Alina's Baby Shower

I spent the weekend in Illinois to attend our nice Alina's baby shower!  She is due with a baby boy in January.  What a fun way to start the year!

I also got to catch up with Ella!

 Eric and the boys went to the Colt's game while I was away!

London, Day 5

On our last day in London we took a bus tour to Windsor Castle.  It was a short hours drive in a luxury bus.  We arrived and after getting acclimated we began to explore, we had 4 hours before the bus was to leave again.  Queen Elizabeth lived here during the later part of her life.  We went inside the state apartments where we saw beautiful art on the walls and in cases.  Some of which were gifts from other countries.  Humongous tables that served up to 80 guests!  We heard stories about the lives of kings and queens from centuries past.  There was not any photography allowed inside.  

After an ice cream break we went on inside St.Goerge's chapel.  Megan and Harry were married here and Queen Elizabeth and her husband Phillip are buried here. Her tomb was very modest, compared to the tombs we saw at Westminster Abbey.

 

St. George's Chaapel

We ventured into the town of Windsor.

The Long Walk.

After returning to London, the bus let us off near the Victoria Palace, where we saw Hamilton.  It was just as pretty during the non rainy/daylight hours!

Later that night Eric and I enjoyed dinner out alone at an Indian restaurant, while the boys got steaks to go.  Both restaurants were within 2 blocks of our apartment.  

 

We all loved London!  Nick said it was his favorite vacation that we've taken so far.  I can't wait to go back!  We saw so much, but have only scratched the surface of all that there is to see and do!

We had an uneventful flight home arriving back home again on Saturday.

 

London, Day 4

This was at the day Nick was waiting for!  We took the high speed train to Manchester to see Nick's favorite team's stadium, Machester City.  

Unfortunately the premiere league was on a break while we were there.  So while we didn't get to see a game, we got to see everything else there was to see about Man City!

The tour was a lot of fun and included the locker rooms, press room and a huge gift shop.

Riding the train was a pretty great way to travel.  It was a comfortable 2 hour ride from London to Manchester.

 

London, Day 3

Today we went to the Churchill War Room Museum.  This was an incredible museum.  The first part of the museum had information about Winston Churchill's life.  The rest of the museum was the actual bunker where Churchill ran the country during WWII.  We saw where he slept, the room where his speeches were broadcast as well as the map room.  Everything was well preserved and barely touched from when the war ended.  

On the way to the museum we came across this gathering behind Buckingham palace.  

10 Downing Street.  The original door from the Prime Minister's apartment.  Today's door only opens from the inside, we learned.

Our brains are so full!  We need a beer! and lunch!

Later that night we went to see Hamilton!  

I was so excited for this!  The boys were too, they just show their excitement differently :)

The play was amazing.  The music, costumes, the beautiful theater, I loved it all! 

After the play we grabbed a late night burger at Shake Shack!  Yum!