Holiday (Part 2 - West Coast)

On April 7th, we left Las Vegas, and headed to Los Angeles. On the way we went to Calico Ghost town and had fun wandering round, and going down the old gold mines (and popping into the quilting shop where I chatted to a quilting cowboy!)At Los Angeles, we wanted to see the Hollywood sign, and so found our way to the Griffith Observatory, which had great views over the city too.

We got to Venice beach just in time for sunset, and found that our room had been upgraded to an apartment - which led out right onto the beach!We spent the morning of April 8th wandering round Venice beach, and enjoying the roof terrace of our hotel.Setting off up the coast.After staying for a night at San Simeon, we spent April 9th continuing our drive up the coast towards San Francisco. Scott knew of somewhere to stop off and see elephant seals. View from the roof terrace where we had lunch.

We stopped for a 'nice little walk', at one point along the coast. There was a route with 2 choices, and we planned on doing the shorter walk. We kept walking though, and never found a sign or anything to mark the end of the short route, so we just kept going... finished 3 hours later, with blisters, sunburn, and having climbed the equivalent height of Snowdon!The top at last! Fab views over the Pacific. And then the climb back down (we started at the sea!)

Having a well deserved rest on a couple of beaches, before driving to our retro 50's hotel in San Francisco. We spent 10th April in San Francisco (with Scott pushing me up hills for a fair bit of it.)Lombard Street! Scott was keen to drive down it the next day. We got the boat over to Alcatraz, and took the tour around - very interesting.

The view walking back to our hotel.11th April was our long drive day - we left San Francisco and stopped the night at Elko, Nevada.

It was also the day with the worst weather - perfect timing!We passed through some places with pretty deep snow around. More wonderful mountains.More big long old roads (and Scott and I playing the ABC game with naming American cities...) Started off April 12th with snow! Carried on our drive back to Utah.

Scott wanted to stop off and see the salt flats where they do land speed records. We drove down this cool road surrounded by salt that just ran out in the middle of nowhere!

We also visited Bingham mine (and was in time to see an explosion) before heading back to Salt Lake City, where we dropped off the car, went to Deseret book, had a meal, then spent the late evening in our hotel's swimming pool, sauna and hot tub!

Holiday (Part 3 - East Coast)

On 13th April, we got a shuttle bus from our hotel to SLC airport, and then met up with John and Hannah (after they had finished chatting to Elder Kieron in the airport lounge...) We got our flight to Newark NY fine, and I ended up with 3 seats in a row to myself, and read the whole way.
Scott had arranged for a limo to pick us up from the airport and take us to our hotel. For the 4 of us with luggage, it worked out not much more expensive than if we had all gone by public transport. When it arrived, we were well impressed, and also slightly embarrassed! Nice and spacious! Getting to our hotel in China town.After we got to the hotel, we went out and just walked around the city, seeing lots of places, like Wall Street, and Ground Zero.We walked over the Brooklyn Bridge, and got pizza in a crowded little Italian place called Grimaldi's. Were pretty tired by the time we got back to the hotel!

On 14th April we set off first to the Rockefeller centre and went to the top to see the view... pretty amazing! Here we are with Central park behind us.We then went to see if we could get tickets on Broadway to see Wicked, half an hour before a show, and we managed to get some very good seats - grabbed a quick lunch (which while we were sitting in the sun eating, I got chatting to a man who is the props manager for the show Jersey Boys) We then saw it, and it was FANTASTIC!! The two main actresses were just brilliant. We all really enjoyed it.

Scott and I went for a walk in Central Park then, while John and Hannah went off to meet one of Hannah's cousins. We had a wonderful time strolling around, listening to buskers, watching baseball, eating icecream, and just lying in the sun talking. We popped in to Grand Central Station after that, just to see it.

Wandered back to the hotel later on and met up with John & Hannah again.

On 15th April, the day before we were due to fly back, we got a coach to Washington DC. The trip took 5 hours (though we spent some of that at the road side because we got pulled over by the Police who was talking to our driver for quite a while!)

We met up with our friend Crystal, who used to be in our ward at church, but now lives in Washington DC. She is really knowledgeable about lots of things, including DC, and she gave us a brilliant tour - explaining about all kinds of stuff. We also met up with one of Hannah's cousins, Kathleen.

I was really excited to see a lot of the places in DC in real life, especially being a 'West Wing' fan! (I think that's the only reason I know anything about American politics at all!)

The White House. Scott and I with Crystal John, Hannah & Kathleen, and we, went our separate ways then for a bit, to explore some of the different Smithsonian museums. When people hear we are English, they like to tell us about their ancestry, and the man who served us at one on the tills was named Cromwell (descendant of THE Cromwell), and he told us all about his visit to Huntingdon etc!

