Life Lately

HAPPY MY GRADUATION DAY EVERYONE!

As this posts, I will be sat in my hairdressers having my hair done ready for my graduation ceremony at 2. We'll then be driving to Swansea, taking more pictures than is probably necessary, trying to stop my Mum from crying, and getting ready for me to walk across the stage and officially graduate from Swansea University.

I'm massively regretting my shoe choice right now (why would I pick heels??? Falling over is such a big possibility!) but thankfully, Leigh and I have a deal that if one of us falls on stage, the other has to give a standing ovation. Quite a good way to get your nerves under control don't you think??

So while I'm busy doing something I'll remember for the rest of my life - although hopefully for good reasons, and not because I face planted the stage - I've rounded up some photos of what's been happening over the last couple of weeks. 

Enjoy! 

Our group photo from our date night in Cardiff Bay a couple of weeks ago. We had food in my favourite Italian restaurant and I risked the wrath of my lactose intolerance to have the Carbonara (my favourite dish) and it was so good. While we were all sat at the table, laughing at one of my sisters' stories, I realised that she really is one of my best friends (even if she has the grossest stories). I still get a big rush of happiness when I think of this evening.

P.S.: Tom is very proud of this photo and kept going on about his "photography skills" after he took it. I think he now thinks he should be some kind of photographer..

A quick selfie I took on snapchat that I ended up loving. This outfit is one of my absolute favourites. Look at the lace on that top! And anyone that can wear skirts like this and not feel like they're about to end up on a summery 50's adventure to a picnic spot by rowing boat is doing something wrong. This was just before our double date in Cardiff Bay with my sister. You'll notice the huge pile of crap behind me - I was half way through moving out of Uni and this was the first lot of stuff I came home with. I'm embarrassed to say I still haven't sorted through half of it... Who knew I owned so much stuff?!

This has been my phone background ever since my sister took it for us. I just love him so much!

I spent a couple of hours helping my Dad start clearing out the garage. Not an easy task since my Dad is the biggest hoarder I know. The garage is filled with crap we no longer need, haven't used in years, but that Dad won't throw out "just in case." It's going to take a Herculean effort to get the garage in any way organised. Obviously Dad realises this and is trying to enlist the help of me and Lottie to get it done. We'd be more than happy if 1) spiders didn't exist and 2) Dad was actually throwing anything out, instead of just moving it into different places.

We did have enough to justify a trip to the tip that afternoon though so he's definitely making an effort this time round! We spent a while looking through his scrapbook-folder of newspaper cuttings from when he was a teenager. My Dad is a huge huge Elvis fan and the folder was full of old copies of newspaper articles all about him. I took this during a quiet cleaning moment, as Dad was reading one of them, and I really love it.

I've always wondered why Tom doesn't straighten his hair, since it's definitely long enough for it to work. When he let me do it last week I found out why.

He ends up looking like this.

Standard race selfie! In terms of seeing Tom race, it's definitely better now that I'm home. I have the freedom (and the car!) to be able to see him at Llandow each time he's there. We've even built our visits to each other around it which I love. It's so much fun watching him race, and improve at it as well!

One of Tom's stylish outfits he sported during a walk with his family. Their farm is nestled amongst the prettiest views and also they own dogs so I'm pretty much in heaven every time I visit. This was clearly taken before our lovely summer weather turned into the bursts of rain we've been had this week.

Another race selfie, this one from last week. It didn't go as well as Tom had hoped for but it was just one of those days - a mixture of too much training, not enough sleep, and just bad luck I think!

(His face/smile in the right photo is absolutely killing me right now, he's so bloody cute)

Want to have an amazing weekend? Take Soph and Meryn, plonk them in an apartment in London, add in tickets to see Taylor Swift in Hyde Park and accidentally seeing Pride and be prepared for your heart to burst with happiness.

I had the BEST weekend with these two in London. I'm so incredibly lucky to have women like them in my life.

One of the best things about having a farmer boyfriend?

The fact he owns a quad bike of course.

I know it's old news to him but I have so much fun being driven around on that thing. I laugh the whole time and I'm not even bothered when I have to get on and off to open the gates (which for lazy old me is quite a big deal). This particular photo was taken in Tom's Dad's hay field, right before he shouted at Tom to get the hell off the hay he wanted to cut within a week. I definitely didn't hide behind his shoulder to mask my laughter and I definitely wasn't quietly chanting "Tom got in trouble."

The hay is definitely not tagged as "Get off my hay" on my Facebook either.

My not-so-little-anymore sister turned 19 a couple of weeks ago! It is so much fun watching her grow up and she constantly surprises me with how smart and mature she is whenever we talk. Plus she is the only person that can make me laugh no matter what mood I'm in. I have no idea where we got her from but I'm so glad she's here because man, I love her.

We celebrated Lottie's birthday with a trip to Roath park for boat rides and ice creams. We tried the pedalo boat first but after Tom and Rhodri pedalled it through the reeds (surprise, surprise, we got majorly slowed down) I think both Lottie and I were ready to get out. They're a bit of a nightmare when they're together. It's like having 2 excited 6 year olds. 

We tried the rowing boats next and they were so much better! I could really get used to being rowed around on a lake on a beautiful summers day. Tom spent a lot of time trying to perfect his technique though, which meant it wasn't quite as smooth a journey as it could have been. Like when he tried to row backwards. I'm sure you can imagine how stupid that looked. 

The rest of the day was filled with ice cream eating and a meal at our local pub with our parents and grandparents. It was such a good day!

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Not pictured but still worth mentioning:

Graduation Cards

After my results were announced, not a day has gone by that I haven't received a card or a congratulations from someone my Mum has passed the message to. Never doubt the reach a proud mother has, seriously. I was even congratulated during a visit to my local post office last week... 

It has been so wonderful to receive so many kind words from so many people. There's no better feeling than feeling loved, and knowing people are proud of your achievements. 

Graduation Presents

My Mum and sister (and her boyfriend, Rhodri!) bought me the sweetest presents as a congratulations for my results/graduation and I'm so grateful to have such lovely family in my life! 

Family Take Out

We spent an evening at my grandparents house with my Aunty and Uncle and their two children a couple of weekends ago. We ordered Chinese take away and spent an evening playing games outside. Rhodri and Tom were there as well, and I had a lot of fun watching Tom play cricket with them all. And football and quoits and probably tennis, if the rackets were anything to go by. 

Magic Mike XXL

I have officially seen the film as a quick afternoon catch up with Charlie. While they need to stop putting story lines in the way of the stripping scenes, it was well worth the afternoon watch. Also how does Channing Tatum look so good at his age?! 

Minecraft

Despite having no desire to ever play this game ever, I have been taught the absolute basics by Tom's 8 year old brother Sam. I'm definitely not good at it and it's especially upsetting when Sam does things by second nature that my 21 year old brain can't remember 2 minutes after being shown it. The Internet generation is incredible.. Minecraft however, still isn't. (I do really like being invited to play though, but sh!)

Orange is the New Black

I know I'm the last person ever to this but I started to watch OITNB on Netflix a week or so ago and now I'm utterly obsessed. I stayed up one night until 4am watching it. Of course I hugely regretted it the next day (when did I stop being able to stay up all night?!) but I also didn't because THIS SHOW IS AMAZING. 

Saying that, I haven't watched it in a few days... I know what I'll be doing once I'm home later today!