A month? Is that all? So much has been going on!!

We made lots of christmas gifts early on which was probably a good thing as things started to spiral out of control an we lost the impetus.
We had a lovely visit from HE friends that recently moved to Wales. We are really missing them and it was great to see them, however briefly.
We have had 3 birthdays before christmas...the car exploded as we came back from bowling on Jonathan's birthday, following a week of blue smoke and major oil use. We had to evacuate as the engine revved itself up on full throttle while stationary and wouldn't turn off so there was smoke everywhere in the close and it stank!!!! So the poor Discovery is sitting outside the house feeling very sorry for itself and we are now runnng around in the 110 that Tom and Rob managed to get through the MOT on the second attempt.....no, third!!!
Rob's birthday was fairly civilised with a family dinner at home and present giving before watching a movie. Tom wanted to go Off Roading on his birthday, but rather than spend £80 on a course for him miles away, we went off on a route that he devised around the green lanes locally. We did quite a few miles that day, Will actually fell asleep at some point along the way and missed the excitement as we bumped into the Hunt! The car came back covered in slightly more mud than usual! Tom had a CB aerial for his birthday to go with the old CB someone had given him...we now have a mic and speaker in the car, so even if you are sat right at the back you can still hear Rob's commentary as we travel around!!! Tom wired in the CD player too so we could actually listen to music in the old bus!!! Well done Tom!!
We all had the lurgy at some point either before, during or after christmas..in fact some were lucky enough to suffer all 3!!! Consequently it hasn't been the greatest of festive seasons and although there have been some high points, it has generally been very subdued with no one eating a great deal...except chocolate of course!!!
Granny and Uncle George came to stay for a few days, when the lurgy was probably at its peak so they took a Northamptonshire strain of the virus back to Cornwall, leaving some of their cornish germs behind. How thoughtful!!
Father Christmas visited us bringing all manner of presents. Tom got his welding helmet so that he can use both hands for the matter in hand, Jonathan got a lockable cash box...hmm is he trying to tell us something? and David got some Spiderwick Chronicles books that has inspired him to have a go at making his own. He has spent a lot of time drawing his own pictures, which is a first for him. A confidence that has been sparked I think by Jared, the boy in the story, who is also 8, having a go at drawing his own faeries and trolls too. They are realistic drawings for an 8 year old boy and so David has been pleased with his own efforts, when usually he feels upset and disappointed that they don't look how he had imagined them to. I may post some pictures when it is finished, if he will allow me to.
I was given the most beautiful hand crafted present by our HE friends in Wales...A beautiful salt dough wall plaque with a cockerel (just like my own!) on it. Fabulous colours and design by their eldest daughter...by far the best present I received. It is just gorgeous.
We brought our Quails in to the house before christmas and they started laying eggs again...one a day for the last 8 days I believe!! Poor things were obviously not happy outside.
Boxing day we were taken out for dinner by Rob's dad and his wife...all the boys ordered their own meals and puddings, even William!!!
We also listened to David Jason's reading of a Christmas Carol on BBC iPlayer... I thought that I had been clever and downloaded it on to the computer so that we could listen to it another time but it didn't seem to work when I tried a few days later. :-(
Sophie has been in season which is a bit of a nightmare really. Messy and difficult when you want to go out for a walk. We hop to get her spayed as soon as we can in the New Year....we hope that this will calm a few of her recent annoying habits.
We have a booked a place for the HE camp in Wales in May and are really looking forward to taking the 110 loaded up with all our gear for the event!! This year we hope will be more of the original Survival Family expeditions...camping trips and days out. It has been rather difficult, since the arrival of Will but we are determined to get back to our roots this year!! I bought us all a few Ray Mears DVDs for christmas and are looking forward to rewatching those series very soon!
And here we are already in to 2009. I am planning a year of seasonal celebrations with Pagan influences as this is where I believe that we belong. It is something that we do quite naturally really, but with the complexities that Will has brought into our lives, I hope to actually consciously make an effort to bring them to the foreground this year as a way of keeping me on track!!
( I think that last bit made sense...maybe!)
So here is to 2009....let it be a year full of inner peace and happiness with less downs and more ups than 2008.
Happy New Year to you all xx