Jack's GCSE Results & La Gacilly (Thursday 25th August 2016)

Thursday 25th August was Jack's GCSE results day! His friend was going to open Jack's results and message them to him.
We spent another morning on tenterhooks! I sanded our upstairs front window frames and gave them a coat of varnish whilst waiting.

They arrived by late morning... Jack reading them!

I've never been more curious than I was about Jack's results!! He never appeared to do much work, or seem very stressed during his exams. I'd ask him how he did each day, and he'd always say 'pretty good I think' or something like that. Well it turns out he did do pretty good! Brilliant in fact!! We were all absolutely delighted!!

I then drove us all to La Gacilly, to see the outdoor photos everywhere. We stopped off in Malestroit to buy a few bits for lunch. In La Gacilly, after having our usual baguette lunch on a picnic bench near the car park/river, we headed into the centre. Mum and Dad hadn't been before and I was excited to show them the place.

The themes for the year were Japan and Oceans. Here's Harry in Tokyo!

The exhibition on refugees/economic migrants was really sad.

It was so hot!! The guys waiting for Harry and I while we looked at one exhibition.

Mum wilting a bit.

I loved the contrasts! A Madagascan sapphire mine in an old Breton commune.

The place is just so pretty!

Ice creams before heading back - a really nice day out!

It's hard to photograph and hold an ice cream at the same time!

A new find! Cherry Bakewell 'Jaffa Cakes'!!! Delicious!

More France (19th - 24th August 2016)

Messing around on 19th August - I took a few pictures of Dad...

...and Mum! She had the old Canadian Airforce fitness book with her, and was working through it.

Got me doing it too!

It rained, which usually happens when Scott's here, poor guy!
Scott and I drove to Rennes Airport in the evening, for his flight home.

On Saturday 20th, the boys and I drove to Josselin, and stopped off for our usual quick run up the bell tower.

A rather windy and not very successful selfie of Harry and I from the top of the bell tower!

The Saturday market was on, which Harry was highly unappreciative of, saying ''Ugh!! That smells disgusting!'' at full volume. We bought a 'mad hatter' sticker for Lucy to take on her mission, then did a shop at Super U.

Dad kept the boys busy in the afternoon, letting them drive the go-kart to the woods, and collecting more wood. This is Harry driving! Mum and I had a lovely time just chatting in the garden, catching up on everything.

Some of Dad's pictures.

Caught in a down pour!

Back in England, Scott and Lucy went on a YSA Hike which Scott had organised, using the route around Woburn Safari Park which we'd previously done for a youth hike. Lucy sent this Snapchat!

The boys and I missed church on Sunday 21st August, because we didn't find out till too late that the order of the meetings had switched round. We just go for Sacrament Meeting in France, which is now first instead of last.
I took the boys for a walk round the Domaine de Kerguehennec instead.

I sat here for a bit while the boys played hide and seek, nodding, smiling and saying 'Oui, oui' to passing people who chatted mainly incomprehensibly to me!

We then wandered up to the walled garden where there was this new art installation!

The boys trying to figure it out.

We walked to the top of the drive and found there was a vintage car rally going on, which the boys enjoyed!

There was also a field of vintage fire engines!

Gorgeous coloured cars!

Harry's favourite!

We then wandered back, and much to Harry's disgust went for a walk down to the lake.

Harry's mood was further 'improved' when he slipped over in the stream and got his trousers soaking wet!

More modern art - boys still unimpressed!

Monday 22nd August - a gorgeous day in the garden. The boys carried on helping split and move logs.

Ken and Bev's veggie garden behind the bread oven looking good.

The bread oven now has a window and mezzanine level!

Harry looking at the new chicken run, and Tommy the cockerel.

The well has a new surround, and Ken and Dad have fitted a pump so we can now use the well water!

Mum and I sat in the back garden and felt perfectly happy just chatting and reading again!

On Tuesday 23rd we headed to Suscinio beach. Another gorgeous day! We got there quite early so hardly anyone was there to start with. We didn't realise we had left a car door wide open though, and a nice man followed us all the way to the beach to tell us!

Jack trying out Scott's new snorkel thing. He said it's pretty good!

Mum and Dad were joining us a bit later, so we decided to mainly bury Harry, hide his head, then pretend we didn't know where we was when they arrived!

We kept an eye on the car park, then when we saw Mum and Dad's black Galaxy coming, hid Harry under the inflatable car! Everything went according to plan, and Mum was starting to get mildly anxious about where Harry was when we revealed him! It took a while to dig him back out, by which time his legs felt a bit squashed!

Dad bought his dinghy!

All the clobber we (mainly Mum and Dad!) brought!

Harry getting himself comfy.

Tom doesn't really like heat!

Mum and Dad headed off, and we went for a walk round the chateau.

I was dismayed to see that all the gnarly old trees had been completely removed from round the back!

 I couldn't resist taking more garden pictures when we got back.

Who needs TV? Perfectly content watching chickens out my bedroom window.

Lucy had a nice day too with Rachel Smith, who used to be in our Ward but goes to uni in Bath now. They met up in Peterborough.

Wednesday 24th August.
Dad's Rocket stove so far! Very fuel efficient and clean burning.

I took the boys on a bike ride across the farm tracks to Plumelec.

It was very hot, sweaty work! To make matters worse, the cake shop in Plumelec was shut! By the time we got home again, my backside was painful and my arms were shaken to bits from the rocky paths!

Harry chilling out back home.