Eight Photos of Happiness

So recently I was tagged by the lovely Maria over at Suburban Mum to share 8 pictures that make me happy. They can be from any time period and of any thing as far as I can tell, they just have to make me smile. So here you go Maria and thanks for the lovely wander down memory lane!

1) Apologies for the poor quality of this one, it’s a scan of a print out, but it was too cute not to kick things off with. I love this picture for several reasons. Firstly it’s of baby me and how cute was I (and how much do I look like the boy here!)? It was taken one Christmas (I think I must have just turned one – yes I was also an early walker!) and I love the retro tree in the background. It was taken at my beloved Nanna and Granddad’s, where I spent so many happy days as a child. But mostly its because of the bongabonga drum. That thing in my hand. It was some kind of drum with beads on string that made a noise when you twizzled it back and forth. As the first grandchild it was my duty to pull both the beads and the strings off this bad boy. But it remained on display, hung on the wall in the lounge. All the grandchildren played with it over the years and when my Nanna died, it was the one thing from the house that came home with me. This is probably the last photo of the bongabonga drum intact(ish). And it always makes me smile!

2) My second choice was this picture of me when I was 17. It was taken outside our holiday flat, on my first holiday without my parents. Me and three friends (Loulou, James and Liam) all trundled off to Newquay for the week and it was the most exciting thing I’d ever done at the time. The weather was so so and the flat really ‘vintage’ shall we say, but I didn’t care. Even when it rained we played games of Shithead that lasted hours and drank huge bottles of Country Manor. It was awesome. I also love this picture because I think its the nicest one I have of me as a teenager. I bloody loved that dress.

3) My third choice is this one of me and the hubster. We met when we were just 19 and this was taken four weeks after we met. We were both dressed up to go to our friend’s 6th form leavers ball (or what would now be called a prom). It was such a great night and doesn’t he look a dish? I’ve had this photo framed and in the lounge of every house we’ve ever lived in. It’s one of my absolute faves!

4) My fourth picture is this one of me in the Indian Ocean. Ben and I got married in 2008 but we knew years before we got married that we wanted to go to the Maldives for our honeymoon. So in March 2009 we did (we waited until the following year to go in the Maldivian summer). This picture was taken not long after we arrived on Komandoo and was taken from the balcony of our water villa. It was absolutely THE best holiday I’ve ever had.

5) My fifth photo was another one taken on Komandoo. We were walking along the beach to dinner, when I grabbed this great shot of Ben’s footprints in the sand. I love the light in this one and I’m pretty pleased with the composition too. I want to get it printed and framed for the bathroom (one day, when I get round to it!)

6) My sixth picture is this one of Ben with Oscar. It was taken on our first (or second, it’s a very hazy time for me) night home with our new baby and no one could sleep. Oscar would only stop crying if Ben held him wrapped in his dressing gown like this. I know it looks like Ben is asleep (it was after all taken at 3 in the morning), but he’s not. He just looks so peaceful. That time was anything but peaceful, for either of us, but this photo reminds me that there were moments of bliss.

7) My seventh picture is this one of Ben and his sister Rachel. It was taken on a childhood day out in the 80’s. The venue had costumes to dress up in and took a ye olde time photo of you wearing them. I found this one at Ben’s mums house a few years ago and nearly wet myself laughing. Its Rachel’s face that gets me. She swears she was just ‘not smiling, because they were told Victorians didn’t smile in photos’. I think she looks like she’s about to do someone some serious damage. When Ben’s grandparents celebrated their Diamond Wedding in March, the family put a book of photos together for them. Fortunately this was added and even more brilliantly we were all given copies of the book. Now I can take it out and laugh at this one any time I like (sorry Rach!)

8) My final picture is a recent one, taken on our wonderful family holiday to Bluestone Resort in Wales. This was taken on our trip to the beautiful Barafundel Bay, which was such a special day for me. Oscar surprises us most days, but that day he really shocked us with how grown up he seemed. He ran ahead, but never ran away. He laughed, he smiled, he didn’t run straight into the sea. What could have been a nightmare, turned into a dream and this picture of him confidently striding down the steps to the bay, fills my heart with happiness. Especially as I know seconds later, he turned round and asked to be carried. He’s still my baby ?

Thank you so much for inspiring me to do this Maria. I’d liked to tag:

Nat over at Diary of an Unexpected Mother

Carly at Carlyakamummy

and

Stevie at A Cornish Mum

If they’d care to join in.

xx