Kear Family

Royal Wedding and May Day

2011-10-21T09:51:00.001-07:00

At the end of our extra long Easter holidays we celebrated the Royal Wedding and had May Day Bank holiday weekend away at The Kears. We had some gorgeous weather for our time away. We had some Kear family photos taken on the Saturday and enjoyed family time - playing in the garden in a make shift paddling pool with the hose! Great fun!

I love the serious expression on Samuel's face here! And Eliza's laughter on the one below!
Olivia, Samuel and I watched the royal wedding in our living room. We made bunting and union Jack flags to wave. Liv was so excited to watch the beautiful bride become a princess. I really enjoyed the whole thing too and thought the wedding ceremony was lovely. They used the same two hymns we had at our wedding - good taste!!
When Olivia returned to school they celebrated the royal wedding by inviting parents and friends to come and see each class dance an English country dance and watch the children enjoy a picnic on long tables like a traditional street party. They had all learned the words to Jerusalem which we all sang together. It was a simple yet traditional and fun way to celebrate the special wedding. I hope the memories stay with Olivia.

Olivia with two special friends.

Alfrick

2011-09-05T14:17:00.001-07:00

We had a family gathering in Powick, Worcestershire during our Easter break. It was lovely to see lots of family and catch up with them.
We went to one of my most favourite places....it's a walk that we call the Alfrick walk, I think it's proper name is The Knapp Paper Mill. We've been going for walks there since I was a small child. Infact there are some photos of a walk we did there a few years back on my blog somewhere. It is best to go there in Spring (preferably bluebell time) or Summer time. Everything is lush and green and dripping with flowers. There is a little orchard,wild garlic, ponds, a river, a hill to run or roll down and woodland. If you are very lucky you may catch a glimpse of a darting kingfisher along the river bank. The place buzzes with wildlife and bird song.
It isn't a long walk, you may go and find it quite ordinary but I have such fond memories of being in this beautiful place with the people I love.

Family photo in the orchard
Resting by the river and chat, chat, chatting.
Playing and paddling
Olivia with her great Auntie Julie, 2nd cousin Amy and cousin Auryn
We visited great granny and grandpa, aged 98 and 97!!

Another family photo outside Julie and Ray's house
My cheeky boys!

Easter Hols week 2

2011-05-17T13:51:00.000-07:00

The Easter weekend was spent with the Corbins this year. We had a lovely time together doing egg hunts, playing tennis, having the paddling pool out and enjoying bluebell wood walks....

Easter Hols Week 1

2011-05-16T13:04:00.000-07:00

As I begin the huge task of catching up I hope I remember all the details which I wanted to include in these entries! Easter seems like such a long time ago!!

As was mentioned in the last post we had glorious Summer weather during our Easter break and we made the most of it. We had cousins staying at mum and dad's and so we had fun day trips and playtimes. Here are some of my favourite photos from week 1....

I always love finding a few branches and decorating our Easter tree with eggs and ribbons!

We had a great day at Twycross Zoo. The kiddies loved it and so did the adults too! Look at these expressions, would love to know what they were both thinking!

Samuel looking funny in a hat that is way too small.
Ice cream time!

We had all of the little girls from Liv's class over for a playdate. We did crafts, face paints, jumping on the Trampoline and a picnic in the garden. Samuel loved all the female attention.

I love this photo. Look at the concentration in making her first daisy chain.

Camping Fun

2011-05-14T03:26:00.000-07:00

We had a super long Easter holiday this year - almost 3 weeks and we had lovely warm weather too!! (we are hoping it will come back during our Summer months!!).

We had a camp out in local woods the first weekend with Hans, John, Joshua and Eliza. It was great fun. We loved making a fire and cooking our tea on it! All was going really well until poor little Eliza woke as we were going to bed. She was really suffering with teething, so after a while of crying John took her home to bed and they joined us again for breakfast in the morning.

The kids had a blast!

The Joys of Spring

2011-05-12T06:51:00.000-07:00

What an absolutely wonderful Spring we have had so far! It is always my most favourite season of the year and with all the unusually warm, sunny weather everything has come out so quickly and ahead of usual time.

We had fun at our annual visit to see the baby lambs (it really is me that is more excited about this than Olivia!). She had fun with her little friends in the barn whilst looking at the lambs now and again, whilst I cooed and aarred over the lambs.

We also had three bluebell walks with various friends and family members. I love being in woodland at this time of year when everything is bright fresh green.

