Here again

I did exactly what i used to hate other bloggers doing! Disppeared! I really cannot believe i havent posted a blog post in over a year. That pretty much sums up my year, it flew by!! I took up a new position for a national charity and with my new job came less time to write a blog, keep up with blogs and as for stitching? Well, theres has been very little of that over the last year! I cannot even remember where i kept my blog feeds. Im sure i switched to Bloglovin when Reader went but now i cant find anything there. Ive restarted again on Feedly but now im trying to remember and track down the hundreds of blogs i used to follow! Its a lot easier to read blogs now i have a decent phone with decent apps!

I always used to worry when bloggers disppeared that something bad had happened, or they'd got sick etc etc It wasnt the case here. Ive generally just been super busy. I work, i ferry the boys about to all their different clubs, i run, i lead a running group, im chair of the parent council, i take exercise classes, we go to church. Life is busy busy busy!

2014 has been a great year! Im just trying to think back to all the things that have happened this year. I had some big personal achievements; i walked the West Highland Way (96miles) in June, i ran my first ever half marathon in October and i climbed Goatfell in Arran for the first time too. My eldest boy started school!!! He has lost 4 baby teeth! My youngest boy turned 3! We had a great 2 week holiday to Florida back in March. My husband started a new job.

I always stitch the boys an ornament for Christmas and at least i still managed to do that this year! Minecraft and Minions

If anyone out there still reads my blog let me know so that i can be sure to put you into my new Feedly. Cheers x

A spotty Christmas

This is how i'll remember December 2013. The little one now has horrendous chickenpox. 2weeks 3days after his brother got them. Grrrreeat. 

Have a Happy Christmas! Ours will be a spotty one.

December Blogging Advent Month

DeBloAdMo - Something my friend Lori came up with a few years ago. Basically i have a wooden advent calendar and in every day i have a little slip of paper with the Christmas activity im going to do with the kids that day, which im then supposed to blog about. Ive been very good at the activity, ive been no good at the blogging. 

Here's a run through of our DeBloAdMo activities to date:

Day 1
We ran the 1K Jingle Bell fun run my work organises every year. The competitive half of the family (mummy and Caleb) made it round the whole 1K and Caleb was so pleased to get his medal! The non-competitive half (daddy and Aaron) failed to make it past the swing park (not even half way)....im not sure if this was daddy or Aarons decision though...mmm

Day 2
We went to the Christmas carnival at the garden centre. The boys loved the rides, mummy loved the warm freshly made cinnamon and sugar donuts

Day 3
I did their messages from Santa on the portable north pole tv website. They loved them! 

Day 4
We made paperchains! Caleb made his all by himself this year, he's growing up!

Day 5
We made salt dough ornaments, which Aaron enjoyed but Caleb had no energy for having come down with chickenpox on day 3!!!! (I proceeded to burn them in the oven but hey ho, he enjoyed cutting out the dough)

Day 6
The boys got Usborne Christmas sticker books

Day 7
We got the decorations up!

Day 8
We made paper snowflakes for the windows

Day 9
We had a Christmas treasure hunt for chocolate coins, in the garden.

Day 10

I made the Elf Yourself family video see it here

Plans were scuppered a bit by Caleb coming down with chickenpox on day 3! It meant we couldn't go to the Christmas light switch on at the school on day 6 and we couldn't go to Laineys 30th Birthday lunch on day 8 (well i did, the rest stayed at home), so i had to sub in some activities on those days.

2 today!

My beautiful boy is 2 today! He is such a character; very loving, affectionate, a mummy's boy, content and happy with a fiery independent streak at times. He adores his big brother who is the first person he wants to see when he wakes up in the morning. He loves his food, loves milk, adores animals (our bunnies and his childminder's dogs in particular) and is obsessed with JCB tractors. Tractors galore for birthday presents! He brings us great joy and happiness and whilst we are exhausted by our 2 boys, we cannot imagine life without them! Happy 2nd Birthday Aaron! To quote your big brother, "love you so much!"

 My what a change in 2 short years!

Pumpkins for Cathey

Pumpkins carved in 2008 by DH and I. In a time before kids....

Showing support for a fellow stitching blogger, Cathey, today (see here ). Happy Blogiversary (or however you choose to spell it) to Cathey today!

Im back

Im here, blogging, at long last. I think this is the longest break ive ever had from blogging, its not really been intentional, there are just always other things that need done and blogging is the first thing to go. My return to work probably coincided with my blogging hiatus. I work 25 hours a week as a project coordinator for a charity and that, along with 2 kids, a husband, 2 rabbits and all the household 'stuff' pretty much fills all my time. I just logged into my Bloglovin' account though and i see many of the blogs i follow have also been on a bit of a break too. Funny how that happens!

Lets see if i can remember some things that have happened since i last blogged back in June.

-We had the hottest July i can remember and i spent a fabulous week at our church camp in the glorious sunshine. Arriving at camp in shorts and vest tops at 8am and still in the same leaving at 10pm at night is unheard of for me. This is Scotland! It was really great.

-On the 11th August our family increased by 2. We got bunnies! Here are Hippy and Hoppy :)

- Matthew and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary.

- We went away to Centre Parcs in the lake district and had a lovely time. I even had time to read some of a book *gasp*

- I got glasses for reading and using the computer, which has made me feel like im getting old.

- The jogging group I started in the village where i live celebrated its first anniversary!

- I finished some stitching! Caleb's nursery class has 3 teachers and i thought id stitch for them all. These actually took me a lot longer than i anticipated but they were finished in time.

Lizzie Kate design

The back

In parliament

I have no good reason as to why ive been away from blog land for over 2 months! Im trying to think back and recall anything particularly blog-worthy but there's nothing, life has just been really busy!

In May we spent a week on the beautiful isle of Arran. We can see across to Arran from where we live and its only a 30min car ride then an hours boat crossing but we've never been, despite having wanted to for years. It didnt disappoint! Beautiful scenery, idyllic beaches, tranquil little villages. We loved it and will definitely go back. We will climb Goatfell one day when the boys are old enough to walk that far!

This month i went back to work having been off now on 'maternity leave' for 2 years. This week (my 2nd week in the job) i got to down to London and amongst other meetings, attend a reception in the House of Commons!!! I've stood outside the Houses of Parliament loads of times and had the usual tourist photos under Big Ben etc but i have never been inside on 'official business.' I was pretty awestruck!