Day Thirteen/Fouteen

Sooo apparently I have been seriously slacking at this whole blogging thing, which yeah I'll give you that one. I have been really slacking, but it's my vacation and I just don't care! Haha just jokes, come back in a few days after I get home and have had a chance to be bored. Then I will blog better. 

But I will keep blogging a little bit so I don't forget anything major.  Kaytie and I caught the underground to Westminster Station, and then proceeded to explore. 

We saw Big Ben and the Parliament Buildings, before wandering down to Trafalgar Square. 

We hung out at Trafalgar Square for a while watching street performers and enjoying the sunshine before wandering along St. James Park to Buckingham Palace. 

After appreciating the complete surreality of that moment we headed back on a lovely stroll through the park towards Westminster Abbey.

Westminster Abbey was mind blowing. So many significant people are a part of that history, it was insane to think about it all and be in that place.

After all of that epicness we went to dinner and a movie at the largest mall in London. 

Our second London day was the Tower of London and Wicked. We bought out show tickets in the morning and then spent like five hours or something at the Tower. We did a guided tour for an hour and then wandered around trying to see everything (we did not). 

After the Tower we quickly went to change our clothes and then we were off to the theatre. 

A fun way to end a fun trip!

Sorry this is brief, our plane is boarding. 

Day Twelve

Well Jude took us to the airport early where we said sad farewells and then Kaytie and I got back on a plane. Destination, London. 

When we arrived we had some train catching entertainment and then I may or may not have got my luggage stuck in a turnstile trying to escape the underground.  Eventually we met up with Kaytie's working friend Lis. Lis is letting us stay with her and she is just a lovely host. She made us pancakes when we got here, then came with us to church so we didn't get lost.  

After church we went on a walk to explore some beautiful parts of the city. 

We went to the Portobello Markets, it was so fun and not just because I could him Portobello Road from Bed knobs and  Broomsticks. We also ate the best mint gelato. 

After all of our walking we met up with Lis's flatmate Jane and her friend Jema for dinner. We had a lot of fun and this super popular punjabi place feeling very local and in with the trends. The girls were so fun with so many stories of the places they have been. I need to travel more! 

Day Ten/Eleven

Today Kaytie and headed back to Old Town; we checked out Fringe again, saw another show and watched a bunch of incredible street performers. We also did a bit more shopping. 

Here is Kaytie reading the map so that we can find our venue. 

The wind here makes trying to take a picture difficult.

After getting back to Jude and Simon's we all headed up Arthur's Seat. The view of the city was so spectacular that I took no pictures. Actually I chased Emily up and then tried not to fall [again] on the way down. It was actually a fantastic way to see the city one more time. 

On Saturday I somehow ended up doing Aerial Assault; a zip lining/climbing style activity with Kaytie. I did not love it- it's very high up, but we did it and to celebrate I got my scone!

 Everything here was amazing! Local suppliers, socially conscious- you know the things that make food taste better...

After lunch Kaytie and I did The Real Mary King's Close tour. It was a fun way to see what is left of one of the oldest closes. The guide was fun and the tour is an entertaining way to learn a bit of history. 

Then it was back to the Beveridges to pack and remember how much I already miss them- so mostly visiting and eating cookies when I should be packing. They were amazing hosts and so much fun! 

Day Nine

Today was a lot of fun, but unfortunately I took zero pictures. We stayed at a fun hotel in Chorley last night after the pageant, so this morning we swam for awhile before checking out. Then today consisted of a lot of driving and shopping. Then we had excellent Chinese food with Simon's parents. 

This is brief because bragging about all of the excellent shopping and our entertaining hosts just seems cruel!

Day Eight

Well today we embarked on another road trip- this time we even made it to England. But first we enjoyed some serious retail therapy. Actually I only bought one thing and it is for Kelly and she has to pay me back. But I do love it and am really excited for her to loved it. Oh, and I guess I did buy chocolate from the Cadbury factory store.  So maybe  Kaytie did some more serious shopping but we all had fun. After the mall we headed up to Manchester for the British Pageant.  

