MY HERO - FIFI

My sister in law, Fifi, came to look after me last week with her little boy Romain.  I took these photos;

Dinner time with her brother

She made this for dinner - a crepe cake with layers of crepes and inbetween, ham, spinach, mushrooms etc, delicious!!!!

Samuel and Benjamin's cousin Romain - the most delightful little boy!

FETE DE L'ECOLE

Kind of back on my feet, one good day and then one bad, but overall I think I am getting there.  On Saturday I had my staples removed and then raced to see Samuel at school.  My sister in law has saved the day as Manu is working this week, so she has come to help me with the kids - Thank heavens for Fifi.  Anyway she took them up as it was Fete de L'ecole.  This is the closing party the weekend before school closes and all the schools celebrate, either with a fete or a show.  Ours did a show, games for the kids and then a big bbq, It was so well organised for a little school and a great atmosphere.  I missed a few songs because the nurse was late but got there in the end..........

Sam is the one with shorts and one brace bouncing off.

The week before we visited Lac Illets, just round the corner from the hospital actually.  It seems a great place to swim in the summer so we'll be going back here.

Sam on crutches due to a strained ankel in Jujitsu

And of course the day after I got home our shipment arrived.  It is still sitting in the garage, can't face that this week.



DONE AND DUSTED

Well I'm out.  Went in Thursday night in the end as the hospital changed there minds and had the op Friday morning.  It went well, 4 hours but 3 spent in recovery so I never came out till 6pm.  Manu and the Boys were waiting for me in my ward.  I had a private ward with a great view of the mountains so that makes it easier.  Anyway, 40 cm of colon gone - very very sick colon - to quote my surgeon and a few holes and about 18 staples and we are good to go.  I came home yesterday and have a private nurse visiting.  I no longer have diverticular disease and so can look forward to normal living.  I am already eating veggies again and a little fruit.  Although in hectic pain its great being home with the boys and a big thank you to all for your positive thoughts and energy.  Heather I received your wonderful magazines in the post today and have lounged in bed all day reading them what a treat.  So a big thank you to all my lovely friends and family.

CATCH YOU NEXT WEEK

Well I'm off, meant to go into hospital tomorrow morning but they've called me in a day early.  The op is still scheduled for first thing in the morning, saves us all getting up at the crack of dawn I s'pose.  So I'll catch you all up once my diseased part of the colon has been removed.  Miss you all. xx

THE LONG WEEKEND

We had a long weekend - AGAIN.  The kids already get Wednesdays off so another day to add and they were thrilled as you can imagine.  Sunday was quiet as Manu was working so we wondered into Megeve for the Megeve Time Mt Blanc race.  Involving about 2000 cyclists and a lot of mileage it was fun to watch them come through to the finish line.

Then it was off to the park with Stephanie and Pascal for a game Boulles.  Samuel was a pro I tell you.

On Monday, Manu was off, so I nagged and nagged until I got my way and we went for a drive.  This is what we found...........

The drive - there are just fields and fields of wild flowers at the moment

So here we are at the Barrage of Rosaland a mere 30 minutes drive from us.  There are four of these dams in total in this area and they are fed from glaciers and melting snow, this one holds 185 million cubic meters of water.  All of the dams are used for hydroelectricity. 

 We stopped at Beaufort on the way back, a really pretty village in the valley

 Eau Potable meaning you can drink the water, this one had a brand new wash board in it which means its still used today for washing clothes.

A Typical street in Beaufort.  They make my favourite cheese in this village, Beaufort Ete - which is the summer version and Beaufort Hiver is the winter version.  Both versions taste different due to the cows grazing on different grasses and flowers in the various seasons, this effects the taste of the milk.

The Church

Even the satelite dishes go with the decor of the village

Another typical street

Benjamin trying the Eau Potable

Having a Kir and Ice cream at a bar in Beaufort

PANCAKES ANYONE?

