We spent a good deal of time this past weekend huddled over schedules, maps, tour books and timetables planning for our impending jaunt to Britain this summer. Plans are starting to come together nicely: it looks as though we’ll be spending some time in Edinburgh, Cardiff, Exeter, Bath, and of course a good deal of time in London. As a bit of a train nut, I’m particularly excited about getting to do the Settle-Carlile route — purportedly one of the most beautiful stretches in England. (Sadly, we probably won’t be able to get over to the bit in Scotland where the memorable “train meets flying car” scene in Harry Potter was filmed.)

In addition to the England trip, [Emily->] is off to New York today to spend some time with our relatives up there. While we always miss her when she’s gone, she has a great time visiting with that portion of the family, and we’re glad she’s getting to do that.

Speaking of New York, we’ve been so pleased with the way that doing a Home Exchange is working out for London that we signed up for the Home Exchange website over the weekend and listed our home with an eye toward working out an exchange somewhere near Buffalo/Niagara Falls for Christmas this year. (Given how much lodging for a family of 6 costs, the $99 fee for three years seems a very reasonable deal.) We have high hopes for a white Christmas this year — especially the younger kids, who have had very little experience with snow.