Plays Well With Others

Just a note to say thank you for your support and prayers during our travels to and from London. It was a wonderful trip largely because the students were so wonderful. They worked so well as a group. Spending that much time together can create conflict, but they were able to sort through differences and get along. We owe that blessing to you parents. A huge thank you to Brad Resiniger our fearless tour guide. He was informed, fun, and protective of the kids at every point of the trip. And thank you to Mrs. Houck who could not have put together a better trip that allowed everyone to see and do a little of what they wanted. Lastly, thank you to the OCS students. Your flexibility, ability to laugh at all things, and care for each other made this the trip of a lifetime!

Boarding

Our flight out of London is running on schedule and we are standing in
line to board now. We will call and post as soon as we land in Dallas.
Thank you for your prayers and please continue to pray for us on our
final leg of the trip!

The Eagle Has Landed

Hello, all! Our plane has just landed in Dallas are we will be going to
reclaim our baggage and check in for our final flight into Orlando. Our
phones must be off while we go through customs, but we will call home
soon!

Goodnight London

We strolled through St. James Park on the way to Buckingham Palace. The crocus were just blooming and people had gathered to feed the swans at
the duck pond. We watched the changing of the Queen's guard and then
split up for the afternoon. Some of the girls returned to Camden market.
Others visited The War Rooms and The Tate Museum. After a quick break at
the apartment we took in sights and sounds of Herrod's. Matthew tried
Turkish Delight and the girls picked out some last minute gifts. We rode
one of London's famed double decker red buses though the city to recap
the places we had been and the things we had seen. Dinner at a quaint
Italian resturant in the trendy Soho area of the city gave us a chance
to rest weary feet. We will head back to our apartments and start packing for our journey tomorrow. In the morning some of the kids want to take one final walk through Hyde Park before we close the door of the apartment for the last time and head out to catch our train. We will be home soon!

Westminster Abbey

How can one building hold so much history? Pics of Elizabeth I's tomb,
Poet's Corner, Chaucer's tomb, Shakespeare's Memorial, and St Michael's
Chapel.

Leslie

Our Last Adventure

What a night! There was something special about watching a very British story performed by local actors. It was a joyful evening after a long and
joyful day. After the play we stopped off for dinner at Planet Hollywood
and caught the last subway train back to our apartment. By the way,
aren't you interested in seeing our home away from home? I've attached a
few pics of our humble abode that lines Hyde Park. We split up for
breakfast this morning with the girls opting for a lite meal of
croissants, muffins, coffee, & hot chocolate. Matthew enjoyed a full
traditional English breakfast of baked beans, eggs, blood sausage, chips
(french fries), black pudding (made from kidneys and livers), and bacon.
Stomach of steel! Aren't you glad I don't have pictures of that???

It's all fun and games until somebody gets hurt . . .

After the London Eye we visited Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. Our tour
guide was the most 'animated' person we have ever met. If you tied his
hands behind his back, I doubt if he could have talked! We came across a
playground on the way to our subway stop. . . and well . . . you can see
what happened. We have enjoyed having Matthew & Mr. Reisinger travel
with us. They bring real balence to our group of girls, plus they give
us plenty to laugh about. Today alone they were the first on the
playground, Matthew got stuck in a revolving door, and Mr Reisinger
walked into a pole (of course, neither of them was hurt).

On a different note, you would be so impressed with the kids' ability to
navigate the subway system. After just a few days they are able to
anticipate line changes and the complex routes of the Tube. They are
usually leading wherever we go. We are getting ready to leave for the
theatre. Only one more day in our London!

A Room with a View

The London Eye is by far one of our favorite stops so far! We are on the south side of London today and will try to squeeze in a few museums,
Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, and possibly the London Dungeon.

Because we haven't been cold enough . . .

Time Travelers

Its is a clear and brisk morning here in London. Our group traveled 90 minutes SW of London to mystic Stongehenge. We dined on cheese scones
and baggettes as we took in the sites. Our journey took us deep into the
country side of England. Winding hills filled with sheep led us through
Somerset and other ancient villages along our way to Glastonbury. On the
way we stopped at Glastonbury Tor (tor is the Celtic word for hill) that
rises 500 ft above sea level. Some chose the steep hike to the top
while others enjoyed the view from the bottom :) The Tor has been a
place of pilgrimage for 10000 years. On the summit of the tor is St
Michael's Tower, part of a 14th century church and the scene of the
hanging of Richard Whiting, the last Abbot of Glastonbury. The lower
slope of the tor is home to four apple orchards. In warmer weather the
hill side is populated by flowers and painted lady butterflies. We made
our way over to Chalise Garden home of the Chalise Well. Tradition has
it that water that bubbles from the brook has healing powers. It was an
incredibly peaceful place with daffodils, benches in shady alcoves, and
rolling grass hills. There are three Holy Thorn Trees in the garden.
Every year at Easter a branch is cut from these trees and presented to
the Queen. We drove into the village of Glastonbury and made lunch at
The Mitre Inn. Roasted pork and lamb with potatoes and Yorkshire Pudding
were the specialty of the day. Our final stop of the day was Avebury.
It is home to the largest Neolithic stone circles in the world. The area
is surrounded by mysterious crop circles, a stately Victorian manor
house, and neighboring church and graveyard. Three hundred miles and 10
hours later we returned to our apartments. We've just finished dinner
where some of us dined on sushi and others went to a local mexican
resturant. We are heading over to the ice rink and bowling ally to cap
off our day. Cheers!