Excited.

Just sneaking on real quick because I am supposed to be looking after other people's children  working. The kids all seem super tired today  and we are all glad that it's friday. One little is spread out on the couch and one is full of the sniffles and lying on my knee, we are watching an episode of Mickey mouse clubhouse.

Anyway, I just had to come on real quick and document my new friend.

Meet Hilda.

I think it is now very clear that I have some kind of problem. I have no idea why I am compelled to name my belongings, but sometimes these names just pop into my head and I can't seem to shift them. So Hilda it is.

Yesterday I received my new ever so happy and shiny phone. Hilda. She has all sorts of fun features and a camera. A moment of silence please to respect this most awesome of features.

...............................(moment of silence)..........................................

Sigh.

It has been over 2 years since I had a phone with a decent camera and I am over the moon. It will be so handy for the days I forget my big camera, or to snap some fun moments with my best guys when the big camera is too bulky.

Sigh.

(again )

First things first, I downloaded instagram. It is free, it is fun! And I like that it has a wee news feed of sorts, because let's face it, I am so nosy! And it is great to see what other people are up to! And now that Facebook is incomprehensible to me, I would like to take my stalking in a new direction.

But today while I was not at all considering buying it for full price , really I wasn't, I happened to notice that hipstamatic was on sale (for today only apparently) for 69p. Well , who could pass that up!

Not me.

Check out the fun I have had so far!

And all for the bargain price of  69p. Even Peaty has to admit that that's a bargain.

The only thing is that it has me running around the house taking pics of random wee corners , like a mad woman. But no one has batted an eyelid yet so it is just possible I was amad woman before I met Hilda.

Moving on.......

Mickey is coming to an end and Special agent Oso has begun, I must turn that over, it drives me nuts.

Just time to show you what happened when Hilda met Ina

Aaah, the sun shone and angels sang. Perfection.

Is it wrong that I want to print this out and hang it in my kitchen?

Gotta run, back soon :-)

On a cold and frosty morning.

There has been a real absence of cold, frosty mornings this winter. But this morning was just fabulous. K and I walked to school, admiring the sparkling frost and looking at the tracks made by her scooter wheels.
. After I had dropped her off , I couldn't resist going for a stroll with my camera.

Even though it was after 9, the sun was feeling lazy and was struggling to rise.

I ended up walking for around an hour, just taking in the beautiful light and sights along the way,

With rosy cheeks and a cherry nose, I returned home for a hot cup of tea and some much needed warmth.

 I'm sure I will have to venture out from under this cosy quilt at some point though .....

Our Christmas table.

This year our Christmas table was going to be it's usual simple self.

Red table cloth, red and gold decorations with little flecks of green on the napkin rings. These beautiful embroidered napkin "rings" were a gift from a friend f mine who lives in Singapore. I love them and look forward to using them each year.

Our house ended up being so full and busy and wonderful on Christmas day, that the table was only partially laid whenmy parents arrived.

We finished it with the cutlery and quickly sat down to eat. I didn't get a chance to take any nice pics.

 

We managed to snap a few after our main course, once peace was once more in residence (and we couldn't move from the table!)

It is nice to plan and read magazines, dream over what your "dream" christmas table would look like.

My dream Christmas table is slightly mismatched, very loud and busy. Stuffed with our favourite foods and all of our family.  These are the most important parts, anything else are just a bonus if they happen.

I wouldn't change any of it for the world.

If you would like to share words or pictures about your Christmas table, maybe you would like to head on over and share at nice day at Rosie's. She is hosting a lovely giveaway x

Looking back, looking forward.

And once again, here we are. Back at the start. There is nothing to make you feel energised and motivated, like the first day of a brand new year. So full of potential and promises. It is like the ultimate Monday!

I am sitting  in our living room, looking around at all of our Christmas bits and bobs. Smiling.
The sun is streaming in the front window and I have a steaming cup of tea in my favourite mug. Life is good.

It is January 1st, almost time to go back to work, time for our little family to leave the "holiday bubble" that we love so much. I don't feel sad that Christmas has passed, because we lived it. We lived it all.

We have enjoyed every moment of the season. We have gathered as a family and had so much fun.

2011 has been a good year for us. We have had much to celebrate.

Special Birthdays.

Happy holidays

More happy holidays.

Girly holidays!

Time for just Murray and I.

Lots of special family times.

Precious times with our precious Joe boy.

K starting school

We have welcomed new members into our family.

(not all of them human!)

And there has been a lot of growing going on.

An awful lot of growing up.

We have had some changes to our lives this year lots of good ones and some sad ones too.

We lost our precious little Bee Bee

And we "lost" our little hughes family and our Joe boy , to the sunny temptations of Spain.

2012 will hopefully be a happy and health - full year for everyone.

Filled with love.

and fun times

2011 also saw the "launch" of my little polka dot adventure -  I so hope 2012 allows the fun to continue.
 I am full of hope and new ideas.

I am looking forward to trips to Spain this year and extra special trips when they all come home to visit.

 Only 30 sleeps until I get to sniff that scrumptious boy again.

What a gift.

I have such a strong feeling that it is going to be a good year. I have absolutely no basis for this whatsoever. But it is there, all the same, in my gut.

I feel good and exciting things are coming to us all.

I have no idea what this year will actually hold.

But, one thing is for certain.

There will be as much family time squeezed into every one of these 366 days that will make up 2012, as we possibly can.

 I hope to have many many more links and photos to share of all of the fun we WILL have this year.

And in December we will choose a wonderful tree

 (although this tree will certainly take some beating. On all counts.)

Before we know it, we will have hurtled through the whole year. Returning, once again, to the magic of the Christmas season.

Full circle.

But for now, right here, right at this second?

This year is brand new. A gift yet to be unwrapped. Full of wonder. Full of promise and ours for the taking.

Happy New year my friends.

And there's a hand, my trusty fiere!

And gie's a hand o' thine!

And we'll tak a right guid willy waught,

For auld lang syne.

Happy New Year.