What has happened to my weekends???

Well all I can say is that it is less stressful being at work!!
All we seem to do at the weekend is drive drive drive. It starts with taking Carl to work Saturday lunchtime,I arrived home for a short while and then Stuart arrived to try and fix mums computer.Tom took Beth to an audition for the Wizard of Oz. That dragged on so we ended up dropping her off at Laura's for the evening before heading off to a quiz night. Luckily Mum and Dad offered to get Carl from work at 9, so we collected Beth at 10 and headed home.
Today has been no better, Tom took Carl to work for 8am, came back and then it was shopping, now Beth wants to go over to see Hannah and Lee, which is an hour return journey. Carl needs collecting at 4.15 and then he has an interview at another pool which is closer to home,so I hope he gets it and I hope he cuts down on his hours so that he has a bit longer to study.
I want to do some scrapping but its impossible to fit it in..........

The Victors!!

Today Beth played goal attack for Panshanger School in the schools tournament at Stanborough, for the second tournament in a row they WON !!!They played so well all of them, they never lost a match and only conceded 2 goals in the whole tournament.

Also as usual it was freezing cold, glad I wasn't there all the afternoon!!

Don't they look happy??

It was great to see Sue, who popped along to see us and check her school performance (sadly out in the first round!)

Tomorrow we have some of the windows being replaced in the conservatory, so we have been furniture shifting tonight!!

Some photos from Epcot.

We spent a couple of days in Epcot, the weather was very mixed with one of the afternoons ruined by torrential rain. Beth got into swapping pins at Epcot!!

Where has the weekend gone???

Well I think we have finally caught up with all the washing and clearing up after the holiday, suitcases have been put away, passports stowed back into the cupboard, nothing to do but wait for the next holiday now. I have decided to try and save up for our next holidayby accumulating Tesco Club points. I started last month and so far by taking advantage of all the different double and treble points offer I am underway, so as far as I am concerned if you can't get it from Tesco's I don't want it and that includes Christmas presents. The offer on at the moment is buy two J&J toiletry products and get 100 extra points, so watch out everyone you will be getting attractive gift packages containing baby talc and soap for Christmas, you have been warned!!

I have ordered my holiday photos to scrap, (guess where from??) I have also ordered a set for Laura, so just 400 pictures! Snapfish were going to charge me £42, but Tescos was only £20.50 plus the points and I collect them from Hatfield in the morning - Bargain.

This weekend I have been scrapping, managed 5 pages plus I have been playing with the stamps I bought in America. I want to do some cards to announce Laura and Scotts Engagement, having a play with designs for that at the moment. I have also bought a couple of Magnolia stamps, its very therapeutic painting them, you could waste hours on them !!

Off to plan my next assault on Tescos!!!

Poorly Baby....

It always happens, we come home from holiday and someone is ill, just before the holiday Carl and I both had throat infections, Laura came down with a cold on the last day, but yesterday Beth went one better and got herself an earache and sore throat. This morning we went to the Doctors and she is now on Penicillin and an ear spray. Not allowed to swim for a week. She has started the course and three doses in she feels better. Its such a shame when they are poorly.

I have to sort out my photos so that I can upload them and order them, some of them need photo shopping to get rid of red eye. I will try and sort that tonight. The three below were taken on the first day after we arrived, in the magic kingdom. It was soooooooo hot 95 degrees which was unusually hot for this time of year, The second week cooled off and got a whole lot wetter, so shouldn't complain!!

Back at Last.

We finally arrived home at 8.30pm last night, after a horrible journey. We arrived at the airport 2 hours before the flight only to be told that it had been delayed millions of hours, we dumped our cases and we were bussed to Altamonte Springs Hilton, we were served with a very nice hot buffet, lots of fruit punch and tea and coffee. Which was just as well because after that they took us back to the airport where we had to wait for 8 hours overnight on very uncomfortable seats. We were all exhausted and finally got on the plane at 5am arriving home in England 24 hours late.

We are still trying to get our heads sorted !!

I have managed to upload my photos and I am really pleased with one that I took of the Space Shuttle Launch. I think it was the most fantastic experience of my holiday Discovery launching on the 120th space mission


.

The Last Supper

Tonight was our last meal out in Florida,we hit Bob Evans again. We had a darling waiter who was very attentive and a laugh. We got home around 10pm the kids went for a dip, although it was a bit nippy only 75 degrees.Our room looks like a bomb site not sure how this lot is going to get packed.
On the last day Beth discovered pin trading another Disney money making experience she spent the last of her dollars on a lanyard and some pins to swap.After talking to a friendly cast member we found out some are more collectable than others,so while dodging the showers she went off in seach of secret mickey cast member pins.wish we had done this earlier she loved swapping.

Countdown to home...

We are into the final part of our holiday,it has flown. Lasr night we went for dinner at Planet Hollywood , what an experience !! I had never dined like that before. We met the Jacksons and what a night. It was hard to actually eat as felt like we were eating in a disco! The down side was it was crowded and Laura couldn't cope so she and Scott ended up waiting outside. I felt bad for her but what could we do ? In the end they decided to walk around Pleasure Island and found a couple of places they liked. After a very lively dinner we strolled around and had a HUGE one scoop chocolate icecream. We watched toffee apples being made and we raced some Lego creations.
Laura and Scott were waiting in the car, so we stopped off at Burger King on the way home.
Today we are going back to Epcot for half a day then back to Universal for the rest of the day.
Tonight will be packing followed by cleaning the villa.The biggest bonus is having the washing machine, we won't be bringing home any dirty washing.

