looking back over the years & fun in the park...

Yesterday I had hoped & wished for a full on day snuggled under my duvet filled with blogging related things, or atleast the morning (yes I do still wish for days in bed even in this heat, call me crazy?!). That went completely out of the window but I'm not upset or disappointed about that in the slightest. Yesterday was a very good friends birthday & also her wedding anniversary too. Her husband, who is also a very good friend (they are both like my second parents & more like family than some of my actual family) had his birthday the day before so they were off to a local park to celebrate with family & friends. I knew they had done it a fair few times before but I'd never actually gone along with them. But this day was going to be different, we exchanged text messages in the morning, I was invited & I was bloomin' going. It was an absolutely glorious day & I didn't feel too bad so I thought, why should I not go?! So I went & I really enjoyed myself.

 

We set up camp for the day...gazebos, chairs, blankets, tables, food & drinks, footballs, bubbles, rounders, bat & ball. In total there was 18 of us (which made for a pretty decent game of rounders!), oh & 4 big crazy dogs. I'd never spent a day or a really long amount of time with any of them other than the two celebrating their wedding anniversary & birthdays plus their two kids (who are like my little brothers!) so I was a little bit nervous & I'd also never attended one of their celebrations in the park either. But I'm so glad I managed to spend the whole day with them. Glorious food, plenty of drinks, superb weather (admittedly a little too hot at some points), great company, good laughs...an excellent day all around!

 

Over half way through the day the birthday girl turned to me & said 'did you think two years ago you'd of been able to do this today?' & I said 'without a doubt no'. Exactly two years to the day was when they got married & I couldn't physically attend. I'm still absolutely gutted that I didn't get to experience their day with them. They got married in the village we live in, I couldn't manage to attend that. Not even attend the service & stand right at the back or attend the night do either. But here I am two years down the line, being able to celebrate their wedding anniversary & birthdays with them. In a park, about 10 minutes drive away from our homes. There was also 4 of their families dogs there too, not little tiny dogs either. They were running around like mad & it didn't bother me in the slightest, I rarely even battered an eyelid to be fair. If it wasn't for Lou & Ian (birthday girl, birthday boy, married couple & my adopted family!) getting Pudding (if you wanna read about my fear of dogs & Pudding click here), I know without a doubt I would still be absolutely petrified of dogs. I would of more than likely been questioning if there would be any dogs coming. But that is a thing of the past now. There was a fair few dogs on the same grassed area as us & that would of usually bothered me, but not this time.

 

To say how close the park is to our homes I think the last time I went was when I was little so I have very little memory of it. But I've decided I'm going to become part of the National Trust & sign up for a membership. I think it will be totally worth it, I'll be able to discover other nature parks & buildings I didn't know about.

 

The whole point of this post was to share with you a story of hope, if you'd like to call it that. I'd like to use it to show to you that things do get better, they do get easier. I can't put my finger on when things got easier/better but I now know that all the little things & hard work have paid off.

 

So that's how I spent my Saturday, how did you spend yours? Also, are you part of the National Trust? Let me know in the comments or give me a tweet.

Oh & before you go, one more picture of bubbles?! Ooooh why the heck not! Sorry for the lack of photos, I didn't really take many to be honest. I was too busy enjoying myself. :)

Seriously though, how awesome are the huagggeee bubble makers?!

I really hope you've had a lovely weekend. Tomorrow can't be Monday already can it?! Ooh yes it can, Mondays kind of excite me cos it's a fresh start...slightly sad? oh nevermind ay!

As always, thanks for reading.
Anna ♥