About bloody time!

...is what people would say if they read this, however I doubt they still do....think even my mother-in-law has given up on me updated this by now. You know what it's like, you have the best of intentions however life, (as it often does) gets in the way. Actually in my case it's more like the Navy gets in the way as they seem hell bent on destroying any sort of normality in the Farrell household. Pete has been home, gone, been home,gone again...home again...and hopefully now gone. Does that sound harsh?

It's not that I don't want him here, it's just that he wasn't supposed to be here and for someone like me who relies on being in control of what's going on, it's difficult to have any sort of family routine with constant coming and going. Even Emily has been feeling it with never knowing if daddy is gone for the day, the weekend or for good and there have been so many tearful goodbyes over the past month that i'm glad it's finally over and he's off somewhere, deep in the ocean...doing....well, doing things deep in the ocean (of course i'd have to kill you if I actually told you what they were doing...you do know that don't you?!)

Far too much has happened since the last post to catch up on now to be honest. Mother in Law made a brief trip down and was lovely for her to spend some time with the girls (must give myself a slap for being lapse on the photo front whilst she was with us though).


Pete came home from sea just about in time for the Saltash Mayfair which was really good this year. It coincided with the celebrations to mark the 150th anniversary of the Brunel Bridge and there was a great firework display that evening. Although by that time we were home and tired and just sat in the back garden and watched it from there!


I did find a decent video clip from YOUTUBE though that someone had added of the display, not bad for a town with under 15,000 residents!

Freya also got a 2nd prize for her charcoal painting of the bridge in a local competition. Plus we had our photo taken for another newspaper whilst wondering around. That was twice in one week!

I was really looking forward to the Hog Roast and it did smell wonderful when we got there but at £5 a time for the smallest bit of meat sandwiched between two small baps they could take a run and jump!

We made the most of the early (and only) summer weather in May and June with plenty of evenings and afternoons spent down the waterfront watching the girls chase swans, eat, play in the park, eat etc. At one small summer fayre at the college we had the kids learning circus skills (using equipment that is...they are already well versed in the clowning stakes), learning african drumming and plate painting...



.......then off to the waterfront (again) for a kick about with the kids (well that was the dads pretending they could play football still, very funny to watch after they've been drinking all day by this point) whilst me and my sis supped our pints, although Sheree did venture into the playground to try and recapture her youth much to her five year olds sons disgust.




I must say that I really do love where I live (even though I've defected to the wrong side of the water!) and I truly can't imagine living anywhere other than the south-west. We may be thought of as a bit backward but who cares when you have all you could want? MSN recently did a poll and apparently the PL12 postcode is the most sought after in Britain.....



.......although I can't quite fathom out exactly why it's here (amenities in Saltash are well and truly lacking for the growing size of the town believe me) I can't imagine living anywhere but the south-west of England.


I love living by the sea so much and would hate to up sticks, although with Pete's naval career coming very close to it's end it's a prospect that I may at some time have to face. But for now I make the most of it.....weather permitting.


All the usual end of term stuff....various sports days, presentations, concerts, summer fayres (one of which was the wettest ever imagined). Emilys first sports day was one to remember, bloody hell that girl puts 100% effort into absolutely bloody everything (notice I said 100%, am I the only one who wants to strangle people who flippantly say 150% when describing effort.....I am? Oh well....) They did lots of little activity games like dribbling the ball and scoring, bean bag and hoop races, balancing on your head races and then finished with the main sprints.



That girl ran like her life depended on it, it was like Forrest Gump all over again. I was so surprised that even the reception year ran the whole track in their race and was worried that if she didn't win she's have a right cob on but she came 2nd in her class race and 2nd in her school year race and loved it. I just love the photo below because although she was running so bloody fast she had this great big smile on her face.


We also had the odd BBQ. What is it with men and BBQ's that bring out the testosterone in them?


I love it when the cousins get together...it can be manic at times as they're all quite strong willed characters but they really are best mates (when they're not trying to kill each other obviously).


And if there's drinking involved then there is always the wonder that is singstar and the kids aren't immune from it's charms either (the singstar of course, not the booze.....bloody hell I'm not THAT bad!).


One major thing was Freya's final primary school concert where she was recognised for her helpfulness to others. We had a semi posh do garden party and Freya insisted that Pete went in uniform and then moaned at him cos he took his hat off during the presentation (good god, what is it with 11 year old girls; they moan about everything).


I am part of a new venture also. I'm helping to run a new twirling troupe in Plymouth. We started the beginning of this month and things are going really well and i'm loving being involved in twirling again. No chance of me squeezing my ample behind back into tight lycra *the world breathes a sigh of relief* but getting involved with teaching loads of youngsters has given me some sort of focus.

So I am now a part of Devonstar Twirlers! Anyone interested in joining? We're currently training in Woolwell but hoping to move to Ernesettle shortly which is great for me as Saltash to Woolwell during rush hour is particularly horrendous!


Freya had all her hair chopped again and is starting to spend time playing with it (or fannying around as it's lovingly called in this house....actually i say 'fannying around' quite a lot). It really suits her. She's just come back from three weeks at her dads (minus any contribution towards her uniform or school supplies again) and has the most gorgeous tan. The kind of tan my sister pays a fortune for! Scary knowing in a weeks time she'll be starting at the comp. I'll be feeling that my baby is all grown up as she becomes the 'baby' of the school again!



Uniform is just about there, just one more pair of black trousers and she's done....well, at least unitl i hear otherwise. Only a few weeks til she's a bridesmaid for the third time....isn't it three times and you don't get married or something like that. Her dress is stunning and I know i'll be in tears when I see her in it....got the last fitting in a couple of weeks and I can't wait to photograph her on the day.

We've had a few outings over the holidays, normal stuff like faithful favourite Jump. Last weeks visit did leave a legacy behind though. We went as a large party of HMS Torbay friends and family so had all the party stuff and facepainting. Well by the time we got home, late and (in the girls cases) cranky....they went to bed in their facepaint and it's left quite a reaction on Emilys face. Even now she has these massive spots although it's gone down a lot in the last day or two.

Oh well, they looked good at the time...well, apart from Natasha who just doesn't understand the concept of keeping still ......she keeps her eyeballs fixed and then moves her head around...not exactly helpful to the poor facepainting girl!

I've been getting really frustrated with the camera lately, I really need a new lens but the one i want is about £300 and with the car becomming some bottomless money pit where there is no light at the end of the tunnel, that just isn't gonna happen anytime soon. I really need something that's gonna take fairly decent pics indoors.....any suggestions for a decent portrait lens with a canon fitting?

MMmm I did say this wasn't going to be a catch up but I guess that's what it's turned into. Oh well, mother in law will be glad to see loads of new photos anyway (and we have tried calling you Rosie but assuming you're off on your jollies to Scotland!)