Make-A-Wish Trip - London Day 4 - Biking and the Science Museum

We must have all been tired. None of us moved until 10am Sunday morning. Our intention had been to go to church, at least to Sacrament meeting, but neither of us set an alarm and we were out. I'm not sure that I moved all night long -- my first night of actual sleep since we arrived. Ryan had wanted to go to the London Science Museum so we thought that this day was just as good as any to go. We all LOVED the museum. Alas, I am getting ahead of myself.

All around London there are bicycles for hire. You put your credit card into a machine and it spits out a code that will unlock a bike. Brett had wanted to have the experience of biking the streets, I did not want the experience. I was not looking forward to riding a bike without a helmet on the wrong side of the road. I've been hit once. I didn't want to experience another car. I lost. We rented the bikes and headed around the corner. The kids were doing great. I was a mess, but I followed behind making sure that if anyone was to get hit, it would be me. All was well until Ryan and I had given up a bit of space between Brett and Sydney and a double decker bus thought it a good idea to cut in between us all. It came very close to Syd. Ryan and I screamed for Syd to hurry out of the way. Then the crying ensued. I made it clear that riding a bike with children on the streets of London was a BAD idea. Syd felt like she had done something wrong. She hadn't. The bus just felt like it needed to be in between us all and it scared me more than I wanted to be scared on vacation. We ditched the bikes and then went and ate breakfast at a waffle place. They were delicious, and I now need to recreate the deliciousness at home.

After breakfast we walked to the Science Museum and to our surprise directly across the street was the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. We had no idea it was so close to our hotel. I felt horrible for missing, but told myself that perhaps we had made up for it by going to the temple just a few days before.

We spent hours in the museum. There was so much to see and I don't think we saw all that we could have. There were several exhibits there that allowed the kids to try fun things. Ryan was able to learn programming, and experience the amazing technology in 3D printing. Syd and I had separated ourselves from the boys and she spent a good hour in the Launch Pad room that had more activities than I can even remember. Because we had been separated for so long, I told Syd that we should probably make our way to find Brett and Ryan. For all I knew they were waiting in the front lobby. We went to the elevator and just as it opened, Brett came out. He had the same feelings I had and had come looking for us. He left Ryan at the exhibits and had been scouring the floors. I am happy that we were able to find each other and go back to where Ryan was having the time of his life. Sydney was able to make a craft that had lights sewn on it. We used conductor thread (I had no idea it even existed), and sewed stitches to the negative line of the light and the positive line of the light. We had a great time and were sad that they were closing as I would have loved to finish what I started as well.

 

The 'R' that Ryan made using a 3D Pen

Sydney's Craft. It's kind of hard to see, but the light on the left is lit up.

Yes, he was with us. He just always the had camera.

Thermal Heat Sensors...so cool

We left the museum and Brett wanted to try the bikes out again. We were very close to Hyde Park and he wanted to ride the bikes inside the park. He convinced me that we would not be on the streets again and we would just check out the park and be done. Well, we rented the bikes, rode the few blocks to the park and there was a sign on the park gate stating that the park was closed to bikes that day as there was a triathlon going on. Meh. As we were standing at the gate discussing whether or not we would ignore the sign (I'll let you decide for yourself what my opinion was), Sydney told us that she felt that her blood sugar was low. We checked and sure enough, she was in the 50's. She needs to be over 80 to be safe. So, our answer was made for us. We rode back to the nearest ice cream stand and got her an ice cream cone to bring her blood sugar up. By this time we were starting to get hungry. We ditched the bikes again and headed to get something to eat.

We found a place to eat and during our meal Brett realized that he no longer had his American Express card. We figured he had left it in the bike rental machine. It had been at least an hour since we left that place so we knew the chances of finding it were pretty slim. We walked back anyway just to check to see if anyone had taken it out of the machine and left it there. No luck. We then new that we had to make it back to the hotel so that we could call the credit card company. Brett couldn't use his International SIM to call a US number. I can't remember if I have mentioned this already, but I am SO grateful for Skype. I had purchased a $10 credit a few years ago and it came in handy several times on our trip.

After we had canceled the card we rested a bit and then headed back out to look around. We went to Picadilly Circus, London's version of Time Square and got dinner. We let the kids look at the things they might want to buy to bring home and then we called it a night.

Make-A-Wish Trip - London Day 3 - London Eye and a Big Surprise

As noon was approaching, Brett and I were getting a bit anxious to get over to the London Eye. We walked from Buckingham Palace to the Eye. It was lunch time and we were all hungry. Sydney had been begging for McDonald's since the time we got there. I hate that place. Our rule when we travel outside of our local area is that we have to try different food. No familiar eateries allowed. Today though, we needed to make an exception as we were pressed for time.

