Anybody out there???

A big thanks to those of you who have followed my blog. I am glad you have enjoyed it. I have no idea how blog stats work but I have been surprised to see up to 50 views of the blog a day. Some readers coming from as far as Romania, the USA and France. So who are you? I would love it for you to leave your name in the comments part if you are happy to or Facebook me that you have followed. Thank you to those of you who have left comments for me. You don't know how much I appreciated that.

I will have a couple more posts coming up on our week in London and then our time in LA.

I also intend to start a new blog once I have closed this one down. It will be a bit different and not about the kids this time (I hear family members turning off their computers and phones). I won't say any more at this stage.

Cheerio

See you soon.

xxoo

Farewell to Wilmslow

What an adventure this has been. Even just four months ago we had no idea we were to live on the other side of the world for three months. This has been a huge lesson for me. I have made great strides in my own sense of being and with lots of time to breathe to get some clear ground on my purpose and hopes. The kids have bonded on an entirely different level and developed a sense of gratitude for all that they have back home. As have I. Honestly we have not had any contact outside of the five of us pretty much for the entire time we have been here.  This has brought us quite close but it has been a big test too. I am craving adult relationships and cannot wait to not rely on Facebook and Viber and Zoom for any contact. Yes I did sit by my phone a lot here waiting for it to beep at me. I am ready to throw the jolly thing out the window now. We have learnt that New Zealand is an amazing place but there really is a whole world of beauty and wonder out there. Cheshire is a special place now in our hearts. I was thinking I would like to list all the things I love about here but I won't because it will be a long list. I would say though that the National Trust Parks and Country Parks are such a treasure and can be loved by all. We have also discovered our own capabilities and hope to do more exploring and walking through nature back home. What we have really found is that family and friends mean so much to us and we can't wait to be with our favourite people again.

 

Last outing in Cheshire

We decided to get out and enjoy a Cheshire Country Park on our final adventure here. Marbury Country Park is ANOTHER wonderful place for all to enjoy. Beautiful rich green woodlands and trails and lush lawns and playscapes and canals and squirrels...what more could you ask for???

Nature is sooo good for the soul!!!

 

Making our own fun at number 25!

I don't feel I have to say much here except that the friendship that these three have been a part of over the last three months has been beautiful to watch. They have played and played and played. I have been so proud with how they have made much fun with very little. As you can see they have danced, created towns with stones and become animals using clothes pegs. There have been fights and tantrums and tears too but these happy times are the ones I think that will be remembered most by the kids and by me. xxoo

 

Run Forest Run!!!

Today was our last week day with the car for the four of us. It was cold and rainy but we would not let that stop us from venturing out and enjoying the stunning Macclesfield Forest. We had a great walk/run and discovered some conservation workers checking the nests of the baby blue-tit bird. After we completed our lovely, green walk we enjoyed a lunch at the local pub where Corey enjoyed sitting up at the bar and chatting with the barmaid. A sign of things to come? Yikes!

Busy Bank Holiday Weekend

This weekend we were lucky again to be treated to a long weekend. We decided to return to Styal Quarry Bank because Rich had not been with is on our first visit and we had not got around to visit the whole site. We got to experience the garden again although this time the daffodils are long gone and the rhododendrons were out in force. There was a scarecrow festival on which was fun for the kids to find the numerous dressed up scarecrows around the National Trust grounds. We visited the Apprentice House which housed the children who worked at the Cotton Mill back in the 1700s. Apparently it was quite a pleasant place to live because most of the children came from very poor families or were orphans. The veggie garden outside was heaven on earth with an orchard and berry garden. I loved it. Then we took Rich through the Cotton Mill which the kids enjoyed for a second time.

 

 

 

On the Sunday we ventured into Manchester to visit the Museum of Science and Industry which was huge and spread over five massive buildings and warehouses. An amazing display of air transport and railway. Also there was a brilliant children's hands on experimental area and a best of all it was free! Sorry no photos from this day.

 

This is Speke Hall our last visit to a National Trust property. It was a beautiful day of the long weekend so it was packed with people. There was story telling, a hedge maze, a woodland trail with a nature playground, hut building, lush lawns for picnics and the house. The house was beautifully furnished (see some items below) but the crowds made it all a bit much for some of us.

 

Checking the map to make sure we are on the right track?

 

Speke Hall was not too far from Liverpool so we decided to continue along to see this city. We found a beautiful place. The waterfront was special and obviously has had a lot of money spent on it. We found the Liverpool Museum there and it was free like all Museums we have found! In it there is 'The Beatles' Exhibition. Love the mix of old and new buildings.