Dose of Vitamin Sea

After working all week, Sophie and I headed off to Cornwall for a couple of days...

First stop - St Ives!

Was a little on the cold side, well it was blumin freezing!

Certainly not warm enough to sit outside at our favourite spot, The Hub

Despite the wind, cold and sandblasting, it was lovely to have a change of scenery, breathe in the fresh air and soak up some much needed Vitamin Sea!

Pasties for tea with Granny, then on to Mum and Dad's for the night.

Then on Sunday, the reason we came down to Cornwall, my Auntie and Uncles surprise 80th birthday celebrations and it was a Surprise!!

I haven't seen them for a good few years or my cousins and their children! So it was lovely to see everyone and catch up, whilst celebrating - a lovely day 

Think that's all the celebrations for a little while xx

Golden Celebrations

So yesterday was a special day, well Saturday 5th of April 1969 to be precise, the day my parents got married - and together we celebrated, as a family, their 50 years of marriage.

I offered to host the lunch, went along the lines of a golden, yellow theme!

I love a theme!

By chance I remembered I'd stumbled across a few of their wedding photos a month or so ago - the perfect addition and place settings for the special couple.

I made it simple but delicious and always plentiful.

My Cornishware came into its own.....

.....looked a treat with all the yellow

And there was cake, of course there was cake - wouldn't be a celebration without cake.

Cut by the 'bride and groom' !!!

A four tier, raspberry and salted caramel cake.

The older I get, the more I realise what an achievement these milestones are -50 years of marriage these days is quite an accomplishment. I can't quite believe that Jeff and I will be celebrating 23 years married this August - doesn't seem possible.

So a pic of the happy couple, 50 years down the line x

With Granny, my Dad's Mum - 96 in July, another milestone worth celebrating!

Me and my Sis - her 50th this year, mine next - eekk!!

And the Grandchildren - Sophie 19, Sam 16 and Ella 10 - the youngest but edging ever closer to Sophie in the height stakes

And finally US! 

Jeff obviously was there but took the photo x

And Mike, Jo's hubby was playing Hockey.

So I guess their 55 year anniversary is next - Emerald!
Something to look forward to x

A quick catch up

It's been another busy week - Sophie home from Uni, Sam still at school, Jeff worked the start of the week doing the revision courses up at school and it was work as normal for me.

We did head over to Bath though on the Thursday, collecting Sam from school en route. Jeff spent his birthday money on a new pair of DM's and we finally....

....got around to going out for a meal, to celebrate his 50th.

A lovely few hours spent together - such a rarity these days x

Pinch and a punch.....

.....hello April!

How did that happen? A quarter of the way through the year already!

Farewell March, you were a good month, full of family stuff!

Trips to see Sophie and a day out in Windsor, a shopping trip to Bath with Sam, Jeff's 50th, Mother's Day..... the list goes on and April looks to be a pretty busy month too.

It was Mother's Day yesterday, I worked all day but was treated by my two x

Lots to be thankful for x

The big 50!

On Thursday a huge milestone passed us by - Jeff turned 50!!

50 sounds terribly old!

We were going to celebrate with a couple of days away but then BREXIT!!!!! was supposed to happen, then didn't but we didn't want to risk spending his birthday weekend in an airport, so a rethink of how to celebrate! He didn't want a party, didn't want to be whisked away somewhere in the UK, so he bought tickets for us to see The Specials in a couple of weeks time (his treat to himself) He wants a pair of DM's, so we're all off to Bath next week to help him choose, then enjoy a birthday meal out together. I got him a voucher to go Coasteering for 2 in the summer. He and Sam have always wanted to do that, so they can get that organised during the summer break and then some other bits and bobs to open on the day - a 1969 oldscool t-shirt, a Bristol City Football programme from the year he was born, a Specials album cover print.....

 

I guess his biggest surprise was having Sophie home!

I was supposed to be collecting her the following day but we organised it for her to get the train back on his actual birthday, I collected her from Castle Cary Station (same day the Queen visited!!) then she was home to surprise him, when he got home from work for his birthday tea.

LOVE surprises like that x

His cake was a cactus-esq design. 

Bit of a running joke here, as Jeff managed to kill a cactus! Sophie bought him a 'grow your own' for Christmas, which has done nothing, so we each bought him a real mini cactus, I'd found some cactus candles, so went with that as a theme for his cake.

So all in all a lovely day and lovely to have Sophie home too x

Happy Birthday Jeff - still looking good!

Love you xx

Sunshine....

.... at last!!

This morning I woke, opened the shutters and windows to the most beautiful day.

This is what I've been waiting for! 

The first coffee enjoyed sat outside in the morning sunshine. 

Flip flops on, jeans rolled up, cardie off - lovely.

Things are suddenly coming out, the blossom, leaves budding out...

...even my rhubarb has shown itself. 

Pretty pleased with that, as I actually thought I'd lost it.

Hopefully this is it now, better weather on the horizon - Spring has sprung!

Quality time with my two x

Had the best of both worlds this week - 

got to spend a whole day with each of my children!

Sophie has no lectures on a Monday, I had a day off, so an early start and drive to Reading. Dropped off supplies and then we were tourists for the day, with a day trip to Windsor. It's only half an hour up the road, gave her a change of scenery and it was lovely to just spend time together. Coffee and chat, walk around the town, down by the river, found the Long Walk, lunch at Bill's and more chat, with a trip to the supermarket on our way back, before dropping her back to Hall's and a 2 hour drive home.

Then today, time with Sam. He has no lectures on a Friday, needed/wanted new jeans, so a trip to Bath planned. Thankfully the second pair of jeans he tried on, were 'the ones' so we had a nice, relaxed mooch around Bath for the rest of the morning, then lunch at Bill's (twice in one week!) 

It's not often now that I get to spend quality time with each of my children and twice in one week is a real treat. They are so different, yet similar in so many ways too.

Moments to treasure as they become so grown up x