Benjamin Joseph Mansfield...

So I have actually been thee WORST blogger recently, I feel like the whole summer has absolutely flown by and so it's been hard to remember to write little posts especially when I've felt exhausted during the last few weeks of pregnancy. BUT I have the most amazing thing to start up writing my blog again as on the 2nd September 2014 at 9.46pm we welcomed the third member of our family into the world.. Yep he's here, our little baby bunny bear, Benjamin Joseph Mansfield weighing a cute, tiny 6lb 11oz!!!
I actually feel like filling up with tears right now as I write this because I still cannot believe that he's finally here and that Maff and I have created this most gorgeous, precious little man! He really is amazing and I feel so blessed and happy that I am his Mummy!
So my birth story is pretty crazy and I'm still totally trying to get my head round the fact that I actually did it and how it all happened. The whole of my pregnancy I had braxton hicks and so I really thought that he would arrive super early! Buttt he didn't, a couple of weeks before he came I felt soooooooo rough!! I actually lost 3 and 1/2 pound one week because I just felt so sick and tired but still no sign of him. The WEEK before I really thought that was it, I was getting pains all through the nights and they were pretty bad but they weren't regular and wouldn't be as bad at all in the daytime. It was the most frustrating thing, having the pains in the night and waking up the next morning still not having our baby! I just felt so worried that I actually wouldn't know that I was in labor and so would have to have him at home or  worse IN THE CAR-yikes! But the 2nd of September arrived and I had my check up with the midwife, I was sooooooo gutted because I really didn't want to have to go to this appointment, I JUST WANTED MY BABY HERE!!!! I felt totally fine in myself, just fed up. The baby hadn't wriggled as much as usual that morning (usually he wakes me up at the crack of dawn wriggling around the little monkey) so I told her that, she said to go home and have a cold drink and lie on my side (I knew she would say that, blah) but then she checked my blood pressure and it was through the roof! She quickly got me on the bed to check the baby as I'd told her that I hadn't felt as much wriggling so she checked his heartbeat and he was still perfect just having a sleepy morning. But because they can't take any chances with high blood pressure so late in pregnancy, the midwife sent me to the day unit at Rochdale Infirmary just to keep an eye on me. I. Was. Terrified. I wanted to be in hospital having my baby but I didn't want to go in because there was something wrong with me!! We headed to Rochdale and they put monitors on my belly to keep an eye on the baby who was now wriggling away, the little monkey! And they hooked me up to a blood pressure machine which kept check my blood pressure every 15 mins. They were going to keep me there for a couple of hours to see if it would reduce but it was actually getting worse and soooooo crazy!! I was shaking like mad so that probably didn't help being so unbelievably scared but I just couldn't calm down no matter how hard I tried. Because it was so crazy they ended up sending us to Oldham hospital in an AMBULANCE!!!! (Oldham hospital is where the maternity unit is so I knew this was it!) they wheeled me out in a wheelchair, it just felt wrong because I felt completley fine so I felt like all this fuss was being made for nothing!.. We arrive at Oldham in no time being in the ambulance and they rush me in to the labour ward and in a special care room. No one really talks to me to ask how I am or to reassure me I just get hooked up to the monitors again and midwives, nurses and doctors all come piling in checking my blood pressure and the baby, doing reflex tests on me and asking me tons of questions and then talking to me about pre-eclampsia. I was classed as having preeclampsia, the thing I was scared of having my whole pregnancy nooooo! And because of this the Doctors talked about a high chance of having a C-section. If I was shaking before, it was even worseeeeee now! Like my whole body was the worst earthquake!
