Now or never

Well, Kevin and I have been in London for nearly 2 weeks, so I thought I'd better get to writing about our adventures or it'd never happen.  I guess it's fair to say that our adventures began months ago on August 29, 2010 when we became the Burches.  That's the day that I had said "I do" to the man of dreams.


Since that day, we've moved me twice, rented one house, put another house on the market, and been homeless.  My parents were kind enough to take us in for a few evenings.  Thanks mom and dad!!!  We've also celebrated our first Thanksgiving with Kim Burch (Kevin's sister) and the subsequent days in Illinois with my family remembering the incredible life of my grandfather.

                                                

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON

 Kevin's 30th birthday was spent in the great city of Seattle.  Though the time was brief, it was nice and rainy - just a little prep for London, perhaps??? :)

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA

The Burch brood took another (me) into their home for nearly a week at Christmas!  They were so kind and gracious!  Thank you ma and pa Burch!  It was great to get some time with brothers, sisters, in-laws, nieces, and nephews!

                

DENVER, COLORADO

Goodbyes in Colorado were hard.  Our lives have been incredibly blessed by the friends and family there.  We look forward to seeing you "this side of the pond".

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA

Kevin and I had a very unexpected stay in the state of 10,000 lakes (and a lot of snow).  Unfortunately, our flight from Denver was delayed causing us to miss our connecting flight.  We, however, made the most of it and went to the Mall of America.

LONDON, ENGLAND

Arriving just one day late, we breathed a sigh of relief when we rested our luggage on the floor of our 1 bedroom flat.  We'd made it.  The next several days were filled with a lot of time on the tube while we went to the far reaches of the south west of London and just enough north east of London.  Our focus was on finding a place to make a more permanent home, a home that could welcome guests from abroad.  We settled on the area of Wimbledon which is a quaint suburb that provides easy access to the city.  It was necessary to prove to those we'd left behind that we'd arrived in London, so at some point during our tube travels, we stopped at "Westminster", and took some pictures of Big Ben, parliament, the London Eye, and the Aquarium.

Tower Bridge

Borough Market

The weather truly is cold and dreary with very short days (9am-4pm??), but that hasn't stopped us from further exploring this historic city.  This past weekend, for example, we walked to the London Bridge, Borough Market, and Tower Bridge.  We also walked by the Tower of London saving the intrigue of inside for another day.  

OXFORD, ENGLAND

My first post is getting a bit lengthy, so in order to try and preserve whatever following we have, I will end with our most recent adventure to Oxford.  Our time was brief, but we were able to see the monument to the martyrs whose testimony remains etched in stone, "To the Glory of God, and in grateful commemoration of His servants, Thomas Cranmer, Nicholas Ridley, Hugh Latimer, Prelates of the Church of England, who near this spot yielded their bodies to be burned, bearing witness to the sacred truths which they had affirmed and maintained against the errors of the Church of Rome, and rejoicing that to them it was given not only to believe in Christ, but also to suffer for His sake; this monument was erected by public subscription in the year of our Lord God, MDCCCXLI.".  We also had a drink at The Eagle and Child, where the "Inklings" comprised of C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and others would meet for discussions and drinks.  One of our highlights was a small burrito joint we discovered on our way back to the railway.  Oh, how we miss salsa.  Spicy tomato relish just doesn't cut it.

Until next time, cheerio :)