England!!

OK, so its been a while!! Since i have been back from England life has been a little hectic!! Arrived home wednesday evening, had the kids all day thursday and friday and have been at Jacks for the weekend. On top of that i am trying to find a college to register for in September, along with accomadation and money!!

Anyway, the point of this post is to show you some pictures from my trip to england. So here goes.

We arrived into Bristol on Wednesday morning, was picked up from the airport by Sophie and drove down to Devon. Of course, the first meal we had had to be typically English, Jack having an English fry up and me Bangers and Mash. Good ol' Weatherspoons.

Wednesday evening we went to eat with Jacks Dad and Stepmum (Have you noticed our holiday has been mainly focused around food so far?)

Jack with his younger brother, Gabriel

Thursday lunchtime I met up with Joanna, a good friend of mine in England for a girly lunch and gossip (this was before i bought my camera so have no piccis im afraid) I had a lovely peking duck wrap and smoothie (still.. food..). Thursday afternoon Jack visited his Dad whilst i spent some time with my Mum.

In the evening Mum and Val made me and Jack the most delicious BBQ along with pasta salad, marinaded onion and home made BBQ sauce.. hmm..

Friday AKA my Birthday. Friday morning we went to Carlinos, a newly opened cafe/restauraunt in town for a coffee. After this i went to buy my rather lushus camera. I would show youa picture, but kinda hard to take a picture of a camera, have you ever tried? ANYWAY. Friday evening me and Jack went for a meal at the Hare and Hounds, where we used to work and met some friends for a drink afterwards.

Me and Jack before we went out

Us in The Hare and Hounds

Jess and Gemma, friends of ours

Jack with his Dad and Uncle

A friend of mine, Wendy and myself

On the Saturday afternoon me and Jack were taken to the train station by my Mum and Val, to catch out train to Reading.

Jack, Me and Mum

Mum, Me and Val

The day after we arrived in Reading my Auntie Lesley came to visit with my cousin Emma. As i havent seen her for over a year this was a lovely surprise!!!

Jack and Emma

We then continued our holiday in bedford with my Dad, Jodi and Brothers and Sisters. Heres a couple of pics of our last few days.

My Father

Me and My Sister, Connie


My Brother, Patrick


The End of our Holiday

Rachel - AKA Queen of Surprises

Mission Complete!!

Some of you may know that although in my previous posts i clearly stated that i was unable to book my flight due to financial reasons. I lied. Well not technically. It was only a white lie, as it was sort of true.. (however, as my Mum would say, 'Rachel, a half truth is a whole lie.) I just couldn't inform you of when i did in fact book my flight as then Jack would know, and i therefore would know longer be Rachel - AKA Queen of Surprises.

So there you have it. I flew back to Holland yesterday at 15.40. Arrived into Schipol at 18.00 to be met by Robbert and taken to His and Inekes' house in Rotterdam.

I then had a quick Superwoman change and made my way to Coconuts to surprise my completely oblivious boyfriend. Perfect!! All went to plan.

As i said before. Mission Complete.

UPDATE!!

Well, there are a couple of things that have happened over the last couple of days that i need to update you on!!

Firstly. Jack killed the bird.

Let me explain.. OK, Monique bought a bird at the weekend. A lovely little thing called YoYo. So all is hunky dory, until Jack gets home from college that is. So Jack very innocently gets the bird out of its cage, all is well.. for a few minutes anyway, when the bird starts hyperventilating, has a spasm and dies!! In Jacks hand!! Personally i found this all rather amusing. Sorry to all you bird lovers out there.

And Secondly. The Taxi man stole my flight.

Again, let me explain.. Basically, Giverney was kind enough to lend me £10 to pay for the remainder of my flight back to Holland (yes, i didn't even have a tenner) anyway so she gives me a £20 note for the taxi back home so i could keep the change for my plane ticket. OK. So I get in the taxi. Chat away to the driver (like you do) and we pull up to my house.

"That'll be £7.40 then please love"

So i hand him the £20 note. He's scrambling around in his pocket for the extra 60p so i say..

"oh just give me a couple of quid back, that'll be fine"

And that's that.

Its not until the next morning that i realise he literally did give me a couple of quid back!! Obviously I meant Plus the £10 note!!

So again, i am back to square one of having no money and no flight home.

So i call the taxi firm and explain what has happened. The bloke on the other end of the line tells me he will talk to 'Richard' and told me to call back the next day.

So i do. However this guy isnt there so I talk to another man who says he will get 'Chris' to call me.

It is now Tuesday. I have had no call from 'Chris' so i call them back. This time i'm lucky enough to speak to Chris, he explains that 'Richard' was only given one £20 note that night and cannot account for where it came from, so therefore i cannot have my change. What he fails to understand is that one £20 note was mine!!

So basically I paid £20 for a £7 taxi journey. And still no flight.

Christmas!!!

Ben as enthusiastic as ever!!

Me all excited on Christmas Morning

Me and Giverney in Spoons on Christmas Eve. Shes one of my favourites.

OK so i know this Blog is a little mixed up in terms of order but i promise that will sort itself out as time goes on!! I just wanted to show you some of my photos from my Christmas in England.

I was suppose to be spending Christmas and New Year in Holland with Jack but unfortunately he had to work so was booked on a last minute flight to England!! This was kinda good as i got to see my friends and some of my family, however it meant i couldn't spend my first Christmas with Jack which was a little bit rubbish!!

Anyway seen as i will be unable to post very many photos of my friends back in England once i return to the Netherlands i thought i would post some now!! hope you enjoy them!!

Tot Ziens!!

EasyJet Flight EC5CDSV

Right, so encase my week hasn't been bad enough.

I get to Schipol Airport and my flight to Bristol is cancelled!!! so the lovely woman (yes, singular, just one, for a whole plane full of passengers.) tells me that i can be put onto the next flight to Luton (this being the other side of the country for those of you who don't know) so i rush around to board this flight, get to the desk just as its closing. All is averagely OK so far.

I'm on the plane. We take off. We land.

I call my Dad. He's been drinking so can't drive the half an hour from his home to pick me up.

Still stranded in London!! Anyway so in the end i have to get a bus to the train station, a train to Farringdon, a train from Farringdon to Paddington and a train from Paddington to Reading. I then have to get a taxi to my Grandparents house, stay there over night, get a bus to the coach station and a four hour coach home to Devon!!!

25 hours and 35 minutes after leaving my home in Ridderkerk i finally arrive to my home in Newton Abbot!!

Yes. Feel for me.