Kenzie + Andin: Europe Spring 2012- better late than never

WARNING: VERY LONG POST

So as everyone is aware this past spring I travelled to Europe with Andin his parents and his sister Ariel! It all came to be when Andin was on his mission still and mentioned he wanted to go back to his mission as shortly after as possibly to visit before his mission president was released! At first I didn't want it to happen because I didn't think I could handle him gone for another month after him being gone for 2 years but while making plans Leroy had asked if I wanted to go! I was worried with being in a new job that there would be no way I could ask for 3 weeks off it just didn't seem realistic.. but turns out I have the best job and was able to get the time off and get things planned! Andin was all still gone so it was nerve-wracking making all these plans when I still hadn't even seen him yet... what if it wasn't right and I had all this planned? YIKES! haha but the planning kept happening and before I knew it flights were booked and it was looking like we would be gone for June 16th! I was ecstatic and shortly after seeing Andin I knew he was the one and I had nothing to worry about. We would be gone from June 16th-July 6! So only a month after Andin being home we got ready and packed our bags and we were off! First we went to England and spent a whole week there! London blew my mind and was amazing! I couldn't expect anything better! I wondered how it could be possible to go anywhere I liked more and as some of you know London has a special place in my heart as it is where Andin proposed to me! It was on June 19th at the very top of the London Eye and I didn't realize my fear of heights until being this high and I almost ruined the proposal because he couldn't get me to the edge! It was great fun and after dragging me to the edge he proposed and naturally melted me- so beat that! My proposal isn't able to be topped! (pictures later in the post!) We spent two days in London and visited Hyde Park, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, the London Eye, Westminster Abbey, Marble Arch, Chelsea Stadium and Sloane Square! From there we began driving the English countryside and while getting lost actually ran into the Stonehenge,, who does that eh? Well it was beautiful and I was so happy I got to see it! From there we went to Bath which was so beautiful and got to see the Roman Baths. After visit there we went to see Andin's mission and started in Yate and visited the Forges! They were a great little family and we enjoyed staying with them. Then on the drive to Redditch we saw the Cotswold and went to Stratford-Upon-Avon (where Shakespeare lived), and Warwick. We then arrived to Redditch where Andin served most of his mission and met pretty much the whole ward but spent most the time with the Masons! They were such a hoot and actually are coming back to visit here again! While with them they took us to eat at the Belfry which is an amazing golf course in Birmingham where the Ryder Cup has been hosted and they had amazing food there! So that was awesome! We also met with Pres. and Sister Odgen in Birmingham and they were an awesome couple! Then we went up to Preston for Andin to be there to witness the Masons being sealed in the temple! It was an awesome experience for them I just wish I could have been able to see it! Then It was time to leave England...

Leaving the Calgary Airport

Hyde Park

Speakers Corner-was on the Bachelor

Big Ben

I was terrified to look over the edge so this is a mixture of fear and excitement right here!

PArty time in the London Eye after Andin proposed

We're getting married! haha

Last pic of us with London Eye

Big Ben was seriously stunning!

I wish you all could witness us trying to get on this lion. It was hilarious!

Had to go back to the London Eye at night!

It Warwick Castle

The garden at the castle was simply stunning

Andin and I at the Preston Temple

Typical tourist photo

Stonehenge

The Roman Baths

Warwick Castle

The Belfry- Home fo the Ryder Cup

A Tacky picture of me and Ando!

Next Stop Greece... We flew over to Athens and spent only one day there but it was stunning we went to the rock where Jesus apostles sat thousands of year ago and that was an awesome experience. The ancient side of Athens was stunning but it was one of the scariest places I have ever been! Our taxi ride to the airport was terrifying it was the middle of the night and with this driver who spoke hardly any English and he was weaving in and out of lanes going 180 km/h! I was terrified and then the first night there me and Ariel thought we heard noises so naturally jumped up to look out the window at what it could be and while both of us standing on the side table (that we didn't know was attached to the wall and not a whole dresser) came crashing down! Haha it was terrifying and boom LEroy and Sandy were in in no time! But for some reason we couldn't stop laughing! But the noises did come back but we didn't stand on anything to check them this time! Athens was one of the hotter places on our trip and it was almost unbearable so And in Leroy and I slept while Ariel and Sandy shopped! We went from there to Santorini which was probably in my top 3 of favorite places we went! It was a beautiful Greek island and had the white and blue houses on the cliff side just like out of the movies! It was such a cool place and the sunsets and food there were really good! Definitely a place to visit if you are over in Greece!

