Because this blanket deserves a post of its own!!

Loved spending time with the Hauths and meeting the whole family. Their girls have HUGE personalities but its not surprising knowing their parents. Before leaving Utah they presented us with this AMAZING blanket for William. Made by the SUPER talented Coleen, photographer and all round creative genius! I have serious talent envy for this woman!

And while we are on it i want to vent because she is one of those 'moms' who can do it all!!!! and i so badly wish i was but 'doing it all' just doesn't come naturally to me, it turns out I'm not a multi-tasker, and i like to think of myself as creative but i haven't done anything creative since 1992 so i don't qualify as a cool creative mum who can sow, knit, bake, be a whiz on the computer and have a creative side business........but they will always be my best intentions..(as soon as I'm motivated enough to put some time into em!)

Anyway i keep meeting these types of mums and its just not good for me! vent over.

Back to the Hauths......

Its true that the home made things are always the most loved and treasured and this is already incredibly loved and treasured (as much by me as William)...in fact this treasure is a family heirloom already!!

So a huge THANK YOU for the blood, sweat and tears that went into making this. The craftsmanship is impeccable and well if you didn't know already i love LOVE it.....i find it really hard to find 'boy things' that have a bit more goin on!

BLOG catch up......UTAH

FRIENDS......

We both had plenty of friends in Utah to catch up with...so much so that we felt spread quite thin and wish we had had more time....but loved the time we had..........

We stayed with Scot and Marj and there two cute kids. Felt very relaxed in their company and enjoyed the space their basement flat gave us. Scot is Anthony's best mate, best man at his wedding and Scot even named his son Dixon! Anthony loved being there, just enjoying sitting up late chattin to Scot. I enjoyed getting to know them better and enjoyed how chilled it was in their home. Im sorry the 'bromance' had to end but I'm sure Marj was happy to have her hubs back!! haha (Thank You Dunaways!)

And here is a pic of Dixon and Dixon.

I only got a few precious hours with The Abneys (Below), Hayley is an original Barr (you will hear more of this spesh family in a later post), But I'm so glad I got those few hours to see her and meet her hubs. Love that girl! Thanks Hayley for the travel treats!

Eating out with friends from my mission in Scotland.......

.....including Emma (below, middle), who is from Edinburgh but we meet up thousands of miles across the ocean in Utah ha. She was coincidentally there at the same time!

And I had yet another surprise meeting when eating out a few days earlier Ali Malin (above right, one of my comps and good friend from the mish) walks past me and gets my surprised super scouse 'ALI MALIN!' reaction. She hadn't expected to have been in Utah (Provo) and only got there the day before so it was brilliant to catch up with her and her little fam (cutest little girl who would sit on your knee and talk in all her wise baby language to you!). But again what are the chances? really? We had lots of little blessed happenings all along our trip!

Catching up with Melissa Bradley, The last time this trio was together was a very special December 2005!

We also spent time with The Hauths and The Mathews. Anthony met up with friend Garret Door too. It seems like it was all me and my friends but Anthony just isn't as trigger happy as me with the camera!

Blog catch up......VEGAS!

After California we headed to Utah via Vegas............That place is mental, an adults playground in the middle of the desert. Anthony loves Vegas....I on the other hand prefer more....erm authentic holiday destinations but i enjoyed the novelty of the florescent plastic town for the two days we where there (two days was enough for me).

Mel and Steve came with us, Mel had a time share just off the main strip that we stayed at (right next to the classy 'Hooters'!).

We did have fun in Vegas, ate some GOOD food and was still adjusting to the mammoth size portions they give you in America.

We had another surprise meeting (1st bein Steve on plane), when we ran into Scot and Marjory (Anthony's BF and his wife), at The Cheese Cake Factory. It was quite incredible really. We arrived shortly after them and they where just waiting to be seated so we got to gate crash there romantic gettaway and eat together. Anthony new Scot would be in Vegas at the same time but thought he would leave them to it since they were away to get away together. But we all embraced the impeccably timed chance meeting and we had a fun evening catching up with friends (who we'd be staying with in a couple of days but still..what are the chances?!)

I Wander what William is Thinking here (Below)..........'Papa Joey!?!'

I enjoyed lounging by the pool, whilst William enjoyed running and jumping into the pool, no fear what so ever, luckily Anthony was there to catch him each time!

Spot the pastie English kid in the middle of the HOT desert! I was not taking any chances!

Kids in sun glasses make me laugh every time.....Mr Cool here espesh!

Oh and Thank You Auntie Mel for baby sitting so we could have a night out on the town!

BLOG CATCH UP......USA

So in March we packed our bags and headed for USA. This was a trip Anthony and I had wanted to do for a long time, and we suddenly had a window of opportunity to do it so we seized it! And we are sooooo glad we did. It was absolutely fantastic. We both have some much loved friends and family over there and it was a girt to spend some short but precious time with each of them.

