Fighting Dragons With You

Wednesday, 2 April 2014

A note to my other half

How did I get so lucky?! To find everything I've ever wanted in you.
I know we say it often, but I'm so happy that we know just how lucky we have been to find each other. We just fit. Our personalities, our dreams and goals.

Thank you.

For being my rock & my support. For putting up with me during the rough times, for pushing me and being my biggest cheerleader. I know I am far from perfect, so thank you for understanding and loving me anyway. I hope I make you a proud friend and husband.

I must have done something really wonderful to deserve you. To me, you are a marvel. I love to watch you and could stare at you forever. I love to watch you grow, in life, in passion and in love.

I love your big heart and soul and the way it speaks out to me.

My favorite spot is right in your arms, where I feel the safest. Thank you for keeping them open for me.

I can't wait for our kids, someday, to see our love for each other and to teach them our love language. For them to see the way you look at me, so deep in love. The way you touch me, and the way I can't fall asleep without touching you. They will know real love when they watch us, and I'll trust them and be so proud of them when they find it one day too. I want them to follow their hearts and trust fate, the way we did. If people say it's too soon or call them crazy, I hope they'll listen to their hearts the way their parents did.

Those babies of ours...they'll come one day. And those days will be rough, but they'll be amazing and worth it all. I can't wait to love them and watch your heart open and grow for them! They will adore you, the same way their mama does. I can just imagine you making them laugh the way you make me laugh.

Happy three years of marriage, my sweet boy! It's been such a fun ride so far, and we still have the best yet to come. I can't wait.

Love you so much!

Thursday, 2 January 2014

New Year!

Highlights of 2013:
- Mom & Loyd got hitched!
- Secret Cinema: Shawshank Redemption
- WE GOT A DRYER!
- Took an Adobe Illustrator course at Canterbury College
- Our trip to Alghero, Sardinia in June
- Normandy with the family in August
- Moving to our cozy flat in Wingham
- Passing my life in the UK test
- Getting my residence permit!
- Cat & Andrew's wedding blessing
- Snow on my birthday
- Almond's visit
- Andy & Ryann's visit
- Took a knitting class
- Seeing Lewis & his documentary in the Raindance Film Festival
- Filming Carla & Damien's wedding
- Taking small steps in building a company; registration, name and logo
- Making new, good friends
- Had a satisfying number of Chocolate cafe dates with Kamila
- Got a Sword & Plough bag
- Ice skating at Somerset House in London
- Peter's hard work paid off in the London Marathon!
- Our 60 mi charity bike ride
- Boating around Hever Castle
- My new Canon 550d DSLR
- 5th November fireworks at Leeds Castle
- our day trip to Rye & Battle
- becoming English Heritage members!!

Hopes for 2014:
- call both sets of grandparents more often
- find somewhere to volunteer regularly
- stay fit, active and healthy
- eat healthier, less junk.
- focus on our debt this year & make big dents
- Say thank you to Peter more
- Put our relationship first. Grow deeper & never stop learning and loving
- Break routine more often
- Make more effort to facetime family and friends
- Spend less time in front of the TV & more time reading
- Arrange monthly date nights
- More quiet time without any electronics
- Take more pictures!
- Continue to notice, observe and appreciate the small things.

2013 in pictures

Wednesday, 1 January 2014

Come on, ya'll

For a really long time, I'd been wanting to try Insanity...I guess I waited so long to try because I was secretly terrified that I wouldn't be able to do it. I don't know why because I used to do crazy Sean's bootcamp class at the gym (he claimed you would lose 1000 calories in 1 hr) and I would still be there at the end of the class when he counted the number of people who'd left.

I finally downloaded it and since now we're in our own place, I decided to try it out. Lovely winter makes for really dark evenings which make me really want to go straight home after work - and not straight to the gym. So that is one of many reasons I'm now in love with Insanity, I can come home after work but still get a really good, tough workout and have our dinner either ready or cooking during my workout and just head upstairs for a shower - it's perfect.

I started off with the first video (obviously): the fit test. I managed to do it but I was really surprised (and disappointed) by how sore I was for the next few days following. It make sense though, at the gym I would just run and bike. No abs, nothing else. And Insanity works e v e r y thing, especially abs.

After a week into the videos, I realized I was supposed to be going in a specific order, oops. So I started over and it was only a few days until I could really see and feel the results. They feel immediate. The workouts are so intense that you just feel so darn good after. And then you can feel your body changing and suddenly your clothes fit and then eventually become too baggy (hooray!).

Since I started Insanity, I haven't been back to the gym, not once. And that's simply because I get a better workout with Shaun T and feel that I push myself 10 times harder than I would at the gym. I do miss seeing certain people and miss my bike, but I love what Insanity does to my drive and obviously, my body. I just don't dread working out now like I would at the gym. I actually look forward to the challenge now because I know what it does to my body.

