We've had a busy couple of weeks and been catching up with lots of friends. My sister, Sally, came to visit us last week and bought me these gorgeous sunflowers.

Matthew loved her being here and seemed to read her his entire library.

We've begun to have regular Sunday brunch with our friends Olly and Sonia and their gorgeous 7 week old son, Seth.


Most things we do revolve around food and this has given us a perfect opprtunity to introduce the Kiwi pancakes, bacon, banana and maple syrup though there was a reluctance for the banana.

On a Friday morning we go to the library for Story Time where we sing some songs, listen to a story and then do a craft activity. Generally I end up doing more of the craft than Matthew does and his favourite part is trying to eat the glue stick but today we made a lion mask and he loved it! It took him a while to realise what it was for but now he walks around roaring his head off when he's wearing it! (oh, and he's finally sussed that cows go 'moo')

Last weekend it was Ken's 60th birthday so the Shepherd clan met for a 'surprise' at a cottage on a farm in Herefordshire. Matthew was made up with the cows, cockerels and pig - though you would have thought that after a weekend surrounded by mooing creatures he would know that a cow does not 'roooaaaar' like a lion!


Neil was well enough recovered to drive the kids around on the go-kart; Emma was far more impressed with "Mat-mat" than Matthew was when Emma took his spot on the back of the go-kart and went riding off with his daddy!



The early mornings have continued resulting in Matthew and I touring the farm practically in the dark and seeing the cows being milked and Neil getting to watch live coverage of the grand prix - again focussing on the positives of being completely shattered.

Life back in Bristol is heading back to normal - hopefully no more trips to the hospital for a while now that Neil is better and Matthew's little op is over and done with.
It's all feling a little more like home. Although the views are very different, I do have some favourites and one is this one of the rooftops driving down Ashley Hill.


The wonderful Sam Lovell is staying with us for a while and Matthew is made up because as soon as Sam appears in the morning Matthew grabs a football as he's got a boy to play with!