Category Archives: England

Welcome to 2013

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A new year and we began ours with a move, a new job, and new house.  This is our first house to live in since my husband and I got married almost ten years ago.  It has been really nice to get out of the small flat and into a place with lots of storage space and room to enjoy family time.  What I love the most is where we are situated in Bath, in the town of Batheaston.  It is like being in the shire and my favourite aspect are the sheep we can see from our windows. It is a great place to call home and I feel so blessed to be here with my family. 
The view of the rolling patchwork quilt hills dotted with white sheep from our windows.
My husband, +Ryan Aherin looking very English and just needing a sheep dog to complete the look.
We took a country walk with the boys on New Years day to see the sheep on the hill. 
The boys and watching the sheep on our Country walk through the Bath countryside. 
My English gentleman. 
The church in town with the English flag flying from above.  
Walking through the town with my three men. 
I love all the details on the buildings and the originality of each door.  
The sunlight breaking through the grey english skies. 
The last of the holiday decorations on the door.  
The winding roads leading us into 2013.
Instagram: thebonnierose

Our first Christmas in Bath

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We moved just a couple of days before Christmas to Bath, England and we able to celebrate the holidays with Nonna (my mum +Teresa Nystrom ) and Zia Zoë (my younger sister +Zoe Nystrom ) at our new place.  It had been a little stressful, but nothing could make our Christmas better than having our family here for the Holidays.  I have not spent a holiday back in Europe with my mum and sister yet, and it was an amazing sense of ‘home’ to break in our life in Bath.  Although my dad could not be here with us in person, he was definitely felt here with us in spirit.  What great memories +Ryan Aherin and I to share to end our 2012.

My family (from L to R): Bonnie, Ryan, Zoë
, Teresa, Ronan, and Maddox)
Making snowflakes on Christmas Eve with roasted chestnuts and mulled cider prepared by my husband. 
After getting their new Arsenal christmas pyjamas, the boys opened the stockings on Christmas morning that Nonna brought for us from the USA.
Maddox asked Father Christmas for a spy kit and looks like he listened!
Nonna brought the boys full Science kits including lab coats!
Ronan ‘trying’ to look sad because it was not a metal detector. But really he was and is still very excited about his Meccano kit.

My husband and I brought back these Roman gladiator sets from our trip to Italy for Father Christmas to bring on Christmas day.  Looks like they can both play ‘Rory’ now. 
We took my mum and sister, Zoë, to the Abbey in Bath on December 27th.
Zia Zoë and my sons lit a candle for my dad on his birthday, who would have been 59 on December 27th.
The view of Bath at night time is equally as beautiful and I loved seeing the water lit up by the lights and bridge under the moonlight.  There were a group of swans that you cannot see in the photo but that added to the ambience of the moment. 
Instagram: thebonnierose

Popart Superhero Birthday Party

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Maddox as Batman for his 5th Birthday party at the bowling alley.  He chose the theme of Justice League and I tied in a little Pop Art to give it an added PUNCH! (No pun intended)
Older brother, Ronan, went as Green Lantern.
Batman & Green Lantern before the party commences. 
Batman, Superman, and Green Lantern. 
11 boys (plus two younger ones not pictured) all together.  England is not so big on dressing up for things. We had2 boys that were Justice League themed, one marvel superhero, one Indiana Jones (um, might have gotten confused from Ronan’s party invite back in January?),  one police officer, and four in plain street clothes.  I think in hindsight I should have just had Maddox dress up and made capes for all the other kids for better themed photo.  Or try it again in the USA. 
This was our party host who orchestrated the whole bowling party.  She was amazing.  Keeping 11 boys under the age of 9 in line while dealing with heavy bowling balls is not an easy feat. 
Maddox and boys lining up to start bowling. 
Maddox bowling at his birthday party. 
The birthday banner I made from Flash comics with Maddox’s name on it. We used it to decorate the party table. 
The party bags that I made with the Pop Art comic book theme. I bought a bag of confetti and glued each dot on, one at a time. 
The table center piece  with the pop art dots and an M (for Maddox) and a 5 (for his age) which I collaged in Flash and DC comics. 
Each boy got a photo frame/thank you card that I collaged individually in comics. 
Another look at the photo frame/thank you cards. 
Since the cake pops fell through, I decorated lollipops with masks and capes.  Using a two tier cake stand, I decorated it with the cup cake toppers I made. 
Another look at the center piece. 
Wonder Woman and Batman gift tags. 
I believe all the photo frame/thank you cards were Flash themed.  
Maddox telling his dad, Superman, how much fun he is having at his party. 
Holy Cupcakes Batman it is time for food! (Sadly with the cake pops not turning out, we ended up leaving the back up cake at home. So no singing at this party.  Thats okay because they don’t eat birthday cake at the kid parties in England. 
As the kids were getting ready to leave, we quickly rounded up a few of them for a very quick photo with the felt masks I sewed and put in each of the goodie bags.

Photography by Bonnie Rose © Bonnie Rose Photography 2012 All Rights Reserved. 
http://www.bonnie-rose.co.uk
bonnie@bonnie-rose.co.uk 

Happy Easter Part II

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The joys of living in another country are receiving care packages from family members ‘back home’.  We received our Easter package from my in laws today and the boys were really excited to stretch out Easter just a little further. Besides what child would say no to more candy? Obviously not mine.

Earrings for Easter that my MIL bought me. 
Easter care package from the inlaws.  
Easter cards, green grass, and some hard boiled eggs. 
Took the boys to the park to run out their sillys.
Mr. Men chocolates…yum! 

Watching live tv for the first time off my FIL’s slingbox. Almost a year since I’ve seen American commercials. Feel like Im back in the US.

Good Food & Film

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The boys and I rewarded ourselves with cleaning at home to get outside at the park today.  Ronan brought his camera and was a little photographer and I think this got Maddox a little jealous that he did not have his own camera to use.  Good thing he has a birthday coming up!  Tonight after the boys went to bed I decided to watch one of my all time favourite films with Audrey Hepburn called Roman Holiday.  If you have not seen this film yet, I recommend watching it tonight!

PALEO: Spicy stir fry with ginger beef, cayenne peppered shrimp, carrots, spinach and zucchini.