A New Challenge

The family that plays together.....

Well here's a new one.  We have all taken up archery!

Tony liked the idea when a new acquaintance mentioned a possible weekend get together with an archery keen crowd, so true to form the gauntlet was thrown down and a new set of skills needed to be learned.  As this also coincided with the start of the school holidays why not all try - especially as it was still pouring with rain outside.  So we are now 4 lessons in and all are improving, some of us slower than others.  It can be very frustrating when you know you are pointing the thing in the right direction and it decides to his someone else's target, or better still the floor.

We continue to keep trying.  Who knows I may even get all 6 arrows in the target soon!!

 The boys getting ready

Serious concentration (before occasional frustration)

Summer Holidays Arrive

It's been a long time since I have written any updates but now that we are a couple of weeks into the summer holidays and Lewis has managed to write his journal everyday, I decided that maybe it was time for me to write too.  Lewis' summer holiday journal has become an annual tradition and is now in its third year - I already love reading back to previous years.

The sun finally arrived this week and we all hope it lasts, it has been gone for far too long.  So with that in mind we decided to head off for some fruit picking.  Raspberries were our chosen picking and it didn't take long to fill up the containers.  I have just finished the last of them so I guess we will need a repeat visit, especially as the weather man has just told me tomorrow could get up to 32'!!!  Hooray.

Preparing for Christmas

Yesterday Lewis and I headed up to London to the theatre to see the Lion King. It was a great show but sadly no photos (not allowed). So instead here are a couple of photos taken in the Rainforest Cafe at lunchtime:

Scary Snake

Sooooo cute, Sooooo soft, Sooooo cuddly - Now put him down!

Here is a photo from a couple of weeks ago when we decorated the Christmas Tree. Now he's growing up I have less and less to do.

Today was mince pie making. Lewis' favourite Christmas treat,(apart from cheesecake - oh yes I forgot that's not traditional Christmas, just our recent important additive to the desert menu):

Snow Day 1st December!!

Yesterday morning we awoke to snow, only a couple of inches so not too bad. The journey out of the village was a little hairy but I was very glad that Tony had bought the Subaru (and even more pleased that he had left it here and not at the airport whilst he is away).

A pretty morning sight

The snow continued to fall all day yesterday and then a little more overnight so after an hour long journey home from school (one I really don't want to repeat in a hurry), and hearing of too many other dreadful stories of long journeys that should also have been short, we have decided to have a snow day at home.

The garden is well and truly covered.

Lewis was sent home yesterday with plenty of work to keep him busy, and school have very kindly e-mailed a load more for tomorrow. At least we can study at home together.

My industrious boy

Then it was time to get outside and have some fun.

My Angel!

Yes, shortly after this was taken both handfuls came hurtling in my direction.

CATCHING UP

I am so far behind on blog posts once again I decided pictures say 1000's words so here goes with just a selection of things that have happened in the Blake household over the summer:

High in the sky on the London Eye

Faces painted at Chessington

Meeting his Hero

A Visit to Great Nanna

Fun Cars at Beaulieu Motor Museum

Top Gear Exhibition

Highcliffe Beach

Go Karting with Daddy

Walking on Water

Now Underwater

Day out in Lymington

Lewis collecting his next Kung Fu grading certificate

Making Pizzas at Nonnas House

Helping wash the car

Chilling out

Very proud after swimming 100 lengths

LAST DAY OF SCHOOL YEAR

Today was the end of a school year, I really cannot believe how the time has flown. The end of year assembly was apparently very boring with the highlight being asked to go on stage and collect his Grade 1 Clarinet Certificate from the head master.

The afternoon was spent with friends at Chessington World of Adventures. With the temperature reaching 30' we were definitely getting ready for Disney.

Here is the Kobra Ride - at new one this year and Lewis hadn't tried it yet.

As I had hurt my back I was able to take photos instead of riding today:

Lewis can be seen in the middle of the photo wearing a red t-shirt.

It went really fast according to Lewis:

OH Dear, the ride stopped half way through. They were stuck for about 10 minutes before climbing down a ladder to get off. Luckily they were given a pass to ride again once it was working properly. That time it was "AWESOME".

Then it was time for the Runaway Train:

FAMILY GET TOGETHER

A big family get together recently marked Uncle Mark and Auntie Gills 50th wedding anniversary - quite some milestone in this day and age.

We all had a really lovely day and Tony was able to capture this shot of everyone for them to remember the day by: