♥ Reasons to be Cheerful ♥

1, 2, 3.....

1. ROUTINE: Well it's been a busy few weeks, all is going well so far with me in work and Baby R with the lovely childminder AA. We have settled into a routine of work and getting Baby R to the childminder and he has settled well so we feel very fortunate. We seem to manage our time well in the mornings, which is probably helped by Baby R choosing to rise at 6am haha! We've also had the horrible MMR vaccination done and a few raised temperatures as a result but all-in-all the form is good with my little clan - D is good, Baby R is good (oh who am I kidding he's a total star! Crawling and cruising and chatting and laughing, he's such fun to be with, he also keeps us very, very busy!), Monty & Luca are good too. Smiles all round. 

2. BIRTHDAYS: To top things off I had a birthday myself last week. I still like birthdays despite my age getting into not so nice figures (boo hoo: early thirties, not mid-thirties yet!), but I love the excitement especially after the post-Christmas blues and the prospect of cards, cake and maybe even a wee pressie, what's not to like (well apart from the afore mentioned increase in digits and wrinkles etc!!). And for the first time in many years I had to work on my birthday, so what I hear you cry, well I normally don't believe in working on my birthday, I really don't believe anyone should have to but I am saving my annual leave for incase little R gets sick and I need to take time off work (although I have been informed by one of my colleagues that you get special 'carer days' to allow for this). So anyhoo, I do blether on don't I, the day in work was soooo busy as my friend in work was off sick and I was soooo glad to get home. I picked up Baby R and came home as normal only to find my darling D hiding in the living room (he normally wouldn't be home from work yet) with a beautiful home-made birthday day lit with candles... 

...some bubbles (for later), lovely cards and a pressie. Lucky, lucky me!

D had worked from home and during his lunch break he made the cake (Cinnamon & Blackberry) and he even decorated it, I was very impressed. It tasted as good as it looked and was even a little healthy (made with wholemeal flour). 

I was lucky enough to get some beautiful Greengate from D (that man does listen!). I have admired it from afar as it's pretty expensive, but now I am the proud owner of some lovely, lovely Greengate and I love it.

 My lovely sister-in-law (well to-be, but it's only a technicality!) bought me a lovely jug (she has also listened to me blether on and knows me so well). It's very pretty and it fits in well to my growing collection...

My older brother gave me this... 

Mmm such a treat. Might save it for a special occasion or as a late birthday celebration at the weekend (hehe). My parents and my younger brother gave me some money so with my brothers money I bought this...

I am most excited about receiving this as I am desperate to make the Japanese Flower Scarf as seen many places, Attic24 was where I found it. And with the money my parents gave me I hope to buy some yarn.. just need to decide on the type and colour, any advice is most welcome (my budget is £30-£40). 

3. FLOWERS in WINTER: D came back from the big supermarket shop last week with a little surprise for me, he has listened to me blether on about hyacinths for a wee while now and bought some to silence me! Teehee.

  Then I was out and about by myself on Saturday morning getting the latest dose of Frontline for the doggies (we had a flea infestation a few years ago and it was the worst few weeks of my life that I never want to repeat EVER!!) and stumbled upon these lonely daffodils for £1, a bargain! So I just had to give them a home, they seem so much happier here.

Oh and a little hooky of the jam-jar-cover kind is also making me very happy!

♥♥ So on this very wet and gloomy Sunday I am cheerful ultimately because of my little family and because we have to make the best of this life... it's not a rehearsal people! ♥♥

Thanks you lovely lot for reading my yakkety yak!

Helen xx

PS This post was inspired by Planet Penny