The Start Of Us

This Saturday was our 17th wedding anniversary. It's about time I shared how we met.

In the October of 1995 I was 17 and in my second year of college in Crawley, West Sussex. James was 21 and had decided to take some time out from painting cars after he'd returned from his mission, and took a job in security and cleaning at the London Temple.

One weekend I attended the temple with the Laurels and Priests in my stake to do some baptisms. On the Saturday we did some work in the temple, and I noticed there was a handsome young man helping out. When it was my turn to do the baptisms, he took my hand I felt like I had come home. Who was this stranger that could make me feel so comfortable?

That evening the convention ended with a dance back at the chapel in Crawley, so we were directed to vehicles to take us there. I was ushered into a VW camper van which just so happened to be driven by this handsome man, James. We introduced ourselves properly and enjoyed the evening dancing with my friends to a live Caribbean steel band and eating delicious Caribbean food. I discovered James had just moved to the temple accommodation from West Wales and didn't know anyone, so I had a quick word with my mum when James dropped me home and she insisted he come for Sunday lunch the next day. So he did!

That week James met up with me and my friends when we went to the cinema, on walks, or to church. I found him to be kind, funny, and a gentleman. I also thought he had a crush on a friend of mine. But then on a Tuesday he surprised me after work and asked me on a date that Saturday. Something incredibly unexpected happened to me over the next few days, and in my soul I knew that James was it for me, he was the one I was going to marry. The sensible part of my brain told me to stop being so silly, he'd only just asked me out on a date, I hardly knew him and I had no plans to get married until I was at least in my late twenties!

That Saturday, two weeks after we met, James took me on a picnic. We talked for hours about everything and nothing; it was the first time we'd been alone together and it wasn't awkward at all. It wasn't awkward when James told me he loved me, nor when he said he knew we were going to be married. It wasn't awkward that I returned those same feelings.

However, it was awkward trying to figure out a way to tell other people. How would they understand? We kept our engagement between us for a couple of weeks. When James did ask my dad's permission to marry me, my parents took it so well, they already loved James and knew we were happy. Some people were sceptical, some predicted failure, some thought we should wait. But we knew. What was the point in waiting to start our lives together?

On the 9th of March 1996 we were married at the chapel in Crawley, then sealed at the London Temple for all eternity. Our adventure together was just beginning, it was the start of 'Us'.

Smile Lines Round-Up

The things that have made me smile this week start off with my new bowls.  I love eating cold cereal from these!  The children picked their own bright colours and I went for these, I originally only wanted a set in the top colour but Rosie told me 'You have to get lots of different colours otherwise it's boring!': 

Also, are these dish brushes not the funniest you've ever seen?:

One of Noah's reading books he chose from school this week was a tale about a witch.  Her broomstick had a baby.  Did you know broomsticks could have babies?  Apparently they do!  Broomstick babies drink warm milk and eat acorns.  Now you know:

My favourite slip of the tongue this week came from James.  He was talking to me about a bush craft event his friend was running and accidentally called it 'butch craft'.  Never have I heard a truer slip-up before!

Now the children are back in school I started my 6 mile country walks again this week, it feels good to be back into an exercise routine, and with this beautiful scenery it's not at all hard to endure!

Last night I found out Brandi Carlile had added a London date to her solo tour, I was so excited to buy tickets as it's been over two years since she last came to the UK and I needed my Brandi fix!  I am also happy that James finally gets to come with me and see her live too, the last four times I've seen her James hasn't been able to take time off of work.  And I only have to wait until next month!

Noah made me the sweetest card today, I was sicker than a sick dog last night and James took the children to school so I could stay in bed.  How could this card not make anyone feel better?:

Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa): 3,560 ft

8:25 am: Penn-y-pass, the start of our climb up Snowdon:

The weather was overcast but not cold, and the high winds and rain were due around 4 pm, well after we were due to be off the mountain.  There was mist covering the summit and we set off with a spring in our step.  This is one of the views of the valley as we were leaving Penn-y-pass:

Here we were approaching the causeway on Llyn Llydaw lake:

A remnant of the mining days:

It's getting steeper and cloudier:

Here I am, my asthmatic lungs getting a full work out:

It's getting even steeper here:

The wind was picking up by now and it had started to rain; that bad weather front was arriving much earlier than planned!:

The last bit of pathway:

We were now climbing over rocks and walking on large stones.  There were a few cairns along the way:

James and a cairn!:

We came upon a piece of wood filled with pennies: 

By now the wind was gale force and the rain was coming in hard.  The final ascent was so steep and we were literally climbing up the rocks; it was very tough on my lungs but I kept at it, slow and steady.  11:45 am: we finally reached the summit!  Look who didn't wear waterproof mascara:

