All's well in Elmswell

Home again...

2011-09-16T05:48:00.000-07:00

Wow I have alot of catching up to do! Between my surgey in June and our trip home for July and August, the summer really flew by! I have so many pictures to post, stories to tell, etc! We had such a great time when we were home! It was nice just to be with our family and do everyday things! It was awesome for Megan to get to be with ALL her cousins this year too! they had so much fun playing together!!
More posts soon...

Ideal Protein Recipes!!! Part Two

2011-05-11T07:46:00.001-07:00

More Ideal Protein Recipes and meal ideas!!!!!

Crock Pot Beef and cabbage: I put a beef roast and wedges of cabbage and onion in my crock pot and let it cook all day. Easy to measure out your serving of protein and veg!

Chicken fajitas 2: this version with cilantro, jalapenos tomatoes and red onion.

I have also made Mexican chicken by marinating chicken breast in a bit of olive oil and vinegar, then Mrs dash chipoltle spice. Put in baking dish and top with canned green chilies. Bake till done and chilies are roasted brown.

Sloppy Joes: ground beef with Walden Farms BBQ sauce, vinegar and splenda, then cook with chopped onion and celery.

Make "Rice" to go with it, by finely chopping cauliflower, then cook till tender.

Courgette Quiche (Zucchini): slice thinly 2 c. of zucchini and onion and saute in olive oil. Season, then add 2 beaten eggs and bake in the oven till brown and set. There is your protein and veggies in an all in one meal! I also sprinkled a TINY bit of mozzarella on top.

For my family i made the same mixture, but added 2 more eggs,1/2 c milk, and 1 c of mozzarella and pored it into a homemade butter crust in a pie pan.

Chicken Cabbage salad: Make your own coleslaw by chopping up cabbage and add onion. I made a dressing using Walden farms mayo, vinegar and splenda. Top with seasoned grilled chicken.

Ratatouille: This is one of my favourites! The grilled veggies are so delicious!

Thinly slice eggplant (aubergine), zucchini, bell pepper and onion. Use all natural tomato sauce on bottom of pan, then layer the veg. I drizzled olive oil on top and seasoned it. Bake till golden brown. Serve with pork tenderloin or roasted chicken.

Taco Wraps or Taco salad: cook your ground beef then add green chilies, jalapenos, cumin, chili powder, garlic, onion or bell pepper. or serve with onion salsa. Wrap in lettuce leaves or use shredded iceberg.

Asian Ground Turkey Wraps: brown ground turkey then add, fresh ginger, garlic, cilantro, bell pepper, green onion, chopped mushrooms, Asian spice or seasoning, lite soy sauce and red pepper flakes. Serve over lettuce or as wraps in romaine leaves.

Roasted Veggies: This is Swede, Leeks and Onions. If you can find swede, it is a lovely substitute for potatoes, especially when you are craving something starchy! I also love to roast zucchini and bell peppers- yum!

Cut up the veg, then put in a zip lock and coat with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Roast in oven till tender and brown.

Salmon Hash: I used canned salmon for this then added green onion, cooked yellow onion, 1 egg, seasoning, chopped cooked celery and lemon juice. I cooked it in a bit of olive oil till it browned. It doesn't stay together like a Salmon patty without breadcrumbs, hence the hash, but it still tastes nice!

Ideal Protein RECIPES!!! Part One--- and Update on progress

2011-05-11T06:47:00.001-07:00

I have taken pictures of and tried to remember what I've used to make the following entrees, so for those of you out there wanting a change in pace, here are the recipes and pictures!

Stuffed Peppers: lean ground beef, garlic, onion, chopped bell pepper, Italian seasoning, chopped mushrooms, diced tomatoes for the top. Cook all together then put inside halved bell pepper. top with tomatoes and bake till brown.

I modified my family's meal by adding cooked rice in with their mixture and i put cheese on top of theirs.

Buffalo Chicken Salad: marinate chicken in Texas Pete then cook in olive oil. Eat with romaine or baby spinach. I made a vinaigrette using yellow mustard, vinegar and splenda.

Onion Salsa: This has very few tomatoes, but still has a yummy salsa taste. Chop onion, garlic, cilantro (coriander), jalapenos, green chilies and add salt and lime or lemon juice. Delicious on taco salad, wraps, etc.

Chicken Fajita wraps: marinate chicken in chili powder, cumin, red pepper flakes, onion and garlic. grill chicken then, saute your bell peppers and onion- but do not caramelize. Wrap in lettuce leaves.

Also, after 12 weeks, I have lost 42 lbs and 23 inches! I have about 10 pounds to go to reach my goal! I tried on a size 12 dress today along with denim Capri's and a tankini and they all fit! It felt so good! I haven't been this small since before i got pregnant 8 years ago! This has been the best diet ever and i am so pleased with my progress and results! It is so worth the money!!! I have attached a before picture and a "so far" picture as well. If you are ready for a change go to www.idealprotein.com

March 6, 2001 May 8, 2001

April 2011

2011-05-04T11:04:00.001-07:00

Another busy month with something always going on! We had another PTA event at the beginning of April, but there was not a good turnout unfortunately. But i had a good time and the band was great! It was called "Fiddler's Elbow". Megan and I also went to volunteer with a group that sends packages to British troops in Afghanistan. we took all the stuff the YW had put together and they were so grateful! Great group of people they are too. Another picture is Megan with her friend Lydia and Katie having afternoon tea on a beautiful day! we have been so lucky to have such lovely weather for the last month or so. On a day Michael and I went to the temple, Elli and Tino kindly watched Megan for us, and took her to the beach with them. They said it was good practice for grand parenting! They had a great time and she kept them entertained! Plus they said she would not stay out of the water even though she was freezing!
Angie and i took the girls to West Stow village one day during Easter Holiday. It was really fun for them to try things that the Anglo Saxons would have done. The rest of the pics are from Royal Wedding week. For YW, Toni talked about the difference between Civil and Temple marriage, then had the girls make napkin dresses. The one looks almost real! they did a great job!Then on the Royal wedding day, Angie had all of us over for a party and to watch on the Telly, then we had a Ward carnival that evening. What a wonderful experience to be living here during this fun time! I have also been doing more scrap booking at home and trying to catch up, so that is a big goal this year!

March 2011

2011-03-31T01:04:00.000-07:00

It has been nice having Michael home finally- he got home on the 2nd of March. Megan wanted to do a Spa day like one of her "Fancy Nancy" books. So she did me a oatmeal mask, nails hair and makeup one night, then I did all her stuff another night-that was good fun! Michael and I have also finally started getting a babysitter once a month so we can go on date nights. We went to see a Nick Cage movie called "the Season of the Witch". weird movie, but it was nice to be with each other!
We also had about 6 inches of Megan's hair cut off- her choice. That day she kept saying "I just can't stop looking at myself! It looks beautiful!" :)

We were also busy with lots of youth activities: temple trip (Megan took the picture of the temple), youth conference (which Megan helped with the games because we both had to be there), and my YW and I made care packages for British military as a big service project.
Michael got to go tour Scotland yard with his office recently, and then also got to go see the Ceremony of the keys at the Tower of London. They have been doing the ceremony for over 700 years!
Megan had a thing about coconuts this month too for some reason. So we bought one at the store, opened up, then made coconut milk. She learned that it isn't naturally sweet, so we took the meat from inside and I made an all homemade from scratch coconut blender pie! They said it tasted good, since on my diet i can't eat stuff like that- but it sure smelled good!
I have also stayed super busy as secretary of our PTA. We had a Pamper Evening put together by my friend Jane this month and it was fab! They had finger foods and a chocolate fountain( i couldn't have that though) and there were all these great stalls selling things, and therapists offering treatments. I got a mini manicure, i got my colors done- i am a tonal color between spring and autumn i found out- and i bought a few bits and bobs as well.

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February 2011

2011-02-27T23:44:00.000-08:00

My Baby is 7!!!!!!! I cannot believe it! Since Michael was gone for her birthday, I took her to see "Tangled". Excellent movie- we love it! Then the next weekend of her birthday, I took her to McDonald's, then Toys r us to pick out something for herself. I bought her a canopy for her bed this year too, so its like a princess bed! Thanks everyone for all the great gifts! You spoil her too much! Then on her Birthday, since it was Sunday and her Daddy was away, we had her friends over, and my Friends, their Mums! We skyped with Dad while we sang and she blew out her candles so he could at least be part of her day. Then we had yummy cupcakes. Thanks to our friends for sharing in her day! Eli, Angie, Anne and Jane, Lydia, Katy, Mary, and Hannah! Then I took her Birthday portraits in a cute hat and a zebra hoodie Grandma Benson bought- she looks so grown up! I love my girl!

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The Astronaut Diet...

