COMING SOON

A RICKNKATE BLOGSPOT EXCLUSIVE

STARRING
DAVID ALLEN "HE-MAN"
"defender of ne nooniverse"


Will be available with subtitles...

WATCH THIS SPACE

This is worth a look- TRUST ME!!

Just watch and listen-

if it isn't up and running yet come back and visit soon, as it will be working shortly!

Mum and Stewarts Birthday

Well my little Bro stewart was born on my mums birthday 18 years ago tomorrow. A very important year for them both as stewart hits the big 18 and mum the smaller and more insignificant 50!!!!!

Sunday was Stewarts birthday lunch of choice which was the red panda at junction one. Lovely meal. Then home to open presents (stew got a chocolate fountain).



Tonight we went with nana and papa to Ballyrobin for mums birthday te surprise (it was a surprise up to a point). Again another lovely meal and a great night had by all!!




HAPPY BIRTHDAY MUM AND STEWART...

Christmas is near, its that time of year!

Well, we had a great nights craic at the senior allen house last friday night! I didn't realise making ginger bread houses could get so competitive (what was I thinking, with lilian, rick, nicola whyte and may green in the same room of course it would be competitive!) anyway, it was loads of fun and here are some pics of the finished products...by the way we should have won beacuse we had a window!!

The following day Lilian and I went and bought a Christmas Tree. I have never chosen a real Christmas Tree before but apparently it was my fault that the trunk bent half up the tree... it was fun, although lilian did all the decorating. That seems to be the way I help her decorate, to sit back and watch! :)

To further the Christmas spirit Rick and I took my nana and papa mccartney and ricks granny winnie to Crawfordsburn Inn for afternoon tea on Monday. Apart from the service lacking a little professionalism when we arrived the food was delicious and the atmosphere was perfect. The fire was lit and while we ate our scones and cream and cucumber sandwhiches we simply had a great time. These are memories to be treasured for sure!!

So long, farewell...

Well, as sad as I am to say this, I finish work today. Slightly earlier than originally planned but when beanie says stop, I stop!! So after 19 weeks in the Department of Health at Stormont, I am leaving.
Civil service definitely has its benefits and I have learned a fair wee bit from the Doctors here (especially since I plan to go into psychology type things at some stage!)
Well bye bye government ppl...

also tonight we are going to the allen parents to make ginger bread houses (secretly quite excited). The Christmas spirit has begun...

xx

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

First of all today is Daves birthday in Canada.... so HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAVE and hope you have a really good one!! Missing you guys!




Secondly, above you will see two pictures...one is Louis Walsh (manager of bands such as westlife, girls aloud and mentor on x factor). The second is a headshot of my uncle Bill who works in the TV industry (very important person!!) in America.

Can you guess which is which??
Leave all comments below...

xx

An update

Felt that we haven't written in a while but that is mainly due to the fact that we haven't been doing anything out of the ordinary.
Anyway, here is boring blog entry.

So, we have been busy but just working, church stuff and getting the house ready for beanie's arrival. Katie and Rick finish work in 3 weeks for Christmas woohoo!! Rick will go back but Katie wont. Rearranging furniture, building wardrobes, tiling bathrooms...very time consuming but these things need to be done before Christmas!

Well I don't like reading blogs without pictures... so here is a pic of a pram very much like what we bought for beanie a couple of weeks ago- how exciting.

Preggers Katie

Well as I said last week I feel huge and ever expanding. As some of our friends (Janet in US), (Steph in France) and of course the Allens in Canada have not seen Katie in some time...

this is what she looks like!!




She is a bit uncomfortable and beanie is a real mover, but both are well...
all very exciting!

...and I love you BABY

Babies, babies , babies,

and boy do I still feel VERY pregnant- 10 weeks and counting!
Both sets of friends who were pregnant have now given birth! Keith and Emma (who Rick sails with) had a wee boy last Thursday and called him Ben and Keith and Jude (from James Bond pics below) had a wee girl this morning and called her Mia. All mums and tots well.

Just me to go now! Can't wait to see the little babies, get some practice in, I don't even know how to hold one!

Pics should follow soon
K xx

Not much happening- but lots going on...

Well after the super duper James Bond night I was totally wiped out and was off work for a week...but feeling much better now!

Rick has been very busy over past couple of weeks but nothing too exciting has been happening.
Did you know there is such a thing as RLS (Restless leg syndrome). well there is and I have it...very annoying!
Last weekend we went to see Shaun Groves, Christian singer from Texas, it was brill. Stewart had bought Rick tickets for his birthday. Highly recommend buying the CD!

well out bowling this weekend which should be good...

Katie

Bond...James Bond

Friday night Rick and I went with Keith and Jude tp a Casino Royale, James Bond theme night at the Europa. It was brill, we got all dressed up and had a beautiful 4 course meal. The night was organised by Firefighters to raise money for Childrens Cancer Research. There was an auction, ballotts and then different poker tables and things all geared up to raise lots of money. Jude and I couldn't think of any pregnant James Bond girls but we reckon we didn't stick out..too much!!

Mount Stewart

Well Rick was working this weekend so Lindsay and Lilian came down to Greyabbey on Saturday afternoon. We went to Mount Stewart and the harvest food fayre. It was nice to nibble my way round. I have never exerienced the Farmers Market at St Georges Market but apparently this fayre didn't compare! I did come away with some goodies though!


Rick is also working today so down with mum dad and stewart. Enjoying a day of not doing very much!!

Katie

Birthdays and dinners...

I finally got a chance to catch up with the girlies...apart from Janet who is on her year out in America! We had a great nights craic and Lauren cooked the most amazing meal!

