Home !

Home and settled in at last! Madeira was lovely, beautiful Island and we were in lovely accommodation, although the 92 steps up to our apartment was a killer for poor Jonathan's knees!. The weather was warm, although quite often overcast. The picture here of Henry and Evie is taken on the second highest sea facing cliff in the world at 550m above sea level, which was a very short walk from our accommodation. (for those of you interested the highest sea facing cliff is in Norway!).

We had a fantastic day out in Funchal, had lunch with a friend and then took the mad toboggan ride down the streets with just two men holding ropes to control you - scary! And also took the cable car down, which was fantastic.




It was so lovely to get away and relax, the children were great (okay, we had the odd Evie tantrum!) and we just read and played (- lot's of crazy golf) and spent time together, which is what it is all about.

And now we are home and the weather is fantastic - hurray. Jonathan and I spent a lovely Sunday at Sudbury's cricket ground watching the Lord Taverner's celebrity eleven play Sudbury, whilst sitting in a marquee eating a three course lunch and then afternoon tea. We did a bit of celebrity spotting - Chris Tarrant, Mike Gatting and Fraser Heinz to name a few.

I have now managed to catch up on the washing - although not the ironing and am waiting for a kit to arrive from Cocoa Daisy, you know, the Ali Edwards Travel Album one, so I can get all my holiday photos scrapped!

Wow!

We saw Katherine Jenkins on Saturday night at High Lodge in Thetford Forest and she was fantastic - what a voice and she is so lovely. I gave the tickets to Jonathan for his birthday back in January and without him knowing also organised for some friends to meet us there - so he was really surprised and pleased to see them, the setting is so beautiful and we all had a great evening.

Then Sunday I became a godmother to this gorgeous little munchkin,

this is Euan and the christening service was very personal and Sarah & Neil had organised a fantastic spread back at the house, what a perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon.
This week has been spent trying to get ready for our holiday which we go on this weekend. My head is so full I cannot tell you, but I have got most of the mundane tasks done - ie: cutting the grass, filing the paperwork, cleaning the silver etc. So now to the packing, which I hate ! It's not the clothes' it's all the 'stuff' you need to take including things to keep the children amused. We are going on an HPB holiday to Madeira. Hope the weathers good, I so need the rest.

Yesterday I went to Anna's class at Your Touch of Craft and made a gorgeous mini book, just got to do the journalling, think I'll be making quite a few of them as gifts.

Everything is coming to an end,Henry had his last swimming lesson of the term last night and they are allowed to take a friend for a play session, James and Henry had a fantastic half hour in the pool. And the night before we went to Hardwick heath for a barbecue with Henry's Beavers group. He has really enjoyed Beavers since he started after Easter and already has quite a few badges.

I'll leave you with this picture of Evie, taking time out at the christening to eat strawberries !

Rain, rain, go away,

I have just typed a whole long page and lost it ---- arrgghh !

Well we should have been camping on the school field tonight, but due to the weather it has been postponed until September, good job really as we have just had a thunder storm ! So I have managed to clean the house from top to bottom instead.

Off to High Lodge tomorrow night to see Katherine Jenkins, so please keep your fingers crossed for a dry evening for us. I have been busy making picnic food, smoked mackerel pate and meatloaf to go with the breads and cheeses I have brought and some tiffin and coconut ice for dessert!

Have had a great week, we headed off to Bluewater on Sunday, it was very busy as the sales had started, but we still managed a bit of shopping and a nice meal in an Italian restaurant, poor Jonathan ended up having to use his walking stick as his knees are not up to that much exercise, the plan was to stop at Ikea on the way home but we ran out of time.

Then on Tuesday Jonathan had a ................day off !! Shock, horror, it's been a long time since that has happened and it was lovely, he did the school runs with us (which Henry loved) watched Evie and I swim and then we headed into town and had lunch at The Angel, then more shopping. We came home with a nespresso coffee maker that we had been looking at for ages, we have a fantastic kitchen shop in Bury called Marchants where all the staff are so helpful. We now have a redundant Gaggia coffee maker that has joined the ever growing pile of car boot sale stuff in the garage.

I have been doing a little bit of making:

this is a cheap canvas that I have altered using a Jenni Bowlin set of calender cards and is now in my study, and this:

which is a lift of one Anna did for Easy Craft Projects, how cute is that ! It's going to go in Evie's room. Have also made some anniversary/birthday and christening cards ready for the rest of the month.

My best friends son is being christened on Sunday afternoon and I am going to be his God-mother, so exciting, hope to have some photos to share of that next week.

My lovely husband has just arrived home with some beautiful pink roses for me, so I am off to make his dinner. Have a great weekend xx

I know,

I know, I thought I'd be updating this blog much more regularly than I have been, I either run out of time or go completely blank on whats been happening !

