One

It's been a while since we last updated our blog so forgive the long entry but there's lots to catch up on. Yesterday we celebrated Ben's first birthday with a family lunch and a lovely afternoon party for him and some of his friends. Our house is now crammed full with new toys and books - Ben is pictured above with his new rocker, Stanley Snail. It was a special day for all of us, and felt like a milestone for Mummy and Daddy too - we've survived the first year, spurred on by Ben's beaming smile and boundless energy! Our 'graduation' as parents was marked by the challenge of the first birthday cake, which we were pretty pleased with for a first attempt. Ben has been entertaining us by roaring like a lion on demand for a few months now (inspired by his favourite bathtime book), so a lion it had to be...


Following that theme, Mark took the afternoon off today, and we treated Ben to a birthday trip to Twycross Zoo. Here he got 'up close and personal' with his roaring friend - far from being frightened (as he was of the giraffe) he actually started giggling when the lion began to exercise his vocal chords, and then he had a go at roaring back!

Of course, we thought Ben looked more at home with the primates... this photo makes us laugh.

Our celebrations have been mixed with sadness, as we have been coming to terms with the loss of Debbie's Grandad, and Ben's only Great Grandparent, last weekend. We are so glad that he got to meet Ben and see him change over the last year. Ben may have had a bad day last time we visited, but he cheered up enough to roar like a lion, much to his Great Grandad’s amusement. Grandad was fantastic fun, a big tease, and had a great sense of humour, but he was also warm, generous and devoted to his family. We will miss him so much.