THE LONDON EXPERIMENT

A Texas Wedding Weekend

2009-07-19T16:07:00.000-07:00

My little brother got married on June 13th... to this beautiful southern bell, Margaret Ann Willet. What a truly beautiful couple!!!

Okay, jokes aside, they are actually an amazing couple and it was so exciting to watch them become one. Brad and I made it in time for a whole weekends worth of festivities but others were not as lucky (as it was Brad and I had to spend the night in Dulles Airport... but at least we made it in!). The weather in Dallas grounded all incoming and outgoing flights which meant that my Dad and all the groomsmen were stuck in Fresno!!! In an act of heroism they all piled into a car and drove to Palm Springs to catch a flight... everyone made it in the end but many hours were spent waiting in airports across the country, definitely worth it though!

We started our wedding weekend fun with a Texas BBQ... something Brad has been fantasizing about his whole life!!!

After our food settled, we went to Margaret Ann's house for a little family get together. These are Margaret Ann's sisters... +1! We had a great time meeting her family and learning about our new sister in law. Her family was fabulous and we instantly loved them... hope that feeling was mutual!
After dinner we girls went out for a bit of a bachelorette party. Unfortunately, we were all so full from Ann Willet's incredible food that we only got drinks and shared 2 deserts... oh yeah, and made Margaret Ann open her lingerie in public!
The next morning all the girls went for brunch at the nail salon. I had been looking forward to this for weeks... I even grew my normally stubby nails out for the event! These are the Moms... both chose boring light pink shades... very appropriate, well done girls!
I chose bright red... Yes, a bit trashy but I thought it might be the only time I'd ever have nails long enough to do it!!! Don't worry, I got the brides okay before making the decision!
Mother of the Groom, Bride and Mother of the Bride
The rehearsal dinner was hotter than hadies!!! Margaret Ann's mom co-officiated the ceremony so here she is giving some important advice to the couple.
Just my brother and I... trying to smile even though we were melting!
The girls got to wait in the shade while the boys had to sweat it out in the sun... oh well, we give birth so it all works out in the end!
Okay, rehearsal over, 1 day in counting till wedding bells!
Don't they look like mother and son... you'd think I married into their family!
The rehearsal dinner was a ton of fun... lots of family and friends... and really good American Mexican food!!!
Cousins!!!
Father of the Groom and Father of the Bride
The Best Man... check out his awesome cowboy hat!
Oh yes... Brad definitely enjoyed the food!
After the rehearsal dinner my ever romantic brother sat down to pen Margaret Ann a letter. He does truly love her so much. It was really fun to watch them together because we have been away for most of their relationship. All of their interactions gave me a huge amount of confidence in their love and in their marriage!
I know its hard to see but this was the hour by hour forecast for wedding day... 98 degrees with thunder storms!!! It never rained but it was incredibly hot and humid!
Saturday, Wedding Day, started with brunch and then beauty. All the bridesmaids and mothers got their hair done. I have honestly never seen, or inhaled, that much hairspray... my hair was like a helmet... a beautiful football helmet!
I love this picture... dang my brother is lucky!
I can see why he fell in love with her... she does truly light up a room!
Margaret Ann was the only person who could tie a bow properly so after getting herself ready... she got the rest of us ready!
I sort of spent the whole day thinking, "Wow, my little brother is all grown up. Ummmm, what happened to little chubby cheeked JP who sucked his thumb and used a blanky?" The following are photos that I collected from other people's cameras... well done family!
The Wedding Party
The first dances...
Cutting the cake...
Toasts...
and then it was time to party... look at B.O... doesn't he look ready to get down and boogy? In his defense, it was incredibly hot and humid!

The groomsmen at the end of the evening... after the newlyweds left. These boys did a great job all day and I tip my hat to them because if I'd been wearing a suit, I'd definitely have dropped from heat exhaustion!
While JP and MA had a fabulous honeymoon cruising around Alaska we moved them into their new home in Fresno so we of course wanted to be there when they walked over the threshold and saw all of their stuff! I love it that I was able to get these pictures... what a moment! Welcome home Mr. and Mrs. Shamshoian!
Brad and I had a great 2 weeks in Fresno waiting for the CA reception. I'll post about that too but for now, I need to celebrate getting done with this post!

Camping UK

2009-05-30T09:29:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I'm way behind in blogworld and I'm a bit stressed out about it!!! All you really need to know is that we went camping with some friends during our half term break. We went to the beach, took walks, relaxed and made some amazing food! The British countryside is absolutely beautiful and we feel so blessed to have been able to experience it!

Unfortunately, I'm at home in Fresno and there is just too much family to see to do this post justice... so here's the pictures... more words to follow!
Very windy beach = wind guard... UK beach necessity!Okay... I know it's silly but I was really excited to fill up a British gas tank!

Half Term in Barcelona

2009-05-27T13:48:00.000-07:00

We went to Barthelona over half term and had a great time... unfortunately I don't have time to write very much about it. Enjoy the pics...
Street performers, all day and all night...breathtaking-awe inspiring-odd-architecture...We went out to a nice dinner on the beach and Brad insisted that I not ask for tap water as he thinks it makes our waiters hate us... Had he seen the price of this water bottle on the menu he may have changed his mind... 8 euro for this? My face says it all!
A crown picture for Robin... hope you like it!Okay, this is La Sagrada Familia... an unfinished church. The facade is incredible and the inside is a work in progress. We spent about 5 hours here... just wandering and soaking it all in!Gaudi's park proved to be a really cool place to relax and get away from the city. Brad did a great job navigating for us... Thanks hub!
Really cool grafiti... Brad and I both have an odd interest in this form of art. Maybe it comes from working with hoodlums!
Tapas!!!
More grafiti!
Barcelona is a beautiful city and we had a great time... sorry this post lacked details... I'm behind and feeling a bit lazy!

Barcelona in Black and White

2009-05-26T12:57:00.000-07:00

These are our attempts at artistic black and whites from Barcelona. Not much to say about them... hope you enjoy!

Jackson Browne

2009-05-21T10:12:00.000-07:00

On Thursday we went to a Jackson Browne concert at the Royal Albert Hall... we had to rush home from work and still ended up running late...
but we did make it there in plenty of time! Can you see the relief that has washed over our faces?
Brad loves this photo... very artistic.
Our favorite intermission snack... mint kit-kats!
Jackson played a lot of new songs, which we didn't know. When he did play the ones we do know we were so excited that we (and the rest of the crowd) were out of our seats and dancing!
Brad's always been a fan of Jackson and now I definitely am!

The British Experience

2009-05-16T09:49:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we went to the Windsor Horse Show with some friends... we're told it's a very British thing to do! Gemma and I are trying on the newest derby hats... too bad a picked up a child's and couldn't get it to fit on my big fat head!
Brad and Nigel tried on their own hats. I think Brad is channeling Indiana Jones here.
We found a big group of paparazzi frantically snapping shots of a family...
so we snapped our own. Later we found out they were Prince Albert, Charles's brother, and his family. They rarely pose for the photographers so this was a particularly lucky shot!
We watched the horse show...not really my thing but the company made it fun!
Silly hats are big at these things!
I tested a new hair removal system... basically sand paper for the skin. It worked but not well enough to purchase!
After the show we went to Gemma's to watch Eurovision, a singing competition where the most outlandish act wins... Norway took it this year. *** Special Note: Armenia was in the top 5!

Brad's 2nd Cricket Game

2009-05-10T09:46:00.000-07:00

Brad's 2nd game was an away game so I stayed home/had a great time shopping on High Street!
Brad came home from the game with a fat lip and a few days later he looked like this!
A ground ball took a bad hop and attacked him. I can't say I've been very supportive... I mostly laugh at him. On the up side, he did get to grow his stache out for a week while he healed!

