Eight Photos of Happiness

Today I was inspired by this post by You Baby Me Mummy, one of the blogs I've followed for a while now and inspired me to start blogging myself.

I've always loved to write, but in recent years I have found the old adage 'a picture speaks a thousand words' to be more apt. Ever since I started taking photos of Lily I've found photography to be my preferred method of documenting our family life and sharing it with others. Despite not blogging, I enjoyed taking part in the Living Arrows photography challenge via Twitter, and so when I saw this post I was sure I could find eight photos that show happy moments for me - the problem was narrowing it down to just eight photos!

Childhood Holiday



This is me (left) with my sister Louise and our Daddy on holiday in Spain. It's the only holiday abroad I can remember as a child - I remember my Mummy sunbathing, my Daddy taking me down to the jacuzzi with him in the early morning, the bar in the middle of the pool. I remember the sand being so hot it hurt my feet and eating 'Dracula' ice lollies which stained our clothes with blackcurrant juice. I remember being happy.

Alice in Wonderland


Fast forward a long time and this is me aged 21 receiving flowers after my last performance as Alice in an outdoor production in Chesham. I've enjoyed acting and drama since school and have taken part in a few am-dram performances, but nothing will live up to how much fun I had doing 'Alice'. The man standing behind me is Ken, my very own Charles Dodgson and the director. It's funny, because this was taken during a really hard time in my life, on the inside I certainly wasn't happy, and yet 'Alice' gave me a purpose and now I can look back and smile.

Engagement


This photo was taken on the day Matt proposed. It was taken at Crystal Palace Park, round by the dinosaurs before Matt got down on one knee much later in the day. He later confessed that he had been waiting for the right moment all day but kept getting so nervous he put it off until the very last minute!

My Family


I have very few photos of my family altogether but this one always cracks me up because of the guy photobombing at the back! I actually ended up working for him a few months later when I took on a second job at the local pub to raise money for my wedding.

Lily's Birth


This isn't a birth story, and so I won't go into details, but I found Lily's birth to be particularly traumatic. This was taken shortly after, in our private room on the observation ward. After such worry and stress this was a haven. It was quiet, I felt safe, just me, Matt and my little baby girl. I don't think happiness is the right word to describe the warmth and contentment I feel when I look at this photograph.

Oliver's Birth


In contrast, Oliver's birth was a breeze! It was so fast that by the time I got to the hospital, desperate for pain relief, I was already 9cms dilated. I feel like I deserved an easier birth after suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum throughout my pregnancy and I was just so happy that the worst was over and I could enjoy being a Mummy of two.

Siblings


Which brings me to my penultimate photograph. My children. How could I look at this photo and not be overcome by happiness? I love it. I love them. I love the way she cares for him, plays with him and shares her toys. I love the way he smiles for her, laughs at her and watches all she does. I love being a Mummy to them and the fun days out that we have - even ones as simple as visiting our local park.

Our Wedding Day


And finally, no collection of happy photographs can be complete without a pic of our wedding day. Afterall, there is a reason it is described as the 'happiest day of your life'! 

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