2014: Week 2

2014: Week 2, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

Bye, bye Christmas monkey! Have a good rest during your hibernation. See you in November.

(The last of the Christmas decorations were put away this week. Sad face.)

2014: Week 1

2014: Week 1, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

The now traditional picture of poppers and streamers used to ring in the New Year.

2013: Week 53

2013: Week 53, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

Looking ahead to 2014.

Taken after our New Year's Eve dinner at Hawksmoor, continuing a fine family tradition of having a steak dinner on the last day of the year. Happy new year.

2013: Week 52

2013: Week 52, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

Christmas morning in the Christmas onesies. Perfect.

2013: Week 51

2013: Week 51, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

Christmastime is BUSY -- to say the least. This fact is best represented by this picture, showing our son topping out the Christmas tree a full week after we first put it up and decorated it. At least we remembered to do it.

This picture also marks the occasion that this is the first year he was too big to go on his dad's shoulders to put on the star. He used a small stool instead. Time marches on, indeed.

2013: Week 50

2013: Week 50, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

The fog rolled into London this Wednesday. During my morning run through Greenwich Park, it was unbelievable. I couldn't see anything. Even though I couldn't see anything, that didn't mean that I didn't stop to take pictures-- again and again and again.

I captured this group of runners on the field between the Queen's House and the Royal Observatory (where the stadium was for the equestrian events during the 2012 Summer Olympics). Amazing, you can't see the Queen's House, even though it is just to the right of the runners.

No filter was harmed in the creation of this photo.

2013: Week 49

2013: Week 49, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

Here in Greenwich, we have an annual Advent Window tradition whereby different houses decorate a window-- or in this case, windows-- on each day of December leading up to Christmas. The theme this year is "Heaven & Earth" and this window is called "Heaven & Earth on the Greenwich Meridian."

2013: Week 48

2013: Week 48, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

In a week full of photo opportunities--- Thanksgiving celebrations, seeing old friends, admiring the London Christmas decorations, I went with the most simple one: a single candle I held during Advent Services on the first day of Advent.

2013: Week 47

2013: Week 47, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

Happy Holidays!

With one month until Christmas Eve, let the hoopla begin. Spotted on a very posh store in South Kensington, London.

#ilovelondon #ilovechristmas

2013: Week 46

2013: Week 46, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

On a very grey and rainy day in London, I spotted this: a lonely chicken taking a call next to the Thames. No, I have no idea why he's there. No, I don't know who he's talking to. (His agent? He might be saying something like, "You need to get me a better gig than this.") But whatever his reason for being there, his presence cheered me up immensely.

#ilovelondon #nofilter

2013: Week 45

2013: Week 45, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

I captured this photo near the end of an epic walk on my birthday eve.

We had a most excellent dim sum brunch at Royal China at Westferry in Canary Wharf and decided to walk back home because it was a beautiful sunny day. We tried our best to stay on the Thames Path on the way back. But several times we found that some money grubbing, heartless developers closed off their sections of the Thames Path and we had to do some zig zagging back and forth from the Thames to Westferry Road. This was one of the zig zags.

But it was a fantastic day just the same-- tasty brunch, sunshine, fun walk and (most importantly for this picture) great light.

2013: Week 44

2013: Week 44, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

I was spoiled for choice to pick just one picture to capture Week 44 of 2013. We went to the Shard at sunset (Ooh!). It was Halloween (Boo!). We kicked the autumnal leaves in the park (Ouch!).

In the end, I went for a snap of the Blackheath Fireworks. It's a huge part of our autumnal calendar, and we go every year (except for last year, when I mistakenly booked tickets for us to see the opera that night instead. I won't be making that mistake again.) They estimate that more than 100,000 people gather on the heath to watch them. It is insane, but one of the many reasons why I love living in London.

2013: Week 43

2013: Week 43, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

On our way back from ComicCon, which probably deserves a picture itself, we passed this amazing sculpture in Canning Town. It was completely unexpected and lovely. From this angle, it looks to me like the Iron Giant is picking a leaf off the tree.

This beautiful surprise is one of the many reasons why I Love London.

2013: Week 42

2013: Week 42, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

Autumn is rolling in, and with it, the autumn colours.

When I saw this shadow in the back garden, it looked to me like the Bat Sign-- calling Batman to Gotham CIty to restore law and order and do other Batman-like things.

2013: Week 41

2013: Week 41, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

Falling Rain + Falling Leaves = Our Sunday Morning.

I took this picture for Instragram's weekend hashtag project, "Signs of the Season." I took it in the pouring rain, which wasn't at all pleasant, but I thought it was perfect for the project, as the directional sign seems to be pointing at the fallen leaves saying, "Look! Autumn is right here!"

2013: Week 40

2013: Week 40, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

This year, we had a bumper crop of apples. It was the most we've ever had off of our small tree-- about 30. The conditions must have been very favourable this year, with our wet spring and very hot summer. Last year, we didn't get any apples off our tree, so it was quite a result.

In Week 40, we had our apple harvest. In the midst of harvesting, we found this little friend on one of the apples.

