Just a quickie

I can't even remember posting last it seems ages ago. Girlies are both sick at mo so have had to stay in all week. Luckily, I have had a few good friends come to visit amid the snot and temperatures but there is nothing worse than being stuck in.

Bubbs is getting better after his ear infection but now he is back at school after a weeks break he is very, shall we call it....challenging. I feel like all I do is shout at them from the moment we get up, and that is about 5am these days till we go to bed.

One good thing though is that I have still been running, not much but more than I used to. I have to make a concerted effort to go as I really don't want to but once I am out I am really loving it. yea me.

Mabel is being hard again though as she is not getting out as much as the girls can't go out. Oh how I wish my Dad was here cos I know he'd take her.

xx

Ooops

I have changed my layout and have lost all of my fav blogs to read so you better commenting so I can find you all again
xx

What a couple of days

I am enjoying life at the minute. I haven't been able to say that for a long time. I ran again today and I am really liking it, I love Mabel too and anyone in my real life will realise this is a big thing as we have had issues with her in the last few weeks but she is getting me out there running and is a great companion.

I am surrounded by wonderful friends and have spent the last couple of days laughing with 2 of them and their children so we are all having a great half term.

One big thing that is going on is a trip to France for my sister and I. We have just booked to go for the weekend to see our mum and dad for their 40th wedding anniversary. We were trying to keep it a secret but getting from the airport was getting expensive so we had to tell them. I am really excited as I haven't seen their house since they have done any work on it and it will be soooo lovely for just the 4 of us to spend some time together. I am in complete gratitude to my darling hubby as he is having to take Fri and Mon off work to look after the children and do the school run and stuff with them so thank you so much babe. I hope he has a good time and I am sure my friends will keep an eye out and look after them all for me too.

I have been putting off the ironing now for a week and the pile is growing and growing but you know what....life is too short!!

Happy blogging
xx

Exercise Euphoria

I have done it, I have gotten the exercise buzz. Saturday I ran 5k, monday 3k and today 5k. I am actually really excited. I need to loose weight so this is the way to go. Keep an eye on this page to see how I am doing.

Had a good couple of days with friends so half term is going well.
xx

Pix

Just wanted to share these pix taken by my brother in law this weekend. Jim Jam is the funny one and Moodle is the model poser
xx Enjoy

Before and After!

Well, we did it. My sister and I managed to sort the girlies bedroom out. We used 2 tester pots of paint and some of the kids poster paint, talk about a cheap makeover.....are you ready.

This is beforeGorgeous lampshade which Nannie bought a while ago View looking straight in from door, on the left is a massive white wardrobe
This is the from the corner opposite the door by the wardrobe, the wording says Sweet Dreams

This is from just by the door inside the room

The girlies adore it and they kept shouting 'spotty' to Auntie Clare as she was putting the last ones on the wall.

We adore it and I now have the decorating bug and really want to try to get our room done before my in laws come over as they will be sleeping in there and it will be lovely for it to be gorgeous for them.

xx

Gratitude

First of all can I say thank you for my amazing comments. I am so blessed with friends that understand and love me for who I am even though I don't love myself right now.

Secondly, I had a visit from a real life friend today who blessed me with a wonderful spiritual goody bag. Thanks gorgeous.

My sister and BinL are visiting this weekend and I have just read that they have accepted an offer on their house today so they are now going to be seriously looking for a house very far away from here.....pretty much at the end of the country so I have very mixed feelings. I am so excited for them as it is definitely the right thing for them to do at this time in their lives and if they don't do it now they never will. BUT, it does mean that my little sister who my children ADORE will be at least 6 hours drive away. Now, in the US that sort of drive didn't faze me but here in the UK, you just don't do it regularly so it is something I just have to get my head around. I love them both so much and really want them to be HAPPY but also love the fact that if I really wanted to right now I could get in the car and be there in an hour and if I called her she would do the same. Also, we haven't mentioned any of this to Bubbs who I think actually will be quite upset so not sure how that will work.

On another vein though, Sis is going to help me decorate the girlies bedroom this weekend so I am really pleased and should be able to post some pix once done. Also, we are going to go to the movies on sat night to see 'He's just not that into you'....chick flick here we come yippee
xxx
xx

Health, wealth and happiness

WARNING - THIS POST MAY PUT YOU OFF EVER COMING HERE AGAIN, SORRY!