2011-02-05T11:28:00.000-08:00

OK- so its not really a diet the astronauts use. It's the nickname my sis in law Starla gave the diet that our Mom Glea was on, and which is now Glea's job. She is a diet coach, and the real name of the diet is "Ideal Protein". Starla calls it that because the food comes in silver packets that look like space food! When I was home last summer, GleaMom and Starla, Stormy, Wendy, Linda- they all lost so much weight and looked great! I am just tired of losing 20 lbs every year then putting it back on the last few months of the year! I am ready to make a change! I will update my progress on here...

January 2011

2011-02-01T23:42:00.001-08:00

OK- Goals again: I lost 15 lbs last year and gained it back again, hence the new diet I start next month! I have yet to start college courses too! I need to get on the ball!!!! I have done lots of scrapbooking though, and I have already gotten alot done this year!

Michael had to go on TDY for NCO Academy, so he will be gone for 6 weeks! We miss him! Also this month, we had our first encounter with head lice at school! It was the first week back after Christmas, and I noticed a bug in her hair but didn't know what it was. I am actually surprised she hasn't gotten them from a kid at school before now, with all her thick hair! But after 3 years i guess our luck ran out! It was quite a process combing through and putting solution in! Yikes! Now i have to check regularly in case she has come in contact with someone at school who has them. I never had them growing up and didn't even know what to look for. It was quite an experience!
Megan lost the 2nd of her two front teeth too! She looks so cute and is growing up too fast!

Holidays 2010

2010-12-29T06:50:00.001-08:00

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It was so nice that Mom was able to stay with us for Thanskgiving! She showed me how to make sour cream raisin pie too- yum! We had the Moreira's, Jacqui, and Angie and the girls over, so it was a good time. We made some Thanksgiving crafts with the help of Gran, and Megan went around dressed like a Turkey that day- it was pretty funny! We went to the Christmas Market in Bury with Mom on Thanksgiving weekend too. She bought me some beautiful art prints of scenes in Bury.

It was my 40th birthday this year, so Mom and I went to Emily's tea room in Mildenhall, which was cute, and then we went to dinner at the Fox Pub to give Mom the experience. She had to leave the next day though :(
Then Michael planned a wonderful party for me and Eli! There was a yummy cake Racquel made, and good food. It was nice to have my good friends with me to celebrate! Then we had tons of fun dancing! It was a fabulous fortieth!

Megan had a country dancing club at school for Autumn term, so we got to see a recital the last week of the club. It was so fun to watch her dance!
Megan was the Star of her school Christmas Play- Ralph the Reindeer. She did great!

After our London adventure, we were all still sick over Christmas, so it was pretty miserable this year- but we were all happy to just be together! She got some Wii games and a princess tent, which she took a nap in later! We still did the scavenger hunt, Christmas story, but only had a few snacks. I was too exhausted. So we ended up doing a bit more for New years, and we made our Gingerbread house after Christmas too, along with almond bark pretzels. It was a low key Christmas, but we still enjoyed it, and I learned you don't have to do everything to make it special!

Our 3 Day London Adventure

2010-12-29T06:49:00.001-08:00

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Wow! We had a great time (besides ending getting sick with the flu or something). We tried to do alot, but had to stop and take breaks each day because she was not well, then me. Michael had to work all day, so it was just me and Megan, but there is just too much to see! What a great city! We even ran into Elder Atkins and Kennedy when we were coming out of the Bond street tube! I want to go back and see more and more!

We went to the Museum of Natural History- huge! We didn't even touch the surface in the 2 hours we were there. On Alicia's recommendation, we had Ben's cookies- These were so good!!! Crispy on the outside , but chewy inside! We tried, chocolate chip, white choc chip, peanut butter, coconut, oatmeal raisin, and a double chocolate white choc chip! it was the best! We went to Selfridge's to see Santa at his grotto. we were waiting in line to get a ticket for later, but They bumped us up in the queue, not sure why- maybe because they knew we were Americans? Anyway- we got right in, and everyone else in line had to buy tickets for later! We were VIPs! Oh! I also saw Katie Waissel from the X-factor while i was at Selfridge's- celeb sighting!We walked for an hour through Hyde Park one day, then stopped at the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain. We will have to come back in warm weather. it is like a big circle and the water keeps flowing- you can sit and put your feet in it the sign says.

Then another day we went to the Science museum. Her favorite thing was the Launchpad where you can do all these experiments and hands on activities! It was awesome! We went to The British Museum our last day- wow- i mean amazing- I could have spent days there- we didn't even touch the surface here either!Then She was so excited about seeing Big Ben. The last time we took her to London was 3 years ago, So she remembers a little. But since they studied London this past term and she learned all about it- she was super excited to see all she could! It was a great 3 day adventure and can't wait to do it again!

Autumn 2010

2010-12-01T06:20:00.000-08:00

Megan Started year 2 this Autumn, and has the same great teacher, Mr. Mill. He moved up to a different year level, so all the kids from the previous year stayed with him. Michael ran a half marathon too! We are so proud of him! Megan and I also went with the YW to go punting on the Cam! It was really fun and funny! For Halloween, we dressed up as characters from the Wizard of Oz- she made the perfect Dorothy! I also got my new haircut which I love, and Megan lost her first font tooth! One of the best parts of this Autumn was that my Mom came to visit! It was so great to have her here! She stayed through Thanksgiving and for my birthday, but then we had to say goodbye...

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Summer 2010

2010-09-30T05:30:00.001-07:00

I thought it would be hard to keep Megan entertained for 6 weeks, as it was our first time being here for Summer Holiday.( we have been home every other summer!) However, we managed to see the time pass too quickly with our frequent trips to the base, playdates, playing at the park, making crafts, etc. We had fun this summer and enjoyed sitting out in the sun and being with friends. Daddy also made some good BBQ dinners for us which was nice. He celabrated his 37th birthday this year! Then this summer we clebrated our 15th Wedding annivaersary! And they say it wouldnt last... haha- we had a really nice time. She also finally learned how to tie her shoes properly over the summer!

Amber and Jeffrey's Wedding!

2010-08-31T08:20:00.001-07:00

It was so special to be there for Amber and Jeffrey's temple wedding! She is the first of the grandkids to get married, so there was lots to plan and do! We went and stayed with her for a few days before her wedding, and had lots of fun. We also helped with flowers and decorations, and were were trying to get everything ready on the rehearsal day. Fun times!!!!
She looked absolutely beautiful and Jeffrey is a really great guy! He and Michael are almost twins! The temple ceremony was so special because all of us were there together! I still haven't see all the pictures that were taken up at the Temple either- there were tons! It was really windy, but lovely.
The reception was great! The wind died down enough for us to decorate! Everyone thing turned out SO pretty! They had a ring ceremony before the reception and I almost had to sing acappella because the music wasn't working at first! Then there was good food, cake and fun dancing! It was a wonderful and memorable day! So happy for Amber and Jeffrey!

June/ July

2010-08-30T16:40:00.000-07:00

After coming home from MT, it was Father's Day! What a sweet Daddy and daughter.She won second place in her race at school this year too. We had a fun 4th of July BBQ at the Moreira's. The girls had fun running around and we had all-american food! We also went to Audley End house which was very cool. hey had people dressed up as servants and in character.

June- Trip to Billings!!!

2010-06-29T02:00:00.000-07:00

Well- I have not been very good about updating my blog this year- things have just been crazy. I have been good about pictures and things on facebook, but I need to take the time to do the "journaling" part here!

Well, at the end of May, Megan and I took a trip home to Billings for 3 weeks! We got to see everyone and be there for when Baby Jameson was born! We also got to stay with Amber in Wyoming, and we were there for Amber and Jeffrey's Wedding!

First it took us a week to recover from jetlag, and then we just enjoyed spending time with Grandmas and cousins. And of course, as usual, i enjoyed going shopping!
We took a couple trips to Wyoming to see Grandmas and also to stay with Amber the week before her wedding.

Megan almost repeated an emergency room visit this year, remember the seed in ear last year? Well she was outside playing with Scout- the dog, and she said she had a stick that she was using as a magic wand. well somehow it got up her nose! I was chatting with Michael on Skype at the time when Tylee ran in and i heard Megan screaming! She had blood gushing everywhere! I didn't know if it was her mouth or nose or what! She was hysterical! She had gouged her nose pretty good, but we got it to stop. As i was holding her nose, she was crying and said, Am i gonna live? Oh it broke my heart! It was alot of blood though so i don't blame her for being scared.

We also both got sick throwing up etc, but she was so miserable and i felt bad for her. She thought she got sick from eating too much ice cream so now she won't eat Neapolitan ice cream anymore.
She had lots of fun spending time with Aunt Stormy and Tylee, and Aunt Glea and Caden too. She got spoiled way too much! Grandma Benson and Grandma Glea both like to spoil her too! She had fun and sleepovers with Rachel, and Hunter, Shane & Wyatt too- so many people to have fun with!

We got to welcome our beautiful new nephew Jameson on June 10th! What gorgeous dimples he has!

We will be sad to leave again- but so happy for the short time we do get to spend with family!

