Hello, Friends! Remember Plan A? It looked like this:
Move to France for one year. February 1st 2011 to February 1st 2012.
Then, last January I announced an adjusted plan. Let’s call it Plan B:
Stay a few more months — through the end of the school year. February 1st 2011 to July 1st 2012.
And today, here’s another update, another adjustment. Plan C:
Stay another school year. Or 2 1/2 years total! February 1st 2011 to July 1st 2013.
Then we’re really, truly moving back. For reals. How do I know? The lovely family we’re renting La Cressonnière from will be moving back in.
We feel good about Plan C. In fact, we’re super excited to get another year here! It gives our kids a chance to get even more comfortable with French. And gives us more time to find our next home.
The kids are excited too! But it’s been over a year since they’ve been to America and they’re craving a visit with friends and family. So we’re planning a long trip to the U.S. this summer. We’ll be spending the month of July with the Blairs and the Stanleys in Utah and Colorado. Then we’ll come back here for another year.
Tell me: Are you surprised? Or did you suspect an extension all along? : ) Would you stay if you were us?
P.S. — The countryside is covered with yellow fields right now — I snapped the photo above yesterday evening. I was told the plant is moutarde (mustard), but not the sort of mustard we eat. It’s grown for farm animals, and because it improves the soil. So pretty!
I had a feeling you’d stay. All your recent posts seem like you guys just can’t get enough of it over there. Can’t say I blame you! I’m looking forward to more France posts!
How exciting! I’m not terribly surprised, and it’s what I would want to do, if I were there. You may as well get all you can (and all the kids can) 0ut of the experience. Such an amazing opportunity!
Congrats to you and the family for staying another year! It must be a relief to have made the decision, so now you can get on to enjoying this next year!
Formidable! So happy for your family and happy for me because this means still lots more great blog entries and Instagrams from La Belle France to come.
What will really be a surprise if you all don’t find a place of your own to purchase before the move back. :-)
I’m so happy for your family – what a great adventure.
I’m also thrilled for myself – I’m not ready to part with this bit of France in my everyday :) Thanks for sharing it with us.
(I feel a little heartbroken every time Jordan tweets/instagrams/blogs about leaving Paris. Glad that you won’t be leaving France quite yet…)
Not surprised at all – knew you would make it work out! Very glad you are getting to stay again!
We are headed back to the US for a short visit this summer as well – need to get some ‘home’ time in!
That’s fabulous! Enjoy every moment, every flower, every new bakery . . .
Your whole trip is so inspiring! The photos and travels are delightful to read about (and that yellow field is divine!)
A year always sounds like a long time until you’re in the adventure and it flies by. And why not stay another year? How often does one get the opportunity! It will also cement this experience into your memories and become more of a life learning experience for your family. Good luck in year to come!
What an amazing opportunity for your family – I would stay in a heartbeat if given the chance! I’m just thrilled to be able to follow along and live vicariously…
One thing though, you teased nearly a year ago and we still haven’t seen that antique bed of baby June’s (unless I missed it!) I was not above begging for a photo or two before your impending departure. May I request a brief tour at some point during your newly extended stay???
Many thanks, and cheers to another wonderful year!
I’m only marginally surprised, simply because I know your sister and her hubby have left. On one hand – how can your resist staying. On the other – knowing family was near by had to make it much easier, and not having that could be tough. But I’d jump at the chance as well. : )
Not surprised. I’m glad. I’d do it too if I was as happy living there as you all are. And I love the house and countryside. Happy for you!
(fist pump in the air) – awesome! So much work goes into just getting there and getting settled, stay another year and enjoy it!
Am i surprised, no way. My predictiion is you will stay longer, buy a house here and settle. Same thing happened to us, came for a year, went back to the states to sell our business and moved back.
Yay!! We’re just 4 months in and I’m jonesing for an extension myself! If you ever need a place to crash in Bruxelles , give us a ring! And it’s so funny bc we just happened upon these fields on a trip today to Dinant, Belgium! They were breathtaking and we had to stop and have an impromptu photo shoot! Glad to know what it was.
I would totally have stayed for another year. I can’t wait to see what kinds of new adventures you guys go on. :)
I’m not surprised at all. Your traveling adventures are amazing and your kids seem to have adjusted so well. I selfishly hope you go to another European country after France, so I can learn more.
You and your precious family are living a dream.
Stay! It’s France, after all.
I LOVE plan C ;)
I was just wandering how do you take care of visas? And are your kids in public or private schools?
Good for you! I’m selfishly happy since I love your reports from France. Great escapism!
I think that’s great – a year goes by so fast!
I am enthralled by that photograph; it’s so stunning! Hurrah for more adventures amidst such beauty!
Congrats on Plan C! :) I showed my husband the video of Betty speaking french a few nights ago and she charmed him into actually considering living abroad for a while with our little family someday!!!! This has been my dream for a long time and he works from home too…so THANKS Betty for the inspiration! We’ll see.
