A wonderful trip

We have just returned home from visiting family in the UK. We were really lucky with the weather too, not too much of the wet stuff and not to cold either.

We left Alicante about 4pm and reached Gatwick about six. We had organised a taxi online, on a return basis and were pleasently surprised to find it only cost 102 pounds, we were collected in a rather nice Merc, very comfortable and with a courteous driver, so we arrived at MIL in Pyrford, Woking quite relaxed.

The next day, having borrowed Mum´s car, we met Rebecca half way to us both in Bracknell.

The traffic!! it was unbelievable, everyone rushing, squeezing you out, hasseling you, certainly don´t miss that.

Rebecca and I had a lovely day together, looking at baby things, catching up and replenishing cuddles. As she was working the next day, I went back to Pyrford.

Antoni had seen that Reading were playing at home on the Saturday and suggested they go to watch, which was really sweet of him as football is not really his game. He even bought Chris an early birthday present of a team scarf.

It was also the fifteenth anniversary of placing Chris´s Dads ashes under the goal posts, which was made even more poignant when a rainbow suddenly appeared over the stadium. Rainbows have special significance to us as they always appear at special times

I spent the day cleaning and have a good tidy up to make Mum´s life a bit easier,  I was getting worried having so many things around her chair she might trip over.

Daniel, Shine and the girls drove up from Exeter and arrived early evening, which was so lovely to catch up with them. They headed off to a nearby hotel for the night.

Rebecca and Antoni made a surprise visit on Sunday morning, then we all drove back to Reading for a meal, where we met up with Chris´s brother and sister. It was a lovely day, catching up with news, being able to spend time with the children.

Daniel and Shine had brought a lovely cake, very light and fluffy and it was presented with a sparkler candle, I think they thought it was someones birthday.

We took the girls to the nearby park, they had been so good, helped by me producing a pot of Playdoh for them, and they ran around having fun, whilst we took the opportunity to catch up some more.

Maia enjoying Grandma pushing her swing

Daniel and Rebecca

As it grew colder we returned back to Rebecca´s flat, which was a little crammed but enabled us to spend just a little more time together, but all too soon it was time for them to go.

I stayed with Rebecca and Antoni until Tuesday evening, we had timed this trip around Rebecca´s work schedule where she had three straight days off. I was also invited to go with them for her 16 week midwife appointment. The midwife said not to be alarmed if we couldn´t hear baby´s heart beat straight away as they play and hide and make it awkward, Oh my goodness, the probe had hardly touched Rebecca´s tummy when we heard the loudest and strongest heart beat ever, 145 beats a minute, talk about welling up, tissues are on the shelf she joked.

We had such a lovely three days together, wandering around the shops, having a naughty but very nice soy hot chocolate, I had salted caramel and Rebecca had gingerbread,  Being together was so special and very hard to leave her.

Wednesday we helped Mum again and bought her a new, light weight kettle, she was using a ceramic one that even I had trouble lifting, that was an accident waiting to happen with boiling water! Then in the evening we all met up again for a last meal, topping up on the cuddles and trying very hard to keep it together.

I will just have to wait and look forward to another trip in the New Year.

Whilst I was in Reading, Chris managed to find and photograph loads of old snaps, family, friends etc so that we can start to compile a memory book for Mum´s 90th birthday next June. 

Having done his tree on Ancestry, it was very special to put faces to some of the rellies we had discovered.

Well back to normal routine again. Have to dusted off the needles and start another project.

take care

xcx