April, May... Warwick Castle!

2010-04-28T01:35:00.000-07:00

Well we did a few things this month... we went to Warwick Castle! Great Fun! It is more commercialized than the traditional English Heritage sites, but still good family fun. We enjoyed the Princess tower, the birds of prey show, and the trebuchet demonstration- awesome! Easter was nice too. We painted eggs, and I bought Megan a new Easter dress so she could look like "Tiana" from the Princess and the Frog. We also went to a petting farm and had lots of play dates during Easter break. In May I was just counting the days until our trip Home to Billings! But I did have a nice Mother's day ( I'm so blessed to be a Mom!!!) and stayed very busy with youth activities and fundraising for EFY. It seems like there was something for church every Saturday!

March/ Badger of the Week!

2010-04-07T10:08:00.001-07:00

See... another month of craziness has come and gone! At least now its getting warmer and we are getting out a bit more!

One of the BEST things that happened this month, was that Megan earned "Badger of the Week"!!! She has been working hard all year and finally got it! Her handwriting has really improved and she is really trying her best at school. Each Friday her teacher Mr. Mills picks a student because of good work or behaviour, and then they get to take their class mascot "Brenda the Badger" home for the week. There is also a badger journal that they get to write in to tell about their week with her and add pictures. When I went to pick her up that afternoon, she was first out of the school behind her teacher, and I saw she was smiling from where I was standing in the distance. Then I saw that she was holding the badger, and I gave her a big smile, and then she just beamed even more! It was so cute!! I was so proud of her, but I was even more happy that she felt proud of herself!

Let's see- what else has happened this month?... I have been crazy busy with fundraising efforts for our Youth to go to EFY. It has been really tough to get participation from the community though. I love working with all my YW though- it keeps me on my toes! Megan also did a funny thing one night- I saw when she was in bed that she had writing on her. I looked , and she had written the name of a boy she likes at school! It begins already! We also had fun one Saturday doing makeovers on each other, and there are other photos of her at her tap class. She really enjoys it, but she thinks she should just be able to dance well right off! I told her to keep practicing!

February

2010-02-22T01:22:00.000-08:00

I have not been as good as writing on here as I would like to be. I do try to do at least one post per month though. It has been a crazy couple of months. My friend Rachel broke her leg- so i have been helping her out a lot at her house, and add YW, and my home, and I have kept very busy!

Megan lost another tooth last motnh- the other front bottom tooth. She had her birthday this month too! I swear I cannot believe how fast she has grown! I am so proud of her! She is smart and sweet, and loves to read and learn. She loves playing with her frinds, and really loves playng the new Wii we bought this month. She had a nice little party with 5 friends, and she had a good time. We had rented a bouncy castle from the base, so that was a big hit. then we took her the afternoon of her birthday to go see "the Princess and the Frog. It has still been so cold and snowy outside that we have not taken any trips either. Hopefully Spring will come soon and we can get out and about again!

Goals for 2010

2010-01-05T02:17:00.000-08:00

Now let's see... last year I said I wanted to:

-Lose weight and be more healthy... I did! I lost about 30 pounds and many inches! Now to lose another 30 this year! Plus lose the weight I gained the last two months of not walking! Yikes!

-Scrapbooks,get caught up...I did get some done last year, but not enough to get caught up! I will continue to work on this!

-Take more college courses to finish my degree... well this did not happen at all! I need to get on the ball! I will try to be enrolled by the Autumn of this year.

-Enjoy each day and cherish my time with Megan and Michael... still a goal. I need to be more patient and kind, and cherish them even more!

-See more sites and do more traveling!... we have done quite a bit of this! We will continue this year too! Hopefully we can make it to Scotland, Ireland, Wales, and maybe Germany or France this year...

...I'm also striving to study my scriptures daily and communicate more sincerely with my Heavenly Father. I'm grateful for all the blessings I have and for this New Year to start fresh again!

Christmas Card 09

2009-12-30T09:06:00.000-08:00

This will be a short letter this year. I did have some cards I was getting ready to make, but got derailed 2 weeks ago when we got the news that my nephew Spenser had been killed. Please pray for my brother’s family! You can read more about him at the Billings Gazette, or the links on my facebook. He was killed so senselessly, it’s still hard to believe. So needless to say all the regular Christmas things, have felt a little sad this year, and have not been done with the normal gusto.
Please go to our blog www.mkmreno.blogspot.com to read about our year, or to my facebook profile, www.facebook.com/home.php?#/karan.b.reno?ref=profile . I’m on there all the time updating pictures and stuff. We are continuing to love our time here in England, and have enjoyed the last 4 months that my niece Brianna has been here staying with us! We will miss her! Megan will be 6 in February and is a firecracker! We love her! She drew the art for the card above.
We love you all and we are so grateful for our Savior, Jesus Christ. I know that families can be together forever, and I’m so grateful for my families! Jesus is the reason for this season, and I pray we can all strive to do a little better, love a little more, and serve those around us. God Bless you now at Christmas and in the New year!
With Love,
The Reno Family … Michael, Karan & Megan

December's Diary

2009-12-30T08:53:00.000-08:00

Well, another year has come and gone. I can never believe how quickly time flies....
Well we sent Bri back to the USA yesterday- :(. We will miss her. We were getting used to having her around! We did have some really great times with her, and I think she enjoyed her semester of "studying abroad"! This month we kept busy with the regular parties, plays and activities for Christmas. Plus staying busy with YW and trips with Bri. After hearing the news about Spenser, we have carried on, but it has been a much more somber Christmas time for us, with more reflection on what's really important. I attached our "Christmas Card" in the previous post, as I just did not have the time or gusto to actually get any mailed out this year. But we did have a nice little Christmas of our own. We spent Christmas eve at our friends the Geddes, along with our friends the Ashpoles, Moreiras, and new friends the Yates. Megan just got a few things from Santa, and we spent Christmas day in our pajamas! I have spent the last few days finishing Bri's scrapbook and putting together a slideshow DVD for her- so we had a good time doing that too. It has been another adventure filled year, loving England! We are so grateful for our wonderful blessings, families and friends!

Another Dear Nephew

2009-12-17T03:05:00.000-08:00

After losing my nephew Zach last year, my family is struggling through another tragedy. Spenser, younger brother of Zach and Amber, was murdered this past week, so it is a devastating blow- especially to my Brother Jeff's family. Thanks to all of you for your prayers - they are greatly appreciated and needed. Like Zach, Spenser's life was cut short. It's infuriating that there are people who make such stupid decisions that they take lives of others. I will never understand it. I find comfort in knowing that we will see him again one day and be together as a family though. He had the greatest smile, a funny personality and humor, was a great cousin to Megan, and a wonderful father to little Landyn. You are in our hearts Spense...

November Notes

2009-11-30T14:46:00.000-08:00

OK- where did November go? Seriously, it flew by and I am totally unprepared for December! We did have some fun times this month though. Some highlights- uhhh.... the RED CARPET event for "New Moon" with Bri! We had a red carpet day! We went to Madame Tussuad's and rubbed elbows with the stars, then to Paul, a French Cafe- delicious! Then on to stand outside for 6 hours, just so she could see Robert Pattinson! Tick! It was great though- I'm glad it made her so happy! I also kept busy with my YW as usual- we had a wonderful Young Women in Excellence night. We did the STAR awards, so it was like Oscar night. It went great. I work with the best YW! One of my counselors moved though- sad- but it will be fun getting to know my new one! Then between volunteering for the PTA and at school, and activities with Megan- the month went by too fast! We had our neighbor over for Thanksgiving dinner, and a friend and her son which was nice. Then we had a pie party that night where we invited more friends from church. We missed our family terribly this year, but it was great to have Brianna with us! We also went to the Bury Christmas Market this year- we missed it last year. It was great. They have stalls and vendors with amazing food items, plus a few carnivals rides for the kids. Megan loved that part! It was beautiful at night! Looking forward to another lovely Holiday season!

Hogwarts, Stonehenge and Cheddar

2009-11-04T11:11:00.000-08:00

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Road Trip! We wanted to see some sites in the western part of England while Bri was here- so we took off for a few days. It took most of the day Thursday to get to our hotel, and then we only had a couple hours of daylight ahead. So our first stop was Lacock Abbey. Yes- that's right- we walked the halls of Hogwarts from Harry Potter! They filmed 2 of the movies here, plus "The Other Boleyn Girl" and "Pride and Prejudice". Friday we drove to Avebury where there is an ancient stone circle that you can actually go up to and touch the rocks. It is fascinating to wonder how and why the people built these. We drove to Stonehenge next, and though we couldn't go right up to it, it was still amazing! Both places are dated from about 5,000 years ago and are very mysterious. We had fun taking all sorts of crazy pictures too! Bath was our last stop on Friday. The view was incredible! Hill after hill with rows and rows of houses. Then the Roman Baths- wow! I could almost imagine being one of the Romans bathing there. It must have been beautiful in its day! The museum also included the remains of a roman temple to Sulis Minerva. You can still see the steps that led up to it. Just amazing! Then Saturday we spent the day in Cheddar- yes, as in the cheese. The birthplace of Cheddar in fact! We drove up Cheddar gorge, and toured the caves where they actually age the cheddar cheese. There were so many cute shops and stores there too. We had a great time. We didn't get to drive to Wales, or see some of the other places we wanted, but it was amazing to see all we did. What a beautiful and wonderful world we live in!

