I'm Still Alive Over Here In England, LondonTrip

Hey everybody, remember me? Me neither! Sorry about leaving the blogging world for 6 months. I'm going to go ahead and blame the lack of blogging on the baby. That's a total cop-out, but c'est la vie.

I did try to blog the story of Jack's birth and his first month on earth, but I always forgot to come back and finish. So, I don't know what to blog now. We've got my original blog idea, our family trip to London, way back in July. We've got Jack's birth story. Or I can go with the standard fill-you-in-on-the-last-6-months. Since you all follow me on FB, I think for now I'll go ahead and post about London. 

Our trip to London just so happened to be on the hottest weekend in London in a LONG time and got off to a very hectic start. However, we all had such a great time and can't wait to go back!

It started because we needed to go to the US Embassy to get tourist passports for all of us and a Consular Report of Birth Abroad for Jack. We made the appointment and booked the hotel, then we found out that we could do all those things at the RAF Mildenhall Passport Office (RAF Lakenheath wasn't doing it anymore and they are the bigger office, so we assumed...). Our hotel was non-refundable, so we were excited to have the whole time available for sightseeing.

We decided to drive to the Epping Tube Station and take the Underground into the city. The Epping station is about an hour from our house and then 45 mins tube ride into the city. We get there, buy our day passes, load up on the tube with the kids and our stuff (we were really awesome and packed all we needed into two backpacks. I could have made it one, but we had Jack's bottles and diapers). Then I get a phone call from our dog sitter. Apparently in the haste of leaving that morning, instead of leaving the house key on the counter and the door unlocked, I locked the door and had the keys with me! We had to hop off the tube, hop on to the other one, drive all the way back home (I made sandwiches for the fam), and drive all the way back to Epping. Good job Theresa! 

So we finally get into London, switch a tube line and get out at Marble Arch and walk a little to our FABULOUS hotel. Then we hopped back on the tube and went to Westminster. We checked out the outside of Parliament, went through the beautifully air conditioned Aquarium, and took a sunset ride on the London Eye. We had dinner in one of the little cafes near by. By the time we got on the tube to head back to the hotel Lil Miss was passed out. It was 9pm after all. The kids went to bed without much fuss (good to know for future traveling) and I had the idea to put baby J in the bathtub (with all the towels as a mattress) as a bed. The darkness and quietness really helped, he slept like a log! 

For the first time ever we ordered room service for breaky. Figured it would be easier with the kids. We got the full breakfast for 15 pounds (so about $24), but it was SOOO worth it. First because everything in London is SO expensive, we had our food waiting for us, and it was HUGE! There was 5 pastries, meat selection, cereal, juice, coffee, toast, and more! (Sorry I love talking about food). 

Our second day we took a walk through Hyde Park. It was way too hot (90 degrees, but most of London doesn't have AC, including the Underground, it was Sweatsville UK and therefore pretty stinky). We looked out over the lake as we ate our yummy, organic ice cream, and then we took the kids to the Lido (swimming hole in the lake). It was a little gross, but cooling and a great experience. Will still asks to go back. That was all we got to do that day because Corey had to go to work that night. 

It was great fun! We can't wait to go back! When you come to visit us we'll have to spend more time there :) 

Now for the pictures!!!

On the Tube!!

Me in front of Parliment, aka Big Ben, The aquarium, and Marble Arch where philosophers, politicians, radicals, authors and the such gave speeches back in the day.

Will was SO excited to get on the London Eye! The line was long, but it went surprisingly fast, maybe 10mins.

On the London Eye. Look at how hot my husband is! Especially when he's holding a baby!

Finally, Hyde Park! That green wall next to Corey was from a concert a couple of days before. I think it was J-Lo and someone. The park is so beautiful!