Missy's Whirlwind Trip to the UK

Missy just spent a jam-packed few days with us here in the UK. She was here at the start of her week-long European adventure, and we did our best to make sure that she saw & did everything she hoped to see & do while she was here. (Although, sadly, we did not have an Amy Winehouse celebrity sighting!) We've known Missy since the days when her family lived next door to us. She looked a little different then...!What a cutie pie! (And when you look a the whole photo, you can also see her brother, across from her in yellow, who is now a professional hockey player.)
Missy was one of our favorite kids ever, and she is as fantastic today as she was then. Just much cooler. She arrived bearing gifts for Tessa and Emma, which made her a big hit. Among the things she brought was this super-long-fingered gardening glove with bells & cat toys attached to the fingers. Perfect for playing with kittens who have claws!! They loved it.After a little kitty bonding, we hit the road. We toured the Southeast England countryside, and visited Brighton and Beachy Head. The weather was picture perfect, but quite windy at the shore!
We introduced Missy to pubs and their traditional English ales -- warm and with no carbonation. Not sure she's a convert, but she was game to try! The next day was filled with London sights. We hit all of the highlights, including Buckingham Palace... ...the Tower of London.... ...Big Ben and Parliament... ...the London Eye...
...and St Paul's Cathedral. D and I had never been inside of the St Paul's before, and loved it. We all climbed the stairs to the dome for the phenomenal views across London. (By the way, the 257 steps up were nothing for a recent NCAA Division 1 athlete. But a couple of us were lagging behind slightly!)We could see much of the pre-Olympics construction going on around London: We traveled by double-decker bus, train, Tube, and taxi... ...and finished the day with dinner overlooking the Thames: The next day, before Missy departed for Germany, we toured Windsor Castle. Missy got close to a castle guard......until he shifted his weapon and scared her away!
It was a great weekend. Hurry back, Missy!