Ryan hates McDonald's as much as I do and had seen a sign to Subway so Brett took Syd into McD's and I took Ryan to Subway.

For the past 5 years Ryan has been interacting with the son of one of Brett's former co-workers. They are quite hilarious to listen to and they have become pretty good friends. For a day and a half Ryan kept telling us that he wanted to take the train/bus to see Benj. However, we knew that Benj was coming to see him, so we kept putting off the suggestion that we would allow him to go. He was getting a bit persistent, and we both put our feet in our mouths several times and had to recover.

Ryan and I got our food and headed back to meet Brett and Syd. McDonald's had a nice set of tables and chairs outside and we were hopeful to be able to eat with Brett, or at least take their seats when they were finished eating. We were very fortunate while in London, there was no rain most of the time we were there. The only downside was that it made for a lot of people. When we arrived back to McD's, the tables and chairs were full and Brett and Syd were sharing with a man and his daughter. Brett kindly gave up his chair for Ry and I stood near the table to eat my sandwich. Brett whispered to me that our friends were across the river and that he was going to get in a spot to video Ryan's reaction when he saw his buddy for the first time face-to-face.

I finished my sandwich and Ryan was scarfing his down. I had to remind him that the sandwich was not going anywhere. I kept watching the stairs for our friends. I finally found them as they were approaching us and I waved to Jez. They walked over to our table and Jez said something to Ryan. He didn't know who was talking to him. He looked passed Jez and saw Benj standing there. Ryan was SOOO excited.

We then spent the day with our friends. We sat in the park and visited, took a boat ride on the Thames river, and then rode the London Eye. The only downside to this day was that we were only able to spend about 4 hours with our friends. We were so sad that they had to leave so soon, but so grateful that they took the time, and spent the money to come and spend with us.

Miss Anna feeding the pigeons

This picture cracks me up. Anna wasn't hurting anything by feeding the birds, but it bothered her big brother :)

Doing what boys do best - electronics.

London Tower Bridge

Big Ben

Looking down from the Eye

Syd and her new friend.

Make-A-Wish Trip - London Day 3 - Tour of the City

On day 3 we were given tickets to the Panoramic Tour of London. We were a little apprehensive about the tour. We knew we would be boarding a bus, and driving around London. We had read a few forums online and the reviews were not great, but I have to be honest, I thoroughly enjoyed the tour. I love history. I love old buildings and I love imagining a time long ago. If only I could travel back in time and walk the streets of the many places I have been. There is something about walking throughout a city that has been around for hundreds of years that fascinates me.

Our courtesy shuttle arrived at our hotel at about 7:35am. The gentleman waiting for us wasn't too thrilled that we were not standing in the lobby waiting for him, but we had forgotten our tickets so we had to go back up to the room to grab them.

We stood in line for our actual tour bus for about a half hour. We were a bit nervous as we were the only 4 people in line and there were many other full lines. I approached the ticket desk twice to double check that we were in the right place. The lady assured me that we were in the right place. As we were led to load our tour bus, we were combined with another group that was actually going on a tour for the entire day. The ladies behind us in line were so put out that we 'took their seats'. Ha! I didn't feel bad that we got first pick of the bus.

Our first stop was Westminster Abbey. We got off the bus and took a few pictures. It is fascinating to me that the people are taxed for all of the elaborate buildings. I know government works in such ways, but so much of it seems so unnecessary.


























After we took a few pictures at Westminster Abbey, we boarded the bus again and drove a few of the streets of London. We had a great guide that educated us as to what all of the buildings were. Once we got to a street where the bus could drop us off again, we stopped at St Paul's Cathedral. It was another beautiful building. There is a sign inside the front door that tells you not to take pictures. Such a bummer as there were some more fascinating things to see. Everything is so ornate. There was also a sign stating that you can come inside and pray with them for free, otherwise it is 40 pounds for a family to enter. I was grateful that we were with the tour group as it included the entrance fee.

Sydney did NOT like our visit to the cathedral At.All. I was so grateful for the sequence of events. Just one day before we were on the temple grounds and there is a peace there that is tangible. Being inside the cathedral was much different and she could tell the difference. It was a great teaching moment for us.

We were unable to tour the chapel at the cathedral as there was a wedding being held there. We were able to see the bride and I cracked up at all of the tourists taking pictures of her. We saw many women in the traditional hats that are worn in England. I think we should wear more hats in the US.

