Sunday braai with the Harrisons ...

Lovely weather today!
Great food and drink and wonderful company ... :) 

Andrew, Leigh and the boys - first full day in the UK

The weather was beautiful today. Kevin was working but this weekend is a bank holiday, so he will have more time to spend with everyone. We took it easy today - although first thing in the morning Hayzel and I took the van back to Norwich. Daniel plays so nicely with Ewan and Faye, who put up Ewan's tent in the morning. It was wall to wall entertainment for Daniel and WIlliam - he even slept for an hour and a half while Hayzel took Andrew and Leigh out to do a bit of shopping in the late morning. Poor Daniel slipped down our stairs and grazed his back, it looks almost like Andrew's tattoo. Then later on William blixsemed into an open window ... so they both look like they've been a few rounds with a boxer. Despite the einas, they both just carried on charging around and didn't seem to bother at all. We took a little walk out into the fields later on in the afternoon (before Kevin came home) and then got kids all bathed and fed before our Friday night movie ritual.

UK here they come ...

Well after months of careful planning, manic sleepless nights  - Andrew, Leigh and the boys have got their visas - so they will be making an entrance onto UK soil on or around the 25th August.   Crikey that's like three weeks away!
I can't express how thankful I am to the Fates, God, Karma or whoever is looking after us all on this mortal coil but I am truly thankful and so excited to have them all here.  It's going to be a squeeze  here on the Poplar Barns but we'll manage. 

Ag it's a piece of cake ...

Never let it be said that we can't take pressure.

1.   Allyson is having a girl baby! yippee ... can't wait to hit the Disney shop.  She is doing really well and has an anticipated due date of 1st November.
2.   Andrew, Leigh and the boys are now busy with preparations to come over in September-ish on Ancestry.  I'm preparing all the paperwork so long.   Can't wait to see them and have them here at Christmas time especially!  It's going to be crazy here at 3 Poplar Barns ... !!
3.  Hayzel and Kevin have booked their Life in the UK tests in preparation for their conversion to ILR later on this year. They also have to do an IELTS - but thankfully it's not the four section one that is required for Australia - they just have to show that they can listen and understand and converse in English. So no reading and writing segments.   I'm also trying to help them with that as well. 
4.   David and Mags have made strong hints that they might be considering coming over here, probably next year (not sure) ... they are busy renovating their house, so lots on the go for them - who knows hey?
5.  My friend Anna just had her second baby boy - I was worried about her because for the first three months she couldn't eat.   Lovely lady this ...

6.  Ewan and Faye have all sorts of activities for this year as well with guides and beavers. It won't be long before the summer holidays.
7.  I'm trying to make a bit more cash with other projects I've got on the go - not happening yet though.
8.  I went for my six month check at the hospital on Monday - doing okay, changing the colour of the compression stockings to sand - so that won't look so odd in the summer, which is here with a vengeance at the moment.   Lovely bright blue sky, loads of sun and Kevin's got hayfever! 

My auntie Jean turned 84 (i think) today .... so congrats to her. 
I'm sure I've forgotten something major ... 

Camp Life

A few scenes from the camping weekend with the Harrisons at Heathland Beach Caravan Park in Kessingland near Lowestoft (NR33 7PJ).

Camping Haul Video

Faye knows everything that is cool and hip, and says when you get lots of stuff you need to do a "Haul Video, it's what all the famous people on youtube do.

Here is my camping haul. Tent pitched and everything checked for short camping trip in 2 weeks time. A two night campout with the Harrisons by the sea...

Happy Birthday Faye

Here is a little video.

Yes - 3 cakes - ridiculous.