Sandringham Museum

In the old stable block and coach house, the Sandringham estate has designed a museum that chronicles the coaches and cars used by the royal family throughout the years. It also has a room full of big and small trophy game. At first, I took the girls through, thinking that Dallin would just get bored, but I was wrong! We ended up going through twice, and all of the kids enjoyed it.

This is one of the fire trucks that protected the estate grounds.

The cars had very plush interiors - I wouldn't mind riding around in one of these(:

These cars are housed in a room whose walls are covered with a continuous mural of the Royal hunting party. Even the back of the open door was painted, so that it wouldn't disrupt the scene.

This is the trophy room that the kids enjoyed so much. It was a little strange to have all of these heads mounted on walls, but the kids didn't seem to care. They quickly found their favorites. They did ask if the animals were watching them, because all of the fake eyes seem to look right at you /:

He looks like he's staring right at you, right?

These ivory tusks were intricately carved with great skill. I could not believe how much detail and depth they displayed.

Kiersten wanted to pose in front of the lions, but seems just a bit nervous about them staying put(:

The guide asked Kaitlin if she had any questions and she promptly asked if there were any leopards. Her school mascot last year was a leopard, so she was overjoyed that they had one in the museum.

Sandringham - The Queen's Country Estate

Last weekend, we drove about an hour north to Sandringham, the country home of Queen Elizabeth II. While the entire estate consists of 20,000 acres, Sandringham House is set on 60 beautifully landscaped acres. It is the personal property of the Royal Family, as opposed to the many other palaces and castles that are owned by the state. It has been in the family for 4 generations (since ~1862) and it is where the Royal Family spends Christmas each year. After walking the grounds, I can understand their love for the beautiful home and gardens.

The kids loved trying to use their maps to find the way. Dallin was quite adamant that we were going the wrong way, and pointed to his map to prove it(:

Isn't it just amazing! We walked several miles around the grounds and just couldn't get enough of it. The home, itself, was very pretty, but we weren't allowed to take pictures inside. The kids were mostly interested in the large collections of antique weaponry and armor, while Brandon asked the guides questions about politics and history.

Happy Baby Boy - 7.5 Months

Devin is an amazing baby. He is always calm and cheerful. He adores his brother and sisters, and they adore him in return. His pleasant demeanor has made this transition to England SO much easier. (These photos were taken in the beautiful Sandringham Forest, across the road from the Queen's country home.) We love you, buddy!

Time4Learning

I've been invited to try Time4Learning for a month in exchange for a candid review. Their online program can be used for homeschool, as an after school tutorial and forsummer learning. My opinion will be my own, so come back and read about my experience. You can write your own curriculum review, too!

Fish and Chips

I've heard about fish and chips, but never had this traditional English dish. I have to say that although I probably won't order it again, it was the largest serving of fish(cod) I've ever seen. It was bit greasy for my taste, but I'm glad that I tried it. (Chips=french fries, crisps=potato chips). We ate at the Bird in Hand Pub near one of the bases. It is quite family friendly with separate rooms for the bar and dining room. They also have outdoor dining. You order and pay at the bar, then they bring the food to you. No tip expected.

Some Scenic Views

Here are a few pics from our drives in the country. I haven't had my camera handy during a lot of drives, but I absolutely love the forest drives that open up to beautiful vistas. Most of the drive from our new home to base or church is through the forest or country.

Driving in the UK

So, I know that I've told many of you how nervous I was about driving here. I thought it would be because we drive on the left side of the road here, but really it is scary because the steering wheel in on the right side of the car and the roads are VERY narrow.

Now that we've been here a few weeks, I feel much more comfortable, but I still haven't ventured out driving without Brandon in the car with me. The roads don't seem quite as narrow, but I still don't really have a clue where things are. It's comforting having Brandon there to tell me which exit to take on the round-about and basically encourage me by telling me that I'm doing a good job(: Here is proof that I can drive our amazing rental car, a Toyota Picnic. It fits the whole family and can never get lost in parking lot (it's brighter than it looks in the picture).