RIP

The downside of having a large extended family is that as they age, bad news comes with almost every phonecall home. At least that's how it's been for the last 4 months.

My dad had 88 first cousins, who all married and most had several children which makes for a very large family. We obviously are not really close to them all but we are to many and at the end of the day in our family, "family is family".

Another family member has passed away, sadly from asbestosis, the same condition that my uncle has.

The treatment that we were hopeful of for my uncle has failed and he is declining quickly. He starts another treatment next week.

Gran had a fall trying to escape from her nursing home and broke her hip, she has just had a hip replacement. She fell again trying to escape the hospital and had to have another surgery. She didn't look like she would pull through but they found out she was anaemic and have treated that. She has improved and she should be back at the nursing home this week.

She no longer knows who I am and gets upset trying to remember. The best I can do now is to write and on better days, my family will read her my letters.

Not a positive post, I know. I am having difficulty finding a positive tonight. I'll try again tomorrow.

Good idea at the time

I didn't have a partner at kickboxing last night, actually, I deliberately held back in the hope that I would get the trainer. When you box with the trainer, you don't have to hold the pads so you get to do double the session. I thought it was a good idea at the time.

I had a great session, was totally exhausted and felt on top of the world.

Today, during my weights session, I was thinking that maybe it wasn't such a good idea, and now having walked around the shops for 4 hours and lead my own group class tonight, I am pretty sure it was not a good idea!

Would I do it again?

Without a doubt. :-D

The Money Tree

A little one of these would be nice right now. I don't need a huge one, just a small one to keep me going.

Travel Bug

I think I caught a Travel Bug when I was in tropical Cairns.

Ever since I got back, I've been thinking of all the places I want to see. A lot of these places I used to think about before I had children. I'm sure when the mummy hormones kick in, they include a huge dose of Travel Bug anti-biotics because I haven't thought of these places for a long time.

I would love to go to Russia, Prague, Canada, Alaska, Singapore, Hong Kong even back to the UK to see my family.

Jon didn't come home for lunch today, it appears that he is at the Pharmacy getting another course of Travel Bug anti-biotics. We're not going anywhere for a while. :(

Good job Sydney summer is on it's way! :)

My lines tell my story

I don’t spend much time in front of the mirror looking at myself, with three children it’s just not a priority to spend a long time there. However, over the last few months when I am there,  drying my hair, I have to admit that the lines on my face were starting to bother me a little bit.

I’m getting older, obviously, but I was starting to think about how I would age, would I look older than my years? I guess getting copious amounts of emails from deal of the day type websites offering many a treatment to preserve my youth was not helping.

Today though, I felt different. Today I celebrated 16 years of marriage to my fantastic husband (I really should tell him more often that I think he is amazing).

Today I have been thinking of the day we got married and about our time together when we were younger and before we had children.

In front of the mirror I started to see those lines in a different way.

My lines tell my story.

My lines explain 

• that I have been happily married for 16 years
• that I have 3 beautiful children
• that my son is nearly 12 and turning into an amazing young man just like his dad
• how many broken nights sleep I had when I had the joy of breastfeeding each one of them
• all friendships I have enjoyed and the late night parties (obviously in the past now)
• the trips away to remote cottages with friends and lying on the grass looking up at the stars and singing loudly to Oasis until the stars disappeared and the sun began to rise
• the countries I have been lucky enough to visit
• the stress and worry that my extended family have caused, though I am still blessed to have them in my life
• the wrong decisions I have made and the lessons I have learned from them
• the countless hours spent waiting in Doctor’s surgery’s because my child is unwell again
• that I lived and loved the 80’s and everything about them
• that I watched Charles and Diana get married on live TV

My lines show that I have lived a wonderful life, that I have wisdom and maturity and experience and without my lines I am just a 20 year old with a minimal life story to tell.

How dull would that be?

Happy Anniversary

16 years ago today on the beautiful Caribbean Island of Barbados I married the most important person in my life.

My gorgeous husband

With my dad

Family and friends

I am pretty sure I love him even more now than I did then. xx

I am grateful for.....

I am grateful that my children are in holiday club this week and lunch is provided. As a result of this I am extremely grateful that I do not need to make 15 sandwiches this week.