Long overdue!

I've been getting a few comments from family members recently about my lack of blogging.  I know it's been a long time and, although I have excuses, if I'm honest it was getting to the stage where I didn't know where to start.  I've decided the starting point is a quick update and then I'll try and get back to more frequent blogging.

Dad, Iain and Mum

Since my last blog post, Iain has moved to Australia and will be getting married later this month.  The above photo was taken on the day he left - after visiting Dad in hospital we dropped him at the station to get his train to the airport.

Alice and I have done our share of baking and on this occassion I tied her hair up because when she licks the bowl the mixture tends to end up everywhere, including in her hair ;o)

 Claire, Alice and I have had a few Starbucks coffees over the last month as well as a few of Costa's Christmas drinks (Black Forest Hot Chocolate is my favourite but both Claire and Emily prefer the mint ones).

Alice and Uncle Hugh have a great relationship and I love watching them play together.  This particular day they both happened to be wearing darker grey jogging trousers and lighter grey tops.  They were having so much fun and it was so cute, I had to grab my camera. I got some lovely shots (even if Alice has a mucky face!)

 

 Dad was told he would likely be coming home on the 15 November but because he's not able to get upstairs at the moment, they would need to set up a bedroom downstairs for him. This meant that we had to empty the dining room at Mum and Dad's to make it into a bedroom for Dad.  Everything had to go and we packed up numerous boxes over a number of days and moved them into the garage. I need to say thank you to Claire and Kay for helping Mum and I with this task as it was a bit daunting to begin with but many hands make light(er) work. As it was, the hospital bed which was being delivered only arrived on the 15th so Dad finally got home on 16 November 2012.

 Alice and I made the most of the bright weather and went for a walk - she loved getting a chance to play in the leaves.

On 16 November 2012, as well as Dad coming home from hospital, Claire finished work and is now on Maternity leave.  This means I no longer have Alice three days a week but, fortunately, I do still get to see her quite a lot.  The first week without her was quite strange - for both of us I think!

 18 November was Alice's 2nd birthday :)  How quickly these first two years have gone and how wonderful it's been having this gorgeous girl in our lives.  She really does brighten her days.  Her birthday was a huge success and she loved getting her presents (and needless to say, was quite spoilt ;o) ).  She opened her presents from Mummy at the flat first. Next she went round to her Nana's house to get her presents from Nana and her Daddy. I picked them up from there and we went round to see Great Grandma and Great Grandpa.

 The piano she got was a huge hit and she wasn't going to wait for Mummy to put it together before she started playing on it.

 It was lovely for Dad to be home and to be able to see Alice open her present. I think he'd missed not seeing her while he was in hospital.

 Our budding musician :o)

 We then moved on to our house where she had yet more presents to open.  She was starting to flag a bit by then but did perk up when she saw her Princess castle.

Cinderella has been her favourite movie for a little while now and when I saw the Fisher Price Castle I thought it would be right up her street.  Fortunately she loves it and the little princesses who came with it (Snow White and Cinderella).  

 One of Claire's friends had made a Dora cake for Alice and although she was keen to blow our her candles, she wasn't quite so sure when the time came.

 

 Tyler and Alyssa were there to give her a hand though.

 Claire and Alice slept over that night and it was lovely to come down and see them here in the morning.

Yet another visit to Starbucks :o).  Alice loves the lemon and poppy seed muffin and doesn't take long to get stuck in to it.

On Friday Claire and Alice moved home.  They had been in a two bedroom flat but have now moved into a three bedroom semi detached house.  It's going to be so nice for them to have the extra room and also to have a garden of their own.  They have a big decked area with garden beyond so even when the grass is wet Alice will be able to go on the deck to play.  Unfortunately I haven't got any photos of the house yet but will have to take some and rectify that.

And finally, but by no means least, Emily and I went to the O2 in London last night to see Jason Mraz in concert.

 I managed to get a few photos but hadn't been sure what the quality would be like so I was really chuffed that they had turned out so well.  This one is one of my favourites but I have a feeling there'll be another post with a few more.  What a fantastic concert! So, so glad we got to go and see him - I've loved his music for a while and when I saw he was coming had to get the tickets. Would I go again? Without a doubt!!!

This coming week Claire and I will have to move the last few bits out of the flat and clean it ready to hand over next weekend.  Tomorrow my nephew, Max, who has been staying with us for the last 10 months leaves to join his Dad in Australia for a year. My next project here will be to get the room ready again for Norma coming over in April next year.  Claire has her 36 week midwives appointment on Tuesday. Dad has the physiotherapist coming on Tuesday afternoon and I'll be interested to hear what they have to say and see what exercises he might have to do at home. I also have a Christmas lunch with the "coffee ladies" I meet up with once a fortnight. I also need to get a move on with Christmas cards and go through what Christmas presents I've got and what I still need to get. I've no doubt it will be another busy week.

I also hope to soon be back to reading and commenting on blogs again - I've missed that.

xx