2018 Lifestyle Project - Week 52

You can read the introduction to this project by clicking here.

So with the last day of 2018 upon us, I have finally managed the massive catch up and posted the last photo of the year; a little girl completely enamoured with her long awaited budgie. Thank you for following along (or just catching up) with my documenting of our year!

2018 Lifestyle Project - Week 51

You can read the introduction to this project by clicking here.

And then it was finally Christmas Day and the opening of gifts. This man works so hard and never asks for much, but always has a long list of books he'd love to read....plus the moment the kids realised what each of their gifts represented...

2018 Lifestyle Project - Week 50

You can read the introduction to this project by clicking here.

We had to be at home for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (hazard of having a spouse who works for the church :P) so the weekend before we drove over to Kent to see some of my siblings. There's never enough time together but it's always so lovely to catch up....and cute baby cousins are the best bonus!

2018 Lifestyle Project - Week 49

You can read the introduction to this project by clicking here.

Someone was not happy with our choice of tree this year, in fact that is an understatement as she pretty much hated it, but she did put our nativity out for us. The rest of us like our tree and it's always fun, if a little overwhelming and chaotic getting ready for Christmas.

2018 Lifestyle Project - Week 48

You can read the introduction to this project by clicking here.

The shared birthday...for James it was a big one, it should really have been a big celebration but most of the people he would have wanted to celebrate with were across an ocean, so we just kept it a family day. The number didn't bother him, but it was a bummer to be far from loved ones. 

We always start birthdays with opening presents in bed together and normally end the day with cake.

2018 Lifestyle Project - Week 47

You can read the introduction to this project by clicking here.

Sometimes there'll be a family board game.

2018 Lifestyle Project - Week 46

You can read the introduction to this project by clicking here.

There are plenty of weeks that I get to the end of the weekend and realise I haven't picked up my camera all week. That is when I have to just grab what I can, whatever it is the kids are doing. This madam can often be found up on her bed scouring pinterest or messaging friends...pre-teens I tell ya!

2018 Lifestyle Project - Week 45

You can read the introduction to this project by clicking here.

For some reason the boy got it in his head that he wanted to re-live an old memory. Many years ago, when we had been camping with friends one of them had shown the kids how to tape a piece of card to the tube by the bike spokes, so it would flick through the spokes and make an 'engine' sound. They have done this at various times through the years and this was a day he decided to do it again.

2018 Lifestyle Project - Week 44

You can read the introduction to this project by clicking here.

An uncle and aunt surprised us all by getting not one, but two puppies. Of course we had to plan a visit as soon as possible to get all the puppy. Far too many photos of the cuteness. They were lucky these kiddos didn't steal them both!

2018 Lifestyle Project - Week 43

You can read the introduction to this project by clicking here.

Although this is very similar to the photo from just a couple of weeks before, in spite of the grain I just love the expressions and it had to be this week's photo.

2018 Lifestyle Project - Week 42

You can read the introduction to this project by clicking here.

It's always a bummer when daddy has to be gone for some reason at the weekend; between school and work schedules it seems family time is reduced enough as it is. This was a weekend where he had to be gone though and I literally had to force the kids to leave the house as there was zero motivation. It was one of those autumn afternoons that had an unexpected warmth and I wanted to catch the end of it so forced them to the local park to walk the dog. There were leaves everywhere and it didn't take much to persuade the girls to throw leaves in the air for a few photos. This early one really captured their glee...love it. It's almost always worth the battle to get them out...almost always!

2018 Lifestyle Project - Week 41

You can read the introduction to this project by clicking here.

Sunday afternoons are for downtime. For my kids, more and more that has meant electronics, which doesn't thrill me, but hey, at least they can play games together still, even if it is on screens.

2018 Lifestyle Project - Week 40

You can read the introduction to this project by clicking here.

The day in day out dog walks, when most often than not it's just me, tend to be at one of two local parks, but at weekends when we can get out as a family it's nice to go further afield and find new spots. The start of the trail we found this week had the added bonus of a horse. Kids were in heaven!

2018 Lifestyle Project - Week 39

You can read the introduction to this project by clicking here.

Then there's this one...also a photo I could take a hundred times over :P...always, always, so hopeful :)

2018 Lifestyle Project - Week 38

You can read the introduction to this project by clicking here.

I could, essentially, take this photo a hundred times over as she loves to sit and create...

2018 Lifestyle Project - Week 37

You can read the introduction to this project by clicking here.

And then, just like that, the summer was over and we were back to school and the old homework routine started up again.

2018 Lifestyle Project - Week 36

You can read the introduction to this project by clicking here.

It's not always easy being the youngest in the family. There are times when you are told what to do and just have to do it, like it or not, because something is happening as a family and it's not down to individual choice. Sometimes there is no making someone happy and hormonal ages certainly don't help. Most of the time we all rally and make the best of it....but sometimes we don't.

2018 Lifestyle Project - Week 35

You can read the introduction to this project by clicking here.

The last weekend in August is a Bank Holiday here in the UK, so a three day weekend. We managed to get away to South Wales for a few days before school started back up and on our last day James tried to introduce the kiddos to surfing. It was cold and wet and blustery, but apparently the ocean wasn't awful. Youngest had a hard time and gave up sooner than the others but they are all eager to try again sometime.

2108 Lifestyle Project - Week 34

You can read the introduction to this project by clicking here.

Of course the dog has to get out every day, so we tried some parks further afield with it still being school break.

2018 Lifestyle Project - Week 33

You can read the introduction to this project by clicking here.

We tried to find some fun activities over the summer; bowling, swimming as well as the usual dog walks. One day I stumbled across some little sewing workshops at a local hobby shop and it seemed like the perfect way for Bryttain to spend an afternoon. Miss Libby Rose from Australia and her pink bus were quite adorable.

2018 Lifestyle Project - Week 32

You can read the introduction to this project by clicking here.

Then the holiday was over, we had to say goodbye to loved ones and come home. Not everybody knows this, but in the months preceding the summer we agonised over moving back to America again. It very nearly happened, we had started to pack up the house, it seemed like our children were never going to adapt or be happy here in England and we had questioned coming in the first place and the point of staying. At the very last possible moment (in terms of going back and me not losing my green card) we made the decision to stay. We broke that news to our older two, who were truly devastated,  just days before the cousins arrived. They provided a most wonderful distraction and were such a highlight, but it made coming back to Bristol alone all the harder. There were some glum days...there still are...but vegging out and dealing with emotions and exhaustion was very much in order.

2018 Lifestyle Project - Week 31

You can read the introduction to this project by clicking here.

After a few of days in Bristol together we all went to London for a couple of days and then Paris for the first time. What fun to experience that wonderful city with their best friends. I confess I mainly took photos on my phone, but did bring my big camera with me for our night cruise and when we went up the Eiffel Tower, followed by the Louvre. Far too many photos for this week, but there you go...

Introducing the cousins to some of our old stomping grounds and friends.

Made it to Paris!