The HSMS prompt today was something a little different - This is the day when Kirsty and i take a little rest and you can post any photo (past or present) that you are particularly pleased with. It could be that you are pleased with the composition of the photo, a technical aspect, or it is just a moment that you are glad that you captured. It doesn't have to fit any theme, so you are completely free to choose and tell why.

This photo was taken about two and a half years ago and is just one of those photos which when i saw it i fell in love with. This is Emily at her best - MUCKY! My kids are always filty, always covered in muck and stuff.....if i clean them, they manage to be filty again 5 minutes later. So many photos of the girls have them covered in all sorts of stuff and i just fell in love with this picture as she looks up to me with that 'butter wouldn't melt' face that I KNOW usually spells T-R-O-U-B-L-E! I do have messy kids, i do have manic kids, I do have very boisterous kids, but by god do i have loving kids and i'd prefer them to have clean hearts than clean hands.

It's been a long old day today, not been feeling my best the last few days and today has been one which was physically and emotionally draining. I took Pete to the airport this evening and said goodbye for another 3 week stint and felt very hollow on the way home. I guess that in his last two weeks home I've had one of those moments that you get every now and again where you realise what is and what isn't important in life. We don't have a lot in life, no big car (well actually it's massive but more in a bus way than a gleaming hummer), no fancy house, no giant nest egg and one month can be a struggle into the next.....but i have such a beautiful family, one that hugs, holds and loves one another and i'm grateful for that every day. Hold your family close to you. Have a good bank holiday everyone. X