The "Thirty" club - here I come!

I know women don't like to be asked about their age. So I thought I'd break the news myself and let the world know that I have just turned 30! Yes, I know it's hard to believe, I look so very amazing... Don't ask me about the latest face cream I use. It's just a priviledge of being married to a toy-boy. Oh, yes!


The cake was gorgeous, again supplied by Tesco's ( Jamie, we are failing...) but there you go. You can't do everything perfect. Oh, Grace really wanted me to have candles and I was really surprised when they both brought the cake in, fully lit! Watch out hair!


The supposed-to-be one-day event turned out to last 2 weeks with beautiful food at Candy Town with my girl-friends ( we were home by midnight, promise!), lazying about at the Marriott with my mum who was with us for a whole 2 weeks, and Cafe Rouge for a date with my hubby. And hey, I still have good things to come: a visit to a spa with the lovely Tasker Rd girls and a beauty voucher from my mum+dad in law. So, I guess I will look even better ...


As for now I have to say I am really enjoying this "Thirty Club". And just like my friend said I think there is something safe about knowing who I am and being more confident about life when you reach thirty. So I'm glad to say no major crisis yet. Oh, and after recent events with the kids' illnesses I think I may be an expert in more ways than one.

We've all had so much fun together and the kids had plenty of opportunity to practice their Polish. Grace is very proud of her newly found ability...

The three girls together...

A teraz polski zwyczajem...
Wiem ze kobiety nie pyta sie o wiek wiec postanowilam sama obwiescic swiatu ze wlasnie skonczylam 30 lat! To brzmi bardziej dumnie niz strasznie, moze zdazylam sie oswoic z tym faktem. Swietowania bylo prawie 2 tygodnie, poczawszy od wspanialej Chinszczyzny z kolezankami, lezenia w jakuzzi w Mariocie z moja mama, ktora byla z nami przez 2 tygodnie; i randka z mezem w Cafe Rouge. Chyba potrzebowalam wiecej smiechu i radosci i czasu dla mnie, po ostatniej chorobie Joey. Balam sie ze te cale urodziny nie maja jakos sensu ale na szczescie wyszlismy wszyscy z tego calo. Tak wiec moge dumnie powiedziec, ze nie boje sie 30-stki tak jak kiedys. Czuje sie bardziej pewnie, wiem kim jestem i mam wieksze poczucie wlasnej wartosci a to chyba dobrze. No i po wszystkich przejsciach jestem chyba ekspertem, tylko jeszcze nie wiem od czego!

A Big Thank You

Some of you may know that the last four weeks have been very difficult. Grace started with freaky scarlet fever, then nasty tonsillitis, Andy had two outbreaks of flu. This meant that the long-awaited half-term holiday had to be completely scrapped and we all had to just chill at home. Then we had paramedics and an ambulance outside and Joey was rushed into hospital with suspected meningitis. We stayed in for 6 days and it was the most stressful time in our lives. He had a full course of antibiotics for meningitis although we will never know whether it was that for definate. We are glad to say he has made a full recovery and absolutely loves being at home again! So, it leaves us to say a massive thank you to all our friends: the wonderful neighbours: Kerry, Jon, Richard, Miriam and Jo - without your love, support and quick response we would be stuck and starved; our wonderful church - for all the prayers, more meals, chats and love, and finally- to God whose hand was upon us all in this hard time and whose constant peace was so evident in the hospital room and back home.
Thank You, from the bottom of our hearts!

Life of luxury at Old Trafford - Shame about the result!

The beautiful game... shame about the score! And most of the stars are on the left.

Well thanks to my brother's genorosity we got to see the 'Orns at Old Trafford in some style. The night began with a Champagne reception. A three course meal. The match. Half time and after match snacks and drinks. A stand-up comedian. The opportunity to meet Norman Whiteside and Damien Francis of Watford. Ryan Giggs also made a fleeting visit. What a night but a shame about the 4-0 drumming! Well you can't have it all. A few pics from the evening. Although the smiles I was starting to feel under the weather with flu!

With my Dad and brother and getting to know one of Man U's sponsors!

It's my birthday!

Well, doesn't time fly when you're having fun? I can't believe Joe is 1! He has brought really special fun to our family and it's a joy to see how Grace absolutely adores her little brother. He is such a joyful little boy and we thank God for his first year of life.

So, here are some photos from the week of celebrations in the Hawkins house! And boy have we had fun...

Oh, and here is my pride and joy- the very first victoria sponge cake! Does that make me English?

Well, enjoy...

Here is the birthday boy with his bestest Adam and Becca...... and his little guests... and Dave-the-neighbour (so delighted with the crowd!)... where is Luke?

