Learning New Things!

Finally after almost a year and a half I have cornered LeeAnn to teach me how to upload photo's properly ....................... woop woo!!!!!!!!!

So we are on skype - I'm ill on the couch in my dressing gown and we are making House of Hughes history!!! xxxxx


....... TESTING

It looks like it works now - ahhhhh TEAMWORK!!!!

Thanks sis, here's a toast to you!

lotsa love xxxxxx

"Just one click .....

...... leads to another, that leads to another, and another, and another ......"


Wise words spoken by my sister on the subjects of laptops and how time just disappears!!! You come on to look or check for something and an hour goes zooming past! How the heck does it happen? Well I have banned myself from Facebook and am now addicted to Twitter - I am hopeless but at least my week was cheered up when I realised that Philip Schofield himself was following me on it! OOOOH!! So I am allowing myself a little time each day to check up on my blogs etc and thats it and I am so much happier!

Murray has been away for two weeks today but we still have two and a half more to go! Its a bit less painful now as it was and I'm getting myself into a routine, the house is looking fab and I'm more organised than I was - the only problem I am having is that I cannot sleep! At all! It was almost 2am again last night, It's rubbish! I Miss him! The funny thing is that the first night he's back I'm in bed sound asleep dead early! It's like I feel safe and can relax again!

We've had a fantastic week so far! We went swimming with LeeAnn, Fraser and Kirsten yesterday morning - (Monday) the kids all love each other so much! The had so much fun! I just loved it, It's amazing getting to do stuff as a wee gang - it's great that they are all on holiday this week and we can spend time together! We had lunch in the swimming pool cafe and then Joseph and I went to pick up some strawberry tarts from Allanhill farm for tea, Joe had a wee snooze in the car coming down the road and I popped in to see Granny "hugs" in Kilrenny for a cuppa on our way back, we then had a mad dash round the coop, zoomed home and made Freuchie chicken for Granny Mary, Grandad Jimbo and Michael from London! It was a yummy fun afternoon and night!

And today (Tuesday) Joe has slept for Scotland!!!! He never woke up this morning until 8.40am, he went back down for his sleep at 11.10am and never woke up until 2.40pm!!! OMG - he slept for three and a half hours!!! Bloody hell!!!

We then had a fast lunch, ended up nipping round to see the gorgeous and not so wee Kirsten in her School Uniform (I cant actually face writing too much about this as she looked beautiful, so grown up, that it scared the living daylights out of me as I cannot believe she is about to start primary school!) I have no idea where the time as flown to - but I do know that I was not ready to see that today. Her proud wee face just glowing with excitement and readiness, confidence enthusiasm! I had a wee cry once she'd gone back home, it was a hard but happy day! I've honestly no idea how LeeAnn is coping! So I decided to pop along to the "nest" to see how things were and to see Kirsten bouncing around in her little checked summer dress, matching hairband and the most beautiful shoes! Mega mega Cuteness!

My poor sister looked stressed and like she was going to either pass out or throw up! (poor Annie!) So I very "cleverly" announced in the most indiscreet way possible (SORRY!) that I was heading down to the beach/pier/funfair/shows with Joseph! The kids went mental and were desperate to go, so after we all raided our purses it was decided that yes we had enough for a couple of shots on things each ..... So we ALL trooped into the cars and headed down there! (poor poor Annie!!) (SORRY SORRY!) Good God - If my unwell, sad hearted, deflated sorry state of a sister didn't look like she was fairing well with the events of the day so far, a 7 minute ride on the waltzers surely finished her off well and truly! (Poor poor poor Annie!!!) (SORRY SORRY SORRY!) Joseph went on the merry-go-round for his first ever ride! He sat on Donald Duck and just beamed and held on! He was so happy and excited and his wee face was a picture! It was priceless! My wee beautiful baby boy - out having a snatched half hour of fun with his big cousins that he adores! This is just what summer holidays are made for! :-)

Joseph and I then played out in the garden with the stones and also in his ball-pool and then Granny Hughes came along for tea! Yum - and she brought fresh outta the oven scrummy fairy cakes with her, they were fab! We all had our tea out on the decking with linen napkins, olives, wine and it was devine! We had a giggle and Granny got Joe wild! (both grannies can't seem to help them selves!! they are both crazy and he just loves them so much!) (he's going to miss them both something terrible when we move to Spain)

Granny then bathed, bedded and done the dishes - woop!! and I went over the road and waxed Evelyn. We then settled down in the summerhouse, cranked up the heater, played a game of scrabble and drank cosy tea and ate cake! What a fantastic day and night I've had, with my loveliest people!

I'm off early to bed now as we are going to Freuchie for visiting tomoro with Granny Mary and I cannot wait!

Big hugs dearies xxxx mwah xxxx

NING NING NING NING

My beautiful baby boy is getting so big! I can hardly believe how fast the time passes, he's like a little mushroom and is getting so huge before my eyes it scares me!

I'm just so blessed and thankful that he's just such a happy smiley sunny cheerful little boy and I love spending every single second I can with him! And I know he loves his mummy! We never actually manage to get anywhere or do anything as we have so much fun together and play all the time. Today was the second day this week I've not made it out of my jammies! And to be honest I don't care - my house is a little on the untidy side but its not dirty and only mum and Michael from London visited today and they didn't mind my yellow checked comfy bottoms and mahoooosive grey favourite Gap hoodie!

Joseph never woke up until 10.25am today - creating the pattern of chaos, disorder and complete disorganisation for the day that followed! ...... It's been fun! lol. And we just basically rolled with it all! Or I'd have had a breakdown (yes another .... lol) But what a fabby day we've had - he's been walking loads, daddy skyped, we've drawn pictures for all his granny's and aunties, we've built and demolished enormous duplo towers, we've bounced on the trampoline, jumped on the bucking zebra, escaped out the back-door again only to be found sitting outside in a puddle for the second time this week (thankfully not in the rain this time)we've had a huuge deep bath and soaked granny and mummy splashing so hard that the whole bathroom was dripping, we had lamb stew for tea and ate every scrap, we munched on the biggest juiciest strawberries and spun round and round and round on dot's chair in the kitchen - we did loads and had a complete blast!

oh and yesterday we had an amazing day in dundee with Granny and we proudly brought home Joseph's very own and very much loved Iggle Piggle! What a laugh - it's almost as big as him!


Here is some of the things Joe is saying just now! They are just too cute!

Ning ning ning
oi oi oi oi
gangy - granny
an ooo - thank you
mi daddy away away wo - my daddy's away at work
eolilo lioeeloooleiielo - ee eye ee eye oh! (old macdonald)
igwleo pwigglellloesl - iggle piggle

Oh and if I make little kissy sounds he grabs me and gives massive big cuddles and opens his mouth as wide as he can and kisses me! its all wet and slobbery but he is so proud of himself! He's just delicious!!!

Pictures will follow soon

With lots of love xxxxx

Oh We're All Off To Sunny SPAIN ..........

Gosh, Wow, Jeepers ....... what a busy month!

Murray arrived home on Friday the 16th June and it was his 30th on the Sunday, I had a surprise weekend planned for him in Glasgow on the Saturday - at an MMA Fight Night - it was excellent! He had no idea about any of it and his friends were there and we all had a blast! (well I had a sickness bug the whole night but hey ho!!) We celebrated in uber glamtastic, serious splash the cash, Muscles a plenty, city style!!!! It was one we'll never ever forget!!! (There are no pictures that are able to be printed let alone for innocent blogger eyes so it's one for the memory banks!! ;-) xx

My beautiful Joseph is taking steps, is starting to speak, is drinking out of his cup and is finger feeding himself! He is utterly adorable and I am completely in love with him! He is walking around holding onto your hands, is climbing onto the couch and up the stairs and is basically just charging around like crazy all the time - into everything! We spend so much time cuddling, playing, reading, being outside and just having fun! I love being with him and today we were singing and dancing in the kitchen to Beyonce and then we both had a huge big bath and shower - as it was cold and wet and raining like crazy outside, so swimming was out of the question as was playing outside in the garden - so we swam, splashed and had a blast in a big cosy warm bath!! It was just brilliant! I've got lots of photos of Joe but will need a bit of time to sort them out before uploading - but I will get them done this week! We have been busy!

