Slinking back with my tail between my legs

Goodness gracious….it hasn't been over a month…it can't have.

Ooooof…bad Ali!

I'd say I'm sorry but the sunshine has just been too wonderful.  (unless you count today which is rather hideous.)

So much has gone on this past month.  I've been completely swept off my feet planning my wedding.  (Well, when you get to 3 months before the big day and you realise how little you've got planned, you sort of go into a blind panic and all else leaves your mind.)

Most importantly, I have my bridesmaids dress fabrics. Aren't they stunning.  Two are vintage liberty prints that my great Aunt had in her stash (1st and 4th) and the rest were rather fab ebay finds.

I've made my flower girl dress (well, ok, I need to hem it and put the zip in still, but I'm considering it a {tick} in the box.

As for the dogs…

All this sunshine has meant two things.

Romping and sleeping.

I wouldn't have expected anything else from them.

I won't leave it so long in the future.  The longer you leave it the harder it is to get back into the routine, and I l.o.v.e…LOVE this blogging malarky.  I love reading them, I love writing posts and I love looking back over the past year, with a smile.

Photographing two fast moving objects…ok…boys…

In the year that I've had two little men, I've taken pictures every month or so (or when I remembered) of them sitting together, to see how they're growing.

I was flicking through older photos when I realised how long it had been since the last one and that it was high time for a photo of my little men, smiling serenely for the camera….perhaps with halos magically hovering above their heads.

Yeah….erm….well…that was the plan.

This is what I went through.

It turns out that now Hugo can move he will simply not sit still, even long enough for a photo with his brother.  Not only that.  Apparently trying to hold his brother down for any length of time is incredibly boring, and pulling funny poses is far more fun.  

Add a photobombing Dennis and lets just say I failed miserably.

It's not all doom and gloom though.  I managed to get ONE good photo.

There's a slight problem though….

Oh well.  Maybe next time I'll manage both boys together.  

If not….well….there's always photoshop.

April

It started with a wonderful friend's "hen do" and ended with my tiny man turning one.  It was a month for family, that's for sure….and cake….lots of cake.

Tiny man turns 1

I've been trying to write this post since the 24th April, when my tiny man, Hugo, turned 1.  I can't think of the words to say so here are some pictures of the day.  As you can see there was a fantastically over-reacted tantrum that I couldn't leave out, but we had a wonderful day and his first try of chocolate (in cake form, no less) was well received.

Birthday part 2: Stanton

Sunday lunch at my dads and Step-mums….what could be better?  Nothing, that's what.

 My dad cooked a fantastic roast and I indulged until my belly was groaning, on roast tatties and chicken.

That could only mean one thing after the waist stretching meal….a long, brisk walk across the fields.

To show he doesn't always sleep, here's the little firecracker.  On walks he just doesn't stop running… (and yes, had the great indignity of being on the lead of shame…well, you know what happened last time we were at my dads.)

Dennis also got in on the action, bless his wobbly bottom.

Man…it was windy.  Howard nearly got blown away.

Through field and field we walked, until we got to this rather majestic tree.  Then home we turned.

Thankfully Little man had drawn arrows in the ground with the giant stick he found.  I don't know what we would have done without it….perhaps forever be walking around fields, unable to find our way home.

Grandpa and Ol are two peas in a pod and never tire of things to talk about.

Back at my dads, it was time for tea and cake……oh yes….much cake…!

The sun was high in the sky and we basked in the garden, soaking ourselves in the warmth.

Look at my fantastic cake.  A gluten free carrot cake. 

A good carrot cake is hands down my favourite cake….Janne didn't disappoint with this bad boy.  

So good….!

There we sat, in the sun until it was time to go home.

It was a fantastic Sunday.

Tomorrow my tiny man turns one.  I'm a bit overwhelmed, really.  I don't think it possibly can have been a year……

Birthday part 1: (Ickworth)

Hello there.  

Do you like my handiwork with a "gif maker" (yes, the words are gibberish to me too…)

I've been meaning to post this for a couple of weeks, when as you can see the weather was greyer, but haven't had the time to write the words.

It was my birthday at the start of April, but as I was celebrating a wonderful friends impending nuptials in the form of her hen do on my actual birthday, my much loved family celebration had to wait, and be split up over a few occasions………..not that I'm complaining…more birthday means more cake, surely?!

Of course, I knew exactly what I wanted to do.  I wanted to go, with whoever could make it, to Ickworth.  My closest, and favourite, National trust destination.

It was just me, my boys, my mummy and my brother on that weekday afternoon……ok…day planning wasn't my forte, but I needed to get out and it wasn't raining.

You see this tree?  (Of course you do, I've put a picture of it up….)  This is one of the oldest trees on the Ickworth estate, said to be over 500 years old.  

We had to frisk Ben, my brother, to make sure he wasn't concealing a chainsaw somewhere on his person.  He tells me that he thinks this tree is far older than 500 years, but who am I to know….?  I just smiled and nodded.

Which way should we go?

I was optimistic and picked the long way around.  We managed to get a good majority of the way around before my little man started complaining of tired legs.

Thankfully the lure of cake at the end was enough to keep him going.  (I think Uncle Ben's shoulders might have also helped.)

There are a few little huts like this dotted about the walk.  They're an endless source of enjoyment…and not just for small people.

Dogs have to be kept on leads at Ickworth when there are lambs, so the dreaded flexi-leads came out…..! 

(On a side note, look how much trimmer Fat Dennis is looking, bless him…..can you see the formings of a waist…..no?  Go away then…*hurmph*)

This is why I hate them so much…..!

It happened more than once, with both Spaniels…..

Secret worlds through hedges were found.  

Gosh I love the imagination that small people have.

In the woodland there were small pockets of green among the sun-starved vegetation.  

These poor daffs were trying to wake up, but were still oh so sleepy.

I'm sure if I were to go tomorrow (actually that's a good idea) then they'd be open and smiling at us.

Along the trail there are opportunities to be fit and healthy…..I know…why bother….!  The idea being you can run the trail with the equipment dotted along it.

Ben and Oli had a lot of fun with them…..although Oli had to help Uncle Ben with a few of them.

Show off….!

(I might be able to do it if I had someone to sit on….)

Again……what a show off!!

I love this tree.  It really doesn't know what it's doing. 

It might not win any beauty contest but it's a complete individual, and stands out as such.

A few signs of flowery dots around the woodland showed that spring was trying to grace us with her face, but there wasn't much.

It "smelled" of green, though, so many a deep breath, savouring the scent, was taken.

The views are gorgeous, with or without the blue of the sky.

So, there we have it…..!  Finished out walk, ready for tea and cake. 

Uncle Ben with a tired legged Little man, and Grandma with a tired, cold Tiny man.

Part 2, coming tomorrow. (I need to get this out before Wednesday, as it's a rather special someone's BIG birthday……the big 1!)