HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Just a very quick entry to wish you all a very very happy new year and I hope you dreams come true, don't stand on the side lines waving at life go by, jump on and ride it. Its what you make it and more. Pete and I know that you learn something new each day.. like today we learnt not to drop wood when your foot is under neath it ha ha... Seriously though we have learnt so much since we have been here, some really good things and some things we wish we didn't have to learn but a great experience. We have just come in from working on the Mill and I think that will take up very waking hour for the foreseeable future!! But to friends, family, guests and of course our tribe of animals Here's to you and next year, whatever it may bring, make the most of each moment. XXX

LUNCHTIME

After a successful doooo on mas eve we then laid up for Xmas day and had a Christmas lunch for 11 of us, It went ok, you always worry things wont be hot enough or cold enough but the 4 different starters went to plan and the lunch with 8 or 9 veg went ok too, everyone said they enjoyed it, mind you they would be too frightened to say otherwise eh!! or stupid!!  Ha ha It was  a nice day and glad to sit down for a few hours ready for work on Tuesday 27th Dec...I didn't say which year though did I !!!!,

OLYMPICS 2012

The house was given a present too for everyone which was Olympics 2012 for the wii so everyone could have a go, that was quite funny too. Obviously we rang everyone when we got up just to let them know it was Xmas so Mum came out not at 5am! but a little later to play a few games before lunch. I reckon she would be good value for money on U tube too! I must get a video camera!!!! Laura was in the lead and did quite well, Mum I think was well.....priceless! I am not really sure you need quite the moves she was doing but good try!!

ADDICT A BALL

Did anyone else get one of those for Xmas an addict a ball, it drives you crackers, Pete got one as did Steve and it kept people quiet for hours on end, quite impossible but a good puzzle, worth getting if you like to be driven nuts! Pete and Steve were in a puzzle off and then Dad had a go but I am not sure who is in the lead at the mo!!

STEVE GETS MORPHED!

Steve needed a bike so Santa kindly obliged and the other thing he wanted was a morph suit, and I didnt really know what they were, but Steve got one , a green one and it was the funniest thing ever. He looked quite good in it though, worryingly! Oh and a penguin hat....random!??

NEW MEMBER!

I was given a great present form Steve it was my very own panda called Pinky, I love him, he came in a box all curled up sleeping, the cutest thing I have ever seen, ok Pete you are too  haha ha ... And Laura gave us a segway experience so cant wait to do that I have always wanted to have a go on those things, could be dangerous with Me and Pete though, hope they have insurance!!!! SO this year we were realllllly lucky...thanks XXX

SANTA CAME!

We were really lucky Santa turned up and gave us all some pressies, usually we get up at 5am as I cant sleep, I get too excited. But I did promise to let Laura and Steve have a lie in as they are 20 and 15 years old!! BUT Laura was the one this year she woke Steve up with "I'm hungry" at 4.45am! So needless to say we all trundled down stairs to see if any Mr Claus had been. And sure enough he had, thankfully!

SHADOW ON WATCH

After pinching every ones sandwiches for a pass time Shadow was on guard in case any one turned up Xmas Eve, she stayed out there for ages until she realised that no one was coming out to work, therefore no sandwiches to pinch!, she looks so sad here waiting, dont worry Shadow they will be back and they wont have learned to put their lunch up high so all willbe back to normal soon X, we were all in waiting for Santa!... And I expect Santa will come to you too Shadow!

XMAS EVE!!

Finally we actually made it to Xmas eve, and I am really surprised as at one stage I thought I might be going do-lally!! Mind you I think Pete has gone, look at this picture, we always dress up as Mr & Mrs Santa for Xmas Eve and thanked some of the people who have worked on the Mill with us so far... and this was a picture of Pete getting ready and he thought he would try out a new pose with half his Santa kit on.....Not the most flatting picture Pete! Boy am I glad I have the camera and I am not on the other end too!! But I think it says it all really even lucky had to do a double take. Good job we haven't got close neighbours they would put us on U tube!! or get us sectioned one or the other!!

WE HAVE STAIRS

We have stairs fitted to the top floor of the mill, which means we are getting there (only on the top floor), we just need to work through January evenings and weekends to build the partitions and stud work to bathrooms ready for the plumbing to go in, the electrics are being first fixed at the mo, well Ash is on holiday so he will be back recharged in January to finish, he has been virtually living here with all the rewire of the house and mill and office etc, god knows how much it will cost us, best not to think about it eh... I have a big bucket of sand ready for head!

OFFICE AND CARPORT READY FOR ACTION!

After a really hard couple of months and I mean really hard, we went to the last minute really moving in the office on the 23rd Dec, the front steps arent done yet or the car park area but the actually working office is moved and up and running. I was so pleased to get it done as Xmas Eve was looming as were our guests and Xmas dinner after, so after working by flood light and every waking hour we were there just about just bits and bobs to finish.

PETE AND BEDDING!