An Artsy Day

2009-05-09T09:31:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we decided to start the day off right with a Starbucks so that we'd be nice and enthusiastic for our fun filled day of art hopping.
We went to an exhibition housed in this unmarked white building... we felt pretty cool, like super culture nerds because we knew where it was.
Again, I snuck the following pictures for your enjoyment. I made the fatal error at this gallery though... if you get told once to put your camera away, you can play it off like your an idiot tourist who just didn't understand all the signs of cameras with lines through them. The second time you get asked makes you the criminal that someone with a black walky talky follows through the entire exhibit!!! Never fun to be that person.
After the exhibit that we meant to go to we found a bunch of independent art galleries. We popped in and out of some as we meandered through the enchanting streets of London. It's finds like these that make this city great!
Krysta, this one's for you!
Just hangin with the queen mum!
Later, we went to a wine and cheese party at our old Alpha leader's house. Here we are on the train with our California wine!
I asked Brad to put nice clothes on thinking maybe wine and cheese required fancy attire. We were in a rush so I didn't check Brad before we left... this is his idea of fancy!

Standing on the Edge of Time

2009-05-04T09:23:00.000-07:00

The first weekend in May was a bank holiday weekend. On Monday we went to Greenwich with Lauren and Paul (some new friends from church).
I had to throw this picture in for all those Harry Potter fans reading... doesn't that look like Hogwarts in the distance... the green in the forefront is like the space between Hogwarts and Hagrid's... have I mentioned I read Harry on the way to and from work every day?
Okay, here I am standing on the Prime Meridian...
And here we are... kissing on the prime meridian.
I was on the phone with my dad when the kids decided to run down the hill... felt a bit left out but that's okay because I go this shot... I hope we never grow up!

Brad's First Cricket Game

2009-05-03T09:57:00.000-07:00

Well, now we feel official... how much more British does it get than a Sunday Cricket match, complete with tea time! Look how cute Brad looks in his whites (it's a gentleman's game so players have to be dressed in head to toe white... always a rebel, Brad's still sporting his faded Giants hat!)
Just some cricket paraphernalia. Please note the cups... they share them over here.
Suiting up...
Running out to the wickets...
and swinging for the fences!
Brad and his headteacher (who got him on the team).
I had so much fun watching Brad. He was amazing, it was as if he'd never put a baseball bat down. I felt like I was back in the stands at Reedley watching him do what he does best, except I was on a blanket reading Harry Potter and looking up every now and then (Cricket is a really long, relatively boring game).

Another Lovely Saturday

2009-05-02T16:01:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we set out to find Bradley some Cricket shoes. Our search took us to a part of London that we'd never explored, Ealing Broadway. Here's Brad, feeling very in his element, in the middle of the Cricket section of a little mom and pop sporting goods store.
After buying the cricket shoes we settled down in a park for another picnic (we've been enjoying a lot of these lately!).
I had yogurt with raspberries and granola...
Brad scarfed a homemade chicken wrap.
I call the following installment: Sights and Sounds of Our Saturday Tradition
After our picnic we went home, cleaned up and then went out to our new favourite pizza place, Fire and Stone. Check out my pizza... vegetables, pine nuts and goats cheese!
Goodness, my husband looks like a dork here doesn't he! His pizza had rosemary-garlic potatoes and bacon on it... he loved it!

Tennis... please check out the last picture!!!

2009-04-26T15:46:00.000-07:00

Sunday was another gloriously sunny day in London. We met some friends in Clapham for a picnic and some tennis. These are the girls: Jemma, me, Kath, and Karla.
This is Nigel, you know the guy in the middle, and Kath.
Just hammin it up, and wishing I was playing a real sport like baseball!
Chris and Nigel... Chris was our tennis pro for the day.
Here's Mike and Brad... neither of whom were very good!...
But I definitely took the cake for worst player of the day! Please check out my form, I think I even missed the ball on this wild swing!
And for your enjoyment, I've blown up my face from the last picture... I guess my mom wasted her money on those lessons when I was 8!

Girls Night Out

2009-04-24T14:10:00.000-07:00

Last Friday I went out with some girls from work, Kath and Gemma. We met some of Kath's friends for happy hour and then went to dinner at this incredible pizza place called Fire and Stone. It was great to be out with girls!
We went to a Gomez concert. None of us knew that much about the band but we all really enjoyed it. Their sound was sort of rock/acoustic... I'm sure you can look 'em up on itunes, they had a really cool sound.

Testosterone Anyone???

2009-04-23T13:55:00.000-07:00

A few nights ago Brad made himself this steak dinner and then sat down in front of Magnum P.I. and ate in his boxers. Words cannot express how much I love my husband, especially in those moments that he declares, " I am a man and my testosterone cannot be stifled!"

A Bit of Romance

2009-04-21T13:40:00.000-07:00

Brad must have been in a romantic mood on Tuesday night because he suggested a picnic in Hyde Park. I think that when you've been deprived of sun for months, and then you get a week straight of it, you can't help but hear birds chirping... see rainbows... and perhaps get a bit romantic!
We packed up sandwiches and some Mint Kit Kats and then headed for the park. We found ourselves a dry piece of grass and enjoyed the evening basking in the glorious rays!
Good job hubs!!! Great thought, well implemented... the perfect romantic gesture!
Just playing with the flower icon on our camera... takes cool close up shots!

A Perfect Saturday

2009-04-18T13:02:00.000-07:00

As Spring blossoms Londoners slowly begin to creep out of the warm comforts of home and venture outdoors again. Last Saturday was SUNNY and beautiful. Nature beckoned and we answered. We set out for the southbank to explore and see a photography exhibition. Look at us, all grown up, drinking coffee!!! Coffee is new for us, we are in the early phases of learning to enjoy it without becoming addicted to the glorious feeling of the caffeine jolt.
We found an unexpected park right outside of the Embankment Tube Station. London definitely does it's green spaces right! Check out the flowers in this park that we randomly happened upon.
What a beautiful backdrop! Ughhhh, the city is so alluring when the sun comes out (too bad that is only about 10% of the time)!
We crossed the Millennium Bridge, and got this great cityscape, on our way to the photography exhibition at the Southbank Center.
James Ravilious took pictures of the unspoilt, rural area of North Devon. His pictures ranged from breathtaking landscapes to everyday scenes of English families watching football. Brad and I both really enjoyed the exhibit, James captured everyday life in the countryside exquisitely. Brad even enquired about buying a photo but, unfortunately, they were all way out of our humble price range!
After the rural exhibition we decided to step back into contemporary London life and enjoy the wiles of the southbank center's carnival like atmosphere.
These are just a few of the street performers out that day.
Finally, we strolled to Westminster Tube Station, passing the London Eye on our way. London's sky doesn't look like this very often... which increases our appreciation of it exponentially when it does!

Life Lost

2009-04-16T12:45:00.000-07:00

My computer broke... I'm not sure what else to write. My hard drive corrupted and I lost 85% of my pictures and data. My honeymoon, London photos, photos of my old classes, it seems like my whole life... gone.
We're going to send the hard drive into a recovery specialist when we get back to the states but for now I'm left heartbroken and worried about the lost memories. Brad is being a rock as ever, thank God for him! All I can think is, why didn't I back everything up?

