Shooter McGavin

Sam and I popped off to Wiltshire for the weekend. We stayed with our friend Charles who took us clay pigeon shooting... must point out I eventually shot one. Right in the middle ;)

....wedding here we come!!

Sam and I hopped over to Italy for a long weekend to find ourselves a wedding venue.
We had a lovely weekend driving down the coast of Italy. It was simply beautiful.We drove from Naples on the west coast to Polignano a Mare on the east coast- where we stopped for the night.
Then on Saturday we left Polignano and drove to Cisternino, Ostuni and then to Lecce.

We found a wedding Venue a little out of Cisternino, called Masseria Montalbano. It is perfect!
We have set the date for May 18th 2013 :)

A long weekend in Wellington

Sam and I spent the weekend in Somerset with all of the guys and girls (and their better halves) that he works with. We were put up in The Big House which really should be named the Massive House! It was a very relaxing weekend in the country...
We found a farm shop with loads of cheese and other goodies and, as usual, spent too much money! got to see a heap of brand new lambs..... SO cute!
Then on the Saturday night we had a dress up as something starting with 'S'
We had a very tasty meal together and then a good boogie afterwards. Lovely weekend!

'let it snow, let it snow, let it snoooooow'

The dump of snow we had last weekend wasn't as big as the previous years I've been here... but still, SO much fun!
Especially because it was Rach's first snow experience!!

Who knows, maybe we'll get a little more in the next couple of weeks. Its certainly cold enough!

Christmas in the sun...

Ahhhhh, to be home... the quick run down...I trooped back to Mo-town for a month in December to spend some time with the family and get some much needed sunshine.
Christmas was lovely...
amazing food.... Dad cooked traditional Maltese for Xmas lunch. Yum Yum!
and then we had tapas type bits at Mum's :)
Went to pay my Nunna a visit at her new home... she is very happy!
randomly went to a Gerbera farm with Mum and Eliza
spent New Years at Pyramid rock festival rock in Phillip Island. It was a 3 night camp out, loads of sunshine, loads of great people and amazing music
stood front row for the count down...
and then left the city behind to head back for snowy London...

is it really December already?

I can't believe it's December already... where did the year go?!
I have had a very busy few weeks.. run off my feet with the kids, baking, doing some extra work at the Raven and fighting off the cold that seems to sneak its way into my system as soon as it gets a little chilly outside.

fighting off my cold with a high consumption of alcohol seems to be my tactic this year... I wouldn't recommend it... although saying that, there is nothing like getting comfy in a pub with a pint and some great mates when it's freezing outside :)
I have recently started working in the kitchen at the Raven (above) on saturday's. The chef there Luca is brilliant and is letting me come in for 5 or so hours to pick his brain and to help him out with some baking.
I finished my recent cooking course last week... I finished off with a cheesecake and brandy snaps (which i forgot to take photos of) and the Raven has been a nice follow on from it. I'm really enjoying it :) Last week I made quince jelly... don't want to toot my own horn too much but it was lovely :)
Have had a few big nights out too with the gang... love those guys!
London's weather has been freakishly warm for November/December. I think this time last year it was almost starting to snow, whereas at the moment we're sitting on a nice 7 degrees. It's almost tropical ;) We have had a few very chilly days though, and some very foggy mornings...
All on the Nanny front is calm...almost! Effie and Elliot are hitting their terrible two's and I have to say it has been a real test on my patience. Deep breath! BUT they are also still SO cute and really starting to chat loads which is cool :)
This is Olive... Elliot's new little sister. She is beautiful.
and Effie and her new baby brother Charlie...
Both babies are healthy and keeping Mum's up all night!

I expect my next post will be just after Xmas and I will be in sunny Moe for it. 2 and a half weeks and I'll be jet setting off to spend a month at home. It will be my first Christmas home in 3 years... I can't wait :)
stay tuned...

Fishing!

Last weekend Sam's mate Charles organised for 14 of us to go fishing at a Trout farm out near the new forest.
We were so lucky with the amazing weather... not so lucky when it came to catching the actual fish!.... Rach caught a tree....
after totally failing in the morning we hit a local for a pub lunch... which was lovely :)
Phil's spirits were still high despite the lack of fish!
And then in the afternoon we caught four!! (we were expected to go home with MUCH more...but never mind!)
I caught the biggest ;)
then we took them back to Saskia's house in the New Forest and barbecued them... they were delish!