#MeAndMine - A Family Portrait (May 2015) The Orlando Edition!

Last month was the first time I've missed a Me and Mine in the last couple of years and you can't believe how upset I was.

To cut a very long story short, MC broke out with chicken pox exactly a week before we were due to fly out to Orlando, Florida for a months holiday! A holiday we'd been planning for over a year. Incase you don't know, until every spot has scabbed over airlines won't let you fly so it was a race against time and 2-3 bicarbonate of soda and sea salt baths a day. We also had to race TC to be vaccinated.

Thankfully all our hard work (and tears) paid off and MC was certified fit to fly at the last minute. It was so touch and go though and Matt and I lost a lot of sleep over it…so we were ready for a holiday.

As this post goes live we will have landed back in the UK. We usually spend 3 weeks in Orlando but we decided to extend it and my parents also joined us for the first week. I won't lie, there were moments when it was tough with two small kids - one recovering from illness and the other one fighting illness off - but it was a fantastic holiday again and none of us want to leave our second home.

I'll be blogging about our trip, in full, as soon as I find the time to pull everything together…and got over the jet lag. We also covered Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure this trip which was all new to us - was amazing though, especially the brand new Wizarding World of Harry Potter...and I'm not really a fan!

I haven't had time to sort all my photos but I have grabbed quite a few (!) of the Disney Memory Maker ones. As you can see, TC has a bit of an aversion to Ariel haha!

#MeAndMine - A Family Portrait (March 2015)

Phew! March has been a hectic month.

It always is.

I have both children's birthdays falling within 17 days of each other in March. It means planning birthday days and planning parties that just takes up a lot of my time.

We've also been stepping up the Orlando holiday planning and have, today, told the kids the secret that we've been keeping for a year - we are taking them back to our 'second home'. The excitement in our house is building to fever point...and that's just Matt and I!

In amongst the excitement Matt and I have been consuming Breaking Bad episodes like they are, literally, drugs. It was something we never even looked at when it originally aired and so it's been great to just watch them all. One night we watched 3 back to back! As of today we are 4 episodes away from the very end of the last season - tense and exciting is an understatement. Part of me is wanting it to be over though so I get my evenings back. I don't think I've been so into a television series since Game Of Thrones...and that starts again soon. Argh!

Sorry, I'm digressing. My photo...

Back on March 11th it was MC's 6th birthday and she chose Pizza Express as her birthday restaurant. We had a lovely meal and, as always, the children were impeccably behaved. I guess it comes from eating out a lot but they are always great in restaurants. So, I asked the Manager to take a family photo of us. It turned out quite nice.

Here's to another month passing and getting closer to our amazing holiday!

#MeAndMine - A Family Portrait (February 2015)

I find myself saying the same thing at the end of each month over the last 6 months or so.

"Where has the month gone?"

This month is no exception.

I wish I had a pause button sometimes as there just aren't enough hours in the day.

Now we are coming into March which is the month of both MC and TC's birthdays (6 and 3 respectively) so that will be busy. It's my Mum's 70 in April and then May we are off to Orlando again! I have so much to organise it's untrue.

February has seen us on short breaks away twice. The first, just Matt and I to York to celebrate 11 years of love and happiness together and we've also went away with Matt's parents for 3 nights to Center Parcs at the beginning of the half-term school holidays.

We'd never been away with them before and we'd also never been to Center Parcs. If I am totally honest, neither Matt nor I were really looking forward to the weekend. We were worried for various reasons and one being we didn't think we would like Center Parcs. We didn't think it was 'our thing'.

I'm pleased to report that we were both pleasantly surprised by Center Parcs. We went to Whinfell Forest in Cumbria and it was lovely. Our lodge was immaculate and had it's own private jetty onto the lake and everyday we had an abundance of wildlife on our patio - it was like being in a Disney movie! The children had a lovely time with their Grandparents who they don't see as often as my parents who live a few miles away and Matt and I got lots of time to ourselves again. Would I go back? The jury is still out on that one. If we did I think it would definitely have to be in term-time because the price Center Parcs charge in the school holidays is outrageous!

