London Dome Day!!

Today, I took the kids off to the London Dome. my in-laws are gone for 2 days, so it was just us. We ended up taking the bus to Greenwich. Usually the kids enjoy the bus. Today, we were to take the same bus from up the road, straight to the Dome. about 3 stops away, the bus stopped and said b/c of road work, it couldn't go any further. Great!! The driver told us to go around the corner and try to catch another bus. Luckily, there was another couple going to the same place, and after 15 minutes, we were able to find a bus that took us where we needed to go. What an adventure.

We ended up having a nice lunch in the Dome and then i took the kids to see G-force the movie. It was cute, and the kids were really good. I am really tired, and really looking forward to seeing my hubby in two days time!!

Please be in prayer for his trip. He flies out tomorrow night and will be here Sunday morning!!! I can't wait!!!!

July 30th, my b-day!

Today was my b-day. It started out great with my youngest getting up at 7:45. Everyone else slept in a little later. Couldn't have asked for a nicer start to the morning. (considering I didn't get to sleep until after 2, it was a double treat)

My husband, sweet man that he is, got up at 4am his time just to call and wish me a happy birthday as my day was getting started. I got treated to cards from my kiddos and in-laws, and a beautiful cake that Alex helped make. I treated myself to a pedicure this afternoon, and also got flowers from my wonderful husband!! This evening, Alex and I went to a play outside one of the Tudor houses locally. It was 12th night by a Shakespearean company. It was good and Alex did so well paying attention. The temp. did drop and we got quite cold, but it was worth it!

I was able to talk to my mom, missed a call from my sister, and got various emails wishing me a happy birthday. Today, I did wake up a bit home sick, but all of the caring communications really helped, so thank you!! Another year older, and I thank the Lord for it!!!

Day 23!

Today, Alex and I got to go to Danson house. It was built in 1766, and for the past 12 years, I have gotten to see it from the outside. You see, this house is on the property that the park is on that I take the kids to. It is also one of the first places that Gareth and I walked when we were first dating and he brought me here. They have been restoring it, and it is now it is finally open to the public.

I was so excited, as I have researched it and could have told you tons about it before even going in. We got an individual tour, yeah me with the zeal and American accent. Alex was thrilled to see the servants steps, and secret hallways that the servants would have used.

We ended up having lunch at the "stables" restaurant. Yes, that used to be the stables for the house that is now been converted in to a restaurant. All in all, Alex and I had a good afternoon out!!

This evening was a bit rough. As we were playing out back, the boys collided and Liam got a huge bump on his head. OUCH! The kids were a bit difficult to get to bed as well, so I am a bit wound up and moody this evening. Not too bad if this is the first time this month that this has happened I guess. I will survive:0) I am off to read a book and try and get some shut eye!!

Tomorrow is still up in the air, I just hope that the rain stays away!!! It has been so cold and rainy here. That may have something to do with my mood today too;0)

Day 22!

My day didn't start until 7 today! whoo hoo!!! I couldn't believe when I heard Liam and looked at the clock. I got 6 straight hours of sleep. It was wonderful!! Great way to start the day!!

Today we headed to Greenwich. We went to the Observatory. That is where the Prime Meridian is. I had the kids stand in both hemisphere's and got there picture. (sort of a tradition). We had a nice picnic lunch outside the Maritime Museum and we walked through the "Queen's House".
We then walked through the town. Funny enough, walked past Graham Webb, where Gareth did his training, and saw one the man that transferred G to the US. Funny as he only stops by that location a few times a year. We treated ourselves to ice cream, brought the train back and had a lovely evening playing in the back garden. Alex and nanny finished Charlie's sweater. It is very cute. I think they are going to start a new project tomorrow. I am very proud of Alex. She really put her mind to it and off she went.

The kids were exhausted and after a bath and 2 books, fell straight asleep. I was able to talk to my mom tonight for the first time in a month. I also just got off the computer with Gareth. He is doing well and I can't wait to see him this weekend!!! I am off to read and settle down for the night. Not sure what we are doing tomorrow yet, but I am sure it will be filled with adventure!!!

Day 21!

Today started out with showers. We had plans, but canceled them because of the weather. Instead, we just hung out this morning. I got to talk to Gareth and we made some plans for while he is over. After lunch, we headed up to the shops. I was on a mission for Callum's little birthday party that we are having for him over here. His birthday is Sunday and he has requested a spider man theme. That has seemed impossible. After looking at every shop that I could walk to, I finally convinced him to have a pirate theme. He was fine with that, so I am happy. I did find balloons with his name on it, and candles too. You wouldn't find that at home, but his name is pretty popular over here at the moment, so that was exciting!!