My whole pregnancy had been perfect, no problems whatsoever and so I had these ideas in my head of going into the birthing centre and having a water birth and feeling relaxed but it was the complete opposite of how I wanted. My blood pressure was still pretty high but was reducing slightly, but by this time the baby's movements were starting to reduce and so they really didn't want to leave me any longer. The midwife broke my waters at around 6pm (that was the weirdest feeling) I used the gas and air for that because it was soooo uncomfortable (I LOVE GAS AND AIR.) and the Midwife put me on this hormone drip to try and get the contractions started. She only put a tiny bit of the hormone in though and then they would add more as the night went on. We asked her when she thinks things will start to kick in and she said that we will still be a good few hours and that the baby will probably be here the next day. We also asked if she thought I would have to have a cesarean and she said that it was looking pretty likely because my blood pressure was still crazy high and the baby's movements weren't as often. Boy was she totally wrong!!!
Because we thought we'd still have hours and hours to go, Matthews family came to check I was okay  and my Mum and Char came in the room. This was around 8ish. I was totally fine when they arrived and was chatting away with them. Then I started to get little pains, they weren't too bad but I knew they were there. Then they were getting bad that I needed the gas and air. That stuff seriously is amazing but it made me feel soo weird.. Sue said "it's really funny gas and air it makes you feel like your teeth aren't your own" well that was me, I went into a hugeeeee laughing fit. I couldn't stop haha. At 9ish the pains were getting reaaaaaaallllly bad, I could see how high they were getting each time on the monitor and it was awful and they were now getting closer and closer together like I didn't have any time at all in between each one so Matthew asked everyone to leave. I couldn't speak at all to anyone I was too hooked on that gas and air, it worried me though because these pains were getting so bad and the the midwife said I was still going to be hours!!  how on earth was I going to cope??? I was definatley up for the epidural if this is what it's like! Then I felt a little pressure to push so the midwife came in and checked me. I was 6cm dilated!! Whaaattt!!! I definatleeyyyyy pushed! Then that was it, at 9.46pm Benjamin was here, the most tiniest, scrumptious little baby! It was all over!
The midwives had to take him away straight away as his heartbeat had dropped and he wasn't doing anything when he came out. They gave him some oxygen and a little massage and then he was crying his little heart out so then they brought him back to me. He was perfect. Maff and had a little cry and just stared at him, he's here and he is ours!! Nothing else in the world mattered at that moment!
Now our little Benjamin Bunny is 5 weeks old.. Whatttttt?!? Time is going crazy fast with him and every day he's looking bigger and bigger. He now weighs 9lb 4oz and so he is doing amazing. He lovesssss to be snuggled. After a feed in the night, I burp him and think he's fast asleep so I put him in his cot but then he starts to have a little whinge because he needs a cuddle first before he sleeps. I LOVEEEE that he is so snuggly. He has also started smiling already!!!! It is just the cutest, although he smiles the most for Maff, boooo!! He absolutley LOVES Matthew to pieces. It's so nice to see them together, there definatley going to be besties. It's hard to get myself in a proper routine right now because I just want to sit and cuddle him all day because I don't want to miss a thing, sometimes I feel so crazy because I just can't leave his side and when I do I feel so lost and miss him like crazy. I just can't believe how unbelievably blessed Maff and I are to have the honour of being a Mummy and Daddy to this amazing little man. It really makes me sad to thing that he's getting so big so fast but we can't wait to see him learning new things, play with toys, have wrestling matches with his Daddy and have his own little personality, We can already tell that he will be such a sweet, kind, caring boy.
Being a Mummy is the best job in the world!

                                                 Minutes after our lives changed forever.

                                                                          Perfect
             

                                                                       My World...

                                                     Cousins and Best Friends Forever

                                                                Big Cousin kisses

                                                                   Daddy time...

                                                              Our first day at Church

                                                              Benji loves Auntie Char

                                                          The start of things to come...

                                                                  Mummy's boy

                                                               He's getting so big :( 

                                      My favourite Birthday present... snuggles with my boy

                                 Play date with Baby Toby, just two weeks older than Benji Bunny! 

"The woman I'll be someday..."

So this post is quite sad but at the same time, happy. Today -  30/4/2014 is 5 years since my beautiful Grandma passed through the veil. So I thought I'd write today's post as a little recognition for BOTH of my Grandma's who have passed away.

My Grandma Moore (my Mum's Mommy) died when I was about 10 years old. I can't believe how fast those years have gone. I remember the day so well when my Mum came home crying her heart out because she had just lost her Mum. Even though I was so young when she died I have some amazing memories with her. Her and my Grandpa had a caravan in Bridlington and had done since my Mum was young and so we spent many school holidays and weekends there with them and then when she died my Mum would take me, Char and the boys alll the time - my dad had to work :( and Jec thought she was too cool to come to the caravan. But I LOVED the caravan. My Grandma suffered with Multiple Schlorosis and so was in a wheel chair for all of my life, but she would still never let that get her down. I never heard her complain at being in a wheel chair and not being able to walk and would just sit and watch us play with our friends outside the caravan or come with us on day trips into Brid and watch us on the rides. My Grandma would always take soo much interest in to our lives. Every Birthday she would get me Baby Born things, money for new baby born things or a new doll- I loved dolls and baby born. And for Christmas I remember she bought me one year a tea party set of Peter Rabbit, Thomas the Tank Engine giant book- I loved Thomas the Tank Engine haha and another of my favourites, the complete Noddy collection, How amazing right?! I'm not sure where the Thomas the Tank engine book is but the Noddy collection I will definatley be reading our babies. I also remember the times going over to her and Grandpa's house and watching Lady and the Tramp with my sisters, or Goodnight Mr Tom whilst eating all of her strawberry and custard boiled sweets. My Grandma was just a beautiful woman, inside and out. My Dad often mentions her and speaks so highly of her because she was amazing. My Mum definatley takes after her. Unfortunatley, my Grandma suffered with cancer in her Panreas and couldn't be treated for it because of her M.S and so passed away from them but on her funeral we were able to see her in her coffin. She looked so beautiful and so peaceful. It's sad that now she's gone from this life but I know that she's doing just fine. We believe that when we die our spirits are perfect and so I know without a doubt that she's in the spirit world with lots of new friends and my Cousin and my other Grandma, walking around and still being that beautiful woman.

My Grandma Monk (my Dad's Mommy) Passed away 5 years ago today. She was also amazing, she was very tough but amazing. My Grandma raised Six children all on her own. My dad and my Auntie's would often say how she worked soo hard and how many jobs she would have to try and raise money for her family. My Grandma would tell me stories too and she never complained about the work load being too much or having to do it on her own, she just got on with it. I loved going to her house of a weekend, watching disney films with her and chatting and I loved watching her and my Grandad together. They loved each other soo much, they made me laugh at how they were together, they would tell each other they loved each other all the time but sometimes they would really tease one another and call each other cheeky names. One time I'd gone round to see them and I had a new phone and so my Grandma was looking at it, she was phoning up their house phone and making my Grandad answer but when he did she would quickly hang up. He put the phone down and said "oh you know them kids." Me and Grandma were laughing our heads off. Eventually we told my Grandad and he just shook his head. He still talks about that now. She would make us all laugh at how she wouldn't be bothered at what people thought of her, she would tell them straight of what she thought of them and sometimes that was hard to be on the other end of but she never let anyone walk all over her so it was a good thing. She struggled hearing sometimes and so we would say something and repeat back to us something that had absolutley nothing to do with what we'd just said - My Dad is EXACTLY the same haha. My Grandma found out she had cancer and suffered with it for two long years - how awful is that disease?! Towards the end it was very difficult to see her but all the same I still loved to go round. Again, even with the worst disease she could ever have and fighting soo strongly through it she never once complained. Everytime I would go round she would tell me that she was going to fight it. And she really did fight it. The only time I saw her sad about it was when an advert for Race for Life came on the t.v and my Auntie had text her saying she was going to run for her in it - how amazing are my Aunties?? Eventually the Cancer got too much for her and she was taken to Springhill Hospice. I knew then that it was time. Now the cancer had really gotten to her. I went to see her once when she was there and she was soo tired and skinny and she just said "where's Brian? I want Brian" (My Grandad.) I knew I had to be strong in there for her but as soon as we came away I cried and cried. Then on Thursday 30th April 2009, my Dad recieved a phone call and was told to go to the hospice, I knew then that today was the day. I phoned my Mum after school and she said "she's gone." I really couldn't hold back the tears. I cried and cried and just couldn't believe she was gone but I was so happy for her that she was to feel no more pain. Like my Grandma Moore, my Dad took me and my Sisters to see her in the funeral place a few days later and again, she looked beautiful and so peaceful. I knew that she was in a better place.

It's so hard when we lose loved ones, I still cry now when songs that were sung at both Grandma's funerals are sung at Church because I really miss them, but Both of my Grandma's have taught me that I can be strong and courageous through anything and to love my family and work hard for them, that's why this blog post today is entitled, "the woman i'll be someday" because i hope that I can be such a wonderful Mother, Wife, Grandma and friend that these amazing women were. I cannot even put into words how much I love our Gospel. To know that we can be together forever is such a beautiful thing. I know that I'll see both of my Grandma's again someday and I really cannot wait for that day. "God be with you 'till we meet again.."

