My dad has always been fond of the phrase, “Tomorrow is the first day of the rest of your life.” As a child I didn’t understand it. Why tomorrow, was something big happening, what was going to change tomorrow? But now I understand that every day is a new beginning and if we want to change the course of our lives, we just have to get on and do it.

And in this house, tomorrow is not only the first day of the rest of our lives, but it is also the start of a whole new chapter. And as always, the past has a way of connecting with the future in life’s never-ending circle.

When we first decided to have children, we knew that we wanted two close together. They would grow up with a playmate, partner in crime and a friend to share all their adventures with. And for us, it meant that once the baby years were over, we’d slowly but surely start to get our lives back.

That meant work, travel, sport, time together, time apart and new adventures. And all of a sudden, that elusive time when we’d get back to some semblance of post-baby normality appears to be creeping into our lives.

Libby is on the countdown to school, regularly asking me how many minutes it is until her first day. And today, Lia had her first day of going out and about in pants – nappies now seem to be reserved for bedtime, and to me the end of nappies signifies the last remnant of the baby days fading away.

And tomorrow, for the first time since I had them, I’ll be leaving the girls for a few days. I’m heading off on a trip with Fly-Baden to the beautiful Baden-Baden region of Germany, just a few miles from where my ancestors lived before coming to the UK just before the turn of the last century.

I’ll be travelling with Wanderlust Chloe and the family that won a competition to take a trip to this fabulous area. There will be spas, culture, cuisine, sport, relaxation, technology, stunning countryside and an incredible theme park.

I intend to make the most of every moment of my trip. I’ll be sharing everything on my social media accounts, but I’ll also be posting both photos and Instagram stories from the Fly-Baden Instagram. So do pop over and give them a follow to see what I’m up to over the next few days!

And the best thing about going away is knowing that in just a few days when I pull up on the drive, these two little faces will be pressed up against the window waiting for me. Things haven’t been easy here for the last 12 months but as we enter the next chapter of our lives, I know that I’m the luckiest person in the world.

Our Thursday Photo #119