Shropshire with Sarah, Rob and Lucy

Back in August again, and week 3 of our national tour took us to to Shropshire to see Sarah, Rob and Lucy.  I'm not saying it's taken a long time to get these photos online, but Lucy now has a baby sister, Lottie.  Congratulations to you all!

If you want to know what we got up to at Attingham Park and Battlefield 1403 Farm, then look back at the August blog here.  Otherwise, please click above or below to see all our photos.  Tim's quite pleased with these ones!

Harpenden Christmas Festival

This is us at the Harpenden Christmas light switch-on and Christmas parade, "papped" by the team from Heart FM.  We missed most of the parade, and didn't see Toyah Wilcox switch on the lights, but caught up with lots of local friends at the fair and the Christmas market, drank hot chocolate and mulled wine (topping up after a delicious brunch), and gave the moustache one last airing before the end of "mo'vember".

At The Barn, Norfolk

Click on the photo of the two rugby players for the full set

Going back to the much warmer days of August, we've just uploaded our pictures from the weekend we spent with Rach, Toby and Archie at The Barn.  The boys had a lot of fun together, and we had a picnic on the beach down at Holkham.  They really enjoyed their ice-creams too!

Granny and Grandpa, Grandma and Grandad

Uncommonly good...

Tim always gets these 4 names mixed up, so Euan never really knows who is coming to visit, or who it is that's about to appear on Skype.  Last weekend, Granny and Grandpa came to stay.  Euan had been on antibiotics since Thursday for a chest infection and was feeling a little low, but he soldiered through and had a great time.  He was more than happy to show them his nee-naw car and point out the moo in the sky, and to read (half) the words from What the Ladybird Heard and Cows in the Kitchen.

Dinner, once Euan had gone to bed and we'd raced out to get some emergency greaseproof paper, was quite a success (if we do say so ourselves), with a delicious Jamie Oliver spinach and feta pie (taking somewhat more than the prescribed 30 minutes' preparation), home-made ginger puddings from mum, and a fair bit of wine (mainly Tim). 

So what we needed the next day was a bracing walk through Verulamium Park to St Albans Cathedral, feeding the ducks, watching Grandpa make a fool of himself on the outdoor gym, and finishing off with a double helping of waffles (savoury and sweet) at The Waffle House. So that's what we did.

This Friday, Grandma and Grandad are coming to play , and we're sneaking out for dinner with George, Harriet, Arada and Matt (celebrating the end of George's exams) before celebrating Grandad's birthday (Saturday) and the Harpo Christmas Carnival and Christmas Light Switch-On on Sunday.  Lovely stuff.

August: First up, Tallulah Elder

So now we're onto August at last

We embarked on our national tour with a long trip up the M1 to meet Tallulah Elder and catch up with Jez and Debbie.  We blogged about the trip here and took some photos whilst out and about in Knaresborough.

Just a handful of pics of Jez, Debs, Tallulah and Mr Buggs

Schoolfields, July 2011

Time once again to catch up on some fun from earlier in the year.

Just half the gang. Click on either photo to see the full set

Back in July, we managed to get the old Durham crew together for our second annual get-together.  Our numbers had grown so much that we couldn't find a holiday cottage big enough for us all, but Tim, Eug and Adella kindly invited us over and we all squeezed very comfortably into their beautiful house.

The barbeque got out of hand. Click on either photo to see the full set

All the kids had a great time together, and we were able to enjoy a delicious lunch at the local pub and a couple of quiet, and warm evenings catching up over a beer and a burger once the toddlers had gone to bed.  Looking forward to the 2012 get-together already.

Out on the Wee-Ride

Here's the second of the two new videos.  Don't forget the password!

On Sunday we found a lovely route from our front door to the park at the other end of town, passing along the Nickey Line and along rural bridleways. It's the perfect way for Jo and Euan to get into town on bike and using the new Wee-Ride.

Euan loved his first trip on the bike, and couldn't wait to put on his hat!  We might need some gloves for him as Winter sets in!

Football

Just trying out the new toy.  I'm posting a couple of videos here, via Vimeo.  They're password protected, and I'll send round the password with the usual family email.

If you need the password, just ask.

 

Euan and Granddad playing football in the garden... 'til Euan spots the camera!

Family portraits



Click above for all the family shots

Just before we left Norfolk, we set up the camera on a tripod in the garden and switched on the timer.  These are the results. I can't decide which was best (or whether there is a single picture where everyone has their eyes open), so you can take a look at all of them and see what you think.

Family weekend in Norfolk (Pt.2)



Click on the looney above to see part 2 of our Norfolk pics



For the second part of our trip to Norfolk, we packed a picnic and drove 5 minutes down the coast from the house at Burnham Overy Staithe to the never-ending beach at Holkham.  The temperature was in the mid-30s but the sea breeze kept it deliciously warm as we built sandcastles with Paula and Dave and went paddling with Granny and Grandpa. 

