Saturday 14th may - party day!!

Today - I got up about 10am and headed to Tesco for last minute shopping and then on to my mums to get ready for the party!! The day flew by! I had made sure everything was cooked and prepared so really the only thingy we had to do was get everything out - which we didn't bother doing until people started arriving and the kids said they were hungry.  It was so good as people started turning up in fancy dress!  As you can see by the picture everybody made an effort!
We put a tiara on my nan so she could be the Queen! lol
I was a peperami, Andy was a devil, the twins were the 118-118 guys, Connor being a red-head was a carrot! hehehe  Bev looks ace as snow white, and we had a whoopee cushion (Megan) and tetris pieces (Helen and Paul) and I shouldn't have started this because I cant name everyone and their characters - well I could but I'd be here for ages!
The party started early because of the kids and as it started to get later Andy put the good music on and got out the disco lights and laser machine and the smoke machine! and we partied like my wonderful family like to party!!  I love it!! I love being around all my family - all my sisters and brothers and all their fantastic kids, and my kids and Andy of course (Adam couldn't come as he was off on a long distance trip with the Army a day or so later) and my parents who were so great about us invading their house and turning it into a night club for the night!  I managed to get pictures in the garden quite early on while we still had light and before the costumes started to come off!
I was hoping a friend from school (Karen) was going to come as I hadn't seen her in 11 years - but she couldn't make it.  But another old friend, Nicola made it - I hadn't seen her since I was about 14! Our families were close when we were little and we went on holidays together and our parents sold childrens clothes and did fashion shows - and we were the models lol
Apparently we met when I was in nursery school and I got expelled for being too aggressive with other kids when they wanted to use my baba (blanket) as a cover on the doll in the cot and when I got laughed at for blowing instead of sucking my milk through the straw so I threw it and it shattered on the wall.  I was asked to leave and Nicola's mum said to my mum that they could take their kids around to each others houses for them to play together instead of going to nursery school!  So anyway it was great to catch up with Nicola.
My aunty Elaine (mothers sister) and uncle Fred also came and they seemed to really enjoy themselves! Near the end of the night I was dancing as was Fred and he threw his arm out and hit my mums clock on the wall which fell off and smashed! I felt really bad about it but couldn't stop laughing at the horror on Freds face! My mum came along with a brush and shovel and Fred started sweeping until there was a guitar solo playing, and very comically as my mum held the shovel for collect the glass he was sweeping - he launched into air guitar with it!!
The food went down well and there was enough! phew! At one point I blew out my candles and everyone sang happy birthday which felt ACE because everybody sang loudly and it was obvious that everyone was having an ace time - it sounded like there were loads of people there! There was I suppose - somewhere between 30 and 40 I think!
Anyway - I think we left my mums to go back to Bevs at 3.30am and I was so happy because it had been such a good night - I believe that everyone really enjoyed it, I think it was one of the best family parties we have ever had!  Some people didn't want to do the fancy dress part of it but I reckon we will now have lots more fancy dress parties to come!!
Andy was brilliant and he tried (and succeeded) to make sure everything was perfect - and he sorted out the music all night and looked ace in his costume!!
I would like to say a massive thank you to everyone that came and made such a huge effort to make it so special!! Especially to people that travelled so far as well (Helen, Paul, Elaine and Fred).  I also got lots of awesome pressies too! It was a day I will always remember!! My family are fantastic!

13th May 2011 (almost birthday/party time!)

I was off work on Friday 13th May - which is a good job as I had loads to do! I chopped up a ton of chicken breasts and made 3 separate marinades - BBQ, Lemon and Herb and Satay - and cooked squares of chicken breast - then I made an egg and bacon pie.  I had other food for the party too - pork pies, peperami, 2 subway platters, 2 cakes, cheeses and biscuits and nachos and dipping sauces....cant remember what else! but I was worried that there wouldn't be enough food - and worried that it wouldn't all fit into the car!  We all had out overnight clothes and bags and our fancy dress costumes too!  We wanted to head out about 5pm and left at 6.30!
Me and Andy, Lissa, Connor and their friend Emma and all the gear just about fit in the car with some serious organised packing followed by some seriously squashing and pushing and made fairly good time to Manchester - we would have made excellent time there if it wasn't for the deter we had to make when we were 20 minutes away.  In typical Manchester style the road signs for the detour were awful and we ended up driving back down the motorway the way we had just come...anyway we eventually got to my mums at about 11pm.  The kids were staying in my mums caravan and we were staying at Bevs.
I cant remember what time we got to Bevs but it was late and Bev was obviously tired.  However once we got talking we were up until 3am!!
I fell into bed worrying that the party was the next day and I wasn't getting enough sleep!!

getting nervous....

