Earlswood Lakes Adventure

Greetings on this cold & frosty morning!
January has been such a cold month already. We've had lots of frost and a lot of snow but none of the snow has stuck for very long! We've been promised more this week though so here's hoping!
Sam might disagree, but I think I'm pretty adaptable to the changes in weather. I'm always ready for the cold that comes or the warmth when it arrives, obviously there are dreary days when it's grey & rainy - that's not so fun - but I especially love the frost when the sun is shining bright!

I drove myself to work for the first time on Tuesday - it felt so freeing! I have a love/hate relationship with driving. I dislike driving but I love the fact I can get to places & stay warm! I've been taking public transport or walking for years, then I met Sam who passed his test soon after we started dating (winner!) & he lifted me everywhere but it's nice to feel independent again now. Looking forward to the day I can pick him up or drop him off somewhere! It's long overdue I think! Boy, do I appreciate him a whole lot more! 

Anyway, yesterday we both had the day off work together. We decided we needed to get out the house & do something fun. We went to Earlswood Lakes just a 20 minute drive from where we live where they have a beautiful lakeside walk & tea room!
I think we lasted about an hour & a half before we walked back to the car - it was soooooo cold! We took some photographs but the cold was so intense we didn't take many of ourselves. Boo. Still, we enjoyed every minute of our little adventure & the place was deserted so we may have pretended we were being chased by orcs!

 

 Hope you're wrapped up warm wherever you are! x

 

May you stay forever young

I LOVE having a good sort through my computer every few months to get rid of the things blocking up the space. I find lots of forgotten treasures like these photos we had taken while we were on our honeymoon. 

Our wedding photographer who is from the USA flew over to do our wedding photos & as part of our honeymoon we did a tour of the US from the west to the east coast & managed to meet up with her along the way to snap a few more beauties.

I need to save my pennies to get us a new computer or at least an external hard-drive to free up some space for more photos.    

Anyway, I'm glad I came across these. I haven't shared them with many people.

<3

New year, new opportunities!

Hi all,
Exciting news this week which I've been keeping to myself! I have been invited to be a blog contributor over at 'here comes the sun' blog. This is a WONDERFUL opportunity for me! I'll be blogging a couple of Fridays a year along with some other people chosen to be blog contributors also! You can see them all here.
I'll be sharing nail art tutorials which will be such fun for me. I don't get to paint my nails often because I'm not allowed to have them done for work but at least now I have an excuse to paint them even if it's just for one night!
I can't wait! Really thankful this has come my way at the beginning of the year. Watch this space!

Hopes & dreams 2013

- Create an editorial calendar & develop the blog, posting more frequently with DIYs, new adventures & photos.

- Travel more! Even if it's just around England, I want to see & do more!

- Prioritize date nights. Last year was so busy we found on a regular basis we had accidentally booked up every night of the week & weekends then had no time for cuddles & quality time! That's an important one for me who needs more snuggles than the average person!

- Read! Make the space to pick up the list of books I want to get through. 

- Bake! I LOVE cooking & baking and definitely need to get more adventurous in the kitchen. I'm ready to try new foods & new recipes! 

- Move! I find on my days off from work and I have time to work on my business I'm mostly at the computer or my craft desk sitting down. I'm going to make the effort just to go for short walks or discover new places in the middle of the day. 

I think that will do for now. I'm excited for this year! 

P.s. I already achieved one goal of this year. I PASSED MY DRIVING TEST! It's been a long time coming & definitely not something I've enjoyed doing but the feeling now it's all done & done is wonderful!

Hope you're all having a gorgeous day! Xx

No admittance, except on party buisiness

Hello!
So we're into the second week of the new year! The days are back to normal for me now. I was still off on annual leave until this week. It's been a glorious break with hardly any early mornings, no routine and lots of naughty treats. It's back to work, routine and eating well now but I'm ready to embrace it!

