Ellys only day

no I didn't spend the day alone but I did spend the whole day with a fabulous girl who shares my name. Ellie Hall and I had wonderful adventures today. It all started on the way to the underground station and we got a little side tracked by H&M. And by a little side tracked I mean we spent 2 hours there, but you cant really blame us because there were 3 floors. It was really fun shopping with Ellie because we have similar taste and more than once I would find something cute but put it back because it was too short and then the Ellie who is a few inches shorter would come along and try it on, it was pretty funny. We found some pretty cute things and Ellie bought some of them. The things I found were a little out of my price range but there was one dress that if I keep thinking about I might have to go back and get.
So after our shopping detour we got to our tube station, I was happy to be there and Eliie was happy to have clothes! :)

So we went to a part of time we had never been to just to try a lunch place that was recomended in one of our tourist books. Well the part of town reminded me a lot of home......the monument street part of home...or the Oakland part of home! not really the greatest neighborhood. Well we held onto our purses a little tighter and went to find the restaurant but when we got there it was more of a night club than a place to eat.

so we had a good laugh and went to a little cafe place where we actually had really good food.

After our lunch adventure we decided to go to Greenwich and the Prime Meridian. So we got on a train and with some confusion, some figuring out and a lot of laughter we got ourselves there.

On the train
Once in Greenwich, which a super cute little town we went in a book store, took pictures by a stereotypical red phone booth and found our way to the Royal Observatory.

We may have also gotten side tracked by a really cute little coffee, ice cream and cake place. One thing I've learned about being with Ellie is that we both have a weakness for sweets so if we are just with the two of us it can kinda be a problem. But it was worth it because they had Hokey Pokey ice cream and really good chocolate cake.

So after our sweet break we made our way up to the observatory




we stood in two hemispheres at once, A walk to Remember has got nothin on us.

We also went through the museum part really quickly, Ellie actually kept up with my museum speed which was great.


After that Ellie and I decided to try and find this little garden that we spied from the observatory. We found it and it was absolutely beautiful. I really loved just sitting in it and just enjoying the sounds and ambiance of the afternoon. It really was like a movie set, birds were chirping and everything.

After that we headed home. It really was a great day and it was kind of fun because neither of us had a watch so we really didn't know what time it was all day long.

Just a great Ell(y/ie) day! :)

Hamlet put on some pants please!

So yesterday was a fun day. In the morning we went on a boat ride on the river Thames. It was a beautiful day and I still don't believe people who say that London has bad weather because I still haven't seen any. The boat ride was fun and I didn't even get sick so that was a major plus.

After the Boat ride we went on a bus tour around the city. Our program was all supposed to go on it together but our teacher decided to just give us the tickets and let us go whenever we wanted. It was really fun to just get a lay-out of the city because whenever we go anywhere we just go on the underground so you don't really get a sense of where things are in relation to each other. So two things I noticed while on the Bus Tour:

It was a bad day to where my hair down :)

I have really cute friends

So after we got off the bus tour we went home and then to the Globe to see Hamlet. So I don't like Hamlet in the first place but add bad actors, a Hamlet who only wears long-johns the whole time and you really have The Tragedy of Hamlet. It was so bad that I was getting really excited when people started dying because it meant that it was almost over. I was even envious of Polonius because he gets to die before everyone else, seriously I wanted to be put out of my misery.

this was us before we knew what torture we would endure for the next 3 hours!!!

Flump.

So today was a pretty relaxed day. We had class in the morning but we got kicked out of our building early because the missionaries were using it, I think it was a zone conference. After class I went to Primark, its a fun store but it was crazy busy so I didn't spend long there. After shopping I just had some Elly time. It was really nice to spend some time alone. I just walked around the city a little and took in the sites and enjoyed the beautiful day. We have been so blessed with the weather here, sometimes I don't believe I'm in London because it's so beautiful.
After I got home I did some homework and worked out and laughed really hard with Ellie and Cali. It seems to be a trend that whenever I'm with those two I laugh really hard which is great because I'm with them a lot so I get to laugh a lot. We also figured out that because we actually live here we have to usually take one day out of the week to do boring stuff like homework and clean and grocery shopping so today was that day this week. But it was worth it because we rewarded ourselves with going out to dinner after we were done.
Dinner was so great. We went to a little Thai place near our house and now I think I might be addicted. I got Pad Thai and it was really really good and not too expensive.



