One photo, 20 words part 2

It's all been about Nicholas the last week or so, so my one photo had to be of my special boy...

Love the way Nicholas just looks gorgeous in anything he wears, even an Angry Birds hat!

It's time for some paintball fun!

Back in August of last year, a group of guys were down at Tesco all dressed in combats showing off the latest air guns... Elite Force paintball caught the boys' eyes and Nicholas decided that's what he wanted to do for his 9th birthday this year.

So, I booked it all up back then and yesterday I took Nicholas along with his brother Alexander and 4 of his friends - Jack, Ryan, Harry & Reuben up to Upminster to Elite to run around shooting people.

They had a great time.. 

Blues vs. Reds (although the red team were a bit pants) and they thrashed them!

They got 4 games that after spliting one end and the other they actually got like 8 games over 4 different "maps".

 When the games were over I took all the muddy little people home to our house for a pizza tea and chocolate cake!

Jack and Ryan slept over and suffice to say, Nicholas had a good almost week long celebration of turning 9 years old!

9.....

Another year gone and my beautiful boy is now 9 years old...

From minecraft..

To ipods... 

 to books..

 he just loves everything :)

Especailly chocolate cake with 9 football candles on the top!

Roll on Saturday to bring on the paintball fun!

Guest Designer at Sketches in Tyme!

I didn't win one of the challenges I went in for last month, but I was honoured to be asked to guest design for them this month.

So, this was the sketch..

And this was my offering - pic of my special boy on his birthday last year.

Plently of time to enter as closing date isn't until 31st January 2015.
sketchesinthyme.blogspot.co.uk-sketch18

Scrap lift challenge

I haven't really done much scrappin' this year yet, but I liked the scraplift challenge that Amanda is running, so thought I'd enter!

This was the page to "lift"

And this is my take - photos taken at Halloween last year!

Still time to enter as closing date isn't until 31st Jan.
amandas-scrapbook-pages.blogspot.co.uk - january-scraplift-challenge

I feel the need, the need for speed!

Each year the kids get to choose something that we do as a family for their birthday and this year Nicholas choose to go Go Karting at Lakeside karting (again)!

 So, at the weekend, there we all were (well, all bar me :( ) suited up and ready for the off..

 

 Nicholas is fearless behind a wheel (not sure that will be good when he's older) but for now it's great!

 Lee of course won the race out of the 3 boys, Alex having lost control on a bend by going too fast!

Even Cassie gets to kart too!

Volunterring...

For the last few months I've been volunterring at our local Food bank in Southend.  Just one morning a week for a couple of hours.  Makes me feel good about myself and kind of restores my failing faith in human nature....

 Anyway, as Lee was home, I think it's important that the kids see that it's not all XBoxes and ipads, that there are people that are in need, especially in our own country, so I took Alexander with me to help out.

 It wasn't that busy, but he did get to pitch in and I'm so proud of him.

  AND it apparently can go towards one of his Scout badges too.

Happy New Year!

We've made it a bit of a Butler family tradition that every New Year's day we all go out for Brunch to oneof the cafes down at the Arches along the seafront.

This year we were guests at "Jolly Roger" the pirate themed cafe..

 Hot chocolate and cream for Alex

 Apple juice for Nicholas

 Orange juice for Cassandra

 and Latte for Lee.

I personally prefer the bag of donughts we always get after across the road as they have cinamon ones!