2019 My Life Project - Week 17

Last week started with a Monday off and more amazing weather. We headed over to Clevedon to walk along the pier, and then followed a trail away from the crowds and discovered an Iron Age Hill Fort, not quite as cool as it sounds and sadly full of rubbish/trash, but it was an adventure. On our way back to the car we popped into the penny arcade for a little bit before finishing off the afternoon with ice creams.

2019 My Life Project - Week 16

It's been a good couple of weeks with the break from school and some break from work. At the end of last week we took the girls to Funderworld, which was in Bristol for two weeks. They loved it; it's all about pushing the fear boundaries apparently...dad and I watched safely from the ground.
We ended the week celebrating Easter, with church, good food and glorious weather (which is about to disappear as we face rain for at least the next ten days - boo), it was wonderful whilst it lasted though and lifted everyone's mood.

( A zoom in to the faces as online resolution probably won't let you zoom in the same way, not super clear as they were so far away, but fun nonetheless)

2019 My Life Project - Week 15

We spent a few days away last week, in Cornwall, not far from Bude. It's always good to just get away as a family, to change up the routine and all the normals and explore new places. Of course the clotted cream and delicious ice cream are lovely bonuses when we go to Cornwall.

2019 My Life Project - Week 14

Daddy and daughter playing together. She wants to get better but doesn't practice enough and because she heard him playing an old Maroon 5 song which she thought was cool, she asked him to teach her. It was at night with gross indoor light...so black and white.

2019 My Life Project - Week 13

This one makes me laugh, but totally sums up this little doggie we occasionally get to dogsit for friends, as we did this weekend. So different from our Scout who is always on a mission to get to the park where he can run and chase his ball, this one has to stop every few feet to smell everything and pees at least 50 times on a walk...not even joking.

2019 My Life Project - Week 12

One of the hardest things about marrying someone from another country is that you can't be in two places at the same time, and someone is always far away from their family. My children have barely seen their grandparents over the years and it blesses me whenever we do get a little time together and to see them slowly strengthening the bonds that had to grow so slowly over the miles. 

This past weekend we got to celebrate an uncle's 40th birthday with some of the family and extra doggies and although it was brief, it's always good!

2019 My Life Project - Week 11

The kids and I made a flying visit to Kent this weekend, while daddy had a more literal flying visit to California. We got to briefly see both little cousins although it was over far too quickly. Even with the sizable age difference it's so cute to see the kids together.

2019 My Life Project - Week 10

Daddy will get to see some much missed friends before she does, so she's writing notes!

2019 My Life Project - Week 9

And we now officially have our second teenager in the house! This beauty turned thirteen last Thursday; it was an incredibly busy work week with daddy leaving on the evening of her birthday to go to a conference. We did a very quick morning opening of a gift before school, I raced to pick them up after school to shorten their journey home (which is normally by bus) then she opened the rest of her gifts and we had a fast dinner before heading off to youth club.

She did get to go shopping at the weekend with friends though, who then stayed for a sleepover (that didn't involve much sleep) and her second pavlova (birthday cake of choice as she doesn't like frosting/icing) as well as a family day yesterday. These years are passing by so quickly!

2019 My Life Project - Week 8

All of a sudden school break was about to end and the panic set in for back to school and back to work; it started to feel like the week had slipped away from us. We asked the kids if there was anything they'd like to do and they voted for Airhop, so off we went. It was terrible fluorescent lighting in a giant warehouse, with no flash allowed, so I had to whack up the ISO and embrace the grain, but that's ok, they had fun and I got a few shots...

2019 My Life Project - Week 7

A little late posting last week's photo(s). We were away visiting old friends for a long weekend near Derby. It's quite interesting to me the friendships we make in this life but more so the ones that survive.

I met my husband over a weekend away, we're from different continents and could never have seen each other again, yet it was meant to be and we've been married over 22 years. Our friendship with the Saxbys is one that has stood the test of time and international moves. Mark and I met the same year I met James, as part of a UK YWAM team heading to the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.

When you get a group of young singles together there is unarguably an element of people wondering if they will meet that 'special someone' yet we both had already met ours and so a wonderful, uncomplicated friendship began
... here we are 23 years later hoping our kids will also become good friends and I am so grateful that this friendship has lasted. This was a weekend of wonderful walks and climbs, a cosy fire, lots of late night talking after the kids went down, music and wine. I always leave our time together encouraged and challenged and this weekend was no exception.

2019 My Life Project - Week 6

Our eldest turned 15 this weekend...how did we go from toddler to towering above me? I just don't know where the time goes! He is such a great kid and I couldn't love him any more than I do. We had a fun family day together: did our first Escape Room and went out for Pho and he was so genuinely grateful. There weren't a lot of gifts this time as the big gift (for Christmas and birthday) is to get to go back to the States with his sister for a couple of weeks this Summer, which is all he really wants anyway...well actually he might prefer to move back but a visit back is the strongest runner up.

2019 My Life Project - Week 5

The weather forecast had kept predicting snow, and then it would change to another day...so after it had been promised all day Thursday, we went to bed that evening with a 'we'll believe it when we see it' attitude.

Our middle had run up excitedly a little while later to let us know it was snowing and we awoke the next morning to inches of the white stuff and it continued through the day. Schools and some businesses were closed and it was officially declared a snow day. The older two went off to visit a friend and go sledding while little miss and the dog played briefly in the back garden, making the mini-est snowman and a brief snow angel, before retreating back indoors to be warm.

2019 My Life Project - Week 4

Our Scout; part of the family...and with as cold as this house gets, I don't blame him for not wanting to lay on the floor.

2019 My Life Project - Week 3

Although we don't allow makeup outside of the house quite yet, this particular tween is constantly watching tutorials and practicing. The majority of her money, be it pocket money, or gifts goes towards all sorts of makeup. It slightly appalls me the amount that she has spent, but she enjoys it and she's honing her craft and it's her money.

A sick day at home this week gave me the chance to get some daylight photos (hurray) as it's dark by the time they normally get home. My sweet girl, beautiful with or without makeup, although I do prefer the natural look.

And just for laughs, look how far she's come!

2019 My Life Project - Week 2

Only week two and I managed to get to the end of the week with no photo; not the strongest start. So with hours to spare, yesterday afternoon I decided to set up the tripod in the kitchen with the interval timer on the camera and just see if I could get ANYTHING. This project is meant to be about my life and yet being the one behind the camera means I normally don't feature, maybe I'll change that a little this year...maybe.

Anyway, there were several far more flattering ones of me I was tempted to use from when I was baking on my own, but my wonderful boy offered to make dinner for us all and we worked in the kitchen together for a bit and so here is one with the two of us. I love when he jumps in like that and dinner was great!

2019 My Life Project - Week 1

I have decided to continue documenting our life this year, at least one photo a week. Maybe there'll be other opportunities or ideas along the way, but the discipline is good for me, so here is the first week; two of my children having a sweet moment, playing around together on a friend's piano.