wicked Grandchildren
Glittering party guests
Da boyz in Budapest
hands full of trouble!
Fun and games at the wild 18th!
My Dad and me at the 50th PARTAAAYYY!
And so, another year has almost slipped by. 2010 has seen the eldest working hard, in a large local factory and as an assistant Chartered Surveyor. He has accepted a place at Harper Adams to study Rural Chartered Surveying in 2011, and headed off quite happily in August 2010 for a one year HNC Fish Farm Management course in Scotland. He is enjoying freezing his ass off on fish farms north of the border so much that completing a degree in Aquaculture at Stirling University (which will take 2 further years of study) is now also an option. He is flying off to New Zealand to do the Work Experience portion of his HNC next summer, and there is also a chance that he might stay there. He has been warned that his mother will be joining him if he even hints at staying so far away from home long term!! He has celebrated his 19th birthday and seems to be thriving in the freezing climate that is Scotland this winter. I am looking forward to his return for the Christmas holiday. Very much.
The youngest celebrated his 18th birthday in hilarious style in the heat of the summer, surrounded by friends and family in the garden. Hardly a sober person on the premises, and egg and spoon racing, water fights and 'horsey, horsey' were the order of the day (and night). He went on to celebrate the end of his A levels with a 'boys only' holiday to Budapest. This was their first foray into parentless travelling, and they all survived, indeed enjoyed themselves very much. He worked all summer for a large holiday provider locally and celebrated yet again when his A level results came through. Two 'A' grades in Maths and History, and a 'B' in Biology. Off he went to the University of Leicester in September to read History where he is having a fine old time. We have only been graced with his presence for one night since his departure. He was kind enough to drag himself away from the high life of an Undergraduate to help me celebrate my 50th birthday. I am looking forward to gathering him home for Christmas too. He is rowing for Leicester University, which has proved to be a chilly pass-time during the cold snap the country is enduring.
We had a litter of 4 pups from one of our cocker bitches. All have moved on to fine homes and we are delighted to receive periodic updates.
I celebrated my 50th. As we awaited the arrival of some of our smartest friends prior to the event one of my sons (who shall remain anonymous for his own protection) set the sitting room chimney alight. There followed ten minutes of utter panic as he endeavoured to safely extinguish both the grate fire, and the inferno halfway up the chimney. A large fall of soot ensued. I left to greet my first guests at the party venue closing the door on a scene of chaos. Some sort of fairy must have descended, because when we all returned home at 2am every sign of the catastrophe had been expunged from hearth and home. Thank goodness. A jolly time seemed to be had by all at the party, and £921 was raised for Macmillan Nurses in the process. I am closing my year without my usual bob hairstyle, and have chosen instead to have all my hair cut off short. Its a change!
The farmer has taken up ploughing and is perfecting his 'straight furrow' technique. His wheat cropped very well, and he is settling into life as a professional arable farmer with enthusiasm. It seems to mostly involve a morning lie in, plenty of tea during the day, and much tinkering with farm machinery.
We have only managed a few days in the North of England with friends as our holiday this year, the cost of two sons in Higher Education meaning that our button collection is under pressure. We hope to save enough for a holiday to celebrate the farmer's 50th in the New Year. Fingers crossed.
Its been a hard year, with all the usual ups and downs, but hope springs eternal for 2011! We shall become accustomed to our empty nest and continue to look for new challenges to keep us busy.
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