Living in England

A few years ago I saw a writing/blogging challenge to write about the same topic every day in the month of October.  I liked the idea at the time but didn't really have a subject in mind.  Now that summer and moving and birthdays are behind our family I wanted to catch up on sharing pictures of things we saw and did over the summer, and I was reminded of the 31 Day Writing Challenge. People probably wouldn't want to read "31 Days of Vacation Photos," but I could write a little bit every day about living in England, which gives me the opportunity to to share pictures as well as all the new language differences I've been recording since I posted I've Heard it Both Ways.  

So here we go! (A full list of the posts in this series can be found at the end of this post.)

We love having visitors from home, and at the end of July we had Billy Jones (or Bill Jones as he is now known in the grown-up world) stop by for a few days on his way home from the Czech Republic.  We showed him around town on the day of his arrival, and while KJ got some work done on the following day, the kids and I took him to visit Newby Hall.

One of the best things we've done in our first year living in North Yorkshire is to become members of the different organizations that help run and upkeep historical places around the country.  For the price of about two visits you can have unlimited entry, which for a place this close to us with an amazing playground and beautiful gardens is completely worth it.  It's a lovely place to bring guests or to meet friends for the afternoon.

Billy didn't have too many things on his England bucket list, but scones and tea were of course a priority experience, so we had lunch under a tent in the garden, but since we're in England we'll call it a marquee.

After being suitably fortified we went for a walk.  It had been a really rainy week, which made the gardens look beautiful and lush.  Everything was so green, especially in my favorite garden, the Rock Garden.

I loved these beautiful thistles.  Various shades of blue and purple were everywhere on this particular day.

The rain gave all the plants a lovely glow, especially these happy daisies.

This fuzzy baby duck was light enough to walk across the lily pads.

As you can see, Billy donned one of KJ's flat caps so he could have the full Yorkshire experience.

The Rose Garden smelled amazing, and thankfully, James did not fall into the fountain.  He looks suspiciously like he's trying to steal some coins.

Of the many things we've learned living in England, one of them is the great fun and enjoyment you can get out of being a tourist and exploring the area where you live.  Of all the places we've seen, we've actually only left Yorkshire twice in the past 11 months!  When you're living in a new place it's really good for your family to create new memories and shared experiences, but I think the lesson of exploring the place where you live is something we will carry with us no matter where we live in the future.  There are always new places to explore and learn about; it's sometimes just so easy to ignore them out of familiarity.  For instance, next time we're in Tuscaloosa I'm totally going to Moundville, because why did I never do that?  

Isn't the color of these flowers amazing? I have no idea what they are, but it's the most beautiful flower color I've ever seen.

I hope you'll enjoy the next month's glimpses of life for Americans in England!

Day 1 - September Round-Up

Day 3 - On Driving in England and Being Held Fast

Day 4 - The Castle Howard Gardens

Day 5 - Bookstores Galore

Day 6 - The Kindness of Others

Day 7 - Favorite Snack Foods, reunited at last

Day 8 - Inside Castle Howard

Day 9 - Medieval Day

Day 10 - Rowing on the River Nidd

Day 11 - A Driving Update + One Picture

Day 12 - Saltburn by the Sea

Day 13 - Capstick Cottage:  The Kitchen

Day 14 - An Early Autumn Afternoon at Ripley Castle

Day 15 - Seize the Sunshine

Day 16 - Alnwick Castle

Day 17 - Country Walking

Day 18 - I've Heard it Both Ways, Vol. 2

Day 19 - Apple Harvest and the Gift of His Presence

Day 20 - Driving in England

Day 21 - Bamburgh Castle

Day 22 - School Days

Day 23 - A Beautiful Day

Day 24 - Adventure in Gloucestershire

Day 25 - Selfies at Stonehenge

Day 26 - Lacock Abbey

Day 27 - One Year in England