I can't believe it's nearly Christmas so before we get into festive photos and tales I thought I'd post a couple of pictures from the last month. Although it's been freezing cold we've still managed to continue discovering Bristol - namely it's parks. Blaise Castle has lots of walking trails and a great playground.


The highlight of the month so far was being visited by our fantastic friends John, Anna and Elijah. The boys were quite excited one morning when they realised they were monopolising the kitchen and they wanted a photo - clearly all the testosterone went to their heads and they forgot whose son was whose!

Christmas preparations are in full swing in The Ark and we did not delay in getting our (7ft) tree; we who've been in NZ are quite enjoying the fact it's dark enough for the lights to have an effect!



Matthew has already chomped through a chocolate and a gingerbread heart but is learning that we'd prefer it if he looked but didn't touch!

New Addition

The most exciting event of November was yet to come; the arrival of the very cute Joseph John Taylor Kelly. Considering the little fella made his appearance 3 weeks eraly we can forgive Mags for thinking that she had indigestion rather than she was in labour! When we established this was the real thing I was thinking what very good timing considering we were in the middle of planning our Christmas shopping trips and there was a HUGE turkey - we're talking 9.6kg! - in the fridge waiting to be cooked.
Christmas had not arrived early, but surrounded by Americans (and those who'd lived there) we had planned a grand thanksgiving meal! Well, as Mags had reassured me, Delia Smith did have all the answers and the turkey was beautifully cooked after 6 and half hours! And everybody elses contributions, including incredible sweet potato and pecan pie, made for a very full-filling evening!
And Mags and Joseph were home to join us so we really did have lots to be thnakful for! No photos of the thanksgiving - too busy wrestling the bird - but here are a couple of the baby and proud mummy, daddy, big sister and excited housemate (I know the photos don't really show it but Matthew thinks little Joseph is amazing and particularly likes helping change his nappy!).

November (so far!)

It's been a pretty busy month so far - but judging by the photos it's been alot of autumnal frolics!
We were excited about the prospect of a bonfire night when it's actually dark and the fireworks actually show up! We were even more excited about having the event at Wick Court, the Jacobean mansion in the countryside on the outskirts of Bristol that we (the people exploring new expressions of church here) are renting as a retreat and training centre. It's a fabulous house and a great venue for big events.



Matthew didn't exactly enjoy the fireworks but wasn't freaked out until one fell over and the crowd ran screaming! We decided to retreat to the safety of the house and Matthew seemed to appreciate the pretty colours much more when they were minus the bangs!
Sam has purchased two ducks, Dave and Janine, which are living at Wick; Sam's diligently working on a duck house for them but here they are wth Phil and Skye.



Fallen leaves are currently providing much entertainment - every time we go out Matthew wants one to hold and it's getting harder to find one that is to his desired colour and shape as they become more and more mushy. The children helped Mags and I out raking the leaves in the garden; their tools obviously being the limiting factor in their usefulness (nothing to do with them running through the neat piles of leaves we'd raked).




We also went out to the Forest of Dean with some friends one Sunday and there was lots of opportunity for leaf frivolity.



We've been preapring for the arrival of baby Kelly too which involved finally painting over the 'seascape'.




And Matthew has suddenly decided he quite likes the television. He isn't interested in any old rubbish; Thomas the tank engine is popular but nothing compares to the joy of seeing Iggle Piggle and Upsy Daisy in 'In the Night Garden'. I'm sure there are child psychologists who have some clever explanation for it's appeal but I am truly at a loss. Never the less, it's the only thing - ever - that has held Matthew's attention for so long.

The Eye

Whilst Neil was on half term last week we took the opportunity to go to London, leaving Matthew with Nanna and Grandad. We realised when we went to NZ that there was lots in and around the UK we'd meant to do and not yet got round to; one of those things was 'flying' on the London Eye, so we seized the gorgeous, clear autumn day (and the fact that we didn't have Matthew to queue up too).




It was good fun trying to identify different landmarks and interesting how out we were with our sense of direction and perspective!

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!