Growing Boy

2011-04-30T01:46:00.000-07:00

Samuel is growing far too quickly. He is nine months already and I can see the little boy emerging even though there is plenty of baby too.
We love this boy! He makes us smile and laugh. He can clap his hands, do the motion of wind the bobbin, wave goodbye, wrinkle is his nose, shake his head and make a lot of noise when he wants to! There is also a bit of a temper at times - I wonder who he gets that from?? It is really special to see the interaction between him and Olivia, they love each other.
Here are some photos from Christmas up until April of our little man, well not so little - he is a chunky monkey and is still not crawling as there is too much chunk!
February 2011, 'Horsey, horsey don't you stop.'

March 2011, happy boy.
March 2011, Ooh give us a kiss!

April 2011, Sunshine.

April 2011

April 2011, big smiles - can you see my tooth!

World Book Day

2011-04-29T02:05:00.000-07:00

Olivia's school took on the theme of Harry Potter for their world book day earlier this Spring. The school changed to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for the day and they all dressed up as Harry Potter characters. As parents we were invited to come and see Literacy lessons going on throughout the school. Olivia's class were writing spells and making potions. Liv enjoyed being Hermione for the day....

Snowdon April 2011

2011-04-26T14:01:00.001-07:00

Snowdon May 2011

Some of you may remember a little 4 year old hiking up Cnitch in the Snowdon National Park last year. Well at the top of that mountain last year there was one question on her lips as she turned and looked north - Daddy is that one the biggest? Yes I replied. Quite certain of herself and without encouragement she said "That's the one I want

to climb!"

Around Christmas when we had all the snow, Olivia and I had the following conversation.

O: "Dad can we go and climb Snowdon?"

D: "Sure"

O: "Can we go in the snow?"

D: "Yes"

O: "Will we see Polar Bears?"

D: "I am sorry babe they are only around the North Pole."

O: "(disappointed) Oh. But it is the biggest right?"

I vowed to myself that since she clearly had an appetite for adventure I would do my best to satisfy her, and started planning out the trip in my mind. I tried several times through out Dec - March to arrange the trip for the two of us but there was al

ways something that prevented us going.

The opportunity came up once again in April for me and Olivia to go and despite the distinct lack of Snow she was really keen - so we took it. We lucked out too because the weather was wall to wall blue skies and warm - the only other way to climb if you cant get crisp white snow and ice!

The trip.

4:30pm Home from work

5:30pm Packed and in car

6:30pm Mac Donalds en-route

7:00pm Olivia Sleeps in prep for late night walk in

9:15pm Arrive at Snowdon Car park Olivia wakes up

9:30pm Hike in to our camp at Glaslyn, counting the stars as they come out

10:40pm Pitch tent and break out midnight feast prepare

d by mum

11:00pm Laugh ourselves to sleep as Olivia "accidentally" elbows me in the face twice - the first was an accident (and funny) but the second I suspect was not as innocent but to her more funny.

7:30am wake up to blue skies and get breakfast on the go - bacon, eggs, fruit smoothies mmmm.

9:00am wash up play by lake and get water purified for the hike

9:30am set off for the top

11:00am arrive on top 1085m done in her stride

11:40am leave cafe at the top and take leisurely stroll back to camp

1:00pm start lunch - same as breakfast really

2:15pm break camp and head to the beach!

Olivia is in one word a "natural" she skipped and chatted all the way. We climbed and descended the mountain hand in hand, apart from where she needed her hands to climb things. I was walking at her pace which if you consider the times was not much slower than most adults walkers. Her only voice of complaint was asking how much further it was to get back to the car when we were crossing the causeway over llyn llydaw on the way out which for her legs was the 8th mile out of about 10 on the overall round trip.

We then headed to the beach up near Ceanarfon and the promised reward of a 99 icecream she had asked for.

After running on the beach and jumping the waves for a couple of hours we set off for home.

Tea was whatever she wanted from Tesco's on the way home so we got pasties a pot of Olives, houmous and tortilla chips oh and a box of pink iced ring doughnuts. Not only do Olivia and I feel an inbuilt challenge to climb stuff but we share the same tastes in food.

She watched Stuart Little II on the way back and went straight to sleep (understandably) as soon as it finished.

The funniest thing to me on the way home was how she so very calmly but quite assertively asked me not to keep interupting her with things for her to look at (castles, beaches etc) as she couldnt look at anymore and watch the movie. That kept me smiling for quite some time. I guess she had seen and done quite enough for a 5 yr old that day.

All in, it was the best day of 2011 for me so far!

She now wants the rest of her girlfriends at school to join her on her next climb - so if any of you parents are reading this start your training now.

Guess what thought motivates me now, when my legs start to hurt on a run!

Some pics.

