day! I was up at the crack of dawn. I was going to pick my Husband up from MANCHESTER airport. I can't even describe the excitement. My Dad was coming with me along with my bump. I had totally forgot that my Dad and Paul had never met! I wass waiting at meet and greet. It was a different terminal to the one I arrived at. I waited at the gate and my Dad wandered off "I'll let you two have your time together first" Bless him. I waited, and I waited. So many people came through that gate. But not Paul. I called my Dad. "I haven't got a good feeling Dad. Come back" He stood behind me. People started leaving. Next thing my phone rang through facebook messenger. It was Paul. "Babe I've been held up at immigration. I'll let you know what happens" "Are you ok?" I said. "Yeah I'm ok thank you. I better go" I was petrified! Next thing my phone rang again. I don't usually answer to unknown numbers. "Hello" "Hello, are you expecting someone at Manchester Airport?" "Yes" I replied. "Who" "My Husband" She absolutely grilled me. How long have you known each other, when did you meet, where did you meet, how old is Paul, when is his birthday, I believe you're pregnant, are you due in October, where will you be staying here, how will you provide for Paul. He hasn't got enough money here to maintain his stay. Did you know he'll have to leave the country to apply for another Visa? "Yes" I said (actually no I didn't but you're just saying that to scare me, I thought. Ohh how very wrong was I) Where will he go to apply for his visa. Will he go back to Australia, who will he stay with, what will he do for work. Will he go back to the job he was doing. This conversation was never ending. "Dad they're not gonna let him in here" We waited and we waited. I was shaking. My heart was going mental. I didn't take my eyes off that gate. And there he was. My beautiful, tired, smiling Husband. I could barely walk, but I ran to him. WOW! The relief. All the emotions running through my body. I can't even remember what we said to each other. It’s all a blur. We then walked towards my Dad. True gents stood in front of each other. And there's the handshake......😊
Off we went to find the car. It felt so bizarre. I couldn't stop holding Paul's arm. Then, and weeks, even months later I kept saying to him "Are you really here. Are you real?

A long road ahead

Now I had to settle into England again. The place I run away from. Back into my family home. All without my Husband. I felt like I'd lost my left arm. I went on lots of nice days out with friends and family and it took my mind off things. Only for a slight second. I had my 20 week scan and my Mam came to it with me. Everything was perfect! (I'll talk more about pregnancy later on as I want to get caught up to the now). I Also started a new job. Swain Hairdressing. I love it! I'm a qualified hairdresser but my job role is front of house. I fit right in and everyone made me feel so welcome. I also lost my Grandad. It felt so strange as I'd just got back from not seeing him for a year to only having a month with him. And that was it. The feeling when losing somebody is unexplainable.
I went to Dublin for a few occasions really. Friends 50th's, apparently my Hen Party/30th and another ladies 70th. I had a great time considering I was carrying a bump around and not drinking alcohol. What a laugh we had. Paul booked his flight for the 3rd August and he'd get to England on the 4th. Ohh how excited I was!

