December 8th

Hello Everyone.

It nearly Christmas!!!

This place is Christmas Mad! There are lights and trees everywhere its so pretty.

We have the biggest tree in the lounge the whole house smells like pine, like Christmas. its great.

Last weekend (most of you know) I went to Disneyland Paris, my boss Sam and I took the kids on Friday morning. we were up before 6 and caught the Euro train. 3hrs later we were in France. We were there soon after lunch.

We decided to go and have a look around the park, It was freezing. the poor girls were in tears because there toes were numb. By the next day we got it right and were dressed in so many layers that i jumped 6 dress sizes. we went on dumbo, the merry-go-round, peter pan and the spinning tea cups.

I also got to go and do the roller coasters and scary rides which was good because i was really sick of standing in Que's for the kiddies rides.

Each night they lit up the Disney Castle, it was pretty neat, very magical. there was fake snow (even though it felt cold enough that it should be snowing) it did feel very much like another world.

On Saturday we had lunch with the princesses, it was really nice food and we had lots of princesses come around and say hello while we were eating.

that afternoon it got so busy the Que's were hrs long we went out and went ice skating for a few hrs. having never been before i thought i did well not to fall over once. It was really good fun and think I'm going to go again this coming weekend.

On Sunday night we went to Buffalo bill's wild west show. Lots of cowboys and Indians flying around on horses. I even got to go down into the ring and shoot a old Winchester. needless to say i missed the target because i was a little nervice. But it was fantastic, we even had a Texas BBQ dinner.

we came home Monday afternoon. we were so tired, we all slept in the same room and i shared a room with Evie. which was like sleeping with an octopus. so was nice to have my own bed again.

This last Saturday I slept in and didn't really do much. But on Sunday we had Special meetings which was great, it was in a university lecture theater so lovely soft chairs and the speakers were good too.

It was Evie's 5th birthday today, so Shes been very excited. We're going to have a party for her next week so that will be fun, or painful.

well hope everyone is well.

love Kate

3rd November

Hello How are you all?

I'm Fantastic! I've had a great week.

On Monday I went out for dinner and then to the Circus with Debbie a nanny friend, it was pretty cool not the best I've seen but it was a good evening.

On Thursday Sam took The girls and I to see Nemo on Ice, It was so amazing. the costumes were just fantastic and the skaters were very good, it was a great morning. Then I hopped on the train to get to another Train to go to the airport. We (Sarah helms and I) got to Barcelona about 9pm Thursday night.

We had gelarto's for tea and went for a walk down Las Rambla, which is one of the main streets. Its full of little stalls and buskers. i had booked a hotel on Las Rambla so we were right in the center o f town, only thing is, in the center of town the only realistic price was a 1 star. It was small but it was fine.

This is where we stayed. all around the hotel is resturants and cafes. there are little allys going off the sides with shops and tiny houses.

On Friday It was Raining. After breakfast we brought a two day bus tour around Barcelona, and set off on that. we saw some amazing houses. there was famous architect and designer called Gaudi around a hundred year ago who built some of the most amazing houses, he also started to build the Gaudi Cathedral in 1882 and spent 40 years of his life working on it. He died in 1929 and they are still working on it today. It is a stunning sight.

We also went on a Gondola ride up on top of one of the hills and went through an old castle which was turned into a military museum. would have been a great view but it was too busy raining. we also walked down the one of the piers which is not like the wee jetty's we have at home this one was much better it had a mall at the end!

we also went through the Barri Gotic Cathedral which is also having work done on it but is still amazing. was the most amazing feeling walking in there, it was so big and old and it was so detailed i can't describe it, you really have to see it for yourself.

That night we went to a place across town in front of a huge old museum where there is a fountain set to music and for 30Min's. it was fantastic. they lit up the museum and had fountains all the way down the street and waterfalls and lights all the way up to the museum.

As you can imagine we where wasted by the time we got back to the motel its a lot of walking to cover half a city in one day!!

On Saturday it was raining again but it did clear up a bit for a couple of hours in the afternoon. That morning we went through the Gaudi Cathedral or Sagrada Familia.( there is two cathedrals in Barcelona). which like i said was just amazing. We also took a tram up a hill where they have a theme park set in the hillside. we didn't have time to go into that but was a great view and a neat place to see.