James at the highest point:

Proof I made it:

We didn't hang around; the rain was torrential and the wind was hitting speeds of at least 60 mph so we set off down the other side of the mountain.  I thought I had experienced gale force winds before, but it was nothing like the wind we experienced on Snowdon.  The trail down was hard.  My lungs were overjoyed at not going uphill, but my knees did not like encountering a trail made up of lots of large, uneven stones and slate:

James was so kind and took this flattering photo of me:

By now there was not one piece of me that was dry and my boots were full of water. The advantage to high winds and horizontal rain is that I didn't need to drink from my bottle, I was force-fed rain water all the way down.  It tasted good!

I really did enjoy the experience, despite the conditions.  It made my birthday a memorable one and I was so pleased we made the summit in 3 hours and 10 minutes (the estimated time was 4 hours).  I am proud of my lungs, they can do hard things.  Also, my legs are awesome, they do not ache!  I now never have to climb a mountain again...

Conwy

This weekend James and I had a date with Mount Snowdon.  James had wanted to climb Snowdon for years so he decided to do it this year and raise money for Prostate Cancer Research at the same time.  We started our weekend on Friday, left the children with Nanny Holland and drove to north Wales to stay at Bryn Corach, a country house in Conwy:

I always worry that when I book a hotel that the photo shown online is the only decent room and the rest are terrible.  I was wrong; we had a large, beautiful room:

With views of Conwy castle and the estuary:

We arrived in Conwy late in the afternoon so by the time we walked to the castle it was closed for the day:

We took a walk along the quay:

I thought it was hilarious that there was such a thing as a museum for mussels (and a sign with spelling mistakes):

We stumbled across the smallest house in Great Britain:

The whole town has walls surrounding it, they are as beautiful as the castle they defended:

After a pub dinner we had an early night, we were to be up bright and early the next morning to climb a mountain!

Climb Every Mountain

Above is the beautiful Mount Snowdon in Wales.  On the 21st of this month James will be climbing it to raise money for Prostate Cancer Research Centre.  His Grandad Miles died of the disease and James now has a friend suffering from this illness.  If you are able to donate any amount to this cause, it would be greatly appreciated.  Here is the official Just Giving page where you can safely donate: www.justgiving.com/James-Miles1/

Thank you x

What James Does At Church

Today was ward conference, which means an extra long sacrament meeting.  Which means James spent an extra long amount of time helping Rosie put stickers in her fashion sticker book.  I think he enjoyed it more than he'd like to admit:

Internet Has Returned

Dear Jay,
I'm sorry it's taken so long for me to update you with our shenanigans during this heatwave of a holiday, but we finally have broadband back and I can upload my pretty terrible phone pictures!  Let's start with 9am last Tuesday morning shall we?  Here are my minions 'helping' me put together the new trampoline (Noah is hiding somewhere holding a box of bolts):

By 10:30am all the children were jumping like lunatics which left me free to finish painting the mile long fence around our garden.  I know I'm exaggerating, but it really did feel like a mile long in 24 degree heat.  Mr Miyagi would be proud of my brush strokes.  I also spent the next two days painting the decking with a 1 1/2 inch paintbrush because I'm too tight to spend money on a bigger brush.  I have a wicked farmer tan.

Where was James while I was doing all this manual labour?  On Dartmoor for two days and nights doing a manly walk and camp out.  Do you like the hat?:

'Tis beautiful:

The newlyweds graced us with their presence for the Easter weekend so on Friday we met up with the family for a supersized picnic.  We missed you and the girls, we always do when we get together and you're not there.  We took a walk in the woods...

 ...and stumbled across a witch and Shrek!:

Bank holiday Monday was spent larking about at Spitchwick with some friends.  Ben took Noah out on the dinghy, they had such fun:

 You wouldn't believe how hot it is for spring, Noah stripped off to his swim shorts!:

 I managed to get a picture of Ben by pretending I was texting:

 I needed no such tricks with Rosie:

Today the children all were back at school, it was eerily quiet again.  Not for long though, we have two more bank holidays so it's another four day weekend!  I wish you were here to share it with us.  Miss you,
Love Naomi xxx

Have You Seen A Horse With A Moustache?

As today was another gloriously sunny day we took the children for another walk, around Fernworthy Reservoir.  We crossed some little rivers:

Saw some mossy trees:

Found an ancient stone circle:

An old hut:

A hairy horse with a fabulous set of legs:

And his friend.  Who had a moustache!:

Just to prove I do exist, here I am with james: