Player of the Season

I'm so proud of my girl who was player of the season for her field hockey team this term!  St. Piran's has an A, B and C team in Year 4 and Lane has really enjoyed being a part of her team! 

Forty

I have to say.  It's been pretty good to turn forty.  I kicked of the festivities with a fantastic time with the girls in NYC, and my birthday weekend was pretty spectacular...

On Friday night, we had a lovely dinner with dear friends.  We spent four and a half hours at The White Oak in Cookham.  That's because the food was delicious (and just kept coming!) and the company was even better. 

On Saturday morning, after the kids gave me lots of birthday love, John gave me my birthday gift... a new, beautiful, amazing Gibson guitar.

Then we headed off to London with the kids to see the Christmas markets on the South Bank (something I really wanted to see!) and peek around the Sea Life Aquarium.  We were all wiped out, so we got KFC for the kids at the train station and John and I picked up take-out once we got back to Maidenhead.  So I ended the evening on the couch in my new jammies eating Chinese food and Ben & Jerry's while watching Downton Abbey. 

Really... What more could I possibly ask for?

The White Oak with the Ottos

The Birthday Kids

Happy Birthday to me!

Off to London

South Bank

"He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God." Psalm FORTY

Lapland

Did you know that Father Christmas lives in Lapland?  Well, we had to find out for ourselves, so this month we traveled above the Arctic Circle to Finland to see if we could find him! 

What an amazing experience!  We left the house at 3:30 AM on Sunday to head to Gatwick airport and catch our 6:00 AM flight to Ivalo, Finland.  Once there, we were taken directly to a room full of winter gear where they set us up for our time in the frozen Arctic!  I have said to several friends that this was my FAVORITE part of the trip. The gear they loaned you was amazing - and we never would have enjoyed all of our outdoor activities had we not been so toasty and warm in our oversuits, boots & mittens!

After some time in the snow, we went for dinner, where Ryan promptly fell asleep at the table!  But after a good night's sleep, everyone was ready for the next days adventures... sledding, reindeer sleigh ride, mini skidoos for the kids, ice fishing (one of Ryan's favorite activities!), husky dog sled ride (both John and I got a chance to drive!), ice hockey and, of course, a visit with Santa Claus.  Memories that will not soon be forgotten...

We were greeted by reindeer upon our arrival!

Mini-Skidoos for the Kids

 

Husky Dog Sledding

Lane and Pela

 

Off to search for Santa...

...and he even had their Christmas letters.

Reindeer Sleigh Ride

Last Night - Gala Dinner

Our Little Elf

Family Photo in all of our gear!

NYC

With a BIG birthday this year, John encouraged me to celebrate with the girls in NYC.  What a FANTASTIC idea!  In about 48 short hours, we managed to eat at two fantastic restaurants, see a Broadway show, get a look at the Christmas tree at Rockefeller center, grab coffee at Dean & DeLuca, shop (and shop and shop!), enjoy bagels in Brooklyn (as well as a breakfast that included homemade donuts and grits!), hang out at our apartment and talk over NY pizza and ice cream, and pray together.  And the girls also blessed me with a beautiful souvenir from Tiffany's.  I am truly grateful for these great friends!

Lupa

Times Square

Pies N Thighs

Broadway Show

Tiffany's

Walter Foods

Thankful this Thanksgiving

I was a little worried about Thanksgiving.  It is one of our favorite holidays.  For our family, in particular, it is a holiday steeped in tradition.  Every year it's at Ludwigland in Malibu.  And we all see the same faces... bringing the same side dishes... to the same kiddie table and adult table... set with the same china and crystal.  So, I was a little bit concerned that this year would be a little tough to be away from it all (especially for the kids).

Thanksgiving Day passed on Thursday without much fanfare here (no one in the UK seems to care about the pilgrims), so that softened the blow.  Then we got to really celebrate on Saturday...

