Category Archives: love

25 Weeks and Counting Down

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Looking for date night outfits, I was inspired by the dress I wore at a wedding five years ago.
Keeping with the blush and pinks with the fascinator for the English in me. 
On the second of August, 2013 my husband and I will have been married for ten years. This weekend will be eleven years since we had our first date.  A third of my lifetime has been married  to Ryan.  So much can happen in ten years. We have been through more than I would wish on anyone to have to experience.  So much thrown at us that it almost tore us apart irrevocably. Sadly in our military community we witnessed so many divorcing and calling it quits.  Yet having come through it all it has made us closer and stronger than ever before.  So in twenty five weeks time my husband and I will be reaffirming our love as we renew our vows.  Every week I will be blogging a ‘Wedding Wednesday’ post as we count down to the big day.  
My husband and I in Paris last summer for our 9th Anniversary in the city of Love.
Though not taken on the day, we had been married 5 years at this wedding we attended.
This was my ‘Sex and the City’ Carrie inspired ensemble.
The fascinator was a DIY that I made myself out of a broach and feathers. 
‘He wore black and I wore white’ – Nancy Sinatra ‘Bang Bang’

 I have set a new years resolution for myself and though it be February, I do not see it too late to start one.  I aim to take so many more photographs where Ryan and I are both in the frame together.  Looking back through old photographs to post for this blog I realized that we have so many of just one of us, while the other person took the photograph. My goal is to better document our love for us to cherish and look back on when we are truly ‘old and gray’.

The lack of couple photographs aside there have been many anniversaries and huge chunks of time where we have not been together due to the military and other circumstances out of our control.  I do not like missing important dates or being apart for long time, let alone an evening.  I really do cherish every moment we have together for life is uncertain and far too short.

One thing that I have definitely learned in the last ten years is you cannot let the words and actions of others come into your marriage and break you apart.  You have to be team.  If you let other people, be they acquaintances or family, speak ill of your partner or do things that could cause friction and stress you have to block them out.  What I love so much about Ryan in this moment in time where we are today is that he blocks out the toxicity of others and holds me close with so much love.



* Photographs belong to Bonnie Rose and cannot be used without written consent.
** Wedding photography by Angela Alexander.
*** Fashion & Beauty images from polyvore.com 

Love & Waffles

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‘Something I cannot live without': Love. Be it from family, friends, God. Love is precious.
Without it we are but in darkness and alone.
 #photoadaymay #photoadaychallenge #love
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‘Squares': a yummy Stroopwafel from Holland. #maycreative #photoadaychallenge http://instagr.am/p/K2f1C-Ik2o/

I need a really good book (or series) in which I can get lost. I prefer classics or anything far away from the Twilight realm. Suggestions?

Love & Family

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‘Love’ poem by Erica Jong taken from the Book of Love.
#photoadaymay #photoadaychallenge #love #poetry
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Black and white dress day just because.
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‘Family': My boys are my world.
#maycreative #photoadaymay
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Mothering Sunday

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My boys woke me up on Mothering Sunday with homemade cards from school, flowers, and chocolates. 
Maddox with his card for me. 
I loved the pink roses!
Ronan withs his daffodil card, so cute! 
Inside Maddox’s card 
Inside Ronan’s card. Love that bee! 
Pink roses are so beautiful. 
Closer look at Ronan’s card.  
Dinner for Mother Sunday.  This was my first time eating the marrow from the bone too. 


Its officially Mother’s Day in England. Happy Mothering Sunday to all the mums. #lovemyboys
@the_bonnierose on Twitte · via Twitter
Just devoured dark chocolate covered strawberries that my husband made for me. So yummy! #lovemylife


Woke up to boys wishing me happy Mother’s day w/ pink roses, chocolates, and cards. I love my boys so much! Their smiles light up my life ♥

