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 Fun at the zoo, which is not our home, on Saturday. made even more fun to go with the cousins of the male variety! This photo is in the wallaby enclosure hence the action from Ben and Jack.

Joseph loves lions, nothing on earth in his opinion is as strong or as fierce some. If any other animal attacked a lion, they would lose. Of course we are not putting dinosaurs into the mix, they're extinct and a species of their own! 

Watching the tiger cubs frolick around and pester their mum, Joseph performed a great (rather loud and in suitable tiger cub accent ) commentary to the action

'Mummy, I want some milk... mummy I want some milk now... mummy... mummy'

It all seemed so relatable, there the mother was just wanting a bit of a lie down and one cub jumping all over her, then when one would leave another would take over the baton!!  

Ben, Jack and Seth (of course) then began their own interpretation of the tiger behavior by crawling up the dusty path. I'm pretty sure no other children left the zoo quite so filthy! They do then reverted back to being revered lions - Ben a baby lion cub and Jack a teenage lion with a small mane. 

Summer Loving

 Hopped along with daddy as he went to deliver a training course in Hull.

Kids AM film - two by two. Baby bro refused to be fobbed off with an inferior drink to the tango ice crushes his brothers had!

Trip to Withernsea is a lot further than you think by looking on a map!

Deserted beach. Joseph paddled in the quite turbulent sea and then was lovingly persistent in trying to rescue Anakin who had fallen out of Ben's hand in between the boulders. It was then time for some racing around the circle pavement in Withernsea park. Joseph wanted to beat his PB each time, Ben wanted a head start and Seth of course wanted to race too. They made it look like so much fun that other children wanted to race too!.

Soggy but fun day out with friends at Bolton Abbey and a retreat to Billy Bob's ice cream parlor.

Insta update Early summer #6

Most favourite of all the equipment at Nostell Priory. These buddies play too fast for focus! #parkcrawl2015 #newbuddies

Cheer me up gifts from friends.

Rare sunday afternoon walk to favourite place Skipwith with my faves. #mcneeadventures

When you bump into the long horned cattle at Skipwith. #run #nodontrun #mcneeadventures 

Seiged! Impromotu water fights #summerloving 

When you go to Grandma and Grandad's and none of the aunties or uncle are there! ' Josh?.......Where are you? Hope?' 

We took the scenic route home from Keighley tonight over the tops to Menston. Brought back some happy memories of travelling to youth activities on this route. Also some hair raising moments too if a certain friend was driving! 

The cutest kid in the class - nailed it! #dailyjosephcharles

  This boy has done a number of assemblies now. Each and every time, at some point he breaks ranks with the rest of the class to come and give me a hug and a kiss. I'll be honest, I'm a conformer so his blatant disregard for assembly etiquette makes me feel like I'm going to get told off by the teachers as well him. But really how cute is my boy for stuffing the rules and coming for a hug! #dailyjosephcharles  #hesonlyseven 

Pre race pep talk for Ben from big bro! Worked a treat - he won!!  #dailybenjaminnathan #dailyjosephcharles #bigbrowatchesover

Two happy boys.

What I see in my driver's miror. Man I love this face. #gettoseethisfacedaily 

If the sons made popcorn!

Up since 4:30am! Ugh I feel ruff!

Some school shirts need documenting!! Must have been a great day! Every shirt tells a tale! #stainremovaltestorwhat #dailybenjaminnathan 

Hanging out with 'Ionman' today! #dontcallhimbatman

Summer loving!

Found a heghog called Spike and followed him on his way around the perimeter of the chapel.

' Mum, I'm 2! It's totally OK that I'm up this high by myself!' 

Sometimes the stars align and these three nail it! #mcneeadventures #eastpark #parkcrawl2015 #hull

3 friends with 11 boys between them and on this occasion only 1 scooter and 1 bike bewtee them made for some extreme sharing! Some found it easier than others!! #sharingishard #boysrock

Kings of the castle #astleypark #parkcrawl2015 #chorley #cousintimeisbesttime

The 52 Project 27/52

This week was bliss, a mini heatwave!! One night both Seth and Ben ended up in our bed, not unusually but the additional heat made it slightly unbearable so I legged it to Ben's empty bed. At 6:00am true to form, I heard the bounding sound of Joseph leaping out of bed but then I got to witness him immediately fall to his knees and say his morning prayer. Seriously one of those jewels of a moment. He was surprised when I spoke as obviously I wouldn't normally be there. I told him how lovely it was for me to see him pray without being told to. he told me he prayers for the poor to have nice food and nice water because he doesn't just care about his family. 

On Saturday we went with Dad as he went to the temple with the youth. We met up with the boy cousins, Granne and Grandad and went and had some fun in Astley Park.

This picture depicts how much the boys feel the morning rush!!  Er, like not at all and quite frankly it does my nut in!! But I do love to see them play together. 

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I am this boy's favourite person. I love it! He's not overly clingy but when he wants me, he will not be fobbed off with anyone else! I am going to lap it up whilst it lasts. 

This was taken whilst we were having photos taken during the holiday. The boy scrubbed up well with his side parting and white shirt.

Ben and Charlie were the absolute comedy duo of the holiday!. Thick as thieves together. Charlie frequently taking cues from Ben as to how they were feeling. If Ben was giddy; Charlie was giddy. If Ben was to be found in the corner of the garden, head down sulking, then Charlie would be found in the corner of the garden, head down sulking, every so often he would look to the side to check if they were still sulking or not - too cute!

This boy loves his baby cousins. Always has a tender kiss for their head and a comment about how cute they are. Currently, Noah is having his turn at being the family baby. He looked like he grew a tonne during the week as he was held and therefore slept so much being passed from one willing holder to another.