We had a nice dinner and then a badminton (have no idea if that is how you spell it) tournament in the back garden. Needless to say, I am not as athletic as I used to be, and I didn't win, but we all had a great time. Alex and nanny have just about finished Charlie's sweater that they have been knitting. I think that the final touches will happen tomorrow. I am going to attempt to get off to bed soon. Alex and Callum have both snuck in to my bed and are sound asleep, so I am not sure where I am sleeping now:0) I guess I am off to figure it out!

Day 20!

Each day seems to be starting earlier and earlier. Liam was up at 5:15 this morning. There was no getting him back to sleep after that. We ended up going to church this morning. To be honest, I could have skipped being as tired as I was, but Alex was insistent that we go. I love that!! It was a nice service and at the end, Alex and one of her new little friends presented a banner that they decorated during children's church. Funny story..... I got called out during the sermon to change Liam. Callum came along and while I was in the middle of changing his "nappy", I hear a buzzing sound. I turn around to ask Callum what he has done. Of course, I get the cute, "what did I do?" smile. Turns out that he pulled the help rope for emergencies, in case you have fallen or something. Oh my, how embarrassing. Luckily, no police or ambulance showed up and I was able to reset it before it became too big of a deal, but still......

We spent the afternoon playing in the back yard, had a wonderful Sunday roast for lunch, and then I got to go out!! I headed in to London with some women from the church. We went to a Sunday night service at a church down town. It was great!! I really enjoyed the sermon and the music!! The church was a Church of England church and very much international. It was so wonderful to sit and worship around other believers from all over the globe!! I had a great time and the kids were very well behaved for my in-laws. Thanks mum and Joe for looking after the kids!!

Day 19!

Liam was the first up today. He then woke Tom up, but they played really well together and let the other kids sleep in.

Sarah and I took the kids to the movies. We say Ice Age 3, Dawn of the dinosaurs. The kids were great, the movie was cute, and we got sweet popcorn. It's like kettle corn. you have a choice here between salt and sweet. it was sooooo good!!! We got home and then ran them to the park. It was gorgeous this afternoon. We came home for a bar-b-que which was delicious.

We are getting ready to head out the door and back to my in-laws. We have had a great visit at my sister-n-law's and the kids had a wonderful time. I am so glad that we were able to come here. We will see them again in a week, but I think staying here really helped the kids to get to know each other.

The plan is to have the kids fall asleep on the way home. We will pass Olympic park which is really neat!! It really is massive. Off we go!! Hopefully we will make good time home and get enough rest that we can make it to church in the morning.

mom and dad, glad you made it home safely and had a good time!! Shelly, Chris and kids, it was great to skype with you!!!

Day 18!

Today once again started early. Liam and Tom were both up at 6:15. YUCK! We tried to entertain the kids inside all morning because every time we tried to go somewhere, it started to pour down with rain. We would no sooner get every one's shoes on, open the door, and there it was again....rain. Finally, after letting them swim in the little paddling pool while the rain was coming down, playing play dough, painting and playing with cars and trains, we just decided to go for it!

We headed out to the train station to go one stop up. We wanted to take the kids to a row of pet stores so that they could see all the animals. We made it about half way to the train and then wouldn't you know it.....a black cloud appears out of no where and we got drenched!!!! It was fun all the while though and the kids had fun. I will say that life would be a little easier over here if i could drive. Oh well, maybe next time!

Tonight, we went to a farm that was having an "open house". It was brilliant!! It had an indoor soft play with massive slides, which were loads of fun, horse races, sheep races, and the kids all got to hold a guinea pig. On the way out they each got a balloon and stuffed pony. Tonight made up for the lousy day!!

On a side note, my kids are all now saying, buggy for stroller, nappy for diaper, boot for trunk, and biscuit for cookie. I am sure there are more, but that is what i can remember at this point in time. It is amazing how quickly they just adapt to a new culture. I knew this and recognized it from bringing the boys home, but even today, my sister n law Sarah asked Liam if he wanted water. Liam repeated he did and said "water" with a British accent. too cute!! off to bed now. I am praying that i get to sleep in a bit later in the morning, but i doubt it:0)

Day 17!