October Happenings

2009-10-28T11:53:00.000-07:00

Another month has gone by. Why does it always seem to speed by as it gets closer to the Holidays!?! It's good in some ways, but sad in others- Bri only has 2 months left with us! Well I have kept super busy as usual, but we did make it to London on the first of this month- Bri's first time- she loved it! She has taken several trips on her own this month too. We head out for our "big" trip tomorrow to see the West of England and Wales. More pics to follow...

The big event this month was that Megan lost her first TOOTH! I couldn't believe it! She was biting on a button on her cardigan at school and it popped out! I don't know if it was really ready to come out or not, but I was shocked! I was a little sad too- my baby is growing too fast! The tooth Fairy brought her a pound AND a dollar! very international!

It's been a moth full of dressing up too! Megan and I dressed up for an ABBA nite at church and had a blast dancing! Michael and Bri were sick, so that's why just the two of us went. Then she had a week at school all about "Alice in Wonderland" so she got to dress up one day, and wanted to be the Queen of Hearts. She kept shouting "Off with your head!" all day! Then she had a school Halloween party where she dressed up as a unicorn, and the trunk or treat where she wanted to be Sleeping Beauty! Fun, fun, fun!

Trips with Bri- Sept.

2009-09-24T08:43:00.000-07:00

For Bri's first month with us, we have taken her to quite a few places. We went to Wrest Park for the first time. Gorgeous gardens! Then took her to Wimpole Hall where the walled garden had gorgeous flowers, and to Oxburgh Hall and Ickworth House. All places we've been before. I've also taken her around Bury and to the market so she can explore on her own now. We are glad she is here with us, and we have lots of fun with her!

Megan started school again this month and is in Year One. She is doing well and working hard. She developed an aversion to swallowing food this month though which was troublesome! She put too much in her mouth one night and almost choked, so she's now just getting over her fear- oh kids!

Summer in Montana

2009-09-08T04:00:00.000-07:00

We had the best time on our trip back home to Montana! We love our families so much- 5 weeks was just not enough!!! Let's see, we... went out to eat, went shopping, went to movies, took 3 road trips to a family reunion, the wedding, and on a boating trip. We ended up at the hospital and in surgery for a seed Megan stuck in her ear. Michael did odd jobs here and there for everyone, I scrapbooked a bit and just visited alot! I just liked to get out and go look at stores and walk around the mall. I went to Maurices the most! Love that store! Megan had lots of sleepovers and playdates with her cousins- so she had a vacation from me too! It was fun just to be able to be with family though- we miss them already!!!

Berry Picking

2009-07-20T08:44:00.000-07:00

We went to pick raspberries on Saturday with our friends the Ashpoles. It was so much fun! Megan and Imogen especially enjoyed picking and eating at the same time! It was a beautiful day and the raspberries were so sweet!We can't wait to go again next year!

Harrods and London- Take 2

2009-07-02T06:16:00.000-07:00

I wish I were a Billionaire! Then I could have bought the gorgeous shoes and Valentino gown, and children's clothes I saw that were all too expensive, but fun to look at! Harrods was amazing! We didn't even see everything! We just roamed around and looked, and it was cool inside which was nice! So now I can say I've been to an iconic London landmark! There was a dedication plaque and a statue of Princess Di and Dodi Al Fayed there, but I didn't get a picture. (His Father owns Harrods). I loved the food court and the shoe boudoir and looking at all the pricey designer bags and clothing. It was just great fun to window shop! We did buy some chocolates to try though! We also went to the Natural History museum for a while, but it was just too hot in there! We'll have to go to the museums on our next trip. I'm just sad i haven't taken the time to go back to London till now. I need to take lots more trips to see everything i want to!

June Moments

2009-06-25T06:29:00.000-07:00

We have been so busy with church, PTA and other activities every weekend- we haven't even traveled anywhere lately! Shame on us! Here are some pictures from May and June though of things we've done and fun we've had. We're off to MT next month to visit family- yeah!

Angelsey Abbey

2009-05-15T03:07:00.000-07:00

We took a drive just outside Cambridge to Angelsey Abbey on April 25th. It was a beautiful day! There are extensive gardens and footpaths on this National Trust property an it's really lovely! We missed the hyacinths in bloom though, and we'll have to go later to see the roses in bloom. We took a picnic, and just had a wonderful time walking through the house then all around the gardens and paths. There was an old water mill there too that still mills flour a couple times a week. Megan and I loved all the statues scattered through the gardens as well. It was a day well spent!

April 09

2009-05-01T05:39:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics from this past month!

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

March 09

2009-04-02T03:33:00.000-07:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Just a few pics and tidbits from March!

Smilebox

2009-02-24T09:00:00.000-08:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

This is an online scrapbooking site I wanted to try out.

Cadbury World and Kenilworth Castle

2009-02-14T16:00:00.001-08:00

What a great trip we had! It was a Megan's Birthday/ Valentines treat. Cadbury world was really fun! We learned all about chocolate and saw how they packaged some of it, plus we got got to taste some gooey, warm liquid chocolate- yum! Megan wasn't really interested in stopping to read all the interesting tidbits, but they had a fun, kid-friendly ride for her, plus some fun interactive games. We did a thing together where you pose for a photo and you get "molded" in chocolate. The giant candy bars for sale were fun too! I bought my favorite- Fruit and Nut! Megan wanted Chinese for dinner, so we walked around and found the Ruby Cantonese Chinese restaurant. It was great! I told her how to say a bunch of different words in Cantonese, and we had fun with the waitress and host that worked there. She got her dessert free too! We stayed at a nice hotel in Birmingham called the Edgbaston Palace Hotel. It was a triple- it literally had 3 single beds! It was a tiny room- our first experience with a hotel here. Besides a false fire alarm going off at 2am- it was a really nice place, and we enjoyed a complimentary English breakfast before we left. We decided to stop at Kenilworth Castle on our way home too. It is the ruins of a castle used by "Bad" King John, and where the Duke of Leicester Robert Dudley lived (He and Queen Elizabeth I were having a romance- but he was married). It was huge, and really fun and interesting to look around. It was wonderful to get out together as a family, and to see more of this beautiful country!

Megan's 5th Birthday

2009-02-14T15:44:00.001-08:00

Megan got to open her presents and have her cake a day early! We had planned to be back from our trip to Cadbury World the night of her birthday, but we decided to stay the night. We thought it would be cruel to make a 5 year old wait till the day after her birthday! She loved everything she got - thanks to our family and friends for all the cards, gifts, and birthday wishes! She also wanted purple frosting on her cake- in case you were wondering what that weird color was! I made cupcakes to take to school for her class and used the extra to make a white and a chocolate layer- so it looks kind of crazy. So it was a simple party with just the 3 of us. I still can't believe she's 5! Time goes by too quickly! We love her and we are so grateful she is our beautiful, sweet daughter!

January Tidbits

2009-01-28T10:02:00.000-08:00

We haven't taken any trips this month, but Megan keeps us entertained enough sometimes! Here she is on the day it snowed. She couldn't wait to get out in it, and she kept the snow pants on all day! Then another pic of her before starting all day school with her princess lunchbox. She's also looking so cute and innocent in her purple sweater. The last one is of her and her belated present from Catherine. A monkey and blanket which she loves! I have been doing good on the exercising. Its been at least 4 times a week! I'm still behind on the scrapbooking though... More adventures next month!

Goals

2009-01-02T13:20:00.000-08:00

Pictures of Megan and I being silly!

Some things I'd like to accomplish this year:

Lose weight and be more healthy!

Take more college courses to finish my degree!

Enjoy each day and cherish my time with Megan and Michael- especially since she's going to school all day now- I'm in denial.

See more sites and do more traveling!

Catch up on my scrapbooks!

Each of you are welcome to keep tabs on me to see if I'm doing these things!

Merry Christmas Card and letter 08

2008-12-23T17:56:00.000-08:00

Here is the letter and card i am sending this year, so if i don't have your address or email- here you go!