2013: Week 39

2013: Week 39, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

Week 39 of 2013 was a monumental week in our family. Actually, the week wasn't so monumental, but the Sunday of Week 39 was. It marked the day that our son turned 14 AND the day that our beloved Pittsburgh Steelers played at Wembley Stadium.

It was a fantastic day. We had cake for breakfast, as is the tradition. The sun shone. The tailgating at Wembley was epic. The pre-game show featured Tinie Tempah. We enjoyed some American fireworks to go with the American over-the-top festivities.

The funniest moment of the day was when the lovely gentleman from Devon seated next to me turned to me and asked, "So, is this your first American football game?" To be fair, he hadn't heard me talk yet, so maybe my American accent would have negated the need to ask that question. I only laughed and said, "Well, I've seen A LOT of American football games. I have no idea how many." (This is just a ballpark figure, but maybe 11,631?)

We also learned the answer to the question that had always troubled us: Could Gene Simmons, he of outrageous makeup of "Kiss" sing the national anthem without his usual getup? Alas, he can. Who knew?

Alas, the Steelers did not win. But it was an amazing day just the same.

2013: Week 38

2013: Week 38, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

The party is over, but what a brilliant party.

2013: Week 37

2013: Week 37, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

This is the only picture I took all week. The reason for the paucity of output is simple: I thought I would be spending Sunday at the Goodwood Revival, where they would be photo ops aplenty.

Alas, I spent Sunday at home with my sick teenager. Motherhood is so glamourous sometimes.

On the plus side, I finally installed the new version of the vsco app for my iPhone. This is the first picture I took with it, and I know I'm in love already. So at least something good happened to redeem my day.

2013: Week 36

2013: Week 36, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

Sunset as the Summer Party.

The party was as amazing as this sunset.

2013: Week 35

2013: Week 35, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.

Or, in this case, when your son and his best friend want to raise money for their favourite charities, make lemonade. Which is exactly what we did.

I think I got RSI from squeezing several dozen lemons, but it was delicious. The boys also managed to raise £103 on the day, so it was well worth the effort.

2013: Week 34

2013: Week 34, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

The drive from Provence to London is pretty lengthy, so we decided to break it up by stopping in Reims on the way.

Reims is the capital of the champagne region, so we were disappointed to not be given a bottle of complementary champagne on our arrival in the city. Oh well.

Reims is also known for its amazing cathedral. We have been to our fair share of extraordinary churches in our time, but this one was by far the most awe inspiring of them all.

Extraordinary.

2013: Week 33

2013: Week 33, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

On our last night in Provence, my son and I went out with our cameras, lenses, phones and other photo gear to capture the sunset over the vineyards.

It was epic.

We got great photos, sure, but it was epic because of the fun we had together. It was a perfect ending for a perfect trip.

2013: Week 32

2013: Week 32, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

This was the view outside our living room room of the house we rented in Week 32 in Semur-en-Auxois in Burgundy, France.

It made for an interesting week, as the ducks would glide by in the morning and evening and we had the ever-present sound of water rushing down the waterfall (we got used to it eventually). The sight also reminded me of a waterfall from my childhood that was just down the street from our house, which was nice.

But after surviving a hail storm and a small flood in the house here (that's another story for another time), I'm glad we were only visiting, not living there permanently.

2013: Week 31

2013: Week 31, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

We all set off in Week 31 to take part in RideLondon, a completely manic ride with thousands of other cyclists through central London. As you can see from the above, we passed by the most famous London landmark of all, but we rode past plenty of others, too, including Buckingham Palace, St. Paul's, the Tower of London.

RideLondon is the successor to the Sky Ride, which we also did. Central London is closed to automobile traffic, but it is still completely mad because so many people take part. But there is definitely a special thrill having the roads taken over by cyclists and gliding past all the places that make London London.

We managed two loops-- 16 miles-- before the crowds got to be too much and we headed home. It definitely was something special though.

2013: Week 30

2013: Week 30, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

See? Romance isn't dead.

This was the theme of the wedding we went to in Week 30. You've got to love a couple with a wry sense of humour.

2013: Week 29

2013: Week 29, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

My feet on the Olympic track, London, after running 5 miles in the Anniversary Run. This was definitely a highlight for week 29, if not for all of 2013. Amazing.

Hashtags: #FromWhereIStand #Epic #ALifetimeOfRunningCameInHandyAfterNoTraining

2013: Week 28

2013: Week 28, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

Wandering around the garden of Charles Darwin's house down in Downe.

2013: Week 27

2013: Week 27, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

A day of miracles: Andy Murray winning Wimbledon, getting nine people to church on time, a beautiful sunny summer day (after a very soggy spring), and a ray of sunlight streaming through the church windows to shine on (only) me during Thing One's confirmation.

2013: Week 26

2013: Week 26, a photo by MAStapleton on Flickr.

As the Steve Miller Band once sang, "Time keeps on slippin' slippin' slippin' into the future."

This week I was reminded more than once how quickly time flies. Our 13-year-old is heading off for a week with his class for a trip to France, while our 10-year-old moved up to the highest swimming level after taking lessons non-stop since he was 18 months old. It seems only yesterday that both of them were toddlers with a headful of curls running around whenever possible.

They'll be leaving for university before I know it if I'm not mindful of the time we've got together.