Happy Grandparents Day to Emily's Grandparents.

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Happy Birthday Jamie

Today Jamie celebrated his 32nd Birthday. We went out last night for dinner at The Lime Tree. It is one of our favourite restaurants, one that we only go to to celebrate something. We had a fabulous meal, Emily was a little out of sorts but the food was great and we had a fun time. Today Jamie received lots of gifts, (great timing E + E it arrived yesterday!) then we went to collect his pressie. Any monies he recieved he put towards a new coffee machine. Exhibit A below!He has been practising tonight and tells me he made a mean Latte ( I don't drink coffee so I will just nod in agreement)

We enjoyed sticky chocolate pudding whilst drinking coffee and juice, what a end to a great birthday.

One small step

Emily is slowly gaining in confidence to walk. We have had a few steps as she lunges between J and I. We look forward to the independance that will bring for her and us.

Back to school

Well, tomorrow I meet my new class. I am not quite sure how I feel about it, but the main thing is I will have a class. I will share it with a great colleague as we are both working 0.5 but it will feel like they are our class. I will have a place to hang my coat and bag. I know it is not important where you hang your coat but having a term without a place to leave my things was frustrating. Anyway... I am excited and now exhausted after 2 days of inservice training, so off to the shower and bed I go.

End of summer project and fun with Granny and Granda

Well it is the end of the summer holidays and my parents came to visit us for a few days before they head off to Alaska and Seattle to celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary (last year) and my mum's 50th birthday and we go back to work. Whilst they were here they helped us with our end of summer project. We play barked our side garden and with the generous donation from Emily's Uncle Delwyn and the joy of a Toy R Us sale we bought a climbing frame, sandpit and trampet for our play area. It is very big and probably a little too big for our small side garden but we are living in hope that one day soon our little house will sell. We have even got the outdoor suit (thanks Cath, Rob, Alice and Millie,) for Emily to wear through the winter. (maybe we will need one too!) So I have included some piccies of the new play area and of the fun times Emily had with her Granny and Granda.

Back online and from our hols.

Yes, we are back on line after a month of hassle with our internet provider!

Also we are back from our holidays in Brittany, France, it was wet, wet, wet! It rained every day that we were there apart from the 2 days it took us to get there and the two days it took to come back!

I will post a few piccies now and will try to fill in the details over the next few weeks.

On the way there from Dover to Calais

A stop in Honfleur on the way to our Gite.Emily tasting the sand before the rain clouds arrived.

Our one and only meal outside:(

Note the fleecey coat, it was cold there too! (Emily didn't want to share the popcorn with the animals, she wanted it for herself.)
A visit to Le Mont St Michel

School starts back on Monday. This summer has zoomed by so quickly. Hi to you all, we have not forgotten about you, we have just been away from the internet waves.

(Big congrats to Greg, Sara and Soren. Baby Katherine Jayne arrived on July 31st)

Chest Infection

Yes that's what it is. Emily has been unwell since her birthday with a cough and runny rose. We went to Blackpool on Saturday for a day out at the Seaside. We had lots of fun walking on the sand, going on the rides (no more rollercoasters for us!)We visited the Sealife Centre to see the Sea turtles, sadly they didn't have any but we saw Dorrie from Finding Nemo and some sharks. It was here that we realised that she was running a temperature over 38 degrees - closer to 39. We had to strip her down and bring her home. The news is now she is getting better ...her temperature is being controlled with Calpol and Ibruprofen and she has antibiotics for her chest infection. Incidently we saw a great doctor yesterday who was just fab with Emily and really reassuring. We love the NHS!
We are enjoying the holidays, the sun has been shining today, we had lunch outside in the garden; it was a fun time as recently Emily has been refusing to eat for about a week, so we opted for finger food whilst we were eating. It was a success! More homemade pizza tomorrow!
We went to a garden centre with a miniture railway. Emily enjoyed travelling al fresco on her dad's lap! (I was relegated to behind!)

Emily is obsessing over windmills; she has 3 on the go at the moment and won't let them out of her sight! (Note the cute shirt, Thanks Greg and Sara x)

Jamie has been working hard during bathtimes teaching Emily to call him 'Da da'. She has got the first bit but is still working on putting them both together. There is a video of this but it won't load to night. I will post it tomorrow.

School's out for Summer

Emily has enjoyed her chocolate birthday cake. Look at those smiles! She has also been having fun with her new musical instruments... gifts for her birthday.

It's the summer holidays for Jamie and I. Yeah!!!!! We have had a busy couple of weeks; Emily now has another tooth on the top, she is standing more readily unaided. I have been to York for a Hen Weekend. My lovely friend Lucy is getting married on the 4th of July. It was lovely to meet up in York again as that is were we originally met at University. Note the inflatable bustline and Kevin Keegan wig!

The weather has been pretty miserable. We have hardly made it outdoors at all; Emily has even had a wooly hat on in the middle of August. Now that school is done, we are looking forward to a summer break. We hope to spend days out and about before we go to France for 14 days. On the house sale front, we have had no success. We are changing estate agent and as soon as we get back from France we will try again. Since Emily's birthday our house feels smaller with her bigger toys including prams and walkers! She has even learnt to feed the baby!

Next week will be our 7th wedding anniversary. With having lots of gifts as wedding presents, 7 years on they are starting to go kaput. In the past month our washing machine, hoover, lawn mower, dvd player, Emily's room CD player and toilet cistern have all broken.

We hope to repair the toilet cistern (and it wasn't a wedding gift!) but all the other stuff has go to the recycling man. All gone! The other very sad thing is yesterday at school I lost one of the diamonds from my wedding ring. So many things falling apart or breaking, but we are all ok. Just broken possessions!
Bathtimes continue to be fun especially with new birthday bath toys! Sometimes food is good especially when it it lasagne or pasta, but the food refusal and spitting continues. (No smirking from you parents out there!)
Well that is all for now, busy busy busy. J and emily have had fun times together as I have been away and at work. Big smiles all round tonight.

Happy holidays everyone. School's out for Summer!

Birthday snaps

Just a few pictures, there are loads ... so be patient, it will take a few goes.

Tree hugging at one.

She was supposed to bash them together.

Catching the bubbles during Rhythm time

Yummy Birthday cake... chocolate.

Birthday girl.

Wow, our little Emily turned one today. We can't believe how much joy she has brought to our lives, how much change and how many times we have laughed with her over the past 365 days.

We are blessed with a little bundle of energy who brings smiles to all she meets and whose 'hiya' is as clear as day (But in a strong mancunian dialect!)

This weekend we celebrated in Belfast with cake, presents, birthday tea and Ellie May, Emily's cousin who is one day younger.

Birthday cake, mmmmmm........

mmmmmm..... cake tastes good.

Today we celebrated at Grandpa and Grandmum's with cake, presents, birthday tea but sadly no cousin.

A great book called 'Emily's Balloon'

(Granny and Granda's dog is lurking in the photo.

She waves it around like a wand, instead of rolling it on the ground)

A new bike from us complete with a steering handle.

How not to enjoy birthday cake!

( We stopped her from holding the burning candle)

Well, she is sleeping now, something I have missed these past 365 days, she has been a good sleeper at night but is an early riser. Maybe the early riser in her may change over the next year.

On a final note tonight, thanks be to God who has given us people who have listened, advised, supported, cooked for us, written notes, prayed and been patient with us over the past year as we have learnt to become parents.