Spring Break in Amsterdam 4.12 - 4.15

2009-04-12T08:45:00.000-07:00

We arrived in Amsterdam on Easter Sunday. Our room (at another amazing Hilton) wasn't ready so we enjoyed some free drinks on a patio that overlooked a canal.
Once we got into our rooms and cleaned up a bit we popped over to the Executive Lounge... that's right... more VIP treatment! Check out the cute Easter treats we found!
In the last couple of months I have realized that now that I am 25, alcohol is not the enemy that it was when I was 15! I have been trying to 'acquire a taste for wine' so that I'm not the only dork at the table not drinking for the rest of my life. Wine was free in the lounge so I tried to develop my taste for it...
Clearly I'm not there yet!
After the Executive Lounge we made our way to the Anne Frank House. The line to get in wound around the corner and we were going leave(because John Shamshoian doesn't do lines) but then we struck up a conversation with 3 guys from Israel. Talking to them put life into perspective. They told us about how the things we only see on the news affected their lives personally.
We enjoyed the beautiful canals on our walk back to our hotel. The lights shining on the water create an enchanting atmosphere that reminded me of how lucky we are to be able to travel and experience this life that God has given us.
Pretty cool huh, we found this on our way back to the hotel... it's even spelled the right way!
On Monday morning we set out for the VanGough Museum... but not before I took this picture to prove to future generations that Brad and I don't always slum it when we travel :)
This is the lookout from the patio of the Hilton... ahhhh wish I was there relaxing right now!
Okay, so here we are in the foyer of the VanGough Museum. We just couldn't contain our excitement (My dad is faking... I'm not, I love VanGough!).
Here are some of my favourites. Please keep in mind that I risked life and limb (and getting kicked out of a museum) to get these... have I mentioned that I love the rush of sneaking pictures???
My dad actually risked himself for this one... it's my favourite painting. Good job After taking lots of ridicule for not enjoying museums (ie not enjoying culture) this is my dad... appreciating art. He outlasted us all at VanGough. When this picture was taken we were all begging him to leave... he was doing this to spite us!
Amsterdam is a city of bikes, literally hundreds of thousands of bikes. I took at least 2o pictures of bikes but this one was my favorite. It makes me long for SLO and lazy Saturdays riding around eating Raspberry Pinwheels.
After the museum we took a canal cruise. It was incredibly relaxing, I actually caught a little shut eye on the boat. Amsterdam is a beautiful city and this is perhaps the best way to enjoy it.
After a long day cruising the canals, we ate dinner in the Executive Lounge and then relaxed in our rooms. Late in the evening my dad, Brad and I went down to the bar/patio and enjoyed some complimentary drinks. These were my favourite hours of the whole trip... we were not on a tour, not appreciating art, not trying to find anything... just relaxing, enjoying each other's company!
The curtains in our room were letting a bit of light in and this is the image that it cast on the ceiling. It makes me think of light pouring out of heaven... an image of Grace. Brad thinks I'm silly for putting this in but... I like it so, maybe someone else will too!
On Wednesday morning I was melancholy, knowing that this was my dad and Shelly's last day with us.
We set out to go shopping and found this chicks along the way. Shelly and I raced to take pictures...
here's my dad and Brad looking on, probably talking about how silly their wives are!
As we wandered around I took some pictures of street signs so to document how crazy they were... these serve as a constant reminder while I'm in London that I should be thankful because here, at least I can pronounce the names of the streets I can't find!
Ever a real estate man... the boys are just checking out property prices.
Brad's fascination with Mou prompted me to take this picture of a painting we found while window shopping.
We spent the day meandering through the city, shopping and eating our way through Amsterdam.

Despite its obvious shady side, (which I decided not to blog about, although we did see it on Tuesday night) Amsterdam is an enchanting city. We had an amazing 12 days with my dad and Shelly. Words cannot express how excited I was when they came to London or how sad I was to see them go. My only solace was found in the fact that John Paul gets marries in 2 months (HOLY COW) which means that I'll see my family soon!!! We are so blessed to have families that we can't wait to get home to... we love you all!

Paris During Spring Break 4.8 - 4.12

2009-04-08T12:42:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday morning we flew to Paris. Once there we took our million suitcases to the Hilton. That's right, Brad and I got to stay in the Hilton (using my dad's points) for free!!!!! We felt like such high rollers! Every morning we had extravagant breakfasts for free(worth 35 euro each) and then snacked and ate dinner sans charge in the executive lounge!!! We will truly never forget our experience at the Hilton... which is good since we will also probably never have enough money to stay there again!!!
After a rest we went to the Arc de Triumph. There was some sort of military ceremony going on there so, lots of men in uniform and trumpets. This added to the ambiance and we stood in awe of the arc for quite some time.
Then we walked down the Champs Elysses and found an incredibly cute restaurant for dinner. My dad had the French Onion soup... which we all envied! He shared, thank goodness because it was the best I'd ever had!
On Thursday we went to Normandy (which is a different post all together). On Friday morning we went to the Louvre when it opened to try to beat the crowds (have I mentioned that dealing with crowds is not John Shamshoian's strong point???).
We headed straight for Mona (again, that was about beating crowds!). Then, once we'd seen her, we hit the other big name pieces at a more leisurely pace.
I just put this in so that you would have a visual on the crowds!!! Look at all these people!
And after a few hours of appreciating art, we all felt a bit like this...
so we took a stroll in the Jardin de Tullieres. We relaxed in front of this fountain for a while and then got some coffee.
This is a gigantic sculpture of a tree with roots. I loved it so we took a million pictures with it!
Hey mom, this sculpture makes me think of us... forever wanting to be a size 2, but proud of our size '?' just the same!!!
After leisurely meandering through the tullieries we went to the Orangerie Museum. It has more Monet's than any other museum in Europe... it also has his Water Lillie series. Here we are in front of our favourite one (unfortunately we are blocking our favourite part!).
Here are a few more of our favourites from the Orangerie.
Then we moved on to the Andy Warhol exhibit. This one was for Brad since I am not a huge appreciator of Warhol.
Brad loved the Mao Series. I had to be super sneaky to grab this pic... the guards were everywhere!
Snuck this one too!
After Warhol we walked back to our hotel. We found a pastry shop on the way. Here we are enjoying a maple eclair.
On Saturday we took a cab to my favourite museum... the Orsay. It has a ton of impressionist paintings (my favourite genre) and the museum itself is spacious so you don't get muddled down in the crowds. Here I am imitating a sculpture.
This is one of Degas' Dancers. This art, is my favourite art, of all the art (please think 'The Office' and not 'illiterate teacher'!). It makes my think of Krysta and thinking of Krysta always makes me happy (when I'm wallowing in self pity because she's in Costa Rica and won't be home when I get there!)!
These are some of our favourite works from the Orsay.
How cool is this clock? It hangs in the Orsay Museum, whichused to be an old train station. It makes me think of grander times.
So, after we saw some of the most incredible impressionist paintings on earth, we went to the Pompidou... a modern art museum. This picture sums up my thoughts on modern art but Brad loves it so... we spent hours walking through. By the end of our tedious walk I did find a couple pieces that I enjoyed, but they were few and far between! We spent some time walking along the banks of the Seine. We enjoyed one of those romantic moments (that seem to only happen in the movies) as we strolled down the Seine holding hands and talking.... Okay, forgive me for the mush... just know that we are as in love today as we were at 16!
We walked ourselves to Notre Dame and took some pics outside... but we didn't go inside because we've done it before.
After Notre Dame we went to San Chapelle, a chapel that is wall to wall-ceiling to floor- stained glass windows. It truly took my breath away. I stood in awe for a long time. This was a dream fulfilled for me because both of the other times I've been in Paris the weather has been awful. I felt truly blessed to be able to enjoy the chapel with sunshine flowing in through the stained glass!
On Saturday night we forced ourselves to go to the Eiffel Tower... even though we were exhausted and still needed to pack ourselves up, how can you go to Paris and not see the Eiffel Tower? We love this shot!

Finally, we packed ourselves up and enjoyed one more amazing breakfast before heading to Amsterdam. We went to Paris thinking that we hated the city, we left with a new found appreciation for it. I think the fancy hotel definitely helped to change our opinion but perhaps we were more open this time too!

Let the Tourism Begin!!! Spring Break in London

2009-04-04T07:25:00.000-07:00

On Saturday morning we woke up early and went to the Portabello Road Market. The road stretches a few miles and there are antique/brick-a-brack dealers piled on top of each other the whole way.

Beautiful trees on brick at the beginning of the market! Spring is here!!!