We loved having two families (one South African, one British) over to spend their first Thanksgiving with us.  One family has quickly become dear friends since our arrival, the other we have enjoyed getting to know in the last couple of months through our Life Group at church.  Both jumped joyfully into our Thanksgiving celebration.  We had turkey (okay... I had it catered...), sweet potatoes, and cranberry sauce in a can.  We had crafts for the kids and a walk in the rain and our traditional Christmas movie (Elf) to end the day.

They said it was the best Thanksgiving they ever had!  And we were reminded that we have much to be thankful for.

The Thanksgiving Table

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wow - Look at that turkey!

The Dales, Us, The Ottos

The Kids Table

Pen for Penmanship

Lane was so excited yesterday to get her PEN!  At the beginning of Year 4, all of the students were told that they would have the opportunity to earn their pens this year - awarded when their handwriting has reached a certain standard.  Lane has been working hard - and you can see the incredible improvement in her penmanship this year.  (And keep in mind that she just started writing in cursive when we arrived, whereas the other students have been doing it since reception!)  She proudly brought home her certificate.  (Apparently, the pen stays in her desk.)   

John's Birthday

Last week was John's birthday.  As is our usual custom... the celebration extended over several days...

- On his birthday, he arrived home in evening (after an overnight in Ireland) to find his two very excited children excited to give him birthday hugs and kisses... and presents!  His "big" gift was an espresso maker from the extended family!
- On Friday, it was date night (no kids)!  John and I checked out The Ferry (a restaurant in Cookham) and went to see the new Bond movie.
- On Saturday night, we had family birthday dinner at GBK (Gourmet Burger Kitchen - best burger we've found in the UK so far).
- On Sunday, we had friends over for lunch and all of the kids sang Happy Birthday to him and he got, well, sort of a birthday cake...

Welcome home and happy birthday, Daddy!!!

Photo by Lane Ludwig ;)

Happy birthday, HWC John!

School Days

Lane and Aggie walking to class

This was our first week back in school after half term.  Wow... when the house emptied out, I realized that I had a lot of catching up to do!  Yet I am so grateful for these week-long breaks in the middle of our school terms.  School here is rigorous and demanding - with long days and hard work.  (I am shocked when my 6-year-old brings home a spelling list that includes "escaped" and my 8-year-old needs to do math word problems that require complicated division.)  When we get to the half term, we are DONE, and all need a break.  And then, after some family time, travel and a few mellow days of play, we are all ready to be back in the "school days" routine. 

Happy Halloween

It was our first Halloween here in the UK and we weren't sure what we were going to do...  The holiday here is a bit darker (more ghouls and ghosts than we usually see in the States), so we didn't want to go overboard, but we did want to get in some trick-or-treating!  John ended up getting Lane and some friends tickets to the Monster High Ball (fun!) in London, then we came back to the house to meet up with John and Ryan for dinner and trick-or-treating on our cozy little close, and wrapped it up by watching Spookly the Square Pumpkin!

Shuttled by limo to the Monster High Ball

Beauty stations, crafts, activities...

...and dancing!

Our Little Skeleton

Trick-or-treating in the rain!

Italy

It's hard to believe that we were in Italy this week!  The weather was chilly (and rainy), but we made it to got to the top of the Duomo during a break in the rain, visited Piazza di San Marco just days before it flooded, and ate lots of yummy pizza!  Here's our whirldwind tour of Pisa, Florence and Venice in pictures...

Pouring in Pisa

Leaning Tower of Pisa

Lane climbed the tower with John

Salud!  First night in Florence!

Photograph by Lane

Family Photo - Lunch in Florence

Climbing the Duomo

View from the Duomo

Piazza della Repubblica

Boar's Market

Lane - Ponte Vecchio in the Background

Gelato!

Venice - Rialto Bridge

Piazza di San Marco

Highlight of the Trip: Feeding the pigeons!

Waiting for the Water Bus

Murano, Venice

Venice Sunset