It was Sam's 23rd birthday on the fifth January. I gave him his presents days before though before we still had a week of holiday left and I thought he'll need the time to enjoy them and play! I got him Lego Lord of the Rings on xbox360 so we've had a blast on that. It's so much like the film it's pretty good, then expansion packs to this board game which I highly recommend. The only downside is you have to have 3 + players so Sam & I can't just play it whenever we feel like it. We've had many a game with friends over the Christmas break though so I've had my fill. Of course, more blu-rays & books and much Lord of the Rings merchandise. With the release of The Hobbit we're both very much back into a LOTR mood. 
We make the most out of all birthdays so no matter what age we are we'll make it an event! Sam had a LOTR blu-ray marathon party. (maybe I suggested it......)
There were 12 of us altogether so much furniture was moved around to get everyone in.
Here was our timetable for the day:

9am - HOBBIT BREAKFAST (sausage, bacon, hobbit hole toast, black pudding, merry's mushrooms, tomatoes & beans)
10am - THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RINGS
11.30am - SECOND BREAKFAST (pippin's pancakes & frodo's fruit)
2pm - THE TWO TOWERS
3pm - LUNCH OF LORIEN (spiced soup & lembas bread)
6pm - THE RETURN OF THE KING
8pm - DWARVEN DINNER (mutton stew, po-tay-toes & farmers maggots cabbage)

We finished the evening about 11pm! It was a full on day, only for hardcore LOTR fans! The room was decorated with lights and leaves & I made him a 'one ring' cake!

Yup. I think you can call us GEEKS!

Happy Birthday Momma!

Happy Birthday Momma!

Since I've written you letters/notes/made scrapbooks/drawn pictures for you all my life it becomes harder to say all the things I want to say to you because I've said them over & over again. Then I came across this poem and I think for this moment it sums up what I want to say to you on this special day. 

I thank you for the tender care you give to me each day;

the times you rocked me in your arms, and sent bad dreams away.

I thank you for the times you picked me up from spills and falls,

for smiling with approval of my silly, childish scrawls.

I thank you for the times we spent vacationing through the years,

for always letting me collect my precious souvenirs.

I thank you for the stories, songs & prayers shared at night,

and even for the discipline to turn my wrongs to right.

I thank you for not giving up on me in adolescence,

for showing me throughout my life, it’s love that makes a difference.

I thank you for the memories of years that fleeted by,

too fast, it seems, for now I reminisce and heave a sigh.

And yet there’s more to thank you for; there really is no end.

For even now as I extend this special thanks to you,

I say without a single doubt, my greatest joy will be

to echo to my children all the love you’ve shown to me.

I love you always and forever! I'm glad God chose you to be mine xXx

Reflections on 2012

I love keeping a calender, firstly we need one but I love looking back on all the months at the end of the year and thinking "wow, I can't believe that was this year/did that really happen?/can't believe that was so long ago!" etc etc. You know how it goes!

- At the beginning of 2012 we had just settled into our first home and threw a house warming/Sam's 22nd birthday party. We had just come home from a three month long honeymoon, spent two months living with my parents and then found this place just before christmas! Such a blessing!

- We started a new tradition with some friends where once a month we would have balti pie & chips from the chip shop and either watch a film or play a board game. We've kept it up and had many a fun night together!

- I struggled through a few illnesses & work-related stress but then pulled through and have been doing really great in the last few months. Consequently, Sam & I got new jobs - spectacular new jobs! No work-related stresses there!

- I STARTED THIS BLOG!

- Our best man got engaged and will be getting married in May this year & one of my bridesmaids got married in July to a really wonderful guy so LOVE is all around!

- We went on a really amazing camping trip with our church community!

- We went on a spectacular holiday to Nerja, Spain with two wonderful friends and took part in the Spainish celebrations when they won the world cup!

- While in Spain we celebrated our FIRST YEAR ANNIVERSARY!

- We saw Mumford & Sons!

This year I've learnt so much about myself. The ways I cope with certain situations, the way I manage my time, especially now that I live in my own home and live with the man of my dreams. I've learnt about compromise, a lot about compromise! I've realised I'm not the only person in the world - ONLY JOKING - I really did know that but being married makes you let go of a lot of selfishness you never realised you had and do things you wouldn't normally do because you know your hubby would like it. I still haven't gotten used to sharing a bed, I still sleep like a starfish and steal the covers, but its fun to wake up and have someone to cuddle and chat to in bed every night & every morning.

We learnt how important putting time aside for 'date night' is. I mentioned in a previous post we have to schedule in time to spend just the two of us. Our diaries get so full up with work, church and hospitality - we LOVE it all but also love our quiet evenings in together.

Overall, this year has been a beautiful one and I have so many plans and dreams for 2013! I will share with you soon!

HAPPY NEW YEAR FRIENDS! Xx