I have a thing for cool doors...
My dad bought some prints of the Beatles...
Brad and I bought this ooey gooey 1chocolate cupcake from the Hummingbird Cafe. This picture doesn't do it justice, it was amazing
My dad's big purchase of the trip was at this stand... where he found some genuine antique coins.... A few hours later (and with a much lighter wallet) he left this stand with his coins... and a huge smile on his face. Different strokes for different folks I guess! It was nice to see my dad so happy, he felt good about those for the whole 2 week trip!
Just having a bit of fun at one of the stands...
Look carefully, it's Prince Charles!
Brad never looks happier than when he's eating!
After the market we tubed it to Harrods and grabbed some snacks at the awe inspiring food hall. My dad and I had a bit of a tiff there because I wanted to buy an apple but the crowds were too much for him and he made us leave before I could by my snack. We went to the park to eat our goodies... without my apple!
Here we are after we made up. Look at what a beautiful day it was.
London never looks like this... so when it does you've gotta take advantage. Well done us for capitalizing on the sun.On Sunday we went to Kew Gardens (Royal Gardens). Its nice to get out of the city and enjoy some green. Kew is an incredibly cute burrough on the outskirts of London and while you're there you can easily forget the hustle and bustle of the city. This is us at the entrance.
This scene was quite ordinary... women taking pictures and the men looking on...
This tree seemed like the perfect back drop for a group shot. It took a couple tries with the camera timer but eventually we got it!
It was another lovely day so we took about 100 photos. Here are some of my favourites!
I really wanted to buy this cute little tea pot but we are trying to be minimalists since we eventually have to get all of our little treasures back to the states... so we took a picture instead!
Isn't he cute... we're on our way home from the gardens here (on the tube).
After a rest and some primping we went to what we thought was 'High Tea.' Unfortunately it was an awful experience... from the food, to the service, to the ambiance... to the tea... the whole experience was bad! AND REALLY EXPENSIVE!
All dressed up... look at Brad in his fancy jacket and scarf. He looks like a proper British bloke!
Tubing it home from tea.
On Monday we went to Kensington Palace. Princess Dianna and the princes used to live here. It holds some of her old dresses as well as photos and videos of her. My dad and Shelly enjoyed this (I did too but I've done it a couple of times before!).
Then we went to Buckingham Palace. It's funny because Buckingham is something that you have to check of your tourist list but once you're actually there, there is not that much to see.
Then we hopped on an open air bus tour and drove around London is style!
We went to dinner at Nando's, a portuguesse restuarant that we love. I always get the childrens chicken breast strips... which comes with a cup for bottomless frozen yogurt. I basically eat the chicken so that then I can enjoy the bottomless yougurt at the end!!!
Then we went to Jersey Boys in the West End. It is a fantastic musical that gives the history of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. I took my mom to see it in January and it was so good that I decided my dad and Shelly needed to see it too... it was just as good the second time!
On Tuesday morning we went to the London Eye to beat the crowds. I found these eggs in a tree near the Eye... this is the closest thing to an Easter egg hunt that we got this year!
The Eye is like a big Farris Wheel with huge capsules that rotate at a very slow rate. You are hardly even aware that you are moving. It is another tourist must as it gives amazing views of the city. Here we are, high above the streets, in our little capsule.
For dinner we went to Nando's again, cheap and easy worked for us! This is my dad after the women got done berating him for some trivial thing... I love it when he does this... It's his-I'm pretending to be stressed face. I've seen it my whole life!
Oh pop, you know we love you, even if we do pick on you!
Tuesday night we went to High Tea, again! This time we did it right, at the Dorchester. It was truly everything that high tea should be: beautiful surroundings, loose leaf tea, mini tea sandwiches, scones, jam, clotted cream, waiters in tuxedos and live piano music.
This was the perfect way to end our time together in London. It was so relaxing, and such a British thing to do, tea time is something we Americans should think about adopting!

Spring Break Begins

2009-04-03T07:04:00.000-07:00

On Friday, Brad and I both got done with school early. I met my dad and Shelly for some proper shopping and Brad met Bob and Linda for some quality time as this was there last night with us.
We went to a place called 'Giraffe' for dinner. I thought it would be cool because the southbank is beautiful at night time... however I hadn't expected the crowds and we had to quit quite a while to be seated... This stressed everyone out a bit! Once we were seated and adjusted to the noise level of the bustling restaurant we all relaxed a bit and had a lovely dinner!
Brad found Moroccan Mint Tea on the menu... his new favourite. He even poured it like the Moroccans do!After dinner we walked along the southbank and my idea proved fruitful as the night was beautiful, albeit freezing!
We found some street performers under a bridge (findings like this are why I love London). They were playing beautiful classical music and were a great addition to the ambiance of the southbank that evening!
I love this picture of my dad... I know it's not very clear but to me it is striking!
The London Eye lights up beautifully at night! When you're not miserably cold... and you take a minute to look, London really is quite enchanting!

The Shamshoians Come to Town!!!

2009-04-02T06:48:00.000-07:00

On Thursday my dad and Shelly arrived. I can't tell you how hard it was to be at work that day and Friday... knowing that my daddy was in town. My kids definitely were not getting my best those days!!
I met them at their hotel and then we went to exchange some dollars... pop looks a bit jet lagged here!
Then we met Brad and the grandparents at this cute Italian restaurant, called Bella Italia (original, I know) in Covent Garden. The food was good but the company was better... It was so nice to be in the presence of loved ones. FAMILIARITY is something we are really coming to appreciate as we try to build relationships!
Notice Bob is pointing to my new initials!And the cumpulsory red telephone booth photo... when in Rome...

Grandma and Grandpa Osborne Come to Visit

2009-04-01T06:39:00.000-07:00

Brad's grandparents arrived from Albania on Wednesday, thus starting our spring break with family!!! We took them to our favorite Indian restaurant, Masala Zone... we have apparently become regulars there as the waitress recognized us and commented that we must have brought our whole family here by now!
It was so nice to catch up with them (although they're pretty gook SKYPERS). They are so easy going and full of life and love, I hope to be able to pour out love on my grandchildren like they do on us someday!

Weekend with the Appels

2009-03-28T02:20:00.000-07:00

The Appels came to visit last weekend. They arrived on Saturday and since we are in market exploration mode we decided to check out Camden Market. It was a bit more punk rockish than we were expecting but it was fun to explore!
Nikki bought this cute beanie... which was good because in the 2 hours we spent at the market we experienced sun, rain, and hail... in intervals! When we got home we were shocked that the sun was back out as we walked out of the tube station... 15 minutes later, once we were safely in our flat, it was thundering and lightening! Gotta love London!
After relaxing at home for a bit we went to the National Gallery to check out a Picasso Exhibition... but we ended up at the National Portrait Gallery looking at old Vogue photos.
This was a street artist's message... constructed out of pennies (or whatever the plural form of pence is).
After a quick Mexican dinner at home we went to the Dominion Theater to see 'We Will Rock You,' a musical based on the music of Queen just like Mama Mia is based on Abba songs!
The show was amazing, everyone except Brad loved it!!! He hates musicals so we wont hold that against him.
On Sunday we went to the annual Oxford vs. Cambridge football game and boat races. We had a great time hanging out... even if the boat race was perhaps the most anticlimactic sporting event I've ever seen!!!

Burough Market

2009-03-21T01:24:00.000-07:00

As this frosty, grey, mechanical city wakes up to spring we've been checking out lots of Saturday markets. In the month of March we've been to one every weekend... and, brace yourselves, we've been going with friends!
Mmmmm, this was my lunch! I should have opted for the 50p extra hummus but I was feeling cheap... which led to an unfortunately dry super burger :(
This is Lauren, a new girlfriend from church!
And this is Paul, also from church... this is us just soaking up the sun... I seem to be enjoying it a bit more than him!And Brad, eating of course! I believe this is an ostrich burger??? He said it was really good... Animal rights activists should be jumping into action... feel free to email Brad to tell him what an atrocity this is!
After the market we tried to go to a movie but none of the times worked out so we got dessert instead! We all took pictures like this but because Brad is so used to posing with food (see all other blog posts!) his turned out the best... go figure!