Exhausted !

We have had another busy day, afull day at Islands of adventure,we got there at 10,and left at 7.30.Mid afternoon it poured with rain and the kids were already wet from the water rides,the rain chilled everyone. Carl,Hannah and Beth got friendly with one of the water ride attendents, JC, he magically got them onto all the coasters without any wait. I put it down to Hannahs wet t shirt catching his eye !! who cares it got them on. Tonight we went to Bob Evans for dinner,very nice !
For those of you still reading my foot blisters have now turned black, I think that is positive !!
Tomorrow we plan on doing the last bits of shopping and we may take in a park in the afternoon. Can't beleive its nearly over ........

Home Again

Today we spent at Universal Studios, went on loads of things but mever managed Nickelodeon will have to do that another day. Beth had her photo taken with loads of characters,Dora the explorer,Spong Bob,Shrek to name a few, should be some scrapping out of that lot.Dodgy foot responding well to the anti inflammatory tablets and pain killing drugs so I am hoping tomorrow will be the same.
Tonight we are baby sitting to allow Wendy and Ian a meal together at 'Hooters' I have told them to be back before dark !!

TODAY...........

Its Universal Studios ! we are heading into the last few days of our holiday updating my blog will help me scrap the trip afterwards. Mum if you are reading i have got you a few scraping bits. Bought an extra suitcase yesterday. Off to hhave fun if my blistery foot will allow !

Helllloooooo

Tonight i am supposed to be getting ready for dinner, but I can't get motivated ! Tom and I have had a good day shopping and chilling out the kids went to animal kingdom. Tonight its the turn of the waffle house.
Last night we went out with Debbie ,Malc,Sam and Georgie,we met them at All Stars Resort,had agreat dinner and lovely time!

Shuttle Launch .

Yesterday we got up at 6.30 am and headed for the coast, Cape Canaveral. The shuttle Discovery was leaving for a mission, it was launch 120. We arrived in Titusville around 8.30.We parked on the side of Interstate 1. To pass the time we chatted to the people nearby.It was a fantastic experience,eating doughnuts,drinking coke.When Discovery took off it was 'awesome'' I am so glad we made the trip. I have some great photos for when I get home. On the down side I now know that there are stinging ants in Florida, I trod on a mound and got stung loads of itchy blisters.

In the afternoon we went back to MGM Studios. We caught a few shows we had missed the first time around.Beth was thrilled to be picked out of the audience to join in with High School Musical, she knew all the steps !! bought a tear to my eye,she was SO SO Happy !!

TONIGHT .....

I should be asleep because tomorrow we are getting up early to see the shuttle take off. its due to leave at 11.39.14 am precisely ! its only an hour away but you have to get there early to get a spot ! can't wait last time we missed it because of the traffic . we are planning to arrive at 7.30.
Went to Joannes today they have a huge sale bought 4 scrapbook albums 4 $6 each, about 3 quid,and they are decent ones. Also picked up some bits for mums cruise. So many bargains so little time !!

Madness

Yesterday we went to the shops and bought 4 Orlando Sentinels. The papers weighted a ton, full of adverts and it seems no news BUT there were 2 50% off coupons for Micheals and Joanns, so it was well worth the effort. Off to take a look. Micheals has a ton of stuff and i have 4 vouchers to use. Don't ya just lurve America ?

We're Off!!!

The day has arrived and we are off on our holiday, we allowed ourselves plenty of time so it hasn't been too traumatic. Hunny is at Mums, Sat nav is set ready to go, I'll see you all in two weeks when I hope to return groaning with armfuls of craft goodies!!

hellooo from Florida

Well here I am posting from my bedroom in Florida we are having a great time the weather is unbearable in th high 80's every day very very humid. The big news is that on Lauras birthday Scott proposed !!she now has a beautiful white gold solitaire ring ! Very romantic.

We have Animal Kingdom to do plus both Universal parks. Its been exhausting !

Behind the Wheel.

This morning at 9am Carl took his first ever driving lesson, how scary is that?? He is being taught by our friend Brian Goodman. Today was a two hour lesson and he ended up driving home, so a good first step. He has to wait until we come home for his next lesson.

What a night!!!!

Last night I went to see Donny Osmond at Wembly Arena, well what a show and what a singer. He is every bit as good as he was when he was my teen idol back on the 70's. I went with my neighbour Karen and two other friends Lyn and Sue, Karen being the biggest fan had had the tickets for a while but had a last minute drop out so I was invited!!!

The atmosphere was fantastic and Donny can really sing!! We were the centre of row 11, just 11 rows from the front, we felt we could just about touch him, in fact at one point he came down into the audience and Karen managed to shake his hand. (before swooning and swearing never to wash her hand ever again !!!!)

At the end of the evening we headed home, the only way to finish the evening was a KFC, so we headed for Hatfield and bought ourselves one. When I was much younger and used to go out with Madeline we used eat out chicken and then throw the empty boxes up the poshest drives we could find, so as we were reliving our youth it just had to be done. So we packed up out rubbish and slung it in the back garden of a posh house in Panshanger. I hadn't laughed so much in ages, our ribs were aching!! I think we really led Sue off the straight and narrow, she'll not be able to hold her head up in public ever again!!!

Best bit is they are having an Osmonds Concert on the 30th of May next year, I have put our chief ticket getter (Karen)on the case!!

Take a look.......

http://www.paperandpencil.co.uk/index.htm

My not so little God Daughter, Rebecca has opened an online shop selling gorgeous books, stationery, pens, cards etc. Pop along and have a look, Its free postage at the moment as well!!