Remember, Remember it’s birthday time in November!
It’s been a busy time. My sister, Mia, and her Canadian boyfriend, Isaac, have been staying with us for 2 weeks as part of their UK ‘sandwich filling’ between leaving New Zealand and returning to Canada. They arrived Saturday 14th November and left today. I shall miss them! We had a family get together on the first Saturday – our first dinner in our new home dining room – to welcome them to Yorkshire and also to celebrate Toni’s birthday (15th Nov). My version of Jamie Oliver’s slow roasted pork was fantastic, and went down a storm!
I then had a few days off to be a tourist with Mia &Isaac. We visited York and caught up with our nephew Benji and looked in lots of shops. We visited a German Christmas market in Leeds and had frankfurters for lunch. Isaac was all shopped out from the previous day, so we explored the Leeds City Museum and found lots of interesting things. We then had a stay at home day to sort out some admin stuff - Mia’s permanent residency application, house rental for her flat and mum’s house, and me doing some research on a new business! All that could keep us busy for 2 weeks really, but we tried to have some fun as well.
By Saturday, Dad & Jacqui were also up in Beverley, visiting us for a birthday dinner. They very kindly treated us (11 in total!) to a night out at Pizza Express. Mmm, yummy! We usually try to have a family get together between Toni & my birthdays, so it was great to be able to get everyone together, including partners for a special dinner (Benji was in India on holiday!! and obviously mum was absent but we did visit her the next day). With everyone spreading further afield, it may be one of the last times we all get together in this way.
On Sunday, Dad & Jacqui joined us in Hull to visit another small German market, and see Lydia at work in Zara looking very professional! We shared a coffee and then they headed off back to Weybridge. Mia, Isaac and I took the opportunity to do a bit of Christmas shopping and then home to get out of the cold and rain.
I had another couple of days off work (I could get used to that!!), which included Tuesday 24th as it was my birthday. James and Lydia were also off work so we decided to have some fun. We went ice skating. We were all rather rusty, having not been for several years, but not too bad considering!
Luckily, we had virtually the whole ice rink to ourselves, which was great. James spent a little more time closer to the ice than the rest of us, 
and Mia & Isaac tried some less conventional skating methods. 
We all had great fun! Then, we went to the cinema next door, where again we had the place all to ourselves, and watch ‘Fantastic Mr Fox’, which was indeed fantastic. A wonderful, enchanting, unusual, mesmarising fun film that I would recommend to everyone. (except possibly children!).
Arriving home, everyone (except me) set about preparing a surprise meal. It was a wonderful mixture of Chinese food in several courses followed by homemade (by Liddi) lime birthday cheesecake with raspberries. Delicious. A great way to spend a birthday – can I repeat that next year please? (We may have to go to Canada to do that!)
During the day, I received some birthday messages by text and email and it’s always great to know that your friends far and wide are thinking of you, so many thanks to you all.
I then had a few days off to be a tourist with Mia &Isaac. We visited York and caught up with our nephew Benji and looked in lots of shops. We visited a German Christmas market in Leeds and had frankfurters for lunch. Isaac was all shopped out from the previous day, so we explored the Leeds City Museum and found lots of interesting things. We then had a stay at home day to sort out some admin stuff - Mia’s permanent residency application, house rental for her flat and mum’s house, and me doing some research on a new business! All that could keep us busy for 2 weeks really, but we tried to have some fun as well.
By Saturday, Dad & Jacqui were also up in Beverley, visiting us for a birthday dinner. They very kindly treated us (11 in total!) to a night out at Pizza Express. Mmm, yummy! We usually try to have a family get together between Toni & my birthdays, so it was great to be able to get everyone together, including partners for a special dinner (Benji was in India on holiday!! and obviously mum was absent but we did visit her the next day). With everyone spreading further afield, it may be one of the last times we all get together in this way.
On Sunday, Dad & Jacqui joined us in Hull to visit another small German market, and see Lydia at work in Zara looking very professional! We shared a coffee and then they headed off back to Weybridge. Mia, Isaac and I took the opportunity to do a bit of Christmas shopping and then home to get out of the cold and rain.
I had another couple of days off work (I could get used to that!!), which included Tuesday 24th as it was my birthday. James and Lydia were also off work so we decided to have some fun. We went ice skating. We were all rather rusty, having not been for several years, but not too bad considering!
Luckily, we had virtually the whole ice rink to ourselves, which was great. James spent a little more time closer to the ice than the rest of us, 
and Mia & Isaac tried some less conventional skating methods. We all had great fun! Then, we went to the cinema next door, where again we had the place all to ourselves, and watch ‘Fantastic Mr Fox’, which was indeed fantastic. A wonderful, enchanting, unusual, mesmarising fun film that I would recommend to everyone. (except possibly children!).Arriving home, everyone (except me) set about preparing a surprise meal. It was a wonderful mixture of Chinese food in several courses followed by homemade (by Liddi) lime birthday cheesecake with raspberries. Delicious. A great way to spend a birthday – can I repeat that next year please? (We may have to go to Canada to do that!)
During the day, I received some birthday messages by text and email and it’s always great to know that your friends far and wide are thinking of you, so many thanks to you all.
posted by Jenny @ 2:07 pm
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