My mother-in-law took our Me And Mine photographs this weekend and her photographs are usually terrible she isn't known for her photography skills but she did me proud.

Oh and yes, I've gone back blonde again...

#MeAndMine - A Family Portrait (December 2014)

What a whirlwind December!

Full of fun, laughs, dramas, love, family, friends and SNOW!

I don't seem to have stopped again this month. Christmas went as fast as it came. It was a lovely one and the children were full of Christmas magic.

They didn't ask for much from Santa but he delivered their presents and more. I will never forget their faces and squeals of delight Christmas morning.

We shared a lovely day together and then Boxing Day they got another wish...

Snow.

It fell thick and fast during a family afternoon nap and when we woke at 4.30pm and it was still falling and did all evening. It was lovely to go out in the fresh snow and build a snowman with them and still it came down. We still have some even today.

To be honest it's been a whirlwind year but these last few months since my 40th birthday have been full-on. I don't seems to have stopped.

I'm so happy with where I am in life. Matt and the kids are my world. We have a huge family holiday to look forward to next year too. I cannot wait.

I know I haven't blogged much this year (it's actually my blogiversary today - 5 years!) but I've been enjoying life more. Spending time with Matt each evening rather than on my MacBook. I didn't think it was possible to be any closer than we were but it's happened.

When I look back over the last year of family portraits it fills me with joy to know that I have a photo of us each month again. They may not be the most professional looking photos (a lot of selfies) but they are real.

They are US.

Jan 2014

Feb 2014

Mar 2014

Apr 2014

May 2014

Jun 2014

Jul 2014

Aug 2014

Sep 2014

Oct 2014

Nov 2014

Here's to 2015 and filling the family album again.

#MeAndMine - A Family Portrait (November 2014)

I can't believe it's December tomorrow!

Where is 2014 going?

Life just doesn't seem to get any quieter. I thought I'd have more time to blog with TC starting to go to Play School a couple of times a week now but I don't. I'm desperately wanting to blog about my huge 80's themed 40th Birthday party but haven't gotten to that yet.  I have so much to do before Christmas and I don't know how I'm going to fit it all in.

Last time I blogged was about TC struggling to settle in to Play School but thankfully that all seems to be working out well now. He goes in without fuss now. I know he'd prefer to be at home or out with Mummy but he reluctantly accepts his time there and talks about all the fun he's had when I pick him up. I've noticed he's becoming more confident and less reliant on my apron strings so it's all a step in the right direction.

I was busy this month organising a charity event for The Lullaby Trust in memory of Matilda Mae. That consumed the vast majority of my time and, with the help of a few fellow bloggers, we managed to raise over £550 which will be doubled to over £1100 for the charity - it's more than I could've hoped for.

I between all the other stuff I've been doing I'm taking the children to private swimming lessons now. TC on a Wednesday and MC on a Saturday. The other Saturday we all decided to go and watch MC but we arrived early. Now, I'm always messing around with selfies of the children so I thought it would be nice to take some of us all. It wasn't my attention to use them for my Me and Mine post - they were for my '23 Snaps' app on my phone where I just share photos of the children with immediate family - but the series I took has made me laugh so much that I want to document them.

MC is a little madam and always like to be the centre of the shot…often to the detriment of her little brother…

Poor TC!

#MeAndMine - A Family Portrait (October 2014)

What a month it's been!

I turned 40 on October 12th and I have loved it.

I've embraced being a decade older as my 30's have been so much better than my 20's ever were. I am now married to the most wonderful man and we have two amazing children. I'm blessed with amazing family and friends - some I've known almost all my life now who I love dearly and some who I've met through work before children and some I even met online in the last few years. We now live in our dream house in the best neighbourhood ever and I've made some really close friends from my neighbours - people I can always rely on.

Not only that but this year I did something completely out of my comfort zone. Something I never ever thought I would do and I have the photographs to prove it.  I even took the big decision to blog about the photo shoot. It was incredible and I still feel amazing when I think about it.