Ryan and Brett outside of St Paul's Cathedral

We were allowed one hour at St Paul's cathedral and then we were boarded back on our bus. Our driver drove us by the Thames river, and we passed Big Ben, Parliament, and other noteworthy buildings. Our tour ended at noon and it was getting close to 11am so we knew it wouldn't be much longer and we would be finished. The plan was to go to Buckingham Palace to see the changing of the guard. When we arrived however, we were told that there would be no ceremony today as the guard was practicing a parade for the celebration of the Queen's birthday. We would have to return another day to see the change.

A very LARGE door at St Paul's Cathedral

Make-A-Wish Trip - London Day 2 - Football

One of the main reasons Ry wanted to go to London was to see a 'real' football (soccer) game. We spent much of the spring trying to solidify tickets. The England Premier League was in tournament and the teams that would actually play in London were not guaranteed a 'fixture'. When the date opened up for the England national team to play Peru at the end of May, we requested tickets for that team.

Ryan's favorite England team is Manchester United. We had the choice to fly into Manchester and stay there for a few days, or to go to London. After weighing pros and cons of each city, Ryan chose London. Getting tickets to the England National game was a win win as we were able to see some of the ManU players play in London.

We arrived back to the hotel from the temple and had a short window of time to change clothes, eat, and be back on the Tube to make it to our game on time. I feel bad as I had not read the tickets and doors opened at 6:30pm. We were barely there in time for Brett, Ryan and Sydney to see kickoff. I just missed it. There were 83,000 people in the stadium. The sound and the ambiance of the night caused the hair on our arms to stand straight up. We had a great time. Everyone was so friendly, and England won the game 3-0.

Before the game began, the crowd made the England flag with pieces of cardboard that were underneath the seats. We missed that part of the festivities, but we were able to use those flag pieces to make noise throughout the game. Some people made airplanes out of them and flew them on to the field. The stadium would be silent and then all of a sudden the crowd would go wild. The first few times I couldn't figure out what they were cheering for. Nothing was going on in the game that would merit such a cheer, but I soon learned that it was likely that an airplane was about to hit the field. The highlight of the night was when one of the airplanes hit a Peruvian player smack in the neck. Not only did the crowd go wild with cheers, but with laughter too. It was quite comical.

Make-A-Wish Trip - London Day 2 - The Temple

We slept in. We were supposed to be at the train station to catch a train to Lindberg by 8:30am. When Brett nudged me it was 8:33. I had been up for several hours during the night. At 3am I thought I might need to set my alarm, but honestly, I was just praying that I could finally relax and go to sleep. I failed to set the alarm and we were late as a result.

At the train station

We had an appointment at the temple for the 10am baptism session. I knew we would  not make it so I called the temple. I am so grateful for several things. I am grateful that we had free wifi in the hotel. I am also grateful that I had money tied to my Skype account so I could make the International phone calls. Skype proved to be a blessing more than once on our trip.

We all got up and showered and got ready for the day. We had purchased some breakfast foods the night before - yogurt, muffins, orange juice and fruit. We ate breakfast and headed to London's Underground (The Tube) to make our way to the train station that would take us to Lindberg. From Lindberg we took a taxi to the temple.

The temple was beautiful. It is set on several acres of land. Because of the rain that England gets, the grounds were covered with beautiful green grass. The plan was for Brett and Ryan to go and do baptisms, and Sydney and I would hang out in the visitors center.

I had prayed that we would be blessed for making the trip to the temple. London is such an expensive place and I worried that we would not be able to stretch the amount of money we were given. I had also prayed that I would be able to feel the peace of the temple, knowing that I would not have the opportunity to go inside this time. I really cannot wait until Syd is 12. It will be an amazing experience to be able to enter the temple as a family.

Sydney and I explored the Visitors Center. They had a computer there with a touch screen that had activities for kids. It was great for Syd. She was able to 'color' pictures of the temple, play temple related games, and listen to stories. It was the perfect set up for her. There was a small area that had an audio setup with testimonies from the First Presidency and Quorum of the 12. I sat there and listened to the different testimonies. I had not gotten through the First Presidency when Ryan came and sat next to me. I was surprised that he was finished already. I asked him if he had gotten through that quickly and he told me that they would have to come back. The London temple is a very small temple with not a lot of traffic coming through and the next baptism session would not be until 3pm. It was almost Noon so we decided that we would go and eat at the cafeteria in the basement of the temple. Then my prayers were answered in a way I did not expect. I now had time to do some temple work myself.

After lunch I went and did an initiatory session while Brett and the kids explored the temple grounds. What a blessing it was to be able to experience the temple INSIDE! There is no place on earth quite like the temple. When I struggle the most, I know that the temple will be my refuge from the world.

