So that last post probably wasn’t the best one to keep you hanging on for the past 10 days but I really didn’t have much else that I wanted to write about and I refuse to moan constantly in each and every post here! I got back on Monday from a surprise trip to Lossiemouth for my dad’s 60th birthday. The break (especially from the interwebs) did me good and I’m back to my usual cheery self!
My mum had asked if he would drive her and my neice up on the Friday to meet some of the members from her GAP group for a weekend trip as a treat for the grandparents and kids. As soon as he left his house (which he shares with my uncle) my sister and I snuck in, packed him a bag of bits and bobs while my mum stalled then got about a half hour head start on them. It took us just under 2 hours and when we got there we decorated the inside of the caravan with banners and balloons and streamers.
About half an hour later I got a call from my mum to say that they were here (dad thought she was calling one of the girls) and they soon tracked down the right caravan letting my niece in first to hide with us. We heard my mum send my dad in with the suitcases and we pounced. He was completely clueless, laughed out loud and then exclaimed “but I don’t even have any clothes with me” when we told him we were all there for the whole weekend. Then my uncle snuck up on him from behind for an added surprise!
We were quite lucky with the weekend that we chose as it was an Open Weekend at Silver Sands in Lossiemouth with lots of activities. There was a small funfair, inflatables for the kids, a craft fair, carboot, race night and bottle bingo over the four days/three nights we were there. The first day we got our bearings and had a wander round the caravan park including the beach and the caves I remembered so well from when I was a kid.
In the evening we went to the funfair where my niece, my sister and I had the longest, fastest, spinniest waltzer ride ever (I actually felt sick!) and laughed a the bargain one go for 30p or three for £1 sign at the arcade! Of course the adults wanted to go for a drink (or 10) so we headed to the bar. I’m not much of a drinker and was more than happy to head back at the same time as my mum and niece and snuggle into bed. Unfortunately, due to the size of the caravan, I had to share a bed not only with my niece but also my mum so to say it was a squeeze was an understatement. I was seriously thankful to get home and sleep in a double bed all to myself!
The weekend itself seemed to slip by in a lovely relaxed haze. We built sandcastles on the beach, net fishing in rockpools (we even found a starfish!), took a walk up to the lighthouse where we found apples and berry’s growing in the wild. I ate far too much, did some more of my secret cross-stitch project and managed to watch both Doctor Who and the Singapore Grand Prix. On the Sunday afternoon my niece and I filled a holiday time capsule (more on this tomorrow) and we buried it on the beach before releasing the remaining balloons to the wind and the North Sea. It was really lovely just watching them float away on the tide I’m not sure why.
We were up and out by 10am on the Monday morning but not before one last trip to the beach to build another castle. I think it’s safe to say that this was the best sand castle I’ve ever built prior to 9am 