I just had to escape from upstairs, 1, my stomach is hurting laughing at Pete and 2, I need to add some entries before its 2012 or I will have missed Xmas!... I stupidly asked Pete to put the clean linen on the bed, well I forgot what a performance was about to happen... He doesn't really do beds, but he will have to when we open again, as he said we have to open the two cottages and he talked me into it, as he said he would help, so bed making Pete here we come. He was in a right pickle up there, a bit like a kid attention seeking but in a funny way. So I am still not entirely sure if he was in fact struggling inside the duvet or he was playing me up, either way it was the funniest thing I have watched in ages. So I thought I better nip down and add some entries!

WHITE XMAS?

Nearly a white Christmas, it was hailing for Britain yesterday or the day before cant remember what day it was, but it was heavy hail bouncing about and it actually hurt when it hit you, shame it didnt stick too long, but maybe there is hope for snow, that would be perfect, just on Xmas day and Boxing day though as I need to start work again then!

NEARLY XMAS

Its only a week to go until the big day and am i ready???? NOPE! Well I have bought most of the pressys but regards the food and cleaning the house and cooking Xmas Eve and Xmas day I am no where near ready, I will have to send Laura to the shop!!!... We are still flat out on the build every day and every night, whilst trying to desperately keep up with our real work, it has been really hard the last couple of months so looking forward to a day not building but cooking Xmas day! Apparently some people think that all people should have a day off Xmas day as they cook all year, but how would we get our dinner if we all thought like that eh! I dont mind at all at least I get to cook and eat all the things I like eh!! Lets hope there is food left int he shops when I finally get to shop!

FIRST PARTITION GOING IN!

The first partition for a bedroom on the top floor was being put in today, we can start to finally make sense and move forward a bit, instead of ripping out. We are only attacking the first floor initially...one we haven't got the money to do any other floors and two we need to get moved in the top floor to put this one on the market in April! No pressure!.. We have now got the flue in for the chimney /log burner so that's good, its quite exciting really, well it will be once the office is done and we are moved in there, then we can concentrate one build and not two, as that is extremely difficult...but look what we will have achieved with a bit of hard work and commitment eh!...Dad the rubble is gone so you can come out its safe, we wont make you work with your bad shoulder ha ha...roll on Xmas day eh!!

XMAS CAKE DONE

I was in me ol' wellies but had clean hands! My cake is done, we finished it off today with brandy, marzipan and icing. It takes multitasking to a whole new level this building lark here, I can work in the architectural business, take calls for the Mill cottages, sort out the builders and Ant and Andy, go get supplies and still be making my cake....not bad eh, I might try the broom up backside tomorrow or maybe see I if I know proverbial from elbow perhaps  haha

HARD DAYS WORK FOR SQUEAKER!

Its such a hard life for squeaker, she has to get up and chase around in a box from 4am! and then have breakfast, wash and go to sleep, its a real hard life, she always looks so comfy I wish I were a cat!

ITS NEARLY XMAS

Some one said it was nearly Christmas, I cant believe it, we have had our head down and working so hard we didn't even realise it wasn't summer any more.. ha ha...Well the summerhouse although not quite finished inside, only a work top to fit, but we are too busy to sort right now...It has nice outdoor twinkly Xmas lights, they will remain there all year as I like them but cute eh... The guy inside is Ashley our electrician who has sort of moved in lately, we have been plying him with bacon butty's and chips and anything really to get it done here, he left one night about 10pm!! Thanks Ash! One down a few more to go, I wont tell him he might cry! PS Sorry ASh about your breakfast sandwich...Gem didn't realise it wasn't for her....Although I dont think you knew Gems name as you were calling her a different name, whilst chasing her and sandwich down the drive!!!!  ha ha

PV SAGA

The Pv saga has been going on and on, its been the bane of my life and caused me and Pete stress like you can never imagine, but they finally got installed ....albeit late, that's another story...and we had only 72 hours to get it signed off, so after chasing the installers and then the government website to register it went down...very convenient!....they finally sent our certificate through...in the WRONG NAME! I have chased this about 15 or so tomes a day it has completely taken over my life, there was so much at stake... But to cut a very very long stressful tale short, we are now signed off and fully fledged PV'ers before the midnight deadline...yipppeee ruddy do at last, its made me quite ill actually!

STORM A BIT BETTER

These aren't very good pictures as I wasn't expecting to see what I saw so only had my phone with me. But Storm has been very poorly almost to the point that we wee talking about making some harsh decisions. I sat down there int he stable one night and talked to her, now you are thinking...silly mare fancy talking to a horse....well I reckon they understand you because the very next day I thought I would try to give her a walk, I opened the stable and usually she couldn't get up or walked in sever pain...This time she shot out of the stable like a cannon, haired around the field bucking and kicking and neighing, the other two were really wound up too, Studley was rolling around and running as was Ruby. So going from deaths door to that was quite something! I think it was mostly adrenaline as she did lie down for a while after, but she is definitely on the mend, my pep talk must have worked...so there you go all you cynics out there!!!