The Lynton Hotel

Our favorite way to travel in Europe is to stay at Bed & Breakfasts. Since we planned this trip at the last moment, our favorite London B&B was full. After researching places online, and trying to find the most economical option to help us survive the poor exchange rate between dollars and pounds, I booked us two triple rooms at the Lynton Hotel. This was a quirky little place and our rooms had the bathrooms down the hall. But the beds were very comfortable and the breakfast was good. And since we spent most of our time out in the city--it was just the kind of place were were looking for.

What a way to start the new year!

The Jensens go to London

Since Joe will be leaving for the MTC before spring break, we decided to take the kids on one last quick trip as a family. We used my vacation passes and flew first class to London. What a treat that was! Everyone thought we were crazy to fly so far for such a short time, but we had a wonderful time.

We spent the first day seeing the sites by hopping on and off a double decker bus and walking around London. We stopped at Buckingham Palace, Parliament and Big Ben, Westminster Abbey and Trafalgar square for photos and went into the National Gallery to warm up and see some art. We also hopped on the tube and visited Platform 9 3/4--a must do for all the Harry Potter fans in our family. That day we enjoyed lunch at an English pub and dinner at an Indian restaurant. Erin, our most picky eater, decided Indian food was not for her. So she watched us eat and then I walked her across the street for a happy meal while the rest of the family waited to pay the bill. What a silly girl!

Our second day was spent touring the Tower of London and visiting the British Museum. This was a great day. Melissa and I went to London back in 2000, and after visiting the British Museum we found a Greek restaurant nearby where we had dinner. Our goal was to try and find this restaurant again, but we really couldn't remember which way to go looking for it. So after we left the museum, we walked down the street to buys some souvenirs. As we were making our final purchase, Greg spotted a little Greek restaurant down the road. It wasn't the same place, but the food was excellent so we won't complain. This time we took a business card just in case we are in London again and craving Greek food.

We were supposed to fly home on the noon flight the following day, but after checking the flights at bedtime we discovered that flight was nearly sold out. So we got up early to head to the airport to catch the 9:30 flt. This mean missing our B&B breakfast, which made us sad, but also guaranteed us first class on the flight home so it was probably worth the sacrifice. At the airport we discovered that the British are much more strict on carry on luggage than we are here in the US. Bags we carried on the same type of plane in the US, had to be checked on our return flight. This made for a more hurried experience at the airport which left me kind of frazzled. But in the end we got all the bags checked and were still able to make it to our gate with time to spare. All in all, this was a wonderful trip and a great way to spend some quality family time together before Joe leaves for Colorado.

On the Gatwick Express heading into London







Jet lag catches up to half the family on the double decker bus tour.









Waiting for the tube



















Hanging out with the Lions in Trafalgar square

Erin

Erin is a crazy 8th grader that is constantly making us laugh. She is playing the Bass Clarinet this year and currently trying out for the track team. Erin is a cuddly girl who always likes to be close to those she loves. She got braces this year and loves her new and improve smile in spite of all the metal. She is looking forward to attending girls camp again this year and also going to EFY for the first time.

Erin also loves going new places and is constantly changing her mind about where she wants to live when she grows up. Currently she wants to live in London and go to Oxford. She loves animals and wants to work with elephants someday (not sure how that will fit in with an Oxford education). Over Christmas she got to touch and feed some sting rays and now she hopes to travel somewhere exotic this summer where she can swim with them.

Rachel

Rachel has a vibrant personality and a blast to be around. She is our social butterfly who seems to be gone more than she is at home. She is still playing the tuba in her high school marching band. She has two leadership positions in the band and is involved in several clubs at school. Rachel is also super smart. She has a pretty tough schedule at school and works hard to stay on top of Physics, Pre-Cal and her AP classes. This past fall she was inducted into the National Honor Society.

Last summer she worked at Sonic Drive In and loved having lots of spending money. She has been too busy with school and all her extra curricular activities to work during the school year, and is starting to worry about what will happen when all her money is gone. She is hoping to find a job she can work a couple of hrs a week in order to keep her social life funded.

Joseph

Joe decided not to go to college this fall, and instead focus on getting his mission papers completed in hopes of getting out in the mission field close to his birthday. We soon discovered that everything took twice as long as we expected to complete. But he persisted, and finished all the requirements, including having all 4 of his wisdom teeth removed. This was one of the funniest experiences we have had with Joe. After he came out of surgery, he was singing to the radio and waiving to people out of the car window. He entertained us for about half an hour before he went to sleep. It was only after he woke up and the anesthesia had worn off that we realized we should have video taped him. Probably could have made a lot of money on America's Funniest Home videos. Oh well, at least we have a good story for parties.

Right after Christmas, Joe finally received his mission call. He will be serving in the Colorado Denver South mission and will report to the MTC on March 5. He is very excited to start his mission, and is actively preparing for his new routine. His morning schedule includes a lengthy study period followed by exercise. Then he even helps me around the house. He has a strong testimony and we know he will be a great missionary!