Hot London

Monday 7/7

We have a fun London week planned this week. It kinda seems mad but our Merlin pass doesn’t work the whole month of August so we knew we needed to squeeze them in this month. So we started off the week with a trip to Legoland with Matt.

It was a bit chilly when we got to Windsor so we stopped at the shop to see if they had hoodies. No hoodies but James found a top he fell in love with. Once we were all settled we went over to the new building that was opened. Lego Insiders Clubhouse had just opened.

The boys loved completing the challenges and finally going into the vault. They loved experiencing something new. They loved being able to build and create. But then loved the party lights the most.

The first place they wanted to go after we went down the Hill Train was to Ninjago of course. With his new Kai top James was in the zone. Nya even came out for a meet & greet. Then it was time to go on the ride. It was way busier than it normally is when we come so after a 30 minute queue we got on the ride.

We decided we would do the spinning spider before we headed for some lunch. Matt spins the boys around so fast. It makes me nauseous just watching them from a distance. We had some delicious chicken tenders and then ran off to the playground to play.

Once they got their play in we headed out for some more rides. Everyone wanted to do the submarine ride so that is where we went. The queue was long too. Once we were on the boys loved finding all the sea creatures around them.

We were short on time so we ran off to the 4D Dreamzz film. We made it just in time. Matt and I were sweating but the water from the film cooled us off. We then had some Ben & Jerry’s which cooled us done even more. There was only time for one more ride before Legoland was closing so we queued for the Fire Engine.

Wow. It was such a big day and we all drove home feeling happy. I love having full days with Matt. He loves it too knowing he is paid to just have fun with us. When we got home we had dinner and then I took George to bed as James read with Matt. We are doing lots of reading to prepare for school. They joined us in bed and we all fell asleep.

Tuesday 8/7

We had an early start to the day as we set off to the zoo. It was just me and the boys since Matt doesn’t have a membership. He needed to get things done anyway and I am happy to give him free time since having kids haha! We arrived at the zoo soon after it opened.

The first place we went to was through the Lemur walk through. We couldn’t find them for ages and then we found them all cuddled up and sleeping. It was the cutest thing ever. They then soon woke up one by one and walked by us as they went back to the shaded area.

The boys then asked if we could go down to the night time creatures. Every time we get here we are getting better and better at finding the bush babies. We then went in the rainforest walk through. The monkeys were right over our head which was so fun.

We soon found the sloth. We were surprised to see a baby sloth with her. It was only 2 weeks old! Apparently the momma sloth was on contraception since having a baby 2 years ago so the zoo keepers never thought of checking her for pregnancy. They only found out with the baby was born! The boys and I sat there for ages watching the baby sloth move around for a better cuddle.

We soon wanted to have some lunch. So we went to the bird watching hut and quietly had some lunch. Once we were filled we headed over to the giraffes. There were all so close to us. It reminded me of when we were at the Utah Hogle Zoo. I miss it. The boys loved seeing the zebras and the hippo too.

We then headed to the tigers but on the way we walked through the ibis birds. They were really close to us as we passed them. The part I loved best was seeing them fly to their nests and watching them feed their babies. They are such beautiful birds.

We finally made it to the tigers but unfortunately they were not very visible and just sleeping. But the boys didn’t mind because they just like playing with the tiger statues. Whatever floats their boat I guess. We then made a cheeky stop to see the Komodo dragon.

The were getting hungry so we decided to go to one more building. They chose the reptile house. They love trying to spot all the creatures in this building. It’s also very interactive and we spend ages in here. I love watching the cameleon slowly move around as the boys play.

We then got on the bike and the boys napped as we headed to Wendy’s in Fulham. They were giving away free items from their menu so we spun the wheel and got some free things along with our meals. We then headed back home and the boys did some yoga.

At around 4pm we headed out with our scooters. We picked up our friend Mal to come with us to my friend Rachel’s house. My friend Monica also came with her girls Alana and Naomi. James was so excited to see Chewy the dog. The spent ages just cuddling him. He loved that.

Then we all headed outside to enjoy the sun. It was so lovely. England shines best at 25 degrees. They lit a fire and the kids toasted some marshmallows. Monica and I just hung out on the hammock together. I love being with her. My boys love being with her too.

Just before dinner we headed home. I made a new dinner and we all sat down to enjoy it. The boys wanted to do yoga again so that is what they did before bed. We then all snuggled up. I am staying up until 2am these days trying to catch up with journaling. I am so tired haha.

Wednesday 9/7

My friend Rachel messaged the day before to tell me she was giving away her super king mattress with a memory foam pad. She has suddenly moved to the states so she needed someone to get it out of her old place. We rented a zip car van and picked it up. The boys were so happy to play with it at home.

We had some lunch and then headed out on our regular bike route. As we passed Buckingham Palace we saw the King’s guards practicing. The music they played were so good! Not only did they sound amazing but then the way they moved around was incredible. Apparently they were getting ready for a big performance with politicians.

After an hour cycled we finally made it to the Tower of London. Matt hasn’t been here for 8 years so it was exciting to bring him back after so long. We came before kids so he was interested to see how the Tower of London is kids friendly.

The first thing we did was show him the poppy display. It looked so much more beautiful with green grass. England is suffering during this dry season. I miss the green rolling fields that makes England so charming. I am sure after a few days of rain it’ll all come back.

The first place we went to was the animal tower. This is where they tell the story of all th animals that lived here at the tower. The boys love the interactive displays. It’s quite sad to think about the animals that lived here so long ago when people didn’t know how to take care of them properly.

The boys wanted to see the Crown Jewels after but the queue was super long still. We have never seen it so long but I guess in tourist season there are queues everywhere. So we decided to go into the White Tower. The boys loved showing their dad the kids armour. The very top floor is an interactive weapons area and the boys love being here. This is where we spend most of our time.

It was so hot though. Each day is getting hotter and I am not looking forward to the weekend. We soon headed out to check the queue for the Crown Jewels. It wasn’t too bad so we joined in. There were special King’s guards that had come and were standing outside. Apparently they were getting something from inside for the King. I am guessing since the French President is visiting it’s for a banquet with him.

It had been a hard parenting day for Matt and I. I need to work on my patience and really understanding where my boys are developmentally. I want to learn to love them better. We left just before 5pm and cycled home. We had dinner and then headed to bed.

Thursday 10/7

We woke up to a very hot day. I wish it was a rest day but it wasn’t. We had another big day planned so we got on the bike as soon as we were ready. On our way to Southbank we ran into lots of fun things. First, some of the King’s guards were practicing on their horses. Then we ran into another music practice right outside the palace.

We finally made it to Southbank and soon after my friend Caitlin arrived with her son Jack. James and George were so happy to see him and they quickly started chasing each other. We then got in the queue for the London Eye. Since it was so hot outside it was nice to be in the pod with air conditioning.

The boys loved how clear it was. It was perfect to see all the sites around us. The boys mostly love the London Eye because of the bars they can hang from. I love chatting with Caitlin and seeing how she was. She is so fun to be with and always makes me smile.

We then went to the Aquarium but Caitlin’s pass wasn’t working so we decided instead to find a lovely spot in the shade and let the boys run around. James was the sweetest with baby Louie. He loves babies. The kids ran around for ages until it was time to say goodbye.

We then headed off to Shrek’s Adventure on George’s request. He is always super pumped for it until we get inside and then he feels scared. He is super brave through it all. He has come so many times he knows exactly what to expect and he loves volunteering when they ask.

At the end of the tour we saw Shrek. The boys then ran off until we hit Berk. They love spending time here with their favourite dragons. It was better lit than normally and I guess it’s because of the new film. They said goodbye to their dragons and then played in the Kung Fu Panda area.

We then ran over to the Aquarium. The boys were sad that their friend Jack wasn’t with them but they wanted to see the sea turtle and the penguins. We took our time as we walked through it. There were so many tourists and school groups. London is overflowing with people now.

We had a snack break by the sharks. James loves calling them by name as they swim passed him. He knows them so well. The boys revisited their favourite creatures and then we stopped at the end to have some ice lollies together.

Just before heading out we saw the penguins. James loved seeing them so close up. Normally they are quite far and we can’t see them well. But today we did! We finished off at the jelly fish area which is always my favourite. It’s so relaxing to watch them swim around.

