Day Trip to London

Friday morning we woke up and headed to London. We didn't rush out the door because tube tickets are about twice as much during rush hour. So we left about 9:30 and drove to Epping about an hour away where we caught the underground to London. About half way in we realized we didn't pay for parking. So I took Alissa back with me and we paid for parking then met Blake and the other kiddos at the Tower of London for some PB&J, chips and gatorade. 

Riding the tube before we split up

 After lunch we headed into the tower of london. First we went into the bloody tower, preparing the kids to see how people used to be tortured for doing bad things. The just had signs and the tools though. The kids weren't too interested and we just kind of whizzed through the room thinking there was more, but the one room was it. There was a line to get through it though so we didn't think it was worth it to go back.

 Then we headed to see the crowning jewels. The actual crowns and some of the swords were awesome! There were of course lots of people wanting to see everything though, so you kind of just get pushed through, which isn't very easy with 4 kids and a stroller. I have learned that when a line is moving it some people don't really care if they get between you and your kids or not. I had multiple people push right in between me and the kids going through doorways. So I didn't really feel safe. I just don't do well with lots of people.

 After the Crowning jewels we took a bathroom break and I got Parker to sleep while Blake took the older 3 to explore the upper walls. Then after Parker went to sleep I took Remi and Broden to see the White Tower. It had lots of cool stuff in it. All the different royalty's armor, horses armor, swords, other weapons, guns then the different kids of money. The top floor even had hands on stuff where the kids could feel how heavy different weapons were, what they were used for, how hard it was to pull back a bow with an arrow and what the trajectory was for shooting a cannon at a moving target. Very interesting. So when we came out I sent Blake back through with Alissa. He took about half the time we did, but Remi and Broden are getting to the stage where they don't just look, they ask questions and what to know about the things they see. Its fun.

Alissa, Broden and Remi riding the cannon

The dragon inside the White Tower

Broden, Alissa and Remi with one of the actors

One of the Ravens kept for good luck

Remi outside the tower of London

Alissa, Remi, Broden and Parker with one of the Olympic mascots

Alissa, Blake, Jenny, Parker
Remi and Broden in front of the Tower Bridge and Paralympic Emblem

 We really wanted to get our picture in front of this bridge with the Olympic rings, but they took them down and had up the Paralympic Emblem instead. Still cool to see. Some of the USA Paralympic team is actually staying on base right now and we have seen some of them practicing on the track. We saw people racing in their wheel chairs around the track. They are amazing! 

Parker sneaking into someone else's picture

Parker, Alissa, Broden and Remi with an olympic mascot

The Tower of London

The tower of London again

 After the Tower of London we headed to Olympic park to see what was there. We couldn't go in, so we didn't really get to see much. The mall right next to it was really nice though. We ate dinner there, then headed home. It was a fun day and the kids did great. Alissa walked so much and was so tired, but she did so good. She finally fell asleep just before dinner and slept until we got back to our car.

Blake and Broden on a cool Bridge

 We thought this bridge looked like it went somewhere important, but it just went over the trains at the subway and train station. Fancy walkway though.

Walking to Olympic park

 So 2 weeks ago I hurt my back somehow and it still isn't better. I hurt it at church and it was a little sore that day, but by Monday night I couldn't walk very well. Our home teacher came over and gave me a blessing with Blake and I was blessed that I would be able to get done the things I needed to during the day. I learned that week that needs are different than wants. The kids were safe and fed, kind of, but that was about it. I couldn't really lift very well, so when I would hold Parker I would usually sit down and let him climb up to me. Then to lay him in his crib I just drop him. I still can't lay him down. I just hold him over the crib and drop him onto his pillow. He thinks it is funny. The first Monday I was trying to fold laundry, but I couldn't bend over to get the clothes out of the dryer and I couldn't lift the laundry basket. So I just sat on the floor and cried while I folded the laundry. I haven't ever had lower back pain before and it is miserable. Especially because I couldn't take care of my family. Poor Blake had to cook, clean, take care of kids and go grocery shopping.

After about a week and a half I went into the emergency room because I couldn't get into my doctor for a week. They were really nice and told me the medicines I could take and gave me tylenol with codine. They the doctor told me to wrap and ace bandage around my waist so it was tight on my back. She said I had sprained the ligaments and tendons that connect my hips to my spine. So when I got home I put on an ace bandage and it helped a ton! I am still in a lot of pain when I sit or lift too much, but feeling much better. I can do some laundry and walk, so that is a huge improvement! Hopefully I'll be able to exercise soon. It is driving me crazy that I can't go running or anything.

So when we went to London we decided to just take our little stroller because I wouldn't be able to help carry the big one up and down the stairs. Blake was a trooper and carried kids and let me push the stroller. It is hard to not be able to do things that I am so used to doing. I'm so lucky I have such an understanding husband though. He really takes good care of us!

Robin Hood Festival

Friday we spent the evening at Camp Liahona, a church campsite here in England. Our ward had a little cookout and social. We had so much fun chatting with our ward friends while the kids played and played. They had a playground, swings, bounce houses and a campfire. Of course we would have spent the night if we weren't planning on going to the Robin Hood Festival the next day.

So, Saturday morning we woke up and headed out! We left about an hour later than we thought we would, but we had a late night and no one wanted to get up and going. When we got there we made a plan and headed to the visitor centre. Then we went and ate lunch and waited for the bird show and jousting. For the bird show they let the kids come right down and sit in the arena where the birds were flying. It was neat to see the birds fly right over their heads. Blake was with them and I think he enjoyed it more than they did. After the birds was jousting. We watched Robin Hood and other characters knock all kinds of things down with their swords and jousting sticks. Robin Hood even knocked the Sheriff off his horse and the Sheriff got stepped on. He was ok after a few minutes and got up, it was kinda scary for a minute though. The sheriff came over to the audience once, right to Alissa and said, "Give me that lolly!" She just smiled and held it out to him. It was cute. I can't believe she wasn't scared. He was a scary dude.

After jousting we headed to the Major Oak where Robin Hood lived! On our way there we stopped to climb trees and take pictures of birds. The Major Oak was a huge tree! Fun to see, but our kids were exhausted, so we headed out and watched someone make a broom on the way, then went to the car, stopped for some McDonalds and drove home. It was a fun day, but we were all super tired!

Silly man who liked people from Americar

Remi with Robin Hood, Maid Marian and Will Scarlet

Funny announcers

Musicians

Owl in the bird show

Remi our horse lover

Broden with a horse getting ready for jousting

Lady in the bird show.

Volunteer girl in the bird show. 

Another volunteer

Robin Hood on his horse!

Maid Marian leading a horse

Broden and Alissa climbing in Sherwood Forest

Broden climbing with his sword Blake made him

Parker swinging his sword from dad

Jenny and Broden in front of Major Oak

Alissa posing with Character

Major Oak

Primary

So we thought our ward was going to be meeting in a different building starting in September, buy it got pushed back. So we decided that the week we rearranged all the teachers we would also split the primary and move into a "primary room."

Our primary has been meeting in the Chapel and we just felt like it was too big of a room for our kiddos, but we had too many kids to meet in any of the other rooms, unless we split the primary. So we did it! It isn't the usual CTR classes in Junior Primary and Valiant classes in Senior Primary. We have our Sunbeams, CTR4 and CTR5 classes in Junior Primary and CTR6, CTR7/Valiant8, Valiant9,10,11 classes in senior primary. In the last 3 months we have had 4 teachers move and like 5 families with primary age kids. So we lost our whole valiant 8 class, except 1. Then we had 2 teachers who had babies and another who is due in a couple weeks. So we had lots of changes to make and finally we got everything done, for now.

We love our new primary room. The Sunbeams sit in their chairs so reverently and have a place to put their feet, on the floor, not the bench, or the person next to them:) Our teachers have been so patient with all the changes. I am so blessed to serve with such talented women, who have such good ideas and are inspired. I am always grateful every Sunday too all the teachers in Primary. It can be such a challenging calling to be in primary, but it is so rewarding to see the bonds these teachers form with the kids. I know my kids love their primary teachers and because they love them, they want to do what they are taught. I guess as we come to know and love Jesus Christ we will do the same. We will have a desire to do what he taught.

The beach

On August 11th, the day we got home from Cardiff, Blake had to work at the hospital for a few hours with sports physicals. We took the kids in for their sports physicals, then headed to the beach. As usual it was lots of fun! 

We met up with our friends the Hatch's. The kids played in the sand, collected fish and a jelly fish then of course went crabbing. Shawn even held the jelly fish to make sure it wouldn't sting. Then we all took a turn holding it. It felt like jello. After they caught a bunch of crabs they brought them back to us on the beach and we had crab races. We each got a crab and drew a starting line. We put our crabs behind the line and let them race to the water. It was fun, but I think they were in shock or partially dead, because they were so slow. Usually crabs are really fast. These crabs needed a few nudges to get going. It was funny to watch them. Once a wave touched them they would dig down in the sand and bury themselves so they either looked just like a rock, or they would get all the way under the sand and the only way you would know they were there were the bubbles that came up when the water covered them. The kids had fun finding the "hiding" crabs and putting them in the sand home they built for them.

After the beach we went back to base for pizza, then home for a big day at church the next day!

Parker enjoying the pinwheel Grandma Hatch bought

The jelly fish

The crabbing crew
Blake, Broden, Shaylee, Alissa Rilyn, Remi and Shawn

crab racing
Parker, Shaylee, Grandma, Remi, Grandma Hatch, Shawn, Rilyn, Broden, Blake, Alissa and me

Me and my crab

Alissa holding a crab

So cute!

Rilyn, Alissa and me

Parker loving the water!

Thanks to the Hatch's for the awesome pics. Sometimes I forget to take pictures, but it is nice when someone else takes some because then I am in them and people know I do participate in these activities with my family:)