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

In Laws are visiting

Oh my goodness, my in laws are coming to visit. We are soooo excited and it isn't that long away. They called the other night to say they had found some flights and then the next day confirmed the dates....they are coming in March. Big Bill gets to meet his grand daughters for the first time, he was last here when I was pregnant with them and Cyndy met them when they were 3 months old so they are in for such excitement and fun. The children are really excited and keep asking when Papaw and Grandma are coming and we are starting to plan what we can do.

Yippee
xxxx

Firstly, I would like to apologise to Hubbys family as the only picture we seem to have taken of Christmas is of the Red Velvet Cake that Carolyn and I made. This was a big deal as this isn't a cake that we do over here so we were experimenting and Oh my goodness it may look a mess but it was YUMMY!!!!!!!! Our Christmas was AMAZING. Hubby was off work from the 17th Dec till the 5th of Jan.....I know how brilliant is that. I started my Christmas really when I did my reading at church on 21st, it was my first time reading at the front but was lovely. The music was beautiful and was a brilliant job done by our new music director. This is always my favourite service of the year so I relished every moment as I was child free so even managed to catch up with a few people too.

We left for Guernsey early on Monday morning, it is only a 45 min flight and the children were brilliant. Carloyn and Elliss came to pick us up from the airport and the fun began. Tim was off for the day so we really spent the day catching up and planning the rest of the week. Ever since I have know Tim and Carolyn I have always admired their Christmas, they do it so well and I felt really blessed that they invited us to spend it with them (well, we probably invited ourselves but that is neither here nor there!!) The children were all having a great time and as they have a lovely spacey house there was room for everyone. The week went by in a flash. We went to church on Christmas Eve and Day at a lovely church which was only a 10min walk away and the Vicar was brilliant and the children well behaved. Tim was the MasterChef for the week and made the most gorgeous Christmas dinner we all ate far to much and didn't even get to have Christmas pud!! we were so full.

The children loved being together for present opening and it was madness most of the day which we all loved, it was a really special time for us all I think and I am only going to mention it at the end but Carolyn and I were both ill for most of it and ended up on antibiotics the following monday.
One great surprise was Carolyn and I getting tix to see Joseph on the 30th, so even though we came home on the saturday Carolyn came back to UK on Tuesday, and both of us spent a wonderful evening at the Theatre it was just a shame we both felt so terrible but we weren't going to miss it for the world.

New Year for us was spent in bed, me at 930, mum 10pm, Hubby 1115pm and Dad actually managed to see in the New Year by himself bless him. Luckily, I am feeling better now but Mum is still horribly ill and laid up in bed, Dad not great and Bubbs is on antibiotics for an ear infection. Ho Hum welcome to January!!

Below, is a picture of my walk today, Mabel is in the corner and it was to show you all just how beautiful it is on the cold frosty morning. I actually have time to sit down here for a few minutes while the girls are in Nursery and I am savouring it as it really is the first time in weeks that I have stopped.
This month is both mine and Hubbys birthday and actually I am going away on my WWW retreat for our birthday weekend as mine is on the 23rd and his the 25th. I do feel rather guilty leaving Hubby with all the children but I am so looking forward to the retreat and it is only every 2 years.................

End of term

It was Bubbs last day at school today until Jan 6th. Hubby and I went to the school mass which was just lovely. The whole school filed into the hall, Father Ed lead the service and Acorn Class (Bubbs class) did a Christmas offering. The class stood up in front and sang, with actions, My God is a great big God.......this was adorable. Then they did a dance to 'Reach for the Stars'. After the dancing was finished they shared their class prayer. All of this was amazing and we were so fortunate to have been able to go and see our little man and his friends in action. I have enormous admiration for his teacher Miss Fry, she loves the class and is getting so much out of them, we are SO blessed.

We are gearing up for going away, but just had to share this with you
xx

Getting ready for Christmas!

Well, I am supposed to wrapping presents the same as I was supposed to be wrapping them last night but so far I have done none.

I have Nigella Christmas Kitchen on in the background, a glass of rose, Hubby is out and I am blogging. Just felt I had to come back. I have been reading loads and commenting too and didn't realise how much fun it is to do.

We are off to spend Christmas with our friends in Guernsey, we fly out on Monday and return on Saturday. I will take loads of pix so that Papaw and Granma can see them in the US. I am soooo looking forward to it, it is going to be a great holiday and the children are so excited I can't believe it. Bubbs finishes school tomorrow after morning mass and we have got a massively busy weekend before we go but all fun stuff.

On Sat morning we are getting up early and the children and I are going up to see my sister for a couple of hours as they are going away for New Year the same day we arrive home. This will be the first Christmas we have not spent together since we moved back to the UK, the same goes for my parents so it will be strange for us all. Sometimes though, as a family with young children you do have to do something for them don't you? I also have to drop Mabel off at my nans for my mum and dad to look after whilst we are away and be back home by 1pm. (she lives 1.5hours away on a good day) Bubbs is getting a haircut at 130 and the girlies and I are going to Harrys 2nd birthday party which Hubby and Bubbs will meet us at. Luckily we are not doing anything in the evening so I might be able to get some packing done.

Sunday is just as busy, I am in the children's group at church in the morning and then we are going some other friends in the afternoon which will be lovely as haven't got together with them for a while. Hubby gets to put the children to bed tonight as I am doing a reading in our Candlelight Christmas service which I am really excited about as it is my most fav service of the year and I am reading Luke 2 1-7 which is lovely.

So much to do and so little time as is always the way.

I hope everyone has a WONDERFUL Christmas and see you in the New Year
xxxx

Cold, outside and in

I am sitting here with streaming eyes, nose, beating headache and a house full of men watching the football.

This week has been horrible. The children are being a nightmare. I am really struggling with Bubbs, he is being so challenging. I think he is really tired as his first term at school is nearly over but even still he is really pushing the limits. The girlies still aren't sleeping so nothing new there and that is why I haven't blogged because I basically got so fed up of moaning and have nothing left to say. I am still reading and commenting but till I have something half decent to say I am going on a break.
xx

Has it really been a week?????????

Where has the time gone, I have managed to read blogs and even comment on a few but there has been no time to post.

Not much but so much is going on. Bubbs was really unwell this weekend, had a horrid temp and really miserable but is going back to school tomorrow and now I think Moodle is coming down with it. They are still not sleeping and we have had my parents to stay for the last week or so and they have just gotten no sleep bless them. I bet they can't wait to move onto my sisters house where they just have the cats to cuddle.

I am plodding along as usual, really trying to save money wherever we can. This whole credit crunch thing has really got me paying attention to just what we spend our money on. I managed to do all our Christmas shopping on a tight budget going to really cheap stores but getting really cute stuff, now all I have to do is wrap it!!

Not much else to say, well there is but I am in the conservatory and it is freezing so I'll have to blog another day.

xx