cinqo de mayo

This year's cinqo de mayo Mexican celebrations were delayed by 48 hrs due to our Yeovil weekend. We didn't do the whole fajita - taco - frozen margarita pie thing this time but we did the pinata sweets & movie though. Joff is by far our most enthusiastic pinata beater!

We have a lot on at the moment. In addition to a demanding job, and the huge & enjoyable task of homeschooling we are starting a new business. Yes we thing we're a little insane too.
If we are going to achieve all we desire then I'm going to need to put some 'time management' tools to use. The getting up and into the pool for 6:30 is going well and really helps but I seriously need more self discipline and to learn how to say 'No!' to all the people and tasks demanding my time. Finally, I need to get fit so I have more energy to get everything done. The swimming is one step, pinata beating may well be the way ahead!

Yeovil.....

Well we did it!We drove for five and a half hours and visited Adam, Rachel, Jacob, Emilia, Zacherry and Elijah! We arrived just in time for the kids to join in the youth clubs at Yeovil Community Church and hang out with their cousins.....then it was off to their house for supper. It was really fun just to sit around with Adam and Rachel and catch up on what's going on in our lives and areas!

In the morning we headed out walking. Although Yeovil is a town, its surrounded with walks and countryside so we were able to go exploring............we walked along a park area called "Nine Springs" but I'm convinced there were only seven! The kids loved climbing trees, jumping the stream and in Elijah's case clearing the pathway of every stick he could find whilst running ahead to check for obstacles (he's three but can really move for a tiny person.......thinking he might be a good jogging partner)

Then in the afternoon we went to play crazy golf...............which just for the record NIGEL WON but just to balance out the family I came last! Zacherry was however the only family member who managed to get a hole in one!

We finished off the night with a couple of glasses of wine (or coke for Adam) and a family BBQ in the garden then a movie night for the kids! It was fantastic to see them all hanging out, getting on and playing games with each other. Even Rachel's new cat seemed to enjoy the attention of so many fingers and left overs dropped in the garden!

This morning we got to go back to church and visit with some of the folks we met at the Quinta week-end in October and enjoy meeting some new faces! Adam and Rachel treated us to a Sunday lunch before we headed back home a different way that only took 4 hours!

It was really great fun and we're looking forward to seeing them all again for the family picnic in July here at the farm! (We'll start building the crazy golf course now!)

It went wrong.....

So I was making Nidge's tea......I chopped up some butternut squash and put in the oven to bake. Then I completely forgot I'd done that and put some fish in the oven. Then I decided that I fancied some mushrooms so I put some on the Aga to cook. As I was doing this I remembered I'd put some washing out and it was starting to rain so I went and got it in......which made me thirsty......which made me notice the garlic nam bread in the fridge.........which needed used so I put it in the oven. When I put it in the oven I saw the fish and thought Nidge likes "mushy peas with his fish" (it's an English thing). So when my poor husband got home he had a plate of....fish,mushy peas, butternut squash, mushrooms and nan bread. In case you were thinking of copying this combination I wouldn't it doesn't work............but bless him he did eat it anyway!

It's not over till God says it is!!!!

A visit to Urbis!

Today we went to the Urbis Centre in Manchester. It is an exhibition centre all about city life.

It has contemporary art, photography, architecture and music that encourages those who visit to think about their own living environment, social structure and space.


It was quite challenging at times to realize how much of our identity is formed in or by the area around us.

There was a exhibition about "play" in the urban world which Meg, Joff and Hally found really interesting as they are quite used to
running around their seven aches not thinking about who is around them or being confined by space.

After that we all took advantage of our urban surroundings and headed out for pizza.

It turned into a really hot day so as Amie took Meg out shopping in the afternoon we all just sat around enjoying the sun shine. ( Hally and Joff enjoyed Grandma's paddling pool!)

Busy!

The last few days have been fun, working (poor Nidge has been really busy!), swimming, clearing, socializing.....but we're looking forward to the week-end when we're going to take advantage of our deminishing farm life and head back up to Manchester. Saturday we're hoping to go out for the day (maybe the Lake District, maybe Yorkshire we've not decided!), but either way we get to spend sometime with Nidge's folks and Amie! Yeahhh more fun! (I can't think what we'll talk about?)

Congratulations

A short story about Easter Sunday family BBQ up at my parents.
by Nigel

This is my little sister's finger!

because she's going to marry him....
I quite like Andy.....because this is the rest of my familybefore Andy this was my only friendHalandra's delighted.... she now has a new favorite uncle!but after 5 days of lego with Andy.... Zacherry's not so sure!

the end

Shrewsbury

We popped into town to get some clothes so we can all look gorgeous this Spring!
I took a camera with me and I've never realised how lovely it is, I've always thought of it as a bit grotty! It does have some lovely tudor buildings and little cobbled streets.
It also has some ugly 70's concrete buildings but I didn't snap them.
CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGEIt has cute cafe areas like this and yes, ... this is MacDonalds and the building is 400 odd years old.
Tomorrow we're off up to Manchester to see my parents, Adam & family and the adorable couple who are.... Andy & Amie.

