Christmas at Bluestone: Day 1

As is often the way at this time of year, there are lots of nasty bugs and viruses going around. I’ve managed to catch a lot of them, being unwell from the end of September until now (with the exception of only one week!) I’ve been particularly poorly over the last couple of weeks since we got back from Bluestone. Unfortunately, it’s put me behind with everything. My poor little blog has had hardly any attention. Just working and looking after Autumn has taken up all my energy!

Anyway, that’s enough whining. I’m excited because I can finally write about our lovely week at Bluestone, visiting Elftopia (Kingdom of the Elves) and seeing many of the things that Christmasland had to offer! I’ve been itching to write a diary of our week. It will be lovely for Autumn to look back on when she’s older!

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A family day out at Sheffield Park

Sheffield Park in East Sussex is renowned for its beautiful autumn colours. I’d say it’s definitely one of the best places to see the autumn colours in the South East. A National Trust property, it boasts acres of landscaped gardens with park and woodland. October was a very busy month for us. I went back to work, I was under the weather for most of the month and it just generally seemed to whizz by. When we got to the beginning of this week, I realised that we hadn’t visited Sheffield Park.

Fortunately, I must have expressed this to my husband. On Thursday morning we went to drop off my car to the garage first thing. As he drove me back home through the country lanes, I gazed across the fog on the marshes and the gentle sunlight dancing on the frost in the fields. It was a beautiful morning made better by the fact that he then announced he’d taken the day off and was taking us to Sheffield Park!

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A letter to my daughter at 13 months

Dear Autumn,

Yet another month has gone by so quickly, you’re now 13 months old! I’ve gone back to work this month. Although I’m not working full time, I’m spending over 24 hours a week away from you and that feels an awful lot. Fortunately, you seem to have adjusted well and seem to enjoy your time with your childminder. I think that you’ve adjusted a lot better than I have, actually. The first day I went back to work, the things I was able to do that I can’t with you around were something of a novelty. The second day I spent in the office, I kept thinking of you and felt tearful several times. I just have to try and remind myself that it’s for your own good that I’m doing this.

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This time last year

This time last year, I was facing the toughest experience of my life. Sometimes it still amazes me that I got through it, but I did. I feel like I’m a completely different person to the one I was before Autumn fell ill and had her operation with Dr. Zahid Mukhtar. I feel different and I look at life somewhat differently. Hopefully one day I might be a stronger person for it all.

I’m certainly stronger than I was this time last year, but I don’t feel completely healed yet.

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PYO Pumpkins at Beluncle Farm

In recent years, it has become very popular to go pumpkin picking in the weeks leading up to Halloween. There are several in Kent, but the most local to us is PYO Pumpkins at Beluncle Farm in Hoo, Rochester. Entry is free, there’s ample parking, there are toilets and refreshments and they even accept card payments! They also support Crohn’s & Colitis UK and CICRA, causes close to the organiser’s hearts as their son suffers from Crohn’s disease.

I visited them for the first time in 2015 with two of my best friends. However, after the birth of Autumn last year, I decided to start a family tradition! 

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