Day 24
Fraser (2) had seen something on TV where the children were eating jelly. Having never tried jelly before, he was fascinated by it and kept asking if we could make some. He was so excited when we were making it and loved helping to mix it. Although I think he loved the big chunks of un-melted jelly that Shen was sneaking to him even more!
We also enjoyed a lovely walk up to the top of the castle grounds in Stornoway that afternoon.
Day 25
The youngest boys were loving having James back from camp! As well as a run around the playpark we also played crazy golf, while David (10) played his first ever proper round of golf with his Uncle Ally.
Day 26
We went along to the beach in the village that my dad is from. The tide was almost all the way in but it was no less pretty for that, and the boys were still able to indulge in that favourite pastime of boys near water - throwing stones and rocks in!
In the evening my husband and I enjoyed a beautiful meal out to celebrate our 18th wedding anniversary, which took place later on in the week.
Day 27
David enjoying one of his favourite holiday treats, a Schmoo, at the lovely community shop and cafe after we spent another morning in the swimming pool.
Day 28
We took a trip up to the north of the island and had a lovely day there. We went to the playpark, spent some time at the beach, visited friends and finished off with a coffee and cake stop at a cafe over-looking the harbour. Calum (13) even managed to spot some whales playing out on the horizon!
Day 29
Because low tide was early in the morning this week, some of the boys and I headed out early to go back to the beach we had visited a few days before when the tide was in. Look at the difference when the tide is out! Although this was it coming back in again so not quite as far out as it goes.
The boys love to drink from the fresh water springs at this beach and they always want to take a bottle of the clear, pure water back to my dad.
Calum was busy with his camera again, looking out for more wildlife and he spotted a Great Northern Diver. He's always wanted to see one in the wild after reading Great Northern by Arthur Ransome.
In the afternoon we headed to another Agricultural Show. Fraser kept calling this tractor the 'funny tractor' although I have no idea what he thought was funny about it!
Day 30
Very exciting day for the boys, and dad, as my uncle took them out fishing on his boat.
They had quite a successful catch of Mackerel, although they then fed quite a few of them to the seals who followed them into the harbour!
Day 31
It was our official wedding anniversary, so I made a special pudding with our Sunday lunch. This wasn't just one person's portion though!
And we spent the afternoon walking off the profiteroles in the castle grounds.
Then and now. 1998 and 2016.
Day 32
Somehow our three and half weeks flew by and it was now time to say Goodbye to Stornoway again.
Day 33
Back from holidays means a big food shop. Dory and her friends welcomed the littlest boys to Sainsburys!
Day 34
We decided that we would use the time with everyone off school to do some major bedroom shifting around. This was us taking the bottom bunk off one of the sets of bunk beds to make it into a high sleeper for Calum.
Day 35
There was so much to do in the house that we had been working non stop for a couple of days. I took the boys to see Finding Dory as a reward for all their hard work in the house. Fraser (2) had been so looking forward to going to see it.
Day 36
As well as shifting rooms around in the house, we had been helping out at the Children's Holiday Club at church every morning during the week. On the Friday evening we had a BBQ for the families of everyone who had been at the club. Fraser and his cousin Joanna both enjoyed the chocolate cake there!
Day 37
Calum goes to dog agility training with his Auntie Anna and her dog Shadow. He runs Shadow in the junior events and Anna runs him in the grown ups events. We went along to watch them in a show and saw Calum and Shadow get a clear run and a 3rd place.
He has since taken part in a couple of other shows, with another 3rd place and has qualified for the Junior Team Agility competition at Crufts! He and Auntie Anna will be taking a trip down to the famous dog show in the spring time.
Day 38
Showing his support for TeamGB at the Olympics.
Day 39
After a wet but warm summer the garden weeds were getting out of control, and so the older boys earned some extra money by helping me get the garden tidied up again.
Day 40
An annual end of summer holidays event for us the last few years has been our trip through to Glasgow to visit the Lego shop. The boys save up their money through the holidays so that they can spend it in Glasgow. This year Fraser made his first Build-a-Bear teddy, and was delighted to hear he still had enough money left to buy some Mickey Mouse Lego. Ally (7) also got a new Build-a-Bear teddy, Captain America of course.
This year James (16) didn't come with us though, as it was also the day the the Scottish exam results were delivered and he wanted to be in at lunchtime when they arrived. He did amazingly well in his exams. His hard work for them paid off and we are delighted for him. Now he has to start it all over again for his Highers though.
Fraser just loves the new Bear.
Day 41
After a break of a week in the room shifting, while we waited for delivery of James' new bed, it was all back on again today. James was determined to build his bed himself, and in true manly form hadn't even looked at the instructions when I went through to offer some help!
Day 42
I was determined that this was going to be the day that all the room shifting was finished. It was a lot of work but is so worth it now that everything is sorted. My latest Little Box of Crochet arrived but I had no time to sit down and start it.
Day 43
James hadn't had the chance to spend his holiday money in Glasgow, but he was fine with that as what he really wanted was an old Game Boy Color, which we bought on EBay and it arrived in the post today.
Day 44
We had come back through to Glasgow again to visit my inlaws and spent a great day the Museum of Transport. Here are the boys scrubbing the decks on the tall ship.
Day 45
We loved watching some of the Olympic sports when we could, and were amazed to see that GB were above China in the medals table.
Day 46
Finally some hot sunshine, just as the holidays come to a close. I was called up for Jury Duty. I dropped the boys off with my brother's wife and hoped so much that I wouldn't be picked for the Jury! I was so relieved when after a couple of hours at the court I was told that I was excused and so dashed off back to get the boys, who weren't overly excited to see me as they had been having such a great time with their cousins! We stayed there a little longer and then headed back home to fill up the paddling pool again - the first time we had been in it for two months.
Day 47
More beautiful sunshine, so we went fruit picking.
More beautiful sunshine, so we went fruit picking.
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The following day the boys went back to school. Fraser and I made lots of jam with all those lovely berries we had picked.
And fresh jam needs fresh, warm scones.
