#MeAndMine - A Family Portrait (June 2014)

Straight off I have a confession to make.

These photos were taken May 31st.

But, because they were taken after my May post, I'm hoping Lucy will let me off as I really wanted to share them on the blog.

We were lucky enough to go to the Matilda Mae Barn Dance in Kent. It's the reason we chose to spend our half-term break in Camber so we would be in the area for the barn dance. I knew I couldn't miss it and I'm glad I didn't.

The weather was perfect and Jennie, Ami from Beebies Baby Store (who has just won Best Independent Retailer in the Loved By Parents Awards!) and everyone else involved in the organisation of the event made it a wonderful day.

I have to admit that it was hard-going. After a week of holidaying with two small children, and three out of the four of us being ill when we were away, Matt and I were exhausted. We still had such a lovely time. It was so lovely to catch up with friends old and new whilst raising money for The Lullaby Trust.

These photos were taken in the virtual photo booth.

TC wasn't too keen at first but he never fails to delight in being turned upside down. The kids love these photos as much as I do and I often find them picking it up and giggling at them. I think it's the sight of daddy in a turkey hat! MC also says my wig looks like Harry Styles. Hmm.

They are ones we will treasure forever and that's why I knew they had to be part of my Me and Mine post this month.

In other news, I've decided to revamp and relaunch my blog in September/October. I've let my blog completely slide over the last year and that makes me sad. I started the blog as my online diary - a place to capture my life as a stay-at-home-mum, a place that I could look back on and a place that my children could read about their lives when they are older. The fact that the last year has been sketchy, missing out on so many special moments makes me want to try and get back what I once had. I haven't been myself this past year and things have changed. Also, TC starts at play school at the end of September so it should free up some time during the day. 

I have some special photos to share with you all very soon too! 

Watch this space...

The Gallery - Black And White

I haven't got a lot of time at the moment so I'm going to try and make this a brief Gallery entry and try and let the photos speak for themselves as much as they can (I have ended up with 3 this week, sorry!).

They were all taken in Vancouver so, once again, I appear to be dragging the 'travel theme' through the weeks.

Under The Boardwalk

Waiting For Master

The Search

If you'd like to know more about these photos, have a look at my Flickr stream.

Normal service will resume next week, I promise!



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

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 - 3 Word Gallery

That Tara over at Sticky Fingers has come up with a gem this week (not that she doesn't always, obviously).  She's pinching using the idea from Simon Mayo's radio show - he does a 3 Word Thursday where listeners give 3 words which sum up their day/week/life. That's it, just 3 words.  So Tara is having a 3 Word Wednesday today.

Simple for me.  Please don't hate me but my 3 words are:

Want Another Holiday

I know, I know... I've only been home a week!  I'm not a greedy person but I need to say it as it's how I'm feeling.

The only downside to going on holiday is coming home. Obviously I love seeing my family and friends but I always suffer badly with 'holiday blues' after a great trip abroad.

The thing is though, I'm not the only one with holiday blues.

Mini Cheddar keeps saying to us "Go back to Italy".  Here's why...

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

Silent Sunday #22

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