I had planned to take the boys to the fountains nearby but they were begging me for us to go home. It was over 30 degrees and the fountains had no shade so I thought maybe we could come back another day when they have more energy. When we got home we had dinner and then spent the rest of the night reading until we went to sleep.

Friday 11/7

Today was going to be a very hot day but that never stops us from having fun. As soon as we were ready we headed out the door to Kew Gardens. We hadn’t been here in ages and we were wanting to come back to see the new colours that were popping.

My friend Heather joined us with her son Maxwell. We took them through the Palm House first to see all the exotic plants. I love the smells as well walk around. Then we took them into the lily house. The lilies were look so lovely. They were massive and probably loving this heat. We for sure were not.

Back outside we felt a bit of relief from the humid heat inside these green houses but it was still hot. It was nearly 30 degrees and we were all feeling it. While we walked towards the playground we ran into sprinklers that were watering the plants. James understood the assignment and got soaked. I loved seeing them smile in the water.

Nearing the playground we passed Kew Palace and noticed it was opened! So we walked over and went inside. I love the story of King George and Queen Charlotte. They were not perfect people but they were incredibly strong people who survived lots of challenges and held on to each other.

Shortly after getting married, King George would run off to Kew palace to hide away and treat his mental illness. Queen Charlotte soon discovered and instead of leaving him or living a life aside from him she insisted in moving into Kew Palace to be close to him.

They had 15 kids together. King George would live on the ground floor as he struggled through his mental illness and Queen Charlotte would live in the top two floors with her children. It’s clear that they loved each other very much. They only had one surviving grandchild and that was Queen Victoria.

Once we were done seeing the inside of Kew Palace we went to the back to walk through the Queen’s garden. Because she spent a lot of time on her own she dedicated her time to creating a beautiful garden around this palace and throughout Kew.

I love walking through this garden and thinking of her. The boys love running through this garden too. Every month is has different colours popping out. We soon bumped into sprinklers again. James went over and got soaked. It was now over 30 degrees so it was a very good thing to be soaked.

Then we went to the sunken garden to run through the tunnels. There were also sprinklers on here which made James so happy. They ran through a few times to cool off. It looked so magical. I am sure during this dry season Kew Gardens uses so much water to try to keep the plants alive.

I miss rainy England. It is getting too hot. As we walked to the playground we tried to stay in the shade because the sun was burning. And the playground was shockingly hot. The sand was burning and all the equipment was hot. It made since why there were no kids in the sand area.

So we explored the other areas of the playground. Everywhere we went it was hot to touch. Luckily they fixed some of the water features. That is exactly what the boys wanted. They would fill buckets of water trying to make a puddle to splash in but the water kept evaporating. We then went to the cafe and had some lunch. I love spending time with Heather. She is so incredible and inspiring. I love that we served the same mission in Peru.

We said goodbye and then zoomed home. We quickly changed out of our sweaty clothes and walked over to James’s school fair. We went from booth to booth to figure out the fun things they had. I saw some of my friends and made some new ones. We didn’t last long because it was so hot. So we headed home for a family film and then went to bed. I am not looking forward to a hot night.

Saturday 12/7

We had a long cycle that morning so we headed out as soon as we were ready. We cycled 70 minutes to Hampton Court on what was going to be another day above 30 degrees. I prepared myself this time by wearing my swimming costume under so I could get wet with the boys. We made it to Hampton Court just as our friends arrived.

My friend Imma, Monica and Hannah were there as well to enjoy the fun day at Hampton Court Palace. This was Matt’s first time going and he was excited to explore it. We made our way to the garden and saw the ending of the jousting event that was happening.

Once it was over we all found a lovely spot in the shade to wait for the next show. I loved seeing Matt go off with the guys. They talked for ages. I loved seeing my girls and catching up with them. The kids were having so much fun together. George loved all the attention he was getting.

We walked over to the falconry tent to see the birds. James was so amazed how close they were to us. They are adorable owls. The lady told us about them. The kids didn’t want to budge at all. But soon they got the birds ready for the show.

