Birthday girls.

Lydia by candlelight!
Julia with Daisy(her puppet) and new bible cover.
I just need a picture of Phil now to complete my birthday trio! I feel as if I have overdosed on cake with all these birthdays so close together.

Birthdays!

This is a busy time of year with Easter and birthdays! Lydia's has come and gone.Julia's was on friday and it is Phil's on Thursday. Lydia has gone to Cornwall with Molly (no competition for the computer!!), Julia is going to China Blue with Naomi on Tuesday(birthday treat) and Phil is looking forward to the 10th( I think!), We need to get his birthday painting framed before it gets bent or spoiled in some other way. When I have all the birthday photos I will post them.
Phil thinks i should change the name of my blog- Pumpkin is nearly out of our life, but I think we will always remember her, and if it wasn't for her I wouldn't have discovered the joy of blogging!
I'm not sure if anyone but the Watsons reads this! but I have put a counter on the blog, perhaps I should share it with more people? It is surprising how compulsive this whole blog thing is!

Goodbye Pumpkin?????????????

We have had an offer for Pumpkin! Nothing is settled yet, we wait with anticipation to see the outcome of negotiations. I'm not sure if Phil is bothered one way or the other but I can see lots of positives to a quick sale. E.g. no mortagage, a converted van and a new oboe for Phil- to name but a few!
Lydia is off on Friday for a week in Cornwall with Molly- better start packing soon!

A new look!

Thought I would try a new look for the blog with a boaty theme!

Phil has had two stints on the water taxi now, he is loving it!

The tent and inflatable canoe sold on Ebay and the new awning for the van has arrived, now all we need to do is sell a house or a boat so we can pay to get the van converted,

http://www.calypsocampers.co.uk/ has lots of examples and we are firming up our plans for the interior!

Still no news from the watermaker, if we get some money back from that I can have a new canoe! The favourite at the moment is an Easky 15, seen above! Though I might go for green seeing as we already have a blue boat! And I won't grow a beard!

Easter!

Easter began for us when we collected Hannah and Dan D. from Totnes station on Thursday afternoon,lovely to see them again! They were with us until Monday when they moved on to Wales to see Dan's grandparents. There was a lot of wedding talk, which was good and I hope helped to get things clearer for the two of them. Having a DIY reception inevitably makes for more work but I'm sure the end result will be great.
Friday found us up at church for the Good Friday communion service, then down to town for the march of witness around the town- there was a good crowd with readings at every stop and 'There is a Green Hill' sung in Foss Street. Good Friday ended with Top of the Town and the children preparing for Easter Sunday morning service.
Phil and I joined Hannah and Dan in town on Saturday morning - a visit to the jewellers to finalise wedding ring plans.We played cluedo after lunch, Hannah and Dan went for a walk and I took Julia to Naomi's for friendship club, while Phil and Lydia went to practice Lydia's song for Sunday morning.She sang 'Hope's Song' from Veggie Tales An Easter Carol.
Sunday morning in church was a great time with contributions from lots of people and lots of parents and family from TOTT- the message of Easter was clearly told!
We had a walk on Blackpool Sands in the afternoon, then home for tea.Phil took the evening service.
Monday we dropped them back at the station and went home to clear up!!!
Back to work tomorrow!!!

Other blogs.

I have found the world of blogs to be a fascinating one. As well as the short list of 'blogs I visit', I keep finding other blogs which are great to read.
I have found some Australian home-eders blogs, I have been inspired to do some Australian history(Our Sunburnt Country by Arthur Baillie) with Julia once we have finished America( The Light and The Glory, and From Sea to Shining Sea, both by Peter Marshall). If we can do this before September then we can start the new school year( year 7) with English history using the english history Sonlight-type list.

Easter is nearly here!!

Maundy thursday today, Hannah and Dan D arrive this afternoon, will be great to see them.
We have had another drain problem and are awaiting a visit from Dyno-rod to get it fixed. It means that all three girls are sleeping in Julia's room!! Should be cosy! I didn't think that it would be covered by the British Gas contract but apparently it is!
We enjoyed our trip to the aquarium, Phil took the opportunity to get some passport photos(a bit scary!) for his ABRSM application so will send that off soon.
His first experience of the river taxi was harder than you would think!He has more training next week and is on the part-time river officer rota until September!Humm!?!
Phil and Lydia sang in Stainer's Crucifixion last night and enjoyed the experience- Lydia is now practicing for Easter sunday.
I rang the estate agent to warn them about the drain and they said at the moment they have nobody wanting to look round.