Saturday Swords

Part of my plans for Father's Day included making new swords.  Inspired by my friend's how-to post and the sorry state of our own swords, I gathered all the materials and was ready for a Sunday afternoon fencing lesson.  But we ended up spending the afternoon playing and going for a walk with our neighbors!  So we put off the sword-making until this past weekend.

Gretchen practiced her driving . . .

. . . while Ryan worked on the swords.

Then it was time to fight!  David meets Goliath:

After naps, we drove to visit the beautiful Wrest Park.

Due to renovations, we weren't able to see a lot of the grounds.  And after Gretchen had a nasty run-in with some goose droppings, we hit the road for a nearby Ikea.  Picnic dinner in the trunk and then some shopping!  

Peterborough Cathedral

This is how Gretchen has been starting her days lately.  Rooke will fill her crib with one thing at a time: blankets, stuffed animals, pillows, and whatever else he finds that is suitable for making his sister giggle.  They love the game and will entertain themselves this way for at least ten minutes!

After the morning game last Saturday (yes, I am way behind on organizing my pictures), we ventured out to visit the Peterborough Cathedral.  

I just love the ceilings!

Children from the area had worked together to create a visual model for every book of the Bible.  The kids loved checking it all out and Rooke even guessed at what a few of the scenes were.

The same kids also made this . . .

. . . out of these - creative!

Walking around the town center before hitting a flea market and then heading home

Father's Day Recap

Every year, Ryan gets a new book for Father's Day with he and the kids in mind.  Not too long and I won't be picking out the books anymore.

After church, we went out for lunch at a well-known pub in a neighboring village.  We arrived before it opened and were told that they were fully booked for the afternoon.  But then got notice that a table of four had canceled and we could have their spot - perfect!  They had a beautiful garden in the back where we killed time and had a photo shoot while waiting to eat. 

 

I never leave home without at least four cars.  She's getting good at her sound effects!

The man of the day!  We love you!

A Night Away

My mom and dad recently gave Ryan and I the pleasure of having a night away just the two of us!  What a treat!  THANK YOU!  The kids had a great time with KayeK and Big Daddy and we thoroughly enjoyed a little getaway to see more of England.  

We headed south after dropping the kids off in London and stopped in Canterbury for lunch and some sight-seeing.  And maybe some treat-tasting:

The Canterbury Cathedral was magnificent and we loved getting to take in all the sights and read about all the history without munchkin-sized distractions.

I love the ceilings

We happened to be there at a time when the Archbishop was to perform a wedding ceremony and was waiting for the bride to arrive.  I wouldn't have recognized him, but my smart husband pointed him out

I thought it would be fun to get a copy of Canterbury Tales from The Chaucer Bookshop in Canterbury. Once I picked up a copy and realized how long it is, I decided that in another life I might be able to read the entire book of poems and picked up a copy of the cliff-notes instead!

After Canterbury, we headed south to Dover where we had a room in a great little B&B booked for the night.  The view of Dover Castle from the town center. 

The next day was spent at Dover Castle.  We started in the underground tunnels tour, which was fascinating, and then enjoyed walking around the grounds. 

Looking across the water to France in the distance:

A real Roman lighthouse.  Roman.

Lunch at a quaint indoor farmers market in Canterbury on our way home

Our snack from a roadside stand for the drive back.