We had a lot of fun wandering around the  Manchester temple grounds and then seeing all of those classic Pioneer Day activities. It was neat to be in a place so familiar doing things I have definitely done  before but with people who have a different kind of enthusiasm. I have always lived in places that are already so gathered and it was an awesome experience to be surrounded by people who were really appreciating that opportunity. 

The pageant was soo good. It definitely exceeded my expectations, and it was really cool to hear the stories of the British saints who converted to the Gospel and how they had the faith to leave their homes to go and build up Zion. So often that is just a footnote in the pioneer stories we tell "oh yeah they sacrificed everything and left what had been their home for generations." It was a great opportunity to re-appreciate the Gospel in my own life. 

Ooh, but the highlight of the day may have been when we realized Kaytie's pull out bed was not a hide a bed but actually a bed we pulled out from under the couch! 

Sorry this is late, I got half done and just wanted to go to sleep so I finished it this morning, and now we are off to go swimming. 

Day Seven

Well it has come to my attention that I have been enjoying the knowledge that Kaytie has also been blogging and thusly not putting a whole lot of detail into my posts.  Tonight I shall attempt to compensate for that a wee bit. Be prepared to settle in for a read.

This morning Simon left for work and the girls piled into the car. Jude drove us back to St. Andrews for a storybook lovely day trip. We started our day with a trip to the beach, it was beautiful. Oh, in the interest of being more informative and detailed, this is the beach where the famous Chariot's of Fire scene was filmed. The beach was chilly but a lot of fun. Kaytie has the most adorable enthusiasm, I absolutely love it. Her excitement and appreciation for the sea was so much fun. We put our feet in the freezing water, wrote in the sand, and had a picnic.

So St. Andrews is the location of the Women's British Open, as well as where Will and Kate attended Uni and fell in love. It is a gorgeous coastal community filled with tourists and the posh. Our first stop was the Castle; we wandered through an informative introductory area with videos, displays, and information. Then we were out in the ruins.  What I have loved about all of our castle excursions is that you can just wander in, around, and on almost everything. It really is such an explorative experience.  One of the neat features of this castle was the opportunity to wander into a mine that had been dug underneath.  This castle is one of the best existing examples of engineering warfare that still exists. A siege was attempted on the castle by mining in form underneath, and counter mines were dug to put a stop to it. I am constantly in awe of the magnitude of these structures and the history compounded within it. 

That last paragraph may be a bit misleading...these castles have not been some relaxing, meandering, reflective opportunity. They have actually been a positively fun experience to run around, screaming with Emily while hiding from Kaytie. I know that I was here for this moment but I don't exactly know when or how I became the one Emily wants to hold hands with and drag around the grocery store, and Kaytie became the one she screams and runs from. Kaytie was less than thrilled with the development, but she felt better when we explained how much Emily actually adores her. Anytime she can't see Kaytie she asks frantically where she is and we have to go find her, then when we see her we scream and run away laughing. These next few pictures are from when we are leaving the castle, Kaytie was loitering behind, and Emily was trying to find her.

After the castle we went over to the Cathedral and wandered around/ ran around in a very respectful way. I am having so much fun experiencing all of these beautiful places, but I think I might be having even more fun just spending time with these cuties!

After the Cathedral we went for the Best. Ice. Cream. Ever. I had Scottish tablet and it was delicious! From there we slowly made our way back to the car, stopping at a Sweet Shop, and then headed back to Balerno. 

Jude's Dad invited us to his home for dinner, and his wife Jane is possibly a magician in the kitchen. I have eaten a lot of excellent meals in my life but the lasagna, salad, and pavlova we were treated to tonight were divine.

So this is longer than the last few have been, but I am going to plead exhaustion and just be done now regardless. Maybe in the morning I will add more, or maybe I will just concede and Kaytie can have all of the blogging pressure to herself!

Day Six

Today is the day when I decided I could definitely come back here for a significantly longer stay.  Kaytie and I started the day at a Fringe Festival performance of Romeo and Juliet.  It was a Glee inspired adaptation performed by an under 17 arts school.  It was a fun, campy performance and the talent really was impressive. I am so used to local productions with some talent and a lot of admirable effort (which I definitely appreciate).

Then we wandered up and down some fantastically gorgeous streets enjoying all of the street performers and collecting fliers from all of the different performances. There are definitely a few more we are going to have to check out before the week ends.

The Beveridge's decided to head home,  which left Kaytie and I on our own to explore. We wandered a bit more of the Festival (I am completely smitten) got some food, and did some shopping. Then we caught the bus back to Balerno all on our own. I definitely felt like a grown up!


Bonus Points for anyone who knows who Greyfriar's Bobby is?

Look! I am not the only one who took pictures of all of the recycling! I love this place.

Day Five

Well today is Sunday- surprise... We went to church at the Edinburgh Ward. I thought it was very charming, and everyone was very friendly. I thought it was interesting to hear everyone's thoughts and experiences on the pioneers. 

After church we went and wandered about the Royal Botanical Gardens. It was positively beautiful. A perfect way to spend a gorgeous Sunday afternoon before enjoying a fabulous meal made by Jude while  I wandered about trying to look like I am looking helpful. 

               Emily in the Botanics. 

Day Four

Today we went on another fabulous day trip to Dunnottar Castle. The ruins are spectacular and we had a lot of fun climbing all over and exploring. Even the locals were pretty impressed with this place! 

So, since we have been here we have been fantastically lucky in the weather department, it has been consistently quite pleasant: not exactly warm, you almost always want a sweater, but we have never been rained out or deterred from doing anything by the weather. Anyways, yay for us... But the point of that ramble was that today was spectacularly windy! It made hiking around the grounds refreshing but taking pictures very difficult! 

Yes, that's my hair in the shot. 

After thoroughly exploring the castle we hiked down to the beach (we were on the North Sea) threw rocks in the water, even explored a cave, took some more pictures, and then hiked up from the beach and made our way back towards the castle. 

After leaving the impossibly charming  Dunnottar we ventured off to explore the positively idyllic location of Jude's childhood. 

We ate delicious fish and chips (procured in a socially conscious manner), wandered the harbour, and drove around the most picturesque coastal villages. I think Jude may have grown up in a movie, real life cannot be that beautiful! 

Day Three

This morning we all woke up early and piled into the car. For those of you who have road tripped with me, you know about my impressive ability to sleep in the car. So I definitely slept more than half of our total driving time, but I was awake long enough to appreciate some spectacular views!
We started off the day, driving Loch Lomond. It was absolutely gorgeous. From there we began our trip to Inverary. Due to an unfortunate incident with a lorrie we could either wait three hours for the road to be cleared or take a detour. The detour was going to take less time and we were all anxious to continue adventuring so obviously we chose the detour. 

The detour proved to be...exciting? It was never scary; Simon is a good driver and you may remember my aforementioned affection for sleeping in vehicles, but it was unlike any driving experience I have had at home.

The road is a single lane winding and dropping through the countryside, twisting and turning about while cars speed down it in both directions. When two cars meet up they both step on the brake, then one car pulls over if they can and if not they reverse until they find a spot where there is room. 

By the time we reached Inverary castle we are all pleased to be out of the vehicle.

Inverary Castle belongs to the Duke and Duchess of Argyll. They still keep it up as a residence although not their primary one. A wing of it and much of the grounds are open to the public. It was positively spectacular! I really enjoyed wandering about and seeing all of the history compiling in one fantastic building. Oh, and Downton Abbey filmed there, so yeah that's cool. 

After Inverary we were back on the road and headed toward Loch Ness. 

Yes, this is home of the Loch Ness Monster. Emily even thinks she might have seen Nessie peeking out of the water.  We got to explore what was left of the Urquhart Castle, and enjoy the countryside. A truly remarkable place. 

After that it was dinner in Inverness and then back to Edinburgh. We got to see a lot of Scotland today and it really does look like the movies.  

Day One

Day one. I like writing that because it means that I am on an adventure.

Kaytie slept over Monday night so that we could be all organized and ready to go.  Which really means that I didn’t start packing until after I should have been in bed and I still spent the hour between work and leaving running around wishing someone from my immediate family was home so I could respond irrationally to my stress-anxiety-excitement, and ask before I just borrowed their stuff…Sorry.

We walked out the door at promptly 1 pm, before walking back in… We got on the road with plenty of time for a few detours; you know food, fuel, jolly ranchers (apparently they aren’t a thing over here).  I had never driven to the Calgary airport before and the whole idea of parking and all that had me worried (more worried than just showing up at the Heathrow Airport and having to get to Edinburgh if I am being totally honest).  We got the airport with plenty of time where I quickly took a wrong turn and ended up in a labyrinth style parking garage I was momentarily convinced I would never escape and decided I would just pay an insane amount of money to abandon my car there and worry about being trapped when I got back. After driving up and down a few levels the terribleness of that decision calmed me down; I have no money- I am missing work AND taking an expensive holiday, do I really want to still be trapped here in two weeks? I will be exhausted and all post vacation- if I cannot escape it now why would it be easier then? After driving around confusedly I did manage to follow the well-marked exit signs out of the garage, take a few more wrong turns driving in circles before we found a spot to park and were ready to really get started!

We flew on Air Canada direct from Calgary to Heathrow. We left 7:30 in the evening from Calgary and landed at 11:00 am in London (or 4:00 am at home). After clearing customs and collecting our bags things start to get interesting. 

Kaytie already purchased our tickets from Kings Cross station to Edinburgh so now we just have to get from the airport to the train station. After wandering around a bit and asking for help more than once we bought our tickets and got on the underground. 

It brought us right to Kings Cross where we asked a few more people for help and got our train all figured out, then we killed some time in the station…

I am typing this from the train as the gorgeous country side zooms by outside the window, and delightful accents surround me on all sides (most of which I have slept through- did I mention the 7 hour time difference?).  

Jude and Simon picked us up from the train with their darling Emily, go us fish and chips and Irn Bru- we are definitely in Scotland! I am soooooo excited!

My Birthday: Day Five

Today was a great end to my birthday week. I went to the Temple with the Young Women and helped them to get prepared for their winter camp this weekend, then I came back to Taber and watched Kelly play basketball.

Well I have blogged twenty things, so only four more to go!

Number Twenty-One: Ward Families

Fourth ward was incredible, and I was positive that I would never care about or feel a part of another ward family like that. It has taken some time but Taber Second Ward has become a pretty great ward family. I love the opportunities that I get to spend interacting with its members.

Number Twenty -Two: The Gospel

Really my testimony is everything to me. I don’t know who I would be or where I would be without the Gospel and I am thrilled to know that I never have to find out.

Number Twenty-Three: Books

I have loved books for a long time and it is a love that just continues to grow. I am a part of a new book club and I am embarrassingly excited about reading and discussing books again. Reading is learning, it is reflecting, it is escaping, it is eye opening and so much more.

Number Twenty-Four: The Luxury of Reflection

I have been kind of a downer lately and this past week, these blog posts- all of it has been rejuvenating, it has reminded of how many reasons I have to be happy all of the time.

My Birthday: Day Four

Today was super fun. Kaytie is ah-mah-zing and booked us pedicures; Kelly and I got our toes done while Kaytie and Quincy offered moral support. We ate pizza and played Rook, then we went to Jen and Tim’s awesomely cool theatre room and watched Ocean’s Eleven, played some darts and ping pong.  Throughout all of this we managed to eat way more candy than anyone should.

Okay five more things to be grateful for; this activity has is weirdly hard and easy. Easy because I have so much to appreciate, and hard because I have never attempted this sort of activity in the blog format.  So bear with me…

Number Sixteen: Relaxation

I was talking to Kelly about what I should blog today and she said relaxation; she made a compelling argument for it and I had to agree.  We are all very lucky to live in a situation where relaxation is even an option. There is something so refreshing about it all, and it really does help me realize how blessed and comfortable my life undoubtedly is.

Number Seventeen: Princess Sparklepuff

This has been the affection nickname for my PT Cruiser since the first time that I drove it. Almost every day I wonder how people do it that either don’t drive or don’t have access to a vehicle.

Number Eighteen: Kaytie

While we were driving home tonight Quincy commented that Kaytie sure is nice to me. She’s right. Kaytie is awesome and I have loved getting to know her and becoming real friends. She is so thoughtful; her genuine kindness and optimism is good for me. Kaytie is a lovely person and I am so glad that she thinks I am fun or interesting or something,that for some reason she keeps hanging out with me.

Number Nineteen: Washing Machines

I did a bunch of laundry this morning and I love how efficient and simple it is. I don’t ever want to wash my clothes by hand and hang them out to dry because I have to, maybe just for the experience…

Number Twenty: Singing in the Car

This is one of the best things ever.  If I am by myself I sing, when I am with my sisters we sing
(lately it has been almost exclusively and excessively Les Mis), today in the car a bunch of us sang Taylor Swift and Macy Gray. A good singing in the car can make a bad day good and a good day better.

My Birthday: Day Three

Today is in fact my actual birthday, and it was lovely. Kelly, Quincy, my Mom, and I met up with Kaytie and Jenna at Cora this morning for breakfast, it was delicious. After a birthday nap and some relaxation I met up with Kaytie and Sam for some more shopping, dinner and a movie; it was very fun and chill. 

Breakfast with some cuties!

Fun at dinner

I will admit that I am not super into blogging tonight, but a goal is a goal so her goes nothing!

Number Eleven: Fruits and Vegetables

Seriously Mother Nature knows what she is doing; there is nothing quite as yummy as fruits and vegetables. Today I enjoyed a fruit and vegetable saturated breakfast, more fruit pizza, and vegetarian shepherd’s pie.

Number Twelve: Movies

I love movies; I just think it is such a compelling medium of expression, within the context of film there is so much diversity. I really do enjoy a variety of films and whether or not they are art or absurd a movie can be a lot of fun.

Number Thirteen: Cousins

I have the best cousins in the world, and I am lucky enough to get to spend a lot of time with them!

Number Fourteen: Facebook Birthday Messages

Seriously they just make me smile, so thank you!

Number Fifteen: Surprises

So today is my birthday which means I got presents, and I love surprises (even the ones that are not really surprises). There is just something so fun about a completely unexpected gesture (or getting exactly what you wanted).

My Birthday: Day Two

Today was fun again; Kelly, Quincy, and I met my parents at the mall where we, obviously, did some shopping, then we came home for Chinese food, we went and played basketball at the church for while and then we went to the neighbours to hot tub. 

Driving to Lethbridge

Unfortunately one of us has to be serious and drive...

So back to my list; I feel like I am maybe cheating a little bit today because I am just going to talk about my family, I realized last night after I posted that I could of done one of them each day but since that is not going to happen, day two will instead be all about them.

Number Six:  Clay aka Elder Hansen

Tuesdays have been an exciting day for about 23 months now because it is the day that we get emails from Clay. He is so awesome that even via email he is just as charming and unique as ever.   It is crazy to think that next month at this time he will be home, that will be weird in an exciting way, but for the time being I just love  reading about all of the wonderful experiences he is having, and attempting to decode his spelling.

Number Seven: Quincy

Quincy is one of the most remarkable people I know. In the scriptures when they refer to someone being of a sobre mind, well I never understood that until I met her. Quincy is deep and thoughtful, always. Her testimony; knowledge and understanding of the gospel, her approach to her education, the standards and values that she has established for herself, all of it is remarkable. I hope one day I can grow up to be as clear and confident as her about what kind of person I want to be.

