#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 (September)

September has been an up and down month.

I haven't really got much to report so I fear this months Me & Mine is quite poor.

For those who don't know, I had a serious case of food poisoning which, in total, took me almost 2 weeks to recover from. This has meant that a lot of our plans for this month have been pushed back.  Matt was amazing whilst I was ill. He took good care of me and looked after the children whilst still working - which wouldn't have been possible without the help of my parents.

It was Matt's 37th birthday on the 12th but he was away with work so we planned on celebrating when he got back which, incidentally, was the day before I fell ill.  We had plans for fun filled weekends which had to be cancelled and then we found ourselves at the end of the month with very little to show for September.

Thankfully the weather was kind to us this weekend just gone (I'd totally missed the weekend previously which was warm and sunny being laid up in bed) and yesterday we headed out on a family adventure exploring the fields at the back of our new house. It was just nice for me to get out of the house as a family of 4 and be able to enjoy the fresh air for a while.

My Nikon camera seems to have stopped working (yes, I'm slightly angry but that's another story) so this was a capture on my iPhone whilst we were out exploring. You'll notice we have an extra family member this time. Del The Welsh Dragon. She was visiting us for the weekend from MC's school so we've had to take pictures of our weekend adventures and MC and I are going to sit and write and draw about the weekend in 'Del's Diary'.

This weekend was also TC's 18 month birthday. I can't believe how time is flying. It doesn't seem all that long ago since he turned 1 and now, here he is half way to being 2. I'm forever thankful for each day that he's here with me.

It's my birthday in less than 2 weeks and we also have a Day Out With Thomas planned in October so hopefully next month will be a good one.

Head over to Lucy's lovely blog and check out more Me & Mine posts...

#MeAndMine - A Family Portrait (March)

I posted a family portrait on Instagram last night.

Nothing new there, I hear you say.

Those who follow me on IG know I love it so much. I spend more time there than any other social media I think. I love sharing captures of family life and getting insights into friends lives.

This photo was different though.

This photo was the first photo of us as a family of four.

Can you believe it?

It was taken on Good Friday (29th March) by my brother-in-law. The day after Tiny Ched's 1st Birthday. It took us a year and a day to get a photo of all of us. I feel so unhappy about this. My photos are usually of the kids and occasionally of me and the kids or Matt and the kids.

Never of all of us.

I said it was something I wanted to change. 

So the lovely Lucy saw my photo and words and asked me if I'd like to join in with the #MeAndMine challenge. Take a family portrait each month for the year so here I am. I think it will be a great way to make sure that I capture family photos that I can treasure. I wish I'd heard about the link-up sooner (my own fault for not being about much this year).

The month of March has been an up and down kind of month (much like the year so far) full of lots of illness, hospital visits and the kids celebrated their 4th and 1st birthdays. TC was actually ill the day this was taken and Matt and I were completely knackered and emotional but I still love it.

We are determined to have a happier month during April. The Florida holiday is fast approaching and we also have something else happening which could prove great for our family if it all comes together.

Here's to our next family portrait!

Silent Sunday #30

The Gallery - Travel

I almost whooped when I saw the theme to The Gallery this week.  I adore travel so I'm VERY excited to look through the entries this week.

I've been lucky enough to have been to some fabulous places in the world and have already blogged about seeing the Northern Lights in the Arctic Circle (The Gallery - Green) and travelling the path of Route 66 across America.

Ah the good old US of A.

I have a great love affair with that place, have travelled over there a few times now and it even featured a couple of times in my Top 5 Places I've Visited (one of my very first blog posts).  I find the country so vast and so different from state to state - I think I've visited about 17 of the 50 states so far - and I have quite a few relatives over there too which is always a bonus!  We've travelled to the major tourist spots such as New York, Las Vegas and Los Angeles and also been off the beaten track in places like Amarillo in Texas and Yukon in Oklahoma.

Then there's it's sister Canada.  Again, I love that country (I do SO wish I'd added it onto my list).  The scenery is stunning and the people are lovely.  My husband and I spent our 1st wedding anniversary at Chateau Lake Louise which was just amazing.

So, it's only right I dedicate this post to my favourite photos from my trips to both those beautiful countries.  I've not been out there since BMC (before Mini Cheddar) but I'm hoping to get back there someday soon to notch up some more states and provinces.

I think these photos sum up the diversity of the countries perfectly.

An icy Lake Louise, Banff, Alberta

Peyto Lake Lookout, Banff National Park, Alberta

Reflections of Patricia Lake, Jasper, Alberta

Night time in Vancouver, British Columbia

Dusk over Shuswap Lake, Salmon Arm, British Columbia 

The Space Needle, Seattle, Washington

Pike Place Market, Seattle, Washington

Sunset in Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii

Hotel view over Waikiki Beach, Oahu, Hawaii

Capitol Hill down Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington DC

The Grand Canyon, Arizona (see the people on the cliff edge on the left)

Navy Pier, Chicago, Illinois

'The Bean' (Cloud Gate), Chicago, Illinois

Just off Broadway, NYC, New York

If I haven't bored you already and you want a nosey at my other photos then most of them are in my Flickr stream.

