Wednesday 31 August 2016

Farewell August

Wow August over already! The summer holidays come and go far too quickly, I'm not sure I'm ready for September, a return to the early alarm wake ups and back to the school run! 


August has been a month full of celebrations - our 20th Wedding Anniversary, Sam's 14th birthday, Sophie's GCSE results! We've pretty much spent the summer at home, doing projects around the house, Sophie has been busy doing NCS all month and Sam has pretty much been on his computer! Had a lovely catch up with an old school friend, bought new sofa's, become a redhead...


To end the month, had a lovely coffee and catch up with my sister and niece today - they are all growing up way too quickly. I'm sure Sam has grown another couple of inches this summer.


Once the kids go back to school, I'm turning my attention to the sitting room. We've had the gas fire taken out, Jeff knocked out the old fireplace and we've reused the floor boards of the old summer house to clad the chimney breast. We intend to use the same tiles as in the kitchen across the front and lay a wooden floor, which I'll paint. In a couple of weeks, new doors/windows will be put in and so I now have the joy of.......


.....more wallpaper stripping! 
Then filling, sanding, washing down and finally painting the room. New sofa's are arriving early November, so it should all be finished in time for Christmas! September is going to get off to a busy start!

Thursday 25 August 2016

RESULTS DAY!!!!!


One very happy girl and one very proud Mum!
GCSE results day today and she did brilliantly!

A*'s in Maths and Textiles
A's in Science x2, Geography and IT (Distinction - A equivalent)
B's in English Literature and English Language, Drama and German

She did better than she hoped in English and Geography, and German was so unexpected but so deserved given the hard work she put in.


So we celebrated with cheesecake x

Well Done Sophie x

Monday 15 August 2016

Where has this week gone?


The summer holiday is sadly whizzing by - I love the holidays and no alarm clock, so am quietly willing the time to pass a little slower. We have finally put up our door number, it's been on the the 'to do' list for a while.


And we are beginning to make headway with the back garden and....


... the bit down along the side of the house.


The next big project is the sitting room, which has not been touched since we moved in a year ago now. It was pretty much the only room we had to live in whilst the builders were in and I want it done for Christmas, so best get started as there is a lot to do.


We have finally got around to sorting all the stuff that had been in storage and was still in boxes, in the front room. Some has been found a home, some has been thrown out and the rest car booted or taken to the charity shop. The plan is then to make this room a temporary sitting room, whilst I get started on the actual sitting room.


I've been sofa looking/dreaming!


And we were up a silly o'clock on Sunday morning for the car boot. The only positive at getting up at 5:30am was this view, as you opened the bedroom shutters.


Our time otherwise has just been pottering around at home. Sophie has been away doing NCS for 2 weeks, so it's just been me and the boys at home. Sam got a waffle maker for his birthday which we've had fun testing out and I can see will be well used. We've nothing big planned for the rest of the holidays - Sophie still has this and next week doing NCS but from home now and of course the dreaded exam results day next week. So we just need to hope for lovely sunshine over the remaining weeks, to enjoy the last few weeks of the summer holidays.

Sunday 7 August 2016

Birthday Boy - 14!!!


How did that happen? Where does time go?
Today we celebrate Sam's 14th birthday!! 


We went to bed last night with the scene set - presents wrapped, birthday bunting up. the cake made and wake up time negotiated (not ridiculously early)


and here he is - my baby! 
14 years old today and getting ever closer to be the same height as his father - maybe next year he'll be taller!


This 'memory' came up on facebook today - 5 years ago!


I am very proud of the young man Sam is becoming - he's still a sensitive soul who doesn't like any attention on him but he is kind, caring, considerate and empathetic and is becoming a lovely young man. I know I'm biased but.....

Big GCSE years are now ahead of him. He, like Sophie, has no idea what he wants to do but I'm sure with hard work, he could do anything he wanted.

Have a wonderful Birthday Sam x

Wednesday 3 August 2016

20 Years!!!!


20 years ago today, I married my best friend.


We had met 3 and half years earlier in a nightclub in Bath - Jeff was an Officer in the RAF based over in Germany and I was in my final year at University, studying an Arts degree with teaching. 
We look so young!


It was the happiest day ever - filled with sunshine, sunflowers and smiles.


20 years on and we are still smiling and are a family of four


We were best friends the day we married and still are today. When you are lucky enough to find the right person to spend your life with, you can't help but smile x

Here's to another 20 years x