London!

First of all -- Happy Veteran's Day to all who are serving or have served in the US Military. We are proud to call the United States of America "Home" because of your service! Thank you!

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The Dittmers have officially made a trip to The Smoke! Last weekend our friend Cassie joined us on our adventure and we had a blast! Today we went again and we already have another new friend who came with named Steve! There is so much to do and see there, I know that over the next three years it will still be a treat to go into town.

So far, the top five highlights of our two trips are:

1. The Underground (the "Tube" as the locals call it here). 

Ok, ok, it's just public transportation... but it really is fun! Today when we got on a train on the Central Line around 6:30PM we were packed in there like sardines. We love getting off the tube one stop over, walking around the area for a long time and then realizing you walked all the way back to the original stop you had just left. This happens most frequently around Picadilly Square. Mind the Gap!!

2. Seeing the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace.

Nice digs, Your Majesty!

This happened by pure accident, guys! We were just walking along toward the palace and then we saw it (yay, exciting, how cool!). We saw a couple guys with tall bearskin hats walking around and we thought they were just on patrol or whatever... turns out they were doing the rigmarole called "the changing of the guard" or at least, I think that's what they were doing. You be the judge:

3. Enjoying a really nice Autumn day in Westminster:

'Nuff said.

The only sad bit is that it's always so damp so none of the leaves crunch when you walk on them.

4. Portobello Market!

I don't have any photos of this place, but I am in love with it. It's a 2-mile stretch of vendors and adorable shops that I wish I could bring every girlfriend with me to see. I am sure I will be finding sweet additions to our home decor at this marketplace.

5. We were the very first customers at a late-serving dim sum diner called Dim Sum Diner...

So much food!

Our Asian friends, Steve & Cassie, showing us the joys of dim sum.

This was a cute little asian restaurant which apparently is an American-style restaurant. Could have fooled us! Dim Sum is like bite-sized asian food (or, finger food...?). The Spanish version would be Tapas, and these are very popular in England as well. Anyway, I guess it's pretty rare to have a Dim Sum restaurant open in the evening so the owner decided to do something different and open one for people like us! (On another note--the English eat dinner really late. Many times they serve early-bird menu deals for customers who dine before 7pm. WIN!)

Other fun sights:

Pay Toilets -- £.50, please

The London Eye (we will go ON it soon!)

 BIG BEN

Others are growing a mustache during the month of Movember!

 Sherlock Holmes' home! 221b Baker Street

IN OTHER NEWS

We found a house! Stay tuned for a special blog post introducing our new home to you (it will be in stages because our household goods are still on a boat). However, our move-in date is 21 November if all goes well. Keep praying!!

Unexpected Good Stuff.

Yesterday afternoon when Bryant got off work we sat around the house doing nothing very constructive. I did manage to look through thousands of photos and swoon over our wedding day all over again (you can too, right here) but stuff like that usually doesn't count as being productive.

Before the afternoon moved into evening we forced ourselves out of the apartment and walked to a yard sale (bust), drove to a lampshade shop (closed--bust), walked to an antique store (expensive--bu$t), and then to Dairy Queen (major success!). Because Bryant works today we went to Bethlehem Baptist in downtown Minneapolis for church where John Piper was at the pulpit after 7 weeks of writing leave/vacation. I don't think Bryant and I have seen him preach since before we started dating in 2009, so it was nice to hear truth spoken through him again while sitting next to my spouse.

After church I am pretty sure we sat in the air-conditioned car for a good 20 minutes before deciding what do to for dinner. A few weeks ago Bryant won a contest through Facebook from South of Canada where he received a $25 gift card for the Loop Bar so we figured that since we were in Mpls we might as well head over there. This took such a long time to decide because although I love the Twin Cities, I don't like its night life. I was fearful that a Saturday night around the North Loop would be loud, cramped, and uncomfortable. Setting my premonitions aside, we decided to go anyway. Surprisingly, we got to sit outside at sidewalk seating where it was quieter and warmer (yeah, totally freezing inside) and the food was super yummy! We splurged and each got a locally-brewed beer. We enjoyed those while watching people walk by and we even saw Mark Rosen with his family--Minnesota celebrity sighting!

All of these unexpected good things happened to us and to top it all off we learned that our gift card was actually worth $65 instead of $25! It sounds like we have to return to the Loop before we leave! When we learned that Bryant just sat back with a grin on his face and said, "Gosh, sometimes I just feel so... lucky." Unexpected good stuff is awesome. :)

July is almost over!

Today is the "We've been married for 2-months" day! Wow, time has certainly gone by quickly. I cannot believe that July is almost over. We have so many things yet to do, people to see, places to visit! This may sound kind of depressing, but we have kind of created a "bucket list" of things to do before we move.

See Family in WI
See Family in IA
Go to a Twins Game in MN
Go to a Brewers Game in WI
Fly to Seattle to see Dave Matthews Band in Concert
Visit my sister in Washington state
Go to Wisconsin Dells
Make a headboard for our bed
Go to the MN State Fair
Visit Friends in Cook one more time
Visit a dozen other friends we will miss a TON

Not to mention all of the necessary things that have to get done before we leave:

Apply for a visa
Arrange a contract with the movers
Close cell phone account
Cancel internet (and other) services
Sell two cars
Forward our mail
Clean and store my wedding gown

... and we leave in less than two months! I am not overwhelmed (yet) but just looking at the long list of things, and I know this is not exhaustive, does make me a bit sad. A trip to the Dells and a DIY headboard is probably not going to happen.

We continue to have fun and take each day as it comes. Tonight we utilized a free appetizer from Buca di Beppo for joining their eClub! We got the cheesy bread florentine which normally costs $12.95 and we also received a free lunch-sized slice of lasagna for National Lasagna Day! All of that with the small pasta dish means TONS of leftovers for the next two meals, as Bryant showcased here:

In other news, the ceiling in the sunroom is all fixed! The painter was in last week and fixed her right up:

 

The weather is still really warm and we are excited to see my little sister this weekend! Garage Sale shopping? Mall of America? Como Zoo? So many possibilities (that aren't even on the bucket list!)