When I was growing up we had family best friends called the Lally family.

Our Mums met at antenatal classes and we used to spend big occasions together, always had an annual Christmas party and shared weekends away and holidays together.

The funny thing is we are still friends now, 32 years later! And what's even stranger is that I count his wife as a very lovely friend. I feel so comfortable with them, with someone I've known my whole life. And even if we don't get to see each other as often as we'd like, we just slip back into a friendship that has very deep roots.

We were so lucky when we were pregnant with Sammy, that our best friends were pregnant at the same time. Just a few months ahead, their little girl was born in the January and Sammy followed in May. 

They adore each other. At birthday parties they have been known to completely ignore all the other children and it's like watching the "Katy and Sammy Show"!

On Friday we had a special sleepover as her birthday present instead of a toy or game. We had a trip to the village Post Office for penny sweets, had a "midnight feast" in bed (at 6.45pm) and then enjoyed their first experience of bowling and lunch at Frankie and Benny's.

Sammy actually introduced her to the lady behind the Post Office counter as his cousin.

Because that's exactly their relationship, they genuinely are best friends, they love and adore each other, but sometimes squabble like siblings!

It's so precious watching their friendship develop, watching how they do now include Ollie, now he can talk and join in.

Ordinary moments like sitting in the back of the car together are a magical adventure!

And we all adore how innocent their relationship is. Uncomplicated, just real love and affection between them. Don't you just wish adult relationships could be like that?!

I really hope they are still friends in 28 years!

Of course they think they are getting married... well that would be fab - we'd love the in laws!

When I spied this book in the charity shop I knew I had to have it.

Published in 1935, it showcases a series of photographs of ancient and modern wonders of the world.

Designed to educate the next generation it's a piece of classic literature, bursting with history.

It's too easy on days when the rain is beating down and you need the heating on at 11am to feel fed up and not appreciate what we all have that is wonderful in our lives.

The words in the introduction really impressed me. Written in 1935, but true today, in 2014.

"Surely, the age we live in must be the most interesting ever known to mankind.
...Men and women of to-day are so busy, so fully occupied that, so the publishers of this volume feel, some ways and means must be contrived
of bringing the wonders of the universe within easy reach of all..
Seeing is believing.
In these days of stress and strain, this type of publication should also prove a boon and a blessing for wet Sunday afternoons, when one wants to relax
and yet be interested without too much effort.
It also has the educational value for those
who have to look after the welfare of the youngest generation"

Yasmin lu is the closest thing I have to experiencing having a daughter of my own. I watched her being born and feel a love for her like the love I feel for my boys. I've seen the bond my sister has with Sammy and Ollie and have always wanted to experience that, when she had a baby of her own. 

I am also so lucky to have a big family with lots of nieces and a nephew on Rich's side of the family too.

Being an Auntie is a wonderful thing. The best bits of parental love with less responsibility. You can be the one they threaten to run away to, the one who can buy presents parents wouldn't, at Christmas and birthdays and I've whispered to her on more than one occasion, please let Auntie come with you when you choose a wedding dress!

This week we had our first mini date. Just an hour by ourselves, driving home to Mummy from Granny's and a stop at the park on the way. I felt like I was driving a newborn! It was so precious, chatting to her in the car, hearing her babble back. 

The world to her is full of wonder. Looking up at the sky to see the birdies is an adventure. Even though Ollie is just 2 and a half, he's lost that wide eyed wonder at a game of peek a boo. Not lost being in awe of new experiences but there is something heart melting about the reactions of a 10 month old. 

If only we could bottle it for grown up rainy days.

Our little YLB - a blessing to our family. As an Auntie I get to teach her so many things. I am sure we will have lots more mini dates. From one YLB to another "Learn from everyone and every situation. There are little gems of knowledge and experience around every corner." Yasmin Le Bon, May 2013.

On a wet Sunday afternoon one day I am going to show this book to the boys.

