Wow. What a year. 366 pictures, one mega collage.

My first post of 2013 is actually all about the year 2012.

It was a busy old year, possibly even more so than usual; we definitely packed a lot in! 
All along I have been posting on my other blog - Stephs 366 Pics - a photo for every day of the year. That took some doing, I can tell you. I am somewhat relieved but also sad that I won't be repeating it this year.

Below is my final update, a collage showing my favourite picture from each month in 2012. Of course I can't really guarantee they're my favourites; there were so many special moments with family and friends, and that's what I like to capture in my photos the best.

I've always loved photos, all my friends will tell you. Memories, that's what they all are to me, all very precious.

So what did we do?! 

As the pictures show, January was ice-skating at Willows farm, followed by bringing the school hamster home in February, then a very special trip for Tamsin (and mummy) to see JLS in concert in March. April saw us visit my parents and play on the beach in Blackpool. May was a lovely warm month and the girls got lots of bouncing on the trampoline in. 

June was a big birthday for me (can you guess which one?!) and lots of lovely ladies came out to help me celebrate it. That was followed by a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Number 10 Downing Street in July, to raise awareness of the amazing specialist pre-school that Sasha used to attend (TRACKS). In August we were extremely lucky to have some tickets for the Olympics - Tamsin managed to attend Gymnastics, Diving, Athletics and Sitting Volleyball at the Paralympics, all of which were truly amazing. 

September saw our big girl Tamsin start at the Junior School, and in October we went on a lovely family trip with dear friends to the fab Center Parcs in Sherwood. The girls were really lucky in November to be able to visit Moshi Monsters HQ, and throughout December our Elf, Pepper, delighted the girls with his antics (there's my next blog post right there). 

Phew. What a year. There was so much more! We kicked off the year by playing mini Golf in the sun, followed by many achievements and progress for the girls in and out of school, an amazing 'mini-break' to New York where we met some firemen close up, the usual birthdays, a gorgeously warm summer holiday in Menorca, a visit to Great Grandma in Wales, trip to see my parents on their canal boat, a blogging conference, the Jubilee, Peppa Pig World, Sasha in hospital, Tamsin in a summer drama show, our very own mini-Olympics with best friends in the back garden, erm, deep breath....

.......ski-ing for Chris, a break to celebrate a friend's 40th in Italy for me, snow in February, a lot of cake making, the London Marathon for my younger brother, Tamsin taking her Brownie promise, my eldest niece having her First Holy Communion, a PTA Ball, a big birthday for Pops, the sisters having sleepovers with each other for the first time, a couple more special 40th parties and last but not least, 5 amazing concerts (not including JLS!!) for me - NKOTBSB, Steps, Bryan Adams, Gary Barlow (who I touched, squeal!!!) and SAW (Kylie and Jason reunited)......


So 2013, how do you follow THAT??!

Here is our first family photo this year, taken today, 1st January 2013. Happy New Year everyone!