Year in Review - Our big trip - First stop - London!

Quality wise this is a terrible photo but I just love it so much I had to include it.

So the scoop is that Adrian had a conference for work in Amsterdam.  He also has a lot of family in Great Britain and his boss is in Italy SO we decided to all go and make a gigantic work/family visit/vacation trip.  

Twenty seven days of togetherness!  :) 

We left out of Colorado Springs and had a bunch of crazy stuff happen with checking in and then the we boarded and then they had us get off and then we rebounded.  It didn't seem like the best way to start 27 straight days of travel but what can you do?

And just for the record, we normally LOVE flying out of Colorado Springs.  Small, easy airport!!!

We arrived in DFW for a short layover before boarding our overnight plane to London!  

Overnight travel is not my favorite but the kids really did amazingly well and we all made it through!  

We found our hotel and headed out to get some lunch.  The super nice staff at our hotel recommended  Nando's.  It was just down the street from our hotel and it was a GREAT place for us to eat lunch.  They had an allergy menu you guys!  That was huge for an easy first meal.  The food was delicious and it was a very easy atmosphere.  I did notice some other moms with kids there and that day as well as others I noticed that London moms seem to iron their kids' clothes way more than American (or at least Coloradan) moms!  

I couldn't help but snap a photo of the changing table in the restroom either.  "Tidy Bottoms" is a new expression for me and a fun one.  

David and I also LOVED the cute little vacuum we would see in the hallway at our hotel as we came and went.  If we had had room in our suitcase I would have bought one and brought it home!  How happy is that vacuum??!!!

David is wearing his collapsible water bottle on his belt loop.  He was super responsible on this trip with keeping up with his things.  

It was so wonderful to get to meet up with family while we were there.  They met us at the hotel and we went for a walk to a playground.  Cora obviously LOVED the swings!  Everyone had a good time and we had a lovely stroll around the rest of the park right near Buckingham Palace.  

We went to Wagamama for dinner and Cora was obviously a fan!  

Hooray for family!  

I love seeing all of our shoes lined up by the door of the hotel.  I had wanted to take a similar picture at each place we stayed but I gave up on that idea when it felt like too much work.  These shoes covered a LOT of ground!!!

The next morning we were among the last into the hotel's breakfast room to enjoy this feast!  Ahh European breakfasts! 

We were very blessed to enjoy GORGEOUS weather!  We expected rain and cold in England in September but it was beautiful!!!

Cora was walking quite a bit holding hands at this stage of the trip.  She wasn't yet an independent walker.  

England had SUCH cool playgrounds!!!

And blackcurrant capri sun!   Don't see that everyday.  :) 

waiting outside Buckingham Palace

The Museum of Natural History

This was one of my absolute favorite days!!!  The four of us went to the Museum of Natural History and it was spectacular!  I loved that all four of us were engaged.  David was super into it and the museum was great about having knobs and dials and levers and things on various exhibits to make it interactive.  Cora LOVES animals and was excited to see everything and it was a big playground to her to practice her walking cruising along the exhibits.  Adrian and I were learning tons of cool facts we didn't know.  It felt to me as if the vision we have for our family as we embark on homeschooling of learning all together was a reality that day and it was absolutely wonderful!

His favorite Bible story is Jonah and the Whale.

Riding the double decker busses was a REAL thrill for David.  He was completely enthralled!!!

And on top of that we also got to ride Metros!  He was given a couple of gifts with underground symbols and maps on them and he decided then and there that his "4 1/2 year old birthday party" (oh, news to us!) should be "Underground" themed and have a chocolate cake!  

On our last day in London while looking for lunch we passed through this crazy tunnel with paint everywhere including a painting in progress!  

Next stop small town England!

photos in this post taken by both Adrian and I

Kelly

Year in Review - September 2014

The month began while we were still on our road trip

While traveling I only like to eat at places that I can't eat at at home.  

The trip home took us to chowhound!

It wasn't spectacular but it was a fun mom and pop burger joint.

I think this trip was my first time to cross the continental divide by land (as opposed to air).  

It was a neat experience to me.

These pics are actually from August but didn't make the last post.  We had to say goodbye to some lovely friends who were some of our very first friends here in Colorado Springs!  :(  

Boo.  But we will look forward to visits somewhere somehow in the future.  

A good friend and I began diving into the scriptures together in the mornings and it has been really good to me and for me.  God is Good!  He knows what we need.  

I built a chair/blanket/tablecloth tunnel for the kids.

It was a hit.  

Fall decorating, this little squirrel has quite the supply of nuts!  

We had a BIG trip coming up and I was prepping for weeks!  

These two love each other so much!  

Looking online for accommodations.  Do you see one of the places we were headed???

Pushing the cart on a shopping day with Nana and Mama while Brother was in preschool.  

So excited to be surprised by Nana joining me to pick him up from school!  

We took the kids to chickfila for lunch.  I had JUST commented that we were at such as sweet spot because David was big enough to go into the play area by himself and Cora didn't realize it existed yet and so was happy to sit and hang out with us at the table.  When we went in to get David so we could leave, she walked right in, started climbing up to the top of the play structure before I even knew what was happening and was going down the big slide!  She is one brave and adventurous girl!!!

Playing with the nativity in September

When we visited my friend Jenny in May we tie dyed shirts.  David calls his his "tie day" shirt.  He likes it a lot!

Splashing around in the water in our footie Christmas jammies!!

Sweet boy, we let him stay up a little later to read in his bed and he fell asleep! 

My sweet nephew Caleb captured this fun photo!

Getting our taste buds ready for Italian food.  

Another library book we really enjoyed!

Narrowing down clothing choices, matching outfits and packing!!!

Next up, our trip!