A lot has happened in 2013. Ben finished his Masters Degree, we sold almost everything we owned, moved to London, and started new jobs. I have every reason to believe that 2014 will be just as exciting, but with different challenges and adventures. I can't wait!
We were lucky to have Ben's sister come and visit us for 10 days over Christmas and New Year's. It was so much fun to have her come visit and we did so many exciting things. When she arrived on Christmas Eve we wrapped all the presents, and decorated the Christmas Tree (bush) with the dala horses I made. On Christmas Eve we made mushroom risotto with brochette and had chocolate pudding pie for dessert.
Ben was really exited for Christmas this year and wanted to open all the presents on Christmas Eve (a German tradition), but as we only had a few gifts this year I told him that we had to wait until Christmas morning. At 7:30am on Christmas morning Ben woke me and Lisa up. We had to wait to open presents while I finished making cinnamon rolls. Once the rolls were on their final rise we started opening gifts.
Lisa is planning on moving on moving to London this summer, so she is paring down her possessions. Due to this we decided to give her "experiences" for Christmas, and several boxes of Kinder Happy Hippos. We decided to give to tickets to see The Royal Ballet perform Jewels, and tickets American Psycho The Musical, staring her favorite Matt Smith. It was fun to go the the theater and ballet while she was here, and we now have fun memories of these experiences.
Lisa gave us cute measuring spoons and mugs from Anthropologie as well as a darling sweater for me and a new winter coat for Ben. Ben's parents got me a cute lama necklace that I absolutely love, and went in on the winter coat for Ben. My family and I got Ben the new google phone for Christmas, as his old smart phone would not have worked here in England.
For Christmas lunch/dinner we made a roast turkey breast, mashed potatoes, mushroom gravy, a salad with apples, crasins, feta, and walnuts, roasted carrots, and leftover chocolate pudding pie. Christmas evening we watched the Dr. Who Christmas special, followed by the Downton Abbey Christmas special. And that was Christmas.
Here is a photo of Ben and Lisa heading home from the Airport on Christmas Eve. So cute. I love this picture.
We did a fair amount of sightseeing while Lisa was here. Here we are outside of Westmister Abbey.
One of the things Lisa wanted to do while she was here was go to Cambridge. So on Monday 30 December, we took a train up for the day. Cambridge is absolutely beautiful. Here is a picture of Kings College. The weather was so so on Monday. It would go from being sunny and bright, to overcast and windy. Then it would rain, but that is England for you.
The Cambridge University Press bookstore. We spent a good amount of time looking at all the books here, and could have spent a lot more if we weren't so cold and on the hunt for hot chocolate.
Another building in Cambridge, right across from the Cambridge University Press store. Cambridge was wonderful and I am fully planning on going back again in the summer, when it is a little warmer, and we can walk around and experiences the beautiful parks and rivers.