Check out the July post for a shaky video of everyone down by the sea, and click on the photo above or here to see the photos.

Back at the house, the children played amongst the flowers whilst Dave took control of the barbeque, before we tucked into a huge feast.  There was strawberries and ice-cream for pudding.  Before we said our goodbyes on the Sunday we took a few, rare family portraits for the album.  They'll come next.  Then it was off to Burnham Market to buy a hat for mum and some fudge for the folk back at work, before the journey home.

Lovely.

Family weekend in Norfolk (Pt.1)

Click on the picture to see the first half of our Norfolk photos

Having taken a leap forward into September to share the photos from Paula's wedding, it's time to go back to June and recall the hot, hot days we spent in North Norfolk as a family.  We first blogged about this in July but have now been able to upload the photos.

Autumn has arrived, and the countryside round Harpenden is looking magical.  It's probably the best time of year to look back at the sunny days of summer.  Here are the photos from the first half of the weekend, when we took the model railway with Lucy, Tim, Poppy and Peter (and, although we didn't know it at the time, Megan) to the beach at Wells-Near-The-Sea where we enjoyed a paddle before heading back for chips on the harbour-front.  After that, it was bath and bedtime for the children, and a chance for the grown-ups to celebrate the get-together with a glass of champagne (and to take a look at our wedding album!) and dinner.

Paula & Dave: Wedding breakfast

Last lot of photos - the wedding breakfast and speeches

Paula & Dave: Portraits

Group and portrait shots in the garden

Paula & Dave: Garden Reception

And a few from the drinks reception in the garden.

Paula & Dave: A few from the ceremony

I managed to take just a few photos during the ceremony

Paula & Dave's Wedding: Before the main event

Click here to see the photos from the evening and the morning before Paula & Dave's wedding

Paula and Dave's Wedding

Hi everyone

It's been almost a month since the fantastic celebration that was Paula & Dave's wedding.  It was a brilliant weekend for everyone, and the sunshine was the icing on the cake.  Or rather, the icing on the cake was the icing on the cake, but you know what I mean.

Paula and Dave looked the part and they were all smiles.  It was obviously infectious, because everyone was having a great time in the garden, during the delicious meal and on the dancefloor.  Poppy, Peter and Euan played their part, looking gorgeous and joining in the celebrations.

Dave, Paula, we're privileged to have been a part of your day and love you both!

Ace.

Now for the photos...

Sofa, so good

Not actual sofa

Hurray! After a nervous few months since Habitat went into administration, they have finally delivered our new sofa!

That makes 4 in total, so we need plenty of visitors to fill them all.

x

National Tour Week #3

To Shropshire!

On Friday evening, we hit the M1 and M6 towards Sarah, Rob and Lucy in Shropshire. We're getting quite good at this weekend travel lark, and we almost got Euan into the cot at Sarah & Rob's house without him waking Lucy. Tim had to dive into a nearby room so that Lucy wouldn't come stumbling out of her bedroom, bleary-eyed, to find a strange man standing in the hallway!

We had another fantastic weekend, especially seeing it had been so long since we'd met up with any of the Court family. A new addition to their family is due in October, and Lucy is growing up fast. She's a really articulate 2-yr-old, and polite, and loves a good story!

We took a trip to Attingham Park, Euan jumped into the rucksack and we walked through the woods and the walled gardens and played on the swings before heading to the courtyard for a packed lunch and a coffee. On Sunday morning, we exhausted Euan and Lucy (and Tim) in the Play Barn before having lunch at a the Battlefield 1403 farm shop and hitting the road for Harpenden.

... So thank goodness for Bank Holiday Mondays! The 3 of us popped off to the Stockwood Discovery Centre, just round the corner, for lunch and a wander round the gardens (it's freeee!) before an afternoon's recuperation and some preparations for the big wedding weekend. A 3 day week, and then it's upon us!

Rain

Of course, this isn't the worst weather we've had this year; just the worst we've had this summer.

Take a look at what the rain did to one of our favourite trees in May. Jo and Barry helped stitch it back together and it seems to be doing well...

May at the farm with Archie

In weather like this, we have to look back to May to remember the days when we thought summer was still ahead of us. Back then, Rach, Tobes and Archie came over to stay (see our May entry in the right-hand menu) and we took a trip to the farm.

As well as a lovely farm shop and cafe it had plenty to keep us all busy, from hamsters and rabbits to sheep shows, dog displays, piglets and a baby llama (just a few days old). Oh, and a turkey.

