London

Well, we're home, but I wanted to finish off the blog with our hijinx in London.  We left Sarajevo at around 3 on Sunday and arrived at approx. 4:30 in London - Gatwick airport.  We went straight to our hotel - very close to the airport  - to check-in & put our stuff down.  It was not quite as cold as in Sarajevo, so we could shed a few layers.  Then we headed back to the airport to catch the train into London - Victoria Station.  We had no idea of a plan, so we got a map, asked around, then started walking toward Buckingham Palace.  Along the way we stopped at Kings Arms - a small, hopefully typical and not too "touristy" pub for dinner.  Arthur partook (is that a word?) of the fish and chips while I had a meat & onion pie and a beer!  Then we started back on our trek.  Once we hit Buckingham Palace,  we took a right, walked along St. James Park,  and headed toward the River Thames.  We could see the London Eye from quite a few blocks away.  Then we reached Westminster Abbey, and of course, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament!  too cool!  Then we walked across the bridge to the Aquarium and the London Eye.  We continued our walk along the Queen's Jubilee Walk all the away to Shakespeare's Globe Theater.  We then walked back across the river along the Millennium Foot Bridge from where we had a great view of London Bridge!  We continued across the river and ran right into St. Paul's Cathedral.  The girls really wanted to take a double decker bus, so from St. Paul's we hopped a bus, ran upstairs and got the front row seats!  The girls loved it!  We rode for a few blocks and got off on Fleet Street just near the Courts of Justice.  From there we walked a few blocks, then caught one of he big black cabs to take us back to the front of Buckingham Palace.  Then we finished our walk, thanks to Arthur's short cut, back to Victoria Station to catch the train back to Gatwick (about a half hour ride), then taxi back to the hotel with 2 exhausted girls!!  Ott and I figured we can write a book called London in Four Hours! 

How's that for a layover??

Next morning headed back to airport for our 11:40 flight home! The flight home seemed

incredibly long compared to the flight there - I guess 8 hours in the middle of the day in one

seat will do that to ya! The kids were great and didn't seem too bothered. Jodi was the perfect

reception for us at the airport! The girls were excited to get home and see what Santa left them

under our tree, and in fact began opening presents before the luggage was all inside!

So Arthur, Emma and I spent our New Years Eve sleeping the night away while Dead-on-her-

feet Skylar partied the night away at Alicia's!

It's New Year's Day and we have spent it eating American food (I use that term loosely)

- McDonald's and pizza - but we have promised ourselves to start eating healthier - a good

habit we're trying to pick up from Jen and Heath.

Now that our trip's over and we're home, I can honestly say we had an amazing trip - 

a trip of a lifetime! As many of you know, we debated going on this trip for a long time 

and considered many issues - well, we absolutely do not regret for one moment our decision to go!   

Even though the girls are indeed a little young, we're sure they'll retain some memory of it. And 

not just the "seeing of things", but the getting to know some of the people, and sort of "living" there for two 

weeks - which we were able to do - verses just "staying" there was an experience that we and 

the girls, will carry for a long time. And getting to see my sister, and Heath, and

adorable Freddy after so long was indescribable and really important for our families! And finally,

this trip has truly given new meaning, for me personally, to the saying "peace on earth."

So hopefully, you've enjoyed the blog - I imagine if you didn't you wouldn't even be reading

this far into it - or maybe, if you are still reading, it just means it hasn't bored you to tears.  

I apologize for all of the typos (esp. to you, Edwina) - I was not proofing at all - and maybe the 

guffaws for all my errors helped you stay awake enough to keep reading.

Much Love to you all!!

and...

Peace on Earth

m