The day after we returned from Nice Erin, Rachel and I headed to Heathrow airport to pick up my mom at 6am. I was so excited to see her and I don't know what came over me but tears starting rushing from my eyes as she walked through arrivals. It was so great to have my mom in England! And it was a beautiful moment for Rachel and Erin to witness as I turned around and they also teared up. My mom was in tears because I was in tears and it was a touching moment!
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| Reunited at arrivals! |
Wednesday: July 17th
After picking up my mom Erin and I took her to a tube station and headed to Buckingham Palace. My mom did great on her first experience on the tube (this was her first trip overseas period). She said the tube was like riding an airport tram! We made it to Buckingham in time to see the changing of the guards. However, as I have learned traveling in summer is awfully difficult because there are a lot of people...EVERYWHERE. It was hard to get up close and I am not sure how much my mom got to see, plus it was hot, but we enjoyed it! After the changing of the guards we hopped onto a bus, with the top floor front row seat, perfect view! It was hot on the bus too! We made it to Rachel's street and I impressed me mum with my ability to navigate London. We had lunch with Rachel at a delicious Italian restaurant. After lunch Rachel showed my mom around her flat and we took off for the tube. We headed to the Big Ben, London Eye and Westminster Abbey area...also known as tourist central during the summer. We had tickets to do the London Eye, but the line was SOOOO long and it was hot and my mom was fading quickly, having been up for 24 hours and all. So we bought fast track tickets...best idea ever....and we were excited to see that the London Eye had AC! After we took our tour we headed back to our car, but we were traveling with the end of work commute and it was the hottest day in London on record for the year...so the tube was hot! It was in the 90's that day....yikes! The tube was also crowded, but again my mom was a good sport and she slept in the car. Our drive back to Chippenham was long because we were stuck in a lot of traffic leaving London. We finally made it back to the calm side of the country....literally the country around 7pm. We headed straight to dinner with my friends Meleah and Taryn. Sam even met us and we sat outside eating the best Indian food in this area....Chequers. My mom enjoyed meeting my friends, but I didn't mean for her first full day in the UK to be so busy and last until 10:00pm. W went straight to bed when we got home and I think my mom was really excited to shower!
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| Mom and Erin at the tube station |
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| Changing of the guards |
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| Changing of the guards |
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| Changing of the guards |
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| Buckingham Palace |
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| Mom and I in front of Buckingham |
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| The guards |
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| And again |
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| And again |
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| Riding on the bus |
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| A pro at the tube |
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| Me beautiful mum in front of Big Ben |
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| The eye |
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| Ridding the Eye |
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| On the eye |
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| Mom and Big Ben |
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| Big Ben from the air |
Thursday: July 18th
After a good nights rest everyone was ready to go in the morning, my mom especially felt refreshed. We took Erin to the train station in Cambridge, where she was going to head back to London to catch her flight home...it was sad to see her go! After Erin left I showed my mom Cambridge. Since she teaches at University I think she really enjoyed all the colleges. We stopped for lunch first and my mom ordered the tiniest coffee ever...I forget what they are called as I am not a coffee drinker. We shopped a bit in Cambridge and then took a punting tour on the river Cam. This is my third punting tour and I am starting to fill in the gaps that some guides leave out, so maybe I should take up punting. After we finished our tour we headed to Lakenheath base and I showed my mom the exciting part of my stay at home wife life. We went to the grocery store and took a tour of Sam's work. My mom even got to meet some of the guys he works with and the husbands to my great friends! We had to pick Sam up from work because our British car died the day before. We came home and I made dinner, with the help of my mom! She made mashed potatoes and made it look easy! It was so great to have her help! After dinner we relaxed and then my mom, Hercules and I took off on a walk through the village of Chippenham. My mom enjoyed our quiet village and walking in England just like Hercules and I do!
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| Mom with her small coffee |
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| Sam made co-pilot of the quarter so his picture hangs in the squadron |
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| Mom and Hercules |
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| More of Cambridge |
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| Yes...I stole these pictures from previous blogs...I have seen Cambridge many times.... |
Friday: July 19th
Friday was a pretty chill day for my mom and I. We were waiting for Sam to get off work so we could head to Scotland....however, he didn't get off as early as we were hoping he would. I showed my mom around the base, took her to meet our dog sitter Maxine as we dropped Hercules off and we had lunch at La Hogue. After La Hogue we took a nap while we waited for Sam. Once Sam finally came home we headed to Ely to catch the train to Scotland. It was a four hour train ride and it was hot. We finally made it though and found our flat, which was right on the main strip of Edinburgh. It was 9:00pm and we were starving, luckily we found Bella Italian restaurant and we were the last table they served!
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| Waiting for our Train |
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| Scotland |
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| Searching for food |
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| Very Gothic Style Buildings |
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| Edinburgh |
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| It is a busy city |
Saturday: July 20th
We started our day at Edinburgh Castle. My moms first castle experience. It wasn't the best castle in my experience, but we had a great time. After the castle we went to eat lunch at a famous pub. My mom tried her first fish and chips. The pub was neat because it was named after a dog. A dog who came to the pub everyday with his owner, then his owner passed away and the dog came and laid by his grave everyday...or came to the pub everyday...something like that. Anyway, it is a neat story and the food was yummy. After lunch we did some shopping....and by some I mean a lot but Sam was a good sport. After shopping we headed to the Holyrood Palace, which is the Queens summer residence. It was so awesome, I love touring the Queen's houses. After our tour we had some afternoon tea and I got my first Scottish money (which is still the pound but looks different). I made reservations for us at a restaurant called The Cellar Door for dinner and it was amazing. We enjoyed wine and a three course meal. My mom even ordered blood pudding and we tried some Haggis. My mom was later disgusted when she learned what blood pudding is....if you don't know what blood pudding or haggis is...well I will let you look that one up on google for yourself. After dinner we took a Murder and Mystery Tour. The tour took us through the entire town of Edinburgh at night and described all the awful things that took place...like killing people they thought were witches. There were even people who jumped out at us. It was a fun tour!
