9th August 2014 - Visitors at the end of Summer!

Saturday morning! I came to bed quite early last night as I was so tired and I was awake at a reasonable time this morning.

We lay in bed for a while drinking tea and listening to the radio, but we did have to get up as there were things to do! The house needed some straightening out  so we got on with it!

Mum and Dad came to visit today! Yay! They haven't actually been to our house since just before Christmas, which is a long time ago! I don't think they wanted to see us, probably more like the cats!

When they got to ours we went out for lunch to a local pub and ate some traditional pub grub! I only took a picture of mine! I had a 'Ploughmans Platter' and it was MASSIVE!

It was lovely but I officially only ate half of it! The slabs of pie and cheese were pretty epic! I gave Paul some of it but still brought a whole slab of cheese and a slice of ham home!

We came home and chatted for a while, Mum wanted to play with Barney who was not obliging! Paul and Dad were watching cricket!

It was a good day but I was feeling a little sleepy from such a large lunch!

After they left, we decided to go back out again and enjoy what's probably going to be the last of the summer sun. We get the remains of a hurricane here tomorrow so we went back to the pub we went to for lunch and sat in the beer  garden for a little while!

Those aren't our dirty glasses there. We just took a dirty table!

Much better!

We sat out for a little while, looking for something to do for our anniversary, but when the sun went behind the building, the wind was a little nippy, so we went inside.

We decided to go on a little trip to Somerset for our wedding anniversary so booked a cute little b&b near the beach! Exciting! I haven't been to Somerset for a very long time and we've been meaning to go for many years but have never made it!

We chilled for a while in the pub then headed home for dinner. I was getting quite cold outside so we couldn't get back quick enough in my opinion!

We had pasta bake for dinner and watched more Stargate! Well, we have 10 seasons to get through and we're nowhere near finishing season 1 yet!

Paul went to bed earlier than me (and remembered he needed to put sheets on the bed as we'd stripped it earlier...lol!) but I wasn't far behind. Fingers crossed the storm isn't too loud overnight so we get a decent sleep!

PREVIOUSLY...

2013

8th June 2014 - Mum & Dad's 40th (Ruby) Wedding Anniversary

My Mum and Dad have been married for 40 years! Cripes! That's a bloomin' long time!

As today is a special day, we agreed to go down to see them today! Which involved getting up, dressed and ready at a completely unreasonable hour for a Sunday morning!

Still, it was all worth it to see this cheeky face...

...

Wait for it...

...


...

From Tumblr. This will never get old. Sorry.

"I LOVE THAT JOKE, AUNTIE WHINEY!"

Google plus made me a gorgeous gif of the mountain of pics I took! I love it! You can all coo over him too!

I JUST LOVE HIM SO MUCH!

We all trundled along to my Dad's church for a nice Pentecost service (which was loooooooooooooooong) and were given a nicely decorated pew to park ourselves on by the choir!

The reason we went to Church was to witness Mum and Dad renew their wedding vows! After 40 years their Ruby Anniversary being on a Sunday, it had to be done!

AW!

It was a long service but was worth it to see Mum and Dad do that and they got a jolly big round of applause afterwards! :)

From church, we all headed back to Mum and Dad's to get the party STARTED!

Not before a quick group shot!

Aren't we a pretty bunch?! Photo was taken my my parents' next door neighbour who couldn't fathom out how to use the digital camera. Was quite entertaining!

This is the card I got for Mum and Dad. Mum thought I'd made it. HA! Like I'm this talented. I bought this from the very wonderful Jill Chapman on Folksy! One day I'll be this good...maybe...

Smiling Teddy likes it! :) We got him this little suit and it fits and he's gorgeous!

We had some grub, which was nice and chatted away! Ted was fed and had a nap, it was all nice! Then for the best bit! The cheese!

We got this yesterday, can't remember if I said! It was delish! We even got to bring some home which is extra awesome!

Then time for more chilling!

Teddy had some time with Granddad! I think Granddad enjoyed it very much!

Ted enjoyed it too!

Of course, Grandma had to steal him back!

Then he was passed to Paul!

Aw!

Of course I got cugs too, but no one photographed those. Boo. I got smiles and coos but also gurgles and grimaces. So it was time for Teddybear to go home to sleep!

We stayed a little longer. It was then that Charlie got into a fight with a neighbours cat and was roughed up quite a lot.

This is before the fight. He hid under the sofa and wouldn't come out. His paw was bloodied but he wouldn't let us look at it. He played a little under the sofa but wouldn't come out. We let him stay there. He'd come out eventually.

Before we left I snapped this picture:

This was the rose that Paul and I gave to my Mum as a thank you gift. It's fair to say that it's flourishing just a little!

We headed home and got back so Paul could watch the end of the Grand Prix, then we watched 'Soccer Aid' which was entertaining. Then time for bed after an exhausting day!

Happy 40th anniversary, Mum and Dad! Here's to many more!

PREVIOUSLY...

2013

13th April 2014 - Long Day!

Early starts on a Sunday aren't nice. When you're going on a trip to the Midlands to see people you love, however, it certainly makes them more bearable!

We left the house at about 9:30am to start our nice journey to Lichfield. We popped in to see Mum first of all and delivered her Mothering Sunday gift. Yes, it was a couple of weeks ago, but I haven't seen her! While we had a quick brew, Sophie made herself at home in my handbag!

She was very cozy in there indeed!

Chuckles was far more impressed with stair stretches!

A perfectly Charlie-sized step there!

We then headed over to my brother and sister-in-law's house to go and see them. Yeah yeah, alright, we went to see Edward! He was 6 weeks old yesterday! AW! He's got much bigger and even cuter!

My bro made us lunch while we tried to get Edward to have a sleep but he didn't seem like sleeping was what he wanted to do. So Annabel and I took him for a walk around the estate while Paul and Michael watched the football.

When we got back, he didn't seem like he wanted to sleep then either, so he had a feed and had his bum changed by my bro. That I had to see. Michael changing a nappy!

Obviously I didn't take a pic of the actual nappy changing, but had to get a pic of Michael and Edward together! At least it's not an offensive face my bro is pulling! Can't have him ruining the picture now!

Michael and Annabel seemed to enjoy their chocolatey treats! I hope they last longer than the night!

Edward had some time on his play mat and I decided to join him on the floor! I wanted play time too! He liked having ribbon stroked over his face, which was very cute and my hair also seemed to work!

He's also got a vice-like grip as my finger got to know! I was more than happy to oblige! How can I turn such a cutiepie down?!

After the football finished, we headed back to Lichfield and went to see my friends Steve and Danni who had their little boy Toby last weekend!

I made him a card, if you remember - this is what it looked like!

 I'm quite pleased with it! Yes, I do have copious amounts of blue buttons...why do you ask?!

Anyway, didn't take any pictures there, but suffice to say that Toby is tiny and very cute indeed! He looks even tinier when in Daddy's arms! He was 3 weeks premature but seems to be very happy and healthy and both parents are looking well and happy!

We also gave them chocolatey treats and again, seemed to be a winner! So Mars Bar Rice Krispie cakes and cookies as a staple 'visiting parents' dish it seems!

After about an hour we headed back to Mum and Dad's house for dinner! YAY! More free food!

There I followed Chuckles into the garden and discovered that my parents no longer have a water butt but a Charlie statue instead!

A much more aesthetically pleasing addition to the garden I think!

When Dad got home and we'd caught up we had Roast Lamb and veg for dinner. Very delicious it was too! Then after a short break we had a chocolate and raspberry torte thing (not really my cuppa) followed by cheese! Dinner at my parents is always good! :)

After dinner Mum asked me to go through some of my old stuff so she could have a bit of a clear out and we started looking at some old pictures she had gotten when she cleared out my Grandma's house. Her dad was a bit of a keen photographer and also wanted to get into forensics (he was in the police force already) but sadly passed away before trying to achieve his dream. He did have albums of pictures he took re-creating crime scenes and people playing dead. There's one of him pretending to be 'passed' lying on the hood of a car. Complete with his moustache, he looked very Humphrey Bogart! Very distinguished indeed!

We headed home not too late, as we both have to work tomorrow (boooo) but came in and had a cheeky gin and tonic before remembering we had stripped all the bedding and needed to make it again before we could get in it.

Typical.

A lovely day.

PREVIOUSLY...

2012
2013

19th March 2014 - Check yourself(ie)

So I wake up to a new phenomenon taking over Facebook today. People are taking selfies when wearing no make up for cancer awareness. Then people started donating via a text link to Cancer Research when they did it.

