Life with Aidan Kai: London Part 1

We are now back from the UK and all I can say about our experience there is WOW! I am so thankful that we got to go and experience the UK and the people there and sooo thankful that Aidan got to experience it. I want him to grow up to know that there is much in the world to see and explore and it is so much bigger than the microcosm where we live ( wherever that is at the time lol!). Probably the thing that I loved most about London is the people there. I guess Aidan and I experienced it a little differently than most people because Clinton works there on a regular basis and we have over 150 Lifetime members there. I was already friends with many of them on Facebook and was so excited to finally meet in person the people that I have come to know on Facebook. I can't even put into words the hospitality of the people there! I hate to say it but Southerners with "Southern Hospitality" have nothing on the people from the UK. It really is like we have extended family there. The men there are like the antithesis of the stereotypical redneck. They are polite and thoughtful. A couple of them really saved my butt while Aidan and I were riding the public transportation giving me directions as to where to hop off the bus and giving me a hand with Aidans stroller. I never had to ask once for someone to help me with the stroller because there was always a nice gentleman offering assistance. I even witnessed men giving up their seats on the tube and bus so a woman could sit down. I can't tell you the last time I witnessed that here in the states or anywhere else! It was like a slap in the face when we landed in Chicago. I never realized how rude Americans really can be. Aidan and I were struggling in Chicago to go through Immigration, Customs, obtain our luggage, recheck our luggage, get through security and make our connecting flight on time. We were in a real time crunch and not ONE person was helpful or even smiled for that matter. If anything they made it much more DIFFICULT to accomplish. I swear the lady that checked our id's at security took 5 minutes! It was RIDICULOUS- it should not take longer than a minute to look at someones Passport and boarding pass. I really do LOVE the USA and don't want to sound like I am bashing our country, but traveling this time was a real eye opener and I will get off my soap box now.

Here are just a few of the pictures that I took. I will share more later.

Aidan and I had 4 hours to kill the day that we checked out of our hotel at London Heathrow ( where we had Play to Win) We had to check out of our room at 11 and someone wasn't picking us up until 4 ( Clinton had to drive the van with the equipment and crew so they could set up at the next venue for the advanced courses). I decided to grab a cab and spend the time in Windsor. I am so glad we did! Windsor is a charming little town and we got to tour Windsor Castle.

Aidan sitting in front of Windsor Castle. He seemed a little hesitant to go in the castle. When I asked him what was wrong he said, "are there going to be knifes (knights) in the castle?" First- I am amazed at the age of 3 he correlated castles and knights and Two- I guess the "knight" at the Marshall game really left a lasting impact. lol! The nice lady at the ticket office told him not to worry because the knights there were nice and the good guys. lol! You are not allowed to take photographs of the inside of the castle but it was breathtakingly beautiful! There were paintings ( Rembrandt's) there that had been hung centuries earlier. It is just mind boggling to think about. At one point Aidan slipped underneath one of the velvet ropes and was headed to one of the sofas there to have a little rest. Luckily I caught his shirt in time because the "sofa" was 300 years old and I don't think the Queen would appreciate a little boy laying on it. lol!

The town of Windsor. The little blue shop is Cath Kidston and one of my FAV's!

2 of the guards at Windsor Castle.

Our friend Jemma. She was Clinton's promoter and the one that brought him over to the UK. She has stayed with us several times in San Diego and even came over to babysit Annabelle and house sit for us when we went to Australia for Christmas a couple of years ago. She met us in London and took Aidan and I sight seeing. Here is Aidans first ride on one of the double decker buses. He was so excited and LOVED it!