Sunday Cricket

2009-03-18T08:55:00.000-07:00

On Sunday I went to the "nets" (British for the batting cages) with my boss's cricket team. The "nets" were at were at Lord's Cricket grounds which is the Yankee Stadium of Cricket. It was a lot of fun, and I may even get to play a few matches with the team once the season starts.

And no I didn't wear that white outfit by choice. Cricket is a gentlemans game and you always wear white to the "nets".

Time with the Parents

2009-02-24T14:11:00.000-08:00

Jen's Wedding!

2009-02-22T10:56:00.000-08:00

On Friday we got in to San Fransisco at 1... this is us right after we've landed on American soil! This is Brad in the rental car garage!!! So exciting to be in a car!

Brad dropped me off at the rehearsal dinner and then went to a proper Mexican restaurant with the boys (and Jenny!).

As I rehearsed the intricacies of walking up and down an aisle, Brad played laser tag and air hockey...??? that doesn't seem fair?

Totally worth it though to be able to support Jen on her wedding day! We were at the salon by 8am!!

After the salon we went back to Jen's parents house where we waited for a limo to come and pick us up... this is Jen doing her best red carpet walk into the limo!

Once we got to the church we got Jen into her dress!!!

As I was busy getting into my dress (and getting Jen into hers) Brad was hangin out... waiting for the festivities to get started.

And... HERE COMES THE BRIDE!

Whoopsie, silly smile... hope I didn't look like that all the way down the aisle!

After the wedding we took some pictures at the church and then again at the beautiful reception site!

Ahhhh, the happy couple!

Okay, now we're at the reception... I can't write about all the shots so just enjoy!

After the reception we all went back to the hotel and hung out... eventually tummies started to rumble so everyone except Liz, Lisa and I went to Wienerschnitzel... doesn't get much healthier than that!

Mmmmmm, Ben and Jerry's for dessert in the hotel room!

So good for our souls to see friends and be in community. We love and value you guys so much. Thank you for loving us and being a constant source of encouragement to us!

Morocco Videos

2009-02-20T14:48:00.000-08:00

Taghazout/Agadir

2009-02-19T13:11:00.000-08:00

On our third morning in Marrakech we woke up early and had breakfast waiting for us in the riad's living room. We ate quickly and took a taxi to the bus station. We hopped on a bus to Agadir and 5 hours later arrived. Please check out my awesome double glasses look!

We surfed at a beach break on that first night but didn't get any pictures of it. This is the scene we awoke to on Monday morning... Truly a gift from God! A reminder that it takes a mighty creator to craft awe inspiring beauty like the ocean... especially when its been months since you've seen the sun!

Unfortunately I am not the best surf photographer that has ever existed... so although this was not his best wave or his best ride... it is the best picture I snapped of Brad surfing!

I spent some time surfing on Monday but also took some time to soak up some much needed sun! The sun, crashing waves and a good book... life cannot get much better than this!

My husband, SURF GOD!!! This is my favorite shot of the whole trip!

And, here's our best (pathetic) shot of me surfing. I did actually improve... and I don't think this picture does me justice... but it does prove that I got out there and gave it a go!

Still on Monday... after surfing.

After we went surfing we went to a hammam (traditional moroccan massage room) and got scrubbed down and then had a couples massage. Truly an unforgettable experience!

When we got to the hammam the Moroccan women wanted us to strip down naked... which we weren't prepared to do. This is what they gave us to wear, paper like thongs... that's it! Talk about an intimate setting!

After the massages, but still at the spa, I tested out some Moroccan eyeliner... charcoal on a stick.

We met Naima, a Moroccan (Berber) woman who worked at the spa. She offered to take us to a traditional Moroccan dinner so we waited for her to get off work and went with her (her English skills were astounding).

We ended up at a very traditional Moroccan restaurant and waited for an hour an a half to have a tagine prepared. Naima shared a lot with us about the Moroccan culture and traditions. She also invited us to her parents home for dinner the next night. We had a ton of fun and felt blessed to have had such a traditional Moroccan experience!

On Tuesday morning Brad went looking for waves with Team A (the good surfers) and I went to the local beach break with the beginners (me and 1 really uncoordinated guy). Unfortunately the waves were really small so by midday, everyone ended up back at the local beach. This was my beginners surf instructor, Syed. What a life, hanging on the beach while gesticulating to beginners and napping whenever the fancy strikes.

Brad couldn't stand to sit on the beach so even though the waves were small... he needed to be in them!

After our surf sessions we went with the owner of our house to get Brad a cut throat shave. Brad described it as one of the most painful experiences he's ever volunteered and payed money for!

They just put the aftershave on him... way more powerful than US/UK brands! I'm not sure Brad would agree but I think it was totally worth the pain... his face felt like a baby's bum!Later that night we went to this hole in the wall restaurant where an incredibly kind Moroccan man let us take our tagines home (talk about take-out)... we returned them the next day!

On Wednesday I opted not to surf. We went with the Team A van in search of good waves.

After a short search up and down the coast we planted ourselves at a spot called Boilers. Bradley dutifully put his SPF 45 and I documented every moment of it (really it's silly how many pictures we now have of Brad getting ready to surf!).

This isn't Brad but I like the picture!

I tried to get shots of Brad for a long time but eventually gave up enjoyed a good read. I was reading Fatherland... its a great book and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a page turner!

After the surf session, our guide took us to a cool spot for pictures.

Eventually we made our way back to the local beach break where I enjoyed watching some locals play football... so fun!

At any given time there were at least 2 men with camels badgering tourists to pay for rides/photos. After a long day at the beach we went to Naima's house for dinner. This outfit was her present to me! I've never met anyone more generous than she was (I felt like a tool because I had nothing for her!).

Once I became a Moroccan woman, it was time for Brad to assume his role as my Moroccan husband! We were having such a good time playing dress up that Naima got out their traditional wedding Garb. This outfit was worn my Naima's grandmother, mother, and will one day be worn by Naima at her own wedding! I was honored to be able to try them on!

Thursday was our last day in Morocco. We both managed to get a surf in and then it was off to the airport and home to the UK... only to repack and get ourselves to Jen's Wedding!

We had an amazing time surfing, sunning, reading and relaxing! It was so sad to leave the sun and fly back into the gray skies of London, nevertheless, it is home and it was nice to get back into cell phone range!

Marrakech

2009-02-13T11:05:00.000-08:00

We set out for the airport at 4:30 am. This is Brad on the train showing us his morning face!When we got to Marrakech we were warmly received by the owner of our Riad. She served us some Muslim Whisky (mint tea) with homemade cookies. She only spoke French so it seemed that we were in for a long tea time but we found some common ground thanks to my limited Spanish skills. We had a lovely dialogue, each understanding about half of what the other said! As we sipped our tea, we heard the call to worship over the speakers of the mosque. The call happens 5 times a day and can be heard from everywhere in the city.
This is a picture of the bathroom in our room... seemed cool enough to warrant a blog photo.

Moroccans use Dihrams. The exchange rate was about 12 Dh to 1 GBP. All of these Dh are equivalent to about 200 GBP.

After we freshened up a bit we made our way to the Jemma El Fina Square where we found lunch.

Our restaurant overlooked the main square... that's the mosque in the background.

After lunch we walked through the Jemma El Fina. I was attacked by a woman doing henna. She grabbed my hand and wouldn't let go despite my most fervent refusal. She then tried to demand 450 Dh for her job. We gave her 100 and then desperately tried to find a place to wash my hand off as I didn't think Jen Millsaps would appreciate my tattooed hand in her wedding photos! This nice kid at one of the many orange stands in the square motioned us over and cleaned my hand off. He was so kind we bought some fresh squeezed O.J., the best I've ever had!