Yes, a good cause, but no selfie from me. So I just donated instead. Don't need to blind the world with make up free me as a reason to do it!

The best picture to put on facebook would be one of how to actually check yourself for breast cancer, something that can be detected. So here's my contribution.

Taken from Breakthrough.org.uk. 

Yes, there are cartoon nipples on my blog. Deal with it. Check yourself, folks.

The day went long. I was still quite cranky because of yesterday's antics by certain people. Especially when the emails containing ridiculous requests kept coming my way. DO IT YOURSELF. In the time it took to email the request to me, it could have been done. Seriously. Urgh.

Ah well.

Home I went to prepare for #Whedonsday! Except we didn't really Whedon it up this week. We watched some Veronica Mars (shhh, don't tell Ceri) and ate chilli, which Paul made yesterday!

Mmmm...see - I did it with an without cheese. I'm quite proud of my presentation! You impressed at how I decorated your cuisine, Paul?

We watched some season 3 of Veronica Mars as stated, and were entertained by Barney doing gymnastic leaps from the pouf onto the cat tree making it bend in ways it probably shouldn't!

He also got acquainted with the top level of the cat tree, which is a bit unstable for his portly behind!

He sure knows how to relax, that one!

So do I, for that matter!

Chris left quite early and that brought this week's #Whedonsday to a close, sadly.

I then headed to bed to sort some paperwork out and watched the commentary to the pilot episode of Lost. It's been 10 years this year since it aired! MADNESS! I think it's at the front of people's minds as well with the missing aeroplane all over the news. I do hope they find out what has happened to it sooner rather than later. Give the families of those involved some closure. Although that won't be the case will it? All the investigations as to why it went off course etc...not good times.

So I fell asleep during the commentary, woke to switch it off and snuggled back down again. Then I woke up when Paul got in at about 11ish. Then when he came to bed a little later. Then constantly through the night.

Great. Just perfect.

PREVIOUSLY...

2012
2013

1st Jan 2014 - Because I can!

Happy New Year again!

Well, it's a new year. Why not pop another post in! I've still got this damn blogging bug!

We had a nice lie in this morning, because it's the first day in a new year and we should start as we mean to go on!

Paul decided that a good breakfast was necessary. Well, who am I to argue?!

And as it's the first day of a new year, why not have a little celebrate, as I feel better this morning than I did yesterday, we had some more of the fizz, but in a Bucks Fizz variety!

As last night we sort of recreated our first New Year's Eve together, we recreated our first New Years Day together!

Although slightly different, as I did the cooking all those years ago, but we did sit and eat whilst watching the first season of Heroes!

Yes, that has a Christmas 2007 sticker on it! It's THAT OLD!

Paul had to go to the football so I was left all by myself. So I settled into the sofa and decided to start a new TV series - The Good Wife.

I quite enjoyed it! So I stuck with it, occasionally getting up to see what the cats were up to etc!

Barney was busy being me! So cute!

Maia was being cute and chasing after my hairband. Very sweet.

I might have got through an ep or two...or seven!

Paul came back, quite late, and we had a very late chicken sandwich before going to bed.


So I thought I might do a few little highlight packages of last year. Because I just can't let got!

SO!

Let's give this a shot, shall we?

JANUARY:

- I restarted this blog!
- We started wedding planning and we built our wedding website
- The first Best Man backed out!
- First rave cleanathon
- I went wedding dress shopping a few times!
- It snowed. A lot.
- I had to beg for a payrise and won!
- My friends Chris and Ceri got engaged!

FEBRUARY

- Maia turned 7! SEVEN YEARS OLD!
- Paul's Dad built us a bannister rail and in turn we got a Henry Hoover!
- I ordered my wedding dress and our wedding flowers!
- Saw the string quartet that we had booked for our wedding live for the first time!
- Booked the hotel we would be staying at our wedding weekend!
- Bought our adult bridesmaid dresses!

MARCH

- I had my wedding hair and make up trial
- Paul lost his job :(
- Picked our wedding cheese cake
- Our bridesmaid dresses arrived
- Bought our wedding rings
- We designed our wedding invitations
- I learnt origami
- Sue's french-themed hen weekend
- Painted the shower room
- Developed Costochondritis
- We had an epic Easter dinner and heard sad news about our wedding photographer.

