On Saturday 30th after Tom had finished up with Space Camp for the day we headed off up the A9 for a couple of nights away at Feshiebridge. We arrived a couple of hours later only to discover someone was in our room! So after a bit of confusion the warden at Feshiebridge invited us to stay at his self catered accommodation instead. Luckily it was just about a half mile further along the road and was lovely. http://www.tigh-tuithe.co.uk/ in case you are interested. So with the bags unpacked it was time for dinner which involved a barbecue so Lily & I left it to the men to get on with that while we sorted out the rolls, salad etc.
On Sunday we went off for a slap up breakfast in Aviemore before arriving at Landmark for a day of outdoor activities which included water slides and high rope walking. After all that it was time for a more genteel activity

and so we visited the Frank Bruce Sculpture Walk on the way back to our cottage and had a pleasant stroll around that - although some of the sculptures were a bit creepy.

Monday dawned and it was yet another beautiful day. Unfortunately it was so nice we had to cancel the sailing that we had planned and just go kayaking instead.

All to soon it was time for home and back to the daily routine of school and work. Well for a couple of days anyway. The children had Thursday off school due to the elections and then Tom stayed off on Friday after his cough had returned with a vengeance (something to do with swimming in the loch in Scotland in April/May and not listening to his sensible mummy). We're not in Bama now boy.

Mum & Dad came up for the weekend and on Saturday I went out for a 7 mile run before breakfast and was then knackered for the rest of the day. Later on Dad & Nick went for a round of golf and then a drink at the R&A afterwards while we went to Cambo for the Tulip Festival and a walk down to the beach. Then on Sunday we pottered around, Nick watched a Wolves match on the telly and we prepared lunch - Mum & Dad were finally going to stay for lunch but as soon as the meal was over they shot off back home at speed!!

Dad had brought some tomato plants up for me so he had planted them in the greenhouse for me now I just need to look after them carefully.

I had been complaining of stomach pains all weekend and my mum had been out and bought me laxatives as we all thought it was just a bit of wind (albeit quite severe wind pains) or constipation. Anyway I was still sore on Monday and Tom was still coughing away so he stayed off school again and we both moped around the house all day. I realised I needed to go to the dr's so managed to get an appointment around 4pm so trotted off there and got more laxatives and an anti spasmodic for the stomach crampy pains. Tom went back to school on Tuesday, I went to work but was still a bit sore and unable to laugh properly or walk at my normal pace. So Tuesday night I start to google on the computer and come across a website for 10 signs of an ectopic pregnancy and they seemed to fit in with my symptoms so I shot off to Morrisons and bought a pregnancy test. Wednesday morning dawned and with it a positive pregnancy test result. Yes, that was the first shocker of the day. Phoned the docs and got back to see another dr and she did another test and then phoned the hospital. I was going in at 12.15 for a scan. Drove over to see Nick at work to update him on what was happening - I have never seen him look so shocked in all my life.

So to cut a long story short 7 hours later I was going into theatre to have an emergency operation. Turns out I was 6 weeks pregnant and it was in my left fallopian tube and had already started to bleed out when I went for my op so I was really lucky that we caught it before it became a really scary emergency. Now I am home being well looked after by my lovely husband. Ironically I do now appear to be constipated though :)

We went to Angela's after school on Monday to celebrate Lily's birthday but left very abruptly as Lily was sick - we had managed to celebrate with fajitas and birthday cake before Lily's untimely vomitting. So we bundled ourselves in the car armed with a couple of plastic bags which were duly deposited in again on the way home :( Tuesday arrived and Lily was fine so we were able to celebrate at home with more cake and candles and presents.
Then today the children had a day off school because of the Royal Wedding. The University was hosting a big party which we went to. Tom and the rest of his school Glee Club were one of the performances on stage so we had a very early start to the day and got into town for 7.30am. After some breakfast and a warming (it was a very chilly day - sunny, but very cold) cup of coffee we watched all the performers

piping

Kate & Wills cakes from Fisher & Donaldson Bakeries.

Tom and the Canongate Glee Club

we watched the ceremony on a big screen in the quad then packed up and went home to watch the big finale on the balcony. A lovely day.

Happy Easter to you all, what is there for you to catch up on, let's see...
Firstly, the children and Nick went off down to Somerset on the middle Saturday of the holidays leaving me home alone for the first time ever (obviously Nick has been away loads of times but the children have never been away too) so after saying our goodbyes at the train station I was off to pick Angela up for our pedicure in Dundee. We got one of those Garra Fish pedi's which took a while to get used to - I think we could both honestly say we were glad I had just booked the 15 minute nibble session instead of the 30 minute one. After that we got our toenails painted and then went off for a wander round the shops and a bite of lunch at McManus Galleries then it was back to Ang's to watch Eat, Pray, Love and have another bite to eat. So I finally got home about 7.30pm to an empty and wonderfully peaceful house. Bliss.
I went for a run on the Sunday and the Tuesday and just pootled around gardening, shopping and generally having a lovely time knowing I didn't need to be anywhere or do anything for anyone but me until Wednesday at 5.30pm when I drove back to Leuchars to pick Nick and the kids up. Tom had celebrated his 11th birthday at his Nana's house with his cousins and had been camping in the back garden, he had also hurt his foot from a bad fall from some scaffolding whilst playing tig. Lily and Nick had also had a lovely time with cousins, Nan, Grampy and brothers/uncles all around for their visit. When we got home Tom opened his presents from us and a few others and got to have another birthday cake. Then it was a relaxing few days before school and work took over again.
We had another holiday on Friday because it was Good but the weather was rubbish, the haar was in and it was raining so we took ourselves off to the Lomond Hills hoping to escape but ended up walking up the hill in thick mist and fog and then almost getting lost on the way back down before going on to Falkland for a visit to the Palace and a fab lunch at the pub across the road. I didn't eat anything else until around half 7 when we had a couple of hot cross buns to eat. I was still so full I didn't even have a glass of wine later.
I got up around 6 this morning (no wine yesterday either - check me out!!) and went for a 5 mile run then had some breakfast before we all went to the driving range for a bit of golf practice - I was surprisingly pleased with my performance considering the last time I played was about 18 months ago. Then it was home for coffee and easter egg chocolate before heading off to the beach for a couple of hours. Home again and I cut the grass before serving up our meal of the day around 4pm. I am now, finally having a glass of wine, Nick has gone in to work for a few hours so he doesn't need to pop in tomorrow, Lily is watching Merlin on telly and Tom is round at the den with Stuart. Life is good.