We got the henna off as quickly as possible but it still left it's mark. Thank God it faded by the wedding! After spending some time in the main square we started to wander.

After our exploring we stopped for some more mint tea... which Brad fell in love with!

At tea my left eye got itchy and I had to take my contact out. I walked around like this for the rest of the evening.

We had dinner on a terrace overlooking the mosque.

I tried to fit in with the locals on our walk home... unfortunately, I think that my arm candy gave me away!

We ended our evening with some more mint tea on the rooftop of our riad. The perfect end to a near perfect travel day!

On our second day in Marrakech we had a leisurely breakfast on the rooftop terrace of our riad... mint tea, oily crepes, jam, bread rolls and yogurt laid out like a feast. The sun was shining!!! Oh sun... how we'd missed thee! Your rays are like heaven and your light, a gift from God.Just a pic of how beautiful life can be when the sun shows its heavenly face.

We met Mike and Karla (Mike is a teacher at my school and Karla is his girlfriend) in the Jemma El Fina Square (The main square in Marrakech) and set off to do some exploring.

After finding our way to the tombs, we wound our way through the ever busy side streets of Marrakech. It was fun to explore without much of an agenda (no museums to que for or monuments to stress out about getting to!). When we'd had enough of the frantic streets we took a caleche ride to the XXX Gardens.

The gardens were insanely beautiful. I loved the color scheme in the garden, it is perhaps my favorite memory from Marrakech! The bright blues, oranges, and yellows on the walls and pots made the greens in the gardens pop. The contrast between the frenetic streets of Marrakech and the calm serenity of the gardens was a pleasant surprise.

Our stomachs started to rumble in the gardens so we grabbed lunch at the cafe inside.

After lunch we walked back to the city center and wandered around trying to find the souks (millions of alleys filled with Moroccan vendors selling wire lanterns, brightly colored shoes, jewelry, soaps and spices). Each vendor you pass yells something at you to try to get you to come to their stand. If they intrigue you, you can start to haggle... typically you listen to their offer, offer a third of it...go back and forth for a while...and then pay about half of what they originally asked.

After a bit of shopping/haggling we took a break back at our riad. We met Mike and Karla in the Square again and set out to find dinner. After much exploring we ended up on a roof terrace that overlooked the main square and the night market. After our tagines and cous cous, we headed into the night market. We played some games, listened in on some drum circles, walked through the food stands and had some mint tea.

The market was exhilarating. The drums were intoxicating and the sights, sounds, and foods were all intriguing and exotic. We had an amazing time in Marrakech and a fabulous Valentine's Day.

Bye Ben

2009-02-12T11:20:00.000-08:00

My best London friend... and walking buddy has started his journey home to Australia (stopping at India and Thailand on the way). On Thrusday we went to the pub to say goodbye. Here's the boys enjoying pub games.Since our walks always take us to the train station we took some final pictures there before saying goodbye. Bye friend... guess facebook buddies will have to be good enough now. Thanks for listening, and sharing your life on the way to East Croydon!

Year 7 Fairwell

2009-02-11T11:11:00.000-08:00

As Mr. Waters last day of school drew near my year 7's came up with the idea of throwing him a surprise going away party. They did a great job planning and even learned something about brainstorming in the process!We got Mr. Waters an old St. Andrews basketball jersey (it might have been an old girls track suit... not sure??) and had his whole class sign it... we made him wear it all day. Fun, Food, and goodbyes... what more could you ask for?

Imperial War Museum

2009-02-07T10:42:00.000-08:00

On Saturday we spent about 5 hours at the Imperial War Museum. It is devoted to the World Wars and the fighting in the world since then. It holds some truly amazing artifacts including fighter planes, tanks, missiles and submarines.

Part of the WW2 section detailed how children were sent from London to the country during the war. London was blitzed with nightly air raids for 57 consecutive nights as Britain stood alone against Hitler and children were safer away from home. I found this part of the museum both fascinating and heartbreaking. The propaganda posters were compelling, I took pictures of a ton of them... this one seemed like a good representative!

This is a letter from a child in the British countryside to his parents in London. I had to share it because I think it's hilarious!! He says it so perfectly... seeing the sun so early in the year after growing up in London must have been quite a surprise!

The Troubadour

2009-02-06T10:11:00.000-08:00

On Friday night we went to The Troubadour which is a hip swanky night club that's popular with comoners like us and royals like Prince Harry (he did not however grace us with his presence this evening). I will admit that we almost left 5 minutes after getting there because I was in a bad mood and didn't want to be around a bunch of hipsters with friends reminding me of how uncool I am and how few friends I have here... But then this girl starting singing and my mood lifted. She had sort of an indie rock vibe going and as she sang I loosened up. In the end we had a fun night (Although it would have been much better with friends!)

Snowed In!!

2009-02-02T14:17:00.000-08:00

Last Monday I woke up and got ready for work as usual... just another dreary Monday. Brad had gotten a text from his headteacher telling him not to come in and I figured it was due to some kid specific catastrophe... It wasn't. I made way down our stairs for the tube lamenting the fact that BO had the day off and I didn't... then I got to the door and this is what I saw!!! I called Brad, made him rush downstairs to meet me, and then promptly called my school... it was closed as well!!!

We spent the day getting snowed on and walking through London's parks.

Mmmmmm, fresh snow! Here are some of our best pics from the day. London, for all of its dreariness, was magical this day!

School was closed on Monday and Tuesday... Wooohoooo! Wednesday and Thursday were devoted to snowball fights at school and then, in an act of God, my school was closed again on Friday due to severe weather conditions... Brad's school stayed open!

The National Gallery

2009-02-02T01:06:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday we set out to be good (Read: cultural) Londoners. We decided to go to the National Gallery to peruse some world class art. We headed straight for the impressionists, as they are our favorites, and spent a few hours appreciating the works of Monet, Degas, Renoir, Manet, Pissaro, Cezanne, and Van Gogh. Photographs were not allowed but once again Sneaky Sara got the shots! I just couldn't help myself... and I only risked it for our favorites!

The Woman in Black

2009-01-26T00:44:00.000-08:00

This post needs some explaining... Early in December, as excitement was mounting over the arrival of the moms, I decided I needed to plan some theatre outings and be a good London host. I booked tickets for 2 performances and was very proud of myself, ahhhh success! So, on the 26th of December we (The Robins, Brad and I) went out to dinner in the West End and then headed towards the theatre. As we approached, we noticed there weren't any other patrons mingling outside the theatre... then we reached the door. The sign said the theatre and box office were closed! Whoopsie!!!! After much frustration, embarassment and tears I checked my email and found that I'd booked tickets for January 26th... not December!Okay, so here we are on January 26th, back at the Fortune Theatre for the Woman in Black. This time we brought some friends from my school. The play was entertaining and it was fun to be there with friends! Long story short, we salvaged my woeful events planning experiment but my pride is still wounded!

Dinner with the Appels

2009-01-22T12:12:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago we went out with Nikki, Erick, and Emily Curin. We met for dinner at a restaurant that was connected to a theatre. Nikki introduced me to cider (tastes way better than beer), perhaps in can become my new drink of choice at the pubs (instead of the nothing that I usually get!).

Take a happy moment to notice the monstrosity on my chin... if its not one thing its another... got rid of the pimples (which are called spots here) and in come the cold sores! I'm told they go away on their own and don't leave a mark so... fingers crossed!

OK, how hot is my husband?!

Our Briliant Care Package!

2009-01-14T11:48:00.000-08:00

Just a couple of days after my mom left we received a package from the Osbornes (Brad's Dad, Kelly, and Step mom, Sandy)! It was full of a ton of US goodies... all of our favorites as well as some sweet extras!

Thanks guys, its been so fun to enjoy some American goodies!!!

Mom's Last Day

2009-01-09T12:24:00.000-08:00

On Friday, my mom's last day in London, we went to Buckingham Palace and toured the surrounding parks (St. James Park and Green Park).

