Remember, remember, to blog about November!

At long last- I have found a moment (while Hollie naps!) to blog about November!

November is one of my most favourite months of the year- mainly because I am such a huge fan of fireworks! I just think they're absolutely MAGICAL! 

So, the firework season was kicked off for our family at the Norton household on Bonfire night- where we got to sit by a roaring fire and watch Sam & Jared set off lots of fab fireworks! The Nortons seemed to arrange the timing of their fireworks with absolute precision though- as all the other fireworks in the neighbourhood went off at roughly the same time- as well as quite a large display in the village pub, so we got this amazing view of ALL the local fireworks as well as our own! It honestly couldn't have been time better if we'd tried! Hollie was hilarious (well, for Luke & I anyway!) to watch as the fireworks went up! It's about an hours drive to the Nortons from Reading so of course, she'd dozed off in the car & woke up to a LOT of people and noise and of course a beautiful bright fire that she'd never seen before so spent a good 40 minuets just staring at everything and everyone taking it all in. Then, just as she seemed to have approved of everything new, the fireworks began! She just stared and STARED and STARED and then..........GIGGLED! Yay! I was so worried she wouldn't like them and I'd have to give up my love of fireworks for a few years while she 'braved up!' but, at least for the time being we can continue being firework fans! By the end she was giggling and pointing away seemingly loving it all! JOY! It was so lovely to meet up with friends and have a good chin wag etc. We only wished we could have got there earlier to spend even more time with everyone- but with Luke working Saturday mornings and it getting nearer to Christmas- it just wasn't meant to be! Oh well, I'm sure we'll have plenty of years in the future with no work on Saturdays that we can enjoy :o) 

Here are a few photos from the night:

Still getting used to it all- having Daddy protect her!

I love this tree in the Nortons garden! It's the perfect size for little children to enjoy- just like this! The boys watched the whole display from here! Brilliant!

Funny story about wearing my hair down- I totally nearly backed into an open flame torch!!!!! Sooooo close! It's a good job I didn't have any product in my hair otherwise this may not be such a funny story to tell!

Snuggles with Uncle Kris

The November festivities continued the following Monday when we had a little family get together at Dads lake for a fire and some MORE fireworks! (Yes, I really meant it when I said I couldn't get enough of them!) We all bought some fireworks and Mum did scrummy Jacket potatoes and chilli that we ate around the fire. Then we did some ritual sparkler dancing (I was explaining how I was starting a Zumba class so the whole family decided to show me there own 'Zumba' moves!) Then Lukee let off lots of loud fireworks and rockets! Again- a brilliant night! My favourite memory will be of Hollies special sparkler her Auntie Sandy bought her! It was a pink glow stick with a Dora the Explorer star on it- but Hollie was infatuated with it! She WOULD NOT let go for love nor money and even fell asleep still gripping it tightly! That night (and a few nights after even once the glow had gone!) she slept with it in her bed! We have kept it in her toy box as she still likes to wave it around for us and it brings me good memories that hopefully I can share with her one day :o) 

Said sparkler still being held in a death lock while Hollie fell asleep!

We put tealights in little bowls and floated them across the lake- this photograph does NOT do it justice at ALL! (Basically just my attempt to reenact the Tangled scene!!! Tee hee hee!)

Any excuse for a family photo and I'm in like a shot! If only Hollie didn't look so traumatised!

 The rest of November has had it's ups and it's downs. I basically HATE living separately from Luke and it seems to be lasting a lot longer than either of us had anticipated. I know I probably sound like a spoilt brat and please don't think (if you don't already!) that I'm just a whinger, it's just I really am not used to living separately from Luke! We've only been married 5 and a half years (you can tell we're still quite newlywed when you count the halves!!!) but already I find nothing more upsetting than being away from Luke for too long a period of time. Back in Enfield, we were busy and admittedly some days we only saw each other long enough to say hi and night before falling into bed unconscious, but still at least I had the comfort of knowing he was there :o( I don't think I had braced myself for how hard it would be spending sometimes up to 4 days apart. BUT- when he is home he's SOOOOO good at really being here and interactive and ready to do whatever me and Hollie want! Which is BRILLIANT! 

Hollie LOVES being outside and just taking everything in. She is at that stage where she is fascinated (and easily entertained!) by EVERYTHING and EVERYONE! This makes days out very easy! (I am DREADING the "Mummy/Daddy whhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhy can't I have another ice cream/teddy/ride on the pony" days!!!! (I was one of THOSE children- who isn't?! So I know Hollie will be exactly the same no matter how hard I try!!!)

