Gosh, I hope that's right! With a bit of luck it means 'together again' which is just what this layout is all about.
After 19 years we met up again and what a fantastic night we had. Claus and Gabriele had just not changed one bit! (Well apart from Claus' beard!) Their boys are a total credit to them as they are well mannered, polite and great fun to be around. We all had a wonderful time and it was just a shame Kim and her family could not join us. Plenty of food, good wine and stimulating company as well as being in the presence of good friends make a perfect evening. And Tuesday evening was just that.
I hope it is not 19 years before we see them again!
We had a postcard drop through the letter box the other day. As I picked it up I was thinking to myself who it could have come from. I have a couple of friends away on holiday at the moment but would not expect a card from either of them. After further investigation I read that it was from some old, old friends of ours whi i have not heard from for a few years. We met Claus and Gabriele about 19 years ago when we were camping on Black Rock Sands in Wales. We got along really well right from the start. Gabriele was expecting their first child and they both spoken amazing English! It turned out that Gabriele was an English teacher in thier native Germany! Anyway we had a great week together and then went our separate ways. We kept in touch and exchanged news and photographs of our new arrivals as and when they happened. They had a son, Lennart, later that year and surprisingly (and totally unplanned) I gave birth to the twins the following June. They went on to have another son Theimo who is now 12. However over the past few years our communication has dwindled, I am sorry to say, and is now down to occasional Christmas cards now.
But the good news is they are back in England doing a bit of touring. They have brought along their sons and wondered if we fancied meeting up. I could not get in touch soon enough, I was so excited. :) Anyway they are travelling up to Wales in the next couple of days so we are hoping to meet up next week sometime and I just can't wait. It will be soooo good to see them again. The twins have heard me talk aboyt them over the years so are looking forward to finally meeting them and I have arranged for the elder children who of course know them to come round and see them whatever night we get together. What a fantastic thing to look forward to!
Anyway, not that Claus and Gabriele will notice as they have never seen it before, but we have decorated our utility room and it has made such a difference. It is so much brighter! There are just one or two jobs for John to finish off and then it will be complete. I had a trip to our local Range last week and picked up a few bits and pieces for it and I also made myself this really scrummy canvas.
It is just chocolate and more chocolate and is quite enormous! It is about 2' x 2' and I have managed to find a big enough wall to hang it on. I can go in and stare at it when every I get a chocolate urge. It may not be the same as eating chocolate but comes a close second and is much lower in calories! It has been admired by every one who has seen it up to now and I have already had orders to make up 3 for other people. Great news and a bit extra towards the Christmas kitty!Anyway I will try and find time to upload some layouts I have managed to make up later this week. There are a couple of the boys when they were toddlers which have turned out quite well. So bye for now!
Yes, we have been off on the hunt again. I knew John wouldn't wait much longer before he would be itching to buy a new tent. He never keeps the same one more than two seasons...though to be honest I am just as bad! We have been round a couple of local camping places and a couple of tents have caught our eye. Yesterday we went to a place near Blackpool, Kool Kamping, and although they didn't have a vast range of tents on show they did have couple we had never looked at before. One range was a new one from Kampa called the Lulworth.
We went inside the 6 berth and I was really impressed with it. Everything we wanted seemed to be included along with a large lounge area. John thought the 6 might be too big and we should go for the 4 but I will need to actually see one up before I can decide. I do so like my space. One great thing about Kool Kamping was that the lads who run it were really helpful and knew their stuff. If we do go for the Lulworth I will certainly go back and buy it from them. Great customer service!
For some reason Tom seems to be the subject of my scrapping inspiration at the moment. Probably the only bit of scrapping I have done for a couple of weeks is this layout of him.
At the last minute he decided to go to the inter store bowling competition and came out with a medal and a trophy. The store team managed to beat everyone else there and everyone had a great evening.
One bit of exciting news is the fact that I have a new great nephew! My neice Sarah had her second baby last week. She was over a week late and was feeling dreadful with all the heat. As all babies usually do, he made his grand entrance when he was good and ready. Edward Huey Evans weighed in at 7lb 11oz at 3.27am on Friday morning. Mother and baby were both fine! It gave me chance to make a couple of cards instead of scrapping which made a nice change.
Anyway I am off to do some cleaning and hopefully a bit of scrapping as well today if I get chance. I am taking William into Preston tonight to meet up with some friends so I am going to bob along to Dunelm mills while I have the chance and see what I can be tempted with! I have no doubt something will catch my eye.
Be for now.
Yes, it looks, and feels like summer is here at last! Another long hot sunny day today with it predicted to get hotter and hotter as the week goes on. I think I will be staying inside and doing some scrapping in my free time as I'm afraid I don't 'do' heat well. I like the weather to be hot but just as long as I am not outside in it! I really feel for my niece Sarah at the moment. She is 40+ weeks pregnant with her second child, lives down south where it is even hotter and is really getting fed up now. My sister has gone down to keep her company and try to help out where ever she can but unfortunately even she can't make this baby come any sooner! Hopefully we will not have to wait much longer before the action starts!
I've managed to find some time to do a bit of scrapping and have started on some of the holiday photos. Here are a couple of the Jacobite Steam train which does a return trip most days between Fort William and Mallaig. It's a very impressive sight as it pulls into the station and stops with a real huff and puff and a release of steam!
Thomas is not happy that he has yet to be asked for proof of age. He has been carrying his card around with him in the hope someone would query his age now he is actually 18. Even the pub he is always turned away from just let him walk in the other night. Perhaps living in a small rural town where most peole know everyone else....and their age....could have something to do with it! Here he is ready to take on the 'grown up' part of life! 
All exams are out of the way now and all course work handed in, finance in place and accomodation sorted as much as possible, so now it is time to play the waiting game. They are both happy bunnies at the moment but I can see all that changing as August 20th draws near. Confidence will hit rock bottom in both of them and they will be replanning their futures....just in case! I will just be exactly the same as always. Calm on the outside and all jingly jangly on the inside until the night of the 19th when I will just fall apart with worry.
So until then I had better just get on with some scrapping to take my mind off things! :)