Had a good weekend,I worked on Saturday as we had a 'Pearl Day' at the shop, which was very exciting, the pearl expert brought the Tahitian necklace of the year with him and guess what? - We sold it ! as you can imagine I have a very happy husband ! On Sunday I took a car load of baby stuff to a sale and managed to earn £75 in two hours, not bad ! Still have some stuff left over, but have put the few bits of 'equipment' in the free ads, so keeping my fingers crossed I can get rid of it all. I love sorting (how many times can I say that!)

Then we had a late lunch at Mum & Dad's to celebrate Dad's birthday which was yesterday - Happy birthday Daddy xx . The weather was nice enough to spend some time playing french cricket outside and the children all love spending time together.

My brother is very busy getting everything ready for the opening of his new pub, The One Bull, the menu looks great, can't wait for it to open.

Had my friend Anna and her daughter Katie over for lunch on Tuesday, we ate in the garden and I made a Salmon & Asparagus pie and we drank Pimm's - was very civilised,

Evie tells me Katie is her 'best friend' (this changes daily)

Wednesday is Music with Mummies morning, and I love it ! I started six years ago when Henry was a baby and have know quite a few of these ladies

Since then, I never want to leave (sorry Polly you are stuck with us forever!) especially since Evie has not got a place at pre-school for next term - seems they have a very long waiting list.

Henry got his school report this week, and we are very happy with it. He seems to be interested and tries hard, he is caring and popular. He just needs to improve his concentration and not get distracted - that's our Henry, we are always saying that he lives in Loopy La La Land !

Hope to come back and update soon xx

Still busy

Life seems to have been busy, we had parties at the weekend, Henry went to his friend Zain's party in Stowmarket on Saturday afternoon, then Nana had the children whilst Jonathan & I headed off to the Langran's house in Cambridge for a lovely Barbecue with a group known as the 04's!- as always seeing these friends is great fun, always so pleased that we all keep in touch and make the effort.

Sunday we made a cous cous salad I found the recipe on this website, flap jacks, snickerdoodles and lemon drizzle cake all to take to Deans 4th birthday party. Another Barbecue and a bouncy castle - great fun, only downer was that Jonathan was at a wedding fair selling his wares and couldn't join us. Was really good to catch up with Anna and her family and she managed to grab this photograph of me and the children - not easy as Evie was NOT playing ball. But I love it so much and am hoping to scrap it very soon.

Yesterday I attended a service to celebrate Maxine's life, was a wonderful uplifting service at the church which Maxine attended regularly, lots of lovely stories told about her to make us all smile and remember the fabulous and amazing person she was. And of course I cried all the way through it :(

My friend Annie is back home to America this weekend for 3 weeks, I will miss her very much - but her husband Spike is very keen for me to come over and help move her scrap room whilst she is away - how exciting is that!! I LOVE clearing out and sorting - not so sure that Annie wants me in there without her to supervise though!

No making this week, only a couple of cards, so nothing to show off.

My brother David and my sister in law Rox with my niece Daisy have all moved in to town again, they are taking on a new business venture - The One Bull pub in town, really looking forward to it opening at the end of July.

My Mum has managed to sprain her ankle and is supposed to be resting it for a few days, those of you who know her will realise how impossible it is for my mum to sit for more than a few minutes at a time!

As I said, busy, busy. Have a good Hump day

xx

Impromptu

Had the most fantastic impromptu day today, just love it when that happens. This morning was Henry's sports day, check him out and look at that tongue stuck out in concentration, just like his great Grandad! But why oh why do we have to have 'non competitive' sports day activities?


Anyway after that four of us plus a very well behaved Evie went to town for lunch at The Angel Hotel, which was delicious and even better, my friends husband treated us ! - how lovely is that.
Evie and I decided not to get a lift home but to stroll around town and then into the Abbey Gardens and a play in the park before our walk back to get Henry from school (takes about 20 minutes - all uphill, with Evie in the buggy)



The sun shone and all was okay with the world!



Some more making:



Must start writing down some of the funny things Evie is saying at the moment, she manages to annoy Henry by saying 'stop copying me' even when he is not and another is 'boring' which she totally gets from Henry. And she is always telling me to 'Be careful Mummy, mind your fingers' when I am cutting food in the kitchen. She does make us laugh.
Jonathan has spent the day at the National Association of Goldsmiths AGM which has been held at Old Trafford in Manchester -does nothing for him as he is NOT into football, but Henry was quite impressed! He should be home soon from his very long day out.
Well off to watch BB and do the ironing.

Family visits

We spent Father's day in Margate visiting Jonathans parents, as you can see, the sun shone and we all enjoyed a stroll along the promenade !

Unfortunately Henry was sick about 1 minute from home, he had been complaining of a stomach ache and headache since Saturday night, luckily we caught it in a towel as we were in Jonathans new car ! So he has spent today with his Nana whilst I went to work and he is fine now - definately back to school tomorrow :)

Henry helped me to make the card

and I made him this album from a Scrapping Angels kit I brought at the retreat and have been dying to use!
Now the scrapbook stuff has been put away and I have the sewing machine out again, I made a load of these luggage labels


(thanks Annies mum for the idea!) and a one off bag which I am selling - anyone interested please leave me a comment or e-mail me.