Grandma Moore, Grandpa and my Mum. Beautiful <3

Grandma Monk on my Mum and Dad's wedding day. Beautiful <3

Bouncing baby..... BOY!

I am now 21 weeks pregnant, yes TWENTY ONE WEEKS PREGNANT!! Where on earth is time going?! So last week we had the 20 week scan, I haven't wrote about it because we've been too busy buying things and having the most amazing weekend in Wales seeing my Auntie, Uncle and cousins.
The scan was sooo special. Obviously before hand I was a nervous wreck because I wanted our little baba to be okay and plus this was the anomaly scan so they really look into detail at all parts of the baby. Seriously, the couple of weeks leading up to the scan I could have turned into a ball of wool, I was knitting all the time cause I wanted to take my mind off things and not worry, I didn't touch my finger nails once though, YAY!

So anyway, the morning of the scan I was sooooooo nervous!!! Matthew's parents and my Mum came with us, the Mum's came into the scan room but Matthew's Dad wants it as a surprise so he didn't come in. It was lovely having them there, even if they could only come in at the very end. I still had my Maff in there with me and he made me feel sooo relaxed as he always does. I lay on the bed and this time it was a different nurse, she was amazing! She really told me what was going to be happening, what she was going to look at etc and said that she was really sorry but she wouldn't be able to talk as she really needs to concentrate. I felt sooooo at ease! Especially as she showed us our little baby before she did the tests. HE was the most gorgeous little person in the world. It was amazing seeing the baby on the 12 week scan but for the 20 week scan it was just the most amazing thing I've ever seen, he looked like a proper baby and he was sucking his thumb ahhhhhhhhh, we saw his little mouth moving as he was sucking and then the nurse moved the machine down and we saw his amazing little heartbeat fluttering away so well andddddddddd we saw a little winkle! IT'S A BOYYYY! I didn't see it as I was wiping my eyes because I was just sooo happy at seeing him but Maff just turned to me and whispered "I think we're having a boy." The nurse carried on with the test and said everything had developed well, his heart, his brain, his teeny tiny lungs, his ligaments - although it took her a while to see them because little man was wriggling around as usual hehe! But then she showed us his little spine - WOW that was amazing, she said the spine had developed really well yayy!! - Obviously them gigantic, minging vitamins and minerals tablets really help. And then before the Mum's came in she said that it is "pretty clear your having a boy!" and she also said that he's the right size for 20 weeks and a little bigger- uh oh, does this mean I'm going to have a 9lb baby like his daddy?! arghhhhhh! The Mum's were soo happy! He was actually waving when they came to look :) what a cutie!

Maff and I are soooooooo unbelievably happy. We were very shocked that it was a boy because we just felt that it was going to be a girl, plus I'd done every single gender test a million times and they ALL came out with girl - I won't be doing them again! People keep on saying, "are you dissapointed that it's not a girl?" Are they for real?! Maff and I are going to be a Mummy and Daddy to the most amazing gift we could ever want! We have created the most amazing thing on this planet and I have the most greatest pleasure to be able to carry him in my stomach and help him to grow, he's going to be a Mummy's boy for sure and him and Daddy are going to be the bestest of friends - WE CANNOT WAIT!! 

Now he's growing soooo fast! We actually have 19 weeks left until the due date (unless he comes earlier) and then we get to hug and kiss him soo much!! He can now recognise voices and songs yay! Maff talks to him all the time and has done since we found out I was pregnant. I love it when he talks to him cause it must be hard for a man as he doesn't get to feel the same things as me, but Maff really makes an effort, I think he's going to be such a wonderful Daddy! Little man is kicking me sooo much, I love it. He kicks even more as I'm just about to head off to sleep or wayy too early in the morning- little monkey! This week I've been singing "My Heavenly Father loves me" and "Love is spoken here" both from the LDS primary song book and little man LOVES it! He kicks me tons when I sing these to him yayyyyy!!
Maff and I love him sooooooo much and talk about him every day. We've been buying a few things already and it makes it seem sooo real - Our little baby will be in these outfits and in this Moses basket - yes I already have his Moses Basket, Asda baby and toddler event is amazing...  in just a few short months- Say whatttt?! We are the happiest Mummy and Daddy in the world and feel sooooooo blessed right now!

