#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 (January 2015)

Things were supposed to be less busy after the hectic last quarter of 2014.

I had plans.

Plans for my family and plans for my blog (I still haven't written about my 40th Birthday Party in October!).

TC is settled at play school meaning I have two mornings a week (if not more thanks to my parents) that I could use for blogging. 

That time has not been forthcoming.

January has passed by quicker than December and I find myself taking a couple of selfies the day before Me and Mine is due to go live. Doesn't help that Matt broke the lens of my 'proper' camera just after Christmas so I'm limited to my phone at the moment.

The old me would have got down about it. Been annoyed that I haven't been more organised but, you know what? I don't feel it. I'm in a wonderful place in my life right now. We are living in our dream home, I have amazing best friends and I've met some amazing neighbours who I've become close to, the children are happy and healthy and I'm just loving life - despite it being so hectic.

I love spending quality time with the kids and, as of the next two nights, I'll be spending quality time with my gorgeous husband.

Exactly 11 years ago today I went on a 'blind date' with a man I met on an online dating website just 5 days earlier. Little did I know I would find my soul mate. My one true love. My best friend. My lover. My life. 

Matt.

Also, little did I know that exactly 3 years on from that first date he would ask me to marry him over a romantic dinner and a beautiful emotional outpouring.

We should have had a break away last year to mark 10 years from our first date but one of my besties was having a Hen Weekend and I didn't really feel ready to leave TC with anyone else but Matt for 2 nights at that point. 

This year though, we are going away.

To York.

I haven't been there for absolutely years and I cannot wait.

We have a luxury apartment right next to York Minster. We have bubbly and chocolate and we have each other. From tomorrow lunch time until Monday lunchtime. 

Bliss.

2014 was a year that something happened I didn't ever think was possible - Matt and I became closer than we ever had. We have always had a fantastic relationship but last year it just went from amazing to absolutely out of this world.

I love him so much.

I know we will miss the kids but this time is important.

Anyway, before I have you all throwing up, I'll fill you in on this months photographs. After we picked MC up from school yesterday we went to our local Starbucks for babycino's and shortbread as a treat as we won't be back until Monday afternoon. MC had run out of school all excited as she'd brought 'Fflic a Fflac' the school Welsh puppets home. She has to fill in a diary of her adventures with them this weekend as return it to school on Monday - all written IN WELSH! 

I'm smiling on the photos but inside I was crying at the stress of having to organise the diary in advance! My parents are having the children but I didn't want them to have the pressure of trying to help Freya as their Welsh is pretty much non-existent. Of all the weekends for her to bring them home!

Obviously Fflic and Fflac had to get in on our photographs and even managed to take them over!

Here's to a less stressful February.

#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.