In this picture you can see just how cold it was...the water has partially frozen over! That's Buckingham Palace in the background.

When we were done exploring, Brad met us for a Traditional Afternoon Tea Experience. We had a lovely, relaxing cuppa in a very quiet, warm setting.

Leave it to Brad to take a sexy food picture... thanks hub... you never fail me!

My mom and I were a bit more photogenic!

Just suiting up to face the cold... This might be my favorite picture from my time with my mom... I love you momma! You are an incredible woman!

Cry Day and the Lion King

2009-01-08T12:22:00.000-08:00

On Thursday, as we realized our time was running short, we stayed in and had a cry day... just a day where we got all of our built up emotion out, told each other how much we love and missed each other, guilted each other into calling more and watched chick flicks.
Later that night, we went to see The Lion King. This is my favorite London show... the stagecraft is amazing and the music is familiar and upbeat!

The show was so fun and left us with so much energy that we decided to go for a night cap! We happened upon this crazy restaurant in London's West End. It could only be likened to entering the Moulin Rouge. We had a weird desert and a shot of Bailey's... so cosmopolitan of us!

I believe cry days are important for mothers and daughters. Somehow, crying with each other makes us feel so much closer to one another. In the end, we had our emotional breakdown, watched a chick flick, saw a fantastic show, and finished it off with dessert... how much better can it get?

St. Paul's Cathedral and Chicago

2009-01-07T12:19:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday, my mom and I made our way to Sir Christopher Wren's St. Paul's Cathedral. We got a bite to eat in the crypt and then took a 2 hour tour. After the tour we hiked up to the whispering gallery and whispered sweet nothings from opposite sides of the dome. Later that night we went to Chicago... the musical. This was not my favorite show but it was certainly sexy (Picture dancers prancing around in lingerie)!

Mom's Birthday

2009-01-06T11:50:00.000-08:00

On January 6th (Armenian Christmas and My Mom's Birthday!!!) we were very busy! We started our day at the Tower of London. This is the execution site of many famous Britons as well as the home of the Crown Jewels.The tower looks over a bridge... I took this picture to prove that the sun does make appearances in Great Britain... however brief and infrequent!

It was so cold that day that our extremities truly hurt. Every step was pins and needles as our feet slowly went numb. As we entered White Tower we found a little gem... a warm radiator without any workers by it!! As you can see, we did our best to absorb it's heat every way we could!

This chapel was built in the Norman style. I found its simplicity beautiful (as we've been traveling to and touring much more grand monuments to God).

This beautiful piece of stained glass was hanging over one of the windows in the chapel. I love the way the light it hitting it!
Because it was so cold, not many tourists were out... This meant that we could view the Crown Jewels at our leisure. We spent about 30 minutes going back and forth on the conveyor belt that usually moves masses of people around the jewels. This picture is provided to you by a very sneaky Mrs. Osborne, as pictures of the jewels are strictly prohibited.

After the tower, my mom and I spent some time back at our flat thawing out. Then it was back out to brave the cold on our way to Jersey Boys, the story of Frankie Valley and the Four Seasons.

The musical was brilliant! Full of fabulous songs that you can't help but bop along to. In fact, we were in such a good mood at intermission that we splurged and got a mini carton of ice cream!

We were on such a high after the show it seemed that there could be no improving on this Birthday... then we got home and my amazing husband/award winning son-in-law had Birthday Cake waiting! Well done BO!

Westminster, Harrods, and A Bit of Masala!

2009-01-05T10:33:00.000-08:00

We took this picture in the elevator at my flat before we went out... figured it was the only time our hair would not be crazy and wind blown!

We set out for Parliament Square and Westminster Abbey. Big Ben never ceases to amaze me... my mom however was underwhelmed. I had to force these pictures on her.

We spent most of the day on a guided tour of Westminster Abbey. Our guide was a bit like Mr. Bean but he was very informative. We now consider ourselves experts but I'll direct any questions to my mom as she retains historical facts better than I do!

After Westminster we went to Harrods Food Halls. They are truly a sight to be seen. Picture Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory... now take out the chocolate theme. It is a surreal experience, a sort of food carnival!

Here's my mom showing her excitement in the Chocolate Gallery!

We knew that it had been cold all day and this headline proved it! We saw it as we left Harrods... confirmation at last... I knew it had been unusually cold and this proved it!

After a short break at home we went for London's specialty... Indian Food at the Masala Zone.

Sick Sunday

2009-01-04T11:22:00.000-08:00

I'd been looking forward to taking my mom to see Holy Trinity Brompton (The Church where Alpha began) for months so it was really frustrating to be too sick to take her. Brad and my mom went to church together and then my mom went to the Victoria and Albert Museum on her own... I never got out of my pyjamas and sat sick on the couch all day long!

Not my happiest day but I think/hope my mom enjoyed herself.

Portobello Market with My Mom

2009-01-03T12:40:00.000-08:00

On Saturday morning I woke up sick!!! I was so frustrated to have this happen during my precious time with my mom. We didn't get the early start we wanted at the Portobello Market but we did spend the whole day there!

We took a break in the middle of our scouring for buys and ate lunch at a lovely cafe. It was the perfect break... gave my neurophen (pain pills) time to kick back in and provided warmth during what proved to be another freezing cold day!

We ended our night at Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery. It was a great day, even if I was sick. This day, I remember thinking, everything is just better with my mom. She is my best friend and a constant comfort, someone I admire and want to emulate. Thanks mom... you're the best!

York Day 2

2009-01-02T12:13:00.000-08:00

Our second day in york started with breakfast at a pub near the train station. Then we made our way back to the Abbey to see if we could catch a tour. Fortunately we were just in time. We spent the next 2 hours touring the abbey with a very knowledgeable and endearing tour guide.

When we were done with our tour of the Abbey we walked up 300 or so steps to the best view in York... atop the Abbey. The staircases were insanely small and spiraling, so not a great place for a claustrophobe, but the views were worth it and we certainly felt accomplished.

After the abbey we set ourselves back on the streets to find, The Shambles. This old street has been around for hundreds of years and is so old that the building are starting to slope in towards each other.

We stopped for a spot of tea at this really quaint little tea shop. The windows were so fogged up you couldn't see in without opening the door and it was oddly quiet... we literally had to whisper at our table.
After tea, our window shopping from the previous day gave way to real shopping. Please notice the delight on Brad's face. After sunset we got back on a train and headed home. We loved York and found it easy to navigate, peaceful, and quaint... just what you'd expect from the British Countryside!

York Day 1

2009-01-01T11:55:00.000-08:00

On New Years Day we took an early train to York. The train took 2 hours and when we arrived we found a fabulous but expensive hotel. We went into their conference center and promptly booked it for less than half the price on a discount hotels website. Well done us! Once we freshened up, our first task was to find food. We found ourselves in our favorite London restaurant Ask. It was located in the old assembly rooms so the architecture and general atmosphere were amazing.

Then we tried to go directly to the minster but we wanted to take a tour and none were available so we ended up exploring the streets of York. This is one of the cute chocolate shops we found along the way.

After exploring the streets, we tried the Abbey again but... still no tour. Instead, we took a cold walk along the walls of the city.

We got back to the hotel relatively early. It was so nice to be in a large, clean space that we stayed there for a while just relaxing. Then we tried to go on a tour of a brewery but couldn't find it so instead we ended up at a pub... enjoying good, cheap food!

New Years Eve

2008-12-31T12:25:00.000-08:00

Early in the morning on New Years Eve we traveled to Paddington Station to catch a train out to Windsor. The train took about an hour... just enough time to get bored enough to start taking train pictures!
We made our way up a hill to Windsor Castle, the Queen's main residence in the UK.
We took a tour of the outside areas to orient ourselves. Here's my mom being a brown-noser with our guide!

Oh yeah... it was freezing cold!These are some illegally taken photos from inside the Palace. We stopped for some photo ops on our way out...

and here's my hub being irreverent!