Megan’s Guide to “In England they say…” - 2008 Edition
Megan is always telling me that I have to say things the proper way like they use here. She’ll say, “Mom, in England they say…” if I use the wrong word! So here is her list of English/British phrases and words she has adopted.
Word or Phrase Translation
I need to go to the toilet and go wee… bathroom, go potty
Rubbish bin... garbage can
It’s my go... my turn
Straight away... immediately, right now
Bangers and mash... sausage and mashed potatoes
Sweets... candy
Crisps... potato chips
Chips... thick fries
Biscuits... cookies, crackers
Crackers... a small parcel that pops when pulled and has a prize inside- used at Christmas
Plaster... band-aid
Fairy cake... cupcake
Fizzy drink... soda pop
Cello tape ( from cellophane)... scotch tape
I helped mom Hoover the house... vacuum
Jumper... sweater
Pants... underwear
Knickers... panties
Trousers... pants
Ladybird... Ladybug
Trolley... shopping cart
Holiday ... vacation
Trainers... tennis/running shoes
Takeaway... take-out food
Stand in the Queue... line
I’ll pick up these Bits, and you do that bit... things, this and that

Also they say “maths” not math- which actually make sense since the word is mathematics; x- y -zed, instead of “zee”; taco and pasta are pronounced with a long “a” as in “apple”; and though we say aluminum, there is an “i” in it here –aluminium- and is pronounced al-yuh-min-ee-uh m. Just so you know!

Hope you got a kick out of this! Some of the words are backwards to our definitions, but it’s fun to learn new things! Megan will be 5 in February, and she will start going to school all day in January. She has been going half days since the beginning of this year. She enjoys school and reading, and she may just end up with an English accent!? We have thoroughly enjoyed our first year here in England. We have made some wonderful friends and seen many amazing places! We do miss the good old USA though! I won’t go into detail of all the things we have done this year. Our months have been filled with traveling and seeing new things, and this letter would be 10 pages long! SO… Please go to our blog if you haven’t before, and see all the pictures and descriptions from our adventures this year: www.mkmreno.blogspot.com
We pray each of you will have blessings and joy in the New Year to come. We are grateful at this time for the birth of Jesus Christ, and all the wonderful blessings we have because of Him. We know He is the Savior of the World and we love Him! Have a Happy Christmas and wonderful New Year!

Love, the Reno Family
Michael, Karan & Megan

School Christmas play

2008-12-21T10:39:00.001-08:00

Megan was supposed to be an angel in her school play last week. I sewed her costume even! But her friend got sick, and she stood in for her as "Mary". She did such a good job, and all the kids were adorable. Here are some photos and the video.

Christmas Present

2008-12-10T03:26:00.000-08:00

Here are a few recent pics, and her Christmas card portraits I took the other day...

Christmas Past

2008-12-10T03:21:00.000-08:00

Here is a slide show of pictures from years gone by...

Elf Yourself

2008-11-26T06:45:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Thanksgiving crafts

2008-11-25T09:50:00.000-08:00

Here are the crafts Megan and I made for our centerpiece. We had fun doing them! She drew the turkey using her hand, and she wrote the sign all by herself! She wanted one picture with the Pilgrim Mom and Dad kissing. What a goof! We are looking forward to Turkey Day!

Girls beauty night

2008-11-20T07:13:00.000-08:00

Since Michael was gone to Germany this week, Megan and I decided to have a beauty night! She loved putting on the Mary Kay purple mask- she didn't want to take it off! And getting her to let me trim her nails is quite a challenge too- but we had fun- as you can see!

Guy Fawkes Day

2008-11-10T12:23:00.000-08:00

"Remember, remember the fifth of November..."

We enjoyed some small fireworks displays last night and tonight as the villagers commemorated Guy Fawkes day. It's an interesting story for those who don't know. He was a traitor who tried to blow up parliament in 1605, so they set off fireworks,and have bonfires. Some places burn a man in their bonfires as an effigy of him. Our friend Rachel told us the whole story and it was fascinating. Google it if you want a good history lesson. Anyway- last night some neighbors nearby set off some amazing fireworks and Megan watched from our door. Then tonight, our friends the Ashpole's invited us over to their family home evening to set theirs off. Megan has just been thrilled to watch fireworks at this time of year! Maybe next year we'll make it to a bigger village display.

Halloween 2008

2008-11-01T06:25:00.000-07:00

We sort of threw together a costume for Megan this year. We couldn't decide what she should be. She wanted to be Jasmine or Snow White, but I told her she'd have to wait till next year so I'll have time to make the costume! We didn't get back from our trip till about 5pm, so we threw on her dress and hat, and Voila! a witch! She had so much fun though! Our ward had trunk or treat in the parking lot, then lots of games inside. Her Grandma Reno made her treat bag for her, and she couldn't wait to use it. She kept going around saying "ZAP" to everyone too. I think she was turning us into toads! Hope you all had a fun Halloween!

Blickling Hall

2008-11-01T04:16:00.000-07:00

We drove to Blicking Hall above Norwich on Friday. It was our last trip for a while, as most sites are closed for the winter. It's a beautiful 17th century Jacobean house, and reputedly home to the headless ghost of Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII's second queen! It had an amazing library, and an oriental bedroom I loved too! To see photos of the interior, go to:

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-findaplace/w-blicklinghallgardenandpark/w-blickling-gallery.htm

The grounds were beautiful as well. It was very impressive when first seeing the front of the hall, with its tall towers and long walkway. There was a small lake nearby and an orangery. The shrubs in the garden looked like hats I thought, but Micahel said they looked like q-tips! There were also beautiful statues and carvings in the walls around the garden. We had fun just looking around and imaginging what it must have been like to have lived here!

Dancing

2008-10-28T01:10:00.000-07:00

OK- Megan has been quite the dancer lately. She loves it! She has also been watching "Dancing with the Stars" and "Strictly Come Dancing" with me lately, so I'm not sure where she gets all of her moves. So here are the videos she wanted me to make of her.Enjoy!

Dunwich- city lost in the sea

2008-10-14T03:30:00.000-07:00

We took a trip to Dunwich on Monday. We took a friend from church too, Sarah, who is visiting from New Mexico. Dunwich is a village which used to be a huge port on the coast. From Wikipedia..."It was the capital of East Anglia 1,500 years ago, and was once a prosperous seaport and centre of the wool trade during the Early Middle Ages, with a natural harbour formed by the mouths of the River Blyth and the River Dunwich, most of which has since been lost to erosion. Its decline began in 1286 when a sea surge hit the East Anglian coast and it was eventually reduced through coastal erosion to the village it is today. There is currently a project to reveal the 'lost' city with high-tech underwater cameras."

It was very interesting- there was a musuem there with an outline of how the coast looked through each period of time, and you could see how far the town has moved inland. In the bottom picture you can see where the city was, then the white dashed line is the coast today. Its hard to see, but gives you an idea.

We also ate at the Ship Inn- they have a wonderful pub! Michael and Sarah had fresh cod & chips, and Megan and I shared a pot-pie with a yummy puff pastry crust, and peas & mash. I had never tried one before, and I loved it. I have to say that I enjoy Bristish food- I've liked everything I have tried. Megan also liked the malt vinegar I gave her to eat with her chips- I was shocked!

Then we took Sarah to Orford Castle, where we have been before. It was a much clearer day from when we went last. Megan also begged her Dad for a medeival princess hat! We are goofing off on the roof of the castle, and she's posing in front of it! Another fun day of adventure and driving on narrow country roads!

Castle Rising

2008-10-10T13:26:00.000-07:00

Very cool Castle! It was interesting since it had outer protection walls made of earth! Megan loved walking around the outside of this one, and all the spiral staircases and hidden rooms. The floor of the great hall collapsed in this castle many years ago, so it has an open air area too. The English Heritage description of the castle is as follows.

"One of the largest, best preserved and most lavishly decorated keeps in England, surrounded by 20 acres of mighty earthworks. Begun in 1138 by William d'Albini for his new wife, the widow of Henry I, in the 14th century it became the luxurious exile-place of Queen Isabella, widow (and alleged murderess) of Edward II."

It's always awe inspiring to think that we are treading in the dwellings of Kings and Queens of the past! No matter how many castles or halls we see... they are still fascinating!

Dinosaur Adventure Park!

2008-10-10T12:35:00.000-07:00

We went to a place especially for Megan today! She enjoys the castles and estates most of the time, but this was a kid friendly place! She had a blast! There were beautiful walkways with lifesize dino sculptures, and lots of different parks and play areas. She loved it. She really liked the cable swing in that VIDEO clip too! She did it about 4 times! The slide show below has lots of the explanations, so enjoy!

Glitter

2008-09-30T06:56:00.001-07:00

this picture tells it all!

Ladies who Lunch

2008-09-30T06:36:00.000-07:00

These are pictures of Megan and her friend Katie. We have playdates quite often, and they have so much fun together. They are both very girly and love to dress up. I love Katie's accent as well- she is so cute because she is tiny, but so proper! I made them lunch this day and let them eat with the nice china and glasses. They were thrilled! Beautiful girls!

My Nephew

2008-09-22T08:31:00.000-07:00

My dear Nephew Zach lost his battle with cancer last week. I love him very much and will miss him greatly. He was extremely intelligent, funny, talented.. he was a wonderful pianist and singer. He used to call me Aunt Tawan when he was little, and it was so cute. I'm so happy he is free from his pain now, and that I will see him again one day...

