catch up

well since the last time,

we have lost Barney,

we went to see the von trapps at dunstable, for Karens' 40th and stayed at Joe and Anges' (after palming the kids off on my mum) then in the morning made our way to Stanwick lakes for Williams birthday picnic. We saw father Christmas, but due to forgetting the camera there are no photos.

this weekend was the Buckingham town fair, and again we forgot the camera, but as is becoming customary it rained (though this year it stopped for the majority of the parade) then to Prezzos for lunch, and then home to sort the christmas tree, and for me to pack for a spot of walking!
On reflection, the weather at the parade was the good weather, as upon setting off on the Lyke Wake walk route, myself and James experienced proper rain (not like the wimpy southern stuff I experienced on saturday!) and then as we started walking.... snow and fog
due to the 6 to 18 inch snow on the trail, when up on the high moors our speed dropped and after 13 hours walking we'd only managed 25 miles, so we bivi'd down in a conifer woods, had some snap and went to bed, then in the morning, got up, brewed up and walked the last 6 miles down into Goathland to get picked up, had a shower and drove home... and now start planning for another assault in march (feel free to let me know if you want to come!)
meanwhile Lucy finished decorating the tree, and the kids helped Ray buy a christmas tree (completely the wrong tree to the one specified by Marg, in fact the tree could not have been any more different, in height and in construction!!)

today we have stormed Ellas' nativity en masse, and witnessed our little angel on the stage,

now it's heads down till the big fellas been!