Friday 25 April 2014

Back and ready to share some holiday goss...

Helloooo my lovelies, we are finally home after a glorious few weeks away. I hope you all enjoyed a bountiful Easter in the company of loved ones. We arrived home late Tuesday and to be honest this week has been a little surreal. It seems that a big part of my heart is still in South Africa, but I am equally embracing the comforts of our own home and spending time with our creatures whom are beyond happy that we are home. Today I just wanted to quickly share our pit stop in Amsterdam on our way to South Africa.




 
We didn't have a great deal of time, but we hoped to at least manage a visit to the house of Anne Frank and the Rijksmuseum. Sadly the cue to get into Ann Frank's house was beyond anything we could have endured with two small children and as it turned out the Rijksmuseum closed too early for a proper visit, hey ho, it certainly didn't stop us from enjoying our afternoon in Amsterdam.
 
 



We enjoyed a lovely trip along the canal and when we finally got off at the Rijksmuseum, the kids ran straight through to the park at the back of the museum and that is where we spent our last hour of the afternoon. It took the kids no time at all to get themselves pretty wet and the water fun didn't stop there! They also found this amazing fountain where they could dance in the middle without getting a great deal wetter and the most fun was had trying to synchronise their running with the water, lets just say there were quite a few excited screams. It certainly provided good entertainment for everyone around.
 

 






I could have spent hours in this pretty park, which seemed like the perfect place to soak up the ambiance whilst enjoying a good book, and maybe even a glass of bubbly, now one can but dream. Our brief visit to Amsterdam seemed like the perfect way to begin our holiday and definitely made the journey a little more tolerable.

 

 
 
 
I have spent the last couple of days starting to work through our jungle of a garden, I honestly couldn't believe how much things have grown in the time we were away. We also celebrated little Es's fifth birthday yesterday and I still have to pinch myself that my baby has turned five, where has the time gone???!! It really only feels like yesterday when I held her small body in my arms and looked at her beautiful face with complete love and adoration and how that love has grown, wow!
 
This of course means a birthday party to prepare for next Saturday. Now any of my friends will tell you that I am a girl who likes a good kiddies party and if I am honest I generally tend to get a little carried away with the whole affair, but hey who says we can't! I am however usually soooo organised by this point, but this year it seems that my more laid back approach and my 'no-lists' motto might be landing me in a pot of hot boiling water, or not, time will tell. Not that I am too bothered about it seems as I spent a few hours this morning cutting fabric (not for the party I will add), which is pretty constructive right?!
 
It seems I have hundreds of photos to work through from our holiday in SA and I promise to share a few posts about our trip. In the meantime though, I need to make a start on this mandala for the Monthly Mand-a-long project, for any of you who missed this post you can catch up here and for all of you lovely people who already joined in THANK YOU!!! you are amazing and I look forward to spending some time over the next week visiting all your blogs and catching up on these gorgeous mandala's you have created!
 
For now though
I have piles of washing awaiting a hot iron, parcels to post, letters to write, emails to deal with, not to mention blogs to read. I suspect that I will struggle to catch up with all your news from the last three+ weeks, but I promise to do my best to at least get to the most recent ones.
 
Wishing you all a fabulous weekend, lets hope this rain goes away for us folk here in the UK.
 
Warm Wishes
Hannapat
xoxoxo

18 comments:

  1. My Dearest Hannapat - I am on my way to bed but one last check found you here, and I just want to say welcome home and I'll talk with you very soon! I'm so happy that all is well with you and your loved ones and I look forward to catching up with all your news soon! Much love to you and yours, Joy xoxo

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  2. Nothing better than kids and water. Sounds (and LOOKS) like you had a fabulous time...jealous!!! Looking forward to reading more - happy weekend, Hannahpat! XOXO

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  3. Dear Hannapat,
    It's so much fun to see your hometown through the eyes of someone else, it looks like you and your family had a great time!!
    Wish you and your (not so little any more) girl a lovely Birthday party next Sunday! Anita xo

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  4. Nice to see you again! I've always wanted to visit Amsterdam, hopefully someday. Happy birthday to Es!

