The Hesses are song people. You could almost call it our superpower. Some of us have the uncanny ability to remember all words to all songs ever heard (Dad and me) and some of us have the ability to hear a song and pick up a stringed instrument and quickly play it (Pete).
Some of us have the ability to remember random songs heard once in childhood even when sung in a different language (me again!) while some of us have great taste in finding new songs (Laura). Some of us have the ability to turn a song into a hilarious new tune with new words without even meaning to (this person shall remain unnamed... sort of).
I like to think of life in theme music. I have different songs or artists that match different phases of life: the All-American Rejects for senior year of high school, Patrick O'Reilly McKenzie Muldoon for my entire second year of life (my poor, long-suffering parents), The Eagles "Desperado" CD for that one Christmas in Alabama ('05? '06?), and the list goes on. Fortunately for me, Will is a music-loving guy and readily agreed that this Feist song was perfect for our year-one-of-marriage song. I can't tell you how many times we danced to this in our New Orleans apartment kitchen.
I got a man to stick it out
And make a home from a rented house
And we'll collect the moments one by one
I guess that's how the future's done
Today is our 2nd wedding anniversary. What have we learned in two years? Well, if our song choice for year two is any indication we're a lot funnier, a lot more relaxed, and a teensy bit more irreverent when it comes to holy matrimony. ;) It perfectly captures our poverty, our love of family, our best friend-ness, and our snuggling skills.
Back in March I received this facebook message from my sister:
"ATTENTION.
news alert: it's 1:36 am and I decided that a new goal of mine is to train for a 1/2 marathon! yes, it's true. you want to do it with me?"
To which I responded...
"Are you for real, or is this a product of your sleep deprived, 1-in-the-morning mind?"
To which she emphatically replied:
"yes. fo real."
We have the gift of writing, dontcha think?
Ever since that little back-and-forth on facebook Laura and I have been hitting the trail/sidewalk/treadmill on a (mostly) consistent basis. Our newly discovered running enthusiasm also shamed my Dad into pulling out the old running shoes again. We send each other updates all the time... although, some of those messages could be better described as taunts than updates. Now I'm not claiming that this running business will ever end in a half-marathon. The thought of running 13.1 miles makes me slightly nauseated and weak in the knees. But for the first time, after several other attempts to discover my "inner runner" as Will calls it, I think I may have finally succeeded. And I think my location has a lot to do with it.
Living far away from family means that you do some pretty goofy stuff to feel close. Today I grabbed my camera and my hubby and decided to retrace one of my favorite running paths so that Laura and Dad could get a glimpse of my running routine. So Daddy-O, Maisy--this is for you. :)
Readers, up until 11:18 am London time today, I have been thwarted by the blog gods. For some strange reason my blog wouldn't let me sign in and create new posts. I had started blogging on Thursday, left the blog to run some errands, came back and couldn't access my posts. Nothing I tried seemed to help... I began looking at new websites, thinking that I'd just have to forget about this blog and create a new one somewhere else. Finally, whatever wrench that was located in the proverbial internet works came free of it's own accord and I am back. Sometimes I hate technology as much as Will does. :) So without further ado, here is Thursday's post. Sorry for the delay!
Happy Thursday, lovely readers! It's a windy, rainy day here in Oxford and, after shirking my morning run for neighbor-annoying indoor exercise (again, see weather conditions), I am curled up on the sofa ready to regale you with pictures and stories from our weekend.
Sidenote: I never thought I'd want to hibernate indoors again after our long, dark winter here in England... but this Wizard-of-Oz-like wind is turning me into a couch potato. Yesterday I narrowly avoided being hit by a small tree branch that the wind was whipping through the air while riding my bike. England, this is not acceptable. It's almost June--get with the summer program--stat!
Last Friday Will and I hopped up to London to rendezvous with the Deaux sisters--friends of Will's since their freshman year at Collierville High. Emily was in London for business and her sister, Tracey, and mom tagged along for a girls trip. We had such a great time catching up that "lunch" lasted over three hours! Will hadn't seen them since his parents moved from Collierville four years ago and we laughed at the idea of reuniting with Tennessee friends half way around the world. I loved hearing stories about highschool Will and the girls were so much fun to get to know. To make it an even smaller world, Tracey works with my lovely cousin, Rachel Hess, in Memphis!
Why, fancy running into you two in London!
I made them recreate the awkward homecoming pose from junior year for old times' sake.
Such a great afternoon.
After saying goodbye to the Deauxs we headed off to Harrods. This, mind you, is further proof that my husband loves me. Will H-A-T-E-S hates malls but agreed to poke around in Harrods because he L-O-V-E-S loves me. Or because he knew I'd keep bugging him every time we came to London. Po-tay-to po-tah-to. :) We probably spent around 3 hours wandering this extravagant store... and we could have easily spent another day (or five) exploring!
Because everyone needs a £1 million chandelier in their foyer.
A little bling for your pampered pooch! And when I say a "little" bling I mean more bling than my engagement and wedding rings combined. That is one spoiled dog.
Here we have the £1,495 stuffed elephant that my parents so cruelly withheld from me as a child. Technically I didn't know it existed until last week so I guess that means I've been retroactively scarred for life by their stinginess. :)
Pharoah got tired of the Egyptian politics and hot weather and retired to England, where he now spends his days greeting the shoppers at Harrods.
I am convinced that Kate Middleton was inspired to decorate Westminster Abbey with trees after shopping in the perfume room.
At the end of our time in Harrods I am pleased to report that Will said (and I quote) that he "actually enjoyed himself in a mall." Well done, London, well done.
Saturday was a pretty basic Saturday--filled with the chores and errands that we pushed aside to frolic all day Friday. Sunday, however, brought us another fabulous British experience. Ladies and gentleman, I give you punting:
"Oh Captain, my Captain..." ;)
Our neighbors, the Forrests, had reserved a punting boat Sunday afternoon and invited us to try out this water adventure with them. After several 360˚ turns while Will tried to figure out how to propel us forward (it's harder than it looks, people!) we were off down the Cherwell River!
We were even able to relax... after the initial navigational glitches.
The view was breathtaking. It's easy to understand how stories like "Alice in Wonderland" and "The Wind in the Willows" were written here.
Will took a well-deserved break and let Josh punt for a while.
My little buddy. :)
This picture wasn't taken on the river but I just had to include it! Ella and Jackson are holding hands while riding on Josh and Will's shoulders--those sweeties!
Another super cute photo from that afternoon: we stopped by an old-fashioned candy store on our way home and Jackson and Ella got face-sized lollipops. Ella also got a ride in Will's bicycle basket. Aren't they adorable?
We are now huge punting fans and can't wait to go back on the river. This activity has officially been added to our list of things-to-do-when-entertaining-visitors. Parents, Laura--get excited!
I was clicking through old facebook photos tonight when I came across these snapshots from my sophomore year. It was sunny and we were probably supposed to be in class (sorry Mom!). Instead, we grabbed a blanket and headed down to the river where we gabbed about Jesus and boys (in no particular order), planned out our junior year apartment color scheme, and laughed ourselves silly. At some point during this riverside girl fest we must have noticed that we were color coordinated and whipped out the camera for a photo op:
So young! So carefree! So not wearing sunscreen!
Not even aware of how glorious junior year would be.
I've been blessed to call her my friend for almost 6 years, my roommate for 2 years, my bridesmaid, and my sister in Christ. And now this beautiful face is getting married.
Rob is one lucky man.
So lucky!
So Lee, if you're reading this, I love ya bunches. And I cannot wait for August 28th. :)
Prepare yourselves, British neighbors--the Hess invasion is happening this summer!! And JUST in time for the 4th of July. Further proof that God loves me. :) If you thought I was excited about Laura's visit back in January you probably won't be able to stand being in the same room as me once we start approaching July... I will be beyond myself with giddiness! I probably won't sleep for weeks--WEEKS I tell you! Heck, I'm getting so excited writing this post I might not even sleep tonight! Slightly premature, perhaps. For those of you who have met my parents and my sister you understand my joy. I wish I was as cool as they are. For those of you who haven't met them yet... they're pretty much amazing. Allow me to introduce them.