Wish there wasn't construction here

Parthenon

Simply beautiful

Stairway to where Apostle Paul taught

Santorini-told you it was gorgeous

Straight out of the movies

Pretty at day and night!

Donkeys were the only transport on the cliffs!

Next we were off to Italy...First stop was Rome! Holy cow were the buildings there amazing! We went and saw the Vatican City first and man that was cool! It was huge but we didn't have time or money to wait in line for 6 hours to go in! We were much to busy! From there we went to the Coliseum and that place was huge! It's cool to think they played sports in arenas like we did ages ago! We then drove up the Italian coast and only one word to describe the scenery-WOW! One of the prettier drives I have ever been on! Then we made a quick stop in Pisa and got to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa!I was surprised how much it was actually leaning it was crazy! But so happy we went out of our way to see it because it was so cool! Then we stopped in Florence and Bologna quick and they were pretty as well. Both very Italian. We then went to where LEroy's family came from in Breda Diave which is near Treviso. It was cool to go back to the cemetery and see Pavan on the headstones and know that its right where Andin's family came from! Cool experience and I was glad to share it with them! Then we went to Venice! We debated not going there but we decided it's something you have to see at least once! I swear it was one of the hottest days and you couldn't even bear the sunlight! You would do anything possible to get into the shade! And there were tons of pigeons and since I hate birds Leroy thought it would be funny to pay for some corn and throw it on me! Yep I screamed like a little girl! Haha Guess who walked 40 ft away from him after that! It was funny though! But Italy was one of the hottest places we were it was never colder than like 40 degrees C. Here is a bit of what we saw!

Vatican City!

The Coliseum

I became addicted to Watermelon on this trip! This was my quest for the perfect bite!

Gelato in Italy is a must!

Venice

The Leaning Tower of Pisa

Last stop Switzerland! Breathtaking is what it was! We drove all through the Swiss Alps and the drive was amazing. It has just rained so all the waterfalls were flowing beautifully and it was so green and fresh! I loved it and that it was not hot anymore! The Swiss Alps were so much different to me than the Rockies so it felt like seeing something you had never seen before! Switzerland was my favorite place beauty wise because it was all natural-all God's work! We first went to Zermatt-home of the Matterhorn! I loved it there! It was like a small little resort town but it was beautiful and not busy which was a plus! We took the gondola up the mountain for a better view at the Matterhorn and man it was stunning! It looked a lot like the mountain from the Grinch! Zermatt was one of my favorite places for sure! Then we were off to Interlaken! (A lot of these places were straight off the bachelor haha) And it was cool feeling there but the real stunner is the lakes surrounding it. They were a blue I have never seen but not clear blue more like a kool-aid kinda blue that was murky looking! Super hard to explain but so cool! We stayed the night in Spiez which was a beautiful little place right on the lakes and went for a walk around them! So much fun and such a nice feeling to be in the fresh outdoors! Then we were to our last stop-Geneva! Our trip was winding down and everyone was tired and kinda ready to go home! We had all been going steady and were quite burnt out so we went into Geneva for the evening to grab some dinner so we pulled in and parked and walked out and boom in the scariest place there is downtown! I hadn't really been that scared to be anywhere until here! We saw buildings dedicated to all sorts of wrong things and people would follow you and check to see what you had looking right at you in your vehicle! You'd pass someone talking on the phone looking at you and talking to someone just further down the block letting them know if you have anything of worth on! Yikes was I terrified! But we walked down to the water and saw the biggest fountain in the world! Geneva was gorgeous but back to the business of places like Rome, Athens, and London. We were only there one day and then to board the plane to come home! I was relieved as I missed my family and was ready to see them as I had been engaged almost three weeks and hadn't been able to talk to hardly anyone about it-plus I had a wedding to plan!