When Peter first heard I was going to start an at-home workout DVD, he immediately put it down. He was also becoming slightly obsessed with the gym...but, once he realized how intense the workouts are, he joined me! And now, he's addicted, probably a teeny bit more than I am. He still goes to the gym occasionally to work on weights, but on a typical evening, you will see our house transform into a workout studio for about an hour. Before our Christmas tree was inside, we'd workout side by side (seriously dangerous because this sometimes causes random laughing fits) but now, he goes in front of our couch and I go behind - I had to make the move during globe jumps when he was going way too quickly, and it's also hard to do moving push ups when you're side by side.

So, if you've heard good things about Insanity, I urge you to try it out. If you do, bear in mind, that it is hard. But, you can do it! And I promise you, after 1-2 weeks, you will be SO much stronger than when you started off (which you'll realize during your fit tests), but that strength is going to get you through each drill and soon they'll feel much easier.

We have a love/hate relationship with Shaun T, sometimes we curse him but most of the times we laugh at him and his silly comments/phrases. As silly as it sounds though, I'm grateful to have found something that works so well for both of us and to have a good, challenging workout that we both look forward to.

Thursday, 24 October 2013

Carla & Damian

On Saturday the 19th of October, I had one of the biggest pleasures of filming Carla & Damian's wedding. We met Carla and Damian a few months ago when we visited Vida and Dan in London for the weekend. It was really a coincidence that I had just told Vida I wanted to pursue the world of videography when the 6 of us were having dinner (at delicious, but rather dangerous Tayyabs!) and Carla mentioned they still needed a videographer for their wedding! Not long after, Carla and I were in touch again and I was hired for the job!

It worked out in my favor that Peter had also just recently bought a new Canon 5d mark ii which has the most gorgeous video quality. It did take some playing around with and getting used to though because it is so heavy.

The wedding ceremony was near Carla's parents' house in Grays, Essex, and the gorgeous reception was at Crondon Park & Golf Country Club. Peter and I drove up to Grays to stay at Carla and Damian's house the night before the wedding since they were staying with their parents that night and since I was worried about hitting traffic or for any reason not getting there in time on the morning of the wedding (they are amazing hosts by the way!). It was definitely the best idea since I was able to wake up Saturday morning and join Carla and her bridesmaids to head to the local salon around 7am. It was so fun meeting the girls and Carla's family and watching them all transform as their hair and makeup was done. Carla's lovely dad brought bacon and sausage sandwiches around 8 and Carla's mom opened a bottle of champagne to celebrate not long after. Although a long day for Peter and I, the day seemed to quickly unravel. From getting dressed thereafter, the ceremony and reception, it was the perfect wedding. I am so grateful to have been chosen for the job and to be part of their special day.

I had over 32GB of video footage, so I have been missing from the world for the past few weeks. But I am pleased to finally share their beautiful day! Enjoy!

Carla & Damian 19.10.13 from Lindsay Reynolds on Vimeo.

Friday, 6 September 2013

Home

Just over a week ago, we said our goodbyes to our lovely 1 Old Bakery Mews in Boughton. After having just gotten back to England from Normandy, we drove over to pick up our last few bits (and to defrost the fridge and freezer) and then finally head to Wingham. This was hands down my most chaotic move to date. (I do have some moving credibility, as I've moved 4 times since the age of 18!) It was probably so hectic because I had my "Life in the UK" test on the Monday, carpet cleaner on Tuesday, packing Tues, Weds, Thurs and literally move & CLEAN {the entire house} on Friday. Not to mention Friday night was our family meal for Peter's dads' birthday and Saturday - early - we were off to Normandy until Monday evening. Therefore Monday evening entailed picking up our last bits, bidding farewell and coming home in Wingham to mountains of boxes. I've learned plenty of lessons from this move: don't plan an important test just beforehand, and don't plan a vacation and move during the same weekend. Also, start packing earlier & make a list of cleaning duties to share with the hubby. Lesson learned.

We're now in lovely Wingham and I thought I would really miss 1 Old Bakery Mews, but I don't! (yet). I love our new house and haven't really had the chance to think about Boughton much. Wingham has a sweet community feel with 3 pubs, a bakery, etc and the house has so much character. I can't wait for all of our overseas visitors to come and stay in our guest room and show it off!! My journey into work is also a lot quicker and easier which has been really nice in the mornings.

Below are a few old pictures I've found of Boughton which I think are really neat, and also sharing a few pics of the new Wingham house!!

Ta-ta for now!

Wednesday, 4 September 2013

Wingham Goodies

We've moved to Wingham! It was the most hectic move I've ever experienced but things are finally starting to fall into place and feel like home. Since this house was unfurnished, it became my new project to find either cheap or free furniture. I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to find everything and although it might not have been in the best condition, I decided I would just paint everything and make it look nice myself. And I was excited to choose fun colors and experiment with colors I might not normally try had I actually paid for the furniture. Someone told me about Annie Sloan chalk paint and I was sold right away. Not only are the colors gorgeous, but the paint is so thick you can literally paint on any surface without having to sand or do any work beforehand. And it's also made to distress furniture into a shabby chic effect which is fun. So we set ourselves a paint budget & ended up with 4 liters, 1 tester pot, and 1 can of wax. Waking up that morning felt like Christmas, I was so excited!

Anywhere, here is our handy work - and free finds - in the pictures below. Enjoy.