So far so good, it's the school holidays and the weather is being kind to us for a change, normally it rains during the holidays (oh, that's just the summer holidays, actually easter hols are quite often lovely.) Tom & Lily have been busy having a proper childhood this week as they have spent most of it down the woods building dens and rope swings and doing 'stuff' with their friends. This is great news for me as I went for a run on Sunday and to circuits yesterday and a run today. Talking about Sunday reminded me it was Mothers Day, after my run and a shower I had a lovely mid morning breakfast of hot croissant, coffee and orange juice. Delicious. Then in the afternoon we went to the Garden Centre and Nick bought me a clematis which I planted against the back wall to grow up through the ivy that I chopped back last year. My lovely husband then cooked dinner (fajitas) and washed up afterwards. Result.

Last time I hosted book club we all had rather too much to drink, thankfully we were slightly more restrained last Wednesday and there were no hangovers on Thursday. I went for a very short run on Friday morning and then went to circuits at the RAF gym at lunchtime. Probably not a good idea when I was full of the cold but I managed it and then was aching all weekend. Thankfully I am just about completely over it now, unlike Nick who still has a hacking cough. Mum & Dad came up for the weekend so Nick & I could go to the F3 hangar party, which was brilliant fun. With the clock change it was 3am when we got to bed and 7am when we woke so you can imagine that Sunday was a bit of a write off, for me anyway, luckily we had a takeout for tea as I don't think I would have had the energy to make something. I've been out running a couple of times this week and am just beginning to get aching stomach muscles from the core stability class I went to at lunchtime today. I think I can finally say I have my mojo back and am happily back into my exercise routine - of course it's the school holidays next week so it may all go to pot again.

Just realised it's been ages since I blogged, so here it is. On Friday 11th it was a frosty but sunny morning and we removed this from the bird bath before school - it's a shame it melted shortly afterwards.
After school Tom, Lily & I went down to Hawick for a visit to Ruth & Philip and Rachel. We had a lovely, if brief, visit with them and woke up to lots of snow on the Saturday morning so Tom spent most of the day outdoors with the dogs and the snow. Lily was in and out all day too helping Rachel with farming chores and playing with the dogs.
Then last week I had a job interview at Dundee University (I didn't get it but it was good practice.) I had to get Louise round to look after Tom as he was off school until Thursday with a nasty cough and cold. I had a PTA meeting on Wednesday night and needed Louise round again as Nick was very busy at work all week and not getting home much before 9pm.
On Saturday it was off to space school for Tom and learning about Geosciences. Then he came home with Greg who was staying overnight so come Sunday we had a very tired little boy.

The weather this week has been unseasonally warm and I managed out into the garden today to take some pics and do a tiny bit of tidying up. I love this hellebore.
Yesterday was the disbandment of III (f) Sqn and so I was out at Leuchars for most of the day to watch the parade and have some lunch.

We're not going to see these flying round again anytime soon. I've been out running again today and there is talk of a core stability class on Friday! Tonight is book club and under discussion is Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights which I havent enjoyed very much at all. And I think that is you all up to date.

After the excitement of Friday Tom was at his second day of space school studying Chemistry on Saturday and then off to Murrayfield with Nick to watch Scotland get beaten by Ireland. I can't actually remember what Lily & I did so I guess it was mostly lounging! We had a fairly uneventful last week until Friday when Frances & Jenny came up for the weekend. We 3 went out to the Dolls House for dinner and then onto the Westport for a couple of drinks before calling it a night at around midnight. On Saturday we met up in town for a bit of shopping before returning to our house for coffee and cakes. I had taken the children to Waterstones so the children were busy reading their new books and left us to our gossip. All too soon it was time for the girls to leave and Tom, Lily and I continued the day reading, relaxing and watching telly while Nick was at work.
On Sunday Jen, Roddy and their kids came round for lunch along with Jason and his two so we had quite a full house. The kids ate in the kitchen whilst we sat in the dining room. Pudding was
courtesy of Jen and it was a massive and delicious pavlova.
After lunch the boys took the children for a walk and Jenny & I sat by the fire chatting until the peace was shattered when they returned in time for football on the telly. Mark arrived to watch the match too. Finally everyone went home and the house was tidied and I could put my feet up before having an early night.
Nick had Monday & Tuesday off work and took advantage of the beautiful weather for a couple of rounds of golf.

He played the Castle course on Monday and New course on Tuesday, this is a view from the Castle course.

I am slowly getting back into my running and hopefully will make it a permanent fixture in my life again this time. I have been running with Jenny which makes it easier as I know I would probably stop and walk occassionally if left to my own devices.