This boy...

He is the youngest. He is spoiled rotten. He has me wrapped around his little finger. He is Phineas.

Phineas's First Day of School

He seems far too little, but Phineas has now officially joined his big brothers at school. Both his morning yesterday and his full day today seem to have gone well.  He is so wiped out today that he fell asleep on the drive home and only stirred long enough to eat and drink a little something.  Tomorrow I plan to spend a very snugly day with Phineas, with renewed appreciation for my fast disappearing days at home together.

Blessings

I don't know if this is true, but seems like it is a good idea, and perhaps it will prompt me to being more regular with my prayers.  So let us begin. Top of the list of blessings has to be family, but not just my own immediate family.  This last week we have intentionally kept our home as quiet as possible, we haven't invited anyone over and we haven't looked after anyone's children/ dogs/ accounts etc.  I enjoy the visitors we do get, but Lewis and I decided we deserved a break.  It has been lovely to enjoy a week with our children, going out every now and then, but having our home as a sanctuary for us.  Not only have we been able to spend quality time together in our no so little family, we have also spent time with our extended family having a lot of fun!

I had a lovely time hanging out with my cousins Abbie, Jess and Nic. We played a quiz, and then countdown (do you love the countdown clock?) My favourite part of the evening was walking in to find all three of them colouring in Day of the Dead sugar skulls to decorate Abbie's car for the Land of The Remembered activity I have organised at Church for this evening (Hallo'ween) I felt very touched that they had taken time to support the activity.

We also spent time with the Munday family en mass for Fran's 64th birthday.  Nobody plays party games like these people! I laughed so hard my cheeks were aching!

So my number one blessing is family.  I love them.

A Giggle of Mundays

 We just spent a couple of days with Rachel, Elizabeth and occasionally Steve (he had to work)

 It was lovely to get away for a couple of days and have a break from the busy-ness of home life.

 We spent Friday at Eureka with Rachel and Elizabeth, it was so much fun!  

Phineas is 1!

A year has flown by and now our little bundle of joy is walking...and climbing up everything (including over the side of his cot!) He has been HARD work, and I'm not sure if it was because we had a gap between Phineas and Nathan or because we are older now, but boy have we felt it this time!  For me, he is just getting to a wonderful age, where every day is about discovering new things, yesterday I taught him how to "moo" and "baa"! 

So Happy Birthday little guy, you turned our lives upside down but we are very grateful to have you as part of our family!

http://www.manicmundays.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/here-at-last.html

Happy Halloween

 We made ghosts with glue and shaving foam...

 We made Mummy candle jars...

 Trick or Treating was just hard work for some!

Handsome Munday Men

I think we have a picture of each of the boys the first time they wore a suit to Church.  This 3 piece suit makes an already cute Phineas look like "a boss" (in Lewis's words)

From the age of 15ish I have had a crush on Lewis (that's around half of my life) and every time I take his photo, I swoon inside!  To me, he looks more handsome every day. 

The Deep August 2013

 Esaias and the very pregnant Sting Ray.  She has stretch marks...that made me feel better!

 Phineas is finding Nemo!

 Caitlin in the discovery corner.

Nathan having his very long list of questions answered by one of the lovely staff members at the Deep...the kids is like an information sponge!

Lifestyle 2013

Summer is over and the children and I are all back to school.  My most favourite day of our first week back was the day when the staff were shown around the school arena by Caitlin and one of her friends who took part in Lifestyle with her.  The exclamations of "Wow", was all it took for me to know that the long and exhausting hours the kids and I and several others have put into this project was totally worth it!

It has taken an awful lot of work!

 Youth and leaders from the Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints came down one evening to lend a hand.  It was honestly like watching a plague of locusts (but in a good way!) sweeping across the arena putting the finishing touches on everything.

 Caitlin and Neil worked for around 5 hours to take the pond from looking like this...

 To this!!  Amazing isn't it?  

I stood back on that day and just looked out at the water and felt really calm and I knew that THAT is exactly what we were trying to give the school children.  A place of calm and peace. 

Definitely worth it :)

Baysgarth Park

Camping in Pip and Chris's garden

Phineas and Caitlin

Our new family picture 2013