Adventurers

I'm calling on you guys today to help a girl out a little. This is a great problem for my fiance and I to have but one all the same: where should we go on our honeymoon in June?

Here are some amazing options we've looked at so far...

Italy / Mauritius / Thailand / New York

There's some variety there right? We can't decide if we want a beach holiday to lay about, drink cocktails and read or a city break to immerse ourselves in food, art, nightlife and theatre. What we do know is we both want a holiday we couldn't do when we have children. 

So, any thoughts friends? 

Images are not my own. All images taken from Google. 

Relax and unwind

I've been MIA lately and for that I apologise, though I've been having a blast so I'm not that sorry!

The past week was spent in the middle of a forest in the Southwest of England, in a lodge with family, no cars in sight, birdsong and duck quacks galore. The lodge was at least 20 minutes walk from any of the cafes and Matt and I spent lots of time cycling up and down the ridiculously steep wonderful hills to get around. I don't think I've had that much fresh air and headspace for a good few months and it felt great.

The sub-tropical swimming paradise (disclaimer - it wasn't paradise that was just the name) was kept at a constant 28c and the steam rose from the outdoor pools which made it quite pretty really. When we weren't relaxing in one of the 3 hot-tubs we were throwing ourselves down the outdoor rapids, jumping the waves in the wave pool, hurtling down the flumes and bumping into numerous people in the lazy river. I think it was also the only time i've been in an outdoor pool in the snow too, pretty magical!

Here's a complete photo dump of the week!

Chatting to the ducks

Channelling her inner artist

Just a little waterfall

Kayak on the sub-zero lake anyone?

Starbucks smiles 

I'm not actually taller than him, promise

Pretty yellow flowers 

A line of ducks, seriously they were everywhere

Okay okay, I can hear you asking where this was! Hit up this link to find out more.

Wedding catch-up

Source

A few people have been kindly asking how the wedding planning is coming along. After all, there is only 4 months to go! 

• Ceremony venue 
• Legal ceremony venue
• Celebrant
• Dress
• Shoes
• Bridal party wardrobe (I have the dresses not the shoes!)
• Licence to marry
• Catering for reception
• Save the dates
• Flowers
• Cake
• Invites
• Order of service
• Band for reception
• Photographer

This is a shortened list. Partly shortened because I got so overwhelmed I delegated certain jobs to my fiance (who thought he was getting away with doing little - not a chance!) and partly because it scares me to write out everything I haven't yet done. But as you can see, bit by bit i'm getting there! We did make it harder for ourselves by not marrying in a licensed venue, so we're still deciding where to do the legal ceremony. 

We're going on holiday next week and apart from discussing worship songs we'd like and order of service, we're taking a step back from the planning to just enjoy time together. I don't want this wedding to define our time together for the next 4 months, we want to have fun too! 

Engagement is yours not hers

via

When we got engaged weeks before Christmas kicked off we were elated and anxious at the same time. Why anxious? Because we didn't want to steal the Christmas spotlight for others, especially those in our family. There were toasts to our engagement and future together but we didn't push it. We weren't the reason for the season after all.

So planning got pushed until after the New Year. This suited me especially because I found the whole adjustment period i.e. being a girlfriend to being a fiance, particularly stressful. See, I don't cope well with change in my life at all. Going on holiday? Stress. Change to daily routine? Stress. So naturally becoming a fiance and faced with lots of well meaning comments such as "let the planning begin, you won't know what's hit you!" didn't go down too well. On the outside I was smiling, on the inside I was wanting to crawl into the nearest hole. When we were together as a couple and enjoying our relationship as we did before, and without we had without constant comments from others I was fine. The holidays didn't give much couple time to us though.

Into middle of January and after really seeking God's peace on the change and I'm starting to really look forward to the whole shebang and elopement is quickly disappearing from my mind. We've started to get quotes from venues and some nights I toss and turn with excitement about it all.

I guess the lesson here is that your engagement is yours. It's your emotions, your plans, will go at your speed and will be best shared between you, your partner and God. Don't be sucked into a make believe world of what you "should" be feeling and "should" be doing at any particular time. Reading other blogs has both helped and hindered in this regard: I love reading about what others have done for their weddings though often only positive emotions are written about and none of the stress, anxiety and nerves are laid down.

