Holiday (Part 4 - the unplanned bit!)

On Friday 16th March - the day we were due to fly home, we spent the morning in our hotel in NY, glued to the phone and laptop - trying to get information on our flight, after hearing about the disruptions due to the volcano. We found out our flight was cancelled, and so Hannah rang her cousin Eve & Eve's husband Issac, who live further north in New York state, and asked if we could all go and stay with them! They most kindly said yes, so we left our cases at the hotel, bought train tickets from Grand Central Station for later, then went on the Staten Island ferry so we could get a decent view of the Statue of Liberty. We had a nice lunch, wandered round NY a bit more, then got our train from NYC to Poughkeepsie, where Isaac picked us up from the station.

We spent a lovely few days at Eve and Isaac's - resting, walking, playing with their boys, watching films, talking crafts, going to church, and keeping updated on the volcanic ash news. They were the most wonderful hosts, with us totally taking over the basement!

Scott had to do some work on Monday and Tuesday of the next week - phone calls and computer work etc.John & Scott playing Settlers of Catan (again...)

On the Wednesday, though, Scott and I got a hire car and drove up to Niagara Falls and stayed in the Marriott hotel that night - with the most amazing view from our window!

In our hotel lobby.We went down the tunnels that bring you out right down at the side of Niagara Falls, and also behind the actual Falls!We had a lovely walk right round the back of Niagara Falls, and walked down the beautiful magnolia boulevards, and popped in the botanical building.

We then drove to Palmyra, New York, where there are some special historic sites of our church.

On top of the Hill Cumorah. Looking down the Hill Cumorah. A room inside Joseph Smith's home Joseph Smith's Family home The Sacred Grove

We got back to Eve & Isaac's late on Thursday night, and on Friday, our second to last day, we had lunch at the C.I.A. (Culinary Institute of America!) Hannah, John & Scott at a Stately home we visited, somewhere near Poughkeepsie. On the footpath over the Hudson River.

Hannah, John and the Ashworth family. Getting everything packed on Saturday morning!

We then began our long & slightly uncertain journey to JFK - a car journey, a train, 3 underground trains (the line we wanted was shut for the weekend, so there was some to-ing and fro-ing), a bus journey, then another train to get to the right terminal. And all done with THE WORLD'S HEAVIEST SUITCASES!! We made it OK , but with not quite as much time spare as planned.

This photo makes me laugh... Scott's suitcase being weighed, and John adding stuff to it from his luggage, right up to the allowed weight.

Back over England! Scott and I had to wait for a couple of hours at the Heathrow till John & Hannah's flight got in (we couldn't get booked on the same one), then we drove home, had a sleep, and then the kids were bought home by our parents. Happy reunion!! It is so good being together again!!