Leah's Favorite Things

Awesome

• Finally sitting down to blog
• These chocolate banana milkshakes and all there healthiness! I’ve been drinking 1-2 a day
• Feeling the little one punchin and kickin inside of me
• Laying in my lounge chair out back in the sun
• A friend lending me her baby bargains book which resulted in getting most of the big item baby pieces picked out
• The crib and mattress arriving in the mail
• Finding out the gender!!! Will share soon!
• Deciding on a first name
• Having great friends

Not Awesome

• Not being able to get any one item completely done. Ever since getting back from Europe I haven’t gotten the house completely clean. Which means I haven’t mopped. We all know the house isn’t really clean until the floors are mopped right? I’ve hardly blogged. Started organizing the basement but have yet to finish. Haven’t gotten back on the meal planning train. I blame it on pregnancy. That’s allowed right?
• The husband getting food poisoning last weekend and being the sickest I’ve ever seen him. Poor guy. (for the record…it wasn’t my cooking that made him sick)
• The uncomfortableness and tightness that comes with a growing belly.
• Not being able to tan the back of my legs because of this belly
• Not being able to find crib sheets that I love.
• Figuring out the sleeping accommodations for the little one upon arrival. My most stressful decision yet. Our room is small so having the crib in the room is doable but tight, a bassinet would fit better but are more expensive than the crib (what’s up with that? Crazy bassinet sells people),and  pack n plays seem to uncomfortable.
• Deciding on the spelling of the first name and a middle name that has meaning and flows. Good greif this naming business is harder than it looks.

And because I have yet to do it…here is a picture of me and the bump at 15 weeks (almost 4 months).
I’m 20 weeks (5 months) now and yes I will get on top of a new picture. I’m surprisingly bad at remembering to have a monthly picture taken.

That picture is from our trip to Glass Beach.
Basically the town used to use the beach as a dump years and years ago.
They finally put an end to the dumping and over time all the glass has been broken and tumbled by the sea.
The result, a beautiful glass beach. Just a simple reminder of how God can turn our ugly into something beautiful.

So…I already explained that our adoption plans fell through, then we found out I was pregnant, then “morning sickness” took over my life.
Who wouldn’t plan a 22 day European vacation right?
We assumed going during the first trimester was a great idea.
If only my stomach and hormones had agreed.
Yes, I was sick to my stomach the entire 22 days.
Yes, I had to pee constantly the entire 22 days.
I did not plan an ounce of this trip…the idea of being on a computer made me want to barf.
Not joking.
Use the internet to research great dining spots for our trip?
Don’t make me murder you.
So my husband did it ALL.
He planned the route, booked places to stay, rented the car, everything.
Yes, he is amazing.
Combine a sick wife, driving in seven different countries (one of which drives on the wrong side of the road), finding out that people don’t take European road trips because it’s friggin EXPENSIVE (we are talking tolls, taxes and gas prices people), long hours of driving and crappy detours.
There were times of stress and intense fellowship
However, those stressful times have faded into funny stories and we simply remember having an amazing trip of a lifetime.
I’m so glad we did it!

So where did we go?
We flew United Airlines for 10 hrs to get to London.
Despite my anxiety about being sick on an airplane…it was a great flight.
The first thing we did upon arrival was pick up our rental car and defy logic by driving on the left side of the road.
There might have been a little curb bumping at first

Then we went straight to the town of Windsor and visited Windsor Castle.
I didn’t see her…but the tour guide informed us that the Queen was there!

Did you notice the TkMaxx?
Not to be confused with TjMaxx.
I swear it seemed like the same store. 

And can I take a minute to share with you the wonderfulness of the Cotswolds?

Isn’t it absolutely beautiful?
A few hours outside of London and you’re in the English countryside of your dreams.
You know…the dreams you get from watching Jane Austin movies.
As aggravating as having a car could be at times…this was one of the things we couldn’t have done without it.
Speaking of our car…let me introduce you to the Chevy Spark

Ridiculous isn’t it?
Not a very comfortable car for my husband to drive all over Europe.
But you know what…it got us where we needed to go and didn’t give us any problems.
Although, it didn’t compete very well against the other cars while on the autobahn…to my husbands dismay.

What we did while in London?

• The Churchill War Rooms
• Piccadilly Square at night
• Buckingham Palace (from the outside)
• Westminster Abbey (from the outside)
• Big Ben
• Parliament (from the outside)
• St. Pauls Cathedral
• Ate at St. John restaurant
• Ate breakfast at the Lantana Cafe…a little scandinavian breakfast spot that the husband LOVED