I am at my most content when spending quality time with my family, going off on adventures together and making happy memories. Being on holiday together, with very limited internet connection, was blissful. It is so easy to get distracted by social media and the blogosphere, and whilst I love it, it has a tendency to take me away from my family and shift my focus away from the little moments. The lack of internet connection forced me to take a proper break and step away from the computer, from the blog and be completely present in the moment.
One of the biggest gifts the break gave me was sleep. Instead of sitting up and writing a blog post, I enjoyed snuggling up with my girls as they both drifted off to sleep and gave in to it myself. The huge bed in the cottage we rented became a family bed for the week – and we slept better for it, all four of us snuggled up together.
As well as being all about enjoying the little moments as a family, our recent holiday has also been all about completing challenges. Our incentive for visiting the Isle of Man was to find the final Olympic gold postbox and complete the challenge that we started nearly three years ago.
The end of the holiday saw us complete a much more recent challenge – to visit all the Shaun the Sheep sculptures that have been appearing in London and Bristol this year. We found all 50 London ones back in May, and 65 of the 70 Bristol ones earlier this month on a weekend away. Naturally we couldn’t resist travelling home via Bristol to find the last five and finish the challenge.
Two challenges completed and whilst no doubt we’ll find ourselves another challenge to take on board, for now, it’s time to just relax and enjoy the rest of the summer.
Aww how cute you all snuggled up asleep together. Glad you enjoyed the break and so cool you seen all the postboxes!! Xx
Thanks Sarah – the family bed was definitely a highlight of the holiday! 🙂
Your break really sounds like bliss. What really made me stop was your comment about really enjoying the moment. You’re right sweetie. When you blog, you cannot help but think about your next post, spend the night writing or take photos for ‘just one more post’. I will be giving myself a couple of weeks to step away from my blog as well. No Internet access or posts I am planning to write. xxx
Hope you enjoy having a complete break too. I don’t think I would have stepped away fully without having been forced to do so by the lack of internet but it was just what I needed x
What a wonderful July you have had Louise. And well done completing your two challenges! =)
Thanks Jenni – it feels good to have managed to complete them both! 🙂
OMG you are so amazing! We are doing Shaun The Sheep Trail but we still need to do about 55! #pocolo
Good luck with finding the rest of the sheep 🙂
I am so with you, voting places with our little family are absolutely my favourite times. Like you we didn’t have the best connection on holiday and it was lovely having a breather from blogging… Am actually finding it difficult to get back into it properly too! Lovely shots and congrats for completing your challenges, glad you had such a lovely holiday too xxx
I know what you mean about finding it hard to get back into blogging after a break but it is so nice to have that time out too isn’t it? x
Lovely pictures… And what a month of adventure you have had!! I bet the girls have loved it! Very impressed with your variety of photos!
Thanks Claire – it has been a lovely month with lots of happy memories made 🙂
This is such a beautiful post – and it looks like you have had some real quality time with your family. Well done with the Shaun the Sheep trail – I LOVE the bagpuss one, that is wonderful. Thanks for linking to #PoCoLo x
Thank you Vic, the Bagpuss sheep was one of my favourites too 🙂
Looks like you all had such a great time together and what great family captures. Have a lovely weekend hun and thanks for linking up #meandmine
Thank you Jenny, hope you are all having a wonderful time across the pond 🙂
Aww I love that your holidays found you the last postbox – and yay for finishing the Shauns too – I think they’re amazing!
Thanks Carie – has been so much fun completing our challenges 🙂
Phew! Amazing achievements to complete the gold post boxes and the sheep challenges. Well done! Such fun photos for #meandmine Enjoy relaxing for the rest of the summer. I look forward to hearing about your next challenge!
Thank you – we’ve loved doing our challenges 🙂
Sounds like the holiday was just what you needed. It is so nice to get away from everything and just be. What fantastic challenges to do. Well done for finishing them! The photos are lovely. I know I treasure my holiday snaps!
Thank you – it was so lovely to have that break and enjoy time as a family 🙂