Wales

On our first morning in Wales, we visited Caerphilly Castle. It was the coolest old castle with a moat around it, right in the middle of the city! I loved that we could explore anywhere we wanted and the view was beautiful!

That afternoon we drove to the Gower Peninsula on the southern coast of Wales. It was incredible!!!

I'm still having nightmares about someone falling off those cliffs, but we absolutely loved being there! The beach was cold, but fun, and we just couldn't imagine being somewhere any more beautiful!

The next day we visited Waterfall Country, and went on a little hike next to the river where we saw lots of waterfalls! It was so green and mossy and peaceful. The sun finally came out that day and we felt warm for the first time! :)

We finished off our Wales trip in the cutest village, Hay-on-Wye, where we wandered around, ate fish and chips, and got the yummiest ice cream.

Our trip was absolutely wonderful and we loved every minute of it. I can't wait to go back and explore more places in Wales.

We had a fabulous time with my parents here. I'm so grateful they came so far to see us, and we can't wait to be together again!

Stones

We went on a little road trip while my parents were here. Our first stop was Stonehenge! It was a cold, rainy, windy day - the kids were pretty miserable and my makeup was dripping down my face. :) But we made the best of it and still absolutely loved being there. The history is very cool, and the feeling there was really special.

After Stonehenge, we drove a little farther to visit Bath.We loved it from the moment we drove into the city. The stone architecture was amazing and everything had such an old, historical feel to it. We walked along the water and looked at all the cute shops, then we visited the old Roman baths.

We really loved Bath and definitely want to visit again! Next stop... Wales!

Together

My parents were here with us in England at the beginning of April! We were so excited for them to come, and we had such a fabulous time with them here! We kept them really busy, visiting all of our favorite places and exploring some new places we hadn't been yet.

We loved showing them around where we live and taking them to some of our favorite villages and walks in the countryside. We didn't spend much time at home, but when we did my dad was out jumping on the trampoline with the kids and my mom was helping me with all my projects.

We spent a day in London and took a bus tour around the city and a boat tour on the Thames River. It was a great way to see everything we wanted to see in such a short amount of time. I'm so grateful that my kids are such good little travelers and walkers! We really wore them out!

My parents and I drove up to Manchester to visit the area where some of our ancestors came from. It was fun to see my (maiden) name up on a bunch of signs, although the town itself was pretty run down and yucky.

Oxford is always a favorite and is such a quick trip from where we live. We climbed to the top of the tower at St. Mary's church and the views were wonderful!

We fit in a few stops at bike shops for my dad, watched General Conference with some friends, and ate at some yummy pubs and restaurants. We also took a 3-day road trip to Wales which was incredible! I'll post those pictures next!

Brill on the Hill

March seemed to last extra long this year, mostly because I've been counting down the days until my parents come to visit this weekend!! We are so excited to see them and show them around England.

A couple of weeks ago we went to Brill, a small village located on the top of a hill not too far away from where we live. The views literally took my breath away, and I think it is my favorite place we have been to yet. :) There is the neatest old windmill at the top of the hill, and plenty of fun little hills to run around and climb on. I've heard a lot of people go there to fly kites, so we'll have to give that a try soon. The English countryside is so incredibly beautiful, and sometimes when I find myself getting used to it I have to consciously tell myself to look around and notice how wonderful it is. It can't be beat.