London - Part 1

After lots of careful packing (notice the emergency item at the bottom)

and a little bit of airport waiting

we said goodbye to the south plains (by plane)

in the hopes of eventually seeing something more like this (by train),
and we did

but first some more airport waiting in Houston.

Our 9 hour overnight flight from Houston to London was supposed to include many hours of a baby sleeping in an airline bassinet.

Oliver was only kind enough to sleep in it for enough time for me to get a picture, then he decided it was too cramped and that gross stain that looks like pureed carrots just wasn't going to cut it. We took turns holding him the rest of the time. Thankfully, he didn't cry much at all.



Finally, a picture actually taken in London. Here is Oliver at Heathrow Airport in the borrowed collapsable stroller that saved us.

8 am in "the tube", London's subway
We spent the morning finding our way to our friends' house, ate lunch, then Brad and Brent went to a football (soccer) game. Go Spurs!



Jody, the girls, the babies and I went to the high street to see the Christmas festival and the lighting of the tree. Here is Oliver with substitute big sisters for the week.



We saw a puppet show on the street

and a real reindeer.

We went to church, then stopped by a crepe stand on the way back to the house. Words cannot describe how delicious a warm crepe with melted Belgiun chocolate tastes on a cool night.

At that point, I seriously thought if we had to leave right then, all traveling would have been worthwhile. I'm holding my crepe and wearing Oliver in a blue wrap here. (In other words....I'm not pregnant!)

More to come (lots, actually)...