The first time I met my soon to be Godson, Darcy💙

Mam and Me

Twinning with my Darcy

This was our fave in Dublin

My local Harbour💙

Hayley and George. Thank you for always being there😘

I have missed this girl so so much🍑

Harry and Meghan's Wedding Day

It's no Bondi but its mine

Picking my little Sophia up from School

My world💛

Afternoon tea at Lingholm Estate

Orla's Christening. Also Paul's Birthday💙 with Jack

Longlands Lake💚

My Mam and Dad💛

A tad obsessed with these

My Nannie💓

D I V A

The Day I met my Nephew Ronnie

Thank you Darcy💙

Daphne

The girl who forever has my back. Thank you Becki💖

The nitty gritty

The next day I started to tell people. And then on went the Instagram post. Such loving well wishes to us all. A few weren't happy with us. But thats another story I won't talk about. We spent the day on Maroubra Beach and called it Our Honey Moon. It was 3 more sleeps until I had to leave. My anxiety was through the roof. Trying to get a years worth of stuff into one suitcase was proving impossible. I left sooooooo much behind. Our last day together we went on the ferry to Manly Beach. My friend Laura had recommended it. By the time we got ourselves sorted the sun was setting as we arrived. It was still lovely though. We had a picnic on the sand that we got from Aldi. When I arrived in Sydney I was absolutely thrilled to see an Aldi. One night we went to Paul's sisters and had a Tongan Feast. My word! What good food. Carb city! I was loving it. Before we ate Paul's brother in-law said a prayer. He was talking in Tongan. I did hear my name a couple of times though. Afterwards I said to Paul "What did Mote say?" "He welcomed you into the family" I burst into tears and said "How dare I take you away from this amazing family" I was so so upset with myself. I felt very selfish. All I wanted was my family and hardly gave Paul a second thought about how he felt about leaving his family. He'd said I'll move to England as long as we come and visit every year. Yes I said but depending on money it'll be more like every two years maybe even only 18 months. I was an absolute hormonal mess. I had to go to the bathroom and just sit there and calm myself down.
  So........... I left on the 25th April. That long gruelling journey from Sydney to Hong Kong- Hong Kong to Manchester. And not on my own this time. With my little bundle of happiness. My two heartbeats (thats what Paul calls us) The goodbye was horrendous. We weren't going to see each other until the 4th of August. It was so far away. He was staying to earn more money as on a visitor Visa you aren't able to work. He started to apply for a Spouse Visa but they can take up to 6months to be granted and we didn't want him to miss the birth of our baby. I was due on the 2nd of October. Tonga is part of the Common Wealth so he didn't need to apply for a Visitor Visa. He would just get his passport stamped once he got to Manchester. I got to Hong Kong and called my Mam and Dad. They said one more sleep and then we'll be at the airport coming to get you. That didn't seem so long when they put it like that. I was sat at the gate. Hong Kong airport is enormous!! So I wanted to make sure I was there in plenty of time. I went to the toilet and cleaned my teeth. I came back out and went back to the gate I'd been sat at. I sat and I sat. People started leaving. I was like where the hell has everyone gone. A guy came over to me and said "Are you waiting for the flight to Manchester" "Yeah" "Ahh the gates changed" Grand. That could only happen to me. There must have been an announcement when I was in the bathroom. We walked to the gate together. He lived in Manchester but had been visiting friends and family in Hong Kong. I got on the flight and was sat next to a little Asian couple. I got talking to the man as he was sat next to me. They both slept most of the way but when he was awake he would talk. I said "Ohh are you coming to Manchester on Holiday?" He replied "No, we live in Manchester" "Ohh how long have you lived there?" I said. "Over 30 years" he replied. "Ohh longer than me" I replied. Trust me. I soon discovered the snack bar at the back of the plane so I spent most of my time down there. The air hostess informed me as I stopped her every time she walked past asking for a water. I was so paranoid with being pregnant. I drank loads of water and walked up and down the isle every hour and done all my leg exercises whilst sitting down. I watched The Greatest Showman and balled my eyes out all the way through. I was so overwhelmed by it. It gave me goosebumps.
I was getting so excited to see my Mam and Dad and the rest of my family. And my dog, Ruby. She went to live with Mam and Dad for the year. I was so scared she wouldn't remember me. I got to Manchester and called Mam. They were nearly here. I walked out to meet and greet petrified they weren't going to be there. And there they were. Right at the front holding some bunting with 'Welcome Home Charlotte'. They both just cried. I can't remember if I did now. Within seconds it had felt like I'd never been. We drove to my Grandma's who lives close by and it felt so strange. So much greenery. It was actually sunny as well! It was only 7am. We arrived and my Dad went to let Ruby out and I hid behind the garden wall. She came running to my Mam then I appeared. She went mental!! I was so so happy she hadn't forgotten me. What a relief.
We stayed at Grandma's for a couple of nights. I met up with a couple of friends and went out to The Botanist in Alderly Edge with my old work bunch. Was so good to see them. The next day we made our way back to Cumbria. I was greeted by a banner made by my gorgeous Nephew, Dent Lemonade, Cheese XL crisps, Hartleys Ice Cream and a wonderful cake. Followed by my Niece and Nephew, my two brothers and their girlfriends. Life made♡

My Husband💙

My Teaching crew

My everything

My Tongan Family💚

My Niece💖

The Tongan feast😋