strawberry picking

Here in England it's strawberry season, and that means it's picking time. We went to a nearby farm with some friends and got our pick on!

There was a particular kind called Marshmellow Strawberries, and they were the best.

I think Brody ate more than he picked but we all did our fair amount of tasting.

And here was our brood of misfits.

 



 

Next to the farm was a field of poppies! Makes me think of the Wizard of OZ

 

And just like that..It's over!

We have a high school graduate!

 

 

We attended a beautiful graduation at Ely Cathedral built in the 12th century, what an experience.  Just enjoy the pictures!

 

courtesy of Wikipedia

 

Her graduating class was a little over 100 people.

 

 

 

 



Senior Baccalaureate

My baby girl just walked out of high school for the last time. I was so excited for her, I can still remember her fist day of school and it's I feel like time has flown by.

 

 

 I still have a long way to go before I'm an empty nester, but I'll cherish every minute with my kids.

 

 

 

Aww.. to be young again and have the whole world ahead of you.  

 

 

Sydney's senior baccalaureate was really nice, there were some great speeches and the students gave all of their parents a rose, which almost made me cry.

When I think of all we have gone through with a teenage girl, I want to cry and laugh at the same time.

 

When we arrived in England last year, Sydney was not very happy. She had to leave friends, a job, freedom and a lot of her independence. She had to leave a place she had known as her home for the last 10 years. One of the first places we went as a  family was to the base chapel and through the chapel we made some great friends. Sydney became involved in an organization called Club Beyond and even became a teen leader. She had the opportunity to mentor kids that were in middle and high school. She got to travel to Austria in December and attended Club almost every Monday and Thursday. But most of all I believe that Sydney got to know God, and that he was with her through this difficult transition.

 

These two people are the Club leaders and were our saving grace. They have been great mentors and helped Sydney grow in her Christian faith more than ever.

 

Sydney and one of her best friends, Beth.

 

I have no clue what's going on with my hair! But other than that, it's a great picture of our little family.

White Cliffs of Dover

Memorial day weekend we took a trip to Dover and walked the area around the beautiful white cliffs. It was a pretty day and a rare sunny day, in May. Dover is a large hub for travelers taking the ferry  to France.

We had a picnic lunch, and walked along the trails, took in all the views.

There is a trail that takes you all the way to the light house which is approximately 2 miles away but it felt a lot further.  We didn't climb down the cliff because the stairs were so steep and I wasn't sure Brody would be able to handle it.

Sitting on the edge of the world. This is a not a place I would have brought my son if he were a toddler, it's just too scary.

 

This is a photo of the ferry docks, these aren't the kind of ferries that I'm used to seeing, they are the biggest I've ever seen.

It's really hard to tell in this picture but just to the left of these kayaks, is a remnant of a ship.

Some parts of the path were really steep.

 

 

 

As I mentioned earlier, it was Memorial weekend and there were a lot of people visiting the Dover Castle and the cliffs. Had we gone down the cliffs towards the shore we would have found the tunnels that were used by the Brits in WWII. Next time we visit, there will not be as many people and we will try and find them.

Dover is a beautiful coastline that I'm sure we will see again. It was great way to spend the day and take advantage of the warm weather we are having.