How is it possible that I have NO MOTIVATION to run. Even though I posted about enjoying it and really when I go I think I do I just can't do it.

As a christian I know all the things in my title shouldn't really be what I yearn for but when there are bills we can't pay, depression I can't fathom and a desperation to be thin but can't stop eating and can't bring myself to exercise how can I say they don't.

Sorry if that doesn't make any sense at all but this post is really to get it off my chest and to document my feelings of failure in most, no all things to do with me

xx

Rockets, trains, buses and Lions

Firstly can I say a good real life friend of mine has just started a blog, please visit her she'd love it. All in a Tiz

Well, after my whinge the other day about how boring my weekend was going to be this is how it went.........

Trafalgar Square, Bubbs, Toby and his daddy

Blurry sorry but cute pic while waiting for bus
My gorgeous friend Jen with girlies and Harry at fountains in Trafalgar

Light 'thing' at the Science Museum

The cute boys having the time of their lives on the Trafalgar Lions

My 3k was cancelled and Hubby went to the Men's Breakfast at church even though he felt decidedly dodgy but was so glad he did. Henry Olonga, the cricketer, was the speaker who was amazing, uplifting, has a singing voice to lift the roof which meant he came back full but not from breakfast. While this was going on my friend Jen called to wish me luck in the run and when she heard it was cancelled asked me to go to London with them. What a great day. We were blessed with the travel, the children adored the train and then we went on a bus through London which is such a great way to see it. Once at the Science Museum we went through the Space section then spent the rest of the day in the Basement which is where we had our packed lunch and then played in the interactive section for 3-6 year olds. It was so much fun for the adults as well as the kids. Doing this meant Hubby got to spend the day relaxed as he had to work today.

Even though Jen and I were pooped after an exhausting day we got to go out last night to a girls night in to watch Mama Mia (singalong of course) and mexican food. We had a blast and sang our hearts out luckily not waking the baby in the house. What a fab day, thank you friends.

Today was a different story. Church this morning, great sermon Giles thank you and I actually got to hear it today as all my children were in their groups and I was left by myself. Once home after hanging out at church for as long as was possible I came home to the longest day for a long time. The children were fine till the afternoon. I tried to walk the dog but got bogged down in the mud with the pushchair. It just dragged on as I am sure it did with Hubby. At least we are here now.

Gonna go now and hang out with Hubby

xx

Here comes the weekend.

It's that time again already 915pm on friday night. Girls took ages to go down and Moodle in particular has been really whingey today. Hubby went straight to bed as soon as he got in as he has been suffering with a tummy bug since Weds eve. Woo hoo I have a great couple of days ahead of me huh
xx
Don't have much else to say tonight, going back to watching NCIS.

R is for rotten, ridiculous and romance!

Weird title I know and here I go with my challenge set by Jen over at Eternally Huckdoll, this was one of the first blogs I found and have been reading it ever since. I can't remember how I found it though. She is a fellow twin mum, a FANTASTIC writer, witty, heartfelt, raw and addictive. Sound a bit like a stalker don't I, but she is one of the bloggers I'd like to meet...shame she lives in Canada, rather a long way to go huh.

Anyway, Huck randomly chose me the letter R and I have to attempt and I mean attempt to tell you 10 things/places/people/anything I love.

1 Running - actually I don't love it at all, but I am trying to. I have started training/shuffling and had signed up for a 3k then a 5k, the first of which was supposed to be on Saturday and it is CANCELLED due to inclement weather...typical England. Anyway at least I am trying.

2 Reading - I have always loved doing this, I remember so fondly Enid Blyton, Judy Blume and so many others and I still love it. Magazines, crime lit, autobiographies, chick lit, self help, christian and more recently in my adulthood The Bible - this is probably my biggest challenge.

3 Retreat - you may have read before that I belong to a women's bible study group, well every 2 years we get to go on a 'retreat'. We meet on Friday evening in time for dinner and get started on a weekend full of devotion, friendship, worship and great food.