And don't get me started on the battle of budget vs. dreams (read: Pinterest)!

Do you have any wedding planning tips for me?

New Years 2014

Not my photo but found through Google from The Daily Mail news website

This is late. In fact, not just a couple of days but almost a full 2 weeks. That's just me really, once a procrastinator always one. I will try harder blogging world I promise.

New Years eve and both my man and I were struggling with exhaustion from the holidays. We'd had a week off work (well, almost) and yet had crammed more in than we would in a normal working week. I'd booked tickets to the London New Years Eve Fireworks display back in October because you see, standing on the banks of the Thames to ring in New Years had been a dream since I was a child. Tickets in hand, lolling on my sofa at home, I just couldn't muster the energy to move let alone drive to London.

It was my boyfriend fiance (I love that) who persuaded me in an entirely easygoing way. Go to London together or stay home and not bring in the New Years together at all. It was harsh love that got me off my butt and into the car.

After a couple of hours with family, a delicious roast dinner and hours of queuing, we were in the compound by 10pm. Boy was it worth it!

 This was our view for the fireworks! My photos didn't turn out too great so i didn't take many and just enjoyed it with my man.

After the fireworks there was singing, dancing and frivolity. Then a long journey home with thousands of others which was made better by a McDonalds breakfast at 2am and friendly people on the Tube.

Would we do it again next year? Man says no. I say, not the fireworks but definitely into the city to an event if we can. It was definitely worth it and would recommend it to anybody who can make it to London next year!

Info on all London events can be found at: http://www.london.gov.uk/

Our proposal story

Every girl wants to share her proposal story with anybody who'll listen!

We had planned to visit Hyde Park Winter Wonderland this year (because we missed it last year) and take a day off work for a Christmas date day. December 11th was settled on, tickets for the ferris wheel were booked and off we went!

Paddington Trail - find a Paddington and donate to the charity who sponsors it. This guy was in Carnaby Street.

We started on Oxford Street where we checked out the Christmas lights and then wandered down to Tottenham Court Road to eat delicious Korean food for lunch. When we arrived at the entrance to Hyde Park it was bitterly cold and the wind was something fierce! He suggested a walk around the park before entering the fairground and I thought, "Erm...okay but it's really cold and the fair is right there and I really really want to ride the ferris wheel right now!". Thought not said, that part is important!

Our walk took us down to the Serpentine where he suggested we sit on a bench together overlooking the pond. Too many birds. I'm scared of birds so I suggested we keep walking. Little did I know but I just ruined proposal number one!

As is always the way I needed the toilet when there wasn't one anywhere near where we were. We went on a hunt and eventually found a public bathroom. Afterwards I started to walk back towards the entrance to the fairground and he tried to get me to walk the other way to a secluded garden. I still hadn't cottoned on so ruined proposal number two!

We were metres away from the fairground entrance when he grabbed my hand and led me off in the other direction. I just wanted to ride the ferris wheel ya'know! As we walked the other way he told me he wanted to find a quiet place to talk. Oh. My. Word. I suddenly got it. Instead of keeping quiet and going with the flow I whittered on about any subject that came to my head. I was so nervous. 

My man did what he affectionately now refers to as his "love preamble" and then got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife. I said yes of course! 

Just to the left of the pathway intersection is where he proposed.

I finally got to ride the ferris wheel as an engaged woman. We then went to the ski lodge and drank mulled wine together, enjoying those first couple of hours of our engagement as a secret between ourselves.  

We Instagrammed this photo but didn't tell anybody it was our first photo togteher as an engaged couple. 

Christmas, love and shiny things

Merry Christmas friends! I know I have been quiet here but that's because my life was flipped upside-down on December 11th when my man asked me to marry him! Above is the picture we used to tell friends (well, those I hadn't already told in person, which was most!). Proposal story post will follow soon I promise. January will see the start of our wedding planning!

This Christmas has been very busy and the next three days will be a whirlwind of family, food and (hopefully) great (relaxing too) times. I'm hoping you have a relaxing and blessed Christmas time with loved ones!