Welcome Back...

Good Morning Blog-Land! 

Wow - I'm not sure if I remember how to do this. With my blog having taken a backseat as 2013 drew to a close I feel like a deer caught in the headlights trying to get it started back up again.

I've decided that there is really no point in playing catch-up by showing you dozens of photographs of how I spent my Summer. Instead I'm going to sum it up in one small paragraph. It won't do it any justice - but I want to start 2014 fresh. 

Lets just say that December was a ball of fun, spent with good friends, bottles of bubbly, the rumbling sound of the ocean, enjoying the salty spray-back of the waves, crispy skin and bronzed tans from the gorgeous South African sun, occasional rain-showers followed by beautiful rainbows, shooting stars, sand-castles, Chinese lanterns and fireworks.  Every time I hop into my little blue Nissan Micra I am reminded of the wonderful memories that were made by the leftover sand scattered in every nook and cranny of my car. 

I have dozens of great posts lined up now that season has finally calmed down and my life is heading back into normality. Everything from some great movie reviews, one or two book reviews (there hasn't really been much time to settle down and enjoy a novel recently,), and quite a few new recipe posts! I've been delightfully busy experimenting and playing in my kitchen and look forward to sharing my new culinary creations with you all.

One other absolutely amazing blessing that occurred the day after Christmas was the arrival of the new member to our family. 

Jenson Charles Preston Wright entered the world on the 26 December 2013 and I am besotted. Every time I get to hold him I am completely awe-struck by how perfect he is. I realize how biased that sounds but honestly - you've never experienced that form of love until you become an Auntie. 

 

I was asked the other day what sort of Auntie I will be... whether I would be the strict one, the one that constantly spoils him, the Auntie that just embarrasses him or the adventurous / outdoorsy type. I think the answer is pretty obvious. I will be the happy medium between the one that constantly spoils him and the adventurous / outdoorsy type. I can hardly wait until he becomes a toddler and starts to develop a personality of his own so that I play football in the garden with him, take him fishing, show him how to surf and teach him how to be a proper little gentleman. 

So as you can tell - life has been complete chaos over the last month. That is why tonight I am taking myself out of town and into a forest to set up camp for the night. I need to go and light a bonfire, roast some marshmallows and catch up with my thoughts. Nothing beats the sound of a crackling fire, waking up to the sound of the forest alive around you, breathing in crisp fresh air and boiling the whistle kettle for a cup of tea in the morning. I need that for a night - it is the perfect way to unwind after the holidays.

Signing out for the first time as...

Auntie Jade