Well still trying to recover from my tiny op on Thursday and goodness knows how I'm going to recover from the big one next week.  I think my system is done and that's probably why I am so run down.  So I decided to do a pyjama morning with the boys - they weren't complaining.  Manu is working this weekend and exhausted, he is also completely run down and now appears to have Liver issues, so after his scan on Tuesday we may just book a joint room in Hospital Mt Blanc.  So I made my pancakes this morning.  In South Africa I made these every Saturday but have kinda forgotten the tradition.  So it was off to work I go and ...................

Throw 225g plain flour, 1 Tbs baking powder, 1 tsp sugar, 2 eggs, 2 Tbs oil, 300 ml milk into a blender, Robo or just a bowl, and whisk, blend or stir really fast for 2 minutes, stand in fridge for 30 minutes and then spoon onto a hot pan.  The kids like them with Nutella mainly because Maple syrup is a tad to pricey in France, and then once I've made them two or three big ones for breakfast I make a whole lot of little ones for tea time - cover and they keep for 3 days, also heat up nicely in a microwave.

ONE DOWN ONE TO GO

The Dialysis section in Mt Blanc, hopefully I won't be using that hahahaha, but I thought the picture impressive.

So it was off to Hospital Mount Blanc yesterday yet again for my small op before the big one next week.  Everything is on track although I have infection they are going ahead with the op next week which will be three hours and I will be in hospital a minimum of five days.  I am having the left colon removed which is diseased and apparantly has a number of holes in according to results yesterday.  It's a great hospital as far as hospitals go because they just get things done.  Hygeine wise its rated one of the best too.  Lets hope I get a mountain view.  Phew going to lie down because the drugs are turning my head - whoooop whooop

THE BIG 4 OH

FOURTY.  My goodness, well I turned 40 yesterday and I had such a calm day it was lovely.  I was completely wiped out from the weekend mind you, after Bourgogne and Annecy our friends from the States came back with us with their two girls and stayed till yesterday morning.  I am preparing for a big op next week so it was off to the Lab for blood tests in the morning.  Then Manu took me for coffee.  We cancelled lunch out as I am not well enough to enjoy a three course meal so we'll do that when I can eat all my favorite things.

My brother and his wife (Julian and Joelle) sent me the beautiful heart locket for my birthday.

Manu booked a private beautician to come to the house and give me a leg and foot massage and a complete facial.  It was great and so relaxing.  For dinner we bought champagne and invited Seb - Mr Rothschild’s Butler - he is such a lovely guy and we had prawns and scallops.  So a great day and thank you to you all for thinking of me and sending me so many lovely wishes. xx

Our friends from the States treated me to Champagne and Cake for dinner aswell as brought the Scallops, this is Jean-Michelle with Manu



The girls baked Chocolate Chip cookies the night before with Benjamin for my birthday

My beautiful flowers from the entire Guillet family

Seb enjoying his Scallops



mmmm spoilt from Seb

SCHOOL TRIP

Samuel left yesterday for a three day trip to Chamonix.  The entire school is going, paid for by the school so no choice, although personally a lot of parents felt 6 and 7 is too young for a school trip.  Anyway he left a little apprehensive but excited.  They have all sorts of things planned - train trips, ice caves, fauna park, local animal park and it's all 45 minutes away so not bad.  Actually I missed him yesterday but it was really Manu that was not coping at all.  Funny hey.

Not able to see him here but he's seated above the first i.

BOURGOGNE

We went to Bourgogne this weekend.  Manu's parents were staying at his sisters place to look after Romain whilst they went away for a week.  Samuel and Benjamin had fun and really enjoyed playing with there little cousin.

 Manu's parents with the boys and Romain

The boys taking Romain for a walk

The town of Chagny in Bourgogne

Picking Cherries in their garden

And we had a surprise visit from Manu's cousin - Eric, who was in Bourgogne with his wife and baby for a wedding from Paris, so it was nice to catch up.

Then for the Saturday night we went to Lac Annecy to see some friends who are here on holiday from the States.  The lake is the second largest in France and very impressive.