Moving house & various unrelated photos

So, we've moved house! :-) After 2 weeks of no broadband since moving here (only the occasional very slow dial up internet) we're finally back online today! So of course, the first thing I think about is updating my blog - which includes a stash of photos to sort through.

We ended up hiring a removal company (David Mackay from Ardgay, who were really good!) to move our stuff - we boxed everything up and they picked it up and unloaded it again. It really made it a LOT easier - I can't imagine how long it would have taken us to do it all ourselves! So the house was emptied all in one go, on the 1st of October. But we've still got to finish emptying the attic (or loft, as it seems to be called over here) and the garden sheds, once we've got the new one installed here next week. So yeah, so much to get done! I've started on painting the interior of our old house on Tuesday - did a fair bit of the sitting/dining room, but not quite finished it. I accidentally happened to find someone local on eBay who was selling off some paint very cheaply (as in, I wasn't even looking for paint!), so we went and picked it up last week. Lots of tins of unopened Dulux paint, for a fraction of the cost new - so hopefully have enough to do the rooms that need to be done. I always like to find a bargain! ;-) Just have to get the house finished so the home report can be done, and then put it on the market before winter sets in!

We're enjoying our house - it's great to have more space! Though it will be even better when all the boxes get unpacked and Abigail's room is finished (waiting for a few things to be done, including a wall put up to divide the large room into a bedroom for her). In the meantime it's a big room full of stuff, including boxes which the children find interesting to climb on, and occasionally open and explore the contents of!

As for the town here, everyone seems very nice & friendly. And I have to say, I'm quite glad to be even further away from Inverness! ;-) I'm just not a city girl - though I'm sure plenty of people would laugh at my idea of Inverness being too much of a city, since it's in the centre of the highlands, which is considered a rather remote place! LOL It just seems more calm & peaceful out here, people more trusting etc. When we first came here I went in the local pet shop only to find that there wasn't anyone in it. A few seconds later several people came in, and then I realised the lady & children who were further along in front of a local shop were the shop owners - and it was the 8-10 year old daughter who was running the till! And Peter was in the local plumbing shop and the man there was even going to offer to lend him a tool for something! So yeah, it seems really nice & friendly here.

Now, a load of photos, even though I really should be asleep in bed!

Abigail & Benjamin playing in the square in front of our old house, while mummy & daddy were busy packing boxes! They got these cars only the week before we moved. I saw them offered on Freecycle from someone in the next village over - I later wondered if I was crazy to ask for them, as they'd be 2 more things to have to pack up and move. But it turned out they were fantastic to occupy them with while we were busy inside - and they're still having fun with them!

All packed up and ready to go! ;-)

My smiling fat little boy - showing off a curl that appeared on his head after a bath once!

Now, are these photos the same baby or not? ;-) While going through my recent photo tonight, I came across a couple of photos of Clement which I was sure reminded me of other photos, and I wasn't mistaken. The one on the left is Abigail and the right is Clement - both at exactly 5.5 months old too! Of course, she's rather less fat than he is! lol

Benjamin and Clement playing together, before we moved

Benjamin's new bedroom! :)

our new back garden, with children playing in it

back garden again

Sitting room, though not totally finished - in need of new cushion covers, when we manage to get to Ikea again! And new rugs, etc. But an attempt to get things a bit like home!

another view of sitting room

Kitchen

and again, with Clement

Clement dressed for cold weather, though it's rather mild again now!

our bedroom, though not yet fully organised - or totally unpacked!

bedroom again

And who could these be? Clement on the left and .... Peter on the right, when he was a baby! Though Clement is about 2 months older than his daddy was in the photo - but I thought they looked quite similar!

Clement wearing the lovely cardigan that Naomi knitted for him! :-)

And now I must get in bed, or I'll not want to get anything done tomorrow!