We've raced through 2014 and I have to say I can't really fault 2014 for us as a family (which I'm very thankful for.) Mostly we have been well, school has been good and we have managed to come a long way with Little A. We've continued to live in a house we love and are thankful to our landlords who are much better than previous ones we've ever had! My sister has continued to do well at university and I am so proud of her and my brother has left Cornwall to start his own chapter. Whilst we miss him this Christmas, we know he's perfectly happy where he is and that in turn makes us happy.
Like many bloggers around this time I wanted to reflect a little and write about 2014. After all, this blog hosts many of our memories. Photos will have to wait though (not long though! New laptop tomorrow from Mum and Pop!!)
Anyway, onto 2014 and what happened for us. As every year we started January with Midges birthday, this year her sixth. It was of course a lovely day, inspired by Hello Kitty which she was obsessed with at the time. I've already been told to expect a Frozen theme next year! She had friends over and dressed up, ate food and had a hissy fit because she lost pin the tail on the donkey. I still like to remind her of this! A week later it is her Dads birthday. I know we spent it partly as a family and partly him at football! We did have a night away in Plymouth at a favourite hotel of ours a few weeks later and that was lovely. Even had a sit down meal! I also had the very wonderful chance of going to the very first Story of Mum Mums Retreat at the beginning of January for a whole 24 hours. My friend Kat came and it was so great!
A month later Little A turned 3. I baked him a Toy Story cake because he really loved it at the time. He had some lovely presents and my Aunt came over to see him. Sadly he was poorly leading up to and including his birthday so it wasn't quite the occasion we had hoped! I learned that my best friend was expecting her fourth child and while it was unexpected I was excited for her!
In March I travelled to Kats in Bath and stayed with her and her family. I went up for the purpose of sleeping rough for the night in a park to raise money for the homeless charity Julian's Hospice. That was a cold night but a humbling experience indeed. I remember being extremely cold as 3am hit and being incredibly thankful that I was heading to a warm house to get some sleep, food and warmth.
I enjoyed having the little ones home during the Easter break and we had secured Little A a place at the nursery attached to Midges school. I attended a craft work shop with Midge where we made an Easter tree. Since then the same tree has been a halloween tree and now a winter tree! I wonder what everyone else did! The summer holidays were very long indeed; that much I remember! Kat visited with her family and we went to Paradise Park which was great fun. At the end of the summer my husband finally had some time off so the last week we did some fun things like going out to eat, taking the children shopping and other stuff I can't remember!
I've just remembered that I took Midge to Portsmouth by train and we had a lovely time with our cousins. We traveled to Cambridge with them and celebrated my cousins wedding. It was a small family and close friend gathering with a wonderful do at my Aunts house. I always go there and feel I have the most amazing family in the world!
Midge started year 2 in September and has been doing very well. She's settled in fine and coming on in her work nicely. I love how her imagination is being stretched more and more and she has started to love reading more and seeing me write letters to my own friends has inspired her to get her own pen pal too. I sent out a travelling notebook this month and it's still travelling around somewhere! Little A started nursery and we had a great start with getting him speech therapy and he is now under the S.E.N department to help him catch up. He's made some friends and loves his teachers and to be honest, I love them too I think!!
Ah October was fab! Little Tilly was born (Kats little girl!) and she was so precious! I visited a couple of weeks before my birthday to see her and her boys plus the new addition! My birthday was a wonderful day where I was spoilt rotten. I had a sit down meal with my babies and hubby and ate a yummy birthday cake too. Just before that I took Midge with my Mum and I to London to see my cousins and visit the Harry Potter studio tour. We totally lost ourselves there (me more than most) I had an absolutely amazing time!
And then we close with the winter months where we had a great bonfire night (usually my most disliked event of the year) but not this year. This year we made s'mores, had sparklers and watched fireworks go off in the distance. We saw Titan the robot at the local town light switch on, enjoyed both the children's school Christmas performances and crafting lanterns, making our own chocolates and writing Father Christmas his letters. I've enjoyed a fabulous Advent swap from Instagram and look forward to January where I can start swapping again! Our Christmas Eve has been wonderful and I hope Christmas Day to be just as good.
As for 2015 and what it holds I really don't know? I hope to see Kat and her family soon and to stay up there again and this time experience Bath Spa for myself! I visited Bath Spa this year and it was amazing walking around, I do love the history but I wouldn't mind going to the actual spa for myself! My sister will turn 21, Midge will be 7, Little A four and starting reception! I'd like a hotel break for our 2nd wedding anniversary and I have friends getting married in June plus a Cambridge holiday in July to look forward to! Oh wow, there's more than I thought!
Wherever you are and whatever you're doing, I hope you have a very Merry Christmas and I wish you all so much happiness for 2015. Thanks for reading as always.
Love,
Cupcake Mumma
