On the Cam bridge during a walking tour of Cambridge We caught a bus to London at 8:30 Monday morning and got to London a little after 10:00. We saw Big Ben and the Parlaiment building and saw Westminster Abbey (the outside only since we decided to go back for a service that night) before going to our hotel in Kensington to drop off our bags and check into our rooms. The hotel was a Christmas present from my parents and it was so nice to have two days in London instead of one and have a home base to keep our stuff at. We went back to the downtown area and saw Trafalgar square and had hot chocolate at the cafe in the crypt of St. Martin in the fields church to warm up. Then we decided to make a quick trip to the British museum before going to Westminster Abbey for the evensong service. We didn't see much of the museum, but we saw the Rosetta Stone and some of the Parthenon ruins. The service at Westminster was beautiful. It was the first time Ryan and I had been in the Abbey. We went back toward our hotel for dinner and ended up eating at a Dutch Pancake House which was delicious! Mom and dad babysat the kids for a while at night so the rest of us could go the pub and catch the end of a football game.
The group in London 
Dinner at the Pancake HouseThe next day we saw the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace in the morning. We had lunch at the hotel and then the guys went to the Imperial War Museum and the women went to try to find the Portobello Street Market, which is supposed to be one of the biggest street markets in London. Possibly because of the wintery weather or maybe the holidays, but the market was less than impressive. We all met up again at the hotel and got our bags to start the journey back to Cambridge. Wednesday we mostly recovered from the trip, but Thursday we took a day trip out to the nearby city of Ely. We saw the cathedral there, but not much else was open on New Years Day.
Changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace
Ryan and me in front of Buckingham Palace
The group in front of Ely Cathedral We watched the Rose Bowl game on the computer at night (or some stayed awake for it I hear...). Keri and CJ had to be brought to the train station at 3:10am the next morning so Ryan and I got up to take them, only to find out at the station that the internet had given the wrong time for the earliest train and it would be too late for them. So we ended up going all the way to Heathrow and got home around 7:20am. So we slept a lot of Friday, but we were able to go out to the Duxford Imperial War museum with everyone in the last half of the day.
Saturday mom, dad, Jon, and Haley went back to London while Ryan and I babysat Nate and Dexter for the day. We had a great time with the kids and it seemed like the others enjoyed another day in London.
Ryan and Nate during our babysitting daySunday we went to church again and had dinner at a local pub in Cambridge to top off the trip. Everyone had to leave either in the middle of the night or the next morning, so we had to say our goodbyes. It was sad to see everyone go, but we're so thankful that it worked out for everyone to come out at the same time to visit! Lots more pictures on the side bar.
At the pub in CambridgeOn the pregnancy front, everything is going smoothly. My next ultrasound is Feb. 2 so we'll hopefully find out the sex then. I'm in my 18th week now and starting to show a bit. I haven't gained much weight, but I certainly have developed a belly. I'll post a picture of it soon. :-)