Back to the train station to head back to London

Make-A-Wish Trip - London, Day 1

The planning that went in to Ryan's trip seemed so long ago, and our trip seemed so far away. The day was finally upon us though and it was time to fly to London to help Ryan realize his wish.

Our flight left Salt Lake City at 5:15pm on Wednesday May 28th. The kids missed the last couple of days of school. Actually, Ryan missed the last week and a half of school, but that is a post for another day. We flew to Minneapolis, St Paul and then on to the London Heathrow Airport.

Ryan wanted a picture of this screen. Notice the Windows error on the right hand side. He thought that was pretty hilarious that the airline was using Windows, and that it had puked.

Sleeping on the plane was almost impossible. I wanted to trip the flight attendant on numerous occasions. No, we don't want water. We are trying to sleep. Go away. I did love the night shades that they supplied though, and unfortunately for me I lost my ear plugs when Syd needed me at some point in the night so I was unable to block out the crying baby.

We arrived in London at 12:15 local time. Just before we got off the plane, we were given a 'Landing Card'. It was to be filled out with all of our personal details. It had a line for our address, but it was unclear that it needed our hotel, so when we got in the 'Que' at the customs office we had to be moved aside so I could pull out our travel documents to find the address of our hotel.

Once we finished with Customs, we exited the airport. As we were leaving, we saw a foreign exchange booth. We had no idea there would be those same booths everywhere, so we took what cash we had and exchanged it. The exchange rate between the dollar and the pound is ridiculous. We were charged a surcharge at the airport of 3 pounds (almost $6!!!). Of course just two doors down from our hotel there was another exchange place that didn't charge anything. Oh well.

We had an uneventful ride from the airport to the hotel. We knew that we would need to do our best to stay awake until bed time to adjust to the time change.

The Taxi

The hotel

Our first stop was to walk to the Dr Who Tardis. To our surprise, we walked out of the hotel and it was pouring rain. We all put on our rain resistant coats and we walked the several blocks to get the pictures that Ryan so desperately wanted.

After we got pictures, we went to a grocery store and bought some fruit to snack on to tide us over until dinner. We also went to a store and bought a SIM card for Brett's phone. We both wish the phone service in the US was as great as the service in the UK. We were able to buy a SIM card for Brett's phone for a pound and then add minutes, text, and data for an additional 15 pounds.

For dinner we found a close restaurant and ate fish and chips. It was probably the worst fish I have ever eaten -- no seasonings, and they left the skin on the bottom of the fish. I was definitely not expecting to take a bite of skin. Needless to say, I spent a great deal of time scraping the skin off so I could at least eat my meal.

A Perfect Day

If I had the opportunity to choose the events of a perfect day, I don't know exactly what I would put together, but yesterday we had one scenario that afforded the 'perfect' day.

Yesterday Ryan was given the opportunity to take a flight with the Make-a-Wish foundation. We arrived about 45 minutes early. The first flight was to leave at 10:00am. When we arrived they were just saying their goodbyes to their parents. Shortly after watching the plane taxi down the runway, we saw the plane return. I was surprised that they could take off and land so quickly. Shortly thereafter I heard the pilot mention that because of the fog, and horrible air quality, all flights were at least 45 minutes behind. So, rather than keeping those kids in the plane for 45 minutes on the runway, they brought them back to the terminal to wait.

While waiting, we were given a tour of the Life Flight hangar, and Ryan and I were able to ride around the airport and get an education on many of the planes there. Neither of us understood a thing the guy was saying, but that's ok. We got a great 'inside' look at the lives of what our chauffer called "The Rich and Famous".

Ryan and the Co-Captain Sean

Ryan and Natalie Fish, both SCID buddies

International Aviation's  Make A Wish Dream Chaser

Hopefully the ONLY time we will be in this helicopter, unless I get my dream one day and get to work in one.

After Ryan took his flight, we headed to City Creek and had lunch. While we were sitting there President Uchtdorf of the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints walked by. I couldn't convince Ryan that we needed to meet him, but it was fun to see him anyway.

We did a bit of shopping, and then we went and sat in the parking lot of the Make-A-Wish building and waited for our chance to go and have Ryan declare his wish.

The wish declaring ceremony is something that I don't know that I'll ever forget. I'm not sure what I expected, but it was more than I ever dreamed of. Our family was there along with Grandma and Grandpa Berger, and Ryan's Spanish teacher and his wife and baby. It was so touching to go around the room and share our wishes for Ryan. He declared his wish to the 'wizard' and we took pictures. We were then lead to a room where Ryan had a note waiting for him. It was the official declaration that we will be going to London. I am in awe of the feelings that we felt, and the generosity of Make-A-Wish. They have treated us like we are the most important people in the world. My heart is full..