Tagging

2008-09-22T08:11:00.001-07:00

1. Where was I 10 years ago?
We were living in North Carolina- where we met the Schooley's! We loved it there. I was working at Nelson's photo, when poeple still had cameras that used film and had to be developed! We were just starting fertility testing then too. I Also had some of the best times with my dear friend Johnna!

2. What's on my to do list today?
Finish folding and putting away the laundry that's been sitting in the living room since last week, get my files organized for my new church callings as a Primary counselor and Choir director- it makes for alot of paperwork!
then just tidy the house and make dinner!

3. What if I was a billionaire?
I would buy something or help out every member of our families, pay off our DEBT!, give lots to charity- like church and the Ronald McDonald House & March of Dimes, save lots of it for Megan's education/ future, buy a nice car and house- wow- it's hard to say! it would be awesome though!

4. Five places I have lived

England, North Dakota, Montana, Texas, Hong Kong

5. Snacks I like

what don't i like! favs though would be salt and vinegar chips, popcorn with parmesan cheese on top, and chocolate!

6. 3 bad habits

chewing, but not biting off my nails, procrastinating certain tasks, going to bed too late!

7. Who am I tagging?

the few other people i know from other places we have lived that i like to hear about, and i keep tabs on through their blogs!

http://fourjedi.blogspot.com/
http://jelli-beans.blogspot.com/
http://castlekingdom.blogspot.com/
cheers ladies!

Fall Fruit Harvest

2008-09-10T11:49:00.000-07:00

We have apple trees in our garden, and we discovered we also have a plum tree! So for family home evening the other day, we gathered fruit! I might try to make jam or something with the plums, and I made apple crisp already which was delicious! Megan love helping pick the fruit and getting up on the ladder!

Home from Holiday

2008-09-10T11:28:00.000-07:00

We had such a nice time being at home in Montana for all of August! It went by too fast! We are glad to be home now with Michael though. Megan had the best time playing with all her cousins. I don't have all the pictures yet, so I'll have to post them later. Our little camera quit right before we left, so I had to rely on other people taking the pics! She got to play with the Benson boys, Rachael, Tylee, Caden, and her Moss cousins! It is so great for her to have so many! I enjoyed spending time with my Mom, in laws, family, and with my adult nieces. Us girls had a great time shopping at Old Navy and especially Maurices! We also got to see Stacy and the boys which was awesome. We got to have a longer layover in Seattle to see Zach at the hospital, so I was glad that worked out too. Now Megan is back in school, and I'm back in cyberworld! BIG thanks to my Mom for bringing us home!

Here are pictures of Megan and Olivia with their "glam" faces on, and the 3 cousins with their dollar store snakes!

Felixstowe and the Beach!

2008-07-29T04:29:00.001-07:00

For Michael's birthday, we decided to drive to one of the beaches. We went to a cute town called Felixstowe. It's only about 30 minutes from home. It was Megan's first time on a beach or in the ocean, so it was lots of fun to watch her. She just waded in at first- the water was cool, and it was only about 80 degrees. But she kept venturing out, then got hit by a wave! She did not want to get out though! She played in the water for almost an hour, and cried when we needed to leave. Good thing I brought extra clothes for her! We are going to go back another day when it's warmer and we are more prepared. Then we walked along the boardlwalk and ate yummy fish and chips. Hope you enjoy the pics! She had so much fun!

Lavenham & Melford Hall

2008-07-06T11:54:00.001-07:00

Lavenham is a medieval village famous for its half-timbered medieval cottages and circular walk. In the medieval period it was among the 20 wealthiest towns in England. This village reminds people of the nursery rhyme,"There was a crooked man and he walked a crooked mile, He found a crooked sixpence upon a crooked stile. He bought a crooked cat, which caught a crooked mouse. And they all lived together in a little crooked house" It actually has different origins, but this is the place that man would have lived I'm sure! It was fun just walking around looking at the houses and shops. We also saw the biggest and best antique store we've seen so far here.
Another interesting fact: In the late eighteenth century, the village was home to poet Jane Taylor, and it was while living in Shilling Street, that she wrote the nursery rhyme "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star". So now you know! In the Guidhall- their meeting place back in the day- there were displays of wool and yarn, as the cloth business was important there. There was also a mummified cat on display- weird. I guess they put them on roofs to ward off evil spirits.

Melford Hall has a famous connection as well. Beatrix Potter, author and artist, was related to the Hyde family and visited on several occasions. She painted many fine scenes there. There is a small collection of her drawings of Peter Rabbit and other characters, as well as beautiful scetches of the garden there. Also on display, the original stuffed duck she gave to the Hyde children, which was her inspiration for the story of "Jemima Puddleduck". The Hall had a grand staircase, the best we've seen yet, and the Hyde family still lives in the south wing of Melford Hall.

Go to www.nationaltrust.org.uk for more pictures and info

Wimpole Hall

2008-06-18T09:22:00.000-07:00

Hello all! We had a nice weekend. Here is a cute picture from Father's day. Then Michael had Monday off, so we took a trip to a National Trust property called Wimpole hall. It has a working farm as well, but we'll have to go another day to see that and the rest of the gardens. We ran out of time and didn't get to see all we wanted. The house was big, and more modern. We liked it. The library had all the corresponding letters of the alphabet painted on the walls, and it was the biggest library we'd seen! A smaller room, then a huge room that actually looked like an old library, not just part of a home. There was also an indoor pool or hot tub it looked like. That was something we'd never seen before either. Another cool thing, was when we went to the servants level, you could see all the bells on the wall and where they belonged, like the dining room, drawing room, bedrooms. Can you imagine being a servant and running around every time you heard a bell!? The grounds were beautiful too, we just didn't have time to see it all. This home was actually lived in until 1976, so it still has a bit more modern feel.It was fun to see all the beautiful artwork as well. Probably my favourite thing was the all yellow sitting room with a huge gas chandelier in the ceiling! There was a switch on the wall so they could just have the sunlight coming in through the skylight, or they could light the chandelier at night using gas.

My English Garden

2008-05-30T04:02:00.000-07:00

There so mnay wonderful and new plants and flowers I've found here. I'm trying to make my garden look nice, and also learn names of the plants. Some I know are Californian lilac, pennywort, wisteria, forget-me-nots, & Lemon Balm. If you see something in the photos and know what it is, let me know! The Garden grows like crazy, especially with all the rain. Hopefully I can develop a green thumb like my Mom, or as they say here, "green fingers"!

School Girl

2008-05-25T13:10:00.000-07:00

She looks so adorable in her summer school uniform! She has a darker blue checked dress too. This is a cute skirt and blouse set, and then she has her school cardigan on. She still really loves going to school and loves her friends. She is on half term Holiday this week so I'll have to keep her busy with lots of activities! Then she will continue with school until July 20th. Hopefully we'll be heading to the USA shortly thereafter!

DOVER!

2008-05-25T11:57:00.000-07:00

We had an awesome day! There was a Living Spectacular going on, so there were displays, costumes and demonstrations everywhere! WE took a tour of the secret wartime tunnels, and it had dramatized audio. The lights would go off and you could hear bombs! It scared Megan at first, but i told her it was just pretend. IT was really cool to see what life was like down there. You could even smell the food in the mess hall, and the ether in the operating rooms!

Megan got to meet King Henry and bow before the Queen too! Michael almost had to put on full armour and run up and down the stairs of the Keep, because he tried to pass without bowing! It was just a wonderful experience!

The cliffs were really pretty, but we will have to take a ferry ride someday to get the ocean view of the cliffs. It was nice to see the ocean again though and feel the ocean breeze!

Click on the slide.com "view all images" link to see all the pictures in color and larger...

King's College & Our English Rose

2008-05-19T11:49:00.000-07:00

HI everyone! Sorry nothing exciting has happened. We are planning a trip this weekend though. I took these pics of Megan one day we went for a walk around our village. She looks like a little English rose, all proper and posh!
I did go to Cambridge to go shopping last Friday. It was fun! I went with my friend Amber. We went to NEXT, H&M and all the other British brand name stores and window shopped. We also went and got yummy fudge from store right a cross the street from King's College. We still have to go explore Cambridge and see the historical sites though. It has been nice and warn the last couple of weeks. We like to go to the park, and she palys while i chat with the other Mums. I though it was funny when one of them told me she liked American accents! I really love it here, and love getting to know the people!

St George's Day and MORE!...

2008-04-28T01:27:00.000-07:00

HI! Here are pictures from our ward's St George day party and some info on it. It was fun. They had a quiz all about famous English people and played games. We all dressed in red and white, but Megan didn't really cooperate for the pic- she wanted to run around and play of course!

I also sold all these hair accessories at a Craft fair on Base this weekend. I sold about half, so I did pretty good. It was fun and I met some local people who made jewelry and painted silk scarves.

