Remembrance Sunday

Tom and Ethan looking very smart at the Remembrance Sunday service yesterday.

Ray, Nick, Shaun and Anne-Marie.

Bethan, Jess & Lily.

You don't get many Remembrance Sundays back home that look as glorious as this. It was a beautiful day and a decent turnout at the cemetery for the service.

Tom had his last game of football on Saturday morning, his team reached the semi finals but they lost 2-1. He is signed up for the indoor season starting in December and has agreed to cut back the gymnastics to one day a week. Kate and I had a really good game of golf on Thursday last week, the weather this time of year is just perfect for outdoor play/sport. Not what you want to hear if you are reading this in rain lashed Britain, I know and I'm sorry but it really is lovely here just now. Come and visit.

I am trying to get all my christmas shopping done at the moment and am fairly organised, looking forward to putting up the tree next month.

Monday again

Well, we had a lovely weekend up at Oak Mountain State Park, you can see our cabin in the picture above - just up the hill behind the pavillion. It's very near to Birmingham so only takes about an hour and a half to drive there. This is great as as much as I like our weekends in Destin the three and a half hour drive to get there is a pain in the butt.

This is the view from our cabin veranda early on Saturday morning. We went shopping in Birmingham in the morning and then Tom & Nick spent the afternoon biking around the park while Lily and I went for a walk in the forest around the side of the lake. Sunday morning was spent doing the same and then we packed up and headed home for a very late lunch at Carrabas. We all had big pasta meals and spent the rest of the day trying to digest the food - I for one was exceedingly full up and had to lounge for the rest of the day.

You will have to ignore my comments on the video because you can see the jump after all.

It's a very small jump, but it's a definite jump.

An Apology

I shall start this post with an apology to all those who do follow the blog - seems I may have upset you all, or should that be y'all? Glad to hear you are reading and keeping up to date with all things stateside though.

Well, the pampered chef stuff arrived late yesterday afternoon so I have spent this morning sorting it all out and delivering all the orders. I also made bread and a lemon cake - already had a (very large) slice of it and I don't mind bragging but I think it's the best one yet. Also made a pot of soup which I have just had a bowl of for lunch and it was delicious too. What a masterchef.

Not much else to tell you about this week as we have had a quiet few days. It's been cold - actual frost on the ground this morning when I took the children to school. Tom had a school trip to the Hyundai factory yesterday and Lily is off to the zoo on Friday. I've had a tennis lesson and my session with the personal trainer yesterday was a nightmare. I was sweating and feeling faint and could barely do any of the exercises - shocking. Hopefully I will feel alright tomorrow as I have another session tomorrow after golf.

Sometimes I wonder if anyone reads this other than my parents

Well, last weeks Pampered Chef event went well, with the girls ordering just over $500 worth of stuff. This meant I got $90 free product and a load of other discounts for hosting the party - now I am waiting on a huge parcel to arrive some time next week with everyone's stuff in it.
On Friday it was Lily's school play-Wack a doo Zoo. Lily had a singing part and performed well. There is a video at the end of this entry but be warned it's a bit wobbly.
Nick got back from Washington on Saturday with loads of washing and lots of work to catch up on. Sunday saw him working and me taking the children to the Pumpkin patch so Tom could get a pumpkin.
On Monday Lily's class had a school trip to the theatre to see Charlotte's Web, I got to go and see it too - it was fab. Luckily, I managed not to cry at the sad bit and therefore didn't embarrass myself or Lily. Unfortunately I missed out on my tennis lesson, which reminds me I still need to buy a racquet.
Last night was the school Fall Festival so I took Tom & Lily up to that. They got to run around with their friends for a couple of hours and play on various bouncy castle type things and a climbing wall while I wandered about chatting to various friends and finding lost parents for a couple of the children.
I have been trying to upload the video of Lily for the last 2 hours and it's just not happening so I am afraid you will have to do without. Sorry.

Weekly Update

After the trip to the pumpkin patch the pumpkin had to be carved. Luckily Grampy Les was here to help out. Once that had been done it was off to Scott & Emma's for a leisurely Sunday afternoon barbecue.
The finished product along with Lily looking scary later on that evening.
Along with taking Les & Les to see Tom at gymnastics and soccer during the week we went to Destin for the weekend. The children had Thursday & Friday off school so we got an extra day at the beach. It was great fun chilling out on the sand and watching the dolphins swim past us all day long. A few friends were also down for the long weekend and we were all staying in the same place so we were able to sit out and drink a few glasses of wine and eat a few nibbles while the mosquitos nibbled on us.
The Les's left last night to catch a flight to New York this morning before boarding the Queen Mary II tomorrow for a posh way to travel home, saw the brochure - it looks fab. Hopefully the weather in the Atlantic is kind to them.
Nick is in Washington this week and I am hosting a Pampered Chef event tonight (www.pamperedchef.com ) so I have been cleaning the kitchen this morning (it was long overdue).

Girls day out at the Pumpkin Patch

While the boys and Nana went to Tuscaloosa for the American Football, Lily and I went to a pumpkin patch with Emily, her friend from school, and her mum and little sister, Annie.
We had great fun, the girls enjoyed riding in the cow train and sliding down the bouncy slide as you can see.
Colleen looks like she was having fun going down the slide as well. We also got to feed sheep, race piglets, see some calfs (called Burger & Whopper) and goats, chicks and rabbits too. We picked our pumpkins and had lunch there too. After lunch the girls played in a corn box, which is a sand box filled with corn instead of sand.
After our visit we went back to Colleen's house and she took the girls out on Sid for a ride. It was a great day out. When we got home Lily and I made pizza and salad for dinner and I had a glass wine and then we played princess pairs - which Lily inevitably won.

Forgot to mention we saw a black widow spider at the pumpkin patch - very cool.

Boys day out at the American Football

Nick, Tom, Les & Les and Tim & Ethan all went to Tuscaloosa for the Alabama v Kentucky game on Saturday.
It was a very long day starting with Tom playing in a soccer game before driving up to Tuscaloosa for the big game.
The ever wonderful Deanna had packed a fabulous picnic breakfast,lunch and dinner for them all. Nick was very impressed and keeps going on about the amount of food she had prepared, as you all know Nick likes his food. Apparently he would say 'wouldnt it be nice if there was some...and Tim would then delve into a bag or tupperware and it would appear. Sounds like I have a lot to live up to.
Anyway, they all arrived home about 11.30pm, tired but happy. Bama won 17 - 14 in case you are interested. Lily and I spent the day at a pumpkin patch with friends, at the moment I can't upload the photos for some reason so will try again later.