Steve comes from a very small family. He literally has ONE cousin! ONE cousin - can you believe that? Where as I come from a very large extended family. My mom was one of five kids and my dad was one of seven kids. I have more cousins and second cousins that I can count. In fact, for Christmas - instead of gathering at some one's house, we have to meet in a church fellowship hall to accompany all of us.
So, when I learned years ago that Steve was an only child and he had a very small family, it blew my mind. Funnily enough though, Steve's cousin and his wife Maria had a baby about 5 months after we had Lottie. His name is Blake and let me tell ya he is a little cutie. Although when I went to try and hold him, he was NOT having it - maybe it was the accent that threw him off. :)
Steve's uncle Ian and his wife Janet run a working men's club. The best way to describe a working men's club is to say it's a private club that has a bar, pool tables, darts, a large area with tables where they have bingo, raffles, live music, comedians, etc. Basically a large club / hall that provides entertainment for working men (blue collar) type jobs.
Ian and his wife work every day so the three of us along with Steve's parents headed over to the club to see them and meet Luke, Maria and little Blake.
Lottie and her second cousin Blake
Maria and I and the kids
Lottie with Luke (Steve's cousin)
My English family
Lottie opening up her birthday present
Lottie with her great uncle Ian....... Behind the bar..... Little bugger kept running behind the bar!!
Your accent scares me - stay away..................
As the week was coming to an end, it was soon time for Lottie to finally bust open all of the chocolate eggs she received through the week. In England, their tradition for the kiddos is seeing how many chocolate eggs you can collect. There isn't really any Easter baskets per say, just large chocolate eggs the kids go crazy for on Easter. Lottie has not had very much chocolate in her life. Her birthday cake was the first real taste of chocolate she's had. However, while in England, the g-parents were giving her chocolate and all sorts of junk to eat all week. She got spoiled rotten while we over there. Of course, you have to let it run it's course because that is what g-parents do. Lottie absolutely loved buttons (similar to the taste of a hershey kiss, but flat like a button). She must have eaten 2 or 3 bags through the week. Come Easter though, she laid into a caramel chocolate egg and went to town!!
Soon after it was time to say goodbye. :( I always feel so sorry for Steve when we have to leave. He would love to eventually move there especially with his parents getting older. His dad will be 75 in May and his mom 71 in May.
Lottie really took to her g-pa while we were over. Trevor (Steve's dad) is so patient and so loving with her. It really touched me to see them bond the way they did, especially since my parent's aren't here. Between the breakfasts he'd feed her in the mornings and the numerous books he read to her, she just soaked it up!
I'm so grateful for my little English family!!!
Lottie with g-ma's glasses
After saying all of our goodbyes we packed the car and headed back to London for the night. Before Lottie, Steve and I would drive into London the weekend we were leaving to explore, eat and enjoy the London atmosphere. We'd hop from restaurant to restaurant, pub to pub. Well - those days are OVER!!! Instead, we got a hotel near the airport, had a meal at the hotel's restaurant and watched the UK version of the Voice, a drama similar to Grey's Anatomy and finally - my fav, My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding (UK style).
Wild Child jumping on the hotel bed!!!
Lottie sitting in Dad's seat on the plane watching Tangled and having a fruit snack! We are almost home!!!
As always, we had an AMAZING time visiting friends and family in England! I just love it there. I can't wait for Lottie to look back on these posts when she's older to check out all of her adventures.