Now head on over and check out all the other entries...

The Gallery - Grandparents

I was unsure whether or not to join in on this weeks Gallery theme of 'Grandparents'.  Simply because I've already blogged about my grandparents who have passed away but this gives me the chance to talk about my parents - Mini Cheddars Grandparents.

My parents are wonderful Grandparents to her and she loves them both dearly.  She always talks about "Going to Grandma and Grandad's house on Friday" - they look after her every Friday so I can do my volunteer work.  I'm so lucky in the fact they are both retired and they live about a 10-15 minute drive from my house.  Mini Cheddar squeals with delight whenever she sees them.

I know a lot of people don't have any support from their parents, they have passed away or they live far away.

So each day I try to remind myself just how lucky I am.

Taken by me March 2010

I hope in years to come that I can be as wonderful to my Grandchildren as they are to Mini Cheddar.

"Grandchildren are the dots that connect the lines from generation to generation" 

~Lois Wyse

Now head on over and check out all the other entries...

Silent Sunday #25

The Gallery - My Weekend

As Tara is lazy nosey busy, she's chosen a simple theme for The Gallery this week - My Weekend.

I should imagine more than half the entries this week will contain photos of conference halls, booze, Sarah Brown or dildos.  Blimey, I never thought I'd use Sarah Brown and dildos in the same sentence but there's a first time for everything!

Yes it was CyberMummy this weekend.  THE parenting blogger event of the year which was much hyped and talked about for many months and I'm glad to say I got to go.

I had a blast!

It was a whirlwind day and I didn't take my camera - just my iPhone and I'm actually gutted as I could have got so many great pics.

I deliberated over which photo to choose for ages but eventually I decided on this one, which sums up the weekend nicely.  I'm actually surprised there was any left after Jane's repeated visits to Rowan's table of delights!

I have (ahem) already taken advantage of the £40 off and I have 6 large bottles of beautiful prosecco that have just arrived on my doorstep.

Cheers! *hic*

For more on my CyberMummy experience you can read these posts:
I Laughed, I Cried, I Ate, I Drank...I Went To CyberMummy
Silent Sunday #24


Now head on over and check out all the other entries...

Silent Sunday #21

The Gallery - I'm Grateful For...

As our blogging friend Chris over at Thinly Spread embarks on her epic journey in Mozambique for 'Save The Children' this week, it's time for The Gallery to reflect on the things we are grateful for.

But before you do anything, if you haven't already done so head over to the Save The Children website and sign the petition to plug the funding gap for vaccines for children across the world.

Thank you!

There are a lot of things I'm grateful for in this life, such as the health and happiness of my family and I'm grateful for the lovely home and things we have to fill it - although material things pale into insignificance compared to the love and happiness that's inside the walls.  I know that sounds naff but it really is true when you sit and think about it.

For me though, there is one thing that stands out that I'm grateful for.

I'm grateful for my family and my friends.  I don't know what I would do without them.

I'm grateful that I found an amazing husband and that we were able to have Mini Cheddar together. I've already mentioned on this blog that my parents went without when my Sister and I were younger so we could have things we needed or wanted and I've be forever grateful for what they did for us and how they continue to love and support us even now we are in our 30's.  I'm grateful for my older Sister who is like my best friend and she is a brilliant Aunty to Mini Cheddar.  I'm also grateful for the fact I got to have 4 Grandparents in my life for such a long time.

I'm also grateful for my extended family, even though they are a strange mixture of characters sometimes!  I'm grateful for my young Brother-In-Law (pictured below) who makes me laugh and Mini Cheddar adores him - he is fantastic with her.

I'm grateful for all my beautiful friends who I've known for years and who have supported me through the good times and the bad. I love them all dearly for various reasons.

So thanks to my family and my friends I'm grateful for the love and happiness that fills my life.

I'm grateful for a lot.

Now head on over and check out all the other entries...

Silent Sunday #20

The Gallery - My Backyard

Blimey, is it Wednesday already?  Where are the weeks going?

I know I've been saying the past couple of weeks that I wasn't going to join in with The Gallery but this week was definitely going to be the week. Yeah yeah, I failed again.

By the way...did anyone else snigger childishly at the theme of 'My Backyard' (metaphorically speaking)? Just me then? Moving on...