Christmas Holidays

2011-04-20T11:49:00.000-07:00

We spent the days after Christmas and New Year's Eve with the Corbin extended family. Olivia and Samuel loved being with their cousins. We had fun visiting Wollaton Hall, extended family in Worcestershire, with a walk up the Beacon in freezing fog on the Malverns, celebrating Auryn's 4th birthday and generally having fun being altogether.
Ma and Pa opening their Christmas gifts from us children
All wrapped up for a trip to Wollaton Park.
"We made it!" Not much of a view though!

The birthday boy
Auryn's birthday party
Two little princesses!

We had a busy and fun Christmas holiday season and welcomed in 2011, hoping it will be a great year for us all.

Christmas 2010

2011-04-16T06:34:00.000-07:00

I must catch up...Writing about Christmas feels rather odd on a warm May day!

December was a month full of sickness, snow, house renovations, birthdays and Christmas. At a very busy time of year we seemed to have even more going on in our family and home life. It was a difficult and stressful time in many ways.
We moved out of our house for a couple of weeks while Dan extended our bedroom and removed all the furniture and flooring from our bedroom which filled the rest of the house. He also lay oak flooring down in our room and decorated. ( It all looks fantastic now, but talk about timing!!). During that time though I caught a nasty sickness bug which lasted days and I was awfully poorly. Taking weeks to recover. So preparing for Christmas and birthdays and participating in the festivities of the season was hard going for me as I was still unwell really. We had a lot of snow and freezing temperatures during this time too which although was fun for Olivia and beautiful at Christmas time, it made life more challenging.
We did enjoy watching Olivia in her school Nativity play. She did so well as she felt rather shy and nervous about performing in front of everyone, but her star dance was super and she knew all the words of all the songs she sang with her class.
We moved back into home two bays before Olivia's 5th birthday and five days before Christmas day, so it was busy putting up the tree, decorating the house and getting ready for a birthday and Christmas.

We got there though and enjoyed Christmas Day with the Kear side of the family. And we actually had a white Christmas!! It made it feel even more special! Thanks to Hannah and Lydia for helping with the food on the day. Samuel had a high temperature on Christmas day and was in my arms a lot so their help was invaluable.

Olivia was the star in our Christmas nativity!

One very excited girl on Christmas morning :-)

Table all set for Christmas
The Kear gang apart from Eliza and Samuel.

We had a lovely time with family remembering the gift of our Saviour.

Olivia turns 5!

2011-04-14T13:38:00.000-07:00

I can remember feeling so excited when I turned five, Olivia was very excited too.
We had her party a couple of weeks before her birthday as having a birthday 3 days before Christmas makes a busy Christmas week!
We hired out the upstairs room of our village hall and had lots of her friends come to help her celebrate. She had a really lovely time, playing party games, making crafts and being the special birthday girl.

On her birthday she was super excited, not only because it was her birthday but because we woke up to snow! She squealed with excitement when I told her to look out of the window!

She had been poorly with some virus the day before and missed her last day of school and was still a little under the weather on her birthday. But we had a lovely day, opening presents, visits from grandparents and decorating cup cakes - (thanks to Grandma Kear). She was very happy with a hello kitty watch, Disney princess cd and story books, hama beads and dressing up clippy cloppy shoes to name a few of her gifts.

We love you so much Olivia - you are such a loving big sister and a fun and talented girl. Enjoy being 5!

Anniversary

2011-04-14T13:15:00.000-07:00

Last November 14th we celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary. We were supposed to go to Paris, we ended up near Melton!!
Here's why....
..as the weekend approached for our trip to Paris we kept a close eye on the weather forecast. Strong gales and heavy rain were forecast for Paris. We started to imagine travelling on the metro with a baby and pushchair and walking in heavy rain round the city for 3 days and it didn't seem so fun. We really wanted to be able to enjoy the scenery and buildings and walks along the Seine, and in heavy rain we really wouldn't get to see and experience Paris as we wanted to. So we decided not to go and ended up at Stapleford Hall near Melton instead - a lot closer to home!! Olivia went to stay with my parents and enjoyed going to Loughborough fair, while we relaxed, ate yummy food, swam, jacuzzied, swam, steam roomed, swam, jacuzzied and walked around the beautiful grounds of Stapleford. It was a lovely break away, and the nicest place I have ever stayed in - I felt like a princess. Yes, I know Dan would have been happier camping! But I slept much more comfortably at Stapleford! We were excited to see our Liv after our trip, she had missed us and we had really missed her too. Samuel behaved very well and enjoyed his first swim!

Samuel's Blessing Weekend

2011-01-17T13:03:00.000-08:00

Samuel's blessing weekend also coincided with Bonfire Night. So on the Saturday evening a group of us family gathered at our home for hotdogs and then walked up to the Scout Hut to the annual village Bonfire and fireworks display. They always have a huge, huge fire which we watch being lit and soon feel the heat from! We had a fun evening.
Smiles!