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  5. Glad you had such a good time, and that you're back safely. Happy birthday to little E. I have a five as well, and it's such a happy age, so much joy and excitement and enthusiasm still, I love it. I hope you all have a really good weekend. CJ xx

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  6. Hi there, just catching up myself! Glad that you have had a good time away and great to hear from you. Hope that you have a good weekend and enjoy remembering your holiday! Looks as though Amsterdam was great even if you had a change of plans from what you hoped to do. Happy weekend! xx

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  7. Aha, it's morning now and I want to say Happy Birthday to lovely little Es, and I'm sure her party will be tops! It's a small world isn't it Hannapat - my younger daughter shared similar pics with me from Amstersdam last year, where 'they' had a few days stay with friends who have an apartment in the city! It's so lovely to see the children having such fun, and what better than water to add to their bliss and excitement!
    Coming home is always so nice but I understand the wrench from family in SA must be very difficult for you! You'll soon settle again though, and by the time you catch up with all the washing, etc., etc., you'll be having a birthday party to enjoy and all those pics to post and share with us - you won't have time to think!
    Wishing you the very best as always, take care of yourself my dear friend, and lots of love winging its way to you and yours from me! Joy xoxo

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  8. Hello Hannapat! How marvellous that you went to South Africa and managed to stop in Amsterdam. I haven't been to South Africa yet but from the photos I have seen it is a beautiful country. The last time I travelled to East Africa I stopped for a day tour in Amsterdam. It seems like such a beautiful and liveable city and you've captured that very well through your photos. Welcome back!

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  9. Hi Hannapat so lovely to have you back, I have really missed you. Holland is just a fabulous country and your photographs brought back memories for me when we stayed - we always had such lovely times there and I would love to go back sometime. Take it easy Hannapat and ease yourself back into life, look forward to hearing all your exciting news. Big hugs and loves
    Dorothyxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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  10. Welcome home, ease back into reality slowly, like I'm doing! :-) Enjoy the party and birthday weekend...I love Amsterdam, it is a lovely city just to hang out in, so glad you had fun despite the thwarted plans! Looking forward to hearing more about home...cxxx

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  11. Hey Hannapat,
    Lovely to have you back! I have always wanted to visit Amsterdam, and the book group I belong to once mooted an idea of a trip there (we had been reading Anne Frank's Diary). It looks gorgeous. Looking forward to hearing all about your trip to SA to see family.
    Leanne xx

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  12. I too would like to go to the Anne Frank House, shame about the queues. It looks like the park was lovely, I do like city parks and nice to break the journey. I have a little plan being made in my head about a visit to Amsterdam sometime, I would also like to see the Van Gogh Musuem. Happy landing look forward to hearing more, Heather x

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  13. Hello and welcome back. Looks wonderful in Amsterdam, I have never been but would love to one day. Cant wait to see your SA pictures too.XX

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  14. Welcome back, Hannapat! I loved seeing you pictures of Amsterdam in the sunshine! It is a city I have been to a few times and I love it there. It looks as if you had a good time too :) I hope you have a happy week, gradually getting things sorted, and having time to relax a bit too. Looking forward to hearing more about your visit home.
    Happy week!
    Helen xox

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  15. ~ Lovely to have you home on here, Dear Hannapat!
    Wow can't wait to hear and see pictures of South Africa..How very special for you all..
    Although I've been to Holland once, we passed through Amsterdam quickly on route...to Assen...( My boy was racing there, when young) I wish we had taken a trip and seen this wonderful vibrant city..
    Your pictures look fabby! ~ beautiful sunshine and vibrant gardens always warm the heart and soul...
    Ooh wishing you a party that's of the happiest kind....Have fun!
    ~ With kindest hugs and kisses..
    Maria x

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  16. Now now this is somewhere I'd love to visit one day, looks brilliant. Looking forward to seeing more photos, that's of course once all that washing has been done! ;) x

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  17. I went to SA on y own when I was 26 to sort myself out from a boyfriend disaster and had a brilliant 2 months on the backpacker bus, hopping on and off when I chose - those were the days!! I would love to see some pictures though to jog my memory in case you went anywhere I did. Jo x

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  18. Hello...it is so lovely to have you back! I so enjoyed those beautiful photos of Amsterdam, it is a place I am very keen to visit. It sounds like you had a wonderful time away and I look forward to hearing all about it and seeing your lovely photographs here too. A very happy birthday to little Es!! I hope the party went well...I am sure you made everything wonderful for her.
    Marianne xxx

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