Goodbye to 2011 and Hello to 2012

It’s been quite a year for us and looking back we can hardly believe some the things that we have done, eaten and watched and the places we have been.

Like, all three of us being given permanent jobs with Sandra in Resources, doing rush photocopying and laminating jobs and being made to feel part of the school ……..

……. so much so that the girls invited me to join them on a skiing trip to the Czech Republic

….. and Darrell to Rome, Sorrento and Capri!

In April we enjoyed the Royal Wedding, which we embraced with every inch of our being and souls and almost couldn’t bear it to end, it was soooooo  WONDERFUL and soooooo romantic!

One of Darrell’s birthday presents was to see Take That in Manchester, where he almost got right to the very front and narrowly missed touching Robbie William’s hand when he came right over Darrell on a platform. He stretched for all he was worth but it was Uncle Andrew that Robbie touched, so Darrell touched Andrew’s hand “as the hand that touched Robbie Williams hand”  which was just as good. 

The most mahooosive surprise of the year for us was undoubtedly Nigel turning up at the Pride of Britain Awards in London, where he met Stacey Solomon and Gail Tilsley to name just two celebs and he lived the showbiz dream for just a few hours.  (and ..... for those who are wondering, Darrell is now almost over Stacey, but she will always hold a special place in his heart, and all her cards and signed presents are safely wrapped up and put away and occasionally looked at).

New members to our family appeared when Andy finished our fish pond and we welcomed a flock, herd, shoal of fish into our home/garden, all named after our favourite Wolves players!

The summer saw us find lots of new homes for all the abandoned and unloved  monkeys that we had rescued from e-bay.  They are all very happy with their new families and have all kept in touch, sending us photos of their  new lives all over the country and the occasional card and present.

Darrell also had the opportunity to dabble in the world of advertising and product placement  by working with Gina at Lucozade Towers to showcase several new Lucozade products.  It also gave him rather too much opportunity to run about in his PE kit and showing his legs, in an effort to stress Lucozades rehydrating qualities!

We also shared several Sun £9.50 holidays, staying in lovely chalets and caravans, all by the sea, our favourite watery place of choice and Darrell spent many happy hours collecting holey stones. We will be starting to collect more tokens as soon as they start appearing in the paper for even more adventures.

But our highlight of choice was undoubtedly our week at Cockle Cottage in Brixham, it was just perfect in every way!

And makes us realise that working hard every day in Resources with Sandra to earn our wages reaps many rewards ….  like being able to afford happy times away together.

…… but that’s enough of the past …… here’s to the future, here’s to 2012 and all the wonderful adventures it will bring, especially with Vinnie and Auntie Jan being Games Makers at the London 2012 Olympic Games in the Aquatics Centre …. now that's almost too exciting to think about!