Oldies but goldies

We are still en vacance, but it is about time I filled y'all in. Get ready for a glut of posts!
FB friends will already know that the LFE trip to Europe got off to a bumpy start when we arrived at Newman airport for our flight to Perth only to discover that I'd left Freya's suitcase in Tom Price. There was swearing and tears and then resignation followed by more swearing and tears when Ade had the audacity to wish Freya "good luck" for her month in the care of mummy.

Bye Daddy, good luck ingratiating yourself with mummy again!!

The bumps continued in Perth (but fortunately not to LFE) when senior-son-of-Silke fell from his ripstick and did an excellent job of breaking both radius and ulna. I am on holiday so I just made sympathetic noises as his parents whisked him off to hospital leaving me with the other kids and the bubbly...
And so to England.
The flight was long. 'Nough said about that.
And the first thing we did...put on all our clothes and purchase 3x raincoats.

Brrrrrr.

Priorities: Off to Titchfield Haven to feed the birds and throw pebbles into The Solent.
F and E NEVER tire of this.

Girls with G. It's about to rain, obviously.

The swans are white (and well fed) in these parts.

Another priority: Catch up with the Great-Grands. So good to see them although all are much frailer than the last time we were here (almost 3 years ago). Australia is SUCH a long way away but we have plans to come back again at Christmas 2013. Keep going Great-Grands!!

Great Nan will be 91 next month!

Grandpa Dick...still charming the ladieez.

Aunty Stella. She missed Ade a heap, "he's my toyboy!".

My mum and dad have both retired since our last visit so there is no waiting for the weekend to hang out with Grandma and G. We have had a full schedule since arriving. Today was a rare day-off for me. Grandma and the girls went for Afternoon Tea in the New Forest while I shopped up a storm at the Outlets in Portsmouth. I prefer not to consider how much I spent, rather how much I saved :)

Radical? My parents? Prior to this trip I'd have had to say "get outta town".
But it seems they have switched sides of the bed after 40 years of marriage. That is CRAZY radical!!