A year on...

I've decided to start my blog up again.  Not quite sure why but i've been thinking about it off and on for a while.  Its been nearly a year since my last entry and a lot has happened.  After my operation in September 2011 followed by chemotherapy, I had to have another operation in May this year.  But thankfully no chemo at the moment!
Since my last blog entry, we have had a new addition to the family..... little Grace! Born on 11th January 2013 after a very long labour.  She is very beautiful and we are all in love with her.  She is such a cutey.  Charlotte and Scott are both such wonderful parents. Here is a photo of Grace with her mummy ....

We have been having such an eventful and enjoyable summer - especially since hearing that no chemothereapy was necessary!  The weather has really perked up and actually feels like proper summer at last.  I celebrated my 60th birthday with a BBQ for family and friends on 29th/30th June.

The weekend before Ian and I took the caravan out for its first outing.  We went to visit Lindy and Chris in Bath, going to see the sights of Wells, Wells Cathedral and a beautiful privately-owned garden. Here is a photo of Lindy and Ian by Wells Cathedral.......

On the second day we had a wondeful dinner with them at their home before returning to our caravan.  The next day off to Bamford (in Oxfordshire) for the Community of Aidan & Hilda's Annual Gathering.  We had a really good time there and it was great to meet so many new people.  Here are some photos of it....

What else have we been doing?  Oh yes, we went to visit a relative of Ian's who lives in High Wycombe.  They are related through their great, great grandfather.  Keith came over from NZ when he was a young man and spent the first few months living with Ian's parents until he got himself a job.  He is now married to Victoria and has two children, Georgian (shortly going to University) and James pictured here with Keith cutting the cake.  It was their birthdays (on the same day) the day we went to visit them.
 

On Saturday Ian and I ran a books and resources stall for Community of Aidan & Hilda at the Bradwell Pilgrimage, an annual event at the chapel at Bradwell-on-Sea.  The chapel was built in 640 by St Cedd who came down the coast in a boat with some monks from Holy Island to establish a monastry and on the request of the Saxon King, to evangelise the Saxons.  The chapel was built from the stones of an old Roman fort and still stands today.  Its a wonderful place in the middle of no-where on the estuary with wild flowers, the wind, the sky and the call of the birds.  Needless to say, the sun shone again for us.  Here is a photo of the chapel on the right with the marque (where we had our stall) on the left.

I also have met up with some friends that I knew at school.  Can you believe it.  I've not seen them for 43 years but we met up on Facebook and arranged to meet up in London for lunch.  It was so weird and yet so enjoyable.  Here is a photo of us at an Italian Restaurant in Paddington Street.  Alison Montague, Valerie Knight, Sue Hildrey and me!