Anyway, back to my point, we are trying as a family to go on nice long Autumny/Wintery walks as Reading has SOOOOO much beautiful countryside on it's doorstep that we want to explore! 

We went last week to Pangbourne, where I used to kayak with my Dad when I was a lot younger and before he had the lake. It was fun walking along pretending what houses we'd like to buy (really dreaming at that point!) and just enjoying the scenery! We went to sit by the river, but sadly Luke and I aren't the bravest around some animals and the geese seemed to be a little TOO friendly (and hungry!) for our liking, so we skedaddled out of there pretty quickly! It was so fun to just enjoy each others company and the fresh air though and Hollie clapped nearly the WHOLE few hours! (It's her new trick and she likes to make sure EVERYONE has seen and appreciated it! Trouble is, you then applaud her back which makes her clap again! Oh viscous cycle!!!)

Here are a few pictures from that adventure:

Trying to point out to Daddy that the Geese are still close by!

Yet another gorgeous house I would LOVE to live in!

A beautiful tiny church! It reminded me of how I imagine Godrics Hollow would look like. (Yes, I AM a Harry Potter fan and PROUD!)

A tiny little path we got excited about! Sad huh!

The clapping continued!

Isn't she YUMMY!!!!!!

Another good thing in November- I GOT TO SEE BREAKING DAWN! I hope Luke doesn't mind me saying- but he was a tiny bit excited to see it too! While living in Enfield we'd started a tradition of going to see it with our friends the Chambers- that way, me and Aimee would dribble over Edward and Jacob and the boys could roll their eyes at each other secretly kind of enjoying the story line!!! Tee hee hee! Well, we didn't get to see it WITH the Chambers, but we did get to see it! We realised when we got to the cinema we hadn't gone to the cinema since Hollie was about 6 months and started to get a little too interactive with the film! So it was definitely a bit of a treat! And again, my amazing parents babysat at the drop of a hat (there are some REAL perks to living with your folks that will be really hard to give up!!!) I LOVED the film- all the way up until the very last minuet- then I felt like I'd just watched the longest trailer o my life for the second part of the film! It was really good, but just knowing that I have to wait another whole year for the next part REALLY wound me up! Grrrrrr! Thanks a lot Twilight film makers! What a long time to wait for the second part :o(

Other things that happened in November:

I went to my friend (who basically should be re-named my adopted sister in law!) baby shower! Their baby is due in January so we had their shower before the Christmas rush! It was great fun and fun to be with so many of my sister in laws/ mum in law and friends too! Congratulations again Natalie & Kris :o) 

On a sadder note I missed my ACTUAL sister in laws baby shower the week before as it was in Aylesbury and too early in the day for Luke to make it back to Reading and get us up there :o( Booooo! But congratulations to Erin & Jared (&Zach & Brooke too!) can't wait for squidges with all the little new additions to the family! 

And the other exciting thing in our November: We got to be judges at the Watford Stake Roadshows! (Our old stake!) For people that aren't Latter-day Saints (my church!) That might have been a lot of words that you don't understand in one breathe- basically roadshows are 15-20 minute plays held at the big Latter day saint church in Watford put on by all the local latter day saint Churches in the area (Enfield, Wembley, Hayes, Aylesbury and Watford). It was SUCH a treat to get to judge them all (don't worry- none of us were like Simon Cowell! Or Gary!) We judged along with my parents- so was really good fun! They were all SOOOOO good (see I'd be a rubbish Xfactor judge because I really did think they were all fab!) Watford Ward won- they where FABULOUS! But everyone had clearly worked so hard at their costumes and scenery and script etc. I was one of those gushy people that wanted to give even more awards out than possible! Jared and Linda had done such an amazing job organising the whole thing too :o) Here are a few photos that I stole from my facebook friends of the night:

Wembley Ward characters! (Including my brother in law as the beast and my newest sister in law as Belle!)

Some of the Enfield Ward!

Hayes Ward! They were HILARIOUS and was nearly all youth which was really admirable!

Watford coming to recieve their well deserved award :o)

 And the last thing I will add before this blog becomes un-readably long! 

We have really enjoyed taking Hollie to the park recently! Even with it being a bit cold and dark outside, she's got to the age she's become a lot more receptive to trips to the park so they've become a lot more fun! Luke took her up (or down? or both?) the slide- not just any slide though- the BIGGEST slide in the park! It took some time for him to manoeuvre his way up there with Hollie Pop in tow, but he managed it! And she squealed with delight the whole way down he did it several more times too! Just another reason I think he's an amazing Daddy!

On the way up...

TA DA! At the top!

Daddys wet bottom! Love him!