God Save the Queen!

We got to go on a fantastical trip in August to the motherland. It was wonderful to introduce Brandon to my people. We were in London for a week because Brandon's wonderful parents gave him and his brother Pat their Mexican timeshare for Christmas, but with a book of other properties they could trade it for. So London it was! I jam packed our days and we were exhausted but happy.:)



The Tower of London-my favorite! Shopping at Lillywhites at Picadilly Circus. It is my family's favorite sports store because it has rugby merchandise (especially England!) that isn't super expensive.
Locked out of Buckingham Palace:(


St. Paul Cathedral's doors.





You can't tell very well, but we're reinacting the girl behind me who spent like 15 minutes in different poses at the London Eye. Seemed sooooo amazing that I wanted to try it myself.
In a pod on the London Eye with Parliament in teh background.




The Tate Museum
On our way to Twickenham to watch the rugby game. By the time we were a few blocks from the stadium, there were thousands of people in the streets.
England vs. Wales! Johnny Wilkinson is my favorite player in the whole world. He is the one in black pointing.
We won!



Hampton Court Palace. I LOOOOVVVVEEEE Tudor history, so this was one of my favorites!




Right off of Picadilly CircusOur Thames River boat cruise.
Westminister Abbey
We'd seen the Ice Bar on the Travel Channel, so we decided we wanted to go see. It was crazy. Everything was ice. They give you a cloak and gloves and the longest you can stay in is 40 minutes. Very fun.
Not a great picture of me, but you can see the sweet ice bench I'm sitting on and all the walls of ice.
On the top of St. Paul's Cathedral.

Waiting for the changing of the guard.


Touring Buckingham Palace. We got to see Kate Middleton's wedding dress, shoes, and wedding jewels. I loved it.

Warwick Castle


I love how the billowing wind makes my butt look behemoth.
Stratford on Avon-Shakespeare's birth home.
Walking through Stratford.

Strawberry!

Brandon had a few days off in a row, so we ventured up to Strawberry Reservoir for a camping extravaganza. Brandon planned everything, got everything ready and set up, and all I had to do was show up. It was awesome. He is an amazing wasian! We camped at Aspen Grove and went down the street to the reservoir-the water is insanely high!

We took our rafts out and Brandon fished while I read on my floaty raft. It was beautiful:)

Check out the view!
Making our way out in the lake. There were huge pelicans everywhere. I thought maybe they would come peck me to death, but turns out they didn't. Relief.
I am a rowing goddess.
I have to add that this was the very first time EVER that Brandon let me put sunscreen all over his body. We have always had a struggle putting ANY sunscreen on him. He thinks because he's an Asian sensation that he doesn't need it. I usually only get to put it on his face and maybe on his shoulders, and he usually doesn't let me do anything above SPF8. This time, while he had a sad baby face on, he let me put SPF30 on his whole body. I say "let me put" because he won't put it on...so like a mother and child, he stood still while I applied sunscreen on his body! It was a crowning moment of achievement for me!!! And...probably funny to watch for everyone around us. Afterwards, he got a little red, so he was actually grateful that I put it on him cause he would have FRIIIEEEEDDD otherwise. You're welcome.;)


Brandon's incredible fire skills...I made our favorite dutch over stroaganoff and cobbler...we were in heaven.


Two of my students on the last day of school gave me these glasses...so if it was 2003 and I was a rapper, you'd be pprreeettttyyyy impressed.

Our fishing extravaganza! We rented a dumpy fishing boat and went out early (too early for my liking!) to catch our little swimmy friends...

Very manly.Wicky and Charly had not had their second sleep (their routine nap right after they wake up in the morning and go to the bathroom. They are verrrry sleepy dogs!) and it was a little cold. So we made a very nice snuggle spot in the front of the boat where they cuddled for most of the adventure.


We are best friends!
They are best friends!
My babies!

So after like 5 hours of nothing biting, we had a fabulous time and had to take the boat back in. So Brandon decided to go back slowly and troll (sp?) while we went in...and that's when he caught his big fish! He caught a Kokanee salmon, and I had a little bit of a PETA moment and freaked out and told him to throw it back, but then I recovered and he kept it and made a delicious dinner that night.I love this pic of him. He was so excited :)