I wasn't going to join in this week as my backyard is not that exciting.  Basically I'm no Alan Titchmarsh (I would say Charlie Dimmock but I wear a bra) and I really dislike gardening. My fingers aren't in the slightest bit green. We have a fairly large back garden but it's mainly just grass and patio. Oh and the 'den'.  I have a few pots with some crappy flowers in it but that's about it.

So, I ran out in the garden yesterday afternoon and snapped these. At least I joined in and I can sleep at night (damn you Tara for causing my Gallery addiction).

Now head on over and check out all the other entries...

The Gallery - Mustachioed

Now this definitely was going to be the week I didn't join in with The Gallery...but I failed. I don't know what it is but I'm totally addicted to it...it's like a drug. *shakes fist at Tara yet again*

Such a totally random theme this week - mustachioed. Gee, thanks Tara.  Although I probably should blame Laura at Are We Nearly There Yet Mummy for the idea.

Thankfully I can delve into the archives and share this with you...although exactly WHY I'm sharing this is anyones guess.  I think I'm just used to embarrassing myself on my blog now.

One of my closest friends had one of those Murder Mystery Nights at her house a good many years ago. It was a 60's theme and we were all given our characters beforehand and told to dress appropriately. There were lots of wigs, fake eyelashes and plastic dresses (and that was just me!). It was great fun and lots of hilarity ensued - we had a sit down dinner for the 10 of us and it all started out so civilised.

Then, as usual, too much alcohol came into the equation.

Another of my friends decided to pinch her husbands fake handle-bar moustache (mustache for my American friends) and we ripped it up into little pieces.

Alcohol + fake moustache = stupidity

(obviously)

               

 

If I ever divulge my blog to my friends, I really hope this one forgives me for posting this. Oh and I'm sure you will have guessed but that's me on the right with the dodgy blonde wig.


Now head on over and check out all the other entries...

Silent Sunday #18

Flashback Friday - Do You Take My Little Sister

I really can't believe it's almost 4 years since I said "I do" to my wonderful husband Matt.

This coming Wednesday (18th May) will be 4 years to the day that we exchanged rings and became man and wife.  I feel like I've known Matt all my life but then when I think back to how we first met and our wedding and honeymoon, it only seems like yesterday.  For those of you who haven't read the story of how we got together, even though I say it myself, I recommend you do, it's a good one - 'He's Definitely My Favourite'.

Matt proposed to me 31st January 2007, over dinner, at one of our favourite restaurants.  We had gone out for a meal to celebrate 3 years to the date that we first met.  He took me totally by surprise saying how much he loved me and how much he couldn't imagine ever being without me and then presented me with the ring box and said "Will you marry me?".  I didn't need asking twice.

When I accepted his proposal, his exact words to me were:

"I want a marriage, not a wedding"

I couldn't have been happier.  Neither of us wanted to wait, nor did we want a big wedding so we planned it for May 18th of that year, a mere 3 and a half months later.

My Sister is a Registrar of Births, Marriages and Deaths at a nearby registry office and luckily the registry office where we planned to get married knew of my Sister and granted her permission to perform the ceremony.  My Sister wrote out a special ceremony for us as a surprise.

I'll never forget the moment she said:

"Matthew, do you take my little Sister Heather to be your lawfully wedded wife?" *

I don't think there was a dry eye in the house.

We wanted only our immediate family and closest friends there (if we could have run off and do it we would have!) and a meal afterwards.  We chose The Stables Restaurant where Matt had proposed to me and just invited our other friends over for a drink in the bar at a local hotel in the evening.  For us, it was perfect.

To complete our marriage celebration we booked a fantastic honeymoon - 3 nights in San Francisco, 3 nights on Waikiki Beach in Honolulu, Hawaii (where we learnt to surf) and 9 nights on the island of Maui in Hawaii.  It was amazing!

Our first wedding anniversary in 2008 we spent on a self-planned 21 day holiday tour of America and Canada. We spent the night of our first wedding anniversary and the night after in a gold lake view room here at Chateau Lake Louise. It was magical!

So anyway, how are we spending our 4th wedding anniversary next week?  We are travelling down to Hampshire on the Wednesday of our anniversary for 2 nights and taking our daughter to Peppa Pig World on Thursday. Oh how times have changed! Although I'm sure it will be amazing and magical for other reasons.

Friday 18th May 2007...MwaH!

Signing the register - Matts family weren't happy he
decided not to wear a tie to the wedding...the rebel!

Our balcony over-looking Waikiki Beach in Honolulu

Yes that's me riding the waves of Waikiki Beach. What a sight!

Now head over to Cafebebe and check out the other entries...

*Obviously she read out our full names but I felt a bit strange about writing our full names (and my maiden name) out on the Internet and yet photos of me looking a bugger surfing (or looking like Deirdre Barlow)  I'll happily post.  If the link doesn't work there that's because BLOGGER are IDIOTS and they still haven't restored my post from Thursday!