Earthship holiday

We've just got back from a fabulous few days in Normandy, celebrating Proud Dad's birthday.

We went to our old haunts in Honfleur and Deauville for crêpes and seaside fun.

We stayed in an "earthship" (an off-grid eco-house) in a small village in Normandy. It has a south-facing wall of glass with plants all the way along and the rest of it is built into the earth (with old tyres packed into it to retain the heat). We had a lovely log-burner to keep us cosy and loved the use of solar/wind power and rainwater.

The side view shows how it's built into the earth.

And here it is from the front. A bit of a shock when you first see it among the traditional village houses. This photo shows the solar panels along the front and the little wind turbine on the roof.

We spent a lot of time relaxing in the house but ventured out to a nearby waterfall...

... and to the playground of course.

Unfortunately Katya has inherited Proud Mum's seasickness and the ferry over to France was not much fun at all. The good news is that we managed to find some homeopathic medication she could take and it worked! The return trip was much more pleasant, aided by the fact that we got a cabin to hang out in. Here's Kat relaxing in the "café on a boat" - a concept she found most perplexing.

Grandad's Birthday Cakes
Earlier this month it was Grandad's 70th birthday and Katya made two lovely birthday cakes with a little help from Proud Mum and Dad.

She was so enthusiastic about the mixing that Honey got covered in flour!

And here's Proud Mum with her two lovely girls having fun at the party.

More photos...

Here's a couple of Katya having fun with her Auntie Stevie.

Happy New Year!

We all had lovely Christmas and New Year and are just about recovering from all the excitement. Xmas morning was great fun when Katya discovered all the pressies and decided she quite liked Santa after all. We went for a lovely walk in the woods then Grandma and Grandad came in the afternoon to enjoy Proud Dad's scrumptious meal.

Boxing Day was spent at Grandma Pat and Fred's with Jodie, Auntie Joanne and Uncle Kevin and we all had a great time (especially Katya and Jodie who enjoyed riding their hobby horses around).
We then went to Grandma and Grandad's house for more festive fun and managed to fit in a freezing cold blast up the Roaches. Unfortunately Katya then got an ear and chest infection so was ill for a few days but Uncle Sammy and Auntie Jana came to cheer us up with Champagne - hoorah!

Here's a photo of Katya who has just finished decorating Grandma's Christmas cake.
One of her fave presents was a kettle as she loves making us all cups of tea.