We had another great day today. We are hanging out with my sister-n-law and her husband. The kids are enjoying hanging out with their cousins. i was a bit worried about the different sleeping arrangements last night and being in a different house, but they all did great!

The kids slept in today until 8. That was a first since we have been here. We headed in to the town, (we are in the north of London now) and took the kids to the big park here. It was beautiful when we left the house. The sun was shining and I was a little warm. The walk took us about a half an hour. As we were walking, we saw a grey cloud in the distance. We no sooner got to the play ground, before the sky opened. We ended up having a picnic under one of the play stations, and as quickly as the storm came, it was gone. It did cool off a bit though. I am amazed with this country's weather. One minute you are hot, the next freezing.

We spent 3 hours at the park, walked around the shops and then headed back home. Alex then tagged along to Ben's last swimming lesson. I hung out at the house with Tom, Callum and Liam. The kids were exhausted and went to bed great for us. Sarah and I then snuck out, thanks to Andy who stayed home. We went to IKEA. It is the first time that I have ever been there and not bought anything. We had a great time walking around though. This is only the second time (the first being when my in-law took the kids to the park for an hour the other day) I have been away from my kiddos since we have been here. It was a much needed break.

Not sure what we are going to do tomorrow. It all depends on the weather. it is supposed to rain, but hopefully, it will miss us!!!

Day 16!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALEX!!!

Today was a wonderful day!! Alex woke up early as she was so excited that she is now 8!!!!
We spent the morning relaxing. She received a few cards in the post and enjoyed opening them.
After lunch, we headed over to my sister and brother-n-law's house, Sarah and Andy. We were so excited to get to their house before the kids cousin Ben got out of school. We were able to surprise him!!!

This afternoon, Sarah was so wonderful and threw Alex a birthday party!! We had pizza, sandwiches, lots of yummy snacks and a great cake. We played games, and then the kids played outside. Liam and Tom hung around the sand box while the others played soccer. What a wonderful day. Thank you Sarah for being such a great Aunt to my children. Alex was a little bummed that she didn't get to talk to her aunt Shelly and cousins, but have worked that out for tomorrow. My parents are out of town, so even with the time difference, we couldn't call them, but she ended up getting a card from them so she was thrilled about that. She did get to talk to her daddy on the computer, so she was very happy about that. As for my in-laws, they still don't have power. What a challenge it has been, but hopefully by tomorrow, everything will be back to normal.

I can't believe that Alex is 8!! Where has the time gone? She is such an amazing girl! She is strong willed and knows her own mind. She is so bright, and smart and boy does she like basketball. She loves the Lord and never hesitates to share that with anyone. she is amazing. I can not wait to see what the Lord has in store for her in the upcoming years!! Happy birthday Alex!! We love you!!!!

Day 15!

Still without power other than a few hours a day. They (the power company) has a rotation going. At the moment, we will have power for another hour, and then not again until morning. We are getting it every 6-7 hours for an hour to 2 before it goes off again. Last night, i read a whole book by candle light.

Today, we had a visit from Gareth's uncle Dave and Auntie Gill. This afternoon, we popped over to visit with Nanny Jenkins, the kids other great-grandmother. We have built a fort in the front room, and the kids did some school work. Good things do happen when you don't have power:0) I am about to bathe them and get them ready for bed before the power goes back out.

Tomorrow the kids and I are heading to my sister-n-laws house for a few days. I am looking forward to the cousins getting to spend time together!!!

I will try and catch up on every one's blogs while I am over there. I am a bit behind, especially now that we haven't had power. Missing you all and will write again soon!!!

Day 14!

I am actually posting this on day 15. We have been without power for 18 hours now. A power generator underground caught fire yesterday and most of SE London is affected. It is back on for an hour or two and then will go back off. I guess they are trying to give people power in shifts. Once it goes out again, we aren't sure how long it will be off again. They are saying it could be another 36 hours.

Yesterday, we were going to go to the zoo, and then decided against it. (so gareth, we will want to go on the 7th. just wanted to let you know:0) ) We then thought to go on the train to a palace park in London, and decided to stay local. Thank the Lord we did. By 1:00, the power was gone and people had a very hard time getting home from London the rest of the day! We hung out, played outside, made a fort, made a band with pots and pans, and last night, we played cards by candle light. It has been an experience to say the least:0) I pray that not all of the food in the fridge goes bad.

