O Danny Boy….the summer’s gone

I am joining in with a Sizzling Summer Vacation Spectacular over at We Are THAT Family, and when I think of the end of the summer, the third line of Danny Boy always comes to mind.

Oh Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling
From glen to glen, and down the mountain side
The summer's gone, and all the flowers are dying
'Tis you, 'tis you must go and I must bide

So here is a quick synopsis of my 9 weeks of summer hols with my kids, husband and friends. It has been interspersed with digital scrapbook layouts and just a few of the many photos I took!

End of June – Schools Out. Head up to cottage on the Causeway Coast.

First week of July – rain, fog, beach, play grounds, beach, more rain, and more play grounds! Start an online digital photography course.

Second Week – some friends come to stay, and kids enjoy Portballintrae CSSM.

Week 3 – Husband off for 3 weeks – yippee!
We avoid the 12th, and play in fountains in Ballycastle.

More CSSM, beaches and parks
Take our youngest for his first ever cinema trip to see Wallee – big success.

Week 4 – New Horizon starts. More friends come to stay.

Weather improves.
Trip to Barry’s Amusements in Portrush

Dunluce Castle Mediveavl Fair is alway a highlight.

Fireworks in Portstewart for Red Sails Week – beautiful warm evening.

Week 5 – Shingles flares up – aarrrghhh! Fortunately my husband still has another week before returning to work.
Some more beach/park/shopping.

A trip to Giant’s Causeway – great place for the kids to clamber over the rocks.

Weeks 6 and 7 – return home from cottage. Kids love attending a Holiday Bible Club at Ballymacash with an Egyptian Theme. I was impressed by the egyptian costomes I created at very short notice.

Meet up with friends at Shaw’s Bridge. Have a Girls Night Out to see Mama Mia at the cinema.

Week 8 – Back to cottage, husband has another week’s leave. We miss the terrible flooding that flooded the Westlink in Belfast for days.
We buy sledges for the sand dunes – big success!

Take the kids to see Londonderry/Derry (Stroke city!) city walls.
My Birthday – have a night away at Radisson Roe Hotel in Limavady (thanks Mum and Dad for the childcare).

Week 9 – Having a quiet week, last minute school shopping, trip to the library. My son’s pre-school teacher comes to visit.

Are you still with me? If so, leave me a comment and tell me how your summer was.

Update I mentioned in my last post I was going for some hospital tests this week. All over, and all went well. Thanks for your thoughts and prayers.

Take care until next time.