FHE at Brimham Rocks (Lemonade & Banana Pants)

We had such beautiful weather this week that on Monday as soon as I got off work, we decided to drive up to Brimham Rocks to eat dinner and have Family Home Evening (FHE) not at home. We ate our pasta salad, bread sticks, and capri sonnes on the large smooth-rock cliff overlooking the dales. The boys love to go rock climbing here.






Here are a few interesting conversations we've had this week:

Dionne to Isaac: “Isaac, you’ve drank two big glasses of chocolate milk. I bet you have a lot of pee pee with all that chocolate milk inside you.”
Isaac: “I better go potty” (after going potty) “Mom, I just had lemonade.”

Dionne to Luke: “How was nursery today?”
Luke (our 2-year-old): “Good.…I cried because I was missing you.”

Dionne: “Boys eat your bananas”
Luke to Isaac: “Banana pants”
Isaac: “Luke, I don’t have banana pants!”
Luke: “Banana pants”
Isaac: “LUUUUKE, don’t call me banana pants!”
Luke: “Banana pants”

Lawnmower Attack

This week we have spent a good amount of time working on our garden trimming back bushes and waging war against the moss that can take over the lawn. Everytime I mow the grass the boys run and grab their pitch forks and torches to kill the monster...

Lake Windermere & Hill Top

On Saturday, we took a day trip to Lake Windermere in the Lake District with our friends, the McNeely family. The beauty of the Lake District rivals that of North Yorkshire. We ate lunch at the Adventure Playground and then walked along the lake.

Photo Op with Mr. McGregor...
Next, we drove to Hill Top - the holiday home of Beautrix Potter. For those of you that have seen the movie Miss Potter, this was the home that inspired most of her writings. After the popularity of her book, The Tale of Peter Rabbit and others, she was able to purchase the other farms around Lake Windermere, thus perserving the beauty of the area from modern development. We were able to see quite a few of her original drawings and paintings at the home and the Beautrix Potter Gallery nearby.


One of Dionne's favorite flowers: Forget Me Not
After walking through the gallery, we stopped to get some ice cream. The boys got pretty messy and I said to Dionne, “Isaac has ice cream all over his clothes.” Isaac replied, saying “It’s OK Dad, I can lick it off.”

The White Horse of Kilburn

For our ward Aaronic Priesthood Commemoration, I was able to take Isaac on a walk atop the White Horse of Kilburn. It rained a bit, but as we arrive at the white horse, the clouds lifted for a fantastic view of the Vale of York.




The horse's head is visible here. Isaac is holding a post card of the horse. 24 people can sit in its grassy eye.

Newby Hall & Gardens

After returning to England, we've had one of the hottest weeks in May, since precise measurements began in 1772! During the week we visited Newby Hall’s twenty-five acres of award winning gardens. We packed a picnic and ate our sandwiches under a shady tree with little white flowers blooming small patches. Once inside the grounds, we started in the children’s adventure garden and let the boys play on the boat swings, rope swing, and playground equipment. They also had a small waterway with paddle boats to cruise around in.


The gardens were quite spectacular with all the May flowers, stone paths, and compartmented gardens.


Two boys on a toadstool...

Back to the USA

If it seems like we have disappeared off the blog-o-sphere, it is because we jetted off to Atlanta to attend my little brother's wedding. It felt really good to be back in the USA. The things I enjoyed most while I was there were:

1. The American sized shower/tub.
2. The American sized washing machine and dryer.
3. The ability to blow-dry my hair in a bathroom equipped with huge mirrors. (In England, it is against the law to have an electrical outlet in the bathroom. So every morning I am stretching my blow-dryer from the outlet behind my dresser to the long mirror in my wardrobe.)
4. Raw, natural heat with the accompanying indoor air-conditioning. We were in shorts and sandals the whole week (well, once we bought some)... which was fabulous.
   
5. Continuous sunshine.
6. Mexican food and chicken wings.
7. The Mall of Georgia.
8. The quilt shop.
9. The zoo.
10. Hanging around family.

I have to admit that going to Atlanta did make me a little homesick for the states. But I am happy to be back to a simpler life in Yorkshire where the grass is always soft and green.

On the plane ride over, Isaac was worried his blanket might fall in the ocean and get wet.


Luke's 2 year birthday party.


Luke's birthday trip to the Atlanta Zoo.

Hanging out with cousins on Granny's porch.

The Wedding Day. Congratulations to Derek and Gina! We are so happy for you.

Pilgrimage Walk in Knaresborough

Today, the Steers family invited us for dinner and a walk from their home down to the River Nidd to see a shrine to St. Robert carved into the cliffs overlooking the river.

As we walked, Fiona Steers explained the history of the site. St. Robert, not officially canonized, was born as the son of the Lord Mayor of York in the 12th century.

After becoming a Cistercian monk, he later denounced the world and church and took up residence as a hermit in a cave near St. Giles Priory.

Toward the end of his life, pilgrims flocked to see Robert to seek spiritual guidance and healing.

Although we didn't walk all the way to the cave, we enjoyed seeing the shrine and small quarters of pilgrims seeking St. Robert.