My 53-year-old Dad is way cooler than I am. I mean, the man jumps out of planes! I still get nervous driving over long bridges...
And when he's not defying gravity he models rugged outdoor wear? Truly a Renaissance man.
He also happens to have married one of the sweetest, kindest and (unintentionally) funniest women around! I think that speaks well for the man. Which brings me to...
Mooth!
Or Moother, Mumsie, Mammacita, Omama (yes, like our president), Fwisten... she answers to them all.
Moother Fwisten's favorite things include a well crafted tuna fish sandwich (the slice of tomato is a must), sheep (also known as "sheepies"), Criminal Minds marathons, being read aloud to, agapanthus (agapanthuses? agapanthusi?), and large glass bowls of cranberry sauce.
Oh, and my sense of humor. :) Could she be any cuter?
As for that sister of mine, she already had an entire post dedicated to her. Don't want her to get too big for her britches.
LAURAI'MDYINGTOSEEYOUCOMETOMEALREADY!!!!
The only major bummer in all of this is that my brother can't make it. He will be going through the Marines Officer Candidate School and, while I am extremely proud of him, I'm still kinda wishing he could fake an injury or something to visit for a few days. He is, after all, the coolest Hess. The motorcycle driving, skydiving, guitar/banjo/mandolin playing, soon-to-be Marine Hess. And I miss him.
Won't be the same without you, buddy. Can I make a suggestion?
Happy Saturday, Readers! Will is in London at the London Men's Conference where he is enjoying the fellowship of 4,000 believers and Mark Driscoll's preaching. I am so jealous (about the Mark Driscoll part). This leaves me cozied up at home, avoiding running in the rain and catching you up on our London adventures. Where was I.
Ah yes. 300,000 people singing "God Save the Queen." I still get chills!
After the anthem ended we pushed our way through the crowds in an attempt to beat the rush to Buckingham Palace for the coveted balcony kiss viewing position. As it turns out, we are amateurs when it comes to estimating crowd numbers. The police had already barricaded all routes leading to the Mall because there were literally tens of thousands of people already waiting in line. We had no choice but to jump into a pub and watch the epic (although slightly formal) royal kiss with the cheering locals.
One of the many festive pubs.
After this picture my wimpy camera decided to die. Ugh. One of these days I am getting myself a nicer camera. Or stealing Laura's.
With the couple wedded and kissed, we met up with the wonderful Followwills (who had just returned from Easter in Jerusalem) and headed back to their London digs to relax, compare wedding stories, and replenish our caffeine supplies. We had planned to head home that afternoon but the Followwills were so generous to offer us their apartment for the night that we pulled our shoes back on our sore feet and headed out to the West End in search of Les Mis tickets! Even though the wedding had ended hours earlier the streets were still crowded with celebrators:
Bless you, iPhone, for your camera capabilities
Will and Kate passed through this arch and, just hours later, so did Will and Cait. :)
With less than 45 minutes to spare we arrived at the box office, snatched up two tickets and found ourselves seated in the Queen's Theatre, excited beyond belief. This is the last year that Les Mis is playing in the West End and we were fortunate enough to grab last minute tickets! I fear my blogger's integrity would be compromised if I did not admit that this was not the best performance of Les Mis that I've seen. Someone must have spiked the conductor's drink with extra shots of expresso because he positively marched through some of the dramatic, slower numbers. "Bring Him Home" loses it's impact when sung at the pace of a Sousa! Nevertheless, we paid for the experience and it did not disappoint. We stumbled back to the apartment that night on sore feet, exhausted from our Royal Wedding escapades and all of the British patriotic fever. It was nothing short of a magical day. Now what are the odds that Harry would get married before Will graduates, I wonder?