Not surprised – all of your posts from from France and your travels are so amazing and happy! As another poster said, I’ll be missing your sister’s posts from Paris. I’m glad I’ll get a France fix from Design Mom!
YEAH!!!!! When you decide to stay, we all get to stay!! Yippy for all of us. Looking forward to another year of Blair France to inspire me here at home in Connecticut!!
I discovered your blog in 2005 while living in Paris and have been following ever since. I was in awe when you decided to move your family to France and thrilled when you stayed. I’ll be sad when you finally decide to move back. I’ve loved having you on my side of the world. Three years is a good length of stay to really find your bearing and begin to grasp the language. I’ve been in Paris for 10 years and only now feel that it is my home. I’d love to give my kids a year in the States, but so far we are just enjoying our summers there. I like to think that they will thank me for their biculturalism some day. I’m sure that your six children will. Enjoy your stay.
The only thing that surprises me about this is that you would spend July in the US. France is so gorgeous in July! Instead of those 8 flights home, fly 8 of your relatives to YOU!
Yay!! So excited y’all are staying another year. I love reading your blog, and I also love seeing France & Europe through you and your blog!
I am not surprised one bit! I just keep hoping that you will catch the bug like we did and never want to go back! :-) BTW- I have been thinking about you the last couple days. We ended up recording an episode with House Hunters International (It’s airing tomorrow in the US) but I have been meaning to tell you thank you for a while. I really appreciated the encouragement you gave me after your own episode. It ended up being a ton of fun!
Not surprised in the slightest. What a fabulous adventure for your entire family. And how fortunate you are that you can extend like this. I can’t wait to read about the months to come.
That is wonderful news! I’ve been expecting some kind of announcement like this for sometime. I would stay forever but that’s just me. It can be hard being far away from friends and family but at least everyone is only a skype call away. I look forward to your French adventures for the next year.
Not surprised, i would so totally stay as long as possible. But I understand wanting to come back too especially with your sister back here. I have sisters in London and Cambodia and miss them terribly. I daydream about moving to both of those places with my children to be closer.
i somehow forgot about ‘plan b’ and had been wondering if i missed the update! (because we’ve been moving around and whatnot!) i’m not surprised, especially since you hadn’t written about your plans on moving back to the states, and you are really good about telling us your experiences of transitions. so glad to keep reading about your (+ family) adventures, though i’m sure that it will be different without your sis nearby!
I would totally run with plan C! I’m not at all surprised that you’re staying.
We left Kenya to some back to the states a year ago today. We lives there two years. Originally it was meant to be one, then 18 months and finally 2. It was perfect, as far as timing. A year is just not enough! Now we are planning a move (with four kids!) to New Zealand in November. We know going in this time that it will be for AT LEAST 2 years ;)
You´ve made a good decision! Europe has always been great place to stay and live.. Hope you enjoy it! :)
Greetings from neighborhood (from Andorra)!
http://at-tickos.blogspot.com/
Not surprised at all
I love your plan C! I hope it’ll involve a trip to Switzerland!!
Of course you would stay! When I found your blog I thought only a year?? Once you jump in and adjust, it seems to take about a year to make it seem like home! I won’t say you should stay forever but it is such a wonderful opportunity to live abroad and expose your children to another language and culture!
Enjoy every minute! Before you know it you’ll be back in the US and dreaming of freshly baked baquettes from the local bakery, the most amazing cheese in the world, and a robust bordeaux!
Not surprised at all! I’m currently studying for a semester in London myself, and after about the first week I started planning to come back for grad school. It’s all just so addicting isn’t it?
I am curious though, how do all of these extensions work with your Visas?
Sounds like a wonderful continued opportunity! If you wanted to stay forever…I would not blame you! What an amazing adventure!!!
I think it’s a great plan!! You only get one chance to do this, and what a gift to your kids. I would totally do it if I were you, hands down. Looks like you have a fun summer ahead as well!! We are all happy to take the trip with you!
Score! I’m totally coming for a visit. For reals. ;-)
I’m so excited that you’ve been able to extend your stay! I’m not surprised, but rather thrilled that you’re going to be able to stay, and in the same home. What an incredible blessing! I hoped you’d be able to stay closer to 3 years… I watched my parents and younger brother spend 3 years in spanish-speaking countries, and they’ve retained the language amazingly… even my Mom, who at 52 began her adventure with a bare minimum of spanish! Hopefully you’ll experience the same, and be fluent yourself in French before you return :)
With a view like that- yes! I would absolutely stay! Congrats on the new plan.
Yes, one year is not enough. I think in year two if you can afford it is go on a cruise through the meditterainen. Oop, I know I just spelt that wrong. Comments needs a spell checker. Anyway, we did the cruise 4 years ago and dream of it ever since. We went to Greece and Italy. We want to do the one that goes through Turkey and Egypt. However, I am sure you will have fantastic adventures wherever the next year takes you.
Too excited for words – you have no idea how happy I ma for you guys… it just didn’t feel like you were finished yet!!!
Not surprised. Jealous actually!
Yes I would stay there if I were you, and YAY! you’re doing it!!!