Buster and the Backyard

The backyard is definitely our favorite part of the new house (we even have a bridge!). We like to think Buster likes it too. 

London: Day 4

Well, we made it through London. Day 4 was our last day and we took it a bit easier. We slept in a bit and started out on a Double Decker Bus Tour. We did The Original Tour and it was pretty good, with one exception. We started at Victoria Station and went out along the river, got to the Parliament Building and decided to get off the bus and grab some pics (since you can hop back on at any stop).

The building is huge and pretty amazing with all the Gothic architecture. It was interesting to find out that the different parties (Lords and Earls) enter through different doors, as well as the Queen has her own door when she comes for a visit.

London: Day 3 Part II

Alright. Time to finish this bad boy known as Day 3 of our London trip. Like I said, it was a beast. From the Tower of London, we grabbed some coffee at Starbucks (I know, I know but we needed a little energy boost after the Tower) under the Tower Bridge and then started walking towards St. Paul's. St. Paul's was probably my favorite church (and one of my favorite sites in general) on our trip. It was awe-inspiring. I thought I liked Westminster, but I had an "experience" at St. Paul's. We realized St. Paul's was where Princess Diana and Prince Charles were married. 

Summertime

Summer is quickly coming to an end and I have to say I'm a little bummed. Summer 2011 has been amazing and I am sad to see it go! It's so nice to be back in Seattle and enjoy some sunny weather (it's only rained maybe twice in the month that we've been back) and catch up with good friends with BBQs, hanging on the lake, and sunny happy hours. (I have to admit, I am looking forward to fall though!) Here's some of my favorite summer pics I rounded up on Pinterest.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Don't Forget

(source)

London: Day 3 Part I

Day three? Also jam packed (of course)! We spent most of the day at the Tower of London (spoiler alert - it's not just one tower, but like 15 towers). We got there right when it opened to avoid as many lines as possible and went straight for the Crown Jewels since we heard it gets super crowded. No line for us and we were able to go right in. We saw lots of gaudy gold chalices, plates, serving dishes, punch bowls, etc. as well as some royal robes and other royal wear. But the best part was the Crown Jewels. 

London: Day 2

Get ready, because day two was jam packed! This is a long one, people. Day Two was our Royal London day! I had been waiting for this day ever since April 29th when I got up at 1:30 AM to watch the Royal wedding. I love all things Royal and thus, all things London. We learned that Londoners are very proud of the Monarchy. Very proud. It is pretty cool though, just because there is so much history. I mean some of the buildings date back over 1,000 years! So crazy.

Buster the Stoner

This is my dog on crack. Just kidding. Or am I? This is actually Buster when he's super sleepy and tired. I love it. He's so funny. Sometimes I just laugh at with at him. Silly puppy.

London: Day 1

We started our trip off on the right note - got into Heathrow Airport at 7am after traveling for 24 hours (only about 15 hours with the time change), waited in line for customs for an hour and a half, couldn't get cash out of the ATMs, and took the Double Decker bus the wrong way. What a way to start a trip, right? We were just glad we started in London where people at least spoke some form of English.

After finally figuring out our daily cash withdrawal limit (shame on us for not checking before we went), we got to our hotel (Manor Hotel in the South Kensington & Chelsea District) in Earl's Court five hours later. Took a little two hour nap in our 4 x 5 hotel room (with a shared bathroom) and then we got to it and started walking. The view from our room...

With no plan in mind, we stumbled on the Victoria & Albert Museum. We hit it up right before they closed, but the best part is that all the museums in London are FREE! (How's that for the spending diet abroad?) The V&A had lots of medieval artifacts, some Greek statues, and a royal wing that had this HUGE famous bed. It was literally like two kings put together. I wish I would have gotten Zach in the shot for scale.

Next we stumbled on Harrod's. AKA Super-Fancy-Nordstrom. I felt out of place just walking through there (never mind that we looked like tourists already in our jeans and t-shirts). It is ginormous and had tons of fancy stuff. 

From there, it was on through Mayfair to scope out a Rick Steeve's recommended bar that was completely packed. So it was on to Hyde Park, then Picadilly Circus where we found a nice little place called The Stockpot that served traditional English fare. It was Shepard's Pie for the Hubby and Fish n' Chips for me. So good.

We wandered some more through Picadilly and SoHo (avoiding the "adult" alley... haha) then took the Tube home.

The best part about the Tube is the British lady that tells you where you are and where you're going at each stop. Picture in your best British accent the lady saying, "Please mind the gap between the train and the platform. This has been a Picadilly line service to Cockfosters." We cracked up whenever she would say Cockfosters. Yes, we are twelve year-olds.

Here are some more random shots from the day...

Without the signs on the roads, I'm positive I would have been hit by a car.

London, we loved you from the start.

Do What Makes You Oh-So Happy

Working on it.

London: Day 1 post coming up tomorrow!

I See London, I See France...

Here we go! I finally got my 2,500 + photos on to my computer, and I'm ready to share all our European adventures! Sorry if it gets a little boring, but since this is kind of like our little family scrapbook, I'm not going to spare any details. :) So buckle your seat belts, people! And get ready for some wicked awesome stories of our travels to London, Paris and Schwäbisch Hall, Germany. Here's a sneak peak...

Lots more to come!

Buster Has Spirit

Do you know what today is? The first day of football season! This is by far the Kane household's favorite season, and we are so glad to be back in Seattle cheering on our favorite team! Even BBoy is getting his teen spirit on in his new Seahawks jersey.

Isn't he a cutie?! We had to make him sit down for the picture. As you can see, the jersey is a little tight for his big barrel chest! He just stood there all awkward like he couldn't move his front two legs. Poor guy... his silly parents are quickly becoming "those" dog people. Haha.

At least this is one jersey that won't have to be replaced because another player leaves!

GO HAWKS! KA-KAA!

We're Baaaaaaack!

That's right people. We. Are. Back. Back in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. Woot! Woot!

This past month has been a whirlwind. We have been nomadic adventurers and it has been amazing (yet, exhausting!). In July, we: road tripped along the West Coast, attended a bachelorette party (minus Zach), went to four different countries, played on the beach in Seaside, drove across the state of Washington, caught up with old friends, unpacked our new house and danced the night away at two weddings. Whew!

And now we are le tired.

I'm so behind on loading pictures from our trips and writing about our adventures, but hopefully I'll get my act together soon! Until then, have a great week!