Last Day in London

After coming home from the north we spent one last day in London.  We rode through Woodford green for one last cream filled doughnut and into London for a few stops at some of our favorite places. 

It was rainy, as it should be in London.  And we pushed through to Portobello road to buy some antique-ish souvenirs.  And then we got the treat of all treats, a meet up with some dear old friends, the Snows . We have sorely missed them since they moved away from Boston and it was so great to see them in London where they had been living for the summer.

We met up in Covent Garden.  I spotted them across the crowd while watching a juggler.  Cheesy, I know, but I got all choked up seeing this great friend of mine there in London with her children, soaking it all in.  It gave me a little glimpse of what my life looks like, with all these kids, in a big new city, experiencing it together.   We ate at Shake Shack (peter looks delighted, no?) and listened to some awesome musicians and took some pictures by the my fair lady flowers before we headed to Hyde Park to meet up with Danny.  The kids played on that big giant pirate ship (which Peter wasn’t old enough to fully appreciate last time we were here) while I caught up on the Snows life.  Made me wish more than ever they had never moved away. Then we asked Charlie to take a picture of us.  That silly boy, he feigned incompetence in getting the whole group in the picture while secretly he was just taking selfies of himself and purposefully leaving people out of the shot.  I didn’t realize he’s such a jokester.  Gave me a little glimpse into what we have in store for us once he’s a teenager.  Finally he got a good shot. It was sad to say goodbye to London and to Amy and to all these memories, new and old.  The old ones did feel much more permanent in all of our minds, like revisiting them really did imprint them deeper into who we are.   And that makes me happy. 

Here’s a little video we made to keep us all happy along the way while we were in London/England/Prague.

Chatsworth House.

Seen Pride and Prejudice with Keira Knightly?  This is where that was filmed, Chatsworth House.  Forget dreamy Mr. Darcy, I just want Pemberly.  What would it be like to live surrounded by all that beauty all the time?  Heaven.  We got to spend a magical vivid green day there with these people:  It was one of my favorite days yet.  One of those slow motion, crystally days.  There was this awesome fountain that spanned a long hill that the kids played in forever.  While I took pictures and grown ups talked.  We walked round the massive gardens and through a hedge maze. The light and the flowers and these angel faces were impossible not to snap away at all day long with my camera. aren’t these grounds spectacular?

Perfect place for jumping shots, no?  I know these jumping shots are getting pretty old, but it’s sometimes the only way I can get my kids to pose for pictures!(here’s what we look like before the jumping shots ^^^ still some reluctance going on)It was so fun having my niece Elle with us that day.  She knows how to drink a place in. And oh how I love these people.  Every one of them. 

It was one of those lay-in-your-bed-overcome-with-gratitude days.