Yesterday we were sitting on the bus, Olympia tucked against my body and Embla playing a complicated game involving touching Kirsty’s face. Our sons were sat beside her, chattering nineteen to the dozen into the silence, their conversation not aimed at anybody so much as all-inclusive, about buses and trains and the cars whizzing past, and about cats and cake and the swings at the park. An older lady, sat all alone, caught my eye and smiled.
And in that moment I felt so grateful to be Amber Wilde, London-born in this day and age when it is so easy to love the person whom I love more than anything in the world, and to raise children together, acknowledged as our own. We took them to the park and shared strawberries in the sunlight, and nobody blinked when I told my children to go and find their mummy, and when they ran back to me, shouting proudly that Mummy, they had conquered the slide. I will write a blog post, or film a video talking about what it is like to be same-sex parents soon, but honestly, the good outweighs the difficult every time and sometimes I feel so lucky, so tremendously privileged to be raising my children here and by the love and acceptance that we are shown that it takes my breath away.
Eating her strawberries in Mini Rodini! Gasp. What was I thinking?!
On Thursday, a reminder popped up on Facebook that it had been three years since I started blogging. And then on Friday, my friends hauled me over the 1k point on YouTube – sharing me with their audiences, shouting out to me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. It was one of those occasions that seem a little unbelievable; gorgeous Charlotte Taylor, who is every bit as nice as she seems in her channel and her blog, noticed that I was fewer than a hundred subscribers away from a thousand and kindly mentioned me on her insta, and then kept on doing it and some other friends joined in too and before I knew it, my Channel Mum friends were congratulating me and I couldn’t stop smiling and laughing. It wasn’t so much the number but the tremendous amount of kindness; all of those people who cared so much about helping us.
People who value us, who see the importance in families like ours having an online presence. People who see our family as nothing out of the ordinary, and people who have never met a same-sex family ‘in real life’ before but who are interested in us and supportive of us, who want to know more.
The messages that I most value are from those young people who are not ‘out’ yet, but who read my posts about coming out or who have seen my video and who message me to say that my writing, or my YouTube, gives them hope. Hope. Can you imagine? I feel immensely privileged to be in a position where my words can influence anybody, can comfort a young person who needs it so badly. If you are reading this and you are afraid for your future, please, please don’t be. A family like ours can be the most wonderful thing, and society will embrace you and love you even if the people around you right now are unable.
So, we thought we’d host a little competition to say ‘Thank you’!
We’re hosting a competition to win a £30 Amazon gift card. The competition will run for two weeks, ending conveniently just after pay day, and we’ll draw the winner and contact them about their prize on the 4th September. Very best of luck!
184 comments
Love your posts 🙂
Beautiful post (accompanied by beautiful photos of your lovely family). Happy blog birthday and congrats on 1k.
That is amazing news!! Huge congrats on reaching 1k subscribers. Keep being awesome Mummas xXx
Hiya Amber and Kirstie. I love love love your family and vlogs ????????
Thank you for taking the time to share your beautiful family with us and for this fun little competition! Xx
I know you’re all ‘mine’, but it still takes my breath away how gorgoeous you all are xxx
Love following your family’s story. Thanks for all that you share. X
happy bloggy birthday!!!! You are doing a fantastic job, heres to the next 3 years and beyond :)))))
Congratulations on hitting the 1k milestone Amber – and completely smashing it too! I’m so happy for you. Beautiful, candid photos as always x
Congratulations on hitting 1k! That’s huge, but not surprising as you’re all frickin’ awesome.
Congratulations on the milestone, looking forward the vlogs to come!
Congrats on 3 years of blogging and making 1k followers on youtube (Great pics too!!)
Happy blog birthday, and well done on the 1000 youtube subscribers, that’s amazing! I really loved reading this post, seeing the things that bloggers do for each other just makes me smile so much, I really need to get much more involved in the community! x
Happy Blog-aversary. Congrats on the 1k l, very well deserved! ????
I love your blog and find you both so inspirational! I have 2 little boys aged 2 and 3, I have a lot of respect for you having 2 sets of twins!
Happy blog birthday! Love your photography and you have such a way with words.
Great prize
Congratulations on your 3 year blogiversary – and thanks for the lovely giveaway :o)
Lovely post. Congrats on hitting 1k! Great giveaway, would love to win 🙂 Fingers crossed x
Congrats and thank you for the lovely competition.