I hope this blog lives long enough for me to post 1001 of these articles. Sharing in no particular order, to appreciate all the wonderful things in life.

Yasmin lu and being an Auntie - 1/1001 Wonderful Things in my life.

Linking up with Love The Little Things, #MagicMoments and #MagpieMonday

Happy New Year Me and Miners!

Today marks a milestone.

A whole month of being out of our house without a new one to go to. We have settled in as much as I think we are going to, to our rented house, as we have run out of space to unpack any more boxes! 

It's also been a whole month of refreshing Rightmove and Zoopla 10 times a day. Why can't there be one update a day?! It's driving us mad, houses popping up at all sorts of random times.

In a month we have viewed a total number of zero properties. I got excited about a couple, only to discover there was no garden at the back of one ever to extend, and the other backed onto a river. With all the terrible flooding in this part of the world, we won't be heading to a river side location any time soon.

But we have a lovely landlord willing to extend our rental period month by month, so instead of counting down, feeling under pressure to have found and offered on something by the end of next month, (to give us any hope of completing before the end of our tenancy) I've decided to try and go with the flow. Even if that is tricky, as we drive past our old house every day.

We've made a lovely home here. Yes the pink artex isn't one of the top interior design qualities I look for in a home, but we have lots of space and our furniture just somehow seems to fit all the funny nooks and crannies. We keep saying, if you got your hands on this and made a few changes, you could completely transform it.

I have uploaded a little video home tour. (it's quite long so feel free to fast forward. Plus what is it with your voice on video?!) 

So this has been life lately.

No alcohol until Ollie had a second trip to A&E in almost as many days, then a bout of chicken pox which has covered his little body in ghastly red sores. It's been a couple of weeks of iPad entertainment, Rich and I juggling work and colds, with a couple of lovely parties, cups of tea with best friends and Skypes with my little niece. Rich and I have lost 23 lbs between us and I'm determined to lose another stone, to fit into a favourite dress for Yasmin's Christening at the end of April.

This is Ollie saying cheese - looking at me and not Sammy who was playing photographer!

I've been pouring over home magazines and saving scrap bits of paper for inspiration when our perfect house pops up on the market, whilst sat on the laptop with my best friend scrolling through endless house listings. The house is covered in half finished blog posts and the dog food bin has become a handy table in the back porch for taking food photos! It give me a really nice soft natural light :)

We have 2 sleepovers this week. One at my sister's, just for me and then we are hosting a little sleepover for Sammy's sweetheart, with a first trip to a bowling alley and a birthday lunch after.

I am working away next week, snapping a special project and have been invited to this gallery exhibition next Wednesday evening, with the photographer himself presenting his iconic pieces of work. I am giddy.

Today I am up in Bristol getting a little Valentine's love on with a photo shoot with The Little Wedding Helper. A few hours of playing with flowers and hearts, yes please! 

And in amongst all this month's chaos and drama, this was the only photo of the four of us. From the first night we moved in. A perfect one to share for the new start of Me and Mine 2014.

I hoped the black and white might hide just how tired I look in this photo!

Isn't this just how the first night in a new home is meant to look? Beds on floors?! 

February is jam packed for us, Rich's birthday, parties, days out, a family gathering, I'm hoping we will be spoilt for choice for our February photo.

Join in with us and capture a moment in your family lives, once a month.

I've shown you Me and Mine, now show me you and yours!

Head over to Katie's blog to catch up with her family adventures this month. Her blog is genuine, heartfelt and full of happiness. I love it. 

<div align="center"><a href="http://www.dearbeautifulboy.com/2014/01/me-and-mine-january.html " title="dear beautiful" target="_blank"><img src="http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll320/looby_boo/meampmine-button_zpscc9f6437.jpg" alt="dear beautiful" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

ps. I'd like to apologise for not commenting on all the lovely photos linked up last month. I felt I didn't have time to breathe last month, but that's all changed. I can't wait to read all your posts.