Part 4: Oxford, Notting Hill.

From the last leg of our English journey:

 a stop at Blenheim Palace to see where Churchill was born.

 very ornate, very rainy.

 a wander through Oxford's colleges - Christ Church a favorite. it put our college dining halls to shame...

 and had strong Harry Potter vibes.

 we ate at Eagle and Child, a spot that Lewis, Tolkien and Dyson used to frequent.

 and returned for one last day in London: dinner at The Shed (our favorite meal), a run in Kensington Gardens, breakfast at Granger & Co and stops to get a few keepsakes for the babies.

 we stayed in a charming little inn above a pub.

 and stopped by the Portobello Road Market and perused bookstores before heading to the airport.

The most beautiful country and best person to travel it with.

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The patch.

From a whole day together - the first in a while. Soccer and pumpkin patch and groceries and cleaning and walks and a big taco dinner. The stuff of life with my favorite people.

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A white dress, a baby boy.

From one of the happiest days with my girls - celebrating Jessi's upcoming wedding (I am here to testify that she will be the most stunning bride) and Rachel's baby boy (due in December). Such joy in doing life with these two.

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Part 3: Cotswolds.

 from Bath, we headed to the Cotswolds, which was magical and I will never stop talking about it. we stayed at Calcot & Spa, which comes complete with free bike rentals, umbrellas, wellies, breakfast, sauna, hot tub, footpaths, games by the fireplace, etc., etc. such a family-friendly spot, too!

 from our gorgeous room.

 and the footpaths that circle surrounding fields. 

 where we had glasses of wine and played Scrabble late into the night. 

 on our first full day, we stopped in nearby Tetbury to grab coffee and wander the shops.

so charming.

 then headed to Bourton-on-the-water, which was so lovely, we returned the next day. we ate in the little pub shown above, stopped by the miniature museum and shopped for antiques (antique stores in Britain are the coolest). 

home of the luckiest ducks around.

truly in our element. I feel very at home with the Brits.

 we then made the ill-advised decision to travel to Naunton and walk a footpath we had researched, which was rather more like a mud path and it rained on us much of the time while curious sheep looked on and (probably) chuckled to themselves. 

pretty, though. and gave us a good reason to stop at another pub before heading back to the hotel.

 the next day, we walked from Bourton-on-the-water to Upper and Lower Slaughter, and I was Jane Austen and it was perfect. we all need more footpaths in our lives.

and more beautiful horses to share them with.

we left the Cotswolds so well rested, and completely in love with this place.

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Part 2: Bath.

I lied. We're going to start in Bath, because I can't narrow down all of my Cotswolds photos. Lucky you! So we took a rental car out of the city (on the left side of the road - yikes), and made our way to Bath, just south of the Cotswolds. 

saw the Roman Baths, as one does. 

 ate at The Pump Room, which was once frequented by the fashionable (still is, if you include us ;)) and spoken of in classic literature (Jane Austen, up in a bit).

 we wandered.

 had people take pictures of us that don't really show where we are.

 and climbed to the top of Bath Abbey, because I'm always up for a good church climb. also, the story of the restoration of their bells is a good one, so definitely do the tour.

 lovely.

 then we went to the Jane Austen Museum, which was frankly a bit underwhelming, but when you name your daughter after a person you go to their museum. You know what I'm saying? Also, I'm sorry you have to see this photo, but it felt necessary.

 then we wandered a bit more before it was time to head to the Manor for bed. 

what a gem, Bath.

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Part 1: London.

From the most wonderful trip away, just the two of us: 

drinks at the airport to kick us off.

 wanders around Westminster and Mayfair. 

brunch at Riding House Cafe. 

a walk to the Tower of London for a tour.

all with umbrellas, because it rained the whole week (England!). 

a visit to St. Paul's.

 dinner at The Founder's Arms.

 Midsummer Night's Dream at the Globe Theatre, where Blake fell asleep. we'll blame it on the jet lag, because I loved it (and slept the whole flight over ;)).

and a long walk back to our hotel.

morning runs through Hyde Park, because the best way to see a new place is to run it. 

a walk to Buckingham Palace.

 and a visit to the National Gallery.

 tea at Sketch (the best experience!).

Westminster for Evensong (not to be missed).

 a walk to dinner at Dishoom and drinks at Mr. Fogg's.

Next up -- Cotswolds.

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