Yesterday as planned dear reader we had a family day out to Cragside in Northumberland, for just a few hours we got to be a normal family, never have I enjoyed being normal quite so much!  It's of great comfort to me that we can always get together as a proper family and go out for a day in the countryside.  It's just a shame that it was my last Sunday off for a little while, it's the peak time for me as a photographer as people get together and want family portraits to give to friends and relatives for cards and gifts for Christmas and even though I am working a little less there was always going to be a time every year when I have to work a little more than the rest of the year.  I think we're arranging some more mutual family days out during half term though so that's something to look forward to.

I adore Cragside, you can go every week and never go on the same route twice because the estate is so vast although we always seem to end up at the adventure play ground and the labyrinth, strangely the kids didn't fancy the walk where you start at the bottom and climb all the way to the top which is a pity as it's really good for waistlines!

Abigail, Looby and I decided that we would shoot the image for our Christmas cards yesterday so it's either going to be this one (1)

Or maybe this one? (2)

Or perhaps this one? (3) I really can't decide, I love this bottom one but I also love the other two, please do let me know which one you think should be our official Christmas card for this year.  I'll take advice and a vote on that one and then get the one which wins off to print before the end of the week, it pays to be organised in these cases.

Petunia is such a poser, it actually takes a great deal of work to get her to look the right way, she's not one for paying attention and we make all manner of noises to try and attract her attention, we always seem to win in the end though!

I love forests, they're so magical, I'm sure there could be fairies hiding in there somewhere!

I also love this throne which we found for the very first time, as I mentioned before, even if you have been going to Cragside for many years like us there's always something new to see

It makes me so happy that even though we might not all live in the same house anymore but we can still go out and have family fun together

I have to say that it was probably one of my most favourite days out ever because when you're not together all of the time you really truly appreciate the quality time you can spend with each other, I hope we can always do this and certainly it makes me cherish the ones I love and love the ones I cherish more than ever before.

So this week, even if you are doing something with family that you always do, look at it as a unique event, embrace the quality time, celebrate just being able to be all together in the same place at the same time and never let the ones you love stop knowing just how important they are to you.

Autumn Leafkicking, Photographs and Christmas Cards

I have pretty much the same problem as all of you out there sitting in your comfy chairs watching the leaves falling from the trees wondering exactly what you're going to do for this years Christmas cards and presents.

I've always made my own Christmas cards for the last few years, I figure that if you have a talent you should use it and of course I have family and friends who are always delighted to get photos or cards featuring Abigail and Looby, one of these years it would be great to have all 3 of the kids on one but I can't see Iain wanting to pose for photos, he never liked sitting for photos at the best of times and now I'm happy if I even manage to get the back of his head in a photo!

So last week I dragged the girls out, told them to look like they were having fun and they gave me 10 whole minutes of their time before exclaiming "Mammy you've had 10 minutes, work with what you've got" nice!

This is what we ended up with -

and this is the final finished card all ready to go out to friends and family, thankfully I don't have a big Christmas card list, hopefully these two smiley faces popping through peoples letterboxes will make someone smile.