We are heading out to my sister-n-laws tomorrow. I hope that the power is back on by then, but it has proven to us that we can survive without it. The worst part was not being able to call Gareth and let him know what was going on.

Day 13!

Nothing too exciting going on today! All of the kids slept through the night, but Liam is like an alarm clock. The keeps getting up at 6:45. I won't complain though. I am getting 6 hours of straight sleep.

This morning we headed out to church. there was children's church for the kids, but they aren't pulled out until half way through the service. The kids did better this week before heading off to their class. The service was really nice. We walked home with a neighbor Jill, who grew up with gareth. She ended up taking Alex for a little while this afternoon. I took the boys up to the shops to by a few things for Alex b-day on Wed. Her taking Alex really helped. They made some cup cakes.

The rest of the afternoon, we spent playing in the yard and praying that the rain would hold off until my clothes hanging on the line were dry.

We had a wonderful Sunday roast, (with Alex's cupcakes for desert) and now we are getting ready to head off to bed. Lovely relaxing Sunday!! I am missing home a bit today. Not that I don't every day, but today it just seems more than usual. I am sure by tomorrow, we will be busy as ever, and I will be better:0) I hope you are all well and will speak to you soon!!

Day 12!

Great night last night!! Everyone slept through the night and I got a full 6 hours of sleep!! yeah!!!!

Today, we headed up to London. Mum and Joe had a prior commitment, so the kids and I met up with the kids Auntie Esther, and uncle Dominic. We met in London, so I got us to the train, on the right train and to the center of London on time without getting lost. (kinda proud of myself)

Once we met up with D and E, we headed over to the Natural History museum. We had a blast. It was packed, but fun. Unfort. Liam fell asleep on the walk there, so he missed most of the dinosaur exhibit, but Alex and Callum loved it. We had a wonderful picnic lunch outside in the beautiful weather, and then walked to the South Bank. That is across from Big Ben and where the London Eye is. We ate ice cream, and just let the kids run and play. There are also street performers there. I wish I could post pics b/c Alex and Callum both ended up performing with one man, and boy did they draw a crowd. He was doing the robot to some funky music, and Alex was in her element. He pointed for her to join him, so of course she did. He gave her a pair of sunglasses, and away she went. When she was done, Callum just had to have a go. They both received big applause! I bet that they tripled the guy's audience! It was great. Maybe I should have asked for a cut?? (just kidding)

It was such a lovely day!! Thanks Uncle Dom (as Callum says) and Auntie Esther for joining us today. We had so much fun!!!

Day 11!

Today we took a trip to Bex-Hill-on-sea to visit with the children's great-grandmother. It was an interesting day. We debated going the whole morning b/c the forecast kept saying torrential rain. By 9, we figured we should just go for it!!

The journey down was great! We visited in her flat for a while and then went walking around the town. We had lunch and then I took the kids to walk on the beach. Here, the beach doesn't really have sand, it has rocks. The red flags were up saying it was too dangerous to be out. We were the only ones walking around, the wind was blowing very hard, but the kids had a blast. They collected a whole bag of rocks and a few sea shells. We then walked the town again and back to nanny R's house. The funny thing is, it barely rained at all. It was def. windy, but we had a great day!!!

It took over 2 hours to travel back, and most of it was the last 27 miles. Gotta love that London traffic.

Day 10!

Today started out a bit rough. Liam waking up at 5:30, then Alex waking up at 6:30. She then decided that her brother, the one still asleep, would like to hear a book, so she went and woke him up! Now, I am not a morning person, but I am just learning to roll with it.

It did turn in to a lovely day. We had great weather. We ended up taking a boat from Greenwich to tower bridge. We had a picnic lunch at tower bridge outside the tower of London. We then walked around and took in the sites. We ended the afternoon with an ice cream. It was great!! The kids loved the boat and the day couldn't have been better.

Tomorrow, it is supposed to rain all day. We have some things planned, so hopefully it won't!!

Day 9!

A little bit of a rough day! Started at 5:30 with Liam waking up and not wanting to settle back down. The kids seemed really ratty today. We were going to go to the zoo, but a little in to the morning, I stopped that idea. We ended up hanging out at home, and doing laundry. Alex helped me to hang all of the clothes on the line in the bright sun shine, and then 20 minutes later it started to rain and we had to rush to take it back down. (quite an experience) After lunch, i walked them to the shops. After dinner, we played soccer in the garden and then to give mum and joe a break, I took them for a walk to find a new park. We never did find the park, but I sure did wear them out:0)

We did get to speak to my parents today. They are leaving on a cruise Thursday, so please be in prayer for their safety and my dad's health. We got to talk to daddy on the computer today, so maybe that will help with the behavior we had today. Can't really complain since this was the first bad day, but it was draining. Will pray for a better day tomorrow!!!