Lovely photos. Congratulations!
congratulations , fab giveaway
Congratulations and thanks for the opportunity to enter your lovely competition x
Lovely competition and beautiful family. Congrats on your 1k subscribers and 3 year blog anniversary!
Least hope for the next 1k
Well done on your youtube achievement! 🙂
What a lovely post, your blog is lovely, thanks for sharing
I’ve said this before and ill say it again. You are an inspiration to me.. Your posts are one of the things that get me through and seeing the light at the end of the tunnel with twin life.
Looks like you’ve had some great memory making moments.
Congrats
What a beautiful family you have. I’m lookinforward to reading more of your blog.
Congratulations on your 3 year blogiversary – and thanks for the great giveaway !!!
Congrats, thats quite an accomplishment
Congratulations on your youtube achievement!
Happy Blog-birthday!
Congrats on the You-Tube 1K!
Congrats on your 3 year blogiversary and thanks for the great giveaway.
Happy Birthday to you
Subscribed to your you tube
Congratulations and I salute you for having 2 sets of twins, I am a twin and have 3 brothers it was a a happy crazy growing up! What lovely mums you are 🙂
hey congratulations!!! 🙂 xx
Lovely blog. Love your post twins body blog post. I had three kids in 15 months and can relate x
Congrats on your impressive milestone!
im hoping to start the xmas shopping soon, so this would come in handy.
Congrats on 1k, beautiful family
Amazon vouchers are the best, thanks so much for this lovely giveaway.
Lovely to see your alternative family! You look like fantastic mothers.
Congratulations on your first thousand followers – I’m sure the next thousand won’t be far behind!
Congratulations on the 1K! Here is to many more! 🙂 I am also a twin mum! Thanks for the chance to win x
Happy 3rd blogiversary and lovely You tube videos
Congrats on all your subscribers, you deserve it !
Thankyou for this great post x
Your kids are gorgeous, and a credit to you both! Congrats on your blogoversary & here’s to a world where love is love!
Well done on your blog & reaching your youtube followers.
Adorable photos!
Lovely blog and a great competition too. Thanks for the chance!
Love your story, how refreshing and interesting! xx
Congrats on your blogaversary and for hitting 1k! Keep up the good work!
well done
Congratulations!
Fab prize.
Great giveaway, many thanks
Congratulations – and thank you for the giveaway xx
Congrats!!! Lovely giveaway
YouTube is such a fabulous place to find inspiration and to know none of us are alone no matter what our own situation is. Congratulations on reaching 1K subscribers. May you have many more.
Congratulations. Thank you for the giveaway.
Great read, thank you.
Happy blog birthday and congratulations! 🙂
congrats and thanks for the giveaway
Congratulations on this mile stone
Sweet photos, I really fancy strawberries now. Time is a strange thing, my baby girl is 27 this year. I’ve been with Lisa for 17 years. Crazy!
Hiya, loving your blog, Ive just stumbled across it, but you have a big new fan… ME! Loving the unique childrens names that you have by the way.
Congrats on your blog
Congratulations on 1K and three years of blogging – and here’s to many more. Gorgeous photographs! Thank you for a great giveaway – everyone has an Amazon list!
Great family photos, and congratulations on the 1k and three years of blogging.
Thank you- i love shopping on amazon
Congrats! That’s a huge milestone!
Great milestone congrats
Great to see other people struggles with children
Congratulation to you and you beautiful little family x
What a fantastic post 🙂 Congratulations on reaching such a milestone, and on three years of blogging – here’s to many more!
Congrats on your 1k, never seen your blog before just now but now i’m subscribed to your youtube will hopefully see more as I love it, fantastic effort 🙂
Ahh, congrats! xxx
Happy blog birthday! Love your photography
Wow!! Congratulations on reaching 1k subscribers! Now 1.2K – Fantastic giveaway! Great to put towards Christmas too!
Congratulations – great achievement!
A lovely blog written by lovely people 🙂
Congrats on your blogiversary!
Great post – congratulations!
What an interesting post and what a super prize too.
Amazing competition, thanks.
Congratulations – What a great giveaway
This is such a lovely prize. Thank you for the chance x
What a beautiful family! 🙂 congrats on 1k subscribers and thank you for the chance to win!