Christmas Shopping Date in London

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Kua ‘Aina Grill in London

I used to work on Tuesdays but things got a little too hectic at home and so I took to not taking those extra hours in the salon.  Ryan does not have class or work this semester on Tuesday so we found ourselves finally in years with one day to spend with just ourselves.  Well at least while the boys are in school.  With Christmas fast approaching, we decided to take to London for a little Christmas shopping.  As we got off the train we headed through the park where I really enjoyed watching the ducks.  I really enjoy all the parks in England. They are usually quite beautiful and quaint. After a yummy breakfast of warm food we headed to the toy store again for christmas shopping.  It was a really fun outing and makes me really look forward to more Tuesdays like this.  We even found a restaurant chain that we had in Hawaii!  Nothing like a bit of Aloha to make you feel warmer in the cold English weather.  Alas all the fun to be had today was finalized with a little bit of drama trying to get back home.  Unfortunately in the winter months it seems a lot of people decide to take their lives and jump in front of trains.  This happened and it delayed us getting back to the boys by a few hours. With not having any contacts we can rely on in situations like this it made it quite stressful.  My thoughts do go out to the family of the individual who ended their life.  Quite sad.

Ryan in Hyde Park 

Me bundled up in London 
Watching the Ducks 

Brunch of hot soup, warm bread, and a cup of hot chocolate.  

An afternoon in Brighton

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Taking the scenic route through the park into town. 
I work 4 days a week, which includes a full day Saturday.  My partner not only is working on his Masters programme, but works a part time job on the side which includes working on Sunday.  Between both of our schedules, we have it orchestrated to a tee to whom is dropping or picking up the kids from school on which ever day, morning, or afternoon and who can be with the kids on the weekends.  Heaven forbid one of them get sick, than our just perfect scheduling matrix will crumble and we have to figure out who can bend their day and pick up the pieces.  Ryan has gotten to take the boys to parties that I could not attend on Saturday because I had work.  I get to take the boys to church and often will take the long way home so we can stop at the park or get something to eat along the way.  I have so far gotten out just once in the evenings, and that was to watch a band play by myself.  When Ryan has gotten to go out with his Uni friends in the evenings and I stay at home with the kids, it seems no different from when he would go out with his military mates and I watched the boys.  But my partner and I hardly have any time where we can just have a date night and spend time with out the kids, let alone all of us together. So today when we had an odd that we were both free this afternoon, we took it and it was lovely. 
I had the Almond Brioche at the French Patisserie and a hot chocolat.
Ryan with his Illy Cappuccino and cannolo. 

I love the bricks and the leaves…life is beautiful. 
  We started with a morning walk from the school into town.  This include taking a short cut through the park, a new way that Ryan had not been before.  This led us to where we stopped inside a french patisserie for breakfast pastries and hot drinks to keep us warm in the cold morning weather.  We chatted about politics and school and all those topics that you cannot get in depth about when you have a six year old whining because his brother will not play by his rules.  Afterwards we took the train down to Brighton and went browsing in the Lanes.  
Ryan and I both loved vintage stores as kids and still do as adults. 
  
German styled market of wares outside the Churchill Square  shopping centre.
                      
Thrifty find…or die trying. 
Ryan has been on the hunt for some new sweaters to fill up his closet to keep up with the growing cold temperatures this Autumn.  Though we did not find any perfect matches, Ryan did try on this brown leather jacket that was perfect.  As soon as he tried it on, we both knew it was a keeper. Fingers crossed it will still be there in a few days when Ryan goes back to purchase it.  *knock on wood*  Afterwards we took the bus to the beauty supply store and I felt like a kid in a candy store.  It did not have as many hair and beauty supplies that I would have hoped, so hopefully they carry more items on the website.  I picked up some hair colour to keep up my ginger colour and then we took the bus back to the rail station.  Before getting on our train we bought some roasted chestnuts and hot pasties to eat for lunch.  Both were delicious and really hit the spot.  I had only a few minutes to beeline it to the kids’ school upon getting to our station, so I pretty much walked as fast as I could to get there.  Of course I was still early, but at least being early is on time and so I felt much better as I waited with the other parents.  
Roasted chestnuts for sale outside the railway station. 

                       
The last two chestnuts…so yummy!
Ryan with his last roasted chestnut.

I really enjoyed spending one on one time with Ryan, as I do spending time with my boys too.  I really hope Ryan and I can find more time to hang out together, as well as I hope to do one on ones with each of my boys to make sure each of them knows just how special and loved they are every day.