Also went to a park called Park Guell which is where the famous Gaudi lived. There we went through his house and the park was filled with amazing features. all the rock is carved for miles and miles into pergolas and walls.

That afternoon we went on a mad hunt to find another cable car we had seen the day before. It wasn't really located on the map so we had to follow the cable lines up the side of a hill. this was taking so long i decided to cut through the bush. Much later we arrived at the top looking like cave woman covered in mud and a complete mess. remember had been raining for the last 2 days. but we got there and got a ticket and off we went in this thing that looked like a hot tub on a wire across the sea to a beach, where we decided to get off and after seeing how long the line to get back over the water was we walked home.

After a wee rest we caught the metro to one of the ports to have dinner. i had a very embarrassing incident on the metro because as we were getting on the train a slightly drunk guy getting off decided he new me and started following me, after i was on the train he was banging on the windows and yelling at me. (All in Spanish) so i had the whole train staring at me which i was getting use to as blond hair isn't seen much there. Anther time there was a group of young guys sitting behind me on the train talking about me and playing with my hair not that i knew that till later when Sarah told me.

Sunday morning was raining again. we didn't really do anything that morning slept in and had a read. later we went to the aquarium and then caught the train to the bus which took us to the airport where we got a flight to London then we caught a bus to the train that lead to the tube from there i left Sarah and caught the next train which dropped me right at the bottom of our hill which i walked up and got home 9 and a half hours after we caught the first train.

so all in all was a fantastic weekend now i can't wait for the weekend again so i can catch up on my sleep.

hope you are all well.

love to hear from you

love Kate.

18th October

hello again.

Sorry its taken so long to write on here again but haven't had much to write about.

Its starting to get a little cooler here in the mornings and evenings and the trees are turning to gold and red so i guess summer is over. we still are having some beautiful days where we can bike to school in the morning and spend the afternoon in the park. Its beautiful there at the moment with all the leaves turning gold and red. they have so many people working there full time it always looks amazing. The leaves are sucked up every day and the benches are always being painted.





Last weekend i found a new shopping center, Its called Bluewater and is built in an old quarry. It is so big it takes you all day to walk around. it has a wee lake and over 330 shops. so as you can imagine, its my new favorite place!



Yesterday i spent the morning in bed then decided it was time i went for a round of golf! If you haven't heard I'm having golf lesson, turns out i still need more!



this is the golf course and club house, English style!

It was pretty good really, had a good time and learnt a lot but really need Mark here for some company
When i got home i went rollerblading in the park, practicing for going ice skating in winter.

This morning I got up early and went for a 10k bike with Sam, Shes just got a new road bike which is very nice and i couldn't keep up know matter how hard i tried! was so wasted i had to sleep all afternoon. (such a shame)

This time in two weeks I'll be in Barcelona. can't wait!

that's all for now.

catch you later

Love Kate

21st Sep

Hey Hey Wat's up?

look at this TWO blogs in a week how good am i!! ( note: not a question so you don't need to answer that.)

well we have had a week of the most fantastic weather its been so nice. Yesterday I went into the national portrait gallery and had a look around there it was amazing some of the paintings look just like photos, They are Beautiful. I also was passing a church on the way back to the tube station and it was having an open day and the orchestra were practicing so went and listened to that.

Then i caught the tube to knightsbridge and went to Harrods!! Its amazing in there. they have an opera singer there singing full time. 6 levels of the most beautiful things. they had a whole floor of woman's shoes!! Prada, jimmy choo, L.V just to name a few. they also have a Christmas world which is like walking into a children's picture book, was amazing they had Christmas crackers worth 400 pounds with diamonds in them!! the lifts are made of copper, its beautiful. I brought some PJ's from there, kelvin Klein's they are so soft i slept so well last night! When you go outside the road is just lined with Bentley's and Rolls Royce's

Also brought a new dress, cardie, coat and umbrella all ready for winter. ( just need some boots, and another coat maybe some more clothes too)

OK need to go and have a sleep in my PJ's now

hope you are all well

love Kate.