Readers, I have a confession. My tardiness is not due to an overwhelming amount of pictures to sort through (I wish) or a supremely busy five days. I'm late because I'm still processing. We attended what felt like a world-wide celebration and I am still letting that experience soak in deep under my skin. After watching the wedding highlights for what feels like the 20th time on BBC's iPlayer (ok, so it was only 3 times) I finally feel ready to put words to paper. Screen. Same thing. So where to begin? How about where I stiff armed by husband and friend into following me to London. Every great adventure starts with one adventurer forcing the other adventurers to follow, right? Humor me.
We must begin this story on Thursday night, or, as it shall henceforth be called, Royal Wedding Eve. Mark your calendars. With weather forecasts threatening our plans Will, Louise and I paced our tiny living room debating to go or not to go (maybe the pacing was just me). Will and Louise were indifferent, with Will leaning more towards staying home than indifferent, but both assured me that they would accompany me in my Royal Wedding Fever. Apparently my super expressive excitement is entertaining to watch, even more so than said historic occasion. I fought the feelings of guilt (What if it rains? What if we don't see anything? What if everyone is miserable and it's all my fault because I made them?) and said "weather be damned"! The longer I stay in England the more British my expressions become.
Friday morning came early (too early!) and gray (too gray!) but we were resolved to see this adventure through, so we hastily showered and hoofed it down to the central bus station. We had intended to claim the Will and Kate bus ride deal--all Wills and Kates (or in my case, Cait) were told they could ride the bus to London for a mere £1! However, in typical British fashion, we were NOT informed that in order to receive said discount you must first go to Debenhams and obtain a voucher. Is Debenhams open at 7 am in the morning? No. Will the bus driver look at our IDs and sell us the tickets for £1 pound a piece? Negative. It was too early and I was too excited to be too put out. Will felt much better after the bus driver gave us both student discounts. After being gypped out of our Will and Cait bargain our consciences made nary a protest to this mistake. I keep waiting for the Holy Spirit to convict me on that one but so far so good.
Louise hopped on the bus a few stops down the road and we were off! The drive flew by as Louise educated me on the Princess Diana conspiracy theories (I'm totally a believer now) and Will tried to ignore us and save his tolerance for extremely girlie situations for the wedding itself by reading Greek. The traffic was surprisingly non-existent and we made it to London in record time.
Armed with Starbucks. Let's do this thing!
They seem more optimistic now that they have been properly caffeinated, don't they?
Our bus dropped us off just a few blocks away from the hotel where Kate and Co. were getting ready for the wedding. We briefly contemplated joining the crowd and waiting for the future Mrs. Prince William to emerge but decided against it as we would miss seeing the ceremony. So we took a quick photo and followed the crowds of flag-waving, costume-wearing enthusiasts to Hyde Park, where the wedding would be broadcasted on giant screens.
The crowd waiting in front of Kate's hotel!
One of the many many reasons we were not interviewed for television. With folks like this who wants to talk to us?
Following the masses and the signs...
Having lived through Superbowl and Mardi Gras excitement I thought I would be prepared for what came next. Sorry, New Orleans, but London takes the cake on this one! We joined a crowd of 300, 000 (according to BBC) people on the grounds of Hyde Park to watch the event. 300,000 flag waving, costume wearing, cheering people all crammed into a few acres. There were little girls in princess costumes, big girls in wedding dresses, men in top hats, women in party dresses, and all kinds of ways you can (or maybe can't) imagine that a flag can be turned into clothing.
Why do I even bother bringing a camera when Google images takes better pictures than I do?
We were HERE!!
And so close to the screens (all things considered)!
My enthusiasm is contagious!
It was amazing! I felt like I was attending the world's largest wedding--the crowd jumped to their feet, cheering and waving the Union Jack when the princes, the queen, and finally Kate appeared on screen. They remained standing with the congregation of Westminster Abbey while Kate walked that magnificent aisle. Many of them sang the first hymn from the online programs they had printed the night before. They popped bottles of champagne when Will and Kate were pronounced husband and wife. But my all time favorite memory (and it still gives me chills when I think about it) was when 300,000 people got to their feet and sang "God Save the Queen." That's the kind of stuff I'll tell my grandkids someday.
