Hi Mummy darling,
Just writing to wish you a happy birthday.
I know you were always not very keen on celebrating your birthday but we’re here at Centreparcs for it, as you always loved.
Our girls have got lots of activities planned including roller skating, archery, pumpkin carving and swimming of course.
It’s lovely being here but being at Elveden without you is really hard and I am missing you terribly.
Have a lovely day Mum and enjoy your cup of tea.
All my love
Pen
Hi Mummy darling,
I had my hospital appointment and I have been given the all clear, it’s just a lump 😃.
I had the joy of going for a mammogram, which didn’t give the answer so I had to go for an ultra sound which showed there’s nothing to worry about.
Which is really great news.
It was Dad’s birthday last Friday and we spent the day together which was lovely.
He talked about you quite a lot Mum, obviously a day of reflection for him, he came to the girls’ swimming lesson with me and then treated them to tea on his birthday, bless him.
On Saturday we had a birthday breakfast at Vics and then took my girls and Isabelle to Dymchurch.
We had a lovely walk on the beach and he girls had great fun on the rides.
The day was slightly ruined by my girls not doing what their told (which has been an ongoing problem for a little while) and it ended up with Madison falling down some stairs, breaking her glasses and cutting her leg! I put them in he car and we went home!!
On the Sunday we went out with the Osborne’s for their birthdays and the girls were much better behaved so hopefully Saturday is enough to change the behaviour.
I’ve got a new phone Mum which means I am going to lose our text conversation.
I know things can’t stay the same but it has made me very sad.
I read through your messages as I took photos of them all last night. I miss texting and talking to you so much.
You adjust to not having it every day but reading your words has made my heart ache so much.
You were always so supportive Mum and I used to get text messages out of the blue to say you love me (which my husband still does) but I really miss receiving them from my Mum.
Thinking of you lots Mum.
Sending you all my love
Love
Me xxx
Hi Mum,
How are you?
We’ve been busy as always but last weekend i got to go to Florence.
It doesn’t seem real that we have been and come back but it was SO worth it.
I feel like I can’t thank Jim and Kiri enough of my present.
We flew out on the Friday morning, after me being bought a new pair of sunglasses as my Ralph Lauren’s were lost again on our way back from Menorca.
The view from the plane was amazing and we arrived in Florence at about midday and we had already decided to head straight for Pisa to see the leaning tower.
We got to the hotel and dropped off our bags, only to find out there was a taxi strike and that we would have to get the bus to the train station.
We were already cutting it fine to get their with our booked tickets but we decided to go anyway.
We go to the train station and had great fun sorting out our tickets and finding the train but thanks to the advice of friends we found it all.
The train journey took an hour and then we managed to get a taxi from the station which we shared with an american couple that we met on the train. I think they thought we were crazy :-D.
The Leaning Tower is amazing Mum, and has been underpinned so it is completely safe to climb which we of course did.
It was so strange that you moved in different directions as you climbed and the view from the top is beautiful.
Mike and I also did the obligatory photos of pushing and poking it, but hilariously I also high-fived somebody who was doing the pose, she thought I was crazy, I thought it was hilarious :-D.
We headed back to Florence, after having a Gelato (ice cream), well, we were told it is compulsory.
Having got up at 04:30 we didn’t do much in the evening as we were so tired.
On Saturday we headed out early, in the rain, but for the activity we had booked that I was most looking forward to but felt the most poignant about.
We went to see Michaelangelo’s David.
I think about you a lot anyway but I couldn’t stop thinking about you as we walked to the gallery.
40 minutes in the wrong direction at first haha, but we found it.
We had to queue for quite a while even though we had pre-booked tickets before we could go in.
He is mesmerizing in real life Mum.
I felt like I could stand and look at him for ages. The details down to the veins in his arms is astonishing but you feel like you have to move after a while in case you look like pervert haha.
We did go back after looking at the art and other statues.
I’m sure that as well as loving the statue the other reason I found it so hard to move away was that it made me feel closer to you Mum.
To be stood near something that was so dear to your heart. I just wanted you to be there with me and Mike.
We spent the rest of the day exploring Florence and visiting the main sites in between food, gelato and drinks.
I had a few issues with the 4 euro umbrella that we bought, which ended up being taken by somebody else as you have to leave your umbrellas at the entrance to all of the shops!
but even with it wet we still had a fun day which included a drink in the Gucci cafe.
The Sunday was a beautiful day with the sun shining, making Florence a completely different city all over again.
There were different musical groups playing in the streets, market stalls everywhere selling tut and SO many people.
We walked around for a while but Mike had hurt his ankle at the beginning of the week so by the Sunday it was really hurting.
We walked back up to the Piazza de Michaelangelo though to get the views of the city in the sunshine and to see the bronze David in the sun before having to head to the airport to come home.
Our girls had the most great weekend at Uncle Jim and Auntie Kiri’s and Jim did all homework with them on the Saturday so it was all done.
My other news Mum is that I have found a lump in my left breast.
I have been to the doctors who don’t think it is anything to worry about but I have been referred just in case.
My appointment is on Tuesday morning at 08:45.
I so wish you were here, a Mum hug would be great right now.
I’ll keep you posted on how it goes but anything you can do to help would be amazing.
Love and missing you terribly.
All my love
Pen xxx
Ladypitstop's Life 