Büschelmännerhaus: The Buschelmans Go On Holiday Part 1 (With better pictures)

Not only did our friends provide room and board, but Tracy is a great photographer and took so many wonderful pictures. Eric and I are the worst. Heck, our camera's battery died with one more day to go. Luckily, Grandma and Grandpa had a few picture taking devices, so we were saved a bit. But, still.

Tracy and Jeff live on a farm and had plenty of room for us. This had been a bit of a point of stress for me. We live in a pretty small house, and even the addition of 2 people can make the house feel pretty cramped. It helped they had 5 bathrooms. Molly enjoyed using the little one right inside the door because that was the one with warm vanilla soap. Apparently, I should up my game in the cooking and soap department...

Eric and I were always in awe of just how old everything is in England. They re-use everything including buildings. I mean, it felt like we were walking through the Wizarding World of Harry Potter...only, these were real buildings used for real business. (Sadly, we did not take advantage of the pound dropping during the flash crash...)

On most days, we had either ice cream or hot chocolate as a treat while out and about. In Oxford, it was ice cream.

This was used as the infirmary in Harry Potter. Molly refused to take the picture with us. She apparently did not get her fair share of ice cream and held that against the world for the rest of the day.

There she is!

And, here is our Christmas Card picture. #spoileralert

I've said it before, but in the early days of our relationship, Eric and I have many discussions about The Lord of the Rings. I had never read it, but I enjoyed listening to his vast knowledge on the subject. We have watched the movies countless times and regularly quote it to one another and other people. Some who are in on the joke, many who are not. This quote from the first movie we have said many times. Naturally, this is a picture that will also be on our Christmas card.

I have no patience when it comes to taking pictures. I might try three times to get a good picture, and then just quit. Tracy had way more patience and as a result there are some great pictures of the kids. Dom is holding Preston and Rider is next to Molly. Preston is now Molly's ideal of a cute baby. John had held that position for 2 and a half years...but, like all reigns, it came to an end. Ironically, in England. Rider is nearly three and pretty quickly realized Dom was the kid to be around. John was a bit too jet lagged to appreciate having someone his age around. Maybe next time?

A shot down the stream in the Cotswolds (note to self...look up the names of the places we visited)

One of several family pictures. This one turned out really well. Most people would not believe we were squinting into the sun in England. But, we were.

My Fab Four.

Molly looking contemplative at her mirror. Probably thinking...how could I fit one of these into my room? Answer: you can't.

A great shot of Warwick and the surrounding area. It really was like you had entered a fairy tale.

The kids got to try on helmets. They are super heavy, in case you were wondering. I don't think I actually let it sit on John's head. Another picture of our hobbits!

Look at that face! The day after we returned from the Cotswolds, we visited Anglesey Abbey. The closest thing to Pemberley that I got to experience. (Though I did take short walks down the lane every day and pretend it was 1800) And it was great. It was a beautiful day and the grounds are extensive, so the kids and Tracy, Jeff, and Eric wandered around while I took a tour of the house.

I just happened onto a guided tour and was a little worried about linking back up with the group, but enjoyed getting to actually pay attention to the stories and history of the house without chasing a kid or two or answering an endless string of questions. One of the most interesting parts of the tour was the library. Not only was it ceiling to floor books, but royalty over the years that had come to visit had signed their names with a diamond stylus on the windows. The sunlight on that day made it very easy to see Elizabeth II and Prince Charles signatures.

One of the best parts of England were the amazing parks. We went to one on our first morning that had a three story slide. Dom loved it. John was still sleepwalking. Will and Molly had a good time doing an obstacle course on the site. Then, at Anglesey Abbey, they had a children's play area set up with bales of hay, a tree house, and hammock swings. Finally, on our last morning with Jeff, Tracy, Rider, and Preston, we went to a park that had a zipline and basically our kids never wanted to leave England after that. Even though Molly's glasses lost a battle with the ground. It was okay, though, a hair rubber band kept her glasses frames together for the remainder of the trip. But, keep that in mind for pictures from London.

I really appreciated having Tracy take so many pictures. Of the kids, of us, and of the places we visited.

And of Dom getting dog piled on by four of the five other kids.

The Air Force creates quite a small world for us and hopefully one day we will live closer and get to see our good friends more than every few years. But, until next time, thank you for the hospitality...we will rent a beach house if you ever come to visit us in Florida!