Day 8 and Happy Gottcha Day LIAM!!!!

Yup, a year ago today, we got Liam!! I can't decide whether it has been a quick year or not.

Today started out with us just hanging out. Nanny and grandad took the kids up to the candy shop and they got rained on coming back. Grandad bought a pin ball game at the shop up the road, so while they all played that, nanny and I made a cake. We had a nice sit down lunch, the kids gave Liam a card, and then we had cake to celebrate this special day! We then took them on a double decker bus and head out to Blue Water. (the big mall) We walked part of the mall, got a bite to eat, let the kids play and then headed back home on another double decker. The kids have had their bath and are winding down for bed.

On to Liam.....

A year ago today, I was able to hold my little boy for the first time!! It was truly amazing. By day 2, he was calling me mama and wouldn't let me put him down. He is an amazing little boy. He is sweet and smart. He is an observer. He likes to watch things and then it usually only takes him one try to do it. He has really become a little boy lately and moved out of the toddler stage. He is now talking in sentences all of the sudden. Guess he has to to get a word in with the rest of us:0) I love to hear what he has to say. Like just now, they are watching a show, winding down. They are supposed to be sitting quietly. He came in a whispered, "where is nanny?" and I told him she was out. He then whispered, "oh, OK" smiled his brilliant smile and out he went. How funny that he whispered it!!

I am so amazed that the Lord has placed this little boy in our family. We are so blessed to have him. We love him so much and can not wait to see what the God has planned. Liam, we love you!!!!

Day 7!!

We had a glorious day today. 70 degrees and sunny. Not one drop of rain. Alex and I even got a little bit of sun!

We took the train in to London today. We started out at Covent Garden. There is a market there and shops. (this is where I wanted to go) There are also street performers there, so I thought the kids would enjoy that. Halfway through our stroll there, we decided that we needed to feed the kids. Finding some where was a little harder than we thought. We ended up at a restaurant/pub. Alex was excited when she saw Shepard's pie on the children's menu, but not excited when it came out. It is not like Nannies, or daddy's and she didn't like it at all! She did eventually eat it, but not with out telling us that Nannies was better. Since we were a little further away from Covent garden than we wanted to be, we changed directions and ended up going all over London. We went to Whitehall to see the soldiers and horses. Callum really enjoyed that. From there we went to 10 Downing Street, the Primes Minister's house. Then it was off to the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. Too funny, but having a cousin named Ben, Callum really didn't get the whole "Big Ben" thing. I thing that we have now convinced him that it is a clock too!! From there we walked through St. Jame's park Buckingham Palace. The queen was in residence but a little too busy to see us today! :0) That led us down the Mall that leads from Buckingham Palace to Clarence house which used to be the residence of the Queen Mum. Then we headed to Trafalgar Square, had some ice cream that we promised the kids, and then back to Covent garden so that I could finish looking around. By then it was after 7 so we got the kids dinner to eat on the train and we headed back home. Whew! My hands hurt from just typing it!!! We estimated that we walked over 7 miles today. The kids were good as gold. They never complained that they were tired, although understandably, they argued over the stroller a little. The kids have finally settled down to sleep, (had 2 out of the 3 up last night) but I am thinking that they will all sleep so soundly tonight that I will have to wake them up in the morning. Hope everyone is having a great week so far!!

p.s. Reba, I walked by a Chinese/Thai restaurant today. It wasn't the Wok and Roll, but it looked so much like it that I thought of you!!
Helena, we also saw an "authenthic Canadian Pub" don't know how authentic it was, but that was the name of it:0)

Day 6!!

Today we were up and out the door by 9:30 headed to a church service that started at 10! That was great for us considering that Liam was up from 2-4 last night and Callum was up at 6. Anyway, we went to the next door neighbors J and T church. It is a Baptist church a town over that Gareth used to go to when he was younger.

Today was a family service, so no children's church. That was a little tough and half way through, I ended up having to leave. My kiddos can not sit for over an hour yet. It was a great service though. The new Vicar is so nice a energetic. There is no Sunday night service so they all head up to a big Church in London. I was invited and will try and go next week!! Last time we were at this church, there were only 3 kids there and 2 were mine. Today, there must have been 13, and the church was full. Praise God for that!! I am looking forward to going again next week!!!