16th September

hello hows it all going?

I know, don't die of shock I've finally got around to updating this thing!!

well better go back a few weeks, from when i was in Belgium. we caught the ferries from Dover and arrived in France an hr and a half later, It took us about 4hrs to get to the top of Belgium where we were staying in Arendonk with Sam's Parents.

The Next day on Sunday ( i didn't have a meeting to go to as they speak Flemish) we went to the stables down the road for the girls pony riding lessons. it was so cute.

On the Tuesday we went to Brugge (which is otherwise known as Venice of the north) and had a look around there it was very lovely. we got a boat ride around the city and walked up to the top of the Belfry Cathedral ( 365 steps) from which we had the most amazing views.





During the week i also went with the girls and had 2 horse riding lessons which was so fun really want a horse now :)




we had a long trip home on Friday night because we Left after tea in hope that Freddie and the girls would fall asleep but they didn't and at about 10pm we got to the boat so he was completely wasted and just screamed for a couple of hrs till he fell asleep. we got home about 2am and fell into bed only i had to get up at 8am because i was going to Birmingham for the weekend to see aunt Ruth Sherman. I had a good weekend there it was so nice to see her again and very sad the day after i left Uncle Frank died.

The children are all back at school now so we're getting back into routine which is nice, i just have Freddie at home during the day now so its a little bit quieter now but we're still busy.

I have finally brought a guitar so i'm enjoying that too. forotten alot but its coming back with some practice.



Last weekend i went to a friendly picnic on Saturday with Kelvin and Polly Port who are now living and working in south London, so was great to see them again. On Sunday had the morning meeting then went up to Tony and Tory's and went to the afernoon meeting with them. so got to see wee Ted ( their 6 wk old son ) he is so good in the meeting.

ok better get going now.

hope you are all well

Love kate

19th August

Hello How is everyone?

I'm great, am in Edinburgh Scotland at the moment with the family i work for. We're staying with the dad's parents. It is such a beautiful city, last week we climbed up a few hills around the town and had the most amazing views, We also visited a Castle called Dirleton Castle which is all in ruins but still is amazingly stunning.

The View From Arthors Seat hill

Drileton Castle

Yesterday and today Sam and I took the children on an open bus tour around the city and to Edinburgh Castle, Britannia Yacht and to holyroodhouse Palace which is where the Queen stays when she is in town. So that has been awesome. The Most stunning sights of the insides of these places you are not aloud to take photos so you'll have to come and see that for yourselves.

Edinburgh Castle

The Britannia Yacht

Holyroodhouse Palace

The Ruins of the Abby at holyroodhouse Palace

We're going back to London on Thursday (a 10hr car ride!) and we have 2 days there before we go to Belgium to Visit Sam's parents, this might sound all sweet and lovely and mostly it is, but it so completely tiring i just want to have a sleep in.

Lovely to hear from you Aunty Shirley say hello to the kids and Trevor for me.

Catch you all later

Love Kate

3rd August

Hello again

Sorry its been so long, I've been a little busy.

Not really sure where to start so much has been happening.

Work is going well, we've had lots of visitor's staying lately, Sam's parents have been and not some of her friends from France are here, Sam studied in France for a while and specks French so its interesting listening to them.

On Tuesday when Sam's Parents were here (Oma and Opa) we went into town and watched the changing of the horse guards, and went through the Household Cavalry Museum that was pretty neat, it had all the old war uniforms and stories, lots of the instruments that are played in the band some beautiful drums and you could see where the horses that worked as horse guards lived in the stables.

On Wednesday i took the kids down to go on the Greenwich Eye (like the London eye only smaller) that was a pretty awesome view.

I had another Kick boxing lesson on Thursday night, was really good, didn't even feel sore after this one. Thankfully because i had a golf lesson on Saturday morning and its very hard to swing a club with sore shoulders.

This weekend is the Red Bull Air Race, Its where some of the worlds best stunt pilots fly at high speed just above the river through air gates. have just been down watching it, IT IS AMAZING.

Well need to catch up on some sleep now

have a good week

Love Kate