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.

"Walking in a Winter Wonderland..."

Today, my mum and me went Christmas shopping in Manchester to buy Presents for everyone from my mum and dad. We had such a lovely day and we got some lovely gifts for people that i'm sure they will love. It was so nice to spend some time with my mum shopping as all of our lives get soo busy during the year and yes, i'll go with her to run little errands or whatever but we spent the whole day today just chatting, laughing and of course what girls do best... SHOPPING.
We walked round all of the shops in Manchester and were sooooooo tired. One bad thing about shopping in Manc is that the shops are all sooooo far apart so you actually feel like you've walked up mount Everest by the time you've finished your shopping. But I've really missed Manchester so it feels really good to be home. I have to pretend I hate Manc to Matthew as he's a Scouser haha. But really I am a Manchester girl and always will be. I especially love Manchester at Christmas time, they have the most amazing Christmas markets like soooooo many stalls with cute things on. And it just looks soo Christmassey.
Whilst we were by Jack Wills we saw a few people with Cath Kidston bags and obviously, from reading my other posts you'll realise I am probably a little obssessed with that shop so I just HAD to know where it was. So we asked people and found it.... OH MY DAYSSSSSSS I wanted to cry!!!!! It was the most amazing Cath Kidston store I had EVER been into. It had THREE floors and had absolutley everything in it. So, my mum being the most amazing Mummy in the world bought me a pair of...... CATH KIDSTON WELLIES!!! as my Christmas present from her and my Dad arghhhhhhhh! They are sooooooo cuteeeee!!! But i'm not allowed them until Christmas day wahhhh, I can't wait to wear them, and don't worry then I'll put a picture on of them.
So after doing lots of shopping and spending all of my Dad's money shh don't tell him. We decided to have a yummy Nandos to finish off a wonderful day. We could not move. Our feet felt like we had huge rocks attatched to us and we were sooooo hungry by this time we could have actually eaten the whole of Nandos haha. I love spending time with my mum, I hope when we have children and they grow up that they will want to hang out with Maff and I and not be embarressed by us haha!.
Now it's off to do some Christmas wrapping.... seriously I should have been an elf!

Manchester at Christmas time. My family and I used to drive in to Manchester to see this Santa and all of the lights every year. Soo lovely and Christmassey.

The Cath Kidston store in Manchester... the most amazing one i've ever been in!

Frozzzeeeennnnn!

For my work I am a support worker. So I look after a 15 year old boy with cerebral palsy. We know the family really well as they are in our ward and so they let Maff come with me for my 10 hours a week job (yayyyy I only work 10 hours a week.) So for tonight's activity, Maff and I took Cam to see the new Disney film called Frozen... IT IS AMAZINGGGGGGGGGGGG!!! Definatley up there with Tangled.
Frozen is about a royal family and the princess is born with powers to create snow and ice. When her and her sister were young, they were playing in the snow that she had made but had an accident and the Princess ended up blasting her powers on her younger sister causing her to have ice inside of her. Because of this the Princess was so worried that something like that might happen again as she couldn't control these powers, so she hid herself away in her bedroom. Her younger sister was so wild and crazy, she just wanted to play all the time, but the Princess would not come out of her room. Unfortunatley their parents were in an accident on a boat and died and so when the Princess was at the right age she HAD to open up the gates to the castle to the people and accept her crown. She did, she came out of her room for the first time in years, was face to face with her sister and accepted her crown. Her and her sister get into an argument as her (now princess) little sister could not understand why her older sister didn't want to hang out with her. So they get into a huge row, and when the (now queen) becomes angry or upset, she creates more snow. She made the town a disaster and nearly caused harm to so many people, so she ran away high up into the mountains and she sang the song "let it go" so obviously she was free to make as much snow as she wanted. It was amazing. She made a huge palace out of ice and she made herself the most gorgeous dress! I wont tell any more of the story, you'll have to watch it yourself because it really is amazing. The songs are so catchy and probably throughout the whole film I had the biggest grin on my face because I just loved it so much! Cam and Maff loved it too. Cam was so excited when all the songs came on. Due to Cam being in a wheel chair we had to sit right at the front which at first we felt like we were breaking our necks but it was actually amazing, being 3d things proper jumped out at you. Usually I hate 3d films, I just think that they are a waste of money because nothing is ever actually 3d and the glasses hurt my eyes. But Frozen in 3d... wow! I definatley recommend. Frozen is DEFINATLEY a must see!!! I really went to be the ice Princess now in her gorgeous ice dress and Ice palace ahhhh!

"The BEST time of the year... When Christmas comes to town"

Christmas is my absolute FAVOURITE time of year. I love all the lights, the Christmas decorations, the Christmas songs, Christmas dinners, parties, being with family and of course it's one of the only times of the year where everyone is focused on Christ and his birth.

Usually I'm wanting to put the tree up and sing carols in September but this year I decided to cool it and do it  all in December and not get all stressed over everything. I absolutley love Christmas films, all of them I could watch over and over again until Christmas day. The grinch I think is so amazing... "what if Christmas," he thought, "didn't come from a store... what if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more." I love that quote from the film. Recently I went Christmas shopping, and it was soooo busy you wouldn't even believe. So many people stressing about what gifts they were going to by, stressing that the perfect gift would be sold out by now, it's like CHILL OUT... They really don't fully understand the TRUE meaning of Christmas. It's not about the expensive gifts, the designer clothes, money etc. Christmas is all about giving, families, friends, love, peace, joy and hope. I'm not going to lie, I have had to tell myself this a few times over the years so this year I have decided that I'm going to do it differently. I have so much to be grateful for and this time of year I get to spend all of my time with them things and really think about the birth of Christ and all that he has done for me. " May we all make the journey to Bethlehem in spirit, taking with us a tender, caring heart as our gift the Saviour." (President Thomas S. Monson.) So, instead of thinking of all the gifts that I want for MYSELF this year I am thinking of what ways I can have a more tender and caring heart for my Saviour.

On Sunday we had our ward's Christmas Nativity- IT WAS AMAZINGGGG!!! All the Primary Children were dressed up as Mary, Joseph, the wise men, Shepherds and Angels and sang so beautifully and reminded us all of the birth of Christ. I just loved it. It was soo cute and they brought such a lovely spirit to the ward. Afterwards (because we had finished early) everyone stayed in the hall and talked with one another, it was so lovely to see everyone getting along and so happy with each other, this is why I love Christmas! From the spirit that it brings, it makes everyone forget about troubles that they are having or how bad their year has been,  and makes them happy instead and look forward to the New Year ahead with their loved ones. So to finish off this blog post, to anyone that is reading.... MERRY CHRISTMAS.... I wish you so much joy, happiness and peace as you go through this beautiful season <3