After our walk home, Gareth's sister came over with the kids cousins. It was so nice to see the 5 of them playing together. They played out back most of the afternoon. The collected snails and had a snail race, and then to give nanny and grandad a break, she and I headed out to the park with the kids. It was a wonderful day!! We did get rained on in the typical London shower, but not as bad as the other day. We came home to a wonderful Sunday roast. YUM!!! It was such a nice day!! The only thing missing was my hubby!!!

It is now time to put the kiddos to bed. Please pray that they all sleep through the night!! I could really use it!!!

Day 5!

Praise the Lord, everyone slept through the night last night!!! It was wonderful!! We spent the morning just playing and hanging out! This afternoon, we went to Hall place and gardens. It was were my mother-n-law used to work after she retired. They have renovated it since we were here last, and added a new little tea shop and store. Alex and I toured the Tudor style mansion that was built in the late 1500's. It looks so nice!! Mum and the boys played outside in the vast acreage. It was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed seeing Alex ingest the information like a sponge. She read just about everything and we had a great discussion about it again tonight!! I am off to get the kids to bed. Hopefully they will stay there tonight:0)

Day 4!

This morning started off a little earlier than I would have liked. Liam was up at 5:30, which then woke Callum up at 5:32. At 6am, Callum told me that he was going back to bed, but instead, went and woke his sister up. Thankfully, at 6am, cartoons started and I was able to keep them some what quiet, so as not to wake my in-laws:0)

Alex went up to London today with my in-laws to collect money to go towards the training of seeing eye dogs. She was good as gold and had a great time!! That left me and the boys for a fun day! We ended up walking up to the Broadway, (the shops) Callum did great. It is quite a ways, but he walked the whole thing and not once complained. I treated them to McDonald's for lunch, which they really enjoyed, prob. b/c they never get it, and then we just walked around. Quite a few shops have closed in the last few years. Sorry Gareth, but right now, the Charlton shop up the Broadway is closed.

The boys wanted very much to catch a doubledecker bus back from the shops. They behaved so well, that i wasn't about to tell them no, I just had to figure out which one would take us where we needed to go. I was told to take the B15, but I didn't see any of those. After a while, I bit the bullet and asked an off duty bus driver. He pointed me to a different bus, and although it didn't take me where I intended originally, I still got us home safe and sound. Unfort. Liam fell asleep right before we got on the bus, so he missed out and I coudn't take Callum to the top of the bus b/c I would have had to carry the whole stroller with Liam asleep in it. Oh, well. there is plenty of time to do it again:0)

The evening consisted of the kids playing in the back yard, and with some kids from down the road. They had a great time. Everyone went off to bed pretty well tonight. I am praying for a full night of sleep. We were going to head to see the kids Great-grandmother tomorrow, but she is quite ill at the moment with the stomach bug. She just turned 94, so please say some prayers that she gets her strength back quickly!!! Hopefully, we will be able to see her some time next week!!!

Day 3!!

Last night wasn't fun!! I got the kids off to bed around 8. We did have a surprise visit from D and E, which are my brother n law and his wife. That was fun, and really nice. It was the after's that wasn't fun!!! Anyway, the kids were asleep, so I got to visit for a little bit. Around 10, the kids started to wake up. I ended up being up with them until after 2 am. I think that maybe their little bodies just thought that they needed a nap. They were WIDE awake. Eventually, we all got back to sleep at around 2:30, in my mother n laws front room, (big slumber party), and we did so without waking my in-laws up...thank goodness.

This morning, I woke everyone up pretty early. We had a nice breakfast then headed up to London on the train. We spent the day at Crystal Palace Park. It was a beautiful day today. 65 and sunny. I have realized that i didn't pack enough warm clothes for the kids, but they aren't really complaining. Anyway, Crystal Palace Park has life size dinosaurs all over it! The kids thought that was great. We had a picnic lunch, and then let them play for a while as we waited for the petting zoo to open. The kids loved that too, Although Liam was frightened of the pigs!! We ended the afternoon with an ice cream and then headed back to the train for our trip home. Did I mention that this was during rush hour, with two very sleepy boys that I was trying to keep awake? Other than poor Callum having a horrible melt down, that i will blame on jet lag, we had a wonderful day!! We came home, had dinner and i did some school work with the kids. Alex did explain to me on several occasions that it is summer, and she didn't feel that she should have to do school work, but that didn't stop me:0) We should have nice weather again tomorrow, but the weekend isn't looking so good!! Hope everyone is having a great week!! I wish that I could post pics, but I don't have my camera cord!! Sorry!!

