After an amazing trip, we are now waiting in the Heathrow airport for our flight to San Fransisco. I once again have wifi access and about a hundred emails have popped up - mostly advertising. Right now (before my 11 hour flight), I am so tired I'm not going to deal with them. Tomorrow.
Our trip was great, wonderful, family inclusive. I'll post a few of the fun adventures we had - with Jeffrey and with my family. Tomorrow.
This is the last time for the next 11 days that I will have internet service. We are waiting for our shuttle to bring us to the ship! There is free wifi at the airport - so, while we wait we jump on to see what is happening (while all our friends are still asleep!)
The trip was so very smooth, but the incredible thing was customs in England! We walk up to a self help stall, put our picture in our Facebook facedown on the little counter, it takes my picture and presto! We walk in to the airport to claim our luggage and find our ride. Awesome is all I can say. I do wonder what San Fransisco will be like coming home. Hey, we just got called! See you on the other side!
Last Friday, Jeffrey and I went up to Sacramento to watch the kids because Debbie needed to leave and go to her Uncle's funeral. Jeffrey stayed and played some games with James like "Life" and showed him all the moves of chess.
Then Jeffrey went up to Redding to watch Caleb's soccer game. He had a good time with the grands up there and a good chat with Nate and Kelsi that night.
I went on to pick up the others from school in Sacramento. Did you know they have a bi-lingual school? They are taught in Spanish though the teachers know both languages. The three of us went halloween shopping. Fairy wings for Corina, Creeper costume for Oliver, and materials to make a ghost costume for James. I had a great chat with Matthew after the kids went to bed.
The next day I watched Matthew in his garden and watering his plants while I sewed up James' costume (I'm still not happy with it - maybe a do-over). Jeffrey came back from Redding and wrestled with the kids. Then we went home early - but waited in slow traffic - because I had to teach a lesson the next day.
I love how well Corina, Oliver, and James get along and treat each other. They had a friend, Kyle, come over and they were nice to him and they all seem to enjoy interacting with each other.
The coolest part of the day came when Matthew opened up a box that had been in our garage. Jeffrey is systematically going through the garage and giving boxes to those he thinks they belong to. Matthew found some letter from Debbie that they thought had been lost. Instead history is found!
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| Picture sent to their parents |
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| Mission letters |
I had some beans from Matthew's garden. They were tender and delicious. I wasn't sure if they were to be eaten raw or steamed. I ate them in my salad, taking off the ends, like you would sugar peas. I found they can be eaten either way. I had never seen this kind of vegetable before. It is called Dragon's tongue and is from the string bean family. Picked young, they are tender and tasty.
When the girls came over they did not watch a movie or play on digital devices. They used their imagination and had activities. Playing outside on the 'house' and with the cat, they had quite a little story adventure going on with each other. They played a card matching game and when I saw them in the bedroom they had gotten the wild animal figures out to play again. They put some magnetic toys together and then they read a book with Opa and had a chocolate pretzel project with Nona just before their mother came. It was a good day.
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| Reading with at least three different voices, Jeffrey tells the adventures of "Frog and Toad" |
Can you see the happiness and relief of being done with a LOOOOOOONG line at the Martinez Kaiser Permanente to get our booster Covid shot? The employees were going to go on strike the next day and we felt we needed to get our boosters before we went on a cruise with lots of people in small quarters. We had gotten our flu shots a few days before that.
The flu shot didn't seem to affect us very much. But about 20 hours after our Covid booster we both felt so tired. Too tired to move or walk or go anywhere. It wasn't like we felt sick, or had coughs or aches, no sniffles, or nausea. Just too tired. But 24 hours after that we were both just fine....after sleeping a lot.
Jeffrey and I left in plenty of time to wait. Wait for the BART, wait for security lines, wait for traffic, or wait for emergencies. Since we didn't need to wait for anything.....we are now waiting a few hours at the airport in San Francisco for our London flight.
I AM SO EXCITED! This is going to be fun. When we all get there.
All the angst that goes with the Lore vacation is in full force. David and Diann are trying to bypass a typhoon that is/was scheduled to land in Guam. Last I heard they had made it to Korea. They had over 27 hours to fly to get to London. They are scheduled to land in England, but it will be after the Port Authorities say they can board the ship. Lots of prayers going out for them and success in making the ship.
Diana had a scare with her oldest son Michael. They rushed him unresponsive with what they thought was an allergic reaction. But he didn't respond. After scans and other tests, they decided he had a seizure and after he started talking and getting better they let him go home and told Diana she would be just fine going on her trip, though he would need a full medical work up when she gets home.
I didn't put anything on the group posts, but, Jeffrey was so sick on Tuesday that he couldn't have gone anywhere. Lots of prayers later and we are both at the airport waiting for our flight.
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| Gate picture to add to the gate pictures from other siblings |
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| Jeffrey on the BART |
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| Linda Ann on BART |