After dinner we decided to go get a treat. So we walked around for a while and while we were walking Ellie and I were using words to describe us and she came up with the word Flump. It was really funny and we were laughing about it pretty much the rest of the night so that's why its my title today. So we found a crepe and gelato place to get a treat and it was the best gelato I have had so far. I got raspberry which was so fresh it tasted just like creamy cold fresh raspberries. and the other flavor I got was mandarin orange/ coconut. It was the best flavor combination ever. I loved it so so much. I am going to have a really hard time not going back all the time. Its really bad that it's so close to where I live. It was a great ending to a great, relaxing day.

we also found a sub shop called Miss Ellie's so Ellie and I had to take a picture. :)

Temple Tuesday.

So on Tuesday we went to the London Temple. Unfortunately it is not actually in London so we had to take the underground, a train, and a taxi to get there but it was actually a fun adventure there and back.

We got to do baptisms for the dead which was a great experience to have with the other people in my group. It was also really cool because the three guys in our group got to do the baptizing and our two teachers did the confirmations. It was a very cool experience especially because the temple workers were so excited because our group was so big.
After being in the temple we had time to walk around the temple grounds. The London Temple grounds are so beautiful and I couldn't help taking lots of pictures so here they are. :)

Part of the beautiful grounds

The temple


A picture of the majority of the group, and me and some flowers


more pretty pictures

really cute ducks! I thought Erin would appreciate these ducks! :)

So after the Temple we came home for a while and then went to see Warhorse. Warhorse was a great show about a horse in WWI. It was great because all the horses were puppets but were too amazing to explain. I wasn't a fan of the parts where they only talked in French or German because I felt like I was missing out on the story and I also wasn't a huge fan of some of the actors but the horses were absolutely amazing. I wish I had pictures to explain it better but I don't. Anyone who comes to London, this would be a good show to see.
And that was basically my day.

Oh my gosh, Oh my gosh you guys! :)

So before you think I'm crazy, let me just say that the title comes from Legally Blonde the Musical, but I'll talk about that later.
So Monday started with class which was as thrilling as ever. After class we went to the Tower of London. It was a little funny getting there because we got out of class at 12:15 and they told everyone to meet at the Tower at 1pm, this wouldn't of been a big deal except we didn't all go together so we didn't all end up there till about 2.
The Tower of London is also by Tower Bridge, and an Ice Cream Truck.

The Tower of London was very cool and nothing like I pictured in my mind. When I thought of it I expected just one big tower but its actually more like a castle but right in the middle of the city so that was pretty awesome. So it is surrounded bu a mote which now has grass instead of water because I guess the water was pretty smelly, but that makes sense because it was basically filled with sewage. then there are several smaller towers and buildings that make up the outer wall and in the middle is the White Tower. So I'll just highlight some of my favorite parts:
One of the coolest things is that right when we got there they started a little performance about one of the prisoners who was kept there. It was really fun and it was actually a true story so it was nice to hear some of the history in a non-boring way.

Another part that was really cool was seeing the Crown Jewels. The were all so very pretty and as a girl I couldn't help but ooo and ahh. :) One of them had the Star of Africa which is a 503 carat diamond. It was really pretty but being that big it really looks fake!
So my mom will really appreciate the thing I found most interesting in the room. That was where they displayed all the gold dinner sets that they use for banquets they had really ornate boxes for the salt. They were awesome, unfortunately I wasn't allowed to take pictures but they were very cool. It was also interesting to learn that they were designed with lock because the royalty would lock their salt when they weren't using it because salt was suck an easy thing to poison. That was just so neat to me.
The other cool part was in the White Tower they had the armory and I thought that all the suites of armor were very cool as was the book of records or the tower, It was huge and of course the chopping block.





This is the White Tower, and the top of the white tower through the window of another tower, I thought it was pretty cool. Don't worry I don't get much more artsy than this. :)


So there is also a legend about the ravens, that if they ever leave that the tower will crumble and the empire will fall so I'm hear to report that they are still there. and so were some Knights.

