December 17th. Birthday treat.

Every year, our kids get the choice of a birthday party , or a birthday treat. For the last 5 or so years, Fraser has chosen a birthday treat. Some dinner, maybe some bowling or a movie and he gets to bring a friend.

This year he chose for us to go to an all you can eat chinese buffet and then to the cinema to see Arthur Christmas. We had such a blast! Beebs and Lor Lor came with us and made it even more fun.


First up was lunch at Jimmy Chung's.

Sigh.

Here are the boys, attempting to eat their body weight in jelly.

K with her new friend, Petal.

Next time Granny C wants something collected, I'm volounteering! Apparently you get to buy toys with the change.....

Sorry ladies, I know I said I wouldn't put it in but well......

and Peaty was there too, he was just sitting next to me and somehow evaded the lens! Hmm must keep an eye out for that in the future.

Special Christmas Emmy came to enjiy the fun (of course.) She even gets her own little seat in the cinema.

I found one! See he was there, well I think it's him!

The boys got their own special seats, as far away form us as they could get! LOL. Just kidding, but 13 year old boys do like popcorn, juice and then left alone.

Wehad a quick stop at Tesco, not to stock up on food (we could still hardly move after lunch) , but to get a few essentials for the big day.

I totally started pointing and shrieking could hardly contain my excitement when we pulled up and saw Santa outside. We had had such a fantastic day, just watched a magical Christmas film and then it was finished off by a quick visit with the big cheese.

It could only have been bettered if it snowed.

It didn't.

But the day was still awesome.

December catch up. December 16th.

December 16th, K's very first School Christmas party. She was , of course, super excited to dress for this most special event. 

She had a wonderful time and even got a very sweet little pencil case from a VERY special visitor.

Boxing day

I love boxing day. I love it for the direct contrast to Christmas day , that it is. Calm, lazy, quiet and slow.  We always go to Granny C and Laym Laym's house for dinner on boxing day and we love that traditon. It is so nice to enjoy another Christmas dinner after a calmer day (and I don't have to cook it!!)

Yesterday was no exception, I got a delicious lie in, we played barbies and board games and wii games. Then dressed in our new clothes, hats, scarves and coats that we had received as gifts. I love getting new clothes for Christmas and getting all spruced up in them for our boxing day walk.

No snow this year, I am ok with it really, although I am still hoping we will get a heap of snow this winter. It would have been nice if it had presented itself in blankets of deliciousness for the festive period, but I will accept any snow we get from here on out!

K and Beebs have been waiting for a long time to have a very special playdate. K loves Beebs' Barbie campervan and has played with it . at Beebs' house, for a very long time.  But this Christmas K asked for her very own Hawaii campervan and she and Beebs have been eagerly awaiting it's arrival so they could take all of their barbies on a special camping trip.  They had a ton of fun.

mmmm I could eat this right now, I am finally hungry after being so stuffed for 3 full days! lol.

I don't have too many pics this year , most of our memories are in our memories are in our memories. A mixture of no light, too much busy and just too much fun have all conspired against me and my picture taking.

But that's ok, sometimes the pictures are just as good in our memory banks.

K and I hit the sales today and she got 4 pairs of shoes at £1 each! Saving around £60. It was great, we are now away to Granny Mary's to continue our tour of family meals. I love this time of year.

I'll be back soon with a December catch up, from days where I actually managed to take photos. xx

ps - if sarah and Joe boy are reading this , we love you and miss you and are looking forward to a decent skype so we can actually chat and see what everyone got for Christmas xxx

Merry merry Christmas.

Yesterday we had a crazy, busy, excited, fun, family stuffed, too much food, happy happy happy day.

I hope you all had the same.

I am sitting here on boxing day, still full from our lovely dinner at the Peat family home, contemplating  a turkey and stuffing sandwich. Just because.

K went to bed without a peep.

Murray , Fraser and I are settling down to watch a new episode of Poirot.

In about 5 mins I will have my pjs on and will be snuggled under a quilt, looking forward to a good evening, followed by a good sleep and the rest of my week long holiday.