So we went over to the area for the falconry show. It was in pure sunlight. It was so hot. I was sweating so much. England was not built for heat at all. Soon the birds came out. The barn owl was magical to watch as it flew around. The next two falcons were so fast. I love watching them dive.

Then it was time for us to head over to the joust. The theme of the joust was King Henry VIII. It was cool to learn more about him and his reign. I actually don’t know a lot about his store other than he beheaded his wives when he didn’t like them!

James and George loved watching the races race to each other and hearing clash of the sticks. It was so hot and the actors must have been dying! But they put on a pretty good show for us. We were all happy to get out of the sun when it was over.

We went back into the palace to explore. Even though we were out of the sun the humid heat was still stuck to us. England should not be allowed to go above 28 degrees ever. I had never come to Hampton Court Palace to just walk around so this was the first time seeing it room by room.

We first went to the kitchens. Henry VIII's Kitchens at Hampton Court Palace were the largest of Tudor England. 200 cooks, sergeants, grooms and pages worked to produce over 800 meals a day for the hungry household of Henry VIII. Insane!

We then walked over to the main square. I love the space in this square. I love to imagine who must have walked through over the last 300 years. But James and George don’t think of that at all. They just love running on the most challenging cobblestone.

We went back inside to see the King’s apartments. I love how small this space makes me feel. The kids sat down for a bit to listen to the history of this room. I love how much James loves listening to his audio guide when he is at places like these.

Then we continued on through the different rooms. Whenever the kids found a comfy spot they ran over to lie down. This heat was affecting everyone haha! Matt was feeling tired as well but he was a champ letting George take a nap on him.

They loved the council room where they could sit in the chairs and listen to a heated discussion around the table. It’s amazing to learn about how awful life was as a monarch and how everyone wants to betray you in the end. It’s such a lonely life.

George continued napping as we explored the palace. The kids loved any room where they could interact with things. But soon they were getting bored and so we finished up our little tour and headed outside back into the sunshine.

Oh man was it hot. Matt stayed behind with sleeping George and we continued onward to the magical playground. The sun was unforgiving. But the kids didn’t mind. They hopped onto the hot dragon and ran up and down the hills. I love how well James and Guilio got on. They really are buddies.

Soon it was 5pm and our Italian friends left. George finally woke up. He must have been so tired. George, James and I went exploring around the playground. I love being with them and seeing the excitement on their faces as we play.

They spent a good while playing in the sand and getting their feet wet. They were so happy to be playing here. It is a phenomenal playground and it wasn’t too busy. Probably because it was the end of the day and so hot. We stayed until they closed at 6pm

We then hopped on the bike and started our cycle home. We fist cycle through the gardens where we see deer. The boys loved any room spotting them in the trees. We made it home just in time for a late dinner and then straight to bed. It had been such a full day in the sun!

Sunday 13/7

We woke up early to get to the chapel so I could Practice with the ward choir. James and George loved how many friends came around and shared toys with them. I love how all the families are in this together and we survive sacrament together. It was lovely performing with the choir. It’s led by a world renown opera singer and the sister who accompanies sang in the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square.

Then we headed up to primary. James went to his class and I went in with George to Nursery. There were 10 kids and it was a hot room. My friend Amanda is so amazing with the kids I love seeing her in her calling. I am grateful I can help out. I have fun with the kiddos.

Once we finished church we cycled home to have lunch. I video called my mum which was so nice. I love her so much and miss her like crazy. The boys do too. Then we soon got ready to leave to the chapel again. Brother John W Welch is a scholar of law and religion. He currently teaches at BYU Law school. But what his is most famous for is for discovering chiasmus in The Book of Mormon. He is the founder of Scripture Centrel and one of my favourite historians. The devotional was incredible. I loved learning more about the proofs of The Book of Mormon.

Afterwards it was lovely having a chat with him. He is the uncle of one of my friends here in the ward. We chatted for ages and then exchanged contact info. It was fun getting to know him and his wife better. I love learning for people’s who see past the ink in the scriptures and find more about the Saviour. Brother Welch was off to Oxford for the next couple weeks to teach some Law seminars. We cycled home just in time to get ready for bed and tuck in. Everyone was so tired. The week finished and tomorrow begins another week. Let’s go!