FAMILY

Happy family times in the sunshine over the weekend, to celebrate the first birthdays of Coralie and Phoebe, the babies of our family. Always lovely to catch up with everyone and I'm so pleased I got my camera and snapped a few moments from the day.

WISHES

Josephine collected little stones to throw into the lake at Dryham Park last week, and told me she was making wishes as they hit the water. Wishes for holidays and cake and sunshine; and a wish that she could see her Grandpa.

I love that he is in her thoughts always, and at the same time my heart breaks for her and all that she should have done with him but never got the chance, and for how much she misses him.

My sweet girl. Your Grandpa would be so proud of you and I have no doubt that, wherever he is now, he wishes he could see you too.

And then she wished for an apple. I love her!

DYRHAM PARK

On Friday we visited one of our favourite local attractions with my Mum, the amazing Dyrham Park, to celebrate her birthday. The rain didn't last too long so we got to explore the gardens as well as the house. But I think our favourite part, Josephine's especially, was the Rooftop Experience. The National Trust are currently replacing and restoring the roof, giving visitors the opportunity to go to the top and explore. It really was amazing; the views, the perspective and most of all the tiny high-vis jackets and yellow builder's hats for kids. I'd definitely recommend a visit if you're in the area.

FIVE

Five years married, and I love you more than ever.

Through the thick and the thin, the good and the bad, the happy and heartbreaking.

I love that you let me have a lie-in every Saturday, that you always buy me chocolate when you stop at the shop and that you watch Eastenders with me.

I love how wonderful a Daddy you are to our babies, and I love how much they both completely adore you.

Here's to the next five years, and all the others after that. I'm so lucky to call you mine xxx

MAMA

Over the last month or so, I've seen the topic of us Mama's including ourselves in our family photos crop up here and there - on my favourite blogs and IG accounts, and it's certainly something that resonates with me.

As the photographer of the family, I'm even less likely to be the one in front of the camera, but more and more I'm making sure I take the time to pass the camera to someone else and ask them to take a picture of me too. We've even started to ask strangers and passers by to take our photo when we're out and about. I think the pictures of all four of us together will be the ones we cherish the most in years to come.

I know that sometimes it's easier to be the ones taking the photos; I certainly feel that sometimes the bags under my eyes are just too big and dark, my clothes aren't particularly nice or I'm generally feeling a bit chubby round the edges, but it really and honestly doesn't matter. When I'm old and grey I know I'm going to look back on those captures and wonder what on earth I was so worried about, and I don't want to regret not getting in on my of the family photo action.

And, you know what, maybe it will make me get out of those boring everyday clothes I routinely put on, and throw on that nice top I've been 'saving' (for what?!) instead. Sometimes (most of the time) I need to remind myself that taking 5 minutes longer for ME is just as important as getting the girls dressed and making sure the bag has everything we need in. This is just the excuse I need.

Last summer, I posted a picture of my beautiful little family on the beach in our favourite place in the world; St Ives. Coralie was two months old, I still carrying quite a bit of baby weight and my boobs were HUGE from feeding a tiny newborn. It took quite a bit of courage for me to post that picture, put it out there, but I'm so glad I did. I'm so glad to be part of the visual side of this journal; not just the voice behind the words and the person behind the camera. Josephine has that picture hanging on her wall and talks about it all the time. She doesn't see any of my insecurity or softness or post-pregnancy self-confidence issues; she sees her Mama happy and smiling, cuddling her, as I will always do whenever she lets me or wants me to (and even when she doesn't) and loving her, and being there on all our family adventures.

So this is my new mission. Every day trip, every family party, every afternoon spent in the garden, I need to hand over the camera and get in the shot. I know I won't regret it.

A few Mamas who are inspiring me in this quest right now?
Naomi at Love Taza
Courtney Adamo on IG
James at Bleubird
Keri-Anne at Gingerlilly Tea
Kellie at Dear Olive

BANK HOLIDAY LOVELINESS

Ah, Bank Holidays - you really are awesome. Especially when it's not raining. A long weekend, impromptu picnics and walks and fun times with this little family of ours.

On Monday we decided to head off along the canal to Sydney Gardens for lunch and it was so much fun. Josephine walked for two hours with just a little pitstop to eat(although that was punctuated with sprints round the park between bites) and didn't complain once. There's always so much to see on a good walk; narrowboats and fluffly baby swans with their Mama and Daddy, trains and huge leaves that 'look like feathers', crazy dogs (Dalmatians!) and ducks.

You always know it's a been a fun-packed morning when you get home and both your children sleep for hours, and you have to wake them up!

Longing for more three-day weekends and, ultimately, our summer holiday in August where we'll have a week of such adventures. Cornwall is calling...