Hello!

It feels like soooo long since I have been present on here. Things are a little strange at the moment hey?? I just want to reach out to say hello, how are you all doing?

This is such a strange and scary time for us all and I haven’t really known what to write… we have been isolating for 4 weeks now and every day is different. Some days I am total super Mum doing all the fun activities and love having this special time with my children. Then the next day I feel mehhhh. I know all my friends are going through the same emotions so I am guessing you all are too. My husband is in and out working on breakdowns for essential key workers but is around more than normal which has been soooo nice for us all. He normally works all hours so just having him here with the children with no plans has been so good. We have only left the house to go get food, leave a birthday cake on my best friends doorstep and for one unfortunate trip to A&E on the day they announced lockdown as my almost two year old decided it was a good time to break his arm! For all my regular clients you will know my daughter also broke her leg when she was little and ended up in hospital for three weeks in traction. Luckily Frank came home with a pot on and was back climbing within the hour. He hasn’t learnt from it and I don’t think he ever will. I find the best way to survive my days with Frank is to ignore the trouble he gets up to otherwise I would go mad! He certainly keeps us on our toes with far too many ‘Oh FRAAAAAANK’ moments. I have also learnt my children break easily…….awkward….

I personally LOVE been at home. Always have done. But been in lockdown is a completely different thing. I love been at home but our house is always full with my friends and family- not been able to see any one is defiantly the hardest thing about this. My children miss their grandparents like crazy. FaceTime is a major saviour. How lucky are we that we have all this incredible technology that none of us really appreciated until now. Its still not the same though. We miss the cows, the tractors, the fields…. I didn’t realise how much I love fields until now. Growing up surrounded them has made me realise I NEED fields in my life. Small things are the most important things.

My children are actually LOVING their time at home. I thought Florence would struggle missing her friends as she is a sociable as her Mummy but she is actually perfectly happy. They are spending every hour in the garden which massively helps. Our children LOVE been outdoors. They are just content outside and we are so lucky we have such a lovely space for them to enjoy.

I’m loving gin facetime night with our friends. Even my husband is enjoying them- he is pretty used to our girls nights and we all know he would secretly miss my girls if he didn’t hear their voices all the time!!!

FOOD. Food is life right now. Especially in the lead up to this Easter weekend. I can’t stop eating…..absolute pig. I mean I am exercising more than ever so its just like we are all playing a game of heads or tails…. thin or fat….. which will it be!!!! I think we are all probably playing the same game!

There are so many negatives to lockdown. Not seeing family and friends are the main ones. But there are also so many positives for our family. I know thats not the case for a lot of families though and that breaks my heart. Florence hopefully starts school in September and been able to have this time together as just us four is magic. Something we will never get to do again and I am taking everyday as a bonus. Don’t get me wrong- half the time they drive me crazy! My friends without children are enjoying series, reading, relaxing, cooking up storms and I can’t even go to the toilet with one of mine following- I just want 5 minutes! I am so envious of my friends but I wouldn’t have lockdown any other way. ( I am saying this through partly gritted teeth… my mantra is “This is fun, special memories with my children….” on repeat- eye roll, eye roll  “FRAAAAANK STOP HARASSING YOUR SISTER!!!!!!!!”, “FRANNNNNK STOP TRYING TO BREAK YOUR BONES”, “FRAAAAAANK JUST GIVE ME FIVE MINUTES!!!!!”, “FRAAAANK STOP!!!!!!”)

Everyone keeps saying what they will achieve over lockdown, how clean and organised their houses will be etc…. All I hope to achieve is muddy children, no broken bones, full bellies and happy faces.

Like everyone I have no idea when I will be able to work again. Photography is not essential in the slightest but times like these makes me realise how important my jobs is. I get to document families and friends and pause moments. The most important relationships in the world. The main thing a lot of people will learn from this is your closest relationships are EVERYTHING. Nothing else matters except the people you love. Use this time to remove yourselves from the negative people and put all your energy into the people you love and who love you too. The ones who drop thoughtful parcels on your doorsteps when your having a rubbish day (You know who you are), The ones who contact you daily to check in, the ones who don’t contact you daily but you know you are ALWAYS there for each other. The friends who are key workers who you worry about every-single-day but don’t want to drive them mad asking if they are ok. I am beyond lucky to have a group of absolute best friends.  I miss them and my children miss them. The amount of times my son looks for my friend Emma in the garden is ridiculous….”Crazy Emma where youuuuuu????”. My friends play a massive part in our children’s lives and we can’t wait to have them back. I am so lucky they are still able to make me laugh every single day.

To the grandparents who are not seeing the little people in their lives. For me this is the hardest thing about it. Family is everything. I miss my parents so flipping much and will never take spending time with them at the farm for granted again. I know the first place I will be visiting when this is all over. They play the biggest part in our children’s lives and we just want them back!!!

I will be emailing all my clients who have booked sessions over the spring and summer. None of us know what is happening in this scary world but the only thing we can do is to keep in touch and know this will all come to an end, normal life will resume and its something none of us will ever take for granted again. I have some blogs to share from shoots just before lockdown and I am going to start sharing seasonal work from last year…. just to share some colour in my little corner of the world.

We are thinking of all the families who are going through absolute hell and all the many different key workers who are putting their own lives at risk every single day for those of us lucky enough to stay at home. THANK YOU!!!!!

Keep safe, stay at home and sending lots of love from my family to yours xxxx