Families are Meant to be Together

We've had a rough couple of weeks at our house. Sydney came down with a bad cold, which in turn became pneumonia, with an overnight stay in the hospital. I've learned that I know an awful lot about my children and their bodies. If I had a dollar for every time I was asked if I was a nurse over the past two weeks, I might be able to become a nurse. That dream will be realized one day.

As we sat in the hospital room last Sunday morning, there was talk of us going home. The doctor said "Mom, you're the one calling the shots here. There's no reason for you to pay to call the shots. You should go home where you can call the shots for free." I appreciated him. He recognized my knowledge of the situation and trusted that I could care for Syd at home. The downside to coming home was that we would have to send Ryan away. The plan was made for the boys to go to Grandma's house, and Sydney and I would come home.

It has almost been a week now that we have all been split up. Before the boys were gone, Syd was quarantined to her room for 5 days. This experience has not been fun, but we have learned to appreciate the small things.

Last night I had the privilege of going with Ryan to a play. I switched Brett places and spent the evening with Ry. I miss him and he misses me. As we were going to bed he came into my room and put his cheeks next to mine and caressed my hair and just stood there. It was as if he just wanted time to stand still. I felt the same way.

This morning when I dropped him off at school he said "I'm going to get my stuff s-l-o-w-l-y so I can spend just a few more minutes with the mommy."

All of this has gotten me thinking of life in an eternal perspective. I cannot imagine not being sealed to my family for eternity. I cannot fathom the thought that my marriage to Brett and my relationship with my kids could possibly end with death. I am SO grateful for the opportunity I had to enter a temple of God and be sealed to my best friend for time and all eternity. My heart could not handle it any other way. Families are meant to be together.

He Knows My Name

The air outside is frigid, yet the sun still shines and reminds me that each day it will come up yet again. From the inside window it feels as if I can run out and enjoy the beautiful sunshine, but looks are deceiving.

I have so much on my mind, in my heart, yet the words don't seem to come. If you could take a peek inside of my self, no doubt you would be surprised at the things that trouble me. This past weekend those troubling things got the best of me. The wall I have put around my heart crumbled for just a moment, long enough to be painful for me and those I love.

I spent the day yesterday in fasting and prayer. On a typical fast Sunday, I am thinking of others. My prayers are directed towards those whom I know need extra blessings from our Heavenly Father. This day though, I needed to be a bit selfish. I needed the windows of heaven to be opened for me. As I prayed, I thanked my Father in Heaven for all that he has blessed me with. I know that I rarely deserve the blessings I have been afforded. In my prayers I also asked for Him to speak to me. I needed to know He was there. I needed to know that He knew my name.

Just after 6pm we had a knock at the door. We rarely have visitors, especially on a Sunday. Our visitors were our newly called bishop and his newly called counselor, sustained earlier in the day. They were here to let us know that we were loved. They wanted us to know that our Heavenly Father had prompted them to come.

I did not expect to have my prayer answered so quickly, but it was. These good men didn't know what I had been praying for. I didn't share my thoughts with anyone but the Lord.

Many things in my life are testimony builders for me. When I doubt, I am always surprised at the love that God has for me and my family. He always delivers. Always. He knows my name.

The Miracles of Christmas

Last night I sat on the couch aside the Christmas tree admiring the lights on this magical object that is adorned in our living room. We had just finished reading the "Forgotten Carols" children's book and I was reminded of Christmas miracles that come and go each year.

As I looked up at our tree I reflected on all of the ornaments, each with its own story. My eyes fell upon the different faces of my son as he has grown over the years. We have ornaments from preschool and throughout elementary school,  toothless smiles and hand-colored frames. My eyes took me to the top of the tree where hangs the ornament that we made last year with a picture of him running cross country in Jr High. My heart began to break as I wondered if I would ever see that again. I wanted to turn back the clock! I got  up and  moved to the larger of the two couches and had him come and sit next to me. I held him. It feels so different to hold him now. The once very bony child is no longer bony. His body is a body that is now the direct effect of what prednisone does to one's self.

I then reflected of his life and the life of Him who gave us life. I am so grateful to a loving Heavenly Father who has allowed me to be the mother of a very special young man and a very special young lady. I am so blessed to be their mother. They both have health trials. It is hard for them, yet they both love outside of themselves and I am better because of it.

So at this season of gifts, and trees, and family and love, I honor Him whom we celebrate and praise God for the Miracles of Christmas in my home.