Mixed Nuts: Day 1 on vacation - Takeoff and Landing in London

Quotes

"There is no better way to thank God for your sight than by giving a helping hand to someone in the dark." - Helen Keller
When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, "I used everything you gave me." ~Erma Bombeck
You may never know how strong you are, until being strong is your only choice.- Unknown
Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see a shadow' ~Helen Keller
Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.
Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened."- Dr. Seuss
"Life is 10% what happens to you, and 90% how you react to it."
"God doesn't give children with disabilities to strong people: He gives them to ordinary, everyday people, then He helps the parents to grow stronger through the journey. Raising a child with special needs doesn't TAKE a special family, it MAKES a special family."Author Unknown
I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go – Abraham Lincoln
Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man. ~ Benjamin Franklin
There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as if everything is a miracle - Albert Einstein
The journey of a 1000 miles starts with a single step
Sometimes in the middle of an ordinary life, love gives you a fairy tale
Where there is great love, there are always miracles - Willa Cather
The Difficult we can do immediately, the impossible takes a little longer
Doing what you like is freedom. Liking what you do is happiness
There are two lasting bequests we can give our children. One is roots. The other is wings.
Be the change you want to see in the world
Don't tell God how big the storm is, tell the storm how big Your God is..........
Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it
Fall down seven times - get up eight - unknown
Despite our differences, we sink or swim together
Life may not be the party we expected, but while we are here, we might as well dance
"The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones." -Confucius

Friday, July 4, 2014

Day 1 on vacation - Takeoff and Landing in London

July 3rd - our first day of vacation. Well.....not really. Our plane didn't leave until 10:45pm Boston time - so the 3rd was almost over.

We had a very smooth flight. This was the first time the kids and I flew overseas, and it went well. It was a little over 6 hours in the air, and we actually slept some. What was weird is them serving us a full dinner at midnight and then waking us for breakfast at 4am (East Coast time). Not much rest, so we are weary. But we are determined to stay awake so that we can right ourselves.

We arrived in London at 10:20am (it would be about 5:20am back home). We were on a double decker, 12 seat across airplane. It was huge and the kids really enjoyed it. Cainan couldn't stop commenting on how something so big could get off the ground. We landed and went through customs very smoothly and had our luggage and off with our driver by 12pm. We had hired a car to take us to and from each airport/train station because it ended up being cheaper since there are 5 of us.

Our apartment is very nice and very clean. I am glad we went with this option. Again - it was the cheaper option BY FAR for a family of 5 in the summer in a major city. Two hotel rooms later, we would have been paying more than double. It has two full bedrooms, a full kitchen (even has a washer!) and a full bathroom. The living room is big. We have WiFi (obviously) and cable TV, a dining space, etc. Plenty of room for us to spread out. We are in a quaint neighborhood, but close enough to walk to two major Underground (subway) stations and shops and restaurants.

We spent sometime in the apartment unpacking and just resting. The kids did well just playing with their electronics while we are showers and changed before heading out to eat and get groceries we will need for the few days we are here.

We walked the streets for awhile before settling on a burger joint. The kids were tired and hungry, and not in the mood to try new foods. It worked out fine - the food was really good and the kids got a second wind to carry them through until bedtime.

We stopped for a few quick groceries and then came back to rest for the last remaining hours before bed.

It was a long, long day, but a good start to our vacation. I am excited to see how tomorrow goes - our first full day in London.

Enjoy the pictures!

The restaurant we chose for dinner: