Are we there yet?

So for months we have been planning, planning and planning for the big move. And then all of a sudden it was here. With movers, and final goodbyes, and last minute errands, and harried evenings just trying to get things done. And now we find ourselves in Harrogate, England. We are in a two bedroom flat at the South End of town, and boy am I glad to be done traveling.

Thursday started with a trip to Ihop with the in-laws for a final breakfast there with the kiddoes who are big fans. Enoch got the "healthy" funny face pancake and Hilde got the "unhealthy" one. Which means that Enoch's had fruit on top while Hilde's was filled with chocolate chips. Both were in heaven. Then we ran errands, did final packing and loaded up our Accord and the Younce's Toyota 4Runner with 8 suitcases and 4 carry-ons. We had a couple of hours to kill so we spent a great afternoon at Frying Pan Park. Enoch and Hilde loved looking at the animals and then wore themselves out on the playground. It was a nice respite prior to LONG hours of traveling. And, it came with a bonus. Proof that we are still good parents. We found a lost kid who was crying for his mom. I took him around the park, and when we finally found her she had NO IDEA her son was lost. She actually told me, "I can't believe I forgot him." So we did our good deed for the day and headed to the airport.

We checked in at Dulles and that started a whirlwind of carrying kids, bags and standing in lines. Over and over and over again. Our flight to London Heathrow was pretty uneventful. Enoch got about 4 hours of sleep, Hilde maybe 2-3, Me about 1 and Dave none. When we got to London it was 6 AM Local (1AM EST). Then we had a layover for 3 hours before our last flight to Leeds. During our layover we tried my favorite new drink, Cloudy Lemonade. It was 7 calories of deliciousness in a 20 oz. (?) bottle. When we got to Leeds at 9:30 AM our sponsor Dave picked us up and took us to our Flat. He had treats for the kids, which were a big hit.

So, our flat.... Well, it isn't what anyone in their right mind would call spacious. We are on the second floor of an old building in a row of townhouses. On the main level is the kitchen and the bathroom. Complete with a shower with a half door. The glass does not go all the way around the tub so no matter what you do, you end up with some water on the floor...NICE. Then upstairs is a bedroom with a double bed and a twin bed. Then a small TV room with a couch, two chairs, and a TV. It is pretty small. Then their is a third bedroom with another double bed. The room is so small, and the ceiling so low, that it is claustrophobic. There is no room for anything in there. We originally gave the kids the room with two beds, but after two nights, Dave just switched us and Enoch. He gets the little room, it won't bother him. We do have internet and satellite TV, so things are pretty good.

Now, the town. It is awesome. Hilde and I go on an exploring walk everyday and usually the whole family goes on one at another time too. You basically walk everywhere. Right next to us are several good restaurants, we have already tried out a good fish and chips place and a fantastic sandwich shop. There is a small (4 aisle) grocery store and lots and lots of shops. On Saturday Hilde and I went for a walk and then sat on a bench in the green space and just people watched. Very fun. We broke down and bought an umbrella style stroller, although a little nicer. With all the walking, it got old carrying Enoch. (At least to us, he thought it was great).

Sunday we walked to church in the pouring rain, for about a half an hour. We quickly decided NOT to do that again. Then when we got there, they did everything through Sacrament and then flipped on the Sunday afternoon session of General Conference. If we had known, we probably wouldn't have walked through the rain. As it was, we needed to find someone to watch Enoch tomorrow since daycare told us when we got here that they can't take him next week and both Dave and I have to be in-processed tomorrow. And a family offered to drive us home (they saw us walking there), and then offered to watch Enoch tomorrow as well. So, a very generous ward so far. It is a small church, but there were chairs in the overflow and it was fairly well packed. So a decent sized ward. Then we had dinner tonight with our Sponsor and his family, including two girls 6 and 8. Hilde was in girl heaven and Enoch loved all the attention. Hilde had a small breakdown tonight when she just wanted to go home. She misses her friends and her family, but hey, we all do.

More to come.