Hi again,
Its 11.01am and at 11.30am I will be heading out to the dentist.  I have a stupid big phobia about dentists - probably because I have had bad torturous experiences in the past.  I have had toothache for a few weeks and I need 3 fillings!!  I am having sedation which means (to add insult to injury) it is also costing me a fortune!
I am starving and thirsty and cant have anything....I have been relatively calm until I started writing this lol.
Last time I had sedation I was still aware every now and again and pulled them off me - so I am hoping this is not going to be like that - I want to have the sedation and then be told its all over! Okay - heart rate is soaring so I am going to change the subject!
Its my birthday party on Saturday and I am looking forward to it - the twins are coming and a friend of theirs (Emma) and other than Lissa we have out outfits sorted out! I have Friday off so I'll sort the food out on Friday and then go up to Manchester Friday night. I think Adam will stay at home - he is rubbish with anything that takes effort and the fancy dress part of it takes effort.
My diet has been going well...slow...but well I suppose.  I have lost 1stone and lbs since January 2011.  If I can lose another 1/2 stone by my holiday I will be very pleased! Then after the holiday I'd like to lose another stone putting me at 91/2 stone - so I've still quite a way to go but every 1/2lb is a step closer!  I can fit into my jeans again from last year which is really nice because I was so depressed when I realised I couldn't get them on! I just wish that there was a quick-fix...I do not have much patience and I would really like to be able to lose more than 1/2 stone by the holiday but its not going to happen!
One thing I am getting a bit excited about is this: Stuart wants me to personal train him in the gym! I love a challenge - and the challenge is to motivate him and give him new stuff to do to keep him interested! The only downside is that I cant really train at the same time and I have to travel quite a distance to get to his gym (I have membership which allows me to go to any Virgin Gym but he doesn't).  I have been thinking a lot about where to start and what to do - so not to put him off but be enough to make a difference to.  I don't want to put him off - I really want him to succeed!! I think he will get his fitness back really quickly and he will love it! lol.  I had better ask him if its okay that I blog about it....
Anyway - I better get ready - we have to leave in 12 minutes....OMG I am terrified!!

back from the pub...

hi again! Just got back from the pub - meant to out for a little while - not out-out! But we ended up going out-out! lol
We had lots of food and a bottle of wine between us then moved to another pub which was quite entertaining - sitting with a nice women who had a drunken idiot trying to confess his undying love for her (they had only just met) it ended with her 'nipping to loo' aka escaping to the safety of her home.  When he decided to go and investigate he couldn't walk forwards and after about 6 steps backwards fell on his butt! I bet he'll feel it tomorrow!
Now its half eleven and I'm wide awake and I need to be in work tomorrow at 8am! Oh well - I'll deal with that tomorrow!
We did manage to organise what food we are going to do for my party - looking forward to it - especially now it seems more organised.  I also spoke to my mum and all seems to be in order! coolio.
Drinking a nice coffee and watching a bit of TV then I guess I better get to bed...until next time...

Bank Holiday Monday

Yay a day off work!

It is lovely and sunny outside but really windy.  I am starving!! its 14.43 and I haven't eaten a thing all day - this is because I didn't get up until 12 (we didn't go to bed until 4am because we were watching films!) and we have just spent the last couple of hours sorting out fancy dress outfits for my birthday party that I am having at my parents house.

I have ordered something I think will be funny - and Andy and Connor's should be really good too but I cant say what they are yet - I'll put pictures up after the party.  Its only Lissa who hasn't got an outfit yet!

We are going to have a walk down to the pub and get food and wine there!! Yummy - I am so hungry it hurts!!  We are going to take the Ipad and make lists of stuff we need to do or buy for the party - there is less than 2 weeks to go! We also need to figure out where everybody is gonna sleep!

see you later!!