Disneyland

*Disclaimer: the author of this post has been informed that there are in fact, too many pictures for one post. The author chose to disregard said information on the grounds that she did not drag her nice, big camera on vacation and get so many amazing pictures in order not to post them on her blog for her parents and in-laws to see. In fact, she claims she was very selective in what was included. Continue at your own risk.

We came home from Europe Friday night and left for California on Monday. I'm not sure who was more tired, us or Erin:) We met up with my brother and his family and my dad. Actually, this whole trip is a Christmas present to all of us from my Dad. He's amazing! Thanks, Dad!


We didn't do the family picture in front of the Mickey flowers because ever since we started going to Disneyland as children, our tradition has been a family picture on these stairs outside the exit for Pirates of the Caribbean. One day I will scan all the old ones in and you can have a good laugh. Keep in mind, it used to just be me, Erin, and Mitchell. Now look how many kids there are!

First ride was the Jungle Cruise, Sophia was very unsure what to think.
But it is evident from these expressions exactly what the girls think.

Kassie and Caroline found hats at the Mad Hatter the first day, Sydney was much more selective and looked for two days before finally deciding on a classic plain blue.

PS - I hate the teacups so I did not feel bad about taking the pictures and watching Sophia.

When we started driving to California, Sophia asked where we were going (I'm sure she wanted to know if she was in for the 17 hours to Texas again). We told her we were going to Mickey Ouse's House (that's what she calls him). So this is her first meeting and she was absolutely in awe! She walked right up to him to give him a hug. I wish I had a better view of her face.

Then the big kids went on California Screamin - you can enlarge this picture to see Kassie and Tricia on the front row right after take-off. Mitch is behind them with his hands in the air. Sydney and Kassie both thought it was the best ride of the trip.

While the big kids were riding the roller coaster, this is what was going on down below: kissin' cousins. Carter was so cute with Baby Fi.

Then it was lunch time. It started out that these two were too cold to eat lunch in the shade, so they moved their chairs to the sun!

Next thing you know, Kassie joins them.

Then Fi pulls her chair up and Carter wonders over to find out what's going on.

Still a Chuck Taylor girl at heart.

After lunch, Grampy cannot resist these cute kids asking for cotton candy. Actually, he couldn't resist ANYTHING they asked for! They adored walking around Disneyland holding his hand and talking to him. I think that was one of their favorite things. I know it was one of mine.

At the end of the second day, we opted to watch the World of Color Show at California Adventureland. The effort it took to get fast passes and then wait in line was not worth it because we had a better view of it from a YouTube video! But while we waited, Dan got his phone out and let the kids watch Phineas and Ferb. There was a family of Chinese people next to us and the kids came over to watch, too. Apparently, Phineas and Ferb speak a global language.

My favorite ride is still Soarin' Over California, I think my dad was amazed at all the advances in technology that have been made since the last time he went to Disneyland - 30 years ago!! We had a wonderful time. So good that we bought season passes! If anyone wants company on their trip to Disneyland, we're game!

*Addition to Disclaimer: Because author agreed that there were already too many pictures for this post, she agreed to save the beach pictures for another day. Keep watching.

Finally Home!!!

We started the longest day ever at 5:30AM London time. Took the Underground to Heathrow, where we could not figure out what in the world was going on! It was crazy! We finally got to the check in place and the guy at the ticket counter offered us each $1000 and accomodations to go the next day!! If I hadn't just talked to Erin on the phone, who was calling to say Sophia was running a fever, and if I hadn't been looking forward to hugging my girls tightly, we would have taken the deal. But we didn't. We got on the plane and flew and flew and flew. When we landed in Detroit, it was a relief. It's like you didn't realize you had been holding your breath until you started breathing again. Everything was clean, efficient, and English! The customs people were friendly and joked around with us asking us if we brought home any souvenir marijuana since I just put "souvenirs" on my declaration form. Then we flew to Phoenix and this is what was waiting for us when we walked out of security. Now I ask you, wouldn't you have passed up $2,000 for this?

When we got home they all stood around the suitcase to see what we brought. It was good.

Sophia got a little cup with pictures of Paris on it and all she did was put the candy from one container to another.

These are the Eiffel Tower earring that we trecked back to the top of the Arche de Triomphe for. Aren't they darling?

Then they all tried on their earrings and berets and used the Spanish fans grandma Kass sent to them. Kassie says this is her first day of school outfit:) Success.

This is my present to the family, a hand carved nativity set from Germany. It is darling.