Catch up!

There's been so much going on over the last few weeks that blogging some-how has sank to the back of the pile! Nidge has been very busy with work and looking after the kids when I signed up to extra hours to cover some holidays for work mates.....I hate when life gets out of balance and it's my fault for being bad at saying "N0" (it's much easier when it's Nidges fault then I can blame him!) I got totally spoilt for mothers day after buying myself some books and a Kate Rusby CD, the guys still got me some chocolate and things!

The field is full of lambs that enjoy chewing our phone lines so internet connection and outside contact has been patchy. There's loads of odd jobs to do round the farm this time of year but we finally moved the geese of the yard so at least I've not been bite on the bum in a few weeks!(that sounds like I'm a bit disappointed by that doesn't it?) Any family members that fancy a working week-end fencing, digging or general burning of the ever growing mountain of stuff............feel free to pop down payment can be made in dinner and a glass of wine!

My friend Sam did come to stay on Friday night, which was great because we haven't seen each other since she dropped in for ten minutes on Valentines day but we weren't organized enough to get her working for her bed. A shout to all you who say we live to far away to visit she popped in for the night from DENMARK!!!!!!!! (and was only in the country 48hours total!) Although we aren't any better as we still have to fulfill some our visits this year either! (sorry Tony and Deb/ Adam and Rachel)

Anyway Easter will be here soon and we're really looking forward to catching up with family and friends...........ummm my favourite easter egg is of course "mini eggs" closely followed by "maltessers" if anyone is interested........many years of research has gone into this not to meantion money so there's no point trying something new (unless it's Thorntons)! Failing that I will settle for Amie chocolate cake if she's reading!

Spring

The lane to our house is covered with daffodils, the lambs are in the field and the kids have been enjoying riding their bikes around the farm. It's spring here at the farm and I love it. Yeah!

Ebb

Ebb & flow is part of the rhythm of life. Sorry for the gap in blogging!
Last weekend (Before Amie & Andy visited I had a great 3 day youth forum residential up at Staylittle in hills.
Then Amie & Andy came - see post below.

Then we spent a couple of evenings hanging out, laughing and worshiping with my brother Adam & Rachel who had one of their youth group over at Quinta ( about a 40 min drive away.) Good time!

On Sunday it was Joff's 12th Birthday. Happy & blessed birthday to you Joff! We shot up to Manchester for the day, we hung out at Waterstones, Hally bought sweets from Whittards, Joff & I got to explore the apple store which is so cool and we stopped for coffee & stunning carrot cake before heading to my parents for roast beef dinner with perfect gravy - mmm! It was special that Sylvia (otherwise known as granny Smith) came over for the afternoon too. Joff even managed to enjoy his second birthday cake. We came home via our Wrexham Church. A busy but really fun day.




Being a bloke I love gadget things! I've just got a new PDA which is a whole mini pocket computer. It's a MP3 player, a phone and it's got a camera & video on it. I took these on a walk the kids & I went on yesterday to learn some Spanish. (Walking & learning goes well) then I press a button and they appear on my laptop. How cool is that!

Andy n Amie

Today was fun! It's strange how showing someone round where you live reminds you of why you moved here in the first place. Andy and Amie came down and it was fun to take them up to the Montgomery Castle, which by the way was built originally in1223 but became redundant as a castle in the 1600's after somebody important decided to move the border of England and Wales a few miles. (Thankfully there was a sign that had all that historical information on it that Meg and I read on the way in so we didn't look like complete ignorant natives when Andy asked about the castle.....shhhh don't tell him!)

Nidge, Meg and Hally also got to take them to Montgomery Church which is so beautiful.....(Nidge and I have always thought it would be a great place for weddings!) whilst they did that Joff and I headed down to town to pick up a chinese meal so that Andy would have the strength for his monopoly play off with Hally! Amie won in the end!

Valentine Pigs!

I took a day's holiday from work today. Sadly Pickle & Pastry left home today, they've gone to hang with their new boy friend! You think you've got something special, that they care and then some fancy looking 'bore' grunts their way and they're off! So here we sit, lonely and deserted, all we could do was to sit down to and enjoy the most AMAZING Valentine's meal in a FABULOUS little Restaurant that our kids found for us. Joff, the Chef de cuisine created a sumptuous Nacho Medley
Megan the Chef du Partie delivered a tremendous Lasagne
and to follow Halandra our Sous Chef presented heart shaped chocolate with strawberry on chocolate dusted cream.

Winter Wonderland

We have had a great few days snowed in on the hill. The kids are frustrated that school isn't canceled but we've had so much fun.