Ensemble!

This made me smile...

And Another for Lola...

Janine's little girl Lola turned three last weekend... she is practicing for the arrival of "Gong Gong" next month (a self-penned name for Janine's bump) with her new cousin Joel.

Happy third birthday Lola!
Lots of love, Aunty Poo Poo
xxxx

PS. Happy Birthday to Mark's nephew Sam too...

Belated Happy First Birthday to Benjamin!

How cute is this little chap?! Here is Ben looking very grown up on his First birthday last week (15th January)...

Happy Birthday Benny-boooo.....

How Rubbish Have I Been?!

Goodness me - my blogging year has not got off to a good start! I really want to keep this up as it is such a good record of my life... nothing gives me greater pleasure than looking back at the minutiae of my life two or three years hence!

So... what has been going on? Not an awful lot really... Last weekend was the anniversary of Mark's Mum's death (can it really be a year?). I feel like I focus on that alot, but it has really had a huge affect on our lives in the last year. Hopefully though we got a little bit of closure at the weekend. We finally laid a gravestone and interred the ashes... giving us all somewhere to go and reflect, and lay flowers at appropriate junctures. I think that that is going to be a really positive experience for us all - in particular for the members of the family that find it hard to vocalise their grief or show it in ways that are understood by others. Amusing in a really macabre and depressing way was the arrival of the ashes on Friday in something resembling a green shoebox. Honestly... we were expecting a cask or something at least vaguely 'respectful'. On Saturday I undertook the sorry task of trying to 'pep' the box up, and so took it to a rather dismayed florist in the village and asked her to wrap it for me... poor woman. She actually did a rather god job (it did look a little like a rather extravagant birthday gift when she had finished), but it was an improvement on said shoe box effect (which made it look like we were burying a pet hamster). I did lots of cooking for the family party we were having on Sunday in Haslingfield - not least a rather delicious "Banana and Walnut Loaf", and (even better) an "Apple Muffin Cake With Pecan Streusal Topping"... good old Delia ;-)

The rest of the year has got off to a good start though. I have started back at pottery classes (my little window of sanity on a Wednesday evening), and went to see Australia at the cinema with Lynn last week. Absolutely fabulous film (Jen, it made me miss you more than ever!). I am a new Hugh Jackman fan... my God, that man is beautiful!!! And the shots of him having a shower on camp will live with me for a very long time! ;-)

We also booked a 'family' holiday in Cornwall in July... this will be Mark and Myself, Mum and Dad, Tracy and the boys - and joined partway through the week by Mark's Dad. I am REALLY looking forward to it! We are staying in the same caravan park as last year in Harlyn, so am looking forward to more BBQs on the beach, and teaching Henry to surf once again (provided I am not mistaken for a beached whale!).

Anyway my lovelies... I promise a few more updates than of late! Be prepared to be bored stiff...
Hayls
xxxx

Happy New Year

Well, we had a lovely and quiet Christmas (mine was mostly spent working) - but had a really nice time all the same. Mark spoilt me with an Ipod Touch for Christmas (I never used to be a gadget girl - perhaps its something you develop in your mid-thirties?!), and I got lots of lovely bits and bobs from my family and friends. Really nice... Xmas day went quite well considering - I cooked a rather decent Christmas Lunch for MArk and I, and Christmas Eve in Haslingfield was not *too* distressing - in fact the church service was really rather nice, and very Christmassy.

The New Year was also nice and quiet. We went to my Sister's place, and sat in with her and the boys and Mum and Dad. I cooked a delicious (even though I say so myself) beef stew, consisting of beef, onions, garlic, guinness, port, carrots and pickled walnuts. I cooked more than enough for a small army, and by 9:30 we were all almost asleep - heh. We really know how to party! We did make it to midnight (just) - and set off lots of party poppers, much to Henry's delight. New Year's Day was spent walking along the seafront, and eating a delicious roast that Mum cooked. Lovely...

We are back to full capacity at work, and I am trying to push myself into doing some light exercising to start the new year... although that is not as easy as it sounds ;-) I simply cannot be bothered! Am feeling more drawn to my bed than ever ;-)

Anyway... Happy New Year to all my friends and family (especially those of you in foreign climes). Lets make 2009 a year to remember for all the right reasons.

Lots of love and kisses
Hayls
xxxxx

Santa Claus is Coming to Town...

You had better watch out, you had better not cry, you had better not pout... I'm telling you why ;-)

   Well - in the words of Nanny Hutch, "Christmas is almost upon us, and then it will be as far away as it will ever be..." not sure what this means, but I know that it gave me a pain in my heart every time I heard it on Christmas tea time. It meant that I had to wait a whole year for pressies again! :-)

This year, in some ways, we are just seeking to get through Christmas. I have enjoyed buying gifts for people, but this year our hearts are heavy in the Benstead household. The first year without Suzy and Nanny Brown, and its going to be a strange one. On Xmas eve, Mark and I are planning to attend midnight mass in his village church - the last time I was there I was doing Suzy's eulogy. I cant decide whether this is going to be an uplifting experience, or an utterly depressing one... I am hoping for the former. Christmas Day itself is going to be nice a quiet - we are having breakfast with Mark's Dad, and Mark and I are having lunch alone at home with the cat (who has her own chicken dinner lined up), and hopefully in the evening we will see his Brother and family. Boxing day is the usual local derby between Histon FC and Cambridge United (it always adds a bit of festive rivalry to the proceedings - one branch of the family always feels a little deflated, and the others gleefully try not to rub it in *too* much ;-) ). This year my cousin Mark is joining us, and I am planning to cook a festive curry.

Anyway my lovelies. I truly do wish you all a very very happy Christmas - I hope you have all been good and that Santa brings you what you want. I have my fingers crossed for some good news in the New Year.
Love, Peace and "You scum bag, You maggot, You cheap lousy faggot...

And the bells were ringing out for Christmas day" as they say at midnight mass... (heh)

Much love
Hayls

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

PS. Jen - I can't bloody listen to "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire" without shedding a tear! ;-)

Congratulations!

First off a HUGE congratulations to Jez and Marta, who had little Sara

15th of December, weighing 2.84Kgs and measuring 48cms. She is a flame-haired beauty (much like her Daddy) - but seems to me a wonderful cross between the pair of them! I can see another tricky little Spaniard in the making ;-)

 

Also... belated congratulations to Jean and Damon on the birth of little Morgan last month... although on this picture little Ellie (three years old this month!) looks as though she is wondering what she has got on her hands! ;-)



I also cant resist adding a gorgeous picture of Aidan and Campbell learning to roll (this picture made me smile for a week), and also enjoying the company of their big cousin Larrissa...

And last but not least, the beautiful little Benjamin (Jane and Jamie's little bubba) - who will be a great big one next month!!!