The 52 Project 21/52

  Catching up again!

We made it to Hartpiece Farm 9 hours after setting off into the Bank Holiday traffic where most of the population had the same great idea as us, to head to the South west! 

Whilst Sunday Dinner was cooking we went for a walk around the acreage of the farm. Seth spent the whole week, trying to keep up with his older siblings and cousins and most of the time nailed it!

I love it when these boys pose for me, it doesn't happen often at all! But when they do, they do it so well. 

Finally getting to Mary's Farm

Yipee for May Bank holidays! I love May. The feeling of hope in the air for the adventures which will happen in the coming summer months. 

We made the most of the bank holiday and finally got to go to the infamous Mary's Farm! Which comes with as high a recommendation as there can be from Gemma and Ben Adamson. We went and we know why!

Check out this morning view, for a start!

We arrived late, dusk had already fallen but our friends had taken up our tent early and put it up for us - fabulous. So we only then had to faff around with air mattresses and sleeping bags. The electric heater was a life saver as it was chilly to say the least. The children enjoyed playing in the dark with their friends and toasting marshmallows on Ben's washing machine drum turned fire pit  until bed time. Once settled, Nathan and I had our turn to chat around the fire. 

The sun woke us up at 6:30 and we looked like this! 

Saturday morning was time for

 kicking a football, 

 playing/arguing over the bow and arrow set Nathan bought for the boys (cough *himself)

sitting in the comfort of Sharne's caravan and having 'caravan envy'

getting locked in the shower room, only to find out that the hole is so you can put your finger through to lift up the latch from the other side! (Oh and while we're on the subject of  'dumb things I do' you won't get the shower to work unless you pull the switch by the door - Sunday's findings!)

bacon sandwiches on the camp stove you have to borrow from dan & Nicola because our stove is missing its adaptor!

drizzle turning to that rain which soaks you through

reflecting on why we didn't bring wellies!

hanging out int the Adamson's camper van

Seth deciding that his favourite person of the weekend was going to be James.

After midday as the rain really set in we, headed for Richmond to get some lunch and we'd heard that Her Majesty was in town!

We watched the parade, though at the last minute it was decided that HRH  would arrive by helicopter as it was too cold for her to be out - too true! We wandered around lovely Richmond then took a long drive to find a supermarket which seemed like a waste of time but at least we were dry. Then returned to camp to make a standard camping tea of Stagg and rice! The boys and I then got the call from Mary,as in Mary from Mary's farm, to go and help bottle feed some lambs whose mothers had died ( we had to walk past one of said mothers on the way to the barn)

Ben in particular, loved it!

It wasn't a day with that much to report because of the weather but we made the most of it and the boys slept well and we once again enjoyed late night chats around the camp fire reeling of quotes from Adam Sandler movies.

We woke up and the view looked something like this!

We set off for church, grateful to be in the warmth of the car for the 20 miles to Darlington. We arrived late, 20 minutes late. There were no seats at the back we could sneak into so we had to walk into seats in the middle of the chapel beyond a couple. Five minutes in, Seth who was at on my lap, threw up and continued to do so as I made a mad dash, past aforementioned couple and out of the chapel trying  to stop the spew from landing on the floor! 20 minutes later, we reappeared from the disabled toilets! Seth wearing Ben's hoody and I wearing a cardigan I fortuitously had in the car! Nathan was in corridor, speaking to a chap who fondly was reminiscing about the kindness Grandpa and Grandma had shown him as a lad. I joked (kind of) we should have kept quiet about who we were as not to bring down the name of 'McNee'

Does this face look like someone who feels sick? Nope I didn't think so! As soon a sthe deed was done he felt better. We think he'd had some sneaky sips of last night's hot chocolate in the morning.

We then took a trip to Hurworth to try and find the house where Grandpa and Grandma used to live when Simon was a teenager. 

12 Minister way.

Made the boys have a photo outside it, whilst Nathan worried about what the neighbors would think!

Back in the safety of the campsite there was time for -

some more shooting

some trampolining

some scootering

again and again!

enjoying the sun return literally 10 minutes after the Grays left for home!

taking the dogs for a walk.

Then came Sunday dinner - Elaine style. Farm reared roast beef and lamb, deliciousness.

After we rolled out from dinner, we decided that to pack up and travel home that evening would be the more sensible idea as we were clean out of dry socks and Seth had worn the outfit he was supposed to wear for dad's party the next day. It was the right decision and we didn't leave the campsite until after nightfall at 9:30. 

They'd been more trampolining

(Check out that view and the difference in sky colour form the morning)

Then Farmer Keith came round with his quad tractor and sheep trailer looking for recruits to go and patrol the farm before  dusk.

Only one person slipped over in the sheep trailer  as it was flung side to side ,and it wasn't a child (cough!) They did however, manage to land their bum in the middle of the trailer away from the piled sheep poo!

The kids loved it and I love Ben's face which showed him screaming with delight!

Afterwards the children went off to find the rabbit we'd observed the two Jack Russells in the distance had been fighting over. Mary was on hand to scoop up the deceased and take it to be enjoyed by the farm's ferrets. I actually enjoyed how the children weren't squeamish about this and just accepted that this was real life.

To be true, we'd had a great time inspite of the poor weather. 

As I was retelling the tale of the trailer ride and my fall to the family the day after, someone remarked in jest 'sounds magical!'  But to be honest actually it was. It might sound trite, but really getting away to somewhere stunningly beautiful, with good friends, where you don't worry about the children making too much noise because they're having fun and making lots of memories is exactly that -  magical!