And a Nutcracker from Grandma Kass, it's our early Christmas present. I think her coming home is our early Christmas present but the Nutcracker is good, too.

Day 8

Oh yes we did! Abbey Road was less than a mile from where we stayed! So first thing this morning, we walked over and had a look. This is Abbey Road studio, there is a graffiti all over the wall. It says stuff like "Let it Be" and "Jim and Robyn sang Revolution 7/23/01" and other fun stuff. Then we had some of the other tourists there take our picture as we crossed the "zebra", as the British call a crosswalk.

Next was our Boat Tour of the Thames. There are a lot of bridges there now but the London Bridge (located in Lake Havasu, AZ) was the only one for several hundred years! This bridge is the one from the beginning of the fifth Harry Potter moving, located right in front of the school that Daniel Radcliffe attended.

We got off the boat at the Tower of London, which functioned as the home of the royals for several hundred years. It was originally built by William the Conqueror as a tower on the top of Roman ruins, to defend the city. Over time the fortifications increased so that now it is the safest place to keep the Crown Jewels. The Star of Africa was gigantic in the Scepter!

We took a tour given by what they call a Beef Eater, they are part of the Royal Army, and they live at the Tower of London and guard it 24/7. They knew all the gory history of the place and told us that an execution was a time of merriment! Everyone would come together, there were singing minstrels, jugglers, food for sale. Then the curfew bell would toll one hour before the execution was to take place. Gives a new meaning to the word "curfew"! After they were beheaded, the executioner held up the head and the people would yell, "Long live the king!". The head was then placed on a stake and taken over to the London Bridge and put on display. There were six people who were granted the privilege of a private execution within the Tower grounds. The most famous were Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard, both wives of Henry VIII.
When you know the story of Henry divorcing his first wife, Catherine, to marry Anne, and in the process renouncing the Catholic church and creating the Anglican church, then you hear that after his death his daughter Mary took the throne and repaired relations with the Catholic church only to have them severed again at her death when Queen Elizabeth took the throne, you wonder how people can think the Anglican church is true? Fascinating history.

This is the Tower Bridge, the entrance to the Thames and to London, right next to the Tower of London so that they royals could control things.

We were so close to the Citi building in downtown London that Dan had to go over and meet the guys that he works with: Zubair and Ashou. They were really nice and gave us a little tour of the building, ending at the cafeteria at the top with a spectacular view. Then off to King's Cross for the famous Harry Potter picture. Surprisingly, there were several people who had obviously come just for that reason! Cool.

Next was St. Paul's Cathedral where we didn't feed the birds but sat on the steps and fed ourselves:) There was no Bird Woman asking for tuppence but there were still a lot of birds! The cathedral was beautiful outside and we went a little ways inside before we decided we had been in enough churches and we weren't going to pay to go in to one more! So we looked enough to see the aisle Princess Diana walked up and then left. It was the stuff fairy tales are made of.

Next we took a train out to Notting Hill, the location for one of my favorite movies. Why I did not learn my lesson in Paris is beyond me but Notting Hill is not as cute and clean in real life as it is in the movie. This is the house with the Blue Door, which is now black because the original was sold for charity. You can actually see the corner where Hugh Grant bumps into Julia Roberts and spill orange juice on her, right from this door. It is in bad shape but still fun.

Kennsington Palace was on our list, since Diana lived there. It was a huge disappointment because they were renovating it and in order to make money for it, they had put this ridiculous avaunt guard exhibit in it, telling the story of all princesses in a surreal way. If I had known, we wouldn't have gone in. But at least the gardens were something to write home about.

We are bone tired by this point but Harrod's is the largest department store in the world so we have to at least go in and take a look! It is amazing with four floors of shopping and over one million square feet of space! I would compare them with Nordstrom or Bloomingdale's, maybe even a little fancier.

On the way home, we stopped at Cafe Rouge and had a chocolat chaud (hot chocolate) that was hot milk with a large square of dark Belgian chocolate that you stir into it. Their marshmallows were heavier than ours. I liked them better for hot chocolate but I don't think they would work well for s'mores. Dan ordered some fried Camembert cheese with a raspberry sauce. That was pretty yummy, too.

We walked home, hand in hand, and talked about what a great trip this had been. How it was nice to know that we could talk about things other than the kids, the house, and schedules. It was a wonderful trip.