Day 2!

Believe it or not, we all slept until about 11am this morning. It was much needed. We had breakfast and then played in the back garden for a while. We made a picnic lunch and planned on going to Danson Park, and wouldn't you know it.....it started to rain. We ended up having a picnic lunch on a blanket in the front room:0) After the rain ended, we headed out to the park. The kids had a great time!! After about an hour and a half of playing, we went to feed the ducks. On the way back, we got absolutely drenched due to a down pour!! We sat out the rain under a huge tree, but the damage was done. Once the rain stopped, we headed home over a "train bridge". The kids waved to the driver and he honked his horn Very loud. I think that we will end up taking that route a lot. Alex is now in the middle of her first knitting lesson with nanny. They decided to knit a sweater for charlie. I am taking a break from playing cars with the boys. It is almost their bed time and then Mum, Joe and I are going to have a take away!! (Indian I think, yum!!) I hope by tomorrow, we will be on the right time. The kids have done GREAT considering!!! Have a great night!!!

We arrived safely!!

We made it! After almost an hour delay, we boarded the plane and headed out on our trip. The kids were great on the plane. They had a few melt down moments, but that is to be expected on such a long journey. We made it through immigration and customs just fine, and all of our luggage arrived. (whoo hoo) The kids made t-shirts a few weeks back to wear today, so we put those on and went to meet my in-laws. Today is my father n laws b-day, so when we met them at the airport, they were greeted with ;happy birthday grandad; shirts. He was thrilled.
We took the tube to the train on the way to their house, seeing all of the wonderful London sights on the way. We arrived at their house about 12:30. The kids went strong all day. They each had at least 4 hours of sleep on the plane, so all day, we waited for melt down. It never came. We made Joe a b-day cake for dessert after dinner. Liam did fall asleep around 6:30 while we were sitting at the dinner table. Alex and Callum are both now out. It is 8:45 our time and I am starting to settle a little. I did attempt to take a nap today, but in the 45 minutes that I layed down, Callum came in about 4 times to tell me something and then we had a horrible thunder/hail storm. So, we just figured that I am on about 32 hours with no sleep:0) (That's my excuse if this post is a little out of sorts) I hate to admit that I have gotten a little bit of a second wind at the moment.

The plan for tonight is to get a good night sleep, and then tomorrow, just take it easy. We may go to the park and the kids will prob. play in the back garden. We are so excited and glad to be here. Thanks for following along and I hope that you are all having a great summer!!

This time tomorrow......

This time tomorrow, we (all but Gareth) will be on a plane headed to England for the rest of the summer. I am so excited. I think that I have done everything that needs to be done. If not, then it is a little too late now:0) I am trying to wind down now to make an early night of it, knowing that I won't get any sleep tomorrow night. I am used to being up until 2am every night, so I am not worried on that end. I do hope the kids behave on the plane. If not, "oh well", (right kelley?) Not much I can do about it:0)

Please pray that we have a safe and uneventful trip. Also for the time we will be spending there. Pray for Gareth back home. I will try to post and keep updates going. I don't think I will be able to post pics, but I should be able to blog!!

And as we say when we go on a road trip,

Let's Roll........

Happy 4th of July!!

I hope that everyone had a great Independence Day!!! We had a good day. We (or I) spent most of the morning getting packed. We then spent the afternoon and evening at our annual picnic hosted by our friend K and M. Thanks guys for having us over again this year!! They kids went swimming, and then we all went for fireworks. Here are a few pics from the day! It was a lovely day spent with lots of friends!!

Family Reunion

Had to post this one!! Too cute!
Family!
Me with my cousin on his bike!


Last weekend, we went to PA for a family reunion. We realized driving up that we hadn't been to the farm in 12 years. Boy how time flies. I have posted some pics. Not sure if they will be in order or not. We had a great time. The kids camped out with Gareth. I, spoiled self that I am, slept inside:0) We had chickens cooked on the open fire. We all took turns on the 4 wheeler, my cousin took me out on his bike, and we just hung out. I think there was about 50 of us there for the chicken roast. We had such a wonderful time and I really hope that it will become a yearly tradition!!