On Sunday, we had Stake Conference, and Elder Christofferson attended, he is one of the new members of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles. I was taking Megan to the potty before it started and we saw him in the hall. He stopped and came right to Megan and shook her hand and said hello. He also commented on the flower in her hair, and shook my hand. It was a neat experience! I had told Megan that morning,she was going to see one of Jesus apostles like he had when he was on the earth, and now they were President Monson's helpers. I asked if she'd like to try and shake his hand after the meeting and she said yes, but we got lucky! It was just really special to listen to him speak, especially at the adult session Saturday night. He told about his experince when he was called, and his feelings. It was an awesome spritual meeting!
Anyway- that's what has been going on with us! Love and miss you all!

“St. George is the patron saint of England. His emblem, a red cross on a white background, is the flag of England, and part of the British flag. St George's emblem was adopted by Richard The Lion Heart and brought to England in the 12th century. The king's soldiers wore it on their tunics to avoid confusion in battle.
St George was a brave Roman soldier who protested against the Romans' torture of Christians and died for his beliefs. The popularity of St George in England stems from the time of the early Crusades when it is said that the Normans saw him in a vision and were victorious. One of the best-known stories about Saint George is his fight with a dragon. But it is highly unlikely that he ever fought a dragon, and even more unlikely that he ever actually visited England. Despite this, St George is known throughout the world as the dragon-slaying patron saint of England.

St George is always depicted as a knight carrying a shield with a red cross (or a banner with a red cross), generally sitting upon a horse and always killing a dragon.
By tradition, 23 April is the day for a red rose in the button hole, the national flower. However, unlike other countries, England does not celebrate it like Americans celebrate 4 July with fireworks. In fact, you are more likely to see big St Patrick parades in England celebrating Ireland's National Day, more than you would see any sign of St Georges Day being celebrated. This was certainly true in Manchester in 2003, when St George's Day was virtually ignored soon after the biggest St Patrick's Day Celebrations in the city's history.”

First Trip to LONDON!!!

2008-04-20T09:06:00.000-07:00

We had such a great time! We were worn out by the end of the day! First we took a shuttle from the base to the 1st tube station- that took a little over an hour, then we took the tube into the city, and that took almost an hour too.

We went to Madame Tussaud's first. Very cool! It was so crowded though! When we go again it will be during the week! The first room has all these paparazzi flashes going off and its looks like the inside of a dance club. There are celebrities everywhere! Brad and Angelina, Julia Roberts, British stars, but there were too many people to get close enough. We took our pictures with some of the celebs, then they had this cool "taxi" ride like at a theme park. It took you through the history of London. It was too scary for Megan to go to the Chamber of Horrors so we skipped that. It was amazing the work that goes into the sculptures and how life-like they look!

Next we took the Original London sightseeing bus tour. It was pretty chilly, but still so wonderful to see everything. It is so surreal when you look around- you just can't believe you're seeing all these things with your own eyes. It took about 2 hours for the tour, so we saw a little of where everything was, and there were headphones with an audio tour. Megan fell asleep during part of it, so we huddled up to keep warm!

After that we took the tube to Green Park and walked to Buckingham Palace. They only do the changing of the guard every other day until the weather gets warmer, so it was the next day. Another time! We plan on going back many times. We still would like to see the Tower of London, ride the London Eye, and go to the National History museum. We would love to see a play too- like "Wicked" or one of the many shows there. After the Palace we walked up to the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey. One thing I did not know was that the clock itself is not "Big Ben", it's the actual bell itself that tolls the hours. It really is beautiful and very ornate.

On our walk along the river we passed the Aquarium, and saw the London Eye up close. We also saw some street performers that were funny, then Megan wanted to ride the carousel. We bought souvenirs too, of course! Megan wanted a Teddy Bear dressed as a "Beefeater". She loves it! It was just a wonderful, unforgettable day and we can't wait to go back again!

>NOTE: to see these images from the slide show larger, click on view all images and it will take you to the slide.com website where I downloaded them

Ickworth House

2008-04-12T09:21:00.000-07:00

This house was amazing! It is gigantic compared to Oxburgh Hall, where we visited last week. Ickworth house is just outside of Bury so it was only a 15 minute drive for us. We just could not believe the extravagance of some of the rooms! All the ceilings seemed 50 feet high, and the rotunda was beautiful. It felt like walking into a state capital building. Once again there was extremely ornate furniture and decor, shelves on almost every wall lined with books, and huge amazing paintings. There were some by Gainsborough and Titian. I loved the fan collection that was in a glass display. They were gorgeous! It also had a chart showing all the meanings when a woman held her fan. The grounds are enormous! We walked around the Italianate garden with its well groomed hedgerows. It took about 10 minutes. There is also a Hotel and restaurant on the other wing- we haven't seen it, but it must be nice!

Oxburgh Hall

2008-04-06T03:09:00.001-07:00

We finally went sightseeing again! Yesterday we drove to Oxburgh Hall, A National Trust site. It is a beautiful Tudor style, 15th century moated manor house, and the Bedingfeld Family home for over 500 years! They still live there! The grounds are beautiful! There is a decorative garden (parterre) and moat, and they have their own church. They were no photos allowed inside- sorry!- but we got to see the Dining hall: there were large portraits of Kings and the family on the wall, amazing carved cabinets and china: the sitting room: Victorian style settees and chaises, lace fans and toys to the Bedingfeld children from the Queen; the Library: amazing!- every wall full of shelves with volumes of very old history books, and a hidden door that looked like books on a shelf!; Private dining room: it was where the secret door led. when the door closed it looked as if the were no doors in the room, just 4 walls. Then we were able to see a victorian style bedroom, the embroidered hangings of Mary Queen of Scots, then a medieval style bedchamber. There was a garter robe(dressing room) off this room which has a priests hole. After King Henry formed the church of England there were many families who still wanted to follow their Catholic faith. They had to sneak the priests into their homes, while under the threat of punishment, and in the case of the priest- if caught he would be tortured, drawn & quartered! So if the family was in the middle of Communion, and the kings men came to search the home, they had a secret priest hole where he would hide till it was safe- sometimes a few hours or a few days. We got to crawl down into it. I twas cool. We also saw the Royal seals of past kings, tapestries from the 1600's, and a brooch and small pair of embroidery scissors that belonged to Queen Mary. It was just a wonderful experience to see the Victorian & medieval styles of this beautiful home!

March-April pics

2008-04-06T03:02:00.001-07:00

I am glad to be finished with unpacking and moving in! We have kept busy with church activities on the weekends and moving in for the last month! Here are some pictures from the past month and things that have been going on:
It snowed on Easter Sunday! I went early for choir practice, and since it had snowed a couple inches in the hour, they cancelled church and sent us home! It wasn't too bad of a snow storm, but they don't plow or anything here, so it causes problems.

We also got a new Beta fish. He is a pretty blue, almost purple color. We named him Jasper because it sounds English! It also fits with our previous fish, Jack & Jay. We also named our GPS system, since we talk back to her sometimes, or get annoyed by it!. It s a woman's voice with a British accent, so I call her Victoria, and Michael calls her Vicki!

Megan had her Easter break for that past two weeks so she has been helping me out around the house. She also had her first Primary activity the other day. It was like an Around the world trip, where they made a craft or tried a food. She went to Hawaii, Australia, France, Egypt And Japan. She liked the crackers wrapped in seaweed- I could'nt believe it! She had a great time!

Pics of our house

2008-04-06T02:55:00.001-07:00

We are moved in ! The extra rooms are still a bit messy, but this gives you a better idea of what our house looks like!

Check out my Slide Show!

2008-03-21T03:29:00.001-07:00

Chris did an excellent job on Megan's pics! She has them on her website now:
http://web.mac.com/bdelphotography/BdelPhotography/Home.html

what a mess!

2008-03-20T00:38:00.000-07:00

Here is our messy house- but our stuff is here! Yeah! I'll send more pics when it's all put together! Megan got lost in all the paper, and stuck in her own little corner! Also, there was mold on our couch cushions- gross!

I had Megan's birthday pics taken finally. A friend from church did them. Check out: http://web.mac.com/bdelphotography/BdelPhotography/My_Work/Pages/Portraits.htmlShe should have them posted on her website soon.

London Temple

2008-03-11T03:55:00.001-07:00

We were able to drive to the London Temple a couple weeks ago with the Moreira's from our ward. They are from Portugal and they are so great! We were able to go through a session, but we all had to go separately since it was busy. It is beautiful inside, and the grounds are beautiful as well!