Lovely photos x
fab posts
Wow fab thanks for the chance!
Happy Bloggy Birthday!
Congratulations on your first thousand subs
This would really come in handy – I’m always getting stuff from Amazon!
Great pictures 🙂 Congratulations on the 1K & 3 years of blogging x x
Congratulations, great achievement 🙂 thank you for running the competition, very generous.
Thanks so much for a super giveaway!
Great prize
Congratulations on the 1k subscribers and I’m happy to be one of them! Gorgeous pictures and I love reading your blog! Keep it going and have a great day!
Congratulations on ik
Happy blogiversary, here’s to many more to come 🙂
Well done on the 1K achievement! Fab blog!
Love your family story.
I love the rainy day photos!
congratulations
Congratulations – don’t stop!
Ah such lovely people and you all look so happy and positive, well apart from one possibly tired little one in the vlog!! Many congratulations on hitting 1000 and I hope you go onto gaining many more.
Superb! You have to respect anyone who loves who they are & what they do. And that they can share doing it with the ones they love the most. I’m happy to subscribe and follow your story ????????
Not sure why the question marks appeared!
Superb! You have to respect anyone who loves who they are & what they do. And that they can share doing it with the ones they love the most. I’m happy to subscribe and follow your story
Well done on reaching 1K followers- a lovely family
Well done and keep up the good work
Aw such a beautiful family x
Lovely! Congrats on your 1k subscribers 🙂
Fabulous family and lovely pictures! x
I enjoyed your post and well done on reaching 1000 followers.
Well done on the blog. . and thanks for a great prize
congrats x
I am so excited to watch all of your videos now 🙂
what a beautiful family-congrats
Lovely blog 🙂
Fab congrats! ????????
congratulations on three years
What a lovely blog post! Great photos 🙂
Congratulations guys! I’ve only just discovered your blog but loving catching up with your adventures. Love your photos!
Congratulations on the 1K followers, looking forward the vlogs.
A lovely blog 🙂
thankyou for the giveaway, just come across your blog so will look forward to readign future posts xx
Great youtube channel thanks for the vlogs and reviews
Congratulations on your milestone
Thank you for sharing! X
Huge congratulations to you and your lovely family ????
Amber, you make gorgeous little people 🙂
Congratulations on your milestone.
Congratulations! Thanks for the great prize / competition. Good luck everyone.
Congrats on your milestone! 🙂
Happy anniversary
Congrats on ur hard work!
lovely prize..thanks for the chance
such a sweet happy family lovely to see great giveaway
Congratulations on 3 years of blogging! Fantastic news x x x
Congratulations on 1K subscribers and Excellent giveaway
Lovely family and lovely pictures. Thanks for the chance to win
Well done, that is a great achievement x
great prize and great vlog
what a lovely family you have
Good work! Interesting and entertaining blog
congratulations on your achievement!
Congrats! Thanks for the competition 🙂
Love the pictures 🙂 x
lovely competition thank you and great family pics
Congratulations on the milestone
Lovely Blog – so cheerful on a grey day to watch
Well done on hitting 1000, here’s to a very quick 2000! 🙂 Fab blog, keep up the good work x
Congratulations – what an accomplishment!
amazing photos x
3years~ well done
Lovely blog and it looks as though you both have your hands full there lol. I have 7 grandchildren myself so know how much hard work but so much more joy they can bring xx Congrats on reaching 1k and look forward to reading more blogs.
Great pictures
Congrats on reaching 1k and thank you for sharing this lovely giveaway with us all
Congratulations on the 1000 that’s a fab milestone to hit!
Great giveaway
Well done on reaching these milestones ☺
Congratulations on the milestone. Great blog. It is so nice to see same sex parents being represented.
what a lovely family
Happy to be one of the 1000. x
Congratulations on your beautiful family!
Happy to be one of the 1000. x Dunno why it keeps saying ‘duplicate comment’? 😉
A lovely post and some great photos
Congratulations on the milestone
amazing giveaway would be thrilled to win congratulations on reaching your milestone!
<3 Well done on reaching ONE THOUSAND subscribers!!!!
Congratulations on your 3 year blog Anniversary! Love the photo’s! : )
Oh fab – great giveaway 🙂
Big congrats.
Congrats on the milestone xxxx
Lovely name….almost!
Congrats on hitting 1k =D