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| The famous pub in Edinburgh |
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| The statue of the famous dog |
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| Hanging out with mom |
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| The dog...Greyfriars Bobby grave |
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| Edinburgh |
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| Holyrood Palace |
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| And again |
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| Love my husband and mom! |
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| Outside in the gardens of Holyrood Palace |
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| The big hill we didn't want to climb up to see the city |
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| There were bagpipers everywhere |
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| Haggis |
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| We are ready to get scared |
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| The leader of our ghost tour |
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| They were great |
Sunday: July 21st
We started our day at the Museum of Scotland, after we had tea and coffee of
course. The museum wasn't really my cup of tea but Sam and my mom really
enjoyed it. After the museum we did some more shopping and then had lunch at
Worlds End, which supposedly had the best haggis in Edinburgh…so of course Sam
wanted to go. He ordered the Haggis and loved it…he also got a shirt. After
lunch we took a bus to the Royal Yacht, the Queen’s party boat, but sadly we didn’t
have time to tour it. Sam was worried we wouldn’t make it in time to the train…but
we made it it in plenty of time! Mum loved the train and she was like a little
kid looking at all the landscape a long the way.
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| On the bus to see the Queens Yacht |
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| A Scottish Harry |
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| The Royal Yacht |
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| Hercules was wiped after Maxine's |
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Monday: July 22
nd
On Monday I took my mom to base to do some souvenir shopping
and then my car died….so Sam had to leave work to help us out. We got a rental
car and my mom headed to Bury St. Edmunds to have afternoon tea with my friends
Meleah and Taryn. After tea Taryn gave my mom a tour of the abbey gardens and
ruins in Bury. My mom really enjoyed it! After an afternoon in Bury we headed
back to Chippenham where my mom and I prepared a delicious pork chop dinner!
Sam is a lucky man to have two great women making him dinner and my mom is a
huge help in the kitchen. After dinner we took another walk through the
village…Hercules was in Heaven. Oh and we watched the coverage of history being
made…the Royal Baby was Born!
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| Our traditional high tea |
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| The Holbrook kneeler at the church in Bury St. Edmunds |
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| Taryn holding her Bury St. Edmunds kneeler |
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| Pork chop dinner |
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| Mum and I at high tea |
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| Meleah, Taryn and I |
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| And again in the Abbey Gardens |
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| Mom and I in the Abbey Ruins |
Tuesday: July 23rd
This was scheduled as our London day! It just so happened
that it was the day after the Royal Baby was born which made it an exciting
time to be in London. Mum was also not on jet lag, so she could actually
remember our day. We went to London Tower, until they started doing the 21 gun
salute for the Royal baby…then we went to Tower Bridge in order to see the
cannons being fired. We headed over to Trafalgar’s Square where they were
suppose to be showing blue lights for the Royal Baby George… however, they
weren’t blue…sad day, it must have only happened at night. We also took a tour
of Westminster Abbey, which was ringing its bells for the baby….cool but kind
of annoying after awhile. We had a great London day, until I lost our car in
Ely where we parked and took the train….luckily we found it and made it home!
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| I don't know...on the tube I guess |
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| Waiting to see the crown jewels |
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| You can kind of see them setting up the gun salute |
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| The gun salute for the royal baby |
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| Tower Bridge....often confused with the London Bridge |
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| Gun salute |
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| Mum is witnessing history.... |
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| Riding the double Decker bus |
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| Westminster Abbey |
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| My beautiful mama |
Wednesday: July 24th
Another fun local day! Meleah, Taryn and I took my mom to
the Audley End House, which is a big estate house build during the Jacobethean
time. My mom loved it! I knew she would love it and exploring things like the
Audley End house is a norm for Sam and I here in England. We went to lunch in a
cute town nearby…the name escapes me… but they had a cool antique shop and my
mom enjoyed exploring the new town. Meleah and I took my mom to look at some
Thatched roofs…luckily Meleah new where to go and my mom fell in love with
England! After our thatched roof tour it was time for us to head to Bible
Study. Luckily….my mom wasn’t the only parent there and she really enjoyed
meeting all my sweet friends and seeing our everyday life here in England.
After Bible study my mom said goodbye to Sam and Hercules and we headed to a
hotel in London since my moms flight was early the next morning.
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| Saying goodbye |
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| This little guy was the saddest one of us all to see her go |
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| I love this picture :) |
I am so glad that my mom was able to come and visit us in
England! It was her first time to visit me as a married woman and I really
enjoyed showing her our life here. Her trip passed way too quickly and I was
very sad to see her go. I can’t wait for her next trip across the pond!
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| Okay, I was the saddest one to see my mom leave....come back soon please, I miss you mom! |
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