A week in France

Perfect little get away before the twins cause chaos in our lives!!

getting the bus to the airport - this is all the luggage we took!

taste-testing acorns

Ken found this massive (tame!?) grasshopper - Asher wasn't too sure

the end of a gorgeous day at the beach

feeding the fishies!

I told Asher to kiss it but he sucked it into his mouth by accident for a second!

Asher's first vision moment

our next door neighbour's animals - they have quite a collection

last time I was in Auray there was a galleon moored here which has since sunk!

demolished an ice cream cone

the masked (underpants) cleaner

keeping Asher occupied while we pack

Ken's daily painting

neighbours goat! Not sure what he is called but the pot-bellied pig is called Geisha!

Asher had a ride on Michel's tractor before we left

The big hair cut - before and after

So Asher's hair finally got so unruly it was time for his first proper hair cut. Over breakfast (to distract him - plus a bourbon biscuit to keep him still) I got the clippers out and chopped his curls!

He looks like a grown up little boy now! oh and here is his favourite toy - his step ladders!

Sunday afternoon at the farm

Before Katy and Dan headed home after my birthday weekend camping trip, we took a picnic up to the farm after church. The Pyles camp up too as their girls are the same age as Katy's and they got on well at church. Here are all the kids enjoying the trampoline...

Asher's first (recognisable) drawing!

He's drawn plenty of 'wheels' so far, but sat in sacrament meeting today, Asher did this drawing and said 'man'.

He must get his artistic talent from his mum!

First day at Norwood

My last day at Estell Warren Landscape Architecture was on Friday. Today work started on Norwood Farm.

I went up for 7.50am to run through things with Steve before he left for the office. The builders arrived at 8.15 and got to work stripping the ancient wooden stalls out the main barn.

Lunch was sitting at the top of our land with a packed lunch, enjoying the view. I certainly will can get used to working for myself on a project like this! Beats the office any day!!!

Birthday weekend

We had a fantastic weekend celebrating Hannah's 30th Birthday on Saturday and my upcoming birthday on the 15th (plus our 5th anniversary!).

We invited family and a few friends over to spend the day with us at Bolton Abbey. Hannah's parents plus Jon and Aaron hadn't been there before and were amazed at how beautiful the place is - we love advertising Yorkshire! The weather was gorgeous and a lot of us (including Asher and Ethan) went for a swim in the River Wharfe - after kitting most of Hannah's family our in swimming stuff/wetsuits cause they didn't bring anything (what a surprise!). My mother-in-law was wearing a pair of my swim shorts and t-shirt as she floated down the river on a lilo! What a laugh.

For the evening we had booked a village hall up the hill from Otley. We had traditional party food and some fun party games including building spaghetti and marshmallow towers to support a satsuma. My team won of course! (it was a close call though). We all played bulldog on the field and the kids searched for sweets we'd hidden. It was a perfect day.

The people who came were:

Smith: Phil, Helen, Matt, Leah, Lucy, Sariah, Lydia, Aaron
Nath, Mary, Ethan, Megan
Jared, Esther, Winston
Devines: Jon, Serene, Austin, Spencer
Aaron
Gareth, Phillipa
Elaine, husband, Ben & Oli
Revills: Derek, Lucy, George
Pyles: Greg, Eneliese, Felicity, Elena
Wilkinsons: Steve, Sandra, Anna
Sam Peel
Cam, Kathryn, Molly

I think that was everyone!

On Sunday we were invited to the Ruth and David Walker's house for dinner as Sarah and Carston were over following their move to start training as a GP in Blackpool. And in the evening was Anna Wilksinson's farewell nosh up - she is off on her mission to Jamaica on Friday.

The times they are a changin'

We are in the middle of a lot of changes at the moment.

Tomorrow Hannah is having her 20 week scan. We are hoping to find the twins well - and also hope to find out what sex they are - I can't wait! Hannah is showing quite a lot now and is feeling quite tired. I felt the babies move for the first time last night. It's very exciting but also very daunting. Life will be very different in this household by Christmas!

Last week we and the Wilkinsons completed the purchase of Norwood Farm. I'm going to be working on the conversion of the barn and renovation of the farmhouse full time - basically working as Steve Wilkinson's apprentice and learning to project manage - and so have handed in my notice at Estell Warren! Yes, I am very excited not to be working in that boring office any more and to get stuck into an amazing project like Norwood. I do wonder sometimes why I spent two years training and eight working as a landscape architect just to throw in the towel now but in hindsight I wouldn't now have the experience to get involved in this sort of project, and we wouldn't have moved to Otley and met the Wilkinson's either. So now I have two weeks left at work!

It's been two months since I was released from the stake presidency and called as the branch young men's president. Life feels very different because of that. Because the call came at the same time as Asher, life's been a whirlwind since then. Now I feel like I have time now to stop and think and do things for me and the family. Hannah loves it because it means she can go out in the evening now. At first I felt like I was being lazy but actually I feel like I have a good balance.

Young men's is going very well. I have a good group of boys - 5 fully active, 3 less active and 1 totally inactive but with relative ease and consistent invitations we've had 7 or 8 there every Sunday and every activity plus a few non-members at activities. I'm really enjoying it.

So that's where we are - in the midst of change. It's scary and exciting, but we feel very blessed and are determined to enjoy the ride!