Oh, and Joe got driving lessons with his Christmas car!

The snow comes to Crookes!

Hey, we have snow outside! It's so very exciting, we just sit in the window watching the snowflakes dance in the wind. And Andy is hoping the school is shut tomorrow... Anyway, we may even have enough snow to go and try Bole Hills for a bit of fun on sledges.So, there you go, photos of one wintery day...

That's our garden, can't quite enjoy a glass of wine at the moment...

Mamusiu, zobacz, balwanek!

Kapiel to zawsze taki ekscytujacy i najlepszy czas dnia. Dla dzieci - bo jest piana i zabawki. Joe chodzi po calej wannie, nawet jesli musi przejsc po swojej siostrze. Dla nas, bo dzien dochodzi do konca i po uporzadkowaniu calego domu mozemy w koncu pasc przed telewizorem. No, Andy pada przed stosem klasowek do sprawdzania, biedak!

Tak wiec, komedii z malymi Hawkinsami ciag dalszy.

Hej, witamy!

Tak jak mowilam na poczatku, chcemy aby nasz blog byl dwujezyczny. Nie wiem jaki mi to wyjdzie, ale bede sie starac! Jesli sie zapedze po angielsku, to wybaczcie!
Czas pedzi jak szalony, albo to my pedzimy i nie nadazamy za czasem? Nie moge uwierzyc ze Andy i ja jestesmy po slubie juz ponad 5 lat, Grace we wrzesniu zaczyna szkole, a Joe bedzie zdmuchiwac pierwsza swieczke na swoim torcie urodzinowym juz za 3 tygodnie... To zapowiada sie chyba dosyc duzy rok - przede mna 30-dziestka!
Tak czy siak, to bedzie dobry rok, pelen wyzwan, smiechu, rozmow, modlitwy, od poniedzialku do niedzieli...
To do zobaczenia!

Don't let the sun go down on me, yeah!

Couldn't resist but share this photo with you because it's simply gorgeous! Here is Joe, as cute as ever...

Mummy, is it Christmas?

I know it's a bit old news but I still wanted to put these photos here. I (Ags) took Grace and Joe to Poland for 3 weeks, to spend some quality time with mum, dad, Pawel and Ben. We had an amazing time and the best thing was - it snowed! And it was only November 2nd! We were all VERY excited, Grace loved sledging and Joe kept looking into the sky what that white thing was? So it was a shame when the snow was gone after 5 days and all we are now left with is memories and pictures!

They both fell in love with Bumer the dog and the swans! We can't wait till next time although it doesn't snow in the summer... Don't worry, we'll find something to do!

Hey, I'm having a party!

We can't believe it! In October Grace turned FOUR! For the first time she had a proper party, with all the friends, fun and food (yes, smiley faces chips were present, sorry Jamie...). She had a fab time at the Megacentre, we were all impressed. It all had to be Charlie and Lola, the latest craze among the four-year-old girls ( and their mums of course). Oh, and yes, it was a pink Barbie cake, no not made by mummy (sorry, Jamie...) Even daddy had a fantastic time - one of Andy's dreams was to have a go on a bouncy castle without a care in the world! Unfortunately, Grace is the one flat on her face right next to him...

A teraz po polsku...

Nie mozemy uwierzyc, ze w pazdzierniku nasza corka Grace skonczyla 4 lata! Swietowania bylo nie malo, bo po raz pierwszy Grace miala prawdziwe przyjecie. Zaprosila wszystkich swoich przyjaciol, bylo mnostwo pizzy, balonow i w ogole czas super! Przyjecie bylo w chrzescijanskim centrum zabaw dla dzieci i wszyscy bylismy urzeczeni. Oto kilka wspomnien uwiecznionych w centrum zupelnego zapomnienia...

FREE TICKETS - 3-0 - ARE YOU WATCHING L*t*n TOWN?

Well one of the best experiences for the 'old skool' Hawkins so far! It certainly beat a trip to Wrexham,Port Vale or Stockport! Thanks to one of my dad's contacts we got free tickets from the main sponsors of Watford. It was a great day as my brother came over from Hungary - and my Dad travelled from Newcastle. Perhaps stopping off on the way down from Sheffield may have not been the wisest of moves - relieving ourselves with thousands of the Leeds faithful! The day was creamed off with the result, our view was spot on just a few rows back and on the half way line. However, got a bit worried when they set the massive explosions off at the beginning! Here's to the Premier League - The Man. Utd ticket is booked - Hopefully for more than 1 season. P.s Joe is a Hornet!