Megan at Nursery school

2008-03-11T03:22:00.000-07:00

Megan was able to start school on Feb 25th! She goes to Nursery, which is like preschool in the States, then she will start Reception next January, right before she turns 5, which is like Kindergarten. She loves it! She goes everyday from 8:50 to 11:50 and already has a few friends, Poppy, Ellie, and Lydia! Her teacher is Mrs. Pigot, and they get to do lots of art and games. I went last Friday to help with a "building" day. I learned how to lay bricks with the rest of the kids! They also learned how plumbing works, got to put up wallpaper and paint, do some carpentry and design. It was a fun day. She is out of school for Easter break on March 20th, but returns April 7th through July 20th. then they have off through the beginning of September and then start all over again. It's strange to have her go year round, but she really likes it and it will be good for her. She looks so cute in her little uniform. In the summer she gets to wear a cute blue gingham dress! I'll post more pics then!

Orford Castle- Feb 18th

2008-03-11T02:54:00.000-07:00

King Henry II built Orford castle to defend his coast between 1165-1173. It had a bailey- the wall surrounding it- at one time, but just the castle "keep" itself remains. It was a wonderful tour! There are about 5 levels to it and spiral staircases. There was a chapel, several halls, and some small rooms for sleeping. The fireplace would heat the walls in the rooms to keep it warm. One of the funny things that Megan remembers, is the "pee" hole. Sorry, but that's what it was! The constable had an opening in the hallway to his quarters where he could relieve himself without having to go all the way downstairs to the latrine. It looks like a triangle. Also there is a legend associated with the castle about a merman found in the sea that they kept in the basement where the well was. You'll have to Google it for the whole story. It was a pretty foggy day, so we couldn't see the ness or the coast, but it was still beautiful. another interesting thing about the picture of the hall with Megan and Michael, is that door up high on the wall. There is a staircase on the other side going to that level, but they would put a long board from the other side to the side with the door. It was a ladies retiring room. They would have to walk across the board above all the drinking the men were doing below, so they could rest there. We thought that was pretty cool too. We went and saw an antique store and ate at a pub while we were there in Orford too. Some of the antiques were genuine, but they have alot of reproductions as well, like small creamer or milk jugs. We ate sandwiches at the pub, Michael had smoked bacon, yum. Megan had cheese on toast- basically grilled cheese on one slice of bread, but the cheese was Delicious! The British cheddar is white, and tastes so good! I had a cucumber sandwich which was scrummy! It was a great day!

Michael's Mini

2008-03-11T02:49:00.000-07:00

Michael bought a Mini last month. He just HAD to have a small car! It does come in handy though, and Megan thinks it is so cute! This Mini was made by Austin Martin and is a 1988 model. It sure fits into parking spaces nicely and takes the roundabouts very smoothly. Michael loves it!

our house

2008-03-11T02:32:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics of our house- i'll take better ones when we have our stuff- but just to give you an idea;
playroom, utlity room, main bathroom, kitchen, Megan's room, living room, our room

the door to the bedroom is short- so Michael always hits his head on the doorframe!

Megan loves her purple bedroom, and I love the yellow kitchen!

there are alot of windows so we get lots of sunlight too!

our washer & dryer and fridge are all UK models, so they are small! I have to half a regular load of laundry!

Back Online!

2008-03-11T02:19:00.000-07:00

HELLO EVERYONE! We finally got our modem yesterday, so I can catch up on pictures an other info!

We can do video chats now, so email us to set up a time! I will email a calling chart. We really like our house, but it will be nice when we get our own things. We found out we should have our stuff by the end of this month. Yeah! Our village is very nice and we really like it. I can walk Megan to school everyday- it only takes about 5 minutes. We went to a PTA function last weekend, and we were supposed to bring our own "nibbles" and drinks. The parents were all drinking wine and beer?! It is such a different culture here. I went to a Pampered Chef party last week too. Another mom from Megan's nursery school invited me. It was fun to hear how everyone talked. They say "brilliant", and "you're a star" alot here. I also found out that "castor" sugar is powdered sugar, and to "hoover" means to vacuum, like we say kleenex for tissue. Also, all the US cartoons have British accents here, and they have a British narrator on US shows. Anyway, We are glad to be back online!

Moved in!

2008-02-16T08:13:00.000-08:00

Good news and bad news... We moved into our house! The bad news- our household goods are still in the U.S. on account of weather. They are in Texas right now. We were supposed to have the stuff by Feb 24th, but now it won't be till April or May! We are glad to be in our house though. It's big, so there's plenty of room for visitors! We'll send more pics when we get our internet set up, hopefully next week. I'm actually at the library right now, since we don't have internet at home. We're going to the coast Monday since it's Presidents day, so watch for pictures by next weekend!

bday pics

2008-02-14T08:28:00.000-08:00

Megan's Birthday

2008-02-14T01:06:00.000-08:00

Megan turned 4 yesterday! We can't believe it! She got to wear her crown all day, then we went bowling, and back to our room for her strawberry cake. She loved her presents! The nice cards, cute summer outfit, and clothes for her Hippo, Holly! We got her a vanity which she loved, too. We will be going to the coast and Orford castle this weekend

Interesting things

2008-02-10T07:50:00.000-08:00

Hi all! Megan and I went to Bury this week to the market again. We actually drove to Elmswell then took the train! It was fun and only took 7 minutes. We decided we will do that every week. We went and bought fruit, and umbrella for her, and a coin purse for me, then to lunch at a pub. I ordered her Sprite, but all they have is "lemonade", which is more like lemon flavored seltzer, and not as good as Sprite. Then I had a wrap that had bacon(canadian or ham), melted Brie cheese and cranberries. It was delicious! We walked down Hight Street in Newmarket yesterday and looked at the shops. They have "T.K. Maxx" like our "T.J. Maxx". Newmarket is also where the expensive horses are and the horseracing track. One more interesting thing: every afternoon at 4:30 the National Anthem plays here, BUT they play the English National Anthem first, then ours. It makes sense, i was just caught off guard the first time.

Megan's birthday is this coming Wed. so we are going to drive to the coast next weekend. We will have more pics then !

Subscribe to this Blog

2008-02-04T09:02:00.000-08:00

If you want to recieve any new posts we have- scroll to the bottom of the page and click on "subscribe to: posts" , and you will automatically recieve it when something is new!

This week's history lesson and field trip... Framlingham Castle

2008-02-02T11:43:00.000-08:00

Today we went to Framlingham Castle (Fram-ling-um). It was where Mary Tudor once stayed

while waiting to be coronated Queen. There is so much history, we listened to an audio tour as we took the "wall walk". Google "English Heritage.org" for more info. Some of it was being renovated, so we didn't get to go into the "poorhouse", but it was cool just to be standing where men once guarded their castle. The well they used is still there, and there are the remains of a dungeon in the picture with the 3 of us. Megan is in one of the tower corners, and Michael & Megan are in front of the main castle gate.

House in the road

2008-02-01T06:37:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture of a house that is literally right next to the road. It's on a busy road that leads to the Lakenheath base. I guess it's been run into many times, and you can see the replacement bricks up close. It's just too funny! That's how narrow the roads are here!

We found out we can't move into our house till Feb. 15th, so we are stuck in the hotel for at least 2 more weeks. Our smaller shipment of stuff arrived, so at least we'll get that then, but our large shipment won't arrive till the end of Feb. Thank goodness the base loans out things to use temporarily. They also have dressers and washing machine, etc. we can use permanently while we are here. Just wanted to give an update.

If there is somewhere anyone would like us to go visit, so you can see it vicariously through us, let us know! :)

The Stables

2008-01-29T01:12:00.000-08:00

Here is our soon to be home. It is a converted Victorian era stable. We love it! Hopefully we can move in by next week and get more pictures!

ELY

2008-01-26T13:17:00.000-08:00

We went to Ely today- pronounced "EELEE" like an eel. It has a beautiful cathedral! Oliver Cromwells house is there as well, but we didnt go this time. We toured the cathedral and stained glass museum, then ate lunch and strolled the market. We bought yummy pieces of cake including one called toffee which tasted like butterscotch. It was pretty cold outside today so we didnt stay out as long as we wanted. everything is just so beautiful and so full of history. As we drive in the countryside , its hard to fathom some of the bulidings have been here since the 13th century!

the pictures from the cathedral include the inside and outside . there were many statues of the deceased, some in some funny poses we thought- but it was beautiful inside. the workmanship was so intricate and the window and wall art was amazing. it started being built in the 1300's and took till the 1600's to complete.

2008-01-26T13:04:00.001-08:00

photos from Bury

2008-01-25T14:56:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, Megan & I took a bus tour to Bury St. Edmunds, Bury (Berry) for short, as the locals say. It was market day, so we got some fresh plums, then we saw the smallest Pub in the world, The Nutshell. Then we went on a tour of St. Edmunds church. It was beautiful! We learned all about the architecture, and about what happened to the Abbey. The townspeople revolted in the 1300's and destroyed the Abbey, so all that's left is ruins. It used to be huge though! Some wealthy people bought part of the ruins and built houses in them, which is pretty cool. We also stopped at a sidewalk cafe and had a delicious cookie called a vienesse finger, I think. Today, we went and saw the Weeting castle ruins. It had the moat still- no water- but it was cool to see.We didnt have our camera though. Ooops!