England Continued - Mini-Family Reunion!

So it's been quite a few weeks since I last updated our blog, mostly because I've been really busy.  Anyway, I wanted to make sure that I got the rest of our photos from England posted before it was Christmas!

After a nice weekend exploring parks in Manchester, Monday arrived and with the start of the new week, Lyndsey, Fabricio and Matteo arrived from Abu Dhabi!  It had been almost a year since we had seen them all and we were thrilled to have a few days to spend with them.  We also had a mini-family reunion on Monday night and saw the Stuttard clan from Chester (Jane, John, Em and Andy) and my Auntie Jill and Dave.  Nina and Tom were gracious enough to let us use their house, as well as coordinating the ordering of a birthday cake for Matteo and Sophia (since both of them had their birthdays in April and we weren't all together, we decided July was perfect for a duel birthday celebration).  

On Tuesday, Lyndsey and I took Sophia and Matteo to the park in the morning, then went to the Mill at Styl with everyone.  Lyndsey and I used to go to the Mill all the time when we were little, but it has changed quite a lot since we were there last.  There are new gardens currently being put in, so there is a lot more to explore.

Wednesday brought the end of our time in Manchester, so the next post will have photos of our visit to the Lake District :)

Hi cousin Emily :)

Happy birthday cousins!

Family!

They loved this swing :)

Matteo, discoverer and rope bridge climber

Cousins, not sure what to make of each other...

Lyndsey and Matteo, loving spending time outside

Meeting a four-legged friend in the park

The Mill at Styl

Gardening?

Picking daisies 

With Stephen - we were told to pose by my mother...

Leaving Gloucestershire for Manchester, Dunham Park and Tatton Park

We had a lovely time in Gloucestershire, but, due to our short amount of time in England overall, had to move along to visit other friends and family.  The morning we left to drive up to Manchester, we let Sophia run around the garden at Debbie and Andrew's (in the hope that she would sleep for at least an hour in the car...)  She enjoyed some play time with her new cat-friend, as well as her Great Auntie Debbie (my sister Lyndsey's fairy godmother :)

When we arrived in Manchester at our family friends' house (Tom and Nina), we were still amazed that the sunshine in England was still present (this is England after all, and we were certainly expecting at least some drizzle and clouds after three days of sunshine!)  We decided that since the sun was outside, so should we.  Off we went to Dunham Park, a short drive around the corner from Tom and Nina's.  Now, there is a lot of history with my family and this particular park.  When Lyndsey and I were growing up, we went to Dunham Park ALL the time.  There are photographs of us there in the snow, in the mud, and the rare occurrence of "in the sunshine".  I remember seeing the deer there, running along the paths and just spending time outside.  Now I am older, taking Sophia there was like coming full-circle (and she loved it too!)  We let her out of her stroller, once we were clear of the hundreds of Brits meandering around the main house and gardens, basking in the sun.  As evident by the photos, Sophia clearly has a passion for the outdoors and running in the grass.  This little 14 month old is fast!

The next day, the sun was still a-shining, so off to yet another National Trust property we went (we really should have bought a membership...)  This time, to Tatton Park.  Another frequently visited place from my childhood.  As Jeremy, Sophia and I drove up to the entrance to Tatton, we were met with an American car show AND a Civil War Reenactment (yes, American Civil War).  Really?!  After bypassing the masses attending both such events, we headed into the gardens instead (much quieter and certainly more British) and explored for a few hours.  One of the gardens had a Beatrix Potter special event going on and Sophia took much joy in pointing out all of the Peter Rabbits hidden throughout the kitchen garden.  What are we going to do with Sophia the rest of the summer in Arizona - poor little girl is going to really, really miss being outside! :(

Trip to England - First Three Days - Air Travel, Gloucestershire and Wales

We just returned last week from a two week trip to England, Sophia's first international trip!  She had lots of family members to meet for the first time and so it was nice for her to finally meet everyone that she has heard all about.  Jeremy and I were really nervous about taking a high energy toddler on a plane for 10+ hours, but Sophia did exceptionally well and made friends with all of the flight attendants and the passengers seated near us.  The flight out there was a red-eye, so she managed to sleep for about 7 hours (albeit fast asleep on me, so I didn't get much sleep).  When we arrived at Heathrow, we picked up our rental car and then drove to Gloucestershire.   Our family friends, Debbie and Andrew, have a farm near Gloucester and we stayed with them for a few days, which was lovely. Sophia was absolutely thrilled that there was a big open lawn for her to run around on, plus, there are chickens (absolutely fascinating for a 14 month old)!

The first day was mostly spent on car travel and trying to recover from the flight, but by day two, we were ready to get outside and enjoy the nice weather.  We drove to Sudeley Castle, in nearby Winchcombe.  This castle and gardens are in wonderful condition and is the home of Lord and Lady Ashcombe. Sophia loved running around on the grass and seeing all of the flowers.  There was also a pheasantry, complete with owls, pheasants and a peacock (hidden in the tree and making all kinds of noise).  The next day, we drove a little further, to Chepstow Castle in Wales, which is more of a ruin, but fun to explore.  We then carried to Tintern Abbey and then to the Forest of Dean for a walk.  For those of you who are Harry Potter fans, the Forest of Dean is where Hermione takes Ron and Harry in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows".

Sophia asleep on the plane

Sophia and Jeremy playing outside on the lawn at Debbie and Andrew's house

Sophia enjoying some time outside at Sudeley Castle

View of the castle and grounds at Sudeley

Chepstow Castle

"Oooh, lichen!"

And more grass to run on!

Tintern Abbey

Walking in the Forest of Dean

More photos to come soon :)