Number Eight: Kelly

I have had so much fun getting to know Kelly a lot better since I have moved back from Provo. We have so much fun, and I am confident that at least some of the time she can read my mind. Kelly is kind and she is brave; she does what she determines to be right regardless of whether or not she is doing it alone. Kelly is not the kind of person to be swayed superfluously but she is also the kind of person to join you in talking in silly accents or having a spontaneous sleepover.

Number Nine: My Mom

My mom is amazing, but everyone who meets her already knows that. She is fun, she is energetic, and she has this way of making everyone feel important. My mom and I don’t always agree, and we don’t always disagree quietly, but no matter what I know that I am one of the four luckiest kids in the world. I learn from her every day and she never stops surprising any of us. My mom is so passionate and giving,  and I have so much admiration for the life of service that she lives.

Number Ten: My Dad

He is one of the funniest, smartest, most ridiculous people I know. Sometimes someone else might tell a better joke but no one else is ever funnier.  My dad is loving and patient to a degree I hope I can one day maybe even replicate.  He is supportive and encouraging; knowing that he believes in me has always helped me to believe in myself.  My dad is so hard working that he even believes work is fun, and I admire his unfailing determination to pass that on to us.

My Birthday: Day One

My Birthday is this week (Wednesday February 20) and thusly celebrations began today. I have decided to do something a little bit different this year, over the next few days I am going to blog 24 things that I am thankful for.

Number One: Favourite Foods and Families That Make Them.

I have a fantastic family (I am positive that they will find themselves with another mention at some point this week) and today to celebrate my birthday they all helped make my favourite foods for dinner. We had funeral potatoes, green beans, red peppers, sweet potatoes, and fruit pizza for dessert. I love love love this meal and I love that my family all helped make it, ooh and they also let me pick their outfits for dinner- now that is love.

Pictures from Dinner

Number Two: My Grandma Hansen

My Grandma Hansen is incredible and I have been so lucky to have her in Taber. Growing up she has always been a part of my daily life; when I was sick I laid on her couch and she took care of me, she let me teach clogging in her basement, I still randomly show up at her house for lunch and she is always happy to see (and feed) me. She is always there for me; whether it is needing somewhere to change my clothes, or someone to make me feel better after a hard day.  I love her a lot.

Number Three and Number Four: My Aunt Dawna and Uncle Tage

My family is particularly close to my Aunt Dawna and Uncle Tage; geography has aided that, and I have been fantastically blessed to grow up with an amazing cousin the same age- Lexie, but as I have gotten older they have become a lot more than just Lexie’s mom and dad. When I was in Provo I missed the Sunday dinners that our families share, and not only because of fire jokes.  I like spending time with them, and I like that they love my siblings and I enough to let us attempt to be helpful; any Aunt and Uncle can be nice to you when you come over, but not just any Aunt and Uncle will let you climb up on their roof and help shingle.  Once when I had car problems I called my Uncle Tage; he left work, came, found me, and made sure that I was all taken care of. I know that I count on him.  When I got home from South Africa I wasn't working very much, my family was still in school, and I was dealing with post vacation doldrums and my Aunt Dawna hired me for a few days to work in her house; it was exactly what I needed; it kept me busy, and  I felt like I was helping. My Aunt Dawna is always helping us, so I liked that I could do something for her. All of the examples in this post are pretty recent but I could go back and give you 24 years’ worth of evidence, I won’t, suffice it to say they are  awesome, and I love them. 

Number Five: Technology

Kelly was a doll tonight and took a whole bunch of pictures for me, and then after dinner we all had fun with the Apple TV laughing at how terrible most of them were.  Technology lets us share our lives; Facebook, Instagram, Face Time, text messages, blogs. It keeps us so connected, and with so many amazing people in my life I have a lot of reasons to want to stay connected.