Cheri'O London

Saturday we did not get as early of a start as we should have to tour London, but we had fun and saw a ton anyways. 2 trains and about 30min we were in London.

Something historic along our double decker bus tour around the city. I will have to go back and look this one up.

 These were everywhere in the park across from Buckingham Palace. So fun you can just sit and enjoy the sunshine and the beauty of the park.

Buckingham Palace we got there just in time to see the Changing of the Guards. I pushed my way to the front to get pictures of course the family made fun of me, but it was pretty cool to see and they will want my pictures.

 These guys would walk to the fences turn around walk back and repeat several times then meet other guards and do some sword changing thing. So many little details and as a spectator you have no idea why they are doing these things.

Same thing lots of walking back and forth.

After the ceremony they walk the streets and head back to the guard house.

The front of the Palace. So glad we were there when tourists season just started could not imagine being in London at the peak of tourists it was crowded enough.

Super Nanny

Notice the gates to the park behind me almost all the entrances are with gold, very detailed and amazing to see.

Ah the sisters.

The statues, buildings, artwork, scenery is all so amazing. The beauty of everywhere we went was so unreal and hard to capture on camera. We tried so many different ways to capture things and always felt that it does not look the same as in person.

Spring tulips were out everywhere, we just missed all the daffodils.

I had never seen so many different colored tulips before and so tall.

These signs in the street are quite helpful since for the tourist. Since you drive on the opposite side you have to change the way you look. Melinda and Mom almost got ran over not paying attention to this sign.

School next to the Westminster Abby

The Westminster Abby we took a tour, it is beautiful inside there are a lot of dead saints in this church.

The Parliament, there was some crazy police action going on there. We think maybe a bomb or something they had police (Bobbi's) everywhere and dogs going crazy.

Big Ben, pretty but not as big as you would think.

Where the London Bridge that is now in Havasu, AZ used to be. This one is much prettier.

Tower of London from the outside

A church in the Tower of London. There was a wedding there that day it was so neat they brought the bride in a white taxi and she had a little white top hat on the side of her head with the vail coming down. ALways fun to see weddings.

More changing of the guards. The poor guards in the booths just walk back and forth swinging one arm all day.

A little history museum about knights and there armor. This armor was made for a King that thought very highly of his man parts. Somehow I think his "johnson" is not like this in battle. haha.

Other side of the Tower of London, there is a lot of history here. The Queens jewels are here and all the artifacts they use during different ceremonies. There was also lots of killings done her in the Bloody tower, interesting place to go.

And the rain came.....we were all pretty wet by the time we made it to the bus. We were lucky and glad it rained at the end of our day.

Visitng the parents in Kingston!

Since a few people have asked here is the start of MANY posts to come of our adventures in Europe. Be patient I am feeling a little overwhelmed with everything so I will get to it when I can.

So we left for our "sisters" trip on a Thursday the 29th of April in the afternoon from 3 different states and barely made it to Minneapolis to all fly together to London. Well I had a 4 hour layover waiting for them and the rest of them were all delayed and got there just in time to board the plane. This is Cherlyn and I getting ready to try and sleep (ya right) on the plane. I know you are jealous of our masks!

We made it to England!!! (except for Cherlyn's luggage) It was a long flight but so worth it. So the adventure begin.
1. Trying to make a phone call on a payphone with a hand full of change not sure what is euros and what is pounds! It was quite comical finally some man came over and gave us his change and helped us out.
2. Asking people how and what bus we take, no one seemed to have an answer.
3. 3 buses later 1 that was the same number but only took us all around the airport so we had an extra 45min detour.

4. FINALLY getting on the right bus and looking at the map mom sent us and NOT finding any street names thinking we were on the wrong bus again. After over an hour we asked someone and they looked at us like we were crazy. ( the picture above was the right number, but wrong bus)

5. Seeing the name of the stop we needed... PRICELESS!!! We cheered and could not wait to get off the bus. We had been traveling since Thursday early afternoon and made it Friday at 4pm. On this bus ride we did get to see all the kids getting on after school and they really dress and look like Harry Potter kids.

We meet mom and dad at the bus station and took a short walk to there flat had some home cooking from mom and took a nice walk along the river near there apartments.

Our first pastry in the center of downtown Kingston that they have a farmers market at on Saturday's.

 Mom standing outside All Saints church. There has been a church on this site for over 100 years and during the 10th century it was the site for the coronation of the Kings of England.

Pretty much what Jeanette did any chance she could get.

Some random store signs that I thought were funny!

So many emotions

I leave for Europe with my sisters tomorrow afternoon. We are going to London to visit the parents then meet up with my niece Marissa and Brother-on-law, Blake to tour Paris and then Switzerland. I am super excited to have this amazing opportunity to travel at a minimal expense and WAY nervous to leave my family. I have never left Brooklyn overnight before so this is huge for me. Let me go back for a bit. Cherlyn and Blake were so generous and used all there frequent flier miles to pay for our tickets to Europe so that the girls could go see mom and dad. This was an opportunity hard to pass up, not the greatest timing since we just bought a house, but since Jeanette is prego's and wanted to come we had to go now before she gets any bigger. My parents are excited to see us as well.

Now for the reason of this post, I know that while I am away Brooklyn will be in great hands she loves her daddy and her Nana is coming to help out as well so she will be set. Thank you Maria for coming up to help it is extremely helpful to us so Danny can keep working and making money while I go play. :) This helps me feel comfortable, but will miss B and Danny A Lot. I think I need to wear waterproof mascara since I will be crying the plane flight over. No really tonight when I put B to bed I was singing our usual songs before bedtime and she was hugging me patting my back humming along and I could barely get the words out. I was crying telling her I love her etc.. See even now getting teary eyed thinking about it. She can be a handful but is so sweet and sincere. Gotta love our Brooklyn Rose.

Some proof that she is a daddy's girl!

She loves to brush her teeth and yours as well - perhaps she will like the dental field like mommy.

Loves to walk in daddy's shoes

And fix things with her daddy, always a little helper.

This past weekend Brooklyn got another ear infection and ran an extremely high fever for 4 days it got up to 105.2 and down to 103.8. It was terrible to see her not feel good and we could do nothing for her. Luckily Monday she woke up with no fever, crossing my fingers that she stays that way while I am gone. I would feel terrible is she gets sick again while I am away. Oh and yes they gave her a totally different antibiotic this time and no reaction and yes it does cost more than the cheap Amoxicillin but totally worth not going to the ER again.
        I love you guys and am gonna miss you tons!!

Cousins

Cousin time for B, this week we have been watching Clara so Ricky can attend a Computer Show and Stephanie can relax and hang out with Ricky in Vegas after he is done at the show. It has been fun. Brooklyn gets super excited to see her then not so sure about sharing, but usually does in the end. I am sure Clara is wondering where all her siblings are running around, but I think she is having fun. They have opposite napping times so there is always one kid awake, normally no big deal, but his week I have been trying to clean and get things ready before I leave so it has been a rough one.I do not think I could be a mom of twins they need special parents. It will be an adventure for Danny he gets them for the next day and 1/2 on his own. 

Crazy weather lately, we were eating dinner and there was a down pour of hail for 10 min or so then it went away, same thing today! Crazy. Can't really tell in the pic but they are the size of marbles.