My actual 40th birthday fell on a Sunday and so it was a fairly laid back day where we invited family and my best friend of 33 years out for a special lunch. I was spoilt rotten with amazing cards and gifts and I felt so blessed.

Then, for the 'mad' half of my 40th birthday we held an 80's themed party at the house for close friends and neighbours. It was an amazing night and I really can't wait to blog all about it...now I've just about got over my hangover!

Matt and I are still closer than we have ever been and he's also now sporting a stubbly beard look which I think really suits him.

After the chaos of my birthday we were looking forward to some family time last weekend. We spent a lovely Sunday morning at a local country park where we walked, talked, played, kisses, played Pooh sticks, jumped in muddy puddles, collected leaves and basically just enjoyed the outdoors. We followed it with a lovely Sunday lunch at a nearby pub.

It was perfect.

I thought it would be nice to set my 'big' camera up on a rock whilst we were out and take a self-timer photo of us all.

TC wasn't for coming out of the mud to pose for a photo and so we captured this…

When I looked at the photo on the back of the camera I laughed so much that I knew I didn't need to capture another one. 

TC is two and half now and I think it sums up his ever growing defiance perfectly!

And here are some of the photos I captured on my iPhone that day - it was a fairly inexpensive day but it is one that I will remember for a long time.

#MeAndMine - A Family Portrait (September 2014)

September has been a busy month. 

Really busy.

It's been a month of birthdays, nights out, days out, meals out and general madness. I feel like I haven't even got time to break wind right now. I'm also on countdown as I'm turning 40 in less than 2 weeks! Eep! I'm going to be revamping the look of my blog to coincide with my birthday too and I have some very special photographs to share. I am really determined to find the time to blog properly again.

Anyway, back to this past past month...

Matt and I have weirdly become closer than I ever imagined over this past month. We've always been incredibly close - we share everything - but this, this closeness is amazing and something I wish I could bottle and sell to every single couple I know right now. We are so thankful for a lot of things too. We have two happy, healthy and beautiful children. We have amazing family and friends and our house move last June was the best move we have ever made. We love our new house and have made some fantastic new friends from our neighbours. We are off for a third trip to Walt Disney World with the children next year and my parents are joining us for part of it too. I could go on.

We've lived in this area together for over 10 years now (I've lived here all my life). We are a stones throw from beautiful countryside, amazing cities and lovely beaches. We have the perfect mix of what we need at this time of our lives. We are also very close to Chester Zoo.

Because of this we have a membership which means we can go along anytime we like. Sometimes we will just go for an hour so the children can visit some of their favourite animals and play on the play ark for a while. We love Chester Zoo and I've written about it before we had a membership. 

What makes it so special now is that we have been watching the new BBC drama 'Our Zoo' which is based on the true story of the Mottershead family who founded the zoo in the 1930's. The series documents their fight to make Chester Zoo work, despite huge opposition from the locals of the village of Upton.

It's fascinating watching the history of a place I love and have known all my life. I was born just down the road from Chester Zoo too so it makes it even more special.

The only bad thing (for us) is that, since the series has aired, Chester Zoo seems to be a lot busier than it used to be. This is a great thing for the animals and conservation work they do though and I'm so pleased the series is such a huge hit. Thankfully, even when it's busy it's still a superb day out. If you haven't been then you should make sure you manage to visit. I may see you there!

I've been to Chester Zoo a couple of times this month with TC and friends but we went there as a family on Matt's birthday weekend. It was perfect weather - not too hot or cold - and there were plenty of animals to see and fun to be had. MC wanted to go on the monorail as she'd never been on it before. I decided that this was to be the setting of our family photo for this month.

Matt decided to yawn on the first take.

Then TC shut his eyes on the second.

But I didn't bother taking a third photo as both of these were enough. They show us as happy and together and that, for me, is the perfect photo.

This post is not a sponsored post

I wasn't asked to promote Chester Zoo or Our Zoo -

I just love them both