We’re pleased to announce that the hedgehogs seem to be back in our garden. During our regular late night look out of the upstairs window at the rabbits before going to bed, David noticed a hedgehog. This was approx 11pm yesterday.
We’re really pleased that they are back and still happy to use our garden - even with rabbits nearby. There is sadly no photo as he was really motoring across the garden and back under the hedge!
It’s fair to say that David and I are guilty of neglecting our website over the past 6 months or so, and so we have finally got our acts together and thoroughly updated it. We’ve had a bit of a redesign, which is still a bit of a work in progress, and we’ve added our 2008 photos to our photo archive.
Since the last update at the end of 2007, our biggest news has to be our new additions to the family - our gorgeous lop bunnies, Bobbin and Casey. David got permission from our letting agents and land lady for us to keep a rabbit in the garden and so we set to work providing a new home for a pair of bunnies that needed rehoming - via Rabbit Rehome online. Bobbin and Casey have been keeping us busy since we collected them on 20th June and have really become part of the family. They now even have their own page on our website, although we will be updating it for them for obvious reasons!
Earlier this year we had a wonderful fortnight in Florida, to coincide with our 2nd Anniversary in February. We stayed in Orlando for 2 weeks, visiting all the usual sights as well as a few further afield. Besides the fun of SeaWorld and the Universal Studios and Disney World parks, we visited Kennedy Space Center and Busch Gardens (Africa).
Our exploration of Kennedy Space Center was awe-inspiring. The visitor complex tour includes NASA observation gantry and launch pads, the Apollo/Saturn V Center and International Space Station Center. There is also the opportunity to experience the Shuttle Launch Simulator and watch the fascinating IMAX space films. A walk through the Rocket Garden (to see the Redstone, Atlas and Titan rockets that first put NASA astronauts in space) and to the poignant Astronaut Memorial completed a really interesting and amazing experience. Whilst visiting the ‘Space Coast’ we went to Cocoa Beach where we walked along the beach and pier and put our feet in the other side of the Atlantic!
We also made the trip to Busch Gardens in Tampa Bay for a wonderful mix of wild animals and wild roller coasters! We experienced the delights of the safari and Serengeti Plain and Express train as well as some of the best roller-coasters. Although David was not so keen, my status of an ‘adrenalin junkie’ was confirmed and I would definitely recommend it to any likeminded thrill-seekers. My personal favourite was ‘Montu’ which is one of the tallest and longest inverted roller coasters in the world. A very smooth ride with 7 inversions, it includes an inverse diving loop and a 60-foot vertical loop while you endure speeds of over 60 miles per hour and a G-force of 3.85. Not for the faint-hearted!
Earlier this month we went to London for a long weekend with friends. We went to see the very funny Spamalot (starring Sanjeev Bhaskar), and visited the Imperial War Museum. However the main reason for our trip was my taking part in the British 10k London Run on Sunday 6th July. It was a big personal achievement for me, and the culmination of 12 weeks or so training. I completed the 10k in 63 minutes and raised £370.50 for Diabetes UK. I am now planning on continuing the training, after having had a few weeks off, with a view to running the Dartmoor Vale 10k in October. More details to follow.
Otherwise we are looking forward to our friends’ forthcoming weddings. Cath and Kevin will be getting married on 13th September in Wales and I am very much looking forward to being her Matron of Honour on the special day. We are also eagerly anticipating the wedding of Jonathan and Vivienne on 22nd November in Exeter. Before then we are planning a couple of weekends away, and I need time to work on persuading David to go skiing early next year…..
We promise to make a concerted effort to keep our news up-to-date and hope that there are people out there still reading this!
I now feel really bad as I have realised that I have not posted anything here for 2 months now. Sorry to the couple of people who actually read this…..
I thought it might be useful to write a short summary of 2007 as Christmas is rapidly approaching:
The year started well as David took up his new role in the IT department at Friends Provident. He has been working very hard this year and has really taken on the new challenge, progressing in the role more quickly than expected. I am sure he will be a little embarrassed by me writing this, but he was achieved the lofty heights of being declared ‘outstanding’ for the bonus review and will be promoted to band C when he goes back in the New Year - not bad for the first year of the job! 
I’m still plodding along working for the NHS at Devon PCT. The building that we work in was sold on 1st October 2006, but we are still yet to move out! Rooms are slowly being decommissioned and we should be moving in early 2008 - rumoured to be to County Hall but apparently they are assessing some other options still (basically too many people and not enough space, especially if we want the luxury of having desks and shelves!) More to follow on this when we know, but nothing happens particularly quickly and when you do find out you don’t get much notice. Fingers crossed for a city-centre location (or at least something easily accessible by bus).
Back in February we celebrated our 1st Anniversary with a long weekend in London, including a trip on the London Eye and river cruise - definitely recommended. We are looking forward to 2 weeks in Florida for our 2nd Anniversary in February 2008.
The decision to have a holiday was partly due to our series of disappointments in trying to buy a house. As most people know we tried again earlier in 2007, only for everything to fall apart days from reaching the finish line (and to rub salt into the wound receiving the bad news on my birthday!) 
We’re looking forward to getting away and having a fantastic time, before thinking about houses again and assessing what is happening with the market. There may also be an incentive in having a few more treat holidays before we are tied by a mortgage…or dare I say it ‘family’!! 
Here is hoping for a happier 27th birthday than my 26th. David was planning to get rabbits for me for my birthday, which sadly didn’t happen due to the house move (no pets allowed as we currently rent). We even had names picked out - Hiro and Ando for all you Heroes fans.
Otherwise there have been a lot of wedding related activies this year. My brother Andrew got married in October and we all had a fantastic time. Wedding-fever seems to have caught on as so many people are now engaged! Mark (my cousin) and Clair got married on 19th December in Barbados and are having a wedding party in Cornwall in January. Uni friends Cath and Kevin are getting married in September 2008 (and I was delighted to be asked to be matron of honour for her). Other friends got engaged during 2007 - Fiona and Darren, Louise and Nick, and Jonathan and Vivienne. 2008/09 is going to be a busy but very happy time for us in helping them celebrate! 
David and I have both lost weight during 2007. This is partly due to changes in diet, and partly due to the increased exercise I have been doing. Sadly, some of David’s has been due to a mystery illness which he has been putting up with all year, with regular blood tests and drs appointments. Something intially to do with his liver, and although feeling better he’s still not yet 100%. No over-eating and excessive drinking for us this festive season. Let’s hope he is back to 100% for 2008.
My other brief highlights for the year include meeting Jason Donovan and Alan Titchmarsh, and completing the Race for Life in July. I will be building on this in 2008 by taking part in the British 10k London Run in July - more details and pleas for sponsorship to follow next year!!!!
Happy Christmas to you all and best wishes for 2008.
P.S. I am sure I have forgotten something else important that happened during the year, but nevermind.