30 May, 2017

Little Things

Wow, I have been very bad at blogging this month. I think it's because we're just living our day to day life, and that seems so boring to share. So here are some of my random thoughts.

One of the things I thought I'd miss terribly about the US was Target. I went often, and it got to the point that if I asked Lily what she wanted to do, she'd say, "Go to Target!" But honestly, I'm not missing it at the moment. I can't think of anything I would need from that particular store. Not to say that my feelings won't change...

Another place I frequented in the US was Starbucks. Of course, there are Starbucks here (although not on every corner like in the Denver area). And I have been to the one in our town... once. I'm just not compelled to keep going. There are other coffee shops that are closer to home and have good lattes, so I just go there.

One thing I am missing at the moment is ice. We don't have an ice tray for the freezer, but I'm thinking I may want to get one. Since the weather has been a bit warmer I've been wanting cold water to drink, and I'll definitely need ice for mixed drinks in the summer. (Side note: I tried Pimm's and lemonade this weekend for the first time. It's a common drink in the UK, and I thought it was refreshing. Definitely something to have on hand in the warm weather.)

Speaking of the weather... We moved from a place that boasted 300+ days of sunshine per year, but the weather here isn't as bad as I'd thought. Sure, we get a lot of great days, and a lot more rain, but it doesn't rain all the time (or even every day).  The weather is very changeable, just like the places I've lived in the States. It just doesn't have extreme hot and cold like I was used to.

Okay, with those thoughts out of the way, it's time for pictures. Here are some recent trips to the park when the weather's been nice.






And of course when the wading pool opened, they had to get in fully clothed.




Lastly, here are a few from US Memorial Day/UK bank holiday. We didn't do much, just a little rainy day thrift store shopping. We did walk through the park on the way home though.










That's about it for now. We haven't done much traveling yet, even around England, but we're trying to make an effort to plan things so we actually go places.  So the are fun things on the horizon. I'd also love to answer any questions anyone has - about the move, living abroad, or whatever.  Cheers!





01 May, 2017

Whitby

While the kids were on break from school, we took a day to travel to the coast. We elected to go to Whitby, mostly because one guy told us that the best fish and chips in England could be found there (we know our motivation).



We set out so we could arrive around midday, and the drive wasn't too bad. We did get on the motorway, although it wasn't the majority of the trip.

Motorway

Pretty rapeseed fields

The sea!

Once we got there and found a parking space (not the smallest task), we set out to find the legendary fish and chips.



Old monastery ruins




We quickly found the Magpie Cafe, and the fish and chips were pretty amazing.





The smoothest stout beer I've ever tasted



After lunch, Matt wanted to walk to the piers. On the way, there were loads of touristy boat tours, and Miles had been begging to go on a boat. We chose the Captain Cook Experience because it looked like a pirate ship. We learned that Captain Cook had his apprenticeship in Whitby, and the tour included many other bits of history. I tried to listen, but honestly I mostly soaked in the kids' excitement.














After the boat ride, we walked down to the beach for a few minutes. None of the kids had been on a beach before, and they were all really excited.



They stayed fairly clean, believe it or not

She didn't like sand on her hands



Favorite

We were almost out of parking time, so we slowly started making our way back to the car. We got some fresh donuts for the kids, and stopped in a shop or two.


I love these little alleys lined with shops


Lastly, I had to take a picture of this camper, because of the signs. I know it's really common in the US to post your political/social beliefs so publicly, but it doesn't seem as common here. This was the first time I'd seen signs like this put out.



The day went by so fast, and the kids aren't used to being in the car so much anymore. But the weather was warm and sunny, and we really had a great time. I would definitely go back, and I think we would take the train and spend a night. We did stay in one small area, so next time I want to branch out a little, and try some more shopping.