The boys really enjoyed themselves, as they did in Norfolk a fortnight ago. Photos from that weekend will follow, but in the meantime please click here or on the photo above to see our pictures from the farm.

A few days to go...

A few days now until Paula and Dave get married. We can't wait.

xxx

My crazy little family (April 2011)

My name in lights [Tim]

This won't be very exciting to any of you, but Tim had a 3-page article published in the Estates Gazette this week. It's the biggest publication in the UK property industry, with a huge readership, and it's very difficult to get them to publish your work. Yay!

National Tour: Week #2

Great weekend back in North Norfolk, this time in South Creake with Toby, Rachel and Archie.

Jo has managed to buy a bargain baby rucksack from a local mum, and it went down a storm as we carried Euan across the huge beach at Wells-Next-The-Sea and set up camp behind a sand dune in time for a picnic lunch and a splash in the surf. The sun shone for us all day and everyone was exhausted by the evening. Sunday morning started with a thunder storm, so it was on with the rucksack again for a short walk round South Creake before the journey home.

We enjoyed a barbeque on the Friday night and a pork roast on the Saturday, a couple of ice-creams and some nice ales, so it's back into the running shoes for us both this week!

National tour: Week#1

We all had a great time with Jez, Debbie and baby Tallulah in Knaresborough at the weekend. As it happens, I only took a couple of photos (largely because Tallulah spent a lot of time sleeping, as babies do) but I'll post them in due course.

Good as gold, Euan slept all the way up the M1 and Friday's journey wasn't as daunting as we'd thought. Harrogate and Knaresborough are beautiful towns, and we had a lot of coffees and cakes as well as sampling the delights of Jezza's Pizzeria (TM). We're looking forward to seeing how much Lulu has grown when we head up to Freddie Wagner's christening (halfway between the two families) on 18 September.

Hi, how are you doing?

Enough with the photos! It's about time we said hello.

hello

Now that the computer is up and running, the photos are being uploaded at quite a rate. We hope you'll take a moment to look at them all the same. The last few months have flown by, and tomorrow marks Euan's 18-month "birthday". Where has all the time gone?

We have an awful lot to be grateful for, not least the family and friends around us, most of whom are readers of this blog - so thank you all. Euan is a constant joy to us (5.15 starts, teeth-brushing fiascos and snotty noses notwithstanding), and life is good.

This weekend marks the start of our grand tour of England, which will take in (on consecutive weekends), North Yorkshire, Norfolk, Shropshire, Hampshire, rural Essex, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, with a week off before we head back South for the 3rd of 3 weddings. We're really looking forward to Paula and Dave's big day, and all the plans seem to be coming together nicely (including our own outfits!). There will probably be more photos. Be warned!

In other news, our curtains have arrived and have been hung in the lounge. Habitat's administrators assure us that the sofa will be delivered, but the delivery date keeps slipping. Also slipping are parts of our garage roof, and after a piece fell on Jo's head we decided we really ought to get some quotes in for the work. Home is taking shape nicely.

Lots of love to you all. x

March reflections

March, when Euan really started walking, had only half his present set of teeth, and when the weather was... well, the same as now... seems a long time ago. Click on the photo above for a set of pictures of Euan at 13 months and in a reflective mood.

Peter's christening

Flying through the first half of 2011 now... March also brought Peter's christening

And presents all round!

Remember March

Just found a couple of nice snaps from March. Shame not to share them.

Luckily the weather's improved since then, but I do miss that hat...

Canet Plage

Way back in April, we had a lovely holiday in the South of France. It's taken us a while to get the photos uploaded, but we've sorted out the computer problems and here they are (click on the picture):

It was a brilliant site, with great weather, lovely food and plenty of time to relax. We might even go there again! We hope you enjoy the pictures.

Norfolk sunshine

Norfolk last weekend was fantastic. The weather was perfect and we were able to spend a day in Wells admiring the beach-huts, watching people crabbing in the harbour and playing on the pirate ship, before spending a whole day at Holkham's amazing beach.

It will take a while to upload our camera photos, so here is a video from my phone in the meantime.

It was lovely to spend so long with the whole family, chipping in with the food, drink and looking after Euan and his cousins. Thanks everyone!

x

Gone quiet?

Here we are at the end of May.

This year is going so fast!

First of all, apologies for the blogging hiatus. It's largely been down to our being unable to share our latest photos with you. There's something wrong with the computer which means that whilst (we think) all our photos are there, the computer can't connect with them. We've got someone coming round to sort it out for us soon.

Our holiday was fantastic, though. A great break from the usual routine, and a whole week of quality time spent together. The weather was always warm and the campsite neither too busy nor too quiet. Euan was a little tentative around the pool, but loved strolling around the site or playing in the playground.

Jo's really pulled out all the stops this week, getting the house (and cakes) ready for the visit from Toby, Rachel and Archie this weekend. Looking forward to spending time with friends without someone having to rush home for bathtime/bedtime. Euan has been working on his social skills too - and this week discovered that he can pick himself up off the floor on his own. He'd still rather someone else takes the strain, but it's progress!

We'll be back soon with more updates and photos from the holiday.

"Fallen" by Sascha Geddert

http://vimeo.com/11238405

Beautiful

Moving house

Sleepy Lunch

No matter how tired, Euan loves his satsumas!

Christmas 2010 #1

Part 2 (in reverse order) of our Christmas photos: Christmas Day with Kate and Barry, Verity and Mick, Daniel and Mathew (pre-Jacob!). You know what to do. What? You don't? For goodness sake. Click on the photo!

Christmas 2010 (#2)

Here is the first post of our Christmas photos from 2010. These pictures were taken at Lucy and Tim's house during our lovely, belated Christmas with the Reid family. Click on the plane for more photos. x

Woodside Farm

Lovely weather! We all made the most of it last week.

Tim spent a weekend walking in York with his old school friends, and caught up with Jez, Debbie and their 33-week bump whilst in Knaresborough.

On Thursday, Jo and Euan went to Woodside Farm with Harriet and Euan's friend Beatrix. Sun hat on, Euan decided that he could remember his way round from last time and happily wandered around to his heart's content. Harriet took some great photos (as usual, click on the photo above to see them all).

Jo is going away for a relaxing weekend with the Durham girls this coming weekend, so Tim will be at home teaching Euan lots of bad habits...

Mum's birthday - July 2010

Still working through the summer of 2010: here are the pictures from our weekend in Chipping Campden to celebrate Mum's birthday in July 2010.

Really looking forward to this year's celebration, in Norfolk, and hoping we have the same weather. x

Harpo Highlanders (2010)

Getting through the photos from last summer...

Here are our pictures from a beautiful sunny day at the Harpenden Highland Gathering 2010 with Andrea, Gav, Jessie and a very young Gus Horn. Fantastic day out, with loads of competitions, piping, food stalls etc. The 2011 event is on 9 July. Hope they supplement last year's hog roast with haggis burgers.

Beale Park with SV

Catching up on last year's photos, here are a few snaps from July 2010

when we met Jo's Sayer Vincent friends and their babies for a wander round Beale Park.

Walkabout

We won't be uploading a new video every day, but thought this one was better than the last!

5/6 March 2011

Well... we had a very special weekend this weekend!
Beth and Patrick, Sara and Donna and James stayed over. We had a lovely 3-course dinner and a great night catching up. And Euan loved the company!

Click above to see the video.

There's no stopping him now!

Tim, Jo and Euan x

Hello Jacob!

Jacob Howard

Born on 11th Feb at 15.52 weighing in at 7lbs and 14oz

x

Euan's birthday photos

Here's the photos from Euan's birthday. We had our hands full, so didn't take loads of pictures, but these do give a flavour of the day. Have tried to add a few of Lucy's great photos to our own.

Click on the photo to see them all.

Sad news from New Zealand this morning, with an earthquake in Christchurch, but our minds were put at rest when mum and dad reported that they were a safe distance away from the city.

Atchoo!

Something completely different

Sunday night's blog post came without pictures.

Whilst we sort out the birthday photos, here's a video of a capybara having a shower.

1 year in

It's 8.30pm on Euan's birthday. Too exhausted to put together a long blog post...

But just wanted to say what a fantastic day it was and how very lucky we are. Thank you Lucy, Tim, Poppy, Peter, Kate, Barry, Paula, Dave, Verity, Mick, Daniel, Matthew, Jacob, Nina, Doreen, Tim, Keira, Tianie, Lilia, Mum, Dad, Colin, Janet, Ray, Doreen, Marlene, Gillian and Mike for all the lovely presents. Thank you Jo for bringing our amazing little boy into the world and looking after him every day, and keeping him smiling. Thank you Euan for your smiles and for bringing so much happiness into our lives.

There - I told you. Tired and emotional.

Jenson's Big Adventure

As the photos of Herefordshire are going up at last, I thought I'd link once more to Jenson's Big Adventure

http://bit.ly/ejCtaP

Bumps babes and barbeques in Herefordshire

We've finally got round to uploading our photos from the weekend in Herefordshire, back in May 2010!

On a wet February morning in the office it's hard to believe we had such a beautiful weekend in the countryside. The weather was perfect for sitting in the shade with the babies, and waiting for the next barbeque. Our numbers have only increased since then, but we hope to get away in 2011 too.

Click on the photo above, or here, to see all the photos.