It’s been ages since I’ve blogged  …Sorry!!
It’s been full on here with teaching, filming, transplanting, entertaining.  Simon’s been non stop and hasn’t really had a proper day off since we arrived back.  I on the other hand have had a couple 😀
So you’ll be all glad to hear that Fiona, Chris and he girls arrived safely.  They had a great flight but with hardly any sleep.  So without too much of a delay and going through the experience of the new ‘check in’ process, down at the pier, they got on the Haad Tien shuttle bus and headed off to their resort.   I gave them an hour or two before cycling over to see them 🙂   LOL
The resort seems a lot busier, probably due to the summer holidays but it is still one of the prettiest resorts on the island.

This time, Fi and the gang have their place under the tree’s which is much prettier than being by the pool. you have shade, a breeze, you can hear the waves lapping so the hardest decision to be made is ..Pool or sea?  Sea or pool? 

We’ve been out snorkeling but no sign of Terry the turtle. I did see a black tip reef shark which Fi missed as she was clearing her mask ;-D

Their first couple of nights, obviously being so tired from the journey, Fiona, Chris and the girls decided not to venture out so invited Simon and I to join them for dinner which was super!

Chris & Fiona’s 23rd Wedding Anniversary tomorrow, so we’re taking the girls out while they have a romantic meal together at ‘Whitening!  😀   

I don’t know whether jet lag affects you more as you get older but we both really struggled the first few days we were back on Koh Tao.  We arrived back on the Tuesday afternoon and I took the next day off as I was shattered and also wanted to clean the house from ghekko poo, cobwebs and dust.    Poor ole Simon, was straight back into filming Open Water students as the video team were short on bodies.  I really don’t know how he managed as he had hardly any sleep and swollen ankles which were really painful to walk with.   He is such a trooper!!

Since we’ve been back, most days have been overcast with the wind picking up late afternoon bringing the odd heavy shower.  The UK was hotter LOL

We’ve had friends visiting from San Francisco, Garth, Alissa and Jamie.  It’s been 10 years or so since I last saw Alissa but only a couple of years since Garth & Jamie popped into the farm for a surprise visit.   While they were here, Jamie did his Junior Open Water, Garth & Alissa did a refresher course and came out with Simon and I on a few fun dives and they even joined in with our beach clean up with the DMC’s.  After that, everyday they used to walk up to Crystal along the beach from the Regal resort with a handfuls of rubbish.  It was great to see!

Today was a sad day as they left the island on the next leg of their journey.  They are now off to Borneo to the Orangutan rehabilitation center which Simon and I visited on our honeymoon.   Arghhh  ..amazing memories 😀

Spending the majority of June in the UK has been bliss.  We’ve had gorgeous weather in fact the weather has been better than Thailand.  Since we left, the weather has been really windy and wet 😀

As always it’s been fantastic to spend time with the family and friends and to have holidays within a holiday.   Spending a week with 16 family members might sound like a nightmare for some people but we all had an amazing time

After arriving back at the farm with Rosie and Charles, it was only a couple of days before we were off again.  This time to visit Simon’s family, staying a night at his dads…

…his mum’s for a meal and then on to a 40th Birthday party and then his brothers before driving onto Skipsea Sands holiday park for a little mini break with his mum, Del, Roy, auntie Pat and uncle Ken which was a giggle.

It’s lovely coming back to the UK.  Simon and I are especially lucky to be able to stay with Rosie and Charles on the farm.  Coming back and staying elsewhere would just not be the same. We are so fortunate that we have such an amazing family  😀