Birthday walk

So...a few photos from my big birthday day out.  I had a lovely birthday, the boys were in school so hubby and I planned a nice long walk along the coast path and a picnic.  The sky was blue and the day was just perfect.  

We walked a section that we haven't been to before, the coast path here spans 186 miles...all beautiful.  We are truly blessed!  

The real treat was stopping above one of the small coves which can't be reached by foot and seeing seals and their pups sheltering there.  The noise of the seals calling was quite something....really loud, in fact it stopped me in my tracks to see what it was.

Chester spent the day with us to...he is more keen than the boys to go for long walks!  It was a really wonderful day, over too quickly of course, but memorable and just the right way to mark a birthday in my opinion!

We've definitely been getting out in the mild dry autumn days.  During the school holidays we visited the Cotswolds in our caravan.  We've not been there before and it was a lovely introduction to an area that definitely needs more discovering.  The trees were what took my breath away, but the little chocolate-box villages were beautiful too...(I even found a lovely wool shop...bonus!)

It was lovely to go somewhere new and potter around.  Our caravan holidays always turn out to be super-relaxed, lots of sitting, reading, eating and chatting.  We did do a bit of walking, but honestly it was more about relaxing and not having to be anywhere else....just what we all needed!

I actually have lots of pictures and news to put on here....but it will have to wait...there's been reading, crocheting, knitting, drawing, running....gosh, it has been a busy few weeks!

...and everything in between.....

Easter this year has been a lovely time.....the weather here has been glorious.  Doesn't it make everything just right?!

We set out walking on a new route this week, an area that we haven't been to before, where there are the remains of an old slate/shale quarry It was established in  the 1840's, but has been out of commission for some years now.  The remains are spectacular, eerie and in some places quite sad.  Silent and empty.

I spotted this little archway above where we were walking on a  slate  bank, so we all clambered up. Well worth the effort as there was a sight to behold captured by a torch and a mobile phone camera.

 (photo care of hubby's phone camera and middle boy's torch....how eerie is that?)

There was a secret just around the corner

A perfect picnic spot

I love getting out in the  wilderness with the boys and dogs.....I find it puts your body right somehow, especially if you are otherwise cooped up a lot during  the week.  I can't put my finger on what happens, but being outdoors brings balance, I was feeling quite out of sorts and a bit despondent when we got back from our hollies, but getting out on a good long walk, put me back to rights!

Biggest boy turned twelve,  his birthday was guitar focused, guitar cake and a guitar to go with it.  I am so pleased to encourage my boys in music and creativity, I am so thankful for all my creative exploits, especially the music....even when the going is tough, losing yourself in music puts everything in perspective.

                

(this post has been lurking in my edit list for an age, landlines down and then very slow broadband, it is surprising how much we have all got used to having google at our fingertips....how does life continue without search engines I wonder?!  So it is far less than everything in between, there has been much food, more walking, some crafting, lots of learning...)

Summer.......

Well, as promised....here is the first bombardment of photos....I have plenty more, but I don't want to let a wonderful fun filled summer go by without remembering it here.....lots of reasons for smiling here.......

A meal out for my birthday and then cake at home afterwards. 

This wasn't the only birthday....we did birthdays in the best way....with plenty of cake!

There were days out at the beach....and quick dips in the sea....Chester over seeing the whole thing.....

Littlest boy's fifth birthday, complete with chocolate monkey cake....and lots more cake.....

All partied out, littlest at middle boy's birthday tea.

The eight year old himself, trying out his birthday skate board

A birthday trip out to the local zoo.....very strange meerkats here......

Days in the yard....even for Daddy who re-visited his childhood on middle son's skate board.

Sports day, big, middle and little

Walks....plenty of walks....I have discovered this year a need to be on top of a mountain, as often as I can!

A long watched mum sitting on her eggs, rewarded by two little ones.

A dabble back in to painting when I was asked to donate a picture for the summer fete in our village.

Days out to visit beautiful gardens.

Proud moments as Biggest boy is invested into Scouts and later gets his Silver Chief Scout award.

This summer has been hard to top....this is just a small chunk of memories....I have our hollies to Austria and our charity walk in the Brecon Beacons.....hold onto your hats.......

Red, white and blue

So how did your Jubilee celebrations go? We had a full-on adrenaline packed weekend with something for everybody! 

There has been sun, cake, tents, parties, rain, BBQs, sewing, sandwiches, wind, baking, bright colours, puddings, red, flowers, gazebos, white, zoos, camping, blue, music........you mention it, we did it!

As ordered, the sun (mainly) shone on Middle's seventh birthday tea-party and the kids were able to play outdoors.  Bunting was hanging in the apple tree as I dreamt of, and I also managed to squeeze in making a picnic blanket, with a jubilee theme.

When I was dreaming big the other day, I wished for weed-free borders which unfortunately did not materialise, but on Ruth's suggestion I did rock the 'wild-flower meadow' look!

In among the jungle of weeds, the flowers were doing their own personal 'nod' to the celebrations.

And cake?  Well if you recall, I imagined a three teired cake in the celebratory colours.....and.......

.........not bad eh?  It tasted scrummy and made our lives more colourful in ways that you couldn't imagine ;-)

So all, in all, I do think we've experienced the jubilee on many levels and middle's birthday coinciding with it all, only made it all the more exciting!

The sun has got his hat on!

Wow, what a week it has been!

The sun has shone its little socks off and we have made the most of it!