Brad caught some shut eye on the train home.

We had about 30 minutes at home to recoup and then it was time to go see Wicked!!!

We were in the nosebleeds but Wicked... on New Years Eve... was still a cool experience.

We let ourselves go a bit at intermission and each ordered a drink! We are so wild!

After the show we were supposed to go see a fireworks show on the Thames... but we got shut out by tube closures. We ended up back at our flat watching fireworks on the tele and listening to them from outside the window.

I can't think of a better way to have rung in the new year!

The Robins Leave... and the Cabinet War Rooms

2008-12-30T11:43:00.000-08:00

Early on Tuesday Morning the Robins left. We got them on the train and then said our goodbyes. It was so nice to have them here and so sad to have to watch them leave. They were off to New York for New Years Eve and my mom was still here so we all had something to look forward too, perhaps that softened the blow!We let Brad have the day off to relax and recuperate from estrogen overload. My mom and I had a splendid day on our own!
We visited Big Ben and Parliament Square. It's odd because its just right outside of a tube stop so... you climb up some steps from the underground and there you are... standing in awe of one of the most recognisable structures of our time!We walked to the Cabinet War Rooms and the Churchill Museum. The war rooms housed Churchill and his men as they fought against Hitler and the Nazis.

The rooms were left exactly as they stood the day after World War 2 ended and are now an amazing example of the courage and dedication it took Britain to stand virtually alone against Hitler until the US joined the fight.

When we emerged from the museum it was twilight, which made for a beautiful walk through St. James Park on our way back to the tube.

Bath, UK

2008-12-29T07:42:00.000-08:00

On the 29th we woke up early and got on a train to Bath! Most of us slept a bit on the way...Which lends itself to some really attractive pictures!

After 2 hours on the train we arrived in Bath and quickly sought out breakfast. We found this little place outside the Abbey and what it lacked in Ambiance it more than made up for in its food to price ratio! We jumped on 2 hour walking tour which was very informative but so cold it hurt... literally!

This bridge was built to mirror the Ponte Vecchio Bridge in Florence. It is gorgeous and definitely rivals its sister in Italy!

My mum, Brad and I left the walking tour a bit early to check out the Roman Baths. This exquisite chandelier was hanging in the ticketing area of all places???

These baths have been here for hundreds of years and were built by the Romans for their healing properties. Today they still pump out hot water from the earth.

We just had to test the water!

About 10 steps away sits the Bath Abbey.

After the walking tour and the Baths we were all exhausted... when when got to the Abbey, we took a moment to rest. Then we got down to business exploring the Abbey!

After the Abbey we went to an Antiques Book Store. It was very cool but not practical! We were not in the market for 3-500 pound books that are so old you don't dare read them!

We walked over to Sally Lunn's tea house, which is famous for its Sally Lunn's Bun- picture a gigantic hamburger bun that is a bit sweet and more spongy.

We all enjoyed our lunch/tea... and the warmth of the indoors!

We walked to Jane Austin's childhood home, took some pictures, and then found our way to the shops.

We killed some time shopping before getting back on the bus. Poor Brad, he never stood a chance travelling with 4 women!

We took the train home and then spent time at our flat swapping pictures and preparing for the Robins to leave in the morning.

A Library, A Palace, Tea, and School

2008-12-28T05:15:00.000-08:00

We started our day at the British Library. It houses some of the oldest manuscripts in the world.

We saw Shakespeare plays printed in quatro dated from 1642... Gutenberg Bibles... original copies of Davinci's sketches...

and the Magna Carta!!!

After the library, we headed towards Kensington Palace, but we stopped at our favorite cookie counter first!

Kensington Palace was Princess Diana's home. It sits on the cusp of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens.

My Queen Mum-in-Law!

Bootleg photo from inside the palace... I just can't help myself!

Just a bit of bling from the gift shop!

We went to tea at the Orangery, which is connected to the palace.
Afterwards, we visited Brad's school, Five Bridges.

Finally, we tubed it home after a long day!

My Mum Arrives!!!

2008-12-27T04:41:00.000-08:00

My mum arrived on the 27th!!! We had a bit of a snafu at the airport but what would travel be without a couple of bumps! After a bit of a rest we met the Robins and Brad at Trafalgar Square. Here's the mums if front of the traditional Norman Christmas tree given to London each year by Normandy as a thank you for Great Britain's actions during WW2. We went to Wagamama's, one of our favorites, for dinner.

Isn't Brad lucky... look at the lovely ladies in his life!

No comment... just a good pic so I had to fit it in! A bit of fun with chopsticks ensued before the food came!

After dinner we went to see Avenue Q! This was exciting as my mom and I have known the songs for years thanks to John Paul's theatre enthusiasm. We missed you bro!!!

We had great seats and the show was hilarious... irreverent but entertaining just the same!

Boxing Day

2008-12-26T04:12:00.000-08:00

The day after Christmas is called Boxing Day in the UK. It is the biggest shopping day of the year and so, of course, we shopped! We went to Carnaby Street where there are lots of independent and very hip stores. We got in trouble for taking this picture but I think it's worth it... how often to you get the opportunity to take a 'silly headband hat' picture with your mother in law?Carnaby street had some really cool decorations up for Christmas... picture the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade. Unfortunately we were disappointed as most of the stores that we wanted to check out were closed.

After shopping, we took a walk on the Thames. Here's the Robins in front of the London Eye.

We walked to Big Ben and Parliament Square where we got some crepes (Nutella and Banana) and then cued for the Evensong at Westminster Abbey. We must have been tired because as we walked out we all agreed that at one point or another during the service we'd each nodded off!

We went to dinner at Nando's... a very good, very cheep Portugese restaurant.

We then headed towards the theatre... only to find that it was closed! I was so frutrated. Weeks earlier I'd booked tickets for The Woman in Black... Unfortunately, I booked the tickets for January 26th instead of December 26th!!! We ended up back at our flat with some Bailey's and a card game.

On the upside of things... We're going to see The Woman in Black tomorrow night with some friends!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T07:42:00.000-08:00

On Christmas morning Brad and I woke up and started making breakfast. We had strata, scones with clotted cream and jam, and mango-passion fruit juice. After breakfast/brunch we began the laborious task of opening presents!!! Brad got me a really cool watch that tracks your activity levels throughout the day as well as your workouts. I got him some awesome t-shirts from this independent shop here. The Robins got scarves, chocolates, and travel cards. The Robins got me sweatpants and my Dad and Shelly sent me my Christmas PJ's. Extra credit goes to the Shamshoian family for shipping their presents in time! They were a special surprise... Thank you guys so much for getting that together!

The Robins with their scarves.

Brad in one of his new T-shirts. This one is my favorite... I think he'll look cool walking around SLO in it.

After presents we relaxed for a while. Then we took a 2 hour walk to Hyde Park and back. There were squirrels everywhere and this little guy lined up for the perfect portrait!

This is the Prince Albert Memorial in Hyde Park. Queen Victoria had it made for her husband after he passed away... think she loved him? The coffees in their hands were a necessity as it was freezing cold in the park that day.

This is the Serpentine! We only stopped here for a second because we were all getting cold and hungry.

As we walked back the nonexistent sun set and the twinkling lights of London were able to shine. These lights are outside the Natural History Museum. You can't see it but there is an ice skating rink down below.

When we got back to the house Brad and I started cooking (actually, Robyn had to take my place for a little while so that I could talk to my mom, brother, and Margaret Ann). I'm not a domestic goddess yet, but it was fun to be in the kitchen with Brad on Christmas!

We sat down for dinner under the Christmas cards that Brad and I received at work (Thanks everyone!) We had chicken, stuffing, marbled mashed potatoes (sweet and white potatoes mixed), rosemary french bread, and salad.

We had a great day. It is so good to have family here! We are learning that life is meaningless without community and there is no better community than family!