So after the Tower Ellie, Cali, and I decided to see Legally Blonde the Musical. It was so so so fun. I was laughing so hard I cried at one point. Most of the time I was laughing was because it was so incredibly ridiculous. So it was a really fun show to see and the music is really catchy. I also liked it because they managed to create songs about some of my favorite things. For example there was a song called Blood in the Water, which was about Lawyers. and there was another called shopping for guys, about shopping. The funniest song of all was "gay or European" it was hilarious! It was a really fun night. It was a really long day but a good day.

My Mother

So because it is Mother's day I have been thinking a lot about what I could give my mother. I figured since I'm half way around the world that a verbal present would be the best so here it is!

Why I Have the best mother for Me.
She taught me to be a strong, independent, assertive woman.
~because of my mother I have never been afraid to ask for something I want. I have the ability to do things for myself and I am pretty convincing too, this all came from my mothers example.
She taught me how to cook.
~ this seems like a silly thing but it amazes me how many people my age have no idea how to cook. I'm so grateful that my mother has passed on to me her skills of cooking, because of this I am able to make a meal from whatever random things I have in my cupboards. I could totally win Chopped :)
She taught me how to walk really fast.
~living in London has made me realize that I walk a lot faster than most people, I know his comes from my mom because I use to have to keep up with her. I'm grateful for this skill because it really keeps me from wasting time!
She taught me to be clean and organized.
~ I know she won't believe this but I really have become a tidy person. From all the years of hearing "don't put it down, put it away!" I have learned that having a clean and organized livins space makes life more relaxing and pleasant. Living with people who don't understand this makes me really grateful that I have learned this.
She taught me to shop for quality, style and a bargain.
~ there really isn't a better shopping companion for me than my mother. Her and I have similar styles and always have fun shopping together. I'm so glad I leaned the importance of buying good quality and good prices instead of buying for the brand.
She taught me how to travel light and fast.
~I attribute the fact that I can come to London with only a carry on to the fact that my mother taught me how to pack sensibly. I also am grateful when I have her as a Museum buddy because no one gets through them quite like we do.
She taught me how to be a teacher.
~ I have never been affraid to lead or take charge in a group. I love to teach to and this mostly comes from my admiration for my other and her strong teaching and leading skills. There really is no better teacher than my Mother.
She taught me to be loving.
~I have learned all from my mothers example the importance of loving other people, even when it is hard to do. I have also never wondered if my mother loved me, she always has and I have always known it. I hope my children can say that about me when I'm a mom.
She taught me how to be excited.
~ the cutest thing my mom does is when she gets really excited. anyone in my family knows what I'm talking about. Well I've seen to have developed this same trait. And even though my sisters tease and say "I pull a mom" when I do it, I take that a a compliment.
And last but not least she gave me her good looks but was nice enough to let me have some of dad's height! ":)
~Everyone tells me that I look just like my Mother and I really don't think their is any greater compliment because my mother is beautiful.
And so much more.
~I could keep going on forever because you have taught me so many wonderful things.

Mother I love you, Mother I do,
Father in Heaven has sent me to you,
when I am near you, I love to hear you,
whisper so softly that you love me too.
Mother I love you, I love you, I do.

Lea Valley Ward

So today we were assigned to our various wards around the city. With six others from the group, I was assigned to the Lea Valley Ward. The building we meet in is about an hour away by walking and tube. It was an experience to leave at 7:45 in the morning. I am grateful that our ward meets in the morning though because there is another group that goes to the same building after we do and they don't get home until about 5:30. SO a little bit about my ward. Today there were only about 70 people in sacrament meeting, we meet in a real ward building but the chapel didn't have pews, just chairs. It really made me think of the wards that we use to visit in New Zealand. There were people from a lot of different places in our ward. A majority of them had very strong diverse African accents and Jamaican accents. The people were very loving and welcoming and I am excited to get to know them better.


So every Sunday we have mini firesides with our group. Tonight we had a visitor who lived through the second world war and he gave a presentation on it. It was really interesting and it was nice to get a history of what it was like over here during that time.
So that was my Sunday, relaxing and spiritual, exactly what a Sunday should be. :)