Looks like this Christmas we won't be eating off the patio furniture...



This is much better I think.

We've been debating turning our back TV room into a dining room for some time now. The boys tend to play all their games in their room, and Alex has the flat screen & satellite in his room.

Although its a very small room, we'll eventually need a sideboard or some other piece of furniture to finish it off, but I'm looking forward to decorating for the upcoming season(s), or at least trying to. And maybe, just maybe, having a small dinner party or two.

More like Sarcastic 16 than Sweet 16...

Although he wasn't quite this little and adorable when I first met him, how quickly does then turn into...



...now



Today he turned 16, on Monday he starts work experience and in July he will finish school and begin his electrical engineering course soon after.

And although I didn't suffer through the hard labour to bring him into this world, I do get the insufferable experience of raising him ;)

But aside from that, he's honestly a sixteen year old that most parents only dream of having.

And in typical Alex fashion, like a big kid, he gets a load of enjoyment out of this advert:

Date Night

Last night Andy and I decided to go see a movie, as we hadn't seen each other in two weeks and needed some time to ourselves.

It was a little busy when we went inside to join the que and as the movie was due to start in five minutes Andy was wondering if he should give me the money to pay for our tickets while he went to the concessions que. It didn't really matter though because before I could answer, the line had moved rather quickly and we were at the front. I walked up to the ticket agent and asked for two tickets to see The Women and was told the price. I turned around to take the money from Andy and he wasn't there... he was halfway to concessions. So I did the only thing I could and hollered 'Andy!', as I turned back to the ticket guy and exclaimed 'Some date eh?' Andy's face was puce as he handed me the £20 and said with a sheepish grin 'sorry Jods, I thought I'd given it to you!' That might be, or maybe he was just trying to get out of paying ;)


One of my favourite ways to relax on a
Friday night...

This one is having a birthday today...



and if I know her, and I think I just might, she's doing it right.
Happy Birthday little sis. xo

A pretty amazing summer, even if it has rained for most of it...




Right from the start its been a cracking summer. We've had a lot of family over, starting with Dawn in June, ending with Stacy and Heather in August.

We managed to do so much, including travel to Kefalonia with Stace, which was as amazing as when we honeymooned there, in different ways of course, the number one reason being getting to share Stacy's excitement in seeing such a gorgeous place.
Not to mention the day we rolled down a huge slide in a massive ball, or completed an obstacle course in the trees of Sherwood forest...








The same can be said for Heather's first trip to the UK. Both Dawn and Stace have been here twice before, so it was kind of fun to show someone the sights who was so in awe of it all. Heather was taken aback by some of the places we visited: Lincoln, Chatsworth (where Pride & Prejudice, The Duchess were filmed), even right down to our favourite, the Harvest Moon and Jaques Cider. Seems like all my girls back home are big fans of our cozy pub, especially on quiz night...







This summer also brought with it some big changes. Work went kind of sour there for awhile, and although what was happening caused quite a lot of upheaval, things have calmed down and it looks like I will be there to weather out the storm, as things have turned around for me and the boat has stopped rocking.

I said good-bye to two fantastic friends, Carol-Anne & Madeline, who have moved back to Canada, and hopefully greener fields. Part of me still thinks they are only out there on their annual trip and will be back soon, but another part of me knows they have done what is right and that I will see them again soon. Besides, its just more extended family for me to have back home :)





Andy has been re-located to London, so for the time being will only be with us every second weekend. It'll take some getting used to, but Alex, (Connor when he is here) and Molly and I do alright on our own, and it won't be for too long. Besides, Andy and I are already trying to sort out a trip or two to London.

So a quiet weekend lays ahead of me, one that I'll probably make best use of to get back to the gym and ringing those I haven't had a chance to talk to all summer.