Love Missy x

 These are just a few things that I knitted before my scan to keep me busy, I made a blanket and started on a cardigan too :) Obviously I won't be putting little man in the poncho wahhh :( 

20 weeks, me and my two Babies- Maffry Bear and Baby Bear in my belly <3

The start of the presents for baby :) He has tons already! yayy!

                                      

                              21 weeks and the sun is out yayyy, my bump is finally growing

And here he is...... The most gorgeous little man in the whole world! <3 <3 

16 Weeks....

So tomorrow I will actually be 18 weeks pregnant - sayy whaaattttt?! but I completely forgot to write about my 16 week midwife appointment as I've been totally busy.... SLEEPING! haha. So here it is now.

Firstly, my midwife appointment was at 9:20am which is fine and usually we would be there wayyy early, as I get too nervous of missing my appointment, but Matthew and I had the worst nights sleep as our silly car alarm kept going off alllllllll night. So when we had to deal with that andddd me being up for the toilet allll night- we were exhausted!! So we overslept and were rushing to our appointment. We actually got there for 9.30 when appointments only last 10 minutes so the midwife was rushing us in.
Because we were rushing I completely forgot that I needed to bring a urine sample for every midwife appointment, which is crazy for me as I've been bugging everyone about my appointments for weeks and usually have everything organised the week before, but anywho, the Midwife gave me a sample tube and told me to go and do a sample now... whaaattt?! I really didn't need the toilet then- probably the one and only time I don't need the toilet in my whole life- typical!  But I tried and was in there for about an hour (obviously exaggerating just a little there) and eventually came out with the most measliest sample you've ever seen! Matthew just laughed his head off after the appointment haha. Butttt she was still able to get what she needed from it so it's not all bad.

Anyway, after that whole thing she eventually got me on the bed and we got to listen to our baby's heartbeat. It was the most precious thing in the world. I wasn't even worried about the heartbeat - so weird for me to not be worried  because I just knew everything was fine as i've felt it move around loads already, but hearing the heartbeat was just perfect. It was really strong and fast and the midwife said it was a really good heartbeat for 16 weeks yayyy!!! anddddd Baby Pip was doing what Baby Pip does best - WRIGGLING! we heard it moving around in my belly - so cute! Maff was loving it, he said it felt so real hearing the heartbeat and listening to it move around. I just loveee looking at Maff's face when we go to the scan and when we were listening to the heartbeat. As soon as he sees the baby on the screen at the scan and as soon as we could hear that little heartbeat Maff's face just lights up - it's so precious to see and, at the scans reassures me sooooo much!

We have the 20 week scan on the 16th April and seems like forever away right now. We just can't wait to see it again and make sure everything's okay and hopefully find out if it's a baby girl or baby boy. I'm wayyy too impatient and keep looking at things on the internet of how to tell early what gender the baby is haha Maff thinks i'm crazy but I think deep down he loves it when I tell him these crazy theories and tell him the results ahha. We just can't wait to spoil it ROTTEN! We now have 5 months to go until we get to meet Pip which is going sooooooooo fast right now but we are just more and more excited all the time to see what it looks like and cuddle and love it sooooooo much.

Love Missy x

Andddddddd two becomes THREE!!!

So on September 3rd of this year, if it's on time, Matthew and I will be starting a brand new chapter in our love story. WE ARE HAVING A BABY ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!! We are sooo excited, we can't even put into words.
I have wanted a baby since the day I said I do but we decided that probably wouldn't be the best thing at the time as Maff was in Uni and we were living in a one bedroom flat in Kensington, in Liverpool - YUCK! But I'm grateful now that we made that decision because our lives are going to totally change now. In the past 3 years, we will have been able to have this time to really get to know each other and learn and grow together ready for our tiny Baba.
We found out the Sunday between Christmas and New Year so it was the most amazing late Christmas present and the most amazinggggg New Year's present. I was getting cramps in my stomach and was feeling soooooo tired but I just thought it was that time of the month so didn't get my hopes up. But my sister was over from Ireland and wanted me to take a test, just to make sure, because all of my family thought I was pregnant. So I did a test, (honestly I'm an expert at them things now, i've been pregnant so many times in the past two and a half  years, even though I couldn't have been haha.) But I sat waiting, hoping and praying that the line going across would turn into two this time, and IT DID! I couldn't believe my eyes! I thought I had a faulty test. I ran into Matthew and just said "we're having a baby" and burst into tears. Matthew couldn't believe it. He was soo shocked. We ran downstairs to tell my family and got on the phone to Matthews family and everyone was crying haha, they were soo happy for us. Matthew was just in shock the whole day. He wouldn't put the test down and was so quiet. We went for a little drive, just us two, to our spot by the Lake, and he had a little cry (but shhhh don't tell anyone.) By the way, it was a happy shock and happy tears haha, just thought I'd make that clear.
At about six weeks I had to have an early scan as I had a little bit of spotting. I was absolutley mortified. I couldn't stop crying, I thought that we had lost our little pip. We sat in the hospital and my heart was racing. I just wanted everything to be okay. The nurse put the gel on my stomach, which is freeeeeeezing by the way, and rolled it around a little and said "okay so there's your pregnancy..anddddd there's the heartbeat. Everything is fine." and there it was, our little tiny shrimp with a fluttering little heartbeat. I wanted to cry! It was the most amazing thing. Matthew knew all along that it was fine but was still so happy to see our little baby's heartbeat. After that, my 12 week scan seemed soooo long away. I went through the early pregnancy symptoms, which, even though I complained every single day, I was pretty lucky really. I was actually only sick once but just felt soooooo sick every day and was over the toilet many a time and just wanted to sleep alllllllllll the time- I really don't know how people can work their full time jobs.
I had my booking in appointment and they took some blood ewwww!! (I was wayy scared- how the heck am I going to cope in labour?) and then finalllllllly on the 19th February my 12 week scan had arrived and alllll week the nerves came back, I couldn't sleep properly and the scan was all I could think about. Again, I lay on the bed while the Nurse put the gel on, again freeezzzzing and I reallllly needed the loo haha, and I just kept watching Matthew. As soon as the Nurse started rolling around my belly, Matthew had the biggest grin on his face that you've ever seen and said "there's the baby.... it's a wriggler isn't it?" again I wanted to cry (I'm such a cry-er?!).. Then I knew everything was okay, I was sooo happy. When the Nurse finally turned the screen to me I couldn't believe it. I thought it would be like a blob and we wouldn't really be able to make out anything but it was soooo clear, and it had the biggest head ever - I am terrified for labour when it will be even moreeeeee gigantic waaahh. But, it was perfect. It had one hand on it's belly and one on top of it's head and looked like it was in a little love heart - so cute! The Nurse said everything is fine and where it should be at this stage yayyyyy!!
So now, we have to wait for the 16th April for our 20 week scan - how soon is that?! - The 3rd of September will be here in no time - and we get to find out if it's a boy or girl hopefully eek!! I'm still feeling superrrrrr exhausted and occasionally a little queezy and honestly, I want to eat alllllllllllllll the time! Except chocolate, I actually hate chocolate and fanta orange right now blerrrk!! But Maff and I are just sooooo happy and excited to be a Mummy and Daddy and to love this tiny baby, even more than we do now, if that's possible, and teach it and help it to become who they want to be. We know it's not going to be perfect, living in my parents house but at the same time I'm soo happy about it as I'll have my Mum here when I need her the most and in the long run, everything will be perfect for our little baby because we'll be able to save up and spoil it later on hehehe!! <3<3

                        And here it is... our gorgeous little baby, who is soooooooooo loved already!!!

"heeeeeey good lookin' whatcha got cookin'?"

So today for Dinner I made a DELICIOUS chicken and leek pie mmmmmmmm. One day in work, one of the staff made it for us all and as soon as I tasted that, I was in heaven!!!! I just had to try and make it myself for Matthew and I. So I did and now it is definatley one of our favourite meals.
So I thought I would put up the recipe on here so that others can make this great big bowl of absolute deliciousness haha. So here goes..

Ingredients

• 4x Chicken Fillets
• 3x Large Leeks
• 1 Large tin of Sweetcorn
• 2 Tins of Mushroom Soup
• Just Roll Shortcrust Pastry (obviously you can make your own pastry but I'm too lazy)

Method

• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. 
• Cut the chicken into small pieces, fry in a large pan until it is white all the way through. 
• Chop the Leeks into small pieces and add them to the pan to lightly fry them. 
• Add the sweetcorn and again, lightly fry. 
• When the veg is lightly cooked add the tins of mushroom soup. Mix well and bring to the boil. 
• Pour into a pie dish. Sprinkle flour on the work surface and roll out the pastry. Place ontop of the filling and chop off any long sides. Pinch the sides together, put a very small cut in the middle and add decortaion with your left over pastry. 
• Crack an egg and whisk it up and brush all over the top of the pie. This will make it lovely golden brown. 
• Pop in the oven until golden brown and VOILA! BON APETIT!

I usually make broccoli and mash as a little side dish with my pie but you can do whatever you like. Hope you enjoy!!! 

 I love putting hearts in the middle. 

Here's one I made earlier ;)... How delicious!!

Happy Birthday Maffry!!

On the 10th of January we celebrated my Maffry's birthday yayy!!  He is now 27... saayy whattttt?!? When I first met Matthew he was only just 23 so that is just soooooo crazy that now he is celebrating his 27th birthday, where the heck have FOUR years gone?!

    This was when we had JUST started dating. Maff was 23 and I was only 17 WOWWWW!! 



With Maff's birthday always being sooo close to Christmas, I would say it's always pretty sucky for him. I never know what to get him as it's just been Christmas, and I would already buy him everything he wants, and it was always around him doing exams in uni so he would be stressed out preparing for them. So we usually just go for a cinema and a meal and get him a little gift (usually with him being there to chose it.)
So for his birthday this year, I wanted to make it really special for him. Matthew always spoils me soo much and treats me like such a princess it's about time I treat him the same.. (obviously not like a Princess haha.) So I decided I would take him away for a couple of days. I had it planned since the beginning of December. As I thought about what I should get him for his birthday, he just turned to me one day and said "Melissa, I want to go to Warhammer world." BINGO! 
For those that don't know, Warhammer is Games Workshop. It's tiny army figurines and you collect them, paint them and then play with other nerds haha. I LOVE Maff collecting them, he's actually BOSS at painting them and I love that he has a hobby and the fact that really he's the biggest Nerd known to man but a super secret one.
Anywho, back to business... So I booked 2 nights away for us at the premier inn in Nottingham and I was soooo excited about telling him. I had it all planned out and could just picture his face. He was asking me and my family every day where I was going to take him and it was just killing him that he didn't know. He did say it a few times but I would reply "Matthew, seriously you honestly think I would go to Warhammer World with you?! You'll have to go with your brother." He believed it too, because he know's I can't stand being in the Games Workshops. Matthew seriously gets his geek on when he's in there, talking to the workers about Space Marines and Dwarfs. I totally nod off haha. But my plan was going GREAT!! I was so proud of myself for not telling him. We travelled to Nottingham the day before his Birthday so the night before that I was making tickets (Warhammer World is free so we didn't get tickets.) All day he was playing on the playstation with my brothers and didn't come in the office ONCE and then just when I decide to make these tickets he walks right in there!! GUTTED! He pretended like he didn't see anything but I knew he did and then he just came out with it. He was still excited about it and I still made him tickets so that's good.

                            The tickets I had made for us that were MEANT to be a surprise. 


When we arrived at the hotel we were exhausted!! I fell asleep at about 8.30. It was really wierd being on our own again after living in a house of 7 people for a couple of months. But it was nice. We just chatted about everything and laughed loads! On his Birthday we had a delicious breakfast and then went on our way. Warhammer world was actually pretty good. I did think it would take all day but it was just this room with allllll the armies in there to look at, hand painted and a huge castle that was made and painted by the staff. That was pretty amazing. It reminded me of Hogwarts from Harry Potter so I was loving it.
After Maff had spent about an hour in the shop buying his paints and chatting with the workers- surprise surprise. We decided to go to the cinema's to see the new film, 12 Years a Slave. Okay, I encourage EVERYONE to see this film. IT. WAS. AMAZING. It was about a black freeman who was like a celebrity with the whites for playing the violin. He was kidnapped and sold into slavery. It was very sad, brutal but soooo real! I love learning about the black's in America so this was definatley my kind of film.  Maff loved it but he said he probably couldn't watch it again at how violent and real it was.

Birthday Kisses for my Birthday boy! hehe!

 Maff was in his element hahahaha!! Also, these are the figurines that Maff wants to paint only alot alot smaller. 

Alright, I have to admit that is pretty cool! This was handmade and painted by the workers. 

Amazing film!

After the movies we had a yummy TGI Friday's yayy!! Then back to the hotel and we had Shloer, Lindt Chocolates and had another early night... we are actually so old, we love having early nights haha. So the next day, we travelled home but we went by Liverpool. Maff finished off spending his birthday money. He bought 2 t-shirts, a shirt and a gorgeous new coat. He looks soo scrummy in it!! Then at night I had planned a surprise birthday meal at his favourite restaurant MEET. I had invited his family, my family and his best friends. He LOVED it!! He said he has had a perfect birthday and tonight totally topped it off being with everyone that he loves yayy!!

 In his new shirt and coat and his trainers I bought him for Christmas.. How hot is my hubby?! 

 Ready for his birthday meal.. 

Happy Birthday Maffry!!! 

That cake was delicious!! 

So glad everything worked out how I had planned and it was just perfect for my Maff. Now to start planning his next birthday trip away hmmmmm.... 

!!2014!! HaPpY NeW YeAr !!2014!!

It's a brand new year and I am soooooo excited for what this year will bring. Matthew and I have so much to look forward to and so many adventures I just know we will go on this year.
So as it's the start of the year, it's goal setting time. Every year I always set goals and they last for a month and then I just fall back into my old ways. But this year Matthew and I are both going to try super hard to keep the goals that we set as a family and our personal goals. So I thought I would write my goals on here so that any one reading can keep at me, making sure I'm completing all of the goals that I set because I am just useless. Sooo....
1. Finish reading the Book of Mormon. I have read it once already but I really want to finish it again. Sometimes I think I forget the feelings I have when I read the Book of Mormon, I feel at peace and I feel so close to my Father in Heaven and my Saviour- why would I not want that in my life?!
2. Attend the Temple ATLEAST once a month. This is a goal for both Matthew and I but it's one that is very important to me. Matthew and I live 40 minutes away from the Temple in Preston. That is nothing when members used to travel for 4 hours to get to the London Temple before Preston was built. I just love going to the Temple. Just walking through those doors I really feel like I'm home. Every trial that I'm facing in my life just leaves me for them few hours that I'm inside the Lords house, it's so peaceful and beautiful. So Matthew and I are really going to try and make an effort to go a lot this year because we definatley need the blessings.
3. STOP BITING MY NAILS!!! This is my goal every single year and I really can never seem to stick by it. For as long as I can remember I have always picked and bit my skin and bit my nails. It really is a horrible habit. So 2014 is going to be the year that I stop for sureeeeee.
4. Save some money. To be honest, Matthew and I are both pretty good savers. But we really don't want to be staying at my parents house for years. So at least by this Christmas, we are hoping we will save enough to have our own house again.
5. To be less selfish. I absolutely love being a wife. I have always dreamed of being a "desperate housewife" with the huge house, lovely neighbours, neighbourhood parties and staying in all day baking pies haha, but sometimes I can be quite selfish and often I will think of my own needs and my own problems over Matthew's. So my goal for this year is to show Matthew how much I love him by always thinking of him over myself. After all that's what marriage is all about, loving one another, making sacrifices and ALWAYS thinking of your partner over yourself.
6. To become closer to my Saviour. Last year I feel like I wasn't as close to my Saviour as what I could have been. Yes, I went to Church every Sunday and I would work really hard in every calling that I had but that was it. I wasn't reading my scriptures, saying my prayers or having family home evenings or going to the Temple as much as I wanted. I would only really do these things when I needed help from my Father in Heaven. Joseph Smith once said "one of the greatest sins a member of the church can make is the sin of ingratitude." I was being very ungrateful. I have been blessed so much and helped through so many trials but why would I be blessed any more when I only come to Heavenly Father when I really need something in my life? So 2014 is going to be different, I'm going to go back to my cheesy Mormon self (even though Matthew hates the cheese in Mormons haha) listening to EFY songs and church songs all the time, reading my scriptures and praying every day and, as a family, we are going to have family home evening every Monday. Then, I know for sure we will feel close to our Saviour.

So, 2014 is going to be a brand new start. This year is going to be OUR year.