In the Botanic Garden

We met up with John and Hannah again, then got our coach back to NY... that was a fun trip... we had a totally crazy, Chinese driver who was going very fast, and kept swearing and shouting, and tried to run another car off the road (3 times)!! Hannah and I were scared! Very relieved to get off that coach.

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!!

Well Scott took Lucy and Jack's stuff with him to work this morning, and I've just finished packing Harry and Tom's stuff in my car, so we are all set for when the kids get in from school - I'll drop Lucy and Jack off at Scott's work, and he'll drive them to his Mum and Dad's, and then I'll drive Harry and Tom to my Mum and Dad's. THANK YOU MUMS & DADS!!!
So I have today to clean the house and pack our bits and bobs. Got all the laundry finished yesterday. I am aiming to make it to Book Club tonight (seeing as the venue was changed for my sake!), and then I think John and Hannah will come fairly late-ish, to sleep over ready for our flight tomorrow.
I feel nervous. Don't like the idea of being half the world away from the kids, and don't want to fly. I didn't use to be like this - I've just turned into a worry-wart. Got to start thinking 'what the heck - this is going to be FUN!!!' I'm sure I will tomorrow.

This week's been OK - pretty quiet. Jack was ill off school one day, but is fine now.
Tom's school has given Tom an 'authorised absence' for tomorrow, but Jack's school won't! Naughty Jack! I understand why the schools are strict with holidays during school time, but still think it's a bit daft, especially when we don't take tonnes of time off, and the kids are doing so well at school anyway. Ahh well - just call us rebels :)

Harry had his Playgroup Easter party yesterday, and was about the only child who hadn't made a hat. He refused point blank to do one at home, and then sat on my knee like a lump on a stump while the parade was going on! He makes me laugh. He had a nice time for the rest of it though, and won a big easter egg for getting the highest score in the bowling with eggs competition.

Had a really nice time with the kids yesterday, even though Scott had to work late.
We're taking a laptop with us on holiday, so might put some stuff on here while we're away, depending on internet access.
Bye for now!

Well, this is going to be Grandma Asher's new home...
Poor old Grandma has got weaker this week, and really needs some help with to-ing and fro-ing in the night etc, and though Dad has been staying round at Grandma's this week to help her (while Mum has been sick), they aren't going to be able to manage the night times for ever, even if Grandma moved in with them. I was horrified at the idea of Grandma living in a nursing home when I first was told, but hearing more about her room, and the place (and that of course Grandma will still be going round Mum and Dad's most days like normal - it's less than a mile away), I've decided I would quite like to move in there too. Grandma has one of the big front rooms looking out over the fields. I can't wait to go and have a look at her new digs!
Other things this week... loved the rainbow on the way home from school on Friday - one of the strongest I've seen in ages.

Friday night I had book club - the first one without Harriet - our founding member. I was a bit worried it might fizzle out, but actually we had a great evening, and really enjoyed ourselves. I loved walking home by myself afterwards - in the cool, quiet night (it was only round the corner), clutching my new book!

Saturday morning had an early start, to make fruit salad and go to Tesco before meeting up with the activities committee at church. We got set up for the Easter Pancake Breakfast for the ward. I got to have a go making pancakes (smaller American sized ones) on elecric griddles, with Ryann and Amy - I really enjoyed it - want to get one of those griddles for us! We made hundreds, and they got guzzled by the ward, who then hunted for Easter eggs (500 of them!) hidden round the church grounds.
Lucy and her friend from church, Abigail, came home with me after, via Dunelm, where I finally got myself a new suitcase for our America trip. I'm keeping up to date with the washing and ironing, and will start packing for everyone tomorrow.

Abigail stayed overnight - she and Lucy had a girlie film night (with Scott!) while I went out to an evening at Ryann's to celebrate Anna's upcoming having-a-baby! We had the best fondue spread ever, and had a really good girlie laughing/chatting evening!

A headache I had developed into a migraine on the way home, and I had to really struggle to keep from being sick, but made it home OK. Been fighting it all day, but thank goodness for painkillers!

Here's Tom practising for being a stow-a-way...

Church was great today - I enjoyed the talks and both my lessons. Holly's on the Passover meal, and the symbolism of the Sacrament we take now, really touched me and I felt really full, and really thankful for the scriptures and for what Christ has done for us.

A pleasant afternoon (mainly - aside from one or two bust-ups!), sitting in the sun, and enjoying the daffodils and feeling peaceful. I still haven't really thought about going away this week yet - that will mean acknowledging the fact I will be away from the kids for a long time, and that I might die. I know it's much more dangerous going in a car than a plane etc etc, but I still have a need to really think about the worse that could happen during the entire trip, accept it, get over it, then think about enjoying myself! (I think Scott is booking our visit to Alcatraz as we speak!)