A wee while ago Evie Mills was 2! Can you believe it?! I think she had a great party and loved her fiary princess outfit that we got her!

Tuesday was Ricks birthday so we had a McIlrath birthday in Ballymena on Sunday and an Allen birthday at Winnies on Monday night. Both were great and Rick did pretty well from them...he should have a birthday more often.
He was the non significant big 2-8! Striding ever closer to 30...I have to laugh, when he is 30 I will still be younger than he is at the minute!




Well this week should be clamer than usual...looking forward to next Friday though. Rick and I are going to a James Bond night at the Europa with Keith and Jude! Should be good.
Thats all for now.
K xx

So its been ages...

Well a lot has happened since I last properly posted way back in July, can you believe it is nearly October?!
There has been so much going on that I thought I would take a photo from each fairly significant event...

July- Rick, Katie , Mum and Dad McIlrath, Mum and Dad Allen (Wicklow)
We had a great holiday, 3 weeks of pure relaxation!





August- We caught up with friends (Katie started working in Stormont)













September- Well the weather has been abnormally beautiful. Just went for wee walks with friends...












My auntie Jacqui visited from New York and we spent a girlie weekend in Portballintrae





and celebrated our 1st wedding anniversary...







Then...








and one year on...








One last thing, for those who don't know, Katie has a bump, and it is called beanie, because come January all being well, we are going to become parents!!!


So thats the story since July (leaving alot of stuff out!). Ill try and update more regularly from now on!!
R+K

I REMEMBERED

Apologies, the reason there have been no entries for two months is because I forgot our user account password AND sign in thingy. Sitting in work I decided I would just go through every possible combination and have eventually come up with it!

Thank goodness because sooo much has happened and I want to tell the world..(only kidding!).

Well, as i said I am in work so don't have any photos with me but now I know the password I will update shortly!

Katie

Also my wee bro has written a song called Why Don't I. He also has recorded a live song Humble King which can be found on Worship Irelands web page.

Katie's Graduation

Well, yesterday I entered Queens as a Graduand and left as a Graduate of psychology. The weather was amazing and the day was fabulous. Mum and dad came with me for the ceremony (I didn't trip on stage, even though I staved my toe the day before!) and then I went and got my professional photos taken. Afterwards we went out for a lovely meal and then lay in the park for a while. At 3.30pm Rick joined us and we had Strawberries and Cream while soaking up the rays and listening to a lovely dixie band. Afterwards we went to Winnies, had a wonderful day, never to be forgotten! P.S my hood was blue and green (although I did see pink fluffy ones and would have preferred one of those!)

Thriving Life Church BBQ

Hey guys,

This was the first ever Thriving Life Church BBQ and it was a fantastic night. It was organised to coincide with the world cup quarter finals and boy was it exciting. The weather was great, the craic was ninety, the venue was perfect, the food was yummy and the photos speak for themselves...

2-1, 2-1 ,2-1...and that isn't the football score!

Hey everyone,

after a long time and three years of work I got my results of my psychology degree on Friday and you guessed it. I got a 2:1. I am very very pleased!!!!
Friday night Rick and I went up to Portballintrae and met my mum, dad and bro and we all went out to celebrate. It was a good night.

Last night my wee bro was singing in the park in Ballymena as part of worship Ireland. It was a lovely night and the park was bunged. The night was brill.



I graduate on Wednesday morning so photos will follow soon.
xx

oh dear...

its been a wee while.
partly due to the fact that I have been temping and am not allowed on the internet in work and partly because the weather has (past tense) been so good that I didn't want to sit in front of a computer screen. My photos have been suffering too so i need to start taking my camera places again soon.
So yes, I have entered the world of work , temporarily, as rick and I have taken July off to spend some quality time together lol. Currently in filed boxmore in Mallusk as receptionist and administrator. I actually quite enjoy it and am there for 3 weeks. Saves me up a wee bit of money!
Find out on Friday (23rd June) what degree classification they give me so starting to get a wee bit nervous as I can't face sitting exams in August!!
L+L head away to Canadia soon ( I think it should be Canadia as it is Canadians who live there and Dave, or else it should be Canadans!, what you think stace?). Then when they come back I get to go on holiday- woo hoo.
Well thats it, need a few photos to brighten up the page, words are sooo boring.
Chat soon xx

UNIVERSITY- THE PLACE OF STUNTED EDUCATION

Well I haven't been in the best of moods for the past wek as I found out last Monday that my exams had been cancelled and I would recieve a 'predicted' classification. Also discovered that any written coursework including my thesis is not being marked or taken into account. I was not best pleased, and since speaking to the vice-chancellor of QUB nothing has been resolved and it is still a shambles. I will just have to wait and see what I am given!

Was working for age concern this week, aaren't some old people really funky! had good craic.

well thats it so far.

nothing too exciting im afraid. oh, rick has started to clear and work on the back garden, its looking good!

we've done lots in a week

well lets update this since I (katie) have now finished all my pieces of coursework. I was so fed up looking at a computer screen I just couldn't update this thing!
Anyway, the weather here last week has been lovely! Rick and I went for a walk round Ballyholme and along the beach, was really pretty!
Then on Friday night we went out to see Ulster play the borders in their last game at the present Ravenhill stadium. Thankfully they really slaughtered the borders, 60 something 17. It was a really good night, ended up back at Winnies! And of course I got my rugby burger with fake chees and onions ... mmm



Finally today, we christened our BBQ which my mum and dad bought us as a wedding present. We had the mills clan, stewart and elia round for a splendid day of food and craic!



So thats us up to date. see you soon x