It has been a while since I wrote a more personal post. In fact, I think that the last family update I documented was for Rex’s 2nd Birthday on 26th June. So much has happened since then but, as today sees my blog’s 7 year anniversary, I knew I couldn’t let it pass without giving you an update on where we all are in our lives.

Grace

It is hard to believe that Grace is almost a teenager. She turns 13 in January. I have been writing this blog for over half her life now and she was one of the reasons I started. I wanted to keep a document of her growing up and I felt here would be the best place to do it. I hope she is able to look back fondly someday and see how much I did with her and just how much we love her.

She has just started Year 8 and the last year of her middle school. She was surprised to learn that she is in the top set for all her subjects – including English! This has never been her favourite as she has a much more black and white brain. Grace has always been the opinion that, with maths, there is a right and a wrong answer. English is more open to interpretation – and I completely get what she means! Although I prefer the grey areas 🙂

She is working towards her Grade 3 piano and is one of the leaders of the dance club at school. As it currently stands, she is interested in going into the world of science and becoming a Biotechnologist. Although, with the fact that she had the lead in the school play last term, I wouldn’t be surprised to see her treading the boards like Ross and I!

She is amazing with her little brother and Rex adores her. He regularly copies her and asks for her whilst she is at school. She is still a very funny, intelligent girl and she has a wit which outsmarts me on a regular basis. Something she has always been able to do!

Rex

Rex is your typical, strong-willed 2 year old. He NEVER stops. He is on the go 24/7. He also wants his mum 24/7 which is really wonderful and also really exhausting! Especially when I have to go off to work. I am so pleased I got fitter as I had a feeling that this may happen!

His speech is becoming more and more grown-up every day. He loves the nursery rhyme Hickory Dickory Dock and is obsessed with watching it on YouTube. I think we have seen every version ever made! We also took him to see the stage version of ‘Stickman’ at The Octogan in Yeovil yesterday. It was a much more successful outing than the one we went to previously towards the end of last year. 

He started nursery on 2nd September and he absolutely loves it! He gives me a quick kiss goodbye and he is off. He is also improving his eating skills as a result of going to nursery.

Ross

Ross really has had another up and down year. First and foremost, he is a fantastic dad. I couldn’t have asked for better. We hardly spend any quality time together due to our jobs and the kids so we have been away a couple of times together this year (thanks to Ross’ parents) and made sure that we disengaged from the rest of society or, at least, the online one! 

He is working hard with his training and has been asked to go abroad and deliver this now. He is still the lead singer of the band D-State. He has had two book releases this year – Self Help: Life Lessons from the Bizarre Wrestling Career of Al Snow and Life Is Short & So Am I (reviews from me on both to follow). On top of all that, he now has his own radio show on the local station Radio Ninesprings. 

He has had to deal with a mystery illness for well over a year as well as coping with a kidney stone and gall stone. Quite frankly he is superhuman if you ask me.

Me!

And what about me you ask? (or maybe you don’t). Well, blogging has really taken a back seat over the last few months. I kind of fell out of love with it all. Especially following an incident with a few other bloggers who took a joke which I made to heart. I can’t say too much about it yet – but I will once my hands have been untied. (I hate that this all sounds so secret squirrel but I have a contract with the company I was involved with!). It helped me make a life decision which I will come to in a few paragraphs time!

To me, blogging has all become a bit over-saturated. Especially the parent blogger market. I still get the word ‘freebies’ banded about towards me and this really couldn’t be further from the truth. It took me FOREVER to do the Christmas gift guides last year! 

My photography business is still ticking along nicely. I get some amazing compliments about my photos. I have 2 more wedding fairs to do this year as well as another styled photo shoot and I have a few weddings already booked for next year. On top of that, I am hoping to have my photography website redone and advertise my family photography packages a little more.

So, that life decision I mentioned? I knew I needed another career – on top of what I already have – to earn a more regular income. So, when I almost reached my target at Slimming World and our consultant announced she was stepping down, it felt like fate was offering out it’s hand. 

I have loved being a part of Slimming World since I joined last September so it was only natural that I stepped up. I don’t think I envisaged just how much work it would take and how much promotion I would have to do – and I am up at Head Office for more training next weekend and having to miss out on BlogOn. (I am pretty gutted about this as I have always wanted to go to the Christmas one and it is in Bracknell near where we used to live of all places! Grace used to learn to skate opposite the hotel it is being held in!).

So far, 3 weeks in as the Crewkerne consultant, I am absolutely loving it. My previous careers as a Relocation Consultant and Driving Instructor meant I was supporting people and now I am back to doing this again. It is something I have been missing out on since I stopped doing it on my blog with the linkys I ran and, finally, I am back to doing something which I feel is a strength of mine.

What’s Next?

Well, once I have my feet under the table as a consultant, I am hoping to be able to run that, my photography and my blogging as a 3-part business.

As a family, I want us to be able to have a better income and I want to be able to support Ross more with his goals. Grace will be starting Secondary school towards the end of next year and Rex will be spending more time at nursery. Somewhere amongst all that Ross and I may even find time to get married!

Look out 2020!! I am coming for you 🙂