Clement turns 3 and a few more photos

Having just done 2 blog posts below with photos from last month's holiday, I thought I'd go ahead and post a final 3rd one today so I'm fully up to date! ;-) So, just to bore everyone, some everyday photos from the past few weeks.

My dear Deborah delivering some flowers to her mummy (picked out by Daddy, of course!) earlier this week. It's not nice being sick, but some lovely flowers brighten any day! :-) I'm thankful I was sick first, so I'm nearly back to normal now that the rest of the family are ill. Deborah keeps telling me "Sit down!" today - I think she's lonely with 2 of her 3 siblings being unwell, and she wants the company of her mummy next to her. She's not 100% herself, but hasn't fully had the symptoms of the others, so worried if/when she is going to vomit! :-/ But for now, she just wants someone with her - so I'm catching up with my blog, while I keep an eye on everyone else, and keep Deborah company!

I bought a carrycot to clip onto a Loola pushchair I already had, so baby will have a safe place to sleep when downstairs, etc. Deborah was delighted to see the old pushchair again and thought it should be hers! ;-)

Here she is today, feeding her dolly! She discovered Abigail's toy highchair the other day and was delighted with it. Her doll is getting lots of extra meals now! ;-)

Earlier this month, walking her dog!

Reading books together - they can also be partners in crime! ;-)

You can tell she has Texan blood, right?! Pity she pulled the hat off before I got the camera out!

On the 11th of this month Clement turned 3! Deborah knew *exactly* what to do with wrapping paper and was very keen to help him get his presents open. :-)

And fetch the presents out too! ;-)

Digging for treasure!

Excited about his many Noddy toys he got!

Enjoying his new toys

A little something for Deborah too

A very simple birthday cake - but the birthday boy was happy with it.

Blowing out candles 

At last, I'm finished updating this blog! With baby due in only 5 weeks, it's just possible that I won't manage a post again before then - but never know!

Spring Holiday in England part 2

So, here's post 2 of photos from our holiday last month (part 1 found in post below).

Peter and children at Chester Zoo. We had a day out there along with my friend Beth Fisher and her children. It was really lovely to meet her in person, after being in contact online for a few years now. :)

One of several elephants at the zoo. I have to say, I was very impressed with the quality of exhibits at Chester Zoo, and how well/close-up you could view the animals. I've only ever been to the zoo in Houston, TX (and Fort Worth) and thought they were good, but I was positively impressed with what we saw in Chester! :-) If only we'd had more time (and energy!) to see everything there!

Abigail & Clement and 2 of Beth's children

and again

Abigail, Clement, and Benjamin, together with Beth's oldest 2

A rhino

Lions

Fish (don't ask what they were!)

Benjamin's favourite fish there - Nemo! lol

Flamingos

Penguins!

Benjamin, the meerkat?

Deborah, fed up with not being allowed to run anywhere she wanted! ;-)

Giraffes

We stayed in a small village called Leyburn while on holiday, not too far from Catterick Garrison. There was a lovely park near the flat, and this is the misty view from the park one morning.

A lovely hot air balloon we saw above us one evening in Ripon.

Old town hall (I think) in Ripon

Old wakeman's house in Ripon

Ripon Cathedral - an inner part of the church is believed to date back to 672AD!! See here for more info: http://www.riponcathedral.org.uk/cathedral.php?chpg=102&passsec=2

I didn't manage any photos of the inside (I think you had to purchase a permit) but it was quite a building! My photos of the outside don't do it any justice - don't think I have the skill (or camera??) to get such a large building into one photo! :-P

A tower of Ripon Cathedral

The best shot I got of the whole building in one photo

An old wall from 1506, near Ripon Cathedral

Plaque on the wall

The lovely view from our 2nd floor holiday flat (3rd floor if you're American!)

View from flat window again

More view

Some lambs nearby in Leyburn

And so that's the end of our holiday photos! But I think I still have some more photos to upload! So might just be doing a 3rd post today, if I get the time.

Spring Holiday in England part 1

I've been meaning to update this blog for a while, but have been busy. However, with several of us down with a vomiting bug, and Deborah is telling me "Sit down!" while she pats the spot next to her (and I don't have a lot of energy for much else) I thought I'd take the opportunity to update my blog, and start adding some photos from our holiday in England last month.

On the first day of our holiday, we went to the place you might expect - The National Railway Museum in York! ;-) I've been on 3 previous occasions, but each time there's a child who hasn't been before (or was a newborn when last there) so a good excuse to go again. Of course, it's a fantastic place to take kids (AND has free admission) so off we went for the day. Deborah *loved* it! She ran *all* around and had soooo much fun.

Peter and 3 of the children - looking at trains, of course!

Abigail & her brothers coming out of the Japanese Bullet Train (I think).

My boys, enjoying the trains

Deborah enjoying the freedom of running around in a *huge* indoor place!

Deborah & her brothers

Deborah was very taken with the large stuffed dog in this glass case!

After *hours* of running around the railway museum, Deborah finally had a rest in her pushchair - she wasn't very keen on the idea, but had totally exhausted herself with all the running about!

At the look out point at the back of the museum, where you can see the trains currently running in & out of the station in York.

The large wheel in York, which we *didn't* go on. ;-)

one of the local trains

York Minster Cathedral, from a distance

St John the Baptist, Kirk Hammerton - parts of the building date from Anglo-Saxon times! We saw a sign mentioning an ancient church as we left York.

Another view of the ancient church

Later that week we went to see our friends the Loves and had a really nice afternoon & evening with them. I didn't manage to get any photos, unfortunately, apart from the above photo of Deborah on a slide at the park we all went to.

We also spent a day during the week with our friends the Mohons, and the children enjoyed playing with their grandchildren. They had lots of fun creating a group painting together, which is hanging behind them in this photo.

Benjamin and their grandson, with a better view of their painting. :-) Lots of lovely memories of time spent together.

So, that's all I have time for now. More photos to come (of course!) but need to give some lunch to those children who aren't currently feeling sick! And perhaps I'll have time later to create another post.