Sad Day

Paddy passed away today. Sally and Garrod took him for his daily stroll and it was evident that the time had come. His legs kept collapsing and Garrod had to carry him part of the way home. Poor old Paddy had some rough times in his life, but Sally and Garrod took such amazing care of him these last eight months. He couldn't have found a better family to care for him in his last few months.

England, Part II

From Windsor we headed up to Leeds to stay with Beth and James. The trip was long (about 4-5 hours), and we hadn't slept on the plane the night before, so we had to take a break half way there and nap at a rest stop. This is apparently very common in England, even if I thought it was unusual. I was so tired that I really didn't care if there were people walking past the window watching me sleep.

Anyway, we made it to Leeds safe and sound and finally got to see Beth and James' house. It is so cute, and has a fabulous huge bathtub! They took us out to their favorite Thai restaurant, and we called it an early night.

The next day we went to York, because Toby wanted to see the Viking mueseum. Apparently it is advertised as looking and smelling just like a viking villiage, and they were right. Yuck-0! Then we wandered around York for a while, which is really a very cool old town.


Beth and James are clearly the most fun tour guides in town...

You can walk around the city walls of York - very cool.

Okay, I just like this cute picture of a York duckling checking out his reflection...

Stopping for an ice cream break. I was extremely pleased to learn that my sister-in-law also believes in ice cream breaks!

We wandered around York Minster, which is so pretty. The first church on the site was build in 627 for the christening of Anglo Saxon King Edwin of Northumbria. www.yorkminster.org This next photo is my favorite...

...but this one is very cool, too.

We were sad to leave Beth and James the next day, but we soon heard the great news that Beth was offered a job in community nursing, which is exactly what she has always wanted to do. We don't have a similar field here in the US, which is a shame. Anyway, it is marvelous to know someone you love is doing exactly what they want to do. Congratulations, Beth!

England, Part I

After we landed in England, our first stop was Windsor. We were so lucky that the Budden family's trip home to England (from Dubai, where they currently live) overlapped with our trip to England by about ten hours. They were on the way to the airport to go back to Dubai, and we were on our way from the airport, so we met in the middle.

We had the best time catching up with Jon, Hannah, Ella and Thea. Jon and Hannah are two of the most fun, open and hilarious people I know. Ella still doesn't particularly care for me, but she loves Toby (her Godfather) and that's all that matters. Thea let me hold her for a little while. Aren't the girls just precious?! Toby and I look exhausted, but then again, we were.

Marriage is...

...calling your husband in the middle of the absolute worst day and asking him to take over responsibility for dinner. Then instead of receiving complaints, receiving an email in very fancy font detailing the evening menu, complete with wine pairings and jokes to cheer you up. Thanks, baby!

Paddy vs. Fraggle Rock dog

Hi all! I'm still planning a few large posts with photos from our recent trip to England, but work has been so crazy that I haven't been able to spend much time on the blog. Anyway, while we were in England, Toby pointed out the similarities between Paddy (Toby's parent's dog) and the Fraggle Rock dog. You be the judge.

Tracey's Triathalon Success

Tracey King totally kicks butt! My dearest friend came in 8th place in her age group at the Breezy Point Triathalon at the Norfolk Navy Base last weekend! Way to go Tracey, I am so impressed! Even more impressive is that she did it despite having knee surgery in the last year.

http://www.breezypointtri.com/bptres09.htm

We're back! Plus, favorite photo of trip...

We're back from England - safe, sound and a little bit jet-lagged. Toby hasn't uploaded the photos yet, so you'll have to wait a bit longer for the play-by-play. In the interim, enjoy my favorite photo, which I took on my cell phone. The wind was fierce, and the sky was drizzling, but nothing could stop Toby from rowing me around Dorwentwater Lake. I was hoping the photo would convey the strong wind and rough waters, but it also looks a bit like he was hauling around an elephant - too many cream teas and English breakfasts, I think!