Rachel's 1st Tooth!

The first tooth is sooo exciting!

I said good night to girls and went downstairs. A few minutes later I hear, "My tooth came out!" She sounded half-excited, half-panicked. When I got upstairs her face looked like her voice sounded. Em was a fantastic doting sister. It was a great moment.

Things That Make Me Chuckle #4

UK road signs make me chuckle.

How does a person know the speed limit in the UK? Just look to the sign for the answer:

It's called 'The National'--and it really is a speed limit sign for the nation. It's very clear as to what the speed limit is, isn't it??? The answer is 50, 60 or 70. To know which one just look at the painted lines on the road, how many street lamps there are and how far apart they are, how many lanes there are going each way and if there is a divider in the middle and what kind.

That's why this sign makes it to the top of the list.

We call this one the 'No Picnic Tables Available'.

The next sign is a public footpath sign that shows a great walking path. There are many beautiful areas to explore, but sometimes the path the sign points to is just not worth a sign:
This one goes right through the middle of a farmer's field. I just hope it's not time to harvest.

One for tired and homeless horses wandering around:

It reads: Home of Rest for Horses

Here's a drawing to explain roundabouts:

And here's a sign showing how they really work sometimes:

Weekend Walks

With the weather so beautiful now, all we want to do is be outside. We played at the park yesterday, then fed the swans.











We had to capture a picture of what some of the old buildings are like. The girls are in front of a row of flats (townhomes).


Fields of gold











Old churches are just everywhere. They're so peaceful and beautiful.




An old cemetery







I love driving through roads like this one! They're narrow, windy and a bit like a thrill ride--you never know when another car is going to appear around the bend and then it becomes a game of how to let each other pass. Jon used his windshield wipers today (instead of flashing the lights) to let one car pass. It's still hilarious!



Old part of town










Cute kid we picked up on the way.







Hannah had fun blowing dandelion seeds







It's days like these that make me fall in love with England all over again. I sometimes feel like I can't get enough of the views, the old buildings and just walking around thinking, 'I'm in England!'

Things That Make Me Chuckle #3

Before

Rachel makes it to my chuckle list tonight. Around 9:00 I was finishing up the 'Mommy Tag' post and in walks Rachel with a brush stuck in her long hair--wrapped around a very non-forgiving round brush all the way to her scalp. I was afraid the brush was going to win this battle, but thanks to a lot of conditioner and 30 minutes of patience she was back in bed with most of her hair still intact. I think I like it better when she just sneaks in some late night reading. After

I'm It

MOMMY TAG
1. On a good night, what time do my kids go to bed? I start around 7 and by 10:00 they are all usually asleep (See above post for explanation)
2. Fav. chore? This question doesn't make sense! If it's a chore it means I don't like it!
3. What are my fav. things that I do with my kids? Being outside doing anything, reading to them and playing games
4. What are the 5 things that make me smile while being a mom?
-Their smiles and laughter
-Their friendships with each other
-Hearing them talk on the phone to anyone
-Hearing what other people say about them
-Watching them succeed
5. Where do I want to take them someday? I'm excited to take them to Utah this summer
6. Fav. quality that my mom has? Her strength and knowing just what to say when I need a pick me up
7. Why I like being a mom...I like what someone said to me after watching me with my kids: "It must be so wonderful to spend your energies on making their life good."

7 Week Countdown!

Things to do in our final 7 weeks:
1. Count how many times Hannah asks: "Did Daddy buy our tickets to America?" and "Is Granma coming?" (My Mom is coming out to stay with the girls while Jon and I do a house hunting trip.)
2. Take a trip to Brussels. (This fun trip came about because of an issue with our visas!)
3. Check off the rest of our list of 'Things to See and Do While in England'--only 173 to go!
4. Try not to think of all the things I'm looking forward to in America: spacious lanes, wide parking spots, understanding what people say to me, American vacations, quick check outs at stores, seeing my things that have been in storage for a year, stocking my fridge with food that lasts more than 3 days, and SHOPPING!)
5. Enjoy the things that I'll miss about England: London, the Tube, the beautiful English countryside, the girls' school, the Model Village, walking around my little town, having an accent, European holidays, going round the roundabouts, Wagamama, looking at things that are just really old!)

Tour of London

Jon, Lizzie and I did a walking/boat tour of London on Saturday. Here's a little quiz to see how well you know London!1. Who was the cutest member of our tour group who entertained everyone with her cute sounds and great smiles?








Tower of London and Tower Bridge
2. Why did the moat around the Tower of London get filled in?











Houses of Parliament
3. How many years was Oliver Cromwell's head displayed on a pole outside Westminster Abbey? (His body was taken somewhere else.) (Cromwell is credited with the current set up of Parliament--House of Lords and House of Commons.)




Big Ben
4. What is Big Ben?

Westminster Abbey

5. Who of the following is not buried in the Abbey?

a. Charles Dickens

b. Lewis Carroll (Alice in Wonderland)

c. William Shakespeare

d. Charles Darwin

e. Laurence Olivier

St. James's Park

6. How in the world did pelicans end up in London?

Trafalgar Square
7. How many lions guard Admiral Horatio Nelson's column?

ANSWERS:
1. Sweet Lizzie
2. It got too stinky (It was their sewer system.)
3. 24
4. A bell
5. Shakespeare
6. A gift from Russia (Norway gave a polar bear.)
7. 4