family

Last week we went away for a few days and the weather was very kind!

We had a lovely family Easter, both the children were home plus Bobbin (dog). Alice and I baked, knitted, crocheted, made organza flowers and shopped, a bit of mum and daughter bonding. This is the recipe for the Banana Cake we made for Easter, this recipe is great if you want to use up very ripe bananas. For the topping we melted chocolate then decorated it with chocolate animals and Maltesers.

BANANA CAKE

Look out America, Ashley and Faye are coming! They are off on a road trip, New York to Texas in two months, they fly out on Saturday. If anyone knows of places of interest in New York, other than well known ones, let me know.

We always knew Alice was a sucker for an Ewok now we have the proof! Bobbin's not a dog, it's an Ewok from the forest moon of Endor!

All in all we did have an enjoyable family Christmas. Alice, my daughter, played nurse when I wasn't feeling well and she came good helping with the Christmas dinner. As you can see from the photo, Alice is proud to show the roast vegetables she cooked, a la 'Jamie's Family Christmas'.

Christmas preparations, for me, have been on hold for the last few days. I've had a nasty virus that made me take to my bed, I'm beginning to feel a bit more human today and trying to get Christmas back on track. Steve, Ashley and Alice have been great doing the shopping and Alice is prepared to cook the Christmas dinner if needs be, I think she is looking forward to the challenge!

Here's wishing you all a very happy Christmas.

Ashley passed his driving test on Monday, he had his car delivered yesterday. Today it's snowed in, no chance to play with it. What mums put up with for love of their children. I can honestly say before this year I had never seen a single episode of Top Gear. Now thanks to my, newly acquired, petrol head son and DAVE, by default, I have seen most of them and more than once. I can't tell you what I think of Jeremy Clarkson!

I have to show you this fence my husband, Steve, designed and constructed. Steve took a week off work to make this eighth wonder of the world! I think he enjoyed building it, making a change from working in his studio in London, in front of a computer. Good job!

It's a milestone, I can't believe my baby is 25, that can't be right, where did those years go? Ash was born this day in London at Queen Charlotte's hospital Hammersmith. Although the first few months were a shock to the system, a combination of colic and my freedom being taken away by a little dictator! I can honestly say the past 25 years have been interesting and most of all fun! Happy Birthday Ash.

When I was tidying up, before grandma's visit, I came across two quilts I'd made a while ago. At the time I made them I wanted to make them unique to our family, a kind of heirloom for the future. The red, white and blue quilt incorporates the children's hands and a simple representation of the house we lived in at the time. I drew round the children's hands, to make a pattern, cut them out in fabric and appliqued them on. Already we view this quilt as a piece of our family history. The other quilt brings back memories of a holiday to Florida.