Oh, and from looking through my blog posts, I thought I'd do this list:

Movies Watched in 2013

- The A Team
- Almost Famous
- Big Fish
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
- Harry Potter and the Prizoner of Azkaban
- The Hunger Games 1
- The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring
- The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers
- The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
- Skyfall
- Taken
- The Time Traveller's Wife

This list is not exhausting but the ones that I blogged about. That's quite a lot for 3 months.

Stay tuned for Part 2...at some stage...


PREVIOUS POSTS

2012 (1) & 2012 (2)
2013

27/12/2013 - Extra Day Off!

Much needed lie in this morning. Barney was stomping a LOT and I think he tried to break my shoulder at one point! Little beep!

Paul got up first to watch some of yesterday's football again. I lingered in bed. Because I could! Joys of taking today off work. It doesn't make sense to me that today wasn't just cancelled for our work as it was for so many others. Paul's office decided to close. Why couldn't ours?

Luckily, T was able to go in to work, as she's off on holiday from tomorrow, so I could be lazy for another day!

I got up and tried to catch up with Christmas blogging. Guys, the last two posts have taken me AGES to write! I don't know why! Just so much to say I guess! Typical that there are posts with so few words with them and now I'm getting to the final straight of my self-set challenge, I have loads to talk about!

We had breakfast, and then Paul remembered he had some mail to drop off, so I went with him to get some fresh air. Talk about fresh - it's bloomin' windy outside! To the extent that we decided not to go home today, but wait until tomorrow when the weather is supposedly a little less apocalyptic!

This made Barney very happy indeed!

It's hard being a Barney. He does so love this house! We've had him running around like a maniac!

Once the decision was made to stay at Paul's parents' for another day, we relocated for the afternoon. I carried on working but decided that laying on the night firm brick-like mattress was the best place to type!

Maia, inevitably, decided that Mummy being comfortable means that she will be comfortable, so of all the amazingly cozy places she could curl up, she chose my legs!

Happy puss!

Paul made us a light lunch from leftovers: posh cheese on toast, using up the remains of the posh bread and some of the cheeseboard. Of course, I spilt ketchup on myself, because I'm a classy bird.

I decided that I would give Paul's Mum a copy of our wedding video, as recorded by my brother, but as the folder was 3.5gb (!) it wouldn't fit on her memory stick which held our wedding pictures. Typical! So I had to copy the files a few at a time over onto her pc. It took literally an hour. And after all that stress, we decided to head to the local pub (where Paul worked as a younger man) for a couple of drinks.

My half pint was not going down well. Paul had polished off a whole pint before I had got even half way through. I had been feeling queasy all afternoon and that wasn't helping.

We decided to switch to gin and tonic because tonic water sounds like medicine. It worked! I didn't feel sick any more! It's a miracle!

We reviewed the year while we were in the pub and set ourselves little goals for next. Not resolutions as such, but things that we wish to achieve. That's important.

We got back to uber cuteness from Maia.

 That's a happy girl! I got better ones on Paul's Mum's camera, but I didn't take a copy! I think she was trying to guilt me into not making her go home tomorrow! Soz, kitty! That's not the way it works!

Barney, not content with all the attention Maia was getting decided to try to 'cute up' himself.

Not quite, Beep, but the joy of that chair is that it makes Barney look all cute and small! Not like the giant beast he is in real life!

Maia wins this round!

Time to christen Paul's Christmas present from me with a nice gin and tonic before dinner.

The glasses were nice but they do feel very fragile! We'll not use them as every day glasses but they are nice!

Paul made all of us steak for dinner. As that house is the loudest house in the world, I hid in the dining room and picked one of the few channels that is on the tv in there to watch. It was a G0rd0n Ram$ay cooking show where he was cooking with his family. That'll do. We even left it on over dinner!

One by one people left me to my own devices, and I watched the beginning of Shawshank Redemption. Yes, we only watched it the other day, but we missed the beginning! So I watched up to where we saw the other night, then joined Paul's Mum to watch some of Bridget Jones's Diary, before heading to bed.

But I couldn't go to bed because there was a Paul sprawled across the whole mattress leaving no room for me.

Floor it is then! It's a good job it's good for my back!