Back in Ipswich

We're in a funny transitional phase at the moment, and find ourselves back in my hometown of Ipswich and housesitting for my family while they take the entire six-week school holiday off in America! Life is relaxed and rather lovely, although our "rent" is taking charge of their prized ALLOTMENT and Dad's beautiful garden. Ben's jobs are taking out the wheelie bins, cleaning out and feeding Harry's mouse Merlin, and weeding and watering the allotment, while I take responsibility for Oliver (!) cooking up all the allotment fruit and veg, maintaining the house, and Dad's hanging baskets. Having a few different things to do is actually quite good fun!

Apart from that we spent a nice afternoon with my Grandparents yesterday, are going to a school friend's house this evening and are off to the Isle of Wight with Jaz, Tom and Seb next week, so it's all happening :)

It is really lovely to be back in Ipswich for a bit before gallavanting off in September.

Having a super time in France!

Oliver waking up, having commandeered our bed most the night!

Me and Oliver on the ferry from Dover to Dunkirk

Ben and Oliver at a cafe in Carcassonne

Pretty French village featuring some ruins

We love Daddy!!!

Having a super time in the South of France, albeit a bit wetter and windier than we planned!! Last night was particularly fun, when a HUGE storm had us covering our holiday home (a converted mill) with pots and pans to collect the dripping water coming through the beams! Very fun :)

Ben= "Master of Natural Sciences and Bachelor of Arts"

It's official!! Ben has graduated! We had a super day yesterday. He knelt in front of the President of his college, Hughes Hall, and she 'admitted' him to his degree, all in latin and the full dress! He looked very smart (and very attractive), and I was very proud of him. There were lots of photos of Ben's parents too, but they are on his Mum's camera and not mine... but they were definitely there, and it was lovely!

... And so ends our Cambridge Adventure.

Us!

Ben, looking wise in front of his college

Oliver, being safe in the punt!

Punting with family afterwards

Oliver, being safe in the punt!

Emily had a go!

Cornwall II

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We are in Cornwall at the mo. It truly is the greatest place on earth!! On Saturday we had a big family get-together to celebrate my Nanna and Granddad's 60th Wedding Anniversary, and we had a wonderful time!

Aunties and Great Aunties and Uncles, neighbours, lots of cousins and second cousins met for a delicious meal at Nanna and Granddad's favourite restaurant, Trevaskis. Mum, Dad and the boys (my brothers) were there (see first pic), as well as my sister Jaz and Tom and baby Sebby (second pic) and we all had a fun day on the beach before the meal. Dad, Isaac and I even swam in the f-f-f-f-f-reeeezing sea!! It was absolutely beautiful though. Oliver and Sebastian looked very smart and dressed up for the occasion in shirts and sat in matching high chairs. And best of all, Oliver got to meet his Great-Grandparents!!

Here are a couple of photos to document the weekend...

It was a lovely celebration of an amazing achievement. They even got a card from the Queen! :)

Ben, Oliver and I are still in Cornwall for a couple more days. Today we went to Lands End (the most westerly point in all of England) and tomorrow we might check out the Eden Project. Having a super time- and probably more photos to follow!

The End of a Cambridge-y Era!

On Thursday morning we are moving house and it is a sad business!! I love living in Girton- it is beautiful, and Ben has just been working on the garden and it looks better than it ever has! I have made some lovely friends and they are sad to leave behind... We have had a WONDERFUL time in Cambridge, with tons of fab opportunites (rowing, singing, Mum and baby groups galore, lots of concerts and cultural things, amazing architecture, church friends, punting, working at the Edinburgh Woollen Mill!!) and it will be sad to leave it all behind.

But on Thursday we are hiring a Transit van and moving it all into Mum and Dad's conservatory, and for the next month will be embarking on a series of holidays, trips, a family wedding, a 60th wedding anniversary (not ours quite yet!) and Ben's Graduation. Not too shabby! So at the moment our front room is full of boxes, and the rest of the house looks like an utter tip which is a little bit disconcerting (since it's got to get worse before it gets better?!)

We are getting rather excited about just turning up in a place where no-one knows us, our parents or anyone else, and settling into life far, far away- just the three of us!! Sounds like fun.

In other news, it's my birthday in 1 hour and 37 minutes!! Not that I'm immature and counting, of course...! :)

We are officially moving to....

Today was pretty eventful: Ben got his exam results (hooray!!) AND we finally know where BP are sending us!!!! We are going to...

ABERDEEN!

We are very excited, although that is all we know so far. We will probably be there for 1-2 years.