So after a whirlwind of tinting, tanning, waxing, lashes, emergency beachwear shopping and the discovery of THE most beautiful perfect size 4 brown wedges ever known to man, We went to Spain last week!!! To view properties, check out Estepona and meet the people from Murray's work at his boss's pool party - it was excellent, Joseph was fantastic - he was superb on the flights, loved being out in the sunshine and was so well behaved the whole time! Granny and Grandad Hughes were there with us and were complete godsends! It was amazing being over there again and it's really unsettled me - now I can't wait to get moved properly! I'm not 100% sure of the area yet - but once we're over there I'll get investigating until we find the perfect place!

Ooh, I had an inchloss wrap done the other week and it was super, it made me feel amazing - can't wait to get another done and give me a well deserved boost that I need! What a laugh me and Annie had in the kitchen doing it! Made me really miss the salon and all the laughs I used to have on a daily basis! I miss working soo much! But I don't at the same time - if that makes sense!! Am mostly feeling good and positive about things again, I have good days and bad days (not having a good week so far, as Mur has just gone but I'll get there!) I was really really happy out in Spain, with the heat and sunshine and being all glammed up, so fingers crossed once we're over there my sparkle will appear again for good!

I've started packing and it feels right to be doing it - so we must be near to going! It's just hard at the thought of saying goodbye. But everyone is so busy with their own things here, that I don't see a lot of people that I am so looking forward to making friends and just having a life over there. I sit in here night after night alone and it's horrible, that's been nearly a year now. The salon was my life and I worked so hard in it, seeing the clients were like seeing friends and the staff were just like family and when it was all ripped away it left me broken hearted! And everyone here in my life that I know has there own friends or little groups and "in jokes" and common interests and things to do together and I'm on my own alot of the time with nobody, with nothing in common! So I cant wait to meet new people and have a fresh start - to be me - completely, where nobody will know or judge me and just like me for who I am! I am so looking forward to it all! I just can't wait! It's like being a kid and knowing that christmas is coming really soon!

Mur seems to be as excited as I am - it's a huge thing to do, but together I know we'll make it. For as much as we bicker, we are really strong! We've gotten through so much together in the last 12 years that could've broke us but we've made it! Our wedding 1st dance song was so true! and I love him so much, now probably more than I ever have.


So as they say..... ...... NO SPAIN, NO GAIN ............ ;-) xxxx

mwah big hugs xxxxxx

All Things Bright and Beautiful .....

...... And All That Jazz!!!!!!!!!!!


Well what a month we've had! Mur came home, Joseph was Christened, he's had a bad cold, viral infection and croup - resulting to 2 trips to the out of hours hospital and a visit to the doctors for anti-biotics, he was waking up loads through the night, not going to bed until 9pm after screaming and wanting held for a couple of hours, he refused to go in the bath, would wake up crying and screaming through the night then would wake up from 5am refusing to go back to bed again and his reflux started up again so we were knee deep in sick and dirty washing and to top it all off - he's teething, not just one little tooth .... but 4 huge molars!! It has been hell!

I never got to my friend Gails hen weekend because of it, we missed our good friend John's wedding because of it and have had very little if no sleep for weeks because of it - resulting in two frazzled parents, a very sad and grumpy baby and a disorganised messy house!

But we went to Gails wedding on Saturday there and had an absolute ball! It was just fantastic! One of the best weddings we've ever been at! We had so much fun and stayed away for the night, which did us all the world of good!

Mur has an extra week at home - so we're hoping to make the most of it and try and get some good family fun times, although we only seem to manage to all be in the right place at the right time and all in a good mood after lunch - but hey ho, every home is different eh! lol

I am also finally feeling a little more on the up! My hairs all done, tan, nails and lashes too and I feel way more like myself again - I guess it took me a little longer than I first thought to bounce back! I've been trying to chill out a bit more and take some "me" time - I'm reading books again and I enrolled me and Joseph in the library today which is great! I've been online and am starting to learn a wee bit spanish and I am starting to get really excited about moving and cant wait to get my teeth stuck into a new chapter of our lives. But I know that this one will need some serious organising and it's a huge challenge, but I feel ready for it now! It's gonna be stressful and there is so much to do but as everyone knows, I love nothing more than a good list!!!!!

So come on Mr Housebuyer - hurry up and get a move on ............

Happy 1st Birthday Joseph

I just cannot believe that my baby boy has turned one! But he did it yesterday, in spectacular style!

We had so much fun, over what seemed like the longest day ever! He was surrounded by all his favourite people and just had a ball! There was so much love in our house (and people at some points) it was fit to burst! But to be honest it was just such a special, beautiful day and something I'll remember and treasure always, even though right now a day later, I'm left feeling shell-shocked, exhausted and both happy and sad at the same time!

Joseph got a cow print smart trike and a little tikes Police Car from us and a heap of lovely things that I knew he'd just love! He woke up early and we came downstairs and opened his presents, Daddy skyped from Egypt as soon as he finished his shift and loads of family and friends came to see him and share his day and gave him so many fantastic things that he was truly spoiled!

It's not easy doing it all on my own and I decided that this will be the last birthday I'd be able to get away with using lots of "baby blue" colours for the decorations, so I had some fun and I think it turned out well and everything looked pretty! (not that it made a bit of difference to him - but I liked it!) This is also probably the only birthday that Joe'll have here in Scotland surrounded with family, as we'll be in Spain next year for at least the next 5 birthdays - so I wanted it to be as special as I could make it!

As he is of Fraser/Shepherd decent I had a wee feeling that a tonne of people would be in throughout the day so Olivia, Emma and myself got stuck in to baking and setting up everything the day before, both grannies turned up and we were like a well oiled machine once we got going! It was brilliant all being together and I loved it!

All the hard work paid off as everything went smoothly, thank god! - we had fairy cakes, butterfly cakes, chocolate krispie cakes, top hat marshmallows, 10's cake, Auntie Lee Ann made us scones too! It was yummy! Just like when we were small - old fashioned and tasty! We munched soup, crusty bread and pate etc for lunch which was mostly scoffed and hopefully kept everybody going! We had 3 different types of soup - Granny Christine made celery, Rona made turkey broth and I made sweet potato and squash with coconut! Mmmmm. And in my wisdom I cooked up a truck load of chicken pasta the night before, which went with salad and garlic bread at teatime and then jelly and icecream!(although with the amount I've frozen - we'll be tucking into blooming pasta for months to come!!)

Auntie Lor made his cake and it's just so completely beautiful. I'd found a few pictures online and showed her the rough idea of what I wanted ..... and the cake she lovingly made for my precious boy is a million times better than all of them! Words cant say how special a first birthday cake is, and this was just perfect. And I know how much time, love and thought had gone into it - which has made it even more special and beautiful. I love it so much, that it is still sitting intact, uncut and utterly perfectly whole! I can't bring myself to touch it!

Fraser and Kirsten, with the help of little Chloe (actually, on second thoughts Fraser was probably still in bed, whilst this was getting made by the other two early birds!!!) made him a wonderful banner - in the most lovely shade of blue which was admired and took pride of place on the decking fence for everyone to see. Because of the nice bright day we had - so much of the "party" fun was had outside in the garden! The lucky people of Queens Gardens were treated to the the sound of HAPPY children - they ran, they skipped, they played football, they sang, they laughed, they skooted about in babywalkers shrieking NING NING NING!!! and they were so well behaved and all played amazingly well together - from the age of 1 to 16!!!!!

It was a great day for the greatest wee man - Jospeh David James I love you with all my heart and you are the most beautiful, funny special baby and everyone you meet is under your spell! You are just adored and cherished and I love spending every single second with you - I hope we have so much fun this year together and I can't wait! xxx


Happy Birthday Baby! - I made you a lovely wish xxxxxxx

It's that time .... Springtime is here!!!!!!

Hip Hip hooray for happiness and sunshine!!!

THIS IS MY TIME - WOO HOO!!! Gosh, I just love spring! I feel like a gloomy cloud has lifted, I've been cleaning and scrubbing getting the house all freshened up! I love being able to have my washing hung out in the mornings, with all the windows opened up every day and loads of lovely fresh air flowing through the house again! I hate being couped up inside with all the darkness and laziness of winter! I don't do stodgy food and it'll be bbq's every day soon - we totally love outside cooking whatever it is! And heaps and heaps of fabby salads! OOh, I'm a go get it kinda girl and I've just been all out of sorts with not working but being stuck in a rut, basically being stuck in the house!!!!

Joseph and I have been out for walks, playing in the garden, had trips to the park (he loves the swings) and loads and loads of Fresh Air!!!! We've got so many things to do together and a whole world of fun to explore - I'm probably more excited than he is!

Here's to a good spring and summer - we can't wait!!