Sunday 26 August 2012

Richard and Ashley's wedding


Baby bro got married :)
Ashley looked stunning and her cheerful, playful nature came across throughout the day as well as an elegance too.
 Lots of tears, primarily from Richard and Mum. 
Lots of chasing around after the duo. 
Fabulous food in both quantity and quality at the Tullyglass hotel in BallyMena ( Bally means town or place of)
Lots of laughter at the speeches (some telling off directed at a certain 'tall' brother for being too mean)


Joseph won the whitest shirt contest and Ben lost by a landslide :)
 Participated in the 'wouldn't it be funny to take a photo of Kathryn stuffing herself with dessert with her big belly' photo :)
Joseph fulfilled his responsibility of walking down the aisle very seriously and actually Nathan did shed a tear of pride , he told me.

Sleeping arrangements. Nathan in single bed. The boys and I in the double?
Wedding day the second. Woke up at 6, once more at the Corr's Corner which fortuitously had a vacant room when we found out  that I hadn't actually booked the room at the premier inn for that night back in May - Duh. Insisting on staying until seven so we could have some of the breakfast we'd paid for meant that once more we arrived at the airport gates by the skin of our, the skin of our teeth - no joke the skin. Nathan had to be frisked and my bag had to be electronically swobbed???? Anyway we made it :) Dropped the boys off at the McNees and headed through 'torrential August bank holiday special rain' to the temple.

Flights for everyone else had been delayed so the sealing too was delayed but all things work out and it meant that Mandy and Joanne were also able to be there with us - a treat.
Lovely sealing, again by President Leece. Lovely to think about things of real importance to be given perspective on things such as our homes being our own little Kingdoms and to bring word to Heavenly Father about how we see things, especially about how we see our children, our concerns and worries about them as individuals and to seek His guidance in raising them.

Back to Bradford for Reception number two. Fab duo of Dale and Val in charge. Great food, good laughs, milder best men's speeches. Balloon fights a plenty.
Great day, very, very tired :)

Sleeping arrangements - at home in our own beds :)

Take a walk with Ani n Obi


So we thought that we were taking Joseph and Ben on a walk by Lough Neagh in Antrim. However as it turns out we were actually taking Anakin and Obi Wan Kenobi. It has to be said that Anakin's listening skills were far superior to Ben's and he obediently followed Obi Wan's instructions with 'Yes Master'. Together they rid the walk by the canal from the Lough up to the the castle remains of all Clinkers. :)


Later in the afternoon Ani and Obi also successfully completed a mission at the Cavehill Adventurous playground.

Sleeping arrangements as per the first night.

Beautiful Northern Ireland

This week we flew out to Northern Ireland to celebrate Richard and Ashley's wedding. We arrived Tuesday early morning having got to the airport gate by the skin of our teeth (promised ourselves we would never cut it so fine again). Found the hotel and napped!
An evening walk around the harbour and castle at Carrickfergus was about all we were up to and then to bed again. Ben and I ended up in the single and Nathan and Joseph in the double - short straw me thinks I got :)

Filled up on the eat as much as you like breakfast ( and with some muffins stashed in the bag for later) we headed for a day of  sight seeing. First port of call The Dark Hedges.





The onto The Giant's Causeway. Dramatic scenery and opportunities for climbing and attempts at photographs (the boys were not playing ball in this department and the listening wasn't too good either ) 


Drove along the Causeway Coastal route from the Giant's Causeway all the way down to Larne passing the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge, White Park Bay and Cushenden which all look like places worth visiting sometime in the future. 


We stopped off at the beach in Ballycastle - (what does Bally mean anyway?) paddled, lounged, ran after Ben who ran away twice (listening not really working properly here either little tink) laughed at him standing on a rock with his arms folded exclaiming 'it's not funny huh' over and over. The sun was chased away by a heavy shower - we managed to just about make it to the car and realised we'd left the spare clothes back at the hotel. The boys travelled home in their t-shirts and grundies with a stop of for a family feast courtesy of KFC in Larne, the boys wrapped up in towels gained some bemused looks from the other diners. 

Sleeping arrangements, Nathan and Joseph in single bed. I in double bed on the edge whilst Ben lay horizontally  with his feet near my face, taking up the remaining three quarters :)

Sunday treat

Last minute dinner invitation from the Sterland's last Sunday was nice enough in itself. The food and company were great. The  afternoon air demonstration by the last flying Vulcan in the whole world, over the field behind their house in Bubwith of all places, could not have possibly been more appreciated by anyone else in Selby than Nathan :)

Tuesday 14 August 2012

If you want sand...


 .. on the Lancashire coast then you need to go as close to Blackpool as you can tolerate. 

The boys had fun digging in the gold/black sand, demolishing abandoned sandcastles and filling the moat of the one Daddy made for them.


A place of love and beauty


Over the weekend, we were able to go to the temple twice. Friday night with Caroline and Stuart for their endowment and Saturday for their sealing.

One of Grandma's favourite sayings is 'my cup brimmeth over' and it truly did this weekend.

Blessed to see my sister sealed to her love.
Blessed to witness how lives can change within a small space of time, Stuart had barely met Caroline 18 months ago, let alone heard about the gospel - amazing how Heavenly Father can bless us with not only what we need but also want. 
Blessed to be with all my siblings, my parents in the temple. Blessed to be with my Grandma, to be able to tell her much I love her. 
Blessed to be able to hold Nathan's hand and listen to the lovely message that President Leece gave as he explained the symbolism of the sealing and the blessings which come. To be reminded of God's love for us and how I felt 10 years ago at our own.
Blessed to be there with our children and nieces and nephews, to witness the joy that they find with each other and how excited they were to be at the temple. 

Truly a place of love and beauty.



Temple art birthday gift



Whatsoever shall be sealed on Earth,
shall be sealed in Heaven

Simon & Carol

16th September 1978


Photo frame from a car boot £1
Photo taken by my dad of the London Temple in 1992 scanned and then edited in PicMonkey, printed at Boots for £0.40. 
Mount bought from Wilkinsons for £0.95.
Grand total for well received birthday present for the Father in Law = £2.35. 
Satisfaction from creating a well received personalised present - priceless :)

Tuesday 7 August 2012

I hear thunder..



.. I hear thunder
Hark don't you, hark don't you
Pitter, patter raindrops, pitter, patter raindrops
I'm wet through, so are you.


Amazing thunder and lightning storm on Sunday night.
The boys were quite enthralled.
It's great to be able to share their enthusiasm for simple things.

Friends like buses.

So you have no social interaction with anyone other than family for weeks then in a matter of three days we had a visit from Uncle Smithers who came Thursday, on his way home to Hitchin from York. Aunty Jane came for the day on Friday, we went for a walk to Skipwith. My love of the common has slightly been tarnished by the experience, I was totally attacked by mozzies, bitten all over my feet and through my leggings, the boys obviously aren't as tasty as they weren't bit once. Ben took advantage of Aunty Jane's kindness, who pulled him along on his scooter to the bike track. We managed to find the Hebredian sheep and Exmoor ponies which was a plus. That evening we had the lovely Wilson's over (should have got a photo) to have a farewell meal before their move to London.
Saturday, Nathan put in an Olympic effort into removing the concrete base of the greenhouse, he worked like a machine and I do confess, he suited the sweaty, muddy look :) In the evening Lynne, Gary and Charlie came to stay on their way home from a week at the Olympics. The boys just took off from where they were last year when they came. Charlie has grown so much and impressed us with his headstands and his no bother attitude to Joseph taking temporary ownership of the Star Wars lego he'd got from 'Lego land'. (Yes there were tears when the lego had to go home with Charlie and the by has been seen frequently since with his head in the Argos catalogue eyeing up the multitude of sets he would like :))It's always great to be with them. Lynne and I set to task to cram in as much talk as time would allow before tiredness set in and between enjoying the most fabulous night of athletics ever - Go Jess, Greg and Mo - AMAZING! 

Great three days of catching up with great friends. 

Anniversary prints

Created  a couple of prints  for our anniversary.
This one is in frame in our bedroom.


This one has our wedding song 'Songbird' typed in the background.
I used it on the front of my card to Nathan.


10 years :)

27th of July  - a day of happy reminiscing and journal reading about the same day 10 years ago in 2002.

The day we were married at church in Bradford....



.. and then sealed in the Preston temple.



 The happiest day of my life.

In 2012, the sun shone and the day was hot much like it was on the day. 

It was a day with gorgeous flowers....


....curry delight at Mumtaz in Leeds,


...memory recalling of the great things we've achieved, experienced over our first decade of marriage....future predicting and forward planning.


A day to be grateful, that you're married to your best friend who ten years on, you still think is totally handsome, in fact even more so :)