The Plane Journey there was an active 12 hrs to say the least. William was so excited running up and down the plane, hopefully most found him cute and not annoying. Going home was a night flight so he slept the whole way PHEW!! We where also given a pleasant surprise when Steve (Anthony's brother walks down the plane and says 'aright guys', as if it was totally normal that he was there haha)

We landed in LA on Thursday 24th march, Greeted by Mel (Anthony's sister). The first few Days at Mel and Paul's I felt like id been knocked over by a bus with Jet lag. William did fantastic, it took him 2 nights to get in order (probably because he'd been awake the whole journey there).

Whilst in California we spent a couple of days with

The Nestmans. Krista was my first companion on my mission in Scotland. She was the girl who looked after me in those first daunting weeks, put me at ease, built my confidence, chilled me out and above all was the friend I needed. Needless to say iv had a soft spot for that friendship ever since and loved catching up with her, meeting her lovely family and enjoying that friendship once again.....just wish we lived a bit closer!!

They took us to San Diego Zoo (So much to see),

...San Diego Temple......Beautiful! And for some great Mexican food.

The kids! Cute Eliza and Sid Playfully Smell the flowers at the pristine and pretty temple grounds....William picks up hand fulls of soil and throws it all over the shinny white pavement!!

They where great company and the perfect hosts, they had put so much thought and effort in to looking after us for those days. Anthony and I both commented on the extent of effort and thought they took.

THANK YOU NESTMANS!

Jusy what the doc ordered!

From rolling out of a tent one weekend to a four poster bed, hot tubs and massages the next.

I saw an opportunity, cleverly presented it to Anthony and we seized it. I got a last min Spa deal at the stunning ARMATHWAITE HALL HOTEL AND SPA in the Lake District.

The Lakes is without doubt one of my fave retreats in Britain. Beautiful and peaceful. We left William with my mum and dad, and off we went for two glorious relaxing days. The package included a five course meal and a treatment. I got a facial, i never really saw the point of facials but this one actually did leave me feeling relaxed and looking glowing (even Anthony commented!!). I could easily be enrolled in the full on pamper world given the money!

The five course meal was proper fine dinning and I loved being referred to as 'the lady' by the waiter! However our posh meal with stunning lake views and hopping Bunny's in the foreground was quickly brought to an abrupt close. After just the first course Anthony had a bad reaction to something, abruptly leaving me sitting there for a good 20-30 mins at least. I went out to find him and he wasn't well at all so we took the rest of the courses in our room. Anthony would have come off really bad to onlookers, storming off leaving his pregnant wife to eat alone, and then having to watch me stand up and leave alone as well.......iv chuckled a few times about that.

My fave was the out door hot tub, overlooking the gardens brimming with wildlife......we were definitely in Beatrix Potter country!

Its been a really busy summer, and Anthony and I both felt the benefits of some time away on our own.........I want to go back EVERY wknd now!! (sigh).

In recovery....

Back from youth camp and recuperating! I loved it, and loved getting to know the kids better, but i was so happy to come home to my memory foam bed and my shower!

Anthony was with the boys the first half of the week, then came home, and i left, leaving him with William for four days(Anthony certainly appreciates what i do a lot more and I'm milkin' the recognition!).

It was fun doing something different from being William's mum......tiring in a different way but i did accidentally have a 3 hour nap!! absolute magic it was! I went to the car to call Anthony and charge my phone, telling friends id be back in a minute.....waiting for Anthony to return the call i wound the chair back, closed my eyes and BAM 3 hours disappeared! That's probably what got me through the rest of the camp. That and about 10 cups of hot choc a day! (addicted).

I slept in a 2 man tent which was realistically a one man. I was offered a cabin but preferred the option of sleeping on my own to guarantee a better nights sleep. I had it cosy in my tent and slept pretty good but one thing i did not think about was trying to change in such a confined space whilst 7 months pregnant. Their where some interesting noises coming from my tent during those times Ha!

The boys and girls overlapped their camps for two nights so they could have a day together. I was landed with he job of organising their joint activity day (60 kids),and that was a feat and a half!

But i really did love being with the youth. Anthony always comes back from youth camp on a high, he LOVES it, and i get why now....But as much as i loved it, i also LOVED coming home.

Unfortunately I forgot to charge my camera and took no photos...but heres one from facebook. You cant miss supersize me!

I Pledge to Blog!

I Know, I know, I know i need to Blog, but not this week. This week I'm off to youth camp 7 months pregnant. Wish me luck!

But i Promise to do serious Blog catch up in September! It will be my form of 'nesting',
hopefully I'll be fully up to date by October, in time for the little miss whose arriving then!