As chicken pox still lingered, biggest's family tea party, became the non-event of the century, so I had a quick re-think and we went for a family picnic with my folks, the only ones willing to mix with us 'unclean' people!

Do you know...it was absolutely perfect...good food...good company and teddies too!

This is the birthday boy who was nine yesterday....he is just about to munch a raspberry trifle cupcake (from 'Cake Days' Humming Bakery recipe book) which disappeared very quickly.... I would highly recommend them!

I have to say that picnic food is just about my favourite thing.....

After eating until we were full to the gunnels, we stretched our legs.

(I would like it to be noted, that even the biggest boy of them all had a stick to sword fight with.)

Sunday was another glorious afternoon so we took the dogs for a walk while the tide was right out.

The boys had a whale of a time getting wet and beachy.

I saw these beautiful swans (there were 17 in total) all serenely sitting in the shallows with their faces in the sunshine (can a bird have a face?)

(check out Chester's ears, he looks like hes about to take off!)

The dogs bombed about, meeting other walkers and doggy friends......the boys collected shells....as I've already said, we were all truly spoilt.

The week has been a busy one as biggest's birthday celebrations seem to have continued (rather like the queen)  we have the last birthday 'event' on Saturday night, with bowling and food all round for a handful of boys and girls....I do hope they won't actually be a handful though!

Biggest and littlest are still spot-free and I am hoping they will remain so until Saturday night is done....fingers crossed........

Hope you are having a lovely week....and enjoying the sun too!



Year of projects (wk11)

This week has taken me rather by surprise, it being the half-term holidays and with no school runs to do, I made myself a big to-do list.

I'm quite big on lists, and being able to tick off even a few jobs gives me a great sense of satisfaction.  At the beginning of the week, between other things I saw the tape measure and got oldest boy on measuring my granny stripe and my bed.  Not so long ago, it was a good way off being finished, but this time when measured it was about three stripes off..........totally do-able!

So first things first I have a finished item on my Year of projects........drum rolls please...............

This is already in full use with three boys snuggled under it on any given opportunity!

So onto another project, I've been carrying on with the flower motifs for a shawl/scarf as a Christmas present.

After asking advice from you clever, fellow bloggers about joining these flowers I was given a great idea from Marie at Underground Crafter so when I think I have made enough I will plan my layout and begin to join.!

Staying with the flowers, I bought a ball of Rico Creative about a week ago and after looking at this link here

suggested by goodpurlgonebad (don't you just love the blogging community!) I decided that I would give it a whirl.  I must admit, I haven't stuck to the pattern really as I liked the look of the flowers when I got to round three so rather than carrying on, I stopped there.

This yarn is absolutely beautiful and the colours (not shown well here!) are glorious.  This will definitely do well from blocking I'm sure.  I had in mind that this would make a shawl too, but hubby says he thinks it should be something less showey like a cushion.............hhhmmmmm, not sure.  The person who I have in mind for it, likes cheerful......... so why not wear it........what d'ya think?

So all in all a good week on lots of fronts........crochet........fun........housework..........sorting......... lots of ticks on my list!!

Before I forget, I would like to point you all in the direction of Fee at Chipper Nelly who is giving away some of her gorgeous handmade wooden blocks........take a look

As others have said before me.......never entirely sure why you want to alert any one's attention to these things when it clearly makes your own chance of winning less........hhhhhmmmmmm.........

Anyway, it's all go in my house today as it is Hubby's birthday ('And you're sat here blogging?' I hear you ask incredulously). I have a roast in the oven, although after the amount of chocolate coconut cake we've all eaten I'm not sure there will be anyone much interested in supper!  There are veg that need doing and batter for Yorkshire puds.....so must go!

I'm looking forward to having a good nosey about later at all your blogs too........thanks as ever for all the lovely comments and ideas.........always appreciated!

To check out other Year of projects work - please look here.



Baking, bananas, bikes and birthdays..........

Yesterday was the day when my littlest turned three.

Normally I bake enough to feed a small army and then a small army turn up and eat everything.  This year, we have not had the troops around, so I have been a little more restrained.

This is a first..............cake pops.

I discovered them on Suzanne's lovely blog Crea in the City, and thought I'd give them a whirl. 

I love to bake, and what I lack in talent I make up for in enthusiasm!  I followed some great instructions online and was doing well until it got to the part where I had my freshly coated cake pop, white chocolate dripping everywhere, thinking, 'so where am I going to put this to set'.  Hubby was making all sorts of useless useful suggestions ('What you need is some polystyrene') and in the end they ended up sitting in a couple of bananas and a bagel until I could find something more elegant and fitting for the occasion.

Can you guess what it is yet?

Much excitement to discover a mystery present in the morning...........what could it be?

One sleepy-faced, pyjama-ed three year old

A little more wide-awake..........cake and tractors the way to man's heart!

Our celebrations don't end here, we have a family day out at the zoo tomorrow and then a big family lunch to toast my Dad's 80th on Sunday.

Thankyou for all you get well wishes, I think we got off very lightly and I reckon I will be able to deliver an action packed weekend yet..........not sure how tired I'll be  on Monday though!

I was reading Emily's post from Unravelled a couple of days ago, and she was referring to the lovely sunset she had been looking at, it was quite poignant I thought, as I noticed the strange light  and went outside to see a beautiful coloured sky with a huge rainbow.

  Its a big old world, but we are all under the same sky.