Diana, Princess of Whales

When I was six, Princess Diana got married. The time difference between Las Vegas and London is eight hours, so we got up at like four in the morning to watch the whole wedding. It was worth it, even at age six. The carriage ride from Buckingham Palace over to St. Paul's cathedral (which was definitely the best choice for the venue), the 25 foot silk train as she walked down the aisle, the flower girls. You couldn't have asked for a better fairy tale wedding.
Then lucky for me, I knew what a proper Princess was like since I knew Diana. So when people said "You look like a Princess" or "Act like a Princess", I knew how. Diana was beautiful. I have tried to tell my girls about her, shown them pictures. But it's just like my mom trying to tell me about Grace Kelly. It will be a while before they have appreciation for her.

I remember where I was when I heard that Princess Diana had been killed in a car crash. I cried. Not only for her children, because they were now left to fend for themselves in that crazy roayal family, but for all the little girls everywhere who had lost their Princess.

There is a Princess Diana Memorial Trail from Buckingham Palace to a beautiful fountain in Hyde Park. You just follow these markers.
This is the fountain, I couldn't get a picture of the whole thing. People were very respectful while they were sitting around it.

In the bottom of Harrod's Department store is this memorial to Diana and Dodi (Dodi's father owns Harrod's). The black pyramid holds the ring Dodi was going to give to Diana.

I hope one day my girls can appreciate the grace and elegance of Princess Diana.

Day 7

Don't be jealous but this is the bed and breakfast was stayed in, our host was Mr. Van der Broek because Mrs. Van der Broek was on holiday in Holland. Mr. Van der Broek was very friendly and made us a proper English breakfast every morning. But the best part of the stay was waking up in the morning and looking out the windows to this little Notting Hill like garden. Seriously, there was a little deck off our room and we could just sit out there and enjoy. It was the best way to stay (if you don't mind missing a few hotel amenities like a blow dryer and an iron). We absolutely loved it and it was only two blocks to the Underground.

First thing we did was get on a bus and take a look around (see if you can see us in the reflection of the bus in the window).

When we got to Trafalgar Square, we hopped off to see the National Gallery Museum. Most museums in London are free and this one had some amazing stuff in it - more Renoir's, Picasso's, Van Goghs. Interestingly, it was much more pleasant to see them because the crowd was nearly as big and the layout of the museum was much more conducive to enjoying the paintings. Outside, we looked around at the fountain and started walking towards Westminster and Parliament.

Things are very squished together there. We past #10 Downing Street where the Prime Minister lives, it's right across the street from Parliament. And if you go behind the PM's house, there is a large garden that leads diagonally down to Buckingham Palace. In the middle of that triangle that Parliament, #10 Downing Street, and Buckingham make, is Westminster Abbey.
The picture of Parliament and Big Ben was taken from the boat on the Thames. Don't you love the red bus in it?

We went in Westminster Abbey and though it felt more like a graveyard than a church, it was one of the coolest things we've seen. They don't allow photography so sorry, I can't show you the graves of Jane Austen, Handel, Newton, King Henry VIII, Queen Elizabeth I and thousands of others buried there. It was not cohesive, I'm sure since it has been around for about 1,000 years and everyone keeps adding to it. But each monarch had an elaborate tomb and many others had placards on the floors and walls. One of the coolest things to know was that many of the royals were christened, marries, crowned, and buried in that church. They showed Queen Elizabeth's coronation and you wouldn't believe how many people you can fit in that church! Like 10,000!
Here are some pictures from the outside. There is a garden formed by the offices and residents of the church clergy and choir members. We sat out there to eat our lunch of bread, yogurt, and fruit. It was much easier to bring all that stuff in your backpack and stop where you were rather than go and find a restaurant and waste your time waiting for the food.

After Westminster, we took a walk down to Buckingham Palace. We didn't see the changing of the guards, most people said it wasn't worth the time as it's not what it used to be. When Erin was there, the music they played was Abba. Come on, there wasn't someone from England that was better? The Beatles? Rolling Stone? Anyway, one thing that was interesting about it was that you could see that it had been designed to hold a crowd of people so that the monarch could address the crowd from the balcony - just like Princess Diana did on her wedding day. Diana is another post:)

That night, we went to see Shakespeare's Comedy of Errors at the Globe. The Globe is a reconstruction of the original theater that Shakespeare performed at back in the day. It is open at the top and has a thatched roof. The play was wonderful! This picture is taken from a river boat while we were on the Thames. So after the play, we ate at a little pizza place on the river that came recommended from some of Dan's colleagues who work in London. It's amazing how different pizza can be from one country to the next. (They were very chintzy with the cheese).