4 Raspberries - most definitely my favourite fruit. I remember going 'picking' with my mum, nan and sis every summer and my sister and I always ate more than we picked. The succulent juicy raspberries bursting with flavour is such a wonderful thing. Great with my mums homemade pavlova.

5 Rings - my engagement ring firstly, a beautiful choice made by my Hubby without my knowledge so a complete surprise and I adore it. Next my wedding ring, plain, simple but full of the promise of our marriage still going strong after 12 years. Then comes my eternity ring, traditionally you get one of these on the birth of your first child. Mine represents Hubbys car, long story cut short...when we moved from US to UK, we did so by ourselves ie: not with any support from a company/job so we sold everything. We had only been married 3 years and we had to sell all our wedding presents (gutting) but we did. The Honda CRX that now sits on my finger was Hubbys first new car all of which he paid for. He couldn't bear to be completely rid of it so surprised me with an eternity ring from the sale of the car just before we moved. Lastly, is my signet ring given to me on my 18th birthday. I love it and have worn it ever since.

6 Romance - we don't go in for presents very much as we are ALWAYS on a budget but when we do Hubby is great with them as you can see from the above. The other thing he does amazingly is cards or what he writes in them. I am useless and can never think of anything meaningful or witty to write but can never wait to open his. I also love anything to do with romance.....chick lit, chick flicks and music..I cry at anything romantic too..

7 Roast dinners - I think I have always loved these. Lamb especially with lots of mint sauce. Since having my children I have even learnt to do them myself. There are so many great combinations and sitting down to eat one as a family is so special.

8 Ribena - blackcurrant cordial, which is always a treat in our house. As children we loved it and it was something we didn't have all the time as it is an expensive one but if we were ill it was always there. It is wonderful as a hot drink when you have a cold. Yummy.

9 Roses - Yellow. They were my wedding flowers, I love them. On our first anniversary Hubby bought me dozens, I can't quite remember how many but he had to borrow a lot of vases from our neighbours to put them in so as to surprise me when I got home from work. Bless.

10 Reality - this is a hard one, as I always seem to be living in a dream world. I love my family, children, husband and however hard it is, reality.. I will always find this a hard one to read especially at the moment while I am suffering through depression but that is all the more reason to live for today and relish my life as it happens.

So, there you go. Hope you enjoyed reading. I have to say it was hard to think of 10 but fun when I did.
Thanks Jen
xx

Snow, praise and decorating!

It's been snowing here, Hubby didn't get to work yesterday as all the trains to London were cancelled....I know and inch of snow here and we come to a halt....Mind you I didn't mind as it was nice to have him home for an extra day. Bubbs still went to school and had a great time making snowmen with his classmates. Today was more annoying though as school was still on but preschool wasn't which meant I had the girlies with me and trying to walk the dog round the meadow was rather hard work. Below are a few pix of our walk...

Mabel mid tail wagGirlies in pram in meadow

Gorgeous park looking fab

A rather beautiful tree

Girlies eating tomato soup, great snow food

Now onto the decorating.....I rather stupidly didn't take any before pix but the room was basically magnolia with only furniture in it.. My sister took Bubbs for the weekend so we could do this in the evenings when girlies were asleep and he was and still is really excited about it....his fav colour is red so this is what you get....

View from his bed, the flag is from Help for Heroes rugby match

This is slightly different view from his bed, I got the works from Ebay and I love them

This is the view from the door

We have never been able to decorate before and are so pleased with it. Can't wait to start on other rooms now we want to do the living room, girlies bedroom and our bedroom.

Ok, that is the snow and the decorating, praise is next.

Well, I went on my bi yearly WWW retreat on mine and Hubbys birthday weekend. 47 women go away for fri and saturday night for praise, study, an amazing speaker and friends and great food. I get so excited about this every 2 years and would love for it to happen every year but there is such a lot to do to organise it and for all the husbands to be left at home with the children is a lot to ask. We had a fantastic speaker who did some great talks and our small group studies were great too. I always come away having learnt so much and feel so calm when I return home. It really does take me a while to come down as I try to get back to real life.

Anyway, sorry for such a long break. I will be back tomorrow as I have a challenge set by a good blogging buddess Eternally Huckdoll. I've got my thinking cap on already

xx