I feel fulfilled, happy and so utterly content.

This is what it is all about.

Merry Christmas everyone xx

Twas the night before Christmas

and all through the house, just  a meatball was stirring but thankfully no mouse!

The stocking are laid out for Santa to fill

The children are nestled all snug in their beds.

We have had a lovely day with our family around us.

The food is all prepared for our big meal tomorrow.

Santa's treats are by the fireplace and Fraser has even left a comic for santa to enjoy.

and the tree is awaiting the flood of gifts that santa is sure to bring!

Murray and I are wearing our new Christmas PJs and are ready to head to bed, to allow santa to come and do his very special job.

We wish you all a very merry Christmas, filled with love, laughter, family and the kind of joy that makes your soul  the most happy of all.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night xxx

Christmas gift exchange.

Twice a year, Linda at Craftaholics anonymous hosts a gift exchange. Once again I took part in the Christmas gift exchange and it was so much fun!

 

This year my partner was a very sweet girl called Lisa. We chatted back and forth a couple of times , via email, and then set to work.

I received the sweetest gift through the post!

A crochet mug cosy!

I am so so excited. I have wanted one of these for such a long time and I love anything that is crochet.

And it is red. Be still my heart.

(Please excuse the ropy pics, my favourite new camera is needing batteries and I have been housebound for the past couple of days!  So the old faithful has to do)

I adore the purple heart on the front

and the super cute co-ordinating button on the back.

Love.

Thank you so so much to Lisa for my wonderful gift! I can't believe you are only just learning to crochet! You are a pro already!

And as always thanks to Linda for hosting the giveaway. It is lovely to meet new people and to enjoy exchanging something handmade and yummy!

Merry Christmas everyone! xx

Monday.

It's Monday today and it just soooo feels like it! I can barely keep my eyes open! As a general rule I actually quite like Mondays, I like that we get a new start to each week, I like getting our house back into some semi - order after a busy or extra lazy weekend. I'm also quite often off on a Monday too which is not to be sniffed at!

This morning I have my girly with me. She is choked full of the cold and has a pretty constant (and fairly "embellished") cough. She has been prescribed lots of cosy drinks, vicks vaporub and lots of rest. The last is the hardest for K to do, she is never still! She likes to keep busy!  We are snuggled in watching Annie at the moment ( I have already cried twice!) and have plenty more movie magic planned for the day.

I wanted to share with you the view I have from my end of the couch, my sweet girl at the other end, snuggled under a "mama made" quilt with her heavy eyes and her pink PJs. Out of the window I can see a lovely wintry blue sky and the sun just making it high enough to tip the top of our trees in gold.

But I have two cameras and neither have charged batteries. Sigh.

So instead I will share a couple of pics taken last week of some of our December fun.

Our christmas cake mix

filled with glistening jewel-like fruit and an amazingly spice filled aroma.

Yesterday K and Emmy got a great surprise, Granny C has been busy knitting up a special Christmas suit for our favourite little girl.

special Christmas Emmy.

I'm off now to pop the kettle on for cuppa number 2 of 200. I may pop back later to share some gifts that have been keeping us busy.

Bee Bee.

Thursday was a very sad day for us. Our sweet Bee Bee left us and went to guinea pig heaven.

I can't put into words how much I will miss her little nose poking through the mesh as she begged for grass.
I'll miss her sweet little (and not so little)  " weep weep" sound.

I am sure Lu Lu will miss her friend and sister, it makes me hurt to think of Lu Lu being all alone for the first time in her wee life.

BeeBee has been unwell for quite a few months, nothing that could be found or treated, but she just steadily kept losing weight.

It's been a long time since we have seen her in her prime.

We loved her and did our very best for her until the end and she was happy and chatty until less than an hour before I found her, so I have real peace that she lived the fullest life that she could have possibly lived.

Night night sweet BeeBee, we will miss you but we are very glad to have had 41/2 fun years with you , we love you still xxxxx